TEXT: Companion 2
  ®
  TM
  
  FOES TO FIGHT!
  TREASURES 
  TO TAKE!
  Have the delvers in your Dungeon Fantasy 
  Roleplaying Game campaign fought all the monsters 
  and found all the loot? Do the players always know 
  what to expect? Either way, the solution is more.
  Dungeon Fantasy Companion 2 delivers more stuff 
  to make your game more interesting:
  • Magic Items! Another 16 rare or unique artifacts, 
  one to a page. Each with full-color art, a detailed 
  description, all the rules and stats required  
  to use it in play, and advice on introducing it into  
  the campaign.
  • Monsters! Six new creatures to match swords and 
  wits with the heroes. More than a block of stats, 
  each illustrated two-page spread supplies background,  
  outlook, tactics, adventure seeds, and everything else needed for memorable encounters.
  • Villains! These 14 foes could be heroes . . . if they weren’t bad guys. The two pages devoted  
  to each NPC provide a complete character sheet and equipment list, a color illustration, and 
  extensive notes on working the villain into adventures.
  Bonus! Many entries sneak in new content you can use with or without the associated artifact 
  or enemy, including gear, abilities, racial templates (centaur, dark elf, infernal, lizard man, and 
  minotaur), and professions (evil cleric and unholy warrior).
  Dungeon Fantasy Companion 2 is intended for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game 
  but would work with GURPS, especially GURPS Dungeon Fantasy.
  1st Edition, 1st Printing
  Published January 2020
  SJG 01-1010
  Printed on 
  Demand
  By Sean Punch
  Cover Art and Interior Illustrations by 
  Rick Hershey/Fat Goblin Games 
  and Dean Spencer
  
  ®
  Reviewer: Steven Marsh
  Dungeon Fantasy, GURPS, Pyramid, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are trademarks or registered 
  trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Dungeon Fantasy Companion 2 is copyright © 2020 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.  
  Some artwork from Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © 2020 Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games, fatgoblingames.com. All rights reserved.  
  Some artwork © 2015, 2020 Dean Spencer, used with permission, deanspencerart.com. All rights reserved. Printed by KDP.
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  Companion 2
  Written by SEAN PUNCH
  Cover Art and Interior Illustrations by  
  RICK HERSHEY/FAT GOBLIN GAMES and DEAN SPENCER
  Additional Illustrations by BRANDON MOORE
  Softcover: Stock # 01-1010 • ISBN 978-1-55634-885-3 • Version 1.0 – January 2020
  GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH
  GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH
  Production Manager z SABRINA GONZALEZ
  Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
  Production Artist & Indexer z NIKOLA VRTIS
  Cover Design z ALEX FERNANDEZ  
  & NIKOLA VRTIS 
  Prepress Checker z SUSAN BUENO
  Page Design z PHIL REED & JUSTIN DE WITT
  President/Editor-in-Chief z STEVE JACKSON
  Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
  Chief Creative Officer z SAM MITSCHKE
  Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
  Project Manager z DARRYLL SILVA
  
  2	
  Con ten ts
  Contents
  IntroductIon  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Recommended Books  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Publication History  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  About the Author  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  1 . MagIc IteMs!  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
  Understanding the Items .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
  AllA Breve  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
  Bone StAndArd  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  BuccAneer’S BAnd .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7
  countleSS cAltropS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  crier’S Scroll  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  dAwn thunder  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
  envy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .11
  Flying FetterS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .12
  grAnny’S lAce-upS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .13
  New Combat Accessory:  
  Thick Soles .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 13
  New Armor Modifier: Pointy .  .  .  .  . 13
  hunter’S JuJu  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
  illABel’S Splendor  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  the JuvenAtor  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  ol’ Smiley’S inn  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  Heavy Lifting!  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
  oudou .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  New Armor Material: Wood  .  .  .  .  . 18
  portABle purveyor  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  the StomperS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .20
  New Armor Modifier:  
  Gnomish  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
  2 . Monsters! .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
  Reading Monster Stats  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
  AStucum  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .22
  centAur  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .24
  Centaur Delvers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 25
  elAStoid  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .26
  hArpy  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .28
  Deviations .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 29
  oSiSizo  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
  wArhog  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  3 . VIllaIns!  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
  Creating Villains .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
  Using Villains  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
  Reading Villain Stats .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 35
  dúBelthor  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .36
  New Spell:  
  Trap Magical Essence .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 37
  FAir KilAri  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .38
  New Advantage:  
  Animal Companion  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 39
  geoFF ironShield  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .40
  New Racial Template:  
  Minotaur  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 41
  guitore the relentleSS .  .  .  .  .  .  .42
  New Special Thief Trait: 
  Nondetection  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 43
  ithylySSyA Athì  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .44
  New Racial Template:  
  Dark Elf  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 45
  JAnA Sey  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .46
  New Druidic Ability:  
  Shapeshifting  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 47
  King Scrogo the muniFicent  .  .  .48
  More Wealth! .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 49
  lAdy AimArA  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .50
  The Path  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 51
  mictecoix  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .52
  New Racial Template:  
  Lizard Man .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 53
  nAgAShA  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .54
  Manslayer  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 55
  ochtAl oF the croSS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .56
  Unholy Warriors  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 57
  torr dArKdeep  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .58
  Evil Clerics  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 59
  trihéxA .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .60
  New Racial Template: Infernal  .  .  . 61
  zell KoShKA .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .62
  New Special  
  Swashbuckler Traits .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 63
  Index .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 64
  About	the	Dungeon Fantasy 
  Roleplaying game
  The Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game is compatible with GURPS. 
  Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of players of these and all its 
  games . We can be reached by email at info@sjgames.com. Our address is SJ 
  Games, P .O . Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760 . Resources that we provide include:
  New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see what’s 
  new at gurps.sjgames.com.
  Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS print items, plus PDFs of 
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  Pyramid included new rules and articles for GURPS, plus systemless loca-
  tions, adventures, and more . The entire 122-issue library is available at 
  Warehouse 23!
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  can also join us at facebook.com/sjgames or twitter.com/sjgames. Share 
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  hashtag for ideas to add to your own game! The web page for the Dungeon 
  Fantasy Roleplaying Game is located at dungeonfantasy.sjgames.com. The 
  Dungeon Fantasy Companion 2 web page is dungeonfantasy.sjgames.com/
  companion2.
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  In troduCtIon	
  3
  IntroduCtIon
  The overarching theme of hack ’n’ slash fantasy role-
  playing is more . Most important are more abilities for the 
  heroes to wield, more enemies for them to 
  fight, and more gear for them to use or to 
  sell for profit. The Dungeon Fantasy 
  Companion 2 aims to please!
  Chapter 1 presents 16 artifacts 
  that didn’t fit into the treasure 
  chest that was Dungeon Fantasy 
  Magic Items 2 (making it a little 
  bit like Magic Items 2.5). A few are 
  based on completely new mundane 
  equipment that’s described in boxes, 
  so even adventurers who never find 
  these treasures can benefit. Thus, these 
  items are definitely “more gear” – and the 
  adventure seeds that accompany most of them 
  sketch out encounters where the goodies start in the 
  hands of “more enemies to fight.”
  Chapter 2 tackles “more enemies to fight” in 
  earnest. It consists of six creatures that just missed 
  staking out a lair in Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 2 
  . . . you could think of it as Monsters 2.5. The cen-
  taur also touches on “more abilities for the heroes to 
  wield,” as it comes with a racial template suitable for 
  delvers. And the warhog is a mount as well as a mon-
  ster, so it qualifies as “more gear.”
  Chapter 3 is a rogues’ gallery – like 
  Delvers To Go! for bad guys. These nasty 
  NPCs offer “more enemies to fight,” 
  but several are members of races that 
  delvers could belong to, or possess 
  gifts the GM may permit adventurers 
  to acquire, so there’s a dose of “more 
  abilities for the heroes to wield.” And 
  good guys who defeat these villains 
  will doubtless inherit their posses-
  sions, which means “more gear.”
  There’s a little something for everyone, 
  especially for the GM looking to inject new 
  ideas into a long-running campaign!
  reCommended	books
  If you own either the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game 
  or GURPS, you’re all set! In particular:
  To use the artifacts in Chapter 1, you’ll require Adventurers 
  for stats for such basic gear as boots, caltrops, and musical 
  instruments (while every item is described in detail, mundane 
  properties aren’t the priority that extraordinary ones are) – and 
  sometimes for character abilities. There are also extensive 
  references to Exploits, a number of pointers to Spells, and 
  even mentions of Monsters. You don’t need Magic Items 
  or Magic Items 2, however. If you’re a GURPS player, 
  most of this will work as written.
   To understand the fiends in Chapter 2, you’ll 
  want Monsters to hand. You don’t need Monsters 
  2, because although these creatures were orig-
  inally created for that book, all of their new 
  abilities are defined with them. Again, if you’re 
  coming from GURPS, you should be able to use 
  these monsters “as is” – most of the differences 
  between games are minor matters of terminology.
    Chapter 3 draws extensively on char-
  acter-creation rules from Adventurers 
  and Spells. You’ll need either those 
  books or GURPS to understand the 
  character sheets presented there. 
  You don’t need Delvers To Go!, 
  but you might want to revisit 
  the characters there as possible 
  villains after perusing this chap-
  ter – like PCs, many wouldn’t hes-
  itate to slay other delvers and loot 
  the bodies.
  PublICAtIon	hIstory
   The centaur and harpy in Chapter 2 share 
  names with creatures previously sighted in 
  GURPS, but weren’t captured there – they’re 
  all-new denizens of the Dungeon Fantasy 
  Roleplaying Game. Some racial templates 
  and abilities in Chapter 3 were adapted from 
  the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series, notably 
  GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3: The Next Level.
  About	the	Author
  Sean Punch set out to become a particle physicist 
  in 1985 and ended up as GURPS Line Editor in 1995. In that 
  capacity, he has written, edited, or contributed to some 150 
  GURPS releases, revised the game into its fourth edition 
  (2004), and been a regular contributor to Pyramid magazine. 
  From 2008, he has served as the lead creator of the GURPS 
  Dungeon Fantasy series, which led to his design of the 
  Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game, released in 2017. Sean 
  has been a gamer since 1979, but devotes most of his spare 
  time to Argentine tango (and occasionally tending bar). He 
  lives in Montréal, Québec with son amour, Geneviève.
  ©
   
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  4	
  mAgIC	Item s
  Adventurers, Exploits, and Spells describe “ordinary” 
  magical loot, if there is such a thing – gear that wealthy 
  heroes could (at least in theory!) buy in town, at something 
  like fair market prices. Magic Items ranges further afield, 
  introducing novel enchantments, new item classes and, in its 
  closing chapter, rare or unique artifacts. Magic Items 2 is a 
  whole catalog of such rarities . . . and these items are a post-
  script to that.
  When we decided what would make the cut for Magic 
  Items 2, however, we left out the artifacts in this chapter. 
  Here’s why:
  • Alla Breve (p. 5) is definitely bards-only, The 
  Stompers (p. 20) are almost martial artists-only, and 
  Hunter’s Juju (p. 14) is mostly for people with an 
  obscure trait combo. These would be “junk treasures” 
  to some parties.
  • Bone Standard (p. 6) is more useful to Evil than to 
  Good, and thus also potential “junk treasure.”
  • Buccaneer’s Band (p. 7) and Oudou (p. 18) are 
  intended for outdoor adventures, which the game sup-
  ports less thoroughly than dungeon crawls.
  • Countless Caltrops (p. 8), Dawn Thunder (p. 10), 
  Envy (p. 11), and Flying Fetters (p. 12) have rules that 
  could be seen as overly complicated.
  • Crier’s Scroll (p. 9) demands enough judgment 
  calls that some GMs might find it annoying.
  • Granny’s Lace-Ups (p. 13) and Illabel’s Splendor 
  (p. 15) are slightly silly, and thus don’t suit all 
  campaigns.
  • Juvenator (p. 16) and Ol’ Smiley’s Inn (p. 17) are 
  heavy, closer to props or plot devices than to treasures.
  • Portable Purveyor (p. 19) overlaps the bottom-
  less purse (Adventurers, p. 118) and the Amazing 
  Backpack (Magic Items 2, p. 4) enough that it may feel 
  redundant.
  Yet these “weaknesses” can also be strengths! 
  Items useful only to unusual character types are ideal 
  rewards when the party consists of such people and 
  they’re tired of less-specialized artifacts they don’t find 
  valuable. Treasures that involve complicated rules 
  or difficult rulings make wonderful 
  “higher-level” finds to phase in 
  after everyone learns the game. 
  Setting- or mood-specific loot is 
  similarly good later on, in this 
  case when the group wants to 
  expand beyond no-nonsense 
  dungeon-crawling. And even 
  the clunkiest prop can inspire 
  adventures – particularly in the 
  claws of Evil.
  ChAPter	one
  mAgIC	Items!
  understAndIng	the	Items
  Everything in this chapter uses the same format:
  Name: What traders, sages, wizardly tomes, and so on call 
  the item. The GM might want to change this – especially if the 
  players have access to this book!
  Flavor Text: A piece of optional game-world history – or a 
  vignette involving the adventurers from Delvers To Go! and 
  Adventurers, pp. 119-120 – that reveals something about the 
  artifact’s origins, nature, or powers.
  Description: Detailed rules and game stats for the item.
  Sell Price: The suggested payoff for selling the thing if 
  found as treasure. Not a good indication of power – townsfolk 
  routinely over- or undervalue goods that are more or less valu-
  able to ordinary people. Nor is it what delvers would pay for 
  the artifact; if the GM puts it up for sale, the price might be 
  much higher! Where such matters are particularly interesting, 
  notes are provided.
  Weight: Given even for light objects that might fairly be 
  assigned negligible (“neg.”) weight, for GMs who track encum-
  brance down to the last coin to keep delvers honest.
  Power-Item Capacity: How many FP the item holds if des-
  ignated as a power item (Adventurers, p. 115). Generally cal-
  culated from mundane value, but there are exceptions – and 
  the capacity of some artifacts depends on the user or how the 
  FP are spent.
  Treasure!: Thoughts on using the item in the game. This 
  might be as simple as “Sell it at shops!”, or as detailed as the 
  skeleton of an encounter or adventure. Often includes advice 
  on controlling the artifact in the delvers’ hands.
  Each artifact has an illustration showing what it 
  might look like. The GM can change this! An item could 
  be bigger or smaller, more or less fancy. Powers may 
  even move to an object of a different type, when that 
  makes sense (e.g., from a ring to a necklace).
  Where an artifact introduces a item or whatever, this 
  appears in a nearby text box – not in the description.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  5
  AllA	breve
  The pipes weren’t shiny like Jag’s tin whistle, and there were 
  two . But those things weren’t the issue .
  The issue was casting his full repertoire without singing . 
  That went against his training, yet Uncle Seamus claimed this 
  instrument made it possible .
  Glass Wall would be a harmless test . The question was 
  whose tent he’d peep through: the good-looking Llandor’s or the 
  vigorous Samar’s . But when he finished playing, he could see 
  both companions .
  Jag smirked . “That is why there are two!”
  Alla Breve is a rare “bards only” artifact. It’s a double flute, 
  but where the pipes of most such instruments differ in length 
  to give contrasting vocal ranges, or in design to produce both 
  melody and drone, its halves are identical. And it was clearly 
  intended for spellcasters, because while it looks plain, it’s 
  made from impossibly rare wood – from the Elemental Realm 
  of Wood, sages say – to improve its value as a power item.
  Alla Breve’s lesser power is to enable all bardic spellcast-
  ing by playing it instead of singing – a feat usually limited 
  to Sound spells. This requires skill at Musical Instrument 
  (Double Flute) or any specialty that defaults to it: Flute, 
  Recorder, Tin Whistle, etc. Such casting is disadvantageous 
  in battle because the instrument requires two hands, while 
  singing is hands-free. Still, it offers a way to work around the 
  dreaded Strike Dumb spell. It also means enemies trying to 
  recognize the bard’s magic (Exploits, p. 57) roll against the 
  lower of Thaumatology or Musical Composition; the latter is 
  rare among non-bards and has no general default.
  The artifact’s greater power is that when casting by play-
  ing it, the bard can play one or both pipes – and playing both 
  casts two instances of the same spell simultaneously! Time 
  to cast is as if casting once, but each spell requires its own 
  energy and success roll. Standard modifiers apply – e.g., dis-
  tance, spells “on,” and subject’s Magic Resistance – but the 
  spell cast in tandem does not count as “on.” Both spells count 
  as “on” for future castings.
  Example: The heroes face two goblin shamans who are 
  sufficiently lousy casters that they must speak to cast, but 
  who are being annoying from behind ranks of warriors. Jag 
  wants to cast Hush on both. That would normally require 
  two seconds per casting, with the second casting at -1 for 
  the first. Alla Breve lets Jag play for two seconds to cast on 
  both shamans. At skill 15, each casting costs only 1 energy, 
  so he pays 2 energy for two. He has -2 and -3 for distance, for 
  effective skill 13 and 12, but the shamans have a paltry Will 
  10 and fail to resist. If Jag casts later, he’ll have -2 for two 
  spells “on.”
  Although paired castings must involve the same spell, they 
  need not have identical parameters . A bard could cast Area 
  spells of unequal size, Foolishness spells giving mismatched 
  IQ penalties, Lend Language spells bestowing different lan-
  guages, and so on. Assess each spell’s energy cost separately. 
  If casting time varies with the parameters (as with Mass Daze 
  and Mass Sleep), both castings use the longer time.
  The two spells operate independently of one another. The 
  castings require separate uses of Ward, Great Ward, or Reflect 
  to block them, Counterspell to nullify them, etc., and each gets 
  its own attempt to pierce Spell Shield or similar defenses. The 
  decision to maintain or cancel one doesn’t affect the other.
  It is valid to cast twice on one subject. This gives two shots 
  at overcoming resistance, penetrating Spell Shield, and so on. 
  As it’s possible to cast only one Blocking spell per turn, a rival 
  caster can’t block both!
  Alla Breve is a wizardly artifact that requires low or better 
  mana.
  Sell Price: $24,000.
  Weight: 2 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 10 FP.
  Treasure!
  Double Trouble . A bard built using the usual template 
  plus extra points in Energy Reserve and spells would be a 
  respectable boss. With Alla Breve, they could cause twice the 
  usual problems. In heroic hands, the artifact’s power won’t 
  upset game balance (bards need little boosts to compete with 
  wizards), and neither will its low sell price (“bards only” is a 
  buyer’s market).
  
  6	
  mAgIC	Item s
  bone	stAndArd
  The Lich-Lord’s horde faltered . The Legions of Good had too 
  many clerics, too many holy relics . Even the draug knights and 
  vampire lords were holding back .
  It was time to act .
  Casting a final spell, the Lich-Lord levitated over his forces . 
  Upon reaching the head of the undead army, he unfurled an 
  artifact of his own – a most unholy one – and uttered a bone- 
  chilling cry . Every moldering eye 
  and vacant socket looked upward . 
  Gazing upon the Bone Standard, 
  the dead found new hate with 
  which to crush the living .
  The Bone Standard is a grim battle-
  field banner consisting of rotting cloth 
  suspended from a human femur. It 
  bears no emblem and isn’t the ensign 
  of any extant state or army. But it radi-
  ates unholy clerical magic (and requires 
  sanctity).
  For the Standard to function, the user 
  must unfurl it (a Ready maneuver once 
  in hand) and brandish it in two hands (a 
  Concentrate maneuver each turn). The 
  bearer can hold the femur itself or hang 
  the banner from a pole held two-handed. 
  Manner of display doesn’t affect the 
  Standard’s powers, but some setups may 
  make it easier to see than others.
  While the Standard’s carrier takes 
  Concentrate maneuvers, all combat-
  ants allied with them and able to see the 
  enemy and the Standard at the start of 
  their turn gain benefits. Those using long 
  weapons, ranged weapons, or magic from 
  behind the bearer to attack foes in front 
  of the bearer always benefit. Ones who 
  begin their turn behind the Standard and 
  run past it usually benefit only on the 
  turn they charge. Those who start their 
  turn facing away from the Standard 
  never benefit. The GM has the final say, 
  and may require Vision rolls – subject to 
  all the usual modifiers – if there’s doubt 
  (e.g., someone is amidst an enemy horde 
  but facing the Standard).
  Those who benefit from the Standard gain +2 to all Fright 
  Checks and rolls to resist mind control or supernatural fear, 
  including Turning, if that would affect them. Rolls to resist dis-
  advantages that cause hesitancy or penalties in combat – nota-
  bly, self-control rolls for Cowardice and Phobias, the HT roll 
  for Combat Paralysis, and the IQ roll for the monster trait 
  Slave Mentality (part of Automaton) – are also at +2. However, 
  rolls where failure leads to action or bloodshed – especially 
  self-control rolls for Berserk, Bloodlust, Impulsiveness, and 
  Overconfidence, and the monster disadvantages Battle Rage 
  and Uncontrollable Appetite – are at -3, which is a mixed 
  blessing. A bearer who knows the Leadership skill can try 
  Encouragement (Exploits, p. 57) while concentrating; success 
  or critical success raises the bonus above to +3 or +4, but also 
  deepens the penalty to -4 or -5.
  Those 
  who 
  benefit 
  from the Standard deal 
  more vicious blows, too: 
  +1 to all melee damage 
  rolls. This has no effect 
  on ranged attacks, spells, 
  unusual powers, etc.
  The Standard’s bearer never 
  feels these effects. Ranged attacks 
  are at +1 to hit them – a purely 
  nonmagical consequence of being 
  easier to spot and range (much as 
  if they had SM +1). For similar rea-
  sons, enemy casters who might oth-
  erwise lack a good line of sight may 
  avoid the -5 for an unseen subject. 
  But the Standard also protects the 
  carrier, diverting blows as though 
  they were carrying a shield with 
  Defense Bonus 1, for +1 to active 
  defense rolls. This is cumulative 
  with the Shield spell or the Deflect 
  enchantment on armor.
  Sell Price: $33,000. The Stan-
  dard is unholy, so the only buyers 
  may serve evil temples and over-
  lords; if they name a lower price, 
  they won’t negotiate.
  Weight: 5 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 6 FP.
  Treasure!
  Army Of Darkness . The Bone 
  Standard is ideally encountered 
  in the hands of the leader or 
  senior captain of an undead horde.  
  Draugr will exhibit worse Blood-
  lust, specters and vampires are more 
  likely to go into a feeding frenzy, and 
  all the undead resist the cleric’s Turning at +2 and do +1 
  damage with melee attacks while marching behind the Stan-
  dard (or swarming the adventurers and facing the bearer). A 
  lich who knows Missile Shield would certainly cast it on the 
  bearer, counting on the heroes to waste time shooting at an 
  easy target they can’t actually hit.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  7
  buCCAneer’s	bAnd
  Calico Anne was a rarity: a cat-folk pirate . Most of her kind 
  were afraid of water, but not Anne – she inspired fear! Her 
  enchanted sloop Viverrinus was the bane of not only merchants 
  but also rival pirates of seafaring races .
  Viverrinus was controlled using a magical ring . Davy 
  Jones claimed the sloop, but the ring resurfaces from time 
  to time, and has other useful properties that help explain the 
  Calico Anne legend .
  Buccaneer’s Band is a gold ring adorned with a death’s 
  head (some people see a skull and crossbones) wearing a 
  tricorne of the kind favored by pirates in the Steamy South. 
  It radiates druidic magic. Analyze Magic reveals two main 
  effects – “inspires courage” and “a water blessing” – but the 
  specific enchantments are unclear.
  The courage-inspiring effect is neither universal nor 
  a net positive. If the wearer has any of Cowardice [-10*], 
  Phobias [-5* to -20*], or Post-Combat Shakes [-5*], wear-
  ing the Band replaces these problems with equal points 
  chosen from among Impulsiveness [-10*], Overconfidence 
  [-5*], and Trickster [-15*], possibly making the self-control 
  rolls of existing problems tougher. The GM can choose at 
  random (1d: 1-3 is Overconfidence, 4-5 is Impulsiveness, 6 is 
  Trickster), adjusting self-control rolls to match point costs, 
  or pick whatever seems fun or makes the math work. The 
  changes established for a given person recur whenever they 
  don the Band.
  Example: Calico Anne is a cat-girl, and thus has Impul-
  siveness (12) [-10] and Phobia (Entering Water) (15) [-2]. The 
  Band swaps her Phobia for -2 points of other traits. Since 
  worsening Impulsiveness to (9) [-15] would add -5 points and 
  Trickster (15) [-7] would add -7 points, the GM opts for Over-
  confidence (15) [-2].
  Alternatively, the GM can give more points in new disad-
  vantages than those they replace, balanced with Fearlessness 
  [2/level] or even Unfazeable [15].
  As for “water blessing,” the Band prevents aquatic mis-
  adventures. The wearer gets the benefits of Daredevil 
  (Adventurers, p. 37) – that is, +1 to success rolls and the abil-
  ity to reroll critical failures and take the second result – when-
  ever they roll against Boating, Seamanship, or Swimming for 
  any reason; Climbing, Knot-Tying, or Throwing to deal with 
  the lines of a boat or ship (negotiate rigging, moor a vessel, 
  toss a rope, etc.); or Fishing, Naturalist, Navigation, Survival 
  (Island/Beach), or Weather Sense while on or immediately 
  next to a river, lake, or sea. “Real and unnecessary risk” isn’t 
  required, but if someone with Daredevil does take risks at nau-
  tical tasks, their bonus is +2 and they may reroll twice .
  All of these effects work anywhere the penalty to Nature’s 
  strength is at most -3; see Spells, pp. 6-7. Thus, the Band has 
  its powers aboard ship on an ordinary body of water, or in an 
  artificial harbor or on a pier adjoining such. But it wouldn’t 
  work during a trip across a vast cesspool (-5 or worse).
  Finally, when a druid uses the Band as a power item, energy 
  from it counts double for druidic spells from the Water college: 
  Breathe Water, Coolness, Fog, Freeze, Frostbite, Geyser, Hail, 
  Purify Water, Seek Water, Shape Water, Swim, Umbrella, and 
  Water Vision. It isn’t possible to spend half-points – if the spell 
  has an odd-numbered energy cost, the excess is wasted. This 
  is unaffected by Nature’s strength; that makes spells more dif-
  ficult to cast instead.
  Sell Price: $17,000. Generous for something that won’t 
  often matter in dungeons, but in a low-tech world where ships 
  are essential to commerce, eager buyers are plentiful.
  Weight: 0.05 lb.
  Power-Item Capacity: 8 FP. Double each FP spent to cast 
  druidic Water spells.
  Treasure!
  A Pirate’s Life For Me? As adventures at sea aren’t a huge 
  part of dungeon delving, it’s simplest to use the Band as the 
  power item of a midrange druidic foe. Or maybe the adven-
  turers receive it as a quest reward from druids. Either way, if 
  the heroes find it too weak, they can sell it; neither its capa-
  bilities nor its sell price are likely to upset game balance. But 
  near-immunity to disaster (critical failure) is powerful in the 
  right situation – here, nautical exploits – and handing out the 
  Band with something like a map to pirate treasure can make 
  it a keeper.
  
  8	
  mAgIC	Item s
  Countless	CAltroPs
  “To the rallying point and hold!” shouted Sir Yvor .
  Jag scattered caltrops as he retreated .
  “Get a move on,” Grükuk prodded .
  Jag ignored her and tossed more barbs on the floor .
  “How many of those did you bring?” asked Grükuk .
  Jag just smirked .
  Suddenly, the pursuing demons changed their tune . It 
  sounded a lot like “ouch .”
  This artifact resembles a standard pouch of caltrops 
  (Adventurers, p. 113). It weighs the same and pricks the fin-
  gers if mishandled. Yet there’s more to it than that – in many 
  senses of “more.”
  For one thing, the pouch holds more than “one hex” worth 
  of caltrops. Roll 3d against a flat 14 after the wielder takes 
  the standard Ready maneuver to deploy caltrops. Success 
  means additional caltrops materialize that can be scattered 
  next turn. This continues until either a roll fails or the user 
  does something other than take Ready maneuvers to employ 
  the artifact. At that point, no more spikes are available. After 
  one minute, all the existing ones vanish and the item can be 
  used again.
  Example: While luring demons of old into an ambush, Jag 
  takes a Ready maneuver to step down a tunnel, deploying 
  caltrops. After doing so, he rolls 3d against 14 and gets 
  7, meaning he can sow another hex with caltrops next 
  turn. As the demons aren’t close, he continues to take 
  Ready maneuvers, rolling 9, 8, 14, 6, 11, and finally 16. 
  His initial use and six successes let him take seven 
  Ready maneuvers to blanket seven yards of corridor 
  for one minute.
  The Caltrops are also exceptionally effective. 
  Determine the number stepped on, and by what foot, 
  as usual. Damage is still thrust-3 impaling, based 
  on the victim’s ST, per spike. But subtract half 
  DR (round down) to find injury. Caltrops 
  that penetrate reduced DR are embed-
  ded and continue to work this way every 
  turn until removed (two Ready maneuvers). 
  There’s no maximum damage, but total injury 
  can’t exceed that needed to cripple the foot.
  Enemies can tread upon many caltrops when 
  this artifact is in play. To simplify things, make one Vision-2 
  roll each turn, multiply the margin of failure by the number 
  of hexes crossed to find the total number of spikes stepped 
  on, and distribute these equally between feet. If any remain 
  embedded from earlier, add that number. Then find average 
  damage (use 3.5 points per die), subtract half DR, and multi-
  ply by the number of barbs in each foot to find injury. Injury 
  over HP/3 cripples the foot, stopping further injury.
  Example: Demons of old have ST 20, for thrust 2d-1; 
  thrust-3 is 2d-4, averaging 2 ¥ 3.5 - 4 = 3 points of damage. 
  The demons have DR 4. Against ordinary caltrops, the GM 
  might rule “no effect”; against these, DR becomes 2, so aver-
  age damage inflicts 3 - 2 = 1 HP of injury.
  The demons have Per 10; their leader rolls Vision at -2 
  and gets 10, failing by 2. It would normally step on two cal-
  trops – but with Move 7 (and Bloodlust!), it barrels through 
  all seven yards of Jag’s caltrop field. It encounters 2 ¥ 7 = 14 
  spikes, which is 7 in each foot; at 1 HP per caltrop, each foot 
  takes 7 HP. With HP 20, “injury over HP/3” is 7 HP, so that’s 
  enough to cripple both feet. The demon stops in its tracks but 
  won’t take further injury.
  Countless Caltrops are a wizardly item. In low mana, roll at 
  -5 (9 or less) to get repeat uses – huge areas are unlikely. The 
  DR-piercing effect is about construction as much as magic, 
  and unaffected by mana.
  Sell Price: $46,000.
  Weight: 0.5 lb.
  Power-Item Capacity: 1 FP.
  Treasure!
  No Refunds . Delvers usually have too much armor for this 
  artifact to threaten them, so rather than give it to foes, sell it 
  at the above price – firm. As the heroes grow in power, major 
  adversaries will prove less vulnerable while fodder will be 
  more easily dispatched with attacks, so the adventurers may 
  want to sell the Caltrops. Then they’ll learn that the item has 
  a bad reputation; they’ll get a fraction of the price and draw 
  unfriendly attention from “honorable” folk.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  9
  CrIer’s	sCroll
  The sun was almost overhead when the town crier unrolled 
  a long scroll and read aloud: “At noon this day, the villainous 
  Hogswarth was beheaded by order of the King .”
  As if on cue, Hogswarth galloped into view, bent on some 
  doubtless wicked errand . Without warning, his head popped 
  off – severed by a fine wire across his path .
  From a doorway, the King’s agent tossed the assassin a jin-
  gling purse . “Still don’t know how you do it, mate, but you 
  deliver as promised .”
  Where the classic magical scroll is a sheet of paper 
  crammed with writing, the Crier’s Scroll is a generous length 
  of blank parchment anchored at either end by wooden rollers. 
  It’s far too cumbersome for a scroll belt, scroll case, or shield 
  lectern. Unsheathing and unrolling it takes two free hands and 
  four Ready maneuvers total; Fast-Draw (Scroll) doesn’t apply.
  The Scroll is a potent artifact: It shapes the future . Thus, 
  everything below is “GM’s discretion.”
  The Scroll functions only when “preparing the ground” 
  is possible; e.g., setting an ambush or trap, or organizing a 
  workspace. This requires unrestricted access to at least two 
  of the entire physical space (clearing, intersection, room, 
  or other area no bigger than a town square), the hardware 
  (books, reagents, tools, weapons, etc.), and the subject.
  With those requirements met, the person to perform 
  the task – the leader, for group efforts (in an ambush, 
  the one using Tactics) – must make all necessary 
  preparations while carrying the Scroll. These 
  arrangements are standard for the 
  undertaking and add no extra time, 
  but minimum prep time to ben-
  efit from the Scroll is one min-
  ute. Thus, the Scroll cannot aid 
  near-instant attempts at -10 to 
  skill (Exploits, p. 6). Such long 
  tasks generally trigger wander-
  ing-monster checks (Exploits, p. 85).
  When the “moment of truth” (time to 
  roll for the task) arrives, words describ-
  ing the ideal outcome appear on the 
  Scroll and the person who carried it 
  may read them aloud. Reading is con-
  current with the task: on the first turn 
  of an ambush (the reader must take 
  the Concentrate maneuver, to read), 
  or throughout lengthy efforts like 
  crafting or surgery. The 
  reader needs to speak 
  loudly enough to 
  be heard across 
  the entire area 
  the action cov-
  ers – usually in 
  a firm speaking 
  voice, but shouting for major projects (including ambushes). 
  Reading for more than two seconds gives +3 to the extra 
  wandering-monster check. For ambushes, the reader may 
  hide normally but will probably require Trickery (Monsters, 
  p. 5) to deflect suspicion aroused by their speech.
  The Scroll’s effects depend on the reader’s resolve and 
  how closely plans made while preparing the ground match 
  circumstances at the moment of truth. Roll against Will, not-
  ing margin of success. The prepared task receives a bonus 
  as follows:
  Circumstances are an exact match (player described every cru-
  cial detail correctly – rare!): +(margin).
  Circumstances differ slightly (the standard case): +(margin)/2.
  Circumstances differ significantly (player missed some crucial 
  detail): +(margin)/3.
  Drop fractions – small margins in unpredictable circum-
  stances give no bonus!
  This bonus usually benefits the main success roll the reader 
  makes for the action. For a trap, it can affect the trap’s roll to 
  activate or hit. In an ambush, it influences the first roll (to 
  attack, cast, etc.) each ambusher makes – but only on the first 
  turn of surprise.
  Afterward, the Scroll goes 
  blank. The Scroll can influ-
  ence just one outcome at a 
  time. If carried while setting 
  up several tasks, only the latest 
  one counts.
  The Scroll is cosmic, unaffected by 
  external supernatural forces. Its non-
  magical sheath renders it fireproof and 
  waterproof while stashed.
  Sell Price: $26,000.
  Weight: 7 lbs. for scroll, 1 lb. for sheath.
  Power-Item Capacity: 2 FP (sheath), 3 
  FP (scroll), or 4 FP (set).
  Treasure!
  According To My Design . Give the Scroll 
  to an ambush-loving boss. A first strike at a 
  large bonus can turn even a mediocre chal-
  lenge deadly! If delvers loot the Scroll, 
  they’ll want to prepare every-
  thing . Let them, but be strict: 
  They require advance access to 
  areas; they risk additional wan-
  dering-monster checks, frequently 
  at +3; the Scroll’s bonus is often 
  divided by three in the dungeon, with all 
  its unknowns; and in ambushes, the leader 
  must read, not attack.
  
  10	
  mAgIC	Item s
  dAwn	thunder
  “Delvers? Maybe we shouldn’t,” fretted Ladru the Innkeeper’s 
  strapping brother, Bè .
  “Relax! The herbs in the ale would knock out an ogre,” whis-
  pered Ladru . “Grab everything .”
  “Where’s the dwarf?”
  “Locked in the cellar . We rob him last .”
  Suddenly, drumming started nearby . Next came the noise of 
  Ladru falling, knifed by Hap .
  Ælin entered, lightning in hand, a drum slung over his shoul-
  der . He snarled at the astonished Bè, “What’s 
  dumber: Tryin’ to poison a druid with 
  herbs, tryin’ to poison a dwarf with 
  anything, or overlookin’ a great huge 
  drum?”
  Dawn Thunder is a largish, 
  double-headed drum. It’s as suit-
  able for Bard-Song as a compact 
  one (Adventurers, p. 112), if the 
  bard knows Musical Instrument 
  (Drums) at 14+. But even when 
  banged without special skills or 
  abilities, everyone in bowshot can 
  hear it without a Hearing roll, 
  making it useful for signaling. 
  Within 30 yards, anyone without 
  walls between them and it has -2 
  to rolls to hear anything else!
  Its magic is restricted to the 
  same 30-yard radius – 15 yards 
  through wood, 10 yards through 
  earth or stone – where anyone who 
  isn’t deaf is subject to several effects:
  • If sleeping normally, they awaken 
  automatically without being stunned.
  • If sleeping due to a drug, poison, potion, 
  or spell (e.g., Healing Slumber, Sleep, or Suspended 
  Animation) – or dazed (as by a Daze spell) – they get a HT+1 
  roll to recover fully at the start of each turn the drum plays .
  • If mentally stunned for any reason (disadvantage, Fright 
  Check, magic, surprise, etc.), they get a Will+1 roll to recover 
  at the start of each turn the drum plays . Success lets them take 
  their turn normally! Failure still allows the usual IQ roll to 
  recover; see Mental Stun (Exploits, p. 27).
  • If mentally stunned by surprise caused by an ambush 
  coordinated by enemies using Dawn Thunder, they have -1 to 
  IQ rolls to recover – rolling at IQ-1 the first turn, IQ the sec-
  ond, and so on – instead of the previous benefit.
  There are no similar effects on physical stun; unconscious-
  ness from injury or fatigue; collapse due to coma, heart 
  attack, or a mortal wound; or other afflictions (see Exploits, 
  pp. 65-66).
  Also within that area, Dawn Thunder’s magical loudness 
  can break Dull Hearing and Strike Deaf spells on anyone pres-
  ent by “forcing them to hear” (the permanently deaf are unaf-
  fected). It can “shatter” Silence and Wall of Silence spells, too. 
  To do so, it must win a Quick Contest: skill 15 vs. the spell. It 
  gets one attempt against each spell, however long it’s played.
  Dawn Thunder’s vibrations help any spellcaster – not just 
  a bard! – cast Awaken, Earthquake, Fear, Noise, Panic, Repel 
  (Animal), Repel Hybrids, Repel Spirits, Terror, or Thunder-
  clap. All enjoy +3 to effective skill. The caster 
  doesn’t need Musical Instrument skill to 
  benefit, but must devote two hands 
  to drumming throughout the 
  casting. Doing this also triggers 
  the drum’s awakening and dis-
  pelling effects.
  Dawn Thunder is indis-
  criminate. Within its area, 
  it causes Hearing penalties, 
  dispels magic, and rouses 
  the sleeping, dazed, and 
  mentally stunned on all sides 
  of any conflict. Playing it where 
  there are wandering monsters 
  triggers an extra check for such 
  enemies, at +3, sometime during 
  the next hour. The GM decides 
  whether it’s heard many miles or 
  levels away, or by a nearby patrol. 
  Sporadic use during the day brings 
  one extra check – not a steady 
  stream of foes.
  Dawn Thunder wasn’t specially 
  designed for bards. Dwarves created 
  it to rouse allies, terrorize foes, and col-
  lapse tunnels. It channels the Earth’s energy, 
  which is effectively Nature’s strength; it functions wher-
  ever the penalty is no worse than -5, and bonuses or penalties 
  adjust its skill for dispelling.
  Sell Price: $51,000.
  Weight: 6 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 2 FP.
  Treasure!
  Drums In The Deep . Give Dawn Thunder to a monstrous 
  army to explain them being on high alert, enhance their 
  ambushes, boost their offensive magic (Earthquake, Panic, 
  Terror, Thunderclap, etc.), call wandering monsters to eat the 
  delvers, and even wake the dead (undead who are in suspended 
  animation). This makes for a harrowing adventure! Once the 
  heroes swipe Dawn Thunder, its value is situational – but it’s 
  a nice prize for clever adventurers.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  11
  envy
  “Mine!” shouted the thief, grabbing at Ælin’s ring . He seemed 
  oblivious to the sickle in the dwarf’s other hand .
  Slice.
  Ælin stood over his would-be robber, shaking his head . 
  “Gems have personalities . Green is the color of envy . You should 
  have known better .”
  Envy is an impressive ring. Not for its craftsmanship, but 
  for that emerald . . . so big, so shiny. You know you want it.
  As the name hints, Envy’s power is that those who see it, 
  want it – but only when they confront the wearer in a direct, 
  not entirely friendly manner. This leads to several effects of 
  interest to delvers, all of which hinge on the viewer resist-
  ing Envy’s effective skill 15 with the lowest of their Will, 
  self-control number for Greed, or self-control number for 
  Kleptomania.
  • In any face-to-face, noncombat competition settled 
  by a Quick Contest of the same skill – e.g., Gambling vs. 
  Gambling at cards, Public Speaking vs. Public Speaking in 
  a debate, or Savoir-Faire vs. Savoir-Faire when name-drop-
  ping – the viewer must resist. Loss means they’re distracted; 
  their margin of loss penalizes them in the Contest. This does 
  apply to Contests of Merchant and Streetwise with town-
  ish businesspeople, but such folk have effective Will 15 and 
  rarely succumb.
  • If an ally’s actions would benefit from a distraction or 
  diversion – as do Filch and Pickpocket – conspicuously flash-
  ing Envy counts. The viewer must resist. Your friend gets any 
  margin of loss as a bonus to skill.
  • In Negotiation (Monsters, p. 5), your rival must resist. 
  Loss means Envy is all they want! 
  Their margin of loss penal-
  izes your Diplomacy 
  roll – unless you 
  surrender 
  Envy. 
  Then your Diplomacy attempt succeeds automatically, you 
  secure your deal, and even untrustworthy adversaries won’t 
  renege, as they’re too busy admiring or squabbling over Envy. 
  Of course, you lose Envy.
  • When combat starts, if you successfully use Hidden 
  Weapons (Exploits, p. 58), your target must resist. Loss means 
  they’re gazing at Envy! Their defense penalty for this trick is 
  the worse of the usual -2 or their margin of loss.
  • In combat, the first time (only) you Feint a given oppo-
  nent, roll normally – but your foe must also resist Envy. If they 
  lose at both, their defense penalty is the worse of the usual 
  Feint penalty or their margin of loss against Envy.
  • In combat, the first time (only) you Concentrate to draw 
  aggression from a particular foe using Taunt and Bluster 
  (Exploits, p. 58), they must resist Envy. Loss indicates they 
  want to kill you for the ring. Skip the Quick Contest for that 
  trick – they attack you as if you had won.
  The GM may permit use in other situations where distrac-
  tion or greed matters. Model these on the closest example 
  above.
  Envy affects only beings that have at least one of IQ 6+, 
  Greed, or Kleptomania. Envy also works only on those who 
  can see it; if they’re blind, facing away, in darkness, etc., or the 
  ring is under a glove, too bad. This matters to warriors bent 
  on exploiting Envy – as it can’t be worn over a gauntlet, decide 
  whether you want to expose fingers to foes who’d lop them off 
  for the ring!
  Envy uses wizardly magic. It has -5 to effective skill 
  in low mana and doesn’t work if there’s no mana. Magic 
  Resistance subtracts from effective skill and adds to the 
  subject’s resistance. Envy cannot affect beings who are 
  immune to mind control, which includes all constructs 
  and many demons and undead.
  Sell Price: $25,000. As a “last hurrah,” Envy always 
  fetches this sum!
  Weight: 0.05 lb.
  Power-Item Capacity: 18 FP.
  Treasure!
  My Precious! Envy can result in embar-
  rassingly effective Feints and hidden-weapon 
  attacks on greedy treasure-hunters. It empow-
  ers “peaceful” rivals even more; they can win 
  at cards, and at “my word vs. hers” with the 
  Town Watch, and help associates rob the delv-
  ers blind. Also fun is the troublemaker who 
  traded Envy for some high-powered concession; 
  the adventurers must solve that problem, and 
  then confront Envy’s current owner. Once the 
  heroes finally get the ring, it’s their turn for she-
  nanigans – but most will eventually exchange it for 
  either an incredible favor or a guaranteed $25,000.
  
  12	
  mAgIC	Item s
  FlyIng	Fetters
  Many tales describe heroes or gods fettering terrifying 
  demons . The protagonist risks everything to get close enough, 
  sometimes paying the ultimate price to save the world .
  Most such stories mention where the champion found 
  shackles strong enough to bind Evil . Divine blacksmiths are the 
  traditional source .
  While chains that bypass valiantly wrestling with fiends are 
  rare in legend, they seem more common in the real world .
  Flying Fetters are manacles made of a dense metal as dura-
  ble as orichalcum, but bluish-black rather than reddish-gold. 
  This gives them the heft of mundane shackles (Adventurers, 
  p. 113). Their DR and HP aren’t relevant – less-than-cosmic 
  forces can’t shatter them.
  The Fetters can restrain the wrists or ankles of beings of 
  Size Modifier -2 to +2, magically altering size and then clamp-
  ing shut without locks or pins. On a defenseless prisoner, this 
  is automatic. In combat, the wielder must grapple the target 
  first and then make two successful close-combat attacks, one 
  per wrist or ankle. Roll vs. DX, Judo, or Wrestling, at -2 to hit; 
  the target may attempt any active defense allowed in close 
  combat (Exploits, p. 51).
  The Fetters’ namesake ability is flying through the air to 
  bind their target. The owner takes an Attack maneuver to sic 
  them on someone they can see, specifying either wrists or 
  ankles . On that turn and every later turn of the user, they 
  chase their prey at Move 12. If they end a turn in close 
  combat with their quarry, they attack at skill 15. The 
  target may attempt any defense allowed in close com-
  bat; failure means both wrists or ankles are bound! The 
  Fetters persist until they succeed or their master takes a 
  Concentrate maneuver to recall them. 
  Recalled, they return at Move 12, and 
  can be recovered with a Ready 
  maneuver once in reach.
  Striking the unbreakable 
  Fetters is pointless. In flight, 
  anyone within reach can 
  grab them – a grapple at 
  -4, with the Fetters defend-
  ing at Dodge 10 – but this is 
  risky. The Fetters still attack 
  on their owner’s turn, but 
  their mission changes to bind-
  ing the wrists of the grappler, still 
  at skill 15. This can keep them from 
  their original target, though!
  The effects of being bound are the same however the Fet-
  ters are clamped in place. On the wrists, the victim has -1 
  to DX and DX-based skills. This worsens to -4 for anything 
  requiring hands – meaning -4 to attack, and -2 to block or 
  parry, with the hands. Spellcasting at base skill 9 or less is 
  impossible; difficulty with gestures at base skill 10-14 gives 
  -4 to cast.
  On the ankles, the target can’t kick, can’t cast spells at 
  base skill 9 or less, and has the equivalent of Crippled Leg 
  (Adventurers, p. 62). In a hurry, treat the latter as -3 to melee 
  combat skills, -1 to defenses, and half Move (round down). If 
  moving when shackled, the victim must roll vs. DX, at -4 if 
  running (moving faster than a step). Failure means falling for 
  1d-4 crushing damage – or 1d-2 if running.
  Options for escaping the Fetters are few. Their master 
  can order them to let go – a free action. The prisoner can use 
  Escape skill, at -5 due to the Fetters’ ability to adjust to the 
  victim; this is slow. Or the Fetters’ master can be killed, which 
  causes the Fetters to open and fall lifeless to the ground. 
  Whoever picks them up becomes their new owner.
  The Fetters can target only wrists or ankles. Beings with-
  out limbs ending in distinct extremities – especially creatures 
  with tentacles – can’t be bound. The GM’s decision is final.
  The Fetters are a relic of some long-gone culture, and 
  require the sanctity of forgotten gods to function.
  Sell Price: $54,000.
  Weight: 2 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 19 FP.
  Treasure!
  Freeze! The Fetters can keep a boss from being rushed 
  by a high-Move, high-skill fighter. Autonomous magical 
  shackles snapping at someone’s heels each turn can even the 
  odds regardless of whether they connect. Once the adven-
  turers inherit the Fetters, remember that they affect only 
  creatures of SM -2 to +2 with extremities, and won’t help 
  against monsters that can fly – or kill you with their brain 
  (e.g., mindwarpers).
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  13
  grAnny’s	lACe-uPs
  “Which boots?” asked the shopkeeper .
  “Yes,” replied Zephyra .
  “But which boots?”
  “I see only one pair of witch boots .”
  “Oh, those. They pinch and are out of vogue . Perhaps–”
  “–those . I am the customer and a wizard . I am always right .”
  “My mistake . Indeed, they suit you .”
  Shiny, laced-up boots with a medium heel were chic when 
  introduced but have since become associated with the more 
  temperamental kind of sorceress. Jokesters claim that sore feet 
  help sustain the obligatory charming mood.
  As protection, Granny’s Lace-Ups count as light leather 
  foot armor with thick soles (see box), providing DR 1 – or DR 
  2 to the underside of the feet. Narrow, pointy toes give +1 to 
  kicking damage, as with DR 2+ boots. They also pinch: -1 to 
  Hiking rolls – and, after a day’s hike, -1 to self-control rolls for 
  Bad Temper. While no longer stylish, their base power-item 
  capacity reflects their original high cost.
  Their main magical power is unusual: Whenever the 
  wearer fails a self-control roll for an antisocial disadvantage, 
  add their margin of failure to effective (not base) skill with 
  spells! The theoretical maximum is +12, for rolling 18 against 
  a self-control number of 6. If the player gives in willingly 
  (Adventurers, p. 55), roll anyway but treat any success as fail-
  ure by one (+1).
  Bad Temper, Bloodlust, Bully, Loner, and Stubborn-
  ness – and the monster-only traits Compulsive Killing, Sadism, 
  and Uncontrollable Appetite – always count as “antisocial” (so 
  do Battle Rage and Berserk, but they prevent spellcasting). 
  The GM may allow other problems where the situation war-
  rants, but never virtues (Charitable, Honesty, Selfless, and 
  Truthfulness). The bonus persists only while 
  the wearer behaves badly and directs cast-
  ings at whoever triggered them, and ends 
  when the GM feels the player has stopped 
  roleplaying the disadvantage.
  Example: The adventurers are waylaid 
  by bandits. Jag decides to attempt Diplo-
  macy to convince the robbers that threat-
  ening well-equipped heroes is unwise. 
  Banditry is part of adventuring life and not 
  “stressful” for delvers who’ve faced demons 
  and undead, but the GM feels Zephyra’s  
  Bad Temper (9) hasn’t mattered in 
  ages, and has a brigand make a 
  quip about her red hair (“That 
  ginger elf is out for our 
  souls!”). Her player tries 
  a self-control roll, at 
  -1 for a day hiking in 
  uncomfortable boots, 
  and rolls 12: failure by 
  4. She lashes out with Flesh to Stone. She has base skill 17 but 
  was standing 5 yards back in case the highwaymen rushed, 
  for effective skill 12; +4 for being out of control gives her 16, 
  letting her petrify her victim. In the ensuing battle, the GM 
  rules the bonus no longer applies because being ill-tempered 
  is nothing special in a fight.
  The Lace-Ups also receive extra power-item capacity based 
  on the wearer’s most unsociable habit. Take the worst self-con-
  trol number among Bad Temper, Battle Rage, Berserk, Blood-
  lust, Bully, Compulsive Killing, Loner, Sadism, Stubbornness, 
  and Uncontrollable Appetite. Add +3 FP for 15, +6 FP for 12, 
  +9 FP for 9, or +12 FP for 6.
  Granny’s Lace-Ups are a wizardly artifact, and require 
  mana to function.
  Sell Price: $20,000.
  Weight: 3.1 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 3 FP, +3 
  to +12 FP for being an unpleasant 
  person.
  Treasure!
  For She Is Wicked And Fierce . 
  A wicked witch with Granny’s 
  Lace-Ups is a fun boss. Give her 
  Sadism (6) and watch her apply 
  boot leather to the heroes’ pos-
  teriors when her spells receive 
  a big bonus – which they will, 
  if she sticks to the cruel and 
  unusual – and she has extra 
  energy to hand. When the adven-
  turers put themselves in her 
  shoes, they may not have the per-
  sonality to benefit, but if they do, 
  it’s hard for this artifact to get out 
  of control, as the GM decides when 
  the bonus runs out.
  New Combat Accessory: Thick Soles
  Added to any foot armor, extra-hard soles or steel 
  shanks give +1 DR, but only against attacks from 
  below – caltrops, hot coals, nasty grubs that burrow 
  into the foot, etc., but not blows in combat. $25, 1 lb.
  New Armor Modifier: Pointy
  Pointy toe gives +1 to kicking damage, -1 to Hiking 
  rolls. Light leather (DR 1) boots only. +0 CF.
  
  14	
  mAgIC	Item s
  hunter’s	JuJu
  Adventurers think in terms of battles and treasures . Yet 
  organized tribes existed for eons before empires invented 
  war and money . For early peoples, the ultimate quest 
  was the hunt – and though they, too, faced monsters, 
  the greatest honor went to heroes who defeated these 
  monsters using cunning .
  Not all artifacts are purposely enchanted. 
  Some are passed down from parent to child for 
  centuries, even millennia, with each owner’s 
  talents and accomplishments imbuing it with a 
  bit more power. That’s the nature of the 
  Hunter’s Juju, an amulet with the sort 
  of “personality” one might expect from 
  such origins.
  A wearer with Outdoorsman (Adventurers, 
  p. 51) may add its level to Stealth when 
  rolling for Surprise Attacks (Exploits, 
  pp. 26-27) or Backstabbing (Exploits, 
  pp. 57-58) – but not for other purposes, 
  like scouting ahead or avoiding wander-
  ing monsters. For example, a barbarian 
  or scout with the baseline Outdoorsman 
  2 and Stealth-13 on their professional tem-
  plate functions at Stealth-15 for such feats; one 
  with Outdoorsman 6 (the maximum) operates at 
  Stealth-19.
  Hunters use traps, too. The wearer may also add 
  Outdoorsman to all rolls to set traps, including the 
  Traps rolls under Traps (Adventurers, p. 114), Dungeon 
  Camps (Exploits, p. 18), Rearming (Exploits, p. 23), 
  and Talented Trapping (Exploits, p. 58). There’s no sim-
  ilar benefit when detecting or disarming traps! A scout 
  with their template’s basic Outdoorsman 2 and Traps-12 sets 
  traps with effective Traps-14; Outdoorsman 6 would make 
  that Traps-18.
  Finally, a wearer with Outdoorsman and Expert Back-
  stabbing (Adventurers, p. 39) may use the latter – which 
  usually works only on surprise melee attacks – with ranged 
  attacks, to a maximum level equal to Outdoorsman. Thus, 
  Outdoorsman 6 makes it possible to exploit Expert 
  Backstabbing 1-6 from a distance; Expert Backstab-
  bing 7-10 functions as Expert Backstabbing 6. This 
  is more potent than it seems, as an archer (for 
  example) hiding so far away that victims can’t 
  detect them would receive bonus damage on 
  repeated attacks.
  The Juju functions anywhere spirits can 
  go. It taps the wearer’s spirit for power and 
  remains with them if they’re somehow 
  projected into a spirit realm or turned 
  to spirit (as by the Ethereal Body 
  spell) – it doesn’t fall to the ground or 
  get left behind. Given the nature 
  of its powers, the user is likely to 
  achieve surprise upon remateri-
  alizing. The Juju doesn’t work 
  for constructs, undead servi-
  tors, or other beings without 
  spirits.
  Sell Price: $5,000, which 
  is low because the Juju’s 
  properties matter only to 
  a rarified few in special sit-
  uations. Someone who can’t 
  use it might offer $50 for a 
  few bits of low-quality ivory!
  Weight: 0.25 lb.
  Power-Item Capacity: 1 FP.
  Treasure!
  Juju Man . Give the Juju to a 
  foe who knows Stealth and Traps, 
  like a bugbear, horde pygmy, or rival 
  scout or thief – being an NPC, they 
  can have Expert Backstabbing and 
  Outdoorsman because the GM 
  says so. They’ll use the Juju to 
  seed their hunting ground with 
  traps and take deadly shots from 
  afar. Heroes who obtain it face 
  a puzzle: Only barbarians, dru-
  ids, and scouts can have Outdoorsman, 
  while only thieves may buy Expert 
  Backstabbing; someone who wants 
  to get the most out of the Juju might 
  accept ill-advised quests that prom-
  ise the missing ability as Exceptional 
  Training (Exploits, p. 93) or Alternative 
  Rewards (Exploits, p. 94). Selling it 
  won’t make anybody rich. Thus, it’s a 
  fun low-powered prize.
  Elven Juju
  The GM may allow the elven Forest Guardian advantage to work 
  similarly to Outdoorsman for the Hunter’s Juju. Forest Guardian already 
  raises Stealth, so the Juju doesn’t enable a further bonus – but an elf with 
  Outdoorsman can add that to Stealth, too, when attempting surprise attacks. 
  The Juju also lets the elf use the higher of Forest Guardian or Outdoorsman as 
  their bonus to set traps and upper limit on Expert Backstabbing with ranged 
  attacks. As every elven thief can buy up to Expert Backstabbing 10 and For-
  est Guardian 4, the Juju is more powerful for such characters – something to 
  bear in mind when considering it as treasure.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  15
  IllAbel’s	sPlendor
  Illabel wasn’t a wizard – she thought the Guild pompous . 
  Nor a cunning woman, wise woman, or any similar feelgoodery . 
  “Witch” suited her grandmother and her mother . It was good 
  enough for her .
  Her village had no temples or guardsmen . When cultists 
  summoned a demon there, it was Illabel (and her cat) who con-
  fronted it . She was a woman of few words: “Leave . Now .”
  The monster guffawed . “And if I don’t?”
  Illabel pulled on a very ugly hat . “I’ll make you cry .”
  Illabel’s Splendor is not particularly splendid – a classic 
  “witch’s hat,” and a beat-up, moth-eaten one at that. A roll 
  against Perception plus any spellcasting talent reveals it’s 
  magical, however.
  The wearer of Illabel’s Splendor can banish any sapient 
  (IQ 6+) entity summoned from another plane of existence. 
  This generally means demons, elementals, or spirits, but also 
  includes divine servitors conjured by priests, Elder Things 
  invited by cultists, and whatever else the GM likes – if magic 
  brings creatures from Faerie, dreams, or through the looking 
  glass, the artifact is effective. Its effects resemble the Banish 
  spell (Spells, pp. 59-60), but with greater scope. It can’t affect 
  independent visitors (like invading Elder Things), emissaries 
  sent by deities (like many divine servitors), or natives of the 
  material realm.
  The other major difference between the artifact’s power 
  and Banish is how “casting” works. The wearer – who needn’t 
  be a spellcaster – performs no ritual and spends no energy. 
  They rain down verbal abuse on their target! This requires 
  being within HT yards (HT+3 yards with Penetrating Voice), 
  and the subject must be able to hear.
  The insults work much like Taunt and Bluster 
  (Exploits, p. 58): Each turn, the wearer selects the 
  Concentrate maneuver and rolls a Quick Contest of 
  skill vs. the higher of the monster’s IQ or Will. An 
  appropriate Psychology specialty (like Demons or 
  Elementals) works, as does Religious Ritual (vs. 
  demons and divine servitors), but Illabel’s Splen-
  dor also empowers harsh words with Intimida-
  tion and taunting rhymes with Singing to affect 
  even Indomitable, Unfazeable beings. Be open-
  minded – this artifact is intended to be slightly 
  tongue-in-cheek!
  The wearer can continue for multiple turns, 
  even changing skills from turn to turn. Add each 
  turn’s margin of victory or loss to a running total. On 
  turns when the wearer doesn’t hurl insults (e.g., they attack 
  instead), the monster gets a Will roll on its turn and subtracts 
  its margin of success. Should the running total ever exceed the 
  higher of the entity’s ST or Will, it’s instantly banished.
  Example: Illabel is legendary for her Intimidation-20. She’s 
  facing a demon that has ST 20, IQ 10, and Will 16. Its SM 
  +1 gives -1 to Intimidation, canceling +1 for shouting with 
  Penetrating Voice. It’s also Indomitable, but the hat doesn’t 
  care. The monster has higher Will than IQ; it resists at 16. It 
  has higher ST than Will; Illabel needs a running total of 21+.
  Illabel takes a Concentrate maneuver to mock the demon; 
  she rolls 10, it rolls 14, and she wins by 8. On successive turns, 
  she wins by 3 (total 11), loses by 2 (total 9), wins by 5 (total 
  14), and wins by 6 (total 20).
  On her sixth turn, Illabel pauses to save Kitty Fluffkins. The 
  demon rolls vs. Will on its turn, succeeds by 6, and shrinks the 
  total to 14.
  Illabel comes back, winning the next two turns by 4 (total 
  18) and 4 (total 22). The demon is banished!
  That took eight turns – slower than Banish, but without 
  spending energy or gambling on a single resistance roll.
  Illabel’s Splendor provides no DR but cannot be worn with 
  a helmet. Its power is “dramatic necessity” – anywhere a suit-
  able subject entity can exist, the hat can banish it.
  Sell Price: $16,000.
  Weight: 0.35 lb.
  Power-Item 
  Capacity: 1 FP.
  Treasure!
  My Hat’s Off To You . Delvers are usually in their home 
  dimension; if not, banishing one of them breaks up the party, 
  which isn’t fun. Instead of giving monsters this artifact, have 
  Illabel give the heroes a quest and lend them her hat. If they 
  prevail, they can keep it; she has another. If they cheat – well, 
  having a legendary witch as an enemy is fun!
  
  16	
  mAgIC	Item s
  the	JuvenAtor
  The clerics looked up from Hap’s body .
  “He’s gone,” proclaimed Sister Miriam with her usual 
  bluntness .
  Francesco was more sympathetic . “Sorry . We tried everything .”
  “Not the Juvenator,” said Zephyra . “He should fit . And 
  whether or not he lives, he advances magical knowledge .”
  The Juvenator isn’t typical adventuring gear. It’s a metal- 
  capped crystal jar filled with swirling goo (which slowly 
  replenishes itself if poured out) – something that would look at 
  home holding pickled organs in a necromancer’s lab. Delvers 
  who learn of its powers might just bring it along, however.
  Simply put, the Juvenator restores life to things once living 
  but now dead. It can hold specimens of Size Modifier -2 or 
  smaller. For body parts, add the owner’s SM to the hit location 
  modifier; e.g., -2 for a human-sized arm/leg, -4 for a hand/foot, 
  or -5 for a head. A whole creature would fit only if no larger 
  than a halfling.
  A severed body part – however damaged – is restored 
  in 24 hours. A head or an entire creature takes 10 times as 
  long, and the body cannot have been destroyed; see Effects of 
  Accumulated Injury (Exploits, p. 59). A body needs a head; a 
  head doesn’t need a body.
  While functioning, the Juvenator requires an “attendant” 
  with Bardic Talent, Magery, or Power Investiture (any vari-
  ety) present the whole time; bodies and heads usually mean 
  taking shifts. When the regeneration time is up, roll against 
  the lowest Esoteric Medicine skill (defaults to Perception-6) 
  among the attendants. For a head or body, skill is at -1 per 
  full day between the subject’s death and bottling. If multiple 
  objects are placed inside, or the contents are removed early, 
  the roll fails automatically.
  For a limb or extremity, success at Esoteric Medicine indi-
  cates the body part can be reattached. A successful Surgery 
  roll and it works as good as new. Failure at Esoteric Medicine 
  ruins the part – though the temple can still replace it. Failure 
  at Surgery allows repeated attempts at a cumulative -1.
  For a whole body, success at Esoteric Medicine means res-
  urrection! The subject has 0 HP and 0 FP, but can be healed in 
  all the usual ways. If they were diseased or poisoned, or miss-
  ing parts, those problems are cured; curses remain. Failure 
  at Esoteric Medicine means permanent death – nobody can 
  retry, ever .
  Handle a head like a body except that success creates a 
  living head in a jar. It has the IQ, HT, Will, Per, FP, and Basic 
  Speed it had in life; half its former HP; and no ST, DX, or 
  Move. It retains all its abilities but can use only those that 
  require neither movement nor limbs – it can see, hear, talk, 
  and cast spells known at level 15+, but it can’t move (or change 
  facing within the jar), attack, or defend. If removed, it must 
  roll vs. HT at -6 each turn until it fails and fall unconscious. 
  Death follows in five seconds; resurrection is impossible.
  The Juvenator affects only animal-, faerie-, hybrid-, and 
  mundane-class beings, which includes all player-character 
  races. It cannot restore plants, slime, tissues that have been 
  undead, or entities that were never genuinely alive. It has no 
  effect on inanimate objects, including organic artifacts and 
  petrified flesh.
  The artifact has DR 5, HP 17. Smashing it ruins it forever. 
  Regeneration in progress fails; a head living inside starts  
  to die.
  The Juvenator requires low or better mana, Nature’s 
  strength with a penalty no worse than -5, and low or better 
  sanctity. Any spellcaster gets a Perception + spellcasting talent 
  roll to realize it’s magical.
  Sell Price: $215,000, but no one is likely to challenge the 
  temple’s healing monopoly. The temple may offer equivalent 
  “healing credit” – that’s 14 resurrections!
  Weight: 75 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 30 FP, for someone carrying it or for 
  a head living inside.
  Treasure!
  Use Your Head . An evil spellcaster’s head in a jar is a clas-
  sic! With magic, they could levitate and take physical action. 
  Smash the Juvenator to kill its occupant and it’s ruined; inca-
  pacitate the head while it’s levitating and it may crash, with 
  similar results. Cunning heroes who capture the thing can 
  either earn credit (not cash) with the temple or keep it.
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  17
  ol’	smIley’s	Inn
  “I don’t smell dinner cookin’,” griped Puddin’ .
  Jag looked at his map . “The inn should be here .”
  Llandor snorted . “Hmm, a toppled gravestone . Perhaps 
  they all died .”
  “Ah!” exclaimed Zephyra . “We’re here!”
  When delvers need rest, they’re often under-
  ground, in the wilds, or on other planes of exis-
  tence – places where no ordinary innkeeper sets 
  up business. But Ol’ Smiley isn’t an ordinary 
  innkeeper, or even a person. It’s the nickname 
  of the grinning skull on the tombstone known 
  as “Ol’ Smiley’s Inn.”
  Physically, the Inn is a heavy, black-gray stone 
  slab carved with religious symbols and magi-
  cal runes. It’s theoretically portable. See Heavy 
  Lifting! (box) for ideas.
  Once the Inn is removed from any container 
  and set upright on the ground, it projects a holy 
  aura in a cube 15 yards on a side. The “floor” 
  is whatever the Inn stands on; the aura extends 
  15 yards up. In a closed room smaller than 
  the cube, the effect ends at the walls and 
  ceiling – it doesn’t penetrate beyond.
  This aura lets its users rest in peace 
  (its creator had a bizarre sense of 
  humor). Those inside it when the 
  Inn is activated – its “occupants” – aren’t actually where 
  they were beforehand. They’re within an area that 
  functions like a Sanctuary spell (Spells, p. 35) with 
  differences:
  • Occupants can see the area they were in – includ-
  ing light sources and beings there – as if still pres-
  ent. This is an elaborate illusion. They aren’t there 
  and can’t affect the real world with spells or 
  physical actions.
  • Occupants moving beyond the aura’s 
  boundaries return to the real world. They 
  must make a Body Sense roll or be physically 
  stunned. They cannot reenter unless the Inn is 
  deactivated and reactivated.
  • Occupants always have fresh air at a com-
  fortable temperature.
  As with Sanctuary, Seeker and Trace spells 
  won’t cross the boundary, spellcasting is at -5, 
  and Recover Energy is ineffective.
   The Inn vanishes with the occupants. 
  To deactivate it, they must all leave the 
  area. Alternatively, someone can pick 
  up or topple the stone; then every-
  body reappears. Either way, the Inn 
  also reappears and everyone ends 
  up rolling vs. Body Sense to 
  avoid stun.
  The Inn requires the sanc-
  tity of gods of death (there’s that 
  sense of humor again), home/
  hearth, inns/taverns, or messengers/
  travel. It’s powerless in realms where 
  nobody ever journeys, settles, or dies.
  Sell Price: $73,000.
  Weight: 400 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 13 FP if car-
  ried – touching it won’t do!
  Treasure!
  Welcome, 
  Travelers! 
  The 
  Inn’s 
  occupants can wait for enemies to 
  appear, knock over the tombstone, 
  and appear out of nowhere. This gives 
  surprise – but ambushers who fail 
  Body Sense rolls are stunned, too! 
  Delvers will probably encounter the 
  Inn this way. If they acquire it, delv-
  ing becomes much easier if they can 
  lug the extra 400 lbs. Selling it is likely 
  to be attractive; adjust the sell price to 
  the campaign.
  heAvy	lIFtIng!
  Here are ways for adventurers 
  who aren’t half-ogre barbarians to lug items 
  too heavy for ordinary packs (max. 100 lbs.), litters (200 
  lbs.), or wheelbarrows (350 lbs.). In all cases, add the weight of 
  these items to cargo weight, and use the total Basic Lift of all bearers to assess 
  encumbrance.
  Cart . Up to four people can manhandle a two-wheeled cart. Carries 1,200 
  lbs. Divides effective weight by 10. Exceptionally noisy: +3 to wandering-mon-
  ster checks. $340, 600 lbs.
  Chest on Poles . A large wooden chest (Adventurers, p. 111) holds 400 lbs.; 
  it’s $200, 40 lbs. Two 6’ poles (add $10, 6 lbs.) allow two bearers; two 10’ poles 
  (add $16, 10 lbs.) permit four bearers.
  Heavy Litter . Similar to the standard litter (Adventurers, p. 111), but sup-
  ports 500 lbs. Includes longer poles to accommodate four bearers. $250, 60 lbs.
  Heavy Wheelbarrow . A scaled-up version of the usual model (Adventurers, 
  p. 112) hauls 500 lbs. Divides effective weight by 5. Only convenient for one 
  person. Noisy: +1 to wandering-monster checks. $100, 25 lbs.
  Wagon . Up to four people can move a four-wheeled wagon (Exploits, p. 16). 
  Shifts only 1,000 lbs., but divides effective weight by 20. More stable and less 
  noisy than a cart: +2 to wandering-monster checks. $680, 680 lbs.
  
  18	
  mAgIC	Item s
  oudou
  “This mask is definitely linked to totemic magic,” 
  Zephyra declared, still touchy after the Gorilla Club affair .
  “Then we should definitely destroy it,” concluded 
  Miriam, cheerlessly .
  Both looked at Grükuk, who shrugged . “Nothing to 
  do with orcs, sorry .”
  Ælin nodded . “Neither is it evil, tho’ we’d surely 
  regret smashing it .”
  Oudou was here before Man. Oudou shall remain 
  after the last human – indeed, the last human-
  oid – has returned to the Earth. Oudou abides.
  This mask is an embodiment of a spirit. As an 
  object, it’s considered ornate wooden (see box) armor, 
  giving the face DR 3 from the front and granting +3 
  reactions not from buyers, but from believers (Oudou 
  doesn’t have “worshipers”): horde pygmies, jungle 
  goblins, headhunters, etc.
  Wearing Oudou means Oudou wears you . You’re 
  mostly yourself, with differences .
  Oudou 
  predates 
  “technology,” 
  so 
  artificial 
  minds – whether magical or fantastically complex 
  gnomish calculating machines – simply don’t see it. 
  While acting inoffensively, the wearer is ignored by con-
  struct-class monsters (bronze spiders, obsidian jaguars, 
  and golems of all sorts). Treat this as a free Invisibility spell 
  (Spells, p. 47), but it’s limited to constructs, and only hostile 
  action against constructs ends it for the encounter.
  Oudou is attuned to growing things. Identical “invisibility” 
  extends to plant-class monsters: They ignore the wearer until 
  that person takes hostile action against them, at which point 
  all plants on the battlefield can sense that individual.
  Oudou has always been there. If the wearer remains com-
  pletely still amid vegetation (jungle, swampland, and wood-
  lands always count; arctic, desert, mountain, and plains rarely 
  do; town and indoors never do), they’re overlooked as part 
  of the landscape. This works like a maximum-strength Hide 
  spell (Spells, p. 47): observers have -5 to spot that person, who 
  ignores -5 to Stealth when backstabbing.
  The downside? Oudou brooks no 
  trifling with Nature. The wearer suf-
  fers from Sense of Duty (Nature); 
  see Adventurers, p. 66. If they 
  already have that, they gain Fanat-
  icism (Adventurers, p. 60) and put 
  Nature ahead of everything – includ-
  ing companions, quests, and other 
  behavioral disadvantages. They’ll 
  kill and die for Nature.
  The wearer can remove Oudou. 
  If they normally lack Sense of Duty 
  (Nature), make a self-control roll at 
  12; failure allows another attempt 
  in an hour. For those with Sense of 
  Duty (Nature), the roll is at 6! Allies 
  can try unmasking the user, but this 
  elicits a violent response; that per-
  son must fight back, exactly as if 
  battling monsters.
  Oudou is tough (it’s armor), 
  but can be smashed by major 
  force; e.g., dropped into a vol-
  cano or dwarven wood chipper. 
  This is a terrible idea. Unembod-
  ied, Oudou becomes a hostile 
  spirit guardian (Monsters, p. 52) 
  with double ST, double HP, and 
  an unlimited domain! It tosses 
  around the sacrilegious with ST 34 
  and pummels them for 3d+1 crush-
  ing until exorcised or destroyed.
  Oudou is a druidic item, but 
  Nature’s strength doesn’t affect 
  its capabilities. Its value as a dru-
  idic power item reflects that it’s an 
  embodied spirit, not a wooden mask.
  Sell Price: $35,000.
  Weight: 3 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 2 FP for most 
  users, 16 FP for druids (and tribal shamans).
  Treasure!
  Oudou You . Since delvers rarely sic constructs and plants 
  on enemies, and a one-off backstabbing isn’t terribly impres-
  sive, have Oudou influence adventure design: The boss leads 
  tribesmen because they’re in awe of the mask (+3 to reac-
  tions), and though this foe can’t necessarily control constructs 
  or plants, that person can walk into areas guarded by such 
  monsters and do nefarious deeds in peace while the heroes 
  must fight. If the enemy is a druid, Oudou’s high power-item 
  capacity increases the challenge.
  new	Armor	mAterIAl:	wood
  Pieces of durable wood laced together and screwed into sliding frameworks, 
  much like segmented plate. Made thick enough to stop blows, it’s heavier than 
  most other armor – but also cheaper per point of DR than all other armor. Not 
  being metal, it isn’t weak to lightning (nor fire, no more so than cloth or leather) 
  and doesn’t double reaction penalties in town (it’s “quaint,” not menacing).
   Armor 
  DR 
  Head 
  Body 
  Arms 
  Hands 
  Legs 
  Feet 
  Suit
    
   
  (Full Face)
   Wood 
  3 
  $25 (+$10) 
  $105 
  $50 
  $10 
  $75 
  $35 
  $300
   weight 
   
  7.5 (+3) 
  31.5 
  15 
  3 
  22.5 
  10.5 
  90
  
  	
  mAgIC	Item s	
  19
  PortAble	Purveyor
  Argua cradled the unconscious Sir Yvor and Francesco in 
  either arm .
  Samar looked dismayed . “Two down, including 
  the healer . I hope the others escaped . I don’t 
  suppose you have any healing potions?”
  Argua pulled out a dainty pouch . 
  “Nope, but bard loaned me pervertor .”
  Samar raised an eyebrow . “Time to 
  loot the bodies .”
  A bottomless purse (Adventur-
  ers, p. 118) must be stocked in advance. 
  The Amazing Backpack (Magic Items 2, p. 4) 
  provides free goods, but rarely what you need. The 
  Portable Purveyor is another option: it converts money 
  into essential supplies.
  Operation requires two free hands but is so simple a half-
  ogre could do it: Take out the pouch (Ready), whisper your 
  order into it (Concentrate), and feed in standard coins equal 
  to the goods’ price (each Ready maneuver lets you shovel in 
  one coin per pound of Basic Lift; e.g., Argua, with BL 97, 
  could deposit $97/turn in copper or $1,940/turn in silver). On 
  your next turn, your delivery arrives, along with any change; 
  removing either from the pouch is a Ready maneuver.
  The Purveyor’s inventory is limited to specific consum-
  ables useful to adventurers and restricted by the pouch’s 
  three-pound weight capacity, though not by volume . A bun-
  dle of small, everyday items takes a single transaction; specify 
  count when ordering, to the maximum noted below. Extraor-
  dinary goods must be ordered individually and aren’t guaran-
  teed available (if unavailable, the pouch whispers, “Sorry!”). 
  Everything is of basic quality for its kind.
  The price list:
  Acid (one grenade): $10.*
  Alchemist’s fire (one grenade): $100.†
  Alchemist’s matches (tin of 50): $15.*
  Arrows, fire (max. 30): $4/arrow.
  Arrows, regular, bodkin, or cutting (max. 30): $2/arrow.
  Atlatl/throwing darts (max. 3): $20/dart.
  Bandages (max. 3): $10/roll.
  Blinding powder (one grenade): $300.‡
  Blowpipe darts (max. 60): $0.10/dart.
  Bolts, fire (max. 50): $4/bolt.
  Bolts, regular, bodkin, or cutting (max. 50): $2/bolt.
  Caltrops (one hex): $5.*
  Candles, beeswax (max. 3): $5/candle.
  Candles, tallow (max. 3): $0.50/candle.
  Chalk (max. 12): $1/stick.
  Glow vial (one): $30.*
  Glue (one grenade): $60.*
  Healing potion, greater (one): $1,000.‡
  Healing potion, major (one): $350.†
  Healing potion, minor (one): $120.*
  Lead bullets/pellets (max. 50): $0.10/projectile.
  Liquid ice (one grenade): $250.†
  Monster drool (one dose): $20.*
  Nageteppo, flash (one): $40.*
  Nageteppo, smoke (one): $40.*
  Oil, lantern (max. 3): $2/pint.
  Oozing doom (one grenade): $100.†
  Paper (max. 60): $1/sheet.
  Paut (one dose): $135.*
  Rations (max. 6): $2/meal.
  Scroll, universal, charged, Major  
   Healing, 8 HP (one): $400.‡
  Shaped rocks (max. 3): $1/rock.
  Shaped stones (max. 60): $0.05/stone.
  Torches (max. 3): $3/torch.
  Visibility dust (one grenade): $50.*
  * Available on 12 or less on 3d, -1 per previous purchase 
  attempt (to a minimum of 3), regenerating to 12 at +1 per day 
  left between purchase attempts. Luck can affect the roll.
  † As above, but maximum availability 10.
  ‡ As above, but maximum availability 8.
  Prices are fixed and unaffected by any of the buyer’s per-
  sonal traits. They must be paid in copper, silver, and gold 
  coins – not in exotic metals (billon, tumbaga, electrum, plat-
  inum, etc.), nor in gems, goods, or anything besides money .
  The Purveyor can also exchange standard coins. Dump in 
  some money. The Purveyor takes a 5% commission. Then 
  specify what denominations it returns. For instance, if you 
  deposited 1,000 copper, 500 silver ($11,000, 30 lbs.), it would 
  dock $550 and you could withdraw the $10,450 balance as 
  26 gold, 2 silver, 10 copper (0.76 lb.). It neither accepts nor 
  returns partial or exotic coins.
  The Purveyor requires sanctity to work. “Heaven pro-
  vides!” exclaim the faithful. The conspicuous unavailability of 
  traditional countermeasures against Evil (garlic, wolfsbane, 
  holy water, etc.) leads cynics to suspect the artifact is actu-
  ally a passage to Hell. Items left in it for more than a minute 
  vanish forever.
  Sell Price: $51,000.
  Weight: 0.2 lb.
  Power-Item Capacity: 1 FP.
  Treasure!
  Boom And Bust . The Purveyor is a good plot device to 
  explain why intelligent, tool-using monsters are pillaging coin, 
  yet monster-slayers are fighting opponents who have grenades, 
  poison, potions, and plentiful ammo, but no cash. The boss 
  should be canny . Delvers who capture the Purveyor will proba-
  bly visit town infrequently and carry only weight-efficient gold. 
  They’ll also enjoy no discounts on purchases and lose money 
  on exchanges, so it’s no free lunch – but it is a big change.
  
  20	
  mAgIC	Item s
  the	stomPers
  Uncle Seamus finished his analysis and spoke . “How curious! 
  These boots possess a magic I have never encountered .”
  “But what do they do? Make you faster? Sneakier?” 
  asked Puddin’ . “I mean, they’re the work of gnomes, so 
  they’re superior in some way .”
  “I believe they are intended to be a weapon,” Seamus 
  replied .
  Everybody looked at Masha, who in turn gazed down 
  at her blood-caked footwear and remarked, “They do 
  sound like my kind of kicks,” then added, “and the orcs 
  call your magic ‘chi,’ Uncle Seamus .”
  Grükuk mused, “Not that either of us is fluent, but 
  I’m pretty sure that word isn’t Orcish .”
  The Stompers are an obviously well-made and 
  expensive (though not attractive!) pair of leather boots 
  boasting every gnomish addition to the cordwainer’s 
  art. They don’t just look more complex than the “leg-
  gings with soles” that pass as boots for most folk – they 
  are . The time to don or remove each one is 6 seconds 
  rather than the usual 3; see Long Actions (Exploits, 
  p. 32). The first thing viewers with Chi Talent notice, 
  however, is that they’re crackling with elemental 
  energy; this is evident on a successful Perception + Chi 
  Talent roll.
  As protection, the Stompers count as fine-quality heavy 
  leather foot armor (DR 2). A system of buckles and laces 
  allows any SM 0 humanoid to adjust them to fit, bypassing 
  the usual rules for fitting into fine-quality armor. They also 
  carry a version of the Fortify enchantment that draws on the 
  wearer’s chi – not standard wizardly magic – to grant the feet 
  (only) additional DR equal to Chi Talent level.
  The Stompers give +1 to kicking damage just like any DR 
  2+ footwear (Adventurers, p. 108) – but here, too, chi makes 
  them better. Wearers with Chi Talent may add half its level, 
  rounded up, to damage. Including the bonus for heavy boots, 
  this totals +2 kicking damage at Chi Talent 1-2, +3 at Chi 
  Talent 3-4, or +4 at Chi Talent 5-6.
  The only mixed blessing (other than complicated fasten-
  ers!) is that the Stompers are hobnailed; see Adventurers, 
  p. 111. While this cancels the -2 to attack and -1 to defend 
  for Bad Footing (Exploits, p. 35), it also gives -1 to Stealth 
  vs. Hearing, and makes the boots a pound heavier despite 
  their fine cut. It isn’t possible to pry out the nails without 
  destroying the Stompers’ magic.
  The Stompers’ special powers rely on the user’s chi, not 
  on any external supernatural energy. They work even in areas 
  completely without mana, Nature’s strength, or sanctity – but 
  they’re only truly special for wearers with Chi Talent.
  Sell Price: $37,000 to a martial-arts monastery, but at most 
  $750 for fancy boots to other buyers.
  Weight: 4.1 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 7 FP.
  Treasure!
  Fight You For It! The Stompers are a treasure best intro-
  duced in the bad guys’ hands – or in this case, on their feet. 
  An evil martial artist, either the boss in their own right or a 
  loyal henchman, is the ideal wearer. This opponent should 
  have high Karate, Chi Talent 6, Dragon Skin to augment the 
  Stompers’ high DR, and all of Mantis Strike, Seven Secret 
  Kicks, and Unarmed Master to hit harder. In a hurry, just 
  adapt Masha’s character sheet (Delvers To Go, p. 8), raising 
  Chi Talent to 6 and Karate to 20, and replacing her boots 
  (which give DR 4 and +1 to kicking damage at 8.4 lbs.) with 
  the Stompers (DR 8 and +4 to kicking damage for 4.1 lbs.).
  New Armor Modifier: Gnomish
  Manually adjusts to fit anyone of the SM for which it 
  was made, with no need for the Armory roll in Fixer-Up-
  pers (Exploits, p. 15) – even if fine! An Armory roll at -5 
  adjusts it to someone one SM smaller (not larger). Dou-
  bles the time to don or remove the armor. Any leather 
  armor for humanoids. +4 CF.
  
  	
  monsters	
  21
  These monsters are a diverse lot. Centaurs (pp. 24-25) and 
  harpies (pp. 28-29) come from classical myth. The warhog 
  (pp. 32-33) is a giant version of a real animal, while the astuca 
  (pp. 22-23) are sapient insect-folk; similar beings abound 
  in fiction and games. The elastoid (pp. 26-27) and osisizo 
  (pp. 30-31) occupy familiar niches in the fantasy ecosystem 
  but weren’t inspired by earlier sources – they’re weirdness 
  unique to the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game.
  The questions “How many monsters show up?” and 
  “What loot do they have?” are left open. As Monsters 
  explains, it’s the GM’s job to answer those in a way that 
  suits the story, the setting, and the delvers’ options (fight, 
  negotiate, trick, avoid, etc.). A starving osisizo hunting 
  party far from home could be small, counting on surprise, 
  and carrying nothing of value . . . but osisizo mercenaries 
  hired by the Temple of Greed might appear in an oversized, 
  overfed, overconfident horde that guards untold riches.
  Still, unlike the creatures in Monsters, which occupy 
  2/3 of a page on average, these ones enjoy two full pages 
  apiece. The extra space holds additional 
  advice on tactics and background to 
  help the GM plan a battle – or a 
  world . Each entry ends with adven-
  ture seeds that could spark anything 
  from combat encounters, through 
  side-quests, to full-on scenarios.
  Social Monsters
  Despite major differences, these 
  races share the possibility of a more 
  civilized context than a dungeon. 
  Though they might not be as tough as 
  delvers individually, consider:
  • Astuca have a complex civilization, albeit one alien 
  to humanoids. Every member of this regimented hive-
  race serves a monarch who commands the resources of an 
  empire . Defeating a patrol could be interpreted as declaring 
  war, no matter who struck first.
  • Warhogs are often met as mounts for the “equestrian” 
  class of the orcs, who have a rough-but-organized society. 
  Centaurs are proud, cultured, and territorial . Osisizi are a 
  race of mercenaries. In all three cases, a tribe or warband 
  with brutal ideas of honor and vengeance is never far away.
  • Harpies aren’t a military threat but are adept harass-
  ers who find safety in numbers. A rock-bombing campaign 
  isn’t a fight to win – it’s a problem to solve.
  • Elastoids form organized ambush parties. They’re also a 
  mystery. If they actually serve Elder Things, an “easy” victory 
  could be a prelude to an unscheduled boss fight.
  reAdIng	monster	stAts
  The creatures in this chapter use a uniform stats format:
  ST, DX, IQ, HT, HP, Will, Per, FP, Speed, and Move: 
  Basic attributes and secondary characteristics mean 
  exactly what they do for heroes. Creatures with IQ 6+ can 
  understand language and use tools. Move is ground Move 
  except as noted.
  SM: Size Modifier affects all rolls to hit the monster. 
  If larger than 0, Multi-Hex Figures (Monsters, pp. 7-8) 
  applies and the energy cost to use Regular spells on the 
  creature is multiplied by (1 + SM). The monster’s stats 
  already reflect the effects of long limbs on Move, reach, etc.
   Dodge and Parry: Defenses are prefigured from 
  DX, Basic Speed, and melee combat skills, and 
  already include any Combat Reflexes bonus.
  DR: Total DR from all sources. The GM can 
  always increase this by adding armor, Armor spells, 
  and other protection.
  Attacks: Listed by name. No matter how many 
  options appear, a monster can attack just once 
  unless noted otherwise. The number in parenthe-
  ses is effective skill. The given skill, damage, reach, 
  and so on already factor in the effects of the being’s 
  other stats (attributes, SM, advantages, skills, etc.).
  Traits: Important advantages or disadvantages, 
  including special ones from Monsters, pp. 9-14 or 
  defined in the monster’s notes. For brevity’s sake, DR 
  and attacks aren’t listed a second time. “Color” traits don’t 
  appear at all; the GM can add them if important.
  Skills: Skills possessed by all monsters of this type. 
  Levels already reflect the effects of permanent modifiers 
  from advantages and disadvantages. Exceptional speci-
  mens might have different skills. Beings with IQ 6+ can 
  learn almost any skill!
  Class: See Monster Classes (Monsters, p. 14).
  Notes: Details of complex traits; notes on equipment; 
  whether the monster will negotiate; and any exceptions to 
  the listed stats or these guidelines.
  ChAPter	two
  monsters!
  
  22	
  monsters
  AstuCum
  Astuca (singular: astucum) are one of many intelligent 
  subterranean races commonly called “insect-folk.” Like 
  centaurs (pp. 24-25), they move on four legs and have an 
  upright upper body with two arms. Their physiology is uni-
  formly insectoid, though, not hybrid, and their upper limbs 
  end in oversized pincers, not hands. An armored carapace, 
  sealed against acid and poison (and protecting even the eyes) 
  rounds out the package.
  Communications between astuca and humanoid races 
  are minimal. The two have such radically different modes 
  of speech – astuca using the ultrahigh frequencies that let 
  them “see” in total darkness – that mutual comprehension 
  is possible only via Gift of Tongues, Telepathy, or similar 
  magic. Even then, humanoid and astucan minds are worlds 
  apart: Each party must roll vs. IQ once per piece of informa-
  tion they attempt to convey; those with Cultural Adaptability 
  make their roll at +3. Success on both rolls gets the message 
  across, one failure indicates a simple inability to communi-
  cate (repeated attempts waste time and incur a cumulative 
  -1), and a double failure – or any critical failure – means a 
  disastrous misunderstanding that provokes violence from 
  the astuca.
  Which gets to the other problem with astuca: They’re 
  extremely territorial, and regard humanoids in their 
  homes – and delvers encountering astuca are likely invad-
  ing astucan tunnels – not as intelligent life but as pests, to 
  be exterminated. Some sages explain this attitude and astu-
  can alienness with the theory that the insect-folk serve Elder 
  Things. Difficulties in communication make learning the 
  truth unlikely.
  Like many insect races, astuca have physically distinct 
  castes. Three are described below; there may be others, along 
  with a queen or king who rules the lot (though that’s conjec-
  ture). Patrols encountered underground generally include 
  members of all three classes – and outnumber their rivals 2:1 
  when dispatched to deal with known invaders.
  Warrior
  Most astuca met by adventurers are aggressive fighters of 
  limited intellect.
  ST: 13 
  HP: 13 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 12 
  Will: 12 
  Move: 6/12
  IQ: 8 
  Per: 10
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 10 
  Parry: 12 (¥2) 
  DR: 6
  Pincer (16): 1d+4 cutting. Treat as weapon, not as body part, 
  both to attack and parry! Any hit counts as a grapple with 
  effective ST 19 (thanks to Arm ST and Wrestling), even if 
  it doesn’t penetrate DR. This lets the astucum roll dam-
  age as a free action each turn until victim breaks free. 
  Reach C, 1.
  Traits: Arm ST 4; Chummy; Code of Honor (see notes); Com-
  bat Reflexes; Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Legs (Four 
  Legs); High Pain Threshold; Intolerance (Other intelligent 
  races); Nictitating Membrane 6; No Fine Manipulators; 
  Peripheral Vision; Sealed; Sonar (20 yards).
  Skills: Brawling-16; Wrestling-16.
  Class: Mundane?
  Notes: Can parry using either pincer as though it were a 
  weapon, and leaves one free for this; it attacks until it hits 
  and grapples an opponent, then hangs on and does damage 
  as a free action while using its empty pincer to slash (but 
  not grab) enemies who get close. Code of Honor means 
  warriors value the lives of members of other castes over 
  their own, never break ranks, and never abandon their 
  wounded. Unlikely to negotiate owing to Intolerance and 
  differences in language.
  Monitor
  Monitors are trackers, tacticians, and intelligence-gather-
  ers. Smaller and smarter than warriors, they have a flawless 
  sense of direction, keen senses, long-ranged sonar, and the 
  skills to utilize the tricks in “Onward to Victory!” (Exploits, 
  p. 57). They lead patrols to invaders and then search the 
  enemy casualties for clues. Most distressingly, they use ten-
  tacles near their mouthparts to suck information from the 
  minds of (safely grappled!) opponents, and may order war-
  riors to take captives for “interrogation.”
  ST: 12 
  HP: 12 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 12 
  Will: 12 
  Move: 6/12
  IQ: 10 
  Per: 14
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 9 
  Parry: 10 (¥2) 
  DR: 5
  Pincer (14): As warrior, but 1d+3 cutting and effective ST 15 
  (thanks to Arm ST).
  Tentacles (14): Only against living targets who can’t make 
  weapon parries; e.g., enemies grappled by both arms. Each 
  turn, roll a Quick Contest: Interrogation vs. victim’s Will. 
  Victory extracts a succinct (at most 10 words) but com-
  pletely truthful answer to a brief question (ditto); a tie 
  achieves nothing, but doesn’t increment the penalty for 
  repeated attempts; loss gives a cumulative -1 to repeated 
  attempts.
  Traits: Absolute Direction; Arm ST 3; Born War-Leader 2; 
  Chummy; Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Legs (Four 
  Legs); High Pain Threshold; Intolerance (Other intelligent 
  races); Nictitating Membrane 5; No Fine Manipulators; 
  Peripheral Vision; Sealed; Sonar (40 yards).
  Skills: Brawling-14; Interrogation-12; Leadership-12; Obser-
  vation-14; Search-14; Stealth-14; Strategy-12; Tactics-12; 
  Tracking-14.
  Class: Mundane?
  
  	
  monsters	
  23
  Notes: Attacks the arms of a humanoid foe until it grapples 
  both, and then uses tentacles instead of inflicting ongo-
  ing damage. Tentacle interrogations aren’t affected by the 
  rules for humanoid-astuca communications. May nego-
  tiate – if the terms include the other party submitting to 
  interrogation.
  Deep Thinker
  The smallest and smartest of the standard castes, deep 
  thinkers are magic-wielders. Despite being more intelligent 
  than monitors, they never lead patrols. They support the unit, 
  casting Earth to Air and Shape Earth to help the patrol move 
  around; Detect Magic, Earth Vision, and Sense Life to find 
  beings and items of interest; Haste, Major Healing, and Shield 
  to assist allies in combat; Entombment, Glue, and Slow on 
  foes; and Walk Through Earth to flee losing battles. They also 
  use their knowledge of arcane subjects to alert associates to 
  enemy spells and artifacts.
  ST: 11 
  HP: 11 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 12 
  Will: 14 
  Move: 6/12
  IQ: 12 
  Per: 12
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 9 
  Parry: 10 (¥2) 
  DR: 4
  Pincer (14): As warrior, but 1d+2 cutting, effective ST 13 
  (thanks to Arm ST), and reach C.
  Traits: Arm ST 2; Chummy; Deep Wisdom 3 (see notes); 
  Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Legs (Four Legs); High 
  Pain Threshold; Intolerance (Other intelligent races); 
  Nictitating Membrane 4; No Fine Manipulators; 
  Peripheral Vision; Sealed; Sonar (20 yards).
  Skills: Brawling-14; Hidden Lore (Magic Items)-12; 
  Hidden Lore (Magical Writings)-12; Occult-
  ism-12; Thaumatology-12; and several spells 
  at skill 15: Detect Magic, Dispel Magic, 
  Earth to Air, Earth Vision, Entombment, 
  Glue, Haste, Major Healing, Purify 
  Earth, Recover Energy, Sense Life, 
  Shape Earth, Shield, Slow, and Walk 
  Through Earth.
  Class: Mundane?
  Notes: Avoids melee combat. Deep 
  Wisdom is something like Power 
  Investiture (Druidic), but instead 
  of spells being penalized away 
  from wilderness, they’re at 
  -10 above ground, -5 in 
  caves open to the sur-
  face, no modifier 
  underground, 
  and +1 to +5 
  in 
  certain 
  deep places 
  (close to the 
  queen/king?). 
  Some powerful casters have Energy Reserves and/or power 
  items, and no one but the astuca knows the full range of 
  spells available, or their prerequisites. Unlikely to negotiate 
  owing to Intolerance and differences in language.
  Astucum Adventure Seeds
  Bug Out! The PCs are visiting a major subterranean out-
  post – e.g., dwarven town, “under city” of a surface settlement, 
  or mega-dungeon’s “safe zone” – when somebody import-
  ant approaches with an urgent plea: A top official was just 
  abducted by a large astucan patrol at the outskirts. It’s pru-
  dent to assume that monitors have learned enough to mount 
  an invasion. The adventurers’ job is to keep that information 
  from reaching whatever the astuca serve. The insect-folk are 
  swift, but there’s a deep, secret shaft the heroes can use to head 
  them off. Why a covert route into astucan territory exists is an 
  excellent question, the answer to which may explain the kid-
  napping. While the quest-givers are unlikely to take “no” for 
  an answer, they may be desperate enough to share truths that 
  resourceful delvers could exploit.
  Royal Delegation . Astuca approach a humanoid settlement 
  under a flag of truce. With difficulty, the Wizards’ Guild learns 
  of a horrific menace in the depths, against which the astuca 
  are offering a temporary alliance. Astucan leaders will give 
  the full details only to a humanoid delegation that appears 
  in person – and the astuca want the delvers for this, because 
  actual officials are probably spies. The 
  authorities offer to pay the adventur-
  ers handsomely to accept. The mission 
  will involve a long journey, battles 
  with a shadowy enemy, and “volun-
  tary” tentacle interrogations. And the 
  heroes won’t know what the threat is 
  until they reach their destination.
  	
  monsters	
  23
  
  CentAur
  Centaurs need little introduction; anyone who has ever 
  left town has seen one. But for the pasty few who’ve lived a 
  sheltered life: A centaur resembles a mid-sized horse with its 
  head and neck replaced by a muscular humanoid upper body 
  (torso, arms, neck, and head).
  It’s widely accepted that this improbable combination 
  (raising knotty questions about spinal columns and diges-
  tive systems) was the product of divine intervention rather 
  than the wizardly meddling customarily blamed for hybrids. 
  It’s less clear which deity did the deed. The truth is also lost 
  regarding whether it was a reward to a steppe-warrior culture, 
  who deemed it a blessing; a wish granted literal-mindedly and 
  with mixed consequences; or outright retribution. Regardless, 
  today’s centaurs are a proud race who seek no pity for their 
  “condition” and who react poorly to talk of men mating with 
  horses (insinuations that centaurs do so are fighting words).
  Centaurs are hunters to the last, but that’s just how they 
  survive. Despite pernicious rumors, they don’t hunt and eat 
  intelligent beings, and many take pride in hunting down the 
  kinds of monsters that do. However, they’re also nomads who 
  require a lot of living space, and who are protective of 
  territory they consider theirs, which leads them to 
  cross swords with expansionist societies . . . whose 
  rulers find it convenient to portray them as mon-
  sters. An upshot of this is a mistrust of the “civ-
  ilization” – especially the cities – of dwarves, 
  elves, humans, and other humanoids.
  Thus, adventurers sometimes come to 
  blows with centaurs for reasons tied to 
  politics more than anything else: They 
  blunder through centaur lands on some 
  quest on behalf of humanoid civiliza-
  tion, and are soon corralled by the 
  centaurs and accused of being spies 
  or raiders. That said, bands of 
  centaur renegades are 
  found wherever centaurs have been forced into the margins 
  by defeat, and four-legged, two-armed hunters are sufficiently 
  deadly bandits – easily as effective as professional cav-
  alry – that they soon end up with high prices on their heads.
  Still, delvers who are respectful and not doing evil (or 
  carrying out missions against the centaurs!) may encounter 
  centaurs in the countryside as merchants, healers, and other 
  good folk.
  ST: 13 
  HP: 21 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 12 
  Will: 11 
  Move: 6/12
  IQ: 10 
  Per: 12
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: +1
  Dodge: 9 
  Parry: 9 
  DR: 0
  Hooves (12): 2d+4 crushing. Reach C, 1.
  Punch (14): 1d crushing. Reach C.
  Regular Bow (13): 1d+1 impaling. Ranged, with Acc 2, 1/2D 
  195, Max 260, Shots 1(2), Bulk -7.
  Spear (13): 1d+3 impaling. Reach 1, 2*.
  Traits: Enhanced Move (Ground); Extra Legs (Four 
  Legs); Intolerance (Expansionist, urbanized “civili-
  zation”); Lifting ST 8; Striking ST 8 (Lower Body); 
  Temperature Tolerance 1 (Cold); Vow (Own no 
  more than what can be carried).
  Skills: Bow-13; Brawl-
  ing-14; Running-13; 
  Spear-13; 
  Survival 
  (Plains)-13.
  Class: Mundane.
  Notes: Has a spear, a regu-
  lar bow, 20 regular arrows, and 
  a hip quiver (really more like a 
  cavalry quiver). A centaur with this 
  gear is unencumbered. While 
  non-warriors would have 
  DX 10-11, and com-
  bat skills reduced 
  to match, ST 13+ 
  and HT 12+ are 
  close to univer-
  sal; centaur heroes 
  could easily have 
  higher scores across 
  the board, and better 
  gear, though armor is unlikely. 
  Centaur sages are common, with IQ 11+, 
  Magery or Power Investiture 1-3, and 
  whatever spells suit their social role. Cen-
  taurs are rational, not evil by nature, and 
  as willing as humans to make deals – just 
  not deals they feel might result in their 
  lands being spied on, raided, or seized.
  24	
  monsters
  
  	
  monsters	
  25
  Centaur Adventure Seeds
  For The Cause! A centaur nation – by headcount a good-
  sized city, by land area five times the territory needed to 
  feed such a city if it were populated by humans – is on the 
  brink of being squeezed 
  out by humanoid authori-
  ties: a greedy guild or tem-
  ple, the ruler of whatever 
  town the heroes call home 
  base, or even the King. The 
  result is war. The PCs are 
  welcome to take sides in 
  this conflict. If they fight 
  for “civilization,” they’ll be 
  paid a handsome bounty 
  based on the number of centaur tails they bring back. If they 
  take the centaurs’ side, they’ll be branded Scum and Villainy 
  (Exploits, p. 14) or worse . . . but they’ll also get a benefit 
  only the centaurs can provide, such as a troop of centaur 
  NPCs willing to fight by the heroes’ side on outdoor adven-
  tures for the rest of their career!
  The Exception To The Rule . Most centaurs are decent, if 
  not good; even when angry, it’s for obvious and understand-
  able reasons. Not these centaurs. A centaur 
  bandit chief has decided the PCs make a 
  good target. On the way to a dungeon where 
  the whole trip might normally be summed 
  up by Getting There Quickly (Exploits, p. 17), 
  the GM will harass the travelers with several 
  wandering-monster encounters (Exploits, 
  p. 85) per day – and be very strict about 
  fatigue from Travel (Exploits, p. 64). The 
  heroes can stop the attacks only if they 
  defeat every last bandit (decide how many 
  centaurs are in the band, and keep track of casualties) or fig-
  ure out what the enemy leader wants . . . which might be an 
  item from a previous quest, turning back from the current 
  one, or possibly to capture a party member who has ties to a 
  centauricidal organization back in civilization.
  CentAur	delvers
  Some players would love to play centaurs! While this 
  is possible, realize that a centaur’s size means they will 
  require extra food, won’t have much luck finding armor, 
  and won’t fit in narrow passages. It’s up to the GM 
  whether this balances superhuman carrying capacity, 
  ground speed, and kicking damage (the average centaur 
  has a Basic Lift of 88 lbs., runs at Move 10, and kicks for 
  2d+2 damage).
  As racial cost is high (100 points), centaurs cannot 
  use standard professional templates. Instead, they pick a 
  profession and spend their last 150 points – plus points 
  from personal disadvantages (up to 50 points) and quirks 
  (up to 5 points) – on the attributes, advantages, and skills 
  it raises or offers. They’re required to take advantages 
  and skills not worded as choices. For instance, a centaur 
  cleric must spend 54 points on Clerical Investment, Power 
  Investiture, and fixed skills (Diagnosis, Esoteric Medicine, 
  Exorcism, First Aid, Hidden Lore, Meditation, Occultism, 
  Public Speaking, Religious Ritual, Surgery, Teaching, and 
  Theology), and may raise ST, DX, IQ, or HT, buy other 
  advantages and Holy abilities, and learn spells and the 
  remaining skills.
  Centaur
  Racial Cost: 100 points
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+3 [30]; HT+2 [20].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM +1; HP+8 [16]; 
  Will+1 [5]; Per+2 [10].
  Advantages: Enhanced Move (Ground) [20]; Extra Legs 
  (Four Legs) [5]; Hooves [3]; Lifting ST 8 [24]; Striking 
  ST 8 (Lower Body) [16]; Temperature Tolerance 1 
  (Cold) [1].
  Disadvantages: Bulky [-35]; Intolerance (Expansionist, 
  urbanized “civilization”) [-5]; Vow (Own no more than 
  what can be carried) [-10].
  Features: Armor isn’t interchangeable with human armor. 
  Equine lower body, with hair, hooves, and a tail.
  Special Centaur Traits
  Bulky: Your SM +1 gives enemies +1 to attack and Vision 
  rolls against you. You need five times the usual amount 
  of food (meaning $30 and 7.5 lbs. of rations daily). If 
  you get armor made, body and leg protection cost and 
  weigh double (head, arm, and hand armor are unaf-
  fected), and you cannot have foot armor. The GM may 
  rule that if a horse couldn’t negotiate a gap, tunnel, 
  bridge, etc., neither can you.
  Enhanced Move (Ground): Double ground Move when 
  traveling out of combat and instead of adding +1 move-
  ment point when sprinting (Exploits, p. 33) in combat.
  Extra Legs (Four Legs): Identical to monster ability of 
  the same name; see Monsters, p. 10.
  Hooves: Kicks inflict +1 damage per die . You cannot wear 
  footwear but get DR 1 on your feet, cumulative with 
  DR from special abilities or spells.
  Lifting ST and Temperature Tolerance: Identical to bar-
  barian abilities of the same name; see Adventurers, 
  p. 16.
  Striking ST (Lower Body): Add this ST bonus to cal-
  culate damage with kicks and slams . It never benefits 
  weapons, shield bashes, bites, or punches.
  Centaurs are 
  Nature’s knights.
  – Llandor the Gray, 
  Scout
  
  26	
  monsters
  elAstoId
  Elastoids are one of innumerable gray-skinned, hairless, 
  man-sized races delvers may encounter deep underground. 
  What makes them noteworthy is their flesh: They’re made of 
  rubbery stuff that can stretch, and stretch, . . . and stretch. 
  It’s also difficult to damage; weak attacks bounce off (DR 2), 
  while against powerful ones it deforms and then snaps back 
  or “melts” to seal the wound (Injury Reduction, dividing all 
  injury by 3).
  Another fascinating aspect 
  of elastoid physiology is that 
  while these creatures aren’t 
  precisely strong (though 
  they’re 
  hardly 
  weak), 
  they can invest energy 
  over time to stretch 
  out an arm, and then release that energy in a swift, power-
  ful slap. In combat, “charging up” involves Ready maneuvers 
  before attacking. Visualize this like a crossbow, which some-
  one of merely modest strength can cock slowly and then use 
  to ram a bolt through plate armor.
  What makes elastoids particularly annoying to adven-
  turers is that they can cling to walls and ceilings thanks to 
  suckers on their extremities. An elastoid ambush party lurks 
  out of reach overhead, repeatedly charging up and unleash-
  ing long-range slaps; this is Attacking from Above (Exploits, 
  p. 38), but elastoids are adapted to this tactic and aren’t at -2 
  to hit. The fact that they can see perfectly in the dark means 
  they prefer areas where the ceiling isn’t just high but also 
  completely in shadow.
   The obvious counter 
  to clinging elastoids is 
  to riddle them with 
  arrows, but be aware 
  that they’re Homoge-
  neous (Exploits, p. 55), 
  meaning that in addi-
  tion to having no brain 
  or vitals to target, pen-
  etrating impaling dam-
  age is halved rather than 
  doubled. With their Injury 
  Reduction, impaling injury is 
  just 1/6 of the damage that pen-
  etrates DR! They’re poison-resistant, 
  too; don’t count on poison to make up for 
  lost injury. Closing the gap to fight them in 
  melee combat is a better option, just don’t 
  get too close – those long-fingered, rubbery 
  hands are made for strangling.
  And what do elastoids want? Beyond “to 
  kill people,” it’s anybody’s guess. They’re intel-
  ligent but don’t seem to have a complex soci-
  ety. They never negotiate, though it’s unclear 
  whether that’s because they don’t want to, don’t 
  understand speech (or at least most common lan-
  guages), or have never been offered anything they 
  value. They’re a creepy little mystery.
  ST: 12 
  HP: 12 
  Speed: 6.25
  DX: 13 
  Will: 10 
  Move: 6
  IQ: 10 
  Per: 12
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 9 
  Parry: 11 
  DR: 2
  Neck Grapple (12): Effective grappling ST is 17, due 
  to +2 for Wrestling skill and +3 for spindly, stretchy 
  fingers that function much like a garrote. Inevitably 
  followed by strangling (Exploits, p. 41) on later turns. 
  Reach C, 1.
  
  	
  monsters	
  27
  Slap (16): Without preparation, this is just a long-limbed 
  punch: 1d crushing; reach C, 1. After one Ready maneu-
  ver: 1d+2 crushing, so swift that there’s a built-in -1 to 
  enemy defenses; reach C-3. After two Ready maneuvers: 
  2d crushing, -2 to defenses; reach C-5. After three or more 
  Ready maneuvers: 3d-1 crushing, -3 to defenses; reach C-7. 
  Defense penalties are cumulative with the -2 for attacking 
  from above and any Deceptive Attack penalty. Arm snaps 
  back to reach C, 1 instantly after attacking – contrary to 
  Attacking Weapons (Exploits, p. 37), it doesn’t remain 
  nearby to be attacked!
  Traits: Appearance (Monstrous); Catfall; Dark Vision; Double- 
  Jointed; Extra-Flexible; Fearlessness 2; Homogeneous; 
  Injury Reduction 3; Intolerance (Everyone!); Resistant to 
  Poison 6; Spider Climb (Move 6).
  Skills: Brawling-16; Climbing-18; Escape-18; Stealth-14; 
  Wrestling-15.
  Class: Mundane.
  Notes: In addition to having effective grappling ST 14 thanks 
  to Wrestling – ST 17 when strangling – Double-Jointed 
  grants +5 to attempts to break free (effective ST 19). An 
  elastoid that wants to cross a gap can use its attack to affix 
  its hand suckers to a surface 3, 5, or 7 yards away and be 
  pulled to it at Move 3, 5, or 7 instead of running at Move 
  6, and can take the usual step before or after, for effective 
  Move 4, 6, or 8. Aggressive but not truly evil. Nobody has 
  managed to negotiate with elastoids – yet.
  Elastoid Adventure Seeds
  What’s My Motivation? The obvious adventure here 
  is learning what elastoids want. They’re as intelligent 
  as humans and better-adapted to tool use (look at those 
  fingers!), yet they never appear in groups larger than ambush 
  parties, don’t use weapons, and have yet to be tracked to a 
  lair. Delvers could be assigned this mission by authorities 
  who want to stop elastoid attacks, but it’s more interesting 
  if they are engaged by a faction with other objectives: sages 
  obsessed with cracking the mystery for its own sake (and 
  who insist on coming along, despite being dead weight), mer-
  chants who want to sell the creatures something, or another 
  mysterious subterranean race with whom the heroes have 
  successfully parleyed (and with unclear motives). The GM 
  determines the monsters’ raison d’être, which needn’t be 
  compatible with the quest-giver’s plans – are elastoids ser-
  vitors of Elder Things, like void brutes (Monsters, p. 59), or 
  perhaps a once-proud race that was cursed by some dark 
  god? The players decide how their characters resolve any 
  conflicts and complete the assignment.
  Moral Flexibility . Low-tech fantasy worlds have no non-
  magical equivalents to modern-day rubber. Elastoid limbs 
  come really close, though – and that seems to be a material 
  property, not a supernatural one. If some visionary (prob-
  ably an Alchemists’ or Merchants’ Guild member) saw the 
  value of such a substance for slingshots, bungee cords, elas-
  tic bands, flexible garments, inflatable bladders, etc., there’d 
  be a price on the head of every elastoid. Those paying the 
  bounty would be counting on delvers to go into dungeons 
  and do their dirty work. The question becomes whether the 
  adventurers are comfortable hunting an intelligent race that, 
  while unfriendly, isn’t any more evil than humanity (and not 
  the race committing genocide . . .). The PCs may find them-
  selves handed the elastoids’ secrets when a group of monsters 
  approaches under a white flag to negotiate for their species’ 
  survival, forcing the party to decide whether they’re “heroes” 
  or heroes .
  tACtICAl	FlexIbIlIty
  The GM may want to play up elastoids’ rubberiness – it 
  can get silly, but so can many monsters, if you think too 
  hard. Some ideas:
  Boing! Elastoids might also drop onto enemies and then 
  bounce right back up and stick to the ceiling. Make a DX 
  roll to hit. The victim defends at -2 against an attack from 
  above; the elastoid counts as an effective 12-lb. weapon, 
  which may break a parrying weapon that weighs 4 lbs. or 
  less (Exploits, p. 49). From typical ambush heights of 3, 
  5, and 7 yards, this does 1d+2, 2d, or 3d-1 crushing. With 
  Catfall (evolved to survive Spider Climb failures), DR, and 
  Injury Reduction, assume these falls won’t harm the elas-
  toid. The monster must make another DX roll to grab the 
  ceiling afterward or be forced to keep bouncing next turn.
  Snatch and Grab . Elastoids don’t usually grapple 
  when they make long-reach attacks, as they’re not strong 
  enough to drag uncooperative foes. The GM may prefer to 
  change this, justified the same way as charged-up slaps. 
  Use the preparation times and reaches for slaps; targets 
  defend at the same -1, -2, or -3. Those hit are grappled at 
  ST 12, +2 for Wrestling, +3 for grippy hands, and +4, +8, 
  or +12 for reach 3, 5, or 7, respectively, or effective ST 21, 
  25, or 29. If this ST is more than twice the victim’s (cutoffs 
  are ST 10, 12, and 14), the prey is pulled all the way to the 
  elastoid, grappled at only ST 14. Otherwise, the grapple 
  ends immediately.
  Stepping Lively . Perhaps elastoids can stretch their legs, 
  too! If so, they can spend one, two, or three Ready maneu-
  vers to elongate them. Then on the next turn only, they can 
  step (Exploits, p. 33) 3, 5, or 7 yards, respectively, before 
  a maneuver that allows a step – typically Attack, Feint, 
  All-Out Defense, or Ready – or take a Move maneuver at 
  effective Move 8, 10, or 12. Either way, they can effort-
  lessly circumvent a single obstacle that’s 3, 5, or 7 yards 
  wide or tall.
  
  hArPy
  Harpies are minor-but-annoying monsters, encountered 
  almost everywhere. They resemble humanoid women (at 
  least, nobody has ever seen males) with warped features, 
  overgrown fingernails, and the feet, wings, and tail of a bird 
  of prey. Despite a bizarre physiology you’d think would slow 
  them down, they’re exceptionally swift, strong flyers.
  Harpies revel in two things: Theft, especially of food, and 
  befouling any victuals they cannot steal. Although there are 
  tales of them using excrement or another foul substance for 
  the latter, it’s actually a supernatural aura – get too close and 
  your rations spoil.
  Beyond their foulness and hybrid form, they have one fur-
  ther supernatural “ability”: Ugliness out of proportion to even 
  their misshapen features. People who view them take away an 
  indelible memory of hideousness, though this doesn’t cross 
  the line into unnatural terror. Harpies are proud of their 
  looks, however.
  Harpies are sadistic harassers, not warriors. Most don’t 
  even wield weapons. The biggest danger they pose – beyond 
  spoiling supplies and giving people nightmares – is their con-
  trol of the skies.
  First, they like to brain foes with dropped objects. They 
  prefer items they can snatch with a single Ready maneuver 
  and that won’t encumber them, meaning nothing heavier 
  than Basic Lift (24 lbs. for the typical harpy). This is a ranged 
  attack rolled against their specialized Dropping skill.
  Second, they sometimes lock their talons onto someone 
  and head skyward. This is a matter of grappling on one turn 
  and flying upward on later turns, with what’s generally Extra-
  Heavy encumbrance (maximum 240 lbs. of victim and gear) 
  in the case of a fully equipped adventurer, limiting climb rate 
  to 2 yards/second on the first turn of flight, 4 yards/second on 
  later turns. Those who break free take falling damage, and if 
  they don’t escape within five seconds (18 yards up), the harpy 
  drops them for 4d crushing – only going higher if she really 
  wants that person dead.
  Harpy encounters are never pitched battles. They’re 
  fly-by harassments: a few stones dropped, some 
  food stolen or spoiled, maybe an unprepared victim 
  snatched, and then the monsters flap off to annoy some-
  body else. However, there’s never just one harpy – they 
  won’t tangle with groups they don’t outnumber.
  ST: 11 
  HP: 11 
  Speed: 5.75
  DX: 12 
  Will: 10 
  Move: 3 
  IQ: 10 
  Per: 12 
   (Air Move 11/22)
  HT: 11 
  FP: 11 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 8 
  Parry: 10 (unarmed) 
  DR: 0
  Clawed Hands (14): 1d crushing + foulness (below). Reach 
  C.
  Dropped Rock (12): A log, stone, etc. of 16-24 lbs., with 20 
  HP (Exploits, p. 102), thus inflicting twice the damage 
  under Falling (Exploits, p. 67). This attack enjoys +2 for 
  Elevation (Exploits, p. 43) but takes a range penalty for 
  height; e.g., a rock dropped from 20 yards does 8d crush-
  ing, and has +2 to hit for elevation but -6 for range, for a 
  net -4. Attack from above (Exploits, p. 38): Target defends 
  at -2.
  Foot Talons (12): 1d cutting or impaling + foulness (below). 
  Reach C, 1.
  Foulness: Anyone touched by or touching the harpy – even at 
  the remove of a melee weapon of up to reach 3, whether 
  used to attack or to parry – is affected. Each turn in which 
  contact occurs, one meal of food the target is carrying 
  is destroyed as if by the Decay spell (Spells, p. 32), at no 
  energy cost.
  Grapple (12): Uses foot talons. The strong legs get +2 to ST, 
  and Wrestling skill gives another +2, so foes must break free 
  from ST 15. Flies upward on later turns and then drops her 
  prey. Foulness (above) applies each turn. Reach C, 1.
  Traits: Acute Vision 2; Appearance (Horrific); Cast-Iron 
  Stomach; Enhanced Move (Air); Flight (Winged); Glut-
  tony (12); Immunity to Dis-
  ease; Resistant to Poison 
  3; Sadism (12).
  28	
  monsters
  
  	
  monsters	
  29
  Skills: Acrobatics-12; Brawling-14; Dropping-12; Filch-12; 
  Wrestling-14.
  Class: Mundane.
  Notes: After battle, anyone clawed or grappled by harpies 
  must roll vs. HT, adjusted for Resistant to Disease, to 
  avoid disease; sewer rot (-1 on all attribute and skill rolls) 
  or the shakes (-2 to DX and DX-based skills) are typical, 
  lasting until treated with Cure Disease. This isn’t a spe-
  cial ability; it’s a result of contact with a filthy creature 
  that’s itself immune to disease. These stats describe a 
  “harrier” who has raised ST, DX, HT, and skills for thiev-
  ing and harassment. For other varieties of harpies, see 
  Deviations; mixed groups are common. While sadistic, 
  harpies aren’t irredeemable and may listen to negotia-
  tions, especially those that offer food – although they’ll 
  remain perched or hovering beyond reach of melee weap-
  ons, just in case.
  Harpy Adventure Seeds
  You’d Help If We Were Pretty . A harpy community is being 
  wiped out by gargoyle bullies, a murderous nobleman who 
  enjoys hunting intelligent beings, or even a dragon. They’ve 
  heard of the delvers’ heroic deeds and come begging for help. 
  The question is whether the adventurers want to side with 
  such foul creatures. On one hand, making enemies with a lord 
  or fighting a dragon is dangerous, and doing so on behalf of 
  dirty, thieving troublemakers is bound to raise eyebrows. On 
  the other, true heroes with traits like Charitable and Selfless 
  can’t say “no,” and harpies could certainly come in handy 
  later – it’s very useful to have a squadron of flying creatures 
  owe you a favor.
  Up All Night To Get Lucky . This one’s for the party that 
  includes a fella who’s, um, not-so-attractive, perhaps a 
  scarred barbarian, or a half-orc or half-ogre . As it turns out, 
  harpies need humanoid men to reproduce, and like them 
  homely. One takes a liking to the delver and asks him to sire 
  a child – no obligations, just do the deed and say farewell. 
  In return, the harpies’ goddess will bless the hero with per-
  manent Luck [15], or boost existing Luck to Extraordinary 
  Luck. The catch is that such congress conveys a Divine Curse 
  [-15] (Monsters, p. 13): Food decays instantly when he tries 
  to eat it, and he has no special ability to digest rot; thus, he’ll 
  require a reliable source of Monk’s Banquet spells (Spells, 
  p. 33). Good luck!
  devIAtIons
  Mythology offers numerous takes on harpies, most of 
  which actually exist. Here are some common variants.
  Storm-Singers
  Harpies are often associated with storm winds – a 
  result of encounters with their magic-users. Less physical 
  and more cerebral than harriers, storm-singers cast spells 
  instead of dropping rocks and carrying people away.
  ST: 10 
  HP: 10 
  Speed: 5.00
  DX: 10 
  Will: 12 
  Move: 3 
  IQ: 12 
  Per: 14 
   (Air Move 10/20)
  HT: 10 
  FP: 10 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 8 
  Parry: 9 (unarmed) 
  DR: 0
  Clawed Hands (12): 1d-1 crushing + foulness. Reach C.
  Foot Talons (10): 1d-1 cutting or impaling + foulness. 
  Reach C, 1.
  Foulness: As standard harpy.
  Traits: As standard harpy, plus Penetrating Voice, Song of 
  Terror (Adventurers, p. 18), and Storm-Singing 3 (see 
  notes).
  Skills: Acrobatics-10; Brawling-12; Filch-10; Innate Attack 
  (Projectile)-12; Singing-14; and 10 suitable spells at 
  skill 15, typically Concussion, Create Air, Lightning, 
  Purify Air, Shape Air, Sound, Spark Storm, Stench, 
  Thunderclap, and Windstorm.
  Class: Mundane.
  Notes: Disease-carrier, like a standard harpy. Storm-Sing-
  ing is a spellcasting talent that works like Bardic Tal-
  ent (Adventurers, p. 17), with one difference: It allows 
  spells from the Air, Sound, Water, and Weather col-
  leges – not the Communication and Empathy, Knowl-
  edge, Mind Control, and Sound colleges.
  Fair Harpies
  Some tales mention harpies with beautiful hair and 
  voices, who aren’t as foul as their sisters – although they 
  still eat carrion and torment people. Make these changes 
  to the standard stats:
  • Remove foulness and the tendency to cause disease.
  • Improve Appearance from Horrific to Beautiful.
  • Add the Voice advantage and the skills Fast-Talk-12, 
  Mimicry (Speech)-12, and Sex Appeal-16.
  Some are casters. Start with a storm-singer and make 
  the changes above; added skills become Fast-Talk-14, 
  Mimicry (Speech)-14, and Sex Appeal-15, and Singing 
  increases to 16. Replace Storm-Singing with Bardic Tal-
  ent. Spells are Communication and Empathy, Knowledge, 
  Mind Control, and Sound magic.
  Fair harpies in mixed groups use Fast-Talk to deceive, 
  Mimicry to lure, or Sex Appeal to distract before their 
  associates start the harassment in earnest. Magic-using 
  ones will try to mind-control one or two opponents.
  
  30	
  monsters
  osIsIzo
  Osisizi (singular: osisizo) are stealthy jungle lurkers often 
  encountered in the service of dungeon bosses, evil over-
  lords, mad wizards, and other villains in warmer climates. 
  Physically, an osisizo resembles a sinewy green ape of some 
  kind, with gangly arms as long as it is tall (7’), sharp teeth, a 
  long tail, and wicked spines all over. It blends in with vege-
  tation, its coloration matching the foliage and its spiky coat 
  breaking up its outline. It can swing through the trees but pre-
  fers to run – fast – on all fours.
  It would be a serious error to view osisizi as another varia-
  tion on the flesh-eating ape (Monsters, pp. 27-28), or perhaps 
  an exotic offshoot of wildmen (Monsters, pp. 60-61). They 
  are more intelligent than either – as smart as the average 
  dwarf, elf, or human – and not as primitive as they seem. 
  They shun manufactured weapons because they don’t 
  need them (see below), and have a keen grasp of the value 
  of money, hiring out as goons with no qualms about who’s 
  paying. Only their appearance and reputation as paid killers 
  who eat their victims keep them away from town, and only 
  their scarce numbers prevent them from fielding units larger 
  than small squads.
  Aside from their willingness to kill, strength 
  (especially those long arms), and gift for jungle war-
  fare, what makes osisizi unusually effective war-
  riors is their spines, which grow constantly and are 
  iron-hard . Passively, these can skewer opponents 
  who unwisely engage the osisizo in close combat. 
  More actively, the osisizo can grapple an enemy and 
  pull them onto its spines while simultaneously forc-
  ing spines out of its body and into its victim. And 
  against foes too well armed and armored to risk 
  wrestling, it can take a Ready maneuver, spend 1 
  FP, and push an extra-long spine – equivalent to a 
  javelin – all the way out of its body . It can hang onto 
  this for melee combat or throw it, and as long as it 
  has FP, it can alternate Ready and Attack maneu-
  vers to hurl a spine every other turn.
  ST: 15 
  HP: 15 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 12 
  Will: 10 
  Move: 9
  IQ: 10 
  Per: 12
  HT: 12 
  FP: 12 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 10 
  Parry: 11 
  DR: 2
  Bite (14): 1d+1 cutting. Reach C.
  Claw (14): 2d cutting. Arms are incredibly long and 
  gangly, and have reach C-2.
  Grapple (14): Effective ST for grappling is 21 due 
  to Arm ST and Wrestling skill. On the turn of 
  the grapple and every later turn until the target 
  breaks free, the victim is hugged to the spines 
  with this ST, for 2d impaling damage. This 
  requires no attack rolls on later turns, but still 
  counts as an attack. Reach C.
  Spiny Javelin Thrust (14): 2d impaling. Reach C-2.
  Spiny Javelin Toss (14): 2d impaling. Ranged, with 
  Acc 3, 1/2D 28, Max 47, Shots T(1), Bulk -4.
  Traits: Appearance (Hideous); Arm ST 4; Bra-
  chiator (Move 4); Callous; Combat Reflexes; 
  Fearlessness 4; Greed (12); Limited Camou-
  flage (Jungle); Night Vision 5; Odious Racial 
  Habit (Eats other sapient beings, -3 reactions); 
  Semi-Upright; Spines (see notes); Temperature 
  Tolerance 2 (Heat).
  one	’sIzo	doesn’t	FIt	All
  All monsters sink or swim based on how well they’re matched 
  to the heroes, but this is especially true for creatures with 
  human stature, few offensive abilities beyond strength and nat-
  ural weapons, modest DR, and no special immunities. A group 
  of lightly armored casters and rogues risks being slaughtered 
  by enemies like osisizi, who can dash in at high speed, grap-
  ple people who have no hope of breaking free, and do gobs of 
  impaling damage. If the delvers are heavy fighters, the osisizi 
  will pay dearly for having DR 2 and “only” 2d damage – they’ll 
  be unmemorable fodder.
  To remedy this, the GM should adjust the monsters. Here are 
  examples for osisizi, but they suggest some general principles:
  True Fodder: The biggest threat is the combined ST, Arm ST, 
  and ST bonus for Wrestling. Lowering stats to wildman-like lev-
  els – ST (and HP) 13, Arm ST 1, Wrestling-13 – results in a 1d bite 
  and claw, 1d+1 javelin attack, and a grapple with effective ST 15 
  that does 1d+1 for spines. The other big issue is extremely fast 
  closing speed; just go with flat Move 6, and drop Semi-Upright. 
  With these changes, osisizi become comparable to, say, orcs – but 
  keeping long reach, Brachiator, Limited Camouflage, Spines, etc. 
  lets them fill their role in the jungle.
  True Worthies: The biggest weakness is low DR, so have the 
  spines be iron, as good as mail or plate armor (DR 3-6). Low 
  attack and defense rolls relative to heroes’ are easily fixed as sug-
  gested in the notes for most humanoid monsters: great cham-
  pions have higher DX and combat skills. Damage output is 
  balanced against a mixed group (even high-powered delvers don’t 
  all have magical plate armor), but to up the danger, add poison, 
  so anybody wounded by the grapple or javelin attacks – or Spines 
  ability – suffers follow-up injury, from monster drool (HT roll to 
  avoid 2 HP injury) to something truly deadly. To give them better 
  odds against ranged fighters, let them produce and shoot a spine 
  as an Attack maneuver, possibly at no FP cost. And to give the 
  osisizi a shot at being the sneaky jungle warriors they’re supposed 
  to be, raise Camouflage and Stealth so they’re a match for the 
  adventurers’ Per scores.
  
  	
  monsters	
  31
  Skills: Brawling-14; Camouflage-12 (14 if motionless in jun-
  gle); Climbing-14; Spear-14; Stealth-14 (16 if motionless 
  in jungle); Thrown Weapon (Spear)-14; Tracking-12; 
  Wrestling-14.
  Class: Mundane.
  Notes: Semi-Upright means that when standing up to 
  fight, it has Move 5, but it can drop whatever it’s 
  carrying (javelin, victim, etc.) as a free action to run 
  on all fours at Move 9. Spines mean those who grap-
  ple or slam the osisizo automatically take 1d impal-
  ing damage, whatever else happens; this requires no 
  attack roll and permits no active defense roll. Osisizo 
  spines (including those the creature uses as weapons) 
  break down when removed from the body, crumbling 
  to worthless green powder within a day. Despite the 
  race’s intelligence, osisizo spellcasters don’t seem to 
  exist. Completely willing to negotiate – if you can pay.
  Osisizo Adventure Seeds
  Pssst – Hey, Buddy! The adventurers 
  are traversing an overgrown area when 
  osisizi emerge from concealment 
  on all sides, clearly not intent on 
  attacking (if the PCs detect 
  the osisizi, the creatures 
  realize this and break cover 
  peacefully). The leader is 
  cordial: “Hey, I know my 
  people have a bad rep, but 
  we’re not here to eat you.” 
  She proceeds to explain 
  that her group just fin-
  ished a big job and want 
  to spend their money on 
  goodies from town – not 
  the expected armaments, 
  traps, poison, etc., but per-
  fume, books, and other lux-
  uries. She offers to reimburse 
  the group for the purchases and 
  pay a commission (whatever the GM 
  feels would tempt the players) if they’ll 
  make the market run. Delvers who decide 
  to do business could insist on money up front 
  for the goods, but then the osisizi would want col-
  lateral, like a valuable item or a de facto hostage. The 
  question is whether the adventurers refuse, deal, attack 
  the osisizi for their loot, or scam them (ensuring lots of wan-
  dering monster encounters on future adventures).
  You And What Army? On a quest to recover a prisoner 
  or artifact from a boss monster who constantly throws fod-
  der (see Exploits, p. 86) in their path, the delvers encoun-
  ter lots of osisizi. Upon arriving at what all indications say 
  ought to be the finale, they don’t find the mastermind ready 
  to make a last stand from behind minions, but a huge cav-
  ern (if underground) or clearing (if not) filled with osisizi in 
  orderly ranks. The main things that keep individually pow-
  erful monsters like these from overrunning “civilized” races 
  are that the latter are more organized and more numerous. 
  So what’s going on? It seems the villain has some magi-
  cal means of breeding, cloning, or duplicating osisizi. The 
  heroes’ options include finding and destroying the magical 
  MacGuffin, returning to town to help rally an army, fighting 
  an army (if the PCs are over-the-top powerful), or watching 
  the world burn.
  
  32	
  monsters
  wArhog
  A warhog (don’t mistake it for a warthog) is a giant boar 
  of a variety originally bred by goblin-kin to serve as mounts. 
  Shaky accounts of common folk fleeing in panic from orcish 
  hog-riders are the origin of rumors that orcs ride dire wolves. 
  Warhogs are larger and smarter than dire wolves, though, 
  and therefore more capable of carrying armored warriors 
  and obeying complex commands – and (individually, at least) 
  more dangerous.
  It’s easy to see why panicked victims might believe they’re 
  facing monstrous wolves. Warhogs are omnivorous, like all 
  swine, but have a taste for meat, which they hunt by scent. 
  Also like wolves, they have thick coats for resisting cold win-
  ters. And they’re fast – actually faster than dire wolves (Move 
  9), though not as swift as warhorses (Move 14).
  A warhog has an ill temper (Bad Temper) and a formidable 
  constitution (HT 14), and must often be wounded to -5¥HP 
  to be killed – that’s 144 points of injury! It has a tough hide 
  and is largely impervious to pain. Its toughness extends to 
  poison; it can eat almost anything (including poisonous fungi 
  and plants) and has the broad resistance to venom common 
  among swine.
  Also of particular note are the warhog’s overdeveloped 
  neck and head. The creature is built for charging its foes and 
  can “fence” with its long, protruding tusks, in aid of which 
  everything forward of its shoulders is thickly built (skull and 
  neck have DR 4 instead of DR 2). The downside is an almost 
  immobile neck, affording a narrow arc of vision. This and poor 
  eyesight limit the animal’s fighting skill – though strength and 
  toughness more than make up for that.
  Warhogs are hardier than goblin-kin and thus frequently 
  survive battles that wipe out their masters. Those that have 
  gone feral under such circumstances have had centuries in 
  which to carve out a niche in the wild. They’re too menacing 
  for natural animals to see as prey – even lions and tigers avoid 
  them! Only whole packs of dire wolves, giant mutant tigers, 
  and dragons regularly hunt them for food (the latter having a 
  special fondness for warhog pork).
  ST: 24 
  HP: 24 
  Speed: 6.50
  DX: 12 
  Will: 12 
  Move: 6/12
  IQ: 5 
  Per: 10
  HT: 14 
  FP: 14 
  SM: +1
  Dodge: 10 
  Parry: 10 
  DR: 2
  Trample (12): 2d+3 crushing. Only legal defense is a dodge. 
  Used on SM 0 or smaller targets that are knocked down. 
  See Slams, Tramples, and Overruns (Exploits, p. 40) for 
  important rules – notably, the “free” trample after a slam 
  or overrun doesn’t call for attack or defense rolls, but does 
  half damage. Reach C.
  rIders	on	the	swIne
  Opponents riding giant pigs only seems silly – the 
  reality is terrifying. An orc warrior (Monsters, pp. 34-35) 
  weighs 155-245 lbs. and carries less than 60 lbs. of gear. 
  With basic hardware for controlling the warhog (another 
  30-40 lbs.), the beast is carrying at most 345 lbs. and is at 
  Medium encumbrance. This gives it Move 3/7.
  Hog-riders use the rules under Riding (Adventurers, 
  p. 87), elaborated as follows:
  • Orc has Riding (Warhog)-13, so combat skills aren’t 
  limited by Riding skill.
  • Orc and hog move on the orc’s turn (Speed 5.50) at 
  the hog’s Move (Move 3/7).
  • If the hog takes just a step, it may attack normally. If 
  it moves faster, it can only slam. Either way, its rider may 
  attack, too – but on turns when the warhog attacks, the 
  orc’s attacks have -2 to hit.
  • If the hog is at a full charge (Move 7), the orc’s melee 
  attacks have -1 to hit but +1 damage.
  Normally, hog-riders either charge at Move 7, attacking 
  with their falchion at -1 to hit and +1 damage, or com-
  mand their mount to gore while swinging their falchion at 
  -2 to hit and normal damage.
  Orc and warhog use their active defenses against 
  attacks on themselves; they cannot defend for one another. 
  If the orc is downed before the hog, the beast will press the 
  attack. Once it’s riled up, it’s in the fight to the end.
  Heroes on Hogs?
  The GM decides whether orcs are willing to sell bat-
  tle-trained warhogs (and riding lessons) to non-orcs; 
  they’re most likely to bargain with half-orcs. A trained hog 
  will cost a delver at least $10,000 – a significant invest-
  ment! The price is firm; Getting Stuff Cheap (Exploits, 
  pp. 13-14) never applies. Even then, a deal is likely only 
  after the buyer has done an orc warlord a favor or when 
  such a general needs funds to raise an army, either of 
  which is likely to result in trouble in town.
  To fight effectively from hog-back calls for Riding 
  (Warhog) skill. Even if the GM doesn’t charge for train-
  ing in general, Training Expenses (Exploits, p. 93) should 
  apply here – at least $80 to be able to invest a character 
  point, perhaps much more.
  Wild warhogs and warhogs gone feral after leaving orc 
  service can’t be ridden – they’re vicious monsters.
  
  	
  monsters	
  33
  Tusk Gore (12): 2d+3 cutting. Treat as weapon, not as body 
  part, both to attack and parry! Reach C, 1.
  Traits: Acute Hearing 2; Bad Temper (9); Cast-Iron Stomach; 
  Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 2 vs. attacks 
  on neck and skull only; Enhanced Move (Ground); Glut-
  tony (12); High Pain Threshold; Quadruped; Resistant to 
  Poison 2; Restricted Vision (see notes); Temperature Tol-
  erance 1 (Cold); Wild Animal.
  Skills: Jumping-12; Tracking-14.
  Class: Giant Animal.
  Notes: Restricted Vision means the warhog has three front 
  hexes around its head, as in the diagram on p. 28 of 
  Exploits, but no left or right hexes – treat all hexes other 
  than those front hexes as back hexes, and handle ranged 
  attacks made from within the gray or black areas in the 
  diagram on p. 42 of Exploits as attacks from 
  behind. A trained goblin-kin mount tech-
  nically lacks Wild Animal, but that 
  merely means it includes its master 
  in its ideas of needs, threats, and 
  dominance. Females are slightly 
  smaller and weaker (ST and 
  HP 22, no extra DR on the 
  skull and neck, 2d+2 dam-
  age), but in the wild show 
  up in sounders of 1d+4 
  beasts, who will cooper-
  ate in a fight.
  Warhog 
  Adventure Seeds
  A Pig In A Poke . If a 
  PC is hell-bent on buying 
  a trained warhog, they’ll 
  have to deal with an air-
  tight orcish monopoly 
  . . . and the orcs will 
  exploit 
  the 
  situa-
  tion! Reducing the 
  $10,000 price tag 
  (see 
  Heroes 
  on 
  Hogs?) to $5,000 
  or even “free” is 
  certain to tempt, 
  but what the orcs want in return is just as sure to cause 
  trouble. Examples include betraying the battle plans of a civ-
  ilized, powerful opponent (who’s at least nominally a good 
  guy) and opening the city gates at night to let orcish raiders 
  in. In the dungeon, it might take the shape of helping the orcs 
  defeat another delving party. Adventurers who attempt a dou-
  ble-cross will learn that while ordinary orcs aren’t famed for 
  their brains, orc leaders can be canny, and won’t turn over 
  the warhog until they’ve defeated whomever they’re out to 
  defeat – with the delvers’ aid. In effect, the tradeoff is accept-
  ing Social Stigma (Criminal Record) (Adventurers, p. 66) or 
  worse in return for a cool mount.
  Going Hog-Wild . Not every warhog is an orcish mount. 
  Wild ones are dangerous monsters that aren’t afraid of 
  armed or even mounted opponents, and that will eat almost 
  anything, including crops . . . and farmers. Hunting them for 
  a bounty is a common quest for adventurers near town – so 
  common that it has a name: “picksticking.” The rewards are 
  unlikely to be princely, while the risks aren’t negligible, but 
  even fledgling delvers should be able to manage the mission 
  if they’re careful. Where things get dicey is during mating 
  season, as the males are more aggressive (self-control for Bad 
  Temper drops to 6) and develop thicker natural armor (+1 
  DR). Boars fighting over mating privileges won’t cooperate, 
  but as they don’t tend to cannibalism, they may decide that 
  their hunters look tasty and are worth a break in hostilities, 
  in which case the heroes can find themselves stuck.
  Ever seen a dire wolf? Too 
  small and too slow to ride. 
  But a warhog? Nearly as 
  fast as a warhorse, just as 
  strong, and far tougher.
  – Grükuk Kzaash, Knight
  
  34	
  vIllAI ns
  In Dungeon Fantasy, monsters are the usual adversaries. 
  They rarely enjoy speaking roles. They may vary a little, but 
  they’re mostly racial stereotypes – even sapient races, like orcs.
  Yet not all “civilized” folk fit the stereotype “good guys.” 
  Many of fantasy’s greatest antagonists are people . Some are 
  consumed by envy, hate, madness, or rage; others steal, 
  betray, or murder for personal gain; still others practice for-
  bidden arts or serve evil gods, performing unspeakable rituals 
  to acquire supernatural power. A few are just too amoral or 
  apathetic to stop these crimes.
  Interestingly, that describes many delvers. With the 
  exception of the noblest (mostly clerics and holy warriors), 
  adventurers constantly chase superior equipment and magic. 
  They aspire to greater personal power, whether in the form 
  of sneaking, spellcasting, or swordsmanship. And they real-
  ize these goals by slaying and looting. They’re “good” only 
  because they victimize monsters .
  It isn’t just monsters that provide worthy challenges and 
  possible loot, though. Rare is the adventurer who hasn’t eyed 
  an ally, coveting possessions or wondering who’d win a duel. 
  The journey from thought to action is short; taking it is often 
  all that distinguishes villain from hero.
  Which suggests another source of adversaries for delvers: 
  fellow humanoids.
  CreAtIng	vIllAIns
  The speediest way to create a villain is to start from a pro-
  fessional template. Add any other advantages, disadvantages, 
  or skills that fit your vision, too – even ones not on the tem-
  plate! When adding special professional traits, be sure to meet 
  their prerequisites; see Custom Professions (Adventurers, 
  p. 14). Optionally, select a nonhuman racial template; any-
  thing from Adventurers works, as do forgelings (Monsters 2, 
  p. 19), centaurs (pp. 24-25), and this chapter’s templates.
  When doing all this, be sure the villain has the capabilities 
  needed for the role they’re to play. An opponent intended to 
  fight the heroes should approach them in damage and skill. A 
  social manipulator requires Influence skills (Exploits, p. 10). 
  The servant of evil gods needs nasty cleric abilities. And so on.
  If you’re really going for speed, don’t bother counting 
  points – you aren’t creating a fair, balanced PC! Just write 
  down traits and their effects. For instance, you mightn’t care 
  that ST 20 costs 100 points, but it’s important to note Damage 
  2d-1/3d+2 and BL 80 lbs.; you needn’t price IQ 15 and Magery 
  6, but levels of IQ-based skills shouldn’t fall below what 1 point 
  buys (e.g., 14 for IQ/Average skills, 19 for IQ/Hard spells).
  Character points have their uses, however. Comparing the 
  villain’s point total to the heroes’ average point total offers 
  some idea as to whether the bad guy is fodder (say, at most 
  50% of the PCs’ points), a boss (at least 50% more points), or 
  worthy (anything in between); see Exploits, p. 86. This is rough 
  because points can buy many things of little use in encounters 
  with delvers! Still, it’s better than having no idea at all.
  A point budget also compels you to craft your villain. If 
  you add whatever you like, the NPC is liable to be powerful 
  but unfocused. Respecting a budget forces hard calls and 
  tradeoffs – and always making the villainous choice will yield 
  a more memorable baddie.
  For real crafting, start from scratch! Forget professional 
  templates, although special professional traits still need their 
  prerequisites. Just pick and choose the attribute levels, advan-
  tages, disadvantages, etc. that fit your concept. This is slower 
  than using a template – especially when working with a bud-
  get – but results in unforgettable adversaries.
  Regardless of how you build your villain, give them villain-
  ous disadvantages. These provide motivation, guiding your 
  hand when you’re unsure how the NPC would behave. Good 
  (meaning nasty) options include Bad Temper, Bloodlust, 
  Bully, Callous, Compulsive Lying, Fanaticism, Greed, Intoler-
  ance, Jealousy, Obsession, Odious Personal Habits, Paranoia, 
  and Social Stigma.
  Finally, equip your villain. A cash budget isn’t import-
  ant – just be sure the adversary can play their role: a dishon-
  orable knight needs good armor and weapons; an assassin, 
  poison; an evil cult leader, a high (un)holy symbol. For 
  spellcasters, designate a high-value object as a power item. 
  Remember that the PCs may loot these possessions, so avoid 
  gear you don’t want them to inherit.
  usIng	vIllAIns
  There are many ways to put villains into adventures. Some 
  are game-mechanical:
  • String-pulling villains use their skills to broker back-
  room deals, forcing the heroes to be equally convincing to 
  make headway. Use the bad guy’s skill levels instead of the 
  generic ones in Quick Contests against Gambling, Merchant, 
  Streetwise, and so on in town. Simple rolls against Carousing 
  for tavern tales, Propaganda to seek work, Savoir-Faire to peti-
  tion for backing, etc. become Quick Contests vs. the villain’s 
  Intimidation, Propaganda, Savoir-Faire, or Streetwise, as the 
  baddie undermines the delvers’ support. Losing a Contest 
  means failing; winning provides a clue to the villain’s identity.
  ChAPter	three
  vIllAIns!
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  35
  • Villains playing mind games with the heroes use 
  Influencing PCs? (Exploits, p. 10).
  • Sneaky villains use Pickpocket, Shadowing, Stealth, etc. 
  against the adventurers’ Perception, Observation, Streetwise, 
  and so forth. If things turn violent, the delvers are likely to be 
  on the receiving end of Surprise Attacks (Exploits, pp. 26-27) 
  and Roguish Skills in Battle (Exploits, pp. 57-58).
  • Villains who lash out use the standard rules for combat 
  (and magic), but enjoy all the options the heroes do – Dumb 
  Monsters (Monsters, p. 7) never applies! In a pitched battle, 
  Tactics (Monsters, pp. 6-7) applies 
  to monstrous people as well as to 
  monsters.
  Alternatively, put story ahead of 
  rules! A hireling might seem trust-
  worthy until the very end of the 
  adventure; then the weasel steals 
  out of camp with the loot at night. A 
  shady sponsor could send the party 
  to fetch something and conceal the 
  treasure’s true value or the job’s full 
  ramifications. An evil sponsor may 
  put their cards on the table, forcing 
  the players to decide whether their 
  alter-egos are sellouts.
  If there’s deception afoot, the kind 
  GM might permit one Detect Lies 
  roll against the villain’s Acting or 
  Fast-Talk (schemers are skilled liars). 
  Winning doesn’t reveal, say, “He’s the 
  evil cult leader!”; it just lets the players 
  know the NPC has an ulterior motive. 
  To learn more, they’ll have to engage 
  in spying, or risk casting magic 
  like Mind-Reading or Truthsayer, 
  which is Resisted and would give a 
  socially connected villain grounds to 
  bring charges of Scum and Villainy 
  (Exploits, p. 14) against the heroes!
  If the delvers’ investigative talents 
  aren’t good enough – or the players 
  don’t suspect anything – the heroes 
  might never learn the NPC is villain-
  ous. Adventurers who ferret out the 
  truth or catch the villain red-handed 
  aren’t obliged to care. If they do, jus-
  tice might not be served. And if they 
  take justice into their own hands, 
  “dead” may be Playing Dead (Exploits, 
  p. 57). The best villains recur!
  If the PCs decide to make sure the 
  villain is dead, they should be circum-
  spect. Slaying monsters is a social 
  service; killing people, even villainous 
  ones, is murder that can mean Social 
  Stigma (Criminal Record) and/or 
  being pursued by bounty hunters who are easily the party’s 
  equals. The most tarnished, baby-sacrificing dark lord is still 
  entitled to legal process in civilized parts, and has retainers 
  and subjects to defend him – or resurrect him. Recur!
  Which raises a final point: Cowardly or calculating villains 
  stack the deck with allies; brave or impassioned ones inspire 
  followers. Many aren’t that different from delvers – these 
  could band together into an adventuring party that wouldn’t 
  hesitate to do whatever it takes to beat the heroes to the prize 
  or take a prize they’ve won.
  reAdIng	vIllAIn	stAts
  This chapter’s villains use the following format (numbers in brackets [] are 
  point costs):
  Name: The villain’s common name. If the players have access to this book, 
  consider changing this. The GM might cook up a few aliases in any event – bad 
  guys are devious that way!
  Point Total, Race, Profession: These details appear under the name; e.g., 
  “350-Point Human Swashbuckler.” As these characters aren’t starting PCs, point 
  totals vary widely and serve as a rough rating of power level (and the GM may 
  adjust abilities to change this); professions aren’t exact but what comes closest.
  Description: A brief biography. The Encountered and Adventure Seeds sec-
  tions offer much more detail.
  ST, DX, IQ, HT, HP, Will, Per, FP, Basic Speed, Basic Move: These scores 
  already include any racial adjustments.
  Damage: Already reflects any Striking ST or Mantis Strike.
  BL: Already accounts for any Lifting ST.
  Move: Figured from Basic Move, adjusted for the encumbrance of the listed 
  gear.
  Dodge, Parry, Block: Dodge reflects Basic Speed; Parry and Block, combat 
  skills. Values already include any bonuses for Combat Reflexes or Enhanced 
  Block, Dodge, or Parry; encumbrance penalties to Dodge, and to Judo, Karate, 
  and fencing Parry; and Parry modifiers for weapons. They don’t include Defense 
  Bonus (DB) – be sure to add this when cloaks, shields, spells, etc. are in use.
  Advantages: An alphabetical list of advantages – including languages and 
  special professional or racial abilities.
  Disadvantages and Quirks: An alphabetical list of disadvantages – includ-
  ing racial ones – followed by a list of quirks.
  Skills: An alphabetical list of skills – including special professional 
  ones – with levels. Permanent modifiers for advantages and disadvantages are 
  already factored in; see the footnotes.
  Spells: As Skills. Levels already reflect spellcasting talent (Magery or Power 
  Investiture).
  Footnotes: Statistics adjusted for advantages or disadvantages bear foot-
  note marks. The meanings of those marks appear after all traits, before gear.
  Equipment: Gear, listed alphabetically. Some entries note count, contents, 
  or important stats. All give cost and weight – totals, for multiple, identical arti-
  cles. These goods are the spoils of villainy; starting money and extra money 
  bought with points are irrelevant here.
  Total Cost, Total Weight, Encumbrance Level: The total $ value and weight 
  in lbs. of all listed gear appears under the Equipment heading. Encumbrance 
  level rates total weight against BL; Move and Dodge already include its effects.
  Design Notes: Anything interesting or unobvious about the character design.
  
  36	
  vIllAI ns
  dúbelthor
  450-Point Half-Elven Wizard
  Adventurers are often contracted to hunt necromancers, 
  liches, and other troublesome archmages. Dúbelthor does 
  something similar, except that they go after those who most 
  often award delvers such quests: the Wizards’ Guild. Though 
  hardly saintly, the Guild is lawful and supports the King, 
  which has led to a bounty on Dúbelthor’s head. The truth gets 
  back to the Guild’s motives: Dúbelthor is stealing their vic-
  tims’ magical power and the Guild wants the secret of how . . . 
  you know, to keep the world safe.
  Dúbelthor’s fine, elven mail shirt is their power item. It 
  holds 25 FP.
  ST 10 [0]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 16 [120]; HT 12 [20].
  Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 16 [0]; Per 13 
  [-15]; FP 15 [9].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-5]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Move 6.
  Dodge 9; Parry 11 (Sword); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Energy Reserve 20 (Magical) [60]
  Improved Magic Resistance 4 [20]
  Language: Elvish [6]
  Magery 6 [65]
  Spirit Empathy [10]
  Unfazeable [15]
  Wild Magic 2 [42]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Callous [-5]
  Jealousy [-10]
  Loner (12) [-5]
  Obsession (Become the world’s most power-
  ful wizard) (9) [-15]
  Social Stigma (Half-Breed) [-5]
  Defines “powerful” quite narrowly as “magi-
  cally gifted.” [-1]
  Likes the moon and wears it as a personal 
  emblem. [-1]
  Never reveals their gender. [-1]
  Not cowardly per se, but never attacks 
  groups – or frontally. [-1]
  Would never consider teaching Trap Magical Essence. [-1]
  Skills
  Alchemy-16 [8]
  Poisons-14 [1]
  Fast-Draw (Potion)-14 [2]
  Research-15 [1]
  Hazardous Materials-15 [1]
  Shortsword-16 [12]
  Hidden Lore (Spirits)-16 [2]
  Speed-Reading-15 [1]
  Hidden Lore (Wizards’ Guild
  Stealth-14 [4]
   Secrets)-16 [2]
  Thaumatology-19* [1]
  Meditation-14 [1]
  Throwing-14 [4]
  Occultism-16 [2]
  Writing-15 [1]
  Spells*
  Agonize-20 [1]
  Mind-Reading-20 [1]
  Apportation-20 [1]
  Mind-Search-19 [1]
  Astral Block-20 [1]
  Missile Shield-20 [1]
  Astral Vision-19 [1]
  Pain-20 [1]
  Aura-20 [1]
  Recover Energy-20 [1]
  Banish-20 [1]
  Repel Spirits-20 [1]
  Command Ghosts-20 [1]
  Scryguard-20 [1]
  Dark Vision-20 [1]
  See Invisible-20 [1]
  Daze-20 [1]
  Sense Emotion-20 [1]
  Death Vision-20 [1]
  Sense Foes-20 [1]
  Detect Magic-20 [1]
  Sense Spirit-20 [1]
  Entrap Spirit-20 [1]
  Sensitize-20 [1]
  Fear-20 [1]
  Shield-20 [1]
  Flight-20 [2]
  Sleep-20 [1]
  Foolishness-20 [1]
  Spasm-20 [1]
  Infravision-20 [1]
  Stun-20 [1]
  Itch-20 [1]
  Summon Spirit-20 [1]
  Keen Vision-20 [1]
  Test Food-20 [1]
  Lend Energy-20 [1]
  Trap Magical
  Levitation-20 [1]
   Essence-20 [2]
  Light-20 [1]
  Truthsayer-20 [1]
  Mass Sleep-20 [1]
  Turn Spirit-20 [1]
  * Includes +6 for Magery.
  Equipment
  $32,740, 18.98 lbs.  
  (No encumbrance)
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Light Mail Armor, Shirt (Body 
  and Arms), Elven, Fine w. 
  Fortify +2, Lighten 50%. 
  DR 5. $17,075, 6.98 lbs.
  Magebane ¥4. Acc 0, Range 
  20, Bulk -2. $5,600, 4 lbs.
  Paralytic Slime ¥4. $2,000,  
  2 lbs.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Potion Belt. Holds magebane. 
  $60, 1 lb.
  Shortsword, Very Fine. 1d+2 
  cut (reach 1) or 1d+1 imp 
  (reach 1). $8,000, 2 lbs.
  enCountered
  As megalomaniac wizards go, Dúbelthor is a strange 
  one. They don’t desire artifacts, lore, riches, rulership, etc. 
  Dúbelthor is preoccupied with accumulating as much personal 
  magical potential as possible – apparently for its own sake.
  The reasons for this lurk in Dúbelthor’s origins: At some 
  point in the past (half-elves live for a long time), Dúbelthor 
  was a gifted spirit-magic specialist – reflected in their 
  Spirit Empathy advantage, Hidden Lore (Spirits) skill, and 
  knowledge of every standard spell for dealing with spirits.  
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  37
  The Wizards’ Guild didn’t value this subject at the time, 
  which led to Dúbelthor being overlooked in favor of 
  generalists with flashy raw power. Jealous, Dúbelthor 
  left the Guild, privately vowing to “show them all.”
  In the ensuing decades, Dúbelthor developed a rit-
  ual for transferring magical power to the caster (Trap 
  Magical Essence; see boxed text). Unsurprisingly, given 
  Dúbelthor’s specialty, this targeted spirits. But it had 
  a slight flaw: It worked only on the ghosts of wizards 
  freshly slain by the caster. Oh, well!
  Since then, Dúbelthor has developed a workable 
  strategy for racking up more power: Use knowledge 
  of the Guild to identify aging-but-powerful wizards; 
  approach sneakily, using Dark Vision, Flight, and 
  Scryguard to float undetectably into bedrooms at night; 
  use homemade magebane to render victims unable to 
  cast spells; incapacitate them with a spell that targets 
  the body (i.e., resisted by HT), usually Sleep, or with 
  paralytic slime; and murder the magic out of them, 
  ideally by suffocation. Time and energy permitting, 
  Dúbelthor uses Mind-Search beforehand or Summon 
  Spirit afterward to stay up to date on the Guild.
  That’s what Dúbelthor is likely to be encountered 
  doing. Dúbelthor won’t bother a group of delvers, but 
  might stalk an unaccompanied wizard in town. The 
  wizard’s allies had better act quickly once their friend 
  disappears! If Dúbelthor expects trouble, Missile Shield 
  and Shield are likely, plus Flight for a quick escape.
  In any case, note Dúbelthor’s extensive energy sup-
  ply: FP 15, Energy Reserve 20, and a 25-FP power item. 
  Every spell that matters is at skill 20, meaning halved 
  casting time and a two-energy-point cost reduction, 
  rendering many of them free to maintain. Finally, Wild 
  Magic lets Dúbelthor cast any two wizardly spells at 
  skill 22 – a capability reserved for hasty escapes.
  Adventure	seeds
  Magic And Murder . In recent months, six elderly 
  Wizards’ Guild members have suffocated on their own 
  pillows after being paralyzed by stroke. What are the 
  odds? The Guild suspects murder, but the guilty party 
  has eluded them, suggesting Scryguard is at work. The 
  heroes’ job is to track down the serial killer without 
  using magic. The trail leads to Dúbelthor – who flees if 
  the delvers aren’t careful. Strangely, the wizard’s iden-
  tity is enough to earn a reward.
  More Magic, More Murder . After the previous quest, 
  the Guild has an odd request: Forget about the killer, 
  if still at large. Find Dúbelthor’s base and bring back 
  all magical writings there. If Dúbelthor fled, the lair 
  is a haunted house where the wizard commands the 
  ghosts (treat as specters; Monsters, pp. 50-51) and has 
  access to endless poisons and potions. If the delvers 
  slew Dúbelthor, it’s the same, but add Dúbelthor to 
  the ghosts (a specter with Magery, an Energy Reserve, 
  and spells).
  New Spell: Trap Magical Essence (VH)
  Regular; Resisted by Will + Magery
  Permanently transfers part of a living being’s “magical 
  essence” to the caster. The caster must touch the subject 
  throughout the casting and kill them at its culmination, or the 
  spell fails (roll anyway, to check for critical failure). In most 
  cases, A Running Man Can Cut a Thousand Throats (Exploits, 
  p. 60) applies.
  At the instant of death, roll the dice. The victim’s spirit 
  resists with Will, plus a bonus equal to their Magery. If they 
  fail to resist, total their character points in these wizardly 
  traits: Energy Reserve (Magical), Improved Magic Resistance, 
  Magery, and Wild Magic. For every full 30 points, the caster 
  gains one point to spend on those advantages only. They must 
  spend the points at once, but may supplement them with 
  unspent points. Points insufficient to buy anything are lost.
  If the victim is resurrected, they’ll be missing character 
  points equal to what the caster stole. Details are up to the 
  GM. This needn’t involve the abilities noted above – wizards 
  might return without random spells, or with new problems 
  like Unnatural Features.
  Example: Dúbelthor successfully casts Trap Magical 
  Essence on somebody with Energy Reserve 7 (Magical) [21], 
  Magery 4 [45], and Wild Magic 1 [21]. That’s 87 points in 
  applicable traits – two but not quite three increments of 30 
  points – conferring 2 character points. That isn’t enough to 
  raise any permitted trait, but Dúbelthor adds 3 unspent points 
  and spends all 5 on a level of Improved Magic Resistance. If 
  the victim is resurrected later, they’ll be down 2 points.
  Critical failure with this spell costs the caster a level of 
  Magery permanently .
  Duration: Instantaneous. Points transferred are permanent.
  Cost: 30. Cannot be maintained.
  Time to cast: 1 hour.
  Prerequisites: Wizardly: Magery 3, Mind-Search, and 10 
  Necromantic spells, including Command Ghosts and Entrap 
  Spirit.
  Design Notes
  For the most part, Dúbelthor is a typical half-elf wizard 
  who uses the standard professional and racial templates, 
  with a lot of added potential as a consequence of using 
  the Trap Magical Essence spell (above), which definitely is 
  not standard. Hidden Lore (Wizards’ Guild Secrets) is also 
  unusual; it doesn’t cover spells, but things like passwords for 
  enchanted portals and traps in the Guild’s major halls, the 
  location of covert Guild facilities and residences of import-
  ant members, and the true identities of several secretive wiz-
  ards. The listed gear is just a possibility – Dúbelthor preys 
  on archmages, and could have captured any magic item the 
  GM wants in the campaign!
  
  38	
  vIllAI ns
  FAIr	kIlArI
  375-Point Elven Thief
  Adventurers often see thieves as team players, saving allies’ 
  lives by disarming traps, and risking their own by reconnoi-
  tering alone. So they pocket some extra loot . . . don’t most 
  delvers? And unlike barbarians, knights, scouts, and swash-
  bucklers – professional killers, all – thieves have a proper 
  guild that frowns upon murder: Scalawags who don’t kill 
  don’t draw attention the way bloodthirsty assassins and cult-
  ists do. Yet the Thieves’ Guild are criminals, and hardworking 
  folk view the leaders, especially – even charming rogues like 
  Kilari – as villains .
  ST 9 [-10]; DX 16 [120]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 11 [10].
  Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0]; Will 15 [0]; Per 15 [0]; 
  FP 11 [0].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-15]; Basic Move 9 [15]; Move 9.
  Dodge 9; Parry 11 (Knife); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Animal Companion (Owl) [4]
  Luck [15]
  Appearance (Beautiful) [12]
  Magery 0 [5]
  Catfall [10]
  Perfect Balance [15]
  Elven Gear [1]
  Wealth (Very Wealthy) [30]
  Flexibility [5]
  Forest Guardian 2 [10]
  High Manual Dexterity 6 [30]
  Honest Face [1]
  Language: Cant (Spoken) [3]
  Language: Elvish
   (Spoken) [3]
  Disadvantages and 
  Quirks
  Callous [-5]
  Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) [-5]
  Greed (12) [-15]
  Post-Combat Shakes (12) [-5]
  Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15]
  Sense of Duty (Thieves’ 
  Guild) [-10]
  Likes animals and isn’t Cal-
  lous toward them. [-1]
  Preferentially targets delv-
  ers because they have 
  loot. [-1]
  Sees the Guild as superior 
  to street folk, not as 
  their champions. [-1]
  Still enjoys the thrill of 
  hands-on theft. [-1]
  Threats and torture make 
  her as uncomfortable 
  as combat. [-1]
  Skills
  Acrobatics-15* [1]
  Heraldry-14 [1]
  Acting-15 [2]
  Hidden Lore
  Carousing-12 [2]
   (Magic Items)-14 [1]
  Climbing-19*† [1]
  Holdout-14 [1]
  Connoisseur (Art)-14 [1]
  Lockpicking-22‡ [2]
  Connoisseur (Luxuries)-14 [1]
  Main-Gauche-16 [2]
  Connoisseur (Weapons)-14 [1]
  Merchant-15 [2]
  Counterfeiting-13 [1]
  Observation-14 [1]
  Crossbow-16 [1]
  Pickpocket-22‡ [4]
  Current Affairs-15 [1]
  Propaganda-14 [1]
  Detect Lies-14 [2]
  Savoir-Faire-15 [1]
  Escape-17† [1]
  Search-14 [1]
  Fast-Draw (Arrow)-16 [1]
  Sex Appeal-14§ [1]
  Fast-Draw (Knife)-16 [1]
  Shadowing-16 [4]
  Fast-Talk-15 [2]
  Sleight of Hand-20‡ [1]
  Filch-16 [2]
  Smuggling-15 [2]
  Forced Entry-16 [1]
  Stealth-20¶ [8]
  Forgery-13 [1]
  Streetwise-17 [8]
  Gambling-14 [1]
  Traps-14 [1]
  Gesture-15 [1]
  Spells
  Climbing-13 [1] 
  Keen Vision-13 [1]
   Haste-13 [1] 
  Measurement-13 [1]
  * Includes +1 for Perfect Balance.
  † Includes +3 for Flexibility.
  ‡ Includes +6 for High Manual Dexterity.
  § Includes +4 for Appearance.
  ¶ Includes +2 for Forest Guardian.
  Equipment
  $28,370, 15.6 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Bolts, Fine w. Penetrating Weapon (3), Puissance +2 
  ¥5. Damage becomes 1d+4(3) imp. $905, 0.3 lb.
  Delver’s Webbing. Holds bolts, nageteppo, potion, 
  lockpicks, personal basics. $160, 3 lbs.
  Flash Nageteppo ¥2. $80, 0.4 lb.
  Invisibility Potion. $2,250, 0.5 lb.
  Lockpicks, Fine. +2 to skill. $1,000, 2 lbs.
  Long Knife, Very Fine w. Penetrating Weapon (2). 
  1d(2) cut (reach C, 1) or 1d(2) imp (reach C, 1). 
  $7,400, 1.5 lbs.
  Ninja Slippers. +1 to Stealth. $100, 0.5 lb.
  Design Notes
  Kilari uses the elf racial template and thief profes-
  sional template, adjusted for her being an urban – and 
  urbane – rogue rather than a delver. She has the new Ani-
  mal Companion advantage (p. 39): an owl, Iniani, with Filch-13 
  and Stealth-14. Further noteworthy traits are the ability to speak Cant (the secret language 
  of master thieves) and a Sense of Duty to the Thieves’ Guild (as significant as any religion 
  or nation). Racial Magery lets her learn spells. The gear is an example, not a firm list.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  39
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Pistol Crossbow (ST 11). 1d+1 imp, Acc 1, 
  Range 165/220, Shots 1(8), Bulk -4. $150, 
  4 lbs.
  Smoke Nageteppo ¥2. $80, 0.4 lb.
  Stylish Clothing w. Fortify +3. DR 3. $16,240, 
  2 lbs.
  enCountered
  Kilari learns what delvers are up to in 
  “her” town on a roll vs. Current Affairs-15. 
  If she dislikes that, all the PCs’ rolls to trade, 
  find work, and so on (Carousing, Merchant, 
  Propaganda, Streetwise, etc.) become Quick 
  Contests against her Streetwise-17 as she 
  mobilizes the Thieves’ Guild to interfere. 
  She’s wealthy, good-looking, and assumed 
  to be a “noble elf,” so even high society isn’t 
  safe – it merely limits her to Savoir-Faire-15.
  If Kilari really dislikes the delvers – say, 
  they rebuff the Thieves’ Guild for another 
  quest-giver – the consequences become more 
  direct. First, dishonest merchants jack up 
  prices. Second, cutpurses target the heroes 
  aggressively; check for wandering monsters 
  (Exploits, p. 85) in town, with “success” indi-
  cating a pickpocket attempt or other theft.
  If the delvers discover that Kilari is their 
  problem and try words instead of weapons, 
  they might be surprised when they meet her: 
  She isn’t from the street, but is a highborn elf 
  who equates her Guild position to legitimate 
  social status. The PCs can deal with her, but 
  she has enough social skills (Acting, Detect 
  Lies, Fast-Talk, etc.) to make that tricky, 
  and won’t be tempted by bribes smaller than 
  $20,000 per party member .
  Opting for violence is declaring war on 
  the Thieves’ Guild – and self-defense isn’t 
  murder. The GM shouldn’t prevent clever 
  schemes to confront Kilari directly, but 
  ham-fisted ones ought to fail. She hates 
  fighting and is no combat challenge, but she 
  is always guarded, can afford costly defenses 
  like Bless spells and Wish items, and won’t 
  hesitate to expend an invisibility potion or 
  many nageteppo and then flee at Move 9.
  Adventure	seeds
  Faerie Godmother . Posing as an elven noblewomen, Kilari 
  offers a quest that seems reasonable. Undertaking it means 
  getting into bed with the Thieves’ Guild – lawful folk will 
  raise a stink. When this happens, searching for the “noble” 
  to demand an explanation (or a payoff!) is an adventure in 
  itself, as nobody knows who the delvers are talking about.
  Whodunit? Kilari still steals when the rewards are worth-
  while. With Climbing-19, Lockpicking-22, and bonuses from 
  the best gear, delvers are hard-pressed to keep her out of their 
  rooms. With Stealth-20 and Pickpocket-22, pockets are no 
  safer. And if they’ve annoyed her, she might use either method 
  to plant contraband – or Sleight of Hand-20 to drop it strate-
  gically – and frame the heroes. Whatever happens, the adven-
  ture becomes an exercise in detective work.
  new	AdvAntAge:	AnImAl	ComPAnIon
  4 points
  A pet costs money . Roll against Animal Handling to give it commands. 
  Make reaction rolls for its behavior.
  An Animal Companion cost points, but differs in important ways:
  • It obeys simple commands (“fetch,” “play dead,” “stay,” etc.) with-
  out Animal Handling rolls. You can say “attack,” but these beasts are no 
  match for dungeon denizens; if it dies, you lose the points you spent.
  • It’s automatically loyal. But make a reaction roll if you deliberately 
  betray or harm it – or order it to fight anything more dangerous than it! 
  “Very Bad” or worse means it leaves; again, you lose the points. “Poor” 
  or “Bad” means it won’t obey commands; roll daily until you get “Good” 
  or better (it returns to its old self) or “Very Bad” or worse (it leaves).
  • It’s smart . The IQ scores below are a level higher than average.
  • Its master may buy extra skills for it, subject to GM approval; exam-
  ples are Acrobatics, Escape, Filch, Jumping, Observation (for watch-
  beasts), Pickpocket, Search, Stealth, and Tracking. Using these takes a 
  “simple command.”
  Below are typical companions. The dog, falcon, owl, and parrot are 
  all larger types. In all cases, HP = ST and FP = HT.
  Cat (SM -3) . ST 4; DX 14; IQ 5; HT 10; Will 11; Per 12; Basic Speed 6.00; 
  Basic Move 10; Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Flexibility; Night Vision 5; 
  Quadruped; Sharp Claws (1 point cut); Sharp Teeth (1 point cut); 
  Brawling-16; Jumping-14; Stealth-14; 16 points of extra skills.
  Dog (SM 0) . ST 9; DX 11; IQ 5; HT 12; Will 10; Per 12; Basic Speed 5.75; 
  Basic Move 10; Chummy; Discriminatory Smell; Quadruped; Sharp 
  Teeth (1d-2 cut); Brawling-13; Tracking-13 (17 by scent); 8 points of 
  extra skills.
  Falcon (SM -4) . ST 3; DX 14; IQ 4; HT 10; Will 10; Per 12; Basic Speed 
  6.00; Basic Move 2; Acute Vision 3; Flight (Winged; Air Move 24); No 
  Fine Manipulators; Sharp Beak (1 point pi+); Sharp Claws (1 point 
  cut); Stoop; Brawling-16; 16 points of extra skills. Notes: Stoop 
  allows full Air Move when clawing (1d cut) or grappling.
  Owl (SM -3) . ST 4; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 10; Will 12; Per 12; Basic Speed 5.50; 
  Basic Move 2; 360° Vision; Acute Hearing 3; Flight (Winged; Air Move 
  22); Night Vision 5; No Fine Manipulators; Sharp Beak (1 point pi+); 
  Sharp Claws (1 point cut); Silence 2; Brawling-14; Observation-13; 12 
  points of extra skills.
  Parrot (SM -4) . ST 3; DX 12; IQ 5; HT 10; Will 12; Per 12; Basic Speed 
  5.50; Basic Move 3; Acute Hearing 4; Flight (Winged; Air Move 16); 
  One Arm (Beak/Tongue); Sharp Beak (1 point cut); Sharp Claws (1 
  point cut); Brawling-14; Mimicry (all)-12; 20 points of extra skills.
  
  40	
  vIllAI ns
  geoFF	IronshIeld
  375-Point Minotaur Knight
  Geoff worked as a farmhand until he was falsely accused 
  of multiple murders. He fled rather than face the torches and 
  pitchforks of folk who would judge him for his 
  race. The actual murderer – a sorcerer sacrific-
  ing villagers to The Devil – exploited the situa-
  tion to engage Geoff as muscle. That worked 
  until, quite by accident, Geoff learned 
  the truth, at which point he flipped 
  out and slaughtered his boss and every-
  one who got in the way. He now really 
  is a killer – and one who formerly served 
  Evil – which 
  limits 
  his 
  employment 
  options to “monster for hire.”
  ST 22 [120]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 9 [-20]; HT 
  16 [60].
  Damage 2d+1/4d+2; BL 97 lbs.; HP 22 [0]; Will 13 
  [20]; Per 11 [10]; FP 16 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [-10]; Basic Move 7 [0]; Move 7.
  Dodge 11*; Parry 14* (Halberd), 12* (Horns); 
  Block 16*† (Shield).
  Advantages
  Absolute Direction [5]
  Peripheral
  Acute Hearing 2 [4]
   Vision [15]
  Armor Mastery [5]
  Signature Gear
  Born War-Leader 4 [20]
   (Iron Shield) [1]
  Combat Reflexes [15]
  Striking ST 2 [10]
  Enhanced Block 2 [10]
  Thick Skull [3]
  High Pain Threshold [10]
  Tough Skin 2 [6]
  Long Horns [13]
  Weapon Bond
  Magic Resistance 3 [6]
   (Iron Shield) [1]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Appearance (Hideous) [-16]
  Greed (12) [-15]
  Bad Temper (12) [-10]
  Ham-Fisted 2 [-10]
  Berserk (12) [-10]
  Illiteracy [-3]
  Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) [-5]
  Assumes all humans are prejudiced against minotaurs. [-1]
  Considers ranged combatants cowardly. [-1]
  Hopes to clear his name, but doesn’t pursue it obsessively. [-1]
  Insists on payment in quality combat gear (he can’t count 
  coins!). [-1]
  Takes a “don’t ask, don’t tell” stance on what his hirers are 
  up to. [-1]
  Skills
  Armory (Melee Weapons)-10 [4]
  Brawling-16 [4]
  Carousing-16 [1]
  Connoisseur (Weapons)-12‡ [1]
  Forced Entry-15 [2]
  Hiking-15 [1]
  Intimidation-12 [1]
  Leadership-12‡ [1]
  Polearm-20 [24]
  Shield-19/20§ [16]
  Stealth-13 [1]
  Strategy-11‡ [1]
  Streetwise-10 [4]
  Tactics-12‡ [2]
  Wrestling-14 [2]
  * Includes 
  +1 for Combat 
  Reflexes.
  † Includes 
  +2 for 
  Enhanced 
  Block.
  ‡ Includes 
  +4 for Born 
  War-Leader.
  § Use higher 
  skill for Iron 
  Shield (+1 for 
  Weapon Bond).
  Equipment
  $4,945,  
  97 lbs.  
  (No encumbrance)
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Dueling Halberd, Dwarven, 
  Fine. 4d+7 cut (reach 1, 
  2*) or 4d+6 imp (reach 1, 
  2*) or 2d+5 imp (reach 1, 
  2*). $1,680, 10 lbs.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Segmented Plate Armor, Suit. 
  DR 4 (total DR 7). $2,700, 
  72 lbs.
  Small Shield, Dwarven, Fine 
  (“Iron Shield”). DB 1; 2d+2 
  cr (bash). $560, 12 lbs.
  Design Notes
  Geoff is a knight (more or less) – although strictly a melee fighter – with the minotaur 
  racial template (p. 41) and near-maximum ST for his profession and race. His damage 
  stats already reflect his Striking ST, which brings his effective ST to 24. His weapon 
  of choice is a dueling halberd, which he uses one-handed without a readiness penalty 
  thanks to having twice its required ST 12 – and it’s dwarven, so it can attack and parry 
  every turn! Geoff’s DR 7 includes DR 1 from Armor Mastery and DR 2 for Tough Skin. 
  Blows to the skull have to chop through DR 11 (not DR 9). Geoff is usually encountered 
  at work, where he doesn’t make a habit of carrying around noncombat gear.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  41
  enCountered
  Geoff exemplifies the “impressive specimens” of 
  minotaurs that Monsters, p. 42 talks of. As noted for 
  such paragons, he enjoys the patronage of wealthy 
  bosses who give him “better weapons and armor.” But 
  that isn’t what makes him interesting.
  Geoff is a veritable genius among minotaurs. While 
  not as bright as even an average human, his iron will 
  and Magic Resistance make it difficult for mundane and 
  spellcasting manipulators alike – whether foes or poten-
  tial employers – to exploit him. He also has an honor 
  code that amounts to “stays bought,” meaning he’s 
  unlikely to betray a master on his own.
  Moreover, Geoff is what’s often called (behind his 
  back!) a “natural herder”: He has a gift for command 
  (Born War-Leader). The heroes might first encounter 
  him in his role as gatekeeper for a powerful boss: evil 
  wizard, lich, dragon, etc. If none of his employer’s other 
  retainers have better Leadership and Tactics than he 
  does (both 12), he’s probably their captain.
  As a guard, remember that Geoff isn’t easy to avoid. 
  He has an excellent Hearing roll (13). More important, 
  he has Combat Reflexes and Peripheral Vision, making 
  ambush or surprise extremely unlikely.
  Geoff loves treasure but can’t count – though he tells 
  people that his hands are too big for tiny human coins. 
  Thus, he asks patrons for payment in arms and armor. 
  That’s how he has amassed the gear on his character 
  sheet. A given master may well provide better equipment!
  The adventurers will eventually fight Geoff. He’s 
  strong (ST 22 plus Striking ST 2), skilled (20 with both 
  halberd and shield), excellent on the defensive (he blocks 
  at 16, parries with his halberd and his horns, and gets 
  DB 1 from his prized Iron Shield), and hard to neutral-
  ize (DR 7, HP 22, HT 16, and High Pain Threshold). His 
  horns are deadly; the innate per-die bonus and that from 
  Brawling give 2d+5 impaling!
  Exploiting Geoff’s racial Berserk disadvantage is 
  risky. Inflicting injury over HP/4 (6 HP) is tricky on such 
  a tough foe. He’s fast (Move 7 in full armor) – and once 
  berserk, can’t be knocked down, stunned, or slowed. 
  With +4 to HT 16, he may need to be beaten down to 
  -5¥HP (132 HP of injury). Indeed, he may willingly 
  exploit his high Will to run amok . . .
  Adventure	seeds
  By The Horns . The heroes receive a quest to recover 
  some artifact-grade weapon or armor from a lich, mind-
  warper, or other serious boss. This villain has decided 
  that the best place to store the treasure is on Geoff, who’s 
  free to use it. This gives Geoff a huge power-up! And of course 
  he’s fighting alongside a powerful patron.
  We Have A Beef . Geoff is a redeemable villain. For all his 
  rage, he isn’t deranged, fanatical, hateful, obsessed, or a True 
  Believer in some dark god. He’s no greedier than most delv-
  ers, and more honorable than many. Settling the bad blood 
  between him and the village that accused him of murder 
  would be a challenging social adventure with a potent reward: 
  Geoff’s allegiance!
  new	rACIAl	temPlAte:	
  mInotAur
  Racial Cost: 40 points
  Minotaurs (Monsters, p. 42) lack the numbers and intelli-
  gence to develop an organized, militarized society – like that 
  of goblin-kin – that other races fear. And unlike dinomen, liz-
  ard men, and ogres, most aren’t man-eaters. This has earned 
  them guarded acceptance in civilized lands, where they put 
  their strength and endurance to work on farms. Sages have 
  conjectured that minotaurs often get a pass as “cattle.”
  That theory is best not voiced around minotaurs, who 
  are ill-tempered and prone to berserk rage, not to mention 
  strong and armed with lethal horns. Add physical features 
  that other races regard as unbefitting anywhere outside of a 
  paddock and it’s easy to understand why some folk consider 
  these creatures monsters. Exiled minotaurs usually become 
  exactly that.
  Minotaurs can be PCs. They aren’t inherently monstrous. 
  Racial cost is low enough to let them squeeze into any profes-
  sion – although they should avoid brainier occupations!
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+3 [30]; IQ-2 [-40]; HT+3 [30].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+2 [10].
  Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Acute Hearing 2 [4]; 
  Long Horns [13]; Peripheral Vision [15]; Thick Skull [3]; 
  Tough Skin 2 [6].
  Disadvantages: Appearance (Hideous) [-16]; Bad Temper 
  (12) [-10]; Berserk (12) [-10].
  Features: Bull’s face and shaggy neck. Can’t wear most 
  humanoid helmets.
  Special Minotaur Traits
  Appearance (Hideous): -4 on reactions and -8 to Sex Appeal.
  Long Horns: Can attack in close combat (reach C) or into 
  the front hex directly ahead (reach 1). Count as weapon 
  requiring no free hand, not as body part. Use DX or 
  Brawling to hit, and 3 + half of (DX or Brawling) to parry. 
  Damage is thrust impaling at +1 per die, plus Brawling 
  bonus. Helmets with holes don’t cost extra. Existing ones 
  can be modified; roll as in Fixer-Uppers (Exploits, p. 15), 
  with an extra -1.
  Thick Skull: Skull has +4 DR instead of the usual +2 
  (Exploits, p. 54). Cumulative with Tough Skin.
  Tough Skin: Identical to barbarian ability of the same name; 
  see Adventurers, p. 16.
  
  42	
  vIllAI ns
  guItore	the	
  relentless
  350-Point Halfling Thief
  Guitore is the stereotypical halfling who exploits his race’s 
  innate sneakiness to earn a dishonest living. Instead of the tra-
  ditional career in thievery, he chose bounty-hunting. He isn’t 
  picky about employers – past clients include cultists searching 
  for prophesied sacrifice victims and a demon seeking revenge 
  for banishment – and he takes a “dead or alive” approach 
  unless ordered not to. Those who’d laugh (“That 
  squirt wants to capture me?”) rarely do so for 
  long; he’s a virtual colossus among halflings, 
  the student of dark-elf scouts rather than 
  urban thieves, and utterly implacable.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 16 [120]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 12 
  [20].
  Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 13 
  [4]; Will 13 [0]; Per 16 [15]; FP 
  12 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [0]; Basic 
  Move 7 [0]; Move 5.
  Dodge 9; Parry 11 (Short-
  sword); Block 11 (Buckler).
  Advantages
  Expert Backstabbing 10 [20]
  Flexibility [5]
  Halfling Marksmanship 4 [20]
  High Manual Dexterity 1 [5]
  Honest Face [1]
  Language: Demontongue (Spo-
  ken) [3]
  Night Vision 5 [5]
  Nondetection 5 [25]
  Perfect Balance [15]
  Silence 4 [20]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Bloodlust (12) [-10]
  Callous [-5]
  Gluttony (12) [-5]
  Greed (12) [-15]
  Kleptomania (12) [-15]
  Loner (12) [-5]
  Stubbornness (12) [-5]
  Dislikes town; goes there only for business. [-1]
  Hunts and traps game for fun, hungry or not. [-1]
  If eluded once, takes things personally the next time. [-1]
  Likes to surprise victims using “impossible” climbs and 
  attacks from above. [-1]
  Utterly indifferent to who hires him. [-1]
  Skills
  Acrobatics-15* [1]
  Lockpicking-16‡ [1]
  Brawling-16 [1]
  Merchant-14 [4]
  Camouflage-14 [2]
  Observation-15 [1]
  Climbing-20†* [2]
  Poisons-12 [2]
  Escape-17† [1]
  Search-15 [1]
  Fast-Draw (Potion)-16 [1]
  Shadowing-14 [4]
  Fast-Draw (Sword)-16 [1]
  Shield (Buckler)-16 [1]
  Filch-15 [1]
  Shortsword-16 [2]
  Forced Entry-16 [1]
  Sleight of Hand-15‡ [1]
  Hiking-12 [2]
  Sling-20§ [4]
  Holdout-12 [1]
  Smuggling-14 [4]
  Knot-Tying-18‡ [2]
  Stealth-19/23/27¶ [12]
  Streetwise-14 [4]
  Survival (Woodlands)-15 [1]
  Throwing-19§ [1]
  Tracking-17 [4]
  Traps-14 [4]
  * Includes +1 for Perfect Balance.
  † Includes +3 for Flexibility.
  ‡ Includes +1 for High Manual 
  Dexterity.
  § Includes +4 for Halfling Marks-
  manship
  ¶ Silence gives +4 vs. Hearing if 
  moving, +8 if still.
  Equipment
  $22,657, 48 lbs.  
  (Light encumbrance)
  Baton. 1d+1 cr (reach 1) or 1d-1 cr 
  (reach 1). $20, 1 lb.
  Blanket. $20, 4 lbs.
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Coins. 3 gold. $1,200, 0.06 lb.
  Elven Rations, 18 meals. $90, 3 lbs.
  Giant-Spider Silk Cord, 10 yards. 
  $100, 0.5 lb.
  Heavy Leather Armor, Feet, Fine w. 
  Lighten 25%. DR 2. $720, 2.36 lbs.
  Heavy Mail Armor, Body, Fine, Elven 
  w. Lighten 25%. DR 5. $17,080, 
  10.63 lbs.
  Design Notes
  Guitore uses the thief tem-
  plate with a dash of the scout template. He also has the 
  new Nondetection ability (p. 43). He acquired his elven 
  rations, spider-silk cord, boots (fine heavy leather boots 
  with Lighten), and vest (fine, elven heavy mail shirt with 
  Lighten) from the dark-elf scouts who were his mentors.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  43
  Lead Bullets ¥20. Damage becomes 1d+2 pi; Range 132/220. 
  $2, 1.2 lbs.
  Lockpicks. $50, 0.1 lb.
  Long Knife. 1d cut (reach 1) or 1d-1 imp (reach C, 1). $120, 
  1.5 lbs.
  Paralytic Slime. $500, 0.5 lb.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Potion Belt. Holds sleep potions. $60, 1 lb.
  Pouch. Holds lead bullets. $10, 0.2 lb.
  Pouch. Holds rations. $10, 0.2 lb.
  Shackles. $200, 2 lbs.
  Shortsword. 1d+1 cut (reach 1) or 1d imp (reach 1). $400, 
  2 lbs.
  Sleep Potions ¥4. $2,000, 4 lbs.
  Sling. 1d+1 pi, Acc 0, Range 66/110, Shots 1(2), Bulk -4. 
  $20, 0.5 lb.
  Small Shield, Buckler. DB 1; 1d-1 cr (bash). $40, 8 lbs.
  Wineskin. 1 quart water. $10, 2.25 lbs.
  enCountered
  Guitore is likely to be hired by scarier villains to capture 
  or assassinate PCs or good-guy NPCs. With 350 points and 
  gear comparable to that of someone Very Wealthy, he’s 
  more capable than starting delvers. He works alone, so he 
  needs this edge.
  While Guitore isn’t tough in a fair fight, that’s the last 
  place he’ll be met! He follows victims until he can strike 
  from surprise. He prefers to do so outdoors, making use 
  of his Tracking-17; forced to operate in town, he’ll use his 
  thief skills to break into his targets’ lodgings and lie in wait. 
  If stalking an individual, he’ll ambush that person when 
  they’re alone; if pursuing a group, he’ll pick them off one at 
  a time.
  To achieve surprise, Guitore relies on his high Stealth 
  skill – ideally boosted to 27 by Silence. He uses Climbing-20 
  to get above prey, giving them -2 to Vision; see Attacking from 
  Above (Exploits, p. 38). The GM should inflict this on anyone 
  with lesser Climbing skill, as they think “Nobody could get up 
  there!” Even with full gear, encumbrance gives him just -1 to 
  Stealth and Climbing. His Night Vision 5 lets him ignore -5 
  to Vision for darkness, so victims usually face that as well. 
  Nondetection means abilities like Danger Sense and Sense 
  Foes are at -5, too.
  Guitore’s surprise attack varies. Against a lone mark, he 
  uses Backstabbing (Exploits, pp. 57-58). Expert Backstabbing 
  lets him strike using ST 21. His “less lethal” baton can’t benefit 
  from more than ST 20, and does 3d+2 cr/2d-1 cr; he’ll target 
  the skull at a net 13. If he’s out to kill someone, he favors his 
  shortsword, for 4d-1 cut/2d+1 imp. More rarely, he uses his 
  blade for capture instead, in conjunction with paralytic slime.
  Against a group, he snipes from afar with his sling (at skill 
  20!). If he must start closer, he’ll use Throwing-19 to throw 
  sleep grenades to neutralize multiple targets. He won’t hes-
  itate to Fast-Draw and toss one after the other – his clients 
  pay for those. With time to prepare, he’s likely to set traps; see 
  Talented Trapping (Exploits, p. 58).
  Anyone Guitore beats unconscious, puts to sleep, or par-
  alyzes comes to their senses bound. He has shackles for his 
  strongest captive, giant-spider silk cord for the others. Those 
  attempting to use Escape must beat his Knot-Tying skill of 18.
  If cunning fails, Guitore won’t stand and fight. His elven 
  mail vest is wonderful (DR 5) but no match for serious coun-
  terattacks. He’ll use Fast-Draw to get his sword, grab his shield 
  (DB 1), and use Speed Is Armor! (Exploits, p. 58) to fight a 
  retreating battle and then flee.
  Adventure	seeds
  Villain For Hire . Guitore is hired to grab a delver who 
  wronged a recurring villain. He meticulously tracks the party 
  and waits to ambush his victim alone. If he kidnaps his target, 
  the quest becomes pursuing Guitore, who sets traps and uses 
  Tracking to hide his trail; see Adventurers, p. 92. If he fails, he 
  bolts – and then harasses the PCs from afar, aiding other foes 
  and interrupting the heroes’ rest with the aim of rendering 
  them weak enough to defeat.
  Who Catches The Catchers? Guitore speaks Demontongue 
  because cultists pay well for sacrifice victims, no questions 
  asked. This time he’s grabbed someone important and the 
  bounty is on his head. What the heroes don’t know is that this 
  was the plan all along, and they’re the real sacrifice victims – as 
  they’ll learn when they “corner” Guitore and find him backed 
  by an entire coven.
  new	sPeCIAl	thIeF	trAIt:	
  nondeteCtIon
  5 points/level
  You’ve learned to minimize your magical and psychic 
  “signatures.” Attempts to discern you, your actions, or your 
  motives using magic (including Information-class and 
  Knowledge-college spells, crystal balls, scrying mirrors, 
  and anything else the GM feels works similarly) or entirely 
  supernatural senses (e.g., Danger Sense, the clerical Detect 
  Evil ability, the martial artist’s Blind Fighting skill if the 
  user cannot hear, and many monsters’ Dark Vision and 
  Detect advantages) are at -1 per level of Nondetection. This 
  penalizes the Sense roll for senses, the skill roll for spells 
  or skills. It also extends to being targeted – if you’re “seen” 
  only because your opponent successfully used such a capa-
  bility, that enemy still has -1 per level to hit you.
  Warmth, vibrations, noise, and other mundane emis-
  sions aren’t supernatural! Thus, Nondetection doesn’t 
  penalize such capabilities as Infravision, Sonar (including 
  the bard’s Song of Echoes), Subsonic Hearing, or Vibra-
  tion Sense – nor Blind Fighting, if the user can hear. To 
  avoid those things, use Stealth.
  Nondetection has no effect on your abilities or items. 
  Nor is it supernatural – it cannot itself be sensed.
  
  44	
  vIllAI ns
  IthylyssyA	Athì
  450-Point Dark-Elven Wizard
  Ithylyssya is a scheming, power-hungry evil sorceress. She 
  embodies almost all the stereotypes about dark elves. She 
  does not, however, assume that every delver lives up to all the 
  stereotypes about heroes, and is perforce an enemy to attack 
  on sight. She puts the “wise” in “wizard,” and prefers manipu-
  lation to murder. This still often takes the form of casting nox-
  ious spells – just spells that control minds rather than ones 
  that blast people.
  Ithylyssya’s Glimmering Sphere is her power item. It holds 
  25 FP.
  ST 9 [-10]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 17 [140]; HT 12 [20].
  Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0]; Will 17 [0]; Per 14 
  [-15]; FP 16 [12].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Move 6.
  Dodge 9; Parry 9 (Smallsword); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Cultural Adaptability [10]
  Magery 6 [65]
  Dark Gift 4 [20]
  Night
  Energy Reserve 20 (Magical) [60]
   Vision 5 [5]
  Improved Magic Resistance 5 [25]
  Language: Ancient [6]
  Language: Demontongue [6]
  Language: Elvish [6]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Callous [-5]
  Jealousy [-10]
  Obsession (Control the world’s rulers 
  from behind the scenes) (12) [-10]
  Overconfidence (15) [-2]
  Stubbornness (15) [-2]
  In combat, “leads” from the rear and 
  flees if losing. [-1]
  Less awful toward fellow elves, even 
  surface elves. [-1]
  Prefers manipulation to murder. [-1]
  Reacts poorly to remarks about 
  demonic spider goddesses . . . [-1]
  . . . but likes spiders. [-1]
  Skills
  Alchemy-20* [4]
  Intimidation-17† [1]
  Current Affairs-17 [1]
  Leadership-16 [1]
  Diplomacy-16 [2]
  Occultism-20* [1]
  Fast-Draw (Knife)-12 [1]
  Poisons-16 [2]
  Fast-Draw (Sword)-12 [1]
  Propaganda-16 [1]
  Fast-Talk-16 [1]
  Research-16 [1]
  Gesture-17 [1]
  Savoir-Faire-18 [2]
  Hazardous Materials-20* [1]
  Smallsword-12 [2]
  Hidden Lore (Demons)-20* [1]
  Speed-Reading-16 [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Stealth-17 [20]
   (Lost Civilizations)-20* [1]
  Thaumatology-24*‡ [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Thrown Weapon
   (Magic Items)-20* [1]
   (Knife)-12 [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Writing-16 [1]
   (Magical Writings)-20* [1]
  Spells‡
  Blackout-21 [1]
  Darkness-21 [1]
  Missile
  Blur-21 [1]
  Daze-21 [1]
   Shield-21 [1]
  Bravery-21 [1]
  Fascinate-21 [1]
  Persuasion-21 [1]
  Charm-25 [12]
  Fear-21 [1]
  Recover
  Command-21
  Foolishness-21 [1]
   Energy-21 [1]
   [1]
  Forgetfulness-21 [1]
  Sense
  Continual
  Hide-21 [1]
   Emotion-21 [1]
   Light-21 [1]
  Invisibility-21 [1]
  Sense
  Lend Energy-21 [1]
   Foes-21 [1]
  Light-21 [1]
  Shield-21 [1]
  Loyalty-21 [1]
  Sleep-21 [1]
  Mass Daze-21 [1]
  Soul Rider-21 [1]
  Mass Sleep-21 [1]
  Terror-21 [1]
  Mind-Reading-21 [1]
  Truthsayer-21 [1]
  Mind-Sending-21 [1]
  Weaken Will-21 [1]
  * Includes +4 for Dark Gift.
  † Includes +1 for Callous.
  ‡ Includes +6 for Magery.
  Equipment
  $52,370, 15.3 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Bladeblack ¥3. $3,000, 1.5 lbs.
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Glimmering Sphere.* $37,000, 0.02 lb.
  Light Leather Armor, Body, Arms, Hands, 
  Legs, and Feet, Fine w. Lighten 25%. 
  DR 1. $3,170, 9.28 lbs.
  Small Throwing Knives, Very Fine ¥2. 
  1d-1 imp, Acc 1, Range 7/13, Shots 
  T(1), Bulk 0. $1,200, 1 lb.
  Smallsword, Very Fine. 1d+1 imp (reach 
  1). $8,000, 1.5 lbs.
  * A radiant gem that hovers yet has 
  weight in the hand. Its power-item capac-
  ity is 25 FP. Its price reflects potent magic: 
  It prevents incoming basic damage from 
  attacks and spells from reaching its owner!  
  Design Notes
  Ithylyssya combines the wizard professional template with the dark-elf 
  racial template (p. 45). She’s a studious archmage rather than an adven-
  turer, though – her skills are shifted away from the rough-and-tumble, 
  toward the cerebral. Her equipment list reflects “everyday carry”; between 
  her long career and prodigious Alchemy skill, she could have any mun-
  dane gear or stock magic item the GM wants, especially potions.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  45
  Keep a running total; at 50 points, the Sphere 
  is full and offers no further protection 
  (including against excess damage from the 
  attack that filled it). It “heals” 1 HP of absorp-
  tion capacity per day.
  enCountered
  Ithylyssya has townsfolk in her ser-
  vice through magic (like free-to-maintain 
  Charm), social influence (bribery, mutual 
  back-scratching, threats, etc.), or a com-
  bination of the two (the Persuasion spell 
  helps). She could easily inspire people to 
  stonewall the PCs, or guide the group toward 
  or away from her. The heroes must over-
  come her Diplomacy or Propaganda of 16, 
  or Intimidation of 17 – not just the NPCs’ 
  Will – to make headway. Among the high and 
  mighty, she exploits Savoir-Faire-18.
  If the adventurers eventually come look-
  ing, they’re expected. Ithylyssya has spied 
  on them via other NPCs’ eyes, thanks to her 
  free-to-maintain Soul Rider spell. And she 
  has agents (average Loyalty 16; see Exploits, 
  p. 90) everywhere.
  When the delvers get close, Ithylyssya 
  starts to monitor them directly. Her pre-
  ferred method is the Invisibility spell (free 
  to maintain) combined with Stealth (at 17). 
  She won’t attack or cast spells – her goal is 
  to learn what the heroes want so she can 
  make an irresistible offer.
  Once Ithylyssya believes she can make a deal, 
  she sets up a meeting. Bodyguards are certain – say, a few 
  golems (GM chooses type) and some dark-elf scouts (250+ 
  points). Should things go bad, she has an escape plan; e.g., 
  she drank a flight potion earlier, and zooms off as her goons 
  advance. She counts on the Glimmering Sphere against 
  attacks, Improved Magic Resistance to stop spells (which also 
  grants her 17 or less to resist potions like magebane), and 
  Command or Fascinate to halt foes until she can flee.
  If the delvers press, a violent encounter is inevitable. Ithy-
  lyssya starts with Missile Shield (free to maintain) and Invis-
  ibility, and casts an Area spell – probably Darkness to blind 
  the heroes, or Mass Daze, Mass Sleep, or Terror to make 
  them easy prey. That makes her visible, but she’s behind allies 
  and can absorb considerable range penalties when casting 
  Charm, which takes her just one second and 3 energy. Her 
  weapons are poisoned with bladeblack. And she still has an 
  escape plan.
  The PCs might instead accept her proposal. Ithylyssya can 
  provide information using many skills pertaining to arcane 
  wisdom at 20+. She can cut surprising deals with horrific enti-
  ties; Cultural Adaptability erases -3 in reaction penalties and 
  Dark Gift adds +4. She has a lair full of magical resources, 
  including many potions. What she wants in return is usually a 
  dangerous social mission that increases her control of guilds, 
  priests, nobles, or royals.
  Whatever happens, bear in mind two things. First, 
  Ithylyssya has piles of energy, with FP 16, Energy Reserve 20, 
  and a 25-FP power item. Second, even her worst spells are at 
  21, halving casting time and reducing cost by 2.
  Adventure	seeds
  Let’s You And Him Fight . Mind Control spells cast by 
  someone invisible many yards away can elicit “personality 
  changes.” An adventure featuring Ithylyssya could start with 
  an abrupt clash between NPCs, or a PC and an NPC. She then 
  leaves the delvers to deal with the social fallout until the time 
  seems right to offer her “help” – help that doubtless strength-
  ens her hold on important townsfolk.
  No Town? No Problem! If the heroes avoid town, Ithylyssya 
  has suborned a country innkeeper or elves in the wilderness, 
  who offer a drugged banquet. At worst, her allies strike with 
  sleep potions and paralytic slime – or she casts Mass Sleep 
  while invisible. Captured adventurers are disarmed and 
  offered a “deal” enforced using, for instance, cursed Necklaces 
  of Choking. Ithylyssya’s real target? A noble in a lonely castle, 
  or the local King’s Rangers.
  new	rACIAl	temPlAte:	dArk	elF
  Racial Cost: 20 points
  Dark elves differ from the “wood elves” or “green elves” that most 
  other races think of when someone mentions elves (Adventurers, p. 44) 
  in three main ways: They live underground, they have a different color-
  ation, and they have a gift for lore that many consider “creepy.” They’re 
  also rumored to worship a scantily clad demonic spider goddess, though 
  that’s unproven. Other elves avoid them.
  Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; IQ+1 [20].
  Advantages: Dark Gift 1 [5]; Magery 0 [5]; Night Vision 5 [5].
  Disadvantages: Callous [-5].
  Features: Jet-black skin with cobweb-gray or white hair – or cobwebby 
  white skin with jet-black hair.
  Special Elf Traits
  Dark Gift: Your grasp of the uncanny is . . . uncanny. Add +1 per level 
  to the Alchemy, Hazardous Materials, Hidden Lore, Occultism, and 
  Thaumatology skills. Also add +1 per level to reaction rolls from truly 
  evil supernatural beings when negotiating for artifacts, knowledge, or 
  power. You may buy up to three more levels in play, for 5 points/level.
  Magery 0: If you’re a wizard, this overlaps Magery; you can spend the 
  5 points on other professional advantages. If you belong to another 
  profession, you can sense mana and magic items. You can also 
  learn (and cast!) wizardly spells that don’t require Magery 1+, if you 
  can find a teacher and meet the spells’ prerequisites. Spells learned 
  through Magery 0 always obey the rules for wizards, even if you 
  belong to another spellcasting profession.
  
  46	
  vIllAI ns
  JAnA	sey
  475-Point Human Druid
  Druids rarely side with organized Good or Evil, as the 
  associated struggles involve rampant magic-use (healing 
  included!) that tangles Life’s skein, legions that trample and 
  burn Nature, and settlements and strongholds that despoil the 
  wilderness. That doesn’t make druids neutral! Some merely 
  preach against these ravages, but others actively defend wild 
  places, and a few attack civilization with a hate that qualifies 
  as “evil,” even Evil. Jana Sey typifies the latter.
  Jana usually takes leopard form. As a human, her 
  power item is a $20,000 ruby that holds 35 FP.
  ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 14 [40].
  Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; 
  Will 14 [0]; Per 16 [10]; FP 20 [18].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-10]; Basic Move 7 
  [5]; Move 7.
  Dodge 9; Parry 11 (Unarmed); 
  Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Animal Friend 2 [10]
  Energy Reserve 20 (Druidic) [60]
  Power Investiture 6 (Druidic) [60]
  Shapeshifting (Leopard) [120]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Fanaticism [-15]
  Loner (12) [-5]
  Sense of Duty (Nature) [-15]
  Vow (Never sleep indoors) [-10]
  Claims to be “Chieftess of Clan Leopard.” [-1]
  Likes shiny bangles. [-1]
  Never shapeshifts where she can be observed. [-1]
  Only makes deals that garner her a blood sacrifice. [-1]
  Views metal arms and armor as badges of Nature’s foes. [-1]
  Skills
  Animal Handling (Felines)-15* [1]
  Observation-15 [1]
  Animal Handling (Snakes)-15* [1]
  Pharmacy-12 [1]
  Brawling-16 [12]
  Poisons-12 [1]
  Camouflage-14 [1]
  Religious Ritual
  Climbing-12 [2]
   (Druidic)-12 [1]
  Disguise (Animals)-15* [1]
  Stealth-12 [2]
  Esoteric Medicine (Druidic)-15 [2]
  Survival
  Herb Lore-12 [2]
   (Jungle)-15 [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Swimming-14 [1]
   (Nature Spirits)-13 [1]
  Theology
  Hiking-14 [2]
   (Druidic)-12 [1]
  Mimicry (Animal
  Tracking-16 [2]
   Sounds)-14* [1]
  Veterinary-14* [1]
  Naturalist-13 [2]
  Weather
  Navigation-14 [2]
   Sense-13 [1]
  Spells†
  Arboreal Immurement-20 [4]
  Light Tread-18 [1]
  Beast Speech-18 [1]
  Mammal Control-18 [1]
  Beast Summoning-18 [1]
  Mystic Mist-18 [1]
  Beast-Rouser-18 [1]
  Pathfinder-18 [1]
  Beast-Soother-18 [1]
  Plant Sense-18 [1]
  Create Animal-20 [4]
  Quick March-18 [1]
  Detect Magic-18 [1]
  Recover Energy-18 [1]
  Dispel Magic-18 [1]
  Reptile Control-18 [1]
  Extinguish Fire-18 [1]
  Rider Within-18 [1]
  Forest Warning-18 [1]
  Sense Life-18 [1]
  Hide Path-18 [1]
  Tangle Growth-18 [1]
  Walk Through Plants-18 [1]
  * Includes +2 for Animal Friend.
  † Includes +6 for Power Investiture.
  Leopard Form
  ST: 17 
  HP: 17 
  Speed: 7.00
  DX: 15 
  Will: 14 
  Move: 12
  IQ: 14 
  Per: 16
  HT: 15 
  FP: 21 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 10 
  Parry: N/A 
  DR: 1
  Bite or Claw (20): 1d+2 cutting. Reach C.
  Traits: Bloodlust (12); Catfall; Flexibility; 
  Limited Camouflage (Jungle); Night Vision 
  5; Perfect Balance; Quadruped; Tempera-
  ture Tolerance 1 (Heat); and all the advan-
  tages, disadvantages, and quirks above.
  Skills: Adjusting attributes, combining skill points, 
  and adding advantage bonuses gives Brawl-
  ing-20; Camouflage-14 (16 if motionless in 
  jungle); Climbing-20; Hiking-15; Jumping-16; 
  Stealth-17 (19 if motionless in jungle); Swim-
  ming-15. • All other skills and spells are as above.
  enCountered
  Jana acts only in jungle, only in leopard form, and never 
  head-on. She uses spells like Forest Warning and Sense Life to 
  discover targets, and Tracking-16 to stalk them. Rider Within 
  (free to maintain for her) and Plant Sense mean animals 
  and plants help with this. She eventually ambushes anyone 
  Design Notes
  Jana uses the druid template, replacing Green Thumb 
  with Animal Friend, buying the new Shapeshifting (Leopard) 
  ability (p. 47), and swapping all combat skills for Brawling 
  (as befits a leopard!). Her Fanaticism amounts to Intolerance 
  and irresistible Bloodlust where civilization is concerned. 
  Jana doesn’t carry equipment – but if defeated, her human 
  form appears with whatever gold and gems the GM likes.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  47
  carrying metal armaments, setting fires, or doing other things 
  Nature dislikes; Quick March lets her circle ahead so they 
  walk into it.
  As Jana won’t harm natural beasts, she creates four or 
  five leopards (see box) using Create Animal – she can cast 
  and maintain this for free for SM 0 creatures. She also pre-
  pares the battleground with a huge Mystic Mist, hiding it in 
  regular mist (assume her Weather Sense lets her find some); 
  she and her creations count as “native” to this. Then she 
  waits and rests.
  When her targets enter the Mystic Mist, the leopards 
  attack, enjoying +1 to defend while their victims get -1. Jana 
  stays up a tree in the Mist, creating replacements for dead 
  leopards; at her level, each casting takes one second. Without 
  defeating Jana – who can’t be seen without Mage Sight and 
  has effective Stealth-19 – there will always be more leopards.
  Jana casts Arboreal Immurement on those who get too 
  close to her tree. Even with five or six spells active, her odds 
  are fair thanks to high skill – which also halves casting time 
  and reduces cost to 6 energy. With FP 21 and Energy Reserve 
  20, she can afford retries!
  If facing defeat, Jana leaps down and escapes at Move 12. 
  She exploits Hide Path, Light Tread, Tangle Growth, and Walk 
  Through Plants against trackers. Again, she can afford it!
  Jana never negotiates without overwhelming backup – say, 
  an entire cannibal tribe in awe of her juju. If driven off, she 
  retries later. A fanatic, she’ll keep this up indefinitely.
  Adventure	seed
  Prime Evil . Primeval wilderness gives +1 to +5 to druidic 
  capabilities. This is the sort of place Jana would call home. 
  The bonus enhances all her spells, making them faster and 
  cheaper (see Spells, p. 10). Moreover, she’s a powerful druid, 
  so the nature spirits may take her side, making things as lop-
  sided as the GM desires.
  new	druIdIC	AbIlIty:	shAPeshIFtIng
  Some druids can become large predators! Trans-
  forming either way takes 10 seconds of concentration. 
  The druid must finish the transition once started and 
  cannot act mid-change (only step as Concentrate per-
  mits). Once fully changed, all gear is “absorbed” into the 
  beast-form –  it vanishes safely but neither is accessible 
  nor provides benefits.
  Fatigue, injury, crippling, hostile spells, etc. carry 
  over between forms, but HP and FP losses scale in pro-
  portion to the form’s HP and FP (round down). If the 
  druid is knocked out or killed, they instantly revert to 
  humanoid form.
  A druid’s beast-form uses that animal’s usual stats sub-
  ject to these notes:
  • Apply the druid’s personal ST, DX, HT, HP, FP, Basic 
  Speed, and Basic Move adjustments to the beast’s stats; 
  e.g., a druid with DX 12, HT 13, and Basic Speed 6.00 uses 
  the animal stats with +2 DX, +3 HT (and FP), and a net 
  +1.00 Basic Speed.
  • Modify damage for final ST. Remember, Brawling 
  bonuses are per die .
  • Use the druid’s IQ, Will, and Per, not the animal’s!
  • The druid keeps personal advantages, disadvantages, 
  skills, spells, etc. but also gains the animal’s, except for 
  Wild Animal. For conflicting traits, remove the personal 
  trait and keep the beast’s. For duplicate traits, add the dru-
  id’s points to those implied by the animal’s stats and use 
  the level the total would buy.
  • Adjust all skills – druid’s or animal’s – for the form’s 
  final attributes.
  • The transformed druid can speak but cannot use gear 
  or do anything requiring hands, which limits spellcasting 
  to spells known at 15+.
  This ability comes in several varieties:
  Bear (Monsters, pp. 16-17): 119 points.
  Dire Wolf (Monsters, p. 21): 95 points.
  Leopard (below): 120 points.
  Lion (Monsters, pp. 40-41): 94 points.
  Tiger (Monsters, p. 56): 119 points.
  No druid may have more than one form.
  Shapeshifting is a Druidic ability (Adventurers, p. 23). 
  Nature’s strength alters transition time: each -1 is +1 sec-
  ond, and vice versa.
  Leopard
  Smaller, sneakier, and more vicious than lions and 
  tigers, leopards are expert climbers who pounce from 
  above.
  ST: 15 
  HP: 15 
  Speed: 6.00
  DX: 13 
  Will: 11 
  Move: 10
  IQ: 4 
  Per: 12
  HT: 11 
  FP: 11 
  SM: 0
  Dodge: 9 
  Parry: N/A 
  DR: 1
  Bite or Claw (15): 1d+1 cutting. Reach C.
  Traits: Bloodlust (12); Catfall; Flexibility; Limited Camou-
  flage (Jungle); Night Vision 5; Perfect Balance; Quad-
  ruped; Temperature Tolerance 1 (Heat); Wild Animal.
  Skills: Brawling-15; Climbing-17; Jumping-14; Stealth-15 
  (17 if motionless in jungle).
  Class: Animal.
  Notes: Exceptional leopards might have DX 14+, Combat 
  Reflexes, and Silence 1-4.
  
  48	
  vIllAI ns
  kIng	sCrogo		
  the	munIFICent
  450-Point Dwarven Knight
  King Scrogo is not the King who rules humanity’s largest 
  empire, but he’s genuinely a king of the dwarves, although not 
  the king of the dwarves. Strictly speaking, he’s the only surviv-
  ing son of an influential clan chieftain. He went a-delving with 
  his brothers, returned alone with vast riches, and took over as 
  patriarch when his father heard the bad news and died of sor-
  row. However you feel about that, his coffers are deep enough, 
  his followers numerous enough, and his personal skill feared 
  enough that the wise address him as “Your Majesty.”
  ST 18 [80]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 13 [60]; HT 15 [50].
  Damage 1d+2/3d; BL 80 lbs.; HP 18 [0]; Will 14 [5]; Per 13 [0]; 
  FP 18 [9].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-20]; Basic Move 5 [-5]; Move 5.
  Dodge 10*; Parry 17*† (Great Axe); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Absolute Direction [5]
  Lifting ST 2 [6]
  Armor Mastery [5]
  Luck [15]
  Born War-Leader 6 [30]
  Night Vision 5 [5]
  Combat Reflexes [15]
  Penetrating Voice [1]
  Danger Sense [15]
  Pickaxe Penchant 4 [20]
  Dwarven Gear [1]
  Resistant to Poison 6 [6]
  Enhanced Parry 3
  Tough Skin 1 [3]
   (Two-Handed Axe/Mace) [15]
  Wealth (Filthy Rich) [50]
  High Pain Threshold [10]
  Weapon Master
  Language: Dwarvish [6]
   (Great Axe) [20]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Bad Temper (12) [-10]
  Compulsive Lying (15) [-7]
  Greed (9) [-22]
  Sense of Duty (Personal Supporters) [-5]
  Stubbornness (12) [-5]
  Favorite lie: “I am a great believer in the code of chivalry!” [-1]
  Lets those he wants to dupe, swindle, or exploit get away with 
  lax manners. [-1]
  Munificent to his supporters, and keeps them on hand to con-
  vince others. [-1]
  Obsessed with “wealth in the depths” beneath his halls. [-1]
  Wears a false eye-patch for sympathy and to mislead oppo-
  nents. [-1]
  Skills
  Acting-12 [1]
  Leadership-18‡ [1]
  Armory (Body Armor)-12 [1]
  Merchant-12 [1]
  Brawling-14 [2]
  Prospecting-16§ [1]
  Carousing-15 [1]
  Savoir-Faire-19‡ [1]
  Connoisseur (Luxuries)-12 [1]
  Strategy-17‡ [1]
  Connoisseur (Weapons)-18‡ [1]
  Tactics-17‡ [1]
  Fast-Talk-14 [4]
  Two-Handed
  Forced Entry-17§ [1]
   Axe/Mace-20§ [12]
  Heraldry-12 [1]
  Wrestling-14 [4]
  Intimidation-14 [2]
  * Includes +1 for Combat Reflexes.
  † Includes +3 for Enhanced 
  Parry.
  ‡ Includes 
  +6 for Born 
  War-Leader.
  § Includes 
  +4 for 
  Pickaxe 
  Penchant.
  Design Notes
  Scrogo’s profession is technically something like “dwarf’s dwarf” 
  or “dwarven dilettante,” and one that only a rich dwarven ruler’s son 
  given every advantage – training by masters of arms, an excellent 
  education, the best diet, and perhaps genuine divine right – could 
  hope to pursue. Look at all those one-point skills; he barely had to 
  try. He’s closest to being a knight and so has access to a knight’s 
  special abilities, and also the new Filthy Rich advantage (p. 49). 
  His “go to” kit is impressive but his treasury contains far more! 
  Speaking of equipment, Scrogo’s great axe doesn’t become 
  unready after attacking because he has more than 1.5 times its 
  required ST 12 – and of course it’s dwarven, so it can attack and 
  parry every turn. The damage effects of Weapon Master, weapon 
  quality, and magic are already figured into listed weapon damage.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  49
  Equipment
  $194,400, 64 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Epic Plate Armor, Suit, Dwarven, Fine w. 
  Deflect +1, Fortify +2, Lighten 25%. DB 1, 
  DR 12 (total DR 14). $176,000, 54 lbs.
  Great Axe, Dwarven, Fine w. Puissance +1. 
  3d+12 cut (reach 1, 2*). $6,400, 8 lbs.
  Regal Clothing and Jewels. $12,000, 2 lbs.
  enCountered
  Understanding Scrogo means knowing 
  his story: He and his brothers Vogo and Zogo 
  really did go delving and find great trea-
  sure – cursed treasure. Overcome with greed, 
  Scrogo scratched out the warning runes. 
  Shortly thereafter, a falling rock brained Vogo 
  and a cave-in crushed Zogo. Danger Sense, 
  Luck, and exceptional Pickaxe Penchant 
  helped Scrogo evade such fates, and Absolute 
  Direction led him home.
  Scrogo donned an eye-patch to give the 
  impression he, too, had suffered, and secretly 
  consulted a hag about lifting the curse. She 
  claimed the sole solution was to transfer 
  the malediction to Scrogo’s father, Zogo the 
  Elder, for whom she bore no love (just several 
  illegitimate children). Scrogo, greedy even for 
  a dwarf, saw a way to keep his treasure and 
  inherit more, and consented.
  Everything went perfectly: Scrogo’s father 
  “died of sorrow,” Scrogo inherited, and now he’s 
  a wealthy chieftain. Oh, and he pitched the hag down a well.
  Scrogo is interesting today because he could be a credible 
  combat encounter but can do more damage as a patron. He’s 
  convinced that even greater wealth sits deep beneath his halls. 
  Genuine affection for his warriors means he’d never send 
  them to get cursed, and while he has no similar care for ordi-
  nary dwarves, he knows they wouldn’t succeed. So he courts 
  delvers for the task, using his “bad eye” as his reason to stay 
  home, praising their chivalry, even treating them as equals.
  Any quest Scrogo offers is horribly risky. Traps claimed 
  the life of two warriors even tougher than he (Vogo and 
  Zogo would be 500-point heroes without Wealth). The loot 
  is lethally cursed. And there are monsters. Yet a glance at 
  Scrogo’s gear – which he really did find down deep – is likely 
  to inspire agreement.
  Scrogo offers endless quests, each chancier than the last. 
  He fronts a little money for gear, but the real payoff is on the 
  back end. And sooner or later, the delvers will disagree with 
  him over some choice artifact.
  If that doesn’t bring things to a head, Scrogo’s subjects 
  will. His Born War-Leader, Sense of Duty, and warlord status 
  mean his warriors would die for him (Loyalty 19+); his tem-
  per and deceitfulness mean his people want him gone (Loyalty 
  7-9). Adventurers going places and doing things Scrogo and 
  his thugs seem afraid of are invited to do the dirty work.
  Delvers who tire of Scrogo or agree to work against him 
  won’t have much luck with sneakiness – he has fanatical body-
  guards, Danger Sense, and Resistant to Poison. Which means 
  a fight.
  In combat, Scrogo is scary, striking at skill 20 for 3d+12 
  cutting, and parrying at 17, at +1 from his armor’s DB and 
  only -2 for repeated parries thanks to Weapon Master. He’s 
  also hard to take down, with DR 14 from armor, Armor 
  Mastery, and Tough Skin; HP 18; and HT 15. And his goons 
  are 250-point dwarven knights.
  Assuming the heroes prevail, they can’t loot Scrogo’s body 
  and raid his coffers. His wealth belongs to the community. 
  There’s a reward, but getting everything means being as bad 
  as Scrogo and slaughtering everyone .
  Adventure	seeds
  Help Wanted . Scrogo first appears as a generous, well-loved 
  ruler. He keeps yes-dwarves around for that. His opening 
  quest involves traps, curses, and fiends he didn’t warn about. 
  If the heroes survive, Scrogo assuages them with a reward!
  Help Wanted, Part 2 . As the heroes tire of Scrogo’s insane 
  quests or impress his enemies, the latter approach them about 
  eliminating him. He has Strategy and Tactics at 17, so the 
  resulting battle is going to be epic.
  more	weAlth!
  Use these higher levels of Wealth (Adventurers, p. 54) for recog-
  nized rulers of communities larger than villages and more organized 
  than hordes. All mean the possessor controls the market and can sell 
  any loot they acquire at 100% of its value.
  Filthy Rich: Typical of the greatest tribal chieftains and most nobles 
  (including town mayors). If you decide to go adventuring tomorrow, 
  you start with $100,000. You indirectly command greater resources, 
  giving you +1 on any roll made within your realm that the GM agrees 
  money and title could influence. This always aids reaction rolls, Loyalty 
  rolls (Exploits, p. 90), and rolls vs. Leadership, Merchant, Propaganda, 
  Public Speaking, and Influence skills (Exploits, p. 10). 50 points .
  Stinking Rich: Typical of the greatest non-royal nobles (including 
  city mayors). The filth of lucre is strong enough to smell. Starting 
  money: $1,000,000. Social rolls: +2. 75 points .
  Crazy Rich: Typical of autonomous viceroys, princes of city-states, 
  and actual princes. The stench of wealth makes many people tempo-
  rarily insane. Starting money: $10,000,000. Social rolls: +3. 100 points .
  Far Too Rich: Typical of kings of true nations. Starting money: 
  $100,000,000. Social rolls: +4. 125 points .
  Rich Beyond Measure: The true ceiling! Not typical of anyone, but 
  suitable for the King, god-kings, evil emperors, etc. Starting money: 
  $1,000,000,000. Social rolls: +5. 150 points .
  The GM may let PCs buy these levels if they hoard the listed amount 
  of cash and spend the points. It won’t break anything – the effects are 
  overpriced for adventurers.
  
  50	
  vIllAI ns
  lAdy	AImArA
  525-Point Human Martial Artist
  Lady Aimara isn’t the type of villainess who ordinarily 
  menaces delvers, but the sort with designs on ruling the 
  world . Her schemes are extensive but subtle, and well-
  funded – adventurers could grow rich in her service. But 
  they’d have to be unscrupulous, as her motivation is ascen-
  sion to godhood by eliminating anyone who obstructs her 
  . . . starting with servants of the current gods, Good, Evil, or 
  otherwise. Aimara is a force of chaos, hidden by deep calm, 
  wrapped in dainty raiments.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 16 [120]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 13 [30].
  Damage 1d+2/3d-1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 10 [-2]; Will 15 [0]; Per 15 
  [0]; FP 13 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [-5]; Basic Move 8 [5]; Move 8.
  Dodge 13*; Parry 13 (Parry Missile Weapons), 12 (Tonfa), 11 
  (Knife); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Appearance (Beautiful) [12]
  Chi Talent 6 [90]
  Dragon Skin 3 [15]
  Enhanced Dodge 3 [45]
  Luck [15]
  Mantis Strike 3 [27]
  Trained by a Master [30]
  Voice [10]
  Wealth (Very Wealthy) [30]
  Disadvantages and 
  Quirks
  Disciplines of Faith (Chi 
  Rituals) [-10]
  Greed (12) [-15]
  Obsession (9) (Rule the 
  world as a goddess) [-15]
  Xenophilia (12) [-10]
  Goes to great pains never to 
  be completely unarmed. 
  [-1]
  Has an irrational dislike of clerics that she must fight to con-
  ceal. [-1]
  Impeccably dressed. [-1]
  Purports to be honorable (assuredly is not). [-1]
  Will ally with anyone or anything in pursuit of her goals. [-1]
  Skills
  Acrobatics-14 [1]
  Jumping-16 [1]
  Acting-16 [4]
  Karate-15 [2]
  Blind Fighting-18† [1]
  Kiai-17† [1]
  Body Control-17† [2]
  Knife-18 [4]
  Current Affairs-15 [1]
  Light Walk-20† [1]
  Dancing-15 [1]
  Meditation-13 [1]
  Detect Lies-13 [1]
  Mental Strength-21† [1]
  Diplomacy-15‡ [1]
  Mind Block-20† [1]
  Fast-Draw (Knife)-16 [1]
  Parry Missile Weapons-20† [1]
  Fast-Draw (Potion)-16 [1]
  Power Blow-20† [2]
  Fast-Talk-16‡ [1]
  Savoir-Faire-15 [1]
  Holdout-14 [1]
  Sex Appeal-18‡§ [1]
  Intimidation-14 [1]
  Stealth-15 [1]
  Judo-15 [2]
  Tactics-13 [1]
  Throwing Art-20† [1]
  Tonfa-18 [8]
  Writing-14 [1]
  * Includes +3 for Enhanced Dodge.
  † Includes +6 for Chi Talent.
  ‡ Includes +2 for Voice.
  § Includes +4 for Appearance.
  Equipment
  $53,735, 24 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Blinding Powder. Acc 0, Range 38, Bulk 
  -2. $300, 1 lb.
  Courtly Clothing w. Deflect +3. DB 3, DR 0 
  (total DR 6). $42,400, 2 lbs.
  Death Potion ¥4. Acc 0, Range 38, Bulk -2. 
  $4,000, 4 lbs.
  Delver’s Webbing. Holds grenades, weap-
  ons under clothing. $160, 3 lbs.
  Large Knives, Very Fine ¥4. 3d-1 cut 
  (reach C, 1) or 1d+4 imp (reach C) in 
  melee; 1d+6 imp, Acc 0, Range 15/28, 
  Shots T(1), Bulk -2 thrown. $3,200, 
  4 lbs.
  Magebane. Acc 0, Range 38, 
  Bulk -2. $1,400, 1 lb.
  Ninja Slippers. +1 to Stealth. 
  $100, 0.5 lb.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Scribe’s Kit. $50, 2 lbs.
  Sleep Potion ¥4. Acc 0, Range 38, 
  Bulk -2. $2,000, 4 lbs.
  Tonfa, Fine. 3d-1 cr (reach 1) or 
  1d+2 cr (reach C, 1). $120, 1.5 
  lbs.
  Design Notes
  Aimara is a martial artist who 
  follows The Path (p. 51), explaining why she has invested points in Chi Talent rather 
  than chi skills, and how she has Dragon Skin 3 and Mantis Strike 3. Her social 
  gifts have no relation to that; she’s charming by birth, manipulative by choice. Her 
  gear is merely a suggestion; she loves to hurl grenades using Throwing Art-20, and 
  adjusts the mix to suit expected opponents (e.g., more magebane vs. wizards). Her 
  voluminous magical garb – including a wig (her natural hair is short) – gives DB 3 
  as Deflect, but with the special effect of snagging and entrapping incoming attacks.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  51
  enCountered
  Lady Aimara might never fight the heroes. She’s rational 
  and charming, with natural beauty and a musical voice. She’s 
  a real authentic noblewoman from the Mysterious East (rep-
  resented by Wealth), with both Diplomacy and Savoir-Faire 
  at 15. She can convince doubters using Acting and Fast-Talk 
  at 16, and isn’t above exploiting Sex Appeal-18. Someone of 
  flawless moral fiber could introduce the adventurers to her.
  Missions for Aimara are enigmatic, linked not to Good, 
  Evil, magic, and other forces delvers face daily, but to enhanc-
  ing her chi . Her endgame is transcendence to divinity, and she 
  sees anyone teaching mortals to honor the gods, not challenge 
  them – so most clerics, holy warriors, and divine servitors – as 
  obstacles. All of this is folded into her Obsession, and inves-
  tigators without Disciplines of Faith (Chi Rituals) have -5 on 
  rolls to divine her motivations. Those probing her mind for 
  clues must contend with Mind Block-20.
  More worryingly, Aimara doesn’t draw distinctions like 
  “good,” “bad,” and “horrific monster” – those are mere mortal 
  pigeonholes. If realizing her objectives means trading favors 
  with a lich, eliminating a pesky god by inviting Elder Things 
  into the universe, or anything similar, she won’t hesitate. 
  Adventurers serving her often end up allied with beings they’d 
  normally slay.
  This may eventually lead to a showdown with moral 
  heroes. They should be prepared to fight not just Aimara, but 
  also her retainers (250-point martial artists) and whatever 
  unspeakable Things she’s currently in cahoots with.
  Aimara is reasonably tough. She hits with effective ST 17 
  due to Mantis Strike – and Throwing Art-20 further enhances 
  her effectiveness with thrown weapons. She likes to Fast-Draw 
  and pitch grenades. Those who get too near face melee attacks, 
  often Rapid Strikes at -3 thanks to Trained by a Master, or 
  a stunning Kiai. If permitted a second to concentrate, she’ll 
  double ST to 22 with Power Blow (15 or less), and add Mantis 
  Strike for effective ST 28 (damage 3d-1/5d+1).
  Defensively, Aimara favors Dodge 13 enhanced with DB 
  3 from magical robes. She saves Parry Missile Weapons for 
  thrown weapons (which give +2 or +4 to Parry). Blows that 
  connect encounter skin as tough as plate armor (DR 6). 
  Stealthy attackers must defeat Blind Fighting-18, while Body 
  Control-17 and Mental Strength-21 help Aimara resist magic.
  Adventure	seeds
  Honorable Lady . Aimara first appears as a sponsor, exotic 
  but above suspicion. She offers a “fetch” quest, obtaining a 
  rare chi-enhancing substance. The delvers’ destination proves 
  to be weird, though, with “magical” effects that violate magical 
  laws – i.e., chi phenomena. Alert heroes may find clues as to 
  Aimara’s goals.
  Hondon Seong . Eventually, even dullards will realize that 
  their beautiful patron is a megalomaniac. A guild, a temple, or 
  even the King asking them to eliminate her should do the trick. 
  That leads to infiltrating her castle, which is as dangerous as 
  any dungeon. Weirdness may often trip up the delvers, espe-
  cially if Aimara has made steps along The Path to godhead.
  the	PAth
  Chi Talent is primarily a bonus to chi skills. It does 
  nothing for Dragon Skin, Mantis Strike, and Uninter-
  rupted Flurry. For most other Chi abilities, Chi Talent 
  matters mainly if the user messes up (Seven Secret Kicks, 
  Spider Climb, and Unarmed Master) – or, with Regenera-
  tion, when there’s no cleric to heal them. Hardly the stuff 
  of heroics! Only Tiger Sprint truly shines because of it.
  Martial artists who find this unsatisfactory can follow 
  The Path. This makes improving Chi Talent more import-
  ant but pays off in the long term. Decide during character 
  creation; the choice cannot be changed later on.
  Followers of The Path have an extra limit on several 
  advantages available on their template and as Exceptional 
  Abilities (Exploits, p. 93): Enhanced Dodge, Enhanced 
  Parry (Unarmed), Extra Attack, and Wild Talent. They 
  can’t buy more levels than half their Chi Talent level, 
  rounded up. That’s one level at Chi Talent 1-2, two at Chi 
  Talent 3-4, three at Chi Talent 5-6.
  Ordinary martial artists’ upper limits, regardless of 
  Chi Talent, are Enhanced Dodge 3, Enhanced Parry 2, 
  and Extra Attack 2, plus unlimited Wild Talent. Those 
  who follow The Path and have just starting Chi Talent 
  2 can buy only one level of those four advantages – but 
  at Chi Talent 6, they could have up to three of each. The 
  Path is good for those focusing on unarmed parries and 
  multiple attacks.
  Moreover, The Path boosts the Chi abilities that usu-
  ally don’t benefit from Chi Talent. Followers can have up 
  to three levels of Dragon Skin, Mantis Strike, and Uninter-
  rupted Flurry. Chi Talent 3-4 enables the second level; Chi 
  Talent 5-6, the third. Effects are as follows:
  Dragon Skin [5/level]: DR 2 per level . Maximum DR 6.
  Mantis Strike [9/level]: +2 to ST for damage per level . 
  Maximum +6.
  Uninterrupted Flurry [20/level]: +1 maneuver per level . 
  Maximum four maneuvers in succession.
  Rumors persist that The Path never ends: Chi Talent 
  has no upper limit for followers, meaning there are mar-
  tial artists with Chi Talent 20, Extra Attack 10, and so on. 
  Hushed whispers claim that eventually, the adherent tran-
  scends mortality and becomes divine!
  
  52	
  vIllAI ns
  mICteCoIx
  350-Point Lizard-Man Barbarian
  Mictecoix is one of the man-eating monsters who make 
  up the majority of lizard men. He also observes the beliefs 
  of the civilized minority . . . sort of. He worships the God 
  of Slaughter, so though he understands the idea of denying 
  urges to attain enlightenment – specifically, the urge to eat 
  people – that isn’t his personal philosophy. After all, he isn’t 
  some holy warrior; he’s a hunter who leads raiding parties 
  into elven and human lands to capture sacrifice victims. 
  Where’s the harm in taking extra prey for sustenance? Hey, a 
  lizard’s gotta eat!
  ST 24 [140]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 14 [40].
  Damage 2d+2/5d; BL 115 lbs.; HP 24 [0]; Will 12 [5]; Per 14 
  [15]; FP 14 [0].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-10]; Basic Move 7 [5]; Move 7.
  Dodge 9; Parry 13 (Lazotla), 10 (Tail); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Bashing Tail [3]
  Striking ST 2 [10]
  High Pain Threshold [10]
  Temperature Tolerance 6
  Nictitating Membrane 2 [2]
   (Heat) [6]
  Outdoorsman 2 [20]
  Terrain Adaptation
  Peripheral Vision [15]
   (Swamp) [5]
  Sharp Claws [5]
  Tough Skin 5 [15]
  Sharp Teeth [1]
  Weapon Bond (Lazotla) [1]
  Signature Gear (Lazotla) [1]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Bloodlust (9) [-15]
  Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) [-5]
  Disturbing Voice [-10]
  Gluttony (9) [-7]
  Intolerance (All non-lizard-man religions) [-10]
  Odious Racial Habit (Eats other sapient beings) [-15]
  Battle cry: “Sss-sss-ssslaughter!” [-1]
  Doesn’t see elves or humans as people . [-1]
  Enjoys eating horde pygmies – can be distracted by a chance 
  to crunch them. [-1]
  Salivates in combat. [-1]
  Willing to wave back allies and go one-on-one with flail-using 
  foes. [-1]
  Skills
  Brawling-14 [4]
  Observation-13 [1]
  Camouflage-13* [1]
  Running-13 [1]
  Climbing-12 [2]
  Stealth-13 [4]
  Disguise (Animals)-12* [1]
  Survival (Jungle)-15* [1]
  Fishing-16* [1]
  Swimming-14 [1]
  Gesture-11 [1]
  Tactics-10 [2]
  Hiking-13 [1]
  Tracking-15* [1]
  Intimidation-12 [2]
  Two-Handed
  Leadership-10 [1]
   Flail-19/20† [32]
  Naturalist-11* [1]
  Weather Sense-12* [1]
  Navigation-12* [1]
  Wrestling-14 [8]
  * Includes +2 for Outdoorsman.
  † Use higher skill for Lazotla (+1 for Weapon Bond).
  Equipment
  $57,515, 9.7 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Lazotla.* 5d+4 cr (reach 1, 2*). DB 2. $30,500, 8 lbs.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Pouch. Holds personal basics. $10, 0.2 lb.
  Sacred Belt.† DR 3 (total DR 8). $27,000, 0.5 lb.
  * Dwarven flail. When ready in hand, whirls around 
  on its own! This gives DB 2 like a medium shield, and 
  worsens the penalty to parry a flail from -4 to -6 and 
  that to block a flail from -2 to -4 (no effect on 
  dodges). Holds 6 FP if used as power item.
  † Combines effects of ironskin (+3 DR) 
  and Moly (+5 Magic Resistance) amu-
  lets – see Adventurers, p. 118 – but 
  works only for reptiles such as 
  dragons and lizard men.
  enCountered
  Mictecoix exemplifies 
  the lizard-man leaders men-
  tioned on p. 41 of Monsters. 
  He’s unusual in favoring a flail 
  over 
  the 
  customary 
  polearm.  
  Design Notes
  Mictecoix is for all practical purposes a barbarian, and uses 
  the lizard-man racial template (p. 52). His extraordinarily high 
  levels of Temperature Tolerance and Tough 
  Skin are the result of stacking racial and 
  professional advantages. His damage 
  numbers already reflect Striking ST, 
  bringing his effective ST to 26, which 
  is twice the ST 13 his flail requires, 
  enabling him to wield it one-handed 
  without a readiness penalty – and 
  it can attack and parry every 
  turn because it’s dwarven! His 
  Intolerance is priced as if it 
  read “All other religions,” 
  because 
  in 
  the 
  grand 
  scheme of things, there’s 
  no real difference. Lazotla 
  and the sacred belt are 
  badges of office for the 
  lead hunter of the cult of 
  the God of Slaughter.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  53
  He’s also phenomenally strong and tough, and 
  canny for a lizard man (IQ 11, Will 12, Per 14 vs. 
  the average 9).
  Highly adapted to humid jungle – with Tem-
  perature Tolerance 6 (Heat) and Terrain Adap-
  tation (Swamp) – Mictecoix is most likely to be 
  found there. His mission is leading a band of 
  less-impressive lizard men on a hunt. The disturb-
  ing part? They’re hunting elves and humans as 
  food and sacrifices.
  While Mictecoix is likely to attempt an ambush, 
  his relevant skills (Camouflage-13, Stealth-13, Tac-
  tics-10) aren’t likely to get the better of seasoned 
  adventurers. Still, it’s dangerous to be rushed from 
  all sides in an environment where lines of sight and 
  lines of fire are measured in single-digit yards, and 
  where the heroes suffer bad footing (-2 to hit, -1 
  to defend, +1 movement point per hex) while the 
  lizard men don’t. This can neutralize delvers who 
  depend on range or mobility.
  Melee is Mictecoix’s forte. He’s ridiculously 
  strong, and Lazotla is difficult to block and nearly 
  impossible to parry – and with skill 20, Mictecoix 
  exploits Deceptive Attack to penalize defenses fur-
  ther (and don’t forget the -1 for bad footing). Take 
  away Lazotla and he claws and bites at 14 for 2d+3 
  cut (reach C), kicks at 12 for 2d+4 cut (reach C, 
  1), or bashes with his tail at 12 for 2d+6 cr (reach 
  C) – and if he bites or otherwise grapples, his 
  Wrestling skill gives him effective ST 26.
  Defensively, Mictecoix gets DB 2 from Lazotla, 
  boosting active defenses. He’s also tough, with DR 
  8 from his scales and magic belt; even his eyes have 
  DR 5 (Nictitating Membrane). With HT 14, HP 24, 
  and High Pain Threshold, he’s hard to stop. And 
  that belt also grants Magic Resistance 5, making 
  magic less of a solution than it seems.
  Adventure	seeds
  Lizard Attack! During a jungle adventure, 
  Mictecoix’s posse crosses paths with the delvers. 
  His Tracking-15 makes stalking the heroes work-
  able; it would be reasonable to penalize the adven-
  turers’ rolls to notice this, as their rivals can exploit 
  shortcuts too hot and swampy for those without 
  Temperature Tolerance and Terrain Adaptation. 
  Battle is inevitable. Winning lets the heroes free 
  captives being led to lizard-man lands, who can be 
  escorted home for a reward.
  Lizard Temple . The heroes are engaged to solve a 
  serious lizard-man problem. That means entering 
  lizard-man territory – and the lizard-man temple, 
  to rescue captives. The adventurers face not only 
  the temple champion, Mictecoix, but also many 
  soldiers and shamans (some equivalent to 250-
  point delvers).
  new	rACIAl	temPlAte:		
  lIzArd	mAn
  Racial Cost: 30 points
  Lizard men are described on p. 41 of Monsters: Reptilian 
  humanoids with long snouts, thick tails, and scales. Sapient 
  tool-users, they’re in theory “people,” not monsters.
  In practice, most lizard men visit civilization only to eat people 
  and plunder weapons. It can still be interesting to represent them 
  as characters rather than monsters. The template below – intended 
  for NPC villains – allows this.
  A minority of lizard men have a civilization built around a 
  religion that swaps man-eating for intricate – if savage – rituals. 
  The GM may permit PCs like this. Replace Odious Racial Habit 
  (Eats other sapient beings) [-15] with Disciplines of Faith (Ritual-
  ism) [-5] and Social Stigma (Savage) [-10]. Racial cost remains 30 
  points, leaving all professions viable.
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20]; IQ-1 [-20]; HT+1 [10].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Move+1 [5].
  Advantages: Bashing Tail [3]; Nictitating Membrane 2 [2]; Periph-
  eral Vision [15]; Sharp Claws [5]; Sharp Teeth [1]; Temperature 
  Tolerance 3 (Heat) [3]; Terrain Adaptation (Sand or Swamp) 
  [5]; Tough Skin 2 [6].
  Disadvantages: Disturbing Voice [-10]; Odious Racial Habit (Eats 
  other sapient beings) [-15].
  Features: Armor isn’t interchangeable with other races’ armor. 
  Colorful scales. Long snout gives foes +3 to hit the face (not 
  skull), for a net -2, but means a bite also counts as a grapple 
  even if it doesn’t penetrate DR, letting the lizard roll biting dam-
  age as a free action on later turns.
  Special Lizard-Man Traits
  Bashing Tail: Can attack in close combat (reach C). Counts as 
  weapon requiring no free hand, not as body part. Use DX-2 or 
  Brawling-2 to hit, and 3 + half of (DX or Brawling) to parry. 
  Damage is thrust crushing at +1 per die, plus Brawling bonus.
  Disturbing Voice: Identical to monster trait of the same name; see 
  Monsters, p. 13.
  Nictitating Membrane: Identical to monster ability of the same 
  name; see Monsters, p. 11.
  Odious Racial Habit: Identical to monster trait of the same name; 
  see Monsters, p. 13. Gives -3 to reactions.
  Sharp Claws: Punches and kicks inflict cutting damage – not 
  crushing. Lizard-man gloves and boots expose claws at no extra 
  cost, so blows deal cutting damage instead of crushing damage 
  at +1 for gauntlets or boots.
  Sharp Teeth: Bites inflict cutting damage – not crushing.
  Temperature Tolerance and Tough Skin: Identical to barbarian 
  abilities of the same name; see Adventurers, p. 16.
  Terrain Adaptation: Identical to monster ability of the same 
  name; see Monsters, p. 12. Choose sand or swamp during char-
  acter creation!
  
  nAgAshA
  350-Point Half-Orc Scout
  Plenty of half-orcs and even a few orcs work to dispel the 
  common stereotype of their people as savage brutes. Nagasha 
  is the opposite of those. While her mixed blood denies her 
  the trust needed to become her tribe’s leader, she’s definitely 
  the mastermind behind countless raids and violent reprisals 
  against the “settled races.” She preferentially targets the 
  adventurers that aristocrats and officials hire to oppress her 
  people – ideally before they’ve been contracted! These acts of 
  “preemptive vengeance” have ensured that few mercenaries 
  visit the region and even fewer are willing to confront the orcs.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 13 [30].
  Damage 1d-1/1d+1; BL 24 lbs.; HP 12 [2]; Will 12 [0]; Per 16 
  [20]; FP 13 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [0]; Basic Move 13 [30]; Move 13.
  Dodge 11*; Parry 12* (Spear); Block 12* (Shield).
  Advantages
  Acute Hearing 1 [2]
  Language: Orcish
  Combat Reflexes [15]
   (Spoken) [3]
  Heroic Archer [20]
  Magic Resistance 4 [8]
  High Pain Threshold [10]
  Night Vision 5 [5]
  Outdoorsman 4 [40]
  Rapid Healing [5]
  Resistant to Disease 5 [5]
  Resistant to Poison 5 [5]
  Signature Gear
   (Manslayer) [1]
  Strongbow [1]
  Temperature
   Tolerance
   (Cold) 3 [3]
  Tough Skin 3 [9]
  Weapon Bond
   (Manslayer)
    [1]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]
  Bloodlust (12) [-10]
  Intolerance (All races but goblin-kin and their half-breeds) 
  [-10]
  Obsession (6) (Hunting down the latest adventuring party in 
  the region) [-10]
  Sense of Duty (Tribe) [-10]
  Social Stigma (Savage) [-10]
  Vow (Own no more than what can be carried) [-10]
  Dislikes urbanites, even among her own people. [-1]
  Firmly believes that vengeance can be preemptive. [-1]
  Has never made a bid for leadership because she can’t imag-
  ine settling down. [-1]
  Not a cannibal – but elf-flesh is sweeeet . [-1]
  Washes to be harder to track by scent, not because she likes 
  to be clean. [-1]
  Skills
  Bow-18/19† [12]
  Shield-16 [2]
  Brawling-16 [2]
  Skiing-12 [2]
  Camouflage-16‡ [1]
  Spear-16 [4]
  Climbing-14 [1]
  Stealth-16 [4]
  Fast-Draw (Arrow)-17* [2]
  Survival (Arctic)-19‡ [1]
  Gesture-12 [1]
  Tactics-12 [4]
  Hiking-12 [1]
  Thrown Weapon
  Leadership-12 [2]
   (Spear)-16 [2]
  Mimicry (Bird Calls)-14‡ [1]
  Tracking-20‡ [2]
  Navigation-15‡ [1]
  Traps-12 [2]
  Observation-16 [2]
  Weather Sense-15‡ [1]
  Shadowing-12 [2]
  Wrestling-15 [2]
  * Includes +1 for Combat Reflexes.
  † User higher skill for Manslayer (+1 for Weapon Bond).
  ‡ Includes +4 for Outdoorsman.
  Equipment
  $45,375, 23.5 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Fine Cornucopia Quiver. Creates endless fine bodkin arrows; 
  damage becomes 1d+5(2) pi (1d+7(2) pi vs. “settled races”). 
  $6,010, 0.5 lb.
  Horn. $100, 2 lbs.
  Design Notes
  Nagasha is a scout with a heavy dash of barbarian, and swipes 
  abilities from both professional templates: the scout’s Heroic 
  Archer, Strongbow, and extreme Basic Move . . . but also the bar-
  barian’s Temperature Tolerance and Tough Skin. She further uses 
  the half-orc racial template. Manslayer and her magical quiver are 
  cultural artifacts entrusted to her by her tribe, not her personal 
  property, but nobody would dare take them back.
  54	
  vIllAI ns
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  55
  Manslayer (see boxed text). 1d+4 imp (1d+6 
  imp vs. “settled races”), Acc 4, Range 
  300/375, Shots 1(2), Bulk -7. $39,000, 4 lbs.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Small Shield. DB 1; 1d-1 cr (bash). $40, 8 
  lbs.
  Spear. 1d+1 imp (reach 1) in one hand; 1d+2 
  imp (reach 1, 2) in two hands; 1d+2 imp, 
  Acc 2, Range 11/16, Shots T(1), Bulk -6 
  thrown. $40, 4 lbs.
  Winter Clothing. Prevents -5 to HT rolls for 
  cold; DR 0 (total DR 3). $180, 4 lbs.
  enCountered
  Nagasha becomes a problem when she 
  decides the delvers are a problem. Whatever 
  their actual plans, she assumes that any 
  obviously capable, armed group in her 
  people’s lands is a threat that needs kill-
  ing (reflected in Bloodlust and Obsession). 
  She’d parley only with a party consisting 
  completely of half-orcs and half-ogres, 
  invited by her chief. With others, negotia-
  tion is a nonstarter due to her Intolerance 
  and tribal loyalties (Sense of Duty).
  Unlike many “savages,” Nagasha never 
  ambushes by charging into melee. She pre-
  fers to stalk her prey from afar (Tracking-20), 
  await nightfall (Night Vision 5), and take well-
  aimed long-range shots. Between her enchanted bow (Acc 4), 
  Aim maneuvers (+2), and All-Out Attack (+1), she can attack 
  the vitals (-3) from 150 yards (-11) at a comfortable skill 12. 
  Those hoping to retaliate must first spot her (Vision – at -5 for 
  darkness and -11 for distance – vs. her Camouflage-16) and 
  then hit her (the same penalties, plus at least another -2 for 
  crouching, concealment, etc.).
  What makes Nagasha scary is her cunning. She’ll keep this 
  up to wear down her prey. If they come after her, her Move 
  13 means she sprints at Move 15 (Exploits, p. 33) and is likely 
  to escape. In her snowy home terrain, assume that she’s on 
  skis (she has Skiing-12) and that opponents who aren’t suf-
  fer half Move. The GM could justify all kinds of other win-
  try unfairness that adventurers can avoid only by winning a 
  Quick Contest of Survival (Arctic) – which Nagasha has at 19! 
  A roll against Weather Sense-15 may even let her coordinate 
  her strike with an incipient blizzard.
  A tribal champion, Nagasha is rarely alone. She’s a toler-
  able commander (Leadership and Tactics at 12) who avoids 
  complex stratagems: She sets hordes of orcs (Monsters, 
  pp. 34-35) on foes while remaining at least 50 yards from the 
  melee, shooting whenever she has a clear shot. Again, she 
  bolts if pursued.
  Cunning, patient heroes may eventually corner Nagasha. 
  She still won’t be alone, but she’ll be forced to engage. With 
  Heroic Archer, she ignores Bulk -7 and has full skill if run-
  ning around in melee – but her high Move lets her step two 
  hexes without resorting to Move and Attack, adding Acc 4 to 
  Bow for skill 23. Unlimited ammo means she always hazards 
  the -3 for rapid shooting, used in conjunction with Fast-Draw 
  (Arrow) to shoot every turn. The spear and shield are a last 
  resort.
  Harming Nagasha isn’t that hard – her defenses are medio-
  cre and she has only Tough Skin (DR 3) to absorb damage. But 
  HT 13 and High Pain Threshold mean she’s unlikely to collapse 
  quickly, and she can flee at Move 7 even if gravely wounded! 
  If she escapes, she’ll lick her wounds (Rapid Healing) and be 
  back. Magic may be tempting, but Magic Resistance 4 and the 
  effects of distance render it unreliable.
  Adventure	seeds
  Hunter . On a wilderness quest (Nagasha defaults to 
  Survival-16 in non-arctic terrain), Nagasha draws first blood. 
  The adventure becomes a gantlet of sniping and orc attacks. 
  Here’s a chance for barbarians, druids, and scouts to shine, 
  matching the huntress trick for trick. Catching a Move 13 
  harasser is another matter . . .
  Hunted . The adventurers are hired to do what Nagasha 
  assumes they do anyway: hunt orcs. She might be their tar-
  get, or perhaps the Wizards’ Guild wants a look at Manslayer. 
  Regardless, entering orcish tribal lands raises the stakes – the 
  heroes face outdoorsy traps (like weakened ice on a frozen 
  lake), goblin-kin platoons with ogre support, and enemies with 
  unfair bonuses for home-ground advantage.
  mAnslAyer
  Manslayer is scarcely “artifact grade” in the estimation of men and 
  elves – but it’s impressive work for orcs . The underlying item is a bal-
  anced composite bow with the “elven” property, although it has nothing 
  to do with elves. It’s built for a half-orc scout who has ST 11, Strongbow, 
  and high Bow skill. Any archer with effective ST 13+ (from these or other 
  abilities) can shoot it – and it functions as though it had ST 15. It has Acc 
  4, Damage 1d+4 impaling, and Range 300/375.
  Its magic – a blessing imbued by shamans through blood sacrifices of 
  sapient life – is the ability to sear the flesh of members of “settled races”: 
  dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, humans, etc. Against such beings, it 
  enjoys +2 basic damage. This affects only targets that are mundane (not 
  demons, Elder Things, undead, etc.), have IQ 6+ (eliminating most ani-
  mals and plants), do not have an Odious Racial Habit giving -3 to reac-
  tions (excluding dinomen, lizard men, ogres, werewolves, and suchlike), 
  and do not have Social Stigma (Savage) (ruling out goblin-kin, half-ogres, 
  half-orcs, wildmen, and so on). Thus, it offers no bonus against creatures 
  customarily considered monsters, but is perfect for murdering people .
  Manslayer functions where there’s either low or better sanctity for 
  orcish gods or Nature’s strength with a penalty no worse than -5. Power 
  Investiture (any kind) can sense its magic.
  Sell Price: $39,000 to goblin-kin; at most half of that to “settled races.”
  Weight: 4 lbs.
  Power-Item Capacity: 35 FP for goblin-kin; 17 FP for others.
  
  56	
  vIllAI ns
  oChtAl	oF		
  the	Cross
  400-Point Half-Ogre Unholy Warrior
  Ogres and their kin aren’t famous for their links to gods 
  and magic – largely because they’re magic-resistant and none 
  too bright – but there are dangerous exceptions. Among ogre-
  kind, these are often half-ogres, who temper ogrish savagery 
  with wisdom. Ochtal is an example. He leads a small sect 
  of ogres and half-ogres who worship the brutal god Kargh, 
  who rewards (usually) nonlethal ritual crucifixion with divine 
  support. The power so obtained is decidedly unholy. Ochtal 
  uses it to pursue a crusade of destruction against the civilized 
  races, particularly dwarves, elves, and humans.
  ST 20 [100]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 15 [50].
  Damage 2d-1/3d+2; BL 80 lbs.; HP 20 [0]; Will 16 [20]; Per 12 
  [0]; FP 15 [0].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-20]; Basic Move 7 [5]; Move 5.
  Dodge 9*; Parry 14* (Maul), 12* (Longsword); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Born War-Leader 4 [20]
  Combat Reflexes [15]
  Detect Good [9]
  Fearlessness 1 [2]
  High Pain Threshold [10]
  Higher Purpose 3 (Slay Servi-
  tors of Good) [15]
  Language: Orcish (Spoken) [3]
  Legionary of the Damned [1]
  Night Vision 3 [3]
  Penetrating Voice [1]
  Resist Good 6 [6]
  Terror [27]
  Tough Skin 1 [3]
  Unholiness 2 [10]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Appearance (Ugly) [-8]
  Bloodlust (9) [-15]
  Fanaticism [-15]
  Social Stigma (Excommuni-
  cated) [-10]
  Social Stigma (Savage) [-10]
  Fond of expensive armor, especially 
  that taken from murdered foes. [-1]
  Goes after rival clerics and holy war-
  riors first and worst. [-1]
  Impressed by self-mutilation and vol-
  untary deprivation. [-1]
  Lets people think he’s “dumb ogre-kin” 
  so they’ll underestimate him. [-1]
  Nominally dutiful to followers of Kargh – but only if they 
  obey him. [-1]
  Skills
  Armory (Body Armor)-12 [2]
  Poisons-12 [4]
  Brawling-14 [2]
  Religious Ritual-12 [4]
  Broadsword-16 [12]
  Riding (Horse)-12 [1]
  Connoisseur (Weapons)-15† [1]
  Stealth-14 [4]
  Exorcism-15 [2]
  Strategy-15† [2]
  Fast-Draw (Sword)-15* [2]
  Tactics-15† [2]
  Hidden Lore (Demons)-12 [2]
  Theology-12 [4]
  Interrogation-12 [2]
  Two-Handed
  Intimidation-16 [2]
   Axe/Mace-20 [28]
  Leadership-16† [2]
  Wrestling-14 [4]
  Meditation-14 [1]
  * Includes +1 for Combat Reflexes.
  † Includes +4 for Born War-Leader.
  Equipment
  $14,505, 119.2 lbs. (Light encumbrance)
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Epic Plate Armor, Suit w. Full-Face Helm. DR 9 (total DR 10). 
  $12,400, 99.2 lbs.
  High Unholy Symbol. +2 to Exorcism. $1,000, 1 lb.
  Longsword. 3d+3 cut (reach 1) or 2d+1 imp (reach 1, 2). $700, 
  4 lbs.
  Maul, Dwarven. 3d+7 cr (reach 1, 2*). $400, 12 
  lbs.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  enCountered
  Defeating members of Ochtal’s cult – a 
  mix of half-ogres in adventuring profes-
  sions and typical ogres (Monsters, p. 44) – is 
  the surest way to get to meet him. He runs 
  things using Intimidation and Leadership at 16.  
  Design Notes
  Ochtal uses the holy warrior template con-
  verted to that of an unholy warrior, with Unholy 
  abilities (see Unholy Warriors, p. 57). His Fanat-
  icism takes the form of extreme religious and 
  racial intolerance, inspiring him to purge the 
  world of all civilizations that aren’t ogre-descended 
  faithful of Kargh, an unequivocally Evil deity. Kargh’s worshipers disparage 
  ranged weapons and shields as cowardly, and favor two-handed melee weap-
  ons; Ochtal’s weapon skills reflect this. His maul (a massive two-handed mace) 
  doesn’t become unready after attacking because he has more than 1.5 times its 
  required ST 13 – and it can attack and parry every turn because it’s dwarven! 
  He doubtless has chests of pilfered coin and all the noncombat gear he could 
  want (food, bedding, tents, etc.), but that’s in camp; he’s extremely unlikely to 
  be carrying it when encountered, and his character sheet reflects this.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  57
  His disciples have an effective Will equal to this for the sole 
  purpose of resisting Influence skills: Manipulators must 
  overcome fear and blind trust!
  When Ochtal gets involved, it won’t be to talk. Yet with 
  Strategy and Tactics at 15, it won’t be chaos, either. He uses 
  every trick in Tactics (Monsters, pp. 6-7), notably Castle 
  Doctrine and What Army? This Army! Penetrating Voice 
  helps him command verbally – in Orcish, for those hoping to 
  eavesdrop.
  Once Ochtal is engaged personally, remember the Fright 
  Check from Terror. He uses Detect Good (a Perception + 
  Unholiness roll of 14) to identify clerics and holy warriors, 
  whom he attacks viciously. He enjoys +3 to rolls (including 
  damage) against these foes thanks to Higher Purpose, and 
  resists their abilities at a further +6 from Resist Good.
  Ochtal is scary, with both ST and skill 20, and Move 5 
  despite plate armor. While his defenses are beatable, his 
  excellent armor and Tough Skin grant DR 10. Neutralizing 
  his maul or one arm means he’ll switch to his sword, which 
  is only marginally less deadly. With HT 15 and Fanaticism, 
  defeating him may mean hacking him to -5¥HP (120 HP of 
  injury). Heaven forbid that Kargh reanimates him . . .
  Adventure	seeds
  The Few, The Fierce, The Ogres . Ochtal’s army is small, but 
  each member is either an ogre or the equivalent of a 250-point 
  half-ogre adventurer – a match for several ordinary soldiers. 
  Local authorities engage the PCs to undertake “special ops” 
  against this force. Can the brave heroes defeat multiple waves 
  of well-organized muscle, and finally Ochtal himself, before 
  the ogres invade?
  Kargh Cult . Ochtal desires “cursed” artifacts. As he cannot 
  create them, he petitions evil priests and wizards to trade: 
  magic for muscle. This gives liches and dark sorcerers pow-
  erful troops, while Ochtal gains toys like unholy swords. 
  Very bad for civilization! But Ochtal’s Fanaticism means he’ll 
  eventually turn on his allies, who are canny enough to guess 
  this – perhaps the pact can be broken through cunning rather 
  than bloodshed?
  unholy	wArrIors
  The holy warrior template can be perverted to Evil:
  • Higher Purpose (Slay Demons or Slay Undead) [5/
  level] becomes Higher Purpose (Slay Servitors of Good) 
  [5/level], for +1 per level (maximum three) to rolls against 
  angels, clerics, and holy warriors who serve Good.
  • Holiness [5/level] becomes Unholiness [5/level], aid-
  ing rolls required to use Unholy abilities.
  • Rest in Pieces [1] becomes Legionary of the Damned 
  [1], permitting use of Evil artifacts without suffering 
  their curses.
  • Holy abilities become Unholy abilities.
  • Replace all disadvantages with Social Stigma 
  (Excommunicated) [-10], plus -30 points chosen from 
  among Bad Temper [-10*], Bloodlust [-10*], Bully [-10*], 
  Callous [-5], Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) [-5], Compulsive 
  Lying [-15*], Fanaticism [-15], Frightens Animals [-10], 
  Gluttony [-5*], Greed [-15*], Intolerance (“Good” religions) 
  or (All other religions) [-5 or -10], Jealousy [-10], Laziness 
  [-10], Lecherousness [-15*], Odious Personal Habit [-5 or 
  -10], Overconfidence [-5*], and Stubbornness [-5*].
  • Replace Esoteric Medicine (Holy)-10 [1], Intimida-
  tion-13 [1], Physiology-12 [4], and Psychology-12 [4] with 
  Interrogation-12 [2], Intimidation-14 [2], Poisons-12 [4], 
  and Stealth-13 [2].
  • Exorcism desecrates blessings and casts out angels 
  using the rules from Exploits, pp. 23-24.
  Unholy Abilities
  Unholy abilities have Unholiness as a prerequisite. 
  They also require Social Stigma (Excommunicated); see 
  Adventurers, p. 66. All such abilities vanish immediately 
  if the possessor destroys a cursed item, slays a demon, 
  or aids Good . Restoring them requires a blood sacrifice!
  There are Unholy versions of the standard Contingency 
  Casting [14/level], Detect Evil [18], Detect Good [9], Divine 
  Guidance [14] (“Infernal Whispers”), Divine Omens [14] 
  (“Ominous Signs”), and Heroic Feats [9/level] (“Dastardly 
  Deeds”) abilities. Faith Healing, Resist Evil, and Turning 
  are off-limits, replaced with three new abilities.
  Dread Touch
  14 points
  When making an unarmed melee attack, you may 
  optionally pay 1 FP. If the attack hits home, it inflicts 1d 
  injury that bypasses all DR, in addition to its usual effects.
  Resist Good
  1 point/level
  The monster ability from p. 11 of Monsters. Each 
  level (maximum six) counts as a level of Magic Resistance 
  against Good clerical spells and gives +1 to resist the 
  innate, supernatural powers of Good beings (e.g., angels).
  Terror
  27 points
  The monster ability from p. 12 of Monsters. Any oppo-
  nent who can see you must roll a Fright Check when com-
  bat starts, at a cumulative +1 per attempt in the past 24 
  hours. Succeed or fail, they’re immune for the next hour.
  
  58	
  vIllAI ns
  torr	dArkdeeP
  350-Point Dwarven Evil Cleric
  Many dwarven gods seem detached from mortal notions 
  of morality, but just as many are unequivocally good, neu-
  tral, or evil . The latter tend to be the worst kind of capital-E 
  Evil, associated with realms deeper than the mines of the 
  dwarves – places that are home to fiends which periodically 
  boil up to annihilate dwarven colonies. These deities are not 
  necessary for “balance” or “Life’s cycle”; they’re renegades fed 
  by the worship of a few power-hungry cultists. Torr Darkdeep 
  is one of the few.
  Torr uses Djúphamar as his power item. It holds 13 FP.
  ST 13 [30]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 14 [80]; HT 14 [40].
  Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 45 lbs.; HP 13 [0]; Will 15 [5]; Per 14 [0]; 
  FP 17 [9].
  Basic Speed 6.00 [-5]; Basic Move 5 [-5]; Move 5.
  Dodge 9; Parry 11/13* (Djúphamar); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Clerical Investment [5]
  Night Vision 5 [5]
  Dwarven Gear [1]
  Pickaxe Penchant 1 [5]
  Energy Reserve 13
  Power Investiture 6
   (Unholy) [39]
   (Unholy) [60]
  Language: Dwarvish [6]
  Resistant to Poison 6 [6]
  Lifting ST 2 [6]
  Stone Skin (DR 9) [41]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Bloodlust (9) [-15]
  Social Stigma
  Fanaticism [-15]
   (Excommunicated) [-10]
  Greed (12) [-15]
  Stubbornness (12) [-5]
  Paranoia [-10]
  Acts as though light harms him, though it 
  doesn’t. [-1]
  Cold even toward fellow cultists. [-1]
  Elaborately flays and displays his victims’ 
  corpses. [-1]
  Has a very sick sense of humor. [-1]
  Mumbles unintelligibly when not trying to be 
  sneaky. [-1]
  Skills
  Axe/Mace-16/18*† [16]
  Hidden Lore (Lost
  Brawling-13 [4]
   Civilizations)-13 [1]
  Climbing-12 [4]
  Interrogation-13 [1]
  Exorcism-14 [2]
  Intimidation-15 [2]
  Forced Entry-12† [1]
  Meditation-13 [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Occultism-13 [1]
   (Demons)-13 [1]
  Poisons-12 [1]
  Hidden Lore (Divine
  Prospecting-15† [2]
   Servitors)-13 [1]
  Religious Ritual-12 [1]
  Hidden Lore
  Stealth-12 [4]
   (Elder Things)-13 [1]
  Theology-12 [1]
  Traps-15 [4]
  Spells‡
  Agonize-18 [1]
  Protection from Good-18 [1]
  Armor-18 [1]
  Recover Energy-18 [1]
  Command-18 [1]
  Resist Fire-18 [1]
  Control Gate-18 [1]
  Retch-18 [1]
  Curse-18 [1]
  See Secrets-18 [1]
  Dark Vision-18 [1]
  Sense Good-18 [1]
  Darkness-18 [1]
  Shatter-17 [1]
  Dehydrate-18 [1]
  Shield-18 [1]
  Earthquake-18 [1]
  Sickness-18 [1]
  Entombment-18 [1]
  Stench-18 [1]
  Flesh to Stone-20 [4]
  Strike Blind-18 [1]
  Icy Weapon-18 [1]
  Terror-18 [1]
  Panic-18 [1]
  * Use higher Parry and skill for Djúphamar.
  † Includes +1 for Pickaxe Penchant.
  ‡ Includes +6 for Power Investiture.
  Equipment
  $15,700, 7 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Djúphamar.* 2d+4(2) cr (reach 1).  
    $15,700, 5 lbs.
  * Orichalcum dwarven mace.  
  For evil dwarven cultists, it 
  acts as if it had Accuracy 
  +2, Defending Weapon +2, 
  Penetrating 
  Weapon 
  (2), 
  and Puissance +2. It also 
  counts as high unholy 
  symbol. For anyone else, it 
  gives none of these bene-
  fits and inflicts -2 to hit, 
  to Parry, and to damage. 
  Its price reflects resale 
  value as a looted curios-
  ity. Holds 13 FP if used 
  as power item.
  Design Notes
  Torr uses the dwarf racial template, along with the cleric pro-
  fessional template converted to evil (Evil Clerics, p. 59) – the latter 
  further modified to suit his cult. In lieu of standard unholy abilities, 
  he has the unique Stone Skin gift, which gives him DR 9, like an 
  earth elemental, in place of a dwarf’s Tough Skin; this is visible 
  as fiery runes etched into his flesh (and explains his low DX). His 
  Fanaticism is an unwavering oath to destroy anyone “invading” the 
  Earth’s depths, especially other dwarves. His sole weapon skill is 
  Axe/Mace, for wielding Djúphamar, a relic granted by his god; this 
  can attack and parry every turn because it’s dwarven, and its dam-
  age already reflects its magic.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  59
  enCountered
  Torr is a comparatively minor villain who might 
  become a major pain in the neck for heroes adventur-
  ing deep underground. He will if the party includes 
  dwarves. Torr possesses no special ability to channel 
  wisdom from his terrifying chthonic god, but he’s 
  fanatical and highly attuned to his patron (Power 
  Investiture 6), and often chosen to carry out Its will.
  Anyone entering Torr’s subterranean hunting 
  grounds encounters abundant mundane-but-dan-
  gerous traps involving such stony surprises as falling 
  rocks, pits, and weakened tunnel ceilings. Disarming 
  these is a Quick Contest against his Traps-15. Torr 
  shows up only after the adventurers run the gantlet.
  Delvers who push on eventually encounter Torr. 
  Early run-ins should involve him peeping through 
  tiny holes in tunnel ceilings or walls for just long 
  enough to cast nasty spells: Entombment and espe-
  cially Flesh to Stone (which at skill 20 takes but a sec-
  ond and costs 8 energy) are favorites, as is Earthquake 
  to crush everybody at once.
  When combat is joined, Torr is leading his god’s 
  fiends. These should be earth- or stone-themed: 
  rock mites (Monsters, p. 47), gargoyles (Monsters, 
  pp. 29-30), earth elementals (Monsters, p. 25), or 
  arbitrarily massive stone golems (Monsters, p. 54), 
  depending on the heroes’ power level. In all cases, 
  change monster type to “Divine Servitor” and make 
  the creature truly evil.
  In combat, Torr still prefers magic. He starts 
  buffed with Armor and Shield (Power Investiture 6 
  allows up to +6 DR and/or +6 DB, either costing 11 
  energy), and perhaps Icy Weapon. If he has enough 
  energy left – he begins with FP 17, Energy Reserve 
  13, and a 13-FP power item – he strikes with Flesh to 
  Stone. Otherwise he settles for quick incapacitation 
  via Agonize or Strike Blind, or if he has time, Retch 
  or Sickness. He also uses Curse and Shatter, as they 
  aren’t resisted and don’t count as spells “on.”
  Torr doesn’t balk if pressed. He has DR 9 skin (plus 
  any Armor spell) and an artifact-grade weapon that 
  can bash through armor. He likes to defend using the 
  Command spell.
  Adventure	seed
  Shrine Of Statues . While exploring deep under-
  ground, the delvers enter the temple of Torr’s cult. 
  It’s full of statues of people. More pressing are the 
  fiends streaming through a magical gate! To avoid 
  an endless battle, the heroes must close the gate 
  by destroying it or using Control Gate (resisted by 
  Torr’s spell at 18). After doing that and defeating 
  Torr, they may cast Remove Curse or Stone to Flesh 
  on the statues. This restores grateful victims, who 
  reward their saviors as the GM wishes.
  evIl	ClerICs
  Evil clerics vary considerably. This distortion of the standard 
  cleric template is typical:
  • Power Investiture [10/level] becomes Power Investiture 
  (Unholy) [10/level], aiding evil clerical spells (below) and rolls 
  required to use Unholy abilities.
  • Holy abilities become Unholy abilities; see Unholy Abilities 
  (p. 57).
  • In advantage options, replace Healer with Resistant to Poi-
  son 1-6 [1/level].
  • Replace all disadvantages with Social Stigma (Excommu-
  nicated) [-10], plus -40 points chosen from among Bad Tem-
  per [-10*], Bloodlust [-10*], Callous [-5], Compulsive Lying 
  [-15*], Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism or Mysticism) [-5 or -10], 
  Fanaticism [-15], Frightens Animals [-10], Gluttony [-5*], Greed 
  [-15*], Intolerance (“Good” religions) or (All other religions) [-5 
  or -10], Jealousy [-10], Laziness [-10], Lecherousness [-15*], 
  Odious Personal Habit [-5 or -10], Paranoia [-10], Stubbornness 
  [-5*], and Weirdness Magnet [-15].
  • Replace Diagnosis-12 [1], Esoteric Medicine (Holy)-14 [4], 
  First Aid-14 [1], and Surgery-12 [2] with Interrogation-14 [2], 
  Intimidation-14 [2], and Poisons-14 [4].
  • Exorcism desecrates blessings and casts out angels using 
  the rules from Exploits, pp. 23-24.
  • Spells are evil clerical spells.
  Evil Clerical Spells
  PI 1: Armor, Aura, Coolness, Darkness, Death Vision, Debility, 
  Decay, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Fear, Final Rest, Frailty, 
  Itch, Night Vision, Recover Energy, Sense Good*, Sense 
  Life, Sense Spirit, Shield, Silence, Stench, Thunderclap, 
  Watchdog.
  PI 2: Beast-Rouser, Blackout, Blur, Clumsiness, Command, 
  Compel Truth, Dark Vision, Great Voice, Hide Emotion, 
  Hide Thoughts, Nauseate, Pain, Panic, Persuasion, Poison 
  Food, Protection from Good*, Resist Acid, Resist Cold, Resist 
  Disease, Resist Fire, Resist Lightning, Resist Pain, Resist Poi-
  son, Seeker, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Dumb, Sum-
  mon Spirit, Terror, Truthsayer, Turn Spirit, Turn Zombie.
  PI 3: Affect Spirits, Astral Vision, Cold, Command Spirit, 
  Destroy Air, Destroy Water, Dispel Possession, Foolishness, 
  Freeze, Icy Weapon, Magic Resistance, Paralyze Limb, Repel 
  Animal, Repel Spirits, Retch, See Secrets, Sensitize, Sick-
  ness, Silver Tongue, Strengthen Will, Suspended Animation, 
  Weaken Will, Wither Plant.
  PI 4: Agonize, Astral Block, Banish, Curse, Deathtouch, Dehy-
  drate, Dispel Magic, Flesh to Stone, Frostbite, Gift of Letters, 
  Gift of Tongues, Shatter, Total Paralysis, Vigil, Wither Limb.
  PI 5: Earthquake, Entombment, Entrap Spirit, Pentagram, 
  Remove Curse.
  PI 6: Control Gate, Possession.
  * Works as usual, but vs. Good rather than Evil.
  
  60	
  vIllAI ns
  trIhéxA
  425-Point Infernal Unholy Warrior
  Trihéxa was born to the famous – and famously blood-
  thirsty – gladiator Métron by a succubus who went by 
  “Hagne.” The demoness dumped the baby girl on her father’s 
  doorstep. Perhaps predictably, Métron created a literal mon-
  ster: Trihéxa was a terror as a child and grew more demonic 
  with each passing year. Fortunately for her, though not the 
  world, worshipers of The Devil eventually adopted her. Their 
  high priest is a low-powered charismatic figurehead; it’s 
  Trihéxa who oversees blood sacrifices, demon-summoning, 
  and forced possession. She considers dispatching meddlers a 
  job perk.
  ST 15 [50]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 14 [40].
  Damage 1d+2/3d-1; BL 45 lbs.; HP 15 [0]; Will 14 [10]; Per 12 
  [0]; FP 14 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [0]; Basic Move 7 [0]; Move 7.
  Dodge 11*; Parry 12* (Hell’s Hammer, Net, or Unarmed); 
  Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Ambidexterity [5]
  Hooves [3]
  Born War-Leader 1 [5]
  Horns [8]
  Combat Reflexes [15]
  Legionary of the
  Damage Resistance 1 [5]
   Damned [1]
  Dark Vision [25]
  Spirit Empathy
  Dastardly Grace +2d [18]
   [10]
  Dastardly Might +2d [18]
  Striking
  Dread Touch [14]
   ST 2 [10]
  Extra Attack 1 [25]
  Tail [13]
  Fit [5]
  Unholiness
  Higher Purpose 1 (Slay
   2 [10]
   Servitors of Good) [5]
  Wings [30]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Bloodlust (15) [-5]
  Callous [-5]
  Intolerance (“Good” religions) [-5]
  Jealousy [-10]
  Overconfidence (9) [-7]
  Social Stigma (Excommunicated) [-10]
  Social Stigma (Half-Breed) [-5]
  Unnatural Features 5 [-5]
  Weakness (1d/minute in “blessed” areas) 
  [-20]
  Holds gladiatorial “games” where she 
  kills upwardly mobile associates. [-1]
  Leads from the air. [-1]
  Resisting Bloodlust in combat just means 
  the victim’s ritual death afterward. [-1]
  Smears her tail spike with poison. [-1]
  Speaks of both Métron and The Devil as 
  “Pater.” [-1]
  Skills
  Axe/Mace-16 [8]
  Net-16 [12]
  Brawling-16 [4]
  Occultism-12 [2]
  Exorcism-13 [2]
  Poisons-12 [4]
  Hidden Lore (Demons)-12 [2]
  Religious Ritual-12 [4]
  Hidden Lore (Magic Items)-12 [2]
  Stealth-14 [2]
  Interrogation-13† [2]
  Strategy-12‡ [2]
  Intimidation-15† [2]
  Tactics-12‡ [2]
  Leadership-12‡ [1]
  Theology-10 [1]
  Meditation-12 [1]
  Wrestling-15 [4]
  * Includes +1 for Combat Reflexes.
  † Includes +1 for Callous.
  ‡ Includes +1 for Born War-Leader.
  Equipment
  $69,020, 16.5 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Bladeblack. On tail spike. $1,000, 0.5 lb.
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Devil’s Defender.* DB 3, DR 3 (total DR 4, DR 5 on feet). 
  $51,000, 4 lbs.
  Hell’s Hammer.† 3d+2 cr, +2/+3 unholy injury (reach 1). 
  $17,000, 5 lbs.
  Melee Net. See Exploits, p. 45. Reach 1, 2 or  
  Acc 1, Range 20, Shots T(1), Bulk -4. $20, 5 lbs.
  * Light segmented plate for left arm. 
  For Evil wearers, gives entire body 
  the DR 3 of light segmented plate 
  and the DB 3 of a large shield 
  with no drawbacks. For non-
  Evil folk, inflicts -3 to active 
  defenses, provides no DR 
  anywhere, and worsens any 
  received wound of at least 
  1 HP by 3 HP. Holds 3 FP 
  if used as power item.
  † Dwarven mace. Does +2 
  HP of unholy injury if attack 
  pierces DR, or +3 HP against 
  servitors of Good (angels, 
  clerics, holy warriors, etc).  
  Design Notes
  Trihéxa uses the holy 
  warrior template converted 
  to that of an unholy warrior 
  (Unholy Warriors, p. 57), with 
  Unholy abilities – and the infernal racial template (p. 61), with several of its 
  optional gifts. She has chosen the Axe/Mace skill but replaced Shield and her 
  ranged skill with Net, using a net as both an off-hand and thrown weapon. 
  Her mace (a spiked hammer) can attack and parry every turn because it’s 
  dwarven. Her damage numbers already reflect Striking ST. Her two magic 
  items are on loan; her cult would want them back if she departed.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  61
  Acts as high unholy symbol. Holds 9 FP if 
  used as power item.
  enCountered
  Trihéxa considers herself a cham-
  pion. Heroes need only thwart her coven 
  a few times to send them running to her.  
  Then she turns up, ready to rumble – lead-
  ing a throng of minor goons, a few evil 
  clerics, and a demon or two, though never 
  hiding behind them.
  Trihéxa attacks twice (Extra Attack) 
  with some combination of Hell’s Hammer, 
  melee net (at no penalty thanks to Ambi-
  dexterity), hooves (skill 14, 1d+4 cr, reach 
  C, 1), horns (skill 16, 1d+4 imp, reach C), 
  and tail (skill 14, 1d+4 imp, reach C, 1). The 
  net often sets up the second attack. When 
  attacking unarmed, she invokes Dread 
  Touch to add 1d HP of injury. Her tail 
  starts dipped in bladeblack.
  Against heroic opposition, she activates 
  Dastardly Grace and Dastardly Might. 
  The GM may assume average rolls: 10 
  turns at +7 to ST and DX. This gives effec-
  tive ST 24 with Striking ST, for damage 
  2d+1/4d+2 – Hell’s Hammer does 4d+5, 
  and her unarmed attacks do 2d+5. She has 
  skill 23 and thus Parry 15.
  Trihéxa seeks every advantage. She flies 
  overhead: +2 to melee defenses (often while 
  retreating upward), -2 to enemies’ melee 
  defenses, and +2 to hit when throwing her 
  net. She has +3 to defenses at all times 
  thanks to Devil’s Defender. Higher Purpose 
  grants her +1 to rolls against Good oppo-
  nents. And if total darkness won’t inconve-
  nience her allies, she exploits Dark Vision.
  She isn’t hard to hurt, with just DR 
  4 (from Devil’s Defender and her racial 
  abilities). But Dastardly Might gives her 
  HP 22 (not 15) on average, and she has 
  effective HT 15 with Fit. Incapacitating 
  her isn’t easy!
  Adventure	seed
  Kids These Days . The naive child of 
  Someone Important has been coaxed into 
  joining Trihéxa’s devil-worshipers. The 
  delvers are tasked with the rescue. But 
  the young’un idolizes Trihéxa and won’t 
  cooperate, while Trihéxa won’t hesitate to 
  use the kid as a human shield. The heroes 
  must secure the youngster in the opening 
  instants of combat!
  new	rACIAl	temPlAte:	InFernAl
  Racial Cost: 75 points
  Infernals are the offspring of demon-mortal unions. Such liaisons are 
  rarely willing, so some people proclaim sympathy for these beings – but 
  most assume they’re in league with The Devil. This gives Social Stigma 
  (Half-Breed).
  The GM decides whether infernals are suitable as PCs. The high racial 
  cost means compromising standard professional templates: Choose one 
  and spend 175 points – and up to 50 points more from personal disad-
  vantages (which may include further levels of Unnatural Features but not 
  Social Stigmas) and 5 points from quirks – on the attributes, advantages, 
  and skills it offers or improves. All advantages and skills not presented as 
  choices are mandatory; for an example of what this means, see Centaur 
  Delvers (p. 25).
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+2 [20]; DX+1 [20]; HT+1 [10].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: FP+1 [3]; Basic Speed+0.50 [10].
  Advantages: Damage Resistance 1 [5]; Dark Vision [25]; Fit [5]; Hooves 
  [3]; Spirit Empathy [10].
  Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Excommunicated) [-10]; Social Stigma 
  (Half-Breed) [-5]; Unnatural Features 1 [-1]; Weakness (1d HP in areas 
  defined as “blessed,” or with high or better sanctity for Good, repeating 
  every minute) [-20].
  Features: Counts as supernaturally Evil regardless of actions, whether 
  this helps (“All praise the Devil-Child!”) or hinders (“Injures Evil enti-
  ties.”). Flaming eyes, tiny horns, vestigial wings, etc. (not automatically 
  unattractive).
  Special Infernal Traits
  Damage Resistance: Your body has a Damage Resistance score! Subtract 
  this from the damage of any physical or energy attack before applying 
  wounding modifiers. This doesn’t protect your eyes, but no other draw-
  backs of Tough Skin apply.
  Dark Vision: Identical to monster ability of the same name (Monsters, 
  p. 10). You cannot see colors in darkness.
  Hooves: Kicks inflict +1 damage per die . You cannot wear footwear but get 
  DR 1 on your feet, cumulative with DR from special abilities or spells.
  Weakness: Identical to monster disadvantage of the same name 
  (Monsters, p. 14).
  Infernals may optionally buy additional advantages:
  Horns [8]: Can attack in close combat (reach C). Count as weapon requir-
  ing no free hand, not as body part. Use DX or Brawling to hit, and 3 + 
  half of (DX or Brawling) to parry. Damage is thrust impaling at +1 per 
  die, plus Brawling bonus.
  Sharp Teeth [1] or Fangs [2]: Bite becomes cutting or impaling, 
  respectively.
  Tail [13]: As Horns (above), but reach is C, 1 and attack has -2 to hit.
  Temperature Tolerance (Heat) [1/level]: Identical to barbarian ability of 
  the same name; see Adventurers, p. 16. Maximum five levels.
  Wings [30]: Give Flight as the monster ability (Monsters, p. 11); Air Move 
  is 2¥ Basic Speed, dropping fractions. Attacked and crippled as arms, 
  and can’t be armored. See also Air Superiority (Monsters, p. 27).
  
  62	
  vIllAI ns
  zell	koshkA
  350-Point Human Swashbuckler
  Zell is more villain-by-association than primary villain; 
  her deeds, while unheroic, are no worse than those of many 
  delvers. Her stock in trade is helping people who can’t turn 
  to the law for justice – who are often “people” in the loos-
  est sense, like dragons, monster chieftains, and undead 
  archmages – punish the kinds of self-appointed heroes who 
  serve the legitimate authorities. Her modus operandi is to 
  engage her targets in legal duels that are cleverly disguised 
  assassination attempts. Nobody has seen through her strat-
  agems to date; her reputation, quite deserved, is as a really 
  good swordswoman.
  ST 11 [10]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
  Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 24 lbs.; 
  HP 11 [0]; Will 12 [0]; 
  Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [0].
  Basic Speed 7.00 [5]; Basic 
  Move 7 [0]; Move 7.
  Dodge 11*; Parry 17*† 
  (Saber), 12* (Main-
  Gauche); Block N/A.
  Advantages
  Enhanced Parry 3 
  (Saber) [15]
  Enhanced Time Sense [45]
  Every One’s a Critical [15]
  Heartseeker (Saber) [6]
  I Studied On Killin’ You [5]
  Luck [15]
  Prepared Ground [15]
  Secret Strike (Saber) [20]
  Striking ST 2 [10]
  Weapon Bond (Saber) [1]
  Weapon Master (Saber and Main-
  Gauche) [25]
  Disadvantages and Quirks
  Callous [-5]
  Code of Honor (Outlaw’s) [-5]
  Greed (6) [-30]
  Obsession (Tracking down and killing current target) (6) [-10]
  Assumes everyone is greedy and has a price – just like her. [-1]
  Distinctive tribal tattoos. [-1]
  Likes to be paid in powerful, valuable magic items rather than 
  coin. [-1]
  Not particularly bloodthirsty in chance battles with non- 
  targets. [-1]
  Works hard to duel only on Prepared Ground with neutral 
  witnesses. [-1]
  Skills
  Acrobatics-14 [2]
  Jumping-15 [1]
  Acting-12 [2]
  Main-Gauche-16 [4]
  Brawling-16 [2]
  Saber-20/21‡ [20]
  Carousing-12 [1]
  Stealth-16 [4]
  Fast-Draw
  Streetwise-13 [4]
   (Knife)-16* [1]
  Tactics-13 [8]
  Fast-Draw
  Traps-13 [4]
   (Sword)-16* [1]
  Wrestling-15 [2]
  Fast-Talk-12 [2]
  * Includes +1 for Enhanced Time Sense.
  † Includes +3 for Enhanced Parry.
  ‡ Use higher skill for magical saber (+1 for 
  Weapon Bond).
  Equipment
  $62,362, 22.6 lbs. (No encumbrance)
  Clothing. $0, 2 lbs.
  Coins. 100 silver. $2,000, 2 lbs.
  Ironskin Amulet.* DR 3. $28,720, 0.5 lb.
  Light Leather Armor, Body, Legs, and Feet.  
    DR 1. $107, 12.9 lbs.
  Long Knife. 2d cut (reach C, 1) or 1d+1 imp (reach 
  C, 1). $120, 1.5 lbs.
  Moly Amulet.* +5 Magic Resistance. $23,600, 0.5 lb.
  Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb.
  Pouch. Holds coins, personal basics $10, 0.2 lb.
  Saber, Fine w. Penetrating Weapon (2). 2d+3(2) cut 
  (reach 1) or 1d+4(2) imp (reach 1). $7,800, 2 lbs.
  * The standard item from Adventurers, p. 118, but 
  as a chunky bracelet. Worn with arm armor, would 
  give -1 DX for layered armor. Looters can’t be choosers!
  enCountered
  Zell is likely met calling out the PCs’ leader for a 
  duel. The GM picks the ostensible casus duello – a 
  roll against Acting-12 can give the impression that 
  she was shoved or insulted. This won’t fool eagle-
  eyed delvers, but she’s looking to convince onlookers .  
  Design Notes
  Zell is a swashbuckler – if a slightly 
  less flashy and more scheming one with a few thief skills – and 
  shows off all of the new swashbuckler traits on p. 63. Frugal 
  character-builders should note that Enhanced Parry, Heart-
  seeker, and Secret Strike all effectively improve Saber skill, 
  and add up to 41 points; that could buy +10 to skill, which 
  would yield +5 to Parry and easily absorb -3 to target the vitals 
  or -10 for a Deceptive Attack (though not both at once), but 
  it would not serve to make envious players seek out cool new 
  abilities. Striking ST is already figured into her basic damage 
  stats; this as well as the Weapon Master damage bonus are 
  reflected in her listed weapon damage.
  
  	
  vIllAI ns	
  63
  Heroes with Bad Temper, Gullibility, 
  Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, etc. 
  might need self-control rolls to refuse 
  a duel; those with Codes of Honor 
  or Vows covering dueling won’t get  
  even that!
  The deck is stacked. Zell has used 
  I Studied On Killin’ You (roll against 
  Streetwise-13) to get +1 against her 
  victim. She invokes Prepared Ground 
  to set traps (Traps-13) – things like 
  loosened 
  floorboards 
  or 
  cobble-
  stones, causing her opponent to suf-
  fer bad footing or trip. She never 
  uses deadly traps, poison, or hidden 
  allies; the duel must look honorable 
  to witnesses.
  Witnesses are key for Zell. They 
  serve not just to confirm the kill was 
  in an agreed duel, but also to dis-
  courage her mark from trying traps, 
  poison, allies, or magic. (Her Moly 
  amulet helps against the latter.)
  The actual fight is straightforward: 
  Zell uses Enhanced Time Sense to 
  attack first, Heartseeker and Secret 
  Strike to target the vitals at no pen-
  alty and -5 to defenses (worse, with 
  Deceptive Attack), and a magic blade 
  to pierce armor. Don’t forget Every 
  One’s a Critical and Luck. If her 
  opener doesn’t kill, she has a ridicu-
  lous Parry; even multiple attacks give 
  her just -1 per successive attempt.
  Zell’s weakness is that her Code of 
  Honor and extreme Greed and Obses-
  sion mean she won’t give up – her rep-
  utation and paycheck are at risk. She 
  might go down fighting. If she doesn’t, 
  her next attempt is likely to be ill-pre-
  pared and desperate.
  Adventure	seeds
  The only adventure with Zell is 
  a duel (see above) – but who hired 
  her? Any other villain might contract 
  her if the heroes defeat but don’t 
  kill them. If the delvers aren’t cir-
  cumspect about their next mission, 
  cunning bad guys may use Zell for a 
  preemptive strike! Either way, Zell’s 
  Greed outweighs her Code of Honor; 
  if captured rather than killed, she 
  might be bribed to talk or even  
  turn coat.
  new	sPeCIAl	swAshbuCkler	trAIts
  The GM may allow swashbucklers to begin with these advantages or acquire 
  them as Exceptional Abilities (Exploits, p. 93).
  Heartseeker
  6 points/skill
  You ignore the -3 to hit the vitals with one particular melee weapon skill. 
  This works only with attacks that can target the vitals; e.g., a sword’s impaling 
  thrust, but not its cutting swing.
  I Studied On Killin’ You
  5 points
  In town, you may take a day to ask about, collect rumors on, and read up on 
  one specific, named individual. The GM secretly rolls for Recognition (Monsters, 
  p. 4). For delvers and townsfolk, use Streetwise.
  This roll fails automatically if the figure is vague; e.g., “the swamp dragon.” It 
  also fails if you misjudge; e.g., use Streetwise on a secret vampire who requires 
  Hidden Lore (Undead).
  Success tells you enough about your subject’s abilities, tactics, gear, and 
  injuries to get +1 on attack, damage, defense, and resistance rolls vs. them (like 
  Higher Purpose). This endures for one combat encounter . Renewing it requires 
  another day and another roll.
  You can only study on killin’ one person at a time! Rolling for a new subject 
  removes any pending bonus.
  Prepared Ground
  15 points
  Once per game session, you may declare that you staked out the arena of 
  an impending fight. You must have been there at least once in play and the-
  oretically be able to return without encountering locks you can’t open, traps 
  you haven’t disarmed, secret doors you haven’t found, etc. The GM who feels 
  the proposed use would short-circuit the adventure should say, “Sorry, you 
  couldn’t get in.” Thus, this capability is near-useless in dungeons (except for 
  monsters!) but handy in open town and country.
  When the fight starts, you may roll against Tactics to position hidden allies 
  in order to get surprise (Exploits, p. 27) – and use the Traps skill (Exploits, 
  p. 58) if you have suitable materials, though there’s no guarantee anyone will 
  walk in the right hex – as if you knew your foes would pass by. (Timing is too 
  vague for effects with limited durations, like spells.) Victims with abilities that 
  sense danger or life, see through cover, etc. do get rolls to avoid surprise. What-
  ever happens, though, your allies and traps are guaranteed present.
  Secret Strike
  20 points/skill
  When using one specific melee weapon skill, you may try an ultra-fast strike. 
  This costs 1 FP – and any critical failure means a dropped weapon on top of 
  any other results – but you have no skill penalty, while your victim has -5 on all 
  active defenses. For 2 FP, the -5 affects Blocking spells, too! You can combine 
  Secret Strike with Deceptive Attack. With multiple attacks, pay the FP cost for 
  each one.
  
  Index
  Advantages, high Wealth, 49; 
  martial arts, 51; new, 25, 39, 41, 
  43, 45, 47, 53, 57, 61.
  Adventure seeds, magic item, 5, 6, 
  7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 
  17, 18, 19, 20; monster, 23, 25, 
  27, 29, 31, 33; villain, 37, 39, 41, 
  43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 
  61, 63.
  Alla Breve, 4, 5.
  Animal Companion advantage, 39.
  Animals, companion, 39; giant, 
  32-33; leopard, 47; riding, 32; 
  shapeshifting, 47.
  Appearance trait, 41.
  Armor, 13, 18, 20; new modifiers, 
  13, 18, 20.
  Astucum, 22-23; 
  overview, 21.
  Barbarians, 
  villain, 
  52-53.
  Bashing Tail 
  advantage, 
  53.
  Bone Standard, 
  4, 6.
  Bows, Manslayer, 55.
  Buccaneer’s Band, 4,7.
  Bulky disadvantage, 25.
  Caltrops, Countless, 4, 8.
  Campaigns, see Adventure Seeds.
  Carts, for carrying items, 17.
  Cats, 39, 47.
  Centaurs, 21, 24-25; delver template, 
  25; special traits, 25.
  Characters, heavy lifting, 17; new 
  racial templates, 25, 41, 45, 53, 
  61; riding warhogs, 32; see also 
  Advantages, Disadvantages, 
  Spells, Villains.
  Chests on poles, for carrying items, 
  17.
  Chi Talent advantage, 41.
  Chi-based item, 20.
  Clerics, evil template,  
  59; villain, 58-59.
  Clothes, footwear, 13, 20; headgear, 
  15, 18; jewelry, 7, 11, 14.
  Combat accessory, new, 13.
  Crier’s Scroll, 4, 9.
  Damage Resistance advantage, 61.
  Dark elf racial template, 45.
  Dark Gift advantage, 45.
  Dark Vision advantage, 61.
  Dawn Thunder, 4, 10.
  Disadvantages, new, 25, 41, 53, 61.
  Disturbing Voice disadvantage, 53.
  Dogs, companion, 39.
  Dragon Skin advantage, 51.
  Dread Touch advantage, 57.
  Druids, new ability, 47; villain, 
  46-47.
  Dúbelthor, 36.
  Dungeon Fantasy, 3, 21, 34; 
  Adventurers, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10,  
  12-14, 17-20, 25, 29, 32-34, 41, 
  43, 45, 47, 49, 52, 53, 57, 61, 62; 
  Delvers To Go!, 3, 4; Exploits, 
  3-5, 9-12, 14-17, 20, 22, 25-28, 
  31-35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 49, 51, 
  55, 57, 59, 60, 63; Magic Items, 
  3, 4; Magic Items 2, 3, 4, 19; 
  Monsters, 3, 9, 11, 18, 21, 25, 
  27, 29, 30, 32, 35, 37, 41, 47, 
  52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 63; 
  Monsters 2, 3, 34; Spells, 3, 4, 
  7, 15, 17, 18, 28, 29, 47.
  Dwarves, villains, 48-49, 58-59.
  Elastoids, 21, 26-27.
  Elven Juju, 14.
  Elves, dark elf racial template, 45; 
  new traits, 45; villains, 38-39, 
  44-45.
  Enhanced Move advantage, 25.
  Envy (ring), 4, 11.
  Equipment, lifting heavy, 17; see 
  also Magic Items, Clothes, 
  Weapons, specific items.
  Exorcism skill, 57, 59.
  Extra Legs advantage, 25.
  Falcons, companion, 39.
  Fangs advantage, 61.
  Fetters, Flying, 12.
  Flying Fetters, 12.
  Footwear, 13, 20; new modifiers, 
  13, 20.
  Forest Guardian advantage, magic 
  item, 14.
  Geoff Ironshield, 40.
  Giant animal monster class, 
  example, 32-33.
  Granny’s Lace-Ups, 4, 13.
  Guitore the Relentless, 42.
  GURPS, 3; see also Dungeon 
  Fantasy.
  Half-elves, villain, 36-37.
  Half-ogres, villain, 56-57.
  Half-orcs, villain, 54-55.
  Halflings, villain, 42-43.
  Harpies, 21, 28-29; beautiful, 29.
  Headgear, 15, 18.
  Heartseeker advantage, 63.
  Helms, 18.
  Higher Purpose advantage, 57.
  Holy warriors, see Unholy Warriors.
  Hooves advantage, 25, 61.
  Horns advantage, 41, 61.
  Humans, villains, 46-47, 50-51, 
  62-63.
  Hunter’s Juju, 4, 14.
  I Studied On Killin’ You advantage, 
  63.
  Illabel’s Splendor, 4, 15.
  Infernals, racial template, 61; 
  villain, 60-61.
  Ithylyssya Athì, 44.
  Jana Sey, 46.
  Juvenator, 4, 16.
  Kilari, Fair, 38.
  Knights, villains, 
  40-41, 48-49.
  Lady Aimara, 50.
  Legionary of 
  the Damned 
  advantage, 57.
  Leopards, 47.
  Lifting, heavy items, 17.
  Litters, for carrying items, 17.
  Lizard men, racial  
  template, 53; villain, 52-53.
  Long Horns advantage, 41.
  Magery advantage, 45.
  Magic items, 5-20, 55; overview, 3, 
  4; reading stats, 4.
  Mana-dependent items, 5, 8, 11, 
  13, 32.
  Manacles, magical, 12.
  Manslayer (bow), 55.
  Mantis Strike advantage, 51.
  Martial artists, limits on abilities, 
  51; The Path and, 51; villain, 
  50-51.
  Masks, 18.
  Mictecoix, 52.
  Minotaurs, racial template, 41; 
  villain, 40-41.
  Monsters, 22-33; overview, 3, 21; 
  reading stats, 21; social, 21;  
  see also Villains.
  Mundane monster class,  
  examples, 22-31.
  Musical 
  instruments, 
  5, 10.
  Nagasha, 54.
  Nature-dependent  
  items, 7, 10, 
  16, 18.
  Necklaces, 14.
  Nictitating Membrane  
  advantage, 53.
  Nondetection advantage, 43.
  Ochtal of the Cross, 56.
  Odious Racial Habit disadvantage, 
  53.
  Ol’ Smiley’s Inn, 4, 17.
  Osisizo, 21, 30-31.
  Oudou, 4, 18.
  Outdoorsman advantage, magic 
  item, 14.
  Owls, companion, 39.
  Parrots, companion, 39.
  Path, The, 51.
  Pointy armor modifier, 13.
  Portable Purveyor, 4, 19.
  Pouches, magical, 19.
  Power Investiture advantage, 59.
  Prepared Ground advantage, 63.
  Reading the stats, items, 4; monster, 
  21; villain, 35.
  Regeneration, item for, 16.
  Resist Good advantage, 57.
  Riders on the Swine, 32.
  Riding skill, 32.
  Rings, 7, 11.
  Sanctity-dependent items, 6, 
  12, 16, 17, 19.
  Scouts, villain, 54-55.
  Scrogo the Munificent, King, 
  48.
  Scrolls, 9.
  Secret Strike advantage, 63.
  Shapeshifting advantage, 47.
  Sharp Claws advantage, 53.
  Sharp Teeth advantage, 53, 61.
  Soles combat accessory, thick, 13.
  Spells, evil clerical, 59; new, 37.
  Standard (flag), 6.
  Stompers, 4, 20.
  Storm-singers, 29.
  Striking ST advantage, 25.
  Swashbucklers, new advantages, 
  63; villain, 62-63.
  Tail advantage, 61.
  Templates, new racial, 25, 41, 45, 
  53, 61.
  Terrain Adaptation advantage, 53.
  Terror advantage, 57.
  Thick Skull advantage, 41.
  Thick soles combat accessory, 13.
  Thieves, new trait, 43; villains,  
  38-39, 42-43.
  Tombstones, magical, 17.
  Torr Darkdeep, 58.
  Transporting items, 17.
  Trap Magical Essence spell, 
  37.
  Trihéxa, 60.
  Unholiness advantage, 57.
  Unholy abilities, 57.
  Unholy warriors, 
  template, 57; villains, 
  56-57, 60-61.
  Uninterrupted Flurry 
  advantage, 51.
  Villains, 36-63; 350-point, 42-43, 
  52-55, 58-59, 62-63; 375-point, 
  38-41; 400-point, 56-57; 
  425-point, 60-61; 450-point, 
  36-37, 44-45, 48-49; 475-point, 
  46-47; 525-point, 50-51; creating, 
  34; overview, 3, 34; reading stats, 
  35; using, 34-35.
  Wagons, for carrying items, 17.
  Warhogs, 21, 32-33; riding, 32.
  Warriors, see Unholy Warriors.
  Weakness disadvantage, 61.
  Wealth trait, 49.
  Weapons, 8, 55.
  Wheelbarrows, for carrying items, 
  17.
  Wings advantage, 61.
  Wizards, villains, 36-37, 44-45.
  Wood armor material, 18.
  Zell Koshka, 62.
  64	
  Index
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS [multi]/SETTING/Dungeon Fantasy (GURPS)/GURPS 4e - Dungeon Fantasy - Companion 2.pdf