Physician

There are three main types of Physician, each of which uses a different form of treatment, and likely caters to a different social group. The three types are as follows:

Galenic Physician

Social Class: Middle Class, Gentry, Nobility

Common Skill Bonuses: Evaluate +5%, First Aid +20%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Perception +10%

Advanced Skills: Alchemy, Courtesy, Elemental Casting (Earth), Healing (Galenic)

Spells: Galenic Physicians begin play with 3 Magnitude worth of Alchemy spells.

Herbalist

Social Class: Peasant

Common Skill Bonuses: Evaluate +5%, First Aid +20%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Perception +10%

Advanced Skills: Healing (Herbal), Lore (Plants)

Paracelsan Physician

Social Class: Townsman

Common Skill Bonuses: Evaluate +5%, First Aid +20%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Perception +10%

Advanced Skills: Healing (Paracelsan), Streetwise

Preacher

Social Class: Any

Common Skill Bonuses: Influence +15%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Persistence +10%

Advanced Skills: Beliefs (Own), Lore (Theology), Oratory

Rook (Con-man)

Social Class: Any

Common Skill Bonuses: Influence +15%, Insight +15%, Sleight +15%

Advanced Skills: Courtesy, Disguise, Gambling, Streetwise

Ruffian

Social Class: Townsman

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +10%, Close Combat +15%, Evaluate +5%, Perception +10%, Stealth +5%, Unarmed Combat +15%

Advanced Skills: Streetwise

Sailor

Social Class: Peasant, Townsman, Gentry

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +15%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Resilience +5%

Advanced Skills: Select two from Boating, Culture (other), Language (other), Shiphandling

Scholar

Social Class: Middle Class, Gentry, Nobility

Common Skill Bonuses: Culture (Own) +10%, Evaluate +5%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Persistence +10%

Advanced Skills: Lore (any)

Plus choose one from Alchemy, Lore (other), Lore (Aristotelian Science)

Smuggler

Social Class: Peasant, Townsman, Middle Class

Common Skill Bonuses: Evaluate +10%, Insight +5%, Lore (Regional) +15%, Perception +10%, Sleight +10%

Advanced Skills: Commerce, Streetwise

Plus choose two from Courtesy, Disguise, Gambling, Shiphandling

Soldier

Social Class: Any

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +20%, Dodge +5%, Resilience +5%

Plus pick two from Close Combat +10%, Gun Combat +10%, Ranged Combat +10%, Unarmed Combat +10%

Advanced Skills: Lore (Tactics)

Plus choose one from Artillery, Engineering, Lore (Siegeworks), Mechanisms

And one from Close Combat (Polearms), Drive, Dual Weapons (pick two weapons), Ranged Combat (Bows)

Spy

Social Class: Any

Common Skill Bonuses: Dodge +5%, Insight +5%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Perception +5%, Persistence +5%

Plus choose one from Sleight +5%, Stealth +5%

Advanced Skills: Choose two from Disguise, Beliefs (other), Culture (other), Language (other), Track

Thief

Social Class: Townsman

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +10%, Evaluate +10%, Perception +10%, Sleight +10%, Stealth +10%

Advanced Skills: Choose one from Disguise, Mechanisms, Streetwise

Vagabond

Social Class: Peasant

Common Skill Bonuses: Lore (Regional) +10%, Perception +10%, Persistence +10%, Resilience +10%, Stealth +10%

Advanced Skills: Streetwise, Survival

Valet/Lady’s Maid

Social Class: Townsman

Common Skill Bonuses: Insight +10%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Resilience +10%

Plus choose two from Athletics +10%, Drive +10%, First Aid +10%, Ride +10%, Unarmed Combat +10%

Advanced Skills: Choose two from Art (any), Courtesy, Craft (any), Lore (any), Play Instrument, Track

Watchman

Social Class: Townsman

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +15%, Close Combat +20%, Lore (Regional) +10%, Resilience +15%, Unarmed Combat +10%

Advanced Skills: Lore (Law), Streetwise

Witch/Warlock

Social Class: Any

Common Skill Bonuses: First Aid +20%, Insight +10%, Lore (Regional) +10%, Perception +10%

Advanced Skills: Lore (Plants), Lore (other), Witchcraft

Plus choose one from Art (any), Craft (any), Healing (Herbal), Lore (any other), Survival

Spells: Witches begin play with the spell For to Give a Withering Look, plus a number of Witchcraft spells equal to INT-3

Magick: Witches and Warlocks have an extra attribute, Magick (abbreviated as MAG), which is equal to INT+POW divided by 10, rounded up.

Witch Finder

Social Class: Peasant (Searcher or Watcher), Townsman (Searcher or Watcher), Middle Class, Gentry

Common Skill Bonuses: Influence +15%, Insight +10%, Lore (Regional) +10%, Perception +15%, Ride +15%, Sleight +15%

Advanced Skills: Lore (Witchcraft), Oratory, Track

Woodsman

Social Class: Peasant

Common Skill Bonuses: Athletics +10%, Close Combat +10%, Lore (Regional) +5%, Resilience +5%

Plus choose one from Close Combat +10%, Ranged Combat +10%

Advanced Skills: Lore (Forest), Ranged Combat (Bows), Survival

Very High Skills

Characters with skills over 100% are considered masters of their chosen skill; they very rarely fail, and quite often perform tasks that many would think impossible. However, even a master has an off day. If a character’s skill is over 100%, then the normal rule that 95-00 is a failure does not apply – but 00 is still a fumble.

Very High Skills and Opposed Tests

In opposed skill tests, characters with skills of over 100% are considered to have succeeded automatically, unless the person they’re up against manages to roll a critical success. Of course, the master may also roll a critical success, in which case, the highest critical success wins. In the case of two masters facing off against each other, the highest roll wins, but a critical success trumps a high roll.

Assistance

Sometimes characters will want to help each other in a task, whether it be trying to pull a wagon out of the mud or writing a play. In such a case, one of the characters (usually the one with highest relevant skill) is the primary character, and the others are assisting characters. Every assisting character adds his critical score (10% of his skill) to the primary character’s skill, and the primary character then rolls to see if the project was successful.

A Note on Weapon Skills

There are four Common combat skills; Close Combat, Gun Combat, Ranged Combat, and Unarmed Combat. These represent a character’s ability to pick up a weapon and have at least some chance of doing some damage to an opponent, though some Professions will have no actual experience of weapons at the beginning of play.

Some weapons count as Advanced Skills – a character not trained with one of these weapons can still “have a go” with his or her basic weapon skill, but will find it Hard (-40%) to use that weapon. If this penalty takes their weapon skill below 0%, the character can only be successful on a roll of 1-5%, and can never have a critical success.

The Advanced Weapon Skills are Close Combat (Polearms), Ranged Combat (Bows) and the specialist weapons skill Dual Weapons (weapon & weapon). This last skill works slightly differently to most skills – see the skill description.

Evaluate (INT+CHA)

The Evaluate skill enables the character to determine the value placed on something by others, effectively guessing its market value. If an object is particularly common or obscure a bonus or penalty might be applied to the test. A success will allow a character to guess the average monetary value of the object (normally guessing accurately to within 10% of its actual value).

Gun Combat (INT+DEX)

The Gun Combat skill gives the ability to use black powder weapons in combat.

If a character has never previously used a gun, a successful Gun Combat roll must be made to understand how to load the gun successfully. On a failed roll, the gun does not fire; on a fumble, the user inflicts the gun’s damage on himself.

Influence (CHA x2)

Influence is the ability to persuade another to change his mind about something. Influence tests are normally opposed by Perception, Persistence or another’s Influence skill and are modified by how much a character is trying to change an opponent’s mind. If a character is attempting to persuade someone of his Faction’s beliefs, he will use Righteousness instead of Influence (see the Factions chapter).

Insight (INT+POW)

Insight is the ability to figure out another character’s motivations by listening to their voice, watching their body language, etc. It can be used to decide if someone is lying, whether they are nervous, if they’re not telling the whole truth and the like. This roll should usually be made secretly by the Games Master – on a failed roll, no information is forthcoming and on a fumble the character completely misunderstands the person he is trying to read.

Lore (Regional) (INT)

All characters begin with some knowledge of the region in which they grew up. It covers such things as local geography, weather patterns, fauna and flora and the like. A well-travelled character’s Lore (Regional) will cover a much larger area than one who has never previously left his home village – though in the latter case, he may have a much deeper knowledge of that small area than someone who only passes through regularly on their way to a bigger town nearby. Players should take the Lore (Region) skill that corresponds with the starting region described in the character’s backstory, whether this be Lore (England), Lore (Lancashire), Lore (Manchester), or whatever.

Perception (INT+POW)

The Perception skill is used to represent the senses of the character when detecting objects or other characters. It covers such situations as listening for someone creeping about in the next room, trying to spot Soldiers moving on a distant hillside, or searching a house for a hidden priest hole. Sometimes it will be opposed by another skill, such as Stealth. A successful Perception roll can prevent a group of Adventurers being ambushed by enemy forces.

Persistence (POW x2)

Persistence is used whenever a character has his mental willpower called into question. This covers such things as trying to concentrate in the face of distractions (e.g. Trying to reload a gun when pistol balls are flying all around). It is also used to resist certain sorts of spell. A fumble on a spell resistance roll means that the effects of the spell are permanent until suitable healing is received. Persistence cannot rise above a character’s POW x 5.

Ranged Combat (INT+DEX)

The Ranged Combat skill is the ability to wield non-gunpowder ranged weapons such as throwing slings, knives, crossbows and the like. Long bows and short bows require more training and are covered by the Advanced skill Ranged Combat (Bows).

Resilience (CON x2)

The higher a character’s Resilience, the more likely he is to handle adverse physical conditions, such as weathering a vicious sandstorm, surviving in a drought or overcoming the effects of poison or disease. Resilience cannot rise above a creature’s CON x 5.

Ride (DEX+POW)

This skill is used for riding an animal such as a horse, mule, or donkey. (It can be also be used to ride more exotic beasts, but camels and elephants are few and far between in 17th century Britain). If a character is riding a creature with the help of saddle and stirrups, at not more than a walking pace across flat terrain, a Riding test will never be required. Tests become required when a character wants to do something out of the ordinary with a mount – traverse treacherous terrain, jump obstacles, ride bareback and so on.

Sing (POW+CHA)

The ability to sing tunefully and remember the words of the song being performed requires the Sing skill. A successful test with this skill will result in the audience being pleased by the character’s performance.

Sleight (DEX+CHA)

This skill is used to hide or take objects, without drawing undue attention. It is usually opposed by a Perception test, if one is trying to avoid getting caught.

Stealth (DEX+INT)

The Stealth skill is used whenever a character attempts to personally evade detection by another character. This usually happens when a character either tries to move quietly past an enemy, hide from one (or both!) Stealth tests are opposed by the Perception skill and are modified according to the situation.

Unarmed Combat (STR+DEX)

The Unarmed Combat skill covers all untrained unarmed combat from simple brawling to grapples to rude fisticuffs. Punches, kicks, head-butts and all other Unarmed Combat attacks do 1D3 points of damage. Unarmed Combat parries may only parry Unarmed Combat attacks.

Healing (type) (INT+POW)

This is the skill to heal major wounds, cure diseases, alleviate the effects of poisons, and the like. Use of this skill will always require the correct healer’s kit. Each use of the Healing skill generally takes 1D4+1 minutes to perform.

There are three types of Healing: Galenic, Herbal, and Paracelsan. A healer must have the correct healing kit for the type of healing in which he is trained. Lack of a healing kit imposes -25% penalty on the skill roll; use of a healing kit from a different Healing type imposes a -50% penalty on the skill roll – it's very easy to poison your patient if you don't know what your ingredients are!

Galenic Healing: This is the “respectable” form of healing, as taught in universities. Galenic Physicians tend to administer to the upper classes and use a mixture of bleeding (usually with leeches), changes in diet to “balance the humours” and astrology.

Herbal Healing: Herbalists use natural ingredients such as herbs, barks, teas, tinctures and poultices to perform their healing. They are usually found in country districts and are often accused of witchcraft. It may even be true!

Paracelsan Healing: Paracelsan Physicians follow the teachings of the 16th century physician Paracelsus, who came up with a new system of medicine using chemicals, especially mercury, salt and sulphur. He was very much a “people's physician” and modern Paracelsans tend to be found among the lower orders, where they heal the poor for a much smaller fee than the Galenic healers.

Curing Diseases: A successful Healing test allows a patient under the effect of a disease to add a bonus, equal to the healer’s Healing divided by 10 (the critical success range) to his next opposed Resilience versus Potency test to resist the disease.

Curing Poisons: A successful Healing test allows a patient under the effect of a poison to attempt a second opposed Resilience versus Potency test, with the patient gaining a bonus to his Resilience test equal to the healer’s Healing divided by 10 (the critical success range).

First Aid: If a character’s Healing skill is higher than her First Aid skill, she may use this skill instead of First Aid to perform the tasks that First Aid can do.

Serious Wound: A successful Healing roll will restore 1D6 Hit Points and remove the effects of a Serious Wound even if Hit Points are not up to their maximum.

Grave Wound: A successful Healing roll will restore Hit Points to 0 and then add another 1D6 Hit Points. However, injuries suffered from a Grave Wound are permanent, and no amount of healing will restore lost Attributes.

Lore (type) (INT x2)

Lore is actually a number of separate skills. It represents theoretical knowledge of a subject, rather than practical ability. So Lore (Art) gives knowledge of the history of art, well-known painters, etc., but Art (Painting) skill is needed to actually create a painting. The Advanced range of possibilities for this skill is limited only by a player’s imagination but a list of potential areas of Lore study are listed here:

animals, art, astronomy, gambling, geography, heraldry, law, logistics, military tactics, minerals, philosophy, poisons, plants, regional, theology.

Some particular Lore skills have specific game effects:

Aristotelian Science: This is knowledge of the scientific theories behind the workings of alchemy. On a successful roll, a character with this skill can use it to identify spells cast by Alchemists, even if he lacks the ability to cast spells himself.

Research: This is the ability to find out about a particular topic by doing research in a library or collection of books, newspapers, scientific papers, etc. The difficulty of the task will depend on the quality of the library and the amount of time taken.

Mechanisms (DEX+INT)

This is the ability to use and repair mechanical devices. It can also be used to pick locks with appropriate lock-picking tools.

Picking a lock or disassembling a trap usually takes at least one minute (12 Combat Rounds) to perform, while larger devices will take longer.

Usually, a character will simply make a Mechanisms test in order to succeed at assembling or disassembling a device, with appropriate bonuses or penalties decided upon by the Games Master. If a device has been designed to specifically resist attempts at disassembly, the Mechanisms test becomes opposed by the Mechanisms skill of the character who created it.

Oratory (POW+CHA)

This skill is used when addressing large groups of people, such as a priest addressing the faithful or a general exhorting his troops to victory on the eve of a battle. In effect, it is much like Influence, save that it relies more upon emotional appeal than intellectual stimulation and is used for larger groups of people. If the orator’s appeal is on behalf of his Faction, Righteousness is used instead (see the Factions chapter).

Play Instrument (type) (DEX+CHA)

The Play Instrument skill is actually several separate skills grouped under a single heading. Play Instrument (Dulcimer), Play Instrument (Flute) and Play Instrument (Spoons) are all individual skills. A successful test with this skill will result in the audience being pleased by the character’s performance.

Ranged Combat (Bows) (INT+DEX)

This is the ability to use longbows and short bows, which take more training than crossbows.

Ranged Combat (Bows) skill begins at the same level as the character’s common Ranged Combat skill. So a character with a Ranged Combat skill of 56% can buy Ranged Combat (Bows) at 56%.

Seduction (INT+CHA)

This is the ability to use a mixture of sex appeal and flirting in order to win over another individual and persuade them to do something that they might not otherwise do. Seduction is opposed either by Persistence or Righteousness, depending on the nature of the task required by the seducer and the Faction of the seduced. If successful, the target will perform one task or action. Penalties may be applied to the Seduction roll if the required action is against the best interests or morality of the character being seduced.

Shiphandling (INT+CON)

This skill is used in the same way as Boating but is instead applied to larger waterborne craft that are driven by sail or rows of oars.

Streetwise (POW+CHA)

Streetwise allows a character to find black markets, fences for stolen goods, and general information. Such uses of Streetwise normally require a minimum of 1D4 hours.

Survival (POW+CON)

One Survival test will be required every day that a character lacks food, water or a safe place to sleep. Success indicates the character manages to find whatever he is lacking – failure means he will go without which, over several days, could result in very serious consequences. Survival tests are not used when the character is in a city or town.

Teaching (INT+CHA)

This is the ability to impart new skills to, or improve the existing skills of, another character. For more information, see Adventurer Improvement.

Track (INT+CON)

With this skill a character can locate the tracks of a specific creature and follow them. A test must be made to locate the trail and then again once every ten minutes they are being followed. Penalties or bonuses may apply depending on how long it was since the tracks were made, what the ground is like, what the weather conditions have been since the tracks were made, etc.

Witchcraft (INT x2)

The Witchcraft skill reflects the knowledge of all the spells learned by a Witch. Its use is described in detail in the Witchcraft chapter.

Changing Faction without being converted

Of course, your Faction can change without radical conversion. These sorts of conversions need not be played out solely in game mechanics, but can be agreed upon between player and Games Master, if the player decides that this is the way he wants his character to go. Once a player has decided to change Factions, his character’s Righteousness Points in his original Faction will fall by 2D6 points each week of game time, until they fall below the level of the character’s CHA + POW, at which point the character changes Faction, and he joins the new Faction with RPs equal to CHA + POW + Zeal of the new Faction, in the same way as a beginning character. The player may role-play this as a slow change of allegiance or a sudden moment of revelation, as appropriate.

Fluctuations in Righteousness Points

Righteousness can fluctuate due to factors other than Opposed Righteousness rolls. Personal events might cause a gain or loss in RPs, and events in the world at large might do the same. For instance:

• • Character loses fight with character from enemy Faction: -1D10 RPs

  • Character wins fight with character from enemy Faction: +1D10 RPs

  • Character involved in major defeat at hands of enemy Faction: -1D10+10 RPs

  • Character involved in major triumph over a group of enemy Faction: +1D10+10 RPs

  • Character hears of major defeat for his own Faction in the war: -1D10 RPs

  • Character hears of major success for his own Faction in the war: +1D10 RPs

  • Character hears of overwhelming triumph for his own Faction in the war: +1D10+10

  • Character hears of overwhelming defeat for his own Faction in the war: -1D10+10

Furthering the cause

Adventurers may also gain RPs through simple actions that further or reinforce their beliefs. These actions will vary depending on which Faction they belong to. For each day that the Adventurer engages in such an activity, he may gain 1 Righteousness Point if his player requests it. He can gain no more than 7 RPs in any one month by this means, even if other factors cause the Adventurer’s RPs to fall. Some of these activities do not require more than an hour or two of the Adventurer’s time.

Very High Righteousness

A character who reaches a Righteousness of 90 RPs or higher is considered a complete fanatic for his Faction’s cause – he will not let anything or anyone stand in his way, and will gladly sacrifice family, friends and allies if he thinks this will further his agenda. A player whose Adventurer has reached this point may wish to retire the character, handing him over to the Games Master to play as a Non-Player Character, and start playing a new Adventurer.

Low Righteousness

If a character’s Righteousness Points fall below the Zeal of his Faction, this means that he is insufficiently committed to the cause that his Faction espouses. Depending on what Faction he is a member of, he may be politely asked to leave the Faction, or forcibly expelled from the organisation in question.

Factions

The rest of this chapter is devoted to a number of Factions to which your character can belong. All follow the same format:

• • Each begins with a brief list of the Faction’s most important beliefs.

  • This is followed by a list of which other Factions can be considered Allies and Enemies of the Faction.

  • After that is the Faction’s Zeal; this is a measure of the general level of passion expected of a character who is a member of that Faction. Newly created characters add this number to their CHA + POW to get their beginning Righteousness Points.

  • Following Zeal is the character’s starting Skill Bonuses for the Faction he has chosen.

Clan

• • Act in your Clan’s interests - Support your Clan Chief and work for the good of your clan.

  • Seek bloody revenge on those who have wronged your Clan - Your traditional enemies deserve no mercy.

  • Assist your Clan allies - Auld alliances deserve respect.

Allies: Allied Clans

Enemies: Enemy Clans

Zeal: 45

Bonus Skills: Lore (Clan History) +25%

Gang

• • The Gang comes first – Your first loyalty is to your Gang and its members.

  • The Law is your enemy - Gangs are engaged in illegal activity.

  • Sometimes hard decisions must be made – It's a tough world. Leaders are only worth having as long as they bring success. Unreliable Gang members put everyone at risk and cannot be tolerated.

  • Fight or die – Sometimes your Gang may ally with other Gangs; sometimes a Gang might be subservient to another, more powerful Gang. At the end of the day though, you have a turf (or sphere of operations) and you have to defend it from all rivals.

Allies: Varies

Enemies: Guilds, Parliamentarians, Rival Gangs

Zeal: 15

Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Your Gang) +25%

Guild

• • Look after your Guild and your Guild will look after you – Pay your dues, contribute to Guild activities and you will be rewarded and supported.

  • Respect the Guild hierarchy – Respect and defer to your seniors within the Guild.

  • Dedicate yourself to your work – Work to high standards and maintain a good reputation.

  • Prosper – If a Craftsman, get the highest price you can; if a Merchant, buy low and sell high. You should not undermine your fellow Guild members, but work to maximise the profitability of your industry.

  • Beware rival trades and traders – It is your town; make sure your Guild's markets are protected and woe-betide any that encroach upon them.

Allies: Other Guilds

Enemies: Gangs, Other Guilds

Zeal: 15

Skill Bonus: Beliefs (particular Guild) +25%

Puritan

• • Independence – The individual church should be the highest authority. You should choose which church you want to attend, rather than being assigned a place of worship according to where you live.

  • Religion is a matter of individual conscience – religious tolerance should be exercised, except where Papists are concerned.

  • Live your life for God – and avoid `Ungodly' pursuits. Work hard and be thrifty.

  • A strict moral code should be followed – Act with Godly zeal, rather than for false worldly pleasures.

  • Predestination – God has already decided who’s going to Heaven and who’s going to Hell. You (mostly) believe that you’re one of those going to Heaven.

  • Consubstantiation – You believe that during the celebration of Mass, the bread and wine is merely symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. This puts you at odds with Catholics, who believe the bread wine actually become molecules of God.

Allies: New Model Army, Parliamentarians

Enemies: Catholics, Laudians, Ranters

Zeal: 40

Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Puritan) +25%

Satanist

• • Satan is the true lord of the Earth – When the end times come, those who follow him will reign at his side.

  • Worship of Satan is the route to Earthly power – Only he can bestow powerful magick.

  • What you want is more important than what anyone else wants – Everyone is selfish and corrupt, some just pretend otherwise.

  • There is no such thing as sin – It is a myth put about by Christian clergy to keep the population under control.

Allies: None

Enemies: Everyone

Zeal: 50

Bonus Skills: Beliefs (Satanist) +25%

Magick: +1 to MAG. Characters who do not already have the MAG Attribute gain it at INT+POW+1