5e Playtest: Shields

I think I have been watching Vikings for too long...

Shields can be used as an improvised weapon to deal 1d4 damage.  No proficiency bonus to attack roll unless the wielder has the Shield Master or Shield Warrior Feats, the Gladiator Background or a Fighter Class (or any other background that may allow it, such as a Viking Warrior type background, talk to your DM).  The shield is a special case for even though it is bulky and unwieldly, it can be used as a light weapon when two-weapon fighting with a shield (which means the primary weapon must be light as well).  You do not gain defense bonus with the shield if you make an attack.

Now bladed shields or any such items will either gain a +1 damage or do 1d6.  It is up to you DM if they will allow them.  As for myself, well, specialized gladiators can have them.

Note, if a shield is magical, it does not add anything to any attacks it makes.  

New Feat

Shield Warrior

You know how to attack with your shield and still gain from it when using it to attack as a secondary weapon.

• Gains proficiency when attacking with the shield, if not already had.
• You can use two-weapon fighting you may use any one-handed melee weapon instead of just a light weapon.  When you take the Attack action and attack with a melee weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different with the shield that you’re holding in the other hand. You may add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack.
• Still gains a +1 Armor Class even when using the shield to attack.

Rules for Magic and Religion of Eave, redone

Well, I have gone and redone the Gods of Eave I have done up in my section of religion.  I know, I shouldn't have put it out back then as I was unsure about what I was going to do with them.  Now I have more of an idea and here they are.  While working on them, I have got an excellent idea on how to rework magic.  By casting a spell, the caster gains a minor benefit and a greater one by spending a point of refresh.  Please read it and do let me know what you think of what I have done as I want feedback.

... and fire rained down onto the land and the water rose up from the oceans to bathe the earth in fire and water.  The Isaldurii [gods], will awake from their sleep and all but the faithful shall be torn...

-From the Book of The Isaldurii, Vol 2.

The gods of the eladrin are for better words asleep on a dimension in which even the greatest of sages, both human and eladrin do not understand.  If the gods ever were to be awoken, it would be a catastrophe and as such do not manifest themselves.  The eladrin during the human Starfall thought that it was the world was coming to the end as ships fell from the sky and one of them caused a huge tidal wave that engulfed the eastern shores.  The moons were aligned and cast the Eye of Vuul down upon Eave.  The humans did not cause the destruction of their people, the Isaldurii did not awaken, and life went on with new neighbors.

The Isaldurii did not awaken but they stirred.  After the humans came to Eave there have been many more incidents of the supernatural have been happening.  Creatures that have been regulated to legend and myth now roam the land.  The goblins have been stirring from their centuries long exile far beneath Eave.  It seems that the humans have brought new life and old dangers to the world.

• Alannah is the god of youth and chance
• Ellathe is the goddess of the female fertility, childbirth and nature.  She is the keeper of the seasons.  Clergy is all female.
• Skrive is the god of male virility, animals and hunting.  Clergy is all male.
• Suless, the demon goddess of lust, perversion and evil.  She is the only goddess worshiped by the dark elves.
• Suul is the goddess of the moon and all the light that shines down upon Eave.  She is invoked for the safe passage of travellers.
• Taelah is the god/goddess of magic.  Of indeterminate gender s/he is the one the eladrin venerate the most.
• Vuul is the dark god of the baser eladrin emotions.  Murder, lust and insanity.  No one openly worships this god as he is chained away on the moon that bares his name.  His true name is Ikusrii and he was the god of war and combat until he was seduced by Suless countless years ago, so much so that even she fears him.  It worked a little to well.

Humans of North Realm has come to worship the gods of the elves.  They have seen the wonders of magic and they are invoked and revered.  Religion of Eave is a mix of old human religions and ancient elven religion.  Humans of North Realm have a freedom of religion and have taken to the worship of several elven deities.  Those within the Empire worship the perfection of the human body.  Religion is a somewhat hot button issue within the human community.  Most of humanity have taken a somewhat philosophical view of religion before they have landed on Eave.  Most forms of Christianity, Islam and Judaism have fallen by the wayside and worshipped by only a fraction of the faithful as more and more evidence proved it to be less and less useful to a technologically advanced society. That is to say it is not totally gone, but has changed to such degree that it is not so easily discernible now from what it used to be.

On Eave, everything changed.  With magic, that the eladrin say comes of the gods and it is hard to argue with the results.  The advent of magic comes from the power of the gods, so say the eladrin.  Taelah, the god (or goddess) of magic is said to have taught the very first eladrin how to work magic.  The humans, scientists from both Danaan and Tulath, have been working to find out how the magic works as it manipulates an energy.  The eladrin say it is because of the gods and the humans have to reluctantly agree. 

Now the rules...

Clerical Magic
Magic use on Eave comes in many forms but it come from the same source.  To be a cleric of a particular gods they must have the concept or an aspect.  This could be as simple as a Priest of Taelah to as complicated as Holder of the Sacred Die of Alannah.  To further gain the use of spellcasting, they must also gain the special skill: Cleric of (god worshiped).  The skill will also cover the religious rites associated with that particular god and will be the die pool that they roll when casting spells.  Please note that not all priests can cast spells.

• Cleric of Alannah.  This skill covers Stealth and has the supernatural ability to look ever young no matter how old the person is.
• Cleric of Ellathe.  This skill covers Empathy.  They also have the supernatural ability to be equally comfortable in all types of weather.
• Cleric of Skrive.  This skill covers Shoot.  It also covers to identification of animals and survival.
• Cleric of Suless.  This skill covers Deceive.  Clerics of Suless are incredibly beautiful and unless they upset their goddess, they will never have a scar or blemish on their dark skin.
• Cleric of Suul.  This skill covers Investigate.  The Clerics of Suul also gain the supernatural ability not to get lost while the moon is overhead.
• Cleric of Taelah.  This skill covers Arcane.  The Clerics of Taelah are basically arcane casters and may use the arcane spell lists.
• Cleric of Vuul.  This skill covers Provoke.  The cleric also gain the supernatural ability to not be affect by fear.

They may take the following as stunts in they so desire at normal costs.

• Burglar’s Friend (Alannah).  This spell opens locks.  The caster rolls is Cleric of Alannah skill to overcome the locks defense (-4 to 4 depending on how good the lock is).  By spending a refresh the cleric can overcome the lock automatically or go up against a lock guarded by magic.
• Curse of Vuul (Vuul).  When cast upon a target within the same zone it causes them to go insane, placing the aspect of In the Grip of Madness upon them.  By spending a point of refresh, the cleric can invoke the same aspect.
• Ecstasy of Suless (Suless).  When cast upon target that is touched, the target is overcome and place the aspect Throes of Ecstasy on another character.  If a refresh is used, it may be cast on anyone in the same zone as well as they may invoke the aspect.
• Healing Touch (Ellathe).  While in combat, the cleric of Ellathe can by touching the target, heal one stress box of damage box.  If a refresh is used the cleric can heal Consequences by a step.  A -6 becomes a -4, a -4 becomes a -2 and a -2 heals completely.  Only one healing touch may be used per wound.
• Hunter’s Fury (Skrive).  By casting this spell the cleric of Skrive places an aspect Prey of the Horned God on the target within the same zone.  If a refresh is used a free invocation is gained.
• Hunter’s Veil (Skrive).  As long as the cleric or target of this spell does not move, they gain the advantage As Still as a Toshur and they may invoke it by spending a point of refresh.
• Mystic Bolt (any).  The cleric of any god can fire a single bolt at a target.  Resolve the attack as if it were a R1/- attack (see Weapons).  If a refresh is used, the cleric can fire is as a R2/2 attack.
• Season’s Vassal (Ellathe).  When cast the caster can find enough food for herself for a day, no matter what season it is.  If a refresh is used, the whole party of up to six people will find food.
• Strength of Vuul (Vuul).  The caster casts the spell upon himself and gains a R2/2 physical attack for the exchange.  It lasts for the whole scene if the caster spends a point of refresh.
• The Die is Cast (Alannah).  Luck is on the clerics side.
• The Ties That Bind (Suless).  The caster may take any length of rope down to a minimum if two meters in length to give the target the aspect Tangled in Rope.  Spending a refresh she may invoke it and binds the target if she doubles the targets defense against the attack.

The Church of Mankind and the Runecasters of the Empire of Tulath are a special case.  The Priests of the Church of Man work just like before as they are excellent craftsmen, but with special rules.  They must have the High Concept or Aspect such as Lay-Brother of the Church of Mankind or Tech-Priest of Narimath.  There special skill is Tech-Priest.  Besides the rites and abilities of the Church, the skill also covers all things related to the Crafts skill.

Arcane Magic
Now the same thing goes for users of the arcane.  They must have the appropriate High Concept or Aspect to justify their use, such as a Graduate of the Royal Academy of Danaan-Tir, Eladrin Arcane-Knight or Archmage of North Realm.  They must also take the special skill: Arcane.  Besides the ability to cast, the Arcane skill also gains the user to read and understand the complex runes and sigils of the magic involved.  It also covers the Ancient Lore skill.  They may take the additional stunts such as:

• Arcane Bolt.  The caster may fire a single bolt and resolve it as a R2/1 weapon.  They may spend a refresh and fire three bolts, each bolt going for a different target.
• Arcane Step.  Using this spell allows the caster to teleport up to five meters away.  Using a refresh, they can teleport up to ten zones away.
• Call the Lightning.  This causes a bolt of lighting to strike down from the heavens striking as a R3/2 weapon on a single target.  This is only usable when it is cloudy and out it the open.  If a refresh is used, it may be cast anywhere, sometimes with unexpected results.
• Creeping Fog.  This causes a creeping fog to envelop the zone the caster is in, giving everyone the aspect Shrouded in Mists.  By spending a refresh the caster may invoke the aspect upon everybody.
• Fireball.  The caster hurls this at the target and it resolves as a R2/2 weapon.  By spending a refresh it may target everyone in a five-meter radius and sets things alight.  The caster may target opponents roughly up to three zones away.
• Freeze the Body.  The caster put the target of this spell under his control basically holding him.  This places the aspect Slow as Kaddam on a target in the same zone.  It will become invoked if the caster spends a point of refresh.
• Invisibility.  This causes the caster to be Unseen to Sight and invoke it for the exchange.  The caster may spend a refresh and gain it for the entire scene.

Runecasters are the arcane casters from the Empire of Tulath.  Their High Concept or Aspect are things like 
Lightning Hurler or Hidden Rune of Tulath City. Their special skill is Runecasting.  Besides the ability to cast, it gives the supernatural ability to resist the pain caused the rune that is carved into their flesh and therefore have an additional -2 Consequence.  Using a rune is a flashy affair and it is generally known that a person is a runecaster.  One one rune may be used at a time.  They may take the following stunts, such as:

• Rune of Fire.  The caster gains the aspect Wreathed in Fire as the are wreathed in flames and can set small items alight and can hold small flames such as a torch unaffected.  They can spend a refresh to invoke it or cast a bolt of fire at a target or strike at them barehanded.  Resolve it a R2/2 attack.
• Rune of Heat.  The caster gain the aspect Shimmering Heat, as waves of incredible heat can be seen.  They become too hot to touch.  By using a refresh, they make invoke it or gain an armor value B3/3 as weapons melt away.  May use it as a reaction.
• Rune of Ice.  The caster gains the aspect As Cold as Ice as they become ice cold, frozen.  Ice forms in their hands and their breath comes out as icy steam.  Using a refresh they may invoke the aspect or gain
• Rune of Metal.  The casters skins becomes as metal and gains the aspect As Hard as Steel.  The casters density becomes five times as much.  They may spend a refresh to invoke the aspect or gain the ability of armor at a B3/2 for a round or make an physical attack of R2/2.
• Rune of the Earth.  The caster gains the ability Rooted to Eave as the caster becomes rooted to the earth.  As long as the character is on the earth or stone, he or she can not be knocked off their feet.  By spending a refresh the character my invoke the aspect or gain the ability to ignore damage a battle as they cannot move from were they are rooted, but will receive it all at the end of the battle.  This usually makes for a very dead earth user.

Myrmidons

[This is North Realms answer to the Tulathian Elite Spartans.  Not as numerous by far but they are match for match equal the the best that Tulath has to offer.  I am looking for an idea on the Myrmidon Training.  It copies the Tulathian training and I am looking for something different.  Any ideas?  This is subject to change!]

The Myrmidons are the elite of North Realms defenders.  There are only 129 of them because in the entire Realm there are only 129 Broadsword Mecha Suits left in workable condition.  Each Myrmidon is given one of these ancient warmachines and it is a serious point of pride to North Realm.  Each Myrmidon also has a support team of an engineer to maintain the suit along with two mechanics, a medic, a security team of five trained soldiers and their own small airship with a crew of six.  They are sent either singly or as a fire team of five.  A single Myrmidon is a sight to behold and to have one show up is enough to have everyone stop.  They are headquartered in Danaan Tir and have base in each Barony.  They train constantly and maintain a level of readiness for any situation.  Each Barony has a fire team of Myrmidons except for the Baronies of Crosstaal and Leavestonne, they have two.  There are five in perpetual patrol around the Kingdom.

There are about five-hundred additional soldiers culled from all branches of the militaries.  These Myrmidons-in-training train very hard and should a Myrmidon die or retire, a new one is selected.  Each Myrmidon goes through some serious training, akin the modern day Rangers or SEALs.  They are trained to fight armored and unarmored with all manner of weaponry.  This is similar to the Tulathian Spartan Training that the Spartan-blooded get in Tulath.  Needless to say, the selection is fierce and the competition is killer.

Spartan Blooded as well as those Spartan Related are typically chosen for duty as Myrmidons.  But size and strength alone are not the only reasons a person is chosen.  It also comes down to brains.  Needless to say, almost a hundred Myrmidons are Spartan Blooded or Related.

Extra: Myrmidon Training

Permission: Must be Danaan, must be willing to serve in the Danaan military as one of the 129.

Costs: Skills

Myrmidon Training extra is a skill that encompasses all manner of weaponry and hand to hand combat.  A Myrmidon may use this skill in place of any combat skill they would use, from Fight or Shoot.  They may also use it in place of any tactics role that they can make to gain some sort of tactical advantage due to their schooling.

[Possible change]

Religion on Eave

Religion of Eave is a mix of old human religions and ancient elven religion.  Humans of North Realm have a freedom of religion and have taken to the worship of several elven deities.  Those within the Empire worship the perfection of the human body.  Religion is a somewhat hot button issue within the human community.  Most of humanity have taken a somewhat philosophical view of religion before they have landed on Eave.  Most forms of Christianity, Islam and Judaism have fallen by the wayside and worshipped by only a fraction of the faithful as more and more evidence proved it to be less and less useful to a technologically advanced society. 

On Eave, everything changed.  With magic, that the eladrin say comes of the gods and it is hard to argue with the results.  The advent of magic comes from the power of the gods, so say the eladrin.  Taelah, the god (or goddess) of magic is said to have taught the very first eladrin how to work magic.  The humans, scientists from both Danaan and Tulath, have been working to find out how the magic works as it manipulates an energy.  The eladrin say it is because of the gods and the humans have to reluctantly agree.

The eladrin do not have churches or cathedrals to their gods.  They have small temples and shrines, but no real clergy.  They may pray to Elinan for an easy brith, or thank Skrive for a good hunt.

Little do the inhabitants of Eave know that the gods sleep on Eave, providing the magic though their dreams.  They are being of immense power and their sleep provides a stable platform for the planet.  If they were ever awoken from their dreams, the planet would fall into cataclysm. 

Eladrin Gods

·         Alannah, god of youth, chance

·         Elinan, goddess of the earth, females, childbirth

·         Ellathe, goddess of nature, seasons

·         Skrive, god of hunting, animals

·         Taelah, god or goddess of magic

·         Vensor, god of the sky, males, virility

Spirits

Every animal native to Eave has multiple Spirit Sovereigns.  One massive animal that holds the represents the best of the best of the animal.   It is intelligent and can speak telepathically.  Every animal has one.

Rules of Eave: Mecha-Suit Weapons

I am playtesting the armor and weapons section this weekend.  Let you know how it all works out!

Mecha-Suit Weapons

Mecha-suited weapons are large weapons that are mounted or carried on the mecha-suits.  Spartans can also use the handheld weapons, though a bit clumsily for simplicity sake they don’t take any penalty to attack.  If a person smaller than a Spartan uses a weapon usable by a mecha-suit, they will take a -2 on the attack role as the weapon takes on a Heavy and Cumbersome Aspect.  No one can use a built in weapon unless they are piloting the mecha-suit.

[Playtest] Armor Piercing rounds do tremendous damage against the target.  Ancient armor does nothing.  Enchanted and modern armor acts as though they were ancient armor, the blue die reduced by 1 and ceiling increased by 1. 

·         Auto-Cannon.  R3/2, Burst

·         Cannon.  R3/3, Blast

·         Cannon, Heavy.  R3/4, Blast, Built-In

·         Chaingun.  R3/3, Burst

·         Flamer.  R3/3, Sets Fire

·         Knife.  R2/2

·         Mace. R2/3

·         Missile Launcher.  AP, R4/3; HE, R3/3, Blast; HEAP, R4/4, Blast; Plasma, R4/2, Blast

·         Particle Pule Laser Rife, Heavy.  R4/3

·         Rail-gun.  R3/5, Amor Piercing, Built-In

·         Rocket Launcher.  R2/3, Built-In, Blast

·         Shotgun, Heavy.  R3/3

Rules of Eave: Mecha-Suits

Mecha-Suits are the end-all, be-all in infantry warfare.  They are mean and when they take the battlefield, they tend to make a lot of dead bodies.  This is all under PLAYTEST.  I unfortunately was going to playtest it yesterday, but Chris could not show up.  Bad Christopher.  If anyone does happen to use this, let me know!  I am interested!  Be sure to leave comments or questions in either case.

Mecha Suits

Mecha-Suits are the evolution of powered combat armor.  Mecha-suits are over three meters all, the tallest being close to five.  They offer supreme protection as well as on board weaponry that makes them equal to a platoon of men.  Some of them use a master-slave system for arms.  After mecha-suits there are mechs which average from ten meters tall and up

Aspects

·         Armored gives a +1 defense against attacks.  Some of the larger or more heavily armored mecha-suits give a +2 or even +3.

·         Cold Resistant is able to operate without fail in cold environments.  [Playtest: gains a bonus to defense against Cold attacks.]

·         Heat Resistant can operate without fail in very high temperatures.  [Playtest: gains a bonus to defense against Heat/Fire attacks]

·         [Playtest] Master-Slave Arms have two sets of arms, one for the pilot and another for the actual mecha-suit.  The wearer may attack twice on the same target, one for the pilot’s weapon and another for the mecha-suit sized weapon.

·         Open Cockpit means that the driver of the mecha-suit is vulnerable.

·         All mecha-suits have sensors.  The Sensors Aspect give a +2 to Notice rolls because they advanced.

·         Slow Aspect give the mecha-suit a ponderous gait. 

Mecha-Suits

·         Broadsword Mecha-Suit.  B4/1, Armored, Blending, Powered +4, Master-Slave Arms, Sensors

·         Deadelus Mecha Suit.  B4/1, Armored +2,  Powered +3, Sensors

·         K-12 Shining Knight.  B4/2, Armored, Powered +3

Giant Series Mecha Suit

·         Cyclops (the “Brute Suit”), all-purpose suit, 3.5 meters.  B4/2, Armored, Master-Slave Arms, Powered +2

·         Promethean, mainly used for construction, four meters tall.  B4/3.  Master-Slave Arms, Open Cockpit, Powered +4

·         Thrym, adapted for cold weather.  B4/1, Armored, Cold Resistant, Master-Slave Arms, Powered +3

·         Surtur, adapted for high temperature environments, firefighting.  B4/1, Armored, Heat Resistant, Powered +3

·         Atlas, general combat suit four meters.  B4/1, Armored +2, Powered +4, Sensors, Spartan

·         Titan, big combat suit tops out at over five meters tall.  B4/1, Armored +3, Powered +5, Sensors, Slow

Rules of Eave: Weapons and Armor

Working on the Mecha Suits next!  Ignore the last entry on weapons.  This is ALL under playtest and is subject to change for the better.  If you find it useful to use, by all means use it, just let me know what you think of it.  It is all I ask.

I will be using the Red and Blue Dice system from the Fate Tool Kit.  Some weapons, such as the heavy weapons will have the Damage Floor and Ceilings.  For instance the Heavy Scribble Laser (the Finger of God) would be Red 4/2.  Which means that you would roll your 4 dice, 3 of them Red and it would do a minimum of 2 levels of stress.  Where the lowly dagger would be Red 0/-.  Some of the weapons can have aspects as well.

I am also using the Red and Blue Dice for armor as portrayed in the Fate Toolkit. 

Aspects

• Blast affect everyone in the same zone.
• Blending is a special Aspect that if invoked the wearer is invisible until the wearer attacks or some other method of detection is used.
• Burst uses the Hits and Overflow of page 216 of the Fate Core Rules except that a Burst weapon gains a +1.
• Enchanted Aspect make the ancient armor equal to modern armor.
• Hunker Down is a special Aspect that if the user of the shield is aware of an attack he or she will get a +2 on defense.  [Playtest: that will take his next action]
• Poison inflicts the Poison Aspect.
• Powered increases the wearers Physique by the number presented.  This does not add to the number of stress boxes the player has.
• Set Fire sets the target on fire giving them On Fire Aspect.
• Spartan indicates that the armor was built to Spartan.
• Shields only makes armor a +4 armor bonus total and take the better damage ceiling.  So a tactical shield combined with a K6 armor it would be a total of B4/2, but the shield will give him the Hunker Down Aspect.
• [Playtest: I have got to add ammo to the ranged weapons]

Ancient Weapons

• Battle Axe.  R2/3
• Brass Knuckles.  R0/-
• Claws.  R2/1
• Composite Bow.  R2/2
• Crossbow.  R3/2
• Dagger.  R1/-
• Great Sword.  R3/2
• Hand Axe.  R2/2
• Halberd.  R3/2
• Lance.  R3/2
• Long Bow.  R2/1
• Long Sword.  R2/2
• Mace.  R1/2
• Pole Axe.  R3/3
• Rapier.  R3/-
• Rocket Lance.  R3/3, Blast
• Scimitar.  R1/2
• Short Bow.  R1/1
• Short Sword.  R2/1
• Small Knife.  R0/-
• Spear.  R2/2
• Truncheon/Club.  R0/-

Modern Weapons

• Auto Rifle.  R2/2, Burst
• Auto Rifle, Heavy.  R3/2, Burst
• Carbine.  R2/1
• Flamer, Heavy.  R3/2, Sets Fire
• Flamer, Light.  R2/1, Sets Fire
• Machine Gun, Heavy.  R3/2, Burst
• Machine Gun, Light.  R2/2, Burst
• Magnum Revolver.  R3/3
• Missile Launcher.  AP, R4/3; HE, R3/3, Blast; HEAP, R4/4, Blast; Plasma, R4/2, Blast
• Needler Pistol.  R0/-, Poison
• Needler Rifle.  R1/-, Poison
• Particle Pulse Laser Pistol.  R3/2, Burst
• Particle Pulse Laser Rifle.  R4/2, Burst
• Pistol.  R2/1
• Pistol, Heavy.  R3/2
• Pistol, Light.  R1/-
• Revolver.  R2/2
• Rifle.  R2/2
• Rifle, Heavy.  R2/3
• Scribble Laser, Heavy.  R4/2, Burst
• Shotgun.  R3/2
• Sniper Rifle.  R2/4
• SMG.  R2/1, Burst

Grenades

Act like modern weapons in respect to armor.

• Hand Grenade.  R3/2, Blast
• Hand Grenade, AP.  R3/3
• Primitive Bomb.  R2/3, Blast
• Primitive Grenade.  R2/2, Blast
• Satchel Charge.  R4/3, Blast

Ancient Armor

Ancient armor is does not operate that well against modern weapons and grenades.  Unless it is Enchanted, a person wearing ancient armor against a modern weapon will have their Blue die reduced by 1 and ceiling increased by 1.  This means if somebody wearing chainmail is attacked by somebody with an auto-rifle, it goes to a B1/- setting.  They would only get 1 Blue die with no ceiling on damage.  Now these, like the weapons are only the base weapons.  There are many of the arms and armor that are enchanted or superior in construction that will go up and over the presented stats.

• Breastplate.  B3/4
• Chainmail. B2/4
• Eladrin Silk.  B2/4, Enchanted
• Elven Chain.  B3/3, Enchanted
• Elven Plate and Chain.  B3/2, Enchanted
• Full Plate.  B3/2
• Leather.  B0/-
• Plate and Chain.  B3/3
• Studded Leather. B1/-
• Buckler.  B+1 versus one attack only/-
• Shield.  B+1/3.  Hunker Down.

Modern Armor

Modern armor is useful against all manner of weapons.

• ARC (armored reactive camouflage) Suit.  B1/4, Blending
• Armored Vest.  B1/-
• Combat Armor.  B2/3
• ORC (operations recon and combat) Armor.  B3/2, Powered
• Powered Combat Armor.  B3/3, Powered
• Stealth Armor.  B0/-, Blending
• Tactical Shield.  B+2/3, Hunker Down

Knight Series Powered Combat Armor

• K0 Stealth.  B1/-, Blending
• K2 Light.  B1/4.
• K3p Light.  B1/4, Powered
• K4 Medium.  B2/3
• K5p Medium.  B2/3, Powered
• K6 Heavy.  B3/2
• K7p Heavy.  B3/2, Powered +2
• K8 Superheavy.  B4/1, Spartan
• K9p Superheavy.  B4/1, powered +2, Spartan

Rules of Eave: Weapons

I will be using the Red and Blue Dice system from the Fate Tool Kit.  Some weapons, such as the heavy weapons will have the Damage Floor and Ceilings.  For instance the Heavy Scribble Laser (the Finger of God) would be Red 4/2.  Which means that you would roll your 4 dice, 3 of them Red and it would do a minimum of 2 levels of stress.  Where the lowly dagger would be Red 0/-.  Some of the weapons can have aspects as well.

Well, I havent had a chance to playtest this.  Let me know what you think. 

Ancient Weapons

• Battle Axe: Red 2/3
• Brass Knuckles: Red 0/-
• Claws: Red 2/1
• Composite Bow: Red 2/2
• Crossbow: Red 3/2
• Dagger: Red 1/-
• Great Sword: Red 3/2
• Hand Axe: Red 2/2
• Halberd: Red 3/2
• Lance: Red 3/2
• Long Bow: Red 2/1
• Long Sword: Red 2/2
• Mace: Red 1/2
• Pole Axe: Red 3/3
• Rapier: Red 3/-, Reposte
• Rocket Lance: Red 3/3, Radius
• Scimitar: Red 1/2
• Short Bow: Red 1/1
• Short Sword: Red 2/1
• Small Knife: Red 0/-
• Spear: Red 2/2
• Truncheon/Club: Red 0/-

Modern Weapons

• Auto Rifle: Red 2/2, Burst
• Auto Rifle, Heavy: Red 3/2, Burst
• Carbine: Red 2/1
• Flamer, Heavy: Red 3/2, Sets Fire
• Flamer, Light: Red 2/1, Sets Fire
• Machine Gun, Heavy: Red 3/2, Burst
• Machine Gun, Light: Red 2/2, Burst
• Magnum Revolver: Red 3/3
• Missile Launcher: AP, Red 4/3; HE, Red 3/3, Radius; HEAP, Red 4/4, Radius; Plasma, Red 4/2, Radius
• Needler Pistol: Red 0/-, Poison
• Needler Rifle: Red 1/-, Poison
• Particle Pulse Laser Pistol: Red 3/2, Burst
• Particle Pulse Laser Rifle: Red 4/2, Burst
• Pistol: Red 2/1
• Pistol, Heavy: Red 3/2
• Pistol, Light: Red 1/-
• Revolver: Red 2/2
• Rifle: Red 2/2
• Rifle, Heavy: Red 2/3
• Scribble Laser, Heavy: Red 4/2, Burst
• SMG: Red 2/1, Burst
• Shotgun: Red 3/2

Rules of Eave: Magic and the Church of Mankind

The Church of Mankind

[Sorry for the lateness of my post.  I have some serious family issues of which with I am dealing.]

The Church of Man is the magical might of the Empire of Tulath and their magical might consist of the great craftworks that they do.  From mightiest engine of war to the finest gossamer gowns made of silver and gold for a music box dancer.  They are responsible for the great public works, such as the carving the mountain of Narimath and the great gardens that surround the palace of the current Empress.  They have taught the Emperors and Empresses of Tulath, much to the frustration of Section Command. 

The Church of Man is a vast enterprise and the Tech-Priest are but one faction of the clergy.  Many years ago after they installed Tullson II the Emperor of the Tulath they was an argument about what they were to call themselves.  Unified Man it what they were called, but they needed something that will unify the people against the common enemy, the eladrin.  The Church of Mankind, or the Church of Man is somewhat of a misnomer.  They are not really a clergy and they do not worship a god, but they have grown to be the sword and gun, the armor and shield of The Empire.  They do not pray and the liturgies that they invoke are dwarven rites of power.

The Tech-Priests are the largest sect of the Church of Mankind.  They hold considerable power.  In game terms they use Craft as the ability to work their magic.

• Lay-Brothers (Craft +0) are simple laborers or the young who have the intelligence to serve as a Tech-Priest in the future.
• Tech-Priest Initiates (Craft +1) are the mass producers of the Church.  The simple enchantment that they know go into enchanting the raw materials that are used in the rest of the Church.
• Tech-Priest Adepts (Craft +2) fine tune what is made at the Initiate level.
• Tech-Priest Journeymen (Craft +3) are allowed to make the arms and armor for the nobility and military.
• Tech-Priest Craftsman (Craft +4) are the true Tech-Priests.  They are usually assigned to specific task or project.  It can be teaching the younger priests or being assigned to a mechanized unit
• Tech-Priest Master Craftsmen (Craft +5 or greater) are masters of their craft.  Currently there are over two-hundred Masters in the Empire.  One of the Master Craftsmen is chosen to represent all of the Tech-Priests.  Currently, that master in Hedric Croy.

All this being said, normal craftspeople can get their hands on enchanted goods, but they must be licensed in order to do so.  Many of the people are ex-Church members who then keep an eye out for those with a quick tongue and strong hands to be inducted into the Church.  With that there is a growing and thriving back market for the goods and materials.  It is these people that you should watch out for, for there is a rumor of smiths who have taken the dwarven magic to the next level.  Something about reading the runes carved into special icons to be able to cast spells on the fly.  A mighty feat indeed.

The Church of Mankind is ruled by an inner council made up of the same type of people that was in Unified Man.  They meet once every six months to determine policy that will shape and form society.

In game terms, a simple enchant would be adding a +1 to ancient arms and armor.  An uncommon enchant would be adding a +1 to modern arms and armor.  A rare enchant would be make or repair a mecha-suit or constructing a particle laser or other advanced weaponry.  Then you have got the big things like mecha that would require a lot of craftsmen.  The thing about it is that it takes time to construct and a lower level of craftsmen would be required to gather all the necessary components together.  As such, it would require a game that centers of the crafting to be of any use.

The Runecasters are a secret order of renegade casters that have learned to read the ancient dwarven runes to cast their spells.  Their special flavor of magic deals with heat, fire, thunder, earth and metals.  They should have spells that reflect those qualities.  They have the runes on them hidden in jewelry or other somewhat permanent manner that they must have in order to cast their spells.  A player that starts off may have one spell per level of Craft that they have.  There is a Runecaster whose body in covered in runes tattoos.  Unfortunately he has to keep himself covered lest he arouses suspicion.  Generally one does not use this method of casting the runes for they do heat up when cast.  The runes are therefore important to the caster as they focus the power within them to cast hence they are carved onto a totem.  The Runecasters operate in secret as if the Church of Mankind or the Empire should find out about them, there is no doubt about the fact that they would not see the light of day.  They would either be killed or put in a lab somewhere to be studied.

Rules of Eave: Animals

[Please, make a comment and tell me how I did in creating the animals.  Looking for some feedback, good or bad.]

The animals are generally considered Average NPCs.  A few of them can be considered Fair or even Good level of NPCs dependent on the GM.  Some like the toshurs are already Good quality.  Others can be considered named NPCs.

All animals native to Eave have six limbs and tend to be rather large.  The humans have brought with them chickens, dogs, cats and surprisingly ferrets.

Aggressiveness: How naturally aggressive is the animal.  It is the Skill in which they make their attacks.  Their main attacks are listed in parenthesis.

Physique: Just like the characters skill.

Speed: A speed of +0 is the default and is about how fast a human can run.  For every +1 the animals speed, it can travel one additional zone in a normal movement.  They may also use the Skill in place of Athletics and therefore Defense.

Stealth: the natural stealth of a creature, works just like the skill.

Aurachs

A few plains that do exist and the rolling hills are the land of the aurachs (eladrin call them morrows).  Large six-legged bison-like creatures who coincidentally taste like beef.  They have a hard, carapace-like leather that is extremely thick in the front.  When danger abounds and they cannot outrun it they will circle themselves facing out to protect the young from predators.

Aspects: A Massive Herd, Protect the Young

Skills: Aggressiveness +1 (butt, kick), Physique +4, Speed +1, Stealth -1

Stunts: Charge (get a +2 to attack when they charge at least one zone away).

Cudders

Cudders are a large six-legged boar-like creature, as big as a large cow on Earth.  They are not normally a riding animal, but some of the college students of Leavestonne have begun to ride them in impromptu races around campus.  It has stuck and the Cudder Races have grown to be a big thing in Leavestonne.  They are usually nasty and brutish but have been domesticated by the humans over the past eight-hundred plus years

Aspects: Ornery and Ugly

Skills: Aggressiveness +3 (gore), Physique +3, Speed +2, Stealth +0

Stunts: Stubborn (reduce the stress caused by the attack by one)

Kaddams

Kaddams are a slow and ponderous six-legged lizard like creature.  They are native to the higher latitudes and incredibly stable creatures.  They are slow and grew large because they are not very tasty.  There are few creatures in the higher latitudes that will feed on them, but they make excellent draft animals.

Aspects: Slow and Ponderous; Dumb as a Rock

Skills: Aggressiveness +1 (bite), Physique +5, Speed +0, Stealth +0

Stunts: Bad Taste (not really a stunt, but the attacker that bites it has got to be really hungry)

Mikkas

Mikkas are the common, six-legged stags that the elves use to ride.  They are fleet and dexterous able to navigate the forests and even the large branches that the eladrin use as their highways.  They are one of the favorite food of the toshurs.  They are not big enough to carry Spartan Blooded person and can barely carry a normal human.  But the humans of Danaan are raising a much larger version to carry a human.

Aspects: Skittish Woodland Creatures; Fast Runners

Skills: Aggressiveness -1 (gore), Physique +0, Speed +4, Stealth +2

Stunts: Burst of Speed (gain a +2 to speed for the turn to run away)

Ravids

To the eladrin they are called “ulru” and they are a dangerous creature that roam in packs and have spines that grow along their haunches.  They are silent save when they are on the attack when they communicate using a series of sharp yips.  They will usually follow an alpha female.

Aspects: Follow the Alpha, Pack Hunters

Skills: Aggressiveness +2 (bite), Physique +1, Speed +2, Stealth +2.  The alpha will usually have a +1 to all Skills.

Stunts: Raise the Hackles (a creature that makes physical contact with a ravid must do so with one additional shift or take a +0 attack against them)

Tarns

Tarns are great birds that live on the eastern shores of the Evalan Continent.  They are called tarns (to the eladrin they are called “dow”) due to the writing of an old Earth novelist of times past.  They are six-limbed creatures with four-wings (greater and lesser) and two legs.  Having four wings make them very nimble in the air and agile in the water when they dive for the great fish that they live on.  They are a common sight in the Baronies of Maarke and Eastaare in which the people ride them.

Aspects: Flock Mentality
Skills: Aggressiveness +1 (claws), Physique +1, Speed +3, Stealth +0

Stunts: Fly-By Attack (move before and after an attack, up to their Speed)

Toshurs (Good quality)

Toshurs are large, six-legged tiger like creature that only the most elite eladrin ride.  They bond to one rider and when the rider dies they become forlorn and will stay with the body.  They are carnivores and naturally green in color.  The additional camouflage makes them very dangerous in the forests and jungles in which they live.  Usually on a low hanging branch on which they pounce on their prey.  T

Aspects: Silent Killers; Patient Hunters

Skills: Aggressiveness +2 (fangs, claws), Physique +3, Speed +1, Stealth +3

Stunt: pounce (+2 to initial Attack, and if they make a successful they can apply a Knocked Down effect on the target), camouflage (+2 to Stealth if they are not moving)

Rules of Eave: Spartan Blooded

I was trying to write up on the Order of the Thorn, the Kingdom of Danaan's spy network.  I gave up after three tries and worked on the Spartans some more instead.  Let me know what you think.  Have fun...

Extra: Tulathian Spartan Training

Permission: Must be Tulathian, a member of the Spartan Blooded race, must be willing to serve in the Tulathian military

Costs: Skills

The Spartan Training extra is a skill that encompasses all manner of weaponry and hand to hand combat.  A Tulathian Spartan may use this skill in place of any combat skill they would use, from Fight or Shoot.  They may also use it in place of any tactics role that they can make to gain some sort of tactical advantage due to their schooling.

Tulathian Spartan of the Third Spartan Elite Guard

Concept: The best of the best in service to the Empire

Aspects: Nothing Can Stop Us; We Are Death Personified; In the Blood and In the Flesh We are Steel

Skills: Tulathian Spartan Training +5, Spartan Blooded +4, Provoke +4, Operate +3, Will +3, Athletics +3, Contact +2, Notice +2, Pilot +2 and Stealth +2.  These are the common skills that they have.

The Third Spartan Elite Guard is only currently twenty in number.  They are led by an old and grizzled Spartan named Janus, the Primus of the Third Spartan Elite Guard.  They are equipped with all manner of artifacts, from the Giant Series Mecha Suits, PPL5 Particle Pulse Laser Rifles and the absolutely hideous Heavy Scribble Laser, nicknamed the “Finger of God”.  They are the elites of the elite and the only ones better than they are the First Spartan Elite Guard.

They have a lot of Spartan Blooded folks running around.  They only reason that they do not have more of the Spartans in such powerful equipment is that they do not have that many artifacts around anymore.  The Tech-Priests already do wonders in keeping them armored and repaired.      

Tulathian Spartan

Concept: a proud warrior in service to the Empire

Aspects: It is in the Blood; Honor Our Fallen Dead; Strike Fast and Strike Hard

Skills: Tulathian Spartan Training +4, Spartan Blooded +3, Provoke +3, Will +2, Notice +2, Athletics +2 and Stealth +1 are common skills that they would have.

This is a common Tulathian Spartan.  He may or may not be trained in Operate, to wear a mecha-suit.  They are trained with everything from a knife to the newest heavy weapons available.

Now those Spartan Blooded of Danaan origin do not have access to the incredible brutal training that the Tulath gives their Spartan Blooded.  In Danaan it is rare to be Spartan Blooded except in places such as the Baronies of Crosstaal and Leavestonne where the major families of danGael, Chan and Kray reside.  Of course, the genes of the Spartan Blooded are strong and every once in a while a woman will give birth to someone that they would call Spartan Blooded anywhere in the Northern Kingdoms.  Most Spartan Blooded people find work in the military, constabulary or some such work that their great size will be a boon.

Rules of Eave: Goblins

Goblins are not like the goblins of yore.  They are about five feet tall, thin and green skinned which is impossible tough.  They are mean, vicious and bloodthirsty creatures that move in the shadows, because they have a sensitivity to light.  Singly they are sneaky but get them in a group and they are a force with which to be reckoned.

They are a very spiritual people, but they bully and cajole the spirits of Eave to do their bidding.  There are corrupted spirits, such as those in the Aragoi Wastes.  The land has not healed in the nine-hundred plus years since it was the target of nuclear attack by the ancient Tulathians.  These spirits are much sought after by the goblins as they are angry and unforgiving.  It takes a goblin much skill, cunning and provocation to cage such a spirit to use.

Race: Goblins

Aspects

Blood in the Shadows, The Darkness is my Friend, The Spirits Guide Me, Warrior of the Burnt Hand

Racial Skills: Goblin

You can use the Goblin racial skill to know the flora and fauna of the underground area, use this as a survival skill and to avoid hidden dangers.  In addition, pick one of the following flavors; you may pick more at the cost of one stunt or refresh each.

• One with the Spirits: You may use your Goblin racial skill to cast spells relating to pain or sneaking, even if you have no other magical ability.
• Fearsome Mask: You may use the Goblin racial skill in place of Provoke.
• Thick Skin: You may use Goblin instead of Physique to determine your physical stress and consequences, and you get one additional minor physical consequence.
• Sneaky Sneaky: Use the Goblin skill in place of Stealth.

Rules of Eave: Spartans and Eladrin

Hmm, I am using the optional races from the Fate Toolkit.  The eladrin are just the elves listed in the toolkit.  From there I have redesigned the Spartan Blooded into a racial ability.  Hope this works.  Leave comments below!

Race: Eladrin
Aspects
The Experience of Centuries, ”I Know These Woods.”, The Long Game, Magic in the Blood, Perfection in Everything.
Racial Skill: Eladrin
You may use the Eladrin skill to recognize useful flora and fauna, know your way through the woods, or notice hidden dangers. In addition, pick one of the following flavors; you may pick more at the cost of one stunt or refresh each.

• Elven High Magic: You can use Eladrin to cast spells relating to nature or growth, even if you have no other magical ability.
• Perfection in Battle: Choose Shoot or Fight. When you’re using the traditional armaments of your people, you can use Eladrin instead of the chosen skill.

Race: Spartan Blooded

Aspects

It is in the Blood, For the Empire (or the Kingdom), Killing Machine, Proud Warrior

Racial Skill: Spartan Blooded

You are one of the Spartans, having enough blood in your line to claim Spartan heritage.  You stand above others, a giant.  You may use the racial skill Spartan Blooded instead of Physique to determine your physical stress and consequences, and you get one additional minor physical consequence..  You may choose the following the cost of one stunt or refresh each.

• Frightening Presence: you may use your Spartan Blooded skill in place of Provoke.
• Paragon Immune System: You may spend a fate point to cancel the effects of a poison or a disease effect that is affecting you.