UNKNOWN AGES RULES CHANGES ARMOUR Donning and removing armour re-
quires one successful Armour check
Based on mod by Bailiwolf @ RPG. SKILLS Armour is rated based on three ques- per +3 of protection and each check
net tions: takes a separate action.
STRUGGLE only allows for unarmed
Tweaked and playtested by voidstate. fighting and wielding melee weapons Is it Rigid? Is the armour made of an Fatigue: Wearing armour is tiring.
Example of play can be found on with a damage bonus of +3 or less. unyielding material such as metal? The GM may call for fatigue checks
RPG.net Play By Post forum. Players must buy additional skills to for armour wearers at intervals de-
allow the use of other weapons. Is it Covering? Does the armour pendant on the environment (at least
UA recast as a Fantasy game - in this cover more than half your body area once per 4 hours in perfect condi-
case, a brutal savage Sword and Sor- RIDE, CARTER or SAIL (player s and include a helmet? tions).
cery prehistory (or perhaps, previous choice) is the default Speed skill
history) in which sly slinky catlike rather than Drive. Is it Heavy? Is the armour thick and A fatigue check is a Body roll modi-
sorceresses utter unspeakable Names sturdy? fied by the character s armour and
in order to beguile the hulking brutes LORE is a default Mind skill rather shield penalties. Each failure imposes
and killers she uses to warm her bed than Education. Players are encour- Each  Yes to an above question adds a cumulative -5% shift to all Speed,
and wet her crimson-stained alter. In aged to tailor this skill to their back- 3 to this protection, but imposes a movement and fatigue checks. These
which brutish - yet devilish clever ground (farmers have nature lore, -10% shift to all actions involving penalties return at the rate of 5% per
- barbarians from the North adventure mercenaries have military lore, etc.) Speed, including Initiative, all body hour once the armour is removed.
and whore and kill and steal and live as few people have broad educations. checks involving movement and all
free, despite the so-called laws of checks to resist fatigue. These pen- Character s whose General Athlet-
civilized man. In which ancient fallen New skills which may come in alties increase to -30% each when ics skill is reduced to zero or less can
orders of the Elder Races linger at the handy: underwater. no longer walk due to the weight of
fringes of the world - a world haunted their armour. Riding, however, is still
by demon and fell beats and walking ARMOUR (Body)  know how to Additionally, helmets add a -10% a possibility, as the penalty to move-
dead. A world teetering on the edge don and remove armour & bear the shift to notice rolls. ment-based Body checks doesn t
of oblivion, destined to be wiped weight of armour without tiring. If apply when mounted.
away and remade, less then dust. you fail a fatigue check you can flip- For example, a suit of jointed plate
Unknown Ages lost in the forgotten flop the roll as long as the resulting armour with all three questions an- SHIELDS
murk of deepest time. number is under your Armour skill. swered YES, would thus stop 9 points
of damage per attack while giving The maximum shift a shield can pro-
SHIELD (Speed) - use a shield (or -30% to all actions involving Speed, vide depends on it s type.
perhaps, a grabbed opponent) to Body checks involving movement
block attacks. Up to the max of your and fatigue checks, and a -10% to Small Shield: -10% vs. melee; -5%
Shield skill, different size shields notice skills. vs. ranged
impose a negative shift on attacks. Medium Shield: -15% vs. melee; -
10% vs. ranged; -5% to Speed, move- MELEE WEAPONS Slings give a +3 damage bonus (their
ment and fatigue checks momentum means they count as lev-
Great Shield: -20% vs. melee; -20% Attacks may do rolled damage on a eraged).
vs. ranged; -10% to Speed, movement matched success or critical if suf-
and fatigue checks ficiently powerful. Melee weapons Cherries: Characters with Archery as
do rolled damage against opponents an obsession skill may pick cherries.
You can also attack with a shield whose armour bonus is less than the These can be chosen from the Martial
using that skill, adding +0/+3/+6 for attacker s weapon s bonus. E.g. An Arts list or made up, as usual.
damage. Shields never do firearms attacker with a club (+3) only does
damage. firearms damage to opponents in no
armour.
SHIELDS PENALTIES AND
ARMOUR MISSILE WEAPONS
No shield can give a larger shift to Bows are Large, Penetrating, and/or
opponents attacks than the wield- Leveraged (+3 damage for each) and
er s shield skill. However, shield is a arrows can have armour piercing tips
Speed skill so is effected by the pen- (-3 damage, ignore armour).
alty given by armour, larger shields
and fatigue. Reloading (knocking an arrow, bal-
ancing a sling bullet, etc.) is a sin-
Thus, to use a great shield at maxi- gle action and requires a successful
mum efficiency, a character wearing Archery check.
articulated plate armour would need
a shield skill of 60% (-30% from ar- Missile weapons do damage equal to
mour & -10% from the shield reduces the sum of the dice rolled. They auto-
their shield skill to 20%). And, as matically kill on a critical (01).
they are at -40% to all fatigue checks,
the penalty may well increase the Crossbows have a +6 damage bonus
longer they wear the armour (by 5% (penetrating and leveraged). Their ac-
per failed check), requiring the shield curacy allows a +10% shift to hit but
skill to be even higher to remain ef- they require 2 successful Crossbow
fective. skill checks to reload. Heavy cross-
bows also count as large, giving them
a +9 bonus, but require 4 successful
checks to reload.
POWER OF THE GODS BLACKEST MAGIC unique priceless value. eat your face off.
Avatars are basically given god- Magic is still based off a Soul skill Major Effect: Summon a Major Notes: Unlike most schools, Diabo-
names for the fantasy setting and used which must be the Mage s Obsession Demon to perform service, or sum- lism lets you build the charges needed
without change. People who channel skill. It still involves charge-building mon up to half a dozen Significant to work the magic either before or
divine force are considered Clerics, rituals and a body of related effects. demons, or a dozen Minor demons. after you actually summon up a
Divine Madmen, Priest-Kings, saints, The Schools of magic are much less Utterly banish a similar number of demon. If built before, you spend the
and holy warriors. The conception symbolic and post-modern, and don t demons. charges and roll the dice normally,
(whether right or wrong) isn t that generally involve a strong internal and use this energy to feed the demon
reality is created bottom-up based on paradox& here it s more like irony. Major Charge: Sacrifice your loved and secure the Pact. If you charge
patterns of human behaviour, belief, Here is the basic skinny on some pos- ones or hundreds of other living up after - essentially summoning on
and thought, but human behaviour be- sible schools: human beings. Sacrifice artifacts of credit - then the Demon (and thus,
lief and thought are created top-down singular power and magic. Sell your the GM) gets to specify the charging
by divine beings who capriciously DIABOLISM soul to a Demon Kahn. You can only conditions under which will pay for
toy with the lives of mortal men. The do this last one once& and then you the spell. This is how most Diabolists
gods are mostly selfish absentee as- Domain: the summoning and binding are subject to the Kahn s every com- get into real trouble (well, this and
sholes. of Demons and other Eldritch Horrors mand (resisting is a Rank-10 Self and sacrificing people). The cost of a spell
from Beyond Unnatural check). depends on the power of the demon
The gods are known by different you summon. This also determines
names in different places. They care Minor Effect: Summon a Minor Blast Style: None exactly, but Minor the time it takes to summon the de-
little for worship although priests demon to perform service. Banish a demons inflict +3 melee damage, mon - generally an hour per charge
are unlikely to admit that. Priests are Minor demon. Significant demons inflict rolled value spent.
generally using religion to further damage, and Major demons pretty
their own power by gaining influence Minor Charge: Sacrifice food, drink, much instantly kill people. Being at- Here is the skinny on demon sum-
among worshipers and the benefits of drugs, and valuables of significant tacked by a demon will often lead to moning:
following the avatar s path. Tis leads value; make living sacrifices of ani- both Unnatural and Violence checks.
them to interpret their gods edicts in mals. Basic Demons: Your basic demon has
as many ways as there are priests. Taboo: If you ever break your Con- the following stats, and will perform
Thus, they are mostly as much selfish Significant Effect: Summon a Sig- tract with one of your demons, all 1 service with a duration no greater
assholes as the gods they represent. nificant demon to perform service, or the rest of your bound demons will than 1 day. This service can be fairly
summon half a dozen Minor demons. get testy and try and break their pacts complex-  Find and slay Agoth the
Banish a Significant demon, or half a with your (your metaphysical author- Northman is just fine. As is  Carry
dozen Minor demons. ity is weakened every time you break me upon your back to the High Peak
a Pact). This requires a Magic skill of Shelas. You can sometimes bribe
Significant Charge: Make living roll vs.. the Demon s Soul stat. If it a demon to perform services beyond
human sacrifices; sacrifice goods of wins, it ll likely do it s damnedest to those in the original Pact - but at dou-
ble the normal cost in Charges and to the pact of a Significant demon. DRUIDISM wound points worth. This leaves the
a Magic roll. The unnatural effects sacrifices dead.
a demon can produce are one-shot +1 Major Charge: Add 50 Stat points; Domain: Life and nature, fertility and
deals. They will one perform a finite add 1 extra Major unnatural effect; growth Blast Style: Turn the wilderness
number of such magical feats for you, increase duration of service by 1 against the victim- birds swoop and
though offering more charges can in- month; add one command to the pact Minor Effect: command an animal to attack, limbs fall on him, vines trip
crease their numbers. They can have of a Major demon. perform simple service; heal a minor him, trees fall and crush him. A
Body skills which reflect their demon wound, increase fertility; hide easily Druid s Blast doesn t hit immedi-
physiology though - such as Flight or in natural setting ate, but lingers until he is in a setting
Burrowing. where it can do the most good. Such
Minor Charge: Feed blood to the soil Blasts hang around for as much as a
Minor Demons and the roots of sacred trees (at least week before hitting, as circumstances
Stats: 200 10 Wound points worth, though it dictate.
Attack: +3 damage need no be yours)
1 Minor unnatural effect. Taboo: allow harm to come to natural
Significant Effect: command many settings under your protection (be-
Significant Demons animals to perform minor service, or yond the normal cycle of tooth and
Stats: 250 one to perform complex service (such claw and predation). Further, adopt-
Attack: rolled value as damage as fighting for you). Heal significant ing too many of the ways of civiliza-
1 Significant unnatural. wounds, increase fertility dramatical- tion will cause Taboo- dressing in
ly, become one with natural settings. loom-woven cloth, wielding weapons
Major Demons of steel, or wearing armour made
Stats: 300 Significant Charge: Feed great from anything but hide and leather
Attack: instant death amounts of blood to the soil - at least will Taboo a druid. Also note that
1 Significant unnatural. 100 wound points worth, at least 10 using natural creatures from your wil-
of which MUST be yours. derness to Charge is instant Taboo&
+1 Minor Charge: Add 5 Stat points; those civilized men who wander in
Add 1 extra Minor unnatural effect; Major Effect: Cause many animals your wood should beware.
increase duration of service by 1 day; to perform complex tasks, bring the
add one command to the pact of a dying back from the threshold of Notes: The magic here is pretty
Minor demon. death, cure any ailment, travel almost straightforward, but the irony is that
instantaneously through a natural set- the Druid gains power over life by
+1 Significant Charge: Add 15 Stat ting ritually sacrificing life.
points; Add 1 extra Significant un-
natural effect; increase duration of Major Charge: Feed the life s blood
service by 1 week; add one command of one or more beings - at least 300
MYSTICISM part through ritual sacrifice while devilish schemer who uses his powers NECROMANCY
meditating (self-castration is popular to further his ambitions.
Domain: power over thoughts, the in the East). Deny your body s needs Domain: power over the dead and
mind, and perception while surrounded by temptation for undead
weeks (starve yourself while sitting
Minor Effect: read surface thoughts, at a table loaded with your favourite Minor Effect: cause minor withering,
create minor illusions, shock a per- foods until you are almost dead). Lots raise spirits, commune with the dead
son s mind, put a person into light of Self and Helplessness checks here.
hypnosis Minor Charge: contemplate death and
Blast Style: Mystics reach inside the the dead- preferably in particularly
Minor Charge: deny the flesh, focus- minds of their victims and scramble morbid environment
ing on the mind (go without food or their thoughts and fry their nervous
sleep, or expose yourself to the ele- systems. A victim blasted by a Mys- Significant Effect: cause significant
ments while meditating on the higher tic has no idea where the attack is withering, raise corporeal undead,
mind). coming from, and if slain, leaves an command spirits to your will, steal
unmarked corpse behind. life like a vampire
Significant Effect: control thoughts,
read secret desires, create fantasy illu- Taboo: Indulge the flesh for pleasure Significant Charge: Ritually enact
sion scenarios, travel the astral plane, (eat more than required to keep you your own death & burial and spend
blast a person s mind to chaos. alive and healthy, have sexual rela- night sleeping in your own tomb;
tions for a purpose other than to pro- construct a monument to Death;
Significant Charge: mortify the flesh, duce an heir, bathe more than basic engage in perverse ritual mockery of
ignoring pain and need to invigor- health demands, or dress in clothing life (plant a field with gravel as if it
ate the mind (inflict ritual injuries more sumptuous than the needs of were seed, have sex with a corpse,
while mediating for several hours - 10 climate or modesty). bind another person s wounds with
wounds per charge at least) infected bandages and maggots etc)
Notes: Mystics are often these crazy
Major Effect: transfer your mind to dirty old men living in caves on the Major Effect: raise an undead army;
another body; swap minds of two or top of mountains. They generally become undead yourself; slay hun-
more subjects, read a person s mind have a great deal of insight (from all dreds
utterly and completely, make some- that mind-reading and astral projec-
one your total and utter slave, utterly tion) but are usually in poor health Major Charge: die and rise from your
destroy someone s mind. from their self-denial. The other side own death; celebrate death on a mass
is the Eastern mystic - the humble- scale (on the order of the Pyramids)-
Major Charge: permanently reduce seeming court advisor or minister. turn a society to Death.
the flesh- loosing a significant body Often a Eunuch, this Mystic is a
Blast Style: Withering Touch. Cheap WIZARDRY person easily if they can clearly see
(1 charge per blast) but requires a and hear the Wizard who uses it.
touch to work. Causes victim s body Domain: wizardry is the power of
to wither and age, bursting open with words, spoken or written, and the way Taboo: Wizards must always be care-
puss and maggots. Quite nasty. words can persuade, awe, or domi- ful with what they say - their words
nate. Words can be used to change a carry power even if they don t intend
Taboo: Act in such a way as to cel- person s whole world view. them to. They don t charge up like
ebrate life (have sex, plant crops, tend normal mages, but rather once they
to another s wounds, etc). Minor Effect: Make a suggestion have used their words to carry power,
which the target will accept as rea- they become carriers for accidental
Notes: Necromancy is a great school sonable. Curse or bless a target in magic. Each use of Wizardry CRE-
if you happen to be a Stygian priest- such a way as to affect his fortunes in ATES a charge (or charges) which
king or something. You can use you a limited way. hangs around, waiting to discharge
power to create a great necropolis, in at the GM s discretion based on what
which people live in tombs and sleep Significant Effect: Issue commands the Wizard says. For example, an
in coffins. Mad charges to be reaped which targets will find hard to diso- angry wizard who utters  Damn you
from such an arrangement. bey (Mind check with minimum of eyes, why can t you keep up! could
the wizard s magic skill and rank-8 accidentally Curse one of his com-
Self check if successful). Curse or panions with blindness (or at least
bless a target in such a way as to af- a big negative shift to Notice rolls).
fect his fortunes in a broad way. These charges work high to low, so
Major charges erupt first, then signifi-
Major Effect: Utterly entrance targets cant, then minor ones. Wizards are
with your words, altering their core known for their taciturn natures and
belief systems (you can rewrite their their tendencies to speak in riddles
Obsessions and Triggers). Make ter- for good reason. To speak too clearly
rible curses or wondrous blessings. courts disaster.
Blast Style: The Wizardry blast
doesn t inflict damage, but is does im-
pose overwhelming awe and majesty.
This causes both Fear and Unnatural
stress checks in those who the Blast
is directed against. Rank-4 for Minor
blasts, Rank-8 for Significant blasts.
This Awe can affect more than one