Blackmoor SAGA: The King’s Ravens By Håvard
Players booklet Index: Chapter 1: Campaign Overview...... 3 The King’s Ravens...... 3 Blackmoor ...... 3 Chapter 2: Character Generation...... 3 Step 1: Character concept and Traits...... 3 Step 2: Determine Race...... 4 Step 3: Determine Ability Scores...... 4 Step 4: Determine Ability Codes ...... 4 Step 5: Skills...... 5 Step 4: Determine Magic ability ...... 6 Chapter 3: Magic - Arcane and Divine ...... 7 Arcane Schools...... 8 Divine Spheres ...... 8 Chapter 4: Other Rules...... 10 Magic: Other notes...... 10 Other Clarifications:...... 11
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Written by: Håvard Layout: Håvard Cartography: Håvard (TBD) Cover illustration: Jeff Easley. Used without permission for non-profit purposes. www.jeffeasley.com Additional thanks: This would not have been possible without the help of the Saga net community. I won’t mention names here in fear that some will be forgotten.
2 Chapter 1: Campaign Overview This booklet details the King’s Ravens campaign which is set in Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor. For this campaign, we will use the Dragonlance 5th Age Saga system. Special modifications to that rules system are detailed below.
The Kingdom of Blackmoor
Ruled by King Uther Andahar, Blackmoor is a small kingdom in the north, surrounded by enemies both within and outside its borders. Blackmoor’s society can be compared with that of Northern Europe in the 1200s. Technologically, they are also on this level, though the wizards of Blackmoor have developed special magics combining the arcane arts with technology. This art, known as technomancy, results in the creation of strange inventions though these are far between, and have not had any deep impact on society yet. Many dangers lurk within Blackmoor’s borders. Beastmen, a race of man and animal crossbreeds stalk the wilderness. In the great swamps, another race of degenerate swamp people make war on civilized men. In the cities and towns, agents of foreign powers hide. Blackmoor is a young kingdom. But it is a haven of justice and truth in a world of corruption and deception.
The King’s Ravens
In this campaign, you will take on the roles of members of the King’s Ravens. The King’s Ravens is an organization in the service of King Uther Andahar of Blackmoor. Most of it’s members are outlaws from the realm of Thonia or other nations who upon the arrival to Blackmoor have been pardoned in return for a lifelong service to the King. They are completely loyal to the king. Most members have taken new names and daily lives in Blackmoor, living among the common folk of that country. Every now and then, they are called into service performing special secret missions within the country or behind enemy lines. Their missions involve those of diplomacy, security, assassinations and many other tasks.
Chapter 2: Character Generation
Step 1: Character concept and Traits
Come up with a concept for the hero. Choose the hero's Nature and Demeanour. Cards may provide examples of personality traits.
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Step 2: Determine Race
All heroes must be human for this campaign. Humans gain a +1 bonus to one ability score. This may raise that ability to 10.
Step 3: Determine Ability Scores
Distribute 62 points between the 8 Abilities, Wealth and Quests. Maximum value of 9, Wealth is limited to a maximum of 6.
Step 4: Determine Ability Codes
You get 8 Cs. You can raise one, or more by lowering another (Qualities are: A, B, C, D and X).
Codes provide all the benefits detailed in the original rules, as well as the following:
Languages and Literacy
Re: A 3 extra languages, B 2 extra languages, C 1 extra language, D native language only, X native language only, illiterate.
Languages: • Abyssal • Aquan • Auran • Beastial • Celestial • Draconic • Dwarf • Elf • Ferrosian • Giant • Ignan
4 • Infernal • Peshwan • Skandaharian • Sylvan • Terran • Thonian, Common • Thonian, High
Languages in Italics are considered rare.
Exceptional/Diminished senses
Exceptional senses are gained as in the main rules, but provide a +4 bonus rather than lowering the difficulty of performed actions.
Characters with a D has one diminished sense. Characters with an X has two diminished senses. Actions involving diminished senses suffer a -4 penalty.
Step 5: Skills
Heroes begin the game with two skills, at least one must be from the Secondary Skill list.
Primary Skills: • Melee Attack (Type Brawling, Swords, Axes, Hammers, Knives, Polearms) • Missile Attack (Type: Thrown, Bows, Slings, Flint Lock weapons) • Arcane Magic (School) • Divine Magic (Sphere)
Secondary Skills: • Animal Handling • Athletics • Charm • Craft (Type)
5 • Disguise • Medicine* • Intimidate • Knowledge (Type) • Leadership • Merchant • Perform (Type) • Profession (Type) • Ride • Sailing • Search • Sleight of Hand • Survival • Streetwise • Stealth • Swim • Taunt • Thievery (Picking locks, disarming traps etc)
*Medicine may be used to improve the recovery rate of a wounded patient
Skills provide an automatic trump (autotrump) when attempting to perform actions related to their area of expertise.
Step 4: Determine Magic ability
Arcane spell points equal the Hero’s Re multiplied by itself. Divine Spell Points equal the Hero’s Sp score multiplied by itself. Heroes with an A quality in Re or Sp have the potential of learning 3 Arcane Schools or Divine Spheres. Heroes with a B quality have the potential of learning 1 school or sphere. A Hero may have potential with both Arcane and Divine Magic, but he may never begin the game with knowledge of more than 2 Spheres or Schools total.
Gaining new Spheres/Schools:
6 New Schools and Spheres may be gained at the end of a Quest if the Hero has been studying arcane lore or performed spiritual acts and makes a successful Ability check. The Narrator sets the difficulty based on the effort of the Hero. This is in addition to ability raises gained by completing Quests, not in place of them.
Regaining Magic Points Magic points are regained after a full night’s sleep and an hour spent meditating with a holy symbol, or studying a Libram.
Casting Magic In order to cast magic, the Hero will need a Holy symbol for Divine Spheres or a Spell Crystal for Arcane Schools.
Turning Undead Characters with a Sp Quality of C or more wielding a holy symbol of one’s own faith may attempt to Turn Undead. This is a Presence action, resisted by the Undead’s Essence score.
Use Magic Item A Re or Sp Quality of C or more is required to use a magic item or relic.
Receive beneficial magic Heroes with an X Quality in Re or Sp are unaffected by beneficial magic. They are still affected by hostile magic.
Chapter 3: Magic - Arcane and Divine
Heroes with an A or B quality in Reason or Spirit has the potential of learning Arcane or Divine magic. Regardless of their potential, no Hero begins the game with more than 2 Arcane Schools or Divine Spheres total.
7 Arcane Schools
Conjuration: This school allows the Wizard to summon creatures or items from other planes or other places. The teleporting items or individuals is also covered by this School.
Divination: Magic used to gain knowledge, predict the future, learn of the past, seeing distant places etc.
Elementalism: Magic used to create and or control the elements.
Enchantment: Magic used to enhance weapons, armor and items.
Illusion: Someone with a 'B' code can create illusions affecting up to two senses; an 'A' code allows illusions that can effect as many as five, creating 'quasi-real' illusions.
Necromancy: This magic allows the creation of undead, communication with spirits and life drain powers.
Technomancy: This magic allows the creation of Steam, Clockwork and flintlock gadgets and weapons.
Divine Spheres
Sphere of the Priest: Magic involving purification, corruption and divination.
Sphere of the Monk: Magic through meditiation allowing the user to enhance his physical and mental abilities up to the effect level of the spell.
Sphere of the Missionary: A 'B' code allows for basic curses or evil magic to be dispelled, and can drive away or do damage to 'unholy' creatures. An 'A' code allows the negation of all but the most vile curses and dark magics, and can cause more sophisticated ill to evil beings (blindness, an inability to use magic, paralysis, or similar banes).
8 Sphere of the Healer: The ability to heal wounds, cure disease and remove the effects of poison.
Sphere of the Shepherd: As the warding area of abjuration, although a 'B' code limits the caster to placing wards on holy ground and holy artifacts. An 'A' code allows the protection of any undefiled area or any believer or sympathetic character.
Sphere of the Druid: A code B allows the communication and control of animals. A Code A also allows control over the weather, plants and the light from the moon and the sun.
Sphere of the Anarchist: A 'B' code allows minor chaos, causing minor disruptions in the natural order, with no control over exactly what happens beyond the basic 'disrupt the chosen target'. An 'A' code means major changes can be set loose, or the anarchist can create minor changes and provide some influence over their direction.
Sphere of the Charlatan: Basic changes in form, emotions, or perceptions can be caused with a 'B' code; with an 'A' code, far-reaching shapeshifting, emotional control, or halluciation is possible. A charlatan can also mimic spells on a level of complexity equal with his own code.
Sphere of the Bishop With a 'B' code, orders can be placed on a target, but they can only be simple commands, and the victim will know he is under the priest's control. In addition, no effects beyond the compulsion can be created. With an 'A' code, the commands can be more complex and more subtle, and can trigger negative physical or mental effects if ignored or disobeyed. In addition, a bishop with a 'B' code can only control undead; one with an 'A' code can create them, so long as they were under the priest's spiritual authority in life.
Sphere of the Traitor: Any effect that's the reversal of a benevolent priestly sphere's 'B' code can be created with a 'B' code; the same rule applies to 'A' codes. Summoning demons requires an 'A' code.
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Magic: Other notes
Spell Points are determined by the square of Reason or Spirit. Healing spells must have the 5 point duration to become permanent. Damaging spells can never have duration. Armour always protects against damaging spells.
Dragon Cards: Dragon Cards are Never Trump.
Dragon 1: Whenever the Dragon 1 is drawn everyone must discard their hands and refill them.
Dragon Cards and Wounds: If a Dragon Card is used to pay for damage, the Hero receives a permanent wound, suffering a -1 penalty to all actions until cured. The nature of the wound is determined by the Narrator.
Critical Success Critical success rules are not used. Under no circumstance to Heroes receive a Quest for merely making a high total.
Recovery: 1 card per week. Under the care of someone with the Medicine skill, a character regains 2 cards/points.
Expert Villains Characters (NPCs) of a higher than average competence may be modelled in two ways as detailed in the SAGA Companion: 1. The Character has extra Health points in addition to his Ph/En ability. 2. The Character has a number of cards. This number is 1/3 of the number of cards a hero of the same expertise would have. The value of the card is added to the standard difficulty. Both of these methods will be used to model Expert Villains in the campaign, but one Character will never have both Cards and extra Health.
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Other Clarifications:
• Resisting Coordinated Attacks are done by making a Perception check (Challenging) • Non-instant spells are interrupted if the caster is hurt before completing the spell. • Spells with a duration are ended if the caster is reduced to 0 cards/health • Wounds (resulting from using dragon cards to sustain damage) require rest as well as magical aid before the -1 penalty goes away. • Heroes/Characters reduced to 0 or fewer cards/health, who are then healed do not automatically wake up instantaneously. • Magic affecting an area can be resisted by individuals already within that area.
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