Modern Wizards

Through years of study and practice, some people have learned to harness the powers of the universe that are outside of normal human perception.

The most secretive and devoted wizards are always thin to the point of being almost skeleton-like by the end of their life. The primary reason is that the magic they practice sucks huge amount of energy out of chem. Thus, no matter how much they ear and drink, their bodies are being constantly consumed by the magic. Furthermore, the wizard’s pupil and iris of the eye turns completely black. Many wizards use cosmetic contact lenses to cover this fact.

Wizards and even their journeymen never go any place without their spell books, be it in a written and bound format or on an electronic POA device. The wizards have found however that PDAs or other electronic devices containing spells crash after a period as short as a month. So all wizards maintain a library of books to back up any electronic devices.

Wizards are a secretive bunch, having their own society outside of the normal mainstream culture. They are still very rooted in the guild structure. One wizard, the mentor, leads a nucleus of up to three journeyman wizards and up to nine apprentices. Each mentor is knows the two other mentor-level wizards that make up her cell, as well as the syndic of the larger cluster of cells. Each syndic controls seven cells. In addition, the syndic knows about two other syndics that form his branch and the grand master of the tree (which is composed of an unknown number of branches).

Wizards live a celibate lifestyle, never marrying or having outside relationships that would distract from their studies. This is one of the major reasons that most apprentices leave the brotherhood. All apprentices, upon entering the brotherhood for training have a spell cast upon them: Should they break the vow of secrecy they will die a horrible death. This keeps even the dropouts and chose rejected for advancement from speaking openly about their experiences and knowledge.

Apprentices have no usable magical ability but they have the innate ability to feel the magic’s power. This draws them to the society and keeps them going through the long years of training. While they are learning the rudimentary basics, they are mostly used to fulfill the wizard’s needs. Journeymen have the ability to harness some magic; they work on putting together and learning their spellbooks. According to guild rules, they are not allowed to use this magical power unless they are in the presence of their mentor wizard. A breach of etiquette about the use of magic can have the student expelled from the society. While apprentices and journeymen only know their specific mentor, the society feels the revealing of its presence to be a deadly affair.

Typical Modern Wizard

Reflexes 2D: melee combat 2D+2, sneak 3D
Coordination 2D+1: sleight of hand 4D
Physique 2D: lifting 2D+2
Knowledge 3D: business 3D+1, medicine 4D, scholar: occult 4D+2, tech 3D+1
Perception 3D: know-how 3D+2, investigation 5D , search 4D
Presence 3D: persuasion 3D, willpower 4D+2
Magic 2D+2: alteration 3D, apportation 3D, conjuration 3D, divination 3D
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 3
Body Points: 16
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Advantage Flaw (R3), must cat 100 calories’ worth of food per 10 points of spell’s effect value within 1 hour after casting the spell or suffer -1 to damage resistance total, increasing by 1 per hour that goes without this food; Devotion (R1), to celibacy; Employed (R1), member of guild; Price (R1), speaking about the guild results in a painful death

Advantages: Equipment (R1), spellbook

Special Abilities: none

Equipment: spellbook (paper or electronic); spell components in a fashionable bag

Whales

Dolphins, porpoises, and whales have intrigued humanity for centuries and belong to the cetacean order, which is divided into three primary groups. The toothed whales (odontoceti) use their teeth to catch food. Odontoceti have one blowhole (nostril) and hunt by echolocation. Dolphins, porpoises, and 64 other species fall under this classification. Toothed whales frequently hunt, crave!, and migrate together.

Baleen whales (mysticeti) feed on small sea creatures by filtering them though a comblike structure called a baleen, and they have two blowholes. They may seek the company of their kin but can also be found traveling alone. Ten species make up the mysticeti group.

The archaeoceti are whales that are presumed to be extinct. This group includes the primitive basilosaurus, which was the first known eocene whale.

Dolphins dwell in the world’s temperate and tropical waters and may migrate to follow the availability of food. An adult bottlenose dolphin can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh 260 kilograms. These intelligent creatures are sleek and streamlined. Their backs and sides are typically gray but their underbellies are usually white. According to Greek legend, dolphins are descended from humans, and their skeletal structure bears a striking resemblance to the forelimbs of land-based mammals. They have been known to entertain strangers with their oceanic acrobatics.

Porpoises are similar in size to dolphins but have striking differences. They do not have a beaklike face, and their dorsal fin is triangular in shape instead of curved. These creatures are rare! y seen in large groups and are nor performers; larger cetaceans and ships appear to frighten them.

Whales often travel in social groups called pods. The first sign of a whale’s presence is usually the blow created by water expelling from the blowhole. They might also leap above the ocean’s surface and return to the depths with a mighty splash. This breach communicates their presence to others. One might see the head of a whale surface until its eyes are exposed as the creature orients itself. Angered whales have been known to slap their tail or extend it. Such creatures should be given a wide berth due to their destructive power.

When undersea, whales navigate by sound. Their songs have mystified those who study these noble creatures. Blue whales are the largest animal to ever exist. They can reach 33 meters in length, weigh 108 metric tons, and can live for 50 years. These creatures are an endangered species and protected by the International Whaling Commission.

The basilosaurus lived nearly 40 million years ago during the middle Eocene period and resembled sea serpents more than modern day whales. Full-grown specimens were nearly 32 meters long, and their heads could reach two meters in length. The basilosaurus’ jaws were outfitted with two different kinds of teeth. The cone-shaped teeth near the from held on to the prey it captured and triangular-shaped teeth near the rear were used to chop up food.

Typical Dolphin / Porpoise

Reflexes 4D: acrobatics 4D+1, brawling 5D, dodge 4D+1
Coordination 1D+1: throwing 4D
Physique 5D: stamina 5D+1, swimming 6D
Knowledge 3D: navigation: underwater 4D
Perception 3D: search 3D+2, survival 4D, tracking 3D+2
Presence 2D: charm 3D, willpower 3D+1
Strength Damage: 3D
Move: 13
Fate Points: 0
Body Points: 25
Character Points: 0
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +2; +5 to combat difficulty); highly developed sense of hearing (+2 to related skill totals); thick hide (Armor Value +1; protects against pressure and temperature extremes)

Typical Blue Whale

Reflexes 3D: brawling 4D
Coordination 1D
Physique 14D: stamina 16D, swimming 14D+1
Knowledge 6D: navigation: underwater 7D
Perception 4D: search 6D, survival 5D, tracking 5D
Presence 5D: intimidation 7D
Strength Damage: 7D
Move: 20
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 52
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: tail slap {damage +2D+1); highly developed sense of smell (+3 to related skill totals); thick hide (Armor Value +1D; protects against pressure and temperature extremes); large size (scale value 23)

Typical Basilosaurus

Reflexes 6D: brawling 8D
Coordination 1D
Physique 13D: stamina 14D, swimming 13D+1
Knowledge 1 D: navigation: underwater 3D
Perception 2D: search 3D, survival 3D
Presence 3D: intimidation 5D
Strength Damage: l4D
Move: 16
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 49
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +1D; +5 to combat difficulty); highly developed sense of hearing (+2 to related skill totals); thick hide (Armor Value +1D; protects against pressure and temperature extremes); large size (scale value 23)

Vampires

When one mentions of vampires, Braham Stoker’s Dracula often comes to mind. As time passed, the genre has grown as other authors have developed the vampire’s nocturnal world, added myths of their malicious nature. This has caused great angst for the undead who stalk the world’s streets because they would prefer such things to be left in the past as it would make their existence much easier.

Like many legendary creatures, vampiric lore reflects the deeds of only a small portion of their population. A few of their kind were indeed ravenous £ends who ran with wild abandon across the midnight countryside to feast off any warm neck that could be found. After all, the undead lords had near limitless power and were immortal. Why should they fear their human cattle? The world was theirs for the taking! Fortunately for the species, some of their kind had clearer heads and dodged the wrath of mortals. It’s these survivors and their spawn that now threaten the modern world.

A wide variety of vampires populate the planet. There are those who gladly walk among the masses. Such creatures risk everything to feed their vanity and use a high profile lifestyle to throw off suspicion. What would normally raise eyebrows is merely written off as eccentricity. Thus, they skate the edge of discovery, which only feeds their emotional rush.

Socialite vampires usually surround themselves with an entourage. After all, why order out for food when it can travel with you! They may keep several groups of willing sheep for this purpose and cake great pains to ensure the marks of their feedings go unnoticed. Artists, rock stars, supermodels, and (to be cliche) Goth personalities are apt firs for this type of vainglorious creature. Socialite vampires often nearly flaunt their undead status. These creatures may try to encourage preposterous rumors of their vampiric nature and treat such things as an inside joke. After all, everyone knows there are no such things as vampires.

At the other end of the spectrum lies subtle, calculating creatures that are not nearly so foolish. These vampires have withdrawn to the shadowy depths of civilization and prefer to avoid unnecessary attention. It’s no accident that they have avoided the vampire hunter’s stake. Secret Swiss bank accounts, subterfuge, and layers of mystery are the common tools of their trade. The ancient creatures of the night have cloaked their true origins in mystery and slowly built their power as the years slid by. The acquired might allows the parasites greater ease in feeding off humanity. If one finds them at all, they might see these lords of the night manipulating a small nation from behind the scenes or directing vast financial empires. Vampires of this ilk are accustomed to wielding vase power and prefer to solve their problems with maneuvering instead of resorting to needless violence. Their connections allow them to do more than merely crush their foes. Those foolish enough to earn their anger may find themselves left with their credit declined, bank accounts frozen, and no where to turn.

Somewhere between the financial wizards and slaves of ego lie monsters that only exist to feed. They prey upon the nameless fringes of society by targeting the homeless or others who would not readily be missed. Unlike their more affluent brethren, they are forced to rely on wit and circumstance. Their typical lairs include catacombs, forgotten sewer tunnels, and ruined buildings. Hunting these creatures can be quite difficult due to their ability to blend in with their surroundings. What one might think to be a vampire could merely be an addict or other denizen that hails from the dregs of humanity. The predators also do their best to covertly discourage drug pushers from entering their domain. After all, why would they want to their next meal tainted?

Vampires could be the major antagonist or serve as crucial cogs that drive the gears of larger plans. Theirs is the ability to draw upon vast cultural experiences gained from their extended lifespan. Western settings might feature an apparent alcoholic gunslinger who shuns the daylight hours while sleeping off hangovers.

Heroes may incur the wrath of undead masters after unwittingly disrupting their financial manipulation plans. They could spend some time traveling through a web of mystery before finally cutting the puppetmaster’s strings.

Typical Calculating Vampire

Reflexes 4D: brawling 4D+1, riding 4D+1
Coordination 2D: throwing 2D+1, sleight of hand 2D+1
Physique 3D (+3): infection 5D, lifting 4D, stamina 4D
Knowledge 2D: business 6D, scholar 6D
Perception 4D: hide 4D+1, know-how 4D+1
Presence 3D: charm 4D, con 3D+2, intimidation 5D, persuasion 5D, willpower 4D
Strength Damage: 2D (+3)
Move: 10
Fate Points: 2
Character Points: 5
Body Points: 19
Wound Levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), nutritional requirements: blood; Achilles’ Heel (R4), unable to make any actions except to flee while in the presence of a holy symbol or garlic; Achilles’ Heel (R4), 2D damage per round of exposure to sunlight; Advantage Flaw: Infection (R3), passes on all Special Abilities and Disadvantages to target after having used Life Drain to bring the target to Mortally Wounded or less than 10% of Body Points

Advantages: Authority (R3), CEO of a large corporation; Contacts (R3), member of the illuminati; Wealth (R4)

Special Abilities: Attack Resistance: Non-enchanted (R1), +1D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Blur (R1), + 1 to dodge, sneak, and hide totals of character and all related difficulties against character; Increased Attribute: Physique (R3), +3 to related totals; Life Drain: Body Points/Wounds (R2), drains 6 Body Points/ 1 Wound level per successful biting attack; immortality (R1), a stake through the heart causes permanent death

Typical Predatory Vampire

Reflexes 3D (+3): brawling 7D, climbing 5D, flying 5D, melee combat 5D
Coordination 2D+2: throwing3D, missile weapons 3D; throwing 3D
Physique 4D (+3): infection 6D, lifting 5D, running SD, stamina 5D
Knowledge 2D: demolitions 3D, security 3D
Perception 3D+l: hide 7D, know-how 5D, streetwise 7D, survival 6D
Presence 3D: command 4D, disguise 4D, intimidation 4D
Strength Damage: 3D (+3)
Move: 10
Fate Points: 2
Character Points: 5
Body Points: 22
Wound Levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), nutritional requirements: blood; Achilles’ Heel (R4), unable to make any actions except to flee while in the presence of a holy symbol or garlic; Achilles’ Heel (R4), 2D damage per round of exposure to sunlight; Advantage Flaw: Infection (R3), passes on all Special Abilities and Disadvantages to target after having used Life Drain to bring the target to Mortally Wounded or less than 10% of Body Points; Infamy (R2)

Advantages: Authority (R1), influential with street people; Cultures (R1), bonus when dealing with ghetto environments

Special Abilities: Attack Resistance: Non-enchanted (R1), +1D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Blur (R1), +1 to dodge, sneak, and hide totals of character and all related difficulties against character; Combat Sense (R1), surprise penalties reduced by 2; Flight (R2), flying move of 40; Increased Attribute: Physique, Reflexes (R3 each), +3 to related totals; Life Drain: Body Points/Wounds (R2), drains 6 Body Points/1 Wound level per successful biting attack; Immortality (R1), a stake through the heart causes permanent death

Typical Socialite Vampire

Reflexes 3D: acrobatics 4D, brawling 3D+2, dodge 3D+l, flying 3D+2
Coordination 2D: piloting 5D; throwing 5D
Physique 2D: infection 4D, lifting 4D, running 3D
Knowledge 3D+1: forgery 5D, languages 4D, navigation 4D
Perception 3D+2: artist 6D, gambling 5D, hide4D
Presence 4D (+3): disguise 4D+2, charm 5D, con 4D+2, intimidation 4D+2, persuasion 4D+2
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 2
Character Points: 5
Body Points: 16
Wound Levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), nutritional requirements: blood; Achilles’ Heel (R4), unable to make any actions except to flee while in the presence of a holy symbol or garlic; Achilles’ Heel (R4), 2D damage per round of exposure to sunlight; Advantage Flaw: Infection (R3), passes on all Special Abilities and Disadvantages to target after having used Life Drain to bring the target to Mortally Wounded or less than 10% of Body Points

Advantages: Contacts (R2), large fanatical fan base; Fame (R3), achieved icon status

Special Abilities: Attack Resistance: Non-enchanted (R1), +1D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Blur (R 1), +1 to dodge, sneak, and hide totals of character and all related difficulties against character; Flight (R2), flying move of 40; Increased Attribute: Presence (R3), +3 to related totals; Life Drain: Body Points/ Wounds (R2), drains 6 Body Points/1 Wound level per successful biting attack; Immortality (R1), a stake through the heart causes permanent death

Two-Legged Terrors

Superstition and legend tell of strange creatures that prowl dismal, desolate areas. Outsiders may scoff at the superstitious fools who believe in these tales, but there are those know the truth: They’ve seen these creatures with their own two eyes! Heroes might face a mythical minion of a voodoo priest. A backwater village could choose a bride (sacrifice) to offer up in exchange for their safety. One might even help a legendary creature protect its domain from poachers.

Sasquatch, or Bigfoot as it’s more commonly known, haunted the Pacific Northwest long before it was civilized. In October 20, 1967 the creature fascinated the nation when it was caught on camera. Bigfoot is known for having foul breath and big feet (hence its nickname). It stands three meters tall and has long arms and a flat nose. Matted fur covers the creature’s body. The jury is out as to whether Bigfoot is a menace or is merely protecting its turf.

The Jersey Devil first appeared nearly 300 years ago. The beast has hooves, bat wings, a forked tail, the head of a horse, and incredible resilience. The devil stands nearly 1.5 meters tall and has a wingspan of two meters. It’s rumored to dwell in the New Jersey Pinelands but has also been seen in New York, Pennsylvania, and other parts of New Jersey. This creature has survived exorcism and attempts to slay it. Fear of the creature has caused schools and factories to close.

The Mothman surfaced in Point Pleasant, Virginia, in the mid 1960s and terrorized the area for 13 months before fading away from the limelight. It has a humanoid, shadowy, birdlike appearance and glowing, red eyes. The Mothman has a wingspan of over three meters, stands two meters tall, and may be a visitor from another world.

A creature of the swamps, the legend of the pelemafait is used to frighten children, particularly Cajun children of the southern United States.

A pelemafait is commonly found acting as the “guardian” of a swamp, chough some wander into a city’s sewer system, especially if its swamp is being threatened. ln cities, the creature makes its lair in the heart of the system, and uses the pipes to move about the city.

Sometimes, the pelemafait attaches itself to one person. It can sense that person’s enemies, hunts the enemy down, and crushes them to death. Its calling card is a body enshrouded in moss and muck.

The unwitting person has no idea what is going on, but may soon find himself being sought as the primary suspect in the series of ghastly murders. It’s usually clear that the individual does not have the strength to crush anyone, but mass hysteria often results in the suspect being killed by a mob. The pelemafait then picks another individual, and the cycle begins again.

Sasquatch

Reflexes 3D: acrobatics 3D+2, brawling 4D, climbing 4D, jumping 4D, sneak 3D+2
Coordination 3D: throwing 3D+1
Physique 5D: lifting 6D, running 5D+1
Knowledge 2D: navigation: own territory 3D+1
Perception 3D: hide 4D, search 3D+2, survival 5D
Presence 2D: intimidation 4D
Strength Bonus: 3D
Move: 12
Fate Points: 2
Character Points: 8
Body Points: 25
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Learning Problems (R2)

Advantages: Size: Large (R1), scale value 1

Special Abilities: Endurance (R1), +3D to Physique or stamina checks when performing taxing physical tasks; Enhanced Sense: Hearing (R1), +2 to related skill totals; Enhanced Sense: Smell (R1), +3 to related skill totals; Hardiness (R1), +1 to damage resistance totals; Hyper movement (R1), bonus to Move; Immunity (R1), +1D to Physique or stamina checks against contracting illnesses or ingested poisons; Luck: Good (R1); Sense of Direction (R1), +1D to navigation and tracking rolls

The Jersey Devil

Reflexes 5D: brawling 4D, contortion 5D+1, £lying 8D
Coordination 2D
Physique 4D: stamina 6D
Knowledge 2D: navigation 3D
Perception 2D: hide 3D, search 4D, survival 2D+2
Presence 2D: intimidation 4D+2
Strength Bonus: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 4
Character Points: 12
Body Points: 22
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Infamy (R2)

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Accelerated Healing (R1), +1D to natural healing attempts; Attack Resistance: Non-enchanted (R2), +1D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Flight (R1), flying Move of 20; Immortality (R1), destroyed if immersed in holy water; Ultravision (R1), negates up to 2 points of modifiers for dim or dark conditions; Natural Armor: Tough Skin (R2), + 2D to damage resistance totals against physical attacks; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Bite (R2}. damage +2D; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Claws (R1), damage+ 1D

The Mothman

Reflexes 3D: brawling 4D , flying 6D, sneak 5D
Coordination 2D
Physique 3D: stamina 4D
Knowledge 2D
Perception 3D: hide 3D+2, repair 3D+1,
search SD, cracking 3D+2
Presence 3D: intimidation 4D
Strength Bonus: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 2
Character Points: 8
Body Points: 19
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Infamy (R1)

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Attack Resistance: Energy (R2}, +2D to damage resistance rolls against related attacks; Blur (R1), +1 to dodge, sneak, and hide totals of character and all related difficulties against character; Darkness (R1 ),+5 difficulty modifier to opponent’s sight-based skill attempts; Flight (R2), flying Move 40; Immunity (R2), +2D to Physique or stamina checks against contracting illnesses or ingested poisons; Ultravision (R2), negates up to 4 points of modifiers for dim or dark conditions; Natural Armor: Tough Skin (R1), +1D to damage resistance against physical attacks; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Claws (R1) damage +1D; Silence (R2), +4D to sneak checks and +2D when attacking from behind

Typical Pelemafait

Reflexes 3D: brawling 5D, climbing 7D, jumping 3D+2, sneak 4D
Coordination 2D: throwing 3D+2
Physique 5D: lifting 7D+2, running 5D+1, stamina 6D
Knowledge 2D: navigation: own territory 4D
Perception 3D: hide 2D, search 3D, survival 4D, tracking 4D+2
Presence 2D+1: con 3D+1, intimidation 5D+1, willpower 5D
Strength Bonus 4D
Move: 12
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 3
Body Points: 25
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3) takes 3D damage per round exposed to a flower from its swamp of origination or may only flee before this flower; Devotion (R3), to protecting its territory or killing its charges enemies

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Natural Armor: Plant Skin (R2), +2D to damage resistance rolls; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Crushing Grip (R1), damage +1D; Immorality (R1), being scabbed with a spear made from a rare tree of the swamp it originated in will kill it permanently; Ultravision (R1), negates up to 2 points of modifiers for dim or dark conditions

Thalassines

Lurking beneath the waves is an amphibious creature responsible for terrifying mariners that dare to sail the waters. Thalassines are humanoid, with scales in place of skin and webbed hands and feet. Their mouths are filled with row upon row of needle-like teeth. Their sole source of sustenance is blood; whether animal or human, they care little.

Thalassines rarely allow themselves to be seen by their victims, although they have been known to steal aboard a ship in the dark of night and carry off a passenger for the purposes of making a meal. They usually leave the bones floating near the ship as a warning to other crew members of the dangers of sailing through their territory. They have never been known to speak; they instead seem to communicate through mental projections.

They do not like fresh water and cannot abide such habitats long. They also avoid the shallows, and, though they are amphibious, they do not make a habit of going too near land, let alone on it.

Typical Thalassine

Reflexes 5D: acrobatics 6D, brawling 7D, climbing 5D+1, dodge 6D+1, melee combat 7D, sneak 6D+2
Coordination 2D: throwing 5D
Physique 5D: lifting 7D, swimming 7D+1
Knowledge 2D: scholar: sea lore 5D
Perceptlon2D: investigation 4D+2, search 3D+2, survival 5D, tracking 3D+1
Presence 2D: intimidation 5D+2
Psionics 1D: telepathy: images only 4D
Strength Damage: 4D
Move: 10
Fate Points: l
Body Points: 25
Character Points: 3
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), takes 3D damage per round or may only flee when exposed to incense heat; Achilles’ Heel (R3), suffer a -4 modifier to damage resistance totals and a +1 per round cumulative difficulty modifier while in fresh-water environments

Advantages: none

Special Abilities: Environmental Resistance (R2), +6D to Physique or stamina
against effects of extreme heat, cold, or
pressure; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon:
Teeth (R1), damage +1D Water Breathing (R1)

Tauntors

Tauntors resemble dwarfish humans, with large heads and spindly bodies. Their eyes have a yellowish cast to them, and their finger nails are long and clawlike. They appear in groups, the number of which is always a multiple of three or five.

Tauntors are cruel, petty, and mean. They stalk lone victims, luring them into deserted areas, and then slowly torture them to death. They are accomplished mimics and ventriloquists, and they delight in using these skills to cause fights among others.

A favorite way of luring people is to taunt their victim into chasing after them. The chase ends in a prepared area.

Tauntors are cowards and will rarely attack unless they outnumber their foes by at least three to one. The exception to this is when they are taunted by others, and due to their inability to resists such mental attacks, they are often driven into a blind fury and attack.

All tauntors carry wickedly sharp daggers, and some even arm themselves with pistols and other firearms.

Typical Tauntor

Reflexes 4D: brawling 4D+1, climbing 4D+2, dodge 4D+1, melee combat 5D, sneak 5D
Coordination 3D: marksmanship 4D+1 Physique 2D+1: running 4D+1
Knowledge 2D+2
Perception 2D+2: search 3D+1, tracking 3D+1
Presence 2D+2: con 6D, persuasion 6D, intimidation 6D
Strength Damage: 1D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 3
Body Points: 17
Wound levels:: 3

Disadvantages: Achilles’ Heel (R3), runs away from polite people if fails an interaction resistance roll against their charm roll

Advantages: Size: Small (Rl), scale value 3

Special Abilities: Immortality (R1), trapping it in a cage lined with flowers will kill it permanently within a day; Natural Armor: Tough Body (R1), +1D to damage resistance rolls against physical attacks; Natural Hand-to-Hand Weapon: Fingernails (R1), damage +1D

Swans

The regal white beauty of the swan cannot be matched. These charming white-feathered birds have been seen for ages as instruments of wisdom, creativity, divine inspiration, and love. Some places, such as Finland, once considered the swan to be a holy bird. In others, it’s a form taken by supernatural beings. It’s quite likely that characters could encounter a bird endowed with supernatural abilities, such as providing a protective aura, transferring extraordinary gifts, and serving as divine messengers. The swan also has its own constellation, Cygnus (which means “swan”).

Up to five meters from tip to tail and weighing between about 12 to 75 kilograms (depending on the gender and species), these gentle waterfowl are best known for the sweeping S curve of their necks. They can have wingspans of over two meters. Though strong fliers, their large size often makes it difficult for them to get airborne.

Nearly all swans in the northern hemisphere share the customary white plumage, though they start out dingy gray. A few species native to the south of the equator are known for their unique black feathers. Swans are found in nearly every part of the world.

Mute swans actually communicate with grunts and snorts, while other swans, including trumpeter, tundra, whooper, and black, are much more vocal, though their voices vary from deep and sonorous (trumpeter) to high pitched and quavering (tundra) Swans eat aquatic vegetation, grass worms, insects, small fish, and shellfish, depending on the region in which they live. They often feed in groups, one of whom remains on guard while the others eat.

Unlike ocher species of waterfowl, swans mate for life. A male swan, known as a cob, dedicates himself to the protection of his mate, especially while she nests. The female, known as a pen, lays around one egg every few days until she has a nest of up to nine or 10. The nest takes about a month to incubate, and during chis incubation period, the male will never leave her side. This dedication to the female’s protection has helped to promote the swan as a symbol of everlasting love.

In combat swans fly in fear unless they are protecting their nest. Vicious and fearless do not begin to describe a swan that’s defending its unborn young. Initially the male will engage the enemy but should he falter, the female will come to his aid. If beaten, the swans will retreat, bur not before they have exhausted all options to protect their unborn eggs.

Typical Swan

Reflexes 3D: contortion 3D+1, flying 3D+2
Coordination 1D
Physique 1D+1: stamina 3D, swimming 3D+1
Knowledge 1D
Perception 2D+1: search 3D+1, survival 3D+2
Presence 20: willpower 40
Strength Damage: 10
Move: 35 (flying}/ 15 (gliding}
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 14
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: beak (damage +1); wings (can fly for days without rest if necessary); small size (scale value 3)

Snakes

Snakes have played the pan of villains since biblical times, and few creatures have the reptile’s natural ability to evoke primal fear in humans. Snakes can be cast as familiars for occult villains or might become the vessel for a vengeful druid’s spirit. An escaped serpent could adapt to life in the sewers of a large metropolis and dominate the subterranean world of an urban jungle. Heroes might also find themselves searching the jungle for a rare snake to harvest its venom for medicinal purposes.

The cottonmouth water moccasin is the only poisonous water snake that’s native to North American. They are very territorial creatures and often advance upon intruders. These serpents prefer to rest near fallen logs or large clumps of grass near the water’s edge where they stay hidden while waiting for prey to approach. Their jaws are very strong and latch on to their victim during a bite to ensure a full dose of venom is delivered. Cottonmouths can reach nearly two meters in length. They derive their name from the white interior of their mouths. They are pit vipers, and are related to copperheads and rattlesnakes.

The reticulated (regal) python is the largest member of the python family. They are slender snakes whose pale splotches run down their back and small white splotches decorate their sides. A mature adult can weigh in at 136 kilograms and reach 11 meters in length. They typically see the world through orange eyes and have wide heads. These creatures dwell in Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia.

Pythons are extremely powerful and usually suffocate their prey by constricting them. Typically, they feed upon small mammals, but larger specimens can swallow small pigs and, on rare occasion, consume people. Timber rattlesnakes are pit vipers who sit atop of the predatory pecking order in the eastern portion of North America and are not naturally found anywhere else on earth. The largest recorded specimen was just over two meters long, but typically, these snakes average 1.5 meters in length. They are crafty hunters who use their natural camouflage co blend in with their natural habitat.

Timber rattlesnakes are active from late April until mid-October but may not emerge from their den until mid-May. Mammals are their food of choice, but if warm-blooded creatures arc scarce, they have no problem with supplementing their diet with birds, amphibians, or other snakes.

Typical Cottonmouth Water Moccasin

Reflexes 4D: contortion 5D, dodge 4D, sneak 4D
Coordination 1D
Physique 2D: running 3D+1, swimming 4D
Knowledge 1D+1
Perception 3D: hide: self-only 4D, search 3D+1, survival 4D, tracking 4D
Presence 3D: intimidation 4D , willpower 3D+1
Strength Bonus: 1D
Move: 6
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 16
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +1D; +5 to combat difficulty; venom injected when fighting success beats difficulty by 5 or more); venom (causes 5 points of damage every 10 minutes until victim dies or is treated; Very Difficult stamina roll to resist); cold-blooded (lethargic in cold; + 7 to difficulties of all actions until warmed up); highly developed sense of taste (+3 to smell- and taste-related skills); small size (scale value 4)

Typical Reticulated Python

Reflexes 3D: contortion 3D+1, climbing 4D, sneak 4D
Coordination 1D+1
Physique 3D: running 4D, swimming 4D+2, stamina 6D
Knowledge 2D
Perception 2D: hide: self-only 3D , search 4D, survival 3D, cracking 3D
Presence 3D: intimidation 3D+2, willpower 3D+1
Strength Bonus: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 19
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: constriction (damage +3D when using a grappling attack); highly developed sense of taste (+3 to smell- and taste-related skills); cold-blooded (lethargic in cold; +7 to difficulties of all actions until warmed up); large size (scale value 2, due to slenderness)

Typical Timber Rattlesnake

Reflexes 4D: contortion 4D, dodge 4D+1, sneak 4D+2
Coordination 1D+ 1
Physique 3D: running 4D
Knowledge 1D+2
Perception 2D: hide: self-only 3D, search 3D, survival 2D, tracking 2D
Presence 3D: intimidation 4D, willpower 3D+2
Strength Bonus: 2D
Fate Points: 0
Move: 8
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 19
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +1D; +5 to combat difficulty; venom injected when fighting success beats difficulty by 5 or more); venom (causes 7 points of damage every 10 minutes until victim dies or is treated; Very Difficult stamina roll to resist); highly developed sense of taste (+3 to smell-and taste-related skills); cold blooded (lethargic in cold; +7 to difficulties of all actions until warmed up); small size (scale value 4

Soldiers

European Armies

The aftermath of the French Revolution resulted in the formation of mass armies, which were used with great aplomb by Napoleon in his bid for Empire. The mass armies of the Napoleonic era led to the almost universal adoption of conscription by the continental European states, a tradition that is only now beginning to end in favor of professional, all-volunteer militaries. The United Kingdom, ever apart, has a tradition of a small professional military, though they did use conscription in both World Wars (and after the Second World War into the 1950s).

Until the turn of the twentieth Century most uniforms worn by European armies were colorful affairs designed to show loyalty to the nation and to foster camaraderie and bravery (the French entered the First World War with an infantry uniform that included red pants for exactly that reason-thinking that the uniform would inspire bold action). The realization of the increased accuracy of rifle fire slowly led to the universal adoption of dull colored (khaki, horizon blue, or field gray) uniforms that allowed a soldier to blend into the battlefield.

The interwar period (1919-1939) was a time of a return to colonial matters (both England and France had acquired new colonies from the Germans and League of Nations mandates from the former Ottoman Empire). It was also a time of right budgets and experimentation with new technologies. Tanks and mechanized combat was tried but abandoned as too costly as the Western European powers (England and France primarily) prepared to fight the First World War all over again, but better this time. The Maginot Line (a series of concrete bunkers that screeched along France’s northern border) was an expression of this mindset.

The Second World War saw a move toward mechanized combat {which only accelerated in the European nations afterward). The German blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) tactics changed the rules of warfare but the Germans were never able to mechanize more than a small fraction of their army (most of the German army relied upon animal-drawn transport). The incredible amount of U.S. industrial production allowed the American and British armies to become almost entirely mechanized and motorized during the Second World War.

Almost all modern troops fielded by the European nations are vehicle transported and supported; while they know how to march, using muscle power to get to battle is rare (except for specialized troops like scours.) Technological advances beginning in the 1960s saw the development of (relatively) lightweight body armor leading to its widespread adoption by most European armies who are very mindful of the protection of their citizen-soldiers. Since the end of the Soviet Union, most European countries have scaled back their military spending and many are considering abandoning their traditional conscription system for an all-volunteer military.

The tactics used by European armies have often lagged behind the technological changes on the battlefield. The Napoleonic era was an era of linear combat; due to the inaccuracy of smoothbore muskets troops had to be massed and fire in unison at other masses of troops to have a chance to inflict casualties. The long-loading time between shots and shore range of the weapons made charges by bayonet using troops a successful tactic, and battles were often decided on the point of a bayonet.

Between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the beginning of the First World War, tactics for the European battlefield did not change much. There were very few European wars and most European troops who fought during chis rime did so in Colonial campaigns against local forces that were usually armed with weapons of a much lower technology base.

The widespread adoption of the military rifle allowed infantry to target and hit enemies at much longer range; this slowly lead to the end of massed infantry tactics. Nonetheless, the tactical lessons of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)were not fully understood and accepted in Europe until the First World War. The dangers (some would say suicidal) of mass attacks against rifle-armed infantry and machine guns led to the stalemate of trench warfare on the Western Front.

The Second World War saw the return to a war of maneuver with the mechanization of the battlefield. There was a wider use of armored vehicles in combat and a greater reliance on vehicle to move troops and supplies. Paratroops were first used in the Second World War, and dose air support became common. The Germans pioneered the blitzkrieg using a mechanized-spearhead supported by tactical air support to drive through the enemy lines and cur the enemy into pockets that could be mopped up by the slower moving infantry.

After the Second World War, European armies continued to become increasingly mechanized and technology oriented to counter the military system of the Soviet armed Warsaw Pact forces. Tactics were designed but never used to fight the Soviet armies so it’s unknown how they would have worked. Currently, European armies are reorganized for greater ability to be deployed rapidly and to deal with tasks such as peacekeeping and disaster relief, a very different focus from keeping the Soviet Armies from invading Western Europe.

United States Army

The United States Army prior to the Civil War is an all-volunteer force made up mostly of chose who arc either adventure seekers or can’t make it in the outside world. The force is small bur far from elite. The average enlisted man probably can’t read or write, while most of the officer corps come from schools such as West Point and the Citadel. The noncommissioned officers (corporals, sergeants, and the like) are all appointed by the officers over a unit.

With the outbreak of hostilities in 1812 and again in 1848, the army expanded its numbers by calling up state militia units and forming new companies of volunteers. They are mostly led by political appointees, who have little practical military knowledge and a great (sometimes foolhardy) desire to make a name for themselves. The newly raised units elect their officers from among their ranks, usually a man with some education. These were leaders who the men trusted and who, in turn, would cry to see chat the men were not killed needlessly.

In 1861, when the states take sides, the state militias go with chem. Large numbers of volunteer units are raised, and the Union soon uses conscription to add even more men to the ranks. These men are still among the poorest, as richer individuals could buy either a commission or their way out of service.

The average enlisted man just prior to the Civil War wears a dark blue coat, light blue trousers, and black shoes or boots. Their head dresses vary from tall stovepipe hats (used until the 1850s) to a simple kepi. Their equipment includes a musket, bedroll, canteen, and cartridge case. With the advent of the Civil War, the Confederate States of America adopt uniforms similar to the Union forces, except in the color gray.

Noncommissioned officers have uniforms identical to the enlisted man except they wear large gold chevrons on their sleeves. Officers wore a uniform similar to that of the enlisted man except for the shoulder epaulets to identify their rank, a pistol, a sword, and a bush hat. The cavalrymen dress in a uniform similar to the infantry except that they all carry sabers, pistols, and shotguns or carbines. By 1862, the Union began equipping its cavalry units with Spencer repeating rifles. The Confederate cavalrymen were more affluent (and thus educated) than the average soldier because they had to supply their own horses and sabers.

Discipline is harsh during this period, involving a lot of corporal punishment and possible imprisonment with hard labor. Since units still fought in the linear fashion, drills are the order of the day for training, with brief breaks only for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Western Expansion soldiers (1865-1916) wear in the same basic blue uniform of the Union (and winning) side of the Civil War. Many of the officers are holdovers from the Civil War, so their uniforms remain the same as well. However, now all troops are issued rifles, in some cases repeating rifles. The percentage of cavalry increases dramatically as there are vast areas of Indian controlled lands to patrol. Cavalrymen are equipped with carbines and pistols, but the sabers soon disappeared as they are expected to fight on foot in most cases, rather than from horseback.

Also during this period, the U.S. Army used a series of civilian volunteers and units, the most famous being “The Rough Riders.” These were usually better equipped than their military counterparts. They, however, lacked the discipline and training of the U.S. Army units.

Discipline became much laxer during this time, but certain sadistic officers still ruled through an iron hand. Training for new officers and enlisted was nonexistent; for the most pan, it was left up to the individual unit to train the soldier to the level of expertise that the unit required.

Starting from a tiny U.S. army and marine force, the American expeditionary force (1917-1919) grew within two years to be the key to winning the First World War. The uniform of the AEF, or doughboys as they are more popularly known, is a wool olive drab or brown jacket and pants. It’s topped off initially with a wide-brimmed, brown felt campaign hat, bur, as this can’t be stored properly when not in use, it’s soon replaced by a close-fating, dark, wool overseas cap. Later, the soldiers also receive a brown, round, brimmed helmet. Staff officers and cavalrymen wear breeches. All individuals are issued short boots and spats.

The average AEF soldier’s kit consists of bedroll, canteen, cartridge case, mess kit, entrenching tool, and a gas mask. They carry a bolt-action rifle, and the officers generally have a revolver.

Training is rushed and done mostly by units after they arrived in Europe. Discipline moves away from harsh corporal punishment to more to incarceration for infractions.

AEF Officers and N COs are career officer and enlisted men. Many are drawn from the National Guard (formerly the state militias and given their current name in 1903).

After World War 1, the army shrunk again. The “Between the Wars” soldiers (1920-1939) are all volunteers and still receive little formal training. Other than World War 1 career NCOs and officers and the marines, they are not an effective military fighting force. The marines maintain their edge by being sent to every hot spot from Honduras to China.

During this period, the duty uniform consists of a khaki shirt, brown wool jacket and slacks, black boots with spats, and a necktie. Officers still often wear breeches and high leather boots. They carry much the same equipment as they did during World War I.

The “Greatest Generation” army (1940-1945) consists of holdovers from between the wars, augmented by a huge amount of volunteers and draftees as the United States joined the Second World War. The uniform at the start of the war is the same as between the wars. In 1942, the uniform begins to change. The army adopts a all cotton, olive drab green shirt and pants set for their duty uniform; this became known as fatigues. The marines also wear fatigues, but later combat units are given lightweight green camouflage uniforms for jungle fighting. The army also replaces the old helmets with the standard steel helmet, commonly known as a steel pot.

The standard soldier is issued a semiautomatic rifle. Most of the squad leaders and officers picked up a submachine gun. Officers were also issued pistols. The automatic rifle and the bazooka also came into widespread use during this time.

These soldiers, after the initial rush to fill out forces, are very well and extensively trained. Those units that were rushed into service gain their training in combat. Officers are primarily holdovers from the interwar period and those brought up through the ranks by battlefield commissions, plus Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and academy graduates. These men tended to let the NCOs run the units, as the NCOs had more experience than all bur the most senior of officers.

The Cold War soldiers (1946-1980) are primarily volunteers, except during two periods of combat (Korea, 1950-1952,and Vietnam, 1964-1972). In those periods, the volunteers are supplemented by draftees, who are increasingly discontent to serve. Preparedness among units tends to be low until they gain experience in combat.

The uniforms remained basically unchanged with the olive drab fatigues and steel pot helmet. Flack vests with steel plates are introduced but are generally unpopular due to their weight. The weapons become better, and submachine guns replace rifles as the standard weapon. Officers continue to carry small sidearms.

These soldiers are far more technically skilled than earlier counterparts, but they still learn many combat skills the hard way. Officers, especially junior officers, lack detailed training to deal with the combat situation, many being straight out of college ROTC programs.

The modern army (1981 to the present) is formed from an all-volunteer force, mostly of those who look for the GI Bill to carry them through college. They are better trained and generally have a better outlook on their contribution to the army than any previous version of the military. With the increasing number of deployments and conflicts, the middle and upper officer and noncommissioned officer corps have become experienced in combat and can prove to be a much greater aid to new officers and enlisted men.

The standard uniform became a camouflage pattern, four-pocket jacket and matching cargo pants made out of special rip-stopping materials. They have a new and lighter Kevlar helmet and vest, and their weapons continue to receive upgrades, such as an improved telescopic sight.

Typical Soldier

Reflexes 2D: brawling 3D, dodge 3D, melee combat 3D, sneak 3D
Coordination 2D: marksmanship 3D, throwing 2D+2
Physique 2D: lifting 3D, running 3D
Knowledge 2D: medicine 2D+1
Perception 2D: hide 2D+2, search 2D+1, survival 2D+2
Presence 2D: willpower 3D
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 2
Body Points: 16
Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Employed (R2), to military

Advantages: Equipment, military gear (R1)

Special Abilities: none

Other Types of Soldiers

The following example bonuses are cumulative with the “typical” soldier and each other, when appropriate. Use these packages as inspiration for modifying the basic soldier for various special duties.

  • Noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and officers have Physique +1, Presence +1, command +1D, and Authority (R1 or greater), over assigned troops and related military matters.
  • Veteran soldiers have +1D to brawling, dodge, melee combat, and marksmanship.
  • Elite soldiers or marines have +1D to Reflexes, Coordination, and Physique.
  • Cavalry have riding +1D and melee combat +1.
  • Combat engineers have piloting +1, tech +1D, and repair +1D.
  • Commandos have melee combat +1D, sneak +1D, hide +1D, survival +1, willpower +1.
  • Grenadiers have Physique +1 , melee combat +1, and throwing +1.
  • Naval units have swimming +1D.
  • Medics have medicine +1D and carry first aid kits.
  • Scouts have Perception +1, search +1D, sneak +1D, and survival +1D.
  • Snipers and units renown for their sharpshooting have marksmanship +1D and search +1.
  • Vehicle troops have piloting +1D and repair +1D.

European Equipment

1800-1860: Infantry: musket (damage 3D+2; range 25/40/100; ammo 1) with bayonet (damage +1D+2); ammunition packers; bedroll; colorful uniform. Cavalry: saber (damage +2D+1) or lance (+3D); flintlock pistol (damage 3D; range 6/10/25; ammo 1) or carbine (damage 3D+1; range 20/30/75; ammo 1); ammunition packets; bedroll; colorful uniform; horse. Officers also carry swords (damage +2D+1).

1860-1900: Infantry: rifle (damage 4D; range 15/50/150; ammo 5) with bayonet (damage +1D+2); spare ammunition; bedroll; canteen; colorful uniform. Cavalry: saber (damage +2D+1) or lance (damage +3D); carbine (damage 5D+1; range 30/60/120; ammo 8); spare ammunition; bedroll; canteen; colorful uniform; horse. Officers also carry swords (damage +2D+1) and revolvers (damage4D; range 15/30/45; ammo 6).

1900-1960: Infantry: bolt-action rifle (damage4D+l; range 20/100/400; ammo 5) with bayonet (damage +1D+1) or submachine gun (damage 3D+2; range 30/60/90; ammo 30; after 1940 only); metal helmet (Armor Value +2); spare ammunition; entrenching tool(+1D to digging attempts; damage +2); bedroll; canteen; meal rations; camouflage uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals). Cavalry: saber (damage +2D+1) or lance (damage +3D); bole-action carbine (damage 4D; range 20/100/400; ammo 20) or rifle (damage 4D+1; range 20/100/400; ammo 5); bedroll; canteen; meal rations; camouflage uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals); horse. Officers also carry pistols (damage 4D+1; range 12/25/55; ammo 6 or 8) and may carry swords (damage +2D+1). During the Great War, most soldiers are equipped with gas masks (+2D to stamina against gas attacks or negates up to 1D in relevant modifiers).

1960 to present: Infantry: assault rifle (damage 6D; range 45/85/170; ammo 30) or submachine gun (damage 3D+2; range 30/60/90; ammo 30); spare ammunition; helmet (Armor Value +2); body armor (Armor Value +2D+1); camouflage uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals). Vehicle and support troops: pistol (damage 4D; range 15/30/45; ammo 15) or submachine gun (damage 3D+2; range 30/60/90; ammo 30); helmet (Armor Value +2); camouflage uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals). Officers also may carry a pistol (damage 4D+2; range 12/25/55; ammo 8).

American Equipment

1800-1865: Infantry: musket (damage 3D+2; range 25/40/100; ammo 1) with bayonet (damage +1D+2); ammunition packers; bedroll; blue uniform. Cavalry: saber (damage +2D+1); pistol (damage 3D; range 7/20/50; ammo l);shotgun (damage 4D; range 15/20/30, ammo 1) or carbine (damage 3D+2; range 15/50/150; ammo 8); ammunition packets; bedroll; blue or gray uniform; horse. Officers also carry swords (damage +2D+1).

1865-1916: bolt-action rifle (damage 4D; range 25/50/150; ammo 5) with bayonet (damage +1D+2); spare ammunition; bedroll; canteen; blue or gray uniform. Cavalry: pistol (damage 3D; range 7/20/150; ammo 1); shotgun (damage 4D; range 15/20/30, ammo 1) or carbine (damage 3D+2; range 15/50/150; ammo 8); spare ammunition; bedroll; canteen; blue uniform; horse. Officers also carry swords (damage +2D+1) and revolvers (damage 4D; range 15/30/45; ammo 6).

1917- 1939: bolt-action rifle (damage 4D+1; range 20/40/100; ammo 5) with bayonet (damage +1D+1); metal helmet (Armor Value +2); spare ammunition; entrenching tool (+1D to digging attempts; damage +2); bedroll; canteen; meal rations; brown or green uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals); gas mask ( +2D to stamina against gas attacks or negates up to 1D in relevant modifiers). Officers also carry revolvers (damage 4D; 15/30/45; ammo 6 or 8).

1940-1980: semi-automatic rifle (damage 4D+2; range 20/100/400; ammo 20) or submachine gun (damage 30+2; range 30/60/90; ammo 30, especially after the 1950s); metal helmet (Armor Value +2); spare ammunition; entrenching tool (+1D to digging attempts; damage +2); bedroll; canteen; meal rations; brown or green uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals). Officers also carry revolvers (damage 4D+1; range 12/25/55; ammo 6 or 8) and may carry submachine gun (damage 3D+2; range 30/60/90; ammo 30; after 1940 only).

1981 to present: assault rifle (damage 6D; range 45/851170; ammo 30) with telescopic sight (+1D to combat roll when aiming); spare ammunition; helmet (Armor Value +2); body armor (Armor Value +2D+1); camouflage uniform (+2 to hide and sneak totals). Officers may carry a pistol (damage 4D+2; range 12/25/55; ammo 8).

Additional Weapons

  • cap-and-ball revolver: 1850-1865; damage 3D+1; range 10/25/70; ammo 6
  • repeating rifle: 1863-1880; damage 4D; range 15/50/150; ammo 15
  • siege mortar: 1800s; damage 8D; range 250/500/1000; ammo 1; burst radius 10/25/50; attacks as if large scale value 12
  • semi-automatic rifle (.30-06 or 7.62mm): 1940s-1960s (still used in some developing countries); damage4D+1; range 20/100/400; ammo 20
  • bazooka: 1940s- 1950s; damage 9D; range 25/50/200; burst radius 5/10/20; attacks as if large scale 10 for ranges less than 100 meters and scale zero for ranges over 100 meters
  • claymore mine: 1950s+, though the Germans began development in World War II; damage 7D; range 0/-/-; burst radius 50/75/100
  • semi-automatic rifle (5.56mm): 1960s+; damage 4D+1; range 50/200/400; ammo 20 or 30
  • light anti-tank weapon (66mm): 1960s+; damage 8D; range 50/100/200; burst radius 5/10/15; attacks as if large scale 10

Typical Military Tank

The first armored fighting vehicles were developed in secrecy in World War 1 by a British firm under the cover story that the company was developing mobile water cisterns. The name “tank” has stuck.

The early vehicles were slow (with a maximum speed of about eight kilometers per hour), lightly armored, and sported a single gun. These game characteristics are appropriate for the average tank of any era from World War II to the present. Tanks can be faster or tougher – modern tanks can be both. They also can be fitted with a greater variety of armaments than space permits listing here.

Move: 16 (11.5 kph)
Passengers: 3
Weapons:
Tank gun: damage 8D; ammo 1; range 1k/2k/4k; burst radius 5/10/25; cannot target at less than 100 meters; reserve ammo of 30; attacks as if tank’s scale
Machine gun: damage 6D+2; ammo 15; range 100/500/1 k; attacks as if scale zero
Toughness: 8D (does not protect those in an open cab)
Armor Value: +4D (use only when the hatches are open and targeting occupants; otherwise, the tank needs to be destroyed first)
Maneuverability: -4D
Scale: 11
Price: Legendary ($100,000 to $2 million, depending on the era)

Giant Sewer Creatures

Over the years in the big cities, there have been crazes about exotic pets that people wanted to have, ignoring the fact that one day they would grow into an adult predator. Many collectors bought several eggs at once and let them grow until they became too big to house in the terrarium. Once that occurred, it was a question for the owner of what to do with them. Too large to simply Bush down the toilet, the collectors often dump the terrarium down the nearest storm sewer and assume that’s the end of it. Other creatures find themselves driven below by encroaching human developments.

In the idyllic conditions of the sewer system, with few natural enemies, these creatures have grown to prodigious sizes. Some lose their coloration, while others become as black as the tunnels themselves. Through mutagens or magical waste, other creatures have developed in the sewers, such as sewer tendrils.

Sewer tendrils consist oflong prehensile tendrils of slime, sewage, and other unidentifiable bits. The creatures are a collective of anywhere from four to eight individual whip-like strands. The end of each tendril is topped by what appears to be some sort of a red eye. As for the other end of the tendrils, nobody has been able to determine what lies there.

Although the creatures live within a city’s sewer system, their true hunting grounds are above the streets, within peoples’ homes. The impossibly long tendrils can wind their way through the plumbing systems and eventually make their way our to show up in such unlikely places as kitchens and bathrooms. Sewer tendrils can pop out of any plumbing fixture, and a collective entity can actually emerge from more than one at the same time.

The favorite trick of the sewer tendrils is to quickly stretch out of a sink drain and attack a victim. If the whip attack succeeds well enough, then it has grabbed the victim (usually around the neck). People that try to aid the first victim usually find that they themselves are victims as the tendril attack from a second source. The effective reach of the tendrils once outside of the fixtures is normally about four meters.

Being a particularly cruel creature, sewer tendrils are not above bashing a victim’s head into a sink, reaching up and turning on scalding hot water, or holding a victim’s head underwater until he drowns.

Typical Giant Alligator

Reflexes 6D: brawling 7D, sneak 6D+1
Coordination 1D+2
Physique 10D: swimming 10D+1
Knowledge 1D: navigation: sewers 2D
Perception 3D: hide: self-only 4D, survival: sewers 4D, tracking 4D+2
Presence 2D: intimidation 5D, willpower 3D+2
Strength Damage: 5D
Move: 15 (land)/30 (swimming)
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 40
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +3D; +5 to combat difficulty; Strength Damage only each round after first that alligator maintains grip on victim); death spiral (after having grabbed a victim, may spin around in the water, attempting to drown the victim and inflicting an additional 2D damage to bite damage); tail (damage +1D+2); scales (Armor Value +2D); night vision (can see in dim or dark conditions; disoriented or maddened by bright light); limited running (can only run at top speed for a few rounds before needing to rest for several minutes); cold blooded (lethargic in cold;+ 7 to difficulties of all actions until warmed up); large size (5-7 meters long; scale value 3)

Typical Giant Constrictor Snake

Reflexes 4D: contortion 4D+1, brawling 4D+2, climbing 5D, sneak 5D
Coordination 1D+1
Physique 4D: running 5D, swimming 5D+2, stamina 7D
Knowledge 2D
Perception 3D: hide: self-only 4D, search 5D, survival 4D, tracking 4D
Presence 3D: intimidation 4D+2, willpower 3D+1
Strength Bonus: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 22
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: constriction (damage +4D when using a grappling attack); highly developed sense of taste (+3 to smell- and taste-related skills); cold-blooded (lethargic in cold; +7 to difficulties of all actions until warmed up); large size (scale value 3, due to slenderness)

Typical Giant Piranha

Reflexes 7D: brawling 7D+1, dodge 7D+1
Coordination 1D
Physique 3D: swimming 6D+2
Knowledge 1D
Perception 2D: hide: self-only 3D+1,
search 4D, survival 3D+1, tracking 3D
Presence 3D: intimidation 4D
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 11 (swimming)
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 19
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage +2D; +5 to combat difficulty); swarm attack (roll a single brawling total for the entire school; treat school as small scale value of 1; +8 to damage total of successful swarm attack); size and coloring (+1 bonus to dodge, sneak, and hide); breathes in water; small size (scale value 5)

Typical Giant Rat

Reflexes 4D: acrobatics 4D+1, brawling 5D, climbing 4D+2, jumping 4D+2, dodge 4D+2, sneak 4D+2
Coordination 1D+2
Physique 2D: running 3D, swimming 2D+2
Knowledge 1D
Perception 3D: hide: self-only 5D+1, search 4D, survival 3D+1, tracking 3D+2
Presence 2D: intimidation 3D+2, willpower 3D
Strength Damage: 2D
Move: 25
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 16
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: bite (damage+ 10; +5 to combat difficulty); swarm attack (roll a single brawling total for a pack of 10; treat pack as small scale value of 1; +8 to damage total of successful swarm attack); coloring (+1 bonus to dodge, sneak, and hide); small size (scale value 5)

Typical Sewer Tendrils

Reflexes 40+1: contortion 6D, brawling 5D+2, dodge 5D+1, sneak 4D+2
Coordination 2D
Physique 3D+2
Knowledge 2D
Perception 4D: hide: self-only 4D+1, search 4D+1, tracking 5D
Presence 2D+2: con 5D, intimidation 5D+2
Strength Bonus: 2D
Move: 10
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 18
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: whip (damage +1); constriction (damage +4D when using a grappling attack; for first tentacle only – each additional tentacle that beats the difficulty by 5 or more points adds +1D to strangulation, up to a maximum of 3 additional tendrils); numerous tendrils (ignore multi-action penalties for first four attacks on the same individual, but attacking more than one person brings standard penalties); vulnerability to salt (damage 5D per round)

Typical Suffocating Sewer Slime

Reflexes 2D: brawling 5D, climbing 4D, sneak 3D+2
Coordination 1D+1
Physique 6D
Knowledge 1D
Perception 2D+2: hide: self-only 4D+1, survival 3D+1, tracking 3D+2
Presence 2D: intimidation 3D, willpower 3D
Strength Damage: 3D
Move: 4
Fate Points: 0
Character Points: 0
Body Points: 18
Wound levels: 3

Natural Abilities: suffocating attack (after a successful brawling attack, the slime makes a Physique roll versus the victim’s Physique or lifting, which counts as an action for both participants; damage dealt increases by +1D per round as the slime sucks victim further into itself); immune to mental attacks; small size (scale value 1)

Quick Sewer Creature

To turn any creature into a giant sewer version of itself, add a minimum of +1D to Reflexes, Perception, Physique, intimidation, and natural weapon damage values and increase its scale value by l to 4 toward the larger side.

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