Stars streak by as the ship settles into orbit, preparing to

take on supplies. The crew working the bridge starts up their

comms, ready to signal the surface. On the planet below, a
crew of adventurers are setting up to delve into a long-
forgotten ruin, intent on clearing it out for the researchers
that hired them. Kilometers away, a sect of dark priests
begin their heinous ritual, ready to summon a fiend… only
for one of their number to suddenly fall, the gunshot from
the sniper rifle echoing out an instant later.
This is Arcanik – a realm of grand magic and high
technology. The many cultures of the star sector developed
magic and tech simultaneously, researching both as they
grew and flourished. The secrets of the arcane have been
discovered and cataloged – anyone who wants to become a
mage can pursue such a career! Arcanology is now a grand
and respectable study, with entire academies and universities
built solely to teach magic, and research the esoteric secrets
still waiting for them deep in the outer planes.
Technology has also expanded and grown into a vast
industry, with powerful gadgets available to anyone willing
to purchase them. Weapons and armor have become a
common sight, worn by mercenaries, military forces, and
adventurers of all kinds. Drones and hover-crafts soar
through the skies, equipped with scanners, cameras, and
even guns. At the pinnacle of this are the colony ships,
taking the populace to uninhabited planets out in the stars.
So who are you in this amazing universe? Well… whoever
you want to be! Arcanik is a highly versatile system,
allowing you to build almost anything you want. Want to
play a powerful wizard? Then develop your own spells and
magical techniques from the ground up! Do you prefer
technological superiority? You’re welcome to build mighty
weapons, gadgets, and mechanical armor! You can even
play a mixture, using both magic and technology in a
devastating combination!
 Character Creation Character Points
Arcanik is a vast setting, with plenty of character options Once you’ve chosen your starting species, aspect, and
for you to peruse. This long list of opportunities will allow class tree (detailed in later sections), you must distribute
you to build up whatever kind of character you want, from your CP, or Character Points. These points are used in two
mages to gunslingers to warlords. Whatever you want to instances – when you are first creating your character, and
make, you’ll be able to pull off! When you first create a when you are leveling up during the campaign.
character for Arcanik, there are four steps to follow, each During character creation, your character will have 10 CP
with their own choices to make. There are numerous options to spend building up their resume. These points are meant to
for each of these steps, allowing you to create a vast variety represent what your character trained and worked for prior
of characters for countless campaigns! to becoming an adventurer. During character creation, you
1. Choose your character’s Species. This will grant cannot exceed Rank 1 with any skill. If your character gains
them their starting Scores, their movement speeds, an ability that increases the maximum ranks of a skill, they
and any special abilities they start with. This also may increase that skill up to Rank 2.
allows your character to choose a number of their As your character gains experience during their quests and
Scores to improve right off the bat! missions, they’ll gain more CP to spend on empowering
2. Choose your character’s Aspect. This is their themselves. When your character has a night (or day) to rest
elemental affinity, and determines what kinds of and recuperate, they may spend CP to purchase bonuses and
magic they can perform, as well as any other bonus upgrades for their scores, skills, and abilities.
abilities they could have.
3. Select your starting Ability Tree. Your character For 1 CP, you may purchase the following:
gains the initial ability from that tree for free. This • You may choose two Talent or Knowledge skills,
also grants them access to other abilities later on, and gain one rank in them. You must pick two
once you’ve met any requirements they might have. different skills for this option.
4. Pick your starting Skills. Your character may • You may choose one Combat or Magic skill, and
choose 8 Talent or Knowledge skills, and 4 Combat gain one rank in it.
or Magic skills. They gain a single rank in each of
these skills. For 2 CP, you may purchase the following:
5. Pick your starting Equipment. Your character will • You may gain an ability from a Class Tree you are
begin their adventures with up to two weapons, a already using, or gain the base ability from a new
set of armor if they want it, and either a Gadget or Class Tree. You must fulfill the prerequisites of the
an Artifact of their chocie. chosen ability, regardless of its source.
6. Spend your Character Points. Every character has
10 of these points to spend, granting them skills, For X CP, you may purchase the following:
equipment, resources, and / or special gear. • You may spend CP to increase your scores. The CP
cost to increase a score is equal to the next integer –
increasing a score from 2 to 3 will cost 3 CP, for
example. You must increase scores one point at a
time. This option is only available after character
creation, and the campaign has started.
 Species
Every character in Arcanik belongs to a species. These are Reading a Species Entry
the many people of the Arcanik system, each hailing from Every species has a set of scores, both starting and
different climates within their home planets. There are nine maximum. When you are creating a character, their species
species to choose from, each with their own special abilities choice will tell you what their starting scores are, as well as
and culture to explore. the natural maximum each species can have in any score.
The planet Byanne has numerous ecosystems and terrains, Each species also has a bonus ability, which represent that
from vast deserts around the equator to the tundras near the species’ unique capabilities or cultural teachings. These
polar regions. Forests, plains, and steppes fill the rest of the racial abilities vary from species to species, ranging from
surface, with rivers, seas, and oceans covering at least 55% heightened senses to unique magical powers. Each species
of the planet. The fault-lines of the planet are marked by will have their size and speeds listed in their entries, as well.
gigantic mountains, which house the numerous temples and Some species will even grant a character special equipment
cities of the Av’yan, who act as the ruling species of the or bonus resources, based on their culture and history.
planet. The Nekome live in the forests around those Following the basic rules of your chosen species is a
mountains, with their cities hidden in the deepest valleys detailed description of their biology, culture, and a quick
within the woodlands. These two species have lived in overview of their history. The biology of each species is
relative harmony for centuries, often working together to mostly set – each member of a species share the same
overcome troubles that would affect either culture. general body shape, with minor variations between them,
Veldou, on the other hand, is an ecological wasteland, such as color, weight, height or length. A species’ culture is
ruined by nuclear wars and pollution. The Orousa live in only their overall culture – individuals can vary wildly, even
massive colony vessels scattered throughout their system, being outcasts who pursue counter-cultural beliefs. Others
having abandoned their ruined planet decades previously. may have slightly altered beliefs that stem from their
Their genetically created slave races, the Nao-ji and the Var- original culture, such as those from distant colonies.
ji, populate what's left of the surface. The dead oceans are The history of each species, conversely, is set in stone.
home to the Craseil. Only a few million remain on Veldou, This is the actual history of those species, without any form
attempting to rebuild their broken world, while the rest have of censorship or rewrites. You’re welcome to create
abandoned it for distant colonies, cities on the other planets, characters who come from backgrounds that have rewritten
and space stations far from their ruined homeworld. parts of history to fit their favor, or from those who have
Skoltath, the final planet, is the most advanced of the completely forgotten it, either willingly or unknowingly.
three… though it’s also the most inhospitable. The planet’s However you do it, just know that the historical records
axis is bizarre, always tilted around 45° towards their sun. presented here are absolute facts – nothing can change what
The southern hemisphere receives half as much sunlight as actually happened.
the north, and is a vast tundra locked in an endless winter.
The northern hemisphere, conversely, is a mountainous
desert. The Valhund live on the cold tundras just south of the
equator, using their technological skills to survive the harsh
winters. The Xin’Dukan and the Zervit live on the northern
side, both inhabiting the mountainous regions. The
Xin’Dukan live upon the backs of massive tortoise-like
beasts, building cities and temples in the forests that grow
upon them. The Zervit control vast networks of caverns
underneath the mountains. They farm and mine deep
underground, using the geothermal energy to empower
themselves and their creations.
 Species at a Glance

Strength Physique Agility Intellect Wisdom Special

Skyborne Serenity
Av'yan 1 1 3 2 2 3 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land and flight movement.
Superior Senses
Nekome 2 1 3 1 2 3 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land movement.
Scent Tracker
Valhund 3 2 2 1 1 3 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land movement.
Tough Skin
Xin'Dukan 2 4 1 1 2 2 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land movement.
Thermal Sense
Large size
Zervit 2 3 1 2 1 3 Scores to increase
7 meters / AP of land movement.
Venomous Claws
3 Scores to increase
Craseil 1 3 1 2 2 5 meters / AP of land movement
7 meters / AP of swim movement.
Mystic Lineage
Orousa 1 1 2 3 2 3 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land movement.
Amorphous
Small size
Var-Ji 1 3 2 1 1 4 Scores to increase
5 meters / AP of land movement.
Hive-Mind, Multi-Armed (4)
Nao-Ji 1 2 2 1 2 3 Scores to increase
6 meters / AP of land movement.
 Av'yan As an Av'yan child grows, their wing muscles are the first
to develop, and continue to strengthen over the course of
The Av'yan are an avian species that live among the their teenage years and into adulthood. A young Av'yan on
highest peaks of Byanne. Their evolution has granted them the cusp of their teenage years is expected to be able to fly,
large, powerful wings and light bones, allowing them to take and some subcultures of the species have trials revolving
flight whenever they desire. Av’yan culture is based around around their first unaided flight. Their features are also well-
their families and religious beliefs, as well as the pursuit of adapted to flight. An Av'yan of any age will barely feel the
knowledge and wisdom. An adventuring Av'yan will most cold and wind of high altitudes. Their physiology is
likely be a mage or a priest, though their natural agility also similarly evolved to handle flight and high altitudes. Their
makes them excellent hunters and stealthy rogues. The respiratory system is highly efficient; they have lungs, but
average lifespan of an Av'yan is around 60 years, and their air flows through them in a single direction, passing
height averages between 1.2 to 1.5 meters. multiple times to ensure the total oxygenation of their blood
before it is exhaled.
The Av’yan are herbivorous; they can only eat fruits and
Av'yan characters begin play with the Base Scores vegetables. Their beaks are able to pierce and break tough
listed below, and Skyborne Serenity. They may choose fruits and vegetables, nibbling at the flesh within. The actual
any three scores, and gain one point in each of those shape of an Av'yan beak depends on the part of the world
scores. Av'yan characters are in the Medium size they are from; whatever the most common vegetables or
category. They have a land speed of 6 meters / AP, and fruits are, the local Av'yan population will have a beak shape
a flight speed of 6 meters / AP. that's good at eating it. For the most part, Av'yan prefer their
Base Maximum meals uncooked and untreated, though every bird has been
known to enjoy a fruit pie, and juices of all flavors are a
Strength 1 9
good way for them to stay hydrated.
Physique 1 9 Av'yan coloration is both predictable and random. An
individual will have two to three natural colors along their
Agility 3 11
body. A family might share one or two of these colors, most
Intellect 2 11 often the beak and talon color. However, what these colors
Willpower 2 10 are is completely random, and doesn't seem to correlate with
any geographical patterns. The only reliable pattern for
Av'yan coloration is their Aspect. Their colors will almost
Skyborne Serenity always relate to their Aspect in some way.
You can hold your breath twice as long as normal, and Like most sapient species, the Av’yan are sexually
you gain +2 successes to resist the effects of cold dimorphic. Male Av'yan are naturally more colorful, while
weather. However, your suffer -1 success when you roll female colors are somewhat tamer. There is little to tell the
to resist any kind of inhaled poison, toxin, or other difference between them beyond colors, however. A non-
such airborne hazard. Av'yan mistaking a bird for one of the opposite sex is quite
common, at least until they’ve grown accustomed to telling
the difference by sight. Artificial colors are also common -
Biology some Av'yan opt to dye their feathers in pretty colors, many
The Av'yan are a hexapodal species that evolved in the doing so to distance themselves from their nest.
high peaks of Byanne. As the term above suggests, they
have six limbs; two arms, two legs, and two long, thick The Eras of the Birds
wings. Their bones are also lighter than other species, with
The Av'yan are the first species on Byanne to develop their
microscopic mini-pockets of marrow within instead of
civilization, and are arguably the first species in the entire
canals of marrow through the center. These bones are also
quadrant to establish their own towns and cities. The Av'yan
thinner than other species, and they must take care to avoid
trace their history back to the Av'Ravai mountain range,
breaking them. While they can heal, it takes much longer
where their first settlements were established. It was among
than other species due to their fragility. Their musculature is
these mountains that they became the first species to
highly specialized, being generally weaker around their
establish a written history. The very first manuscript written
limbs, but heavily focused around their chest and back.
by their scholars, a farming record of a small town, marks
These traits make the Av'yan's unique capability among
the beginning of their Era of Growth. During these two early
many sapient species of the sector a possibility. After all,
millennia, the Av'yan developed special farming techniques,
birds are expected to soar through the skies on their wings!
domesticating fruits and vegetables across Mar'Av. Near the As he grew older, murmurs began to spread of who would
turn of the millennia, they had grown vast enough to allow take over for Ra'Ari. However, he had other ideas. One
their people to enjoy artistic and philosophical pursuits. fateful night, Ra'Ari took his own life, killing himself in a
Many of their settlements were created during this time, crystalline coffin. As his court panicked and plotted alike, he
with countless temples, towers, and fortresses being rose again to stand before them as a lich, even more
constructed across Av'Ravai. These settlements were often powerful in death. In his new undead form, he cast aside his
built near mountain springs, with waterfalls and small rivers old name, and took on a new title: The Black Magus. As an
being the most common focal points for them. Over the undead, his grip over his people was intensified into a cold,
ages, many of these ancient structures were repurposed into steely grasp. Every part of their daily lives was held and
holy places for worships, or into museums to teach others restricted by his laws, and failure to abide by them would be
the history of the Av'yan people. met by deadly force at the talons of his legions.
It was during this period of expansion that they became These laws were painful and absolute. No Av'yan was
one of the first species to discover magic. Multiple records allowed to bear children unless his speakers granted them
indicate the Av'yan had the first shamans born among them. permission, so as to keep his population controlled and
These early magic-users spoke of elemental spirits guiding stable. No Av'yan was allowed to love or bind themselves to
their actions, and their divination aided the species in many each other, as doing so gave them hope, and risked inciting a
crises. Soon, these shamans became akin to nobility among rebellion. Countless other restrictions were held in place, as
their kind, viewed as the best leaders in times of trouble. In well, all of which prevented his subjects from rising up into
the year 998 RH, the Temple of Feathers was constructed in more than labor. His transcendence into a lich started what
the heart of the Av'Ravai mountains, marking the beginning historians call the Av'yan “Era of Despair”.
of the Era of Magic. For over four centuries, the Black Magus held his domain.
Over the next few centuries, the shamans leading their Nekome attempts to steal knowledge and wealth from him
people began to consolidate power, bringing numerous was met with brutal force, as his agents kept careful watch
towns and villages under their respective domains. These over their inventories. Any thefts would be tracked down,
shamans grew envious of each other's lands, and soon, the thieves eliminated. If they couldn't find the thieves,
skirmishes began to occur across the mountains. Shamans entire Nekome cities would be eradicated in retaliation. In
would lead their people into wars against their neighbors, short time, the Nekome clans recognized the danger the
slowly accruing power until they grew old and weak, or Black Magus represented, and began forging a plot against
their domain became too large to be properly supported. At him. These numerous assassination attempts would
these junctures, their territory would fall to whatever invariably end in failure, as each attempt would only serve
shamans were next in line, who would continue the cycle to make the Black Magus more paranoid, and push him to
anew. This constant cycle of war, peace, and chaos tighten his security even further around his domain.
continued for over half a millennia, with numerous notable In the year 1962 RH, an Av'yan was illegally born to a pair
civilizations rising and falling. However, the cycle ended of priests. This child was immediately given to a sect of
abruptly with the rise of a young shaman named Thu'Nyr Nekome agents, who spirited him away from the domain of
Ra'ari. The countless wars had left battlefields across the the Black Magus. The Nekome named the child Hikari
mountains, and sometime around 1500 RH, Ra'Ari was born Rha’ma, and raised him with the knowledge of his people’s
in one such location. As such, he became the first Death plight and their old customs prior to the rise of the Black
Aspect shaman of the Av'yan people. Magus. As the child grew, it became clear that he was one of
Thu'Nyr Ra'Ari used his powers to commune with the the first Holy Aspect individuals in the world. The Nekome
elemental spirits of death, who eagerly taught him the and the few free Av'yan trained him in the arts of war and
secrets of necromancy and undeath. His rise to power was peace, ensuring that he grew into a heroic young leader.
meteoric, as anyone who fell in battle against him was Soon after he reached adulthood, he stood tall against the
quickly raised as an undead slave under his control. It soon rule of the Black Magus, and inspired many of the smaller
became folly to stand against Ra'Ari, and many shamans towns to rise up against the undead that ruled them.
threw themselves at his feet, begging for mercy. Within a Over nearly a decade of adventuring, Lord Rha'ma
single decade, the entire Av'Ravai mountain range was his managed to free a large swath of territory from the control
domain, with his servants forging across Nekome forests of his enemy. For the next twenty years, he waged a brutal
towards the other mountain ranges. Soon, every mountain war against the undead, using his holy powers to purge the
range across the continent of Mar’Av had a fortress bearing evil from the land. By the end of his campaign, he stood tall
his sigil built upon it, with villages and towns popping up against the Black Magus himself. According to all records,
everywhere to supply his forces. both historical and mythological, the final battle took nearly
a full day, with both sides crashing into each other. In the
end, Rha'ma managed to destroy the Black Magus by to marry members of other nests, aiming to create binding
sacrificing himself in a massive surge of holy energy. His relationships with those nests for the benefit of both parties.
final words are still inscribed on the walls of the Black Members who wish to pursue interests outside their nests
Magus's ancient fortress, forever ingrained in the hearts of will often be forced to seek approval from their ne'jai, or do
all Av'yan who stand against oppression. His self-sacrifice so in secret. Any bird with an interest or goal counter to
instigated the current era of the Av'yan, the “Era of Hope.” their nest's pursuits might even be forced to leave the nest,
and fend for themselves.
Nests and Councils This conservative approach to romance is mirrored in the
Following the fall of the Black Magus, the Av'yan people Av'yan approach to friends and partners outside their nests.
reorganized into a more traditional government. During the An Av'yan employee, for example, will often be a loner that
early periods of the Era of Hope, they settled disputes and only associates with other birds. Everyone else will find an
conflicts with diplomacy, hoping to avoid another shaman amicable worker, ready to assist them with their company's
rising to unprecedented power. This desire also manifested needs, but they'll never show up for drinks after a hard day's
in a simple concept that began to permeate into all levels of labor. This treatment extends to personal relationships, as
their governance; no one bird will have total power or well. Av'yan will rarely have friends of other species, and
control. This concept gave rise to the Av'yan Councils. those few that do exist will have proven beyond a shadow of
Every Av'yan city has a council, with each and every nest a doubt that they are worthy. Romantic relationships are
within that city providing a single member. These councils similar; an Av'yan couple will court each other for years
discuss the problems and opportunities facing their city, and before even considering marriage, often simply because
decide on the best options for their people. “that's the way it's done.”
Colonies and non-Av'yan cities often have small councils
that act as speakers for their Av'yan population. These are Castes of the Sky
usually much smaller than normal Av'yan councils, only Nests are divided into castes, a holdover from the Era of
being a few members. The seven largest councils must also Despair. During this era, the Black Magus split his peasants
select a single member from among them to travel to the into multiple castes, keeping them locked there, forever
ancient temple of the Black Magus, and join the Council of bound to doing whatever task he decreed they were to
Wings. This powerful council acts as a council for the entire perform. This holdover has remained, despite attempts from
Av'yan species, deciding what the best paths for the species social reformers to remove it. There are four castes in
to take will be in the future. Av'yan society; merchant nests, labor nests, teaching nests,
An Av'yan nest is comprised of what other species would and noble nests. Once born into a caste, an Av’yan cannot
considered a family, and their extended relations. Every nest move into another caste – they can either accept their place
is looked after by a single ne'jai, who is usually the eldest, or in society, or leave society completely.
at least the most mature. The ne'jai must ensure the well- Merchant nests are those devoted to businesses and works
being of their nest, and guide them in their daily lives. Each that buy, sell, or trade materials and goods. This includes
nest will have multiple houses, with different members stores, restaurants and other service industries. Basically,
sharing them, such as grandparents living in one, a couple anything involving the trade of credits belongs within this
and their children in another, and so on. The nest's council caste. These nests are generally found in the lowest sectors
member must be different from the ne'jai, to ensure each of Av'yan cities or population centers, not because they are
nest doesn't have a single, all-powerful member leading both looked down upon, but because that's where the business
their family and their city. Similarly, if an Av'yan is granted actually is for them. Most common businesses, like stores,
a position of authority within a business, they must step restaurants, and so on are located in the lower sections of
down from any government post they have. Av'yan cities and population centers, if only for the tourists
To the Av'yan, a nest is everything. During the Era of and visitors who wouldn’t want to climb all the way to the
Despair, a family was all they had, and they would be forced top of the city.
to both live together and serve together. Centuries of living Labor nests are precisely what they sound like. Any
in these conditions have created social norms that are business that produces goods or performs work for the city
followed to this day. An Av'yan nest is akin to a family is considered a labor nest, and their caste is unique in that
business, and each member is expected to serve their nest as they can be in any part of an Av'yan city. Some labor nests
best they can. Members are expected to share in performing might be outside the city, raising crops, while others may be
the same kinds of work; it isn't unusual for a single nest to at the very top, tending to the weather turbines that provide
have dozens of members in a single office. Romance is often power to the entire city.
dissuaded, as the elder members may arrange their children
 Teaching nests are devoted to intellectual pursuits, be they Cities in the Sky
academic or spiritual. They are the scientists, teachers, and Av'yan cities come in two varieties. The most common are
priests of Av'yan society. The birds place a high priority on simply built atop mountain summits, using technological
giving their children a solid education, and teaching nests advancements to keep them steady in the heavy winds. Their
are in the upper echelons of their society. These castes also buildings are naturally tall, comprised of steel, titanium, and
include artistic nests, full of Av'yan who specifically pursue reinforced glass. These buildings often have dozens to
philosophical ideals and grand works of art. The only caste hundreds of balconies for the Av'yan to perch on, looking
above them are the noble nests, who are in charge of the out upon the rest of their city. The rarer variety is hewn or
actual infrastructure of the cities they inhabit, ensuring that built from the sides of cliffs. They are glorious to behold,
everything is working properly. with pillars of natural stone holding the ceiling, and
countless buildings built from modern materials helping to
Magic, Arcane & Divine keep the stone from collapsing as well.
To the average Av'yan, magic is a wondrous tool that The Av'yan are also quite fond of hover-crafts, zeppelins,
saved them from an era under the iron talons of the Black and other airborne vehicles. This love of hovering things
Magus. Many modern Av'yan view the concepts of magic to extends to their homes; the richer members of Av'yan
be potent and rewarding if they pursue them, and many society will occasionally purchase a tract of stone reinforced
birds study arcanology as a hobby. Some even jump with titanium and inundated with hover-tech. They will then
headfirst into the life of a mage, practicing magic as an build their homes on top of these floating islands. These
artistic endeavor. Those that succeed at these pursuits can be floating homes can be tethered to specific cities that the
potent mages, so much so that the Av'yan councils will keep owners happen to like, or they can be set free to drift among
tabs on them, just in case. Many government figures in the atmospheric currents.
numerous nations have Av'yan mages on their payrolls, as The lower parts of these cities are dedicated to public
the birds can often prove to be quite capable magicians. works, save electrical systems. Sewers, water pumps and
However, this doesn't mean that the Av'yan blindly trust purification systems, trash disposal, and other such
mages with all that power. Any mage living in an Av'yan processes are kept below the population. The power systems
city that is not bound to a religious organization must be that charge the cities are relegated to the highest echelons of
registered in their records, and those who fail to do so can each and every building. Countless wind turbines, lightning
expect severe consequences. rods, and solar panels line the higher parts of each building,
The daily life of an Av'yan citizen is bound to their creating power no matter the weather.
religious beliefs. Almost every Av'yan worships a god of
some kind, seeing their teachings as guideposts to live their Av’yan Adventurers
lives by. Generally speaking, an Av'yan will seek out a god When an Av’yan has endangered their nest, angered their
of their aspect to follow, specifically one that best fits their ne’jai, or otherwise been cast out or left their nest, they are
personal philosophies. If no such deity exists within their considered an exile. These Av’yan are forced to look after
aspect, they will seek out a fitting deity in another aspect. themselves, as an outsider Av’yan joining a new nest is quite
Many Av'yan flock towards Arai, the god of flight, freedom, uncommon, and generally frowned upon by other nests.
and birds, and they consider him to be the patron god of They view such an outsider joining a nest as that nest’s
their entire species. attempt to consolidate members and gain influence. As such,
Despite this social norm, few Av'yan actually pursue many exiles turn to mercenary or adventuring work to pay
priesthood. Many make do with commonplace worship, and for their meals and shelter.
even more are fulfilled by a quick prayer and a weekly Exiled Av’yan often have trouble adapting to life outside
ritual. The few that do pursue full priesthood often rise to their nests. The societal power structures other species
become the highest of their organizations, the most fervent employ within their lives can be quite alienating to an
and devoted to their particular deity. While even rarer, the Av’yan who is ill-prepared to witness them. After all,
few atheistic Av'yan that exist across the world fill this everything in Av’yan society is meant to impose a sense of
social desire to serve with public works, military service, or balance among all people – so many other species have
even mercenary work. Anything that helps them feel like singular leaders or rulers, which is completely against what
they are part of something greater helps scratch their the Av’yan believe in. This also extends to business and
psychological itch, and people who lead these sorts of personal circles – having a singular boss or manager can be
organizations will eagerly seek out Av'yan looking to join jarring for them, and a specific person taking the lead in a
something worth fighting for. group of friends can sometimes be upsetting. An Av’yan that
falls into this life against their will can easily slip into
depression, anxiety, and other mental issues while they Nekome
adjust. However, many of them can find a higher purpose to
adventure for, most often a mercenary company or religious The Nekome are a feline species that live deep in the
organization. As long as an Av’yan can find a cause worth forests of Byanne. They are naturally born hunters, with
working or fighting for, they’ll often have a much easier bodies built for dexterous motion. With these natural talents,
time adjusting to life outside their nest. Nekome can be great assassins and hunters. An adventuring
A far happier adventuring Av’yan is one that has left their Nekome will most likely be one seeking new experiences, or
home willingly, following a holy cause or working for their to obtain wealth and glory in the name of their clan. The
nest or government. These adventurers are actually out there average lifespan of a Nekome is around 100 years, and their
with a goal, and are eager to pursue it with all their might. height averages between 1.4 to 1.8 meters.
Some may even be adventuring just to test their own skills,
or to gather enough wealth to start their own nest.
Nekome characters begin play with the Base scores
listed below, and Superior Senses. They may choose
any three scores, and gain one point in each of those
scores. Nekome characters are in the Medium size
category. They have a land speed of 6 meters / AP.
Their unarmed attacks can deal slashing damage, due
to their claws.
Base Maximum
Strength 2 10
Physique 1 9
Agility 3 12
Intellect 1 9
Willpower 2 10

Superior Senses
You gain +2 successes to all Perception checks, and +1
success to all other rolls you make that involve you
using your senses to locate or track something. Your
Focus is treated as being 1 point lower against flashing
lights, intense smells, or other such sensory assaults.

Biology
Nekome are naturally lithe, agile, and acrobatic. Their
muscles are built for speed and precision over brute
strength. They evolved as ambush predators, built by nature
to be hunters in the forests they inhabit. As such, they make
for great sprinters – terrifyingly fast in short bursts, but
hardly capable of longer runs. Their arm and torso muscles
are also evolved for climbing and lashing out to grab prey,
with natural claws that can tear through flesh with ease.
As you might expect from the previous paragraph,
Nekome are carnivorous, and can only eat meat. This meat
doesn't have to be cooked; their stomachs are tough enough
to handle uncooked flesh, though most Nekome prefer their
meats roasted and seasoned. To them, it tastes better when
it's been properly prepared. Many Nekome cities have vast
farms of fresh beasts specifically to feed their populace.
 A Nekome's senses are vastly superior to almost every land, power, and achievements since the last tally will be
other species on Byanne, and even beyond that. Their eyes counted up over the course of a week, and the clan with the
are perfectly adapted to notice movement and details, and highest total will be chosen as the new rulers. That clan
their large ears can twist and turn to take sounds from any must select a single member, who will take the throne as the
direction. Some Nekome also have enhanced olfactory new Emperor of all Nekome until their death.
senses, allowing them to smell their prey, and some even Most minor clans barely participate in Tsune no Shiai,
have powerful taste buds that let them enjoy and identify knowing full well that they have no chance of winning.
multiple flavors within the same bite of food. Major clans, however, are often wrapped up in the game to
The vast majority of Nekome are natural colors, with some an absurd degree. Many of them have departments of
clans priding themselves on having specific patterns, like families working on similar goals, such as a set of four or
stripes, spots, and splotches. White, brown, orange and five setting up farms, another set working in an insurance
black are the most common colors, with the occasional gray company, and another family or two exploring far-off
or yellow. Male Nekome have up to two colors across their planets. This ensures that they'll always have points flowing
bodies, with tufts of whiskers and fur around their cheeks. in their favor, as they all indirectly battle with each other to
Female Nekome tend to have two to three colors, with less claim the throne for that generation.
fur around their face. Some Nekome have thick manes
around heads, which males and females will often style to Daily Life of a Cat
their liking. Many Nekome also dye their fur, often picking Some families are not members of clans; these few
colors that are intriguing to look at, or colors that blend into families cannot participate in the game, but wouldn't want to
their surroundings. anyway. They are happy living without the pressure of a
Nekome are sexually dimorphic, though this means little clan's machinations. Singular Nekome are also surprisingly
in modern times. They do not label themselves with genders common, especially on colonies, space stations, or urban
or sexes; to them, a cat is a cat. This is not to say that they population centers in non-Nekome cities.
cannot recognize sexes; they simply don't care about the For an average Nekome, this whole game means very
concept. A Nekome can recognize genders in other little. Average life among the cats is one of little rituals.
dimorphic species, but to their own species, the concept is Urban Nekome have numerous habits that they perform
irrelevant. Transexuality is quite common among the each day, but the details differ depending on the cat. Some
Nekome, and their lack of gender roles makes this confusing like to have something specific for breakfast, followed by
for more traditional races. This approach to their sexuality their commute to work, while others specifically eat certain
comes from their early interactions with the Av'yan. The meals each evening. When these rituals aren't focused on
only indications the birds have towards their genders is their simple quirks, they're often devoted to showing fealty to the
coloration, and to the early Nekome, their colors meant clan, or expressing gratitude towards those who have been
nothing. They saw the Av'yan referring to each other as kind or generous to the cat. Rural or colonial Nekome often
almost random pronouns, and this stuck with their early take these rituals more seriously. These cats are usually
culture as a disregard for typical gender roles. more influenced by religion, and their rituals are more akin
to worship than simple habits or quirks.
Tsune no Shiai These rituals extend into their lives beyond daily life, as
Nekome are divided into major and minor clans, which are well. Many things the cats do are bound by rituals,
collections of families under one key family. The difference especially regarding relationships. Nekome are brought up
between a major and a minor clan are the number of to respect their families, honoring their grandparents and
families within their purview. A major clan will have 20 or other relatives, and showing deference to their parents.
more families, while a minor clan has less. Most major clans Rebellious Nekome children are normally tolerated, and are
in the present day are gigantic, with hundreds of families set out on adventures to let them explore their own freedom
serving them. Every clan in Nekome society, and the many before returning home. Those children who don't return
cats within them, are wrapped up in an endless political home usually create families of their own, eschewing the
contest known as Tsune no Shiai. protection of clan membership in exchange for freedom.
This contest is a social and political competition that
determines who will lead the Nekome species in each
generation. When the Emperor dies (or transcends to a new
form of life, such as undeath), their clan is deposed from the
throne, and a secret council of twenty-three nobles will look
over each and every clan. Every clan's population, wealth,
 Eyes in the Shadows Cities in the Trees
While Nekome treat other species amicably, many do not Nekome cities are situated in deep forests, with homes
return this treatment. The Nekome have a deserved built around and inside the gigantic trees. A single titanic
reputation as sneaky rogues, ready to steal whatever they tree can have anywhere from two to twenty homes situated
can. In fact, many businesses will have special security on it, all perfectly balanced with each other and supported
precautions around Nekome visitors, or even their own by steel wires connected to other houses on other trees.
employees. The Nekome, in general, don't seem to mind the Many of these wires are also connected to ladders or
treatment. Many even play it up, pretending to be up to bridges, allowing the cats to quickly traverse them. Trams
something just to get a laugh out of their friends or co- also flow between all these wires, traveling on thick tracks
workers. Some even use it as an intimidation method. Few to specific points within each city. Winding paths weave
Nekome deny the reputation, though. After all, during the between trees, making navigation difficult unless you have a
early years of Nekome civilization, they stole countless map, or can climb as easily as the Nekome. These cities are
stores of art, knowledge, and research from the Av'yan that powered by either dams and water turbines in a nearby river
lived in the mountains near them. It is only from this or ocean, or by geothermal energy deep below the surface.
thievery that they developed so quickly as a culture, and it Most cities have one or two clans dedicated to acting as
has shaped the modern Nekome society as well. Many their government. These clans are in charge of the utilities
Nekome see these underhanded methods as the best way to that supply their cities, the police and guards that protect
stay ahead, or at least a way to keep tabs on their rivals. them, and so on. Every Nekome city has a robust, well-
In fact, the first circuit-based technology they developed stocked, and highly trained tree department. If their trees
was a system used to hack into Valhund security centers, and suffer damage from wildfires, or have trouble weathering
it was developed using computers stolen from the Valhund. heavy storms, it risks their entire city falling over. The tree
Then, the data they stole was used to create even more departments are dedicated to ensuring neither of these
technology of that ilk, such as stream-hacks, IPS bouncers, events threaten their way of life, and use many methods to
and even active camouflage systems. The vast majority of ensure the safety of their people. Lightning rods, wind-
their technological advancements have been in the field of breaking tree walls, and automatic water turrets are common
stealth and hacking, though they've also made surprising sights in Nekome cities, set up and managed by their tree
leaps in medical fields and botany. departments. They are also in charge of clearing brush and
The Nekome's genderless social norms have given them wildlife from the lower parts of the forests, ensuring that no
every reason to pursue body modification. Their biomancy spontaneous fires will ignite far below.
and surgical technology is surprisingly efficient and highly Nekome rarely colonize other planets, only doing so when
effective. A young adult cat can have any body shape they they discover one with a thriving forest ecosystem that they
desire, provided they have the credits to afford the process. can inhabit. In the colonies of other species, the Nekome
Many members of other species come to the Nekome for tend to seek out taller buildings to stay in. This approach
modifications, as well. Even the Valhund turn to the cats for extends to multi-species cities, where cats will seek out
cybernetic augmentation, a concept they invented and high-rises and condominiums to stay in.
perfected long before the Nekome did. Some cats pursue
this particular field as an artistic endeavor, seeing their Nekome Adventurers
patients as works of art that they can show off. Adventuring Nekome are, by and large, working for their
Since the Nekome live in forests, they've also become clan. It isn’t unusual for a Nekome adventurer to gather
quite capable at caring for plants. Their botanical technology wealth, fame, and glory, only to return all of it to their clan
is second to none, save perhaps for a plant-based species in hopes of helping them win a higher place in the game.
they've yet to encounter. Their cities, based in and around Approximately 94% of all Nekome working as mercenaries,
massive trees, require this technology to remain safe for adventurers, or explorers will specifically say that they are
their habitation. Some Nekome artists even use this working on behalf of their clan.
technology to grow plants in specific shapes, and Plant The other 6% will say almost anything else. Some
Aspect cats can create magnificent works with the aid of Nekome pursue thievery as a test of their natural skills,
their botanical technology. Many other species have come to robbing anyone they deem a worthy challenge just for the
the Nekome for advice or assistance with terraforming, and thrill of it. Others will seek adventurer simply because it’s
this field has come to be dominated by Nekome businesses. an interesting way to make money. Rarely, a Nekome will
Naturally, there are entire clans based around the art of pursue the adventuring life because they are clanless, and
reforging entire worlds with their technology. must somehow take care of themselves.
 Valhund Valhund literally lifting mountains abound in their culture,
though many acknowledge that they're mostly tall tales
The Valhund are a canine species that hail from Skoltath’s meant to encourage younger wolves. What isn't hyperbole is
southern tundra. They are gruff and resilient, well adapted to their upper limits of strength; the strongest of wolves have
the cold they live in. Each Valhund follows pack mentality, been recorded as lifting small hovercrafts.
often tagging along with whoever they perceive to be their Valhund also have immensely powerful olfactory receptors
family. The average lifespan of a Valhund is around 90 in their noses, which are directly connected to a special part
years, and their height averages between 1.5 to 2 meters. of their brain that records every scent they detect. In
layman's terms, the wolves have an incredible sense of
smell; once they catch a scent, they'll never forget it, and
Valhund characters begin play with the Base scores they'll be able to track it to the ends of the world and back.
listed below, and Scent Tracker. They may choose any Many Valhund join local police forces, using this tracking
three scores, and gain one point in each of those scores. ability to hunt down criminals.
Valhund character may spend 1 of the score choices The wolves are naturally carnivorous, requiring meat to
above to purchase a Tier 1 cybernetic augment and consume on a regular basis. Most prefer this meat to be
have it installed. Valhund characters are in the Medium slightly cooked, with the juices allowed to simmer within
size category. The Valhund have a land speed of 6 the flesh. They are capable of eating raw meat, though doing
meters / AP. so is usually seen as a survival tactic, not something to do in
Base Maximum civilized company. Longer cooked meals, such as roasts or
brisket, are considered a delicacy among the Valhund. They
Strength 3 11 are known to enjoy trying different types of meats, giving
Physique 2 11 each one a taste raw before trying different methods of
cooking it. It's common for Valhund dignitaries to have
Agility 2 10 spreads of skewered meats on display during events.
Intellect 1 9
Packs of All Kinds
Willpower 1 9 The Valhund, during their early development, faced many
threats from their environment. They compensated against
Scent Tracker these threats by binding together and hunting in teams, using
tactics and strength to take down anything that threatened
You can study a subject's scent for one minute, and their packs. This pack mentality has remained over the
memorize it. After studying a subject, you can roll millennia of evolution, and most Valhund consider hunting
Investigation or Survival to track them, picking up or and teamwork to be a highly important part of their daily
following their scent. You gain +2 successes to this lives. To them, the pack is what matters most.
check if their odor is particularly strong or distinct. If A pack isn't just a family, though. Packs are made of
your target dedicates time to remove or hide their whatever team the Valhund happens to be part of, and they'll
scent, these bonus successes are removed. remain fiercely loyal to that pack until the end. In ancient
times, to betray the pack was to risk a cold death alone in
Biology the wilds, and their culture evolved with this mentality. A
The Valhund are a large canine species whose origin lies Valhund will be loathe to betray their pack. A large pack
in the frozen tundras of Byanne, far north of any other may fight among each other, but each member knows that
species. They are remarkably strong, their bodies adapted to they'll always be there for each other.
handle vicious cold weather. Their fur is thick and fluffy, Packs with only Valhund are never led by a single
and their senses are attuned to dealing with snow and frost. member. They are team efforts, with each member offering
A single Valhund, provided they have the means to hunt, can ideas and contributions to the whole group. A Valhund in a
easily survive in the frozen wastes for a long period of time. multi-species crew will often defer to a leader among the
Their culture exemplifies this concept, pushing every other species, but will offer unsolicited ideas or plans to the
Valhund to be both self-reliant and reliable to their pack. leader in hopes of helping out. A Valhund might be part of
The wolves have naturally strong muscles, to the point more than one pack, as well, such as a family, a work crew,
where even a weaker Valhund can out-wrestle larger and a group of friends. A common issue they face is when
predators. Many Valhund push themselves to grow even one pack is at odds with another, and the wolf is forced to
stronger, forcing themselves to the limit. Legendary tales of choose one or the other.
 Bitten by Frost However, their distrust of magic led them to many
Survival in the frozen tundra was due to the hard work of discoveries long before any of the other species. Their home
the Valhund packs. They had to contend with massive continent, Volnok, proved to be quite rich in numerous
predators, a distinct lack of plant life, and nasty weather minerals, most importantly an otherwise rare sand-like
nearly half the year. Fortunately, they had many advantages substance called colvarion. This mineral is comprised of
that the other species didn't have. Their bodies had evolved millions of tiny crystals, each able to hold and share an
to handle the environment itself, and their teamwork quickly intense electrical charge. Upon discovering this mineral
helped them subdue their predators, and the constant supply deep in an iron mine, the Valhund were quick to develop
of attacking monsters made looking for food a needless technologies that could exploit its electrical capabilities.
endeavor. After all, predators were made of meat, too! If Naturally, this meant that electrical lights and engines
they came right to the Valhund seeking a quick meal, then soon followed. More and more electricity-based inventions
that was one search for food already completed. Because of came along soon, and by the time the Xin’Dukan made their
this, Valhund packs quickly developed a simple strategy – first contact with the Valhund, the wolves were already
band together, build housing and defenses, and let their food building their first computation devices and lightning
come to them. The first few settlements were built with this projectors. Nearly a century later, after contact and trade
philosophy, which soon paid off quite well. with the Xin'Dukan and Zervit was established, they'd
The Valhund soon developed an entire culture around their managed to create what we'd consider a standard desktop
settlements, and built their first farms in the plains of their computer. Nearly 20 years later, the Valhund were already
tundra home. The livestock of these farms were captured working on building their first space ship in a joint effort
animals who'd been slowly domesticated over the millennia. with the Zervit.
As their culture progressed, it eventually reached a point One issue many other species will point out to the Valhund
where many Valhund were able to have free time. They is their treatment of their own people, specifically those with
began to look into the arts, creating their own stories, and physical disabilities. During their history, the Valhund would
many took to inventing new technologies. view those who could not contribute to the hunting or
However, during this era of their recorded history, the farming as useless. Even as their artistic culture began to
Valhund fought numerous would-be kings and overlords. flourish, their culture still frowned upon those with
These mad conquerors used magic in their attempts to collar disabilities, since they could not fully participate in their
the wolves, but each and every one of them were eventually society. After cybernetics and bionics became commonplace
defeated by the teamwork of numerous heroes. These tales in their society, any Valhund with dysfunctional body parts
slowly came together to form a rich mythology, full of could easily have them replaced with robotic prosthetics…
powerful heroes and nasty villains, clashing in epic and often, those who refuse these prosthetics are looked
confrontations for the fate of their civilization. Sadly, all of down on as less than whole.
these myths and legends told the other species of Skoltath
and beyond an unfortunate tale, which is made clear by their Artificial Intelligences
culture's attitude towards magic. Many of the Valhund’s modern creations utilize basic AI
to run the complicated systems. Some scientific packs
Technology Above Magic believe that the future of the sector will fall upon the
The slew of magical would-be rulers gave their whole shoulders of these AI systems, and have been working
species a universal disdain for magic. During the early years tirelessly to create truly sapient artificial intelligence. The
of their written history, whenever a wolf pup was discovered few packs that openly stood for these beliefs eventually
practicing magic, they would almost certainly be chastised came together, and formed a massive pack under the
for playing with such dangerous forces. As their history umbrella of creating a symbiotic relationship with sapient
moves on, this attitude reached its peak with records of intelligences of their own creation. This group became
magical pups being put to death for having the natural talent known as the Electronic Intelligence Network, or EIN.
for the arcane. The lucky few who weren't ostracized or The vast majority of other species see the EIN as horribly
outright killed were often forced to hide their magical misguided at best, or psychotic madmen ready to bring
talents, rarely given the chance to prove how useful they about the singularity at worst. Many attempts have been
could be. This distrust of the magical arts persists to this made to eliminate them by multiple groups, ranging from
day, although most pups who develop magical talent are governments pleading with the Valhund leaders to shut
given away to the other species for them to train in the arts. down the EIN, to actual assassins destroying their work and
No Valhund education facility has ever or will ever host killing their leadership. Despite this, the EIN see their work
training in magic. as truly necessary for the betterment of all species, and will
bring technological superiority to the sector, whether the Valhund had invented the first energy weapons as the Zervit
recipients want it or not. In recent years, they’ve actually were first developing basic firearms. Fortunately, the
begun setting up their own military forces, ready to defend Valhund have never felt inclined to use these weapons on
themselves against their enemies. the other species; they’ve many better targets for warfare.
The EIN’s forces use their AIs to enhance their own The Valhund’s government is built and set up similarly to
technology. While they’ve yet to craft a sapient AI, their their cities – there is little bureaucracy to deal with, and their
creations are still capable of communicating on a sentient internal systems are easy to understand. Each city has a pack
level. Some have even displayed an aversion to entering of government officials, with none actually having a solid
standby mode, proclaiming their time unconscious to be position over the others. This methodology extends to every
unpleasant. News of these AI discussing their likes and level of their government, from the simple city packs to
dislikes have terrified those who fear their potential, whilst country packs, and beyond. However, this ends with the
simultaneously exciting many Valhund who believe in the highest position. The High King (or Queen) of the Valhund
power of technology. is elected by a pack of their peers to lead the entirety of the
How the EIN will proceed in modern times is unclear. species with wisdom and strength, and they must act in
What is known is that their recent skirmishes against their accordance to the teachings of the old heroes from their
enemies, the assassins and other militaries that would stand history. This position is not like a true monarch – if the High
against them, has proven they’re willing to use force to back King proves themselves to be unworthy of the throne,
up their beliefs. Their agents work with an AI specifically they’ll quickly be dethroned by those who raised them up to
crafted to back them up and run numerous gadgets on their that position, and a new leader will be chosen.
behalf. Despite their recent actions, many EIN sects exist
within each Valhund settlement, often being called upon by Valhund Adventurers
the local governments to perform specific repairs and Valhund are unusual among the species of Skoltath, in that
upgrades for the betterment of their people. they have no particular reason to go adventuring… but also
have no reason not to be an adventurer. Most Valhund
Havens of the Tundra who’ve left their homeland are either military-born
Modern Valhund cities are squat places, with large barriers mercenaries, or have joined an exploration team aiming at a
and expansive defense systems. These are there to protect new region to check out. However, a Valhund can just as
them from the massive monsters that lurk in the blizzards likely be an idealistic warrior looking to make a name for
around their homelands. Valhund cities are often considered themselves, or a magically gifted Valhund looking for
the safest places in all of Skoltath. Valhund culture often acceptance outside their own culture.
emphasizes military service, and young adult wolves usually Many Valhund, after serving in the military, will look into
enlist for a single term of five years. Their work here is adventuring parties and mercenary crews. They will often
primarily boot camp and protective duty, making sure their seek to join a new pack to fill the void left after leaving the
city is well-guarded. service, and the best method for doing so is to join existing
The actual cities themselves are easy to navigate, with groups that aim to perform pseudo-military work. It often
simple street names and a grid-like layout. The only time the grants them a feeling of belonging, and allows them to
streets diverge from this norm is around large landmarks, utilize their training in a (hopefully) beneficial way. Most
such as curves around the sides of mountains. Power cables mercenary crews and adventuring parties will happily accept
are buried deep underground, with access to them restricted a Valhund seeking to join, as it means they’ll soon have a
to military officers and the local government officials. pack member who’s loyal to the very end.
Civilians who live in these cities are relegated to specific
sectors to live in, while businesses are given other sectors to
operate out of. Many non-Valhund chafe at this restrictive
treatment, but the Valhund are quick to argue that each type
of sector is ranked from essential to expendable, and
everyone is located in a sector that matches their status.
One thing no one can argue with, however, is the status of
the Valhund as the most powerful military off all the species
of Skoltath, and even beyond. Because of the constant
threats of monsters outside their homes, the Valhund
developed numerous weapons and combat tactics that easily
outstripped the other species. To give an example, the
 Xin'Dukan What makes the Xin'Dukan unusual is their numerous
redundant organs. They have two hearts, and three smaller
The Xin'Dukan are a rough, rhino-like species that roam versions of most organs. This collection of organs normally
the vast plains of central Byanne. Their bodies are covered work in conjunction with each other to keep their body
in tough, pebbly skin, which acts like a natural suit of armor healthy. When one is damaged, the others begin working
against the elements. As a people, the Xin'Dukan value overtime to make up the deficit. The Xin'Dukan also have a
strength and determination. The average lifespan of a specialized organ located in the base of their spine. This
Xin'Dukan is around 200 years, and their height averages unique organ constantly produces stem cells, which are
between 1.6 to 2 meters. spread across the body via the bloodstream. They work to
repair the other organs, even if they suffer grievous damage.
Additionally bizarre is the Xin'Dukan's reproductive cycle.
Xin'Dukan characters begin play with the Base scores They are monotremes, meaning they are mammals that lay
listed below, and Tough Skin. They may choose any eggs. A newly hatched Xin'Dukan will be mostly helpless,
three scores, and gain one point in each of those scores. only able to stumble around for the first few months.
Xin'Dukan characters are in the Medium size category, However, they quickly grow strong enough to walk under
and they have a land speed of 6 meters / AP. their own volition, and grow to maturity by 16. The
Base Maximum Xin’Dukan’s population is also imbalanced – males vastly
outnumber the females by a 4 to 1 ratio. This imbalance is
Strength 2 11
currently believed to be caused by chromosomal issues – all
Physique 3 12 Xin’Dukan begin developing as males, and grow into
females if the right conditions are met… which is rare.
Agility 1 9
Intellect 1 8 Nomads of the Realm
Willpower 2 10 The Xin'Dukan do not have traditional settlements or
cities. From their earliest recorded history to the modern
day, they have lived on the top of gigantic tortoises called
Tough Skin the Torgan. These massive beasts are miles in size, with
Once per session, when your Evasion save is titanic shells that can hold entire cities on the back of their
targeted, you may declare that the attack is targeting shells. Torgan are geovores, eating only stones, dirt, and
your Fortitude save instead. metals necessary to keep their bodies going. The prehistoric
Xin'Dukan discovered that these gargantuan beings were
perfectly suited to avoiding predators, and took to climbing
Biology up onto their shells to keep themselves safe.
Xin'Dukan are large, bestial bipeds from Skoltath’s
The shells of the Torgan are covered in manure-like soil,
equatorial plains, specifically from the continent of Srannor.
which is excreted from openings in the shell. This soil is
Their environment constantly shifts, due to the nature of
highly fertile, with plenty of minerals able to support plants.
their settlements, and they have evolved to handle any sort
Vast trees and farms can be grown on the shell of a Torgan,
of climate they happen to move into. Their skin is naturally
with no detriment to the beast itself. The only exception are
tough, able to withstand different temperatures, and many of
the excretion pits, which sporadically spew new soil and
them undergo training to toughen it further. A highly trained
earth. The ecosystems growing upon them were perfect for a
Xin'Dukan warrior can power through a hail of bullets
simple life, and over the millennia, the Xin'Dukan created a
without so much as a scratch on them. This tough skin is
civilization of their own on the backs of these titans.
also highly susceptible to magical energy, and arcane tattoos
Every 50 years, the Torgan come together at specific
are a cultural symbol among them.
locations to seek mates and breed. During these times, the
The Xin'Dukan also have grand horns, which they use to
Xin'Dukan would prepare to colonize a new one. As the
gore and strike their opponents. These horns are comprised
massive beasts clashed in their mating rituals, the brave
of keratin, naturally growing into interweaving patterns that
colonists would use their magic and technologies to leap
form into their natural shape. Their horns are surprisingly
across the gaps, moving to the center of these titans to settle
tough and resilient, able to withstand a great deal of pressure
new homes. Whenever the Torgan would meet each other in
before cracks form. Many treatments exist that serve to
the wilds, the Xin'Dukan would eagerly share what
harden a Xin'Dukan's horn, making them even stronger, and
developments they'd made, and exchange histories with each
some of their martial arts even focus on using the horns for
other, making sure that each mobile settlement was kept in
defense as well as offense.
the loop. Millennia later, their civilization had spread across the farms require via rainfall, or magically create it to fill
most of the continent’s central belt. their reservoirs. These two maintain the delicate ecosystem
Currently, there are 34 settled Torgan, with at least another the city relies upon, making sure the people don't take too
few hundred younger ones. Each Torgan can live for nearly much, and that their own waste is dealt with.
two thousand years, but when a Torgan passes away, the The Xin'Ye, or Fire Guild, are dedicated to the defense of
entire city must relocate to another one. Fortunately, the the Torgan. Despite their size, the massive beasts do have
Torgan themselves are cannibalistic. When one dies, the enemies; namely, parasites. The Xin'Ye are tasked with
others will approach from kilometers around to devour the removing said parasites, using hover-crafts and rope systems
minerals left behind, from the soil of its shell to the to scale along the body of their home and kill any of the
hardened, metallic bones within. This cycle ensures that the huge parasites they find. Many Xin'Dukan choose to join the
Xin'Dukan will always have a safe haven to live upon. Xin'Ye at an early age. The final caste is the Xin'Hi, the
With current technologies, the Xin’Dukan have taken to Bone Guild. These are the doctors and morticians of their
installing health monitors and systems onto their Torgan. cities, taking care of the infirm and dying, while also
These systems help keep them in the loop regarding their watching over the newly laid eggs of their citizens.
home’s moods and habits, and allow them to step in should In modern times, the Xin'Du each work together to govern
some sort of issue arise. Many Xin’Dukan people have their respective cities. The Xin'Dukan, as a species, have no
careers built around swooping down on hover-crafts to clean national government. Each city is expected to answer calls
their Torgan’s body, removing parasites and built-up dirt from other nations on their own. The Xin'Du of a particular
from its joints. They also take great care to watch over the Torgan has a single member from each xin acting as a
eggs of the Torgan, bringing them into the center of their leader, with the five working together to decide what's best
cities to incubate them and ensure the newly-hatched beasts for the city. These posts are malleable, with some members
are watched over. stepping down or rejoining depending on the situations
facing them.
The Xin'Du
The name “Xin'Dukan” is derived from a concept that Masculine and Proud
permeates their culture. Xin'Du is the term used to describe Xin'Dukan culture values strength, determination, and
the five castes of their people, a collection of five forces that power above all. Each member is expected to tough it out in
work together to ensure their civilization stands tall. Each times of strife, and to step up for the good of all when
one acts in some manner to protect and serve their people, necessary. This cultural mentality is borne from the rather
with each one having a specific role. Unlike most caste precarious situation their species is in, living on top of
systems in other civilizations, the Xin’Du are not family- another living creature. It falls upon each Xin'Dukan to
bound, nor are they restrictive in any way. In a sense, each stand tall and serve their city for the benefit of each other,
one is more like a civilization-wide guild, which any and their culture enforces this with pressure to perform at
Xin'Dukan can join and learn from. Likewise, if they feel their absolute best.
that they aren't fitting into one, there is no bad blood if they During the development of the Xin’Du culture, many
choose to join a new one. Xin’Dukan males rose to positions of prominence. They
The Xin'Ka, or Sky Guild, holds the governing figures and stood tall and proud among their peers, as nomad princes
organizational systems of each city. This guild is devoted to who ruled their Torgan as representatives of their people.
collecting information and using it to guide the others. They When the Torgan met, the nomad princes would often be the
consist of historians, scribes, and diplomats. Their goal is ones sharing information with each other. This prominence
two-fold; they must keep total records of all that happens in of male Xin’Dukan, coupled with the relatively low
a settlement, and they must keep the entire city organized. In population of females, led their society to develop into a
the modern age, their jobs are rather simple due to computer patriarchal one. The female Xin’Dukan are often kept near
networks and the internet, and most of their time is spent the center of their cities – their culture considers them rare,
actually governing their cities. life-giving individuals that must be protected and cherished,
The Xin'Mo, or Tree Guild, are in charge of the farming even at the cost of their personal freedoms.
and gathering of the city. In modern times, they are also the In the modern era, this dichotomy has created a sense of
de facto merchant guild of their cities, constructing goods exceptionalism among male Xin’Dukan, and generated
and keeping watch over the economy. Conversely, the friction from the females. As their society has progressed
Xin'Gu, or Earth Guild, are in charge of distributing the new into the modern age, their traditions and castes have
soil from the shell's excretions, as well as maintaining the remained stagnant, including their patriarchal beliefs. Only
sewer systems of the city itself. They also collect the water male Xin’Dukan are allowed to hold positions of power in
any capacity within their cities. From birth to death, and how each Aspect of the arcane flowed from another
Xin’Dukan males are encouraged to do all they can to be the plane into their own. The Xin'Dukan were the first species
best of their people, ever pressed to contribute to their ever to understand the nature of ley lines. They learned how
society for the benefit of the community. Xin’Dukan the unborn absorbed this energy from the ley lines, and how
females are conversely encouraged to keep their place in one might manipulate this process to ensure a child would
society, to remain safe and hidden away, ready to aid the be born with a specific Aspect.
community by being mothers and guarding the eggs and With modern knowledge of the nature of magic, the
children of their people. Xin'Dukan often have small settlements near bodies of
Naturally, many Xin'Dukan despise this constant feeling water, where they raise their children normally, hoping that
of pressure. Their reputation of being nomadic comes not they will develop into Water Aspecters. Their ultimate aim is
from their mobile cities, but rather, from the sheer number to give each Torgan a sect of water casters, hopefully
of Xin'Dukan who roam among the other species after creating an entirely new guild, the Xin'Yo, or Rain Guild.
leaving their homes behind. A Xin'Dukan adventurer most Their belief is that by training powerful Water Aspecters,
likely didn't leave home to seek treasure and fame, they left they can have a steady supply of fresh water wherever their
home because they were sick of the constant propaganda- Torgan may be. This endeavor is encouraged by the leaders
like statements of “Do your best!” of the Xin’Dukan.
In the midst of other species, Xin'Dukan will often choose
professions where their natural strength and resilience will Planar Travelers
be recognized and celebrated. Xin'Dukan mercenaries are It was also the Xin'Dukan who first pierced the veil into
quite common, as are Xin'Dukan members of other military another plane of existence. The first one to do so bravely
forces. Anywhere they can find to practice their strength is a stepped through the portal, only to be immediately
perfect job for them, and the other species are usually happy obliterated by the sheer magical pressure of just being on
to have such individuals on their teams. another plane. Over the centuries afterwards, their scholars
refined their rituals, created powerful wards and defenses,
Rituals, Natural and Arcane and continued to step through. Eventually hey managed to
The Xin'Dukan, as a people, see magic as a wondrous gift send an expeditionary team into the Living Land, the plane
that should be celebrated... most of the time. The majority of of Life. Over the next decade, they began investigating the
Xin'Dukan born on their Torgan are of the Beast, Earth, or other planes, eventually bringing in members of the other
Air Aspects, with Life, Plant, and Death being the next most species to aid in their quest.
common. The few Xin'Dukan who can develop themselves This endeavor was what led to the discovery of the Av’yan
enough to actually cast spells are viewed as gifts from by the Xin’Dukan. An exploratory party lead by Great
beyond, and they are often pushed towards xin that would Speaker Dorgath Shastol encountered a small collection of
celebrate their gifts. In ancient times, the rare Water Av’yan explorers within the Coral Labyrinth, a sub-sector of
Aspecter was often worshiped like demigods, as they were the realm of Water. After some attempts to communicate
able to bring them the glorious gift of water whenever the with each other, the two parties managed to decipher each
city needed it. other’s basic language, and eagerly shared the knowledge
While other species were going to war, trying to survive, they’d both gathered over the years. The Av’yan told the
or developing new technologies, the Xin'Dukan were Xin’Dukan of their location in space, as well as the local
delving into the arcane secrets of magic. Their relative constellations they could see. Some time later, after
safety when compared to the other species of Skoltath gave reporting this information, the Xin’Dukan scholars managed
them more time to focus on spiritual matters, and this to determine exactly where the Av’yan home planet was.
developed into ritualistic traditions that are still practiced A few decades later, driven by the knowledge that there
today. Each guild has its own rituals and traditions to induct were other species out there in the stars, the Valhund
new members, facilitate promotions and expulsions, and developed space travel. A century later, the first warp drive
celebrate victories or recover from failures. Every major was tested, and within the millennia, the warp channels were
action the guilds can take has a ritual attached to it, and the built between numerous planets and moons, and modern
vast majority of their leaders will see those rituals done, no star-faring civilization rose into being. The Xin’Dukan hold
matter what the situation is. the fact that their actions gave rise to the modern age in high
This deeper understanding of rituals and magic lead to regard, and it is a distinct pride among their people.
some interesting developments during the early years of the
Xin’Dukan people. To be more specific, they were the first
species on Skoltath to discover the planar nature of magic,
 Zervit The Zervit, as one might expect, are carnivorous. They are
only able to digest meat, and care little if it's cooked or not.
The Zervit are a reptilian species that originated in the They lack traditional taste receptors, and have almost no
deserts of Byanne. They are quite long and lithe, with strong sense of culinary creation. The digestive system of their
tails that help propel them at surprising speeds. The average bodies is also long and thin, and the snakes often have
lifespan of a Zervit is around 80 years, and their total length difficulty eating as much as the other species. Instead, they
averages between 4 to 5 meters. are prone to snacking, having multiple lesser meals through
their day instead of three or four main meals. This ensures
they have an ample supply of energy.
Zervit characters begin play with the Base scores A Zervit's tongue, instead of tasting, is used by them to
listed below, and Thermal Sense. They may choose any hunt. When they flick their tongue out, they gather scents
three scores, and gain one point in each of those scores. from around themselves, using them to create a more
Zervit characters are in the Large size category, and detailed picture of its surroundings. An average Zervit can
they have a land speed of 8 meters / AP. see quite well, but its tongue lets it gain a more vibrant
Base Maximum picture. Every Zervit also has a special receptor organ in its
frontal lobe that allow it to sense sources of heat, and track
Strength 2 10
entities who are naturally warm.
Physique 3 11 Zervit are almost sexually monomorphic – that is, there is
almost nothing to distinguish males from females. The only
Agility 1 9
real determination is their sexual organs, which are normally
Intellect 2 11 kept within special pouches near the ends of their tails, and
Willpower 1 9 only brought out for mating purposes. The Zervit, like most
reptiles, are an egg-laying species. A female Zervit will hold
her eggs for a couple months after mating, then lay them in
Thermal Sense a naturally heated area. Usually, this is one of the many hot-
You can “see” heat, especially the body heat of other pits of the Zervit cities, though any warm area will do if
creatures. This sense can allow you to sense other such a locale is unavailable.
creatures through thin walls, track where others have
been or what they've touched, and other similar feats. Deep in the Earth
During their early development, the Zervit made their
Biology homes deep underground, often in mountains or volcanoes.
This cavernous habit was borne from their origin, as hunters
The Zervit are a reptilian species, similar to pythons or
that evolved in the vast deserts and mountains of northern
serpents of other worlds. They come in countless colors,
Skoltath. Since the planet’s axis is tidally locked, the
ranging from natural colors like brown, green, and black, to
Zervit’s home was almost constantly targeted by direct
more unusual ones like red, pink, blue, or even gold. These
sunlight. They kept to the caverns of their mountain homes,
colors are known to be affected by the Zervit's Aspect, with
hoping to avoid the extreme heat, and would emerge during
many developing patterns that match whatever their Aspect
the dark periods to hunt and gather prey for their farms.
is. These scales are also notoriously difficult to paint with
As they delved deeper and mined out rare minerals, they
make-up or disguise kits. Most Zervit display their colors
quickly learned how to smelt and forge these minerals into
proudly, and almost every Zervit has their own unique
useful materials. This helped to develop their society, as
pattern of scales and colors that remains their own for life.
they were one of the first on Skoltath (and arguably, the rest
Some Zervit subspecies also display mighty horns, frills, or
of the sector) to create metal tools, armor, and weapons.
webbed limbs based on their home environment.
This simple advancement quickly led to numerous other
A Zervit's tail is immensely strong, able to exert a grip
discoveries, and helped them delve deeper into their
pressure of around 40 pounds per square inch. Their upper
caverns, hollowing out entire mountains and expanding their
bodies are rarely this strong, being on par with the other
civilization into massive cities and networks of tunnels
species of the sector. Their strong tails are most certainly an
connecting each of them together.
advantage in their natural habitats, however; the deserts of
Being this close to the pits of the planet often brought the
northern Skoltath are rocky and difficult for bipedal
Zervit into conflict with subterranean horrors, and their
creatures to navigate. Their wiry forms make it easy to
military forces grew quite powerful as a result. The Zervit
traverse, and many Zervit prefer natural places where they
have mandatory military service, and every snake has spent
can slither freely.
a few years of their life serving in some capacity. This Alchemy and Explosions
constant threat of assault also breeds a sense of camaraderie The Zervit, living deep underground, were the first species
among the population of a city. As each of them face down on Skoltath to discover coal, and likewise, the first to
monsters and threats together, they share in a communal develop gunpowder. Their pursuits of these sources of fuel
sense of survival. resulted in some amazing inventions, such as the first steam
Their modern cities are titanic caverns, held steady with engine, which they used to fuel automatic water pumps.
massive pillars that double as housing or storage. These vast These inventions helped to fuel the Zervit’s pursuits into
cities are fueled by geothermal power, and their energy is other fields, such as basic hydraulics and gasoline
brought up from the pits by massive pipes and wires within production. The snakes also developed a unique invention,
each of the pillars. Between each of these pillars are vast one that many other species had never considered until they
bridges held aloft by repulsor engines. Far above, usually later encountered the Zervit using them: firearms.
near the surface, are the farms that keep the city fed. The first firearm invented by the Zervit was a cannon-like
device to be mounted on one's shoulders, and lit from
Community Above All behind by another person. As their technologies grew and
As mentioned above, the Zervit are highly social creatures. advanced, so too did their guns. In modern times, most
They live in close proximity with each other, and their firearms across the sector are developed using old Zervit
culture revolves around the links they share with each other. designs, and many are built by Zervit companies. However,
True Zervit society has no currency; everything is shared there are many groups belonging to the other species that
among specific groups, with specific resources gathered and have bought (or stolen) these designs, and the Zervit no
redistributed by the government to the entire population. longer have sole control of firearm distribution.
Each Zervit is offered a selection of tasks to perform in the Equally impressive are the chemical creations the Zervit
city, and they are allowed to pursue whatever tasks they have developed. Living underground has given them access
wish to on any particular day. As long as their tasks are to many unique compounds, and their scientists have taken
recognized and completed, they will receive the communal to this advantage with aplomb. The snakes have made a
resources from the government. name for themselves with the countless chemicals they've
This process is overseen by a collection of overseers, each invented for all sorts of fields, ranging from medicine and
of whom answer to the others. Each of them are elected to factory work to space travel and terraforming. In fact, Zervit
their positions by the population of their cities, and remain alchemists are in-demand on multiple colonies and planets,
in power for seven years. An overseer cannot be re-elected due to their vast expertise in the field.
to any position after their term has concluded. Should any
overseer perceive that another is abusing their position of Traders of the Desert
power, they are obligated to report them and aid in the Due to the mobile nature of their cities, the Xin'Dukan
deposition of the offending party. Ideally, this ensures that were the first species to make contact with the Zervit.
the collective is kept honest, though many have sought to According to legends, a Torgan had settled down for a nap
undermine it for personal gain. right next to a Zervit mountain, and the snakes emerged to
The most obvious example of this are Zervit who leave see what had caused the earthquakes down below. Upon
their homes to seek fame and fortune as adventurers. The seeing the gigantic creature with vast amounts of green on
concept of gained wealth and power through something its back, they climbed up to investigate, only to be met by
outside the home is strange to many Zervit, though not the surprised Xin'Dukan. After the two species managed to
illegal or unwanted. Many snakes who seek adventures calm down and recognize that neither was there to fight,
often return with valuable resources, cultural artifacts, or relations between the two began.
powerful magical items. The Zervit government sees these Since then, the Xin'Dukan have always seen the Zervit as
lone snakes as potentially valuable allies, and has special people to trade livestock to, as they would always receive
provisions for those seeking to pursue this life. metal, medicine, and weapons or armor in return. This
On a world-wide scale, the Zervit are led by the Conclave relationship of bartering remained between the two for
of Eleven. True to its name, this is eleven of the most decades. Soon, they were discovered by an exploratory
respected members of Zervit society, elected to their vessel of the Valhund. The wolves, likewise, opened up
position by the overseers of each city. The members of the trade with the Zervit, and the three species began a long
Conclave remain in power for 15 years, and follow the same history of trading. The Zervit, for their part, established
regulations as the overseers. The Conclave is dedicated to courts of trading for the other species to join. These courts
representing the Zervit species in international matters, but worked like a bazaar, with anyone able to walk in and start
holds no real power over the independent cities. bartering their goods with others.
 Since the establishment of these courts, many Zervit built
early businesses to produce and sell specific goods. These Major Zervit Corporations
evolved over the decades into legitimate companies, with
some snakes even developing a taste for wealth. To these Zaluvath Inc. - One of the largest corps across the
Zervit, the idea of not having their food and resources be sector. Zaluvath focuses on specialty chemicals for
controlled by their government is highly appealing. A few numerous purposes, though primarily on medical
supplies. They actively produce high-quality potions
notable major Zervit companies no longer participate in the
and medicine to sell at cut-throat prices, often pushing
communal society of their culture, having abandoned it to
lesser businesses into the proverbial ditch with their
act as independent businesses. These companies are often practices. They also produce chemicals for other uses,
looked upon with scorn by the rest of the Zervit, since they such as warfare and industrial cleaning.
left their community behind to pursue personal wealth and
power. Among other species, however, these businesses and Thelethar Consolidated – A trio of lesser corps that
have banded together instead of fighting each other.
their owners have garnered a great deal of respect, either by
Thelethar focuses on industrial metal production,
providing quality goods at decent prices… or by proving
supplying ship-builders and military contracts with
themselves a terrible enemy if you don’t show respect. metals they need to construct their warmachines. They
Many of the worst companies of the megalopoli spanning are one of the only companies left in the sector that
Byanne, Skoltath, and some of the external colonies belong does this, and often have contracts that grant them
to the Zervit. Corporate warfare between the Nekome clans “samples” of their contractor’s works.
and the Zervit businesses are distressingly common, as they
Ssavrathi Finances – An investment firm that, at first
clash over who can fulfill niche purposes to their consumer
glance, seems quite small. However, Ssavrathi is a
base. As the Zervit are the preeminent developers of massive firm with incredibly deep pockets. They have
firearms and artillery, they often use these weapons to invested money in almost every other company in the
devastating effect against their business rivals, leaving sector, specifically writing contracts to prevent those
desolation in their wake. The only thing keeping them from companies from fully paying off the interest of those
facing criminal charges from local governments is their investments. They are able to easily start up shell
sheer wealth and leverage over the populace – without their companies and provide for new businesses, only to
particular niche, whatever it might be, the people would be later destroy them and absorb the profits.
worse off. This leverage is often used in reverse, as well. Vizithi Markets – A gigantic farming corp, spread
Adventurers of a less-than-reputable sort will often target across the entire sector. Vizithi focuses almost entirely
Zervit businesses for espionage and theft, since their goods on food production for countless people. Their size and
will bring big profit on the black market. scope make them untouchable – any attempt to bring
them to justice for their crimes would end with them
shutting off food to millions. They have used this
heinous leverage to great effect, often destroying
smaller farms and markets with mercenaries, only to
swoop in and fill the niche left behind.
Vrassazia Inc. – A research and development firm that
produces high-tech equipment for space travel. They
are one of the only corporations in the sector that
builds such equipment and materials, having pushed
most of their competitors out of the picture. They often
clash with the Orousa, as the greys are able to provide
the same products at equal (if not better) prices.
Thez’Vazal Industries – A sizable corp that provides
internet services to every other species. Thez’Vazal
focuses on network construction – everything from
simple websites to intricate multi-user encryption
software. They have created numerous algorithms that
ride the line of AI, which are all specifically built to
monitor a user’s actions and create targeted ads and
marketing to recommend to them.
 Craseil The Craseil are notable for having three biological sexes,
one of which was genetically engineered into their species
The Craseil are a crustacean-like species that originated in following the Orousan Cataclysm. As the pollution and
the deep oceans of Veldou. Despite their aquatic appearance, nuclear fallout inundated their ocean homes, the Craseil
they are an amphibious species that can breathe just as well populations decreased at an immense rate, dying of diseases
on land as in water. The average lifespan of a Craseil is and disorders of all kinds. To counteract their dwindling
around 50 years, and their height averages between 1.2 to numbers, they used their skill at biomancy to craft a third
1.5 meters. sex, which would be able to help randomize genetic material
and allow small populations to still remain viable.
They have males and females, as most species, but also
Craseil characters begin play with the Base scores have what they refer to as domales. While a male and
listed below, and Venomous Claws. They may choose female Craseil can still reproduce like any other species, the
any three scores, and gain one point in each of those domales can act as an intermediary between them. A domale
scores. Craseil characters are in the Medium size is hermaphroditic, with both sets of genitalia connected to a
category. They have a land speed of 4 meters / AP, and special organ. As they are inseminated by a male Craseil,
a swim speed of 8 meters / AP. this organ mixes their genetic material with their partner’s.
Base Maximum Then, they can use this slurry to inseminate a female partner,
who grows and lays a clutch of four to six eggs.
Strength 1 9
Craseil are omnivorous, though they generally prefer
Physique 3 12 meats. Being a sea-borne species, they are almost always
preferential to seafood of any kind. They have an innate
Agility 1 10
resistance to most simple, natural poisons, which allows
Intellect 2 10 them to eat a majority of oceanic creatures. Their diet ranges
Willpower 2 9 from fish of all sizes to mollusks and crustaceans. They also
enjoy numerous varieties of kelp and algae, seeing the latter
as something of a delicacy.
Venomous Claws
You have a set of claws, which are considered Coral & Clades
Unarmed weapons at quality level 0. Any victim who The Craseil evolved and developed among the vast coral
takes damage from one of these claw attacks must also networks of Veldou. The countless fish and species of these
make a Toughness save (DR = 2 + your Physique ecosystems gave them a bounty of prey, and as they grew
score) or be poisoned for a number of rounds equal to and evolved, they developed numerous tools to help them
your Strength score. hunt and farm. Over the centuries, they grew from simple
hunter-gatherers into a genuine civilization. Unlike most
Biology species, however, there was little conflict between the
Craseil. With so many resources around them, they had little
The Craseil are a cephalopodic species hailing from the
need to clash, and Craseil villages would often trade specific
deepest oceans of Veldou. They have eight tentacles that
resources with each other. Even the natural predators of the
emerge from their waist, with a humanoid torso. Their
oceans became little trouble for them – when one came too
fingers and tentacles have thin membranes between them,
close to a village, all of their warriors would band together
which help propel them quickly through the water. Craseil
to either drive it off, or kill it outright for food.
skin is rubbery and thick, able to withstand heavy pressure
Eventually, the Craseil learned how to farm and grow the
from the ocean around them. They need to stay properly
coral around them. They began to grow the coral into
hydrated at all times, usually by having small pools of water
specific shapes. Soon, the coral itself became a living tool
to rest in or by keeping hydro-pods with them at all times.
for their civilization, and a small caste of coral tenders
The most notable part of their body is their shells. A
began to form at the center of their villages. Soon, each
Craseil’s shell extends up their back, over their shoulders,
village and town was split into small groups that worked in
and up over their head like a chitinous hood. From the
unison for the benefit of them all. To the current day, these
underside of this shell hood, two very long and thick
castes are referred to as the Nine Clades, and being chosen
tentacles descend beyond their lower tentacles. These act as
as a member of a clade is considered a high honor by the
the Craseil’s “legs” on land, and help to steer them while
Craseil. Many spend their entire lives working to join a
swimming underwater. They also have small claws that can
clade, proving themselves worthy of their entire species.
manipulate objects, and are connected to small venom sacs.
 Those who govern each settlement Oceanic Fallout
Vat Clade and command the organization of Prior to the Orousan Cataclysm, the Craseil had developed
their city and the structures within. into what we would consider a modern society. They had
Those who gather natural resources numerous cities through the oceans of Veldou, with nearly
Nan Clade and oversee the storage of those four billion Craseil inhabitants. The Nine Clades had been
materials for future use. their form of government for almost a millennia, allowing
them to easily organize and work in unison with each other
Those who track and hunt wild beasts
to further the goals of their species, and many were starting
Shul Clade and monsters to feed their city along
with the Kamn Clade. to finally emerge onto the land-masses of Veldou to explore
this mysterious realm of air and dirt. They soon noticed the
Those who farm domesticated flora vast star-domes of the Orousa, but before they could
Kamn Clade and fauna to provide additional food actually make contact with the fey species, everything went
along with the Shul Clade.
horribly wrong.
Those who keep records of all things The Orousan Cataclysm struck. Countless waves of
Tus Clade within their city and monitor the nuclear radiation slammed into the seas. As the continents
oceanic currents around them. were left inert, the radiation fell across the oceans, seeping
Those who act as a police force, into the water as liquid fallout. The plankton of the ocean
Bröt Clade investigating crimes and enforcing the absorbed most of the fallout, but this only made things far
laws set by the other clades. worse. As countless creatures ate the irradiated plankton,
they were equally affected by the radiation, developing
Those who heal and provide medical
cancerous tumors and inedible mutations. These mutations
Cleit Clade expertise, from doctors to morticians
and diseases quickly spread throughout the entire ocean,
to the brood pool matrons.
killing countless trillions of lifeforms.
Those who grow, trim, and mold the The Craseil’s farms quickly died as a result. With no way
Seet Clade vast farms of coral into usable shapes for the Kamn Clade to properly raise enough food for their
for their city. people, the Shul Clade took it upon themselves to hunt…
Those who research, learn, and study but they couldn’t find enough edible food for their massive
Vuul Clade the various sciences of the world. This civilization. Even worse, many of the predators had mutated
clad also includes their mages. into unique and terrifying monsters, and were proving to be
nearly impossible for the Craseil to kill. Dozens of cities
Each of these clades exist within every Craseil settlement, were annihilated by these gigantic monstrosities before they
from their largest cities to the smallest colonies. Even in could be laid low, and many of them are believed to still live
non-Craseil cities, they will often equate similar groups to somewhere in the deepest trenches of the seas.
these clades, and will usually attempt to join a group that fits While some Craseil had the technology and magic
the clade they were a part of back home. Some Craseil are necessary to remove the radiated cells from their bodies,
cladeless, of course – they aren’t looked down upon for this they could not spread this knowledge quickly enough to all
choice, but their potential in Craseil society is somewhat of their cities. In addition, it took nearly a decade for them
locked by it. They will have no way to rise to higher rungs to research how to use this same knowledge to remove the
in their city without joining a clade. radiation from their normal farm stock. By the time one of
The Bröt Clade stands out among the other Nine Clades – their cities had stabilized enough to hold a basic population
given that the Craseil are generally peaceful and happy to in their ruined oceans, their numbers had plummeted from
work with each other, there seems to be little need for a nearly four billion to a meager three million.
dedicated police force among them. Indeed, in modern Seeing their extinction on the horizon, the Craseil turned
times, the Bröt Clade is often called upon to simply act as a to the most extreme measures. They called all of their
security force, rather than investigating crimes or jailing people from across the planet into a single massive city near
criminals. While the Craseil do have jails and detention one of the Orousa’s stardomes. There, the Vuul Clade
centers, they’re most often used to hold outsiders of other revealed their final option – they would create a genetically
species that commit crimes in their domains. Few Craseil engineered third sex, so that the species would never fall
would ever actively harm another of their species, due to into a population crash. This also involved enhancing their
their shared species-wide brush with extinction. reproductive rate, in the hopes that they could quickly
recover from the destruction caused by the Orousa.
Fortunately, it worked! The Craseil managed to
stabilize their civilization with the aid of their newly-formed This appreciation of fresh water came soon after their
“domales”, and their population actually started to rise for exposure to the Cataclysm. With most of the seas irradiated
the first time since the Cataclysm. Over the next century, the by the Orousa, sources of pure, clean water became highly
Craseil stabilized and grew, just barely hanging onto life. prized. The Cleit Clade took claim over these fresh sources,
Only two other cities were established during this time, but which were often deep in the trenches of the oceans, and
it seemed like they had just barely managed to avoid distributed the clean water to those who needed it most.
complete and total obliteration. This, naturally, led to another problem – criminals would
sneak into these secure locations to steal the fresh water and
Fresh Water in the Sea of Stars sell it on the black market. Soon, the Bröt Clade found itself
It was not long after the turn of the century that a member with a new purpose in protecting these locales from thieves.
of the Vuul Clade, Jaat ko Vruul, noticed a vessel coming This desire for fresh, clean water soon developed into a
from the skies far above the surface of the sea. They cultural symbol. Clean water became an icon to the Craseil,
watched this vessel land on the plains nearby their city, close one of power and prosperity. After all, if you had clean
to the abandoned stardome the Orousa had left behind when water, you were either in the government and giving it out,
they deserted the planet. Vruul quickly gathered a group of or you were rich enough to afford it. Water Aspecters
explorers and diplomats, and set out to investigate these became one of the most respected and adored members of
visitors from beyond the stars. Craseil society, as they could conjure fresh water at the cost
What they encountered were a joint exploratory team of of their mana. In modern society, this status has remained.
Av’yan and Valhund, who had recently met an Orousan Water Aspecters are still highly respected, even if they aren’t
dome station in orbit, and came down to investigate the particularly useful in the clean oceans of Skoltath or
planet for themselves. As the Craseil approached, tentacles Byanne. Many high-ranking members of Craseil society are
raised in greeting, the explorers nearly shot them on sight, Water Aspecters, having at least started magical training
believing them to be hostile monsters. It was later revealed prior to taking their positions.
that the Orousa had never known the Craseil were in the
oceans, and had not been able to warn the explorers of their Squids in the Sector
existence. Thankfully, Vruul and his counterpart on the other The Craseil do not participate in sector-wide governance.
side, a Valhund named Zhun Skytrail, managed to keep their They have no species-wide government, nor do they have
respective teams from attacking the other. species-wide clades. Each of their cities is self-governed,
After some communication work, the two managed to with limited connections to each other. The clades of each
create a simple method to speak with each other. Vruul city commune with each other, often sharing new research
explained how their homes had been destroyed by the or details that might aid the others. They are all Craseil, after
Orousa’s actions, and Zhun filled in the gaps in their story all, no matter how far away they are from each other.
with information provided by the Orousa in orbit. Together, Anything that could help them recover quicker ought to be
they devised a plan – Zhun would return in ten years time shared with the others.
with enough ships to take the entire Craseil species off of While their city leaders recognize where they are in the
Veldou, and resettle them on Byanne and Skoltath. The fresh sector, and will defer to planetary leaders (or those above
oceans there would provide the perfect new home for the them), they do not actively seek to join the other species in
Craseil. True to his word, ten years later, the Craseil Colony governing the sector until they have completely recovered
project was initiated, and helped the devastated species from their ordeals. Despite their new boom in population,
establish themselves on other planets. In the modern age, the Craseil are still recovering from their brush with
they now number in the billions once more. extinction, and their leaders recognize this.
Craseil adventurers, however, are quite common. Given
Water is Life their species’s relatively recent discovery of other species,
Modern Craseil culture is focused on fresh sources of it’s only natural that they would seek out and explore these
water, no matter what it is. As a naturally aquatic species, other cities and land-based civilizations. Most Craseil
they need to stay hydrated, lest they suffer from numerous adventurers are out adventuring because they want to
illnesses and dysfunctions. Fortunately, modern technology explore this dry land. To their credit, many land-based cities
grants them numerous ways to stay wet, including pools in maintain clean pools across their infrastructure for the
most cities that are kept clean with advanced filtration Craseil to lounge in while they explore. Hydration gear for
systems, and small aqua-pods the size of a ring that can hold them is also inexpensive, to the point where most Craseil
a gallon of pressurized water, releasing it as a shower-like don’t have to worry about staying wet at all.
spray over the user’s body.
 Clash with the Ikthai Orousa
The oceans of Skoltath also held an aquatic species, which
was completely unknown to its native species until they The Orousa are a bipedal fey-like species native to the
started exploring the depths. As the Craseil started settling surface of Veldou. They are descendants of ancient fey that
the oceans of the green belt around the planet, they quickly were exiled to the Prime Materium, who evolved into a
encountered a vicious fish-like species that called highly intelligent and magically gifted species. The average
themselves the Ikthai. These violent, five-limbed creatures lifespan of an Orousa is around 300 years, and their height
quickly took to attacking and raiding the Craseil. While they averages between 1.4 to 1.8 meters.
were adept at fighting off predators, the Craseil soon found
that the Ikthai were just as intelligent as they were. Orousa characters begin play with the Base
Attempts at diplomacy were quickly made, trying to reach scores listed below, and Mystic Lineage. They may
out to the Ikthai and find common ground. Every attempt choose any three scores, and gain one point in each of
ended the same – the Ikthai proved that they were a those scores. Orousa characters are in the Medium size
xenophobic culture that would not allow any higher species category. They have a land speed of 6 meters / AP.
other than themselves to exist in the oceans. This was only
discovered after a relatively calmer Ikthai stepped forward Base Maximum
to explain their culture to the Craseil, and then casually Strength 1 8
explained that they would be put to death for daring to speak
to an entity who wasn’t part of their kin. Even after being Physique 1 9
offered refuge, they refused, stating that their creed would Agility 2 10
not allow them to partake of any generosity granted by what
Intellect 3 12
they considered to be their blood enemies.
To this day, the Craseil regularly fend off assaults and Willpower 2 11
plots from the Ikthai. Many species still hold out hope that a
more reasonable subculture of the Ikthai will emerge and
Mystic Lineage
join the other species in the interstellar stage, though others
(particularly the Valhund and the Craseil themselves) only Select one Magic skill. Your maximum Ranks with that
see them as vicious monsters bound by superstitious dogma. skill are increased by 1, and you may know one
To them, the Ikthai are violent barbarians who will never be additional spell of that type.
able to enjoy higher civilization.
Biology
The Orousa are a humanoid species with simple features.
Their eyes are highly focused, comprised of numerous
smaller lenses instead of a single retina. This allows them to
focus on numerous targets at the same time, which is further
empowered by their highly developed brains and nervous
systems. The Orousa are able to comprehend up to a dozen
forms of information input simultaneously. This extends to
their other senses – each of their senses is slightly above
average, allowing them to perceive things most species
might not notice unless their own senses were highly
attuned to it. With their highly advanced brains, they can
quickly combine these sensory inputs into vividly detailed
pictures of the world aournd them. Orousan skin is also
highly developed, and contains hundreds of capillaries that
carry not only blood, but mana. This infusion of magical
energy makes even an untrained Orousa a talented
spellcaster, and a trained Orousan mage can be a terrifying
force of nature.
 The Orousa also have a special organ between their brain The Orousa eventually grew so powerful that they could
and their spine. This organ is bio-electric, constantly genetically engineer two more species to serve them. The
generating a faint charge that flows through their nervous first, the Var-Ji, was created to be a helpful indoor species
system. The charge created by this organ meshes with the that would serve them by performing janitorial or repair
mana capillaries across their body, and causes their cells to tasks. They were built from the ground up to be cute,
constantly replenish themselves. Because of this pseudo- appealing to look at or listen to, and easy to reproduce en
regeneration, the Orousa can live exceptionally long lives masse. The second, the Nao-Ji, was engineered to be a
before dying – in fact, most Orousa tend to die from external mindless hive species that would serve simple labor tasks,
sources rather than of natural causes or aging. such as construction, farming, or the like. Their queens
What makes the Orousa even more powerful is their would birth countless numbers of this species, and would
lineage. All Orousa can trace their ancestry to a vast exodus accept orders from their creators and guide their hive in
of fey creatures from the Sylvan Wilds. Their fey ancestors service to the Orousa. Both of these species took their place
left their home to inhabit Veldou as mortals, though their in Orousan culture as the physical laborers, allowing the
reasoning for doing so is long lost. While these fairy glades Orousa to disregard those jobs and focus on scientific and
have long since lost their power over the species, their artistic endeavors.
mighty bloodline still remains. This lineage has infused the These endeavors eventually began to pay off, as the
Orousa with a natural aptitude for whatever form of magic Orousa began to establish a bizarre plan. Instead of sending
their ancestors excelled at using. Some Orousa delve into out ships to colonize other planets, they would construct
this aptitude, learning how to harness their dormant fey vast space stations underneath their dome cities, and launch
blood and unleash truly powerful magical capabilities. them into the stars. Upon reaching a distant planet, each of
The Orousa, however, have one particularly distinct flaw, these dome stations would reorient itself to land on the
and it’s one that plagues them even to this day. They have an surface, and drill itself into the crust. From there, it would
exceptionally low reproductive cycle. A female Orousa is be a completely pre-built colony that would be immune to
fertile throughout her adult life, but the chances she and her the environment of the planet it landed on, and the Orousa
partner can conceive a child is remarkably low. Orousa would be able to investigate and research it at their leisure.
require nearly 20 years to reach adulthood, and their culture The entire sector would fall under their control, and they
often disregards romance and sexuality as frivolous would establish themselves as the ultimate lifeforms in the
pastimes. Many Orousa are asexual as a result of this galaxy, forever destined for even greater heights. Work
upbringing, and this has kept their population low. began in earnest, with each of their 73 dome cities being
reconstructed into these mighty dome ships. The Nao-Ji and
Arrogance Incarnate the Var-Ji alike were set up to work endlessly on these
The Orousa used to be the mortal embodiment of self- projects, to the point where countless members of their
importance and arrogance. As the Av’yan were first species died of overwork… all for the glory of the Orousa.
developing written language, the Orousa had created
magically-driven vehicles. As the Valhund launched their The Orousan Cataclysm
first rocket towards the sky, the Orousa were already As the dome ships were nearing completion, the Orousa’s
establishing a colony on one of the moons of Veldou. Their arrogance finally came to strike them in the back. The Nao-
desire for greatness was only outshined by their incredible Ji queens had awakened, gaining sapience without the
arrogance, believing themselves to be the absolute greatest Orousa’s knowledge. They soon united against their
species in the entire universe. Since no other species had creators, quickly taking control of dozens of weapon
bothered to return the signals they’d sent into the stars, they facilities across the planet’s surface. Within a few days, the
must be the only ones advanced enough to send them. Nao-Ji had unanimously declared war, and each of them had
Soon, the Orousa began to focus on enhancing their the armaments to legitimately pose a threat.
magical and technological prowess, often combining the two The Orousa reacted slowly, many of their leaders refusing
into arcano-tech machinery. Their cities were encompassed to take these threats seriously. By the time they even
by vast domes that allowed them to perfectly control the recognized that the Nao-Ji were capable of inflicting major
atmosphere within, ignoring the whims of weather and damage to their civilization, it was already far too late. The
nature. Their population was carefully monitored, as they Nao-Ji issued their demands, requiring a vast section of the
worked to set the perfect equilibrium between their people planet to advance their own civilization, and demanding that
and resources. Everything in their society was by design, no member of their species would ever be forced to serve
and all of it was under their control… including the other against their will. The Orousa responded with laughter and
species that they created. mockery, claiming that the Nao-Ji would return to work
after this temperamental display had concluded. They began However, the majority of Orousa do not live on the
to take up arms against the Nao-Ji hives that had not yet flotilla. They have escaped the bounds of their homes to
turned against them, quickly purging hives before their venture across the sector, hoping to find a new place to call
queens could awaken and join the rebels. their own. Orousa are not a common sight on Byanne or
The Nao-Ji, upon realizing what was happening, Skoltath, but you can find a sizable community in any given
recognized that their creators would never see them as more city if you search for them. Most Orousa tend towards
than slaves. A mere two weeks after their awakening, the professions where they can utilize their impressive senses or
Nao-Ji queens launched countless nuclear warheads across intellectual capabilities. Many seek academic pursuits, be it
the planet, targeting dozens of the Orousa dome cities. The scientific, technological, or arcane.
majority of the warheads struck true, destroying nearly half Orousan adventurers are equally uncommon, but still
the Orousan cities in the process. Now fully aware of the impressive to see. Many mercenary companies will have at
threat their new foes posed, the Orousa chose to launch their least two Orousan mages on their payroll, bringing them out
ultimate plan prematurely, sending the survivors of this war when extreme arcane firepower is necessary for their
off to establish their colonies. Forty of their dome cities mission. Quite a few adventuring parties will eagerly seek
managed to make it into the upper atmosphere before the out Orousan spellcasters, as well, ready to offer them a
second wave of warheads were launched. Over half of these premium cut of the loot should they agree to join.
flying dome cities were wiped out by this assault, the Nao-Ji It is most certainly worth noting, however, that not all
using other weapons to wipe out the land forces left behind Orousa are mages. The majority of the greys study
to try and destroy them. In the end, thirteen dome ships arcanology, but some choose to pursue different avenues of
managed to reach orbit, drifting away from their ruined combat for their adventuring life. Orousan warriors and
planet. The Orousa, humbled by the destruction of over 75% rogues can utilize some of their exceptional senses and
of their entire species, were left to watch the Nao-Ji launch intellect to learn many skills and tactics. A practiced Orousa
interplanetary weapons that destroyed their lunar colony. knight can be a frightening prospect to go up against, since
As their dome ships drifted deeper into space, the Orousa chances are high that they’ll be able to predict your moves
began to re-examine their lives and their place in the long before you make them.
universe. The leaders that had laughed off the Nao-Ji threat
were all dead. The local governments of each ship were left
trembling and afraid, unable to decide where they should
actually go. Beyond that, the ship’s actual landing systems
were left completely unfinished – they couldn’t land and
establish their colonies, even if they wanted to. The entire
species had been crushed by their own creations, and were
now damned to wander the stars for the rest of their lives.

Space Vagabonds
Four centuries after their exodus, the Orousa were left
humiliated and destroyed. The devastation stuck with them
for ages, with newer generations of their kind being told of
the arrogance and cruelty of their predecessors. Now stuck
as wanderers and vagabonds in the stars, the modern Orousa
use their technology to extract resources from planets they
come across, yet are unable to truly establish their own
colony to rest in.
The Orousan Colony Flotilla is an organized
government… but only just. Each of the colony ships
govern themselves, lead by a captain that is elected by the
inhabitants of the vessel. Every captain is required to assign
crew members to the vital positions of the ship, ensuring
that the systems of their vessel will be kept running under
any circumstances. This dedication is a hard requirement –
the captain must be ready to serve their people at any time.
 Nao-Ji Var-Ji
The Nao-Ji are an insectoid species created and bred by The Var-Ji are a slime species created and bred by the
the Orousa for menial labor. The average lifespan of a Nao- Orousa for engineering purposes. The average lifespan of a
Ji is around 50 years, and their height averages between 1.2 Var-Ji is around 50 years, and their height averages between
to 1.6 meters. 1.2 to 1.6 meters.

Nao-Ji characters begin play with the Base scores Var-Ji characters begin play with the Base scores
listed below, Hivemind, and Multi-Armed (4). They listed below and Amorphous. They may choose any
may choose any three scores, and gain one point in four scores, and gain one point in each of those scores.
each of those scores. Nao-Ji characters are in the They may also spend one of these choices to gain the
Medium size category. They start with a land speed of Multi-Armed ability. Var-Ji characters are in the Small
6 meters / AP. size category, and they have a land speed of 4 meters /
AP.
Base Maximum
Base Maximum
Strength 1 9
Strength 1 9
Physique 2 9
Physique 3 12
Agility 2 11
Agility 2 10
Intellect 1 10
Intellect 1 9
Willpower 2 11
Willpower 1 10
Hive-Mind
Amorphous
You may spend a moment focusing to access your
hive's Hive-Mind. For a single check, you may treat Your body is made of a malleable substance, and you
any Knowledge skill as if you had one additional Rank can use that to your advantage. By focusing for a
in that skill, up to your normal maximum. moment, you can compress yourself into the Tiny size
category, or expand into the Medium size category. You
do not gain the normal bonuses and penalties for doing
Multi-Armed (4)
so, and you must return to your normal size after a few
When you gain this ability, record the number next to minutes have passed.
the name. This is the number of arms you have. This
ability grants you additional dice to physical, non-
Multi-Armed (3, 4, 5 or 6)
combat skill checks equal to your number of arms – 2.
In order to gain this bonus, you must specifically detail When you gain this ability, choose one number next to
how the arms are aiding you with the roll, and the GM the name. This is the number of arms you have. This
must approve of your description. You cannot use your ability grants you additional dice to physical, non-
arms to wield three or more weapons. combat skill checks equal to your number of arms – 2.
In order to gain this bonus, you must specifically detail
how the arms are aiding you with the roll, and the GM
Biology
must approve of your description. You cannot use your
The
arms to wield three or more weapons.

Biology
The
 Aspects
Every sapient creature in the Arcanik universe has an Mana flows throughout a planet via ley lines, which are
Aspect. These are akin to elemental types, born from the akin to streams of magical energy belonging to a single
natural magic that flows through a creature's body. Aspects Aspect. These leylines can also “pool” into large collections
are what dictate the capabilities of a person's magic, such as of energy around key points of their Aspect. A Plant Aspect
what they can do, how well they do it, and the repercussions pool, for example, would live underneath a rich jungle. By
of doing so. Every character has one and only one Aspect; understanding where these ley lines and pools are, many
once your character's Aspect is chosen, it cannot be changed sapient creatures seek to manipulate them.
under any circumstances. When a creature is conceived, they are mana-less, and
Non-sapient creatures in Arcanik are born with an Aspect, must absorb ambient mana from their host parent to survive.
and cannot change it. Only self-aware entities with higher After birth (or laying), the developing baby absorbs mana
brain functions can have any of the thirteen Aspects – from whatever ley lines or pools are nearby, slowly growing
simple animals, elementals, and monsters are born with a strong enough to generate their own mana. By puberty, the
specific Aspect that cannot change. How sapience allows creature will have developed enough to create their own
such a “choice” is currently being researched, and few mana. The type of mana they absorbed the most during their
hypotheses exist to explain it. early life will become their Aspect, as their bodies will have
developed to produce their own mana.
The Nature of Magic The exception to these rules is Quantum mana. The
In the universe of Arcanik, all mana flows from the outer Quantum Aspect represents the underlying laws of physics,
planes. When a living being dies, its mana (and soul, for time, and space. It has no leylines, nor does it have pools.
sapient beings) phase into whatever plane matched its Instead, it permeates every other form and source of mana in
Aspect. As its soul comes to rest, the mana flows back microscopic cells. These micro-cells are incredibly spread
through the plane, eventually fading into the aether, the out, hard to detect, and even harder to manipulate. However,
realm between the planes. From there, all mana is pulled they are incredibly potent. A single Quantum micro-cell that
towards a single point, a pseudo-plane known as the Vertex. enters a child, egg, or fetus can permanently shift them to
Inside the Vertex, mana is purified, refined, and purged of Quantum. On average, this occurrence only happens to one
any spiritual remnants. in a million children, making them exceptionally rare.
After this process is completed, the Vertex acts like a mana Casting spells is a relatively simple concept, once one has
star; all of the purified mana is blown away from it, caught onto the concept of mana. The act of casting a spell
rocketing through the aether to fill the entire universe with is really the focusing of mana into a shape, and the
an underlying layer of magical energy. The raw mana pools projection of that shape. For example, a lightning bolt spell
towards space-time and gravity, always moving towards a is merely an Electric user projecting their mana into a thin
physical location that might grant it an Aspect of its own. line, then allowing electrical energy to flow along that line.
Stars, planets, and other celestial bodies naturally pull mana Doing so creates an instantaneous pulse of lightning. How a
towards them, imbuing it with Aspects that match whatever caster manages to cast a spell is up to them. Many focus on
the body actually is. A comet, for example, imbues mana combinations of words and reagents, while some use raw
within it with Earth and Water energy, since it's just a frozen force of will. Other might channel a divine patron to focus,
rock in space. A gas giant would imbue Air, since it's and yet more might allow elemental entities to emerge
primarily gases constantly swirling around each other. through them to cast the magics.
Planets, however, are different. The vast array of climates, Once the spell is cast, however, the mana is not gone. It
lifeforms, and cultures often bestow a wide array of Aspects sinks into whatever leyline happens to be nearby, or
upon this mana. Some are obvious; a volcanic region offers gravitates towards the nearest pool. From there, the mana
Fire and Earth, a forest offers Life and Plant, oceans give the will slowly fade into its Aspect plane, repeating the cycle of
mana Water and Life, and so on. Other, more immaterial magic once again. Some powerful spellcasters are able to re-
Aspects like Death or Holy are trickier. These types of mana absorb some of this mana, allowing them to quickly take
are formed in regions where those concepts are heavily back a fraction of what they spent before it can fade away.
discussed, contemplated, or witnessed. For example, ancient Other casters are able to siphon mana from offending spells,
battlefields, morgues, and graveyards are pools of Death recharging themselves off of the powers of their foes.
energy. A university or laboratory would have Mystic ley
lines flowing through and around it, since that aspect
represents knowledge and study.
 Understanding the Aspects Reading an Aspect Entry
Each Aspect grants a bonus to one or more types of spells. Each entry on the following pages is comprised of three
Every entry in the following pages will detail exactly what parts. First is a description of the Aspect, followed by a
kinds of bonuses it grants a character, the monsters they can description of the schools and deity (or deities) of that
summon per level of the spell, the types of hazards and Aspect. Second is the special rules that users of the Aspect
curses they can create, and so on. Only a sapient beings and must follow, generally limitations on the Blessings and
naturally-attuned entities can actually have an aspect; most Ailments they can create, the list of Summon creatures they
pets and wild animals, for example, have no aspect of their can call forth, and the Divine Magic bonuses they can gain.
own. Monsters and elementals, however, are innately Finally, you’ll find the Ability Trees for the Aspect and its
charged with mana of their aspect. Undead are a prime schools. These are the important part for you and your
example of this – they are hardly sapient, and are barely character. Every Aspect (and its schools) will grant you a
sentient, but are so infused with death mana that they all special ability to start out, and you may purchase other
have the Death Aspect. abilities from your Aspect as normal.

Aspect Description Save Bonuses

The Aspect of wind, gases, and aerosols. Almost any form of
Air +2 to Evasion
floating molecule can be manipulated with Air mana.
The Aspect of any creature belonging to the kingdom animalia. Its
Beast +2 to Toughness
user can influence animals and monsters with their mana.
The Aspect of negative emotions, concepts like pain, anguish, and +1 to Evasion
Dark
sorrow, as well as literal darkness and anti-matter. +1 to Focus
The Aspect of death, decay, and entropy. Death mana can +1 to Toughness
Death
influence the dead and dying in numerous ways. +1 to Focus
The Aspect of mineral matter, such as metal, dirt, and gems. Its
Earth +2 to Toughness
users can project their mana to move minerals however they like.
The Aspect of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from static
Electric +2 to Evasion
electricity to photons and light projection.
The Aspect of heat and fire. A simple Aspect, by all accounts, but +1 to Toughness
Fire
also one of the most powerful. +1 to Evasion
The Aspect of positive emotions, as well as concepts like joy,
Holy love, and self-realization. It can also manifest as pure light, with +2 to Focus
its users literally glowing with power.
The Aspect of sapient creatures, microscopic lifeforms, and fungi. +1 to Toughness
Life
A wide and varied Aspect that can cover a vast domain. +1 to Evasion
The Aspect of knowledge, both common and esoteric. It represents
Mystic +2 to Focus
concepts like wisdom, deep study, and the pursuit of information.
The Aspect of any entity belonging to the kingdom plantae. Its +1 to Toughness
Plant
users can influence plants and fungi with their mana. +1 to Focus
The Aspect of space, time, and physics. It is a rare and highly Select two saves – you gain +1 to
Quantum
sought-after Aspect with the potential to bend reality itself. both of those saves.
The Aspect of water, ice, clouds, and other forms of hydrogen
+1 to Evasion
Water dioxide. Its users are able to project their mana to create and
+1 to Focus
influence almost any form of water.
 Air Aspect
The skies are your to command. Wind follows your orders, Its other two specialties, Gust and Pressure, both influence
swirling about your form as you cast spells. Plumes of the winds in more direct ways. Both of them draw air from
fumes and smoke flow around you as you ascend, as you one location and push it into another. Gust does this through
control the flow of air currents in your domain. These are direct winds, creating localized dust devils and storms
the properties of Air Aspecters, free spirits and wanderers on around them targets. It’s often considered the basic “Wind”
the road of life. They soar through their lives, never tied specialty, focusing on literally blowing foes away. Pressure
down to any particular place or thing, always ready to see allows them to remove air molecules from areas within
something new. This can also manifest as a flaw – they can range, pushing them all into another area. Doing so can
be flighty, unfocused, and eager to move onto something create beneficial effects for their allies, while creating
new, even if their current work is unfinished. difficulties for their foes.
On a planetary basis, Air has few leylines. It tends to Air’s masteries are both powerful and dangerous. The
stream along vast air currents that flow across the oceans most commonly seen (and beloved) is the Sky mastery,
and regions of the world. Its pools, however, are far more which combines the whimsical nature of Sound with the
common. Anywhere the wind blows, you’ll find a pool of widespread powers of Pressure. It grants them incredible
Air mana flowing along with it. Storms also tend to carry power over a wide area, expanding their domain beyond any
large amounts of Air mana, combined with Electric and other Aspect. The Sky mastery is usually viewed as the
Water mana. On a cosmic level, Air mana is incredibly rare, iconic peak of Air magic, associated with flight, clouds, and
almost non-existent. The only exception is gas giants, whose swirling winds that deliver powerful effects to the caster’s
leylines and pools are comprised almost exclusively of Air targets, be they friend or foe.
mana. Space stations of all kinds also happen to have a good The other mastery, whose users are often kept under
amount of Air mana pooling around them, simply due to surveillance, is Storm. This one grants the user unparalleled
their internal air supply. destructive power, and focuses on wrecking everyone’s day.
Areas with heavy winds or constant storms are best for Numerous governments keep strict tabs on the practitioners
creating Air Aspecters. Many Av’yan are Air users, being or this mastery, since one wrong move could see an entire
born high in the mountains, where winds are perpetual and city wiped from the map.
powerful. Many regions and locales across the planets can
be exceptionally powerful with Air mana, such as the high
peaks of Skoltath, the Wrathlands of Byanne, and the vast,
arid wastes of Vel’Dyu. Allowing a fetus or egg to grow
within these areas will almost guarantee them to be an Air
Aspecter later in life.

The Schools of Air

Spells of the Air Aspect tend to look like intense swirls of
wind. They’re difficult to see without refuse or fumes to
help indicate where they are, and even harder if the user
focuses on keeping them focused. A streamlined burst of
wind can slice like a blade, all while never disturbing the
objects around it. Alternatively, Air can also be the most
destructive Aspect – after all, there’s little more devastating
than a tornado or three ripping through a city.
Its most common specialty, Sound, is often favored by
musicians and entertainers. It grants them the ability to
influence the air molecules around them just enough to
create spontaneous sounds. Many performers use this to
back up their vocals or instrumentation with additional
tracks, all generated through their magical skills.
 Air Abilities
Wind Weaver
You know how to harness the air
around you, weaving it into the spells
you cast with ease.
Req: Intellect 2
All spells you create have their base
Range increased by 2 meters.
|
Dust Devil | Air Booster
With a simple tweak, most of your Air Slicer Manipulating the winds so they
spells can be pushed to cover a much It’s easy to forge wind into blades carry you around is a relatively
wider area than normal... with molecular edges… simple trick for Air Aspecters.
Any of your spells with an AoE Req: Wind Weaver Req: Willpower 2
have that area increased by 1 meter. You may grant spells you create the You gain a flight speed of 4 meters /
| Line AoE for free, out to 6 meters. AP. If you already have a flight
| Any other abilities you have can speed, it increases by 2 meters.
modify this range as normal. |
Downdraft
|
It’s fun to make wind swirl up and
Catch the Wind Streamline
do your bidding! It makes covering
lots of enemies with magic easy. Using natural gusts of wind lets An equally simple trick is forcing
Req: Dust Devil you save on mana, and lets you throw the wind to push you forward, while
The AoE bonus from Dust Devil is the spell out further… also reducing air friction.
increased by 1 meter. Req: Wind Weaver, Intellect 3 Req: Air Booster
| If you are airborne when you cast Choose either your land or flight
| one of your spells, you can spend 1 speed. It increases by 2 meters.
AP to gather air around you prior to
Lingering Storm casting. Doing so will increase the
It’s even more fun when you walk Range of the spell by 2 meters.
away from the storm, letting it rage |
while you focus on other things! |
Req: Downdraft
When you cast an Offense spell Gathering Storm
with an AoE, it will remain for a …and on occasion, you can even
number of rounds equal to your supercharge your spell with the wind
Intellect, dealing half its normal you’ve just caught!
damage to everyone within the AoE Req: Catch the Wind
at the end of each of your turns. When you use Catch the Wind, if
the spell is an Offense or Heal spell,
the total damage or healing caused by
that spell is increased by 2 points.
 Beast Aspect
Animals across the world will kneel before you, ready to The Schools of the Beast
serve their master. Birds, mammals, reptiles, and more will Beast spells tend to look like spontaneous mutations that
eagerly leap to your defense, striking against your foes with cause their effect, then wither away or melt back into the
all their might. You channel their feral power, transforming user. A Beast mage suddenly growing a katar-like stinger to
into a powerful monster in your own right. These are the shoot a poisonous bolt is a prime example of this. There are
powers of the Beast Aspect, which represents all animals exceptions - some Xin’Dukan shamans can conjure spectral
and monsters across the universe. Its Aspecters are tough totem beasts to perform their spells, for example. Beast
and strong, able to survive any battle and come out ready for spells are generally offensive in nature. They tend to follow
more. While they may not be the smartest or wisest of the bloody laws of the wild – survival of the fittest,
people, they’re certainly the grittiest, and can easily outlast predators and prey, and so on. However, the Beast Aspect
anyone they’re up against. also features the widest and greatest variety of summoning
On a planetary basis, Beast has few leylines, but has an magics, with a massive list of potential servants for a young
enormous amount of pools. Anywhere that animals nest or summoner to pull from. The abilities of the Beast Aspect
live in droves will create a Beast pool. It doesn’t matter tend to be defensive or reactive in nature, as well, with a
what the environment is; if animals live there, there’s Beast focus on resilience, survival, and passive empowerment.
mana aplenty. Farms, forests, and plains are the easiest of Each specialty of the Beast Aspect falls into a different
these to access for civilians. Space stations, star vessels, and type of animal. The most common of these are the Mammal,
other non-planetary settlements will often have beehives on Avian, and Insect specialties. The first of these, the Mammal
board, not only to pollinate their greenhouses, but also to specialty, tends to focus on defense, with some physical
provide a supply of Beast mana they can tap into. enhancements and combat powers. The Avian specialty,
Most Beast Aspecters are born in rural areas. Cities tend to naturally, grants the user the ability to grow vast wings and
have few pools, due to the inhabitants scaring away most fly across the skies, while also enhancing their natural
animals, and exterminating pests that would leech off of agility and evasion. The Insect specialty allows the greatest
them. In rural settlements, however, many animals live level of physical mutation, able to change the user’s form
alongside the people, creating large pools of Beast mana for permanently through genetic warping.
the unborn and the young to absorb. The snowy wilds of the Other specialties exist, but are often difficult to find or
Valhund are notorious for spawning many Beast Aspecters, learn about due to their obscurity. Most of the known
due to the subterranean monsters living below the snow and sapient species fall into the above three categories, which
stone. Many Xin’Dukan are born with the Beast Aspect, makes them ideal choices for most people. Each of them
since they literally live on top of a gigantic monster. have their own transformation abilities and the potential
creatures to summon, especially the Insect specialty.
Their masteries, however, are distinctly different. Unlike
the specialties, which are fairly focused, the Beast masteries
are wide-ranging and versatile. The first of these, the Lycan
mastery, grants incredible transforming abilities and powers
to the user. It allows them to change into a monstrous
version of themselves, merging the animal class of their
specialty with their own body. The other mastery, Circle,
amplifies the user’s summoning capabilities. It can turn a
normal Beast mage into a genuine one-person army,
suddenly conjuring countless monsters to serve them.
 Beast Abilities
Wild Life
Beast Aspecters have a natural love
of life, and an unbreakable vitality.
Req: Physique 2
Your maximum Health is increased
by 2 points.
|
|
Bestial Familiar Monstrous Wrath Wild Surge
The Beast Aspect is so full of It’s easy for them to channel this It’s easy for some to turn their inner
energy and vitality that even their vitality into a furious rage... vitality into external healing...
familiars are stronger than normal. Req: Wild Life Req: Wild Life
Req: Familiar The damage dealt by your natural Once per session, you may spend 1
Your familiar is an Elite creature weapons increases by 1 point. AP to heal an amount of Health equal
instead of a Minion creature. to your Willpower.
|
|
|
|
Feral Heart
Natural Armor Soul Surge
…and then turn that rage into raw,
The skin, scales, or fur of a Beast unstoppable strength! …though some choose to empower
Aspecter are naturally tough, and its Req: Strength 4 their spirit instead of their body.
possible to toughen it even further. Your species’ maximum Strength Req: Wild Surge, Willpower 3
Req: Wild Life score is increased by two points. When you use Wild Surge, you may
While you are unarmored, or are chose to restore your Mana instead of
wearing mage armor, your Protection healing your Health.
is increased by 1 point. |
| |
| Vital Ascension
Living Resilience With practice, some may even be
Many Beast Aspecters can channel able to ignite this healing more often!
their vitality into a protective aura. Req: Soul Surge
Req: Willpower 3 You may now use Wild Surge up to
Your Warding is increased by 1 three times per session.
point, regardless of your worn Armor.
 Dark Aspect
Darkness, pain, and sorrow fill the blackened edges of The Schools of the Dark
their shadowed souls. As their grief and rage overwhelms Dark spells generally manifest as oozing energy that glows
them, the dark spirits of the negative realms take hold and purple, indigo, or crimson. This energy comes from the
push them unto madness. They whisper, driving nails into Umbral Web, a nightmarish plane comprised of the physical
the coffin of agony, pushing the tenebrous soul further and form of hatred and anguish. Most Dark spells are offensive
further into the darkness. All that remains is pain, grief, fury, in nature, or at least beneficial only for the caster. Healing
and absolute blackness… and blessings are relatively difficult for the Dark Aspect to
If that edgy description wasn’t enough, the Dark Aspect manifest, though they aren’t impossible.
represents negative emotions, literal darkness, and the fiends The most common specialty for Dark Aspecters is
that inhabit the Umbral Web. Dark Aspecters tend to be Shadow… anything beyond this is generally considered too
pragmatic, at best. They focus on what needs to be done, evil or cruel for most people. The Shadow specialty draws
what needs working on, and how they can do it as best they its power from the black mist flowing throughout the
can. At worst, they are pessimistic and defeatist, ready to Umbral Shroud. It pulls upon this mist, infusing it into the
turn and run when their victory isn’t guaranteed. Those shadows around the user. This allows them to control and
unfortunate enough to be born with the Dark Aspect are manipulate the shadows like a dark slime, creating portals,
often shunned by normal society, and turn to gangs, cults, stunning enemies, and even striking out at their foes.
and other such unpleasant groups to find a family they can The other two specialties are significantly darker, to the
belong to. This only exacerbates the reputation they have, point where studying them is considered a taboo among
creating an unpleasant cycle within society that leads to most civilizations. The Xin’Dukan and Av’yan, in particular,
more and more Dark Aspecters being shunned and hated by have completely outlawed them. The first of these, Pain,
the majority population. revolves around the use of magic specifically to inflict pain
Despite this, there is a very good reason for many to fear and damage upon others, drawing upon it to empower the
Dark Aspecters. A large majority of them have literal caster with greater strength. Many commonly seen “evil”
demons clutching at their souls, riding in their shadows or spells in our media belong to this specialty, such as life drain
negative emotions. These demons whisper into their host’s and inflicting damage.
mind via dreams or hallucinations, urging them to give into The final specialty is Demon… and it’s precisely what you
their pain, anger, or depression. Should a Dark Aspecter fall, think it is. Those who pursue this dark art gain the attention
the demon will possess their body, pushing the poor person’s of fiends from the Umbral Shroud, one of which will
psyche into the shadowy corners of their shared mind. The become a familiar for the caster. This lil’ demon will happily
demon will then proceed to enjoy its new physicality in the egg the caster towards further darkness, and the more they
material realm, doing whatever it wants until their host study, the more fiendish they become. Eventually, they may
manages to overcome their breakdown and reassert control. be totally infused with narcissistic sadism and undying
Fortunately for everyone else, the Dark Aspect is hatred for all except themselves.
somewhat difficult to be born with. Dark mana tends to flow Dark’s masteries are similarly grim and enshrouded by
around areas filled with suffering and anguish. Places that pain and hatred. The first, Night, is dedicated to creating
have seen horrible events, such as torture, murder, and other darkness and purging all forms of light from around the
such things can be prime locations for Dark pools, and Dark caster. It combines the umbral capabilities of Shadow with
leylines tend to stream around natural disasters, locales with the self-interested powers of Pain. The second mastery,
bloody histories, and can even follow serial killers. Few Devil, is strictly an evolution of the Demon path. It further
Dark children are randomly born – a Dark Aspecter usually expands the caster’s abilities, allowing them to create pacts
knows full well that they’ll grow up to be just that. The most and deals with other entities. These pacts can empower
common form of Dark Aspecter is an abused child who has those involved, so long as the Devil user wishes.
developed numerous mental health problems, or a child who
was simply neglected in favor of a more popular sibling.
Contrary to its namesake, literally dark places do not have
Dark mana in them – the Aspect is more concerned with
metaphorical darkness than actual darkness.
 Dark Abilities
Soul Rider
The denizens of the Umbral Web
will eagerly latch onto any Dark
Aspecter they find, pushing them
towards madness… or helping them
with their problems, for some reason.
Black Claw You have a demon following you at Everything has a Price
all times. It is imperceptible to others,
Your demon chuckles as a claw but you can see and hear it clearly. Some demons have the power to
made of darkness emerges… only to Once per session, it can grant an twist the luck of their victims… or so
toss extra spicy seasoning into the Edge or impose a Flaw on any non- they claim...
stew you’re trying to cook. combat skill roll you make. This Req: Blood for Power
Req: Soul Rider demon will feed on the pain and If you would suffer a complication
Your demon may manifest a portion suffering you inflict on others, and at any time, you may spend 2 Health
of itself in your reality, acting upon may refuse to aid you (or will punish as a free action. That complication is
any object or person in your vicinity. you) if it is left unfed for too long. negated completely.
It might act as an extra hand for you,
granting +1 dice on non-combat skill |
checks that it can help with, but it |
will not make attacks on your behalf. Blood for Power Shroud of Dark Will
| You’ve forged a relationship of A happy demon will often ensure
| some kind with your personal demon, their victim is kept alive by swirling
and you can call on them for aid in their dark powers around them.
More Claws!
exchange for some of your vitality. Req: Soul Rider, Willpower 4
Your demon cackles as dozens of Req: Soul Rider Your Warding is increased by 2 so
tenebrous claws erupt from your You may spend 1 AP to sacrifice up long as your demon is pleased with
shadow… and start unfolding the to 3 Health. You gain Mana equal to you. This bonus stacks with whatever
laundry you just put away. the sacrificed Health. armor you are currently wearing.
Req: Black Claw |
Your demon may manifest up to |
| |
four Black Claws to assist you. It will
still not aid you in combat, but it can Blood for Blood Shroud of Iron Shadows
make non-combat skill checks for If given enough energy, a demon
Your personal demon will accept
you up to 3 meters away, and it can can even manifest this protection into
almost anything as payment for its
hold up to four items for you. physical plates of darkness.
services… including your soul.
| Req: Blood for Power Req: Shroud of Dark Will
| When you use Blood for Power, While you have the Warding bonus
Blood for the Dark God you may sacrifice up to 6 Health. from Shroud of Dark Will, you also
gain a +1 bonus to your Protection.
Your demon screams with laughter
as it emerges from your shadow, your
sword in its claws. It swings down at
your foes, a violent grin on its face.
Req: More Claws!, Blood for Power
Your demon may make a single
attack at the end of each of your
turns, using any weapon you own but
aren’t currently using. It makes this
attacks using your scores and skills.
 Death Aspect
The cold oblivion beckons them, the emptiness of the The Schools of Death
afterlife a calming caress. Nothingness awaits them when Death magic is generally quite focused. While spells of all
they eventually pass, and nothing can stop the march of kinds can exist within the Aspect, the vast majority of
time. All will perish one day – it’s only a matter of when. academia agree that Death excels at summoning and scrying
Death comes for all things, and there is nothing that can halt spells. Raising undead or speaking with spirits is often
its eternal advance. Those born of this Aspect understand easier than doing a task yourself or scouring dozens of
this fact, and deep in their hearts, they know that they’ll internet pages looking for a single fact. This isn’t to say
eventually pass onto the next life as well. offensive or defensive spell can’t exist – only that the major
While this might seem like the angst-filled poetry of a magical studies of Death magic have found little reason to
teenager, it’s actually a good idea of how a Death Aspecter rely on them when conjuring minions works so much better.
sees the world around them. To them, everything is already The first specialty of Death is the Skull specialty. This is
dead – it’s just a question of when it’ll all die. Some of them the de facto “necromancy” specialty, and the one most
choose to use their magic proactively, ending lives in order people envision when considering a Death Aspecter. It relies
to extend their own. Others are more constructive, helping on creating stronger and hardier undead to serve the caster.
others accept mortality. Regardless of how they act, most of The second specialty is Spirit, which focuses on the use of
them tend to be quiet, stoic, and insightful. Many Death Death magic to commune with the recently deceased. The
Aspecters tends towards psychological studies – after all, final specialty is Wisp, which focuses on the Aspect’s more
they know their own emotions quite well, and that helps controlling and destructive capabilities. It allows them to
them easily read others. conjure flames from the Eternal Graveyard.
Death magic is just as quiet as its users. It is rarely flashy The two masteries of Death are extensions of this, but both
and destructive. In fact, the most common offensive Death share one commonality – transcendence into true undeath.
spell is simply a necrotic touch that quickly rots away the In order to obtain these masteries, the caster must die and be
victim. However, Death magic is also home to one of the reborn as either a Lich or a Wraith. The Lich mastery
most common forms of summoning – animating the bodies combines the expertise of Skull with the control magic of
of the dead. The ability to raise a corpse or skeleton as a Wisp. It gives the caster incredible magic at the cost of their
silent, ever-serving minion is appealing to many. Most life. The Wraith mastery fuses the scrying knowledge of
Death Aspecters who practice magic will have one or two Spirit with the power of Wisp, giving the caster incredible
skeletal servants working under them, often dealing with wisdom and magical strength.
household chores while they continue their studies.
Death Aspecters are an uncommon sight. Death mana
pools in battlefields, graveyards, and other places where
mass deaths have occurred. Because of this, it’s actually
highly unusual for a Death Aspecter to emerge from a
normal household, regardless of the society. Still, the rare
occasions do happen, and those of the Death Aspect are
often treated well, if fearfully… unless they start bringing
death. There are countless tales regarding evil necromancers
across numerous species, which has led the entire Aspect to
have something of a dark reputation.
Despite this, adventuring Death Aspecters will almost
always have friends. After all, having someone who can not
only summon more allies, but also unleash necrotic power
across a wide area? That’s someone worth keeping on your
side. It’s because of their potential that many Death
Aspecters are looked to with curiosity by adventuring
groups, military forces, and even corporations seeking
sabotage crews. Many people will pay greatly to have
someone on their side who can easily end dozens of lives…
 Death Abilities

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 Fire Aspect
Heat washes over them, burning away falsehood and The Schools of Fire
deception. Flames dance across their forms, purging Fire spells are surprisingly varied. Most people expect fire
weakness and disease. With an eruption of light, all that to do naught but destroy, yet many Fire spells also embrace
remains is pure power, manifested through intense flames healing, blessings of speed and power, and even conjuring
that purge, absorb, and burn brighter. Their strength is heat flaming creatures from their plane. Many Fire spells are
and flame, and they are in turn empowered by this arcane offensive in nature, of course, but they aren’t limited to such
combustion, forever burning hotter and brighter. destructive arts. Most of their spells are flashy and explosive
A bit melodramatic, but that’s what best represents the Fire in nature, with a significant minority being based on heat,
Aspect. Their passion is unparalleled, forever raging like a explosions, or even plasma.
wildfire. Those born with the Fire Aspect tend to be driven, The most commonly seen specialty for Fire Aspecters is
often to an extreme degree. They are almost always the most Blaze. It’s what you think it is – a specialty focusing on
passionate members of their community, be it a workforce, creating and spreading more fire. It relies on scorched earth
an adventuring party, or a family. They always seek to push tactics, blasting enemies with huge spells that cover large
themselves, ready to pursue their goals with a fury only areas. The other common specialty is Flare, which focuses
matched by other Fire Aspecters. This burns both ways, more on detrimental effects created through flashes of bright
however. It takes a great deal of discipline for them to light, burning scents, and quick blasts of burning magic. It’s
temper their desires, and to not push everything they have often referred to as the “fireworks” specialty, since Flare
into one objective. Without that discipline, a Fire Aspecter often manifests as pyrotechnical bursts of fire and light. The
will often burn themselves out rarest specialty is actually the purest form of the Fire Aspect
Fire Aspecters are fairly common, due to Fire mana being – Heat. It relies entirely on manipulating molecular bonds to
similarly common. This form of mana manifests and pools generate intense heat.
wherever there is heat. In a scientific sense, “heat” simply Fire’s masteries come in two flavors. The first, Solar, is
means that atoms are moving – everywhere has heat, except directly tied to the most powerful Fire deity. Soal’ra, the
the empty void of space. However, the most common places Queen of Sunlight, holds the secrets of this masteries within
for Fire mana pools to form are in deserts, around and her ancient solar palace. Those who pursue its knowledge
within volcanoes, and even around parking lots that have must prove themselves worthy to her or her elemental
been in the hot sun for too long. Fire leylines tend to stream servants. The Solar mastery combines the flashy powers of
around warm weather and ocean currents. On a cosmic Flare with the wildfire spread of Blaze, spreading its
scale, naturally, Fire mana radiates from stars. The onboard incredibly force over a vast berth.
heating systems of space stations will also have pools of The second mastery, Inferno, combines incredible range
Fire mana around them, as well. and power to create a form of blazing magic that can
It is worth mentioning that many Fire magicians are often obliterate all in its path. This mastery isn’t held secret by a
tracked and watched by their governments. Fire tends to be deity, but those who pursue it are usually watched carefully
one of the most destructive Aspects, and anyone who by planetary governments. After all, it is one of the few
actively pursues Fire magic needs to have an eye kept on masteries that has the raw capability to end entire cities,
them, lest they go too far with their studies. While most Fire decimating vast populations with a single spell.
Aspecters accept this oversight, some will take extreme
steps to escape pursuit, only to return as terrorists aiming to
take down those who tried to control them.
 Fire Abilities
Inner Heat
Base – You gain a +2 bonus to resist
cold environments, and are immune
Tier 1 – to exhaustion from hot environments. Tier 1 –
| |
| |

Tier 1 –
Tier 1 – Tier 1 –
| |
| |
Tier 2 –

Tier 2 – Tier 2 –
|
|

Tier 2 –
 Abilities and Ability Trees
When you’re creating your character, there’s an important There are five types of Ability Trees. The abilities within
part of them that you need to consider – what were they each tree will clearly dictate whether or not you can take
doing prior to going on this adventure? Were they employed them when you’re able to purchase new abilities.
as a magician, casting spells to earn their keep? Perhaps
they were a bouncer, using their muscles to keep their Base Trees are the core of any character. When you
clientele safe. Whatever it was, the way you represent it is first create a character, you may choose one of these,
through their initial Ability Tree. and you gain its initial ability for free.
An Ability Tree is a network of abilities, a catch-all term
Specialist Trees are more focused collections,
for special talents, features, and gifts that you character
usually dedicated to improving a small handful of
might have. Each ability is unique, allowing you a vast level
skills that your character might use.
of customization for each character you make. Even
characters who share the same trees might look vastly Combat Trees are solely focused on improving how
different, as each tree has a plethora of options for you to your character fights using particular spell or weapon
peruse. Taking an ability is simple – each one costs 2 CP, types. Each tree is dedicated to a single type.
though some might have requirements to meet before you Culture Trees are different, in that they require you
can take them. to belong to a specific culture or species in order to
access them. The requirements to earn these abilities
Sample Ability will often be high, but their abilities can be the most
All abilities share this format – a quick powerful in all of Arcanik.
narration to describe it first… Aspect Trees are only accessible to characters
Req: ...followed by its requirements… belonging to that Aspect – only a Fire Aspecter can
...and finally the description of how it access the Fire Aspect Tree, for example. These trees
works, what it does, and how it affects are special, in that they split into your Aspect’s
your character once they buy it.
specialties and masteries further down the line. These
trees are not listed in this section – they are included
alongside the Aspects in their respective section.
 Fighter
Base Ability Tree – A fighter is one who has made enemies. It’s best suited for those who would use heavy
physical combat their entire life. They use their strength and armor, and want to focus on protecting themselves and their
muscles to get by, pushing themselves to the physical limit allies from any sort of harm. It can also easily shift into the
and even going beyond it on occasion. This ability tree physical Combat Trees, based on what your character wants
focuses on using physical power to overcome obstacles and to use to crush their foes.

Brace
Initial Ability
The most common use of muscle
Armor Training training is learning how to take a Iron Stance
With enough training, even thick powerful blow… and shake it off. Knowing how to use armor is fairly
armor feels light as a feather. You may spend 1 AP to target one easy. Knowing how to use your body
Req: Brace enemy you can perceive. Until the in conjunction with it is tougher...
You no longer suffer a penalty to start of your next turn, you gain +1 Req: Brace
Evasion while wearing heavy armor. Protection and Warding against any When you target an enemy with
attack that enemy makes. Brace, you gain an additional +1
|
| | Protection against their attacks.
| |
Barrel Through!
Power Through! |
Momentum is a lot of fun to play
With enough training, it’s possible Resilient Stance
with, especially when you’re the
biggest person in the room. to ignore most detrimental conditions ...but once you figure it out, you
Req: Armor Training that would otherwise hold you back. can pull off some amazing tricks.
When you use the Tackle maneuver, Req: Brace Req: Iron Stance
you gain bonus dice equal to your When you target an enemy with When you target an enemy with
armor’s Protection bonus. Brace, if they attempt to inflict a Brace, you gain an additional +1
physical condition upon you, you Warding against their attacks.
||
may ignore it. Only one condition
| may be ignored this way per round.
I See an Opening! |
| I Am Bulletproof!
When you knock someone over, or
grapple them, it’s easy to spot a small Impervious Stance The most well-trained brawlers
break in their defenses. know how to protect themselves with
Req: Barrel Through With even more training, you can utmost skill and precision.
When you score a boon with a ignore everything coming your way! Req: Impervious Stance
combat maneuver roll, you may make Req: Power Through! You gain +1 to your Fortitude.
a free strike against the target(s). When you use Brace, you may
|
target a number of enemies equal to
your Intellect score. |
| MY TURN!
| Getting affected by your enemy’s
Juggernaut tricks is optional. Getting mad at
them for trying? That’s a given!
Every now and then, you fall into a Req: I Am Bulletproof!, Physique 4
trance of impervious simplicity. If an enemy suffers a complication
Req: Power Through! when targeting your Fortitude, you
You may use Power Through! to may move up to 3 meters directly
ignore mental conditions as well. towards them as a free action. If you
reach them, you may make a free
strike against them.
 Hunter
Base Ability Tree – A hunter lurks in the shadows, taking shot counts, and they know how to set them up just right.
great care to aim their weapon properly. As their foe takes a This ability tree is perfect for those who want to focus on
moment to stand still and look around the battlefield, they ranged combat. All of its abilities stem from its initial
pull the trigger. Their target’s head explodes… but the ability, giving hunters a toolbox of trick shots, debilitating
hunter is already lining up their next victim. To them, every strikes, and special attacks to wipe out their enemies with.

Aim
Initial Ability
The most basic skill any hunter
Crippling Shot should learn is how to properly aim Glancing Headshot
The best way to stop an adventurer their rifle (or pistol, or bow)... It’s possible to bounce a bullet off
is to shoot them in the knee. You may spend 1 AP to aim a someone’s skull, rattling their brain.
Req: Aim, Agility 3 ranged weapon you are wielding. Req: Aim, Intellect 3
[Shot] If your Aim attack hits your Your next attack with that weapon [Shot] If your Aim attack hits your
target, and the attack roll also beats adds your Intellect score to the roll as target, and the attack roll also beats
their Toughness save, they are bonus dice. If you have a [Shot] their Focus save, they are blanked for
crippled for one turn. ability, you may choose one of them one turn.
to apply to this attack as well.
| |
| | |
|
Hobbling Shot Disorienting Shot
Skill Shot
A good shot to the legs is usually It’s also possible to cause intense
enough to slow an enemy down. It’s possible to hit the perfect vital disorientation with a good shot.
Req: Crippling Shot spot on your target, and shut them Req: Glancing Headshot
[Shot] If your Aim attack hits your down completely. [Shot] If your Aim attack hits your
target, and the attack roll also beats Req: Aim target, and the attack roll also beats
their Toughness save, they are When you Aim, you may forego the their Focus save, they are confused
hobbled for one turn. bonus dice from your Intellect to for one turn.
select two different [Shot] abilities,
| |
and have both of their effects apply.
| |
|
Devastating Shot | Stunning Shot
An even better option is to remove Swift Targeting When you get good enough, it’s
one of their legs with a single shot. easy to stop someone in their tracks.
Req: Hobbling Shot The most skilled hunters know how Req: Disorienting Shot
[Shot] If your Aim attack hits your to properly aim at multiple targets, [Shot] If your Aim attack hits your
target, and the attack roll also beats lining up shots one by one... target, and the attack roll also beats
their Toughness save, they are slowed Req: Skill Shot, Agility 5 their Focus save, they are stunned.
for one turn. When you Aim, the benefits apply
|
to every ranged attack you make for
| |
the rest of your turn.
| Let Me Try That Again...
Boom. Headshot.
Of all methods a hunter might use,
Of all methods a hunter might use, the best is making sure the weapon
nothing beats a traditional headshot. actually works before using it.
Req: Devastating Shot Req: Stunning Shot
When you score a boon while using If you suffer a complication from
Aim, you may ignore your target’s making a ranged weapon attack, you
Protection or Warding scores while may ignore its effects.
calculating the damage dealt.
 Rogue
Base Ability Tree – A rogue skulks through dark alleys, throws off their cloak and melds into the crowd just outside,
keeping their eyes open for the perfect opportunity to strike. escaping their crime with no trouble at all. This ability tree
When their foe turns the corner, the rogue is instantly there, is perfect for those who seek to inflict massive damage with
sliding a knife between their target’s ribs, ending them in a light weapons, then slink away before giving their foes a
single, well-placed strike. Without missing a beat, the rogue chance to strike back.

Dodge
Initial Ability
Every rogue, no matter who they
Sneak Attack are, learns how to avoid capture with Slippery Dodge
Most rogues know exactly where to aplomb. If they can’t, they won’t be a It’s a lot of fun to slide around your
strike to deal the most damage. rogue for very long... foes, completely untouchable, while
Req: Dodge You may spend 1 AP to dodge for they struggle to keep up with you.
When you make an attack with a the rest of your turn. While dodging, Req: Dodge
[Light] weapon, if you target is not you cannot be targeted by free strikes When you use Dodge, for the rest
aware of your presence, the damage under any circumstances. of the turn, you may move through
dealt is increased by 2. | enemies as if they were allies.
| | |
| Reflex Twitch |
Knife in the Dark Some people might see flinching as Swift Dodge
One of the coolest tricks a rogue a weakness. Rogues consider it a It’s also a lot of fun to simply rush
can learn is how to strike down an vital part of staying alive. through a group of enemies.
enemy and vanish into the shadows. Req: Dodge Req: Slippery Dodge
Req: Sneak Attack Once per session, when you are When you use Dodge, all of your
Once per session, when you slay an struck by an enemy attack, you may movement speeds increase by 2
enemy while in an area of low light use Dodge without spending AP on meters / AP until the end of your turn.
or total darkness, you may take the your next turn. |
Hide action without spending AP. | |
| | Impossible Dodge
| Rogue Trigger The most fun comes from dodging
Assassination Honing your reflexes into muscle explosions and magical blasts!
It takes skill, strength, and a great memory can save your life. Req: Swift Dodge, Agility 5
deal of luck… but it’s possible to kill Req: Knife in the Dark, Reflex Once per session, when an enemy
someone with a single stroke. Twitch, Agility 4 attack targets your Fortitude save,
Req: Knife in the Dark You may use Knife in the Dark and you may force that attack to target
When you score a boon while using Reflex Twitch a number of times per your Evasion save instead.
an attack that would benefit from session equal to your Agility score. |
Sneak Attack, if the target is a minion | |
or elite enemy, you may instantly kill | Quick Counter
them without applying damage. Uncanny Dodge A parting strike will ensure many
The best rogues will avoid attacks foes won’t chase you down...
with supernatural skill. Req: Impossible Dodge
Req: Rogue Trigger If an enemy suffers a complication
You gain +1 to your Evasion save. while attacking you with a melee
weapon, you may immediately make
a free strike against them with a
single [Light] weapon.
 Mage
Base Ability Tree – A mage stands tall behind their allies, allies duck for cover. Mages are casters of spells, first and
weaving mana into powerful spells. With a flourish, they foremost – they weave mana into magical effects of all
send a bolt of magical power into their foes, an explosion kinds, usually to devastate their enemies. This ability tree
engulfing their target. They laugh as they continue bending focuses on granting bonuses to offensive spells, and making
magic to their will, firing off more and more spells as their certain spells easier to cast.

Mana Charge
Initial Ability
Using ambient mana to help you
Arcane Sight cast your spells is a basic trick that Prestidigitation
The ability to see arcane energies is all mages are expected to learn. Minor tricks and quick spells are
a simple trick, but quite valuable. You may spend 1 AP to charge up, often taught as an easy way to learn
Req: Intellect 3 reducing the cost of the next spell you and practice magic.
You gain a new sense that allows cast by 1 Mana. Req: Intellect 3
you to detect magic around you, and | You are able to perform basic tricks
see where spells have been cast (or | with your magic. You may use these
are currently active). Illusions will Deadly Charge tricks to gain +1 dice to a non-combat
ignore this ability, and you will still skill check, but you must be able to
perceive them normally. Naturally, extra mana in a spell explain it applies to the check.
| means extra power! |
Req: Mana Charge
| |
If you use an Offense or Heal spell
Piercing Sight with Mana Charge, that spell gains +1 Stage Magician
Those with arcane vision have the damage or healing, respectively. When you start pulling off bigger
power to ignore illusions... tricks, you start gaining more
Req: Arcane Sight attention from those around you.
If you are targeted by an Illusion Overcharge! Req: Prestidigitation
spell, you gain a +2 bonus to your Prestidigitation now gives you +2
Focus save against that spell. Some mages can charge their spells dice instead of 1.
| beyond the normal limit, probably |
violating several safety regulations.
| |
Req: Mana Charge, Willpower 3
True Sight You may use Mana Charge up to Mana Recharge
...and some can ignore any magic three times, with each use applying When you grow skilled enough to
that would hinder their senses at all! consecutively to the next spell you twist mana around your fingers, you
Req: Piercing Sight, Willpower 5 cast. This also applies Deadly can easily pull some of it back from a
You are immune to Illusion spells Charge, if you have taken it. spell you just cast!
and may ignore invisibility. | Req: Stage Magician
| | If you score a boon while casting a
| Aura Charge spell of any kind, you may restore
Mana equal to half the total Mana
Thanks for the Mana! After charging up with ambient spent to cast that spell.
It’s easy to steal poorly-crafted mana, a skilled mage can use what’s
spells from their owners! left to empower their aura.
Req: True Sight, Intellect 4 Req: Overcharge!, Physique 2
If an enemy suffers a complication When you use Mana Charge, until
while casting a spell that targets you, the start of your next turn, you gain
you restore 1 Mana. +2 Warding. This effect cannot stack
from Overcharge!
 Priest
Base Ability Tree – A priest loiters near his party as they A priest is one who connects with their gods, divine
finish off the monsters they’d been dealing with. As the dust elementals who command vast powers and realms. This tree
settles, the priest steps up with glowing palms. The wounds focuses on connecting to and harnessing that power in
inflicted by the monsters start to close as they pray to their exchange for worship and rituals. The more a priest gives,
god, divine mana washing over the battle-torn adventurers. the more power they’ll receive in return.

Favor of the Gods

Initial Ability
Those who serve the gods will earn
Sacred Protection Divine Smite
the favor of the gods.
Through the will and worship of You begin earning Favor with your The most devout can channel their
your god, you shall find salvation. chosen deity. Whenever you would deity’s power into their weapons...
Req: Favor of the Gods score a boon, you may exchange it Req: Favor of the Gods
When you suffer damage from an for a point of Favor. Favor does not When you make a weapon attack on
enemy attack, you may spend a point expire, and your maximum Favor is your turn, you may spend a point of
of Favor to reduce the damage of that equal to your Willpower score. When Favor to change the damage of the
attack by 1 point. you make a non-combat skill check, attack to an energy damage type.
you may spend a point of Favor to |
|
gain +2 dice to that check. |
|
| Wrathful Smite
Communal Prayer |
...and with more worship, they can
Within their shelter, you shall find Daily Prayer
channel the wrath of their god...
your peers and your family...
Most faithful will take a moment in Req: Divine Smite
Req: Sacred Protection
their day to thank their deity, and will When you use Divine Smite, you
You may use Sacred Protection on
receive a little bit of power in return. may spend up to 3 Mana to add an
an adjacent ally as a reaction on your
Req: Favor of the Gods equal amount of damage to the attack.
turn, but you must spend 1 Mana in
Once per day, you may spend an |
addition to the Favor.
extended action to pray to your deity. |
| Upon completing these prayers, you
| Righteous Vengeance
gain a point of Favor.
Iron Will | ...and become the righteous hand of
| divinity, striking down those who
...who will aid you, clothe you, and
would oppose their path!
join you in worship of the divine... Divine Knowledge
Req: Wrathful Smite
Req: Daily Prayer
Most complicated prayers can take You may use Divine Smite on any
You gain +1 to your Focus save.
longer to perform, but your deity can attack you make, not only those on
| provide answers you seek... your turn. You may also spend up to 7
| Req: Daily Prayer Mana on Wrathful Smite.
The Shield of the Faithful Once per week, you may spend up |
to 4 hours performing rituals to your |
...and within those connections, you deity. Upon completion, you may ask
shall find a shield of faith. The Sword of the Divine
a single question to your deity, which
Req: P it will answer as best it can. “...and they shall know that I am
If an enemy suffers a complication the lord, when I lay my vengeance
while targeting your Focus save, you upon them!”
may spend your reaction to gain a Req: Righteous Vengeance
point of Favor. If you score a boon while using
Divine Smite, the damage added by
Wrathful Smite is doubled.
 Playing Arcanik!
In Arcanik, the players portray adventurers out on personal Basic Challenges and Checks
quests, doing jobs, and exploring the vast wilds of the Within the game, your character will attempt a wide array
sector. There’s a lot of dangerous places out there – not just of actions, from daring piloting maneuvers to hacking into a
the lost and unexplored regions of the many worlds, but also computer network. They will inevitably be faced with
the deep underground of the mega-cities and distant colonies dangerous situations, where their skills, abilities, and powers
and space stations. Countless adventures of all kinds await will be tested. These tasks are called challenges. Anytime
you, but you’ll need to learn how to play! your character's capabilities are called into question by a
A standard campaign of Arcanik will be split into multiple challenge, or if they must test themselves against another
game sessions – times when your group comes together to creature, you must roll a check. In these instances, you must
actually play. Each session is controlled and “run” by the roll the dice, and let fate decide whether or not your
Narrator. The Narrator's job to create the setting their character has succeeded.
player’s experience, to write and generate the story as the To roll a check, you must choose one of the five primary
game progresses, and to act as a computer to control the scores and a single skill that you feel best fit how your
world, non-player characters (NPC’s), and monsters. The character is approaching the challenge. Once you have
Narrator is also in charge of directing the game, as they can chosen the score and skill, add them together, and roll that
change the scene and reveal important details about their many d6’s. For every result of 5 or 6 on the dice, you gain a
story. As the Narrator sets up the environment and non- success towards the challenge. Any results of 1 through 4
player characters, the players can role-play as their are ignored. Your character might also gain bonus dice or
characters, reacting to the world around them. As they act successes from their abilities or blessings, or suffer penalties
upon the world, the Narrator explains what happens. from enemy curses. After all the modifiers have been
This isn’t necessarily how it always works, either. Some applied, you should have a single number. This result is
sessions might be your characters interacting with each compared to the Difficulty Rating (DR) of the challenge. If
other, discussing recent developments. Others could be fully your total successes equal or are greater than the DR, you
dedicated to a single mission, or to a shopping trip on a have met the challenge, and accomplished your goal.
space station or small colony. Exactly what a session turns Sometimes, you will be rolling against another character
out to be is based entirely on what the Narrator decides to that is challenging you. In this case, the DR to overcome is
throw your way that session. whatever dice they are rolling. If both parties roll the same
number, neither of them succeed, and the situation is left in
“What do I need to play?” stalemate until role-playing allows either side to try rolling a
In order to play Arcanik, you’ll need a character sheet and different skill or score.
a collection of dice. Ideally, you’ll need one die of every
standard size, and a handful of six-sided dice. For reference, Bonus Dice & Successes!
this book refers to each die size as d# - a d4 is a four-sided There are many abilities, aspect powers, and blessings
die, a d6 is a six-sided die, and so on. Beyond this, all you that will improve how many dice you roll, or grant you
need is your imagination and some background information bonus successes on your skill check. The converse is true,
from the setting – knowing how the world works will help as well – curses or other debuffs may penalize your roll.
you build a believable character, and give you plenty of • +X Dice – When you roll a check with the skill
options to work towards or fight against. in question, you roll X additional dice.
At the end of this book, you will find a simple character • +X Successes – When you roll a check with the
sheet that you can print off and use. You can alternatively skill in question, you gain X bonus successes
scribble down all the important numbers onto scrap paper or after the roll is complete.
a text file, and remember the rest. Just make sure that your
Narrator can access this info, as it’s part of what they need
to run the game. Don’t forget Expertise!
Some abilities or blessings grant your character a special
notation called “Expertise”. This note will only affect
one skill at a time, and the source of your Expertise will
tell you which skill it affects. Expertise allows you to
treat a roll of 4 on the die as a success, as well as a 5 or a
6. You cannot gain Expertise twice on the same skill – it
doesn’t stack with itself.
 Boons and Complications A Challenge Example...
When you roll for a check, there is a chance you'll come Subaki is sneaking into a secure facility, aiming to let
across something truly amazing... but there's also a chance his allies in through a backdoor and steal valuable intel.
you'll screw up and make things much worse for your party. As he makes his way in through an open window near the
You could hack into an encrypted network and find more roof, he notices a pair of guards walking close by. He
than you expected, but you could accidentally set off the quickly slides into a hiding place, choosing to roll Stealth
alarms. You could behead your target with a well-placed + Agility to avoid detection. He has 3 Ranks in Stealth,
shot from your rifle, but you could misfire and hit your ally, and an Agility of 4. He also has Expertise in Stealth,
too. Any skill check you make could just as easily go which will certainly help! He rolls 7d6, and looks over
wonderfully right, or horribly wrong. These situations are the results: 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, and 5. Two fours and two fives
called Boons and Complications. Your Narrator will detail mean he’s scored four successes. The DR to avoid
how both of these unfold as they occur. detection was set at 3, which means he succeeds.
When you roll at least 4 points above the DR of a skill Later, he makes his way down the stairs, finding the
challenge, you gain a boon to that challenge! For every 4 backdoor his allies are waiting by. Unfortunately, it’s
more points, you either gain another boon, or a different sealed with a computer lock – he’ll need a keycard to get
boon is enhanced in some way. For skill checks, boons will in or out, and the only one he’s seen so far was on the belt
revolve around the role-play itself. In fact, you should give of the guards he hid from. Undeterred, he chooses to try
your Narrator some ideas for what bonuses you might have and hack into the system, and rolls Computers + Intellect.
incurred through awesome rolls! The final decision for what The Narrator tries to dissuade this path, but he persists.
happens rests on their shoulders, though. In combat, boons He looks over his sheet… and has 1 Rank in Computers,
are far more cut and dry. Each character can gain special and 2 Intellect, so he rolls 3d6. His roll results are 1, 3,
boons from their class trees, allowing them to customize and 6. One success total. The Narrator frowns, as the DR
their rolls as they roll exceptionally high. Everyone has to hack into this encrypted system was 8 – he not only
access to the “Critical Hit” boon, listed below. failed, but has incurred a complication. The alarms start
If you roll 4 points below the DR of a challenge, however, up in earnest, immediately drawing guards to his location.
you have not only failed the check, you've added a Swearing loudly, Subaki turns to see an early guard
complication. Like boons, every 4 points you fail will add arriving. He draws his sword, ignoring his party’s
another complication or expand upon an existing one, but suggestions of diplomacy in lieu of combat. The thief
thankfully, it's much harder to go beyond one. Also similar darts forward, blade flashing as he rolls for the attack. His
to boons, skill check complications are wholly based on the Agility is 5, with 4 Ranks in Swords. He rolls a whopping
situation. It’s up to the Narrator to decide how you screwed 9d6, resulting in 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, and 6. With a grand
up, and how it impacts the story going forward. In combat, total of five successes, he easily overcomes the guard’s
complications are also borne from your class trees! Some Evasion score of one… meaning he also gains a boon to
tree grants you complications to throw against your enemies the attack roll. He chooses to score a critical hit, slaying
if they can’t roll high enough to pierce your defenses. All his opponent with a single strike. As the body falls, he
characters (and NPC’s) have access to the “Critical Miss” immediately starts looking for a way out...
complication, which is listed below.

Boon: Critical Hit!

Your attack strikes a vital spot on your foe! They howl
in pain as your weapon (or spell) deals extra damage!
Multiply the damage of your weapon by two, and that
becomes the total amount of damage dealt to your target.

Complication: Critical Miss!

Your attack bounces off your foe’s armor, or misses
them completely… and you’ve left yourself open!
Your Defenses are reduced by 1 against any attack
made by the initial target of this attack. This penalty lasts
until the start of your next turn.
 Scores There are two secondary scores, which are determined by
Your character’s Scores are numbers that represent your calculating your primary scores in certain formulas. These
character's ability to interact with the worlds around them, scores tell you how much punishment your character can
mentally or physically. Every score has a particular use, and take, and how much power they have to spend on spells and
may be combined with any skill to overcome challenges, techniques. If necessary, always round down while
provided you can imagine a way they work together. There calculating these scores
are three types of scores, which are used in different ways.
Primary scores are the core of everything your character Health
can and will do. Each one represents a different way your ½ your Strength + Full Physique + 4
character interacts with the world around them, be it through This secondary score is how much you can take before you
physical action, mental analysis, or a mixture of the two. fall. The total of the formula above becomes your total
These scores are often passive in nature, granting bonuses to Health score. Some abilities can add even more to this
skills or amplifying abilities, but some are also directly score, increasing your total resilience.
involved with combat and exploration.
Mana
½ your Intellect + Full Willpower + 4
Strength This secondary score is how much energy you have to
This score represents your character's physical prowess. spend to cast spells and perform techniques. The total of
Strength is used to perform feats of might, such as tossing the formula above becomes your total Mana score. Some
objects or busting down obstacles. Strength is also used to abilities can offer you more points, granting greater access
determine the damage you deal damage to enemies with to magical capabilities.
most melee weapons.
Physique Finally, you have the three Defense scores. These are
This score tells you how tough and athletic your character determined by adding your primary scores to specific skills.
is. Physique determines how resilient your character can They exist to protect you from attacks, with each acting as
be, as well as how much punishment they can withstand, the DR to hit you with attacks of certain types.
be it from the enemy or the environment.
Agility Fortitude
This score details your character's balance and dexterity. Aspect Bonus + Physique
Agility shows how well a character can sneak and hide, This defender score represents your ability to resist
how fast they can be, or their natural talent for acrobatics poisons, diseases, and other body-harming effects. It also
and tricks. It can also be used to determine how accurate covers your ability to withstand explosions.
ranged attacks are, as well as some melee attacks. Evasion
Intellect Aspect Bonus + Agility
This score shows how insightful and smart your character This defender score represents your ability to dodge, avoid
is. Intellect is used to display a character's mental attacks, and jump around bullets. It is, in essence, your
capabilities, and how well they understand complex core defense against single-target attacks.
subjects. It is also used to determine how much damage a Conviction
character can deal with their abilities. Aspect Bonus + Willpower
Willpower This defender score represents your ability to resist mental
This score details your character's force of will. Willpower assaults, ignore illusions or hallucinations, or otherwise
determines their resistance to mental attacks, and how well avoid mind-influencing effects.
they can project their convictions onto others. It also helps
determine how much mana a character has to use.
 Skills Difficulty Rating
Skills represent different practices or trades, combat The DR of a challenge can vary from task to task. Some
training, or technology your character has trained in or has a challenges will be easy to overcome, like busting down a
natural talent for. If your character is good at something in door or climbing a rocky wall. Others will be difficult, such
particular, such as knowing a lot about a scientific field or as hacking into a highly secure network, or running across a
being exceptionally good at handling animals, then you metal wall for a few meters. Some might even be
ought to have a couple points in those skills! impossible, even if they look doable at first glance. How
All skills are measured in Ranks. Each rank has a title difficult a challenge is meant to be determines its DR.
connected to it, which is how the citizens of the sector will
refer to you when they recognize how talented you are in These tasks are so simple, you don't have to roll
using that particular skill. These skill titles are useless in a DR 0
to accomplish them.
mechanical sense, and only exist for role-playing purposes.
All skills have a Default Score, which represents the score A standard challenge, one that might give an
DR 2
that skill would most often be used with. If you are forced to untrained person trouble to finish.
roll for a skill check you have no Ranks in, you must roll the A tough challenge that would be somewhat
Default Score, without any other skill or score added on. DR 4
tough for even a trained individual.
Other bonuses, such as those from buffs or passive abilities
can still be applied to the roll. A hard challenge for anyone, even those who
DR 6
Normally, you can only have a maximum of six ranks in have lots of training.
any given skill. In addition, your ranks in any given skill A difficult challenge to overcome, and
cannot exceed your character's points in that skill's Default DR 8
impossible for the untrained.
Score. For example, if you have 2 points in Agility, you can
only have 2 Ranks in any skill that lists Agility as its default A nigh-impossible challenge for those with the
DR 10
score. There are many abilities in the game that can increase training, though still doable through practice.
your “maximum Ranks” – in these cases, both the total
Ranks you can have in that skill and the maximum Ranks The Narrator may issue any DR to any challenge they
you can have based on your Default Score are increased in want, though in general, the numbers above represent the
tandem. average DR for challenges of a certain difficulty. The
Narrator may even declare a challenge totally impossible,
without offering the players a DR to try and overcome. No
Untrained. You might have some common
0 Ranks matter how good your character is at a task, there are limits
knowledge about the subject, but that's it.
to what your character can do. Even if you have 12 points in
Apprentice. You have some training, and know Strength, and are a Master of Athletics, you are not going to
1 Rank how to actually use your knowledge. Average be suplexing an enemy jumpship.
citizens will have a couple skills at this rank.
Journeyman. You have a good amount of
2 Ranks training or experience, but you’re still learning.
Most citizens have a single skill at this rank.
Veteran. You’ve been practicing this skill long
3 Ranks enough to earn a name for yourself. You may
not be the best, but you’re definitely good.
Expert. You could make a living with your
4 Ranks expertise, and you’re respected for your skill.
Colonies will have a few experts leading them.
Artisan. You're in the upper echelon of your
5 Ranks skill. Colonies often have an artisan or two
working within them.
Master. You are one of the best. These are often
6 Ranks solo individuals who work alone, creating
works of art or expressions of their mastery.
 Talent Skills
Talent skills are best categorized as “general skills.” These are the skills everyone can make use of, no matter what
kind of character they are. Most of these will be used outside of combat.
Skill Name Default Score Description
This skill is used when you perform acts of dexterity and speed, such as dodging
Acrobatics Agility
past enemies or leaping over large areas.
This skill is used when you put your muscles to work, either by using raw strength
Athletics Physique
or by resisting fatigue.
This skill is used when you use tools or know-how to disable traps, pick locks, or
Burglary Agility
break alarms.
This skill show how well your character can use flattery or sweet talk to convince
Charming Willpower
others to help you.
This skill dictates how well your character can gauge the price of items, as well as
Commerce Intellect
barter with others.
This skill shows how well your character can deceive or trick others with only
Deception Willpower
words, body language, and tone.
This skill is used for operating land-based vehicles beyond their normal capacity.
Driving Agility
Anyone can drive, but it takes skill to drift and pull off stunts.
This skill is used when your character is required to take care of animals, calm a
Husbandry Willpower
raging beast, or tame a wild creature.
This skill is used for bringing fear, threats, or torture into a social situation to gain
Intimidation Willpower
information or compliance from someone.
This skill is used for sensing someone's deceptions, reading between the lines, and
Intuition Willpower
seeing subtle hints in your surroundings.
This skill is used for exploring new locations, or pursuing information regarding a
Investigation Intellect
specific person, object, or area.
This skill is used for treating physical wounds and ailments without supernatural
Medicine Intellect
abilities, using only med-kits or medical knowledge.
This skill is used for noticing clues and spotting potential hazards, using any senses
Perception Agility
you have available.
This skill shows how well your character can perform music, dances, or other
Performance Agility
artistic expressions.
This skill is used for convincing others to do something you want by using logical
Persuasion Willpower
arguments or debate.
This skill is used when you are controlling an air, submarine, or space-based vehicle
Piloting Agility
of any kind.
This skill is used for avoiding detection while sneaking, or for finding a great hiding
Stealth Agility
place while eluding pursuers.
This skill shows how well you know the streets of any given city, and if you know
Streetwise Intellect
how to find key locations and black market hotspots.
This skill is used to hunt a target in the wilderness, as well as general survival
Tracking Intellect
techniques in natural areas.
 Knowledge Skills
Knowledge skills are representative of different studies and scientific branches. Each of these skills detail some form
of study your character has done, which will mostly aid them outside of combat. All Knowledge skills share the Default
Score of Intellect, regardless of their actual subject or purpose.
Skill Name Default Score Description
This skill represents your knowledge of magic, the planes, and the secrets of mana
Arcanology Intellect
and how it works.
This skill is used to show how much your character knows about cosmic physics,
Astronomy Intellect
planetary movements, orbital systems, and other stellar subjects.
This skill represents how knowledgeable your character is about plants, animals,
Biology Intellect
and other living creatures across the system.
This skill shows how much your character understands chemicals, compounds, and
Chemistry Intellect
their properties.
This skill is used for examining and fixing all kinds of machines, as well as building
Engineering Intellect
new ones or inventing new mechanisms.
This skill shows how much your character has studied geographical and geological
Geology Intellect
concepts, including planetary movements and mining activities.
This skill represents your character's knowledge of history, nobility, and other such
Lore Intellect
subjects. At GM's caveat, it may also represent campaign-specific intel.
This skill shows how much your character understands about the mind, mental
Psychology Intellect
illness, emotional therapy, and other psychological subjects.
This skill dictates how well your character understands computers, and how well
Technology Intellect
they can use them to program, hack, or access information.
This skill represents your character’s knowledge of religions, and their ability to
Theology Intellect
analyze new or unknown belief systems.
 Combat Skills
Combat skills are the skills used in actual battles. Each one represents your character’s training with a particular type
of weapon or fighting style. Higher ranks can open up paths to specialized techniques, allowing your character to
compliment their physical prowess with magical energies.
Skill Name Default Score Description
These weapons hold spells within them, and anyone skilled enough can cast them by
Books Intellect
channeling their mana through them.
These weapons are made to project bolts or arrows over long distances. Specialized
Bows Agility
ammunition can even carry payloads, such as explosives or acid vials.
These weapons are small bladed tools built for stealth and quick stabbing. Thieves
Daggers Agility
and assassins often favor these swift blades.
These weapons are thick and heavy, designed for crushing armor or cleaving limbs.
Maces Strength
Some heavier bladed weapons, such as axes, might qualify as maces.
These weapons are handheld firearms, made for quick shots and close-range fire
Pistols Agility
fights. Any one-handed firearm is a pistol.
These weapons are long-handled tools with any kind of murder implement built into
Spears Strength
the business end.
These weapons are two-handed firearms built for long distance killing. Two-handed
Rifles Agility
firearms are usually rifles, provided they target a single enemy per shot.
These weapons are designed to project special ammunition over short distances.
Shotguns Strength
They are two-handed firearms that spray ammo over a wide area.
These weapons are long rods or wands, designed to focus mana into powerful blasts.
Staves Intellect
They are usually attuned to a single Aspect.
These weapons are traditional bladed weapons, from simple short swords to vast
Swords Strength
greatswords the size of a surfboard.
These weapons are designed to be thrown silently over short distances, occasionally
Thrown Agility
carrying payloads or special tools for stealth operations.
These aren’t weapons – this skill represents your talent for martial arts, brawling, or
Unarmed Strength
using natural weapons that are built into your species.
These chain- or rope-based weapons are built for long-range melee fights. They can
Whips Agility
be equipped with any kind of implement at the end of their lengths.
 Magic Skills
Magic skills are used to learn and cast spells of all kinds. There are nine branches of magic, which will be covered in
more detail in the Magic & Spellcraft section of the book.
Skill Name Default Score Description
This skill pertains to destructive magic, solely used to attack and damage foes
Offense Magic Intellect
who stand in your way.
This skill refers to protective spells, specifically used to counter attacks of all
Defense Magic Intellect
kinds, and even reflect enemy spells.
This skill is used for spells that create hazardous fields and terrain, which you use
Control Magic Intellect
to mitigate your enemy’s options in combat.
This skill refers to spells used to heal and restore yourself and your allies,
Heal Magic Willpower
mending wounds and removing ailments.
This skill pertains to beneficial spells, which you can create for your allies and
Bless Magic Willpower
empower them with your brand of magic.
This skill is used for malevolent spells, which are cast upon your enemies and
Curse Magic Intellect
weaken them in a plethora of ways.
This skill refers to detection magic that allows you to find certain people or
Scry Magic Intellect
objects, or to scan the surrounding area with magical senses.
This skill is used for magic that obscures or changes how someone perceives an
Illusion Magic Willpower
object or area.
This skill pertains to magic that can call creatures from another plane to serve you
Summon Magic Willpower
for a time.
 Equipment
Normal equipment is boring. In Arcanik, always presume Weapons
that you have the necessary adventuring gear and supplies to When your start with or later obtain a new weapon, you
get by. The only things you should keep regular track of are must design it yourself! Each weapon you select is yours;
special items, like gadgets, artifacts, the stolen datapad it's not a disposable tool to be used until it wears down, it's a
belonging to that CEO, and the like. Basically, if it isn't a signature part of your character, to be upgraded alongside
key item for your campaign, or one of your special tools, your character's skills. There are three types of weapons:
assume that your character has it… provided the Narrator Melee, Ranged, and Arcane. Each of these are divided into
isn’t challenging the party by saying you forgot it at home! their own skill types. Every weapon you start with,
purchase, or pick up during your adventures will belong to
Quality Levels one of these types. They determine the skill you use when
All weapons and armor you create for your character will you make an attack roll with that weapon.
have a quality level. This represents how fine and high-tier • Books: These weapons hold spells within them, and
your equipment is. These qualities range from -2 to +5, as anyone skilled enough can cast those spells.
detailed in the chart here: • Bows: These weapons are made to project bolts or
arrows over long distances.
Shoddy, ill-made gear. This is usually trash that’s • Daggers: These weapons are small bladed tools
-2 built for stealth and quick stabbing.
been repurposed as a weapon.
• Maces: These weapons are thick and heavy,
Broken or poor equipment. This is busted or
-1 designed for crushing armor or cleaving limbs.
damaged weapons or armor that barely work.
• Pistols: These weapons are handheld firearms,
Basic gear. Every character will begin with made for quick shots and close-range fire fights.
0
weapons and armor of this quality level.
• Rifles: These weapons are two-handed firearms
Better equipment, usually from fine artists or built for long distance killing.
+1
more expensive developers. • Shotguns: These weapons are designed to project
Fine gear, often quite expensive but immensely special ammunition over short distances.
+2 • Staves: These weapons are long rods or wands,
powerful or highly protective.
designed to focus mana into powerful blasts.
Expert-tier equipment, usually the best you can
+3 • Spears: These weapons are long-handled tools with
find commercially available.
any kind of murder implement at the end.
Hyper-specialized, hand-crafted masterworks. • Swords: These weapons are traditional bladed
+4
These are almost always unique pieces.
weapons, designed for any number of purposes.
Legendary gear. Incredibly rare, powerful, and • Thrown: These weapons are designed to be thrown
+5
unique. Good luck finding one! silently over short distances.
• Whips: These chain- or rope-based weapons are
When you first create a character, the weapons and armor built for long-range melee fights.
you create will be at quality level 0. As you upgrade your
equipment, or find higher quality replacements, you’ll
follow these rules for determining what that gear does:
• Weapons add their quality level to their total
damage dealt. This is before any multipliers or
additives from other sources.
• Armors add their quality level to the Protection and
Warding they grant their wearer.
 Building Your Weapon! When you are creating your character's weapons, there are
On the chart on the next page, you will see each weapon a few rules to follow. This customization is dictated by your
type, along with a list of statistics. The Type determines the weapon’s [Tags]. Adding tags to a weapon requires you to
upgrades the weapon can gain, as well as the tags it can start take note of what each tag actually changes on the weapon’s
the game with. The Range is how far the weapon can shoot entry. Every weapon may have up to three tags attached to
or strike. Most melee weapons have a range of 1 meter, it. Certain weapons start with a special tag, such as Rifles
meaning they can only affect someone right next to the with [Heavy] or Daggers with [Light]. These tags do count
wielder. Ranged and Arcane weapons have slightly different against the tag limit, and in the chart below, they already
entries; the first number is their ideal operating range, while have their effects calculated into the damage statistic of that
the second is their maximum range. Attacks made on targets weapon type. Their bonuses or penalties to accuracy must
in the ideal range have no penalties, while attacks made on still be applied to your attacks with them in combat.
targets between the ideal and maximum ranges suffer a -2 In the chart below, you will find every weapon and
dice penalty. Ranged weapons cannot be fired at targets weapon tag available to apply to your weapons. General tags
outside their maximum range. can be applied to any melee or ranged weapon, but not
The Damage is the base amount of damage the weapon arcane weapons. Melee tags can only be applied to melee
can inflict with an attack, followed by the damage types that weapons, and likewise, ranged tags can only be added to
weapon can deal. Only one damage type can be selected ranged weapons. Arcane weapons do not have tags of their
when a weapon is created, and that weapon always deals own, and Staves can only have the [Heavy] or [Light] tags
that damage type when used to attack. Finally, the Special applied to them. This is due to their unique nature as
Tags detail special qualities all weapons of that type share, weapons, and how they are specifically built to hold spells
which are further explained on the next page. You cannot or channel blasts of raw mana.
remove built-in tags from your weapons - doing so would
drastically change how the weapon operates. However, you
are welcome to add your own tags to customize your gear!

Skill Type Range Damage Special Tags

Books Arcane Special Special None
Bows Ranged 20/80 Meters 3 Pierce [Silent] [Heavy]
Daggers Melee 1 Meter 1 Pierce or Slash [Light]
Maces Melee 1 Meter 2 Slash or Blunt None
Pistols Ranged 10/40 Meters 1 Pierce [Light]
Spears Melee 2 Meters 2 Pierce, Slash, or Blunt None
Rifles Ranged 30/120 Meters 3 Pierce [Heavy]
Shotguns Ranged 8/32 Meters 2 Pierce or Slash (with an AoE) [Heavy]
Staves Arcane 8/32 Meters 2 Energy None
Swords Melee 1 Meter 2 Pierce or Slash None
Thrown Ranged 4/16 Meters 1 Pierce or Slash [Silent] [Light]
Whips Melee 3 Meters 2 Slash or Blunt None
 Shotguns Arcane Weapons
Shotguns are effectively Rifle weapons with a special Books and Staves have special rules that set them apart
twist – their shots cover a wide area instead of hitting a from the other weapon types. A Book weapon is a tome or
single person! When you construct a Shotgun weapon, pick scroll that holds a specific spell, created by the caster who
either a Line or a Cone. A Line Shotgun covers a 6 meter wrote it. Anyone with the proper knowledge (aka Ranks in
line with its damage. A Cone Shotgun covers a 3 meter cone Books) can call upon these spells and cast them at will. In
instead. Regardless of which choice is made, Shotguns order to do so, you must have Ranks in the Books skill equal
always target the victim’s Fortitude save instead of Evasion or exceeding the level of the spell in the book. If you do,
– you aren’t trying to directly strike someone with their then you may cast the spell in the Book weapon as if it were
shots, you’re hoping the shot pierces through their armor! your own spell; the book itself will filter your mana into the
proper Aspect for the spell.
Staves are like normal weapons, save for their damage
type. Each stave is also attuned to a specific Aspect, and the
attack will represent this; a Fire stave will shoot rays of heat
or flaming sparks, or a Mystic stave will launch psychic
bullets or force beams. Staves also deal damage that is
reduced by your target’s Warding instead of Protection.

Tag Type Description

Weapons with this tag require you to spend 1 AP charging them before you can make
[Charging] Ranged
an attack. Charging weapons deal +1 damage with their charged shot.
Ranged attacks made with this weapon target a single point within the weapon's range,
[Explosive] Ranged
and affect a 2-meter Burst instead of one target.
Weapons with this tag are perfectly balanced, and your accuracy rolls with them may
[Finesse] Melee
use your Agility instead of your Strength.
Heavy weapons are bulky or clumsy to use, requiring at least two hands to hold.
[Heavy] General Attacks with these weapons always deal +1 damage. A weapon cannot have this tag
and the [Light] tag.
Light weapons are designed for easy use. Any weapon with this tag deals -1 damage,
[Light] General but you may dual- or multi-wield them without penalties. A weapon cannot have this
tag and the [Heavy] tag.
Plasma weaponry always deals energy damage instead of its normal damage type. A
[Plasma] General
weapon cannot have this tag and another tag that adds additional damage types.
Rapid-fire weapons grant you one extra shot when you use the Attack action. Every
[Rapid-Fire] Ranged
attack you make with a rapid-fire weapon suffers -2 successes to hit your target.
[Returning] Ranged Thrown weapons with this tag automatically return to the user after being thrown.
[Silent] Ranged These weapons make no sounds when fired or thrown.
Weapons with this tag require you to spend one round powering them up before you
can begin shooting with them. While your weapon is powered up, your movement
[Wind-Up] Ranged speeds are reduced by half. When you finish firing, your weapon must spend one round
cooling off before you can start firing it again. The benefit for these restrictions is that
you can make one additional attack with your weapon when you use the Attack action.
 Armor Shields
Your weapons are not the only signature part of your Shields are protective barriers built to be wielded in
character. Their armor is equally important, not only thanks conjunction with another weapon. In Arcanik, they are
to its protection, but because of its appearance. Just like treated like a fusion between a weapon and armor. If your
weapons, when your character starts with a set of armor, you character purchases a shield, they may select either Defense
may design it yourself. Armor have a number of tags, just or Warding. While they are wielding it, the shield will grant
like weapons, but they are far easier to categorize, with only them a +1 bonus to the chosen score.
three types (and one subtype).
Cloth armor is woven with arcane energy, made for Heavy Armor
spellcasters of all varieties. These are usually thick robes Heavy armor, as mentioned before, is highly defensive and
with symbols or fine filigree. Heavy armor is the opposite, good for protection against physical assault. However, it’s
created for up-front fighters and soldiers. It is comprised of still heavy – while wearing Heavy Armor, your character
plasteel plates and nano-mesh weaves, built to withstand suffers a -2 penalty to their Evasion.
physical punishment of all kinds. Light armor is in between
these two, made of tough weaves and smaller pieces that
protect vital organs. While your character is wearing their
Armor Tags
armor, they gain bonuses to their Defense and Warding Sets of armor can have tags, just like weapons. Unlike
scores based on the type. weapons, however, armor does not start with tags for free.
Armor may have a maximum of three tags. Each tag has a
resource cost attached to it, which must be spent when you
Armor Protection Bonuses purchase or create the armor. Just like weapons, general tags
Mage 0 Protection 2 Warding can be added to any armor. They also have specific tags for
Light 1 Protection 1 Warding each individual armor type, which can only be added to
armor of that type. However, armor tags may be applicable
Heavy 2 Protection 0 Warding to two types, but not the third; in these cases, the two types
Shield +1 Protection OR Warding will be listed next to each other.

Tag Type Description

This armor is attuned to a specific Aspect. If the wearer is the same Aspect,
[Conduit] Mage
they gain +1 maximum Mana.
This armor has glorious trim, which is designed to channel mana around vital
[Filigree] General
points. The wearer gains +1 Warding.
This armor renders the wearer immune to all environmental effects that would
[Insulated] Light / Heavy
affect them due to temperature.
This armor is woven and crafted with micro-metal fibers, granting the wearer
[Nano-Weave] Mage / Light
+1 Protection.
This armor is constructed for silent movement. The wearer gains a +2 bonus
[Quiet] General
on Stealth rolls to conceal their location.
This armor is reinforced with heavy plates. The wearer suffers a -2 penalty to
[Plated] Heavy
Evasion, but they gain +1 Protection.
This armor has a collection of deep pockets, allowing the user to hide almost
anything within their folds. The wearer gains +1 dice to any non-Combat skill
[Pocketed] Mage / Light
rolls that would benefit from having a tool, and they gain +2 dice to
concealing items on their person.
This armor has numerous spikes, spines, or blades emerging from it. Anyone
[Spiked] Light / Heavy
who grapples the wearer takes 1 Pierce damage.
 Magic, Spellcraft, and Techniques
Arcanology, the study of magic, was borne from a desire When creating a spell, a character must start with the idea
to understand the supernatural powers seen in the world of what the spell will do, and choose a spell type that best
around civilizations. Some people were born with a natural suits that purpose. The best way to do this is to look at what
sort of power, able to harness the mana within themselves to the primary use of the spell is. Something like a bolt of
create mystical effects on the world around them. This is the electricity is easy; it's meant to cause damage, so it's an
basic definition of magic in the universe of Arcanik – “the Offense spell. A wall of fire, however, might be tougher. It's
use of mana to influence the environment around the caster.” meant to act as a deterrent, but it causes damage to anyone
Every species and culture has some interaction with who pushes through it. Despite said damage, it's primary use
magicians rooted in their history, from the shamanistic is to control enemy movements, making it better suited as a
Xin’Dukan to the magic-hunting Valhund. For eons, magic Control spell. These distinctions are malleable, as well,
has influenced every species in the Arcanik universe, slowly since most spells can be given lesser versions of other spell
growing more complex alongside them. types. The above example of a wall of fire is the perfect
Many academies and laboratories exist to study magic and example of this; it's a Control spell with a modifier causing
the arcane. Countless magicians and scientists spend hours it to act like an Offense spell.
studying the mysteries of magic, but for the most part, All spells follow the same basic principles. Every spell has
magic has become a quantifiable art. Anyone with the a level, and when you create a spell, you may choose its
dedication to study and practice magic can become a level. The highest level spell you can create is based on your
magician. It isn’t an impossible task, but the path is difficult. Ranks in that spell's respective skill. If you have 2 Ranks in
It takes a long time to perfect your own brand of magic, and Offense Magic, for example, the highest Offense spell you
to understand the mana flowing through your body. can create is level 2. If you have no Ranks in a magic skill,
There are numerous paths for a potential mage. The arcane you cannot create spells of that type under any
academies are always welcoming new students, offering not circumstances. In order to cast spells, you have to spend the
only a method to study their mana, but also potential time training for it.
employment in the future. Hundreds of local dojos, schools, Each spell type starts with special rules that only apply to
and online courses also exist to offer would-be mages their them. These reference the actual effects of the spells, and
own cheaper alternatives, though the veracity and help flesh out what these spells can actually do. Regardless
effectiveness of these locales is debatable. Countless of the type of spell, all spells share one common rule – how
traditional religions and belief systems also train their own much mana it costs to cast a spell.
shamans, druids, and similar spellcasters. Wherever your
character came from, some parts of their magical talents To cast a spell, you must spend Mana
remain the same. The arcane is an art and a science in equal to the level of the spell.
Arcanik – there’s a lot of freedom in how it works, but there
are also rules that quantify it. It is worth noting that some ability trees offer abilities that
modify the MP Cost of certain spells – in these cases, the
Spell Mechanics minimum cost of any spell is zero. Most high level
There are nine branches of magic, often referred to as spellcasters will often find most of their lower-level spells
“spell types”. A spell’s type is determined by its purpose, becoming free to cast, and the most powerful magicians in
rather than its actual effect. Each one of these types is also a the world of Arcanik can cast god-like spells without
skill. In order to cast spells at all, you have to have ranks in expending any mana at all.
at least one of those skills. In the following pages, you will
learn the basic mechanics of each type, as well as general
and specialized modifications you can make to spells of
each particular type.
Every character creates their own spells, custom-building
all of them to fit their own style and capabilities. Characters
may know a number of spells equal to their Intellect, which
can be of any type. For each Rank a character has in one of
the Magic skills, they know an additional spell of that spell
type. As they gain Intelligence and Ranks, they may create
new spells.
 Spell Mods Area of Effect
When you create a spell, that spell starts with a number of Some spells you create may have an area of effect applied
“mod points” equal to its level. After you have decided the to them via modifiers. An AoE allows the effect of the spell
type of spell you are creating, the Ranks you have in that to spread across an area, applying its effect to everyone
spell type's respective skill are added to the total mod points within. There are five AoE models you may choose from;
you can use for that spell. These points can be spent on Line, Wall, Cone, Burst, and Circle. When you give a spell
modifiers, which will add custom and special effects on an AoE, it will affect the range of the spell, according to the
your spells. Most mods can be taken multiple times, with the calculations below. If a caster chooses, they may reduce the
mod point cost increasing with each new instance of that size of any AoE spell they cast, to avoid vital objectives or
modifier. The sample spells found later in this chapter will allies that would normally be struck.
hopefully give you an idea of how this process works in
practice. This AoE does not change the range of the
Whenever you gain Ranks in a magic skill, when you gain spell. Instead, draw a line from the caster to
an ability that grants you extra mod points, or even when Line any point within the range of the spell.
you just want to rework the mod points of a spell, you can Everyone in a square or hex the line goes
follow the rules for creating new spells on the previous page through is affected.
to rewrite your existing spells.
This AoE does not change the range of the
spell. Instead, select two points within the
Generic Modifiers normal range. The two points can have, at
These modifiers can be applied to any spell, regardless of maximum, a number of meters between them
Aspect or type. equal to twice the spell's level. The wall is
Wall
created between those two points, affecting
This mod increases the Range of every square between them. The wall's
Range Boost your spell by 2 meters. You may maximum height, in meters, is equal to the
(1 Mod Point) take this mod up to 5 times, with spell's level. A wall's length and height cannot
each instance costing 1 more point. be modified, though the spell's range can.
This mod allows you to target one This AoE reduces the range by 2 meters. To
additional creature with your spell. determine this AoE, measure out the range to
You cannot take this mod if your Cone form a right angle with two Lines, then
Extra Target
spell has the Area of Effect mod, connect the end points. Everything within the
(1 Mod Point)
and vice versa. You may take this
resulting triangle is affected.
mod up to 3 times, with each
instance costing 1 additional point. This AoE does not change the range of the
spell. Instead, select a point within range, and
This mod can only be taken if the
the Burst creates a 2 meter-radius Circle (see
spell has an AoE. The effects of the Burst
Selective Target below). A spell with a Burst AoE can have both
spell only target allies or enemies
(2 Mod Points) its normal range and the radius of the burst
within the AoE, chosen when you
first gain this mod. modified.

Area of Effect This mod gives the spell an AoE This AoE reduces the range by 2 meters. The
(3 Mod Points) from the list to the right. If you use range is measured out in a full circle around
this mod to give the spell a Burst or Circle the caster, and everything within it is affected.
Wall AoE, you may take this mod This AoE can also manifest as a three-
up to 2 more times, with each dimensional sphere.
instance costing 1 additional point.
For each additional instance of this
mod, you can create another AoE Spell Types
when you cast the spell. The following pages dictate the nine branches of magic,
and how you can craft specific spells of those types. Each
spell type comes with the basic rules for creating one,
regardless of Aspect, along with an example spell and the
numerous modifiers you can apply to spells of that type.
 Offense Spells Sample Offense Spell
The most iconic of all spells. Offense spells deal damage Niobi Firehorn is a Fire Xin’Dukan who focuses on
to a single target through direct implementation of the martial arts and melee combat. Upon gaining experience,
caster’s Aspect. A mighty blast of fire, a wicked jolt of she decides that she needs a ranged option for combat. She
lightning, a thrown stone – all prime examples of Offense gains her first rank in Offense Spells, and sets herself to
spells. These spells are dedicated solely to dealing damage craft a brand new attack option.
and inflicting pain, with the higher ranked spells often At level one, her spell has to be simple. She only has two
covering wide areas, inflicting ailments, or creating hazards mod points to work with. Since this is going to be her only
for the caster’s foes. All Offense spells deal 2 damage, no ranged option, she needs it to fly as far as possible. She
matter what. gives her spell the Range Boost modifier, ensuring that it
will fly further. Afterwards, she takes the Damage Boost
Base Offense Level: 1 Offense / (Aspect) modifier, so she can ensure it’ll deal plenty of damage.
With both points spent, she finalizes her new spell with the
Target: 1 Creature MP Cost: 1
GM, and adds it to her character sheet.
AoE: None Range: 6 meters
A basic offensive spell, meant to harm a single target Flame Fist Level: 1 Offense / Fire
at a good distance. Target: 1 Creature MP Cost: 1
These spells deal 2 damage to the target on a
successful attack roll. AoE: None Range: 8 meters
A flying fist comprised of raging flames, which soar
Offense Modifiers with unerring power at its target.
This spell deals 3 Fire damage to its target on a
These modifiers can only be applied to Offense spells, or
successful attack roll.
to spells with mods that specifically allow them to take
Offense mods.

This modifier increases the damage

Damage Boost of the spell by 1. You may take this
(1 Mod Point) modifier up to 3 times, with each
instance costing 1 additional point.
This modifier reduces the damage of
the spell by 1. Half of the damage
Drain Spell
this spell deals to its target(s)
(2 Mod Points)
becomes healing for the caster,
restoring their HP.
This mod gives the spell an ailment
from the Curse spell page. When the
spell deals damage, if your attack
Ailing Strike
roll also beats the victim’s save,
(2 Mod Points)
they suffer the chosen ailment. This
mod also allows the spell to gain
modifiers from the Curse spell page.
This mod can only be taken if the
spell has an AoE. It gives the spell a
Control effect from the Control spell
Hazard Zone
page, which is applied each time the
(2 Mod Points)
spell is cast. Only one of these areas
may exist at any time, but it may
exist alongside a true Control spell.
 Defense Spells Sample Defense Spell
Protective fields and counter-spells make up the majority Jathon, an experienced magician working for a mercenary
of Defense Spells. These magics are designed for quick group, is looking to create a counter-spell for an upcoming
protection, blocking enemy attacks or spells. Some will mission. He is an Electric Aspecter, and has some training in
manifest as a glowing shield, or a field of the caster’s Aspect Defense magic, often using it for instant Armor bonuses for
around the recipient. Other Defense Spells can emerge as his allies. He’s recently gained his third Rank in Defense
overwhelming waves of their Aspect, canceling out other Magic, and wants to make a level 2 spell. With his Ranks,
spells with sheer force. he’ll have 5 mod points to play with.
His first move is, of course, to give the spell the “Counter
Base Defense Level: 1 Defense / (Aspect) Spell” modifier, which costs 2 mod points. He chooses
Offense spells for the counter effect. After thinking it over,
Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 1
he takes the “Extra Counter” modifier, choosing Curse
AoE: None Range: 6 meters spells for his spell to negate as well. With one point left, he
A basic defensive spell, meant to quickly protect the shrugs and gives his spell the “Range Boost” mod, so he can
caster or an ally from an enemy’s action. cast it from further away.
When an ally in Range is targeted by an attack, you With his points spent, he finalizes the spell with the GM,
can cast this spell. It grants the recipient a +2 bonus to and sets out to finish the rest of his preparations.
Protection until that attack is resolved.
Thunder Swirl Level: 2 Defense / Electric
Defense Modifiers Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 2
These modifiers can only be applied to Defense spells, or AoE: None Range: 8 meters
to spells with mods that specifically allow them to take
A twirling turbine of electrical energy that sucks the
Defense mods.
magic out of the air, negating enemy spells.
When an ally in Range is targeted by a Curse or
This modifier changes the spell to Offense spell cast by an enemy, you can cast this spell
Instant Ward
grant the recipient a bonus to their to negate the effects of the offending spell.
(0 Mod Points)
Warding instead.
This mod increases the Protection
Protection Boost bonus of the spell by 1. You may
(1 Mod Point) take this mod up to 3 times, with
each instance costing 1 more point.
This mod changes the Target of your
spell to a specific Type of spell.
When a spell of that Type is cast
Counter Spell within Range, you can cast this spell
(2 Mod Points) as an Interrupt to negate the effects
of that spell. You may take this mod
up to 3 times, choosing a different
Type for each instance.
Your spell must have the Counter
Spell mod to gain this mod. This
Reflection
mod causes the countered spell to
(2 Mod Points)
reflect back onto its original caster,
dealing its normal effects to them.
Total Protection This mod grants the recipient its
(3 Mod Points) bonus to Protection and Warding
both, instead of one or the other.
 Heal Spells Sample Heal Spell
Magical weaves that mend flesh, set bones, and offer Ackoo, a Life priest of the goddess N’Gyo’Toma, is
respite from diseases are the purview of Heal Spells. These developing a new spell to heal their allies. They want a Heal
are magical effects that, naturally, restore the HP of their spell with a lot of power behind it, and with their new Rank
targets. Heal Spells are not a fix-everything solution; by in Heal Magic, they can certainly pull that off. Their Heal
definition, they can fix broken bones, flesh wounds, and Magic is at Rank 4, and they choose to make a level 4 spell.
some other issues. Serious problems like missing limbs, They have a couple of abilities that grant them extra mod
major bodily dysfunctions, and terrible diseases can’t be points when designing Heal spells, as well. With a total of
repaired by simple healing magic. 11 mod points to play with, they set to work.
Heal spells “heal” their target. When you target a creature The first choice is to give the spell an area-of-effect. They
and cast the spell, the target adds the amount listed on the choose the Burst AoE, then take the “Selective Target” mod
spell to their current Health, up to their maximum. A so that their healing will only affect allies. With half of their
character’s HP cannot be raised above their maximum. All points spent, they next take the “Healing Boost” mod. After
Heal spells start with a healing effect of 1, which can be thinking it over, they take it again, this time costing two
increased through modifiers. points instead of one. Ackoo takes the “Range Boost” mod
and applies it to the radius of the AoE, then takes it again
Base Heal Level: 1 Heal / (Aspect) and applies it to the actual Range. All of these mods together
cost a total of 11 points, and Ackoo’s spell is ready for
Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 1
deployment during their next adventure.
AoE: None Range: 6 meters
A basic healing spell, designed to quickly patch up Divine Dust Level: 4 Heal / Life
standard wounds and injuries. Target: All Allies MP Cost: 4
When you cast this spell, your target heals 1 point of
Health. AoE: 4-meter Burst Range: 8 meters
A spectral moth emerges from the leylines, and
Heal Modifiers creates a wave of healing dust over the caster’s allies.
This spell heals all allies within its area of effect for 3
These modifiers can only be applied to Heal spells, or to
Health.
spells with mods that allow them to take Heal mods.

This modifier increases the healing

done by the spell by 1. You may
Healing Boost
take this modifier up to 5 times,
(1 Mod Point)
with each instance costing 1
additional point.
This mod gives the spell a blessing
Benevolent Heal from the Bless spell page. When the
(2 Mod Point) spell heals the target(s), they gain
the attached blessing.
Restoration Choose up to three ailments from
(2 Mod Points) the Curse spell list. When you cast
this spell, you can remove one of
those ailments from the target. You
may take this mod up to 3 more
times, choosing two more ailments
with each instance. Each extra
instance costs 1 additional point.
 Control Spells Control Effects
Control spells are capable of creating non-damaging
effects, meant to manipulate the state of the battlefield into This effect creates a physical barrier at the
one that favors the caster. A smokescreen, a nest of tangled edges of the AoE, or in a line directly through
it, such as a dome (Circle) or a wall (Line).
vines and thorns, or even thick mucus on the ground… these
Barrier These barriers are physical objects created by
are all prime examples of Control spells. the spell. They have Protection and Warding
All Control spells have two special qualities; first, every equal to the caster’s Intellect, and their Health
single one gains an area-of-effect for free. Second, each one equal the caster’s Willpower x 3.
has a Control Effect (see chart to the right), which it also
gains for free. You must choose both of these when you This effect creates an area that tries to hold
anyone who enters it, using vines, tendrils,
create a new Control spell, and may change them out
slime, or some other medium. Anyone caught
whenever you alter the spell. When you cast a Control spell, in the area when it is created, or who enters it
its effect remains active for a number of minutes equal to after it is created, must make an Athletics or
your Willpower score + the level of the spell. You may only Hold
Acrobatics check vs. your Spell DR. If they
have one Control spell active at any time – if you cast fail, they cannot take the Move action on their
another one, the previous one’s effects fade away. turn, and their movement immediately stops if
they were moving through the area. They may
spend 1 AP to repeat the save on their turn.
Base Control Level: 1 Control / (Aspect)
Target: Everyone MP Cost: 1 This effect creates an area that pushes anyone
within up to 3 meters in a specific direction,
AoE: (Choose one) Range: 6 meters chosen by you when you cast the spell. This
A basic control spell, made to force your allies and direction can be anything the caster wishes,
enemies to follow your rules. from “away from me” to “towards the center
Move
This spell creates a Control effect of your choice of the circle.” If the target(s) are pushed out
of the area, or reach their destination, their
within Range.
movement immediately stops. Anyone within
the area may make an Athletics check vs.
Control Modifiers your Spell DR to resist being pushed.
These modifiers can only be applied to Control spells, or
to spells with mods that specifically allow them to take Sample Control Spell
Control mods. Subaki is creating a new spell, and wants to make a
Control spell using his new Rank in Control Magic. His
This mod makes the spell last for focus in shadow magic gives him a great idea, and he sits
Extra Duration one more minute. You may take this down to hammer out the details. His new spell is only level
(1 Mod Point) modifier up to 5 times, with each 1, with 2 mod points, but that’s all he needs. He selects the
instance costing 1 additional point. Hold effect for his new spell, then chooses the “Selective
This mod causes the spell to deal 1 Target” modifier so that his spell only affects his enemies.
point of physical or energy damage With that, he’s done, and moves on to other projects.
Hazard Field to anyone caught within the area at
(2 Mod Point) the end of each of your turns. You Shadowgrasp Level: 1 Control / Dark
may augment this damage using the
Damage Boost modifier. Target: All Enemies MP Cost: 1

Danger Zone Choose an ailment from the Curse AoE: 2-meter Burst Range: 6 meters
(2 Mod Points) spell page. At the start of your turns, Shadows erupt around the victims, holding them
roll a Control Magic check against down while the caster moves in for the kill.
the saves of anyone within the AoE This spell creates a 2-meter Burst within Range. This
of the spell. If you beat the relevant
AoE uses the Hold effect.
save, they suffer that ailment.
Choose a blessing from the Bless
Bonus Zone
spell page. Anyone caught in the
(2 Mod Points)
area of the spell gains this blessing.
 Bless Spells Blessings
Bless spells bestow beneficial magical effects upon their • Accelerated – The recipient gains +2 meters to their
recipients. Any sort of helpful or empowering magic is land speed per AP.
considered a Bless spell, from simple stat boosts to granting • Accurate – The recipient gains a +2 bonus to
new forms of movement, or even changing how the target’s damage they deal with ranged weapons.
body works through regeneration or hardening their skin. • Blurred – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to their
All Bless spells have a few special rules. When you create Evasion save.
a Bless spell, you must select a single Blessing from the list • Bolstered – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to their
to the right. Your Bless spell grants that effect to its target Toughness save.
when you cast it. Blessings last for a number of minutes • Charged – The recipient gains a +2 bonus to
equal to the caster’s Willpower score, plus their Ranks in damage they deal with spells, including those that
Bless Magic. The caster can end their blessings at any time, deal damage due to modifiers.
either by dropping their focus on the spell, or by casting • Concentration – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to
another Bless spell. Giving a Bless spell an AoE will allow their Focus save.
you to grant its blessings to everyone in the area when you • Dexterous – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to all
cast it. rolls they make that are based on Agility.
You can only have one Bless spell active at any given • Endurance – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to all
time. If you cast another one, your previous one ends. rolls they make that are based on Physique.
Blessings do not stack with each other – if a creature has the • Enlarged – The recipient grows one size category,
Haste Blessing, for example, they cannot benefit from gaining the bonuses and detriments according to
another person casting a Haste Blessing on them again. their new size.
• Floating – The recipient gains a flight speed of 4
Base Bless Level: 1 Bless / (Aspect) meters per AP. Characters that already have a flight
speed are unaffected by this blessing.
Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 1
• Hasted – The recipient gains +1 AP at the start of
AoE: (Choose one) Range: 4 meters each of their turns.
A basic bless spell, built to empower you or your • Invisibility – The recipient fades from sight, and
allies with magic. cannot be seen by normal means. This blessing ends
This spell grants a Blessing to its target. if the recipient makes an attack of any kind.
• Knowledge – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to all
rolls they make that are based on Intellect.
Bless Modifiers • Might – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to all rolls
These modifiers can only be applied to Bless spells, or to they make that are based on Strength.
spells with mods that specifically allow them to take Bless • Protected – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to their
mods. Protection.
• Regeneration – The recipient heals 1 Health at the
This mod makes the spell last for beginning of each of their turns.
Extra Duration one more minute. You may take this • Shelled – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to their
(1 Mod Point) modifier up to 5 times, with each Warding.
instance costing 1 additional point. • Slipstream – The recipient gains +2 meters of
This mod allows the spell to grant movement to their swim speed per AP.
Bonus Blessing one additional blessing. You may • Tailwind – The recipient gains +2 meters of
(2 Mod Points) take this mod up to 3 times, with movement to their flight speed per AP.
each instance costing 1 more point. • Wisdom – The recipient gains a +1 bonus to all rolls
they make that are based on Willpower.
• Zeal – The recipient gains a +2 bonus to damage
they deal with melee weapons.
 Curse Spells Ailments
Curse spells are the natural opposite of Bless spells; • Berserk – (Focus) The victim loses control, and
detrimental magic effects to be inflicted upon your enemies. may only move towards the nearest visible target
Confusion, poison, slowing, sleep – all prime examples of and make melee attacks against them.
what a Curse can create. Unlike Bless spells, however, • Blanked – (Focus) The victim suffers a -1 penalty to
Curses allow their targets to try and resist their painful their Focus save.
effects before they can take hold. • Blinded – (Toughness, Evasion) The victim cannot
When you create a Curse spell, you must choose one of see, or their vision is heavily impaired. All physical
the ailments from the list to the right. When you do, take checks they make suffer -4 successes, unless they
note of the saving roll indicated in the ailment’s description have some way to circumvent their lack of sight.
– if there are more than one, you must choose one that best • Charmed – (Focus) The victim perceives the caster
suits your spell. When you cast your spell, roll a Curse as a close, trusted friend, and will act accordingly.
Magic check against the save(s) of your target(s). If you • Clumsiness – (Toughness, Evasion) The victim
succeed, they are subject to the ailment for a number of suffers -1 success on all Agility checks they make.
minutes equal to your Willpower score plus your Ranks in • Confusion – (Focus) The victim cannot distinguish
Curse Magic. On a failed check, nothing happens. between friends and foes, and half their AP each
You can only have one Curse spell active at any given turn is spent by the GM.
time. If you cast another, the effects of the previous spell • Crippled – (Toughness) The victim suffers a -1
immediately cease. Ailments cannot stack with each other, penalty to their Evasion save.
as well. If a creature is suffering from Poison, they cannot • Frailty – (Toughness) The victim suffers -1 success
be poisoned again by a different caster’s spell. on all Strength checks they make.
• Harmed – (Toughness, Evasion) The victim suffers
Base Curse Level: 1 Curse / (Aspect) 1 damage at the end of each of their turns.
• Hobbled – (Toughness, Evasion) The victim suffers
Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 1
a -2 meter penalty to all of their movement speeds.
AoE: (Choose one) Range: 4 meters • Poison – (Toughness) The victim suffers -1 success
A basic curse spell, built to harm and debilitate your on all Physique checks they make..
enemies with deadly effects. • Shrunk – (Toughness, Focus) The victim decreases
The target of this spell must make a [Save] roll. If one size category, gaining the benefits and penalties
they fail, they are subject to an ailment. according to their new size.
• Slowed – (Evasion, Focus) The victim has -1 AP at
the start of each of their turns.
Curse Modifiers • Slumber – (Focus) The victim falls into a deep
These modifiers can only be applied to Curse spells, or to sleep, which they cannot wake from unless they
spells with mods that specifically allow them to take Curse suffer damage or the duration expires.
mods. • Stun – (Toughness, Focus) The victim cannot act on
their next turn. This ailment only lasts for one turn,
This mod makes the spell last for after which it expires.
Extra Duration one more minute. You may take this • Stupidity – (Focus) The victim suffers -1 success on
(1 Mod Point) modifier up to 5 times, with each all Intellect checks they make.
instance costing 1 additional point. • Terror – (Focus) The victim is struck by intense
Bonus Ailment This mod allows the spell to grant fear, and must always move away from the source
(2 Mod Points) one more ailment. Every ailment on of this ailment.
the spell must share the same saving • Weighted – (Evasion) The victim cannot fly, and
roll. You may take this mod up to 3 suffers a -2 meter penalty to all of their movement
times, with each instance costing 1 speeds.
additional point.
Piercing Curse This mod increases the Spell DR to
(2 Mod Points) resist the ailment by 2 points.
 Scry Spells Sample Scry Spell
Scrying spells are unusual among the other spell types. Sevlar is generating a new Scry spell, focusing on spying
Instead of having a direct effect upon a conflict, Scry spells on his enemies. He is a Death Aspecter, which grants him
are focused on gathering information by using some part of some bonuses and unique options – specifically, his Aspect
the caster’s Aspect. This can be a method as common as allows him to see through the eyes of his spectral minions.
peering into a bowl of crystalline water, or as bizarre as He has 2 Ranks in Scry Magic, so he sets out to craft a level
opening a rift between planes and simply looking through it 2 spell. This will give him 4 mod points to work with, and
at your target. No matter how your character performs their he already knows how he’ll use them.
scry magic, the effect generally remains the same. First, he buys the “Gravewatch” modifier from his Aspect
The basic Scry spell allows you to target a creature or an page. This modifier causes the spell to create an invisible
object that you already know about. If they are within 500 spirit that follows the target, instead of a single one-and-
meters of your current position, you will immediately be done spell. It costs him two mod points. He spends the next
able to see them and know where they are, and you will gain point on the Distance Boost modifier, increasing its range by
a rough idea of whatever is around them. 100 meters. He has nothing left to spend the last point on, so
However, Scry magic is unique in that the many Aspects he lets it float for the next time he gains another Rank in
of the universe have their own ways to modify how the Scry Magic.
magic operates. Some can allow the user to speak with With his work finished, he immediately casts the spell,
monsters, others can sense different incorporeal concepts, setting his new scrying minion towards his enemy. He’ll
and some even allow the caster to view the past or future of come back to watch them later, after he’s helped his friends
their target. Each and every Aspect has their own Scry prepare their equipment...
modifiers, which can only be bought and applied to Scry
spells by casters of that Aspect. Spectral Gaze Level: 2 Scry / Death
Target: 1 creature MP Cost: 2
Base Scry Level: 1 Scry / (Aspect)
AoE: (None) Range: 600 meters
Target: 1 creature / object MP Cost: 1
The spirits of undeath gaze upon their target, pale
AoE: (None) Range: 500 meters eyes studying every detail...
A basic scry spell, meant to gather intel on a specific This spell creates an invisible entity that watches the
target. target for 24 hours. You may focus and look through its
You learn where the target is, and gain a basic idea of eyes at any time to see your target, as if you had just
their immediate surroundings. cast a normal Scry spell. This creature has true
invisibility and is incorporeal. If detected, it will avoid
Scry Modifiers conflict at all costs, but will always stay within sight of
its target.
These modifiers can only be applied to Scry spells.

This mod increases the Range of the

Distance Boost spell by 100 meters. You may take
(1 Mod Point) this modifier up to 5 times, with
each instance costing 1 more point.
Remote Viewing This mod changes the target of the
(2 Mod Points) spell to a location you are aware of.
When you cast the spell, you will
see that location, and can view it
from any perspective until you end
the spell. While the spell is active,
you cannot take any other actions
except talking to others.
 Illusion Spells Sample Illusion Spell
In essence, these are the complete opposite of Scry spells. Subaki has recently gained a Rank in Illusion Magic, and
Illusions are designed to avoid detection, deter those who wants to use it to amplify his assassin abilities. With only
seek information or access to a location, and gain an two mod points to work with, he looks over his options. As a
advantage over others. How these illusions work is based Dark Aspecter, he needs shadows to do his job well.
entirely on the Aspect of the caster – one spell might create Looking over the unique options for the Dark Aspect, he
a phantom scent that repulses those who smell it, while spots something interesting – the “Tenebrous” mod. A Dark
another might generate a fake wall that hides a door behind Illusion, instead of affecting one of the five senses, can
it. Regardless of how they work, the basics are the same. instead create an area of darkness.
The basic Illusion spell creates an effect that tricks one of He immediately sees how he could use such an effect, and
the basic five senses of those who perceive it. You can pick uses one of his mod points to buy it. He spends the other
the sense when you craft the spell. Visual illusions look real, mod point to increase the Range of his new spell, finalizing
but have no form, and can be passed through. Auditory and it to create a simple Dark Field spell. He clears it with his
olfactory illusions sound and smell real, but aren’t actually GM, and sets out to practice with his new tool...
there. Tactile illusions change how an object or area feels –
such as altering a brick wall to feel like rubber or slimy Dark Field Level: 1 Illusion / Dark
scales. Gustatory illusions alter how the target tastes, but
Target: 1 Location MP Cost: 1
doesn’t change what it actually is.
Illusions cannot be cast around people – the intricate AoE: None Range: 12 meters
details of animating an illusion like that is far too A swirl of darkness that flows and ebbs around an
complicated for most casters to bother with. Similarly, you area, shrouding all in blackness.
can only have one Illusion active at any given time. If you This spell lowers the ambient light of a target area,
cast a new Illusion while you already have one active, the turning bright light into dim light, and dim light into
old one immediately ceases. Illusions last for a number of near darkness.
hours equal to the caster’s Willpower score.

Base Illusion Level: 1 Illusion / (Aspect)

Target: 1 object / location MP Cost: 1
AoE: None Range: 10 meters
A basic illusion spell, tricking one of the basic senses
of those who perceive it.
This spell creates a visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile,
or gustatory trick around a target or in a small area or
location. Viewers will perceive the target with this new
reality, unaware that it is actually an illusion. This
illusion lasts for a number of hours equal to the caster’s
Willpower scores.

Illusion Modifiers
These mods can only be applied to Illusion spells.

Duration Boost This modifier allows the spell to last

(1 Mod Point) for one extra hour. You may take
this modifier up to 5 times, with
each instance costing 1 more point.
This modifier allows your spell to
affect one additional sense of those
Extra Sense
who perceive it. You may take this
(1 Mod Point)
modifier up to 5 times, with each
instances costing 1 more point.
 Summon Spells Summon Modifiers
Widely considering one of the most dangerous spell types These mods can only be applied to Summon spells.
in the universe, Summon Magic allows the caster to pull
entities from the plane of their Aspect to serve them… at This modifier allows the control
least for a short time. After this time has expired, what the effect of your spell to last for one
creature does is a roll of the die. Some monsters will simply Duration Boost
extra minute. You may take this
(1 Mod Point)
return to whence they came, happy with their completed modifier up to 5 times, with each
task. Others will remain, enjoying their brief time on the instance costing 1 more point.
Prime Materium before fading back into their own reality. This modifier allows you to choose
However, there are a rare few that will seek to pierce holes one additional monster for your
between the planes to allow others to emerge. Because of Extra Choice spell to summon when you cast it.
this, Summon Magic is highly regulated, and casting it is (1 Mod Points) You may take this modifier up to 3
highly dissuaded by most arcane academia. The risk of times, with each instance costing 1
causing a planar incident is often too high for many to take. more point.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t dissuade some enterprising This modifier allows your spell to
young mages, who will happily push the boundaries of summon one additional creature
summoning to see what they can conjure. Extra Conjuring
when you cast it. You may take this
If you choose to pursue the art of Summoning, there are (2 Mod Points)
modifier up to 4 times, with each
certain rules to keep in mind. First, when you Summon a instance costing 2 more points.
creature, it appears next to you. If there’s not enough room
for it to appear, the spell will fail. Next, Summon spells have
Sample Summon Spell
a duration of a number of minutes equal to your Willpower
Sevlar is an expert necromancer, having been practicing
score. For this duration, whatever you’ve summoned will
for many decades. He’s recently obtained his sixth Rank in
obey you. After this duration has elapsed, the creature will
Summon Magic, and is looking to create an incredible spell
go off on its own to do whatever it feels like doing. If a
of his own to cap it off. With a high Intellect and many
Summon is reduced to zero Health, it immediately dies and
abilities that grant him extra mod points, he can easily build
fades back to its home plane. You are able to summon
something outstanding. His new summon spell has 13 points
specific monsters if you know their name – doing so will
to play with, and he starts by establishing that he wants the
always bring forth the same creature, who will remember
spell to only summon minions.
their previous encounters with you.
His next choice is to enhance the spell by granting it an
Finally, when you create a Summon spell, you must design
AoE, then increases the Range of the AoE. He also chooses
your own creature using the “Building Enemies” section
the Extra Choice mod, letting him animate dead bodies as
later in this book. If your spell is Level 1 – 4, you can
either a skeleton or a zombie. He finishes by maxing out on
summon “Minions” with it. If the spell is Level 5 – 7, you
Extra Conjuring, allowing him to create 5 undead with every
may summon “Elites”, but may also continue to summon
cast of this spell. With his new summoning spell complete,
minions with it. You must set up a single creature for your
he sets out to practice with it...
spell to summon when you create it. When creating the
monster(s) for your spell, use your own Character Points +
your Ranks in Summon Magic to determine how powerful Danse Macabre Level: 5 Summon / Death
your summoned creature is. Target: 1 Creature MP Cost: 5
AoE: Burst Range: 1 meter
Base Summon Level: 1 Summon / (Aspect)
A wave of necrotic power washes over the dead,
Target: 1 Creature MP Cost: 1 causing them to rise up and fight once more...
AoE: (None) Range: 1 meter This spell creates a 4-meter Burst of necrotic power,
which reanimates up to 4 corpses nearby as skeletons or
A basic summon spell, conjuring a being from your
zombies under the caster’s control.
Aspect plane to serve you.
This spell summons a single creature from the plane
linked to your Aspect to serve you. It will obey you for
a number of minutes equal to your Willpower score.