The Arbiter System

Arbiter System Version 2.60

By Andrew Rowe

Edited by Jessica Richards, Andrew Bice, John Lin, and Rachel Noel

Artwork by Devin McCarthy, Rachel Noel, and Andrew Rowe

Based on the Live Effects game rules by Ira Ham

Inspirations from Live Effects, Dying Kingdoms, Campaign, Eidolon, Twin Mask, and Empty Thrones.

Special thanks to Alex Arjad, John Basset, Andrew Bice, Bryan Bolles, Kari Brewer, Leigh Carter,
Danielle Collins, Edward Fox, Justin Green, Ira Ham, Bernard Hansel, Jesse Heinig, Charles Hensley,
Paul Howell, John Lin, Eric Maloof, Devin McCarthy, Rob McDiarmid, Rachel Noel, Mallory Reaves,
Jessica Richards, and Ian Sorensen for rules advice and other inspiration.
Text Licensing

For more details on this licensing go to:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/

Exceptions: The images within are not under creative commons license.
The writing and storyline information is not under the creative commons license.
Setting-specific abilities, such as combat techniques, sorcery styles, etc. are not under the creative
commons license. All forms of sorcery are considered setting-specific and thus are not under the license.

Attribution: One must credit the original author, Andrew Rowe, the Arbiter System, as well as Ira Ham
and Live Effects, on all works used and developed in conjunction with this document. The author is not
responsible for activities performed in conjunction with this document.

Image Licensing: Content imagery copyright Rachel Noel and Andrew Rowe; used with permission.
Images within this document are owned by their respective authors and are not covered under the
creative commons licensing.

Writing and Storyline Licensing: All Arbiter System, Shades of Venaya, Echoes of Deicide, Shades of Ruin,
and Beyond the Veil storyline information is copyright Andrew Rowe; used with permission. All
information in the Game Storyline and Lore section is copyright Andrew Rowe; used with permission.

Attribution: Andrew Rowe, Ira Ham, the Arbiter System, and Live Effects must be credited in all derivative
works.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Arbiter System.....................................................................................................1
Arbiter System Introduction.........................................................................................6
Chapter 1: Game Story and Chapters...........................................................................8
Chapter 2: Basic Rules................................................................................................9
Safety Information...............................................................................................9
Communication, Definitions, and Terminology...........................................................11
Chapter 3: Basic Gameplay........................................................................................18
Attacks and Defenses............................................................................................18
Hit Points..........................................................................................................18
Damage............................................................................................................18
Wounds............................................................................................................19
Hit Locations.....................................................................................................19
Incapacitation...................................................................................................19
Bleeding to Death..............................................................................................20
Dying...............................................................................................................20
Death...............................................................................................................20
Resurrection Sickness.........................................................................................21
Pointed Subdue.................................................................................................21
Bandages..........................................................................................................21
Rest.................................................................................................................21
Effects.................................................................................................................22
Effect Stacking..................................................................................................25
Effect Durations.................................................................................................26
Refreshing Spells...............................................................................................26
Suppressing Skill Ranks......................................................................................27
Out-of-Game Items & Stealing................................................................................28
Noncombatants.....................................................................................................28
Game Design Philosophy........................................................................................29
Chapter 4: Character Creation...................................................................................31
Step 1: Read the Setting Guide or Regional Guides................................................31
Step 2: Select a Species.....................................................................................31
Step 3: Find a Home Region................................................................................31
Step 4: Pick a Core Concept................................................................................31
Step 5: Write and Submit a Backstory..................................................................32
Step 6: Select a Unique Trait...............................................................................32
Step 7: Purchase Skills.......................................................................................32
Step 8: Select Your Starting Equipment................................................................33
Step 9: Props and Costuming..............................................................................33
Step 10: Prepare for your First Event...................................................................34
Character Background Template..........................................................................34
Other Character Documentation...........................................................................35
Chapter 5: Advancement and Experience Points...........................................................36
Overview..........................................................................................................36
Campaign Experience Points................................................................................36
Ruin Points........................................................................................................40
Multiple Characters................................................................................................42
Character Death and Retirement..........................................................................42
Chapter 5: Unique Traits...........................................................................................45
General Traits...................................................................................................45
Combat Traits....................................................................................................46
Magical Traits....................................................................................................47
Social and Political Traits....................................................................................47
 Economic Traits.................................................................................................48
Restrictions of Unique Traits................................................................................48
Chapter 6: Core Attributes.........................................................................................49
Strength..............................................................................................................49
Strength Skills...................................................................................................49
Dexterity..............................................................................................................50
Dexterity Skills..................................................................................................50
Resilience.............................................................................................................51
Resilience Skills.................................................................................................51
Willpower.............................................................................................................51
Willpower Skills.................................................................................................52
Insight.................................................................................................................53
Insight Skills.....................................................................................................53
Cunning...............................................................................................................54
Cunning Skills...................................................................................................54
Chapter 7: General Skills...........................................................................................56
Automatic General Skills........................................................................................56
Purchasable General Skills......................................................................................57
Time Units............................................................................................................61
Standard Time Unit Costs...................................................................................61
Sorcery Research...............................................................................................64
Gathering Skills.................................................................................................64
Hunting............................................................................................................65
Herbalism.........................................................................................................65
Lumberjack.......................................................................................................66
Mining..............................................................................................................66
Prospecting.......................................................................................................67
Chapter 8: Combat, Weapons, and Armor....................................................................68
Weapon Rules...................................................................................................68
Weapon Skills....................................................................................................68
Armor...............................................................................................................70
Shields.............................................................................................................71
Chapter 9: Specialized Skill Trees...............................................................................72
Physical Combat Skills...........................................................................................74
Combat Maneuvers............................................................................................75
Combat Techniques............................................................................................82
Combat Styles...................................................................................................86
General Combat Styles.......................................................................................86
Unique Combat Styles........................................................................................89
Medical Knowledge (Trained Skill)...........................................................................93
Rogue Arts...........................................................................................................96
Performance (Trained Skill)..................................................................................100
Command (Trained Skill)......................................................................................103
Influence Cards and Diplomacy Skills.....................................................................105
Diplomatic Techniques.........................................................................................111
Conversational Abilities.....................................................................................113
Chapter 10: Economics and Nobility..........................................................................116
Crafting Skills.....................................................................................................116
Crafting Recipes...............................................................................................116
Crafting Actions...............................................................................................116
Blacksmithing..................................................................................................118
Carpentry........................................................................................................122
Leatherworking................................................................................................124
 Alchemy..........................................................................................................126
Jewelcrafting...................................................................................................135
Merchant Skills....................................................................................................137
Trade Contracts...............................................................................................137
Traps..............................................................................................................140
Faction Memberships...........................................................................................142
Chapter 11: Sorcery................................................................................................143
Dominion Sorcery...................................................................................................146
Prime Dominion Calling........................................................................................153
Flame Calling...................................................................................................153
Water Calling...................................................................................................154
Air Calling.......................................................................................................155
Stone Calling...................................................................................................155
Life Calling......................................................................................................156
Death Calling...................................................................................................157
Light Calling....................................................................................................158
Shadow Calling................................................................................................159
Knowledge Calling............................................................................................161
Deception Calling.............................................................................................162
Motion Calling..................................................................................................163
Stability Calling................................................................................................164
Deep Dominion Calling.........................................................................................165
Creating New Dominion Calling Spells....................................................................165
Planar Essence....................................................................................................168
Dominion Calling Styles........................................................................................169
Dominion Shaping...................................................................................................174
Prime Dominion Shapes.......................................................................................176
Flame Shaping..............................................................................................177
Water Shaping..............................................................................................177
Air Shaping...................................................................................................179
Stone Shaping...............................................................................................180
Life Shaping..................................................................................................181
Death Shaping...............................................................................................182
Light Shaping................................................................................................182
Shadow Shaping...........................................................................................183
Knowledge Shaping.......................................................................................184
Deception Shaping........................................................................................185
Motion Shaping.............................................................................................185
Stability Shaping...........................................................................................186
Learning New Shapes...........................................................................................188
Deep Dominion Shaping.......................................................................................188
Other Dominion Shaping Abilities..........................................................................188
Dominion Shaping Styles......................................................................................188
General Sorcery Skills.............................................................................................191
Appendix 1: Teminology and References....................................................................195
Appendix 2: Equipment Prices..................................................................................197
Optional Rule: Hardcore Mode..................................................................................199
Complete List of Game Calls.....................................................................................200
 Arbiter System Introduction

The Arbiter System is a game rules set designed for live-action role-playing games (“LARPs”).

This document doesn’t cover the basics of how to role-play, and only briefly mentions things like the
terminology used in live-action games. It is designed for players and game designers who already have
experience with other LARPs. As such, the rules system has some complex elements.

There are numerous guides online on how to get established in live-action role-playing games and learn
the basics. For anyone who has never heard of live-action role-playing before, I would recommend
reading the Wikipedia entry before reading this guide. That article can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game

This specific system was first designed for use in Shades of Venaya, which ran until 2014.

The system is tailored toward use in the same universe as Venaya, with some elements of the game
mechanics being designed to properly represent the narrative elements of that world. For example, the
setting has a detailed magic system with internally consistent rules.

The philosophy behind the Arbiter System is that each player should be able to create a character that is
unique and fun to play right from their first game. For this reason, characters start with a comparatively
large number of skills, and the system has a wide variety of different skills to choose from. In addition,
different game regions also have unique skills for that region, and many other skills can be found through
game play and purchasing “Lore” skills, which provide the player with additional role-playing information
and more skills to consider purchasing.

In addition, the Arbiter System is designed for long-term play. For this reason, many skills have “soft
caps”, where the skill gets progressively more expensive to purchase until it is very inefficient, rather
than “hard caps”, where there is a clear maximum level for each skill. This system also provides
incentives for retiring your character and starting a new one to encourage players to try new things and
allow newer players to catch up.

This book primarily focuses on the basics that a player will need to know in order to create their first
character. Additional information can be found in supplemental books and documentation. For example,
the Arbiter System Advanced Rule Book contains the rules for character retirement and managing land,
as well as additional skills.

Each individual Arbiter System game will also have one or more Setting Guides with more information on
the game world for the campaign they are playing. These Setting Guides can generally be found on the
Facebook page for the appropriate game, such as the Rendalir Remembered Facebook page or the
Arcane Ascension Facebook page. Arcane Ascension uses region-specific guides rather than a single
setting guide.

Note that while this basic rules system is publicly available and elements of this system can be borrowed
by other games (if proper attribution is given; see our copy of the Creative Commons license, below), the
story elements (both in this guide and otherwise), artwork, and regional guides are property of their
respective creators and cannot be used by other games without permission.
Please contact andrewkrowe@gmail.com if you wish to use any story elements from this game system or
any rules mechanics that are included in regional guides. In such cases, you will still be expected to
provide proper attribution to the creator if you are given permission to use these elements in your own
game or other media.
 Chapter 1: Game Story and Chapters
There are two currently running Arbiter System games. These games are in the same universe, but in
different locations and time periods.

Rendalir Remembered takes place on the dying world of Rendalir, torn apart by wars between gods and
mortals. You can find more detailed information on Rendalir Remembered in the Rendalir Remembered
Setting Guide, which can be found on the Rendalir Remembered Facebook page.

Rendalir Remembered is a dark fantasy game rich with political complexities. It is recommended for
players that are interested in the intricacies of society and religion in a world where gods walk openly
among mortals.

Arcane Ascension takes place on the continent of Kaldwyn, where six colossal towers – known as the
Soaring Spires – grant power to those who are brave enough to undergo the tests within. This game
takes place in between the events of the War of Broken Mirrors novel series and the Arcane Ascension
novel series. Participants can read these novels for a greater understanding of the style of the game
world, but this is not in any way required.

In Arcane Ascension, players can either play as refugees from the continent of Mythralis, or natives to
the continent of Kaldwyn. Players who are making characters from Mythralis are recommended to read
the Mythralis Regional Guide, and players who are making characters from Kaldwyn are encouraged to
read the Kaldywn Regional Guide. Both of these can be found in the files section of the Arcane Ascension
LARP Facebook page.

Arcane Ascension is an epic fantasy game inspired by Japanese role-playing games and anime. As such, it
has a lighter tone than Rendalir Remembered. It is heavily focused on cooperative gameplay and long-
term character progression, as well as the challenges of carving out territory in monster infested lands.

It is important to note that Arbiter System games do not take place on Earth, and thus technological
progress, cultural norms, and religious beliefs will all be different from those on earth. In many cases,
technology has advanced disproportionately from how it did in Earth’s history as a result of the presence
of magic. For example, the city of Caelford in Arcane Ascension is just developing typewriters, but
already has magically powered exoskeletons.
 Chapter 2: Basic Rules

This section explains the basic rules that all participants should be aware of, including staff members
who do not intend to create characters of their own.
Safety Information
All players are expected to know and follow this information without exception.

Important Safety Calls

These commands have serious meaning in game and should not be used lightly:

“Caution” – This call indicates a dangerous situation. “Caution” can be issued by anyone to
notify an individual that they are about to enter a dangerous area (about to fall off a cliff, trip on
a stump, etc.). A “caution” does not stop combat or activity.

“Hold” – This call requires that everyone immediately stop all actions and wait for information.
Repeat the “Hold” call if people do not stop their actions. “Hold” is used in situations where the
design team needs to explain something to the players, for game events or when a physically
dangerous situation occurs or is about to occur (when a player is about to fall off a cliff, gets hit
in a tender spot, etc.). Everyone is responsible for keeping an eye out for potentially dangerous
situations and to call “Hold” when appropriate. If “Hold” is being used for role-playing purposes,
players may be asked to “Hold and Close your Eyes” – but this should not be used for safety
issues.

Combat Safety: Combat in the Arbiter System can only be conducted with safe, “boffer” weapons that
are constructed from foam. Physically hitting your opponent with bare hands or other weapons is not
permitted at any time. Striking another player in the head, neck, or groin is not permitted. Strikes to the
hands do not count as valid hits. Repeatedly striking targets in the head, neck, and groin is a severe
violation of the game rules and can result in expulsion for the game.

Alcohol and Drinking: Anyone consuming alcohol in game should role-play being drunk as appropriate.
For every real life drink consumed, a person may not wield any type of weaponry for one hour. Players
who have consumed alcohol also may not participate in any form of grappling, wrestling, etc. even if the
other participant consents. Violation of this rule can result in being thrown out of the game with no
compensation.

Touching and Physical Role-Play: Any action which involves touching a person should be done by
touching the individual with a packet instead. Unless otherwise stated, all offensive actions (stunning a
player, causing damage, etc.) require one party to make contact with another via a weapon or packet.
Anything beyond this, such as physical role-play, requires verbal consent of the target at the time of the
activity. Asking once does not mean it can be done again in the future.

Limitations on Sexual Role-Playing: Participants may not participate in any form of role-playing that
involves non-consensual sexual activity between characters, even if both participants consent. Any form
of role-playing rape or other non-consensual sexual activity could result in being thrown out of the game
with no compensation.
Participants in the game may role-play having consensual sexual relationships, but as stated in the
physical role-playing rules, any form of touching another person requires consent at the time that it
occurs. In addition, overtly sexual behavior may make other participants uncomfortable, and we ask that
all participants be respectful of the tolerance levels of other participants.

Participants may not role-play any form of sexual activity with minors. Violating this rule may result in
being thrown out of the game with no compensation, as well as potential legal action.

Charging: At no time may two combatants be closer together than twelve inches. Any attacks received
within this distance can be ignored. This does not mean that “charging” can be used defensively to
ignore damage, and players caught using this mechanic intentionally will be considered to be cheating.
Combatants should state “Caution - Charging” when they feel an opponent is too close.

Weapon Pushing/Binding: You may not use your weapon to physically force another person’s weapon
out of the way by applying continuous pressure to the weapon. You may strike a person’s weapon to
deflect it, but you cannot try to push the weapon into a position where it cannot be wielded by applying
continuous force. This is not a strength-based game, and physically weaker players should not be at a
disadvantage.

You may not attempt to strike a target’s weapon so hard that it forcefully disarms them. Disarming may
occur incidentally, but you should not actively attempt to physically disarm your opponent by using
excessive force.

Grappling: This is a light touch combat game, not heavy combat; grappling is not allowed because it
violates the touching policy.

Shield Bash: When utilizing a shield, hitting another person with it is NOT allowed. Doing so violates the
Charging policy.

Shield Kicking: You may not kick a player’s shield to knock it out of the way.

Real Weapons: Real weapons, such as metal swords or guns, are not allowed on-site at Arbiter System
events. This is true even if they are not intended to be used in combat.

Weapon Manufacturers: We generally accept soft foam weapons that are hand-made, made by the
Edhellen Armory (Soft Latex only), and all weapons made by Iron Liege. The safety officer for each event
must approve all weapons, regardless of manufacturer. This is true even if the weapon has been
approved in previous events, as weapons degrade over time and can become more dangerous. Weapons
with a cloth cover are generally more acceptable than latex.

The Arbiter System is a light combat style game system, and more aggressive combat techniques are
discouraged. This is a combat style dexterity and finesse, not of brute force.

Minors: All children under the age of 18 must turn in a consent form signed by their parent or guardian
before participating in the game in any way. If a child under the age of 14 wants to attend an event, or if
a parent wishes to bring a child under 14 to an event, you must notify the game staff and get permission
in advance. This game has dark and adult themes and bringing young children is not advised.
Roles at an Event
There are three types of participants Arbiter System games.

Player Characters (PCs): The player characters are the main actors of the story--they are the ones the
story revolves around. However, the PCs can only act within the rules of the system: they cannot declare
that their character is immune to damage, speaks every language, or can kill with only a thought, unless
they can show how the system allows their character to do such things.

Non-Player Characters (NPCs): The non-player characters are the ones who create the challenges that
the PCs will face. They can be monsters, helpful wizards, merchants, or damsels in distress.

Game Designer (GD or GM): Game Designers are the ones who run Arbiter System events. They come
up with the storylines that will be played out, make rulings in situations where there are disagreements
between players, and provide clarification about the rules when needed. The Game Design team helps
the PCs achieve their goals and craft the storyline to include experiences the players wish to have.

It is important to note that the Game Designers may bend certain rules, but their authority is limited to
their own game. If there are multiple Arbiter System games running, individual Game Designers do not
have any authority in games run by other designers.

Additionally, local game designers can make short-term rules exceptions, but they cannot give items,
powers, or abilities to players that are outside the scope of the normal game rules without explicit
permission from the system owner.

Game Designers can create local skill trees for their players to purchase, but these skill trees are only
applicable to their own game, and cannot be used in other Arbiter System games without the permission
of the Lead Designers for both games.

This is to ensure fairness and consistency between multiple Arbiter System games.

Local Lead Designer: The Local Lead Designer is the ultimate authority for their own game, such as
Shades of Ruin or Beyond the Veil. They do not have any authority in other Arbiter System games unless
that authority is given to them by the Local Lead Designer for that particular game.

Different games using the same system are often called “Chapters”. This role is often called an “Owner”
or “Plot Lead” in other LARP games.

Lead System Designer: The Lead System Designer is the overall controller of the Arbiter System and in
charge of maintaining the system itself, as well as fairness and consistency between different Arbiter
System games. They are the ultimate authority on all games in the Arbiter System.

Communication, Definitions, and Terminology

In order to run a game with the level of complexity that Arbiter System has, it is necessary to
communicate to explain special effects from monsters and spells.

Calls: A call is used to help players know what effects are being applied. A good example of this is to
think of a baseball game. When a referee calls “Strike” everyone knows that the batter missed an
opportunity to hit the ball. In the Arbiter System, calls are used in much the same fashion, by telling
others they must respond to game effects such as “Sleep” or “Fear.” The last page of this book contains a
summary of all calls that may be heard in game. Here are some calls to be especially aware of:

“Caution“: This call indicates a dangerous situation. “Caution” can be issued by anyone to notify an
individual that they are about to enter a dangerous area (about to fall off a cliff, trip on a stump, etc.). A
“caution” does not stop combat or activity.

“Clarify“: Used when a player does not understand something that has just occurred, or a call that was
used. This is a request to have the call explained in greater detail. Place a hand on top of one’s head
when using this call, as it is asking for out-of-game clarification.

“Forsooth“: The word “forsooth” means “In truth.” Using “Forsooth” in a sentence indicates that the
statement is truthful in game or else that it is real world information for another player. “Forsooth” is
meant to disguise out-of-game information and needs as in-game conversation, and lets a player make a
real life statement without breaking character. Please note that “Forsooth” is NOT meant to be a way to
communicate out-of-game knowledge of in-game events legally. Please respect the line between player
knowledge and character knowledge.

For example, a player might say, “Forsooth, that is a river in the distance,” to convey to another player
that there the blue tarps at the edge of their field of vision actually represent a river.

“Hold“: This call requires that everyone immediately stop all actions, go to one knee (if possible), close
their eyes (if safe), and wait for information. Repeat the “Hold” call if people do not stop their actions.
“Hold” is used in situations where the design team needs to explain something to the players, for game
events or when a physically dangerous situation occurs or is about to occur (when a player is about to
fall off a cliff, gets hit in a tender spot, etc.). Everyone is responsible for keeping an eye out for potentially
dangerous situations and to call “Hold” when appropriate.

Non-call Communications: Not all forms of communication are calls; the following are other forms of
communication used to help players know what is going on.

3-Second Count: There are many actions taken by characters that are unrealistic, unusual, or unsafe to
accomplish during a game. For example: removing the head of a downed enemy or picking up a friend
and caring them away from combat. In these situations the player states the action they wish to perform
three times while counting to three. For example: “Picking you up 1, picking you up 2, picking you up 3.”
When one character is carrying another person, both characters must walk.

Characters may not cut off limbs as a three-count. Cutting off limbs requires 30 seconds with a sword or
10 seconds with an axe or similar weapon unless the character has the Chop combat maneuver.

Start of Combat: Combat begins when an offensive action is directed towards a person or caused by
them. Triggering a trap is an offensive act.

End of Combat: Combat ends when a player has ceased fighting and rests away from combat for 5
minutes. The ability of any “Once per combat” effect ends when combat ends.
Hand on Head: There are some moments during Arbiter System events where players and designers
need to step out of game (OOG) for a moment to ask a question, make a comment, or clarify something.
In these situations, players are to place one hand in a fist on top of their head, signifying that the player
is speaking OOG.

Sashes: Certain abilities require a person to hold a specific colored sash. Each sash has a different
meaning based on its color.

 Red = The character is surrounded by an aura. This often means it is dangerous to strike this
character with an attack.
 Blue = The player is a non-combatant and should not be struck.
 Black = The character is invisible. Only characters that can see through invisibility can see this
character.
 Yellow = The character is incorporeal. Some incorporeal creatures can only be seen with the
Ghost Sight skill or other special abilities that grant the ability to see incorporeal creatures.
Others may be completely visible; ask to clarify.
 Green = The character is under the effects of a shape changing spell, an illusion, or disguise.
Your character does not see anything amiss unless you have the ability to see through these
types of effects.
 White = The character is out-of-game and cannot be seen or interacted with in any way.

Tags: Many tags can be found in the game. Tags are a documented record of an item or effect and are
required as the actual representation of the item, regardless of any phys reps a player may have. Any
physical item without a tag is considered Quality 0until further information is obtained from the Game
Design Team.

Other Game Terms and Policies:

In-Game (IG): In-Game refers to the world that is perceived – and can be interacted with - by your
characters. For example, a foam sword might represent an iron or steel sword “in-game”. Characters that
see that sword should react to that sword as if it was a deadly weapon, even though the players
obviously know that it isn”t.

A character that is hit by a foam sword could be injured by it, even though the player would be
unharmed – see the section on damage, below, for more details on that specific subject.

The term “in-character” (“IC”) is often used to describe communication that happens in the game or the
perceptions of people in the game. For the most part, the terms “in-game” and “in-character” are
interchangeable.

Out-Of-Game (OOG): Something that does not actually exist in the game world. This can refer to people
who are not currently playing, objects that do not exist in the game, etc. The term “out-of-character” has
a similar meaning.

For example, a player may carry a flashlight “out-of-game” for safety purposes even if the game world is
a medieval fantasy setting and flashlights would not exist “in-game”.
Physical Representation (“Phys Rep”): Certain props are used to represent items, effects, or locations in
the game world. This is called a “physical representation” or a “phys rep” for short. For example, a blue
tarp may be used as a “phys rep” for an area that is supposed to be flooded with water.

This term is commonly used to refer to things like items that character carry; for example, if a character
is supposed to have lockpicks, they need to have a physical representation that convincingly appears to
be a lockpick (even if it isn’t actually a functional lockpick).

In games that do not allow alcohol, juice or even water may be used to represent alcohol for game
purposes.

Weapons in the game world are always represented with safe foam replicas; real weapons are not
allowed at Arbiter System games under any circuimstances.

Player vs. Environment (PvE): This term refers to characters working against challenges presented within
the game world. This could include monsters (played by NPCs), puzzles, diplomacy, or other challenges.

Player vs. Player (PvP): Player vs. Player is a term used for actions taken by one character against
another character. Note that these actions should always be kept in-character; Arbiter System games are
not intended to be an out-of-game competition and there is no “winner”.

Arbiter System games are intended to primarily be “PvE” games, not “PvP” games. In the Venaya
campaign, we encourage political conflict between characters and factions within the game world;
however, we do not allow characters that are primarily or solely focused on working against other
players. When a player creates a character, that character should have a compelling reason to cooperate
with the rest of the players toward common goals.

Characters are allowed to take actions against one another, however, the Game Design team may force a
character to retire (see “Death and Retirement”) if their PvP actions are too severe.

Metagaming: Metagaming is using out-of-game information to impact how you play the game. This can
be sub-categorized in the following ways:

Allowed Metagaming - Some forms of metagaming are necessary for parts of the game to be played, and
intentional mechanics. For example, when you hear someone calling game calls and run over because
you know that "Three Unavoidable! Two Fire! Disarm!" means someone is in a fight, that’s technically
metagaming - but it can be justified that your character would probably be hearing steel clashing against
steel or the explosive power of sorcery.

Other forms of acceptable metagaming include other knowledge of how to respond to game calls - for
example, if you see an NPC using "Evade" exclusively, it’s okay to tell your allies that this type of NPC has
"a lot of Evades" and that you should use "Unavoidable". It is assumed that experienced adventurers are
familiar with different vulnerabilities of different types of monsters and that this game terminology
expresses that you are telling other characters something they would understand in-character, like, "You
should use the Lower Eagle Stance, since they seem to have a hard time countering it." The same would
be true for hearing an NPC calling "Water" damage and countering it with "Fire" or that sort of logical
conclusion.
We also understand if you set up more traps in the middle of the night if you see NPCs being awake, or
that sort of thing.

Disallowed Metagaming - Certain types of metagaming are not allowed to be used in game play. The
primary example of this is very simple; if you hear something about another PC or NPC’s plans,
background, actions, or affiliation out-of-game and your character has no way of knowing that
information in-game, you are not allowed to spread that information or act on it in-game.

Example: Andrew is having a conversation with some friends at a party and tells them that he stole a
magical item from a NPC in the last game and later sold it to another NPC for a fortune. No PC was aware
of this item’s existence or this event occurring in-game in any way. At the next event, another PC reports
Andrew’s crime to the other players and NPC authorities as if it had happened in-game.

Example 2: Andrew hears out-of-game from another PC that a third PC is planning to kill him in the next
event. He knows the other PC’s general skills, so he plans around them and purchases new skills and
items to counter the assassination attempt. He also recruits other PCs to protect him, or even to attack
that third PC before the assassination attempt occurs.

Intentionally using out-of-game information in-game in these ways is not allowed, and is considered a
form of cheating. In the past, some PCs have said that they’ve treated out-of-game information as
"rumors" their characters have heard - this is not allowed, either. Unless your character has a clear,
definitive source for information, your character does not have that information. If you are unclear on if
your character knows something or not, you can consult the game designers to arbitrate. We realize that
there is a *lot* of out-of-game discussion going on right now, and it’s very difficult to keep track of what
you know in and out of character. Please make it clear when conversations you are having between
games are in our out of game to make it easier to keep track of this. Unintentional mistakes can and will
happen, and we understand that, but intentionally abusing this type of out-of-game information is
cheating and will be treated as such.

Cheating: The formal Shades of Venaya policy on cheating is as follows:

If a player or staff member has been determined to be intentionally cheating, he or she will receive a
single warning. Depending on the specific nature of the cheating, other disciplinary actions may be
taken, up to and including removing the participant from that event. To be clear, this applies to both PCs
and NPCs.

NPCs do not have the ability to make up stats for themselves, make up encounters, or make up special
game mechanics without clear permission from a current Shades of Venaya game master or game
designer.

If a player or staff member has been proven to be intentionally cheating twice, that person will no longer
be invited to Shades of Venaya game events. There are no exceptions.

PCs, if you believe someone is cheating, do not address this with the other PC directly. Report this
behavior to a game master immediately and present any evidence you can provide. The game master will
arbitrate the situation and take actions if they are proven to be necessary.

Unintentional mistakes, such as misunderstanding the rules of the game, are not considered
cheating. However, if a player clearly and consistently "misunderstands" rules to their favor, we will
consider this behavior and potentially take disciplinary action for this as well. Players are expected to
understand the game rules to the best of their ability. We understand that the rules are updated on a
regular basis, and we will certainly be lenient on players for not knowing the most recent updates. If a
player is clearly and consistently "misunderstanding" rules in a way that benefits their character,
however, we will eventually have to assume that this is either intentional or that the player is simply not
interested in learning to play by the same rules as everyone else.

Cooperative Gameplay: As noted above, Shades of Venaya is intended to primarily be a Player vs.
Environment (or PvE) game. We have some specific rules to ensure that the game retains this focus.

 We do not allow characters to come into the game with a reason to already be hostile to the
player base. For example, a player cannot bring in a character that is secretly a traitor that
works for the primary antagonist of the current story arc, or another major established
antagonist to the player base.

 This is intended to be primarily a cooperative game, but at times players may find reasons to
disagree. If players take actions that could be construed as working against the group - such
as stealing an item from the party, making deals with NPCs that are working directly against
the player base as a whole, etc. - they should expect that other PCs could potentially take
PvP actions against them.

 If you are having trouble finding any reason not to attack a specific character because of
their core character concept, please speak to a Game Master. Everyone in the game should
have a background that is compatible with the player group.

o For example, while the Thornguard’s rules indicates that they must kill or control
esharen, half- esharen are a gray area. Moreover, the half-esharen in the party are
affiliated with organizations with which the Thornguard have a non-aggression
treaty. This gives these half-esharen a level of diplomatic immunity, and you can use
this as an in-character justification to avoid having to fight with them.

 Players are *not* required to ask for consent before engaging in PvP against other players -
this is optional. There is no official policy on this subject at this time. When there is ample
time to ask someone in advance about their feelings about PvP, such as between games, we
encourage this - or a GM can ask on your behalf, if you don’t want to give away your
intentions. Some examples of when attacking a PC without asking for consent would be
valid:

1) Your character is possessed, or under a compulsion spell.

2) You know the other character is possessed, or under a compulsion spell.
3) The other PC has just tried to assassinate a major NPC diplomat, and you are attacking to
turn them in to authorities.
4) The other PC is fighting with a NPC of your faction.

These are just examples to illustrate a point - they are not the only examples under which
PvP without asking for consent is allowed.
 As GMs, we will try to avoid scenarios that will force players into PvP combat. As a general
rule, we try to make sure there’s a way out for your character. If you can’t see what that
might be and are not comfortable with the direction things are going, please ask a GM.
 Chapter 3: Basic Gameplay

This section of the rules covers some of the most basic mechanics that are referred to in other elements
of the game, such as the fundamentals of character abilities and combat.

Attacks and Defenses

Hit Points
When a character is struck with a weapon or a magical attack, the character is damaged unless he or she
has a defense to prevent this damage.

The Armor and Resilience skills give a player Hit Points. When a character is struck with a weapon, he or
she normally loses one Hit Point. If the attacker calls out a number along with the attack, such as "2" or
"2 Fire", this indicates that a certain number of Hit Points are subtracted if the attack hits. These
numbers are called "Damage Calls" and the modifier (such as Fire) at the end is called the "Effect Type".
The Effect Type has no effect on normal characters; only characters with special strengths and
weaknesses need to worry about Effect Types.

Damage
Damage reduces a target’s Hit Points or wounds a character that has no hit points remaining. Damage is
signified by a number and may also include the word “damage” after the number for clarification. If
nothing is called with a weapon or packet strike, assume the damage is 1.

Damage, whether it comes from a weapon or a packet, can normally be blocked by both shields and
weapons. If a damaging attack strikes a weapon or a shield, regardless of the delivery method, the
character is unharmed.

Some damaging attacks may include modifiers called “Carriers”. These change the properties of the
attack in some way. For example, “Pierce” allows the attack to go through a shield and be treated as if
the arm behind the shield was struck with the attack. “Channeling” lets an attack go through both
weapons and shields. There is a full list of modifiers at the end of this rule book.

Example: “3 Pierce” would indicate that an attack deals 3 damage, and also can go through shields.

Some damaging attacks may also have an “Effect Type”. These indicate that the attack deals a special
type of damage, such as “Fire” or “Lightning”. Against normal characters, this has no special effect, and
these attacks deal damage normally. Some creatures may be weak against or resistant to specific types of
damage, however. For example, lycanthropes might be weak against the “Silver” effect type, and take
twice as much damage if they are hit by it.

Example: “2 Lightning Channeling” would indicate an attack that deals “Lightning” damage and can go
through both weapons and shields. If it hit an ordinary human character’s shield, it would go through
and deal 2 damage. If it hit a water monster that takes double damage from lightning, it would deal 4
damage instead of 2.

Damage Types
In the Arbiter System, there are two Basic Damage Types and six Standard Damage Types.

Basic Damage Types represent the most common types of damage in play. Characters cannot generally
have resistances, weaknesses, or immunities to basic damage types. The basic damage types are Physical
and Magic.

 Physical is the default damage type for most attacks, and does not need to be called when you
are attacking.
 Magic is general magic damage, and commonly comes from Essence Sorcery and magical items
like dueling canes.

Standard Damage Types represent a broad category of types of magical damage. While most of them
are named after Prime Dominions for the sake of simplicity, there are multiple ways to deal these types
of damage, both within the Prime Dominions and otherwise.

For example, both the Dominion of Flame and the Dominion of Heat deal Fire damage.

The Elemental Wheel

The elemental wheel is a visual representation of the types of damage in the game and creatures that
are weak against those damage types.
Elemental Wheel Rules
Below is a written explanation of the rules for the elemental wheel.

 Water Extinguishes Fire: Creature associated with the Dominions of Flame and Deception and
Fire damage, and are weak against Water damage.
 Fire Burns Earth: Creature associated with the Dominions of Earth and Stability deal Stone
damage, and are weak against Fire damage.
 Earth Blocks Light: Creature associated with the Dominions of Light and Life deal Light damage,
and are weak against Stone damage.
 Light Banishes Shadow: Creature associated with the Dominions of Shadow and Death deal
Shadow damage, and are weak against Light damage.
 Shadow Consumes Air: Creature associated with the Dominions of Air and Motion deal Electric
damage, and are weak against Shadow damage.
 Air Disperses Water : Creature associated with the Dominions of Water and Knowledge deal
Water damage, and are weak against Air damage.

Wounds
If a character does not have any Hit Points remaining and they are hit with a damaging attack, the
character is wounded.

A wound also occurs if the damage value of an attack exceeds the amount of Hit Points remaining. For
example, if Rondar had one Hit Point left and Taer’vys hit him for "2", the remaining Hit Point would be
depleted and Rondar would still receive a wound. If Taer’vys had not called "2" when he attacked, that
would mean that the attack was only for one point of damage and Rondar’s armor would have stopped
the attack. He would not have been wounded; however, his Hit Points would have been reduced to 0.

Characters that are damaged by an attack are expected to role-play that they have been injured, even if
they have Hit Points remaining. If a character is wounded by an attack, they should do their best to make
it very clear that their limb has been wounded.

Hit Locations
There are five legal target areas on the body: left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, and torso. These are
referred to as hit locations. An arm shot is anywhere below where a shirt seam would be and above the
wrist. A leg shot is from the top of the groin region down, including the feet. The hands (wrist and
lower), groin, head, and neck are illegal targets. Any hits on these parts do not count and must be
avoided.

If the player is wounded in an arm, he or she should drop whatever he or she is carrying in that arm and
cease to use the arm. If the player is wounded in the leg, he or she should limp and drag the injured leg.
Players cannot run with an injured leg. If a character is wounded in the torso or a total of three limbs, the
character is incapacitated.

Incapacitation
Incapacitated characters must fall to their knees and cross their arms, indicating that they are badly
injured. We encourage players to take a kneeling position rather than falling over for safety reasons; it’s
easy to be stepped on in the midst of a massive battle.
Incapacitated characters are helpless, and cannot fight, defend themselves, or use any ability that
requires Essence to use. They can speak quietly, however, and after one minute players may choose one
of the following options:

 Retreat: The player may choose to stand (even if both legs are wounded) and slowly limp off the
battlefield. Choosing this option suppresses the player’s Essence Points for one hour. This can
still be performed even if the player has 0 Essence remaining, however. If they are struck again,
they go back to the incapacitated state for an additional minute.
 Bleed Out: The player may choose for their character to lose consciousness and begin to bleed
to death. This allows the character to stay on the field of battle and wait for help. Bleeding to
death normally takes 3 minutes, but this may be modified by certain abilities, such as Resilience.
 Last Stand: The player may choose to make a last stand. If the player does this, their wounds are
immediately healed, and they regain any Essence that has not been suppressed. If the character
suffers a sufficient number of wounds to be incapacitated again within the same encounter, they
immediately go to the Dying state instead. See Dying, below, for more information. This ability
can only be used once per game.
o If a player wishes to use Last Stand and feels they are in an appropriate situation, but not
actually incapacitated (e.g. the player has two wounds and no essence), they may do so.
This is intended to be an ability that is only used when a character is in a truly dire state,
and should not be used simply as an easy method of restoring Essence.
 Note that using it without being incapacitated means that if you are
incapacitated within the same encounter, you go straight to Dying, just like if you
had used the ability while incapacitated.

Unlike players, NPCs will almost always go to “Bleed Out” after three minutes, with very rare exceptions.
NPCs should always go to Bleed Out unless they have been specifically instructed by a Game Designer
that they have other options available.

Bleeding to Death
When a player chooses the “Bleed Out” option, he or she begins to bleed to death. Unless a method is
applied to stop the bleeding, the character will move to the “Dying” state in 3 minutes. The amount of
time between unconsciousness and death may be extended by taking the Resilience skill. Players are
responsible for counting out their bleeding.

Note that hitting a character that is already bleeding to death has no additional effect unless the
character is in Hardcore Mode. See Hardcore Mode for more information on that optional rule.

Dying
A character whose bleed out timer has expired is considered Dying. At this stage, normal bandaging and
healing are insufficient to revive the character. Only special abilities, such as Resuscitate in the Medical
Knowledge tree, can revive a character that is Dying.

A character who is “Killing Blowed” is immediately set to the “Dying” state.

A character is considered Dying for three minutes, after which they are dead.
Death
A character whose three minutes in the dying state have expired is dead. At this stage, mundane
resuscitation is ineffective, and only sorcery can revive the character.

When a character dies, the player must inform a Game Master as soon as possible. The player must then
pull a Fate Card. Fate Cards cause permanent negative effects on the character, even if the character
ends up being resurrected. It is important to pull a Fate Card before anyone attempts to resurrect your
character, as certain Fate Cards can prevent or modify the results of resurrection abilities.

In addition, each character has a limited number of Fate Points. Each character begins play with 10 Fate
Points. Each time the character dies, these Fate Points diminish based on an amount specified on the
Fate Card the player draws. A character with no Fate Points remaining cannot be resurrected.

In this way, it is possible for a character to be permanently killed. If your character is permanently killed,
you gain certain benefits for creating a new character. See the Death and Retirement section for more
information on this.

Killing Blow: A character may quickly end the life of a character that is incapacitated or bleeding to death
by using a Killing Blow, signifying delivering a blow to a vital area, such as the skull or heart. Performing a
Killing Blow requires a three-count. This count may be interrupted. For safety reasons, place the weapon
on the character’s torso for the duration of the three-count; do not actually strike the head or another
vital area at any time. Just like combatants, a noncombatant will die from a successful killing blow.

Killing Blow moves a character from the “Bleeding Out” state directly to the “Dying” state (not the
“Dead” state). This means that a character who has been affected by a Killing Blow can be resuscitated
during a brief window of time.

See Killing Blow under Automatic Abilities for more information.

Resurrection Sickness
Characters that are killed and restored to life with a resurrection or resuscitation ability suffer from
Resurrection Sickness. For the next 12 hours, the Essence Cost of all their abilities is doubled. This cannot
be removed by normal game abilities. Resurrection Sickness can be transferred to another willing
recipient with the Transfer spell.

Pointed Subdue
If a character is not wielding a weapon or wearing armor, they are most likely a noncombatant and
attackers should not physically hit them. Instead, the attacker should point their weapon at the target
and call “Subdue”. The attacker must have a clear path to the target and be within 3 feet. This will render
a noncombatant unconscious for 30 seconds or until someone wakes them up with a three-count.
Pointed Subdue can be evaded, and does not affect combatant characters unless they choose to be
affected. Be aware there is still a possibility a noncombatant may be struck.

Bandages
A wound that is bandaged becomes sealed. A character that was unconscious from wounds will regain
consciousness one minute after their wounds have been sealed.
Example 1: Mavra has taken three limb wounds, and therefore falls unconscious. Bint bandages one
limb, but gets distracted before tending to the other two. Mavra will regain consciousness in one minute,
with two limb wounds and one sealed wound.

Example 2: Darious has taken a torso wound and a limb wound. Raven bandages his torso, and Darious
will regain consciousness a minute from that point, although he still has a wounded limb.

A sealed wound will heal in fifteen minutes, but any strenuous physical action (running, lifting heavy
objects) or taking any offensive action during these fifteen minutes will cause the wound to re-open,
counting as a fresh wound. Certain abilities can increase the speed at which sealed wounds heal, such as
Medical Knowledge and specific spells.

Rest
Some abilities are recovered during Rest. To rest, a character must cease performing any strenuous
activities, such as combat or participating in difficult physical challenges, for fifteen minutes.

This is on a character-by-character basis; thus, someone can be resting while combat is happening all
around them, provided that they are not participating. Healing or using beneficial abilities is still
considered participating in combat.

If a character is interrupted while resting, their time for rest is reset, and they must rest for another full
fifteen minutes to regain the use of their abilities.

Characters can also recover one Hit Point if they rest. This does not heal wounds; it only allows them to
recover Hit Points.

Effects
Effects encompass all non-damaging abilities that alter a character’s state. These can be beneficial or
detrimental. Effects include calls such as “Sleep 1 Minute” and “Paralyze Limb, 1 Minute”. These calls do
not inflict damage—they only deliver the special effect mentioned in the call.

Most Effects, whether they come from a weapon or a packet, can be blocked by both shields and
weapons. The following specific Effects work on weapons and shields:

 Knockback (the character must resolve the knockback Effect normally)

 Knockdown (the character must resolve the knockdown Effect normally)
 Disarm (the player must resolve the Effect, which normally forces him or her to drop the weapon
or shield that was hit)
 Break (the player must resolve the Effect, which normally causes the weapon or shield to be
broken)
 Pierce (indicates the ability goes through shields)

Certain other special spells and abilities may affect players even if they hit a weapon or shield. These
abilities will have the “Channeling” carrier added to the call. “Channeling” applies to both shields and
weapons. Abilities that normally nullify attacks that hit a shield or weapon cannot be used to defend
against an ability with the Channeling call. For example, if a player had a shield that nullifies one attack
against the shield per combat, that special ability could not be used to Nullify a “4 Lightning Channeling”
attack.
If any ability contains both damage and an effect, any defensive call that works on the damage will
prevent the effect as well. For example, calling “No Effect”, “Evade”, or “Nullify” would prevent both the
damage and the effect. If the target takes damage – either a wound or to hit points – the effect also
applies.

For example, if a call was “3 Ice, Paralyze 10 Seconds”, it could be stopped by a single “Evade” or
“Nullify”. If the target was immune to ice damage, they could call “No Effect” on the entire call.

If a character is immune to a specific effect, they may call “No Effect on (Effect)” and still suffer the
damage normally. For example, if a character who was immune to Paralyze was hit with “3 Ice, Paralyze
10 Seconds”, they could respond “No Effect on Paralyze” and still lose 3 hit points from the damaging
portion of the attack.

Some abilities may cause immediate wounds, the loss of a limb, or similar detriments. These are
considered Effects, not damage. For example, “Poison 1 Wound” is considered an Effect and ignores the
target’s current number of Hit Points.

Broken Limbs: If a character’s body location is broken, generally with the “Break Bone” call, that location
is considered wounded for the purposes of being knocked unconscious and cannot be used. If the torso
is affected by this attack, it is considered a broken rib. With a broken rib, the player cannot use any
abilities that would expend Essence.

Broken bones can be set with 10 minutes of surgery. After this, the broken limb requires one month of
natural recovery time to be used again, but it is not considered wounded. The broken bone can be
healed with sorcery or alchemy with a total of three healing spells or abilities. For example, three “Touch
of Life” spells would be sufficient to make a broken limb usable again after the surgery has been
performed.

Severed Limbs: If a character’s limb is severed (usually with the “Remove Limb” call), that location is
considered wounded and the character begins to bleed to death immediately, even if he or she is still
conscious. Healing spells or bandages will prevent the character from bleeding to death by sealing the
wound, but the character’s limb cannot be restored by these means.

Restoring a lost limb requires reattaching the limb through surgery. Surgery to reattach a limb requires
the Perform Surgery skill (Medical Knowledge Rank 9) and takes 30 minutes. The limb is no longer
considered wounded after being reattached, but it cannot be used unless it is healed through alchemy or
sorcery. It requires a total of six healing spells or abilities to revitalize a previously severed limb. For
example, one healing potion, three “Touch of Life” spells, and two Essence Heals could be used to
restore the use of a limb that has been severed.

Permanent Damage: It is possible during the course of play for a character to receive damage that
cannot be healed by normal means. These types of damage fall into two categories.

 Permanent Injuries: A permanent injury is persistent damage to a character that impedes them in
some way, but does not count as a “wound” on a specific hit location. Examples would be a missing
eye, nerve damage to leg or the spine that forces the character to walk slowly and painfully. These
 types of injuries can range from mild role-playing injuries – such as scars – to severely debilitating,
such as preventing the character from wielding a weapon in a specific hand or decreasing one of
their skills.
o These injuries are rarely encountered in normal combat; rather, they are most frequently
found as compilations for surgery (such as reattaching limbs without complete success) or
pulling a card from the Fate Deck.

 Permanent Wounds: A permanent wound functions exactly like a normal wound to a specific hit
location, only the wound cannot be completely healed. A “Heal” effect will repair part of the
damage, but the limb remains completely useless afterward. A permanently wounded limb that has
been healed still exists in the game and can be injured again; it’s just effectively crippled.
o Only limbs can be permanently wounded; permanent damage to the torso and other body
parts is categorized as a permanent injury, and will have variable effects.

Normal healing abilities have no effect on permanent damage of either variety.

Surgeons (Rank 9 or higher in Medical Knowledge) may attempt to repair permanent damage, but they
risk causing even greater complications. Some special abilities in regional guides may also attempt to
treat permanent damage, but again, they have a high probability of creating side effects – some of which
may be worse than the original injury.

Generalized Damage: Sometimes a call may generically cause damage, such as “Poison 1 Acid”. In this
case the location is not specified. The player may choose where to take the damage, provided the
location is a vulnerable location.

Carrier Calls: Carrier calls, or simply “Carriers”, are abilities that are added on to another ability and
modify it to make it more effective. Carrier calls should always have another call associated with them. If
you simply hear a carrier call without any other call, assume that the ability is “1 Damage” with the
carrier that you heard. Under normal circumstances, an ability can only have one Carrier.

Power Comparisons: Some abilities are more powerful than others.

When an ability strikes a target, the target can usually use any valid defensive ability they have at their
disposal.

For example, when a player is hit by a packet for “Sleep, 5 Minutes”, the target can usually counter this
with either “Evade” (to represent getting out of the way) or with “Willpower” (to immediately shake off
the effect of the ability).

More powerful abilities, however, may have carriers to indicate that standard defenses are not effective.

Advanced Attacks beat defenses that do not have Advanced or Epic in the name, with the exception of
“No Effect”, which means the target is immune to that type of ability. For example, a character could not
use “Evade” to defend against “Advanced Diarm”, because Advanced Disarm is Advanced.

Advanced Defenses beat Advanced Attacks. For example, “Advanced Evade” beats “Advanced Disarm”.
Epic Attacks beat defenses that do not have Epic in the name, with the exception of “No Effect”, which
means the target is immune to that type of ability. For example, if you hit a character with “Epic Disarm”,
they could not defend with “Evade” or even “Advanced Evade”, because Epic Disarm is stronger than the
defense.

Epic Defenses, such as Epic Evade, beat Epic Attacks. For example, “Epic Evade” beats “Epic Disarm”.

No Effect means a character is immune to a type of attack, and works on almost anything, with the
exception of Unavoidable.

Unavoidable means that the attack always works, regardless of what type of defense the target may
have. Thus, it beats any defense, even Epic defenses or No Effect. Unavoidable attacks can still be
reduced in effectiveness, however, and most characters with immunity to a type of attack also are
resistant to Unavoidable attacks of that type.

In addition to the above, there are some special rules for specific situations, such as the defenses of
permanent magical items and rituals.
 Rituals can normally be dispelled by any ability with the appropriate call (e.g. remove positive
effects, remove negative effects, remove all dominion sorcery, etc.) Some specific ritual runes
grant a limited number of Nullifies against being dispelled.
 Permanent effects, such as enchantments, permanent curses, etc. can only be removed by
abilities that explicitly have the “Permanent” carrier. This carrier is extremely potent and only
exists in powerful rituals and high level spells.
o When using the directly opposing dominion against a permanent effect, a dispelling
effect will beat a defense of the same level. For example, an Advanced Dispel will beat
an Advanced Nullify if they are of opposing Dominions. This is only true for permanent
effects, not other effects.
o Most magical items and rituals are assumed to have no extra defense against being
dispelled, aside from this immunity to being removed by normal magic. Some specific
runes and materials may help a ritual or enchantment from being dispelled, however,
either by granting nullifies or additional immunities.
o Artifacts cannot be dispelled in any way, unless they specifically state they can be in their
description.
o Example: Chastity has been afflicted by a permanent curse tied to the Dominion of
Madness. It is permanent, and thus can only be removed with abilities that can affect
permanent spells.
 Sinless researches a Rank 5 Purity spell with the “Purity Advanced Remove
Permanent Negative Effect” call and attempts to cast it. This almost works, but
the curse is too strong; the GM rules that the defense is “Advanced Nullify,
Power Comparison”.
 Realizing that the defense is Advanced, Sinless has a few options. He can try to
research an Epic spell to beat the Advanced Defense, he can try to use the spell
repeatedly to wear down the Nullifies, or he can research a spell that has the
opposite Dominion.
 He chooses the last option and creates a cooperative spell with the call
“Transcendence Advanced Remove Permanent Negative Effect”. This works
because Transcendence is the direct opposite of Madness. The curse is removed.
  Immunity (which is represented by the “No Effect” call) protects against any effect of that type,
unless it contains “Unavoidable”.
o For example, if someone is immune to disarm, they can call “No Effect” on “Disarm”,
“Advanced Disarm”, or “Epic Disarm”, but not “Unavoidable Disarm”.

Effect Stacking

Characters can gain temporary bonuses to their skills and statistics from various game abilities. These
bonuses are often called “buffs”, which is a term that means “beneficial effects”. These bonuses fall into
two categories:
 Personal: Abilities that come from the player’s character, such as combat maneuvers that they
use, their own beneficial spells, and temporary beneficial effects to their own equipment. For
example, a spell that increases the character’s damage and a spell that increases the character’s
sword’s damage would both fall into this category, and would not stack with one another.
 Other: Benefits that come from an outside source, such as another character, a potion, or
standing in a room with a beneficial effect on it.

Characters may only benefit from one Personal bonus to any given statistic at a time.

Characters can only have one Other bonus if they have a personal bonus to a statistic. If the character
does not have a Personal bonus, he or she may benefit from up to two Other bonuses.

When an additional ability would normally take effect on the character, the highest two bonuses take
priority.

For example, a character may only have two temporary bonuses to Hit Points at any time, regardless of
their source.

Example: Rondar currently has both the Enhance Armor maneuver and the Harden Skin spell. He can
only use one of these at a time – they do not stack with each other. He chooses to use the Enhance
Armor maneuver. Mira casts the Harden Skin spell on Rondar – this stacks with Rondar’s Enhance Armor,
since it is from an outside source.

If Vaulin gave Rondar an Invulnerability Salve that had a higher bonus than the Enhance Armor maneuver
or the Harden Skin spell, Rondar could apply the Salve and it would replace the lower of the two
bonuses. This would work even if it meant having two “Other” category bonuses.

A character can never be affected by two versions of the same skill at the same time; for example, a
character cannot be affected by two different Harden Skin spells, even if they are from different sources.
Thus, in the example above, Rondar could not cast Harden Skin on himself and still benefit from Mira’s
Harden Skin at the same time, even if Rondar didn’t have any other Hit Point bonuses active.

Example 2: Tabetha casts three beneficial spells on Temperance. Star Blade increases Temperance’s
damage by +1, Celestial Shroud increases Temperance’s Hit Points by +2, and Enhance Sorcery increases
Temperance’s Effect Level with all spells by 1. Since these spells all increase different things, they all
stack.
If Mira cast Harden Skin on Temperance, it would stack with the Celestial Shroud spell because they are
both “Other” spells.

Permanent bonuses, such as skills, can be generally combined with one another without conflicting
unless the skills specifically state otherwise.

Multiple magical items that enhance the same skill or statistic do not stack with one another.

Effect Durations
Many abilities only last for a set duration, such as 10 minutes, 1 hour, etc. During combat, keeping track
of the durations of several abilities can be difficult.

As such, beneficial abilities with abilities of 10 minutes or more (such as, but not limited to, abilities with
the Enhance and Grant calls) do not expire during combat, even if their duration would normally have
ended. Instead, they expire at the end of combat. See the definition of “End of Combat”, above, for more
details.

Beneficial effects with short durations (e.g. 15 seconds or 1 minute) do expire during combat, since this
is a short enough period of time that we expect players to be able to keep track of it more or less
properly.

Negative effects, such as sleep and paralysis, do expire in the middle of combat. For example, a “Paralyze
1 Minute” would only last one minute, even if combat is still occurring.

Refreshing Spells
You can refresh the duration of a beneficial ability by reusing it.

If this is an ability that grants a limited number of uses of a call, such as “Grant 2 Evades”, this resets the
number of uses that are available, as well as the duration.

If this is an ability that grants or enhances a target’s a number of ranks in an ability or a bonus to a
statistic, such as “Grant 1 Dexterity” or “Enhance Hit Points 5”, the duration is reset, but any uses of
abilities that would be gained from the increase in the skill or statistic are not reset.

If a beneficial ability gives them an ability that normally functions per rest (e.g. Dexterity) any uses from
that extra rank are not refreshed unless they rest, even if the ability ends and it is recast before they rest.

Example 1:
Rondar casts an improved version of Sorcerous Shield on Yoren, with the call “Grant 2 Nullify Sorcery, 10
Minutes”. This lets Yoren use two “Nullify” calls against spells within the next ten minutes.

Yoren is hit by a spell and calls “Nullify” five minutes later. Rondar casts the spell on Yoren again. Yoren
now has two uses of “Nullify” again, and the duration is reset to ten minutes.

Example 2:
Desderada casts Scales on Serenity with the call “Enhance Hit Points 10, 10 Minutes”. This increases
Serenity’s maximum Hit Points by 10 for 10 minutes.
Serenity is hit in combat and loses 8 Hit Points. After five minutes, Desderada casts Scales on Serenity
again. This refreshes the duration of Scales, but does not restore the eight hit points she has lost.

Example 3:
Velas casts a spell that grants herself 1 extra Rank in Dexterity, increasing her total from Rank 4 to Rank
5. She is hit and calls “Evade”. The spell wears off a few minutes later. She re-casts the spell. Her Rank in
Dexterity is now back to 5, but she still only has 4 Evades to use, because the bonus Evade from the spell
has not been restored. If she rests and the spell hasn’t worn off, however, she would get the bonus
Evade back.

Suppressing Skill Ranks

Some skills allow you to suppress ranks for a certain time, disabling some of your abilities for that period
of time, in order to achieve an effect. For example, the Insight skill at Rank 2 allows you to suppress ranks
of Insight in order to learn a spell in the middle of an event.

In these cases, the skill ranks cannot be restored by other skills unless that skill explicitly states that it can
restore suppressed skill ranks.

Temporary skill ranks granted by beneficial spells and abilities cannot be suppressed; only permanent
skill ranks can be.

While a skill rank is suppressed, a character loses all benefits of having that rank in the skill, with one
important exception – the ability to suppress more ranks. For example, if someone suppresses Insight
from Rank 2 down to Rank 1, they could still use the Rank 2 ability to suppress ranks and go down to
Rank 0.

Similarly, a sorcerer requires Rank 5 in a Dominion to create Superior Planar Essence. If they suppress
from Rank 5 down to Rank 3, they do they do not lose the ability to create Superior Planar Essence.

Out-of-Game Items & Stealing

Players are allowed to steal any items they see lying around, so long as the theft is performed in game.
They must inform the designer of their theft as soon as possible, but no later than ten minutes after the
theft. The thief will be given a card to represent this item, but stolen phys reps must be given to the
game design team within 10 minutes of the theft. Players may no longer use these phys reps in game, as
they have been “stolen.” However, players may steal tags found lying around with impunity, except for
tags which indicate they are bound to a particular character. Items draped with a white cloth, or placed
under a bed are considered to be out of game. Players cannot mark in-game items out-of-game just to
keep them from being stolen; you should only mark your personal possessions, such as your wallet, cell
phone, extra clothes, etc. out-of-game. If a player wishes to steal an item out of a pouch, or off of
another character’s person, they must use the appropriate skills from the Art of Stealing tree.

Noncombatants
This system allows certain players to designate themselves as noncombatants. This bestows certain
benefits, as well as negatives upon the individual. Noncombatants must be designated at character
creation. Noncombatants do not wear armor, carry weapons, or utilize any ability that can potentially
harm another entity beyond subdue damage.
If someone is not wielding a sword or wearing armor assume they are a noncombatant, and as such are
vulnerable to Pointed Subdue. These noncombatants are peasants, nobles, and merchants, not heroes in
battle, but they are involved in the story and activity that surrounds the world.

Due to the fact that noncombatants focus primarily on the role-playing side of the game, the following
features apply to noncombatant characters:
1. If someone in a combat situation is not wielding a weapon or wearing armor, an attacker should
not strike them, but instead simply point their weapon at the noncombatant and call “Subdue”
to either render them unconscious for 30 seconds. The attacker must have a clear path to the
target and be within 3 feet. This is known as a Pointed Subdue. Characters rendered unconscious
by a Pointed Subdue may be woken with a three-count. Pointed Subdue may be evaded, and has
no effect on combatants (unless they choose to take it.)
2. A noncombatant’s Essence pool is double that of a normal character.
3. Noncombatants cannot use weapons, cast offensive magic, wear armor, or purchase Resilience.
4. All spells cast by non-combatants have double the normal duration.
5. A noncombatant may become a combatant, but a combatant can never become a noncombatant
except for out-of-game medical reasons.
6. Noncombatants are encouraged to wear a blue sash on the waist to be more easily identified.

It is important to note that a mage who wields only defensive magic is a noncombatant. However, if they
choose to wield ANY offensive magical abilities they qualify as a combatant.

Physically Representing Items

In order to encourage the use of props and high quality costuming, some in-game abilities function
better if they are properly represented. A list of abilities that can be enhanced through the use of
physical representations can be found below.

Medical Knowledge

 When bandaging a wound, the time it takes for the wound to close is halved if the doctor places
bandages on the victim that remain on for the full healing time. Alternately, applying wound
makeup would also count as an appropriate phys rep.
 Surgery time is halved if the doctor uses appropriate phys reps. Applying wound makeup would
also count as an appropriate phys rep.

Armor

 Armor that is physically represented with a realistic or physically encumbering physical

representative grants additional Hit Points. See the Armor section for more information.

Potion Bottles
If the player has a potion in its own, individually tagged bottle, they may activate as quickly as they can
remove the stopper from the bottle, bring it to their lips, and call the effect. Otherwise, potions must be
activated by tearing the tag in half during a 5 second count (which can start when one starts looking for
the tag).
Crafting
Crafting time is halved if appropriate phys reps are used. Here are some examples:

 Alchemy – Grind herbs in a mortar and pestle. Place herbs or plastic flowers in a small vial.
 Blacksmithing – Make chainmail. Craft foam throwing daggers.
 Leatherworking – Punch and lace leather pieces. (Be careful with knives if cutting leather.)
 General – Craft LARP-safe arrows. Make something with wood.

Game Design Philosophy

The Arbiter System is designed with several philosophical elements in mind, and we strongly recommend
that Game Designers and Game Masters that run events using this system keep these elements in mind.

1. The system is designed for all characters – even starting characters – to be able to contribute.
We recommend avoiding giving NPCs abilities that would make lower powered characters less
useful, such as damage reduction abilities, immunity to physical damage, etc.
2. The Arbiter System is designed to encourage cooperative, faction-based gameplay. We
encourage Game Masters and Designers that use this system to create new factions, but to give
those factions reasons to cooperate with the other factions in their game world.
3. Similarly, due to the flexibility of the system, it’s very possible that players will think of solutions
to problems that the Game Designers did not think of in advance. In these cases, we recommend
letting the player’s creative idea work, even if it feels like this might make the encounter too
“easy”. The game is ultimately about the players, and it’s important to give them agency to
determine the outcome of the game.
4. The Arbiter System is designed for the mechanics to be consistent with the lore of the game
world. Do not give NPCs abilities that would not be possible within the game lore. We strongly
recommend giving NPCs the same abilities that are available to players. This doesn’t mean that
NPCs can’t come in with new skill trees – but those skill trees should be obtainable by players
and appropriately balanced. Even gods can be designed to have “divine” skill trees that are
functionally consistent with the types of abilities available to other characters.
5. Non-Player Characters should make sense within the normal game lore and rules, and thus have
access to the same abilities that Player Characters do. They should also be built with point values
that make sense for the amount of experience that character should have relative to a player
character. Their overall abilities should be realistic; for example, someone should not
automatically be a powerful fighter just because they are the ruler of a nation. Being important
does not confer epic combat prowess by default.
6. Similarly, the Arbiter System is designed to have a functional internally consistent economy.
NPCs should be given similar amounts of resources (such as influence cards and coin) to player
characters of equivalent Experience Point values.
7. NPCs races should be designed with weaknesses that are consistent with their lore. For example,
lycanthropes may take extra damage from silver weapons, and elementals would take damage
from their opposing Dominions.
 Chapter 4: Character Creation

The act of character creation can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Read the Setting Guide or Regional Guides.

2. Select a Species.
3. Find a Home Region.
4. Pick a Core Concept.
5. Write a Backstory.
6. Pick a Unique Trait.
7. Purchase Skills.
8. Select Starting Equipment.
9. Props and Costuming.
10. Prepare for your First Event.

Step 1: Read the Setting Guide or Regional Guides

Each game has a setting guide or regional guides that provide more information on the cultures, species,
and religions in that game. These are often pretty detailed, but you don’t need to read all of the
information right away. The important part is to take a look to get a general idea of the type of
characters that are possible.

The setting guide for Rendalir Remembered can be found here.

Arcane Ascension uses regional guides for each region, which can be found here.

Step 2: Select a Species

The setting guide will contain the valid species for each game. For example, some games may only allow
you to play human characters, whereas others may have unique setting-specific species. Most traditional
fantasy species (such as elves and dwarves) do not exist in Arbiter System games.

Step 3: Find a Home Region

Your home region is where your character grew up (or, perhaps, where they spent most of their life).
Your character will begin with a free lore skill on that region, providing you with detailed information on
the area’s society, culture, religion, and other elements.

Step 4: Pick a Core Concept

Your core concept is perhaps the most important step of this process. While there are no character
classes in the Arbiter System, most players prefer to tailor their character’s abilities toward specific goals.
For example, if your core concept is an ambitious sorcerer, you may want to build your character abilities
around sorcery and possibly political skills.

A character with the core concept of being a young and idealistic knight would probably be lacking in
political skills, but have considerable combat abilities and maybe a smattering of beneficial magic. If that
knight was apprenticed to a blacksmith as a child, they might have some blacksmithing skills and a high
Strength attribute.
Step 5: Write and Submit a Backstory
One of the most important steps in the character creation process is fleshing out the story behind your
character. The campaigns run in the world of Venaya are heavier on role-playing than many other live-
action games, and as such, we have a stronger emphasis on character story.

Characters in world of Venaya must be native to our game world. No new PC may come into play from an
origin outside our game world. We do not allow characters to be imported in from other games or
systems. You must select a game region your character comes from when you are making your
background; this helps determine which skills are available to your character, as well as how much you
would know about different aspects of the game world.

In addition, characters cannot begin the game with a background or goal that would directly conflict with
the rest of the player base as a whole. For example, if the main antagonist of a current story arc is a
powerful dragon, coming in as an assassin working for that dragon as a spy would not be allowed.

If you are creating a new character in a campaign on Venaya, please e-mail the game design team for the
game you’re planning to play in.

Rendalir Remembered: rendalir.remembered@gmail.com

Arcane Ascension: arcaneascensionlarp@gmail.com

This information helps us generate personalized encounters for you and incorporate you into the setting.
If you have already submitted a background, you can always send us more information if you choose to,
but that’s at your discretion.

The Game Design team reserves the right to turn down any character background that is deemed
inappropriate for the game.

All players who submit a background receive 50 Ruin Points immediately (see “Ruin Points” for more
information).

The background submission may be written in paragraph format or simply answer the questions in the
template at the bottom of this section.

Step 6: Select a Unique Trait

Each character begins play with a single Unique Trait. This is something iconic to your character that
helps distinguish them from other characters in the game world, both in terms of story and gameplay.

Unique Traits must be approved by the Game Design team. You can e-mail your request along with your
backstory or wait until your backstory is approved and send it separately.

See the section on Unique Traits for more details.

Step 7: Purchase Skills

Take some time to look through the rest of this rule book and your Regional Guide, as this will help to
decide what types of skills are appropriate for the character. Every skill has a cost in Experience Points.
Experience Points are like currency: in order to purchase skills, a person must have Experience Points
with which to buy them. Most skills have multiple levels or ranks. In order to purchase a higher rank in a
skill, one must buy the rank below it.

For example: In order to purchase rank two Strength, rank one must first be purchased. The costs listed
are cumulative; if the first rank costs 2 points and the second costs 3, the total cost is 5. Players gain
additional experience points for each event they attend.

Characters start out with some skills for free.

Each character begins with the following:

1. One free rank in a Core Attribute of the player’s choice. See the Core Attributes section.
2. A Lore skill based on the character’s cultural background. If the character is not human, this will
be the lore for their species. If the character is human, this is the lore for the area the character
grew up in.
3. Four additional free Lore skills of the player’s choice.
4. Five points of Essence.
5. Rank 1 in Melee Weapon Proficiency.
6. 75 Experience Points to spend on other skills of the player’s choice.

Step 8: Select Your Starting Equipment

Characters may start with any or all of the following items, but must have physical representations in
order to use them:
1. 10 Gold Pieces in assembled equipment or coin of the player’s choice. If the player has the
Alchemy skill, this may include potions. See the list of equipment prices in Appendix 2 to pick out
your starting gear.
2. 5 Additional Silver per rank in each crafting skill the player possesses.
3. 1 additional gold piece in equipment for each rank in Mercantile the player possesses.
4. 1 Influence Card of a type selected by the player. This Influence Card must make sense with the
character’s background and be approved by the game design team.
5. The player also begins with 30 “Time Units” to spend on actions the player has taken prior to
beginning in the game. Time Units can be used to learn lore skills, crafting recipes, or other
things. These Time Units may be spent within the first three events that the player attends;
however, as the Time Units represent actions taken prior to the character entering the game,
they may not be used to purchase any skills, lores, recipes, etc. that do not fit with the
character’s original backstory. See the Time Units section for more details.

These are considered normal items and can be sold if desired.

Step 9: Props and Costuming

No real weapons are allowed, even as part of costumes. The weapons used are foam weapons wrapped
around a light core, sometimes called “boffer” weapons. Some weapons with latex blades may also be
acceptable. All weapons are tested for safety by the game staff at the beginning of each game.

“Spell packets” or simply “packets” are objects that resemble bean bags and are created by sewing two
2-inch square pieces of cloth together and filling that with bird seed or rice. For most types of sorcery in
this game system, you must successfully hit your target with a packet in a valid hit location in order for
your spell to work.

All other props can either be real items (books, paper, pens, bandages) brought to game or items
represented by a tag. Tags are cards which have a name and description (such as sword or a bale of hay)
written on them. Tags represent in-game items with game effects and can only be written by the design
team. Tags found in game may have physical representations of the item (a “phys rep”) for the character
to carry about, or simply produce the tag when wishing to use that item. Even with a phys rep, keep the
tag with it (or in a safe place), for the tag gives the item value in the game world.

For in-game items, we encourage attaching the tag to the item to prevent any disputes from occurring if
one player ends up with the tag and another ends up with the physical representation of the item.
Step 10: Prepare for your First Event.
We suggest bringing the following items to a weekend game: sleeping bag, tent, lighting (flashlight,
lantern, glow sticks), firewood, extra clothing and costuming, a warm garment (cape, shawl, jacket),
bags, a towel, toiletries, pen, paper, spell packets, and extra money. Most common items such as paper
or candles do not require tags.

Character Background Template

This is an optional template for submitting a character background. You may write your background in
paragraph format if you prefer. You can send us more or less information if you choose.

What is your character’s full name?

How old is your character?

What is your character’s race/creature type? (i.e. human, Esharen, Rethri, etc.)

What professions has your character worked during life, if any? (blacksmith, innkeeper, etc.)

Where did your character grow up? In the forest? A small town? One of the big cities?

What languages does your character know?

What lore skills does your character have?

(This is important - we send you information based on which lores you purchase.)

What major cities have you spent a lot of time in, if any?

What deity or deities does your character worship, if any? How serious is your character about their
faith?

How much combat experience does your character have, if any?

Who did your character grow up around? Friends? Parents? Siblings?

Are any of your characters friends or family members still alive? Are they significant in his or her life?
What is your character’s most prized possession?

Does your character have any secrets?

What are your character’s short term goals?

What are your character’s long term goals?

Does your character have any biases or preconceived notions about certain people, religions, creatures,
or anything else?

Does your character have any enemies?

What is your character’s greatest fear?

What comforts your character when he or she is upset, scared, etc?

Other Character Documentation

In addition to submitting character background information, we also encourage players to submit a write
up after each game they attend. This can be in-character, out-of-character, or some combination of both.
 Chapter 5: Advancement and Experience Points
Overview
Characters begin play with 75 Experience Points. Experience Points are used to purchase attributes and
skills.

Attributes represent the basic physical, mental, and magical capabilities of a character. They offer some
advantages on their own, and also impact the effectiveness of certain skills.

Skills represent a character’s training, such as their proficiency at a specific craft, combat style, or type of
magic.

Both skills and attributes often have multiple levels that must be purchased in sequence; these are
generally referred to as ranks.

When a skill lists costs for different ranks, these costs are cumulative.

For example, if the Strength attribute lists a cost of 2 Experience Points for Rank 1 and 4 Experience
Points for Rank 2, the total cost to purchase Rank 2 is 6 Experience Points (2 + 4).

Some skills have maximum ranks that can be purchased; others simply have “soft caps”, meaning that
their cost becomes prohibitively expensive to increase beyond a certain point.

As an important note, there are skills that are outside of this rule book.

In some cases, these are higher ranks of existing skills, such as Rank 6 and higher skills for some of the
skill trees presented here. Characters can learn about these higher ranks by purchasing the Lore skill for
the appropriate skill tree (see the Lore Skill for more on this) or by finding new skills in the game itself,
through in-game books or scrolls.

In other cases, there are entirely new skill trees that can be found in the Arbiter System Advanced Rule
Book or in Lore documents.

Note that players may read the Arbiter System Advanced Rule Book at any time and look for skills their
character might be eligible for purchase, but this is not advised for new players, simply due to the sheer
number of skills already available in the main rules. Players should not feel obligated to be familiar with
the Advanced Rule Book; it is there as an option for players who are looking for more flexibility in their
character development, as well as for covering subjects that pertain to long-term play (like managing
land).

Campaign Experience Points

Each campaign (such as Arcane Ascension) has a Campaign Experience Points Limit that goes up with
every event, typically by 3 points for day games and 6 points for weekend games. The current Campaign
Experience Point Limit is listed on each event flyer.

For example, at the first game of the new Arcane Ascension campaign, the Campaign Experience Point
Limit is 81. At the second game, it’s 87. At the third game, it’s 93.
While attending an event, characters may train in-game to spend experience points until they reach the
Campaign Experience Point Limit.

There are two types of skills that characters can learn.

Universal Skills can be learned by any character that meets the prerequisites for the skill (if any). All skills
in the General Skills section of the rule book and all Core Attributes are Universal Skills.

Trained Skills can only be learned if the character meets the appropriate prerequisites and finds a source
of information to teach them the skill. This source of information can be another character that has the
skill, or it could be a book or scroll. Trained Skills can also be learned by spending Time Units, which
represents the character attempting to figure out how to use the skill on their own.

Characters are assumed to have a trainer during character creation, and thus can ignore the training
requirement for purchasing their initial skills.

There a few ways to train during an event.

 Characters may practice to increase their rank in one of their existing skills by up to one rank per
event. To do this, you must role-play practicing the skill for ten minutes.
o At the end of this time, you must demonstrate the proper use of any newly acquired
skills (e.g. new spells) to a Game Master.
o In addition, you must still send an e-mail to the Game Master team after the game to
confirm learning the skill.
o Example: Teris has Rank 3 in the Dominion of Metal. He can practice to increase his rank
from 3 to 4. Afterward, he demonstrates the Rank 4 Metal spell to a Game Master, who
approves of this increase.
 Characters may also practice to learn new Universal Skills without needing any training from
another character. A character can only learn one rank of a new skill per game in this way. To do
this, you must role-play practicing the skill for ten minutes.
o At the end of your time practicing the skill, you must demonstrate the proper use of any
newly acquired skills (e.g. new spells) to a Game Master.
o In addition, you must still send an e-mail to the Game Master team after the game to
confirm learning the skill.
o Example: Teris doesn’t have any ranks in Ranged Weapon Proficiency, but it doesn’t have
any prerequisites, so he can pick up a bow and practice for ten minutes to earn Rank 1.
That’s the highest he can go in one game, however.
o Example 2: Teris wants to learn the Dominion of Void. He has the required prerequisite
skills. Since the Dominion of Void has prerequisites, however, he still requires a teacher
to learn the skill even though he has met the other requirements.
 Characters may teach skills to other characters, as long as the teacher has at least one rank
higher than the student. A student may only learn one rank per game in any given skill from a
teacher. Teaching a skill takes ten minutes, and during this time, the teacher typically must
demonstrate the skill they are teaching (exceptions may be allowed for unusual cases at Game
Master discretion).
o At the end of the ten minutes of training, the student immediately gains the ability to
use the skill they have learned.
 o This does not require immediate Game Master approval, however, it must be confirmed
with a Game Master before the end of the event and e-mailed to the Game Master team
after the event for final confirmation.
o This can stack with practice, and thus, it is possible to earn up to two ranks during a
single event if someone teaches you one rank and you practice for the other.
o Example: Salaris and Rondar both have the Dominion of Metal, but Rondar is Rank 5 and
Salaris is only Rank 4. Rondar can teach Salaris for ten minutes, getting Salaris up to Rank
5.
 Salaris then practices all the way up to Rank 6. Now, he exceeds Rondar’s rank,
and he can teach Rondar what he learned out of practice. Rondar goes from
Rank 5 to Rank 6, then practices himself, going all the way up to Rank 7.
 Both of them have now both been trained and practiced for that skill, and thus
cannot go up further during that event.
 Some in-game items, such as scrolls, may count as having a teacher for learning or advancing
skills. If a player increases their rank by studying with an item, this counts as being taught, not as
practice. Thus, the player can still practice, but they could not gain another rank at the same skill
through a teacher during that same event.
 Some specific skill trees give alternate ways to train. For example, the Keen Observation Trait
allows you to use Experience Points by watching a character perform an action, rather than
being directly trained by them. This can, for example, let you learn skills by observing your
enemies.
 Unique events can allow characters to rapidly learn new skill ranks. For example, if the players
rescue a deity from certain death, the deity might grant the players the ability to buy as many
Ranks as they can afford in their Gift tree immediately. Since the new players are probably far
below the Campaign XP Limit, they can instantly gain several Ranks, whereas a veteran player
might have already spent so many points that they can’t afford to buy Gifts for a long time.
o This affords the possibility of giving a new player an awesome permanent power up in
the midst of a dire moment, something virtually no other system supports.
 You can train for up to 5 points of Essence per event if you have enough Experience Points
available. This does not require a teacher. Simply role-play meditating or practicing your skills
and inform a Game Master you practiced your Essence skill. This only requires ten minutes of
role-playing total for all the Essence you wish to train; you do not need to role-play for ten
minutes per Essence point.

Full Training Example:

Salaris enters a campaign with 75 XP. The Campaign XP Limit is 100.
Salaris currently has Rank 4 in the Dominion of Metal. Rondar teaches him, increasing his rank from 4 to
5. This costs Salaris 5 Experience Points. His total spent is now 80.

He then practices the Dominion of Metal, raising his rank from 5 to 6. This costs 6 Experience Points. His
total is now 86.

Finally, he practices Melee Weapon Proficiency. His current rank is 2, and he has the prerequisites for
Rank 3. Rank 3 costs 14 points, bringing his total up to 100. He cannot train any further, since he’s now
hit the Campaign Experience Point Limit.

Desperate Moment Example:

In the eve before the battle against the Nightmare Dragon, a group of great heroes climbs the sacred
mountain of Masca, seeking an audience with the gods of Vylin Tor.

Led by Lucas Nightbreaker, the heroes Gwestiel, Yoren, and Tabetha are veterans with powerful abilities
– but their latest companion, Varyn, is an exception. He is a novice adventurer, a local native to the area
serving as their guide.

But he only has a fraction of their power, and not nearly enough to survive the opposition they will
encounter.

Lucas fights his own shadow in a room of mirrors, emerging weakened. Afterward, the group is
confronted by a manifestation of Daesmodin – a terror potent enough to have wiped out dozens of their
allies on multiple occasions.

The heroes, strong as they are, are too few in number to fight Daesmodin alone. They are beaten,
bloodied, and nearly slain.

Varyn, ignored by Daesmodin due to his weakness, still hangs onto consciousness by a thread. He prays
to The Smith, one of the local gods – and his voice is heard.

He is immediately granted Rank 6 in the Gifts of the Smith, which he uses to turn the tide of the battle.
He retains these gifts even after the fight concludes.

Training Between Games:

Players who have not reached the Campaign Experience Point Limit may spend Time Units to train
between games.

There are four ways to do this:

 Practice Existing Skill: You can increase an existing skill by up to 1 rank by spending the
appropriate Experience Points and 5 Time Units. You may only do this once per skill between
events.
 Learn Universal Skill: You may learn Rank 1 in a universal skill by spending the appropriate
Experience Points and 5 Time Units.
 Learn a Trained Skill from a Teacher: You may learn a new skill or increase an existing skill by 1
rank by spending the appropriate Experience Points and 5 Time Units. You must have a teacher
who is at least one rank above you in the skill you wish to learn in order to do this. You may only
do this once per skill between events. This can also be done if you have another information
source that counts as a teacher (e.g. a textbook on the skill).
 Learn a Trained Skill on Your Own: You may learn a new Trained Skill without a teacher by
spending the appropriate Experience Points and 10 Time Units. You may do this across multiple
games if you do not have enough Time Units to do it all at once.

Thus, it works almost the same as at an event, with the same one skill per action limitation. The only
differences are that you spend Time Units instead of the role-playing time at the event itself, and that it
is possible to learn Trained Skills without a teacher if you spend enough Time Units.
Note that you may still train between games even if you increased your rank during the event itself. This
can enable characters who wish to advance specific skills rapidly to so by training both during and
between events.

This can also be done with the Time Units that are available during character creation if desired.

Training For Unranked Skills:

For skills that are not ranked, such as combat maneuvers, a character can only learn skills up to one
difficulty category higher than what they knew before the game stared.

For example, a warrior that knows only knows basic combat maneuvers could learn additional basic
combat maneuvers or standard combat maneuvers (if they have the prerequisites for standard combat
maneuvers), but could not learn advanced maneuvers or epic maneuvers during the same event even if
they earned the prerequisites during that event.

Ruin Points
Players may accumulate Ruin Points for performing certain services to game staff, such as helping
cleaning up the campsite, creating and/or donating props, or attending other live-action games. These
points can then be spent on a variety of different rewards as our way of saying “thank you” for all your
help.

Ruin Points are earned on a chapter-by-chapter basis; for example, points earned in Rendalir
Remembered cannot be used in Arcane Ascension.

Giving Ruin Points is at the sole discretion of the game design team. Do not assume you will be rewarded
with points for any activity or donation.

Players must track their own Ruin Points on their google spreadsheet. These listings will be periodically
audited by the design team. All expenditures and gains should be listed sequentially on the spreadsheet.

Ruin Points cannot be obtained retroactively for events or donations before the PC began playing in any
specific chapter. Players can begin accumulating Ruin Points as soon as they attend their first Arbiter
System event for that specific chapter.

Earning Points
Players earn points for the following activities:

 Submitting A Character Background: 50 Points

 Setup/Tear Down Help: 10 Points
 Submitting a Writeup After an Event: 10 Points
 Attending Another LARP: 10 Points for a day, 25 points for a weekend, must send an e-mail to
the game design team
o This is to encourage players to participate in other games in any capacity.
o Players can earn a maximum of 100 Points per year from attending other events.
 Other Between Game Help:
o Player Advocates: Rewarded 10 Points per event for providing a player advocate report.
 o Makeup: 10 Points for assisting with makeup for at least two hours at a day event, or 25
points for assisting for at least 2 hours per day at a weekend event.
o Game Master Assistance: Some players may be asked to help with Game Master
responsibilities, such as writing item tags or keeping track of crafting resources, for a
limited time period each game. Players who perform this service are rewarded 10 Points
for the event.
o See the design team for other options.
 Prop Donations:
o Small Weapon (e.g. dagger, kama): 10 Points
o Medium Weapon (e.g. standard sword, axe, mace): 20 Points
o Staff or Polearm: 20 Ruin Points
o Large Weapon (e.g. greatsword, greataxe): 30 Points
o Small Prop or Costume Piece (broach, belt, etc.): 10 Points
o Medium Simple Costume Piece (e.g. tabards): 15 Points
o Medium Prop or Costume Piece (e.g. a shirt, pants, etc.): 20 Points
o Large Prop or Costume Piece (e.g. full robes): 30 Points
o Complex weapons and costume pieces may be worth more than the guidelines above.
Discuss this with a Game Designer directly to negotiate the value before crafting the
item.
o Players can earn a maximum of 250 Ruin Points per year from donations.
 Referrals: Bringing and Training a New PC or NPC*: 25 Points
o Players can earn a maximum of 250 Ruin Points per year from referrals.

*Anyone you bring to the game must write that you are your “referral” for you to claim Ruin Point credit
for bringing them to the event. Only one player can claim credit for referring any given person; if a group
is responsible for recruiting a new player, only one person may claim the Ruin Point credit, as
determined by the group.

”New” means someone who has not played in Echoes of Deicide, Shades of Ruin, or Beyond the Veil
before. Someone who has played in other LARPs can still count as “new” for this purpose, and you can
claim referral credit for them. You are expected to prepare anyone you refer to the game by teaching
them the basics, such as telling them supplies to bring the event, and introducing them to the basic rules
prior to the game.

Spending Points
Ruin Points can be spent on the following rewards, as well as potentially others (See the design team):

Name Ruin Point Cost Description

Coin 1 You gain 2 Silver Pieces in coin or materials. (Max 25 gold per event)
You gain 1 Experience Point. This cannot bring your Experience Points above the
current Campaign Experience Point Limit. The purpose of this ability is to help you
if you’ve missed games and want to catch up faster.

You can also use this to purchase a maximum of 10 Experience Points during
Experience 25 character creation.

When you purchase experience, it is only applied to one of your characters. You
may purchase experience separately for each of your characters, however, and
each character has a separate cap on how much experience they can gain per year
from Ruin Points.
 Name Ruin Point Cost Description
You may gain 1 Influence Card you could reasonably have access to, at GM
discretion.
Influence 25
Certain influence card types, such as Supernatural and Divine Influence, will be
more restricted than others.
You gain 1 extra Time Unit to spend, up to a maximum of 10 Time Units between
events. This can be used regardless of whether or not you attended the event.
(Thus, if you attended the event, you could have a total maximum of 20 Time Units
to spend.)

You may also use this during character creation to purchase up to a maximum of
Free Time 5 30 additional Time Units.

This shares restrictions with the “Learning” advantage from Advanced Character
Creation; for example, you can only use one or the other per game with any given
character, and any given character can only start with a maximum of 30 additional
Time Units between these two advantages. You cannot “stack” these benefits to
exceed these normal restrictions.
If you have a character that has land, you may process your Land Management for
a game where you did not PC as that character by expending 1 Advancement Point.
This can be used to process Land Management for a character that is currently on
an Intermission or while you NPC at an event.
Land Management 25
You cannot process Land Management more than once per game under any
circumstances.

The rules for Land Management can be found in the Arbiter System Land
Management rule book.
Trinket Roll 25 Roll on a random trinket table for a basic item.
Advanced Trinket
50 Roll on a random trinket table for a more expensive item.
Roll
Roll on an advanced table for a random item or a special bonus of some kind. Note
that these are not efficient in terms of gold value; expect a reward that is geared
toward story.
Legacy 200
This item or benefit may be obtained immediately, or it may be obtained in-game
through role-playing, depending on the nature of the benefit. If you have a specific
benefit in mind, ask a game master, otherwise this will be determined randomly or
by the design team.

Multiple Characters
Characters from outside the Arbiter System cannot be played in Arbiter System games and vice versa.

Players may generate a secondary (or tertiary, etc.) character at any time by submitting a valid character
background to the game design team of the game they wish to attend. Once this character is approved,
the player may create the secondary character with all the same rules as a starting character. Thus, this
secondary character begins with 75 Experience Points, etc.

Secondary characters cannot be created until the player has an approved, up-to-date Google Document
with their character sheet and point tracking information.

A player may switch characters twice a day when not in a combat situation, and they must be out of
game at least 5 minutes between characters. Switching characters to help resolve or to avoid an in-game
situation is frowned upon. Each time the player switches characters, a costume change must be
completed to represent that different character. During the time that a player is playing one of their
characters, the other character cannot be taking actions such as meditating, using crafting skills, etc.;
those skills must be represented in-game through role-playing.

Players cannot create additional characters that are related to a character they are currently playing,
such as siblings, spouses, parents, children, etc. After the player has retired their character or their
character has died, however, they may make relatives of the retired or deceased character. This is to
prevent players from manipulating the inheritance system or otherwise attempting to use a secondary
character to gain wealth for their primary character.

The player only receives 10 Time Units total between events to split between their characters as desired.
This is to discourage players from using secondary characters as a means to generate additional income
or otherwise as “farming” characters.

Players may not create a secondary character for the purpose of making more in-game coinage,
materials, or items for their primary character. If the game designers determine that this has occurred,
disciplinary action may be taken, such as removing the secondary PC from the game along with any
funds, items, recipes, etc. generated in this way.

Character Death and Retirement

Death and Retirement: Any time a character is killed in the Arbiter System, he or she must see the Game
Design Team and pick a card from the Fate Deck. The Fate Deck is a deck of cards similar to a Tarot Deck
where the character’s fate is decided. These cards could prevent the player from being possible to
resurrect, give the character a permanent side effect, or even potentially give the character an
unforeseen benefit.

Note that the effects of the Fate Deck may vary somewhat from character to character for role-playing
purposes, but they are almost universally negative, and some can result in permanent death.

If a character is killed and cannot be resurrected, or retires, the player must create a new character if he
or she wishes to continue participating as a player. The player may create a single new character with the
same Experience Point total as the previous character, up to a maximum of 150. Other subsequent new
characters are still created using the normal rules and default Experience Point value (75).

When a player’s character dies or retires and the point value exceeds 150, all points over 150 are lost.
The player gains the ability to choose benefits from the Advanced Character Creation table, below, as
compensation for the loss of Experience Points.

Resurrection Restrictions:
Resurrection abilities can only be used on a target with an intact body. An intact body is defined as a
body with at least a torso, two limbs, and a head properly attached to each other and mostly intact. The
more damaged the body, however, the more likely the chance that there will be complications when this
ability is used.

If the body has been mutilated, but the limbs are attached (as per the Damaging a Body rules in the this
rule book), the Essence Cost of this ability is doubled, but it still functions if the caster has enough
Essence to use it.
As always, there may be specific cases that are exceptions to this rule.

Voluntary Retirement: A player may choose to voluntarily “retire” his or her character at any time. If this
occurs, the character can no longer be played as a PC. Retirement is not reversible.

The character still exists in the game world, and the player may be asked to play their former PC as a NPC
from time to time when it is appropriate for the story, but this is not a guarantee. Retired characters are
NPCs, and their presence in a game or absence from it is dictated by the game design team. The game
design team will not ask someone other than the original player of a PC to play the character, however,
nor will they force the retired character into taking actions that would not be appropriate for the
character.

Players are encouraged to voluntarily retire their characters after that character has completed their
major goals. Retirement is not forced at any point value, however, players are encouraged to set goals
and retire upon the completion of those goals. This allows newer players to catch up and have a chance
to shine.

As noted above, retiring your character after they have reached 80 or more Experience Points allows the
player to create a new character with Advanced Character Creation benefits.

Story Retirement: A player character may be automatically retired at the discretion of the Game Design
team based on their actions in the game world. Some examples of storyline retirement could include the
character becoming the ruler of a kingdom or empire, the character achieving godhood, or the character
willingly working against the goals of the party.

Note that player vs. player actions do not always cause a character to be retired. Actions that involve
working directly against the main goals of the group, such as stealing key items or information, working
with major story antagonists, etc. are more likely to cause Story Retirement than simply working against
a specific PC for in-character reasons.
Chapter 5: Unique Traits
Unique Traits are characteristics that make each individual character stand out, both from a story
standpoint and a gameplay standpoint. They often represent a core component of the character’s
backstory.

Every character begins with a single Unique Trait that must be approved by the Game Design team.
While this rule book presents a general list of starting points for Unique Traits, most of the concepts
below have specific details that must be developed in conjunction with the Game Design team.

At the Game Design team’s discretion, you may purchase up to one additional Unique Trait for 25
Experience Points. Each character may have a maximum of two Unique Traits at a time, unless they earn
an additional trait through gameplay.

Additional Unique Traits earned though gameplay also cost 25 Experience Points to purchase, unless
specially stated otherwise by the Game Design team.

Some traits may come with disadvantages as well as advantages. Players may suggest these if they
choose, but ultimately they are up to the Game Design team.

General Traits

Unusual Species: You begin play as a character of an unusual species, such as an Esharen or Delaren.
These species typically have more advantages than disadvantages, making them somewhat stronger
overall than ordinary humans. You also automatically gain the Lore for your species.

Essence Regeneration: When you Suppress a skill rank or Essence, you recover that skill or Essence in 6
hours instead of the normal 12. In addition, once per event, you may recover a single Suppressed skill
rank or 5 Suppressed Essence immediately.

Keen Observer: You may spend Training Experience to learn skill after observing it once, without even
spending ten minutes of training time. You must still have the prerequisites to purchase the skill,
however, and you must ask a Game Master for the details on how the ability works and approval before
using it.

Similarly, if you observe a spell and have the prerequisites to cast it, you may learn and use it
immediately. This has no cost.

Artifact: You begin play with an Artifact, a unique magical item with a skill tree of its own. Artifacts are
immune to the Break call and any form of normal damage; they can only be destroyed through the use
of powerful abilities, such as rituals and other Artifacts. Each Artifact’s abilities and background are
distinct; this must be discussed with the Game Design team.

You may propose the abilities you want your Artifact to have, however, the Game Design team has no
obligation to allow any proposed ability and may simply provide you with their own version of the skill
tree.
Artifact skill trees work slightly differently than normal skill trees. You may either choose to purchase
Ranks using Experience Points normally, or you may Suppress Essence during a game equal to the skill
point cost of the rank you wish to temporarily gain access to. This Essence is suppressed for 12 hours and
you gain the relevant abilities for 12 hours.

Other characters may use the artifact temporarily by suppressing Essence to gain access to skill ranks.

You gain +1 to your Rank in the artifact’s skill tree. (If you do not purchase any ranks, you gain one rank
for free.) This only applies to you, not anyone else who uses the artifact.

Personal Artifacts obtained through this Trait are considered part of your character and should not be
taken away or destroyed except under the most extreme of conditions (e.g. the character voluntarily
sacrificing the item, etc.) If this occurs, the Game Design team will provide you with a replacement
Unique Trait.

Example: Taelien begins play with the Sae’kes, an artifact sword. It is his personal artifact, so the first
Rank is free for him. He trains with it for years, spending 25 Experience Points to earn up to Rank 5 in the
tree. (Note: Skill rank costs vary from Artifact to Artifact.) Later, he needs access to more of the sword’s
powers. The next Rank costs 6 additional Experience Points, so he temporarily suppressed 6 Essence and
gains access to that Rank for 12 hours while the Essence is suppressed.

If he loaned the sword to Velas, she could suppress Essence to gain access to the sword’s abilities
temporarily, but unlike with Taelien, the sword’s first rank would not be free.

Loremaster: Your Time Unit costs for researching lores and languages are halved (rounded down, to a
minimum of 1 TU).

Combat Traits

Unique Combat Style: You have a unique combat style that is not listed in the normal rules. This is listed
on your character sheet as Lore (Unique Combat Style Name). This provides you with access to a new
skill tree. Your first Rank in this skill tree is free (for you, but not for anyone else who learns the tree).

You may propose the abilities you want your combat style to have, however, the Game Design team has
no obligation to allow any proposed ability and may simply provide you with their own version of the
skill tree.

You may choose to teach other characters this style by teaching them the Lore.

Second Wind: You automatically regain 1 Hit Point every minute, both in and out of combat. This only
restores Hit Points; it does not heal wounds.

Battle Meditation: When you use the Evaluate maneuver on a target, you may call “Advanced Evaluate”
gain a +1 damage bonus against that target for 10 minutes and may call “Advanced Evade” against that
target once (with no Essence cost) within that time.

This ability has a ten minute cooldown, however, the cooldown immediately resets if you successfully
knock out or kill the target you used Advanced Evaluate on.
In addition, all your abilities with the Evaluate call are improved to “Advanced”. If they are already
Advanced, they are improved to Epic. Epic Evaluates are not improved to Unavoidable, however.

Magical Traits

Unique Sorcery Style: You have a unique sorcery style that is not listed in the normal rules. This is listed
on your character sheet as Lore (Unique Combat Style Name). This provides you with access to a new
skill tree. Your first Rank in this skill tree is free (for you, but not for anyone else who learns the tree).

You may propose the abilities you want your combat style to have, however, the Game Design team has
no obligation to allow any proposed ability and may simply provide you with their own version of the
skill tree.

You may choose to teach other characters this style by teaching them the Lore.

Rare Attunement: You begin play with an attunement of your choice that is not in the main rule book. In
addition, the first rank of the attunement tree is free. Only characters from the continent of Kaldwyn
may purchase this Unique Trait.

Divine Gift: You may begin play with access to the Gifts of a specific deity that is approved by the Game
Design Team. In addition, your first rank in that tree is free. There is no limit to the rank you can purchase
in the tree during character creation.

Rapid Research: Your Time Unit costs for researching spells are halved (rounded down, to a minimum of
1 TU).

Combat Recovery: You regain Essence while in combat as if you were meditating using the Essence
Recovery Skill.

Social and Political Traits

Noble Visage: You may expend 4 Essence to enhance a Conversational Ability by adding the “Within
Sight of my Noble Visage” carrier to the call. Anyone who is currently looking at you is affected by the
ability. All applicable defenses (e.g. Social Grace) can still be used, but only apply to the user.

Chessmaster: You may attempt to use one of someone else’s influence cards. You must be aware that
the person possesses an influence card of that type; if they do not, the ability fails and the cooldown is
triggered immediately.

If the target possesses any Subterfuge Influence, they will detect that this ability is being used on them,
but not the source. They may then choose to use a Subterfuge Influence to block the attempt if they
wish. If they do, this stops your attempt and triggers the cooldown.

If you are successful, the target’s influence is used for the purpose you decide on immediately, and
anyone with the relevant abilities will detect the influence as having been used on behalf of the target –
not by you. The target is aware that their influence was used, but not by who or for what purpose; they
just know it’s gone. This is not untraceable, however, and some abilities (or using a sufficient amount of
Subterfuge Influence) may track it back to you eventually.

This ability has a one hour cooldown.

A Blade in Every Shadow: You may instantly convert your Subterfuge Influence into Military Influence or
vice versa at any time.

Influential: You begin play with five additional Influence Cards. You earn one additional Influence Card
per game. The specific cards are at the discretion of the Game Design team.

Recuperate Resources: If you attempt to use an Influence Card and your attempt is blocked, you do not
lose the Influence Card. You may only benefit from this once per target per hour.

At the end of each event, regain one Influence Card that you used. The regained card is of your choice.
Economic Traits

Land Owner: You begin play with a parcel of land worth 1000 Silver (one unit of land). You may also have
a noble title at the Game Design team’s discretion.

Wealthy: You begin play with 1000 Silver in coin and raw goods. If you possess any crafting skills, these
may be crafted items that you made; if so, the cost is the value of the raw materials it took you to make
the item.

Restrictions of Unique Traits

The following are general rules to prevent the creation of Unique Traits that would be unfair or
detrimental to overall gameplay.
 No Unique Trait can increase Experience Points earned per event.
o Increasing the rate of earning other resources, such as Time Units, may be possible at
the Game Design team’s discretion.
 No Unique Trait can grant complete invulnerability to physical damage, all sorcery, or anything
similarly broad.
o Immunity to something much more specific, like Fire Damage, is acceptable.
 No Unique Trait can give the character an instant death attack.
 No Unique Trait can give a character an Unavoidable effect that could incapacitate another
character (e.g. no Unavoidable Compel, Sleep, Paralyze, etc.)
 Chapter 6: Core Attributes
Core Attributes are the most basic skills that a character possesses. These skills determine many of the
basic capabilities of the character.

Rank 0 in each of these trees represents the capabilities of a normal person without any points invested
into the attribute.

When creating a character, a player may select a Primary Attribute for their character. The character’s
Primary Attribute always receives one bonus Rank for free, on top of whatever the player has already
purchased. For example, if the player did not have any points invested in any skills, their Primary
Attribute would be Rank 1 for free. If the player then purchased up to Rank 3 in their Primary Attribute,
they would then receive Rank 4 for free.

Strength
The Strength skill represents a character being stronger than the average human being; higher ranks
represent monstrous levels of strength. The strength skill is always active. When used in role-playing
against another character with the Strength skill, the character with the higher Rank in Strength is
considered to be stronger. Each rank represents a significant increase in character strength, as described
below. The Strength skill grants combat benefits at specific ranks, but players cannot use the Strength
skill to grapple with opponents without consent for physical role-playing.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
A character with Rank 0 in Strength can carry a single person at walking speed by role-playing picking them
up with a three-count.

Each Rank in Strength allows you to potentially carry one other person, or the equivalent of one other
person in weight, at a walking pace.

Moving at a faster than walking pace is more difficult, and thus, you can carry one less person at a running
pace.
0 0
Some objects are classified as “heavy”; these count toward your weight limit as if they were a person.

Some specific tasks may have a certain Strength requirement, such as moving a boulder. In those cases,
your Strength is compared to the requirement to see if you can perform the task. Multiple characters can
cooperate, adding their Strength scores, to perform these tasks.

You may attempt to use your Strength to break bonds, break down doors, or similar Strength-related
activities. These will generally have a specific Strength requirement, and a GM will rule if you have enough
Strength to complete the task.
Your carrying capacity is increased to 2 people/heavy objects.
1 2
Some skills are improved by your Strength attribute. For example, Power Attack deals more damage based
on your Strength. See the description of Power Attack.
2 3 Your carrying capacity is increased to 3 people/heavy objects.
3 5 Your carrying capacity is increased to 4 people/heavy objects.
4 6 Your carrying capacity is increased to 5 people/heavy objects.
5 8 Your carrying capacity is increased to 6 people/heavy objects.
6+ 10 Your carrying capacity is increased by +1 per additional rank.

Strength Skills

The following skills require a specific Rank in Strength to purchase.

Break Limb
Prerequisite: Strength 3
Description: If you have consent to physical role-play with a target and grapple with them, you may
perform a three-count to break one of the limbs of a target with a Strength rating at least 2 Ranks lower
than your own. If you are struck with an Interrupt call, this attempt to break a limb is interrupted. This
costs 5 Essence and has a 10 second cooldown. This ability can also be used to break the limbs of an
unconscious or paralyzed target unless their Rank in Strength is 2 or more Ranks higher than your own,
in which case their bones are too resilient for you to break using this ability. (Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Dexterity
The Dexterity skill represents a character’s nimbleness and speed. A character with the Dexterity skill is
acrobatic and lithe, able to dodge attacks and circumvent traps with the greatest of ease.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
With Rank 0 in this skill a player may attempt to dodge attacks or perform feats of dexterity based on their
0 0
own personal abilities, but their character has no specific capabilities or benefits.
Once per rest, when you are hit with damage or an Effect, you may call “Evade”, negating the effect of the
attack. You may not call “Evade” on anything that contains “Unavoidable” or “Within the Sound of my
1 2 Voice” in the call.

This is not considered a combat maneuver and has no cooldown.

2 3 You may now use Evade twice per rest.
3 5 You may now use Evade three times per rest.
4 6 You may now use Evade four times per rest.
5 8 You may now use Evade five times per rest.
6+ 10 You may use Evade one additional time per combat for each additional Rank of Dexterity you purchase.

Dexterity Skills
The following skills require a specific Rank in Dexterity to purchase.

Recover
Prerequisite: Dexterity 3
Description: You may now expend 4 Essence to immediately recover from a physical ability that impedes
your movement, such as “Slow”, “Paralyze”, or “Knockdown”. Call “Recover” when you use this. This
cannot be used on mind-affecting abilities, such as “Compel”, “Sleep”, and “Fear”. (Cost: 3 Experience
Points)

Advanced Evade
Prerequisite: Dexterity 5
Description: Your “Evade” call is upgraded to “Advanced Evade”. This allows you to Evade “Within the
Sound of my Voice” Effects and traps. This applies to any time you use the Evade call from any source,
not just uses of Evade from the Dexterity skill. You still may not Evade “Unavoidable” calls.

If you already have Advanced Evade from another source (such as Art of Mobility Rank 5), this upgrades
your skill to “Epic Evade”. This allows you to Evade attacks with the Epic carrier. This still does not allow
you to Evade “Unavoidable” attacks, however. (Cost: 3 Experience Points)
Resilience
This skill represents a character’s physical durability. Characters with this skill are able to shrug off some
weak attacks, even without wearing any armor. In addition, their natural resistance to damage
diminishes the depth of even the deadliest of injuries, increasing the amount of time it takes the
character to bleed to death, even after they’ve been incapacitated.

Time to
Experience
Rank Bleed to Description
Point Cost
Death
With Rank 0 in this skill, your character immediately suffers a wound if they are hit in a body
location and do not have any other defenses, such as armor.

Ranks in this skill grant your character Hit Points, but without requiring any physical
representation or item. Hit Points can be used to defend against damaging attacks.

0 0 300 Seconds Hit Points from the Resilience skill are cumulative with Hit Points from other sources, such as
actually wearing armor. Thus, if you had 3 Hit Points from wearing Chain Mail and 3 Hit Points
from Resilience, you would have a total of 6 Hit Points.

At Rank 0 in this skill, a character who suffers three wounds or a torso wound will bleed to
death in 300 seconds (5 minutes). Your time to bleed to death is increased by 2 minutes per
Rank in this skill.
1 2 420 Seconds You gain +2 Hit Points.
2 3 540 Seconds Your Hit Point bonus increases to a total of +4.
3 5 660 Seconds Your Hit Point bonus increases to a total of +6.
4 6 780 Seconds Your Hit Point bonus increases to a total of +8.
5 8 900 Seconds Your Hit Point bonus increases to a total of +10.
For each additional Rank in this tree above 5, you gain +2 Hit Points.
+2 Minutes
6+ 10 per Rank
In addition, for each Rank in this tree above 5, your time to bleed to death is increased by 2
above 5
minutes.

Resilience Skills
The following skills require a specific Rank in Resilience to purchase.

Tireless
Prerequisite: Resilience 3
Description: This tree represents a character that recovers rapidly from physical exertion.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
1 3 You may gain the benefits of Rest in ten minutes rather than fifteen.
2 5 You regain 2 Hit Points per period of rest rather than one.
3 7 You may gain the benefits of Rest in five minutes rather than fifteen.

Willpower
This skill represents a character’s sheer force of will and tenacity. Characters with the Willpower skill are
extremely resistant to outside influences, such as mind-affecting sorcery or paralytic poisons.

With Rank 0 in the Willpower skill you do not have the ability to resist Effects, such as
0 0 n/a
Sleep, Compel, etc.
1 2 4 While you are under the effects of a mind-affecting ability, such as “Sleep” or
“Compel”, you may use Willpower to immediately end that effect. Call “Willpower” to
 use this ability.

At Rank 1, you may use this ability once per rest.

Under most circumstances, you may use this at any time during the duration of an
effect – it does not have to be used immediately. Thus, you could choose to wait until
only one minute was left a Compel effect and use Willpower to end it at that point.

This can be used as a counter against “Sleep”, but only if you use it immediately after
you are hit. This represents shaking off the effects of the Sleep ability before it
manages to knock you out.

This can only be used against mind-affecting abilities, not other Effects. A glossary of
mind-affecting abilities can be found near the end of this book. If you are unsure if an
ability counts as mind-affecting, see a Game Master.
2 3 4 You may now use Willpower twice per rest.
3 5 3 You may now use Willpower three times per rest.

4 6 3 You may now use Willpower four times per rest.

5 8 2 You may now use Willpower five times per rest.

6+ 10 2 You gain one additional use of Willpower per rest.

Willpower Skills
The following skills require a specific Rank in Willpower to purchase.

Die Hard
Prerequisite: Willpower 1
Description: This ability tree increases your capabilities when you are injured and near death.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
When you are incapacitated, you may choose to Bleed Out, Retreat, or take a Last
Stand within 30 seconds, rather than having to wait a full minute.

Alternatively, you may choose to delay the choice to Bleed Out, Retreat, or take a Last
1 2
Stand for up to 2 minutes after you are incapacitated.

If you do use this ability and choose to Bleed Out, your Bleed Out timer does not start
until you make this choice.
While bleeding to death, you now remain conscious may now speak at a normal
volume and use vocal abilities, such as Command or Performance abilities. You
2 4
cannot use any other game abilities during this time unless explicitly stated in their
description.
When you use Last Stand, gain a bonus to all other attributes equal to your half your
3 6
Willpower, rounded up. This lasts until the end of the combat.

Indomitable
Prerequisite: Willpower 3
Description: This ability tree passively reduces how long you suffer from mental effects.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
Any time you are affected by a mind-affecting ability, the duration is halved. For
example, a sleep spell that normally lasts for five minutes would only last for two and
2 3
a half minutes on you. This is a passive ability and has no cost. Call “Willpower –
Reduced”.
3 5 Any time you are affected by a mind-affecting ability, the duration is reduced to one
quarter of its normal duration. For example, a sleep spell that normally lasts for five
 minutes would only last for one minute and fifteen seconds on you. This replaces the
benefit of the Rank 2 version of this ability. This is a passive ability and has no cost.
Call “Willpower – Reduced”.

Mind over Body

Prerequisite: Willpower 5
Description: You may now use Willpower to cleanse your body of standard poisons and diseases. Call
“Advanced Willpower” when using the ability in this way. This does not work on Epic poisons or diseases.
(Cost: 5 Experience Points)

Insight
Characters with the Insight skill have a knack for solving problems and learning new skills quickly. They
adapt easily to new situations and often find answers where others find only questions.

Note: Insight cannot be increased in Rank with spells and skills unless they explicitly state that they
increase Insight. For example, general spells like “Enhance Skill” and “Mark of Destiny” cannot increase
Insight.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
0 0 A character with Rank 0 in Insight must solve puzzles naturally.
During each event, you may spend up to 5 Time Units to research new spells, rituals, combat
maneuvers, languages, or crafting techniques. These Time Units must be used during the event or
they are lost, and they can only be used for research, not other actions (e.g. crafting).

1 2 Note that your ability to make use of this may be limited by Game Designer time and availability.

In order to keep anything that you have researched during an event, you must send a full write-up
of what you researched to the game design team after the event. It will then be reviewed to
determine if it should be permanently approved.

2 3 You gain 5 additional Time Units you can spend during each event (for a total of 10).

3 5 You gain 5 additional Time Units you can spend during each event (for a total of 15).
4 6 You gain 5 additional Time Units you can spend during each event (for a total of 20).
5 8 You gain 5 additional Time Units you can spend during each event (for a total of 25).
You gain an additional 5 Time Units you can spend during each event for each additional Rank in
6+ 10
Insight.

Insight Skills
The following skills require a specific Rank in Insight to purchase.

Problem Solver
Prerequisite: Insight 1
Description: You may use the Insight skill at any time in order try to gain insight into a specific subject,
such as solving a particular problem or puzzle. You may only use this ability on a specific subject matter,
such as a particular puzzle or situation, once per game per Rank in the Insight skill. You may use it on any
number of different subjects.
This is more effective if your character has the relevant skills for the applicable subject. This is not
guaranteed to provide an answer; it is limited by both what your character could realistically know and
the knowledge of the Game Masters. The call for this ability is “Insight”. (Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Cunning
Characters with the Cunning skill find it easy to talk their way out of nearly any situation, and frequently
have an easy time changing the minds of others.

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
A character without the Cunning skill has no special advantage in conversations.

For each Rank in this skill, the player gains one use of “Cunning” per rest. Cunning can be used on a variety of
0 0
different things; players gain a new way to use Cunning every Rank. All uses of Cunning share the same “pool” of
uses per rest. For example, someone with Rank 4 in Cunning would have four different ways to use Cunning. They
could use the Rank 4 way four times within the rest, or they could use the Rank 1 and 2 abilities twice each.
You may now expend one of your uses of Cunning to reset the cooldown on one of your Diplomatic Techniques,
Cunning abilities, or Conversational Abilities, allowing you to use it again immediately. Call “Cunning, Reset (Ability
Name)” to do this. For example, “Cunning, Reset (Social Grace)” would reset your cooldown on Social Grace,
1 2 allowing you to use it immediately.

This cannot be used to reset Diplomatic Techniques that normally work on a “per event” basis, such as Contest of
Powers.

2 3 You gain one additional use of Cunning per rest. (2 Total)

3 5 You gain one additional use of Cunning per rest. (3 Total)

4 6 You gain one additional use of Cunning per rest. (4 Total)
5 8 You gain one additional use of Cunning per rest. (5 Total)
6+ 10 You continue to gain one additional use of Cunning per rest for each additional Rank in this tree you purchase.

Cunning Skills
The following skills require a specific Rank in Cunning to purchase.

Etiquette
Prerequisite: Cunning 1
Description: You may expend a use of Cunning to “take back” something you just said or did to breach
etiquette – for example, if you unintentionally insulted someone. Call “Cunning - Etiquette” when using
Cunning in this way. (Cost: 1 Experience Point)

Wit
Prerequisite: Cunning 3
Description: You may now expend one use of Cunning to remove the Essence Cost from a single use of a
Command, Performance, or Rogue Art ability. (Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Nay, I Believe It Was You

Prerequisite: Cunning 5
Description: You may now expend two uses of Cunning to call “Cunning Reflect” on any Conversational
Ability or Diplomatic Technique that directly targets you. This cannot be used to counter abilities like
“Verbal Sense Truth – 60 Seconds” because they target the user, not the person they are attempting to
sense truth from. (Cost: 5 Experience Points)
 Chapter 7: General Skills
General Skills represent the personal traits and abilities characters have gained over the years. Skill ranks
are cumulative in both cost and benefits unless otherwise specified in the skill. Reminder: It is not
possible to use any methods to go beyond the maximum rank of a skill at any time. On rare occasions a
designer may choose to not permit certain general skills in to a game world.

Automatic General Skills

All players begin play with the ability to use the following skills.

Interrupt: The player may strike a target that is performing an action that requires concentration, such as
casting a spell, and call “Interrupt”. This automatically prevents the ability from working, and the ability
must be started over. Most spells, Performance abilities, and three-counts can be interrupted unless
stated otherwise in their description. Interrupt cannot be Evaded or Nullified unless the target has a
special ability that allows it to do so. Striking a target’s weapon, shield, or clothing does not normally
interrupt the use of an ability unless stated otherwise in the ability’s description.

Players with unarmed combat proficiency may interrupt three-counts by stopping the action with their
bare hands, but remember the rules for physical role-play and consent. For example, a player with
unarmed combat proficiency could stop a Killing Blow by striking the blade of a sword with their bare
hand to knock it out of the way. Note that if the player struck the sharp side of the blade, this would
cause damage to the person with unarmed weapon proficiency. Note that this applies to using an actual
bare hand; “unarmed weapon” boffers can be used to interrupt actions normally, and the wielder of an
unarmed boffer does not suffer damage from striking a weapon with the unarmed boffer.

Killing Blow: Killing Blow is an ability that can be used on an incapacitated target to end their life.
Performing a Killing Blow requires a slow, audible three-count and can be interrupted by striking either
the person performing the Killing Blow or the weapon. To perform a Killing Blow, you must place a
weapon on the target’s torso for the entire duration of the count; if the target is able to move sufficiently
to get out of the way (such as using Willpower to crawl and roll); the Killing Blow is not successful.

Killing Blow is considered damaging attack with the Effect Type of whatever is being used to deliver the
killing blow. For example, if the Killing Blow is being delivered with a sword that deals “Fire” damage, the
Effect Type of the Killing Blow is Fire, and creatures that are immune to fire (such as Fire Elementals)
would not be harmed. Abilities that stop Effects, such as “Nullify” can stop Killing Blows from succeeding,
but defenses like “Evade” and “Resist” cannot be used if the target of the Killing Blow is unconscious.

Killing Blow moves a character from the “Bleeding Out” state directly to the “Dying” state (not the
“Dead” state). See “Dying” for more information.

Basic Knot Tying: All characters may tie a simple knot that can be used to bind a character’s limbs
together, preventing the limbs from being usable. Characters with bound limbs cannot used these limbs;
they are treated as wounded, except that they do not contribute to the number of wounds necessary to
cause unconsciousness. Characters that can activate abilities with wounded limbs may also activate
abilities while tied up. Tying a knot requires a three-count and can be interrupted. Knots can be undone
with the Loosen Bonds skill. Knots can be cut by a character with a sharp object with a three-count; this
includes someone who is tied up, if he or she can successfully navigate the tied limbs to a sharp object.
This ability is intended to be role-played; you should physically represent it by putting a cord of rope over
the arms or legs of the intended target, but no game participant should actually be tied up without their
consent. If consent is given, the knots must be loose enough to remain safe and easily undone.

Check for Wounds: All characters may examine a target within 5 feet of them for ten seconds to find any
visible wounds on the target. The character cannot see wounds that are physically concealed, or wounds
that occurred in locations that are not physically visible (for example, if the target is lying on their back,
and the back is wounded, they would have to move the target to see the wound). This skill can be
improved by the Medical Knowledge tree.

Damaging a Body: All characters have the ability to attempt to damage a dead body, however, certain
skills can be used to augment this process.

By default, a player can spend one minute performing whatever damage they can to a body. Place your
boffer weapon in a safe position on the target’s body and call, “Mutilating body 1, mutilating body 2,
etc.” to indicate you are attempting to do this. This indicates you are hitting the body repeatedly without
any specific focus, attempting to damage the body as much as possible.

Repairing a mutilated body requires ten points of healing (i.e. a single “Heal 10”, two “Heal 5”s, or 10
“Heal 1” calls).

Any player may also attempt to damage a particularly vulnerable area on a target’s body, such as the
eyes, ears, or tongue, as long as they are carrying an appropriate boffer weapon. You may spend a three-
count and call, “Damaging (organ) 1, damaging (organ) 2, damaging (organ) 3…” to indicate you are
doing this. Damage to specific organs can only be repaired through specially researched abilities; no
amount of normal healing will suffice.

Normally, players may not amputate entire limbs or body parts. This requires the Medical Knowledge
skill at Rank 9 (Perform Surgery) or any ability with the “Remove Limb” call. With one of these abilities,
the player may use the ability according to its normal rules, but may target body parts that are more
specific than limbs (such as the head or a single hand). To do this, you must role-play performing this
action, but never actually touch the target’s head, neck, or any other unsafe body location with your
hands or weapon.

The rules for damaging bodies may only be used on targets that are dead, unless specifically stated by a
GM.

Purchasable General Skills

Essence Points: Essence is the resource used for powering nearly every ability in the Arbiter System.
Different game worlds may use different terms for this skill, such as Mana, Essence, Stamina, etc.

The Essence Points skill represents the character’s maximum capacity for Essence. Players begin each
event will full Essence Points and they can regain spent Essence by using specific skills, items, and
abilities. Essence is naturally regained at a rate of 1 point every 5 minutes, except during combat.

Characters begin with 5 Essence Points for free. Additional points of Essence can be purchased with
Experience Points.
 Essence Pool Size 1-5 6-20 21-30 31+
Experience Point 1 Experience for 2 Experience for 3 Experience for
Free
Cost 1 Essence 1 Essence 1 Essence

Essence Recovery: Characters using this skill can recover Essence faster by going into a meditative state.
Each Rank in this skill allows a player to recover 1 additional Essence for every 5 minutes they meditate.
A player may not go out of game while leaving their character to regenerate Essence in game. When
using the Essence Recovery skill, the character may not fight, use game abilities, or engage in
conversation. The character may recite a mantra or prayers and may take other role-playing actions.
Martial arts kata are considered valid forms of meditation.

Characters who are not currently using the Essence Recovery skill to meditate regain Essence at a rate of
1 Point every 5 Minutes, except during combat.

Rank 1 2 3 4+
Experience
2 4 8 +4 above previous Rank
Point Cost

Language: Every character starts with the common language of their region or any other single language
free of charge. This skill allows a character to be proficient in languages other than their starting
language. Some possible languages a character may learn by taking this skill are: Esharen, Tyrenian,
Rethri, Artinian, Vylin Tor, and Des’vahi. Players may request other languages that are not on this list. The
method of indicating a person is speaking a different language is to place the index finger, fully extended,
under the chin. Knowing a language includes the skill to read and write in that language.

Languages do not cost Experience Points. Instead, they cost Time Units. See the Time Units section for
more details.

(Time Unit Cost: 15 per language).

Loosen Bonds: If you have been tied up with rope, you may role-play untying yourself for 30 seconds to
escape. This may be able to be used to escape other types of restraints at the discretion of the Game
Design team. (Cost: 1 Experience Point)

Lore: Each lore skill provides the player with knowledge on a specific subject. The Lore skill represents a
significant study of a topic, roughly equivalent to the knowledge from taking a college course on the
subject in the modern world.

Each character begins with four selectable Lore skills free of cost. These represent the experience that
every person has gained just by going about their daily lives. Most characters should being play with the
lore on their faction (if any) and at least one lore document related to their highest ranked skill. These
are just suggestions, however, and players may select these lores freely.
In addition, human characters automatically gain the Lore for the closest city to where they were born
for free, and non-human characters gain the lore for their species for free. Thus, in total, all characters
begin with five free lores.

The first five Lore skills a character obtains during character creation do not have a Time Unit cost.
Subsequent lores purchased during character creation are assumed to have a trainer, and thus, only cost
5 Time Units to research. See the Time Units section for more details on Time Units.

A player with the Lore skill may ask the Game Design Team for relevant information based on their lore
skills any number of times during the event. For example, a player could use the Lore: Undead skill to try
to determine if the creature you are fighting is a Revenant or a Wight.

In addition, the player may request a lore write-up prior to game. Some lore skills do not have write-ups
available. Some examples of lore documents with written documentation include Lore: Undead, Lore:
Magic, and Lore: Religion. Players begin with the Lore document for their own character race free of
cost. Human characters begin with one free lore skill of their choice.

Note that most lore documents are written from an in-character standpoint, and the information in them
is not always completely accurate. For example, some lore documents are written from the perspective
of Archon Galladran Gath, the leader of the Paladins of Tae’os. These lore documents may be biased
toward the Archon’s viewpoint of the situation and may include some inaccuracies due to his biases or
even just misconceptions he might have.

Lore documents are the primary means of discovering additional skill trees that are not included in the
Arbiter System rules. For example, players with an interest in sorcery could purchase lores on various
types of sorcery to potentially unlock more sorcery skills to purchase.

Lore documents that are provided by staff to players should not be shown to other players; distributing
your lore documents is considered a form of cheating. Players may share information from these
documents in-character through role-play, but simply reading a lore document to other players would be
considered a disallowed form of metagaming and also be against the game rules.

If you want to maintain an in-game “spell book” or “lore journal” you must have separate clearly marked
in-game and out-of-game sections.

Note that spell and crafting recipes are considered in-game information and may be included along with
other in-game information if desired.

If a character wants to learn a new lore skill, that character must have a logical source for their lore
research. This can be another player, a library if the player is in a major city with a system of writing the
player understands, a NPC that volunteered to teach the lore, etc.

Regional Guides are not lore documents, and cannot be purchased with the Lore skill. The individual
sections contained in a Regional Guide can be purchased, however, if the character has an appropriate
source for that information (such as another PC to teach them). For example, if Rakan is a PC from Vylin
Tor, he could learn about Dominion Sorcery from Shar, a PC from Mythralis who knows Lore: Dominion
Sorcery. To do so, he would role-play learning about this in-game with Shar, and then purchase Lore:
Dominion Sorcery. This would enable Rakan to begin learning Dominion Sorcery skills.
If Shar did not know Lore: Dominion Sorcery, he could explain the basics of Dominion Sorcery to Rakan,
but he would not know the theory well enough to teach the lore skill. Thus, Rakan would then know
about the concept of Dominion Sorcery, but he would need to find a more experienced teacher before
purchasing the lore.

Lores do not cost Experience Points. Instead, they cost Time Units. See the Time Units section for more
details.

(Time Unit Cost: First five lores are free*, additional lores cost 10 Time Units per subject)

*One of these is automatically based on your race or starting city, the other four can be selected freely.

Memory: You may memorize five minutes of conversation or text. This information may be recalled at a
later time, and is limited to the designer’s knowledge. (Experience Point Cost: 1).

Poison Sense: You can determine by smell if something is poisoned. When combined with the
appropriate lore and/or Art of Poison, this may give you specific information on the nature of the poison
as well. (Experience Point Cost: 1)

Tracking: This skill can be used to attempt to follow the tracks of a character in the game. In addition, it
can be used to attempt to find hidden objects, doors, etc. once per hour. The call is “Detect Hidden 5”.

At Rank 2, you can use this ability to detect creatures with the Stealth skill or the Invisibility spell. The call
is, “Detect Stealth and Invisibility 15 seconds”. This may be used an unlimited number of times, however,
it requires 5 seconds of role-playing searching to activate. This role-playing cannot be performed while
the ability is still active; the player must wait for Tracking to expire before attempting to track again.

Rank 1 Cost: 2 Points

Rank 2 Cost: 3 Points
Time Units
During the time between game events, characters are not assumed to be idle. They might be traveling,
gathering resources, working at their business, managing their land, or researching forbidden secrets
and mastering new spells.

To represent the time between games, the Arbiter System campaign uses Time Units, or TU.

After each game event, a player normally earns and may spend 10 Time Units. In rare circumstances,
game designers may inform players that they earned more than 10 Time Units since an unusually long
period of time is passing between games. Each action the PC wishes to take between game events
consumes a certain number of time units, depending on the player’s skills.

Players may not save up Time Units – they must be spent before the next event occurs. If a player does
not have a sufficient number of Time Units to finish a specific action between games, however, they can
spend Time Units to make progress toward completing an action.

For example, Languages normally take 15 Time Units to research, which would take more than one
game. A player cannot “save up” for two games to buy a language, however, they may spend 10 Time
Units after the first game to gain partial credit toward learning the language, and then spend the other 5
Time Units at a later time.

If a player has only partially researched something (e.g. a language, lore, or spell) it is at game designer
discretion if they can use this partially researched skill in any way during an event. A game designer may
rule, for example, that someone with 10 Time Units toward learning a language may understand basic
greetings and important phrases.

The base number of time units consumed by each action is displayed below. Researched spells, recipes,
etc. must be listed on a player’s character sheet.

Standard Time Unit Costs

Research Actions* Time Units Consumed Description

You may research a new Crafting Recipe, as per the rules described in the
Research a new
5 Crafting section of this rule book. You may only research Crafting Recipes you can
Crafting Recipe
use, unless you have a skill that allows you to do otherwise.
You may research and learn a new Crafting Technique, as described in the
Research a New
10 crafting section of this rule book. This crafting technique cannot exceed your rank
Crafting Technique
in the crafting skill.
You may learn a new lore skill. The Lore request must be submitted to the game
design team for approval.

Players need a source in order to learn a lore skill. A valid source would be a book
on the subject, a test subject with characteristics applicable to the lore, etc.

The Time Unit cost for learning a lore is halved if the lore skill is taught to you
Research a new Lore
10 directly by another character.
skill
Some Lore skills may be harder to learn than others, requiring additional Time
Units or other prerequisites.

The first four Lore skills a character obtains during character creation do not have
a Time Unit cost. Subsequent lores purchased during character creation are
assumed to have a trainer, and thus, only cost 5 Time Units to research.
 Research a new
Language skill
Research a Basic
Spell, Combat
Maneuver, Shape, or
Technique
Research a Standard
Spell, Combat
Maneuver, Shape, or
Technique
Research an
Advanced Spell,
Combat Maneuver,
Shape, or Technique
Research an Epic
Spell, Combat
Maneuver, Shape, or
Technique
Research a new Key
Create a New Combat
or Sorcery Style
15 You may learn a new language skill.
You may research a new Basic spell, maneuver, shape, or technique.
3
If you choose to research a spell or maneuver, this can be either Fundamental or
Complex.
You may research a new Standard spell, maneuver, shape, or technique.
5
If you choose to research a spell or maneuver, this can be either Fundamental or
Complex.
You may research a new Advanced spell, maneuver, shape, or technique.
10
If you choose to research a spell or maneuver, this can be either Fundamental or
Complex.
You may research a new Epic spell, maneuver, shape, or technique.
20
If you choose to research a spell or maneuver, this can be either Fundamental or
Complex.
5 You may research a new Key for Dominion Sorcery spells.
You may create a completely new combat style or sorcery style. This is structured
as a three-rank tree and each rank will still cost Experience Points to purchase,
20 similar to existing style trees. You may make suggestions for each Rank, but
Game Designers will audit each rank for balance and may turn down or replace
any ideas.

*Research Actions can be performed twice as quickly if you have a trainer or in-game lore document
(such as a spell book) that already has the recipe. This means that the TU costs for research are halved
(rounded down, to a minimum of 1 TU). Spells, recipes, and rituals purchased during character creation
count as having a trainer, and thus, their costs for research are halved.

This reduction is not applicable to learning new Combat or Dominion Calling Styles, as trainers are
always required for those types of research actions.

Gathering Actions Time Units Consumed Description

Gather 10 Silver
Pieces in value in Raw
Materials
You may gather up to 10 silver pieces in value of raw materials of any of the
following types: metal, wood, leather, herbs, or uncut gems for every 2 Time
Units you spend. This can be used on a single unit of material or several units of
less expensive materials in any combination. For example, if you spent 8 Time
2
Units on gathering, you could gather a total of 40 silver pieces of materials of any
combination. This could be a single uncut gem worth 40 silver pieces or 10 pieces
of metal worth 2 silver pieces each, or even 5 pieces of metal worth 2 silver each
and one piece of leather worth 10 silver pieces.

Crafting Actions Time Units Consumed Description

You may perform a single Crafting Action. See the section on crafting skills for
Perform a Crafting more information on how Crafting Actions work. The Faster Crafting skill
2
Action decreases the number of TU it requires to make a Crafting Action between
games.

Other Actions Time Units Consumed Description

Sell an single You may sell a single item from your inventory to a NPC merchant for a value
assembled item in based on your rank in the Mercantile skill. See the Mercantile skill for more
2
your inventory to a information. This can only be performed while your character is in a town or
NPC merchant another location with merchants.
Buy a single 2 You may buy a single item from a NPC merchant for a value based on your rank in
 the Mercantile skill. See the Mercantile skill for more information. This can only
assembled item from
be performed while your character is in a town or another location with
a NPC merchant
merchants.
You may give an item in your inventory to another PC between games without
Give an item in your expending Time Units, provided that PC is in the same in-game location. You may
inventory to another 0 also buy, sell, and trade from other PCs that are in the same area of the world as
PC you are. You may not trade or otherwise interact with characters that are not in
the same in-game location.
You may expend 2 Time Units to remove one rank from a ranked skill you have
already purchased, or one entire skill that does not have ranks, such as
Deflection. You regain the points from this skill and can then use the experience
points to purchase other skills immediately.

This cannot be used to remove ranks in the “Innate Talent” skill.

For example, if Joe had Rank 3 in the Dominion of Flame, he could expend 5 Time
Units to drop back down to Rank 2 in the Dominion of Flame, losing the Rank 3
abilities and regaining the experience points he spent.
Remove one rank in a
skill you have already
2 Any recipes or spells that use abilities a player no longer possesses cannot be
purchased
used. For example, if Joe had a spell that required Rank 3 in the Dominion of
(Retraining)
Flame and he dropped down to Rank 2, he could no longer use that spell. The
spell research is not refunded; the character still knows the spell, he or she
simply can no longer cast it.

For the purposes of other game abilities, this is called “Retraining”.

Players may retrain any of their character’s skills once within the first three
events that they attend without expending any Time Units. They may retrain
multiple skills in this manner, as long as the changes are submitted to the Game
Design team within their first three events.
You may earn a single Influence Card of any type your character could reasonably
Earn Influence 10
have access to. This is subject to GM discretion.

Players may also dedicate Time Units to other actions that are not listed here with approval from the
game design team. For example, a player who is currently in a town at the end of a game might be able
to use some time units to visit someone for information, or to travel to a nearby town and back,
depending on the amount of game time that passes between events. Players can also attempt to
research skills that are more advanced than the ones in this rules document; to get started on this, begin
by learning lore skills in the area you are interested in advancing in. For example, if you want to find out
about types of sorcery that are not discussed in this book, you may wish to begin by purchasing the Lore:
Sorcery document.

Some actions – such as researching a ritual – take more than 10 Time Units by default. These can be
decreased by purchasing certain game skills (below), or the player can spend the necessary number of
time units over the course of several events. Crafting a masterwork weapon, for example, could take a
smith several game events – but the results would be well worth the effort.

Players must decide on how to spend their Time Units two weeks before they attend their next game
event. Players may not “save up” Time Units for the future. Time Units are not currency and cannot be
traded or loaned to another player.

NPC Shifts
Players may volunteer to NPC for a shift during a game event. If a player chooses to do this, they will be
awarded 1 Time Unit per shift, which can either be used during the game (at the discretion of the Game
Master team) or between that game and the following game. A player can only earn up to a maximum of
five additional Time Units in this way.

For example, David decides his character wants to go gather some herbs. He asks the GMs if he can NPC
for a shift, and the GMs agree. David switches to NPCing for a brief period of time. When he’s done, he
asks the GMs for permission to gain 1 Time Unit worth of herbs. The GMs approve this request, and his
character returns to the other PCs with some herbs he managed to scavenge.

Sorcery Research
Several types of sorcerous research require time units. A list of the time unit costs for sorcerous research
can be found below.
You may only research spells you are capable of casting, unless you have Lore – Sorcerous Theory, which
allows you to research spells you cannot cast.
Lore – Ritual Theory is similarly required to research rituals you cannot cast.

Researching Cooperative Spells

Cooperative Spells require the same amount of Time Units to research as normal spells with the same
level of difficulty.

Only the character who researches a Cooperative Spell actually learns the Cooperative Spell, even
though it requires multiple characters to cast. The character that knows the spell must always be present
to use it, however, the character who knows the spell may use substitutes for any other casters that are
involved in the Cooperative Spell as long as they have the same total number of casters and the group of
casters has all of the necessary spells, keys, and abilities required to cast the spell.

For example, if Tabetha did the research for a spell that involved Tabetha, Gwestiel, and Farian, she could
cast that spell with any three sorcerers as long as between them they had all the appropriate spells and
Keys. Gwestiel and Farian, on the other hand, could not - because they didn”t actually spend the time
researching it.

If Gwestiel and Farian wanted to reconstruct a Cooperative Spell they had cast with Tabetha before, but
Tabetha was not around, one of them could spend half the normal number of Time Units to learn the
same spell themselves, as if they had a teacher. Similarly, Tabetha could teach the Cooperative Spell to
someone else entirely, and they could learn the Cooperative Spell for half the initial Time Unit cost it
took to research it the first time.

Gathering Skills
Players may purchase gathering skills to gather materials of a specific type more quickly than they could
without that gathering skill. For example, a player with the mining skill is especially well trained at
gathering metal or stone from mines, and can gather more or more valuable stone or metal than an
untrained character who expends the same number of Time Units.

During games, a player may collect World Tags if they have a gathering skill. Players may only pick up
world tags of the type of material they have the appropriate gathering skill for at least Rank 1. No player
may gather more than 50 world tags in a game event.
Players cannot pick up world tags before an event begins ("Game Time In"), however, they *can* pick up
tags after an event concludes, even if the player has reached their normal tag capacity. This is to
encourage players to help with clean-up and prevent loot tag litter.

Material Gathering
Note: Each type of gathering is purchased individually. The individual categories of gathering are listed
below.

Rank Point Cost Description

1 1
2 1
3 2
4 2
5 3
You may gather 10 silver pieces of materials of the type designated by your
gathering skill (i.e. leather from the hunting skill) for every 1 Time Unit you
spend.
You may gather 15 silver pieces of materials of the type designated by your
gathering skill (i.e. leather from the hunting skill) for every 1 Time Unit you
spend.
You may gather 25 silver pieces of materials of the type designated by your
gathering skill (i.e. leather from the hunting skill) for every 1 Time Unit you
spend.
You may gather 35 silver pieces of materials of the type designated by your
gathering skill (i.e. leather from the hunting skill) for every 1 Time Unit you
spend.
You may gather 50 silver pieces of materials of the type designated by your
gathering skill (i.e. leather from the hunting skill) for every 1 Time Unit you
spend.

Hunting

This skill allows the character to gather leather. Some types of leather are listed below. Others may be discovered in
other documents outside of this rule book. If a player is aware of the existence of a special type of leather, he or
she may be able to gather it; contact the game design team for more information.

Cow Hide Leather – The most common form of leather used for clothing and armor. This form of leather has no
special qualities. One unit of cow hide leather is worth 1 silver piece.

Deer Hide Leather – Deer hide leather is slightly more resilient than that of a cow, and armor made from it grants
+1 Hit Point to the wearer. One unit of deer hide leather is worth 5 silver pieces.

Wolf Hide Leather – Wolf hide leather is slightly more resilient than that of a deer, and armor made from it grants
+2 Hit Points to the wearer. One unit of wolf hide leather is worth 10 silver pieces.

Shale Hide Leather - Shale Hide Leather is created from skinning a Shale Boar, a type of boar-like creature
indigenous to the Sythus region with leathery “plates” on its skin. Shale Hide is rare, but highly resistant to damage.
Armor made from Shale Hide is immune to the break call and grants +1 additional Hit Point to the wearer. One unit
of Shale Hide Leather is worth 20 silver pieces.

Bear Hide Leather – Bear Hide Leather is extremely tough, granting +3 points of armor to the wearer. One unit of
bear hide leather is worth 40 silver pieces.

Herbalism

This skill allows the character to gather herbs.

Due to the length of the herbs list and the complexities of combining them, the herbs that players can gather are
now listed in the Alchemy section. Herbalists are always capable of gathering any of the Prime Dominion Herbs,
Deep Dominion Herbs, or Activating Agents listed in this rule book.

Others may be discovered in other documents outside of this rule book, such as in Lore – Alchemy. If a player is
aware of the existence of a special type of herbs, he or she may be able to gather it; contact the game design team
for more information.

Lumberjack
This skill allows the character to gather wood. Some types of wood are listed below. Others may be discovered in
other documents outside of this rule book. If a player is aware of the existence of a special type of wood, he or she
may be able to gather it; contact the game design team for more information.

Cedar – Cedar is a very soft, easy to work wood with a distinctive scent. It has a straight grain and does not rot
easily. Items made from cedar have no special abilities. One unit of cedar is worth 1 silver piece.

Oak – Oak is a fairly strong type of wood that can be found in both red and white. Oak is highly resistant to
moisture, and shields and armor made from oak gain the ability to call “Nullify” on one Water or Ice damage or
Effect per combat that strikes the shield or armor. One unit of oak is worth 5 silver pieces.

Teak – Teak is an oily wood with a golden brown texture. Items made from Teak are resilient, and players using
armor or shields made from Teak may call “Nullify” on a single “Break” call per combat that strikes the shield or
armor. One unit of teak is worth 10 silver pieces.

Fir – Fir is a strong, red-brown wood that is often used for constructing buildings. Shields made from Fir are very
strong, and a player using one may call “Nullify” on one “Break” or “Pierce” per combat. Armor made from Fir is
also very resilient, and grants the wearer +1 Hit Point. One unit of fir is worth 20 silver pieces.

Walnut – Walnut is one of the strongest types of natural wood. Shields made from Walnut are immune to the Break
call; a shield made from Walnut that is struck with “Break” is disarmed instead. You may call “Reduced to Disarm”
when this occurs. Armor made from Walnut is worth +1 additional Hit Point and immune to the Break call. A single
unit of walnut is worth 40 silver pieces.

All forms of wood listed here are vulnerable to fire, and treat fire damage as a “Break” effect that cannot be
nullified, reduced to disarm by the type of wood. The only type of armor that can be made from wood is plate mail
armor.

Mining
This skill allows the character to gather metal or stone. Some types of metal and stone are listed below. Others may
be discovered in other documents outside of this rule book. If a player is aware of the existence of a special type of
metal or stone, he or she may be able to gather it; contact the game design team for more information.

A single “Unit” of metal or stone represents roughly two pounds of that material.

Copper – The most basic of metals. Items made from copper have no special properties. One unit of copper is
worth 2 silver pieces.

Bronze – A more advanced metal, bronze is used for most modern weapons and armor. Once per combat, the
wielder of a bronzer weapon can remove the cost of a single Standard Combat Maneuver performed with this
weapon. For example, the wielder could perform a single Disarm or Power Attack per combat at no cost. A suit of
armor made from bronze gains a +1 bonus to the suit’s armor rating. A single unit of bronze is worth 5 silver pieces.

Iron – A superior metal for crafting weapons and armor, iron is rarely found outside major human and dwarf cities,
such as Melkaian, Aayara, and Valeria. A weapon made from iron is resistant to damage, and the player may call
“Nullify” once per combat against the “Break” call on the weapon. A suit of armor made from iron has a similar
resilience; the player may call “Nullify” once per combat against a “Break” call on the suit of armor, and the armor
provides +1 Hit Point. A single unit of iron is worth 10 silver pieces.

Steel – The strongest metal available to smiths in most cities, steel is incredibly resilient and sturdy. Weapons made
from steel allow the wielder to call “Break” against an opponent’s weapon once per combat, and also resist one call
of “Break” against their own steel weapon once per combat. Armor made from steel allows the wearer to call
“Nullify” against a “Break” call on that armor once per combat, and also provides +2 Hit Points. A single unit of
steel is worth 20 silver pieces.

Granite – A basic type of stone used for building. Granite has no special properties. A single unit of granite is worth
10 silver pieces.

Shale – A more expensive type of stone for advanced structures. When used to make weapons or armor, shale is
immune to the “Break” call, causing the “Break” to be downgraded to “Disarm” instead. A single unit of shale is
worth 40 silver pieces.

Note that weapons and armor cannot normally be made from stone; this requires special skills that are outside of
this rule book. Normally, stone is only used for structures.

Prospecting
This skill allows the character to gather uncut gems. Some types of uncut gems are listed below. Others may be
discovered in other documents outside of this rule book. If a player is aware of the existence of a special type of
uncut gems, he or she may be able to gather it; contact the game design team for more information.

Uncut Lapis Lazuli – A simple gemstone of blue, white, and black, often compared to stars in the sky. A single uncut
lapis lazuli is worth 1 silver piece.

Uncut Tourmaline – A beautiful multicolored stone that develops an electrical charge when heated. A single uncut
tourmaline is worth 5 silver pieces.

Uncut Alexandrite – A rare stone of red or green that often resembles a ruby or emerald. A single uncut alexandrite
is worth 10 silver pieces.

Uncut Morganite – A pink or rose colored variety of beryl, highly valued by enchanters. A single uncut morganite is
worth 20 silver pieces.

Uncut Heliodor – A greenish-yellow variety of beryl, often close to gold in color. A single uncut heliodor is worth 40
silver pieces.

Uncut gems can be cut by the Jewelcrafters to increase the amount they can be sold for, or used by enchanters for
enchantments.

All raw gathering materials can normally only be sold to NPC merchants for approximately 25% of their base value.
See the Mercantile skill for more information on this subject.
 Chapter 8: Combat, Weapons, and Armor
Weapon Rules

Weapon Damage: Unless enhanced in some way, all weapon strikes do 1 damage and do not need to be
called. Some characters have abilities that allow them to deal more than one point of damage in a single
attack and must call the number of points of damage when they attack.

Ammo: Standard ammo fired from a ranged weapon (such as a bullet or an arrow) is considered to be
unlimited in its availability. If the person has a physical representation for it, they have the ammo. This
ammo is assumed to do standard damage, with no special enhancements.

Subdue: Any player may call “Subdue” when striking a target to indicate that they are attempting to
incapacitate the target rather than cause an injury. If “Subdue” hits an unarmored location, that location
is rendered useless for 30 seconds. A successful “Subdue” to the torso renders the target unconscious for
30 seconds. Bound characters are rendered unconscious for 30 seconds. Any character may call
"Subdue" damage with any weapon.

Weapon Skills
Weapon skills determine what size and type of weapons the character is comfortable using. Weapon
skills are purchased separately unless otherwise noted. All weapons require Game Design review and
approval for safety reasons.

Weapons are measured pommel to tip. Weapons must extend at least 6" from the hand.

Characters may begin with Rank 1 in Melee Weapon Proficiency at no cost.

Melee Weapon Proficiency (Universal Skill)

Experience Prerequisite
Rank Description
Point Cost
You may swing for damage or "Subdue" with any
normal melee weapon of up to 72". The minimum
length for a melee weapon is 18”. This is for safety
All characters begin with this
1 0 reasons.
skill automatically.
While wielding a weapon that is at least 48” in length in
two hands, you deal 1 additional point of damage.
To purchase this skill, you must
Your attacks with melee weapons deal 1 additional
2 12 have at least one Combat Style
point of damage.
at a minimum of Rank 2.
3+ +2 Points For each additional Rank in Your attacks with melee weapons deal 1 additional
Above this tree, you must have at point of damage above the previous rank in this tree.
Previous Rank least one additional Combat
Style at a minimum of Rank 2.
For example, to purchase Rank
3 in Melee Weapon
Proficiency, you must first have
learned two Combat Styles at
Rank 2 or higher.

Purchasing Ranks above Rank

2 in a Combat Style does not
 unlock additional ranks of
Melee Weapon Proficiency
unless it is explicitly stated in
the description of that Combat
Style.

Unarmed/Claw Proficiency (Universal Skill)

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
Your character is proficient in unarmed attacks and using short weapons. You must still use
boffer weapons to represent your hands. Unarmed "weapons" cannot be disarmed. The
phys reps for "unarmed" attacks must be under 36" in length.
1 2
Unarmed boffers do not count as “weapons” for the rule that a player must have an empty
hand for casting spells.
2 10 Your attacks with unarmed/claw weapons deal 1 additional point of damage.
+2 Points
Your attacks with unarmed/claw weapons deal 1 additional point of damage above the
3+ Above
previous rank in this tree.
Previous Rank

Projectile Weapon Proficiency (Universal Skill)

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
You may use a projectile weapon, such as a bow or a crossbow, with approved boffer
arrows. You must check your bow or crossbow and arrows with the safety officer before
they can be used.

You may not fire a projectile weapon at a target that is within 10 feet of you. This is for
safety reasons.
1 2
If a character charges at you while you have a bow or crossbow with an boffer arrow in it
and comes within 10 feet, you may call “Arrow – (damage or maneuver)” as if you
automatically hit the target with a single shot as they approached and then drop the bow
or crossbow. If the target is carrying a shield, they may call “Shield – No Effect”.
Firing arrows may not be represented by throwing packets. Arrows must be represented by
boffer-safe arrows that are approved by safety prior to the event. Nerf arrows and
crossbow bolts are also generally allowed, provided that they are approved by safety.
2 12 Your attacks with projectile weapons deal 1 additional point of damage.
+2 Points
Your attacks with projectile weapons deal 1 additional point of damage above the previous
3+ Above
rank in this tree.
Previous Rank

Thrown Weapon Proficiency (Universal Skill)

Experience
Rank Description
Point Cost
You may use safe, boffer thrown weapons. Thrown weapons may not contain cores. Spell
1 2
packets may not be used as thrown weapons.
2 12 Your attacks with thrown weapons deal 1 additional point of damage.
+2 Points
Your attacks with thrown weapons deal 1 additional point of damage above the previous
3+ Above
rank in this tree.
Previous Rank

Dual Wield (Universal Skill)

This skill allows a player to wield a weapon or unarmed boffer in each hand. (Experience Point Cost: 3).
Armor
Any character may wear any type of armor without purchasing skills. Wearing armor gives the character
bonus hit points based on the type of armor and the amount of coverage of the physical representation.
Regardless of the physical representation, however, the armor is assumed to cover the character’s entire
body for the purposes of tracking hit points. The appearance of armor is the goal; an exact
representation of armor is not required.

Armor provides protection against damaging attacks. Each time armor is hit by a damage attack, the
player loses a number of Hit Points equal to the numeric value of the attack. For example, if a player has
5 Hit Points and is struck for “3”, he or she will have 2 Hit Points remaining after the attack. Players still
must role-play being struck when hit with attacks that are absorbed by armor.

Hit Points can be regained at a rate of one point per minute through role-playing while the character is
not in combat. Players do not need to remove their armor to role-play repairing it.

Hit Points are an amorphous pool of protection for the entire body; points are deducted regardless of
where the player is struck, as long as it is in a legal body location. For gameplay purposes, armor is
treated the same way as hit points from other sources. This means that armor can be repaired through
healing sorcery or any other ability that restores hit points.

All armor must be physically represented, however, your representation will be defined by the Game
Designers as “light” (resembles the armor, but does not fatigue or slow down the wearer), “medium”
(noticeably slows down or fatigues the wearer and covers at least 3 hit locations) or “heavy”
(significantly slows down or fatigues the wearer and covers all hit locations). These provide different
armor values, shown on the table below.

The game design team may assign players additional bonuses for wearing exceptionally encumbering
armor pieces, such as helmets.

Type of Armor Hit Points (Light Representation) Hit Points (Medium Representation) Hit Points (Heavy Representation)
Gambeson or Light 1 2
1
Leather
Heavy Leather or 2 4
1
Studded Leather
Chain Mail 2 3 6
Brigandine or Scale 2 4 8
Plate 3 6 12

Armor Proficiency (Universal Skill)

While any character can wear any type of armor with no experience point cost, armor proficiency can be
purchased to gain additional hit points. The bonus hit points are only granted when wearing a specific
category of armor or any heavier category of armor.

For example, Rank 3 grants 3 bonus hit points to anyone wearing Chain Mail or heavier armor. If a
character had Rank 3 in armor but was only wearing Studded Leather, he or she would only gain the
bonus hit points from Rank 2, which covers that level of armor.
The bonus hit points listed are totals; they are not cumulative with previous ranks. They are added to the
amount of hit points that are given for the physical representation of the armor.

For example, if a character was wearing Brigandine with medium representation, this normally would
give () hit points. If the character had Armor Proficiency at Rank 1, the character would get 2 additional
hit points from his armor – for a total of (y) - since Brigandine is heavier than a gambeson or leather.

Experience Point Bonus Hit

Rank
Cost
1 1
2 1
3 2
4 3
5 4
Requirements
Points
2 Grants bonus hit points when wearing a gambeson,
light leather, or any higher category of armor.
4 Grants bonus hit points when wearing heavy leather,
studded leather, or any higher category of armor.
6 Grants bonus hit points when wearing chain mail or
any higher category of armor.
8 Grants bonus hit points when wearing brigandine,
scale mail, or any higher category of armor.
10 Grants bonus hit points when wearing plate mail.

Breaking Items: Items can be broken by being struck with the "Break" call. Broken armor no longer
provides extra Hit Points, however, Resilience is not affected by this. Broken items are useless unless
repaired; they confer no benefits and cannot be used in any way until repaired. You may only defend
with a broken weapon; it cannot be used for any other purpose. Broken shields cannot be wielded and
must be dropped.

Repair: Broken items must be repaired - certain items and effects can do this. It takes 5 minutes to repair
an item, and requires any rank in the crafting skill that was used to make the item. Special skills or items
may reduce the repair time.
Shields
Shields defend against damaging attacks from all Effect types. Shields can also be used to defend against
most Effects, unless they have the “Channeling” or “Pierce” carrier.

The “Pierce” call will bypass a shield and the target must resolve the damage as if they were hit on the
arm.

Shields do not provide protection against the following Effects:

-Knockback (the character must resolve the knockback Effect normally)
-Knockdown (the character must resolve the knockdown Effect normally)
-Disarm (the player must resolve the Effect, which normally forces him or her to drop shield that was hit)
-Break (the player must resolve the Effect, which normally causes the shield to be broken)

Shields provide no protection when not equipped on an arm. Only one shield may be equipped at a time.

Shield Proficiency: The shield skill is required to use a shield of any size. Shields may not be used with
Great or Projectile weapons. (3 Points)
 Chapter 9: Specialized Skill Trees
Specialized Skill Trees are trees that relate to a specific style of game play, such as thievery, sorcery, social
skills, or combat. They are purchased with Experience Points in the same way as General Skills, but if you
do not already possess a rank in them, they require a training from another character or document to
learn. (See the rules for training.)

This document contains basic skill trees that can be applicable to most settings. The various Regional
Guides provide a wide variety of different additional skill trees. Skill trees in Regional Guides can only be
purchased by characters from that region at character creation under normal circumstances. These
regional skills can be learned later in a character’s career, however, by learning about them from a player
from that region and purchasing the appropriate Lore skill that contains the skill tree.

Additional skill trees can also be found in the Advanced Rule Book. These additional skills usually require
prerequisites, but can be purchased during character creation if a character has the prerequisites.

Hidden skill trees also exist. These skill trees are typically unlocked by specific criteria in-game. Many of
these trees are found by purchasing Lore skills.

Effect Levels: Some skills increase or decrease the “Effect Levels” of other abilities. For spells or abilities
that deal damage or increase a statistic, increasing the effect level by 1 increases the damage of the
ability by 1 point. For Knockdown or Knockback, a single effect level is five points. For abilities that target
a single body location, such as healing, one effect level is one additional body location. Increasing the
effect level of an ability with no numeric effects other than the duration increases the duration by the
base duration of the spell (for example, if the duration is 5 minutes, one effect level is five minutes). For
other abilities, see the Game Design Team.

Effects that give additional damage for a duration longer than one attack, such as Sharpen Weapon,
Focused Attacks, or Shadow’s Edge, do not increase in damage from additional Effect Levels.

For spells or abilities that grant additional abilities (such as one use of a “Nullify”) Effect Level increases
improve the duration of the ability. They do not grant extra uses. This also applies to Aura abilities.

Effect Levels can be summarized on this chart. For effects beyond Effect Level 4, simply follow the natural
progression of the chart.

Ability Type Effect Level 1 Effect Level 2 Effect Level 3 Effect Level 4
Damage 1 Damage 2 Damage 3 Damage 4 Damage
Healing Heal 1 Wound or Armor Heal 2 Wounds or Armor Heal 3 Wounds or Armor Heal 4 Wounds or Armor
Restore Restore 1 Restore 2 Restore 3 Restore 4
Enhancement Enhance 1 Enhance 2 Enhance 3 Enhance 4

Grant Grant 1 Grant 1 (+1 duration) Grant 1 (+2 duration) Grant 1 (+3 duration)
Knockdown Knockdown 5 Knockdown 10 Knockdown 15 Knockdown 20
Knockback Knockback 10 Knockback 20 Knockback 30 Knockback 40
Sleep Sleep 1 Sleep 2 Sleep 3 Sleep 4
Paralyze Paralyze 1 Paralyze 2 Paralyze 3 Paralyze 4
Compel Compel 1 Compel 2 Compel 3 Compel 4
Slow Slow 1 Slow 2 Slow 3 Slow 4
 Remove Remove 1 Remove 2 Remove 3 Remove 4

Abilities that begin at a certain level, such as a spell that deals “3 Fire damage”, still use the basic
increment on the chart. For example, a spell that deals 3 Fire damage would increase to 4 Fire damage
with an Effect Level increase, not to 6 fire damage.

Essence Cost Reductions: Some abilities can reduce the Essence Costs of other abilities. For combined
abilities (i.e. combined maneuvers), an Essence Cost reduction is applied at the end of the cost
calculation – not to each individual component of the ability. Essence Costs cannot be reduced below 1
unless specifically stated in the ability.

Damage Reduction Abilities: Some rare abilities can decrease the amount of damage a player sustains
from certain types of attacks by 1 point (or by half). These abilities never stack with each other and
cannot be enhanced to decrease damage by more than 1 point in any way. Effect Level increases
influence the duration of these abilities instead.
Physical Combat Skills

In the Arbiter System, there are several different types of physical combat skills that characters can learn.
Several terms are used in this section.

Recommended Lore Skills: Lore – Weapon-Specific Maneuvers, Lore – Combat Styles (for each region)

Physical Combat Terminology

Maneuvers are abilities that a player must choose to activate. When a player chooses to use a maneuver,
they must wait five seconds before using any other maneuver. Some maneuvers also have prerequisites.
For example, the “Disarm” maneuver requires hitting a target’s weapon and costs 1 Essence to use.

Techniques are modifiers that can be added to maneuvers to change or improve their function.

Carrier Techniques add a Carrier to a maneuver. Maneuvers can only have one Carrier technique.

Area Techniques add or change the area of effect or delivery method of a maneuver. A maneuver may
only have one Area Technique.

Fundamental Maneuvers are maneuvers that have not been combined with Techniques.

Complex Maneuvers are maneuvers that have been combined with at least one Technique. Players can
create Complex Maneuvers through research. See Researching Combat Maneuvers, below.

Masteries are always in effect as long as the character meets the prerequisites for them. For example, a
Mastery might make a character immune to a specific call, or increase the damage the character deals
with specific weapons.

Styles are groups of maneuvers and/or Masteries that have a specific theme. Each style has a different
skill tree, and like with all other skill trees, the abilities in the tree must be purchased in order.

Maneuver Difficulty is the term for how challenging a maneuver is to perform. There are four categories
of Maneuver Difficulty.

 Basic Maneuvers are maneuvers that cost no Essence to use.

 Standard Maneuvers are maneuvers that cost 1 Essence to use.
 Advanced Maneuvers are maneuvers that cost 2 Essence to use.
 Epic Maneuvers are maneuvers that cost 4 Essence to use. Epic maneuvers are not listed in this
rule book, and must be discovered through playing the game. Characters may spend Time Units
to attempt to research Epic Maneuvers once they purchase 5 Advanced Maneuvers.
o If a player has an Epic Maneuver and adds Technique key that would increase the
Difficulty level further, the Essence cost of the spell is doubled instead. There is no
difficulty above Epic.

This can be summarized by the table below:

 Difficulty Maneuver Essence Cost
Basic 0
Standard 1
Advanced 2
Epic 4

Combat Maneuvers

The following rules apply to all combat maneuvers.

Combat Maneuver Rules

 Players must wait 5 seconds between using combat maneuvers. Regular attacks may be
performed during these 5 seconds and other skills that are not combat maneuvers may be used
normally. This five second wait time is often referred to as a "cooldown" within the rules. This
cooldown can be reduced by specific game abilities.
 If a combat maneuver misses the intended target, but still strikes someone on a valid hit
location, the attack deals 1 damage. For example, if the attacker calls “Disarm” but hits the
target’s arm instead of a weapon, the target suffers 1 point of damage.
 Essence is still expended if the attacker misses with a combat maneuver.
 All damaging combat maneuvers require a successful melee strike that hits a part of the target’s
body. Damaging combat maneuvers do not go through weapons. Only “Pierce” goes through
shields.
 Offensive combat maneuvers that deliver Effects, rather than damage, do not go through
weapons or shields, with the exception of cases specifically noted.

All Combat Maneuvers in this section of the rule book are Universal Skills, and thus can be learned without a
teacher. Some maneuvers in other rule books, or in specific skill trees (e.g. combat styles), may not be universal,
however.

Researching Combat Maneuvers

Players may attempt to research new combat maneuvers – either from scratch or by combining a
maneuver with up to two techniques. The following are the rules for researching combat maneuvers:

 Maneuvers cannot be combined with other maneuvers – they may only be combined with
Techniques.
 Each Technique can only be added to a maneuver once per participant in the maneuver. (See
Cooperative Attack for more information on maneuvers with multiple participants.)
 Techniques do not increase the Energy Cost or cooldown of maneuvers unless specifically stated
in their description.
 The Effects from Complex Maneuvers trigger simultaneously, not in the sequence they are
called.
Players may begin play with researched maneuvers if they expend some of their starting 30 Time Units
for this purpose. See the Time Units section for details.

Researched maneuvers should be submitted to shadesofvenaya@gmail.com in a format similar to the

template below.

Maneuver: (name your maneuver)

Essence Cost: (the total Essence Cost of the maneuver)
Maneuvers and Techniques Used: (list any maneuvers and techniques used)
Description: (describe the end result you are looking for)
Call: (List the call for your maneuver)

Researched maneuvers must be listed on the player’s character sheet.

Basic Maneuvers
Experience Cost: 2 Experience Points per Maneuver
Prerequisites: None

Effect Level
Maneuver Type Call Duration Description
Benefit
Knockback forces the target to back 5 steps. The player must
Basic +5
Knockback Knockback 5 Instant hit the target and call “Knockback 5 Steps.” The target can
Maneuver Steps/Level
still defend when knocked back, but cannot attack.
Stand still and call “Aiming 1, Aiming 2, Aiming 3” to increase
the damage of the next projectile or thrown physical attack
Aiming 1, by 1 point. This may be repeated for a maximum of +3
Basic Aiming 2, 5 damage. The strike must be delivered within 5 seconds of
Aim None
Maneuver Aiming 3, Seconds finishing the last aiming call. A person may defend while
(Damage) using this ability, but may not move or attack while aiming or
this ability is interrupted. Aim can be interrupted with the
Interrupt call by striking the player or his or her weapon.
Evaluate allows one to either the target’s normal melee
Evaluate
damage or remaining armor.
Damage OR
Remaining
You may also use this call to attempt to sense a monster’s
Armor
Basic weakness if you have the appropriate Lore skill. The call is
Evaluate OR Greatest None Instant
Maneuver “Evaluate (creature type) Greatest Weakness”. For example,
Weakness
if you had Lore – Undead and saw something that looked like
(requires
an undead creature, you could call “Evaluate Undead –
appropriate
Greatest Weakness”. If the creature you evaluated was not
Lore)
undead, it would reply “No Effect”. This cannot be Evaded.
Slow When striking the target, call “Slow Movement 1 Minute”.
Basic +1 Minute/ 5
Hamstring Movement 1 This forces them to walk slowly, but they are still allowed to
Maneuver Level Minutes
Minute fight at full speed.
You may intentionally knock yourself unconscious for 30
Mental Basic Subdue Self 30 30 seconds to remove any mind-affecting abilities that are
None
Purge Maneuver Seconds Seconds currently on you. This may not work on rituals or other
powerful effects.
On a successful melee strike, you may prevent the target
from speaking for one minute. This prevents the casting of
Basic Paralyze Voice +1 Minute/ 5 any Dominion Sorcery spells unless they are instant or do not
Silence
Maneuver 1 Minute Level Minutes require speaking. This also prevents normal speech,
including speaking for Command abilities. Call “Paralyze
Voice 5.”
 Hold at Bay prevents a target from coming closer or attacking
the user so long as the player’s weapon stays visibly focused
Hold at Basic Hold at Bay 1 +1 Minute/ on the target. The player must be within 5 feet of the target
1 Minute
Bay Maneuver Minute Level to perform. The target may flee or defend if attacked. When
using, the user can take no other action but speaking. Call
“Hold at Bay – 1 Minute”.

Intercept redirects a successful attack or effect from the

target to the user. The target must be within weapon’s range
of the fighter and the Intercept must be made within 3
Basic seconds of the hit. This may not be combined with “Evade”
Intercept Intercept n/a Instant
Maneuver to avoid the effect. Call “Intercept” to use this ability.

Killing Blows cannot be intercepted with this ability, but

special abilities may allow this to be possible.

Roll With It transfers a wound to another hit location. Must

Roll With Basic Transfer Wound be used within 3 seconds of taking the hit. This cannot be
n/a Instant
It Maneuver (Location) used to transfer a wound to a wounded location. Call
“Transfer Wound (location).”

Standard Maneuvers
Experience Cost: 4 Experience Points per Maneuver
Prerequisites: Must purchase 5 Basic Maneuvers before purchasing your first Standard Maneuver

Effect Level
Maneuver Type Call Duration Description
Benefit
Your melee attack deals (1/2 Strength, rounded up) +1 extra
damage.

For example, if you have a Strength of 1, you deal a total of +2

damage (half of 1, rounded up to 1, plus an additional 1).
Standard Power
Power +1 Damage/2 If you have a Strength of 5, you deal a total of +4 extra damage.
Carrier Attack Instant
Attack Levels (Half of 5, rounded up to 3, plus one additional point.)
Maneuver (number)
The call for this attack is “Power Attack (number”). This is a
courtesy to show the target that you are using the Power Attack
skill, so that they can role-play being hit harder than normal,
and so that they know you are using a special ability.

Your ranged attack deals (1/2 Dexterity, rounded up) +1 extra

damage.

For example, if you have a Dexterity of 1, you deal a total of +2

damage (half of 1, rounded up to 1, plus an additional 1).
Standard Power
+1 Damage/2 If you have a Dexterity of 5, you deal a total of +4 extra damage.
Power Shot Carrier Attack Instant
Levels (Half of 5, rounded up to 3, plus one additional point.)
Maneuver (number)
The call for this attack is “Power Shot (number”). This is a
courtesy to show the target that you are using the Power Shot
skill, so that they can role-play being hit harder than normal,
and so that they know you are using a special ability.
 Paralyze Paralyze Limb renders a struck body location on the target
Paralyze Standard +1 Minute/
Limb 1 1 Minute useless for 1 minute. On a successful strike to the limb, the
Limb Maneuver Level
Minute player calls “Paralyze Limb 1.”
Knockdown knocks the target down for 5 seconds. The target
Standard Knockdown +5 Seconds/ 5
Knockdown can still defend when knocked down. Call “Knockdown 5
Maneuver 5 Level Seconds
Seconds”.
You may strike a target’s weapon or shield with your weapon
and call “Disarm”. The target, if affected, must drop that item. A
character who has been disarmed must actually drop the item –
Standard
Disarm Disarm n/a Instant they cannot pass it to their other hand.
Maneuver
When this hits a two-handed weapon, the target must drop the
weapon entirely.
Quick Refit restores 2 Hit Points to a target with 30 seconds of
Standard Restore 2 +1 Armor/
Quick Refit Instant role-playing. Call “Restore 2 Armor.” This only restores Hit
Maneuver Armor Level
Points; it cannot heal wounds.
Disengage allows the player to call “Evade” an unlimited
number of times in the next 5 seconds. An effect which removes
Evades will end this effect. Attacks with the Unavoidable carrier
will still affect the user. A fighter may not take any offensive
Disengage,
actions while using this maneuver.
5 seconds
Standard +5 5
Disengage
Maneuver Seconds/Level Seconds You must call “Disengage, (x) seconds”, where (x) is the duration
(Call Evade
of this ability, when activating this ability and “Evade” each time
when hit)
you are struck while under its effects.

Effect Level increases improve the duration of this ability by 5

seconds per Effect Level.
Steady Footing allows the player to call “No Effect” on all
“Knockdown” and “Knockback” abilities for 30 seconds. This
cannot be combined with any other abilities. This ability cannot
Steady be invoked to nullify an effect already in effect. Call “Steady
Steady Standard +30 30
Footing, 30 Footing, 30 seconds” when using this, and “No Effect” when hit
Footing Maneuver Seconds/Level Seconds
Seconds with Knockdown or Knockback.

Increasing the Effect Level of this ability improves the duration

30 seconds per bonus Effect Level.
You may role-play reinforcing a suit of armor for 30 seconds to
+1
Reinforce Standard Enhance 10 increase the armor’s total Armor Value by 1 point for 10
Armor/Level
Armor Maneuver Armor 1 Minutes minutes.

Exhaust drains Essence from the target on a successful weapon

hit. The call “Remove 2 Essence” is used.
Standard Remove 2 +1
Exhaust Instant Increasing the Effect Level of this ability increases the amount of
Maneuver Essence Essence/Level
Essence that is removed by 1 point per bonus Effect Level. For
example, Exhaust with +2 Effect Levels would have the call,
“Remove 4 Essence”.
When struck with any offensive ability, use this immediately to
cut the numeric effect of that ability in half, rounded down. For
example, if struck with “Backstab 6”, damage is reduced to 3. If
hit with “Knockdown 10,” the effect is reduced to 5. When used
on a spell that strikes with several packets at once, resolve the
Reduces
attack as if only half of the packets struck.
Standard Tenacity – effect by 1
Tenacity Instant
Maneuver Reduced additional
Increasing the Effect Level of this ability allows the numeric
point/ Level
effect to be decreased by 1 additional point per Effect Level, to a
minimum of 1. Call “Reduced”.

Tenacity does not stack with Wall of Steel or any other effect
that reduces damage.
 Duplicate allows the character to copy a maneuver he has just
been struck with and use it once, on their next strike. This ability
Standard +5 Minutes/ 5
Duplicate Duplicate can be used even if “Evade” or a similar ability was used to
Maneuver Level Minutes
avoid actually being struck. The maneuver must be used on the
next strike and must be used within 5 minutes.
Standard This maneuver allows a player to add the “Pierce” call to an
Pierce Carrier Pierce n/a Instant attack. This works for both damaging attacks and Effects. Pierce
Maneuver allows an attack to go through shields.
Remove Maneuver allows the user to negate a struck target’s
ability to use one specific combat maneuver for 5 minutes. Call
“Remove (Maneuver) 5 Minutes”.
Remove
Remove Standard +1 Minute/ 5
Maneuver
Maneuver Maneuver Level Minutes A character may Remove more than one of a target’s maneuvers
(5 Minutes)
by using this ability more than once. This is an exception to the
normal rule that a character may not be under the effects of
multiple versions of the same ability.
You may call “Advanced Evade” when you are hit by a Within the
Sound of my Voice or Point Effect spell or ability. This allows you
Standard Advanced to avoid suffering the damage or Effect of the ability.
Hit the Deck n/a Instant
Maneuver Evade
To use this ability, you must drop prone or role-play ducking
behind cover from the Sound of Voice ability if it is safe to do so.
You may hit a target between the shoulder blades with a melee
weapon and call “Backstab X”, where “X” is your normal attack
damage +4. Backstab cannot be Evaded or Nullified.

You must be behind the target when you initiate the maneuver.
It does not matter if the victim sees the incoming swing, so long
as it hits between the shoulder blades cleanly.

This maneuver cannot be modified to work on a target other

Standard than the back.
+1
Backstab Carrier Backstab X Instant
Damage/Level
Maneuver This cannot be combined with other abilities to cause Effects.
For example, it cannot be combined with Poison to cause
“Backstab – Poison 1 Wound”. It can, however, be combined
with damage-dealing poison, in which case the damage is
increased. For example, if your weapon is coated with a poison
that normally deals “3 Shadow” damage and your backstab adds
4, your damage would be “Backstab 7 Shadow”.

Effect Level increases increase the damage of Backstab by 1

Point per level.
This is a defensive maneuver that can be used in multiple ways.

When used against an ability with the “Wound” call, it reduces

the Wound to dealing 5 points of damage to the affected
location(s), rather than dealing immediate wounds. Call
“Reduced to Damage” for this function.
“Reduced
When used against an ability that would affect all of your body
to
locations at once, such as “1 Void All Hit Locations”, it pools the
Damage”
Standard damage or effect into one location on your body instead. That
Fortitude Carrier n/a Instant location takes an amount of damage or effect equal to the total
Or
Maneuver value your body would have suffered.
“Reduced
to One
For example, a “1 Void All Hit Locations” would instead be taken
Location”
as “5 Void” to a single location of your choice. A “Paralyze Body
1 Minute” would instead become a “Paralyze Limb 5 Minutes”
on a limb of your choice. Call “Reduced to One Location” for this
function.

This does not work on abilities that do not target body locations,
i.e. Sleep or Compel.
List of Advanced Maneuvers:

Advanced Maneuvers
Experience Cost: 8 Experience Points per Maneuver
Prerequisites: Must purchase 5 Standard Maneuvers before purchasing your first Advanced Maneuver

Effect Level
Maneuver Type Call Duration Description
Benefit
Break causes the target item to be useless
until repaired. Call “Break” when a weapon,
shield, item, or suit of armor. A broken
Advanced
Break Break n/a Instant weapon can be used to defend. Broken
Maneuver
armor does not grant the wearer Hit Points,
however, this the target retains their armor
from the Resilience skill if applicable.
Smash is a potent attack which forces the
target to drop everything that they are
Advanced Disarm Both currently carrying. Smash can be Nullified
Smash n/a Instant
Maneuver Hands with the Grip maneuver. Call “Disarm Both
Hands.”

After resting for 1 minute without fighting,

running, or performing any other strenuous
activity, you may use this maneuver to
regain 1 Essence. This maneuver has no
Advanced Self Restore (x)
Recover +1 Essence/Level Instant Essence Cost.
Maneuver Essence
After using this ability, you must wait at
least 1 minute before using it again. The call
is, “Self Restore (x) Essence”.
While Wall of Steel is active, all physical
attacks that strike the player have their
damage reduced by 1 point. This ability has
no effect on attacks with effect types other
than physical, i.e. “Fire” damage or “Void”
damage. If the player is struck for 1, the
damage is reduced to 0, and the player may
call “No Effect”. This still works on abilities
that deal 1 damage with a carrier effect,
such as Pierce.

Wall of Steel can only be used by characters

wearing Chain Mail or heavier armor. If the
armor is reduced to 0 or broken, this ability
Advanced +10 10
Wall of Steel Wall of Steel no longer functions.
Maneuver Minutes/Level Minutes
Wall of Steel can reduce the damage of an
Unavoidable attack, but it cannot decrease
it to 0.

Wall of Steel does not stack with Tenacity or

any other ability that reduces damage.
When using Tenacity while Wall of Steel is
active, the more effective of the two
maneuvers functions for that individual
strike.

Effect Level increases improve the duration

of this ability by 10 Minutes per Effect Level.
 After activating Flurry, you may perform the
Knockdown, Knockback, Exhaust, and Repel
maneuvers (if you possess these
maneuvers) for 10 seconds without
triggering your cooldown on maneuvers and
with no Essence Cost. During this time, you
may use Knockdown, Knockback, Exhaust,
Advanced 15 and Repel even if you trigger a maneuver
Flurry Flurry, 10 Seconds +5 Seconds/Level
Maneuver Seconds cooldown by using a different maneuver.

This maneuver cannot be combined with

other maneuvers, except for maneuvers
that increase its Effect Level or duration.

Each bonus Effect Level increases the

duration of this ability by 10 seconds.
You may add the “Advanced” carrier a
damaging attack.

Advanced ignores most defenses, such as

“Evade” or “Nullify”, unless they are also
Advanced Advanced Carrier Advanced. (“No Effect” still works against
(x) Unavoidable n/a Instant
Attack Maneuver Advanced normally.)

This cannot be combined with any non-

damaging Effect, “Within the Sound of my
Voice”, or “Within the Reach of my
Weapon”.
Mobility allows the player to call “Evade” an
unlimited number of times in the next 15
seconds. An effect which removes Evades
will end this effect. Strike or Unavoidable
will still affect the user. A fighter may not
Advanced Mobility, 15 15 take any offensive actions while using this
Mobility +5 Seconds/Level
Maneuver seconds Seconds maneuver.

You must call “Mobility, (x) seconds”, where

(x) is the duration of this ability, when
activating this ability and “Evade” each time
you are struck while under its effects.

Combat Techniques
Combat Techniques are used to enhance existing maneuvers. To utilize a technique, a player must
research a Complex Maneuver by adding the Technique to a Fundamental Maneuver. See the
Researching Combat Maneuvers section for more information on researching these abilities.

Each Technique can only be added to any maneuver once per participant. See Cooperative Attacks for
rules for maneuvers with multiple participants.

All Combat Techniques in this section of the rule book are Universal Skills, and thus can be learned without a
teacher. Some maneuvers in other rule books, or in specific skill trees (e.g. combat styles), may not be universal,
however.

Basic Techniques:
Experience Cost: 2 Experience Points per Technique
Prerequisites: 1 Basic Maneuver

Technique Type Description

 Basic Carrier
Sudden Impact Adds the Massive call to a damaging maneuver.
Technique
Motion Blur Basic Technique Increases the Effect Level of any ability that interacts with Evade, such as Disengage or Mobility, by 1.
Stable Path Basic Technique Increases the duration of a beneficial maneuver by 5 seconds.
Striking Water Basic Technique Increases the Effect Level of a Knockback or Knockdown maneuver by 1.
Refunds the Energy cost of any ability with the Disarm or Break call if you physically miss or if the ability
Sundering Flame Basic Technique is Evaded. The Energy cost is not refunded if the attack is Nullified, Reflected, or has no effect on the
target.

Standard Techniques:
Experience Cost: 4 Experience Points per Technique
Prerequisites: 1 Standard Maneuver

Technique Type Description

Deceptive
Standard Technique Adds Knockdown 5 to an offensive maneuver.
Sweep
Lash of Light Standard Technique Increases the Effect Level of any damaging maneuver by 1.
Cutting
Standard Technique Increases the duration of an offensive maneuver by +1 Effect Level.
Shadow
Flow of Life Standard Technique Increases the Effect Level of a maneuver with the Restore or enhance call by +1.
Ebb of Death Standard Technique Increases the Effect Level of an offensive maneuver with the Remove or Nullify call by +1.
Knowledge of Standard Carrier
Adds the Pierce call to a maneuver.
Weakness Technique

Advanced Techniques:
Experience Cost: 8 Experience Points per Technique
Prerequisites: 1 Advanced Maneuver

Technique Type Description

Adds Advanced to a damaging maneuver. This cannot be added to maneuvers that contain any non-
damaging Effects. This cannot be combined with Within the Reach of My Weapon.

Advanced Carrier This increases the Difficulty of the maneuver by one level (e.g. Basic to Standard or Standard to
Tireless Blade
Technique Advanced).

If the maneuver already has the Advanced carrier, this upgrades it to Epic instead. If the maneuver is
already Epic, this upgrades it to Unavoidable.
Adds the Advanced call to a non-damaging Basic combat maneuver. This cannot be combined with
Standard or Advanced maneuvers or damaging attacks in any way. This cannot be combined with
Within the Reach of My Weapon.
Surge of Advanced Carrier
This increases the Difficulty of the maneuver by one level (e.g. Basic to Standard or Standard to
Lightning Technique
Advanced).

If the maneuver already has the Advanced carrier, this upgrades it to Epic instead. If the maneuver is
already Epic, this upgrades it to Unavoidable.
Increases the Effect Level of an ability that reduces damage to the user by +2. This only applies to
Form of abilities that reduce damage; it does not work with abilities that entirely negate damage, such as
Advanced Technique
Stone Juggernaut and Mobility. This cannot be used on maneuvers with a duration that lasts longer than
one hit, such as Wall of Steel.
Advanced Area You may add the “Within the Reach of my Weapon” call to a non-damaging maneuver, but the
Raging Wind
Technique effects are halved (rounded up).
Razor Advanced Area You may add the “Within the Reach of my Weapon” call to a damaging maneuver, but the damage is
Hurricane Technique halved (rounded up). This cannot be combined with the Unavoidable call.
Researching New Techniques
Players may attempt to research new combat techniques by spending Time Units. To research a new
technique, a player must have at least one technique of the same level of difficulty. For example, a player
must have at least one Standard Technique to research new Standard Techniques.

The new Technique must not duplicate the function of an existing Technique and must be approved by
the Game Design team.

Researched techniques only cost Time Units, not Experience Points. See the Time Units section for costs.

Cooperative Attacks
Prerequisites: 3 Standard Maneuvers, 1 Technique
Description: This skill allows two or more players to perform a Cooperative Attack against a target that is
within ten feet of all participants. In order to use this skill, all players must spend five seconds of
preparation time that is role-played with a pre-planned method. For example, this could involve all
players assuming the same stance and a specific formation, or each of the players performing part of an
incantation.

The target of a Cooperative Attack must remain within ten feet of all participants throughout the entire
five second role-playing preparation process, and the target must be clearly designated in some way by
at least one of the participants in the Cooperative Attack.

There are three ways to use this skill.

Dual Attacks: First, if multiple characters know the same maneuver, they may prepare a combination
attack where one character uses the maneuver first, and the second character repeats that maneuver
against the same target. If this is executed properly, the second character does not expend Essence when
they perform the maneuver. This is not recursive; the copied maneuver cannot then be copied back by
the first player in the sequence. This can be performed with more than two characters, however, if all
characters involved have the same maneuver and the combination attacks skill.

Attack Sequences: Second, players may research maneuvers called Attack Sequences that can only be
used with this skill. These combination maneuvers are researched the same way as normal maneuvers,
however, each participant may contribute up to two Techniques. All characters involved in the maneuver
must be specified when the ability is researched, and all of these characters must be present for the
ability to be used.

Attack Sequences gain +1 Effect Level per participant. Thus, with two participants, this would have a
bonus of +2 Effect Levels.

All characters are assumed to be involved in the research process, however, only one character must
spend the Time Units, and only that character actually learns the maneuver. The person who learns the
maneuver may then substitute other people who have the other required Techniques if necessary.

For example, Salaris could research a Cooperative Attack with Silentwolf. Salaris pays the Time Unit cost,
and thus learns the attack. If Silentwolf is not present, he could show the maneuver to Lucas, who knows
the same Techniques that Silentwolf was contributing. Salaris can then perform the Attack Sequences
with Lucas.
This maneuver is executed by the person who researched it, and then the other participants may
duplicate the maneuver and use it against the same target.

Empowered Maneuvers: The third way to use this skill is combination between fighters and sorcerers. In
this case, rather than using a maneuver as the base for the ability, a spell is used. The sorcerer selects a
spell and adds up to two Keys, as per normal spell research. Then, the fighter can choose to add a
maneuver and up to two techniques. Note that this still follows all the standard rules for combining
abilities, and some spells may not be able to be combined with maneuvers, or may have a modified
effect if combined. If this attack involves both a spell and maneuver, the Essence cost is the combined
cost of both abilities.

The process for delivering this ability is the sorcerer calling out the incantation for the spell to signal the
fighter, and then the fighter hitting the target with the combined attack. If the spell is a damaging spell,
the fighter adds their full damage to the spell’s damage (which the fighter should know through the
research process).

In this case, the Empowered Maneuver may be either researched by the sorcerer or by the fighter. Only
the person who performs the research learns the Empowered Maneuver. If the sorcerer performs the
research, they may substitute another fighter that knows the appropriate Techniques. Similarly, if the
fighter does the research, they may substitute a different sorcerer that knows the same spell. If the spell
used in the Empowered Maneuver researched has Keys attached to it, the substitute caster must have
access to these Keys as well.

Empowered Maneuvers also gain +1 Effect Level per participant. Thus, with two participants, this would
have a bonus of +2 Effect Levels.

Multiple sorcerers may be involved in the research process of an ability of this type if the sorcerers have
the Cooperative Casting ability, however, this form of Cooperative Attack can only involve a single fighter.

When performing a specially researched Cooperative Attack (either between multiple fighters or
between casters and fighters), all characters involved must pay the full Essence cost.

Example of Dual Attacks:

Rondar and Taer’vys surround an enemy Esharen. Rondar nods to Taer’vys and salutes the Esharen,
yelling, “Fear the blade of Sir Rondar the Mighty!” and striking the Esharen with the Unavoidable
maneuver. Taer’vys, who knows the same maneuver, strikes the Esharen immediately afterward with the
same maneuver. Taer’vys does not have to pay the Essence cost of using the maneuver.

Example of an Attack Sequence:

Cooperative Attack: Radiant Hurricane
Essence Cost: 2
Maneuvers and Techniques Used: Power Attack + Razor Hurricane + Lash of Light x2 + Striking Water
Call: Within the Reach of my Weapon – Power Attack (x) Massive
Participants: Lucas, Silentwolf
Preparation: Lucas initiates this combination attack by stepping in front of the target and saying,
“Strength of the light!” Silentwolf follows up by flanking and saying, “Fires of the Sun!” and the pair
concludes, “Radiant Hurricane!”
Effect: After concluding their preparations, Lucas performs the maneuver, calling Within the Reach of my
Weapon – Power Attack (x) Massive, where (x) is half his normal damage, but with an additional point
from the two Lash of Light techniques and +2 Effect Levels from the fact that it has two participants.
Silentwolf then performs the same maneuver. Both Silentwolf and Lucas pay the full Essence cost (2).

Example of a Empowered Maneuver:

Cooperative Attack: Hartigan’s Scar
Essence Cost: 1
Spells, Keys, and Techniques Used: Arc of Flame + Incinerating Key + Lash of Light
Call: X Fire
Participants: Seiran Ashes, Folter Kift
Preparation: Seiran performs the incantation, “With the flame of a burning star, I imbue Folter’s brand
with Hartigan’s Scar!” After the incantation, Folter strikes his target.
Effect: Folter hits the target for his standard melee damage, plus the damage of Arc of Flame with an
Incinerating Keys and a Lash of Light technique. If Folter’s normal damage was 3 and Seiran’s Arc of
Flame normally deals 6 damage, this attack would hit for 3 (base) + 6 (Flame Arc) + 1 (Incinerating Key) +
1 (Lash of Light) + 2 (Effect Levels) = 13 Fire. Both Seiran and Folter pay the full Essence cost (1).

(Cost: 1 Experience Point)

Combat Styles

Combat Styles enable characters to utilize special maneuvers and Masteries while they meet specific
requirements. Some basic styles are listed here, and many others are listed in regional guides and lore
documents.

General Combat Styles

General combat styles represent collections of common tricks and Masteries that are leaned by veteran
fighters on any combat. Unlike Unique Combat Styles, any player can learn these Masteries as long as
they meet the appropriate prerequisites. In addition, general combat styles do not require expending
Time Units to learn.

General Combat Styles are Universal Skills and do not require a teacher.

Rank in Style 1 2 3
Experience Point
4 5 6
Cost

Recommended Lore Skills: Combat Masteries, Deity (Aendaryn), Deity (Karasalia), Deity (Koranir),
Deities of Vylin Tor (The Sun), Deities of Vylin Tor (The Moon)

Assassin Style
Prerequisites: Evaluate Maneuver, Knockdown Maneuver, Knockback Maneuver
Rank Name Type Description
1 Dirty Tricks Mastery Your Essence Cost for the Knockdown maneuver is reduced to 0.
 You may now deliver your Knockdown or Knockback abilities by throwing a packet.
,
The Benefits The Essence Cost of your Backstab Maneuver is reduced to 0. This benefit only applies if Backstab is
2 Mastery
of Skill not combined with any other maneuvers.
Adamantine
3 Mastery Your damage-dealing maneuvers all gain +1 extra damage.
Blades

Duelist Style
Prerequisites: Dexterity 2, Dual Wield proficiency
Rank Name Type Description
Whenever you successfully Evade a combat maneuver, you gain +1 damage for your next attack
1 Riposte Mastery
within 1 minute.
When using an offensive combat maneuver with one weapon, you may use the same maneuver
2 Twin Strikes Mastery immediately with your second weapon without any cool down. You must pay the Essence Cost
each time.
You may use offensive actions while under the effects of Mobility, but the duration is halved. You
3 Blade Dance Mastery may still choose to use the normal version of Mobility if you would prefer to. Call “Blade Dance”
when using this ability.

Guardian Style
Prerequisites: Armor or Resilience Rank 2
Rank Name Type Description
Perfect Using Intercept, Roll With It, and Tenacity does not trigger the 5-second cooldown on your combat
1 Mastery
Guardian maneuvers.
Your Wall of Steel ability lasts for 1 hour instead of 5 minutes.
Wall of
2 Mastery
Adamantine In addition, you gain +2 Hit Points as long as you are wearing armor. This benefit can only be gained once
per combat.
You do not fall unconscious after receiving any number of limb wounds. You are only knocked
3 Refusal to Die Mastery unconscious by a torso wound. You begin to bleed to death normally after receiving your third limb
wound. This does not allow you to use injured limbs.

Sharpshooter Style
Prerequisites: Ranged Weapon Proficiency 2, Aim Maneuver
Rank Name Type Description
1 Improved Aim Mastery When using the Aim maneuver, you may add the “Advanced” call to your attack.
Accurate When you fire a shot with a basic or standard combat maneuver, you may add the “Advanced” call to
2 Mastery
Maneuvers that maneuver.
3 Perfect Aim Advance You may focus for ten seconds to change an attack from a ranged weapon into a Point Effect. Rather than
d firing your nerf dart, arrow, or other projectile, simply call “Point Effect (target name)” and explain the
Maneuv effect.
er
Point Effects can still be Evaded, Nullified, or countered by other defenses as per their normal Effect or
damage type.

You must be able to see at least two entire limbs of the target’s body or the target’s entire torso for the
entirety of casting the point effect. If the leaves your line of sight sufficiently to prevent you from seeing
at least two limbs or the whole torso, your spell has failed and you may not complete it. No Essence is
expended if this occurs; your spell is simply terminated early. You may attempt to cast it again as soon as
your target is sufficiently visible.

When calling the Effect or Damage of this spell, add the “Point Effect” carrier and designate the target by
name or through a clear description. For example, if the attack was “4 Fire”, you could say, “Point Effect –
Salaris – 4 Fire” or “Point Effect – The man with the silver greatsword and the Paladins of Tae’os Tabard –
4 Fire”.

Spells delivered in this way are considered generalized damage (or Effects) unless the spell itself dictates
 otherwise, and thus, the recipient of the attack may choose which hit location it hits. This can be
combined with spells and abilities that designate a certain hit location normally, including the Arcane
Sharpshooting ability.

Signature Maneuver
Prerequisites: None
Effect: Choose a single fundamental maneuver. This maneuver – and complex versions of this maneuver
with added Techniques - gain the benefits outlined below. A signature maneuver may be changed once
every six months through retraining.
Rank Point Cost Description
1 4 The Effect Level of your signature maneuver is increased by 1.
2 5 The Effect Level of your signature maneuver is increased by 2 (total).
You may now add an additional Technique to this maneuver during research. This additional
Technique may be an additional instance of a single technique; for example, you could add
3 6
the Lash of Light technique to a maneuver twice (but no more than twice). This is an
exception to the normal rule that each Technique can only be added once per maneuver.
Unique Combat Styles

Unique combat styles represent developed martial arts forms that require specific training. Learning a
unique combat style requires first acquiring the lore for that style.

In addition to the Unique Combat Styles presented here, many more styles are available in Regional
Guides and lore documents. The styles presented here are designed to be good examples of the general
concept, and variations on them can easily be adapted for use in other game worlds.

Unique Combat Styles cannot be combined with other Unique Combat Styles unless explicitly stated in
their description.

Unique Combat Styles are Trained Skills and require a teacher to learn.

Rank in Style 1 2 3
Experience Point
4 5 6
Cost

Lysen Tear Style

Rendalir Remembered Name: Silate Style

Lysen Tear Style is a heavily offensive style focusing on descending strikes from a high stance, using either
one weapon or two. The technique is one of the oldest in Mythralis, and one of very few that is trained in
both human and rethri cultures. Humans often learn the style for mercenary work, as the two-weapon
version of the style is well-known for being both intimidating to enemies and devastating when properly
used. The single weapon variant is more popular among the rethri, who find the style artistic and
beautiful. The two-weapon version tends to be less popular, as it is less aesthetically focused and involves
more risk to the practitioner. Traditionally, this was used with long, thin swords, but the modern version
of the style can be used with any melee weapon.

Prerequisites: Power Attack Maneuver, Disarm Maneuver, Lore – Ancient Combat Styles (in Arcane
Ascension), Lore – Eygenia (in Rendalir Remembered)

Rank Ability Name Type Description

While standing with your weapon arm (or arms) held at neck level or higher for at least 5
seconds, you are considered to be in the Lysen Tear Stance.

0 Lysen Tear Stance
Your attacks from this stance should not be at neck level or higher- your arm just begins
from this position, and returns to this position after the attack if you wish to remain in this
stance. Thus, you might make a diagonal cut downward, and then return to your initial
position.
Mastery
Once you have assumed this stance, you may deviate from the stance for up to two
seconds – such as reaching for a replacement weapon – without losing the benefits of the
stance and having to restart it.

Some of the abilities below only function while using specific variants of this stance. See
each individual ability for more information.
1 Focused Attacks Standard While in either Lysen Tear Stance, you may focus on a single target for five seconds to gain
 a bonus to all attacks against that target. During this activation time, you may meditate,
stare at the target, or exchange dialogue, but may not use any other abilities. This damage
Maneuver bonus fades if another target is attacked. Call “Focused Attacks +1”.

This ability does not benefit from Effect Level increases.

While using the Lysen Tear Stance, you may upgrade your “Disarm” maneuver to the
“Break” maneuver, even if you do not normally know the “Break” maneuver. For the
2 Snap Mastery purpose of interacting with other abilities (such as Signature Maneuver or Mace
Specialization), you may treat this as either a Break or a Disarm, whichever is better for
you.
Your damage bonus from Focused Attacks is increased to +2. Call “Focused Attacks +2”
3 Barrage Mastery
when activating this ability.

Terisgard Low-Blade Style

Rendalir Remembered Name: Myrrine Common Style

Terisgard Low-Blade Style is a defensive style of swordplay developed for using a single weapon against
opponents that may have superior reach, multiple weapons, or otherwise superior armaments. The
“style” was reportedly developed by a famous sea captain who witnessed a disturbing number of bar
fights that turned bloody when weapons were drawn, leading those who did not consistently carry a pair
of blades at a distinct disadvantage. According to legend, the sailor developed this technique by
practicing with his crew by attempting to parry their sword strikes with a broken table leg. He mapped
the patterns at which his crew attempted to attack and developed a series of defensive patterns to
counter each possible movement with as little motion of his own as possible.

He never learned how to counter-attack using this technique. According to popular legend, he never had
to – he just blocked until his opponents either got tired and slipped up, or someone else knocked them
out from behind.

Prerequisites: Dexterity Rank 2, Lore – City of Terisgard (in Arcane Ascension), Lore – Myrrine (in
Rendalir Remembered)

Rank Ability Name Type Description

While standing with your arms front of your body at waist-height with your weapon or
weapons held in front of you and facing toward your opponent for at least 5 seconds, you
are in the Terisgard Low-Blade Stance.

Terisgard Low- Once you have assumed this stance, you may deviate from the stance for up to two
0 Mastery
Blade Stance seconds – such as reaching for a replacement weapon – without losing the benefits of the
stance and having to restart it.

This may impact certain other abilities below.

While in the Terisgard Low-Blade Stance, you may call Evade one attack that hits you every
1 Blocking Rhythm Mastery
30 seconds without expending Essence. Call “Style Evade” when doing this.
While you are in the Terisgard Low-Blade Stance, you may call “No Effect” on “Knockdown”
and “Knockback” calls.
2 Stability Mastery
Blocking Rhythm now resets in 15 seconds rather than 30.
When your weapon is struck with “Disarm” or “Break”, you may expend 2 Essence to call
Advanced
3 Perfect Defense “Reflect”. This is considered a combat maneuver, but cannot be combined with any other
Maneuver
combat maneuvers.

Aayaran Instant Striking

Rendalir Remembered Name: Perfect Keen Striking
“Aayaran Instant Striking” is the commonly given name of a style of dueling developed in Aayara that
focuses on an immediate, telling strike at the beginning of a battle. This first strike is often delivered
straight out of the scabbard in dueling schools, but in real combat, the technique is more frequently used
for a swift, precise attack after the blade has already been drawn. One of the key practices in this style of
dueling is teaching the duelist to always aim for specifically vital points on the target’s body, mostly in
the torso. For this reason, it is sometimes called the “Heart-Piercing School”.

Prerequisites: Melee Weapon Proficiency Rank 2, Lore – Aayara, Mythical Figure (in Arcane Ascension),
Lore – Qin (in Rendalir Remembered)

Rank Ability Name Type Description

While your melee weapon is sheathed at your side for at least five seconds, or while your
weapon hand is held at or behind your hip with your weapon behind you for at least five
seconds, you are considered to be in the Instant Striking Stance.
Instant Striking
0 Mastery
Stance
Once you have assumed this stance, you may deviate from the stance for up to two
seconds – such as reaching for a replacement weapon – without losing the benefits of the
stance and having to restart it.
Your first attack per combat from the Instant Striking Stance deals one additional point of
damage per Rank you have in this tree.
1 Initiative Mastery
You may use this ability again within the same combat if you cease to deal damage by any
means for 60 seconds.
Once every fifteen seconds, you may reduce the Essence Cost of an offensive maneuver
you take from the Instant Striking Stance by 2 (to a minimum of 0).
2 Superior Precision Mastery
Initiative now resets in 30 seconds rather than 60.
While using the Instant Striking Stance, you may strike a target and expend 2 Essence to
Advanced
3 Mirror Bladed Cut call “(Instant Striking Power) Wounds”. Effect Level increases increase the number of
Maneuver
wounds this ability deals.

Archon’s Edge Style

Rendalir Remembered Name: Lucia’s Infusion Focus

While a scant few members of the Paladins of Tae’os and the Thornguard have long held Gifts that
blessed their weapons with the powers of their gods, it was a member of the Paladins of Tae’os, Taelien
Salaris, that developed a style that enabled any sorcerer of sufficient proficiency to channel spells
through their blade.

Salaris reportedly initially used metal sorcery to augment his sword with distinct characteristics,
eventually realizing that he could – with sufficient control – cast spells directly through his weapon. After
many years of practice, the former archon mastered this technique to a sufficient extent to begin
teaching it to others. In modern times, this style has become popular among the Paladins of Tae’os, and
even a few of their rivals among the Thornguard have begun practicing these techniques.

Prerequisite: Lore – Obscure Combat Styles (in Arcane Ascension), Lore – Davorin (in Rendalir
Remembered)
Rank Name Description
0 Archon’s Edge After holding one hand near (or touching) the striking surface of your weapon for at least
Style three seconds, you are considered to be using the Archon’s Edge Style for the next minute.

When you strike a target with a weapon while using the Archon’s Edge Style, you may cast a
 spell through that weapon. This may be done with melee, unarmed, or ranged weapons, and
you do not have to have any hands free. This spell is treated as a combat maneuver of the
same level of complexity as the spell; for example, a Basic Spell becomes a Basic Maneuver.

You may use Complex Spells through Archon’s Edge Style as if they are Complex Maneuvers.

When you are delivering a damaging spell through your weapon, add your normal melee
attack damage to half the damage of the spell (rounded up). For example, if you normally
swing for “2” damage and the spell deals “3 Fire”, you would hit for “4 Fire” when channeling
the spell with Archon’s Edge Style.

Sound of Voice spells can never be cast through Archon’s Edge Style. Spells that normally
provide multiple packets cannot be used with Archon’s Edge Style.

While casting a spell through your weapon, you benefit from the Archon’s Edge Style, and
may utilize the abilities below.
1 Spellstrike You may cast spells through your weapon as described above.
You may attempt to research abilities that combine Spells with Techniques as if Techniques
Spellblade were Keys. These must be submitted as spell research as per the normal spell research rules.
2
Technique Spells that are researched in this way can only be used through Archon’s Edge Style or an
analogous ability (e.g. a Leg Marked Attunement) – they cannot be cast in any other way.
You may now add the full damage of damaging spells to your physical damage with a
3 Deadly Spellstrike
Spellstrike, rather than half.
Medical Knowledge

Recommended Lore Skills: Medicine and Disease, Poison, Advanced Surgical Techniques, Dominion of
Water, Dominion of Life, Creature Lore (creature type, i.e. Rethri, Des’vahi, human), Anatomy (creature
type)

The Medical Knowledge tree represents a study of the physical body and the beneficial and detrimental
conditions it experiences throughout life. This tree has no sorcerous abilities, however, some of the skills
in the tree may allow a user to diagnose and potentially even treat supernatural ailments.

On Mythralis, general medical knowledge in the world is very limited. Trained doctors (and some combat
medics) would be aware that sanitation is important to prevent infections, but the general populace
would not be. The general populace is much more aware of medical procedures on Kaldwyn, where
they’ve invented things like anesthetic and antibiotics.

The existence of sorcery has allowed anatomical research to progress slightly faster than in the real
world, making fairly advanced surgery possible with sorcerous support.

Medical Knowledge (Trained Skill)

Medical
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Knowledge Rank
Experience Point
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5
Cost

Abilities in the Medical Knowledge tree have no Essence Cost.

Rank Ability Call Description

You may examine a target and call “Identify Wounds” at will. The target must
tell you how many wounds they have and in what locations, unless they have
phys-repped hiding their wounds. This ability may be used instantly and has no
0 Identify Wounds Identify Wounds cooldown or cost.

Without this skill, a player can examine a target for wounds, but it takes 10
seconds to determine where they are.
You may tie a strip of white cloth around a wounded hit location on a target
and call “Seal 1 Wound”. If you do not have a phys rep, you may still bandage a
wound on a target with 15 seconds of role-playing time. You may bandage your
own wounds if you have an uninjured arm.

Bandaged wounds are completely healed after 15 minutes; however, any

physical combat or other strenuous physical activities taken during that time
will cause the wound to reopen. Bandaged characters may move, speak, and
1 Bandage Wound Seal 1 Wound use non-combat abilities (including casting spells) without reopening their
wounds.

Bandaging wounds on an unconscious target does not wake them up. Any
character may wake up a target that is bandaged to the point where they are
no longer bleeding to death with a three-count. Otherwise, a bandaged
character remains unconscious until enough of their wounds have healed for
them to no longer have a number of wounds that would have knocked them
out.
 You may spend time role-playing physically helping a target with their recovery
to restore 1 point of Essence per minute to the target. This skill can represent
massage, treating minor injuries on the target, or even just making them lie
2 Physical Therapy Restore 1 Essence down and relax while you check their condition. You may only perform physical
therapy on one target at a time.

You cannot use this ability on yourself.

You may spend 4 minutes to sew a wound on a target shut at Rank 3. This is
reduced to 3 minutes at Rank 6 and 2 minutes at Rank 9. This wound is then
treated as a healed injury, and will not reopen in combat. Phys repping this is
3 Sew Wound Shut Heal 1 Wound
encouraged, but do not use actual needles, as they are unsafe to have in a
combat environment. This ability must be used individually on each wound the
target has.
Improved Physical While performing physical therapy on a target, your target also regains 1 Hit
4 Restore X Hit Points
Therapy Point each minute. This increases to 2 Hit Points per minute at Rank 8.
You may examine a target to attempt to diagnose any diseases that they may
be suffering from. Using this ability takes one minute by default, and may take
more depending on the disease. Your character is assumed to be familiar with
certain basic diseases by default, however, you may learn about more diseases
by purchasing Lore: Medicine and Disease and other lore skills. When
5 Identify Disease Identify Disease attempting to identify a disease on a target, if the target is not aware of the
properties of the disease you must consult a game designer to determine if the
disease can or cannot be identified.

If you are able to successfully identify a disease, you may know how to treat it.
Ask a game designer if you wish to attempt to treat a disease.
You may attempt to set a broken bone on a target. This process takes ten
minutes, and it is extremely painful. Physical representation is not required,
5 Set Bone Set Bone
but recommended. A bone that has been set is still considered wounded. See
the section on broken bones for more information.
You may attempt to resuscitate a target that has been dying for less than one
minute. Once you begin to attempt to resuscitate the target, the dying timer is
paused, but it resumes immediately if you are interrupted. Performing
resuscitation takes 60 seconds. If the target was injured or suffering from
negative effects before, these detrimental effects remain. The target’s
condition changes from Dying to Bleeding Out when this ability is completed.
The target’s Bleed Out timer is reset when this occurs.
6 Resuscitate Resuscitate
You may perform resuscitation on a target against their will. A target may only
be successfully resuscitated twice in a 1 hour period; their heart fails if any
further attempts occur.

Resuscitated targets are extremely fatigued and are expected to role-play

sickness and shock. The character suffers from Resurrection Sickness for 12
hours. See the rules for Resurrection Sickness.

7 Superior Diagnosis
Superior Physical
8 Restore 1 Essence
Therapy
Reattach Limb (or other
9 Perform Surgery
applicable call)
10 Improved Resuscitate Improved Resuscitate
You may now attempt to diagnose a poison that a target is suffering from. This
work the same way that Identify Disease does; you may not identify poisons
that you are not familiar with, and you may or may not know how to treat the
poison, depending on your lore skills.
You may attempt to diagnose temporary mental afflictions that a character is
suffering from, such as compulsion spells, etc. This takes one minute of role-
playing time, and may not always succeed, depending on the nature of the
affliction. This may also be used to attempt to diagnose if the target is under
the effects of alcohol, drugs, etc. or if they have suffered physical damage to
their brain (i.e. a concussion). Long-term psychological damage and ongoing
mental afflictions (such as permanent psychosis) must be identified and
treated through role-playing.
Identify (x)
You may examine a deceased target and attempt to identify their cause of
death. Your chances of success are greatly improved if you have the
appropriate lore for that creature type; for example, you are more likely to
identify the cause of death for a Des’vahi if you have Lore: Des’vahi. Players
may purchase lore in the anatomy for a specific creature type to improve this
skill further, i.e. Lore: Des’vahi Anatomy. By default, you are more skilled at
identifying the cause of death of creatures of your own species. See a game
designer if you need assistance with using this ability.
You may attempt to extract organs or other body parts from the body of a
deceased creature. See a game designer if you wish to attempt this process.
Your chances of success are increased if you are familiar with the creature
type, as above.
You now restore 2 Essence per minute while performing Physical Therapy.
In addition, you may now resuscitate a target that has been dying for a
maximum of up to 2 minutes.
You may attempt to perform surgery on a willing or physically incapacitated
target. This allows you to reattach a body part, such as a hand, arm, or leg. You
cannot successfully repair damage to sensory organs (such as the eyes or
tongue) using this ability. Performing surgery to restore a body part requires 30
minutes. You cannot perform surgery on yourself. See the section on severed
limbs for more information.
You may attempt to perform more complex surgery, such as heart surgery, but
this is unlikely to succeed without the assistance of powerful alchemy or
sorcery. See a game designer if you wish to attempt to perform advanced
surgery. Lore: Advanced Surgical Techniques may improve your chances of
success.
Limbs must be reattached within about two hours or complications are very
likely to occur. After about four hours, reattaching a lost limb is nearly
impossible.
You may also attempt to perform surgery to remove a body part from the
target. This normally takes 30 minutes; however, some body parts may take
more or less depending on the target body part and the creature’s race. See a
GM when you wish to perform this; if a GM is unavailable; assume it takes 30
uninterrupted minutes. If you are interrupted, assume you have dealt a wound
to the targeted location, but that the body part is still attached.
If you wish to remove a body part “sloppily”, causing damage in the process,
you can reduce this time to 5 minutes; this severely damages the body part
and would prevent it from being reattached at a later time.
You may now resuscitate a target that has been dying for a maximum of up to 3
minutes. Performing resuscitation now only takes 30 seconds.
Rogue Arts

These skill trees are designed for characters that wish to employ deception, subterfuge, and stealth.
There are a few different disciplines available, each of which offers different abilities.

Abilities from Rogue Disciplines cost 1 Essence unless stated otherwise in their description. Some Rogue
Discipline abilities are always active.

Recommended Lore Skills: Thieves’ Cant, the Thieves’ Guild of Aayara, the Thieves’ Guild of Valeria, the
Blackstone Assassins, Jacinth, the Lady Aayara

Rank in Art 1 2 3 4 5
Experience Point
1 2 2 2 3
Cost

The Art of Mechanisms (Trained Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Description
You may detect traps within your line of sight. This skill identifies both physical and magical
traps. Further information is at design’s discretion.
1 Detect Trap
This has no Essence cost.
You may pick mechanical locks. Locks are represented by twisted and curled loops of wire,
and the character must manipulate a circular loop of metal around the wire in an effort to
reach the base of the lock. Almost all locks can only be opened through mundane ability with
this skill and are not susceptible to magical manipulation. Lock picks must be made through
2 Pick Lock crafting and may not be larger than 1” in diameter.

This has no initial Essence cost, however, if you touch the side of the wire you must expend 4
Essence to continue. Otherwise, you have failed to pick the lock and must start over. Failing to
pick a lock may also trigger any traps that are associated with the lock.
You may choose to bypass a trap without triggering it. For example, you can open a trapped
door without triggering the trap, but the trap would remain active if the door was then re-
3 Bypass Trap closed and opened again.

This has no Essence cost.

This skill allows one to set a trap. The effects of the trap depend on the loot card being used.
Setting a trap requires five seconds and an appropriate physical representation for the trap. A
trap may be set with the effect “1 Damage” without a trap loot card. Additional traps can be
4 Set Trap built through crafting with the Art of Mechanisms. See the Traps section for the default trap
recipes. New trap recipes can be researched in the same way as crafting recipes.

This has no Essence cost.

One may attempt to permanently disarm a physical or magical trap. This requires a three
second count and can be interrupted. Disarming some traps may require steps at design’s
5 Disarm Trap discretion. Once disarmed, traps can be retrieved as in-game items.

This has no Essence cost.

The Art of Stealing (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
None of the abilities in this tree has an Essence cost.
 Rank Name Description
Allows a character to place a plastic binder clip on an in-game item belonging to another
character. If the target doesn’t notice, inform the designer and they will collect the in-game
item (or something from inside for containers). Also allows the performance of sleight-of-
hand tricks. If the target notices the binder clip before the GM reaches them, the attempt at
stealing has failed, but you are not caught unless you have physically been noticed placing the
1 Pickpocket
clip.

You cannot steal armor or clothing that is being worn.

Linked items cannot be stolen.

You may instantly gauge the gold value of any non-magical item on sight. Call “Detect Gold
Value” and indicate the item. The person carrying the item (if applicable) must inform you of
2 Gauge Value the gold value. You can only identify the value of a magical item if you are aware of the item’s
magical properties; otherwise, you will be given an estimate of the mundane value of the
item.
This skill allows a person to make or detect false documents. This cannot be used to create a
3 Forgery
false document with in-game monetary value.
Rather than using a binder clip, you may place a piece of duct tape on the object you wish to
steal. When a piece of duct tape is used rather than a binder clip, this indicates that the
stealing is successful even if the player notices the piece of duct tape before the GM shows
up to collect the item. Note that you still fail at stealing the item if you are noticed while
placing the duct tape; you cannot steal an item while the target is watching you.
4 Undetectable
You cannot steal armor or clothing that is being worn.

A player with the Undetectable skill may notice the duct tape on themselves and others and
prevent the thievery from occurring if they remove the duct tape before the GM arrives to
collect. You must inform the GM if you are using Undetectable to counter another thievery.
When you place a clip or duct tape on an unlocked container, you steal up to five of the
5 Master Thief contents of the container rather than just a single item. The items you steal are your choice.
You may also use this skill to place up to five items of your choice in a container.

The Art of Stealth (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Description
The player may become completely invisible while standing still in a dark area or concealed
behind a large object. If anyone other than your allies can see two of your limbs or your torso,
you are not considered concealed and cannot use Camouflage.

This ability requires a green headband. Certain abilities can be used to reveal your presence.

1 Camouflage While using Camouflage, one may not attack, defend, cast spells, or run. The player must wait
five seconds after exiting Camouflage before attacking or casting spells, but they may defend
or run immediately.

A character with the Camouflage skill can detect other characters using Camouflage.

This has no Essence cost.

A person may perform a costume change and convincingly change the character’s
appearance. They cannot be recognized by normal means. This ability is not limited in
duration and any number of disguises can be used with sufficient unique costumes. The
2 Disguise
ability True Sight will reveal the character’s true identity. This ability requires a green flag.

This has no Essence cost.

3 Stealth Stealth may be entered with a five second count. A player cannot enter Stealth while running.
While in Stealth, a person cannot be seen by other players unless they also have the Stealth
skill and are currently using Stealth. Players using Stealth still leave tracks and make sounds.
 In order to enter Stealth, the player must be concealed from view. If anyone other than your
allies can see two of your limbs or your torso, you are not considered concealed and cannot
enter stealth. Call “Stealth” to indicate that you are using this ability. If someone can see two
of your limbs or your torso, they can call “Interrupt – I see you” to indicate that you were not
sufficiently concealed.

Once you have activated Stealth, you may remain in Stealth while moving through areas that
have concealment. In addition, you may move into or through areas with shadows large
enough to conceal your entire body – or rooms that have minimal or no lighting – without
leaving stealth. You cannot use Stealth in plain sight; it improves your ability to conceal
yourself, but it does not make you completely invisible.

While in Stealth, one may not attack, defend, cast spells, or run. The player must wait five
seconds after exiting Stealth before attacking or casting spells, but they may defend or run
immediately. Stealth may be voluntarily left at any time. While under the effects of Stealth,
one must wear a black headband.

A character with the Stealth skill can detect other characters using Stealth.

This has no Essence cost.

The player may extend their Stealth to one other person who they are physically in contact
with. The target must be concealed, as per the normal Stealth rules, in order to enter Stealth
through this method.

4 Shared Stealth If either player exits Stealth or the players break contact with one another they are both
removed from Stealth immediately. Both players must wear a black headband while using this
ability.

This has no Essence cost.

The player may now attack or cast spells immediately after leaving Camouflage or Stealth.
5 Improved Stealth
This has no Essence cost.

The Art of Mobility (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Description
A character with this skill can fall any distance without taking wounds.
1 Safe Fall
In addition, you suffer half the normal effect from Knockdown and Knockback calls. Call
“Reduced” to indicate this. This has no Essence cost.
You may expend 2 Essence to Nullify a failure at a physical challenge, such as stepping on a
trap or falling off a ledge. To do this, call “Balance Nullify” when you fail at the challenge. This
prevents you from suffering any negative effect, however, it may also force you to restart the
challenge – see a Game Designer.
2 Balance
When used in conjunction with Pick Locks, this decreases the cost of continuing an attempt to
pick a lock after a failure to 2 Essence per touch.

This ability can be used to re-establish Camouflage after accidentally breaking it by moving,
but not if the player has attacked or cast a spell.
You may use this ability to jump up to 15 feet horizontally, or up to 10 feet vertically, without
any difficulty. To use this, call “Leap” and move to the desired location. You are not out-of-
game during this time and can be attacked normally. You may also use defenses normally.
3 Leap
If you are hit with a “Knockdown” while using this, you will fall immediately (unless you use
an appropriate defense, such as Evade).

This costs 1 Essence and has a 30 second cooldown.

4 Reversal You may call “Reflect” on a “Knockdown” or “Knockback” call if it is delivered through a
physical strike. This is considered a Standard Combat Maneuver, but it cannot be combined
with other combat maneuvers.
 This costs 1 Essence to use.
Your “Evades” are upgraded to “Advanced Evades”. This allows you to Evade “Sound of Voice”
abilities, traps, and abilities with the “Advanced” call. The call for this is “Advanced Evade”.
You still may not Evade “Epic” or “Unavoidable” calls.
5 Avoidance
If you already have Advanced Evade from another source (such as the individual Advanced
Evade skill), this upgrades your skill to “Epic Evade”. This allows you to Evade attacks with the
Epic carrier. This still does not allow you to Evade “Unavoidable” attacks, however.

The Art of Poison (Trained Skill)

Prerequisites: None

Note that the Art of Poison is used for the safe application of poison to weapons. The Alchemy skill later
in this book is used to actually create the poisons that are used with this skill. Poisons can also be found
or purchased in-game.

None of the abilities in this tree has an Essence cost.

Rank Name Description

1 Detect Poison Check an object to instantly determine if it is poisoned or contains poison of any kind.
Allows you to apply a poison to a weapon with a three-count. This consumes a single dose of
a poison made with the Alchemy skill to apply the poison to a weapon.

Once a poison has been applied, the wielder may choose to swing for half the effect or
damage of that poison, rounded up, on up to three successful strikes with that weapon within
the next 10 minutes.

The poison’s uses are not diminished if your attack does not connect, either because you
physically missed or if the target calls “Evade” or another defense that indicates that they
were not hit. If the target calls “Nullify”, “No Effect”, etc. the Poison is used normally.
2 Apply Poison
For example, if the poison normally deals an effect of “2 Wounds” when ingested, a character
with the Apply Poison skill could apply this to a weapon to call “1 Wound” on up to three hits.

For poisons that have a damage value, e.g. “Poison 3 Shadow”, you may add half the damage,
rounded up, to your normal weapon damage. Your damage type is now the type of the
poison. For example, if your normal attack was “2 Silver” and you applied a “Poison 3
Shadow” poison to the weapon, you would deal “Poison 4 Shadow” on a swing.

Poisoned weapons can be used with combat maneuvers to add carrier calls such as
“Unavoidable” and “Pierce” normally.
3 Lasting Poisons When you apply poison to a weapon, it now can be used for up to four hits.
When you apply poison to a weapon, the damage or effect of the poison is no longer halved.

For poisons that have a damage value, e.g. “Poison 3 Shadow”, you may the full damage of
4 Poison Efficiency
the poison to your normal weapon damage. Your damage type is now the type of the poison.
For example, if your normal attack was “2 Silver” and you applied a “Poison 3 Shadow”
poison to the weapon, you would deal “Poison 5 Shadow” on a swing.
When you apply poison to a weapon, it now can be used for up to five hits. In addition, the
5 Endless Venom
period of time the poison can be used within is increased to 20 minutes.
Performance (Trained Skill)

Recommended Lore Skills: Music, Dominion (Sound), Dominion (Sight), Essence Sorcery

Performance allows a player to use their voice and/or an instrument to perform music (or some form of
sound based activity) to create certain sound-based Effects or augment other abilities. Unless stated
otherwise, activating a Performance ability requires playing a song or singing for at least five seconds
before the initial effect can be called. All song abilities function in an area defined by the sound of the
music – the call for this is, “Within the Sound of my Song – (Effect) (Duration)”.

Performers may choose to have their abilities only apply to a specific faction of friends or foes. For
example, a performer with Song of Rejuvenation may call, “Within the Sound of my Song – All Paladins of
Tae’os – Regain 2 Essence”.

All song effects that are “Within the Sound of my Song” end if the target cannot physically hear the song
for 3 seconds or when the stated duration expires, whichever is sooner. For example, “Within the Sound
of my Song, Sleep 1 Minute” would end in 1 minute, if the performer was interrupted, or if the
performer moved too far away for a target to hear them for at least 3 seconds. Characters may
intentionally block their own ears or the ears of another character (with consent to physically role-play)
in order to prevent a song from taking effect, or to end the effect of a song early. Characters that are
temporarily or permanently deafened are unaffected by any form of performance skill.

By continuing the music when the stated duration of the effect expires, the musician may restate the
effect instantly, with no further Essence loss (unless noted in the skill itself). For example if using Slow
Dance, the musician may call, “Within the Sound of my Song, Slow, 1 Minute.” After approximately one
minute has passed, the musician may repeat, “Within the Sound of my Song, Slow, 1 minute” again with
no further Essence loss.

Each time a detrimental song’s Effect recurs, it is treated as a new Effect, and must be defended against
again.

If the caster stops performing the song effect is nullified.

A character may continue to perform a song if he or she is injured, as long as he or she remains
conscious and able to use the appropriate limbs necessary to perform. For example, if the performer is
singing, he or she may continue to sing even if his or her arms are wounded, but the performer could not
play the drums if both of his or her arms were injured.

After a player ceases to play a song, either due to being interrupted or because they have stopped
voluntarily, they must wait 1 minute before beginning to play that song again. The player may play any
other song during this time. If the player is interrupted again, he or she must still wait the full minute for
each individual song before either of them can be restarted.

In the Shades of Venaya Campaign, the performance skill is technically a form of Essence Sorcery,
however, only character with Essence Sorcery or Lore: Essence Sorcery are aware of this. The Detect
Essence Sorcery skill will detect characters with the Performance skill even if they have no other forms of
Essence Sorcery. Abilities that increase the Effect of Essence Sorcery spells and abilities benefit
Performance abilities as well. This cannot be used to break any normal game rules, however, and you
cannot under any circumstances add the “Unavoidable” call to a “Within the Sound of my Song” effect.

Dominion Essence Synergy cannot be used to combine Performance with Dominion Sorcery.

Performance abilities cost 1 Essence to activate.

Performance Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Experience Point
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5
Cost

Performance Skills
Rank Ability Duration Description
The performer may compel all listeners who have listened to his or her song for at
1 Emotional Memory 5 Minutes least one minute to feel a specific emotion. The call is “Within the Sound of my
Song, Compel (Emotion) 5 Minutes.”
The performer may perform and point/refer towards a singular target and in their
1 Sonic Repulsion Instant
song state, “Repel, 1 Minute.”
After playing a song for a full minute, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Song,
Lesser Song of Restore 1 Essence.” This may repeated every five minutes to restore additional
2 Instant
Rejuvenation Essence at no further Essence Cost to the performer. The performer does not regain
Essence from using this ability, however.
One may take over another’s song effect by performing, in case the first performer
becomes distracted or stops performing for any reason. However, the second
performer must begin BEFORE the original performer stops. A person may take over
2 Join In Song Special
someone’s performance, even if he or she has no skill in what the singing is about,
and there is no limit to how many times a song can be passed on to another with
this skill.
This skill makes a chosen durational spell, Gift, or Combat Maneuver triggered
Encouraging within 1 minute before the song begins last as long as the performer continues to
3 Special
Melody perform and remains in range. This can only be used on allies; you cannot use it on
yourself.
After playing a song for at least five seconds, you may call, “Within the Sound of my
3 Slow Dance Instant
Song, Slow, 1 minute.”
After playing a song for a full minute, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Song,
Restore 2 Essence.” This may repeated every five minutes to restore additional
Song of Essence at no further Essence Cost to the performer. The performer does not regain
4 Instant Essence from using this ability, however.
Rejuvenation

This replaces Lesser Song of Rejuvenation.

5 Song of Inspiration
5 Song of Fear
6 Battle Hymn
6 Song of Courage
7 Lullaby
8 Greater Song of
Rejuvenation
After playing a song for a full minute, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Song –
Instant
Enhance 1 Attribute by 1, 5 Minutes”.
After performing for at least five seconds, call “Within the Sound of my Song, Fear
Instant
30 Seconds.”
After playing a melody of war performed for at least five seconds, you may call
Instant “Within the Sound of my Song, Restore 1 Hit Point.” This spell does not distinguish
between friend and foe.
Beginning one minute after the player begins performing this song, all allies that can
Instant hear the song gain immunity to the Fear call. The call is “Within the Sound of my
Song, Immunity to Fear.”
After performing for at least five seconds, the performer may call, “Within the
Instant
Sound of my Song, Sleep, 30 seconds”.
Instant After playing a song for a full minute, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Song,
Restore 3 Essence.” This may repeated every five minutes to restore additional
Essence at no further Essence Cost to the performer. The performer does not regain
Essence from using this ability, however.
 This replaces Song of Rejuvenation.
After performing for at least five seconds, the performer may call, “Within the
9 Song of Compulsion 5 Minutes
Sound of my Song, Compel (three word command) 1 Minute.”
Play a restorative melody that heals all listeners. Perform for at least 30 seconds
10 Song of Healing Instant before calling this effect. This song does not distinguish between friend and foe.
Call “Within the Sound of my Song, Heal 1 Wound.”
After performing for at least 1 minute, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Song,
Remove Voice 30 Seconds.” This prevents all affected targets from speaking or using
10 Silent Waltz 30 Seconds
any abilities that require speech for 30 seconds. Telepathy and other methods of
communication may still be used while under this effect.
Command (Trained Skill)
A skilled leader can inspire their followers and allies to achieve great things and triumph against
seemingly impossible odds.

Command abilities affect all members of a certain faction, such as the Paladins of Tae’os or the
Thornguard.

Commanders may also choose to designate a group of up to 1 player per Rank in the Command skill at
the beginning of the game and name this group for the purposes of the Command skill. For example, if
John had a new Commander and wanted five of his friends to be under his command, he could tell these
PCs they were members of the “Firesong Brotherhood” and use this name with Command. If you wish to
designate a new group for the Command ability, please see the design team.

Unless stated otherwise, all Command skills cost 1 Essence to activate. Command skills are activated
instantly and have no cooldown.

Command Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Experience Point Cost 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5

Recommended Lore Skills: Order of the Open Hand, Paladins of Tae’os, Thornguard, Perfect Circle of M,
The Vylir

Command Skills
Rank Ability
1 Detect Command
2 Take the Initiative
3 Flanking Maneuver
Duration Effect Level Bonus Description
While observing a military formation, Detect Command may be
used to attempt to identify people with the Command skill. The
Instant n/a
call is “Within the Sound of my Voice, Detect Command Skill.” Any
person in the area with the Command skill must raise their hand.
Must be used before combat has begun. Target person gets +1
1 Minute +1 Damage/Level
damage on their first attack this combat.
The commander and a member of their group gain +1 damage
against a specific enemy so long as neither attacks anyone else. The
moment either attacks another person, this bonus is lost.
N/A +1 Attacker/Level
Effect Levels increase the number of people who can participate in
a Flanking Maneuver. For example, with +2 Effect Levels, you may
extend the Flanking Maneuver ability to give a damage bonus to
four people at a time.
You may instruct a target on how to use a combat maneuver that
you know, allowing the target to use that combat maneuver a
single time within the next 24 hours.

This can only grant basic combat maneuvers, not combat

4 Instruction 24 Hours n/a
maneuvers from Advanced Combat Techniques, Disciplines, or
Weapon Specializations.

5 Essence Burst
6 Assign Vanguard
The target must expend the Essence Cost for the maneuver
normally, and obey any normal restrictions on that ability.
Once per combat, you may call, “Within the Sound of my Voice
Instant +1 Energy/Level <Faction>, Restore (x) Essence” once per combat, where (x) is half
your Rank in this skill tree, rounded up.
24 Hours +1 Person/Level Pick up to three members of a command group. Those members
are considered personal guard and gain +1 Dexterity for the next 24
Hours. This can be reused as soon as the duration ends. You may
 not be a member of more than one player’s Vanguard. You may not
be a member of your own Vanguard, but you and another group
member may be each other’s Vanguards.

Effect Levels increase the maximum size of your Vanguard by 1

person per Effect Level.
Deliver a war cry, inspiring allies to charge. Call “Within the Sound
of my Voice, <My Group>, +1 Damage for 1 Minute”.
7 War Cry 1 Minute +1 Minute/Level
Your Assigned Vanguards now gain +1 Willpower and +1 Dexterity
(total).
Whip followers into a frenzy that allows them to be immune to all
effects pertaining to either fear, paralysis, compel, or sleep. Call,
“Within the Sound of my Voice, <Faction>, Immunity to <Specify
one: Fear, Paralysis, Compel, Disarm, OR Sleep> 5 Minutes.” The
call when hit with one of these abilities while immune is “No
8 Fanaticism 5 Minutes +5 Minutes/Level Effect”.

You may now have up to 4 group members in your Vanguard.

Effect Levels increase the duration of this ability by 5 Minutes per

Effect Level.
You inspire your troops to recover and fight on. Call, “Within the
Sound of my Voice, < Faction> 2 Hit Points.” This cannot heal
Inspired
9 Instant n/a wounds.
Rejuvenation
You may now have up to 5 group members in your Vanguard.
Deliver a speech of at least five seconds to any players. These do
NOT have to be in the commander’s personal group. After
concluding this speech, the commander states “Within the Sound
of my Voice, Increase Maximum Essence by 1, 1 Hour.” In addition
10 Surge of Essence Instant n/a to the normal Essence Cost, this decreases the user’s maximum
Essence pool by 1 for 1 hour; this Essence cannot be regained by
any means until the 1 hour has passed.

You may now have up to 6 group members in your Vanguard.

Influence Cards and Diplomacy Skills
Influence cards represent favors, political power, and resources that cannot be appropriately
represented in-game. For example, a player with a large number of military influence cards may be the
commander of an army that is too large to possibly be represented at a game event.

In the Arbiter System, players begin play with one influence card of their choice. Nobles may gain
additional cards through land management (see the Arbiter System Land Management Rule Book). All
additional influence cards must be gained through gameplay. This is because the established
organizations, noble families, and religions of Mythralis do not exist on the new continent and do not
have significant influence. Influence Cards do not expire during this campaign.

Some sample potential benefits for influence cards are listed below, but are primarily intended for role-
playing and between game actions. Expending influence for in-game effects should be the exception, not
the norm.

The duration of temporary gains is for eight hours unless otherwise noted in the potential benefits.

How to Use Influence Cards:

Influence Cards can be used in two ways – either to further the game story and a player’s goals, or for a
single use of a mechanical benefit for a player. Most cards should be used for the former; the single-use
bonuses are very inefficient, but exist to represent a desperate attempt for a player to use their
resources in a final gambit.

When expending influence, that influence card is used either for the role-playing goal or the mechanical
benefit – not both.

Influence cards are not a form of currency that exists in-game, with the exception of Economic Influence,
which represents a writ, trade contract, or other document with a value of 3 gold pieces. All other forms
of influence are intangible and cannot be physically traded as currency. Rather, players who are
interested in acquiring influence should do so through role-playing.

For example, if a player is looking for Divine Influence, they might ask a priest for their gods” favor for a
specific task. A player who is seeking Sorcerous Influence might ask a noble who is known to have a
school of arcane research on their land if they could have the headmaster of the school dedicate some
time and resources toward pursuing a specific goal. While it’s okay to clarify with someone out-of-game
that you are asking for influence after role-playing your discussion, players and NPCs should not
expressly ask for influence cards in-game, as they do not exist as tangible in-game items to be traded.

Influence Cards cannot be transferred between players between games.

Subcategories of Influence: When a GM writes out an influence card, it should list both the influence
type and a “subcategory”. This subcategory is the specific person, organization, deity, etc. that the
influence card corresponds to. This influences how the card works when used in-game. For example, a
Political influence card might be on behalf of the King of Tesri Rethil, or a wealthy Lord in Valeria.
Depending on the specific nature of the influence card, it may be used for different purposes.
Unlabeled influence from previous versions of the game may still be used, but only for influence card
goals that are not specific to any organization.

Types of Influence Cards:

Military Influence
Subcategories: Soldiers, mercenaries, a specific NPC, etc.

These represent personal contributions on the battlefield OR assistance from personal factions,
depending on the character.

Examples of Using Military Influence for Goals

 Military influence can be used to defend or attack a specific location that is near to the player’s
home city on the game map. Attempting to use military influence to attack a location that is
further away is possible, but it will take time for the troops to move, as determined by the GMs.
This could be several months of game time (which usually parallels real time). Note that nobles
can use their own troops from their land without the use of influence; using an influence card
represents using troops outside of a noble’s normal soldiers, such as mercenaries, or whatever is
on the specific military influence card.
 A military influence that represents a specific NPC can be used to assign that NPC to do
something specific, either temporarily or permanently. For example, if a Shadowblade PC had an
Influence Card that represented their NPC squire, they could use this influence card to give their
squire orders. The squire’s current location and status would be tracked by the game design
team.
 A player may expend 2 Military Influence to attempt to take over a small area of land worth 10
gold pieces. This land is assumed to have a population of 0-100 civilians and be approximately 40
acres in size (one tenth of a “unit of land”). If the player controls that land for 6 months of game
time, this land now belongs to the player and all the military influence is regained. During this
time, however, the soldiers represented by this military influence may be attacked by other
forces and killed or forced to retreat, depending on in-game events. At the end of this process,
you regain 1 Military Influence if your troops survived this time. See the Arbiter System Land
Management Rule Book for more information.
 Players may expend a larger number of Military Influence, in increments of 2, to attempt to take
over a larger amount of unclaimed territory. For each 2 Military Influence, the player may
attempt to control a land that has a value of 10 gold pieces. For example, a player who expends
20 Military Influence could attempt to control a territory worth 100 gold pieces. As above, some
or all of this Influence could be lost in a contest with another force, or the troops may be forced
to retreat under certain story conditions.
 You may expend 4 Military Influence per 10 Gold section of land to attempt to capture that land
in 3 months instead of 6. If this happens, you regain 2 Military Influence at the end of the
process if your troops survived.
 A player that is a member of a military organization can use Military Influence from that
organization to gain ranks within it. In general, the number of Military Influence required to
advance to the next rank is equal to the target rank squared. These influence cards must be on
behalf of that specific organization and you must already be a member of that organization. For
example, if Silentwolf wanted to advance from Rank 3 to Rank 4 in the Paladins of Tae’os, he
would need 16 Military Influence on behalf of the Paladins of Tae’os. This use of influence must
 be approved by the Game Design team, as the politics of these in-game organizations are
complex and advancement may require things other than influence.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

For each card sacrificed, you may pick ONE of the benefits below.

 Learn one combat maneuver up to 1 rank above the highest level one you can normally purchase
for the remainder of the event.
 Increase your Rank at any combat style you already know by 1 for the remainder of the event.
 Increase your maximum Essence by 5 for the remainder of the event.
 Increase the Effect Level of your Combat Maneuvers by 1 for 1 Hour.

Political Influence
Subcategories: City council for a specific city, specific noble PC or NPC, specific organization, specific
noble house

Examples of Using Political Influence for Goals

 2 Political Influence can be used to arrange a political marriage between two unmarried, willing
people of the same political rank from the same region (i.e. Terisgard, Valeria, etc).
 4 Political Influence can be used to arrange a political marriage between two unmarried, willing
people of the same political rank in different regions that are generally populated by the same
race (i.e. two human kingdoms or two different rethri courts).
 An additional 2 Influence Cards are required for each noble rank the characters are different; this
number may vary depending on the specific cultures.
 A player that is a member of a political organization or noble house can use Political Influence
from that organization to gain ranks within it. In general, the number of Political Influence
required to advance to the next rank is equal to the target rank squared. Note that rank within a
noble house is not the same as a noble title; see Lore: Noble Houses for a specific region for
more details on how rankings work in that region, if applicable.
 A player may attempt to use any number of Political Influence cards to influence a vote in a
region or subject matter where their influence would be applicable. For example, influence cards
with nobles from Valeria could be used to influence elections or voting on new laws in Valeria,
but not in another city, except under special circuimstances.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

For each card sacrificed, you may pick ONE of the benefits below.

 Gain one Rank in any conversational ability for the rest of the event.
 Increase your rank in Command or Performance by one Rank for the rest of the event.
 Detect what faction a character belongs to, if any. Call “Sense Faction”.
 Gather information about a faction (see the design team).
 View all of a player’s influence cards. The call is “Detect Influence.”
Economic Influence
Subcategories: Writ, bank note, goods, trade contract

Examples of Using Economic Influence for Goals

 Economic Influence can be used to open trade routes between regions that are not currently
trading goods.
 Economic Influence can be used to provide resources to an area that is currently unstable, such
as a city that has been damaged in a siege or an area where farms have been ravaged by a blight.
 Economic Influence can be used to sway certain political figures in an election, depending on the
specific characters and goals involved.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

 Economic influence cards are worth 5 gold pieces in value and may be used as in-game currency.
They are the only form of influence card that exists in-game. These cards represent writs with coin
value and may not be accepted everywhere.

Sorcerous Influence
Subcategories: Specific guild or organization of sorcerers or ritualists, specific NPC sorcerer or ritualist, a
specific Dominion, etc.

Examples of Using Sorcerous Influence for Goals

 Sorcerous Influence on behalf of a ritualist or organization of ritualists can be used to perform a
ritual between games. The cost of the ritual is 1 Sorcerous Influence per Rank of the ritual. The
ritualist or organization of ritualists must be powerful enough to cast that specific ritual.
 5 Sorcerous Influence can be used to spread sorcery in a region where it is normally rare. Note
that if sorcery is illegal in this region, this does not legalize the sorcery, and would represent
teaching sorcerers in secret.
 A player that is a member of a sorcerers’ guild or organization can use Sorcerous Influence from
that organization to gain ranks within it. In general, the number of Sorcerous Influence required
to advance to the next rank is equal to the target rank squared.
 Sorcerous influence in a specific Dominion can only be used by a sorcerer who is capable of
casting spells from that Dominion. When used, it allows the sorcerer to attempt to learn a spell
from that Dominion they could not normally cast (i.e. a higher ranked spell or one they haven’t
researched at all). The success and power of the ability are dependent on the number of
Influence cards sacrificed. For example, Archon Salaris is a powerful being associated with the
Dominion of Metal. He could use Dominion of Metal influence card to attempt to cast a spell
related to metal in some way – to change the shape of a metal object, to transmute one type of
metal into another, or to break or reforge a metal weapon, for example.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

For each card sacrificed, you may pick ONE of the benefits below.

 Increase your Rank with that Dominion by 1 for the rest of the event. This cannot be used to
learn Gifts.
  Learn a new spell of the appropriate Dominion, as if you had used up to 5 Time Units toward
researching the spell. (Thus, Advanced and Epic spells would require more than one card.)
 Learn a ritual rune of the appropriate Dominion, as if you had used up to 5 Time Units toward
researching the rune.
 Regain up to 10 Suppressed Essence.
 Add up to 10 Suppressed Essence to a power a ritual.
 Increase the Effect Level of a spell of the same Dominion as the Influence by +5 or more (at the
Game Master’s discretion).
 Increase the power of a single spell to Advanced for the purposes of a power comparison. If the
spell is already Advanced, it improves to Epic. Epic spells cannot be improved further in this way.
This must be done at the time the spell is cast.

Divine Influence
Subcategories: All Divine Influence cards are on behalf of a deity or demigod. These influence cards are
very rare, and generally only available to followers of those deities, except under special circumstances.

Examples of Using Divine Influence for Goals

 A player that is a member of a religious guild or organization can use Divine Influence from that
organization to gain ranks within it. In general, the number of Divine Influence required to
advance to the next rank is equal to the target rank squared.
 Sacrifice while praying to the appropriate deity in-game to gain a specific benefit assigned by the
game design team based on the number of cards sacrificed. This benefit cannot be predicted.
Sacrificing Divine influence does not always work and in some situations may produce no effect
at all. Sacrificing Divine Influence can be dangerous if abused.
 Sacrificing 1 Divine Influence to a deity may gain a minor boon, such as a long-duration spell or
Gift being cast on the person who sacrificed the card.
 Sacrificing 5 Divine Influence to a deity may gain a more significant favor, such as a spell being
cast on a group of players or a powerful, ritual-level spell or Gift being cast on a single character.
 Sacrificing 10 or more Divine Influence to a deity at once is unpredictable, and may result in a
powerful boon – or great consequences.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

For each card sacrificed, you may pick ONE of the benefits below.

 Increase your rank with the Gifts of that deity by 1 for the rest of the event. This cannot be used
to learn Gifts if the user does not already have them; it can only increase the Rank of an existing
Gift tree. In addition, the user’s maximum Essence is increased by 5 for 24 Hours.
 Add up to 10 Suppressed Essence to a power a ritual.
 Increase the Effect Level of a single spell from a Dominion appropriate to the deity (or one of the
deity’s Gifts) by +5 or more (at the Game Master’s discretion).
 Increase the power of a single spell to Advanced for the purposes of a power comparison. If the
spell is already Advanced, it improves to Epic. Epic spells cannot be improved further in this way.
This must be done at the time the spell is cast.

Subterfuge Influence
Subcategories: A specific NPC rogue, a specific thieves or assassin’s guild, a group of brigands or
mercenaries, etc.

Examples of Using Subterfuge Influence for Goals

 A player that is a member of a thieves’ or assassins’ guild or organization can use Subterfuge
Influence from that organization to gain ranks within it. In general, the number of Subterfuge
Influence required to advance to the next rank is equal to the target rank squared.
 Subterfuge Influence could be used to cover up for one of your characters illegal actions. 1
Subterfuge might cover a minor crime, while it might take 5 or more to cover for something like
murder. Even more influence would be required if the crime is widely known.
 Subterfuge Influence on behalf of a guild might be able to be used to get someone in that guild
to do you a favor, such as stealing an item or scouting an area.

Mechanical Benefits for Each Card Sacrificed:

For each card sacrificed, you may pick ONE of the benefits below.

 Gain one rank in any Rogue Art for the rest of the event.
 View all of another player’s influence cards.
 Nullify an attempt to view your own influence cards from another player using Subterfuge
Influence.
 Steal a single influence card from another player.
 Detect a NPC’s dirty secret (if they have one) or Nullify this effect.
Diplomatic Techniques

The following skills and trees are designed for use by players who are interested in advancement in
political status, noble rank, or military power. These skills often require heavy amounts of role-playing to
be properly used.

Charisma (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Point Cost Description
You may call “Sense Diplomatic Techniques” on a target. This
can be Nullified with certain other Diplomatic or Conversational
techniques, but it cannot be Evaded. This ability has a 10
Sense
1 2 Minute cooldown.
Diplomacy
This can also be countered by expending a Political Influence
card.
2 Political Sway 4 You automatically gain 1 Political Influence card per event.
You now gain 1 additional Political or Economic influence per
Greater
3 6 event of your choice. This is in addition to the benefits of
Political Sway
Political Sway.
You automatically gain 1 additional Political or Economic
Political
4 8 influence per event in addition to the benefit of Political Sway
Superiority
and Greater Political Sway.
You automatically gain one additional Influence card of any type
that you already have in your possession per event.

5 Charisma
You do not have to select this during check-in; you can choose
10
to claim this card at any point during the event. If you do not
currently have any influence cards, you may select Political,
Subterfuge, or Economic. This is in addition to the benefit of
Political Superiority.

Dominance (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Point Cost Description
1 Dominance 2 You automatically gain 1 Military Influence per game event.
2 Contest of 4 Once per event, you may expend a Political or Military Influence
Powers to call “Transfer Influence” to steal an influence card from
another player. The influence card that you transfer is random,
unless you use a Subterfuge influence card, in which case you
may choose which card to steal.

You may, at your choice, ask a member of the Game Design

team to approach your target about the Contest of Powers to
keep your identity a secret during the initial process.
 This may be countered with the use of a Subterfuge influence
card. If you choose to play a Subterfuge influence card as well,
this goes back and forth until the player with the most
Subterfuge played wins the exchange. All Subterfuge cards used
in the power play by both players are lost.

If the target chooses not to attempt to counter this ability by

using Subterfuge Influence, the target is not aware in-character
that their influence has been stolen or by whom. Any attempt
at countering will inform the target of who is trying to take their
influence.
You automatically gain 1 additional Political or Military influence
3 War 6
per event beyond the benefit of the Rank 1 ability.
Superior
4 8 You may now use Conquest of Powers twice per event.
Conquest
Any time you would gain Influence through one of your
character skills or Land Management Points, such the Charisma
skill or the Dominance and War abilities, the number of
Influence cards you gain is increased by 1. Each individual game
skill, such as War and Dominance, benefits from this increase
separately.

This does not increase influence card gains through any other
Supreme
5 10 means, such as structures, earning cards in-game through
Dominance
events, etc.

This does not improve the Contest of Powers ability in any way.

This does not benefit abilities that allow you to convert or

purchase influence cards, such as Back Alley Deals and Buying
the Throne.

Duplicity (Trained Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Name Point Cost Description
You may call “Sense Conversational Abilities” on a target. This
can be Nullified with certain other Diplomatic or Conversational
techniques, but it cannot be Evaded. This ability has a 10
Political
1 2 Minute cooldown.
Savvy
This can also be countered by expending a Political Influence
card.
Dark
2 4 You automatically gain 1 Subterfuge Influence card per event.
Dealings
 Greater You now gain 1 additional Subterfuge or Economic influence per
3 Political 6 event of your choice. This is in addition to the benefits of Dark
Savvy Dealings.
Up to five times per event, you may convert a Subterfuge
Influence into a Political Influence, or a Political Influence into a
Subterfuge Influence. The five uses of this ability are a
combined total.
Back Alley
4 8
Deals
After performing five such conversions, you may convert two
Political Influence into one Subterfuge Influence or covert two
Subterfuge influence into one Political influence any number of
times.
You may spend 10 Gold Pieces to buy a Political, Subterfuge, or
Economic influence card at any time. The influence cards you
receive must be from an individual or faction you are already
associated with. If for some reason you currently have no
applicable ties established, this ability cannot be used.

This does not decrease the influence of the target; it creates

Buying the new influence cards for you that are tied to a specific faction or
5 10
Throne individual.

You may only acquire a maximum of 10 influence cards per

game event in this way.

This skill cannot be used to purchase influence from certain

factions and individuals; see a Game Designer if you wish to use
this ability.

Conversational Abilities

The following abilities are intended to be used during conversations between characters.

Persuade (Universal Skill)

You may attempt to sway a target’s mind on a certain subject while in a conversation. The call for this is
“Verbal Persuade”. This cannot be used to force a target into a specific course of action, and it will not
convince a character to do something they would never do, such as kill themselves or attack a close
friend or ally. This skill represents a character’s skill at verbal coercion and manipulation, but it is more
effective when used in conjunction with appropriate role-playing.

This cannot be Reflected, Nullified, or Evaded through normal abilities. Other conversational abilities
may allow this to be Reflected or Nullified.

This ability has a 10 Minute cooldown.

(Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Sense Motive (Universal Skill)
This skill demonstrates an uncanny awareness of social situations. When conversing with a person, a
character may force someone to reveal if their motivations for a specific action were positive or negative
in nature from the target’s perspective. At the target’s option they may reveal more information, but it is
not required. The call is “Sense Motive for...<insert target’s action or decision here>.”

This cannot be Reflected, Nullified, or Evaded through normal abilities. Other conversational abilities
may allow this to be Reflected or Nullified.

This ability has a 10 Minute cooldown.

(Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Social Grace (Universal Skill)

You may call “Nullify” on the Persuade, Coerce, Sense Influence Cards, Sense Diplomatic Techniques,
Sense Command Ranks, Sense Motive, or Sense Truth (Last Statement) abilities.

This ability has a 5 Minute cooldown.

(Cost: 3 Experience Points)

Truth Seer (Universal Skill)

You may call “Sense Truth – 60 Seconds”. During the next 60 seconds, all players and NPCs you are in
conversation with must inform you out-of-game if their character has told a lie. As this is a beneficial
ability on yourself and not an offensive ability, it cannot be Nullified, but others may simply choose not
to speak.

This ability has a 10 Minute cooldown.

At Rank 2, you may use this skill to call “Sense Truth – Last Statement” in reaction to something that has
just been said. This ability cannot be Reflected or Evaded. This cannot be used twice on the same
statement if the first use was Nullified.

Rank 1: 2 Experience Points

Rank 2: 3 Experience Points

Coercion (Trained Skill)

Prerequisites: 6 Points in Conversational Abilities
Rank Name Point Cost Description
Reduces the cooldown of your Conversational Abilities by 2
Minutes.
Improved
1 2
Persuasion
This benefit also applies to Sense Diplomacy and Sense
Conversational Techniques if you have them.
Mastery of Reduces the cooldown of your Conversational Abilities by half.
3 3
Persuasion This replaces the benefits of Improved Persuasion.
 For a cost of 4 Essence, you may call “Verbal Compel (three
word command), 5 Minutes” in a conversation. This may not be
3 Coerce 5
evaded or reflected, but it may be Nullified normally or with the
Social Grace skill.
 Chapter 10: Crafting and Economics

This chapter covers the rules for the in-game economy of the Arbiter System, including the creation of
equipment, buying and selling items, and faction memberships.

Crafting Skills
Players may purchase crafting skills in order to create usable in-game items from raw material items that
are obtained in the game. Each crafting skill is purchased individually.

Each Rank in a Crafting Skill unlocks new Crafting Techniques for that specific skill. In most cases, such as
Blacksmithing, Carpentry, and Leatherworking, Crafting Techniques are properties that can be added on
to items to improve the final result. Any given item may only have a single Crafting Technique added to
it, unless stated otherwise in a special rule. The crafter chooses which Crafting Technique they are using
when they begin creating the item.

When a player purchases a crafting skill, he learns a Crafting Technique for each Rank of the skill he
purchases. These techniques must be for the crafting skill that was just purchased; you cannot purchase
a rank in Blacksmithing to gain more Alchemical Techniques. The new Crafting Technique you learn when
you purchase a rank must be of equal or lesser Rank to your rank in the crafting skill.

For example, when purchasing Rank 3 in Blacksmithing, you could learn a Rank 1, 2, or 3 Blacksmithing
Technique.

You may research additional techniques of a Rank up to your Rank in the trade skill between games by
expending Time Units. You cannot research or use crafting techniques that exceed your rank in a trade
skill. See the Time Units section for more information.

Under normal circumstances, only one Crafting Technique can be used when an item is being created.
Some special abilities may allow a player to apply more than one Crafting Technique when making an
item.

Crafting Recipes
A crafting recipe represents the knowledge necessary to create a specific product. Players begin with the
ability to make basic equipment that is mentioned in this rule book – such as swords and armor –
without the need for specialized recipes. If the player wants to make something that is not listed in the
Arbiter System Guide, however, they need to learn a crafting recipe for it. Carpenters also begin with the
ability to make the structures listed in the Arbiter System Land Management rules.

For example, if Dreas wanted to learn how to make a new type of structure – a Coliseum – this would
require learning a new crafting recipe. Crafting recipes can be learned through the use of Time Units. See
the Time Units section for more details.

Crafting Actions

Crafting an item requires a certain number of “Crafting Actions”. A “Crafting Action” is normally ten
minutes of role-playing during the game, during which the player role-plays creating the item that he or
she is trying to make. With some skills, such as alchemy, more than one item can be created in a single
Crafting Action. The Faster Crafting skill decreases the amount of time it takes to perform a crafting
action. Some items may take several Crafting Actions to complete; in this case, a player can start on an
item in one game and finish it in a later game. A player may request a “incomplete item” tag after taking
a Crafting Action; the tag will have a number of check boxes that must be checked off by a game designer
to show how many crafting actions are necessary to finish the item. Crafting Actions can also be taken
between games by expending Time Units. See the Time Units section for more information.

Currency and the Value of Equipment

Items in the Arbiter System are assigned a base value. This is also sometimes called a “card value”. This
number is used as a basic guideline for how much a NPC item would charge if they were selling the item
to a player. This is based on the value of the materials used to create the item, but the number is usually
increased by approximately 50% to represent the increased value of having the product assembled.

Players should not expect to sell an item for anywhere close to an item’s card value; crafted items, such
as weapons and armor, can generally be sold to merchants for about 25% of their card value, or more if
the player is a skilled merchant. (See the Mercantile skill tree, below this section.) Special crafting
techniques are generally not taken into account in the card value of an item, and thus, items made by
players are generally worth much more than their card value would represent. This is to encourage
players to buy and sell from each other, rather than just selling items to NPCs to make quick and easy
money.

There are five basic metals of currency (each in three sizes) in the Arbiter System, but different kingdoms
may use vastly different types of currency, and different locations may have different exchange rates. The
basic types of currency are used throughout the continent of Mythralis with standardized exchange
rates, but may have different values elsewhere.

Coin Types:

Crescent – A small coin shaped like a large crescent moon. This has half the value of a regal.

Regal – A round coin with a hole in the center. This is the standardized currency of Mythralis; it is what is
usually called a “piece” by outsiders. Thus, a “Gold Piece” is actually a “Gold Regal”. The city of Aayara
uses Regals that do not have holes in the center; rather, they have a stamp with the name of the city of
Aayara and the symbol of Eratar. Sometimes, a “Crescent” will be made by cutting a Regal in half.

Full – A significantly larger round coin without a hole in the center. These are increasingly rare, and
generally only used by nobles. A Full is worth three Regals or six Crescents.

Coin Metals:

Copper – The least valuable of metals. A single copper crescent is enough to buy a cup of water or a
couple slices of bread. Copper is rarely used by anyone of merchant class or higher to do anything other
than make change.

Silver – The basic currency of Mythralis, and used for most transactions. One Silver Regal is worth ten
Copper Regals. One Silver Regal might buy you a nice bottle of wine, a good dinner, or a night in a shady
inn. A Silver Full could buy you a night in a much friendlier establishment, possibly with some
entertainment for the evening.

Gold – Gold is commonly used by nobles, and even merchants often have it in significant quantities. An
iron sword is worth a gold piece or two, depending on who you ask. One Gold Regal is generally accepted
to be worth 10 Silver Regals.

Khyonite – Khyonite is an alloy used mostly in the city of Aayara as a replacement for gold, since gold
itself is growing increasingly rare. The city of Aayara is hoping to make Khyonite the new trade standard.
They equate one Khyonite Regal to one Gold Regal; other cities may accept this currency differently.

Platinum – Rarely used except by the extremely wealthy, Platinum isn”t found in Crescents; it’s just too
valuable to bother making into small increments. It’s essentially a way of flaunting wealth, and small
coins would defeat the point. One Platinum Regal is generally accepted to be worth 5 Gold Regals.

Purchasing Crafting Skills

Each individual crafting skill can be purchased according to the chart below. A description of each
crafting skill and the techniques associated with it are also listed below.

Default Crafting
Rank Experience Point Cost
Techniques
1 1 1
2 1 2
3 2 3
4 3 4
5 3 5

All crafting skills are Trained Skills and require a teacher.

Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing can be used to work metal to create weapons, shields, chain mail armor, and plate mail
armor.

Blacksmiths can make a weapon from 4 units of any of the same type of metal. For example, a
Blacksmith could make a weapon from 4 units of Steel or 4 units of Iron, but not 3 of Iron and 1 of Steel.
The properties of the item are determined by a combination of the metal and the crafting technique
used. Each type of metal contributes specific properties, some of which are listed in the Time Units
section of this rule book, while others are listed in lore documents. Crafting Techniques add an additional
property on top of this. If the metal and the crafting technique have identical properties, these are
generally cumulative, unless stated otherwise.

Crafting a weapon takes one Crafting Action.

Making shields works exactly the same as making weapons; they require 5 units of the same type of
metal.
Making armor works the same as making weapons and shields, but making chain mail requires 8 units of
the same type of material, and making plate mail requires 12 units of the same type of material. Crafting
a suit of chain mail requires 2 Crafting Actions. Crafting a suit of plate mail requires 3 Crafting Actions
Blacksmithing Techniques:
Weaponsmithing Techniques
Rank Name
1 Tempered
1 Hastily Constructed
2 Cheap
2 Hardened
3 Balanced
3 Armor-Piercing
4 Sharp
4 Featherweight
5 Unbreakable
5 Superior
Armorsmithing Techniques
Rank Name
1 Tempered
1 Hastily Constructed
2 Cheap
2 Hardened
3 Sturdy
Effect
The weapon is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this weapon
per combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
decreased by 20%.
This weapon only takes 4 units of metal to craft, but the card value is decreased accordingly.
The weapon is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this weapon
per combat.
The weapon is immune to the “Disarm” call.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This weapon may perform the Pierce combat maneuver once per combat with no Essence
Cost.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This weapon allows the wielder to perform the Power Attack combat maneuver five times per
combat with no Essence Cost.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
Allows the wielder to perform one Standard or Advanced maneuver per combat with no
Essence cost. This has no effect on the cost of maneuvers that do not involve this weapon.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The weapon is immune to the Break call. The wielder treats “Break” calls as “Disarm” calls
instead.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
The weapon deals 1 additional point of damage on all attacks.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
Effect
The armor is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this armor per
combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
decreased by 20%.
This armor only takes 8 units of metal to craft for chain mail or 12 units of metal for plate
mail, but the card value is decreased accordingly.
The armor is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this armor
per combat.
This armor is heavier and thicker than normal, providing one additional Hit Point.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
 This armor is reinforced in vital areas, allowing the wearer to use the Tenacity maneuver once
per combat with no Essence Cost. In addition, you may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on
3 Strengthened this armor per combat.

The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.

This armor is reinforced in vital areas, allowing the wearer to use the Tenacity maneuver
twice per combat with no Essence Cost.
4 Reinforced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
This armor is designed to deflect blows. Three times per combat, when the wearer is struck
with a damaging attack, he or she may opt to sacrifice three Hit Points to call “Evade”. This
cannot be used on non-damaging attacks, and still cannot Evade abilities that cannot be
4 Deflecting
normally Evaded, such as Unavoidable and Sound of Voice effects.

The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.

The armor is immune to the Break call.
5 Unbreakable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
This armor is supremely well designed, providing two additional points of armor.
5 Impenetrable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Shieldmaking Techniques
Rank Name Effect
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this shield per
1 Tough
combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
1 Hastily Constructed
decreased by 20%.
This shield only takes 4 units of metal to make the shield, but the card value is decreased
2 Cheap
accordingly.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this shield per
2 Hardened
combat.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on three “Break” calls shield on this
shield per combat.
3 Sturdy
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This shield has a series of strong straps to keep it on the arm. You may call “Nullify” on three
“Disarm” calls on this shield per combat.
3 Bound
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This armor is heavily reinforced, allowing the wearer to call “Nullify” on a “Pierce” call that
strikes the shield twice per combat.
4 Reinforced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on four “Break” calls shield on this
shield per combat.
4 Deflecting
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The shield is immune to the Break call.
5 Unbreakable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
This armor is heavily reinforced, allowing the wearer to call “Nullify” on a “Pierce” call that
strikes the shield three times per combat.
5 Impenetrable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Reforging Items
Blacksmiths can reforge a metal item that they are capable of working, such as a sword, to change the
Crafting Techniques on the weapon. This takes the same number of crafting actions it would take to
normally craft an item of that type and 2 additional units of metal of the type that the item was made
from. This can also be used to add a crafting technique to a metal item that does not have a crafting
technique applied to it, such as a simple Iron Mace purchased from a NPC.

For example, if Varen found a Hastily Constructed Steel Longsword, he could spend 4 Crafting Actions
and 2 Units of Steel to reforge it into a Superior Steel Longsword.

Note that reforging an enchanted item could cause that item to lose its enchantments. See a GM if you
want to attempt to reforge an enchanted item.

Items that cannot be broken, such as Artifacts, cannot be reforged.

Recommended Lores: Lore – Blacksmithing, Lore – Rare Metals

Carpentry
Carpentry can be used to make projectile weapons, such as bows, shields, staves, spears, and buildings.
See Land Management for information on buildings.

Projectile weapons, shields, staves, and spears can be made from 4 units of any of the same type of
wood. The properties of the item are determined by a combination of the wood and the crafting
technique used. Each type of wood contributes specific properties, some of which are listed in the Time
Units section of this rule book, while others are listed in lore documents. Crafting Techniques add an
additional property on top of this. If the wood and the crafting technique have identical properties, these
are generally cumulative, unless stated otherwise.

Crafting a wooden weapon or shield takes one Crafting Action.

Wooden Weapon Techniques

The following techniques can be applied when using carpentry to make projectile weapons or spears.

Rank Name Effect

1 Heavy
1 Hastily Constructed
2 Cheap
2 Hardened
3 Balanced
3 Armor-Piercing
4 Sharp
4 Featherweight
5 Unbreakable
5 Superior
The weapon is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this weapon
per combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
decreased by 20%.
This weapon only takes 4 units of wood to craft, but the card value is decreased accordingly.
The weapon is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this weapon
per combat.
The weapon is immune to the “Disarm” call.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This weapon may perform the Pierce combat maneuver once per combat with no Essence
Cost.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This weapon allows the wielder to perform the Power Attack combat maneuver five times per
combat with no Essence Cost.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
Allows the wielder to perform one Standard or Advanced maneuver per combat with no
Essence cost. This has no effect on the cost of maneuvers that do not involve this weapon.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The weapon is immune to the Break call. The wielder treats “Break” calls as “Disarm” calls
instead.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
The weapon deals 1 additional point of damage on all attacks.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Shieldmaking Techniques
Rank Name Effect
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this shield per
1 Tough
combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
1 Hastily Constructed
decreased by 20%.
2 Cheap This shield only takes 4 units of wood to make the shield, but the card value is decreased
 accordingly.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this shield per
2 Hardened
combat.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on three “Break” calls shield on this
shield per combat.
3 Sturdy
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This shield has a series of strong straps to keep it on the arm. You may call “Nullify” on three
“Disarm” calls on this shield per combat.
3 Bound
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This armor is heavily reinforced, allowing the wearer to call “Nullify” on a “Pierce” call that
strikes the shield twice per combat.
4 Reinforced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The shield is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on four “Break” calls shield on this
shield per combat.
4 Deflecting
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The shield is immune to the Break call.
5 Unbreakable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
This armor is heavily reinforced, allowing the wearer to call “Nullify” on a “Pierce” call that
strikes the shield three times per combat.
5 Impenetrable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Structures
Carpentry can be used to make structures for characters that control land. See the land management
rules for more details on this subject.

Renovation
Carpentry can be used to renovate an existing structure to improve its quality. See the land management
rules for more details on this subject.

Recommended Lores: Carpentry

Leatherworking
Leatherworking is used to make armor and various pieces of clothing out of leather. In addition,
leatherworkers are assumed to be proficient at tailoring as well, and can make items out of cloth.

A leatherworker can make a suit of light leather armor out of 4 units of the same type of leather. The
benefits provided by the armor are determined by the material and the crafting technique used. Crafting
a suit of leather armor takes 1 Crafting Action.

A leatherworker can make a suit of heavy or studded leather armor out of 8 units of the same type of
leather. The benefits provided by the armor are determined by the material and the crafting technique
used. Crafting a suit of leather armor takes 1 Crafting Action.

A leatherworker can make a suit of brigandine armor out of 12 units of the same type of leather. The
benefits provided by the armor are determined by the material and the crafting technique used. Crafting
a suit of leather armor takes 2 Crafting Actions.

A leatherworker can make a pair of gloves, a belt, or a pair of boots from 2 units of the same type of
leather. The type of material determines the enchantments these items can hold. No crafting techniques
are applied to items of this type. Making one of these items (or a pair of boots or gloves) requires 1
Crafting Action.

A leatherworker can make a tunic, a robe, a pair of pants, or a cloak from 4 units of the same type of
cloth. The type of material determines the enchantments these items can hold. No crafting techniques
are applied to items of this type. Making one of these items requires 1 Crafting Action.

Leatherworking Techniques
Note: These techniques are only applicable to leather armor. No special techniques can be applied to
non-armor items, such as boots or gloves.

Rank Name Effect

The armor is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this armor per
1 Toughened
combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
1 Hastily Constructed
decreased by 20%.
This armor only takes 8 units of metal to craft for chain mail or 12 units of metal for plate
2 Cheap
mail, but the card value is decreased accordingly.
The armor is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this armor
2 Hardened
per combat.
This armor is heavier and thicker than normal, providing one additional Hit Point.
3 Sturdy
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
This armor is reinforced in vital areas, allowing the wearer to use the Tenacity maneuver once
per combat with no Essence Cost. In addition, you may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on
3 Strengthened this armor per combat.

The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.

4 Reinforced
4 Deflecting
This armor is reinforced in vital areas, allowing the wearer to use the Tenacity maneuver
twice per combat with no Essence Cost.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
This armor is designed to deflect blows. Three times per combat, when the wearer is struck
with a damaging attack, he or she may opt to sacrifice three points of armor to call “Evade”
 rather than “Armor”. This cannot be used on non-damaging attacks, and still cannot Evade
abilities that cannot be normally Evaded, such as Unavoidable and Sound of Voice effects.

The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.

The armor is immune to the Break call.
5 Unbreakable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
This armor is supremely well designed, providing two additional points of armor.
5 Impenetrable
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Repair Kits:

A player with the leatherworking skill can make a repair kit, which is an item that can restore armor to a
damaged suit of armor, but can only be used once. For each Rank in the Leatherworking skill the
Leatherworker possesses, her or she can create an armor kit that restores one Hit Point when used.
Creating a single repair kit takes 2 silver pieces worth of leather of any type per Hit Point it restores. Up
to repair kits can be created in a single Crafting Action. Applying an armor kit to restore armor in battle
takes ten seconds.

Recommended Lores: Leatherworking

Alchemy
Alchemy is the practice of combining and manipulating herbs and other components to achieve
sorcerous effects. The effects range from simple sealing of wounds to poisons that can inflict mortal
wounds.

An alchemist creates these compounds by mixing together different components, typically herbs and
powders. Potions, elixirs, salves, and poisons are collectively referred to as “concoctions”.

Potions are compounds that contain doses of a liquid that has an instantaneous, beneficial or neutral
effect when consumed. By default, each potion has one dose, but certain skills can increase this. A player
can create up to a maximum of 3 potions in 1 Crafting Action. An example of a potion would be a liquid
that, when drank, heals one of the wounds on the drinker’s body.

Elixirs and Salves are compounds that contain doses of a liquid that has a beneficial or neutral effect that
lasts for a duration, rather than creating an instant effect. Elixirs and Salves are made by adding a herb
together with a special herb called an “activating agent”. Activating agents are listed in the section on
elixirs. By default, each elixir has one dose, but certain skills can increase this. A player can create up to
a maximum of 3 elixirs or salves in 1 Crafting Action.

Poisons are compounds that contain doses of a liquid that is harmful to the person who drinks it. Poisons
can be added to food or drinks by anyone, however, they can only be applied to weapons by a player
with the Art of Poison skill. See the Art of Poison for more information on how to apply poison to
weapons. By default, each poison has one dose, but certain skills can increase this. A player can create
up to a maximum of 3 poisons in 1 Crafting Action.

Players can create alchemical concoctions by adding together herbs using the recipes below, learning
more recipes from lore documents, or by simply experimenting with adding new herbs together.
Experimentation will produce unpredictable results, however, and drinking liquids or applying salves
made from unknown herbs can be very dangerous.

Drinking Alchemical Liquids: Drinking a potion, elixir, or poison requires either a three-count or raising a
tagged physical representation of the potion, elixir, or poison to your lips. (Actually drinking the liquid is
encouraged, but not required.)

A player cannot “Evade” the damage or effects of anything they ingest, but the Willpower skill and other
defenses can be used normally.

Applying Poisons:
Applying a poison to a weapon requires a three-count, and requires the Art of Poison skill. See the Art of
Poison for more information.

Applying Salves:
Applying a salve requires a three-count. Some salves are applied to weapons or items, some are applied
to a person. If applying a salve to a person, do not physically touch them without consent – you can
simply state the three count aloud to give them the benefit of the salve.

Prime Dominion Herbs:

Prime Dominion Herbs are the most common herbs used in alchemy. They determine the basic effect of
any concoction, and each herb is associated with a Prime Dominion.

Potions consist of two Prime Dominion Herbs, plus a maximum of one Deep Dominion Herb to modify
the effects.

Poisons consist of two Prime Dominion Herbs, plus a maximum of one Deep Dominion Herb to modify
the effects.

Elixirs and Salves consist of one Prime Dominion Herb, one Activating Agent, and a maximum of one
Deep Dominion Herb to modify the effects.

The Prime Dominion Herbs are as follows:

Herb Dominion Value Description

Firebloom Flame 3 Silver A tiny red bulb that seems that softly glows at night.
Waterweed Water 3 Silver A green stalk with a bright blue flower that grows in water.
Windbow Air 3 Silver A form of reed with a distinctive white tip.
3 Silver The leaves of the Verlas tree, often colloquially referred to as a Shale Tree.
Shaleleaf Stone These leaves have a tough exterior, but store water inside, which mixes
with the leaf’s own properties to create a useful fluid.
Lifestrand Life 3 Silver A green-white flower said to have healing properties
Lastbell Death 3 Silver A silvery, bell-shaped flower.
Golden Star Light 3 Silver This is a simple flower with a white and gold bud.
3 Silver Contrary to the name, Shadevine does not grow in the shade. Instead, it
Shadevine Shadow grows in other locations abundant with flora, and seems to drink the
nutrients out of other plants. It is light gray in color.
Apprentice’s Delight Knowledge 3 Silver A blue, delicious berry.
3 Silver A green-white flower that looks suspiciously similar to Lifestrand.
Falseroot Deception
Distinguishable by the tiny red thorns on the side of the plant.
Bird’s Foot Motion 3 Silver A thick, three-pronged flower that physically resembles a bird’s foot.
3 Silver A hard root that grows in caverns and resists cutting, but contains a useful
Deeproot Stability
fluid if broken apart.

Deep Dominion Herbs

Deep Dominion Herbs are used as modifiers to existing concoctions.

The following are a few Deep Dominion herbs that are commonly known. For other Deep Dominion
herbs, see Lore – Alchemy.

Herb Dominion Value Description Effect

Scholar’s Delight Acuity 5 Silver A delicious purple berry in the Increases the Effect Level of a
same family of berries as Potion by +1.
Apprentice’s Delight.
When added to a potion that
restores Essence, this increases
the Essence restored by 2
instead of providing an Effect
 Level bonus.
Increases the Effect Level of a
Potion by +2.

A silvery flower considered When added to a potion that

Paladin’s Crusade Dawn 10 Silver
sacred to the Tae’os faith. restores Essence, this increases
the Essence restored by 4
instead of providing an Effect
Level bonus.
Increases the Effect Level of a
Potion by +3.

A golden flower that grows in When added to a potion that

King’s Champion Vitality 20 Silver
the Kingsway Region. restores Essence, this increases
the Essence restored by 6
instead of providing an Effect
Level bonus.
A rare flower said to increase Increases the Effect Level of a
the efficacy of potions and Potion by +4.
elixirs it is added to.
When added to a potion that
Queen’s Crown Destiny 40 Silver
restores Essence, this increases
the Essence restored by 8
instead of providing an Effect
Level bonus.
Changes the effect of any
Dreamwing is a mild sedative
poison that has a duration to a
Dreamwing Dream 5 Silver that can be dangerous if
“Sleep” effect for the same
ingested in large quantities.
duration.
A pure white flower said to be
Adds the “Advanced” carrier to
useful for increasing the
Maiden’s Virtue Purity 20 Silver any potion that removes
potency of potions that cure
negative effects.
negative effects.
Upgrades an elixir that grants
resistance to a specific dominin
to an immunity potion.

Characters that are immune to

a specific dominion can call
A white flower used in many
“No Effect” on that Dominion,
Knight’s Honor Protection 20 Silver elixirs, and often associated
unless the call contains
with protective qualities.
“Unavoidable”.

Unavoidable attacks of that

type are halved (rounded
down) instead. Call “Reduced”
against Unavoidable attacks.
Increases the Effect Level of a
Poison by +1.

When added to a poison that

Farmer’s Folly Blight 5 Silver A bright green berry.
removes Essence, this
increases the Essence removed
by 5 instead of providing an
Effect Level bonus.
Increases the Effect Level of a
Poison by +2.

A sharp, cactus-like plant When added to a poison that

Bladethorn Enervation 10 Silver
native to the Forest of Blades. removes Essence, this
increases the Essence removed
by 10 instead of providing an
Effect Level bonus.
 Increases the Effect Level of a
Poison by +3.
A blue herb that, when
When added to a poison that
Tyrant’s Curse Supremacy 20 Silver powdered, makes a deadly
removes Essence, this
toxin.
increases the Essence removed
by 15 instead of providing an
Effect Level bonus.
Increases the Effect Level of a
Poison by +4.
Redbane is a brilliant crimson
flower that carries a When added to a poison that
Redbane Poison 40 Silver
notoriously deadly poison in its removes Essence, this
thorns and stem. increases the Essence removed
by 20 instead of providing an
Effect Level bonus.

Recommended Lores: Alchemy, Poison

Potion Formulae

The following basic potions can be made by adding together one herb of each of the two types below in
a solution of water. This creates a potion with a single dose with the effect described in the entry below.

Herbs Used Golden Star Lifestrand Waterweed Windbow

Remove 1 Mental
Remove 1 Poison
Golden Star Restore 1 Willpower Effect (e.g. Sleep, No known effect.
Effect
Compel)
Remove 1 Mental
Remove 1 Disease
Lifestrand Effect (e.g. Sleep, Heal 1 Wound No known effect.
Effect
Compel)
Remove 1 Movement
Remove 1 Poison Remove 1 Disease
Waterweed Restore 2 Essence Impairing Effect (e.g.
Effect Effect
Paralyze, Slow)
Remove 1 Movement
Windbow No known effect. No known effect. Impairing Effect (e.g. Restore 1 Evade
Paralyze, Slow)

Poison Formulae

The following poisons can be made by adding together a pair of herbs in a solution of water. This creates
a poison with a single dose with the effect described in the entry below.

Note that these poisons can only be administered through food or drink unless the player has the Art of
Poison skill. See the Art of Poison skill for more information on this subject.

Herbs Used Firebloom Lastbell Shadevine Falseroot

Compel Emotion:
Firebloom 2 Fire 2 Shadow No known effect.
Anger, 5 Minutes*
Reduce Damage 1, 10 Paralyze Body 1
Lastbell 2 Shadow 2 Wound
Minutes Minute
Reduce Damage 1, 10 Remove Sight 30
Shadevine No known effect. Remove 5 Essence
Minutes Seconds
Falseroot Compel Emotion: Paralyze Body 1 Remove Sight 30 Compel: Listen To
Anger, 5 Minutes* Minute Seconds Suggestions, 5
 Minutes*

*Compulsion effects from poisons will make influence the character’s emotional state, but will not force
them to take actions they would never take under any circumstances, such as killing themselves.

“Compel: Listen to Suggestions” indicates that a character is extremely vulnerable to coercion for the
duration of the poison, but they are still generally aware of who they are and their normal values.

Elixirs and Activating Agents

The following basic elixirs can be made by adding together one plant of the herb listed below and three
units of the associated activating agent. This creates an elixir with a three doses with the effect described
in the entry below.

Activating Agents

Peppermint – Peppermint is a hybrid mint from combination of spearmint and watermint. It is the most
basic activating agent used in elixirs, and a single plant is worth 1 silver piece.

Cinnamon – A spice harvested from cinnamon trees that serves as a more powerful activating agent. A
single unit of cinnamon is worth 8 silver pieces.

Honey – A sweet food made by bees from harvesting the nectar of flowers. A single unit of honey is
worth 32 silver pieces.

Elixir Formulae

Herb/Activating Agents Used Peppermint Cinnamon Honey

Drink with another
Increases Strength by concoction. You may activate
1 for 10 minutes when Increases Strength by 2 for 10 the other concoction at any
consumed. minutes when consumed. time within the next hour if
you are conscious. You may
Deeproot
Effect Levels increase Effect Levels increase the only have one potion stored
the duration of this, duration of this, not the in this way. If you do not
not the attribute attribute bonus. activate the potion within the
bonus. hour, you vomit up the potion
and it is wasted.
Increases Dexterity by
1 for 10 Minutes when Increases Dexterity by 2 for 10 Increases Dexterity by 3 for
consumed. Minutes when consumed. 10 Minutes when consumed.
Bird’s Foot
Effect Levels increase Effect Levels increase the Effect Levels increase the
the duration of this, duration of this, not the duration of this, not the
not the attribute attribute bonus. attribute bonus.
bonus.
Increases Willpower
by 1 for 10 minutes Increases Willpower by 2 for Increases Willpower by 3 for
when consumed. 10 Minutes when consumed. 10 minutes when consumed.
Golden Star
Effect Levels increase Effect Levels increase the Effect Levels increase the
the duration of this, duration of this, not the duration of this, not the
not the attribute attribute bonus. attribute bonus.
bonus.
 Increases Cunning by 3 for 10
Minutes when consumed.
Grants 10 minutes of
Grants 10 minutes of improved
Falseroot improved vision when
smell when consumed. Effect Levels increase the
consumed.
duration of this, not the
attribute bonus.
Drink this with
another concoction.
The other concoction
will have no effect, but
you will know what
herbs were used to Increases Spell Power for all Increases Spell Power for all
make the concoction. spells by +1 for 10 Minutes spells by +2 for 10 Minutes
You will still need to when consumed. when consumed.
Apprentice’s Delight research a new recipe
to make the Effect Levels increase the Effect Levels increase the
concoction. If the duration of this, not the Spell duration of this, not the Spell
concoction contains Power bonus. Power bonus.
herbs that are
unknown to you, the
unknown herb will
register as “an
unknown herb.”
When fed to someone
who is in the Dying When fed to someone who is When fed to someone who is
state, this freezes their in the Dying state, this freezes in the Dying state, this
Lastbell
Dying state from their Dying state from freezes their Dying state from
progressing for 2 progressing for 4 minutes. progressing for 6 minutes.
minutes.

Salves and Oils

The following basic salves can be made by adding together one plant of the herb listed below and three
units of one of the types of listed oils. This creates a salve with a three doses with the effect described in
the entry below.

Oils

Most oils do not have alchemical properties, but some of the ones that can be used in the creation of
salves are listed below.

Olive Oil – Oil extracted from olives. One unit is worth 1 silver piece.

Beeswax – A natural wax produced by honey bees. One unit is worth 5 silver pieces.

Coconut Oil – Oil extracted from coconuts. One unit is worth 25 silver pieces.

Salve Formulae

Herb/Oils Used Olive Oil Beeswax Coconut Oil

Grants resistance to the
Lightning damage type,
reducing all damage
Has no known effect
Windbow sustained from Lightning-
when applied.
based attacks by half
(rounded down), for 10
minutes when consumed.
Grants 1 Advanced Evade
that must be used within the
next 10 Minutes.
Effect Levels increase the
duration of this, not the
number of Evades granted.
 Grants resistance to the
When applied to Shadow damage type,
burned skin, decreases reducing all damage
Increases the target’s Essence
Lifestrand the amount of pain sustained from Shadow-
Recovery skill by 2 for 1 Hour.
caused by the burn for based attacks by half
10 Minutes. (rounded down), for 10
minutes when consumed.
When applied to a
target through the use When applied to a target
of the Physical Therapy through the use of the
skill in the Medical Grants resistance to the Physical Therapy skill in the
Knowledge tree, this Poison damage type, Medical Knowledge tree, this
increases the amount reducing all damage increases the amount of
Golden Star of Essence restored by sustained from Poison-based Essence restored by 2 points
1 point per five minutes attacks by half (rounded per minute for up to 1 hour.
for up to 1 hour. down), for 10 minutes when
consumed. Effect Levels increase the
Effect Levels increase duration of this, not Essence
the duration of this, not restored.
Essence restored.
Increases the target’s
Increases the target’s Hit Increases the target’s Hit
Hit Points by 2 for 1
Points by 4 points for 1hour. Points by 6 for 1 hour.
hour.
Shaleleaf
Effect Levels increase the Effect Levels increase the
Effect Levels increase
duration of this, not the HP duration of this, not the HP
the duration of this, not
bonus. bonus.
the HP bonus.
Dulls all pain the target Grants resistance to the Fire Increases the target’s Essence
suffers for 1 hour. This damage type, reducing all Pool by 5 for 1 Hour.
has no mechanical damage sustained from
Waterweed
effect, however, the Shadow-based attacks by half Effect Levels increase the
target may role-play a (rounded down), for 10 duration of this, not the
resistance to pain. minutes when consumed. Essence bonus.
Increases the damage of a
weapon by 1 for 10 minutes.
Grants resistance to the Ice
In addition, that weapon
damage type, reducing all
deals Fire damage for this
Has no known effect damage sustained from Fire-
Firebloom duration.
when consumed. based attacks by half
(rounded down), for 10
Effect Levels increase the
minutes when consumed.
duration of this, not the
damage bonus.

Potion Making Techniques

The following techniques can be added to any potion to increase its effectiveness.

Rank Name Effect

You may make twice as many potions of this type in a single crafting action, but you may not
1 Hastily Made
apply any other techniques if you do so.
Increases the Effect Level of the potion by 1. Essence restoration potions restore 2 more
2 Potent Essence per bonus Effect Level.

Increases the Effect Level of the potion by 2. Essence restoration potions restore 2 more
Essence per bonus Effect Level.
3 Improved
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
You may add a second Deep Dominion Herb to the potion.
3 Modified
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
 Increases the Effect Level of the potion by 3. Essence restoration potions restore 2 more
Essence per bonus Effect Level.
4 Advanced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
Increases the number of doses for the potion by 1.
4 Efficient
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
Increases the Effect Level of the potion by 4. Essence restoration potions restore 2 more
Essence per bonus Effect Level.
5 Superior
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
Doubles the effect of a Deep Dominion herb that has been added to the potion.
5 Optimized
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Elixir and Salve Making Techniques

The following techniques can be added to any elixir or salve to increase its effectiveness.

You may make twice as many elixirs or salves of this type in a single crafting action, but you
1 Hastily Made
may not apply any other techniques if you do so.
Increases the Effect Level of the elixir or salve by 1.
2 Potent

Increases the Effect Level of the elixir by 2.

3 Improved
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
You may add a second Deep Dominion Herb to the elixir.
3 Modified
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
Increases the Effect Level of the elixir by 3.
4 Advanced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
Increases the number of doses for the elixir or salve by 1.
4 Efficient
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
I Increases the Effect Level of the elixir or salve by 4.
5 Superior
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
Doubles the effect of a Deep Dominion herb that has been added to the elixir or salve.
5 Optimized
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Poison Making Techniques

The following techniques can be added to any poison to increase its effectiveness.

Rank Name Effect

You may make twice as many poisons of this type in a single crafting action, but you may not
1 Hastily Made
apply any other techniques if you do so.
Increases the Effect Level of the poison by 1.
2 Potent

Increases the Effect Level of the poison by 2.

3 Improved
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
3 Antidote Rather than creating the poison as normal, you have added an extra ingredient to create an
antidote instead. This antidote neutralizes a single poison of the exact same type as the
 normal poison recipe when consumed. For example, if the recipe is for Dreamwing + Tyrant’s
Curse, the antidote would only work for a poison made from Dreamwing and Tyrant’s Curse.

The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.

You may add a second Deep Dominion Herb to the poison.
3 Modified
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
Increases the Effect Level of the poison by 3.
4 Advanced
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
Increases the number of doses for the poison by 1.
4 Efficient
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
When this poison is applied to a weapon, it can be used for double the normal number of
strikes.
5 Enduring
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
Increases the Effect Level of the poison by 4.
5 Superior
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
Jewelcrafting

Jewelcrafting is the skill used to cut raw gemstones, as well as to create jewelry.

Cutting gemstones requires the use of an appropriate crafting technique based on the value of the
gemstone. Each technique covers a different range of values of stones and has a different crating action
cost. Unlike most crafted items, a cut gemstone has no function on its own – it simply increases in value.
Merchants will treat cut gemstones as crafted items for the purpose of sale value, and perhaps more
importantly, cut gemstones have increased value when used in enchantments.

Jewelry is crafted with 2 units of metal, leather, or wood. By default, this requires one crafting action, but
some advanced jewelry making techniques may take more actions. Jewelry items are assumed to have
an empty space for a gem (often called a “socket”) when they are created; they are not made with a
gemstone by default.

Adding a gemstone to a jewelry item or removing a gemstone from a jewelry item requires 1 crafting
action.

Gemcutting Techniques

Rank Name Effect

You may cut gemstones with a total card value of between 1 copper piece and 10 silver
1 Cut Cheap Gemstone s
pieces. This takes 1 crafting action.
You may cut gemstones with a total with a card value of between 11 silver pieces and 19
2 Cut Low Quality Gemstones
silver pieces. This takes 1 crafting action.
You may cut gemstones with a total with a card value of between 19 silver pieces and 39
3 Cut Average Gemstones
silver pieces. This takes 1 crafting action.
You may cut gemstones with a total with a card value of between 40 silver pieces and 80
4 Cut High Quality Gemstones
silver pieces. This takes 2 crafting actions.
You may cut gemstones with a total with a card value of 81 or more silver pieces. This takes 3
5 Cut Valuable Gemstones
crafting actions.

Jewelry Crafting Techniques

Rank Name Effect

1 Tempered
1 Hastily Constructed
2 Cheap
2 Hardened
3 Glittering
3 Extra Socket
4 Resilient
The item is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on one “Break” call on this weapon per
combat.
This item takes 20% less time to physically craft in-game, but the coin value of the item is
decreased by 20%.
This item only takes 1 unit of metal, leather, or wood to craft, but the card value is decreased
accordingly.
The item is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on two “Break” calls on this item per
combat.
The card value of the item is increased by 5%.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
The item has sockets for two gemstones, rather than one. This technique cannot be
combined with the Luminescent technique or any other method of adding sockets in any way.
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 2.
The item is resilient to damage. You may call “Nullify” on three “Break” calls on this item per
combat.
 The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 3.
The item has sockets for three gemstones, rather than one. This technique cannot be
combined with the Extra Socket technique or any other method of adding sockets in any way.
5 Luminescent
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.
The card value of the item is increased by 10%.
5 Masterwork
The number of crafting actions required to make this item is multiplied by 4.

Recommended Lores: Rare Gemstones, Rare Metals

Merchant Skills

Players who wish to specialize in the economic portion of the game may wish to purchase additional
skills to augment their abilities as a merchant. These merchant skills are costly, but can yield great
financial rewards.

Players without any merchant skills may sell raw materials and crafted items to NPCs for 25% of their
card value (rounded down).

Mercantile (Trained Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Rank Ability Point Cost
1 Appraisal
2 Improved Sales
3 Barter and Trade
Description
You may appraise the value of any type of non-magical item or raw
material. You may appraise the value of enchanted items if you know
their magical properties.
2
You automatically gain 10 silver pieces in income per event before the
game begins.
You may sell crafted items to NPCs for up to 50% of their card value
(rounded down). This skill does not increase the amount you can sell raw
materials for.
3
You automatically gain 25 silver pieces in income per event before the
game begins. This replaces the income benefit from earlier ranks of
Mercantile.
You gain the ability to seek out and find a merchant in any civilized area.
Speak to a GM and indicate that you wish to use this ability, and a
merchant will be sent into game to meet you as soon as possible. This
may not be possible in certain game locations, such as battlefields,
4 wastelands, or other planes.

You automatically gain 45 silver pieces in income per event before the
game begins. This replaces the income benefit from earlier ranks of
Mercantile.
Once per event you may purchase a single item from a NPC merchant at
75% of the item’s card value (rounded down). This ability cannot be used
more than once per event by any means.
Improved
4 5
Purchasing
You automatically gain 70 silver pieces in income per event before the
game begins. This replaces the income benefit from earlier ranks of
Mercantile.
You may sell crafted items to NPCs for up to 60% of their card value
(rounded down). You may sell raw materials to NPCs for 30% of their
card value (rounded down). You may sell Fruit, Vegetables, and Grain for
40% of their card value (rounded down).
5 Mastery of Sales 6
You automatically gain 100 silver pieces in income per event before the
game begins. This replaces the income benefit from earlier ranks of
Mercantile.

Trade Contracts
Trade Contracts are economic "items" players can obtain through role-playing or the expenditure of
influence. They allow players to buy and sell certain types of goods between games without needing to
use a NPC merchant, similar to the Rank 5 Economics Land Management skill.
A trade contract will specify a type of goods, the person or faction you are selling to, the city the contract
is with, if the contract is for buying or selling, and the percentage of the value you get from the
transaction. (This uses card value, too, for the record.)

Example:

This trade contract allows you to sell swords to the Thieves Guild of Aayara between games. The sale
price is whatever you would normally get from your Mercantile skill value PLUS an additional 5%. You can
sell as many swords as you want, no questions asked, but only swords. This is an extremely profitable
contract, since you’re getting more than you normally would from your Mercantile Skill.

If you’re not currently in the city listed on the card, you need to wait for a period of time for the sale to
go through to get your money for the transaction. If you are outside the city, but on the same continent,
the delay is three months of real time. If you’re outside the city and on a different continent, the delay is
six months by default (possibly more on unreleased continents, other planes or other weird stuff).

The way this works is that the game design team will give you a tag for the coins, but it will be post-
dated. It’ll say something like, "100 Gold, valid AFTER 6/09/2012". This shows that you’ve shipped your
goods off, but it takes some time to get them to your contact, sold, and get the money back to you.

Trade Contracts may not be available in all game regions, and may be unusable in some areas.

Cooperative Crafting
Prerequisites: None
Description: When you and another crafter both possess the necessary skill ranks to create an item and
at least one of you has the recipe, you may each add a crafting technique to the result. The person with
the higher rank in the crafting skill may add a technique up to their full Rank, whereas the second person
may add a second technique up to half their own rank, rounded up. For example, if both crafters had
Rank 5 in the crafting skill, the primary crafter could add a Rank 5 Crafting Technique and the secondary
crafter could add a Rank 3 Crafting Technique. (Cost: 1 Experience Points)

Faster Crafting
Prerequisites: None
Rank Point Cost Description
1 1 Reduces the time spent to perform a single Crafting Action by 1 minute.
2 2 Reduces the time spent to perform a single Crafting Action by 2 minutes (total).
Reduces the time spent to perform a single Crafting Action by 3 minutes (total). Decreases the TU
3 3
cost of performing a Crafting Action between games by 1.
4 4 Reduces the time spent to perform a single Crafting Action by 4 minutes (total).
Reduces the time spent to perform a single Crafting Action by 5 minutes (total). Decreases the TU
5 5
cost of performing a Crafting Action between games by 2 (total).
Repairing Items: In order to repair an item that has been affected by “Break” or decreased in item
quality, an artisan must have at least one rank less than the rank required to make the item (minimum
1). In addition, it requires one piece of a material that would normally go in to the crafting of the item at
the same quality as the weapon. For example: A Q2 Sword requires 1 Q2 metal for its repair. Q0 Items
cannot be repaired but may be upgraded. A crafter must have a recipe similar to the item he or she is
trying to repair. Repairing an item takes 5 minutes.
Traps
Trap recipes are researched with the Art of Mechanisms.

Trap recipes do not require any other trade skill. A player may only research traps of up to a rank equal
to their rank in the Art of Mechanisms tree. For example, a player with Rank 3 in Art of Mechanisms
could research a Rank 3 Trap Recipe. Note that setting a trap still requires a minimum of Rank 4 in the Art
of Mechanisms tree.

Traps are reusable, but can only be retrieved by players with Art of Mechanisms equal to the rank of the
trap (just as if the player was crafting a trap of that quality themselves). Thus, a player with Rank 2 in Art
of Mechanisms could retrieve a Rank 2 Trap, however he or she would not have the necessary skill level
to re-set the trap properly.

Traps must be physically represented in a safe manner. The creator of the trap or a GM must call the
effect of the trap on the target when it is triggered. Traps should have an obvious enough physical
representation that a player could conceivably avoid triggering it if they are paying attention, such as a
thin, harmless string.

Creating a single trap requires 1 Crafting Action. The materials listed for each trap recipe are below.
Players begin with all of the recipes below for their Rank in the skill. Players may research additional trap
recipes in the same way that they would research crafting recipes.

Players with the Art of Mechanisms skill can start with traps as part of their starting equipment. The cost
of the trap is equal to the material cost listed below.

Trap Types

Rank Name Materials Required Effect

1 Tripwire
“Advanced Knockdown 10” to the
1 Unit of Rope (1 Silver)
person who triggers the trap.
“Advanced 2 Damage” to the limb that
hits the trap.

Poisons may be applied to this trap with

2 Needle Trap
1 Unit of Copper (2 Silver)
the Art of Poison skill at Rank 2 or
higher. If a poison is applied, replace the
effect of this trap with the poison’s
effect.
“Advanced 1 Wound” to the limb that
hits the trap.

Poisons may be applied to this trap with

3 Bear Trap
4 Arrow Trap
1 Unit of Iron (10 Silver)
1 Unit of Iron (10 Silver), 1 Unit of Teak
(10 Silver)
the Art of Poison skill at Rank 3 or
higher. If a poison is applied, replace the
effect of this trap with the poison’s
effect.
“Advanced 3 Damage - Torso” to the
torso of the person triggering the trap.

Poisons may be applied to this trap with

the Art of Poison skill at Rank 4 or

1 Unit of Oak (5 Silver), 3 Units of Wolf
5 Pit Trap Hide Leather (10 Silver Each, 30 Silver
Total)
higher. If a poison is applied, replace the
effect of this trap with the poison’s
effect.
This causes the target to fall into a pit.
This is represented by the call, “Trap Epic
Paralyze Legs 1 Minute” unless a
reasonably safe way of physically
representing this pit can be prepared.
Unlike most traps, this is not discharged
when it is used; the pit remains where it
is, and if someone else steps into it (or
the same person again) they must suffer
the same effect.
Faction Memberships

Player factions are a major role-playing element in Arbiter System games. Different factions often work
together toward the same goal, but typically distinct factions have different methodologies and may
have some motives that conflict with other groups.

While Arbiter System games are primarily cooperative, factions give characters the opportunity to band
together with other characters with similar values systems and interests. The game masters will often
write content that is intended for specific factions, such as tournaments for warrior factions, ritual
research for sorcerers, or heists for factions of thieves.

Factions that are recognized in the game world will often play their members a salary, so long as those
members are doing something in service of the faction. This applies to both NPC factions and player
created factions that have been approved to have financial support from non-player characters. Players
may also always create and fund purely player run factions, but having NPC backing allows for some
additional options.

Between games, characters may collect one of the benefits below based on their faction status. Players
can choose any option on the table they are eligible for; for example, a Faction Officer can choose to take
Faction Member benefits and spend fewer Time Units if they wish.

Player Status Income Per Event Description

Must not be a member of any organization. Since you have
Unaffiliated Player 2 Extra Time Units additional free time compared to other players, you may spend 12
TU per game instead of 10.
You may collect 30 Silver as your income from your organization at
the beginning of the game. Alternatively, you may choose to collect
Faction Member 30 Silver or 1 Influence Card
one Influence Card related to your organization instead. This
influence card must be approved by the game design team.
Must be an officer of an in-game faction and spend at least 2 Time
Units on the affairs of your organization. In exchange for spending
these 2 Time Units, you may claim 60 Silver or two Influence Cards
at sign-in for the event. (You may also choose 30 Silver and 1
Faction Officer 60 Silver or 2 Influence Cards
Influence Card.)

Influence cards earned in this way must be approved by the game

design team.
This status is only available for the leaders of an entire organization.
To gain the benefits, you must spend 4 Time Units on managing the
affairs of your faction.

In exchange for spending these 4 Time Units, you may claim 12

Faction Leader* 120 Silver or 4 Influence Cards Silver or four Influence Cards at sign-in for the event. (You may also
choose to split this up, e.g. 90 Silver and 1 Influence, 60 Silver and 2
Influence, etc.)

Influence cards earned in this way must be approved by the game

design team.

*Faction Leader status is not available during character creation. A character must be promoted to this
status or create their own faction and secure financial backing during play in order to be eligible.
 Chapter 11: Sorcery
It is commonly believed that the first practitioners of sorcery were a branch of the Des’vahi. The Des’vahi
excelled at core sorcery – a type of sorcery involving manipulating the natural energies of the world.
Utilizing core sorcery, they carved out great kingdoms in the early world – most, with the exception of
Melkian, have been lost to time.

While the Des’vahi were perhaps the earliest masters, their isolationist nature prevented their
knowledge from having a strong impact on other cultures. The Rethri similarly most likely discovered
sorcery very early – but interacted with others so little that few records mention their involvement in
early historical events. It was the Esharen that first used sorcery in a way that meaningfully impacted the
world.

Realizing that dominion sorcery could be used as a weapon of war, Esharen studied the potential
applications of sorcery intently. As their knowledge grew, so too did their ambition – and powerful
Esharen sorcerers began to use their abilities to enslave weaker cultures, such as the humans and Rethri.

As Esharen culture spread, they restricted the knowledge and use of sorcery among the other cultures
they conquered. For centuries, Esharen were dominant on Mythralis - and this monopoly on sorcery
proved to be a large part of their success. It was only with the intervention of the gods that humans and
Rethri gained the strength to rise up against their oppressors, gradually wearing away at the chains on
their societies.

This intervention is the first recorded example of the use of “Gifts” – a type of sorcery that we consider a
normal part of society today. It would appear that prior to the domination of humanity and the Rethri by
the Esharen, “Gifts” either did not exist, or were not distinguishable from other forms of sorcery.
Admittedly, our records from this early time frame are dubious at best.

Stories from this time frame are interesting – they speak of gods meeting with men and women directly
and giving them the power to strike against their Esharen foes. While there are occasional stories of Gifts
being granted in person in modern times, this is atypical. Most men and women who are blessed with
the Gifts of the Gods do not report any sort of personal encounter with a deity – in fact, they may not
even discover that they have Gifts until they are thrown into a crisis when the Gifts manifest.

Most scholars believe that this is most likely not a case of Gifts simply being given by the deity when the
crisis occurs; rather, Gifts can be given by the gods undetectably, and then utilized unconsciously at a
later time. We”ve come to this conclusion by using sorcery to study vast numbers of individuals for signs
of Gifts – which are detectable through Knowledge Sorcery spells – and in many cases, scholars have
found Gifted individuals who have never been aware of their gifts or learned to utilize them.

This has led some to speculate that the gods initially gave out Gifts as an indication of personal trust, but
later turned toward another method of distributing Gifts – such as by responding to prayers without
contacting the individual or simply casting a spell that grants Gifts to all people in a certain area who
meet the specified criteria of the deity’s spell. These views are often unpopular among the faithful of the
gods, who assert that Gifts are somehow “sacred” and represent a personal connection with a deity. A
more popular belief among priestly folk is that the gods have foreknowledge of when a Gift will awaken,
and plant the Gift in an individual like a seed ready to flower when the time is right.
During the first years that humans and Rethri broke free from their Esharen captors, many different
styles of sorcery developed. Humans displayed a natural propensity for essence sorcery, a fact that few in
the modern day seem to be aware of. Humans were among the first to experiment with the usage of
essence sorcery, though their bodies were easily taxed by the costs of that style of casting.

The Rethri mimicked their Esharen captors, learning to fight against the Esharen with their own dominion
sorcery spells and techniques. The so-called “western” school of ancient sorcery developed as a
progenitor to the modern “Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy” style of spell-casting. The western school was
developed in the Forest of Blades with two goals – silent spellcasting and a high degree of reliability.
Hundreds of Rethri trained in this style, learning to hide among trees and assassinate Esharen targets
from a distance. For this reason, the school was colloquially called the “Assassin’s Sorcery”.

As the western school developed further amongst the Esharen, humans founded the city of Velrya and
began to develop a style more suited to the strengths of their species and culture. The eastern sorcery
style incorporated long, complex incantations and focused on powerful results that could reshape the
state of a battlefield. For this reason, the style was often called “Velryan Battle Sorcery”, though the
simpler name “eastern sorcery” is more commonly found in scholarly texts.

For hundreds of years following this time, more and more techniques for utilizing dominion sorcery were
developed. Blake Archestri Hartigan and Edrick Theas were contemporaries who revolutionized the field
of enchanting by creating some of the first permanent enchantments – aside from those that had been
laid by the gods themselves.

In the years before the fall of Velthryn, Hartigan and Theas made hundreds of discoveries, including
alternate methods of prolonging their own lifespans. Even these accomplishments may have been
exceeded, however, by the lesser known Donovan Tailor. A former priest of Sytira, Tailor claimed to have
discovered a means of achieving godhood – a secret that was seemingly lost with him, if it existed at all,
when the Sythus region was annihilated.

Little remains of the works of these notable sorcerers, unless it is to be found amongst the deadly ruins of
Velthryn itself. Perhaps someday the city will be reclaimed and we will rediscover the works of these
masters of sorcerous theory.

-An excerpt from The History of Sorcery by Eric Tarren

This book is intended to be an introduction to each of the types of most commonly available types of
sorcery available on the world of Venaya. While this book offers a broad variety of different abilities,
even more options are available in the game world.

Types of sorcery that are local to specific areas – such as Shien in on Tyrenia or Runic Sorcery in Vylin Tor
– are not discussed in this book, but rather in their relevant regional guides. Similarly, the powers
granted by the gods of each region are also discussed in those regional guides.

Finally, while this book is a starting point, vastly more information about sorcery is available through lore
documents. For example, each individual Dominion has a lore skill related to it, and other types of
sorcery have “advanced” lores with more information on theory and a broader variety of abilities
available.
 Dominion Sorcery
It is a most unfortunate truth that the average sorcerer never sees the necessary training to begin to
comprehend his or her own potential. With the slightest talent, a sorcerer can be turned from a farmer
into a devastating weapon or a bastion of hope – with the proper tools and motivation. Among the
Rethri, sorcery remains relatively common, but still poorly instructed. Among humanity, it is viewed with
hostility and superstition among the residents of small towns and used for parlor tricks in the few vast
cities that remain.

This book is intended to teach certain fundamental points of knowledge that every sorcerer should be
aware of, but few today are. That being said, the concepts presented here are intended for those that
have already unlocked their sorcerous talents. My previous work in this series, Introductory Dominion
Sorcery, is dedicated to teaching how to establish an initial connection with a Dominion and learn to use
it. This book will make little sense without that context, or similar knowledge from having learned how to
use sorcery from another source.

The Costs of Sorcery

As a sorcerer gains experience, he or she surely will begin to notice the exhaustion that comes with
casting too many spells in a short period of time. It is only upon medical examination, however, that we
can uncover more specific details of what is occurring – Dominion Sorcery, in spite of the name and the
concept, is powered by the body.

This, of course, may sound contradictory and on the surface appears to defy the very term “Dominion
Sorcery” – but before you discard this tome as the ramblings of an old man, read on.
As the Rethri have known for centuries, sorcery takes a toll on the body – a measurable toll.

Unbeknownst to many, however, this “Sorcery Exhaustion” differs considerably based on the specific
Dominion that is being utilized. So few sorcerers practice unrelated Dominions that very few people
realize that their symptoms of “Sorcery Exhaustion” differ from those of others – most people are still
trained that, “Sorcery makes you tired,” or “Channeling the energies of the Planes takes a toll on your
body.” These statements are both true, but greatly over simplify the situation. It has been my conclusion,
after many years of research, that the body is not simply channeling the Essence of the Planes when you
cast a spell – it is serving as a catalyst.

Ask a Dominion of Flame Sorcerer – if you are lucky enough to know one – how they feel when they have
exhausted themselves from using too many fire spells. In every case I have encountered such a sorcerer –
and see the collected data section at the end of this tome for examples of some of those brave enough to
volunteer their names and proficiency levels – they have explained it as thus, “At first, I begin to feel chills
as I cast. As I continue, I grow colder, and my movements grow more sluggish. It requires more and more
effort to continue casting spells.”

Exhaustion is present, yes, but we see another important element here – a cold splashing across the
body. After hearing this description several times, I thought to investigate it with the aid of a medical
doctor, and remarkably, the symptoms were not just in the perception of the sorcerer – the body’s
temperature is physically lowered when a Dominion of Flame sorcerer casts their spells.
This revelation lead to intensive study on the subject matter, and upon further examination, I realized
that each Dominion takes a slightly different toll on the body. Water Sorcery causes dehydration,
whereas Life Sorcery appears to more generally impact the body, preventing blood from clotting at its
normal rate and impeding other necessary bodily functions.

I intend to catalogue the impacts of each Dominion in my next tome in this series, but for the time being,
this section provides an important introduction before we delve into deeper sorcery techniques –every
sorcerer that is interested in studying the channeling of Essence with any level of seriousness should be
aware of the risks of their field.

(An excerpt from Intermediate Dominion Sorcery by Eric Tarren, one of the most commonly referenced
tomes for sorcery research in major cities.)

Dominions Sorcery Overview

Recommended Lores: Lore – Sorcery, Lore – Dominion Sorcery, Lore – Rituals, Lore – Planes

Dominions are believed to be the sources of all power on the world of Venaya. Characters that are
capable of tapping into these Dominions and utilizing their power in the material world are called
sorcerers, and the practice is called sorcery.

Dominion sorcery is rare on Venaya, although it is far better understood on Mythralis than on any of the
other continents. Outside of Mythralis, sorcery is generally viewed with great suspicion, and
practitioners are generally associated with monsters. For more details on how people from each
continent view Dominion Sorcery, see the individual region guides.

On Mythralis, followers of the gods – often called priests or paladins – are the most well-known users of
the Dominions. Note that this is still sorcery; priests typically believe that the Dominions that they are
tapping into are controlled by their gods, and thus, that their Gifts are divinely bestowed or approved.

There are a number of Dominions that are easier to access in the mortal world than others; some believe
that this is because the gods have bound these dominions to the land, others believe that the so-called
planes from which they originate are cosmologically closer to the world.

Whatever the reason, some Dominions are much easier to access than others. These are called Prime
Dominions. Only advanced practitioners of sorcery can hope to delve into the secrets of more advanced
powers, which are called the Deep Dominions. Some Deep Dominions are listed in this book; others
must be learned about and researched in-game.

Spells are manifestations of the power of the dominions. The term “magic” is rarely used for these; on
Mythralis, magic refers to parlor tricks and sleight of hand, whereas true sorcery is the successful use of
supernatural power.

Casting spells has a cost on the caster’s body; this cost is related to the Dominion the caster is drawing
upon. The caster is powering a part of the spell with their own body – this is represented in game
mechanics with Essence, but for role-playing purposes, the toll each Dominion takes on the body is
distinct.
For example, the Dominion of Flame draws upon the body’s heat in order to power spells. A Dominion of
Flame caster is temporarily decreasing their body temperature every time they cast a spell; in extreme
cases, this can be deadly. The Dominion of Water, on the other hand, draws water straight from the
caster, causing dehydration. More powerful spells cause a more extreme the toll on the body.

There are two ways of casting spells.

Dominion Calling involves drawing energy directly out of the Dominion, whereas Shaping involves
modifying material that is already there. A Flamecaller could conjure fire out of thin air to burn their
enemies; a Flameshaper could wave their hand to move or extinguish a bonfire.

This section of the rules covers Calling. The rules for Shaping can be found in the Dominion Shaping
section.

Dominion Sorcery Terminology

Prime Dominion spells are spells that draw upon one of the Prime Dominions. They have normal
Essence costs.

Deep Dominion spells are spells that draw upon one of the Deep Dominions. They cost twice the
amount of Essence that Prime Dominion spells do.

Spell Difficulty is the term for how challenging a spell is to cast. There are four categories of Spell
Difficulty for Dominion Sorcery spells.
 Basic Dominion Sorcery Spells cost no Essence to use. This applies to both Prime and Deep
Dominion spells.
o Basic Spells are always listed as Rank 0 and earned at the same time a player purchases
Rank 1 in the tree.
 Standard Prime Dominion Spells cost 1 Essence to use.
o Standard Deep Dominion Spells cost twice this much, or 2 Essence.
o Standard Spells are Rank 1 to Rank 4.
 Advanced Prime Dominion Spells cost 2 Essence to use.
o Advanced Deep Dominion Spells cost twice this much, or 4 Essence.
o Advanced Spells are Rank 5 in a tree.
 Epic Prime Dominion Spells cost 4 Essence to use.
o Epic Deep Dominion Spells cost twice this much, or 8 Essence.
o Epic Spells are not listed in this rule book, and must be discovered through playing the
game. Characters may spend Time Units to attempt to research Epic Spells once they
reach Rank 6 in a Prime Dominion or Deep Dominion skill tree. All Epic Spells are Rank 6
or higher.
 If a player has an Epic Spell and adds a Key that would increase the Difficulty
level further, the Essence cost of the spell is doubled instead. There is no
difficulty above Epic.

This can be summarized by the table below:

Difficulty Prime Dominion Essence Cost Deep Dominion Essence Cost
Basic 0 0
 Standard 1 2
Advanced 2 4
Epic 4 8

Rituals are spells that require additional preparation, such as material components. Lore – Rituals
contains more information on how to perform Ritual magic.

Researched Spells are unique spells that have been created by characters in the game world. These
spells can often be taught to other characters. See Spell Research, below.

Dominion Keys (or just “Keys”) are fragments of spells that cannot be cast on their own. These keys can
be used to augment other spells when used in spell research. Each Key can only be added to any given
spell once per participant in the spell. Adding Keys does not increase the Essence cost of a spell unless it
explicitly states in the description that it does. See Cooperative Casting for information on spells with
more than one participant.

Carrier Keys add a Carrier to a spell. Spells can only have one Carrier Key. Spells that already contain a
Carrier cannot have Carrier Keys added to them.

Area Keys add or change the area of effect or delivery method of a spell. A spell may only have one Area
Key. Spells that already have a special area of effect or delivery method cannot have Area Keys added to
them. These spells have “Area” listed in their tags section.

Fundamental Spells are spells that have not had Keys added to them.

Complex Spells are spells that have had at least one Key added to them.

Type is the broad term for distinguishing between different types of spells, e.g. Basic vs. Standard or
Fundamental vs. complex. In the spell charts below, all spells are assumed to be Fundamental unless the
word “Complex” is listed in the category section. Spells that contain Carriers or Area modifiers will have
“Carrier” or “Area” listed in this section; in these cases, the spells cannot be combined with Carrier or
Area keys, respectively.

Effect Types refer to the specific power source for an effect. For Dominion Sorcery, the Effect Type of a
spell is the same as its Dominion. Effect types have no special effects on normal players. For example, “2
Fire” has the same effect on a normal PC as 2 damage of any other type. Certain PCs or NPCs may be
more or less vulnerable to specific types of damage due to their own strengths or vulnerabilities.

Both damaging attacks and Effects can have Effect Types, but they are more frequently associated with
damage. An example of an Effect with an Effect Type would be “Poison 1 Wound”. This would indicate
that the attack was dealing 1 Wound and that it was of the Poison Effect Type. This is relevant because
certain characters might be resistant, immune, or vulnerable to specific types of Effects.
Always call the Effect Type of a spell in your call, even if it is not listed on the call list.

Keys that change the Effect Type of a spell also change the Dominion that is used as the source for that
spell. As a result, this means that the Spell Power for that spell is determined by the Dominion of the
Effect Type, not the Dominion of the original spell.
Spell Power is the term for the total level of potency of a spell.

The baseline for your Spell Power is your Rank in Dominion Calling for that Dominion + half your rank in
Dominion Shaping for that Dominion (rounded down) + your Effect Level bonuses.

For example, if you have Rank 3 in Flame Calling and Rank 2 in Flame Shaping with no other bonuses,
your Spell Power would be 4 (3 from your Flame Calling ranks and 1 from your Flame Shaping ranks).

This is then modified by other factors.

 Standard Prime Dominion Spells use the formula as described above.

 Deep Dominion spells have a +1 bonus to Spell Power.
 Basic Spells have half the Spell Power of Standard spells.
 Advanced Spells have a +2 bonus to Spell Power.
 Epic Spells have a +4 bonus to Spell Power.

This can be summarized by the table below:

Difficulty Prime Dominion Modifier Deep Dominion Modifier
Basic ½ Normal ½ Normal
Standard None +1
Advanced +2 +3
Epic +4 +5

Many spells have an effect based on their spell power.

For example, Lightning Bolt is a Standard Deep Dominion Spell from the Dominion of Lightning. It reads,
“You may throw a packet for Channeling Lightning damage equal to your Spell Power.” If the Zarianna
had Rank 3 in the Dominion of Lightning and +2 Effect Levels, Zarianna’s Spell Power for this spell would
be 6 (3 from her Rank, 2 from her Effect Levels, and 1 extra because Lightning is a Deep Dominion). Thus,
the spell would deal “6 Lightning Channeling” damage.

Incantations are words that are used to focus a character’s Essence into casting a spell. Players may
either use a standard incantation (below) or an incantation that has been approved by the game design
team. To request a custom spell incantation, e-mail the game designers for your game.
Custom incantations can be used for both standard rule-book spells and researched spells, at the
discretion of the game design team.

Different categories of spells have different requirements for their standard incantation.
 Basic spells use the incantation, “I call upon (Dominion Name) to cast (spell name).”, where
(Dominion) is the name of the Dominion utilized by the spell, and (spell name) is the name of the
spell. If multiple Dominions are used in the spell, the Dominion referenced in the incantation
should be the one that is determining the Effect Type of the spell. For example, if the spell deals
“2 Fire” damage, the Dominion is Flame, even if other spells or keys are being used.
 Standard spells use the incantation, “With the power of the Dominion of (Dominion Name), I
cast (spell name).”, where (Dominion) is the name of the Dominion utilized by the spell, and
(spell name) is the name of the spell. If multiple Dominions are used in the spell, the Dominion
 referenced in the incantation should be the one that is determining the Effect Type of the spell.
For example, if the spell deals “2 Fire” damage, the Dominion is Fire, even if other spells or keys
are being used.
 Advanced Spells use the incantation, “I reach across to the Planes to call upon the power of
(Dominion name). By the essence within me and the power of the (Prime or Deep) Dominion of
(Dominion Name), I cast (spell name).”
 Epic Spells have their own individual incantations that must be learned and used on a case-by-
case basis.

Gifts are powers granted to the followers of the gods that have grown strong in the use of their deity’s
dominions. These gifts vary wildly from deity-to-deity and often have heavy costs, but offer tremendous
power.

Auras are persistent effects that have created a visible aura of power around the target. A person may
have only one aura active at a time, indicated by holding a red flag, although this hand may be used
normally while holding the flag.

Calls are out-of-game descriptions of an effect.

Casting Styles are different methods of casting Dominion Calling spells. Using a specific style of sorcery
can modify the procedures a sorcerer has to go through in order to cast spells and/or change the effect
of the spell itself.

Role-Playing Side Effects represent the physical costs of sorcery on a character. While Essence use is the
primary game mechanic for simulating this, the role-playing side effects show that each Dominion has a
unique cost on the body. Role-playing these side effects is optional, but encouraged, especially if a
character uses a significant amount of a specific Dominion. These side effects are generally temporary
and a character can recover from them through a night of rest.

If a character uses an extreme amount of a single Dominion (e.g. dropping to 0 Essence or lower), the
player may choose to have their character suffer persistent or permanent damage from this overuse.
This is purely optional for role-playing purposes.

Casting Dominion Calling Spells

The following steps are used when casting a spell:
1. Speak the appropriate incantation for the spell.
2. Spend the required amount of Essence to cast the spell.
3. Deliver the spell to the target. By default, most essence sorcery spells require touching the target
with a packet or throwing a packet at a target. In some cases, other delivery methods can be
used, based on the description of the spell. Some special abilities can change the delivery
methods of spells.
4. State the call spell after you deliver it.

Dominion Calling Casting Restrictions

1. A caster can move while casting, but the caster must have one free hand (it cannot be bound,
wounded, or holding an object).
2. Dominion sorcery spells can be interrupted by damaging the caster while they are focusing, or by
hitting the caster with the “Interrupt” call.
 3. If a dominion sorcery spell is interrupted, the Essence for casting the spell is not spent.
4. Sorcerers cannot cast spells while in the middle of attacking with a weapon unless they have a
special ability that allows them to do so, such as the Archon’s Edge Style.

Identifying Spells
Players may identify a spell (including the Dominion of the spell and any Keys used) that has just been
cast with if they possess Lore – Sorcery (there may be exceptions).
Players who do not have Lore - Sorcery can see the visual effects of spells that are being cast, but will not
know the specific name of the spell, the Dominion it belongs to, etc.
Any character that is affected by a damaging spell is aware of the Effect Type they have just been hit
with. For example, if Rondar is hit with a Fire spell, his character can tell that it was a fire spell.
Characters are not aware of the Effect Type of non-damaging spells that hit them unless they have the
Lore – Sorcery skill.
Prime Dominion Calling
Prime Dominions are the most basic of sorcery, but still difficult to grasp. Even the most basic of spells
require a significant investment of time and a level of inherent talent.

All Prime Dominion Calling Trees are Universal Skills, but note that some species cannot learn them
without meeting specific requirements (or at all). See your species description to see if you have special
rules for learning sorcery.

Rank in Dominion 1 2 3 4 5 6+
Experience Point Cost 3 4 4 4 5 Previous Rank’s Cost +1

Flame Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Damaging
Secondary Spell Categories: Debuffing
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Expends body heat, causes chills and eventually hypothermia

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Creates a tiny, non-damaging flame. This is sufficient
0 Kindle Create Fire Instant Basic Spell
to light a campfire or a torch.
(1/2 Spell You may hurl a single packet and call (1/2 Flame Spell
0 Burn Instant Basic Spell
Power) Fire Power, rounded up) Fire damage.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Flame. The spell
now uses your Flame Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Fire Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Fire
damage.
(Flame Spell
You may hurl a single packet that deals Fire damage
1 Flame Arc Power +1) Instant Standard Spell
equal to your Flame Spell Power +1.
Fire
You may place a magical brand on the target. This
brand is normally permanent, but it may be removed
with magical healing or any spell that removes
magical effects. The brand itself is a symbol of your
Fire Create designs. Objects may be branded; however, magical
2 Brand Special Standard Spell
Brand objects may be resistant to this spell or be damaged
by it.

There is no limit to the number of brands you may

have at any given time.
Increases the damage of a damaging spell by +2, but
increases the Difficulty by one category (e.g. from
Standard to Advanced).

3 Burning Key n/a n/a Key Alternatively, this may be added to a spell that
enhances weapons, such as Flameblade. If so, it adds
+1 damage to that spell for the duration, but
increases the Difficulty by one category (e.g.
Advanced to Epic).
Grant
Weapon
Grants a single weapon the ability to deal the Flame
3 Flameblade Flame 10 Minutes Standard Spell
damage type for 10 minutes.
Damage, 10
Minutes
4 Burning Spheres (1/2 Flame 10 Minutes Standard Area Spell You may cast this spell to create three globes of
Spell Power) flame (packets) that you can hurl for Fire damage
Fire equal to half your Flame Spell Power, rounded up.
 You may hurl these packet all together or wait up to
ten minutes between throwing them. The flames
from these globes do not harm you, but you cannot
hand the globes to others.
Adds “Within the Sound of My Voice” to a damage-
dealing spell. This cannot be combined with any spell
that does anything other than direct damage; for
example, it cannot be used with spells that deal
Wounds. This cannot be combined with Unavoidable.
5 Inferno Key n/a n/a Area Key
Adding this Key to a spell increases the Difficulty of
the spell by one category. For example, Basic spells
become Standard, and Standard spells become
Advanced.
Within the
Sound of My You may call, “Within the Sound of My Voice – 1
5 Inferno Instant Advanced Area Spell
Voice – 1 Fire”.
Fire

Water Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Restoring
Secondary Spell Categories: Controlling
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Gradually dehydrates the user

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

You may create up to 1 gallon of water. Once created,
0 Create Water Create Water Instant Basic Spell
this water is non-magical in nature.
Water
0 Splash Instant Basic Spell You may throw a packet for “Water Knockdown 5”.
Knockdown 5
Changes the dominion of a spell to Water. The spell
now uses your Water Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Water Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Water
damage.
You may restore (1/2 Water Spell Power, rounded up)
(1/2 Water Essence to a target.
Water Restore 1
1 Hydrate Spell Power, Standard Spell
Essence
rounded up) You may only cast this spell on any specific target
once per hour.
(½ Water Spell
You may hurl a single packet for “X Water”, where X
2 Water Bolt Power) Water Instant Standard Spell
is equal to half your Water Spell Power, rounded up.
Damage
Increases the Spell Power of a spell that removes
3 Purity Key n/a n/a Key
negative effects, such as the Purify spell, by 1.
You may remove all poisons, diseases, and other
Water Remove
toxins from up to 1 gallon of liquid. Alternatively, you
3 Purify Poison and Instant Standard Spell
may touch a target and call “Water Remove Poison”
Disease
or “Water Remove Disease”.
Knockdown (2x You may hurl a single packet for either “Water
4 Wave Water Spell Instant Standard Spell Knockdown X”, where X is equal to twice your Water
Power) Spell Power.
When added to a spell, this allows you to throw up to
5 Flood Key n/a n/a Area Key
three packets of that spell.
Water You may hurl up to 3 packets for “Water Knockdown
Knockdown (2x X”, where X is equal to twice your Water Spell Power.
5 Flood Instant Advanced Area Spell
Water Spell
Power) This cannot be combined with Area Keys.
Air Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Transporting
Secondary Spell Categories: Controlling
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes difficulty breathing and speaking

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

You may create a slight breeze that can move an
0 Breeze Unique – Breeze Instant Basic Spell object up to 10 pounds a short distance, extinguish a
flame, etc.
0 Gust Air Knockback 5 Instant Basic Spell You may throw a packet for “Air Knockback 5”.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Air. The spell now
uses your Air Spell Power in the place of the Spell
Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Air Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Water
damage.
You may send a single message of up to 30 seconds
Unique – Air
1 Wind Instant Standard Spell in length to a target within 5 miles whom you have
Message
already met.
Air Knockback
You may hurl a single packet for “Air Knockback X”,
2 Gale (5x Air Spell Instant Standard Spell
where X is equal to five times your Air Spell Power.
Power)
Increases the Spell Power of a Knockdown or
3 Floating Key n/a n/a Key
Knockback spell by 1.
You may touch a target and cause them to levitate.
The target is only levitated a few feet above the
ground and may be attacked normally; however, this
Air Levitate 1 can be used to float someone over pits or other
3 Levitate 1 Minutes Standard Spell
Minute obstacles. The target may move at a “walking” pace
that represents them floating in the air.

Levitated targets can attack and defend normally.

(1/2 Air Spell For the next 10 minutes, as long as you stand still in
Power, rounded one location, you may hurl as many packets as you
4 Tornado up) or Air 10 Minutes Standard Spell want (one at a time) for “(1/2 Air Spell Power,
Knockback (5x rounded up) Air” or “Air Knockback X”, where X is
Air Spell Power) equal to five times your Air Spell Power.
Adds “Within the Sound of My Voice” to any spell
that does not deal damage. This cannot be combined
any spell with a damage value; however, it can be
combined with offensive spells that do not have a
damage value, such as Paralyze or Wound. This
5 Hurricane Key n/a n/a Area Key cannot be combined with Unavoidable.

Adding this Key to a spell increases the Difficulty of

the spell by one category. For example, Basic spells
become Standard, and Standard spells become
Advanced.
Within the
Sound of My You may call “Within the Sound of My Voice, Air
5 Hurricane Voice Air Instant Advanced Area Spell Knockback X”, where X is equal to five times your Air
Knockback (5x Spell Power.
Air Spell Power)

Stone Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Buffing
Secondary Spell Categories: Debuffing
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Expends muscular and bone strength, causes soreness and fatigue

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

You may create up to a one foot square of raw stone,
sand, or dirt. This material has no monetary value
0 Create Stone Create Stone Instant Basic Spell and any objects made with this material have no
material bonuses and cannot have crafting
techniques applied to them.
You may touch a target and call “Stone Restore 1 Hit
Point”. This spell cannot heal wounds.
Restore 1 Hit
0 Reinforce Instant Basic Spell
Point
This spell can only be cast on any given target once
per minute.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Stone. The spell
now uses your Stone Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Stone Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Earth
damage.
Stone Enhance
The target’s skin hardens into a rocklike material. The
Hit Points (1/2
1 Harden Skin 10 Minutes Standard Spell target gains (1/2 Stone Spell Power) Hit Points for 10
Stone Spell
Minutes.
Power)
(Stone Spell
You may hurl a single packet and call, “X Massive
2 Stone Bolt Power) Massive Instant Standard Spell
Earth”, where “X” is equal to your Stone Spell Power.
Earth
When added to a spell, this spell now augments
unarmed attacks in some way determined based on
3 Fist Key n/a n/a Key
the spell it is linked to. Typically, this enhancement
for 10 minutes.
Stone Grant
Your target gains +1 damage with unarmed attacks
Unarmed
3 Fists of Stone 10 Minutes Standard Spell for 10 minutes. Effect Level increases improve the
Damage 1, 10
duration of this skill, not the amount enhanced.
Minutes
Restore (1/
You may touch a target and call “Stone Restore X Hit
Stone Spell
4 Greater Reinforce Instant Standard Spell Point”, where X is equal to half your Stone Spell
Power) Hit
Power, rounded up. This spell cannot heal wounds.
Points
Increases the Spell Power of an Enhance or Grant
5 Hardness Key n/a n/a Key
spell by +2.
Stone Enhance
The target’s skin hardens into a diamantine material.
Hit Points
5 Diamond Skin 1 Hour Advanced Spell The target gains (Stone Spell Power) Hit Points for 1
(Stone Spell
Hour.
Power)

Life Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Healing
Secondary Spell Categories: Restoring
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: User suffers pain, extreme use causes degradation in organ
function

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

0 Diagnose Life Identify Instant Basic Spell You may touch a target and sense any injuries or
Condition Negative maladies they are suffering from. Note that while
Effects poisons and diseases may be detected, compulsion
and curses may not. You may determine the specific
type of non-magical poisons and diseases; however,
 you cannot identify magical poisons or diseases.
Life Seal 1 You may touch a target and seal a single one of their
0 Seal Wound Instant Basic Spell
Wound wounds.
Life Heal
(Life Spell This spell causes sealed wounds to heal more quickly.
Power) You may cause X sealed wounds on the target to heal
1 Quicken Recovery Instant Standard Spell
Sealed within 1 minute, where X is equal to your Life Spell
Wounds in 1 Power.
Minute
Changes the dominion of a spell to Life. The spell
now uses your Life Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Life Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Light
damage.
Life Transfer The caster may transfer any negative effect on
2 Transfer (negative Instant Standard Spell another character to any other willing recipient. The
effect) caster must touch both targets with a packet.
Increases the Spell Power of a spell that seal or heals
3 Healing Key n/a n/a Key
wounds by 1.
You may touch a target and heal one of their
3 Touch of Life Life Heal 1 Instant Standard Spell wounds. This spell does not improve with Effect Level
increases or Spell Power.
You may throw a packet at a target and call “Remove
Remove All
All Attribute Debuffs”. This removes all negative
4 Restoration Attribute Instant Standard Spell
effects that modify your core attributes, such as
Debuffs
Strength and Dexterity.
Allows you to restore something related to the spell
5 Restorative Key n/a n/a Key
this is linked to.
You may throw a packet for “Life Heal X”, where X is
Life Heal
equal to your Life Spell Power.
(Life Spell
5 Flare of Life Instant Advanced Spell
Power)
If the target is not wounded, this restores Hit Points
Wounds
instead.

Death Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Controlling
Secondary Spell Categories: Debuffing
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually becomes numb, loses self-regulatory mechanics
such as sweating

Note: Any use of the Dominion of Death is illegal in the cities of Aayara, Valeria, and most other major
cities. Punishments vary by city.

Rank Name Duration Call Type Description

Allows the caster to gather some of the essence of a
dead creature to regain 1 Essence. This may only be
Restore 1
0 Harvest Essence Instant Basic Spell done once per dead creature. The caster may not
Essence
gain more than half of their Essence in this way in a
single hour.
You may hurl a single packet and call “1/2 Spell
0 Shadow Bolt Instant 1 Shadow Basic Spell
Power Shadow” damage.
1 Death Key n/a n/a Key Changes the dominion of a spell to Death. The spell
now uses your Death Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.

If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Shadow

 damage.
You may throw a packet for “(Death Spell Power)
Shadow”.

If this packet successfully deals damage (to Hit Points

or causing a wound), you temporarily gain +1 Hit
Point. This bonus Hit Point lasts for 10 Minutes. This
ability can stack with itself up to (Death Spell Power)
times. Each time you successfully deal damage with
Instant this ability, the duration of your Hit Points bonus
(damage) (Death Spell resets.
1 Steal Fortitude Power) Standard Spell
10 Minutes Shadow This ability can only grant bonus Hit Points; it cannot
(buff duration) restore your normal Hit Points, heal your wounds, or
restore Hit Points provided by this same ability.

This cannot be combined with any ability that would

make it “Within the Sound of My Voice” or “Within
the Reach of My Weapon”.

Spell Power increases the damage dealt by this

2 Weaken
3 Corpse Key
ability, not the duration of the buff.
Shadow
Reduce You may throw a packet for “Shadow Reduce
5 Minutes Standard Spell
Damage by Damage by 1, 5 Minutes”.
1, 5 Minutes
Allows you to augment a specific spell to function
n/a n/a Key
specifically on the dead.
You may hurl a packet at a target and call, “Remove
Skill (x) (Death Spell Power) Minutes”, where (x) is
the name of a specific combat maneuver, spell, or
unique ability the target possess.

This cannot remove any skills other than combat

maneuvers, spells, and certain unique abilities (as
Remove Skill per game design discretion). If the target does not
3 Remove Skill 10 Minutes (x) 10 Standard Spell have the skill you have designated, they may call “No
Minutes Effect”.

This does not remove an entire skill tree; rather, it

simply disables that specific maneuver, spell, or
unique ability.

This cannot be combined with “By the Sound of my

Voice”.
This spell prevents a dying or dead target from
Delay Death, deteriorating further. While this spell is active, the
Death Spell
(Death Spell timer for determining how difficult it is to resurrect
4 Delay Death Power x2 Standard Spell
Power x2 the target is paused. This is applicable to both
Minutes
Minutes) mundane resuscitation and sorcerous resurrection
abilities.
Increases the Spell Power of an ability with the
5 Drain Key n/a n/a Key
Remove or Reduce call by +1.
1 Shadow
5 Wound Instant Advanced Spell You may throw a packet for “1 Shadow Wound”.
Wound

Light Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Damaging
Secondary Spell Categories: Debuffing
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually loses the ability to fight off external threats, e.g.
poisons and diseases
 Rank Name Duration Call Type Description
You create a small source of light (i.e. a flashlight or
0 Light Instant Create Light Basic Spell
lantern). This may not be used offensively.
Light You may hurl a single packet for “Remove Vision, 5
Remove Seconds”. The target must role-play being blind (do
0 Blind Instant Basic Spell
Vision 5 not actually fight blindly) and cannot take offensive
Seconds actions for 5 seconds.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Light. The spell
now uses your Light Spell Power in the place of the
Spell Power of its original dominion in calculations.
1 Light Key n/a n/a Key
If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Light
damage.
(Light Spell You may hurl a single packet for Light damage equal
1 Light Bolt Instant Standard Spell
Power) Light to your Light Spell Power.
You create a sufficient amount of light to illuminate
an entire room or a marked circle up to 10’ in
diameter.
Create
2 Brightness Instant Standard Spell
Bright Light This is countered by Darkness if the spell power of
the Darkness spell exceeds the power of this one,
and vice versa. If the spell power is the same, the
most recently cast spell wins.
Adds “Remove Vision, 30 Seconds” to a spell. If the
spell was a damaging spell, this must be thrown as a
3 Blinding Key Instant n/a Key
separate packet. This has the same restrictions as
Blinding Light.
Light You may hurl a single packet for “Remove Vision, 30
Remove Seconds”. The target must role-play being blind (do
3 Blinding Light Instant Standard Spell
Vision 30 not actually fight blindly) and cannot take offensive
Seconds actions for 30 seconds.
You may place an aura around the target that lasts
for one hour or until the target is struck, whichever is
Aura – (Light sooner. When the target is struck, he or she may call
4 Aura of Light 1 Hour Spell Power) Standard Spell "Aura - X Light" on the attacker, where X is equal to
Light the caster’s Spell Power.

This ability requires a red flag.

5 Aura Key
5 Piercing Light Instant
You may change the spell into an effect that is
triggered when the target is struck. This aura may be
triggered to work on either the target or the attacker,
1 Hour n/a Area Key but this must be designated when the spell is
created. The aura lasts 1 hour or until discharged,
whichever is sooner. Targets may only have one aura
at a time. This requires a red flag.
You may hurl a packet for (Light Spell Power)
Advanced Light.
(Light Spell Advanced Carrier
Power) Light Spell
This cannot be combined with Area Keys or Carrier
Keys.

Shadow Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Debuffing
Secondary Spell Categories: Obscuring
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually loses the ability to recover from fatigue and
injuries

Rank Name Duration Call Type Description

 Create You may hurl a packet to extinguish any light source
0 Conjure Shadow Instant Basic Spell
Darkness up to the size of a bonfire.
You may hurl a packet and call Shadow Remove (1/2
Shadow Spell Power, rounded up) Essence”. If this
spell is not physically dodged, evaded, or otherwise
Shadow
avoided you gain 1 Essence. Targets with no Essence
Remove (1/2
remaining should call “No Effect”; however, NPCs
0 Fatigue Instant Shadow Standard Spell
with an unspecified amount of Essence for abilities
Spell Power)
should not call this and are considered affected by
Essence
this ability. You do not regain Essence if the target
calls “No Effect”.

Changes the dominion of a spell to Shadow. The spell

now uses your Shadow Spell Power in the place of
the Spell Power of its original dominion in
1 Shadow Key n/a n/a Key calculations.

If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Shadow

damage.
Reduce
Willpower You may throw a packet for “Reduce Willpower by 1,
1 Doubt Instant Standard Spell
by 1, 5 5 Minutes”.
Minutes
You create a sufficient amount of darkness to
obscure an entire room or a marked circle up to 10’
in diameter.
Create
2 Darkness Instant Standard Spell
Darkness This is countered by Brightness if the spell power of
the Brightness spell exceeds the power of this one,
and vice versa. If the spell power is the same, the
most recently cast spell wins.
Increases the Spell Power of a spell with the Remove
3 Fatigue Key n/a n/a Key
call by 1.
Shadow
Grant 1 Rank Your target gains one Rank in the Art of Stealth for 10
3 Cloak of Shadows 10 Minutes Standard Spell
in Art of minutes.
Stealth
You may hurl a packet and call Remove (Shadow Spell
Power) Essence.

Shadow If this spell is not physically dodged, evaded, or

Remove otherwise avoided you gain 1 Essence (not Essence
4 Weaken Instant (Shadow Standard Spell equal to your Spell Power). Targets with no Essence
Spell Power) remaining should call “No Effect”; however, NPCs
Essence with an unspecified amount of Essence for abilities
should not call this and are considered affected by
this ability. You do not regain Essence if the target
calls “No Effect”.
Increases the Spell Power of any spell that helps
5 Obfuscation Key n/a n/a Key
avoid detection by 1.
5 Choking Shadow Instant Shadow Advanced Spell You may hurl a packet and call “Remove Breath - 1
Remove Minute”. The target must role-play difficulty with
Breath 1 breathing for the next minute and must move and
Minute fight at half speed or less. The target cannot cast
Dominion Sorcery spells (unless they can do so
silently), use Performance skills, or use Command
skills while under this effect.

A character subjected to this spell twice in

immediate succession will fall unconscious after the
second minute unless they are assisted with
breathing. Unconscious characters remain
 unconscious for one minute, or they can be
awakened with a three-count.

Targets under the effect of Air Shaping – Breath are

not affected by this spell.

Knowledge Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Detecting
Secondary Spell Categories: Buffing
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Costs memories, causes difficulty in concentrating

Rank Name Duration Call Type Description

You may use this spell to attempt to analyze
Unique – something you do not clearly understand, such as
0 Analyze Instant Basic Spell
Analyze an object, a concept, or a language. See the design
team. This will not always work.
After casting this spell, you may call “Knowledge
Evaluate Evaluate Damage” or “Knowledge Evaluate Hit
10 Minutes (Damage/ Hit Points”, or “Evaluate Dominion Weakness” once
0 Evaluate Basic Spell
(one use) Points within the next 10 minutes. “Evaluate Dominion
/Weakness) Weakness” tells you the Dominion the target is
weakest against, if any.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Knowledge.
Knowledge The spell now uses your Knowledge Spell Power in
1 n/a n/a Key
Key the place of the Spell Power of its original
dominion in calculations.
Knowledge
You may remember the next 10 minutes that
1 Memory 10 Minutes Grant Memory Standard Spell
occur perfectly at any time.
10 Minutes
Knowledge
When casting this spell, the caster must choose
Remove 1 (Fear,
either: Fear, Paralysis, Compel, or Memory. The
2 Restore Mind Instant Paralysis, Standard Spell
caster may remove a single Effect of the chosen
Compel, or
type from a target.
Memory)
Identification When linked to a spell, this allows you to identify
3 n/a n/a Key
Key something other than items or enchanted targets.
3 Identify Instant Knowledge Standard Spell You may throw a packet at a target and call
Identify “Knowledge Identify Strongest Dominion Name
Strongest and Rank. This will tell you the target’s strongest
Dominion Name Dominion and their Rank in that Dominion.
and Rank*
If you have already succeeded at this once, you
Knowledge may cast it again and use the call “Knowledge
Identify Identify Next Strongest Dominion Name and
Strongest Active Rank”. You may continue this until the target has
Spell Effect given you all their Dominion information or uses
defenses to stop this from working.

Alternatively, you may throw a packet and call

“Knowledge Identify Strongest Active Spell Effect”.
This tells you the highest ranking spell that is
currently active on the target.

If you have already succeeded at doing this, you

may cast it again and use the call “Knowledge
Identify Next Strongest Active Spell Effect”, etc.

This can be used on either creatures, items, or

individual runes on an item or ritual. When used
on an individual rune, it will tell you either the
 Rank of the rune or the specific function,
depending on which version of the spell you use.
You are able to detect illusions for up to 10
Knowledge
Detect minutes. This allows you to see characters that are
4 10 Minutes Sense Illusion 10 Standard Spell
Illusion invisible through sorcerous means if your Spell
Minutes
power exceeds the Spell Power of the illusion.
Adds the “Advanced” carrier to a Sense, Identify,
5 Detection Key n/a n/a Key or Evaluate spell, but increases the Difficulty by
one step.
This spell leads the caster unerringly towards a
target that the caster has had contact with within
the last 6 months of game time. They know
intuitively where this target is and the easiest way
to reach them.

The call is “Knowledge – Advanced Locate (Target

Knowledge Name), 10 Minutes”. This spell contains the
5 Locate Person 10 Minutes Advanced Locate Advanced Spell Advanced carrier, and thus it can only be blocked
(Target Name) by Advanced and Epic defenses.

If the target moves to another plane of existence,

Locate Person will report the plane the target has
traveled to, but no further specific directions can
be given unless the caster also moves to the
target’s plane. If this occurs, the spell resumes
functioning immediately.

Deception Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Obscuring
Secondary Spell Categories: Controlling
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes headaches, diminishes ability to think laterally and be
creative

Note: All creatures under the effects of an illusion or illusionary creatures require a green flag. Illusions
are trumped by detection spells with a Spell Power that is greater than that of the illusion.
Rank Name Duration Call Type Description
Creates a small magical illusion, such as a flash of
0 Sleight of Hand Instant n/a Basic Spell
light or a card trick.
Deception You may throw a packet and call “Deception
Compel – Look Compel – Look Behind You, 3 Seconds”.
0 Distraction Instant Basic Spell
Behind You, 3
Seconds The target may react if attacked.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Deception. The
spell now uses your Deception Spell Power in the
1 Deception Key n/a n/a Key
place of the Spell Power of its original dominion in
calculations.
Creates a basic illusion that can move a short
distance in a pre-set path, but does not generate
sound. This illusion is not intelligent and cannot
Deception
1 Create Image 10 Minutes Standard Spell interact with anyone. For example, this could be
Create Image
used to create the illusion of someone running in
a certain direction down a path. The illusion is
created at the location of a packet or brand.
Deception Grant Your target gains one use of the Evade call which
2 Displacement 10 Minute 1 Evade, 10 Standard Spell must be used within the next 10 Minutes. This
Minutes Evade has no Essence cost.
3 Illusion Key n/a n/a Key This adds the “No Effect” call to a spell. In essence,
this allows you to produce something that looks
like an effect but actually does nothing. This
 component *decreases* the cost of a spell to 1
point.
Deception
Compel (three
You may hurl a single packet and call “Compel –
word command)
3 Trickery 10 Seconds Standard Spell (three word command) X Seconds”, where X is
(5x Deception
equal to five times your Deception Spell Power.
Spell Power)
Seconds
This spell grants the target the ability to call
“Nullify” on abilities with the Sense, Identify, or
Deception Grant Evaluate calls for the next 10 minutes.
4 Nondetection 10 Minutes Nondetection, Standard Spell
10 Minutes Sense, Identify, and Evaluate abilities with the
Advanced, Epic, or Unavoidable carrier can
penetrate this defense.
Obscures a specific quality tied to this key for 10
minutes.
10 Minutes or
5 Nondetection Key n/a Key This follows the same rules for Nondetection,
based on spell
above, in terms of power comparisons and
detection abilities; it simply obscures something
specific rather than blocking all detection spells.
You may create a convincing illusions of objects,
Deception creatures, etc. that would total no more than 1000
5 Hallucination 10 Minutes Create Advanced Spell pounds if they were real. These illusions can
Hallucination interact with others, but do not generate sound. If
attacked, all images fade out of existence instantly.

Motion Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Buffing
Secondary Spell Categories: Controlling
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes lethargy, difficulty moving, and eventual muscular damage

Rank Name Duration Call Type Description

You may slightly enhance a single physical act
performed by the target in the next 5 minutes.
Motion Enhance
0 Tweak 5 Minutes Basic Spell This is not as extreme as a full rank in an attribute
1 Physical Action
may allow something that is just slightly beyond a
character’s normal physical capabilities.
Motion
0 Force Instant Basic Spell You may throw a packet for “Motion Knockback 5”.
Knockback 5
Changes the dominion of a spell to Motion. The
spell now uses your Motion Spell Power in the
place of the Spell Power of its original dominion in
1 Motion Key n/a n/a Key calculations.

If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Air

damage.
Your target gains 1 Rank in the Strength skill for 10
Motion Grant minutes. If this is cast on a target more than once
1 Augment Strength 10 Minutes Standard Spell
Strength 1 per hour, the target takes a limb wound for each
casting until he or she rests for 1 hour.
Motion
Knockback (5x You may throw a packet for “Motion Knockback X”,
2 Wave of Force Instant Standard Spell
Motion Spell where X is equal to five times your Spell Power.
Power)
Allows you to throw one additional packet of a
3 Dispersion Key n/a n/a Area Key spell with the Knockdown or Knockback call. This
cannot be added to spells that deal damage.
 Motion Grant Increases your target’s Dexterity by 1 Rank for 10
3 Haste 10 Minutes Dexterity 1, 10 Standard Spell Minutes. The call for this is “Grant Dexterity 1, 10
Minutes Minutes”.
You grant your target a burst of momentum,
allowing them to move in a blur of motion up to X
seconds, where X is three times your Spell Power.

This ability looks like teleportation to most

observers, but the target must actually cross the
intervening space physically – just at a very rapid
speed. This means Instant Movement cannot be
used to move through walls or other obstacles. It
can, however, be used to jump across large gaps,
or on top of buildings, provided they are within
range.

Instant While using this ability, put your hands over your
3x Motion
Movement, 3x head to move out-of-game to your destination.
4 Instant Movement Spell Power Standard Spell
Motion Spell You cannot attack others or be attacked during
Seconds
Power Seconds this time, nor can you interact with objects in your
path.

You may call “No Effect” on any normal damaging

attacks or negative Effects that you encounter
during this time; however, you will suffer damage
if you cross any trapped areas or anything that
causes Unavoidable damage.

You may not attack anyone for three seconds after

using this ability. You may defend yourself
normally, however.

This spell cannot be Sustained.

When linked to a spell, this increases a skill related
5 Augmentation Key 10 Minutes n/a Key
to that spell by 1 Rank for 10 minutes.
Motion Grant
Increases the target’s damage with physical
5 Momentum 10 Minutes Physical Damage Advanced Spell
attacks by 1 point for 10 minutes.
1, 10 Minutes

Stability Calling
Primary Spell Categories: Buffing
Secondary Spell Categories: Restoring
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes difficulty with retaining concentration on tasks

Rank Name Duration Call Type Description

Decreases the Essence cost of the next ability the
target uses within the next 10 minutes by 1. This
can reduce a spell that normally costs 1 Essence to
0 Essence (this is an exception to the normal rule
Stability
on this subject).
Reduce Essence
0 Increase Efficiency 10 Minutes Cost by 1 for one Basic Spell
This cannot be used to decrease the Essence cost
spell, 10
of abilities that restore or transfer Essence. The
minutes
Essence cost of this ability cannot be decreased.

This spell can only be cast on any given target

once per hour.
0 Maintain 30 Seconds Maintain (Effect) Basic Spell Increases the duration of a specified Effect that is
 30 Seconds already on a target for an additional 30 seconds.
Pauses the effect of a specified, currently active
Stability Freeze Effect (beneficial or detrimental) that is on the
(Stability
Effect (Stability target. The targeted Effect ceases to function for
1 Freeze Effect Spell Power Standard Spell
Spell Power x5) (Stability Spell Power x5) minutes, and then
x5) Minutes
Minutes resumes immediately after the duration of this
spell expires.
Changes the dominion of a spell to Stability. The
spell now uses your Stability Spell Power in the
place of the Spell Power of its original dominion in
1 Stability Key n/a n/a Key calculations.

If the spell is a damaging spell, it now deals Earth

damage.
Grant 1 Use Grants the target a single use of the Tenacity
2 Tenacity of Tenacity, 10 Minutes Standard Spell combat maneuver. This must be used within the
10 Minutes next ten minutes.
3 Preservation Key n/a n/a Key Increases the duration of a spell by 1 Spell Power.
Stability Restores a durational spell that is already in effect
Restore Duration on a target to its maximum duration, or restores a
3 Preservation Special Standard Spell
Or Restore 1 single use to a spell that provides an effect
Spell Use multiple times (such as multiple hits of “Nullify”).
Stability
Increase
Increases the target’s maximum Essence by 1 for
4 Steadiness 10 Minutes Maximum Standard Spell
10 minutes.
Essence by 1, 10
Minutes
Decreases the Spell Power of the spell by 1, but
5 Maintenance Key n/a n/a Key multiplies the duration by 2. The decrease in Spell
Power occurs before the multiplication.
Stability Increases the Spell Power of a spell already on a
Increase (x) target by 1. This spell can only be used to amplify
5 Amplify Effect Special Advanced Spell
Spell’s Effect by one spell on any given target at a time, and
1 multiple uses of this spell do not stack.

Deep Dominion Calling

Deep Dominions are harder to access than Prime Dominions and often require years of study to learn to
access, perhaps decades to master. Each Deep Dominion requires some skill in either one of two Prime
Dominions to access.

All Deep Dominion Calling trees are Trained Skills.

All Deep Dominions are now located in the Advanced Rule Book. This is purely for organization purposes;
Deep Dominions can still be purchased during character creation if the character has the appropriate
prerequisites.

Creating New Dominion Calling Spells

Players may attempt to create spells that are not listed in this guide. This process is commonly referred
to as “Spell Research”. These spells can be more powerful versions of existing spells, combinations of
spells and up to two keys, or entirely new spells of your own design.

The simplest way to create a new spell is to take an existing spell and add up to two Keys to it. Keys are
gained automatically by purchasing ranks in a Dominion, just like spells, but they cannot be cast on their
own. Each Key has certain restrictions on what spells it can be added to. Some rare Keys also change the
Difficulty level of the spell, which can increase the Essence cost, but most Keys do not increase the
Essence cost of the spell.

Players may also attempt to research new Fundamental Spells similar to the ones in the rules or new
Keys. If you have an idea for a new Fundamental Spell or Key, e-mail the game designers for your game
with your request to discuss it.

Players may begin play with researched spells if they expend some of their starting 30 Time Units for this
purpose. See the Passage of Time section for details.

Spell Design Restrictions

The following are rules for specific types of spells players cannot create.
 Every Dominion has “Primary Spell Categories” and “Secondary Spell Categories” listed under
the name. These indicate the types of spells that can be researched for this Dominion.
Dominions generally cannot be used for creating spells that are not in their Primary or Secondary
Categories. Spells in Primary Categories tend to be more effective for their Rank than spells in
Secondary Categories.
o Keys that change the Dominion a spell draws from generally cannot be used to change a
spell to a Dominion that does not support that category of spell.
 For example, you cannot add “Fire Key” to Touch of Life to make a healing spell
that draws from the Dominion of Flame, because Healing is not one of the
Dominion of Flame’s categories.
o There may be some exceptions to this when it’s logical for the spell to exist, but as a
general rule, you cannot construct a spell that does not fit in one of the Dominion’s
categories.
o There are several types of spell categories.
 Damaging: Spells that deal standard numeric damage to a target, e.g. “2 Fire”.
 Healing: Spells that restore Hit Points or close wounds, e.g. “Life Heal 1”.
 Restoring: Spells that restore a resource, such as Essence.
 Curing: Spells that remove negative effects, e.g. “Water Remove All Poison
Effects”.
 Buffing: Spells that enhance or grant abilities to the target, e.g. “Stone Enhance
Armor 5, 10 Minutes”.
 Controlling: Spells that slow, paralyze, or otherwise impede another character,
e.g. “Air Knockback 5”.
 Debuffing: Spells that decrease or remove abilities from the target, e.g. “Shadow
Remove 1 Essence”.
 Detecting: Spells that gather information, e.g. “Knowledge Identify Dominion
Sorcery”.
 Obscuring: Spells that prevent the gathering of information, e.g. “Deception
Grant Invisibility 1 Minute”.
 Transporting: Spells that involve transporting a target from one location to
another immediately, e.g. “Travel Teleport 30 Feet”.
 Spells that increase damage for a duration longer than one attack cannot increase this number
by more than 1 without Keys or Effect Level increases.
 Spells that increase character skills cannot increase the rank of these skills by more than 2
without Keys.
  Spells that increase armor cannot increase or restore this number by more than 2 without Keys
or Effect Level increases.
 Any given Key can only be added to any spell once per participant in the spell.
 No spell can Grant a target more than three uses of the Nullify call. This even applies to
Cooperative Spells.
 Spells cannot be combined directly with other spells; they can only be combined with Keys.
 Any given Key can only be added to a spell once per participant in the spell.

Thus, a player could research a new spell without any Keys that deals "4 Light" damage, but not a spell
without Keys that deals "5 Fire" damage. If the player wanted a spell that deals "5 Fire" damage, he or
she could take the Fiery Lance spell and add the Incinerating Key.

Submitting Spell Designs

Spell Recipes should be submitted to the game designers for your game in a format similar to the
template below.
Spell: (name your spell)
Spell Difficulty: The level of difficulty of the spell (e.g. Basic, Standard, Advanced, or Epic).
Essence Cost: (the total Essence cost of the spell)
Spells and Keys Used: (list any spells and keys used)
Incantation: (list the requested incantation; this does not include the game call)
Description: (describe the end result you are looking for)
Call: (List the call for your ability)

Researched spells must be listed on the player’s character sheet.

In summary, the options for spell research are as follows:

1. An entirely new base spell.
2. An existing spell plus up to a maximum of two Keys. Each Key can only be added once per
participant in the spell.
3. A new Key.

Examples:
Travis the Orcslayer has Rank 3 in the Sight Dominion and Rank 1 in the Sound Dominion. Normally, the
illusions in the Deception Dominion are soundless, so he requests a spell to create a more convincing
illusion. The Game Design Team decides after talking to Travis that what he’s looking for is a more
powerful version of Create Image that also includes sound. He adds decides to take the Create Image
spell (Standard Sound Spell) and add the Sound Key (Standard Sound Key). The final spell is called
Superior Image, and it works exactly like Create Image, but also makes convicting sounds.

Lucien is a Lorekeeper of Eratar, the God of Air. He has mastered the Air and Lightning dominions, but
seeks a way to increase his versatility in battle. He decides he needs to be able to deal damage of a
different element and chooses Light, but he prefers the rapid-casting Lightning spells he’s used to. He
decides to research a spell to rapidly hurl bolts of light, similar to his Chain Lightning spell. He combines
the “Chain Key” (Standard Lightning Key) with “Light Bolt” (Standard Light Spell). The result is a spell that
functions exactly like “Chain Lightning”, but allows him to throw packets for “2 Light” damage instead.

Darious is a Paladin of Lysandri. In order to achieve one of his quests, he must seek out a broken relic on
an island out at sea. To expedite this voyage, he decides he wants to research an entirely new spell to
walk on Water. Darious only has Rank 1 in the Water Dominion. The Design Team decides that Walk on
Water would be a Rank 3 spell, so Darious needs to take some time to gain in experience before he will
be ready to learn it.

Learning Existing Spells

To learn a spell created by another caster, one must have access to the spell, either through a scroll or
with the assistance from someone who knows the spell. This requires fewer Time Units than inventing a
spell from scratch. When learning a spell from another player, the player who is learning must submit an
e-mail record to the game designer in charge of spell research. This is subject to potential auditing at a
later time. In order to be able to cast a spell, one must have the appropriate prerequisite skills.

Researching New Keys

Players may attempt to research new Keys by spending Time Units. The new Key must not duplicate the
function of an existing Key and must be approved by the Game Design team.

Researched Keys only cost Time Units, not Experience Points. See the Time Units section for costs.

Planar Essence
Planar Essence is a fragment of a Dominion that been harnessed and contained by a sorcerer for use in
rituals, enchanting, or other forms of sorcery. More information on it can be found in the advanced rule
book.
Dominion Calling Styles
Dominion Calling Styles enhance a sorcerer’s ability to control the power that they channel through
casting spells. Different Calling Styles enable sorcerers to cast or manipulate their spells in some ways.
Learning any new Dominion Calling Style requires purchasing the Lore for that style.

Dominion Calling Styles can only be used on Dominion Calling spells unless the character has a skill that
allows them to be used on other types of sorcery.

Sorcery Styles cannot be combined with other Sorcery Styles unless explicitly stated in their description.

All Dominion Calling Styles are Trained Skills.

Rank in Path 1 2 3
Experience Point
4 5 6
Cost

Assassin’s Sorcery
Rendalir Remembered Name: The Black Hellebores Assassin’s Sorcery

During the first years that humans and rethri broke free from their esharen captors, many different styles
of sorcery developed. Humans displayed a natural propensity for essence sorcery, a fact that few in the
modern day seem to be aware of. Humans were among the first to experiment with the usage of essence
sorcery, though their bodies were easily taxed by the costs of that style of casting.

The rethri mimicked their esharen captors, learning to fight against the esharen with their own dominion
sorcery spells and techniques. The so-called “western” school of ancient sorcery developed as a
progenitor to the modern “Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy” style of spell-casting. The western school was
developed in the Forest of Blades with two goals – silent spellcasting and a high degree of reliability.
Hundreds of rethri trained in this style, learning to hide among trees and assassinate esharen targets
from a distance. For this reason, the school was colloquially called the “Assassin’s Sorcery”.

Prerequisite: Lore – Dominion Calling Styles (in Arcane Ascension, Mythralis Players), Lore - Ancient
Dominion Channeling Styles (in Arcane Ascension, Kaldwyn Players) Lore – The Black Hellebores (in
Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Name Description
While you have both arms uninjured and at least one hand free, you may cast spells silently
by making obvious gestures toward your spell’s target for the amount of time it takes for you
to “say” the spell’s incantation in your mind.

While casting spells in this way, you are considered to be using the Assassin’s Focus Stance,
Assassin’s Focus
0 and can benefit from the abilities below.
Stance
You cannot actively attack or use any other skill while casting a spell with Assassin’s Focus.
You may block attacks, walk, or run, however.

This can be combined with the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Stance.

While you are using the Assassin’s Focus Stance, you may expend two additional Essence
1 Instant Spell
when casting a spell to cast it instantly.
2 Still Spell While you are using the Assassin’s Focus Stance, you no longer need to gesture. Instead, you
simply must concentrate for the amount of time it takes for you to say the spell incantation in
 your mind.

In addition, you no longer need to have your arms free or uninjured to cast spells while using
the Assassin’s Focus Stance.
While you are using the Assassin’s Focus Stance, you may expend one additional Essence
3 Flurry of Spells
when casting a spell to cast it instantly.

Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy

Rendalir Remembered Name: Enforcers Arcane Accuracy

The Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy style is used to devastating effect by the Rethri of the Forest of Blades. Elite
groups of sorcerers trained in this style guard the borders of the forest and patrol for inner threats, such
as roaming forest drakes and Esharen incursions. Sorcerers not employed for military purposes might use
this style to hunt game from a safe distance, without having to worry about spooking their prey with
errant arrows and hunting spears.

Prerequisite: Lore – Forest of Blades (in Arcane Ascension), Lore – Sychros (in Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Ability Name Duration Description
While casting a spell with one hand pointed toward a target and the other hand held
behind the body with the elbow bent in an upward “L” shape toward the sky, the caster is
considered to be using the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy stance.

Sae’lien Arcane You must be standing still to use the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Stance; you may not walk or
0 Permanent
Accuracy Stance run while casting spells in this stance.

Being in this stance impacts some of the abilities below.

This can be combined with the Assassin’s Focus Stance.

While you are in the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Stance, you may designate a specific hit
location that will be affected if the target is hit by the spell. For example, if your spell
normally deals “4 Fire” damage, you could use Arcane Precision to call, “4 Fire – Torso” or
1 Arcane Precision Instant “4 Fire – Right Arm” instead.

2 Arcane Accuracy
3 Arcane Control
You must still hit the target successfully with a packet to deliver this damage or Effect, and
it can still be Evaded or Nullified normally as per the call.
While you are in the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Stance, you may add the “Unavoidable” call
Instant to one spell per minute. This cannot be added to non-damaging spells. This cannot be
added to any “Within the Sound of My Voice” spell.
Instant While you are in the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Stance, you may expend 2 additional Essence
to add the “Point Effect” call to your spell. This means that you may deliver that spell by
simply pointing at a target and indicating the target verbally, rather than having to throw a
packet for the spell.

Point Effects can still be Evaded, Nullified, or countered by other defenses as per their
normal Effect or damage type.

You must be able to see at least two entire limbs of the target’s body or the target’s entire
torso for the entirety of casting the point effect. If the leaves your line of sight sufficiently
to prevent you from seeing at least two limbs or the whole torso, your spell has failed and
you may not complete it. No Essence is expended if this occurs; your spell is simply
terminated early. You may attempt to cast it again as soon as your target is sufficiently
visible.

When calling the Effect or Damage of this spell, add the “Point Effect” carrier and designate
the target by name or through a clear description. For example, if the attack was “4 Fire”,
you could say, “Point Effect – Salaris – 4 Fire” or “Point Effect – The man with the silver
greatsword and the Paladins of Tae’os Tabard – 4 Fire”.

Spells delivered in this way are considered generalized damage (or Effects) unless the spell
 itself dictates otherwise, and thus, the recipient of the attack may choose which hit
location it hits. This can be combined with spells and abilities that designate a certain hit
location normally, including the Arcane Sharpshooting ability.

Arcane Precision cannot be used with any spell that has an “Area” category or any other
spell that includes multiple packets or uses.

Velryan Battle Sorcery

Rendalir Remembered Name: Davorin Battle Sorcery

As the western school developed further amongst the esharen, humans founded the city of Velrya and
began to develop a style more suited to the strengths of their species and culture. The eastern sorcery
style incorporated long, complex incantations and focused on powerful results that could reshape the
state of a battlefield. For this reason, the style was often called “Velryan Battle Sorcery”, though the
simpler name “eastern sorcery” is more commonly found in scholarly texts.

Prerequisite: Lore – City of Velrya (in Arcane Ascension), Lore – Davorin (in Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Name Description
Practitioners of Velryan Battle Sorcery memorize specific incantations to help train
themselves to focus their spells with greater efficiency.

Velryan Battle While casting a spell and using a custom-written incantation, a sorcerer benefits from Velryan
0
Focus Battle Focus, which benefits their spells in different ways based on their Rank in this tree.

This can be combined with the Stytiran Dominion Channeling Stance and the Xeran
Bombardment Stance.
While you are under the effects of Velryan Battle Focus, you may cast spells with up to one
1 Complex Sorcery additional Key beyond your normal maximum. You still must have researched these spells in
advance; this does not allow you to add additional Keys to spells spontaneously.
While you are under the effects of Velryan Battle Focus, your Spell Power for all spells is
2 Spell Focus
increased by 1.
While you are under the effects of Velryan Battle Focus, you may add a group designation to
your Sound of Voice or Burst spells to the effect to indicate specific targets that are or not
3 Shape Spells effected by the spell.

For example, you could call, “Within the Sound of My Voice – All Undead – (x) effect”.

Sytiran Dominion Channeling

Rendalir Remembered Name: Monteque Dominion Channeling

The Sytiran Dominion Channeling technique was designed by the Priesthood of Sytira to provide
beneficial spells to an entire group at once, rather than a single person, and to create potent spells that
would remain functional throughout a prolonged combat engagement. It was designed for squad-based
combat and efficiency for small groups working against difficult opposition, such as esharen or powerful
undead.

Prerequisite: Lore – Sytira (in Arcane Ascension, Mythralis Players), Lore - Obscure Dominion
Channeling Styles (in Arcane Ascension, Kaldwyn Players), – Monteaqe (in Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Ability Name Duration Description
0 Sytiran Dominion Permanent While casting a spell with your arms spread widely apart at your sides (making your torso
Channeling Stance roughly a “T” shape) and immobile, you are considered to be in the Sytiran Dominion
Channeling Stance.

You must be standing still to use the Sytiran Dominion Channeling Stance; you may not
 walk or run while casting spells in this stance.

Being in this stance impacts some of the abilities below.

This can be combined with Velryan Battle Focus, but not with the Xeran Bombardment
Stance.
While you are in the Sytiran Dominion Channeling Stance and casting a beneficial spell on
an ally, you may Suppress a number of Essence points equal to the cost of the beneficial
spell to make that beneficial spell last for 12 hours. These Suppressed Essence Points
cannot be regained for 12 hours. This spell no longer benefits from any other form of
Dominion
1 Instant durational increase; it always lasts for exactly four hours.
Channeling
Spells and abilities that enhance or decrease the duration of a spell that is already on a
target, such as Dominion of Stability spells or Dominion of Time spells, work on this spell
normally.
While you are in the Sytiran Dominion Channeling Stance, you may throw two packets of a
packet-based spell or affect two targets with a beneficial touch-based spell.
2 Dual Spell Instant
This can only be used with packet and touch-based spells; it does not function with any
other delivery method of spell casting, even if the caster has skills such as Archon’s Edge
Style.
While you are in the Sytiran Dominion Channeling Stance, you may expend 2 additional
Essence to change it into a 10 foot radius burst centered around yourself. This can be used
for both beneficial and detrimental spells, and does not distinguish between friend and
3 Dominion Surge Instant foe. Add “10 Foot Radius” to the call.

Effects with the “10 Foot Radius” call can still be Evaded or otherwise defended against
normally.

Xeran Bombardment Style

Rendalir Remembered Name: ?

The Xeran Bombardment Style was developed by the Priesthood of Xerasilis to channel the Dominion of
Flame in more advanced ways. Later, the techniques were discovered to be applicable to a wider variety
of different types of sorcery, even of the non-damaging variety. As the techniques matured, the style has
evolved into a practice that is trained by advanced sorcerers even outside the priesthood, noted for its
capability to create potent effects that impact a wider area than a standard spell of the same variety.
The name comes from the use of fire sorcery to create spells that begin as a simple blast of flame, but
expand after the spell has been cast, enveloping a wider area and potentially catching foes off guard.

Prerequisite: Lore – Xerasilis (in Arcane Ascension), Lore - Obscure Dominion Channeling Styles (in
Arcane Ascension, Kaldwyn Players) Lore - ? (Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Ability Name Duration Description
While casting a spell with both hands gathered toward the center of the caster’s body,
making circular gestures, the caster is considered to be in the Xeran Bombardment Stance.
Xeran Bombardment Being in this stance impacts some of the abilities below.
0 Permanent
Stance
This can be combined with Velryan Battle Focus, but not with the Sytiran Dominion
Channeling Stance.
While you are in the Xeran Bombardment Stance, the Spell Power of your packet-based
1 Empower Spell Instant spells is increased by 1. This does not work on spells with any other delivery method, such
as weapons or Sound of Voice effects, even with skills like Path of Conflict.
While you are in the Xeran Bombardment Stance, you do not expend Essence if you throw
2 Reclaim Sorcery Instant
a packet for a spell and miss your target.
3 Empowered Blast Instant While you are in the Xeran Bombardment Stance, you may expend 2 additional Essence to
add the “All Hit Locations” call to a packet delivered spell.
 This reduces the numeric effect of the spell, such as damage or duration, by half.

“All Hit Locations” is a Carrier and cannot be added to spells that already contain a Carrier.
In addition, this ability cannot be used on spells with the “Area” category or spells with an
Area Key.
 Dominion Shaping
Dominion Shaping is a method of casting spells where the power source is the environment of the world
you currently inhabit. Rather than drawing upon distant Dominions, as in Dominion Calling, or on your
own personal power, which is Essence Sorcery, Dominion Shaping uses the ambient Essence that
permeates the entire world.

Dominion Shaping is sometimes still referred to by the academic term “Core Sorcery”. This is because the
world of Venaya itself resides in the Core Plane, and thus, Dominion Shaping is manipulating the energies
of the Core Plane.

The Core Plane is unique in that it stands at a conflux point between all other Dominions; it is constantly
bombarded with Essence from every single other Dominion, which is how Dominion Shaping has a
constant supply of power available. Dominion Shaping functions very similarly to Dominion Calling, but
rather than drawing in more material from an outside source, you’re changing what is already present.
This makes it somewhat easier to perform, and Dominion Shapers generally learn to perform their spells
– called “Shapes” – without the need for spell incantations.

Because it is easier to learn and perform than Dominion Calling, shapers often have access to a broader
variety of skills than Callers do, since learning how to shape a specific type of material or essence is
easier than learning to call it. This versatility comes with a cost, however – shapers require the presence
of their type of material to be useful. A flameshaper is weaponless without a flame.

I’ve been told by some of the rethri that frequently visit this court that Dominion Shaping can be used for
safer rituals than Dominion Calling can generate. If this is true, I have to wonder at why it would work
that way – perhaps drawing directly upon the Dominions is what makes ritual sorcery so dangerous? It
does stand to reason that simply pulling Essence from the world around you would be safer; if casting a
spell is like carrying a bucket of water with your mind, Dominion Calling would be carrying it from a place
in the distant sky, but Dominion Shaping would be carrying it from a nearby well.

I suppose Essence Sorcery would be, er, using your own water.

Ritual analogies aside, I suspect this warrants further investigation. I’ll have to do some research on
combining Essence Sorcery and Dominion Shaping soon.

-From the personal notes of Jonnan Kestrian, Scribe to the Master of All, Aeriyn Vaelien

Recommended Lore Skills: Sorcery, Dominion Shaping, Rituals

Dominion Shaping Terminology

Shaping is a general term for using Dominion Shaping to manipulate the materials or Essence of the core
plane. For example, Stone Shaping is the term that is commonly used for manipulating sources of the
Dominion of Stone on the Core Plane.

Dominion Shaping spells are generally to as different “Shapes”.

Shape Difficulty is the term for how challenging a shape is to cast.

There are four categories of Spell Difficulty for Dominion Shaping Shapes.
 Basic Shapes cost no Essence to use and can be used instantly, but have a three second
cooldown (waiting period) between uses.
 Standard Shapes cost 1 Essence to use and can be used instantly, but have a five second
cooldown (waiting period) between uses.
 Advanced Shapes cost 2 Essence to use and can be used instantly, but have a ten second
cooldown (waiting period) between uses.
 Epic Shapes cost 4 Essence to use and can be used instantly, but have a thirty second cooldown
(waiting period) between uses.
o Epic Shapes are not listed in this rule book, and must be discovered through playing the
game. Characters may spend Time Units to attempt to research Epic Dominion Shaping
Spells once they purchase 5 Advanced Dominion Shaping Spells.

This can be summarized by the table below:

Prime Dominion Shaping Deep Dominion Shaping
Difficulty
Essence Cost Essence Cost
Basic 0 0
Standard 1 2
Advanced 2 4
Epic 4 8

Reaction Shapes are special Shapes that are used in response to a spell or shape that has just been cast.
They are generally, but not always, defensive in nature. You may use Reaction Shapes even if you are on
your cooldown for casting Shapes, and these Shapes do not trigger your normal Shape cooldown.

Modifier Shapes are Shapes that are used to modify Dominion Calling spells of the same Dominion. To
use this, cast the Modifier Shape on the person who is going to be casting the spell, and it will modify
the next spell of that type they complete within the stated time frame.

Some Modifier Shapes refer to a effect type rather than a specific Dominion; these are more versatile.
For example, Flame Shaping – Ignite can improve any spell that deals Fire damage, even if it’s not from
the Dominion of Fire. It could, for example, also benefit a Dominion of Incineration spell.

Spell Power is the term for the total level of potency of a shape. This uses the same formula as Spell
Power for Dominion Calling, as well as the same modifiers.

For example, if you have Rank 3 in Air Calling and Rank 5 in Air Shaping, your base Air Shaping Power is 6
(3 from your Dominion Calling and 3 from Dominion Shaping). This would then be modified by the same
factors that are used for Dominion Calling, such as the Difficulty of the spell and whether or not it is a
Deep Dominion.

Casting Dominion Shaping Spells

The following steps are used when casting a Dominion Shaping spell:
1. Dominion Shaping spells are instant and do not require an incantation.
 2. Spend the required amount of Essence to cast the spell.
3. Deliver the spell to the target. By default, most Dominion Shaping spells require touching the
target with a packet or throwing a packet at a target. In some cases, other delivery methods can
be used, based on the description of the spell. Some special abilities can change the delivery
methods of spells.
4. State the call spell after you deliver it.

Dominion Shaping Casting Restrictions

1. In order to use Dominion Shaping, the caster must be within ten feet of an existing source of
that type of Essence. In addition, you must be within line of sight of that Essence source – if you
knew there was a torch behind a wall but could not see it, for example, you could not
manipulate it.
2. Planar Essence Crystals can be used as a source for Dominion Shaping spells, but if it is used in
this way the Class of the crystal decreases by one level each time it is used. If a Class 0 Crystal is
used, it vanishes entirely.
3. Dominion Shaping spells cannot be interrupted.
4. Core sorcerers can cast spells while in the middle of attacking with a weapon.
5. Dominion Shaping requires one free, uninjured hand.

Sensing Dominion Essence Sources

All characters with at least one Rank in Dominion Shaping of a specific Dominion can detect that type of
Dominion’s essence at will. This is instant, and has no casting time, Essence Cost, or cooldown. The range
is the same as their shaping range (which is 10 feet by default, but can be increased by skills). The call is
“Sense Dominion of (Dominion Name), (Range)”.

Note that this skill will detect Dominion Callers and other Dominion Shapers with Ranks in that
Dominion, as well as items with that Dominion, even though they cannot normally be used as sources
for casting Dominion Shaping spells.

For example, a Flame Sorcerer can detect sources of Flame Sorcery within their line of sight by calling
“Sense Dominion of Flame, 10 Feet”. This would detect a nearby bonfire (which is a valid source for
shaping), but it would also detect a nearby Flame Caller (which is not a valid source for Flame Shaping).

Prime Dominion Shapes

Prime Dominion Shapers are capable of manipulating the most basic elements of the world around
them.

In major human cities like Selyr and Velthryn, Shaping more commonly practiced as a way of
supplementing Calling skill.

In some regions, Shaping is practiced almost exclusively, because it as seen as a more “natural” form of
sorcery and safer to use. It also has fewer long-term costs on the body, making it safer to teach to
children.

All Prime Dominion Shaping Trees are Universal Skills, but note that some species cannot learn them
without meeting specific requirements (or at all). See your species description to see if you have special
rules for learning sorcery.
 Rank in Dominion 1 2 3 4 5 6+
Experience Point Cost 1 2 2 2 3 Previous Rank’s Cost +1

Flame Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Expends body heat, causes chills and eventually hypothermia
Valid Sources for Shaping: For safety reasons, you should not actually engage in combat near an active
source of fire. Instead, fire shaping techniques can be used near unlit fire pits, physically represented
(but unlit) torches, etc.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

While you are near a source of fire, you may throw a
packet for “(1/2 Flame Spell Power) Fire” damage.
(1/2 Flame Note that for safety reasons, you should not actually
Flame Shaping -
0 Spell Power) Instant Basic Shape engage in combat near an active source of fire.
Burn
Fire Instead, fire shaping techniques can be used near
unlit firepits, physically represented (but unlit)
torches, etc.
While you are near a source of fire, you may throw
up to 3 packets packet and call “Create Fire”. This
Flame Shaping - ignites anything it touches that is flammable. The
0 Create Fire Instant Basic Shape
Spread heat is less intense than the “Burn” shaping and
these packets do not deal damage. They are hot
enough to cause discomfort, however.
While you are near a source of fire, you may create a
wreathe of fire around your hands. While this is
Grant +1 Fire
Flame Shaping - active, you may touch a target with a packet or
1 Damage, 1 1 Minute Standard Shape
Claws unarmed boffer and call your normal unarmed
Minute
damage +1 with the Fire effect type. This ability lasts
for 10 minutes.
While you are near a source of fire, you may throw a
packet for “(Flame Spell Power +1) Fire” damage.
(Flame Spell Note that for safety reasons, you should not actually
Flame Shaping
2 Power +1) Instant Standard Shape engage in combat near an active source of fire.
-Bolt
Fire Instead, fire shaping techniques can be used near
unlit firepits, physically represented (but unlit)
torches, etc.
Enhances the target’s next packet-based spell or
shape with the Fire effect type to add one additional
Grant 1
packet.
Flame Shaping – Extra Packet, Standard Modifier
3 Next Spell
Ignite Next Fire Shape
This only modifies packet spells; it does not add extra
Spell
uses to Sound of Voice spells, weapon strikes, or
other delivery methods.
If you are struck with a packet, Reach of Weapon, or
Sound of Voice effect for Fire damage, you may call
“Flame Shaping Advanced Nullify”, unless it contains
Flame a call that cannot be blocked with an Advanced
Flame Shaping Advanced Reaction
4 Shaping Instant defense (e.g. Epic or Unavoidable).
-Extinguish Shape
Nullify
You may also use this shape to call “Flame Shaping –
Extinguish” on an existing flame and extinguish a fire
that is no larger than a bonfire.
Within This
You may spread a flame throughout a marked ring or
Flame Shaping - Area – ½ Advanced Area
5 Instant room, calling, “Within this Area – (1/2 Flame Spell
Inferno Flame Spell Shape
Power) Fire”.
Power Fire

Water Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Gradually dehydrates the user
Valid Sources for Shaping: Lakes, rivers, basins of water.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

You may separate a liquid into its component parts.
For example, you can separate out poison from a
Water glass of wine, or separate pure water from other
Shaping – liquids that contaminate it.
Water Shaping –
0 Remove Instant Basic Shape
Purity
Contaminant This cannot be used on liquids that are inside any
s sort of container (including a body). Thus, this cannot
be used to treat poison or contamination in a victim
under normal circumstances.
Water
Water Shaping – While near a source of water, you may throw a
0 Knockdown Instant Basic Shape
Splash packet for “Water Knockdown 5”.
5
You may heat up to one gallon of water to a boiling
temperature.
Water Shaping -
1 Heat Water Instant Standard Shape
Heat
This cannot be used on water inside a creature’s
body.
You may liquefy up to (Spell Power) liters of frozen
Liquefy liquid.
Water Shaping –
2 Frozen Instant Standard Shape
Liquefy
Water This cannot be used on water inside a creature’s
body.
You may freeze up to one gallon of water.
Water Shaping – Freeze
3 Instant Standard Shape
Freeze Water This cannot be used on water inside a creature’s
body.
You may hurl a packet and call “Water Remove
Breath - 1 Minute”. This represents surrounding a
target in a sphere of water, preventing them from
breathing. The target must role-play difficulty with
breathing for the next minute and must move and
fight at half speed or less. The target cannot cast
Dominion Sorcery spells (unless they have the
Water Somatic skill), use Performance skills, or use
Water Shaping – Remove Command skills while under this effect.
4 1 Minute Advanced Shape
Drown Breath – 1
Minute A character subjected to this spell twice in
immediate succession will fall unconscious after the
second minute unless they are assisted with
breathing. Unconscious characters remain
unconscious for one minute, or they can be
awakened with a three-count.

This ability can be countered by Air Shaping – Breath.

5 Water Shaping – Water – Instant Advanced Shape You suppress 2 Essence for 24 Hours to transmute up
Transmute Liquid Transmute to (Water Shaping) liters of water into non-magical
Liquid liquid that you are familiar with, e.g. alcohol, oil,
acid, etc.

If you have the Alchemy skill, this can be used to

transmute water into a potion, poison, or elixir with a
value less than or equal to 20 Silver Pieces. You may
apply one of your applicable Alchemy techniques to
the resulting concoction.

You may also reverse this, attempting to transmute

other liquids into water.

This cannot be used on liquids within a creature’s

 body.

Air Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes difficulty breathing and speaking
Valid Sources for Shaping: Usable while outdoors, or indoors where fans are running.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

While you are in an area with wind, you may throw a
Air
packet and call “Air Knockback 10 Feet.” The target
0 Air Shaping - Gust Knockback Instant Basic Shape
can still defend when knocked back, but cannot
10
attack.
You create a bubble of air around a target. This
bubble remains around the target as they move,
enabling them to breathe properly even if they move
Air Grant into another environment, e.g. underwater or into a
Air Shaping -
0 Breathing 10 10 Minutes Basic Shape poison gas cloud.
Breath
Minutes
This ability can also be used to restore breathing who
is being choked with another effect, provided that
there is a source of air to use for this ability.
You may speak with another creature by speaking
Air Shaping - Air - into the wind. You must have previously met this
1 Instant Standard Shape
Whisper Message target or be scrying on them. This communication
has a 5 mile range limit and is one-way.
Air
While you are in a windy area, you may throw a
2 Air Shaping – Trip Knockdown Instant Standard Shape
packet for “Air Knockdown 5”.
5
While out of combat, you may use this to slowly lift
and move an ally up to (Air Shaping x5) feet in any
direction. This can be used to float someone across a
gap, to the top of a structure, etc.
Unique – Air
3 Air Shaping – Lift Special Standard Shape
Lift, (X Feet) This process takes as long as it takes the person to
walk out-of-game to that location. The target is
vulnerable to normal attacks during that time.

This cannot be used offensively.

4 Air Shaping – Grant Point Next Spell Advanced Modifier You guide the target’s next spell with the Air or
Guidance Effect, Next Shape Lightning effect type, adding the Point Effect carrier.
Air or
Lightning Point Effects can still be Evaded, Nullified, or
Spell countered by other defenses as per their normal
Effect or damage type.

You must be able to see at least two entire limbs of

the target’s body or the target’s entire torso for the
entirety of casting the point effect. If the leaves your
line of sight sufficiently to prevent you from seeing at
least two limbs or the whole torso, your spell has
failed and you may not complete it. No Essence is
expended if this occurs; your spell is simply
terminated early. You may attempt to cast it again as
soon as your target is sufficiently visible.

When calling the Effect or Damage of this spell, add

the “Point Effect” carrier and designate the target by
name or through a clear description. For example, if
the attack was “4 Fire”, you could say, “Point Effect –
Salaris – 4 Fire” or “Point Effect – The man with the
silver greatsword and the Paladins of Tae’os Tabard –
4 Fire”.
 Spells delivered in this way are considered
generalized damage (or Effects) unless the spell itself
dictates otherwise, and thus, the recipient of the
attack may choose which hit location it hits. This can
be combined with spells and abilities that designate a
certain hit location normally, including the Arcane
Sharpshooting ability.
You may twist the wind to deflect a projectile or
thrown weapon that normally would have hit one of
your allies.
Air Shaping
Air Shaping – – Intercept, Advanced Reaction This stops the projectile, preventing anyone from
5 Instant
Intercept Advanced Shape taking damage. The call is “Air Shaping – Intercept,
Nullify Advanced Nullify”.

This cannot be used on attacks with the Epic or

Unavoidable carriers.

Stone Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Expends muscular and bone strength, causes soreness and fatigue
Valid Sources for Shaping: Usable while on or near rocky terrain.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

You may touch a clay, sand, stone, or dirt area or
object of up to 10 pounds and permanently reshape
it roughly as desired. This cannot be used to create
valuable artwork, but it could be used to damage or
Stone Shaping - Shapechang
0 Instant Basic Shape destroy existing sculptures.
Reform e Stone
This can make objects for basic miscellaneous
functions, such as pots or farm implements, but it is
not precise enough to create a weapon.
You may reform a piece of clay, sand, stone, or dirt
Stone Shaping –
0 1 Stone Instant Basic Shape into a small thrown weapon represented by a packet.
Stone
You may throw this packet for “1 Earth” damage.
Stone Grant Slightly the target’s muscle, bone, skin for a short
Stone Shaping –
1 1 Resilience, 10 Minutes Standard Shape time. This increases the target’s Resilience by 1 for 10
Harden Muscle
10 Minutes minutes.
You may touch a clay, sand, stone, or dirt area or
object of up to (Stone Spell Power x10) pounds and
permanently reshape it roughly as desired.

This cannot be used to create valuable artwork, but it

Stone Shaping – Shapechang
2 Instant Standard Shape could be used to damage or destroy existing
Create Object e Stone
sculptures.

This can be used to create weapons. Weapons made

through this skill have no material bonuses or sale
value.
(Stone Spell
Stone Shaping – You may hurl a packet representing a stone projectile
3 Power) Instant Standard Shape
Spear that deals (Stone Spell Power) Earth damage.
Damage
Within the
Sound of My You may call “Within the Sound of My Voice, Stone
Voice, Stone Advanced Area Knockdown (Spellpower x3)”.
4 Earthquake Instant
Knockdown Shape
(Spellpower This cannot be combined with Area Keys.
x3)
5 Stone Shaping - Create Wall Permament Advanced Shape You may touch a large stone to reshape it into a wall.
 To do this, you must mark an area within 50 feet with
a rope, ribbon, or another representation to
designate that you are creating a wall.

The wall can be up to 10’ long, 10’ high, and 1’ thick,

Wall of Stone and has 50 hit points. The wall lasts permanently, or
until destroyed.

The wall suffers five times normal damage from

attacks with the Siege damage type. In addition, it
suffers 10 damage from the “Break” call.

Life Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: User suffers pain, extreme use causes degradation in organ
function
Valid Sources for Shaping: Living animals of all types other than the caster are considered sources for
Life. Large plants, such as trees, also work for this purpose.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Life Shaping – Life Seal 1 You may touch a target and call “Seal 1 Wound”.
0 Instant Basic Shape
Mend Wound
You may touch a target and call “Life Restore 1 Hit
Point”. This spell cannot heal wounds.
Life Shaping – Life Restore
0 Instant Basic Shape
Renew 1 Hit Point
This spell can only be cast on any given target once
per minute.
Life Remove You may touch a target with a packet and remove
Life Shaping –
1 1 Reduce Instant Standard Shape one negative effect that reduces one of the target’s
Reinvigorate
Effect Attributes or statistics (such as damage).
You may restore (1/2 Life Spell Power, rounded up)
Life Restore
Essence to a target.
Life Shaping – (1/2 Life
2 Instant Standard Shape
Energize Spell Power)
You may only cast this spell on any specific target
Essence
once per hour.
Life Shaping – You may touch a target with a packet and call “Life
3 Life Heal 1 Instant Standard Shape
Heal Heal 1”.
When used on a target for the duration of a surgical
procedure, this allows you to assist in making the
surgery successful.

Unique – If the surgery requires the target to pull a Fate Card,

Life Shaping –
4 Stabilize Special Advanced Shape this ability allows you to pull a Fate Card as well. If
Stabilize Surgery
Surgery your Fate Card is a better result than the patient’s
Fate Card, your card is used instead.

You must remain within range of the target for the

entire surgical procedure to use this skill.
You may touch a target with a packet and call “Life
Heal 2”.
Life Heal
(Life Spell
Life Shaping – (Life Spell You may remain in contact with that target and
5 Power x10) Advanced Shape
Focused Mending Power) repeat that call every 10 seconds, for up to (Life Spell
Seconds
Wounds Power x10) seconds, with no additional Essence cost.

If you break contact with the target, this spell ends.

Death Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually becomes numb, loses self-regulatory mechanics
such as sweating
Valid Sources for Shaping: Dead animals of all types other than the caster are considered sources for
Death. Large plants, such as trees, also work for this purpose.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Death Shaping – You may throw a packet for “1 Shadow”.
0 1 Shadow Instant Basic Shape
Injure
Death Cause You may throw a packet for “Death Cause Pain – 1
Death Shaping –
0 Pain, 1 1 Minute Basic Shape Minute”. This causes the target to suffer intense pain
Pain
Minute for 1 minute. It has no other effect.
Death
Reduce
Maximum
You may throw a packet and call “Death Reduce
Death Shaping – Hit Points
1 10 Minutes Standard Shape Maximum Hit Points (1/2 Death Spell Power, rounded
Hollow (1/2 Death
up), 10 Minutes”.
Spell Power,
rounded up),
10 Minutes
1 Shadow
Death Shaping – 1 Minute You may throw a packet and call, “1 Shadow Wound
2 Wound in 1 Standard Shape
Wither Delay in 1 Minute”.
Minute
Grant Feign You may touch a target with a packet to slow their
Death Shaping –
3 Death, 1 1 Hour Standard Shape heart rate and other vitals, making them appear to
Feign Death
Hour be dead, for 1 Hour.
Grant +2
Death Shaping – Spell Power,
Advanced Modifier Increases the Spell Power of the next spell the target
4 Impending Next Next Spell
Shape casts with the Shadow effect type by +2.
Demise Shadow
Spell
If you are struck with a packet, Reach of Weapon, or
Death
Sound of Voice effect for Shadow damage, you may
Death Shaping – Shaping
5 Instant Advanced Shape call “Death Shaping Advanced Nullify”, unless it
Undying Advanced
contains a call that cannot be blocked with an
Nullify
Advanced defense (e.g. Epic or Unavoidable).

Light Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually loses the ability to fight off external threats, e.g.
poisons and diseases
Valid Sources for Shaping: Usable while outdoors during daylight, or indoors when near a large light
source.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Light
Light Shaping - Remove You may throw a packet for “Light Remove Vision, 30
0 30 Seconds Basic Shape
Blind Vision, 30 Seconds”.
Seconds
Light Shaping –
0 1 Light 1 Light Basic Shape You may throw a packet for “1 Light”.
Refract
(1/2 Light
Light Shaping – Spell Power, You may throw up to 3 Packets for (1/2 Light Spell
1 Instant Standard Shape
Barrage Barrage Rounded Power, Rounded Up) Light damage.
Up) Light
2 Light Shaping – Light Instant Standard Shape You may focus light into an ally you touch, purging
 Remove 1
one negative sorcery effect from their body. This has
Negative
Purge no effect on negative effects that are not caused by
Sorcery
sorcery.
Effect
If you are hit by a packet spell that deals Light
damage, you may call “Light Shaping Reflect” to
Light
Light Shaping – reflect the spell.
3 Shaping Instant Standard Shape
Prism
Reflect
This cannot be used to defend against Advanced,
Epic, or Unavoidable spells.
Grant
Light Shaping – Advanced, Advanced Modifier Adds the “Advanced” carrier to the next spell the
4 Next Spell
Accuracy Next Light Shape target casts with the Light effect type.
Spell
If you are hit by a packet spell that deals Light
Light damage, you may call “Light Shaping Advanced
Light Shaping – Shaping Advanced Reaction Reflect” to reflect the spell.
5 Instant
Mirror Advanced Shape
Reflect This cannot be used to defend against Epic or
Unavoidable spells.

Shadow Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Body gradually loses the ability to recover from fatigue and
injuries
Valid Sources for Shaping: Usable while near or within shadows.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Shadow
Reduce
Shadow Shaping - You may throw a packet for “Shadow Reduce
0 Maximum 10 Minutes Basic Shape
Fatigue Maximum Essence 1, 10 Minutes”.
Essence 1,
10 Minutes
Shadow
Slow, (Shadow
Shadow Shaping – You may throw a packet for “Shadow Slow (Shadow
0 (Shadow Spell Power Basic Shape
Snare Spell Power x5) Seconds”.
Spell Power x5) Seconds
x5) Seconds
After casting this spell, you or a target you are
touching becomes invisible for 1 minute. You cannot
attack, defend, or cast spells while invisible, but you
may run. If you are attacked while invisible, you may
break your invisibility to defend yourself
immediately.

Shadow Your target must wait 5 seconds before attacking or

Shadow Shaping - Grant casting spells after exiting invisibility.
1 1 Minute Standard Shape
Concealment Invisibility, 1
Minute This ability requires a black flag or headband.
Invisible characters do leave tracks and still make
sounds.

This spell cannot be used in brightly lit areas or direct

sunlight. If someone shines a light source (such as a
light spell) directly on your target’s location, this spell
is broken immediately.
Shadow
Shadow Shaping - Reduce You may throw a packet for “Shadow Reduce
2 5 Minutes Standard Spell
Enfeeble Strength by Strength by 1, 5 Minutes”.
1, 5 Minutes
3 Shadow Shaping - Shadow 5 Minutes Standard Spell You may throw a packet for “Shadow Reduce
 Reduce
Cripple Dexterity by Dexterity by 1, 5 Minutes”.
1, 5 Minutes
Shadow
Paralyze
(Shadow
Shadow Shaping – Limb You may throw a packet for “Shadow Paralyze Limb
4 Spell Power Advanced Shape
Hobble (Shadow (Shadow Spell Power x5) Seconds”.
x5) Seconds
Spell Power
x5) Seconds
Shadow
Reduce
Maximum You may throw a packet for “Shadow Reduce
Shadow Shaping -
5 Essence 10 Minutes Advanced Shape Maximum Essence (Shadow Spell Power), 10
Fatigue
(Shadow Minutes”.
Spell Power),
10 Minutes

Knowledge Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Costs memories, causes difficulty in concentrating
Valid Sources for Shaping: Living humanoid creatures other than the caster are considered of sources for
Knowledge.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Knowledge
When casting this spell, the caster must choose
Remove 1
either: Fear, Sleep, Paralysis, Compel, or Memory.
Knowledge (Fear, Sleep,
The caster may remove a single effect of the chosen
0 Shaping – Restore Paralysis, Instant Basic Shape
type from a target he or she is touching. You must
Mind Compel, or
touch your target’s torso with a packet or unarmed
Memory)
attack to use this spell.
Effect
You may call “Compel Emotion – Calm, 5 Minutes”.
Knowledge
This soothes the target, discouraging them from
Compel
Knowledge taking violent actions, but as with any emotional
0 Emotion – 5 Minutes Basic Shape
Shaping - Calm compulsion it can be overcome during combat and
Calm, 5
will not prevent the target from protecting him or
Minutes
herself.
Knowledge
Knowledge Share Instant (1 You may share a copy of up to one minute of your
1 Shaping – Share Memory Minute of Standard Shape memory with a target. This process is instantaneous
Memory (subject), 1 Memories) and does not incapacitate the target while it occurs.
Minute
Knowledge
Knowledge Grant +1 Standard Modifier Increases the target’s Spell Power for their next spell
2 One Spell
Shaping – Focus Spell Power, Shape by +1 of any type.
Next Spell
Knowledge Grants the target a single use of the Problem Solver
Grant 1 Use skill that can be used within the next ten minutes.
Knowledge
3 of Problem 10 Minutes Standard Shape
Shaping – Insight
Solver, 10 This can only be used on any given target once per
Minutes hour.
Knowledge Knowledge You may use this ability to call “Knowledge Advanced
Advanced Reaction
4 Shaping – Thought Advanced Instant Nullify” when you are hit with a mind-affecting spell,
Shape
Shield Nullify such as a Compel, Memory, or Fear spell.
Provides the target with a burst of inspiration,
Knowledge
reducing the Time Unit cost of the next thing they
Reduce Time Next
Knowledge research to half (rounded up), down to a minimum of
Unit Cost, Research
5 Shaping – Advanced Shape one time unit.
Next within 12
Inspiration
Research in Hours
This can only be used on any individual once per
12 Hours
game.
Deception Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes headaches, diminishes ability to think laterally and be
creative
Valid Sources for Shaping: Living humanoid creatures other than the caster are considered of sources for
Deception.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

Fear
(Deception
Deception (Deception You may throw a packet and call, “Deception Fear
0 Spell Power Basic Shape
Shaping – Fear Spell Power (Deception Spell Power x2) Seconds”.
x2) Seconds
x2) Seconds
Deception
Compel
Emotion (3x
Deception You may throw a packet and call “Deception Compel
(Emotion Deception
0 Shaping – Basic Shape Emotion (Emotion Name), (3x Deception Spell
Name), (3x Spell Power)
Emotion Power) Seconds”.
Deception Seconds
Spell Power)
Seconds
Deception
Compel
(three word (Deception You may throw a packet and call, “Deception Compel
Deception
1 command) Spell Power) Standard Shape (three word command) (Deception Spell Power)
Shaping - Control
(Deception seconds seconds”.
Spell Power)
seconds
Deception
You may throw a packet and call, “Deception Paralyze
Paralyze
(Deception Body (Deception Spell Power) Seconds”.
Deception Body
2 Spell Power) Standard Shape
Shaping – Stun (Deception
Seconds As a Paralyze effect, this can still be countered with
Spell Power)
Willpower.
Seconds
Deception
Compel –
Speak the (Deception
You may throw a packet and call, “Deception Compel
Deception – Force Truth, Spell Power
3 Standard Shape (Speak the Truth) (Deception Spell Power x10)
Truth (Deception x10)
seconds”.
Spell Power Seconds
x10)
Seconds
Deception
Deception
Grant 2
4 Shaping – 10 Minutes Advanced Shape Grants the target 2 Ranks in Cunning for 10 Minutes.
Cunning, 10
Creativity
Minutes
Deception
Compel –
Deception Complete (Deception You may throw a packet and call, “Deception Compel
5 Shaping – Control – Spell Power Advanced Shape (Complete Control) (Deception Spell Power x5)
Puppetmaster (Deception x5) seconds Seconds”.
Spell Power
x5) seconds

Motion Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes lethargy, difficulty moving, and eventual muscular damage
Valid Sources for Shaping: Living humanoid creatures other than the caster are considered of sources for
Motion.
 Rank Name Call Duration Type Description
Motion
Shaping –
(Motion
Motion Shaping – Slow, You may throw a packet for “Motion Slow (Motion
0 Spell Power Basic Shape
Slow (Motion Spell Power x5) Seconds”.
x5) Seconds
Spell Power
x5) Seconds
You may throw a packet for “Motion Pull 5”. Pull is
Motion Shaping – Motion Pull
0 Instant Basic Shape the opposite of Knockback, and pulls the target
Pull 5 Feet
toward you.
(Motion
Motion Shaping – You may throw a packet for “(Motion Spell Power)”
1 Spell Power) Instant Standard Shape
Slam Air.
Air
Motion Shaping – Motion
2 Instant Standard Shape You may throw a packet for “Motion Disarm”.
Disarm Disarm
Motion
Restore (1/2
Motion Spell
Power,
rounded up)
Uses
You may restore (1/2 Motion Spell Power, rounded
up) uses to a magical item with a limited number of
Or
uses per combat.
Motion Shaping – Motion
3 Instant Standard Shape Alternatively, if someone is wearing a magical item
Recharge Item Restore (1/2
that grants them a bonus to Hit Points (such as a
Motion Spell
shield sigil), you can use this to restore (1/2 Motion
Power,
Spell Power, rounded up) Hit Points instead. This can
rounded up)
only restore Hit Points; it cannot heal wounds.
Hit Points, if
the target is
wearing an
item that
grants extra
HP
Enhance
Enhances the target’s Evades to Advanced Evades. If
Motion Shaping – Evade One
4 10 Minutes Advanced Shape the target already has Advanced Evades, they are
Evasion Step, 10
upgraded to Epic Evades. This lasts for 10 Minutes.
Minutes
Motion
You may throw a packet and call, “Motion Paralyze
Paralyze
(Motion Body (Deception Spell Power x3) Seconds”.
Motion Shaping – Body
5 Spell Power Advanced Shape
Stop (Motion
x3) Seconds As a Paralyze effect, this can still be countered with
Spell Power
Willpower.
x3) Seconds

Stability Shaping
Role-Playing Side Effects for Overuse: Causes difficulty with retaining concentration on tasks
Valid Sources for Shaping: Living humanoid creatures other than the caster are considered of sources for
Stability.

Rank Name Call Duration Type Description

0 Stability Shaping - Stability Special Basic Shape This spell allows you to temporarily disable and
Stabilize Unique – freeze the duration on a single specified effect as
Freeze long as you continuously maintain physical contact
(Effect) with the target (through a spell packet).

For example, this can be used to stop a bleeding

target from bleeding to death, or a poisoned victim
from suffering further effects from the poison. These
 effects are only paused, and will take effect
immediately when this spell ends.

This can be used to freeze either a positive or a

negative effect.

This does not stop the timer for resurrection for a

dead player; that requires the Delay Death spell from
the Dominion of Death.

This spell cannot be Sustained with the Sustain skill.

Stability Shaping –
1 Massive
0 Hardened Mana Instant Basic Shape You may throw a packet for “1 Massive Earth”.
Earth
Bolt
You may touch a target with a spell packet and
Stability
Stability Shaping – temporarily freeze the duration of a beneficial spell
1 Maintain Special Standard Shape
Maintenance without the stopping the beneficial spell from
(Spell Effect)
functioning.
You may touch a person who is under the effect of a
beneficial spell with a packet to create a copy of that
beneficial spell with half the duration that spell had
remaining.

This copied spell becomes a packet you can either

Stability –
use to apply to yourself or an ally any time within the
Stability Shaping – Copy
2 Special Standard Shape duration the copied spell would last. (The timer
Branch Beneficial
counts down regardless of if the spell is in a packet
Spell
state or applied to someone as a buff). You may only
apply the copied spell once.

This cannot be used on ritual runes or magical items;

it only works on active beneficial spells that are
already on a person.
Grant Item 1
Grants an item one “Nullify Break”, which can be
Stability Shaping – Nullify
3 10 Minutes Standard Shape used to prevent the item from being broken by the
Reinforce Item Break, 10
“Break” call. This lasts for 10 Minutes.
Minutes
Stability
Stability – Enhance
Permanently increases the Spell Power of an
4 Enhance Potion by +2 Permanent Advanced Shape
alchemical concoction by 2.
Concoction Spell Power,
Permanent
Stability Increases the Spell Power of a Magical Item by +2 for
Enhance 10 Minutes.
Stability –
5 Item Spell 10 Minutes Advanced Shape
Enhance Item
Power by +2, When used on an Artifact, it also increases the
10 Minutes Artifact Power of the Artifact by +1 for 10 Minutes.
Learning New Shapes
New Shapes are researched in the same way as new Dominion Calling spells. See the Creating New Dominion
Calling Spells section.

Deep Dominion Shaping

Deep Dominion Shaping trees can be found in the Advanced Rule Book.

All Deep Dominion Shaping skills are Trained Skills.

Other Dominion Shaping Abilities

Shaping Synergy (Trained Skill)

You may now combine Dominion Shaping Spells with Keys as if the Dominion Shaping Spell spell was a
Dominion Calling spell. The result is still considered Dominion Shaping. As such, the caster must follow all
the normal rules of Dominion Shaping, such as being within ten feet of a source of the Essence type.
(Cost: 10 Experience Points)

Intuitive Core Dominion Sense (Universal Skill)

You do not require line of sight to the Essence source for your Dominion Shaping abilities. You still need
to be within the normal range of the Essence source; this simply means you can both sense and
manipulate an Essence source you cannot see.

(Experience Point Cost: 3)

Core Essence Manipulation Range (Universal Skill)

Effect: Increases the range you can be away from a source of Essence in order to manipulate that
Essence.
Rank Point Cost Description
1 1 You may use Dominion Shaping when you are within 20 Feet of a source of that Dominion.
2 2 You may use Dominion Shaping when you are within 30 Feet of a source of that Dominion.
3 3 You may use Dominion Shaping when you are within 40 Feet of a source of that Dominion.
4 4 You may use Dominion Shaping when you are within 50 Feet of a source of that Dominion.
5 5 You may use Dominion Shaping when you are within sight of a source of that Dominion.

Dominion Shaping Styles

Dominion Shaping Styles allow Shapers to manipulate the world in different ways. Different Dominion
Shaping styles have distinct benefits and restrictions.

Dominion Shaping Styles can only be used on Dominion Shaping spells unless the character has a skill
that allows them to be used on other types of sorcery.

Sorcery Styles cannot be combined with other Sorcery Styles unless explicitly stated in their description.

All Dominion Shaping Styles skills are Trained Skills.

Rank in Path 1 2 3
 Experience Point
4 5 6
Cost

Des’vahi Core Wielding Style

Rendalir Remembered Name: ?

The Des’vahi are an old race – one of the first, along with the Esharen and the Rethri. Our people were
the first sorcerers, walking amongst the gods and forging the great cities of antiquity. With the guidance
of the old gods, the first Des’vahi wrought spires of stone and metal unlike any that remain. The great
city of Herlion had towers that pierced the sky – and so our people were once called ‘People of the Sky’.

We have been reforged, now – battered and tempered until we have grown stronger. We no longer
caress the sky, but we remember it. We retain the secrets of wresting cities from rock – but first, you
must learn to reforge yourself. This will be your first step along that path.

Prerequisite: Stone Shaping - Armor, Lore – Des’vahi Core Wielding Style (in Arcane Ascnesion), Lore - ?
(Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Name Description
Des’vahi Core Wielding requires one free hand, which is marked with symbols of vines
Des’vahi Core
0 traveling down to the forearm. This arm must be used to throw any packets that are used
Wielding Stance
with this style.
When you are struck with any form of offensive sorcery while you are in Core Wielding
Stance, the effect of the attack is reduced. If the attack is a damaging attack, the damage is
reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0. You may call “No Effect” on spells that deal “1” damage.
Dominion
1 This reduces the damage of Unavoidable attacks, but it cannot reduce their damage to 0.
Deflection
If the attack is a non-damaging Effect, the duration is halved.

2 Turn Sorcery
This does not stack with other abilities that reduce damage or effect duration.
If a packet-based sorcerous attack is cast near you and does not hit any target, you may call
“Duplicate” and create a packet of the same spell. You may hold this packet for up to one
minute before throwing it. If you have an ability that allows you to change the delivery
method of packet-based spells, such as the Archon’s Edge Style, you may use this normally.

You may also perform this ability if you catch a packet from an offensive spell in your Core
Wielding Hand. You do not take damage if this occurs.
You may now duplicate any sorcerous attack that hits you while you are in the Core Wielding
Stance. This duplicated attack is halved in effect from the original ability (rounded up), and
you must throw the packet of the ability within one minute.
3 Core Wielding
If you have an ability that allows you to change the delivery method of packet-based spells,
such as the Archon’s Edge Style, you may use this normally.

Ka’da’vae World Taking

Rendalir Remembered Name: ?

All living things are connected. The strands that bind us together are invisible to all but the keenest of
eyes, but ever present, always an influence. Through discipline and meditation, we can learn to weave
these strands, using the strength of nature to reinforce our bonds. Through this, we bring strength to the
weak and succor to the weary.
Many would seek to abuse this gift, using the ties between all to cause harm. We must never forget that
we are of the same essence, the essence of Venaya itself, and to diminish one is to diminish all.

Prerequisite: Life Shaping - Heal, Core Essence Projection, Lore – Ka’da’vae World Taking (in Arcane
Ascension), Lore - ? (Rendalir Remembered)
Rank Name Description
Ka’da’vae World The Ka’da’vae World Taking Stance requires one open hand making direct contact with a tree
0
Taking Stance or a large plant.
While you are in the Ka’da’vae World Taking Stance, you may expend 1 additional Essence to
add the “Point Effect” call to any Dominion Shaping spell that does not deal damage or cause
negative effects to the target. This means that you may deliver that spell by simply pointing at
a target and indicating the target verbally, rather than having to throw a packet for the spell.

Point Effects can still be Evaded, Nullified, or countered by other defenses as per their normal
Effect or damage type.

You must be able to see at least two entire limbs of the target’s body or the target’s entire
torso for the entirety of casting the point effect. If the leaves your line of sight sufficiently to
prevent you from seeing at least two limbs or the whole torso, your spell has failed and you
may not complete it. No Essence is expended if this occurs; your spell is simply terminated
Strands of the
1 early. You may attempt to cast it again as soon as your target is sufficiently visible.
World
When calling the Effect of this spell, add the “Point Effect” carrier and designate the target by
name or through a clear description. For example, if the spell was “Life Heal 1”, you could say,
“Point Effect – Salaris – Life Heal 1” or “Point Effect – The man with the silver greatsword and
the Paladins of Tae’os Tabard – Life Heal 1”.

Spells delivered in this way are considered generalized damage (or Effects) unless the spell
itself dictates otherwise, and thus, the recipient of the attack may choose which hit location it
hits. This can be combined with spells and abilities that designate a certain hit location
normally.

Strands of the World cannot be used with any spell that involves multiple packets or charges.
You may draw upon the essence of a large plant, such as a tree or bush, to nourish yourself.
This process takes 1 minute of touching that plant, after which you regain 2 points of Essence.
Taking of the
2
World This process significantly weakens the plant, and thus, it can only be performed once on each
plant. If you draw essence from a plant, that plant can no longer be used for other World
Taking abilities.
When using Strands of the World, you no longer require line of sight to your target. Call
“Advanced Point Effect” rather than “Point Effect” when using the ability in this way.
3 Eyes of the Land
This does not affect any other ability you possess that allows you to deliver point effects, such
as the Sae’lien Arcane Accuracy Style.
 General Sorcery Skills
The following general sorcery skills can be used in conjunction with any type of sorcery described in this
rule book.

Innate Talent (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Effect: You may ignore the prerequisites for one entire Deep Dominion, Advanced Essence Sorcery,
Advanced Dominion Shaping, or Gift tree and gain the first Rank for free. Each player may only have one
Innate Talent at any given time. You may receive a refund for the experience point cost of Innate Talent if
you eventually purchase the prerequisites for the Deep Dominion or Gift you had an Innate Talent for.
(Cost: 5 Experience Points)

Cooperative Casting (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
This skill can be used in two ways. Purchasing this skill allows you to use both methods.

Dual Casting: You may attempt to cast a spell in conjunction with other characters that know the same
spell. This must be the exact same spell; complex spells with keys may only be used if all casters know
the advanced version. When doing this, you may either divide the Essence cost between the casters.

Alternatively, you may all spend the full Essence cost and increase the spell’s Effect Level by 1 per caster
(including the first; this means 2 casters is +2 Effect Levels). All characters must perform the exact same
incantation (or somatic gestures with the Somatic skill), either at the same time or in a sequence, or the
spell is lost. If any caster is interrupted, the spell is interrupted for all casters.

Abilities to decrease casting time or use spells instantly cannot be used unless all casters have this ability
and use it. Abilities that increase Effect Levels or damage are cumulative between both casters if
applicable, however.

All casters must be within 10 feet of each other while casting a cooperative spell, and they all must
follow the normal rules of spell casting (i.e. having free hands, making gestures, etc).

Because of the requirement that the spell must be cast in exactly the same way, casters with inherently
different styles (e.g. dominion sorcerers and attuned) may not perform Dual Casting together.

Sequence Sorcery: You may research spells combined spells that can only be cast by multiple sorcerers
working together. These are called Sequence Spells, and the practice of casting them is called Sequence
Sorcery.

Sequence Spells allow each participant beyond the first to contribute an additional two keys to the spell.
Thus, a spell with two casters could have a total of four keys – two from the first caster, and two from the
second. This would not allow a single caster to contribute all four keys.

Unlike Dual Casting, Sequence Sorcery can be performed by casters with different casting styles, as long
as they are properly incorporated into the researched spell sequence.
Each researched cooperative spell must have a specified “primary” caster; this caster will deliver the
spell’s effect if it is a packet-delivered, touch-delivered, or weapon-delivered spell.

When casting a researched Sequence Spell, all participants must pay the full Essence cost of the spell
and the Effect Level is increased by +1 per caster. Thus, if the spell was 4 Essence and had two casters,
bot casters would pay 4 Essence and the spell would have +2 Effect Levels.

These spells can only be performed by the specified number of casters. These spells are researched in
the same way as normal spells, and only one person needs to perform the research and expend Time
Units.

When researching a Sequence Spell, only the character who researches a Sequence Spell actually learns
the Sequence Spell, even though it requires multiple characters to cast. The character that knows the
spell must always be present to use it, however, the character who knows the spell may use substitutes
for any other casters that are involved in the Sequence Spell as long as they have the same total number
of casters and the group of casters has all of the necessary spells, keys, and abilities required to cast the
spell.

For example, if Tabetha did the research for a spell that involved Tabetha, Gwestiel, and Farian, she could
cast that spell with any three sorcerers as long as between them they had all the appropriate spells and
Keys. Gwestiel and Farian, on the other hand, could not - because they didn’t actually spend the time
researching it.

If Gwestiel and Farian wanted to reconstruct a Sequence Spell they had cast with Tabetha before, but
Tabetha was not around, one of them could spend half the normal number of Time Units to learn the
same spell themselves, as if they had a teacher. Similarly, Tabetha could teach the Sequence Spell to
someone else entirely, and they could learn the Cooperative Spell for half the initial Time Unit cost it
took to research it the first time.

Sequence Spells must have a pre-written activation method that incorporates all participants. In the case
of traditional dominion sorcery, this is a spell incantation that may be said together or split in a sequence
between the casters. For casters with other casting methods, it may require collaborative gestures, or
some combination of incarnations and gestures, etc.

Example Sequence Spell:

Spell: Chains of Fire

Spell Difficulty: Standard Deep Dominion Spell
Essence Cost: 2 (paid by both casters)
Spells and Keys Used: Flame Arc + Incinerating Key + Chain Key + Channeling Key
Participants: Seiran (Primary), Zarianna (Secondary)
Incantation:
Zarianna begins, “Storms, I call your rage into my hand!”
Serian continues, “Flames, form within my grasp!”
Zarianna finishes, “Lightning, bind her fire into chains!”
Description: This spell allows Seiran to continuously throw packets for (Spell Power + 4) Channeling Fire
damage for five minutes or until she misses with a packet.
Calculation: Flame Arc is (Spell Power + 1) Fire Damage. Incinerating Key adds +1 and making it a two
caster Cooperative Spell adds +2. Channeling Key makes this a Channeling effect. This adds up to (Spell
Power + 4) Fire Channeling.
Call: (Spell Power + 4) Fire Channeling

(Cost: 1 Experience Point)

Signature Spell (Universal Skill)

Prerequisites: None
Effect: Choose a single fundamental spell. This spell – and any versions of that same base spell
researched with added keys - gain the benefits outlined below. You may only purchase this skill for a
single spell at any given time. A signature spell may be changed once every six months through
retraining.
Rank Point Cost Description
1 4 The Effect Level of your signature spell is increased by 1 Effect Level.
2 5 The Effect Level of your signature spell is increased by 2 Effect Levels (total).
You may now add an additional Key to this spell during research. This additional Key may be
an additional instance of a single Key; for example, you could add the Incinerating Key to a
5 6
spell twice (but no more than twice). This is an exception to the normal rule that each Key
can only be added once per spell.

Sustain (Universal Skill)

When casting a beneficial Dominion Shaping spell on yourself, you may choose to use the Sustain ability
to keep this ability active past its normal duration. To do so, you must voluntarily suppress the normal
Essence cost of the ability. These Essence points cannot be regained by any means until this ability has
been voluntarily deactivated, which also immediately ends the duration of the beneficial spell, even if it
normally would not have expired yet. A player may have one spell sustained per rank in this skill. A player
may voluntarily end a Sustained spell at any time.

Sustain can also be used on some Dominion Shaping spells; specifically, those that are beneficial and
have a duration of at least ten minutes (such as Shapes that grant attribute bonuses). Modifier Shapes
and Reaction Shapes cannot be sustained.

Sustained spells are still considered game effects and can be dispelled by certain other abilities, such as
the “Remove All Effects” call. If the sustained spell is dispelled, the suppressed Essence will begin to
recover normally.

Spells that are Sustained before a character goes to sleep or falls unconscious are still Sustained while
the character is asleep or unconscious.

Sustained spells are automatically ended if the caster dies. A Sustained Trigger spell that is set to trigger
upon death or injury will trigger before the Sustained spell ends, however.

Sustained spells that have a limited number of charges, such as Auras, still end when those charges are
expended. For example, a Sustained “Sorcerous Shield” would still be cancelled after it Nullifies a single
spell.
Any spell that has been augmented by a ritual cannot be sustained with the Sustain skill. Similarly,
cooperative spells cannot be Sustained. Players can only Sustain spells they can cast naturally with their
own skills. They cannot Sustain spells that they only have access to temporarily, such as spells gained
through transferring abilities from others.

Rank 1 2 3 4 5+
Skill Point Cost 1 2 3 4 5
 Appendix 1: Teminology and References

Abbreviations
IG = In Game
OOG = Out of Game
XP = Experience Points
Phys Rep means Physical Representation of an object, otherwise known as a prop.

Offensive Spells and Abilities

Offensive Spells and abilities are any abilities that deal damage to a character or cause a detrimental
effect. These calls included Subdue, Poison, Disease, Disarm, Break, Knockdown, Knockback, Sleep,
Paralyze, Compel, Death, Slow, and Transfer (when used on an unwilling target). Other spells and abilities
may fall into this category at Design team’s discretion.

Mind-Affecting Abilities
“Mind-affecting abilities” refers to a broad category for any ability that influences a target’s thoughts in
some way. Some creatures, such as golems, may be unaffected by mind-affecting abilities as they are not
thinking creatures. The “Willpower” skill can also be used to prematurely end mind-affecting abilities.
Mind-affecting abilities include Sleep, Paralyze, Compel, Memory, and other calls at Design team’s
discretion.

Nullifying or Removing Defenses

You cannot use any defense to counter an ability that Nullifies or Removes that defense. For example,
you cannot call “Evade” on “Nullify Evade”.

Essence
Players regenerate 1 Essence every 5 minutes while out of combat. This can be increased by meditating
with the Essence Recovery skill.

Essence is fully regained with a full night’s sleep.

End of combat occurs when the person ceases combat and rests for a five minute period.

Call Structure
Calls should typically be presented in the following order:
<Area of Effect Carrier><Damage> <Other Carrier> <Effect Type><Effect> <Duration of Effect>

Example 1: 3 Unavoidable Fire

Example 2: Essence Heal 3 Wounds
Example 3: Within the Sound of my Voice, Thought Sleep 5 Minutes
Offensive Calls vs. Defensive Calls

This chart summarizes each type of offensive call and the defenses that can be used against that call. In
the case of Armor, the target must have a sufficient amount of Armor to stop a damaging attack,
otherwise that attack causes a wound
Offensive Call Valid Defenses
“1 Damage”* Armor, Evade, Nullify, No Effect
“Within the Sound of my Voice – 1 Damage” Armor, Nullify, No Effect
“1 Unavoidable” Armor
“Knockback 5”** Evade, Nullify
“Within the Sound of my Voice – Knockback 5” Nullify, No Effect

*The type of damage – for example, physical, fire, or ice – is irrelevant here unless the target has a
special defense or weakness. To a normal enemy an attack for “2 Fire” does the same thing as an attack
for “2” or “2 Ice”.

There may be rare special damage types that are exceptions to this; if these exist, the attacker is
obligated to explain them at the time of the attack.

**Knockback is used as an example here. All Effects, such as “Sleep”, “Paralyze”, etc. follow this same
structure.
 Appendix 2: Equipment Prices

Below is a basic list of costs for buying and selling equipment. This is intended to be used during
character creation and for buying items from and selling items to NPCs between games. While in-game,
players are welcome to try to barter, haggle, and swindle both other NPCs and other PCs.

Individual items can be purchased from NPCs by expending time units, as per the rules in the Time Units
section. These values can be modified by the Mercantile skill as per that skill’s description.

Items purchased from NPCs or during character creation do not have any crafting techniques applied to
them. There may be special merchant NPCs that sell a small list of pre-made items with crafting
techniques, but players should not expect this to happen regularly, and items with crafting techniques
cannot be purchased from NPCs during character creation or between games.

Items made from rare materials are not listed here. This is intentional, as most NPCs would not
realistically have them for sale, nor would they necessarily be able to afford to purchase them.

Weapons and Shields:

Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Copper Weapon or Shield 12 Silver 3 Silver
Bronze Weapon or Shield 30 Silver 7 Silver, 5 Copper
Iron Weapon or Shield 60 Silver 15 Silver
Steel Weapon or Shield 120 Silver 30 Silver
Cedar Weapon or Shield 6 Silver 1 Silver, 5 Copper
Oak Weapon or Shield 30 Silver 7 Silver, 5 Copper

*Assumes the player does not have Mercantile skill. See Mercantile skill for the appropriate adjustments
if you have this skill.

Leather Armor:
Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Cow Hide Leather Armor 6 Silver 1 Silver, 5 Copper
Deer Hide Leather Armor 30 Silver 7 Silver, 5 Copper
Wolf Hide Leather Armor 60 Silver 15 Silver

Studded Leather Armor:

Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Cow Hide Studded Leather Armor 12 Silver 3 Silver
Deer Hide Studded Leather Armor 60 Silver 15 Silver
Wolf Hide Studded Leather Armor 120 Silver 30 Silver

Chain Mail Armor:

Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Copper Chain Mail 12 Silver 3 Silver
Bronze Chain Mail 60 Silver 15 Silver
Iron Chain Mail 120 Silver 30 Silver
Steel Chain Mail 240 Silver 60 Silver

Brigandine Armor:
Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Cow Hide Brigandine 18 Silver 4 Silver, 5 Copper
Deer Hide Brigandine 90 Silver 22 Silver, 5 Copper
 Wolf Hide Brigandine 180 Silver 45 Silver

Plate Mail Armor:

Item Name Base Cost to Buy From an NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
Copper Plate Mail 18 Silver 4 Silver, 5 Copper
Bronze Plate Mail 90 Silver 22 Silver, 5 Copper
Iron Plate Mail 180 Silver 45 Silver
Steel Plate Mail 360 Silver 90 Silver

Essence Crystals:

Players may spend their starting money on any form of Essence Crystal up to Class 3. For the rules on
Essence Crystals, see the Advanced Rule Book.

Base Cost to Buy from a

Gray Essence Crystals Sale Vale to a NPC*
NPC
Class 1 Gray Essence Crystal 10 Silver 2 Silver, 5 Copper
Class 2 Gray Essence Crystal 25 Silver 6 Silver, 2 Copper
Class 3 Gray Essence Crystal 50 Silver 12 Silver, 5 Copper

Base Cost to Buy from a

Planar Essence Crystals Sale Vale to a NPC*
NPC
Class 1 Planar Essence 12 Silver
3 Silver
Crystal
Class 2 Planar Essence 30 Silver
7 Silver, 5 Copper
Crystal
Class 3 Planar Essence 60 Silver
15 Silver
Crystal

Potions:

Only a few types of potions are commonly available for sale in most cities. Those potion types are
available on the list below. For alchemists that are looking to sell their own potions or elixirs, the market
value is generally 1.5x the value of the materials used to make the potion.

Potion Type Effect Materials Required Base Cost to Buy from a NPC Sale Vale to a NPC*
2x Lifestrand (3 9 Silver
Heal 1 Wound Potion Heal 1 Wound 2 Silver, 2 Copper
Silver Each)
Restore 2 Essence Potion Restore 2 Essence 2x Waterweed 9 Silver 2 Silver, 2 Copper

Miscellaneous Equipment:
Basic items, such as clothing, food, water, and rope have game value.

Enchanted Items:
Enchanted items are far too rare to have clearly defined market values, and players are unlikely to find
NPCs who can even afford to buy or sell them.
 Optional Rule: Hardcore Mode

Each PC in the Arbiter System has the option to select to play in an event in “Hardcore Mode”. This is
entirely optional. A large percentage of NPCs also use Hardcore Mode rules. Players must declare
Hardcore Mode on their character sheet prior to attending an event. This may be changed on a game-to-
game basis, but changing your Hardcore Mode status frequently can be confusing and look like cheating,
so changing it frequently is not recommended.

The rules for Hardcore Mode are as follows.

Excessive Damage

Characters in Hardcore Mode can be damaged further with normal attacks after they have been knocked
unconscious. Each attack that strikes a character in an already injured location after the character has
been knocked unconscious reduces the time it takes for the character to bleed to death by 10 seconds
for every point of damage dealt by the attack.

If the character is struck in an uninjured location after they have begun to bleed to death, this location is
wounded normally and their bleed-out timer is unchanged.

The attack that caused you to begin to bleed to death does not reduce your bleed out timer unless you
choose that you want it to do so. This means that if your bleed out timer was 300 seconds and someone
hit you for “30” in the torso, you could die instantly, assuming you had no defenses. It is not expected for
you to count the hit that knocked you out; this is purely optional so that you can role-play an
instantaneous death if you choose to do so.

Extreme Exhaustion

Characters in Hardcore Mode can continue to use Essence after they have been reduced to 0 or below,
but they begin to suffer penalties for doing so, according to the chart below. If a character uses an ability
with a high Essence Cost, they can trigger multiple penalties at once, up to the entire chart.

Essence Level Effect

0 No special effects.
You begin to regenerate Essence more slowly. Any Essence you regain is halved (rounded down),
including but not limited to the benefits of any ability with the “Restore X Essence” call, such as
Command abilities.
-1

You suffer double the normal Effect from any abilities with the “Remove” call, such as “Remove 10
Essence” or “Remove 2 Evades”.
-5 You fall unconscious instantly.
You suffer a torso wound as your heart begins to fail. This cannot be redirected to another location
with Roll With It or similar abilities.

-7
You lose the ability to use your Regeneration skill if you have it.

Any Essence you regain from abilities is reduced to one quarter of normal, rounded down.
You die instantly. This is not an Effect and cannot be prevented through the use of any normal
-10
game skills.
 Complete List of Game Calls

Colors and Flags

Color: White headband or Hand on Top of Head = Out of game

Color: Blue = Non-Combatant
Color: Green Flag or Headband = Camouflaged, Shapechanged, or Illusionary
Color: Red Boffer = Creature is using claws
Color: Red Flag in Hand = The character has a visible magical aura.
Color: Black Flag or Headband = Invisibility
Color: Yellow = Intangible, but visible; players wearing both yellow and black are both intangible and
invisible.
Color: Orange = Flying

Out-of-Game Calls

These important calls are used to warn players when there is danger, or used by Game Masters for
clarifications, enforcing game rules, etc.

CAUTION: Used to notify of potential safety concerns (about to back into a tree, for example).

HOLD: Stop all actions, go to one knee (if possible), close eyes (if safe), and wait for information. Stated when
safety risks arise or by the design team.

CLARIFY: Call used when a player is confused by call or situation.

FORSOOTH: Used to indicate to another player that the information is truthful both in IG and OOG.
Defensive Calls
These are calls a player might use when they are struck with an attack or another player’s ability.

EVADE: This call indicates the ability was avoided and thus did not have any effect.

NO EFFECT: This indicates that the target is completely immune to the call, and any number of uses of that
ability will be ineffective.

NULLIFY: This call indicates that the attack was stopped by a defensive ability, such as a magical barrier.

REDUCED: Reduced indicates that the effect of an ability worked, but that it was decreased, usually by half.

REFLECT: Reverses an attack back onto the attacker on the same location.

TAKEN: Indicates that a hit was taken and that the target suffered damage. A game participant who is hit by
an attack and suffers damage must either role-play taking the injury or call “Taken”.
Offensive Calls/Effects
Offensive calls are calls for abilities that are detrimental to the target. When delivering an offensive
ability, you must call out that ability’s effect.

BREAK (TYPE): Damages an item or section of armor so it needs repair before it can be used.

COMPEL (COMMAND) (DURATION): Forces the target to obey the command issued after this call. This cannot
be used to force someone to kill themselves.

DELAY (SECONDS): This indicates that the complete call or effect does not occur for the designated time
period, in seconds.

DISARM: The item that is struck must be dropped.

FEAR (DURATION): Target must run or cower in fear.

KNOCKDOWN (DURATION): The target must fall to his or her knees for a number of seconds designated in
the call.

KNOCK BACK (STEPS): The target is knocked back a number of steps equal to the number in the call.

PARALYZE (LOCATION) (DURATION): Makes an area (limb or entire body) motionless. This is not broken by
damage.

PERSUADE: Similar to Compel, but rather than forcing someone to take a specific action, this simply helps
convince a character to consider an alternate viewpoint. This cannot be used to force a character into a
specific course of action; it simply nudges the target in a certain direction.

REMOVE (TARGET): Remove Limb indicates a limb is dismembered and requires reattachment. When this
refers to a specific ability, Remove (Ability) indicates that a specific ability cannot be used for a certain
duration.

You cannot use any defense to counter an ability that Removes that defense. For example, you cannot call
“Nullify” on “Remove Nullify” and you cannot call “Evade” on “Remove Evade”.

REPEL (DURATION): The target must stay at least 5 feet away from the caller.

REDUCE (TARGET) (MAGNITUDE) (DURATION): This indicates that the targeted ability is reduced by the
appropriate number (default 1) for a certain time (default 5 minutes). For example, “Essence Reduce Damage
1, 5 Minutes” decreases the target’s damage by 1 point for 5 minutes.

SLEEP (DURATION): Target falls asleep for 5 minutes but can be woken up with a three-count. Sleeping
characters are woken up immediately if they take damage or at “Killing Blow One” if a character attempts to
Killing Blow them.

SLOW (TYPE) (DURATION): This slows the target’s movement, attacks, or both, depending on the specifics of
the call.
SUBDUE (DURATION): Paralyzes a limb for 30 seconds or knocks a target unconscious if the torso is hit.

WOUND: Indicates that the location that was struck with the attack instantly suffers a wound. If the call
is for a number higher than 1, i.e. “3 Wounds”, the target must resolve a wound to the location that was
hit and takes any additional wounds on uninjured locations of their choice.

Effect Types
Some abilities have an “Effect Type”. This represents the source of the ability, such as “Fire” or “Ice”.
Effect Types don’t do anything special unless the target has an ability or weakness that interacts with
that Effect Type. For example, an ice monster might be weak against fire and suffer double damage from
it.
Area of Effect Calls
These calls indicate that anyone in the specified area are affected. Abilities can normally only have one Area
of Effect call. In addition, spells that use multiple packets cannot be combined with Area of Effect calls.

AURA: Auras are special magical abilities that are triggered under certain conditions. Usually, but not always,
Auras are triggered by hitting the person with the aura. Auras require a red flag to be worn while they are
active; this represents a visible aura of magical Essence that can be seen in-character.

POINT EFFECT: Indicates that the effect does not need a packet or other delivery method in order to hit the
target. These effects are extremely rare, and require direct line of sight to the target (you must be able to
point directly at them without being blocked by terrain, objects, etc). You must be able to see at least two of
your target’s limbs or the target’s torso to deliver a point effect. Defenses such as Evade, Armor, and Nullify
can be used normally against Point Effects.

WITHIN THE REACH OF MY WEAPON: This call indicates that the attached effect hits everyone who could be
physically struck by the person if he or she was to lunge from their present position. This should not require a
hold, however, if there is confusion or debate, this is measured by the user of the ability checking the
maximum they could extend their weapon without taking a step in any direction. Leaning in a particular
direction is permitted. This ability can be Evaded unless it contains “Unavoidable”.

WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY VOICE: This call affects all those who hear it out of game. You cannot
intentionally avoid Within the Sound of my Voice by plugging your ears.

WITHIN THE SOUND OF MY SONG: This works like Within the Sound of my Voice, but you *can* prevent the
effect by preventing yourself from hearing it (by covering your ears, etc.)

VERBAL: Indicates that something is a conversational ability, which means that it represents someone’s
persuasive abilities in conversation, not any sort of supernatural effect. Conversational abilities cannot be
Evaded, Nullified, or Reflected through normal abilities. Verbal abilities can be Nullfied by other
conversational abilities.

Carrier Calls
Carrier calls, or simply “Carriers”, are calls that are added on to abilities and modify them to make them
more effective. Carrier calls should always have another call associated with them. If you simply hear a
carrier call without any other call, assume that the ability is “1 Damage” with the carrier that you heard.
Abilities can normally only have one Carrier.

ANNIHILATION: Attacks with the Annihilation carrier bypass damage reduction and resistance (the “Reduced”
call) and immunity (the “No Effect” call).

ALL HIT LOCATIONS: This indicates that the ability simultaneously affects the target’s right arm, right leg, left
arm, left leg, and torso. For damaging abilities, the target must resolve the damage to each location. Thus, “2
All Hit Locations” would actually deal a total of 10 damage.

CHANNELING: This call indicates that the attached attack or Effect is not blocked by shields or weapons, and if
it hits a shield or weapon, the player must treat the call as if it had hit the limb that is carrying the weapon or
shield. This cannot be combined with “Unavoidable”.
FREEZE: Attacks that contain the Freeze carrier paralyze the target for a number of seconds equal to the
damage they deal, or until the target takes damage again, whichever comes first. A “Killing Blow 1” counts as
damage, and thus, you cannot killing blow someone who is frozen from an attack with the Freeze carrier.

LIFESTEAL: Attacks with the Lifesteal carrier Heal the attacker equal to the damage dealt by the attack. If the
attack is Evaded, Nullified, or otherwise does not deal damage, the attacker is not Healed. This functions like
the Heal call, and thus, it can both restore Hit Points and heal wounds.

MASSIVE: This carrier is added to a damaging attack or Effect to indicate that if the attack is blocked with
a shield or weapon, the player must suffer resolve a “Knockback” equal to the numeric effect of the
damage or Effect instead of the normal call of the attack or Effect.

PIERCE: Pierce bypasses shields. This cannot be combined with “Unavoidable”.

POWER ATTACK: Indicates that this is a special attack and that the damage value is higher than normal. This
carrier has no effect in itself; it is a courtesy to state Power Attack to indicate that you are using a special
ability, and players are encouraged to role-play that they have been hit harder than normal.

SIEGE: Deals double damage to buildings, including walls.

SPIRIT: Attacks with the Spirit carrier can damage incorporeal targets, such as ghosts or characters in
mist form.

UNAVOIDABLE: Completely penetrates all defenses (including No Effect) except the target’s Hit Points.
Unavoidable cannot be combined with Area of Effect calls. Cannot be combined with Sleep, Paralyze, Fear,
Persuade, Teleport, or Compel under any circumstances. Sometimes referred to as “Godstrike”. Godstrike is
functionally identical and has the same restrictions.
Other Calls

ENHANCE: The target’s skill or attribute is increased by the specified number for the specified number of
minutes. Abilities with the Enhance call typically scale with Effect Level increases.

GRANT: The target gains the specified ability for the specified number of minutes. If the target already has
ranks in this ability, the rank is increased by the number specified for the duration of the effect. Abilities with
the Grant call typically do not scale with Effect Level increases; rather, they increase in duration instead.

HEAL (AMOUNT): This ability heals the target for a number of wounds or Hit Points equal to the number of
the call. For example, if a target had 1 wound and was missing 3 Hit Points, a “Heal 2” would heal the wound
and restore 1 Hit Point.

INTERRUPT: Disrupts a spell or three-counts, such as killing blows. Interrupt cannot be Evaded, or otherwise
prevented unless the target has a special ability to do so.

SEAL: Seals something, i.e. a door. When used on a wound, this indicates the wound is bandaged.

SENSE/IDENTIFY/EVALUATE: These detection-oriented calls are used to gather more information about a
target. Sense/Identify/Evaluate cannot be Evaded or Nullified, but some targets may be immune.

TRANSFER (TO/FROM): Takes something from one target and gives it to another.

TELEPORT: Indicates that a target is being transported from one location to another. Teleportation abilities
cause disorientation in the target, and after being teleported, the target may not take offensive actions (such
as casting offensive spells or attacking) for five seconds. Players are encouraged to role-play illness after
teleportation, especially if they are not used to being teleported. Characters do “get used to” teleportation to
some extent, but the five second rule for not attacking still applies, as the disorientation cannot be avoided.

UNIQUE: Some abilities have unique calls. In these cases, the player should explain these abilities to anyone
who needs to understand their function. Using the word “Unique” is unnecessary.