Dumnonni Chronicles – Foreword
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2 Index Page 3.43 Giving Bardic Names…………….. 23 O. Foreword and Guidebook ethos……………….. 6 3.44 Lawgiving and Truth speaking…… 23 3.45 Bardic Duels……………………… 23 1. What is Dumnonni………………………………… 9 3.5 Other Archetypes………………………….. 24 1.1 Dramatic Geography………………………. 9 3.51 Berserker…………………………. 24 1.2 Culhaven…………………………….. .. 10 3.53 Woad Artist………………………. 23 1.3 The Mists……………………………. 10 3.54 Herbwise/Potion maker…………... 24 1.4 Maps………………………………. 10 3.55 Craftsman………………………… 24 1.5 Non Map………………………………..… 11 3.6 Where do you come from?.............................. 25 3.61 You where born in Dumnonni……. 25 2. The Celtic Paradigm………………………………. 12 3.62 You are new through the mists…… 25 2.1 Oaths………………………………………. 12 3.7 Creating a character worth remembering…… 26 2.2 Hospitality…………………………… 12 3.72 Being someone else………………. 26 2.3 Geas………………………………………….12 3.73 Where do I fit in?............................... 26 2.4 Breaking one of the above Rules……. 14 3.74 Theatrical speaking, accents and avoiding 2.5 Corruption………………………………… 15 obvious modern language……….26 2.6 Druids…………………………………… 15 3.75 In and out of game prejudice……27 2.7 Celtic Ethos……………………………… 17 3.76 Plot Hooks……………………... 27 2.8 Civilistion…………………...…………. 18 So you want to be a bard. By Mark Chilvers………… 28 Being a Celtic Warrior by Steve Emmot……………….. 19 New to Dumnonni by Dave Mckenna………………... 29 3. Character Creation………………………………… 20 4. Combat Rules……………………………………… 30 3.1 What do you do?............................................. 20 4.1 Ref Calls………………………………….. 30 3.11 Warrior or Wyrd users?..................... 20 4.2 Fighting Safety……………………………… 30 3.12 What else are you?............................. 20 4.3 Fight Rules Ethos…………………………… 31 3.2 Healer……………………………………. 21 4.4 Player combat rules………………………… 31 3.21 Stabilization……………………. 21 4.41 Hits and Armour…………………. 31 3.22 Slow Healing……………………… 21 4.42 Damage, Dying and Healing……… 32 3.23 Fast Healing………………………. 21 4.43 Death and Permanent injury………. 32 3.24 Ritual Healing…………………….. 21 4.44 Berserking…………………………. 32 3.3 Smith……………………………………….. 21 4.45 The Dying Act…………………….. 33 3.1 Armour repair………………………. 21 4.46 Honour Duels…………………… 33 3.2 Making special stuff………………... 22 4.5 Crew Combat Rules……………………….. 34 3.4 Bard………………………………………… 22 Taking your hits by Nathan Gribble…………………... 35 3.41 Satire and Praise………………….. 22 On Theatrical Combat by John Wood………………… 36 3.42 Word Hoard………………………. 22 What is Dumnonni Fighting about by Pod…….….……. 37 3 5 Wyrd Weaving…………………………….…... 42 6.27 The Black Shields…………… 68 5.1 Doing Wyrd Deeds…………………... 42 6.3 Tuaths – Celtic tribes……………………… 70 5.2 Areas of Influence ……………………. 43 6.31 Tribes of Erin……………………… 70 5.3 The Terrible Price ………………….… 43 6.311 Connachta………………… 70 5.4 Titles of Wyrd Users………………..... 44 The Gamhanrhide……… 71 5.5 The wheat and the Chaff…………...… 44 The Connacht Fir Faphach 71 5.6 Levels of Wyrd Deeds…………...…... 44 6.312 The Dalriada………………. 71 5.7 Restoring your Wyrd…………....…… 46 6.32 Tribes of Albion…………………… 72 5.8 Setting Wyrd into a person, potion or thing…47 6.321 The Dumnonni…………… 72 5.9 Blood Metal…………….……………. 48 6.322 The Iceni……………… 73 5.10 Wyrd Duels………………………..… 48 6.323 The Cataveelanni……... 73 5.11 Ritual and other Magic not covered above…49 6.324 The Briganti……………… 73 5.12 Working Wyrd with others………..... 49 6.33 Tribes from across the sea………… 74 5.13 Wyrd Weavers and Battle……….… 49 6.331 The Arveni………………. 74 5.14 What Wyrd is not…………….……. 51 6.332 The Celtiberians………….. 74 The way of the Wyrd by Mark Langford……...…. 52 6.34 Tribes from the Low Countries……. 75 6.341 Tir Nan Beo – a cursed land.75 6. The peoples of Dumnonni…………….……… 57 6.342 The Usipeti……………… 75 6.1 The elder races………..………………. 60 6.343 The Frisii………………… 75 6.11 A short history of the elder races. 60 6.344 The Nervii………………… 76 6.12 Fir Bholg…………...………… 61 6.345 The Menapi……………… 76 6.121 Fir Bholg Wyrd…….. 61 6.4 The Northen tribes…………………………. 77 6.122 Fir Bholg Battle Masks… 62 6.41 Samhlachs and Ysbryds………….. 77 6.13 The Tuatha………………………… 62 6.42 Tribal Geas……………………… 78 6.131The Tuatha de Dannan……. 62 6.43 The Pictish Tribes (The Cruthne)… 78 ‘Tuatha’…………………. 62 6.431 The Bristling Boar………… 78 Craft Tuatha……..… 62 6.432 Running Dog………….. 79 ‘Wild’ Tuatha…….… 63 6.433 The Matu (Bears)………… 79 6.132 Tuatha Sygath……..… 63 6.434 The Bloody Stag………… 79 6.133 Tautha De Domnu…... 63 6.435 The Attacotti…………….. 80 6.14 The Fomorians.…………….... 63 6.436 The Selkie (Seal Folk)…… 80 6.141 Fomorian Factions…. ….......64 6.437 The Fen Picts……… 80 6.2 Fianna – Celtic Warbands……..……… 66 6.5 The Norse……………………………. 82 6.21 ‘The Fianna’…………....…… 66 6.51 On Dumnonni’s interpretation of the Norse. 82 6.22 The Red Branch……….……… 66 6.52 Norse Values………………………. 82 6.23 Clan Morna…………..………. 67 6.53 A Brief history of the Norse at DC….82 6.24 The White Bear………….…… 67 6.54 The Seal Road…………………….……… 84 6.25 The Cul Cascorach…………... 68 6.55 Norse factions……………….…….. 84 6.551 Hrafn’s Housecarls.…………….… 8.4 6.26 The Forsaken……………………… 68 4 6.552 Magnus the Good’s Housecarls…. 84 7.11 Becoming Proven………………… 103 6.553 The Queen of the Far Isles…… 85 7.12 Becoming Renowned…………….. 104 6.554 Unaligned Norse……………… 85 7.2 Down Time………………………………... 105 6.56 The Anvil……………………………… 85 7.3 Written language, Runes, etc…………… 106 6.6 Romans and Romano-British…………………… 86 7.31 Latin……………………………… 106 6.61 Romano-British………………………… 86 7.32 The Ogam (Tree) alphabet and 6.611 ‘The Ninth Legion’……………. 86 Calendar…………………... 107 6.62 Othe Sub-Romans……………………… 87 7.33 The Norse (Saxcon) Futhark……. 108 6.63 No Christians………………………… 87 7.34 The Pictii Samhlach and Ysbryd Glyphs. 6.64 The Shadow of Rome………………... 87 110 6.65 Classical Romans………………………. 87 7.4 Economy………………………………… 111 6.66 Roman events that affect Dumnonni…. 88 7.5 The gods………………………………… 114 6.7 Saxons and other Teutonic Tribes………………. 90 7.51 The Celtic Pantheon……………… 114 6.71 North Gyrwr……………..…………….. 90 7.511 Greater Gods……………. 114 6.72 Heardingas…………………………….. 90 7.512 Lesser Gods………. 115 6.73 Althelhelm ‘The Dead’ ……………….. 90 7.513 Enemies…………………. 116 6.74 Spaldas………………………………… 91 7.514 Festivals………………… 117 6.75 The Sea Wolves……………………….. 91 7.52 The Norse Pantheon……………… 118 6.76 The Sortzart……………………………. 91 7.521 Greater Gods………. 118 6.77 Odda’s fyrd.…………………………… 91 7.522 Lesser Gods……… 119 6.78 The Jutes……………………………….. 92 7.523 Enemies………………. 120 6.8 The Sidhe and the Otherlands…………………… 93 7.524 Festivals………………… 120 6.81 The Winter and Summer Thrones……… 94 Dumnonni Kit Ethos by Mark Matthews........………… 122 6.82 The Darkness Hates…………………… 94 6.83 The Otherlands………………………… 94 8. Crewing…………………………………………… 124 6.84 Playing a Changeling………………….. 95 Crewing is fun too by Evie Faulkner…………….…… 126 6.9 Degenerate Folk………………………………… 96 Being an NPC by Heather M Clayton……………… 127 6.91 The Scotia……..………………………. 96 Appendix 6.92 The Smerti…………………………….. 96 a. Brief History of Dumnonni…………………………. 128 b. 50 Dumonni tales……………………………………. 135 6.93 The Corpse Goose Goblins…………… 96 c. A list of the renown…………………………………. 137 6.94 The Black Fox Goblins……………….. 97 d. Lists of names. (Celtic, Norse, Saxon and Pictish) … 139 6.95 Dvergar – Dwarves…………………… 97 e. Sources……………………………………………. 153 6.96 Armen Av Wyrden…………………… 98 f. What to bring and site rules…………………………. 157 An evening in the Longhouse by Roy Smallpage…………… 99 g. Quick Reference sheets…………..…………………. 160 A Fairy Story by Paul Armstrong…………………………… 101 h. Authlewolf the Authentic and Damion the Destroyer (Good and Bad sketches)………………………... 164 7 Other important stuff…………………………...…… 103 i. Design philosophy…………..………………………. 166 7.1 Experience and Fame……………………...… 103 k. The Refs and Contact details. ……………………… 169 5 Dumnonni Chronicles – Foreword “Well,” said Cathbad the druid, “today has this merit: he who bears arms for the first time on this day will achieve fame and greatness. But his life will be short.” “That is a fair bargain,” Cúchulainn said. “If I achieve fame I am content, though I had only one day on earth.” Cúchulainn’s Boyhood Deeds “Cattle die, kinsfolk die, you yourself too soon must die, but one thing never dies, -- your good name, if you have earned it.” The Hávamal Dumnonni Chronicles is a live role-playing game set in the world of Celtic mythology. The players are the heroes of an endless saga of warriors and wyrd-weavers in a land of myth, magic and monsters. They will struggle to defend their lives or their kinsfolk, to defeat their enemies, perhaps even to amass power for themselves and their people but ultimately heroes are judged on the reputation they can build through their honour, wisdom and courage. 6 Guidebook ethos The game is in essence about interaction between characters, the people of the game-world. It is about narrative, and action. We want this action to be governed by three guiding principles: 1) Drama: it should look good. 2) Pathos: It should effect you emotionally 3) Jeopardy: There must be real risk of failure. The skill of crew and players as actors is largely responsible for ensuring the first two; drama, and pathos are created through improvisation. The third, jeopardy is harder to determine or resolve by improvisation alone: How do I know whether I will succeed at this task? Who wins the contest? Will they beat me? And so on. Because of this we have a framework of game rules to provide guidance in resolving such questions. The Dumnonni game system has developed over a long period and is rules-lite compared to many other systems. Our goal is simply to have just enough rules to enable players to understand what their character is capable of, and to allow contests to be resolved, but not so many rules that the game-mechanics get in the way of the heroic story.