THE DARK EYE, AVENTURIA, DERE, MYRANOR, RIESLAND, THARUN, and UTHURIA Are Trademarks of Ulisses Spiele Gmbh
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Credits Original German Version English Version Edited by Studio Director Eevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter, Alex Spohr Timothy Brown Copyediting Translation Florian Mülbert, Stephan Naguschweski Daniel Mayer, Walter Milani-Müller Additional English material by Kevin MacGregor Cover Illustration Anna Steinbauer Copyediting Kevin MacGregor, Shari MacGregor, Layout, Composition, and Design Timothy Brian Brown, Tim Beach Patrick Soeder Edited by Rules Design Kevin MacGregor Markus Plötz, Alex Spohr, Jens Ullrich Additional Illustrations By Authors Nadine Schäkel Alex Spohr, Jens Ullrich Additional material by Tobias Rafael Junge Layout and Daniel Simon Richter Thomas Michalski, Ben Acevedo, Emma Beltran Interior Illustrations & Maps Verena Biskup, Marc Bornhöft, Steffen Brand, Miriam Cavalli, Tristan Denecke, Markus Holzum, Regina Kallasch, Sabrina Klevenow, Nele Klumpe, Annika Maar, Ben Maier, Julia Metzger, Anja di Paolo, Nathaniel Park, Luisa Preißler, Diana Rahfoth, Janina Robben, Matthias Rothenaicher, Nadine Schäkel, Wiebke Scholz, Elif Siebenpfeiffer, Patrick Soeder, Anna Steinbauer, Mia Steingräber, Sebastian Watzlawek, Fabrice Weiss, Karin Wittig, Malte Zirbel Copyright © 2016 by Ulisses Spiele GmbH, Waldems. THE DARK EYE, AVENTURIA, DERE, MYRANOR, RIESLAND, THARUN, and UTHURIA are trademarks of Ulisses Spiele GmbH. The title and contents of this book are protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, whether electronically, mechanically, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without prior written consent from Ulisses Spiele GmbH, Waldems. With many thanks to Zoe Adamietz, Dietrich Bernhardt, Lutz Berthold, Pauline Billert, Bob, Sven Bursch, Rui Costa Fraga, Thomas Craig, Ozan Demirok, Eevie Demirtel, Claudia Dill, Annelie Dürr, Jannis Fengler, Sabrina Feuerherd, Gina Flora, Fralf II., Nathan Fürstenberg, Björn Hinrichs, Dominic Hladek, Niko Hoch, Norman Kobel, Christian Lonsing, Michael Mingers, Marie Mönkemeyer, Jessica Müller, Tjorven Müller, Philipp Neitzel, Roman Nolte, Nikos Petridis, Daniel Simon Richter, Sarah Richter, Niklas Riebsamen, Iris Schaffrina, Nadine Schäkel, Fabian Sinnesbichler, Patrick Soeder, Günter Spohr, Lydia Spohr, Martina Spohr, Sebastian Thurau, Sigrid Trägenap, Sarah Traut, Christian Vogt and Christians Frau, Jonathan Werle, Andreas Widmann, Ariane Willumeit, Louisa Würden, the Alveraniars- and Demogeber teams and users of the Ulisses forum, and the beta testers Additional thanks to our gamma testers, who contributed weeks of hard work: Boris Alles, Daniel Bartholomae, Fabian Becker, Christian Bender, Markus Bergler, Rossi & Franco Bianco, Gregor Biberacher, Linda Breitlauch, Tim Bruysten, Benoit Budiman, Torsten Dahm (alias Cole D. Winter), Christoph Domnik, Kai Frederic Engelmann, Martin Feuerherd, Sabrina Feuerherd, Christian Freißlich, Tobias Fritz, André Göller, Grukschnack, Matthias Grunwald, Jan-Niklas Hagenbeck, Serina Hänichen, Hardox, son of Ingrason, Nicola Hauke, Jan Hoenerbach, Lars Hoenerbach, Chris Hutter, Robert Ingenlath, Gregor Jöch, Sze K, Lucas Kerren, Regina vom Klosterhof, Wiebke Knäpper,Sample Peter Knorr, Lisa Kohnen, Nico “Koroc Pien” Koper, Steffen Krizsak, Alexander Krusch, Christoph Lack, Saya Almondblossom,file Alexander Marold, J. Martin, Tim Meyer, René Moser, Christian Müller, Sascha Müller, Philipp Neitzel, Thomas Österreicher, Christian Oswald, Konstantin Otte, Merlin Patalong, Phexarius, Diana Pretz, Sergej “Kuanor” Pugach, Dennis Recht, Pia Recht, Matthias Rosenkranz, Dominic Rossel, Ansgar Schäfer, Michael Schelm, Patrick Schumacher, Fabian Sewing, Ali Simsek, Søren SonntagsHeld, Stephan Thiele, Nora Tretau, Nicole Wais, Fritz Webering, Dennis Weigt, Lynn Weinholz, Frank Werschke, Martin Wiegand, Rorik Winterhelm, Iris Wolfer, Sarah Woltmann, Simon Würth, Anna Vingskes and the Schwe(infu)rters (Patrick, Rosalie, Levin, Florentine) Table of Contents Preface 4 Magical Professions 144 Chapter 1: Introduction 5 Blessed Professions 153 What is The Dark Eye? 6 What is Aventuria? 7 Chapter 7: Advantages and Gameplay Example: The Heroes of Alriksford 11 Disadvantages 161 General Rules for Advantages and Chapter 2: Basic Rules 15 Disadvantages 162 Gaming Material 16 Advantages 163 Checks 17 Disadvantages 170 Attributes 18 Chapter 8: Skills 183 Attribute Checks 18 Using Skills 184 Attack and Defense 21 Format of Skills Descriptions 187 Skills 21 Physical Skills 188 Skill Checks 21 Social Skills 193 Different Types of Checks 25 Nature Skills 198 Derived Characteristics 28 Knowledge Skills 201 Fate Points 28 Craft Skills 206 Conditions 31 General Special Abilities 214 States 34 Fate Point Special Abilities 221 Chapter 3: Hero Creation 37 Language and Scripts 222 Creating a Hero in Fifteen Steps 38 Chapter 9: Combat 225 Your Hero’s Background Story— Let’s Ask Some Questions 60 Close Combat and Ranged Combat 226 Sample Characters 62 Close Combat 229 Special Rules for Close Combat 234 Chapter 4: Races 87 Mounted Combat 239 Humans 88 Ranged Combat 241 Elves 90 Special Rules for Ranged Combat 245 Half Elves 92 Combat Special Abilities 246 Dwarves 93 Chapter 10: Magic 251 Chapter 5: Cultures 95 Spellcasting 254 Human Cultures 96 Special Rules for Spellcasting 258 Elven Cultures 118 Casting Rituals 259 Dwarven Cultures 121 Special Rules for Ritual Casting 262 Sample file Chapter 6: Professions 127 Summoning 262 Mundane Professions 129 2 Artifact Magic 266 Chapter 12: Detailed Rules 337 Special Magical Rules 270 Social Status 338 Alchemy 270 Regeneration Phase 339 Magical Traditions 274 Healing 340 The Tradition of the Guild Mages 275 Damage Sources 340 Tradition Artifacts of the Guild Mage 275 Heat and Cold 346 The Tradition of the Witches 278 Visibility 348 Familiars 278 Carrying and Lifting Capacity 348 The Witch’s Broom 280 Strategic Movement 348 Curses 281 High and Long Jumps 349 The Tradition of the Elves 283 Structural Damage 349 Elven Magical Songs 283 Experience 350 General Magical Special Abilities 284 Learning Methods 352 Aventurian Enchantments 285 Chapter 13: Bestiary 353 Cantrips 286 Creature Descriptions 354 Spells 287 Demons 355 Rituals 299 Elementals 358 Chapter 11: Works of the Gods 305 Animals 360 Aspects and Aspect Knowledge 306 Familiars 361 Casting Liturgical Chants 308 New Special Abilities 362 Ceremonies 312 Chapter 14: Equipment 363 Special Karma Rules 314 Currency, Weight, and Measurements 364 Blessed and Sanctified Objects 315 Equipment Packages 364 Blessed Traditions 316 Services 381 The Tradition of the Church of Praios 316 The Aventurian Tavern 382 The Tradition of the Church of Rondra 317 Chapter 15: Game Tips 383 The Tradition of the Church of Boron 318 Useful Tips for the GM 384 The Tradition of the Church of Hesinde 319 Useful Tips for the Player 385 The Tradition of the Church of Phex 319 Checklist for a Successful Game Night 387 The Tradition of the Church of Peraine 320 Prepare and Play Your Adventures 388 General Karma Special Abilities 321 Aventurian Liturgical Chants 321 Appendix 392 Blessings 322 Checklist for Optional Rules 392 Liturgical Chants 324 List of Common Abbreviations 393 Ceremonies 331 Tables 393 Index 400 SampleCharacter Sheet file409 3 Preface The Dark Eye—for more than 30 years, this game has While this new edition of TDE has been re-designed so immersed players in the world of Aventuria, a place of that everyone, veterans of Aventuria and new players magic and adventure. alike, will find it easy to access, it still provides the loving detail and engrossing history that fans have What keeps fans fascinated after all this time? Simple. come to expect. Keeping the game fun for everyone The Dark Eye (TDE, for short) is a living game. was no easy task, since veteran players already know every corner of the game world, but beginners want Time marches on in this fantasy world, and epic an immense amount of detail regarding the rules and adventures have lasting effects on in-game history, the setting. society, and everyday life. The players, who portray heroes in the game, stay right in the middle of the A game needs rules to be playable, but we invested a great action. When orc armies, servants of the Netherhells, or deal of time in keeping the introductory rules as simple the intrigues of the Nameless One threaten the world, as possible, so everyone will be able to understand them. your character is there. This book is the first step on your journey to Aventuria, but it is only that: one step. Over the past few decades, Unlike with other game lines, the authors and editors of the setting and rules of TDE have grown tremendously. The Dark Eye are not the only ones who keep Aventuria Many advanced rules, options, and setting details will alive. TDE also evolves via the creativity of players, appear in upcoming books and supplements, refining who can influence the game in several ways, such as by the basic mechanisms of the game and providing deeper writing articles for the Aventurian Herald, the in-game insights into the world of Aventuria and all of its races, and out-of-game news magazine for TDE. Player ideas cultures, and societies. stand a chance of becoming canon and contributing to the wealth of detail that makes the game feel real. Some Breaking with tradition, we editors decided against truly devoted players know Aventurian plants, wildlife, completing the game in-house and publishing a final and geography, or the laws of the Middenrealm, better product without running