TEXT: Victims of the Demon Lord
  ~Credits~
  WRITING AND DESIGN: 
  rOBERT j. sCHWALB
  editing: Jay Spight
  Proofreading: Kara Hamilton
  ART DIRECTION: rOBERT j. sCHWALB
  Graphic Design: Hal Mangold
  and Kara Hamilton
  LAYOUT: kara hamilton
  ILLUSTRATIONs: Ivan Dixon, Britt Martin,
  and Andrey Vasilchenko
  Only Human is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. 
  All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Victims of the Demon Lord, Only Human,
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos 
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  SCHWALB ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
  PO Box #12548, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com
   www.schwalbentertainment.com
  It took ten thousand years, but humanity has largely 
  conquered Rûl. Humans spread across the continent 
  with only few regions denied to them. Theirs is the 
  history of these lands; their triumphs and defeats, 
  their advances and setbacks, became the signature 
  events that have shaped the world since their 
  coming. Humans are a people driven to make the 
  most of their lives, to make better the world they 
  ﬁ nd for the ones who come after. They are builders 
  and makers, creators and inventors, courageous, 
  devoted, and often good.
   They can also be selﬁ sh, never satisﬁ ed with 
  what they have. They are tribal in nature, taking 
  comfort in the purpose that comes from shared 
  identity. They look beyond themselves for direction, 
  inventing gods and dogma to point their lives toward 
  a meaning they can accept. They are fearful. Death 
  is their constant companion, taking their hands 
  from birth and walking alongside them 
  until their turn on the wheel of life 
  is done. 
  More than any other people found 
  on Urth, humans are the most 
  conﬂ icted, the most paradoxical. 
  They can achieve such wonders 
  and yet can be capable of 
  unspeakable horror. They love 
  with a ﬁ erceness matched 
  only by their hate. Most 
  have strong ties to their 
  people, whether those 
  people be religious, political, 
  or familial, but are quick to level a 
  suspicious eye at others who don’t 
  fully share their values, beliefs, or 
  ideals. Humans kill more humans 
  than do the monsters raging across 
  the countryside, the demons that, on 
  occasion, slither free from the Void, 
  or the hordes of beastmen that prey 
  on farms and isolated towns. And it is 
  humanity that is most responsible for 
  the darkness that seeks to smother the 
  world and drag it wholly into the Void.
   Of all the ancestries available for play in Shadow of 
  the Demon Lord, humans are described as the most 
  numerous and diverse. They are also the easiest to 
  understand. The main rulebook presents everything 
  you need to create a human character for the game 
  with enough variation from the human tables to 
  make each character distinct. However, Rûl is a 
  big place, and it encompasses many variations of 
  humans based on ethnicity, political allegiance, 
  religious beliefs, and more. Only Human expands on 
  the human entry by providing you with more details 
  about how humans ﬁ t into the world, and oﬀ ers new 
  tables to help you develop human characters with 
  incredible detail. 
  WRITING AND DE
  Proofreading
  ART DIRECTION
  Graphic Design
  LAYOUT
  ILLUSTRATIONs
  and Andrey Vasilchenko
  Only Human 
  Shadow of the Demon Lord
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos 
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  inventing gods and dogma to point their lives toward 
  inventing gods and dogma to point their lives toward 
  a meaning they can accept. They are fearful. Death 
  a meaning they can accept. They are fearful. Death 
  is their constant companion, taking their hands 
  from birth and walking alongside them 
  until their turn on the wheel of life 
  More than any other people found 
  on Urth, humans are the most 
  conﬂ icted, the most paradoxical. 
  They can achieve such wonders 
  unspeakable horror. They love 
  people be religious, political, 
  or familial, but are quick to level a 
  suspicious eye at others who don’t 
  fully share their values, beliefs, or 
  ideals. Humans kill more humans 
  than do the monsters raging across 
  the countryside, the demons that, on 
  occasion, slither free from the Void, 
  or the hordes of beastmen that prey 
  on farms and isolated towns. And it is 
  humanity that is most responsible for 
  the darkness that seeks to smother the 
  world and drag it wholly into the Void.
  Proofreading
  ART DIRECTION
  Graphic Design
  ILLUSTRATIONs
  Only Human 
  Shadow of the Demon Lord
  Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated logos 
  are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  a meaning they can accept. They are fearful. Death 
  a meaning they can accept. They are fearful. Death 
  is their constant companion, taking their hands 
  from birth and walking alongside them 
  until their turn on the wheel of life 
  More than any other people found 
  on Urth, humans are the most 
  conﬂ icted, the most paradoxical. 
  They can achieve such wonders 
  unspeakable horror. They love 
  or familial, but are quick to level a 
  suspicious eye at others who don’t 
  fully share their values, beliefs, or 
  ideals. Humans kill more humans 
  than do the monsters raging across 
  the countryside, the demons that, on 
  occasion, slither free from the Void, 
  or the hordes of beastmen that prey 
  on farms and isolated towns. And it is 
  humanity that is most responsible for 
  the darkness that seeks to smother the 
  world and drag it wholly into the Void.
  
  Origins
  The ﬁ rst waves of humanity washed against Rûl’s shores 
  thousands of years ago. There are no histories from this 
  early period; humans lacked a written language or, if 
  they had one, didn’t record their ﬁ rst adventures into a 
  land steeped in faeries and strange magic. Where they 
  came from, why they made landfall, and what sort of 
  hardships they endured are all unknown, and really, that 
  they made it to Rûl is all that matters. One can assume 
  humans clashed with the faeries, came to see in them as 
  gods, and were eventually left to ﬁ nd their own destinies 
  when the faeries withdrew from the continent into the 
  hidden kingdoms.
  Creation Stories
  As one might expect, religions have all sorts of things to 
  say about from where humans came, who formed them, 
  and for what purpose. A few of the creation stories still 
  stomping around Rûl follow.
   The Seed of the Horned King: Myth claims the 
  Horned King and the World Mother reunite each year 
  to renew life all across the world by coupling. One 
  time, long ago, the pair came together, setting aside the 
  accumulation of petty grudges and grievances to renew 
  their romance once again. In the act, Diabolus, the 
  meddling trickster, caught and startled them, causing 
  the World Mother to pull away and the Horned King to 
  spill his seed onto the ground. From the droplets sprang 
  forth the ﬁ rst humans. 
   No Beginning, No End: The cult of the New God has 
  no creation story. They claim humans had no creator 
  and instead evolved from lesser peoples, who themselves 
  evolved from even lesser peoples, going all the way back 
  to the dawn of the world. The New God, whom the cult 
  refuses to deﬁ ne, either set in motion the chain of events 
  that led the world to its present state or stood back as 
  a bystander after bringing the cosmos out of the Void. 
  Priests of the New God do not fret over the past and 
  instead focus their eﬀ orts on the proper movements of 
  the soul over the wheel of life.
   Ark of the Sky: Old stories of no certain origin claim 
  humans fell like rains upon the Urth when a great ship 
  that sailed the sea of stars passed overhead. The stories 
  claim the sky ark will one day return and retrieve the 
  descendants of those humans to speed them to their 
  proper home, which some believe to be a paradise.
   Failed Dwarfs: The dwarfs believe the gods made 
  humans after creating dwarfs on their great anvils. After 
  the dwarfs turned their backs on the gods, the deities 
  came together to remake them, to create a people more 
  dutiful and devoted. However, the dwarfs were perfect, 
  and no matter how many times the gods hammered 
  on their anvils, they produced crude, ﬂ awed copies 
  they discarded and scattered across the Urth. The 
  dwarfs believe this explains the diﬀ erences in human 
  appearance and their great numbers.
  Ethnicities of Rul
  Most humans don’t pay much attention to the physical 
  diﬀ erences they ﬁ nd in other humans. After all, this is a 
  world populated by a veritable menagerie of thinking, 
  talking people, from dwarfs to fauns, elves to goblins, 
  jotuns and so much more. Bright red skin or milky 
  white, blue eyes or gold, straight hair or curly, none 
  of these things matter much when it comes to sorting 
  out who’s a friend and who’s not. There are plenty of 
  other reasons.
   Not paying attention to physical diﬀ erences doesn’t 
  mean they don’t exist, and humans in Rûl display a 
  variation in form that transcends the familiar. The 
  diversity stems from all the diﬀ erent peoples to settle 
  these lands. Few ethnic groups have remained intact 
  since their arrival. Peoples of varying groups mingle 
  and have had oﬀ spring, which means most people 
  comprise several diﬀ erent ethnicities to become 
  something unique.
  The First People
  Believed to have been the ﬁ rst humans to reach Rûl, the 
  First People comprise several migrations, each having 
  arrived close enough to each other they are considered 
  a single people. Grouping them in this way, however, 
  does a disservice to the marked diﬀ erences in their 
  appearance, outlook, and societies, as well as their 
  impact on the development of nations on the continent. 
  However, scant details about them survived the waves 
  of conquering peoples who followed, enslaved, and 
  ultimately absorbed them.
   Amri: The Amri people made landfall on the eastern 
  shores of what is now known as the Northern Reach, 
  when the lands were greened by the Mistwood and 
  ruled by the grieving Faerie Queen, Titania. With 
  peaceful intentions, the Amri avoided the deep woods 
  for fear of oﬀ ending the gods and paid tribute to them 
  with oﬀ erings of food, wine, and jewels, gaining their 
  friendship in exchange. Theologians believe it was this 
  ﬁ rst contact that would be the genesis for the Old Faith.
   Not much remains of the Amri society, though the 
  brown-skinned, dark haired people still live throughout 
  the Northern Reach and Old Edene. It’s thought the 
  Amri raised the dolmens still found in the Empire’s 
  northern territories and runes inscribed onto their 
  surfaces are the only writing of theirs to have survived. 
  It’s also thought the Amri entombed their dead 
  chieftains and warriors in the barrows marching across 
  the northernmost province, though the restless dead 
  within speak not of their origins.
   Bhal and the Grenns: Balgrendia takes its name from 
  two peoples settling in the region just as the Amri were 
  building their ﬁ rst communities in the north. The Bhal, 
  a pale-skinned, dark-haired people settled what would 
  be the province’s northern shores, while the warlike 
  Grenns entered from the east. Rivals, the tribes fought 
  for territory and might have wiped each other out had 
  2
  
  it not been for the Queen of Air and Darkness, who 
  ruled the foreboding wood. Her dark majesty cowed the 
  people and brought them to heel. The descendants of 
  both tribes can be found throughout the province today, 
  and their superstitions and dread of faeries remain.
  Human Tongues
  Most humans in the Empire speak the Common 
  Tongue, a language developed by merchants to 
  facilitate trade. It builds its lexicon from words 
  and phrases borrowed from the many languages 
  that ﬂ ourished throughout Rûl over its long 
  history. The following languages expand on 
  those that one might encounter on the continent.
   
  Amrin: A dead language once spoken by the 
  Amri tribe. 
   
  Balgrennish: The native tongue spoken in 
  Balgrendia. A harsh language, it has few speakers 
  outside of the province. 
   
  Bhali: A dead language spoken by the Bhal 
  tribe. It joined with Grennish, and aspects of it 
  are still spoken in the Balgrennish tongue.
   
  The Common Tongue: The language invented 
  to facilitate trade and custom across the Empire; 
  nearly everyone speaks it.
   
  Dark Speech: The language originated with 
  the men of Gog and has since survived to be 
  spoken by many debased and vile creatures. 
  The language appears to be imbued with some 
  malevolent power since it is used in the casting 
  of many dark magic spells and is also the tongue 
  of demons.
   
  Edene: An uncommon language used almost 
  exclusively in Old Edene, it is slowly dying out as 
  the Common Tongue has gained prominence.
   
  Erath: A dead language once spoken by the 
  Erathen tribe, it evolved into High Archaic.
   
  Grennish: A dead language spoken by the 
  Grenn tribe. It merged with Bhali to form 
  Balgrennish.
   
  Kalasan: The language of the Kalasan people, 
  a tongue so thoroughly removed from any 
  other known language some have speculated 
  that it has an otherworldly origin. It’s spoken 
  throughout the Empire, second only to the 
  Common Tongue.
   
  Woad: A language with many dialects, some 
  so far removed from the root tongue as to be 
  incomprehensible, the main speakers belong to 
  the Woad tribes.
   Woad: Although the Woad interbred with many other 
  peoples, their culture has remained intact. Nomadic 
  by nature, the Woad traveled the entire continent, 
  extending as far north as the Desolation and as far 
  south as the Blasted Lands, but they never stayed in one 
  place for long. In a way, their wanderlust helped them 
  preserve their cultural identities against absorption by 
  the Edene and, later, the Kalasans. They simply moved 
  on when they stopped feeling welcome.
   As the main rulebook and Uncertain Faith describe, 
  the Woad have thirteen tribes, each one devoted to a 
  diﬀ erent animal spirit. Such devotion manifests socially 
  in the adoption of certain social behaviors. For example, 
  the Woad of the hare might be skittish, slow to trust, and 
  quick to pull up stakes when confronted by danger. The 
  Woad of the eagle, however, are ﬁ erce and courageous, 
  skilled hunters, and merciless in battle. 
   The mingling with other tribes of the First People 
  have left the Woad with a varied appearance, though 
  traces of forgotten tribes show up now and then. Some 
  have dusky orange skin, others tinged blue, and others 
  still have spots, stripes, and exotic looks. Skinchangers 
  are quite prominent among the various tribes, and the 
  Woad see the ability to adopt animal forms as a sign of 
  the spirits’ favor.
   Eaters of the Dead: Among the most dangerous 
  and monstrous of the First People are the Eaters of the 
  Dead. A debased and savage people, they engaged in 
  all manner of obscene behaviors, the foremost being 
  cannibalism. They fed on each other, members of rival 
  tribes, and even the indigenous faerie. Legend holds that 
  the Horned King, enraged by their profound wickedness, 
  cursed them to become ghouls, a curse that spreads to 
  anyone who samples the ﬂ esh of their own kind. The 
  Eaters of the Dead retreated to the dark places in fear 
  of the gods who doomed them and pockets of them can 
  still be found underground and in remote corners of 
  the world. The Eaters of the Dead have gray skin and
   solid black eyes. Many ﬁ le their teeth to sharp points. 
  They no longer fear the transformation into ghouls 
  and instead see it as a blessing from whatever vile 
  power they worship. 
   Erathen: One of the last groups to migrate to Rûl 
  were the Erathen. A proud and militaristic society, 
  they claimed the continent’s heart and divided it into 
  several small kingdoms, holding them against the 
  barbarians and savage humanoids through superiors 
  arms and armor. The Erathen were the ﬁ rst to discover 
  bronze. They invented the chariot, catapult, and many 
  substances that would form the cornerstone of the 
  Alchemy tradition. Complacency would, however, make 
  them vulnerable to the invading Edene, who destroyed 
  their armies and sacked their cities. One can ﬁ nd traces 
  of the Erathen bloodline in the blonde-haired, fair-
  skinned peoples still living in the Empire’s heartland. 
   Men of Gog: The most infamous tribe of the First 
  People were the Men of Gog. They followed the Amri 
  into what would become the Northern Reach and, for 
  a time, dealt peacefully with their human neighbors. 
  Unlike the Amri, the men of Gog had no love for the 
  faeries, and rather than kneel to them, they rejected 
  and fought against them. The faeries, with aid from the 
  Amri, drove the men of Gog from the Autumn Lands 
  into the Desolation, where they became embittered and 
  corrupted by the hatred in their hearts. 
   Centuries later, the men of Gog would return from 
  the wastes. Led by the nefarious Witch-King and 
  strengthened by hordes of undead and bound demons, 
  they plunged the continent into a period of darkness 
  of a like not known since. But their dark empire 
  eventually crumbled, and the survivors scattered 
  across the continent, some returning to the Desolation, 
  others ﬁ nding refuge underground where they slowly 
  transformed into troglodytes, or ventured south to form 
  the Kingdom of Skulls.
  skilled hunters, and merciless in battle. 
  3
  
   Descendants of Gog are identiﬁ ed by their chalky 
  white skin, dark eyes, and lack of body hair. Many also 
  have odd birthmarks that look eerily like script. They 
  also tend to be tall and lanky.
  The Conquerors
  After the First People came the conquerors, armies from 
  distant lands bent on taking the lands for themselves. 
  The Edene came ﬁ rst, scattering the First People and 
  driving the faeries into the hidden kingdoms. They 
  spread across the continent and claimed the lands 
  cradled by the Shield Mountains, founding the nine 
  great cities, and making room for civilization. 
   The faeries’ withdrawal and the weakening of the 
  First People allowed the Men of Gog to take the Edene 
  lands and stain the continent with dark magic. Then 
  came the Kalasans, a powerful army blown oﬀ  course by 
  a strange storm to ﬁ nd the eastern shores of a decadent 
  and terrifying nation. And it was the Kalasans who slew 
  the Witch-King and routed his vile legions. It was the 
  Kalasans who founded an Empire and built the Empire 
  from the ashes of the ones that came before. 
   Edene: The Edene still have large numbers in the 
  Empire, though the greatest concentrations of them can 
  be found in the province of Old Edene and in the Nine 
  Cities. Edene tend to have olive skin, hair coloring that 
  ranges from dark brown to auburn, and dark eyes. They 
  are somewhat shorter than most humans. 
   Kalasan: The Kalasans are much like the First People 
  in that they display incredible variation in form and 
  appearance. Skin coloration ranges from white to black 
  with every hue in between. The same goes for hair 
  and eye. The Kalasans are also given to more unusual 
  appearances, much like the Woad. Kalasans spread 
  across the continent, from as far south as the Patchwork 
  Lands all the way north to the Northern Reach. 
  Other Migrations
  Over the centuries, peoples from around the world 
  have found their way to Rûl, from the rapacious pirates 
  settled on the islands in the Auroral Ocean to the strange 
  Ysien who revealed new secrets of magic to the Empire 
  and established the Tower Arcane that drifts over the 
  ruins of Caecras. These people tell of other lands, other 
  beliefs, strange religions, and more. Some came to 
  escape calamity, while others felt moved by the spirit 
  of exploration. Ultimately, humanity’s abundance and 
  variation provide you with plenty of room to develop the 
  world further and make it your own.
  Empire, though the greatest concentrations of them can 
  be found in the province of Old Edene and in the Nine 
  4
   Descendants of Gog are identiﬁ ed by their chalky 
  white skin, dark eyes, and lack of body hair. Many also 
  have odd birthmarks that look eerily like script. They 
  also tend to be tall and lanky.
  Cities. Edene tend to have olive skin, hair coloring that 
  ranges from dark brown to auburn, and dark eyes. They 
  are somewhat shorter than most humans. 
   Kalasan: The Kalasans are much like the First People 
  
  Relations
  As the dominant people on the continent, 
  humans tend to see the lands as theirs, an 
  outlook that occasionally causes friction 
  with other ancestries. 
   Changelings: Humans generally fear 
  changelings. Not only could anyone be a 
  changeling in disguise, but the people 
  represent human vulnerability to 
  faerie mischief. As a 
  result, in rural lands, 
  many humans use 
  the “test of iron,” 
  placing a piece of iron 
  in the other’s hand, to 
  determine if they’re human. 
   Clockworks: They’re an enigma to most 
  humans, and most consider them oddities, 
  wonders, tragic ﬁ gures, or even terrifying 
  monstrosities. In most lands, clockworks 
  tend to be second-class citizens, ﬁ nding 
  places as servants to the ones who made 
  them. The few who ﬁ nd freedom must 
  depend on the mercy of others to keep 
  them wound up.  
   Dwarfs: Although humans and dwarfs 
  have clashed at times over the centuries, 
  they generally enjoy an uneasy peace. 
  Humans value their skill at working metal 
  and stone, but balk at their high prices and 
  what many see as arrogance. Dwarfs tend 
  to be stubborn, which humans might 
  ﬁ nd frustrating when they would gain 
  their aid. 
   Fauns: As with changelings, fauns 
  evoke fear and wonder in humans, fear because they 
  represent the power of the faerie, and wonder at the 
  strangeness of their forms. Rural communities with 
  strong ties to the Old Faith and Witchcraft might extend 
  friendship to fauns, though places ensconced in the 
  New God’s cult might be resistant or even persecute 
  these peoples.
   Goblins: Goblins have lived among humans for 
  long enough that they have become a ﬁ xture in most 
  communities. Goblins do the work no one else wants 
  to do and most seem happy for it. They keep cities and 
  sewers clean. Of course, goblins often have a malicious 
  streak, so humans tend to be wary when around them. 
   Halﬂ ings: Humans get along well with halﬂ ings, 
  though there is a tendency to treat them like children, 
  which halﬂ ings resent. Humans recognize the common 
  heritage they share with the halﬂ ings and thus count 
  them as allies and friends.
   Orcs: Humans fear orcs. For generations, orcs 
  fought for the Empire, expanded its borders, and 
  defended them against enemies. Now the orcs have 
  thrown oﬀ  their chains, leading many to fret about the 
  repercussions their poor treatment is bound to bring. 
  Some humans have yet to 
  acknowledge orcs are a 
  free people and treat 
  them as if they were 
  still servants, an error 
  that almost always ends 
  in tragedy.
  Elementals: Humans 
  have little knowledge of the elemental 
  peoples—salamanders and gnomes, so 
  when they encounter them, they ﬁ nd them 
  strange and curious. Salamanders tend to 
  ﬁ nd fear and suspicion when they travel in 
  human lands, while gnomes can usually 
  pass themselves oﬀ  as small humans, 
  goblins, or halﬂ ings to avoid drawing 
  attention to themselves. 
   Faeries: Attitudes toward faeries 
  depend a great deal on where the humans 
  live. In urban centers, faeries are rare 
  enough for some people to doubt their 
  existence. In the countryside, people 
  know better, and if they’re wise, they 
  show the faeries respect lest they anger 
  them. A mixture of fascination and 
  fear drives many interactions with the 
  faeries, since they are exotic and have 
  an odd manner, but they are also wildly 
  unpredictable and dangerous.
  Human 
  Characters
  Everything you need to make a human 
  character can be found in Shadow of 
  the Demon Lord. The rules in that book 
  help you create a character quickly and 
  with enough information to help you visualize and 
  portray the character in play. The following optional 
  rules are intended to give you more tools for building 
  varied human characters in order to reﬂ ect their natural 
  diversity and to help you individuate your character 
  from other humans in your group.
  Creating a Human (Variant)
  Choose an Attribute Scores option
  Random Attribute Scores Strength 8 + 1d3, Agility 8 + 1d3, 
  Intellect 8 + 1d3, Will 8 + 1d3
  Standard Attribute Scores Strength 10, Agility 10, Intellect 10, 
  Will 10. Increase one attribute by 1.
  Perception equals your Intellect score
  Defense equals your Agility score
  Health equals your Strength score
  Healing Rate equals one-quarter your Health
  Size 1/2 or 1, Speed 10, Power 0
  Languages and Professions You speak the Common Tongue. 
  You might gain additional languages and professions from 
  the Human Development tables.
  Relations
  As the dominant people on the continent, 
  humans tend to see the lands as theirs, an 
  outlook that occasionally causes friction 
  Humans generally fear 
  changelings. Not only could anyone be a 
  changeling in disguise, but the people 
  represent human vulnerability to 
  placing a piece of iron 
  in the other’s hand, to 
  determine if they’re human. 
  They’re an enigma to most 
  humans, and most consider them oddities, 
  wonders, tragic ﬁ gures, or even terrifying 
  monstrosities. In most lands, clockworks 
  tend to be second-class citizens, ﬁ nding 
  places as servants to the ones who made 
  them. The few who ﬁ nd freedom must 
  depend on the mercy of others to keep 
  Although humans and dwarfs 
  have clashed at times over the centuries, 
  they generally enjoy an uneasy peace. 
  Humans value their skill at working metal 
  and stone, but balk at their high prices and 
  what many see as arrogance. Dwarfs tend 
  to be stubborn, which humans might 
  ﬁ nd frustrating when they would gain 
  As with changelings, fauns 
  evoke fear and wonder in humans, fear because they 
  represent the power of the faerie, and wonder at the 
  Some humans have yet to 
  acknowledge orcs are a 
  free people and treat 
  them as if they were 
  still servants, an error 
  that almost always ends 
  in tragedy.
  Elementals: 
  have little knowledge of the elemental 
  peoples—salamanders and gnomes, so 
  when they encounter them, they ﬁ nd them 
  strange and curious. Salamanders tend to 
  ﬁ nd fear and suspicion when they travel in 
  human lands, while gnomes can usually 
  pass themselves oﬀ  as small humans, 
  goblins, or halﬂ ings to avoid drawing 
  attention to themselves. 
   Faeries: Attitudes toward faeries 
  depend a great deal on where the humans 
  live. In urban centers, faeries are rare 
  enough for some people to doubt their 
  existence. In the countryside, people 
  know better, and if they’re wise, they 
  show the faeries respect lest they anger 
  them. A mixture of fascination and 
  fear drives many interactions with the 
  faeries, since they are exotic and have 
  an odd manner, but they are also wildly 
  unpredictable and dangerous.
  Human 
  Characters
  Everything you need to make a human 
  character can be found in 
  the Demon Lord. The rules in that book 
  help you create a character quickly and 
  thrown oﬀ  their chains, leading many to fret about the 
  repercussions their poor treatment is bound to bring. 
  5
  
  Level 4 Human Expert
  Characteristics Health +5
  You discover a tradition, learn one spell from a tradition you 
  have already discovered, or gain the Determined talent, 
  which is described below.
  Determined When you roll a 1 on the die from a boon, you 
  can reroll the die and use the new number.
  Human Development Tables
  Whether or not you use the variant human described 
  above, you can use the following tables in place of 
  those presented in Shadow of the Demon Lord to create 
  a more detailed background for your character. If you 
  do, you do not roll for random starting professions or 
  starting wealth as normal, and instead use all the tables 
  presented here. You must roll dice for each table and 
  take the result rolled.
  Family Tables
  The family tables deﬁ ne from whom your character 
  came.  
  Ancestors
  3d6
  Ancestors
  3
  Your ancestors were villains of the worst sort, 
  and their actions left a stain on your family’s 
  reputation. Most people know your family to 
  be villains.
  4–5
  Your family includes several disreputable 
  characters whose deeds have sullied your family’s 
  reputation throughout the province or city in 
  which you live.
  6–8
  At least one recent ancestor was a criminal 
  or did something shameful that’s known in 
  your community.
  9–12
  Your ancestors were ordinary and 
  unexceptional people.
  13–15
  At least one recent ancestor is known for 
  some great deed, discovery, or achievement.
  16–17
  Your family is well known throughout the 
  province or city in which you live for great 
  deeds and accomplishments.
  18
  Your ancestors include one of the greatest 
  people to have lived, ensuring your family 
  name is enshrined in the annals of history.
  Family Circumstances
  3d6
  Family Circumstances
  3
  You were orphaned and have no memory of your 
  family. You have a –6 penalty to your roll on the 
  Childhood table.
  4–5
  You were born to a destitute family. You have a 
  –3 penalty to your roll on the Childhood table.
  6–8
  You were born to a poor family. You have a 
  –1 penalty to your roll on the Childhood table.
  To determine your family’s profession, roll on 
  the Common, Criminal, Military, or Wilderness 
  Profession table.
  9–12
  Your family was getting by. To determine your 
  family’s profession, roll on the Common, Military, 
  Religious, or Wilderness table.
  13–15
  You were born to a comfortable family. You have 
  a +1 bonus to your roll on the Childhood table. 
  To determine your family’s profession, roll on the 
  Common, Military, Religious, or Wilderness table.
  16–17
  You were born to a wealthy family. You have a 
  +3 bonus to your roll on the Childhood table. 
  To determine your family’s profession, roll on the 
  Common, Military, Religious, or Wilderness table.
  18
  You were born to a rich family. You have a +6 
  bonus to your roll on the Childhood table. You 
  might come from a noble family, a crime family, 
  a religious leader, or a powerful user of magic.
  Parents
  3d6
  Parents
  3–4
  Your parents are dead*. Unless you were 
  an orphan, a relative or friend of the family 
  raised you. 
  5–8
  Your father is dead*.
  9–12
  Your parents are alive.
  13–16
  Your mother is dead*.
  17–18
  You do not know the fate of your parents. You 
  might have been kidnapped and raised by your 
  captors, ran away from home, or your parents 
  might have disappeared.
  *Use the Circumstances of Death table to determine the
  cause of death
  Siblings*
  d20
  Siblings
  1–4
  You were an only child.
  5–8
  You have one sibling.
  9–12
  You have 1d3 + 1 siblings.
  13–16
  You have 1d6 + 2 siblings.
  17–20
  You have 2d6 siblings.
  *For each sibling, roll on the Character Fate table.
  Sibling GenderS
  d6
  Gender
  1–3
  Female
  4–6
  Male
  Sibling AgeS
  4d6
  Age
  4
  Identical or fraternal 
  twin or triplet
  5–14
  Older
  15–24
  Younger
  6
  
  Character FateS
  3d6
  Fate
  3
  Insane
  4–5
  Unknown
  6–8
  Dead*
  9–12
  Alive**
  13–15
  Alive but disgraced**
  16–17
  Alive and well-regarded**
  18
  Alive and famous**
  *Use the Circumstances of Death table to determine the
  cause of death
  **You can use some or all of the other tables to add detail 
  to your siblings.
  Circumstances of Death
  3d6
  Circumstance
  3
  Murder
  4–5
  Accident unrelated to profession
  6–8
  Disease or famine
  9–12
  Natural causes
  13–15
  War
  16–17
  Accident related to profession
  18
  Suicide
  Appearance Tables
  Use the following tables to determine your character’s 
  appearance. You can decide your gender, skin, hair, and 
  eye color as none of these things matter.
  AgeS
  3d6
  Age
  3
  You start the game as a child, no more than 
  11 years old. You are Size 1/2. Halve your height 
  and weight. Roll once on the Childhood table.
  4–5
  You start the game as an adolescent, from 12 to 
  17 years old. Reduce your height and weight by 
  25%. Roll once on the Childhood table and Life 
  Experience tables.
  6–8
  You start the game as a young adult, from 18 to 25 
  years old. Roll once on the Childhood table 
  and twice on the Life Experience table. 
  9–12
  You start the game as an adult, from 26 to 35 
  years old. Roll once on the Childhood table and 
  three times on the Life Experience table.
  13–15
  You start the game as a middle-aged adult, from 
  36 to 55 years old. Roll once on the Childhood 
  table and four times on the Life Experience table.
  16–17
  You start the game as an older adult, from 56 to 
  75 years old. Roll once on the Childhood table 
  and ﬁ ve times on the Life Experience table.
  18
  You start the game as a venerable adult, 76 years 
  old or older. Roll once on the Childhood table and 
  six times on the Life Experience table.
  BuildS*
  3d6
  Build
  3
  Reduce your height by 4d6 inches and your 
  weight by 2 pounds per inch. Reduce your Size 
  to 1/2 if you are not Size 1/2 already.
  4–5
  Reduce your height by 3d6 inches and your 
  weight by 1 pound per inch.
  6–8
  Reduce your weight by 4d6 pounds.
  9–12
  You are of average height and weight.
  13–15
  Increase your weight by 4d6 pounds.
  16–17
  Increase your height by 3d6 inches and your 
  weight by 1 pound per inch.
  18
  Increase your height by 4d6 inches and your 
  weight by 2 pounds per inch.
  *The Build table modiﬁ es your starting height and weight.
  If you’re male, your starting height is 70 inches and starting 
  weight is 160 pounds. If female, your starting height is 
  63 inches and weight is 120 pounds.
  AppearanceS
  3d6
  Appearance
  3
  You are hideous. You look like a monster. Children 
  often cry when they see you, the weak of heart 
  might faint, and at least one person has vomited 
  after seeing you.
  4–5
  You are ugly. You have some characteristic that 
  makes you unseemly—a wen, beetling brows, 
  boils, a wandering eye, extensive scarring.
  6–8
  You are homely.
  9–12
  You are neither attractive nor unattractive.
  13–15
  You are attractive. 
  16–17
  You are comely. Your appearance is exceptional, 
  and you are considered a great beauty.
  18
  You are beautiful. Heads turn to follow you 
  wherever you go. People might become 
  infatuated with you, stumbling over their words 
  and feeling ﬂ ustered when you show them 
  attention.
  7
  
  Background Tables
  The following tables help you determine your 
  character’s background and what, if any, signiﬁ cant 
  events happened to you before the game begins. You 
  start by rolling on the Childhood table and then roll 
  on the Life Experience table a number of times as 
  determined by your Age. The Life Experience table 
  might direct you to roll on another table to discover 
  what happened to you.
  ChildhoodS
  3d6
  Childhood
  3 or less
  You were kidnapped by faeries but you 
  managed to escape after some time. You 
  know how to speak the Common Tongue 
  and Elvish. 
  4–5
  You ran away from home and were forced to 
  make your own way in the world. You know 
  how to speak the Common Tongue. You also 
  gain a common or criminal profession.
  6–8
  You helped in the family business. Add your 
  family’s profession to your list of professions. 
  If you were an orphan, you gain a common or 
  criminal profession.
  9–12
  You were apprenticed to an artisan. 
  Add an artisan of your choice to your 
  list of professions.
  13–15
  You received an education. You can speak, 
  read, and write the Common Tongue. 
  Add your family’s profession to your list 
  of professions.
  16–17
  You received a good education. You can 
  speak, read, and write the Common Tongue 
  and High Archaic. Roll on the Areas of 
  Scholarship table.
  18 or more
  You attended one of the ﬁ nest educational 
  institutions. You can speak, read, and write 
  the Common Tongue and High Archaic. Roll 
  on the Areas of Scholarship table. You can 
  also add one of the following professions: 
  artist (painter, poet, writer) or musician 
  (percussion, stringed, or wind).
  Life ExperienceS
  3d6
  Experience
  3
  You Died! Roll on the Circumstances of Death 
  table to ﬁ nd out how. You can either start over or 
  be returned to life by some stroke of luck. If you 
  return to life, you start the game with 1d6 Insanity. 
  Or, if you’re using Tombs of the Desolation, you 
  can play a revenant or vampire.
  4–5
  Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the result on the Major 
  Setback table.
  6–8
  Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the result on the Minor 
  Setback table.
  9–12
  You Worked! Choose one of your professions. 
  You worked in your profession and saved a little 
  coin. Gain a +1 bonus to your Starting Lifestyle 
  roll.
  13–15
  Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the result on the Minor 
  Windfall table.
  16–17
  Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the result on the Major 
  Windfall table.
  18
  Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the result on the Strange 
  table.
  Major SetbackS
  d20
  Major Setback
  1
  You did something unspeakable, an act 
  that has forever after stained your soul. Gain 
  1d6 Corruption.
  2
  You did things you regret. Gain 1 Corruption.
  3
  Raiders, monsters, or a natural disaster destroyed 
  your hometown. You lived as a refugee for a time 
  until you ﬁ nally settled elsewhere.
  4
  You became possessed by a demon. Gain 
  1 Corruption. Either an exorcist cast out the 
  demon or, if you have Demon Lord’s Companion, 
  you can start with the Possessed story 
  complication.
  5
  Your work failed as a result of your poor choices. 
  Take a –3 penalty to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  6
  You caught a terrible disease that left you scarred. 
  Reduce your Appearance by two steps (minimum 
  hideous). If you have Demon Lord’s Companion, 
  you can add the Plagued story complication.
  7
  You spent 2d6 years in prison for a crime you 
  committed (gain 1 Corruption) or you didn’t 
  commit (gain 1d3 Insanity). Add the years spent 
  to your starting age.
  8
  You lost everything to a natural disaster or war. 
  Take a –3 penalty to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  9
  You suffered a terrible injury that took an eye, 
  ear, 1d3 ﬁ ngers, or even a hand. Reduce your 
  Appearance by one step (minimum hideous). If 
  you have Demon Lord’s Companion, you can add 
  the Maimed story complication. 
  10
  A foul creature laid a curse on you, ruining 
  friendships, ending your marriage if you were 
  married, and causing terrible hardship. Take a 
  –1 penalty to your Starting Lifestyle roll. If you
  have Demon Lord’s Companion, you can add the 
  Cursed story complication.
  11
  Someone close to you died: spouse, child, or 
  close friend.
  12
  You were press-ganged. You might have fought 
  as a peasant conscript, pulled an oar on a jotun 
  longship, or been forced to work as a sailor on a 
  pirate ship. Add soldier, sailor, or pirate to your 
  list of professions.
  13
  Your community drove you out and you lived as 
  an exile for 2d6 years of your life.
  14
  You once saw a demon. Gain 1d3 Insanity.
  15
  Slavers descended on your community, and you 
  were rounded up with many others. You lived for 
  1d6 years of your life as a slave, but you managed 
  to escape.
  16
  Hardship, grief, and suffering drove you mad. 
  Start the game with 1d6 + 1 Insanity, and if you 
  have the Demon Lord’s Companion, you can add 
  the Mad story complication.
  17
  A witch hunter or inquisitor accused you of 
  trafﬁ cking with dark forces. You were imprisoned, 
  tortured, and forced to confess. Somehow you 
  escaped the pyre, and you’ve been on the run 
  ever since. Reduce your Appearance by one step 
  (minimum hideous).
  18
  You caused the death of a loved one, either by 
  intent or accident.
  19
  You desecrated a holy site by intent or accident. 
  Choose a religion to which the site was holy. You 
  always feel uncomfortable around places and 
  symbols associated with that faith. 
  20
  You made a dangerous enemy, one who actively 
  seeks your harm. Work with the GM to create a 
  suitable nemesis.
  8
  
  Minor SetbackS
  d20
  Minor Setback
  1
  You encountered a monster. It ate someone you 
  knew, but you managed to escape.
  2
  You contracted a disease, but you got better.
  3
  You lost an ear, a couple of teeth, or a ﬁ nger. Or, 
  you might have a few ugly scars.
  4
  You suffered ﬁ nancial trouble. Take a –1 penalty 
  on your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  5
  A romance or relationship ended badly. You still 
  pine for the person.
  6
  People in your hometown dislike you. You were 
  accused of doing something that brought shame 
  to yourself, your family, and, possibly, your 
  community.
  7
  You saw something horrible and the experience 
  affected you. Gain 1 Insanity.
  8
  An argument estranged you from your family. You 
  haven’t spoken to them since.
  9
  Someone tried to kill you. You survived, but they 
  might try again.
  10
  You lost something valuable to you. Take a 
  –1 penalty on your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  11
  You became addicted to drink or an inexpensive 
  drug. If you have the Demon Lord’s Companion, 
  you can add the Addicted story complication.
  12
  You stole something from someone who needed 
  it, hurt someone innocent, or did some other bad 
  thing. Gain 1 Corruption.
  13
  You lost a life-long friend. Roll a d6. On an odd 
  number, it was your fault. On an even number, 
  it was his or her fault.
  14
  You learned a dangerous secret. Work with 
  the GM to come up with just what exactly 
  you learned.
  15
  You have no memory of what happened for 
  1d6 years of your life.
  16
  Someone you loved became injured because 
  of you.
  17
  Circumstances forced you to leave your 
  hometown and begin life anew somewhere else.
  18
  A sibling, parent, child, or spouse disappeared.
  19
  Brigands, orcs, beastmen, or something else 
  swept through your community causing 
  extensive damage. Take a –1 penalty to your 
  Starting Lifestyle roll.
  20
  You experienced a string of disappointments, 
  failures, and defeats, all of which left you bitter 
  and cynical about life.
  Minor WindfallS
  d20
  Minor Windfall
  1
  You fell in love or you got married! Work with 
  your GM to create your love interest.
  2
  You started a business related to your profession. 
  Gain a +1 bonus on your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  3
  You had 1d3 children. They might be legitimate or 
  illegitimate as you decide. When you ﬁ nish rolling 
  for your Life Experiences, you can roll on the 
  Character Fate table to determine what happened 
  to them.
  4
  You traveled extensively. Add one language to 
  the list of languages you can speak.
  5
  You made the acquaintance of someone 
  important. Choose Inﬂ uence, Information, or 
  Security. This character can provide the beneﬁ t to 
  you once (see Connections in Shadow, page 207). 
  Work with the GM to deﬁ ne this character.
  6
  You got an education or furthered your education. 
  Choose one: Add a language to the list of 
  languages you can speak or gain a random area of 
  scholarship.
  7
  You inherited money from a relative or friend. 
  Gain a +1 bonus to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  8
  You have a horse!
  9
  You took up a new ﬁ eld of work. Add one random 
  Common Profession to your list of professions.
  10
  You gain an additional Interesting Thing. 
  11
  You exposed a foul conspiracy in your community. 
  You make attack rolls in social situations against 
  members of your community with 1 boon.
  12
  You saved the town from destruction and are now 
  considered a hero. You never have to pay for food 
  or drink while you’re in this town.
  13
  You found a healing potion. 
  9
  
  14
  You escaped nearly certain death. You start the 
  game with Fortune.
  15
  You found, or someone gave you, a weapon or an 
  implement of the GM’s choice.
  16
  You found, or someone gave you, a suit of soft 
  leather armor.
  17
  You made a lifelong friend (as commoner) who 
  will accompany you on your adventures and 
  help you. 
  18
  You organized and led members of your 
  community to accomplish something of 
  consequence. As a result, you are well-regarded 
  by your neighbors. Add Entertainer (Orator) to 
  your list of professions if you don’t have it already.
  19
  You fought in a war and acquitted yourself 
  heroically. You got a medal worth 1 ss for 
  your service, and you add Soldier to your list 
  of starting professions.
  20
  You saved someone’s life, and this person is 
  forever in your debt. This character is friendly to 
  you and will always help you. Work with your GM 
  to determine the identity of this character and 
  the circumstances of your help.
  Major WindfallS
  d20
  Major Windfall
  1
  You did a service for a faerie lord or lady. If you 
  have Terrible Beauty, you gain a random favor 
  (Terrible, page 36). If you don’t, you instead gain 
  an enchanted object of the GM’s choice.
  2
  You stumbled onto magical knowledge. You 
  discover one tradition of the GM’s choice.
  3
  You made an important connection. Work 
  with the GM to determine the identity of the 
  connection and the kind of aid the character can 
  give you—inﬂ uence, information, or security (see 
  Connections in Shadow, page 207)
  4
  Great success in business grants you a +3 bonus 
  to your Starting Lifestyle roll. 
  5
  You uncovered an enchanted object of the 
  GM’s choice.
  6
  You have a small house in town or a farm in the 
  wilderness. Work with the GM to determine the 
  location of your property and assets that come 
  with it.
  7
  You have the deed to a sailing ship, which you 
  can ﬁ nd at the nearest port.
  8
  You gain the deed to lands at a place of the 
  GM’s choosing.
  9
  You found a book of spells containing 1d3 + 1 
  rank 0 incantations.
  10
  You found a case containing 1d3 + 1 potions of 
  the GM’s choice.
  11
  A god spoke to you in your dreams, bestowing 
  favor onto you. You can invoke the favor 
  whenever you make an attack roll or challenge roll 
  to make the roll with 1 boon. Once you use it, roll a 
  d6. On an odd number, you lose favor forever. 
  12
  You make a friend of a powerful individual—a 
  noble, high priest, wizard, or someone else. The 
  GM determines the identity of this friend and the 
  beneﬁ ts such a friendship entails.
  13
  You found a chest ﬁ lled with coin! Gain a 
  +3 bonus to your Starting Lifestyle roll.
  14
  A soldier owes you his or her life. The character 
  (as mercenary) accompanies you on your 
  adventures and serves until death. Work out 
  the details of the relationship with the GM.
  15
  You gain a stipend from a relative, friend, or 
  from some other source that pays for a wealthy 
  lifestyle. If you want to pay for a rich lifestyle, 
  reduce the price by 1 gc.
  16
  You gain a suit of armor or weapon of 
  your choice.
  17
  You have a small construct that serves you loyally 
  and obeys your spoken commands. 
  18
  You are famous. People throughout the lands 
  in which the game begins know your name and 
  identify you by sight. Work out with the GM how 
  you gained such acclaim.
  19
  You helped save your town from monsters. You 
  are a hero to your neighbors, and you never 
  have to pay for food, drink, clothes, or lodgings 
  whenever you’re there. As well, you received a 
  token of the community’s appreciation worth 1 gc.
  20
  You received a warning about the future from 
  a spirit, god, or something else. You can escape 
  death once.
  Strange EventS
  d20
  Strange Event
  1
  You spent 1d20 years living among the faerie. 
  When you escaped, you found no time had 
  passed in the mortal world, though you add 
  the years spent to your starting age. Note 
  the changes to your Size, height, and weight 
  if you stop being a child or adolescent as a 
  result. Add Elvish to the list of languages you 
  can speak.
  2
  You drank a potion that permanently 
  changed your skin color blue, purple, green, 
  bright orange, or something else.
  3
  You were transformed into an animal of the 
  GM’s choice. You only recently returned to 
  your normal form and now exhibit physical 
  traits and mannerisms of the animal whose 
  form you once assumed.
  4
  You found a strange tome ﬁ lled with 
  obscene knowledge. Add the Occult as 
  an area of scholarship.
  5
  You had a religious epiphany and became a 
  fanatical believer in your religion. The ﬁ rst 
  time you make a fate roll, you can roll twice 
  and use either result. 
  6
  A devil visited you. Roll a d6. On a 1, you 
  became seduced by the devil. Gain the 
  Shadowsight trait and 1d3 Corruption. On 
  a 2–5, you resisted the temptation and 
  drove the devil off. On a 6, you resisted the 
  temptation, but the devil haunts you still. 
  7
  You discovered an old clockwork and turned 
  its key. The clockwork might be friendly to 
  you or not, as the GM decides.
  8
  You gained the attention of a spirit that 
  haunts you still. If you have Demon Lord’s 
  Companion, you can add the Haunted story 
  complication.
  9
  You were poisoned, but survived the 
  experience. You have stomach problems, and 
  your bowel movements are noisy and messy.
  10
  Being struck by lightning left you with a weird 
  scar. You also experience strange dreams.
  11
  You learned the location of a borderland to a 
  hidden kingdom. You haven’t crossed it yet, 
  but the things you witnessed there gave you 
  1d3 Insanity.
  10
  
  12
  Once, strange beings captured you and 
  performed weird experiments on you. 
  After some time, you don’t know how 
  long, you were returned with 1d6 weird 
  scars on your body.
  13
  You died but someone raised you from 
  the dead. Gain 1d3 Insanity.
  14
  A demon killed everyone in your immediate 
  family. You were the lone survivor thanks to 
  your having found a suitable hiding place. 
  You watched as your family members were 
  torn apart. Gain 1 Corruption and 1d3 Insanity.
  15
  You were swallowed by a giant ﬁ sh and lived 
  inside it for 1d6 years before you escaped 
  in its vomit. You were not alone inside the 
  ﬁ sh and might have made friends with other 
  prisoners. Note the changes to your Size, 
  height, and weight if you stop being a child or 
  adolescent as a result.
  16
  You once laid eyes on Hell. Roll a d6. On a 1, 
  you became enamored by what you saw and 
  switched your religion to the Devil. On a 2–5, 
  you gain an amount of Insanity equal to the 
  number rolled. On a 6, you shrugged it off as 
  if it was nothing special. 
  17
  You remember 1d3 previous lives. 
  Randomly determine a profession for 
  each life you remember, and add it to 
  your list of professions. 
  18
  You were raised by dwarfs. You can speak, 
  read, and write Dwarﬁ sh.
  19
  You were bitten by a skinchanger. If you 
  have Tooth and Claw, apply skinchanger 
  to your character. If not, roll again, ignoring 
  this result.
  20
  A merrow (Terrible Beauty, page 46) seduced 
  you and lured you to spend one year under 
  the waves. Roll a d6. On a 1, you were horribly 
  mistreated and gain 1 Insanity. On a 2–5, you 
  remember nothing of your time among the 
  merrow only that one day you woke on a 
  beach. On a 6, you saw many wonders in the 
  depths and befriended the merrow. 
  Human Profession Tables
  Use the following tables instead of those 
  in Shadow of the Demon Lord to randomly 
  determine your starting professions as directed 
  by the previous tables. Your profession also 
  adds an item to your list of starting equipment.
  Random Professions
  d6
  Profession
  1
  Roll on the Scholar: Area of Scholarship table
  2
  Roll on the Common Profession table
  3
  Roll on the Criminal Profession table
  4
  Roll on the Military Profession table
  5
  Roll on the Religious Profession table
  6
  Roll on the Wilderness Profession table
  torn apart. Gain 1 Corruption and 1d3 Insanity.
  height, and weight if you stop being a child or 
  page 46) seduced 
  the waves. Roll a d6. On a 1, you were horribly 
  11
  
  Scholar: AreaS of Scholarship*
  d20
  Area of Scholarship
  1–2
  Architecture and engineering
  3–4
  Etiquette, heraldry, law, and politics
  5–6
  Astronomy and navigation
  7–8
  Imperial history and geography
  9–10
  Pre-imperial history and geography
  11–12
  Literature, philosophy, poetry, theology, 
  and the arts
  13–14
  Medicine and surgery
  15–16
  Natural sciences
  17–18
  Military sciences
  19–20
  Magical theory
  *Add 1 book covering topics related to your area of
  scholarship to your starting equipment
  Common Professions
  d20
  Profession
  1
  Apothecary or healer. You start with a healer’s kit.
  2
  Artisan such as baker, blacksmith, bookbinder, 
  brewer, carpenter, chandler, cobbler, gem cutter, 
  jeweler, leatherworker, mason, potter, printer, 
  scribe, or tailor. You start with a tool kit.
  3
  Artist such as painter or sculptor. If you’re literate, 
  you can choose writer or poet. You start with a 
  tool kit or writing kit.
  4
  Bartender or shopkeeper. You start with 1d6 cp.
  5
  Beggar or urchin. You start with a begging 
  bowl or cap.
  6
  Boatman, ferryman. You start with a rowboat.
  7
  Conscript. You start with a uniform.
  8
  Cook, groom, scullion, or servant. You start with 
  an extra set of clothing.
  9
  Courtesan, prostitute, or camp follower. You start 
  with a cosmetics kit.
  10
  Drover or herder. You start with a staff.
  11
  Entertainer such as actor, athlete, comedian, 
  dancer, orator, puppeteer, singer, or storyteller. 
  You start with a costume, dress, or ﬁ ne clothing as 
  appropriate for your profession.
  12
  Farmer. You start with a hoe, shovel, or rake.
  13
  Fisher or whaler. You start with a ﬁ shing pole and 
  tackle box, or a harpoon.
  14
  Gambler. You start with a pair of dice or deck 
  of cards. 
  15
  Laborer such as porter, grave digger, or 
  stevedore. You start with a backpack, shovel, 
  coil of rope, or something else chosen by the GM 
  that’s appropriate to your profession.
  16
  Merchant. You start the game with raw goods 
  such as textiles, grains, or something else worth 
  1d6 ss.
  17
  Miner or prospector. You start with a pick.
  18
  Musician using percussion, stringed, or wind 
  instruments. You start with a musical instrument.
  19
  Pilot, sailor, or teamster. You start with 1d6 cp.
  20
  Trade such as dyer, tanner, or butcher. You start 
  with 2d6 bits.
  Criminal ProfessionS
  d20
  Profession
  1–2
  Agitator, rebel, saboteur, or terrorist. You start 
  with 1d6 pamphlets related to the cause for which 
  you ﬁ ght.
  3–4
  Bandit, pirate, or raider. You start with a bottle of 
  rotgut and a wanted poster showing your face.
  5–6
  Burglar or grave robber. You start with a set of 
  lock picks.
  7–8
  Charlatan, conﬁ dence artist, informant, or spy. 
  You start with a disguise kit. 
  9–10
  Fence or smuggler. You start with 1d6 cp.
  11–12
  Forger. You start with a tool kit.
  13–14
  Mugger or thug. You start with 1d6 bits.
  15–16
  Murderer. You start with a garrote.
  17–18
  Pickpocket. You start with a stolen purse 
  containing 1d6 cp.
  19–20
  Poacher or rustler. You start with a coil of rope.
  Military ProfessionS
  d20
  Profession
  1–2
  Constable or detective. You start with a lantern 
  and ﬂ ask of oil.
  3–4
  Conscript or militiaman. You start with a spear 
  and uniform.
  5–6
  Guard or henchman. You start with a club 
  and uniform.
  7–8
  Jailer or torturer. You start with a pair of manacles 
  or torturer’s tools.
  9–10
  Marine. You start with a sword.
  11–12
  Mercenary. You start with a sword and a contract 
  for your last job.
  13–14
  Ofﬁ cer. You start with a fancy uniform and sword.
  15–16
  Patroller. You start with a lantern and ﬂ ask of oil.
  17–18
  Soldier. You start with a uniform, small shield, 
  and sword. 
  19–20
  Squire. You start with a short sword and suit of 
  soft leather armor.
  Religious ProfessionS*
  d6
  Profession
  1
  Anchorite, ﬂ agellant, fanatic
  2
  Evangelist or street preacher
  3
  Acolyte, devotee, or initiate
  4
  Militant such as a crusader. You start with a mace.
  5
  Minister of a small temple
  6
  Minister of a large temple
  *Your profession is usually associated with your religion. As
  well, you start with a symbol of your faith.
  12
  
  Wilderness ProfessionS
  d20
  Profession
  1–2
  Animal trainer. You start with a small animal that’s 
  friendly to you.
  3–4
  Apothecary or healer. You start with a healer’s kit.
  5–6
  Drover or herder. You start with a staff.
  7–8
  Guide or pioneer. You start with a map of 
  the region.
  9–10
  Hermit. You start with a week of rations and 
  a waterskin.
  11–12
  Hunter or gatherer. You start with a bow and 
  12 arrows.
  13–14
  Nomad. You start with a horse.
  15–16
  Spelunker. You start with a lantern, pick, and 
  2 ﬂ asks of oil.
  17–18
  Tracker. You start with a spear.
  19–20
  Woodcutter. You start with an axe.
  Starting Equipment
  All human characters start the game with the equipment 
  based on their starting lifestyle and their profession or 
  professions. To determine your starting lifestyle, roll 3d6 
  and add to the total of the roll the bonuses and penalties 
  gained from your Life Experience rolls. Find the total 
  on the Starting Lifestyle table (Lifestyles are described 
  in Shadow, page 100). In addition to the equipment, your 
  character starts the game with one Interesting Thing 
  (Shadow, page 26).
  Starting LifestyleS
  3d6
  Lifestyle
  3 or less
  Destitute 
  4–5
  Poor
  6–12
  Getting By
  13–15
  Comfortable
  16–17
  Wealthy 
  18 or more
  Rich
  Clothing
  Lifestyle
  Clothing
  Destitute
  Soiled rags and a blanket
  Poor
  Patched, threadbare basic clothing and a 
  ratty cloak
  Getting By
  Basic clothing and a cloak
  Comfortable
  1d3 sets of well-made basic clothing and 
  a ﬁ ne cloak
  Wealthy
  1d3 sets of well-made basic clothing, a 
  set of noble’s clothing, and a ﬁ ne cloak
  Rich
  1d3 sets of noble’s clothing and a 
  ﬁ ne cloak
  Weapons
  Lifestyle
  Weapons
  Destitute
  You have a club or a sling with 20 stones.
  Poor
  You have a staff, club, or a sling with 
  20 stones.
  Getting By
  You have a dagger. You also have a staff, 
  club, or sling with 20 stones.
  Comfortable
  You have a dagger. You also have a staff, 
  club, or sling with 20 stones.
  Wealthy
  You have a dagger
  Rich
  You have a dagger.
  Personal Gear
  Lifestyle
  Personal Gear
  Destitute
  —
  Poor
  A sack, a loaf of bread, a waterskin ﬁ lled 
  with water, a tinderbox, and a candle.
  Getting By
  A backpack, a week of rations, a waterskin 
  ﬁ lled with water, coil of rope, a tinderbox, 
  and 2 torches.
  Comfortable
  A backpack, a week of rations, a waterskin 
  ﬁ lled with water, coil of rope, a tinderbox, 
  and 2 torches.
  Wealthy
  A backpack, a week of rations, a waterskin 
  ﬁ lled with water, coil of rope, a tinderbox, 
  lantern, and 2 ﬂ asks of oil.
  Rich
  — 
  Special Gear
  Lifestyle
  Special Gear
  Destitute
  —
  Poor
  —
  Getting By
  —
  Comfortable
  A healing potion plus one of the following: 
  a scroll containing an incantation of one 
  rank 0 spell, a small shield, a healer’s kit, a 
  tool kit, or a writing kit.
  Wealthy
  A healing potion plus one of the following: 
  a scroll containing an incantation of one 
  rank 0 spell, a small shield, a healer’s kit, a 
  tool kit, or a writing kit.
  Rich
  A healing potion, a personal servant (as 
  commoner), a guard (as mercenary), and 
  three horses with bits, bridles, and saddles. 
  Wealth
  Lifestyle
  Wealth
  Destitute
  1d6 bits
  Poor
  2d6 bits
  Getting By
  1d6 cp
  Comfortable
  2d6 cp
  Wealthy
  1d6 ss
  Rich
  2d6 ss
  Personality Tables
  Use the following tables to help deﬁ ne your character’s 
  personality. The results should guide how you play your 
  character in the game.
  13
  
  PersonalitIES
  3d6
  Personality
  3
  You lack social skills. You are inept at conversing 
  with others, criticizing when you would 
  complement, insulting when you would befriend. 
  People loathe you.
  4–5
  You are unpleasant and a chore to be around. 
  People ﬁ nd it easy to dislike you. 
  6–8
  You are quiet and withdrawn. You are most 
  comfortable when you’re alone and become 
  uncomfortable in large crowds.
  9–12
  You are not particularly outgoing or withdrawn. 
  You can adapt to a variety of social situations.
  13–15
  You are friendly and personable. You make friends 
  easily when you try. 
  16–17 
  You are loud and boisterous. You are most 
  comfortable when you are the center of attention. 
  You energize people with your enthusiasm, 
  though some ﬁ nd you overbearing.
  18
  You possess incredible charisma and ﬁ nd yourself 
  commanding just about any room you enter. 
  Personable and magnetic, people want to be 
  your friend.
  Relationships
  3d6
  Relationships
  3
  People are objects to be used and discarded.
  4–5
  You distrust other people and ﬁ nd yourself 
  questioning their motives.
  6–8
  You only value your friends and family but 
  dislike others.
  9–12
  You get on well with people close to you and are 
  neutral about others.
  13–15
  You value your friends and family strongly and 
  get along with others.
  16–17
  You try to see the best in everyone you meet and 
  work to maintain and build new relationships.
  18
  All people are important and everyone has value 
  no matter what they have done.
  DesireS
  1d6
  Value
  1
  Status
  2
  Fame
  3
  Wealth
  4
  Glory
  5
  Love
  6
  Redemption
  FearS
  1d6
  Fear
  1
  Disgrace
  2
  Failure
  3
  Death
  4
  Isolation
  5
  Judgment
  6
  Anonymity
  Obligations
  3d6
  Obligations
  3
  Your word is worthless. You break oaths, vows, 
  and laws whenever it suits you.
  4–5
  You disdain authority and obligation. You 
  grudgingly do as you say and frequently break 
  the law.
  6–8
  You obey the law and keep up your oaths when it 
  suits you.
  9–12
  You try to do what you say you will do, but you 
  don’t always succeed.
  13–15
  You value law and order and try to live up to 
  your obligations.
  16–17
  You almost never break an oath or violate the law. 
  Doing so is a serious breach of character. 
  18
  You never break oaths or the law. Order is a 
  paramount concern for you, and you always live 
  up to your obligations no matter the cost.
  Morality
  3d6
  Morality
  3
  You are vile, loathsome, and reprehensible. Your 
  sordid desires motivate you, and you do anything, 
  no matter how foul, to feed them.
  4–5
  You look after yourself ﬁ rst and often do 
  questionable things to further your interests. 
  6–8
  You are a pragmatist and do what you feel needs 
  to be done, even if such an act would cause 
  others harm.
  9–12
  You are capable of good and evil, though you 
  mostly see to your self interests and those of 
  people close to you.
  13–15
  You try to do good in most things, though you 
  occasionally slip up and do something you know 
  to be wrong. 
  16–17
  You strive to do right in all things, to consider 
  others, to obey the laws, and to leave the world 
  better than how you found it. 
  18
  You are a paragon of virtue. An evil thought has 
  never entered your head, and you make every 
  effort to do good works. 
  Religious Beliefs
  3d6
  Religion
  3
  You belong to a heretical sect, worship the Devil, 
  or belong to a cult of the Demon Lord.
  4–5
  You belong to a minor religion centered on a 
  small god.
  6–8
  You follow tenets of Witchcraft.
  9–12
  You belong to the cult of the New God.
  13–15
  You follow the teachings of the Old Faith.
  16–17
  You have no religious beliefs.
  18
  You follow the Dark Gods of the jotun (see 
  Uncertain Faith).
  Piety
  3d6
  Piety
  3
  You only pretend to have your religious beliefs. 
  You instead believe in something else. Roll on the 
  Religious Beliefs table, and then roll on this table 
  again. Each time you gain this result after the ﬁ rst, 
  gain 1 Insanity. 
  4–5
  You are a believer in name only and have strong 
  doubts about your faith. 
  6–8
  You are skeptical about your faith.
  9–12
  Your religious beliefs are neither strong nor weak. 
  13–15
  You are fairly certain about your beliefs.
  16–17
  You have strong religious convictions.
  18
  You are a fanatic about your religious beliefs to 
  the point you ﬁ nd it hard to be around people 
  who hold differing religious views. You might even 
  persecute people who do not believe as you do. 
  Gain 1 Insanity.
  9–12
  14
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Victims of the Demon Lord/SotDL - Victims of the Demon Lord - Only Human.pdf