Table of Contents Introduction page 3 Chapter I: Races of Arcanis page 9 Dark Kin page 11 Dwarf page 13 Elorii page 17 Gnome page 24 Human page 26 Kio page 28 Ss'ressen page 30 Undir page 32 Val page 34 Chapter II: Arcanis Classes page 53 Cleric page 54 Elder Sorcerer page 75 Eldritch Sorcerer page 83 Fighter page 90 Fury page 97 Holy Champion page 105 Psion page 131 Ranger page 137 Rogue page 144 Shaman page 149 Chapter III: Backgrounds page 167 Chapter IV: Equipment page 203 Chapter V: Customization Options page 227 Chapter VI: Magic of Arcanis page 249 Chapter VII: Psionics of Arcanis page 287 Chapter VIII: The World of Arcanis page 307 Arcanis Map page 318 Nations of Arcanis page 320 ArcanisSample Religions file page 382 Appendix 1: Bestiary page 400 Appendix 2: New Magic Items page 409 Introduction Welcome to Arcanis: The World of the Shattered Empires shiny gold coin. This type of campaign can be fun as well. campaign setting, an epic fantasy world with grim In these pages I’ve laid out my Arcanis campaign. Now overtones, designed for experienced role-players who enjoy go make it YOURS. adding intrigue and a bit of moral ambiguity to their adventures. While the setting has enough opportunities for Creating your Hero combat to satisfy those who enjoy the tactical challenges While a character is more than a collection of numbers on aspect of the game, where Arcanis truly shines is in creating a page, that’s where the framework for your Hero begins to an immersive environment where your characters are faced take shape. Follow the steps below to forge the Hero you’ll with hard choices, their loyalties are pulled in various guide through your adventures on Arcanis. directions, and their actions have consequences, not only for them, but for those around them. This book is written with the notion that the players Generate Attributes will be creating Heroes for this campaign, and you will Use whatever method your GM and the rest of your fellow see this term used in lieu of player character or PC. This is players have agreed on to generate your six ability scores. because the setting cries out for your characters to perform There are numerous options and all of them will provide heroic acts of daring to inspire those who desperately need the foundation for forging a Hero. their help. Evil can be found in abundance throughout the world; the Heroes are juxtaposed against that darkness as Select your Race a beacon, but that doesn’t mean they’re two-dimensional Your choice of race will define many things about your knights-in-shining-armor-goody-two-shoes characters. Hero. Some races, like dark-kin and gnomes, face immense Your Hero should have flaws to help flesh them prejudice while others, like the val, are privileged by their very out, either a physical ailment or impediment or some birth. Elorii Heroes pose an interesting roleplaying challenge, psychological trauma that they strive to overcome. Having as they retain limited information on their background, while some obstacle to rise above, on top of facing a deadly at the same time being able opponent, certainly adds to the character’s heroic nature, to recall select events that more so than if they were perfect in every way. occurred hundreds, if not And oh what villainy you’ll face, from the predations thousands, of years in of the bestial gar tribes to the insidious reptilian might the past. of the Ssethregoran Empire, from the rapacious infernal horde in the north to the Singarthan troll followers of the Song of Pyrric, and countless abominations in the Endless Dark, followers of sanity breaking deities, the Harvesters of Ymandragore, the Cult of the Thousand-Eyed Man, fell creatures and beasts from across the Known Lands and the planar realms beyond, and the byzantine machinations of numerous secret societies manipulating all within their reach to further their goals. And, of course, the deadliest opponent any Hero will ever face – their fellow man (or elorii, dwarf, gnome, et al.). A final note before we continue: It should go without saying (but I’ve been admonished that it must), that the rules and setting herein are written for the official Arcanis campaign setting. This book is now yours: use what you like, discard the rest, mix-and-match ideas from otherSample great rules and campaign file setting out there. Have your players create money-grubbing mercenaries, psychopathic slayers, or cold-hearted killers that would step over their own mothers to grab that one 3 Arcanis 5e • Introduction The races of Arcanis include: Ssethregoran Empire’s military might, one egg clutch, the Dark-kin: Humans tainted with the blood of infernal Black Talons, rebelled and seek a destiny other than living ancestry, hated and feared by almost everyone they meet. and dying under the oppressive coils of their serpentine Dwarves: A people cursed by the Gods, who now strive masters. to redeem themselves by protecting mankind and hope that Undir: Humans whose distant ancestors were spirits they will prove worthy of lifting the curse. of the water, rivers, and seas, now facing a cultural schism Elorii: Elemental beings, created as a servitor race who between those adhering to the spiritual ways of their went on to rule their own empire, but were replaced by the ancestors and those who choose to embrace the culture of humans as masters of the Known Lands. the Coryani Empire. Gnomes: Twisted and deformed offspring of humans Val: Humans with a touch of divine essence in their and dwarves, and reviled by both, they strive to overcome lineage, they are tasked by the Gods with shepherding the obstacles arrayed against them from birth. humanity to a Golden Age. Human: Numerous, diverse and widespread, human beings rule most of the Known Lands. Select your Class Kio: Scions of beings that once ruled from floating Sky What can your Hero do? How are they trained, what are Kingdoms, the kio are a people now firmly on the ground, their abilities, and where do their strengths lie? As well seeking to regain their lost glory. as class features, your class gives you proficiencies and Ss’ressen: Making up the bulk of the equipment. Your choice of equipment is normally based on your home nation. You can either make that decision when you select your class, or you can mark down the general kind of equipment you receive and make your choice later. Make sure to carefully check each class entry for any guidelines on race, background, nation, or religion. In Arcanis, cultural traditions, religious doctrine, and racial bias play a greater role in deciding which classes are available to your Hero. For example, elorii will not choose to become a shaman, because their ability to channel elder sorcery is viewed as superior and more sophisticated than supplicating a nature spirit for their aid in casting a spell. The classes you can choose for your Hero include: Cleric: Priests of the Gods, carrying out Their will. Elder Sorcerer: A sorcerer from one of the older races that can master the more precise and elegant tradition of manipulating arcane magic. Eldritch Sorcerer: A sorcerer from one of the younger races Sample filethat has mastered the tradition of arcane magic, which is considered raw and inelegant by those Arcanis 5e • Introduction 4 who practice the Elder tradition. the lives of those from Almeric is one of deprivation and Fury: Fierce warriors that can call upon the spirit of war. the furies to fuel their rage, creating a nigh unstoppable Hinterlands: Homeland of the nomadic Yhing hir and killing machine. powerful shamans. Fighter: Warriors of every kind, from soldiers to Kingdom of Milandir: A former province of the gladiators. Coryani Empire, now a proud, strong, and bold nation, Holy Champion: Warriors who embody the tenets and always ready to defend the good and the just. virtues (as well as flaws) of their Gods. League of Princes: A loose coalition of nations and city- Psion: Val Heroes whose minds have become states dominated by the kio and the undir people. ‘awakened’, allowing them to channel the unbridled Republic of Altheria: Altherians boast to being the power of their minds. most intellectual and technologically advanced people in Ranger: These skilled Heroes of the wilderness do the Known Lands, but are under constant threat from their more than just hunt, they defend communities from the neighbors the Ssethregoran Empire. predations of beasts, creatures, and inhuman beings that see the Heroes people as food, rather than sentient beings. Select your Background Rogue: Commonly seen as thieves and assassins, rogue Backgrounds describe how your Hero spent their early Heroes are also explorers and seekers of the unknown. life. Consider what might have shaped your Hero’s past; Shaman: Forging strong links to spirits of the world, were they an initiate of one of the many temples of shamans deal with these ethereal entities for power. Arcanis, learning the doctrines of their god? Or was your Hero a legionnaire, fighting for the glory of the Empire? Select your Starting Nation Each background has suggestions on the traits, bonds, The Known Lands are divided between a variety of nation- ideals and flaws that make up your Hero’s personality. states, empires and wild regions, and somewhere in that Apprentice: You started life training your hands and area, your Hero was born. Your choice of race, class, and mind to craft beautiful and useful things. background all inform your selection of home nation. Bodyguard: Your early training was devoted to If you choose to play a legionnaire, then your Hero was protecting a charge.