Fire and Sword

Fourth Edition
By Ray Turney
With Contributions From Morgan Conrad, John Holmes, Eduardo Horvath, Dan Quill and
Dave Summers
Copyright © Raymond Turney 2007 - 2008
Copyleft: this work is distributed under the Free Art License, a copy of which is included
below
This license covers the Fantasy Role Playing Rules called Fire and Sword, written by
Raymond Turney with the assistance of the other people credited at the top of the work;
version 1.0; posted on the BRP Central web site.
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1
What is Fantasy Role Playing? ....................................................................................................... 1
What These Rules Have to Offer ................................................................................................... 1
Organization of the Rules................................................................................................................. 2
Copyright Information ....................................................................................................................... 2
Contacting the Author ....................................................................................................................... 2

Chapter I – Characteristics and Skills ..................................................................................... 4

Characteristics ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Characteristics as Skills .................................................................................................................... 4
Increasing Characteristics ............................................................................................................... 4
Permissible Skills ................................................................................................................................. 4
Skill Rolls ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Opposed Skills ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Complementary Skills and Effects of Spells .............................................................................. 6
Skill Increase ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Limitations on Check Allocation ..................................................................................................... 7
Training ................................................................................................................................................... 7
Defaults/Starting Skills ..................................................................................................................... 7
Core Skill List ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Core Skill Descriptions ...................................................................................................................... 9

Chapter II - Creating a Character ............................................................................................ 25

Decide Whether to Use Archetypes or Benchmarking ........................................................ 25
Determine the Character’s Concept ........................................................................................... 25
Name the Character ......................................................................................................................... 26
History ................................................................................................................................................... 26
Archetypes ........................................................................................................................................... 27
Determine Character’s Cult, Sorcery School, or Shamanic Tradition ........................... 28
Assign Characteristics ..................................................................................................................... 28
Select Skills ......................................................................................................................................... 28
Select Starting Spells ...................................................................................................................... 29
Select Skill Levels ............................................................................................................................. 29
Determine Economic and Political Statistics ........................................................................... 30
Define Traits ........................................................................................................................................ 30
Define Passions .................................................................................................................................. 30
Determine Starting Magic Items ................................................................................................. 31

Chapter III – Combat ...................................................................................................................... 32

Core Combat Rules ........................................................................................................................... 32
 Combat Rounds & Initiative .......................................................................................................... 32
Movement ............................................................................................................................................ 34
Impact Bonus ..................................................................................................................................... 35
Incapacitation ..................................................................................................................................... 35
Healing .................................................................................................................................................. 36
Situational Combat Modifiers........................................................................................................ 36
Fumbles ................................................................................................................................................ 37
Combat Exploits................................................................................................................................. 37
Fighting Monsters .............................................................................................................................. 39
Encumbrance Rules .......................................................................................................................... 40
Mounted Combat ............................................................................................................................... 40

Chapter IV Spirits and Shamanism ......................................................................................... 41

Spirits .................................................................................................................................................... 41
Hiding on the Spirit Plane .............................................................................................................. 41
Spirit Combat...................................................................................................................................... 41
Disengaging from Spirit Combat ................................................................................................. 42
Possession............................................................................................................................................ 43
Shamans and their Skills ............................................................................................................... 44
Learning Shamanic Skills ............................................................................................................... 44
Quests on the Spirit Plane {Vision Quests} ............................................................................ 44
Fetishes ................................................................................................................................................. 45
Spells That Affect the Spirit Plane .............................................................................................. 45
Ancestor Worshipping Shamans .................................................................................................. 45
The Fetch.............................................................................................................................................. 46
Types of Spirits .................................................................................................................................. 47

Chapter V - Theism ........................................................................................................................... 55

Pantheons ............................................................................................................................................ 55
World View........................................................................................................................................... 55
Cults ....................................................................................................................................................... 56
Temples ................................................................................................................................................ 57
Divine Magic Spell Concepts ......................................................................................................... 58
Cult Spirits ........................................................................................................................................... 60
Core Divine Magic Spells ................................................................................................................ 61
Divine Intuition and Divine Intervention .................................................................................. 93

Chapter VI - Sorcery ........................................................................................................................ 95

Magic Points ........................................................................................................................................ 95
Learning Spells................................................................................................................................... 95
 Manipulating Spells .......................................................................................................................... 95
Casting Spells ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Enchanted Items ............................................................................................................................... 96
Maintained Sorcery Spells ............................................................................................................. 97
Sorcery Schools ................................................................................................................................. 98
Summoning for Sorcerers .............................................................................................................. 98
Sorcery Spells..................................................................................................................................... 98

Chapter VII - Economics ..............................................................................................................112

Grades and What They Mean ......................................................................................................113
Ordinary Economics for Nobles, Merchants and Peasants ...............................................113
Cost of Followers ..............................................................................................................................114
Normal Economics for Barbarians..............................................................................................115
Extraordinary Economics...............................................................................................................116
Trading .................................................................................................................................................118

Chapter VIII - Politics....................................................................................................................120

Political Persuasion ..........................................................................................................................120
Institutions .........................................................................................................................................121
Status Points ......................................................................................................................................122
Fame Points ........................................................................................................................................122
Prowess Points ..................................................................................................................................123
Infamy Points ....................................................................................................................................123
Influence Points ................................................................................................................................123
Favors ...................................................................................................................................................124
Clout ......................................................................................................................................................124
Relationships ......................................................................................................................................125
Titles and Offices ..............................................................................................................................126

Chapter IX – Interacting with the Legendary World ...................................................145

What Makes an Adventure a Quest?.........................................................................................145
The Call ................................................................................................................................................145
The Decision .......................................................................................................................................146
The Sacrifice ......................................................................................................................................146
Preparation .........................................................................................................................................146
Scenes ..................................................................................................................................................146
Climax ..................................................................................................................................................148
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................148

Chapter X – Creatures....................................................................................................................149
Creature Descriptions .....................................................................................................................150
Chapter XI – Miscellaneous Rules ..........................................................................................167
Virtues ...................................................................................................................................................167
Vices .......................................................................................................................................................167
Passions.................................................................................................................................................168
Protagonist /Antagonist Points ........................................................................................................168
Poison Rules .........................................................................................................................................169
Effects of Diseases ...............................................................................................................................169
Rewards Tables ...................................................................................................................................169

Appendix A - Free Art License ...................................................................................................179

Appendix B -Useful Web Links ..................................................................................................182

Appendix C –Character Sheets .................................................................................................183

Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 1

Introduction
This introduction explains what a fantasy role playing game is, and what these rules have to offer.
It also discusses the organization of the rules, what to read first, etc. Finally, it gives details on
contacting the author and support resources available.

What is Fantasy Role Playing?

Fantasy Role Playing games are games like Dungeons and DragonsTM. Almost all of my readers
will have played in at least one Fantasy Role Playing game, Readers who are familiar with
Fantasy Role Playing games may move on to the next section.
For those who are unfamiliar with what a fantasy role playing game is, an FRP game a group of
people meet. They then enact a story, with most of the players running one or two characters
each; and a gamemaster defining the world and running the other characters in it. Using the
movies as a metaphor, the players each write their own character’s lines {producing a sometimes
messy script}, creating a story with the player characters as the heroes. The GM decides what is
and is not possible. The GM also runs the various non-heroic characters.
Since people identify with their characters, a conflict of interest arises between the GM, who often
identifies with the enemies of the player characters, and the players. This creates a need for rules.
For more on the nature of Fantasy role playing games see the Wikipedia article on role playing
games.
Role playing games, including this one, often use special dice. In these rules, D6 are the
traditional cubic 6 sided dice; D10 are ten sided dice; D20 are the D&D traditional 20 sided dice.
These rules also use D30, which are type of specialty dice that can be purchased at many game
stores, or from Chessex. Most gaming groups also use Battlemats {also available from Chessex}
and miniature figurines, as props to help people visualize combat action.
The easiest way to learn a role playing game is to join a group that plays it If this is impractical,
get the short version of the rules {available from the BRP Central Fire and Sword download page},
and read it to understand the basic structure of the game first. Then either download the Tishrei
setting, which has some sample character’s and fight a duel using the White Turbans, or create
characters using the character sheets and start a basic scenario. Learn the rules in the complete
rules set as you need them.

What These Rules Have to Offer

These rules are worthy of your consideration for the following reasons:
These rules can be freely copied and amended. This allows users to record the changes they make
to cover the needs of their particular campaign, and the extensions to the rules the make to
handle situations the authors did not envisage or dismissed as unimportant. This recording can
be done in a searchable form, by modifying the copy of the rules your campaign uses as
authoritative, directly.
The skill based structure of the game allows flexibility in character construction that class and
level games lack. The combination of abstract skill increase awarded at the end of gaming
sessions and opportunities for skill increase when a character manages a critical hit or a fumble
means that characters learn from experience without restricting characters to learning only skills
they frequently use in the game.
The system scales effectively, partly because the rate of character skill increase is non-linear,
decreasing at the highest levels.
The relatively simple combat rules, relying on opposed D20 rolls, do not depend on hit points.
This eliminates a bookkeeping hassle; eliminates frustration when the Game master wonders if
the players are really subtracting the results of blows from their character’s hit points; similarly
insures that the players do not wonder whether the GM is failing to subtract the damage their
characters do from the hit point totals of his monsters. This somewhat reduces the time spent in
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 2
in-game argument, and allows combat to be resolved more quickly, or larger combats to be
conducted, in a given session.
The combat rules have relatively realistic results, ranging from incapacitation followed by
recovery to walking wounded status, to death. This results in improved feel, relative to bashing
away at each other until one side is at negative hit points, at which point the loser dies.
Each of the three magic systems, divine, shamanic and sorcery, has a different “feel”. Players who
dislike math can play a theist or shamanist, players who like math can play a sorcerer.
There is a clean system for recording a character’s political status – who he owes favors to and
who owes him favors, how much a favor is worth, etc. This system includes a wide array of
sample titles and offices.
There is a clean system for dealing with economics, which handles extraordinary expenses
without bogging the game down by forcing a player to subtract three copper pieces each time his
character buys a dagger.

Organization of the Rules

These rules begin with the abstract foundation, which is the skills chapter. This is the basis for
the rest of the rules. The core of this chapter is that skills rolls are made on D20, that rolls below
skill are successes and that when two skills are opposed, the higher successful skill roll wins. A
roll exactly equal to the skill on the D20, followed by a success, is a “critical success”, which is the
best a character can usually do. Skills are increased when “checks” are awarded, usually at the
end of a session. There are a variety of modifiers to the skill before rolling, which are listed in a
table. Skills may be increased when a “check” is awarded. To go up, roll D20 and get a result
higher than current skill, with 20 always leading to skill increase. That’s the core of the skills
system. There are a number of other rules in the skills system, but knowing them is relatively
unimportant.
They then move on to a detailed description of character creation, again supported by examples.
After that comes combat. This is an area of sufficient importance to justify having a number of
special rules. The following chapters go into magic, one chapter for each type; rules for handling
the economics of a character’s life; and rules dealing with political power influence favors, titles
and offices.
Finally, there is a chapter dealing with “Legendary Quests”, which are basically quests where the
characters deal with gods and great spirits directly, and a chapter describing monsters.
The easiest way to use this rules set is to read and understand the Short Version, go through
character creation, and fight a combat or two. Then add rules on an as needed basis. For
example, don’t worry about shamanism for a while unless one or your players wants to play a
shaman.

Navigation in this document is probably best performed by going to the chapter you are interested
in using the Adobe Reader navigation section, and then opening the headings in that chapter. If
you know what you’re looking for, use Adobe search .

Copyright Information
This game is distributed under the Free Art License, a copy of which is included with the game.
It was developed for our personal campaign, set in the world of Glorantha. No Glorantha specific
information is intended to be included herein. The authors think that all references to the Issaries
trademarked and copyrighted works have been removed; if anyone thinks otherwise please
contact the authors of Fire and Sword and request removal of the offending items.

Contacting the Author

The author maintains a blog devoted to these rules. The URL of that blog is:
http://fireandsword-therules.blogspot.com/. You may comment in response to any post. There
is also a Yahoo group and mailing list. To receive announcements join the group, here. There is a
forum on BRP Central, devoted to discussion of the Fire and Sword rules, here. Another way to
get in touch with the author is to send to his personal email address:
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 3
raymond_turney@yahoo.com. An attempt will be made to answer email sent directly to the
author, but the author is sometimes very busy and unsolicited email may be routed to the spam
bin by Yahoo.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 4

Chapter I – Characteristics and Skills

This chapter describes the rules for characteristics and skills, which are the heart of the game.

Characteristics
Characteristics are natural talents. Skills are specialized developments of characteristics. Skills
are usually more important than characteristics, but characteristics are the foundation of skills, so
we will discuss characteristics first.

There are seven characteristics in Fire and Sword: Strength; Intelligence; Constitution; Dexterity;
Power; Charm and Size. The names of the characteristics are pretty much self explanatory, except
that Power is a measure of magical affinity and strength. The normal values for human characters
vary between three and eighteen, and characteristic assignment for human characters is discussed
under Assign Characteristics section of the chapter on Character creation.

Other creatures, notably including centaurs, dwarfs, elves, great orks and orks are also of about
the correct intelligence and size to make good player characters. Statistics are included for these
in the Creatures chapter, but they are not discussed in character creation. Gamemasters may
allow these types of creatures into their campaign if they judge that the character fits the plot and
the player is competent to play it.

Characteristics as Skills
It sometimes happens that characters are asked to deal with problems that anybody might have
some chance to deal with, even if they have no specific skill covering it. For example, a character
without a Climb skill might be asked for a DEX roll. When this happens, treat the relevant
characteristic as if it were a skill, resolving the request for a roll as if it were a skill.

Increasing Characteristics
Power may be increased as if it were a skill. Most other characteristics are harder to increase, so
add 5 to the characteristic before rolling to increase it. Intelligence cannot be increased. Also, a
roll of 20 to increase Power succeed automaticall. For other characteristics if the characteristic
plus 5 is greater than 20, roll again. If the second roll is greater than the characteristic, Power
increases.

Permissible Skills
A player can have any skill appropriate to his or her character that the GM authorizes. The GM
may call for skill rolls, but the player is ultimately responsible for asking if a skill can be used.
The GM is not obligated to be aware of what skills PC’s have. Applicability of skills is determined
by common sense, as interpreted by the GM. There is a core skill list, of standard skills included
with the game, later in this chapter. A GM may choose to allow his players to select their
character’s skill from the standard skill list, and only the standard skill list.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 5
Skill Rolls
To determine whether a character succeeds, roll D10 against skill in easy situations; D20 against
skill in normal situations; or D30 in a Heroic situation. A skill roll less than skill level, which is
not a 1, is a success, higher than skill is a failure. There are no critical successes or fumbles in
easy situation. In a normal situation a roll of 1, followed by a failure on a second skill roll is a
“fumble”. A roll of 1 or 2 on D30, followed by a failed skill roll on the Hero Plane, is a fumble. A
roll of skill exactly, followed by a successful skill roll, is a “critical”, in a normal or difficult
situation. A character with skill greater than 20 in a normal situation, or greater than 30 in a
heroic situation, may roll a second die, of the same type as that normally called for. If second die
is less than or equal to skill minus type of die rolled, he has rolled a “special”. If the second skill
roll is a failure, the second die has no effect. If skill is greater than 40 in a normal situation, or
greater than 60 when a D30 roll is required, the character may roll a third die, of the type
appropriate to the situation. If this third die is less than or equal to skill minus twice the size of
die rolled, the character has scored a critical success. If skill is greater than 60 in a normal
situation, or 90 on the Hero Plane, the player of the character may roll a fourth die, of the same
type as is normally rolled. If the roll is less than skill minus three times the size of die rolled, he
has scored a “Heroic”, or “cinematic” success.

Example: A monster is coming and Zenobia the Healer thinks it is time to hide. Her Hide skill is
`17, and the terrain is normal, being neither great nor terrible for hiding. Her player, Andi,
rolls a 17, and a 13 thereafter. She has done a great job of hiding and unless he moves or casts a
spell, the monster is unlikely to see her {and thus unlikely to bite her in half}. Her friend, Dalan,
also tries to hide; his player rolls a three.

Opposed Skills
Opposed skills: When two skills are opposed, such as attack and parry, or Hide and Spot Hidden,
the higher successful roll wins. A special will automatically beat a normal success but lose to
critical or cinematic successes. Critical successes beat normal and special successes, but
automatically lose to cinematic successes. Cinematic success beats anything other than another
cinematic success. Problems posed by the world, such as difficulty shooting an arrow from a
moving horse, are modeled by subtracting a numeric modifier from the skill prior to rolling dice.
If skill is reduced to zero or below by this modifier, success is impossible, and dice do not have to
be rolled. Guidelines for imposing modifiers are provided in the situational modifier table below,
Combat is more complicated, and a set of combat situational modifiers is presented in the Combat
rules chapter.
Sometimes a skill is opposed by both the world and a particular opponent. In this case, the
character must succeed against both the world and the opposing character. The skill is first
adjusted for the effects of the world, and then the result is determined by the normal method for
resolving opposed skills.

Situational Modifier Table

Situation Modifier
Attempting the almost impossible -20
Attempting something that only an -10
experienced character could do, exhausted
Attempting something tough, tired -5
Using a skill at a slight disadvantage {intrigue -3
against suspicious target, etc}

Example: As mentioned above, Dalan has hidden himself, as has Zenobia. A monster comes
around a bend in the path ahead. It is a gigantic armored snail like thing, with three heads.
Each head is treated separately for purposes of spotting hidden characters. The left head is
looking the wrong way, but the center and right heads might Spot Dalan and Zenobia. Each
head has a fifteen spot skill. The Game master rolls, the right head rolls 18 and does not see
anything. But for the center head he rolls a 10, and spots Dalan, who only hid with a 3.
Zenobia, much better hidden thanks to her roll of 17, is unobserved. The giant three headed snail
creeps forward. As soon as it is clear that it is heading towards Dalan, his player decides that
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 6
he can outrun a snail. He leaps up and starts running down the path. Zenobia remains
motionless as the snail slithers past her.

Complementary Skills and Effects of Spells

In some situations, two or more skills complement each other, for example Rhetoric and Law
Lore when arguing a legal case. If so, roll each skill separately and take the better result.
Magical spells may modify skills. There are three common types of modifiers: pluses to effective
skill, pluses to overcome opposition, and pluses to the die rolled. The most common ways of
expressing these are +X for modifiers to effective skill, and +Y/+Z for modifiers to die
rolled/modifier to overcome opposition.
Zenobia’s player remembers the situation that got her into this mess. She has a rhetoric skill of
15, and Law Lore of 7. She was arrested for practicing healing without a license. Hauled into
court, she argued that she had a license, but she had lost her copy; wasn’t it the responsibility of
the licensing bureau which did after all make her sign three copies to keep at least one of the
other two? So Andi got to roll for both law lore and rhetoric. Unfortunately for Zenobia, Andi
rolled a 10 for Law Lore and a 20 for rhetoric. Since Andi did not make either roll, she had to
make a deal with the court to go on this expedition to pay for a healer’s license. That snail is
looking pretty big, Zenobia thinks, maybe she made a mistake.

Skill Increase
Skill increase is determined by “rolling checks”. A character gets 2D6 checks, the exact number
determined by the GM, awarded at the end of each game session. Each check is a chance to go
up in 1 skill. These are abstractions, which do not represent particular opportunities, but describe
a character’s general progress. Thus, they are not closely tied to events in a particular session, but
they should not be used on skills that are “out of character”, or in which progress is grossly
implausible. A character also gets a check, in a particular skill, whenever he has a natural critical
success, or fumbles, on the first die roll, when using a skill. Note that critical successes resulting
from magical spells or skills over 40 are not considered natural for this purpose. This represents
learning by doing particularly wise or unwise, things and remembering them. This rule applies
only to skill attempts requested by the GM, or significant in game terms. If a player asks to roll
his character’s custom skill every time he orders a beer, the GM may regard this as primarily an
attempt to get a free check, and disallow the check. At the GM’s discretion, checks may be
awarded in specific skills, due to experiences the characters had during a particular session.
Characters may also receive checks from other sources, such as scrolls, teaching spirits, etc.
To roll a check, roll D20. If the roll is higher than current skill, the character goes up one point.
If the roll is ten higher than current skill, the character goes up two points. If the roll is twenty,
the character goes up whether or not this is greater than current skill. This D20 roll may be
modified, for some checks gained from advanced scrolls, etc.
Talent also affects the rate of skill increase. Most skills have one or more relevant characteristics,
know as Talents. When the die roll is skill -1, skill exactly, or 18 or 19 with skill 20 or higher, the
player may roll another D20. This simulates the effect of natural talent; if the second D20 roll is
less than or equal the governing talent, but greater than the difficulty for applying that
characteristic to the skill, the character’s skill goes up one point. Otherwise, the roll has no effect.
For example, consider scimitar attack. A character is 19 in scimitar attack. The player tolls an 18.
He looks on the skills table, and finds scimitar attack, and sees that it is Dexterity difficulty 12,
Strength difficulty 10. The character has Dexterity of 17 and Strength of 13. So the player rolls.
Any number greater than 12, and less than or equal to17, or greater than 10 and less than 13,
allows him to go up. So he goes up on any roll between 11 and 17.
There are “heroic checks”. These are rolled normally, and 5 is added to the result. So with a
heroic check, a roll of 15 would count as 20 and a 19 skill character would go up. Heroic checks
are uncommon in normal play, but may be awarded at the GM’s discretion to characters on
legendary quests or who perform a feat worthy of a fame point.
There are “heroic skills”. These are exotic skills learned on legendary quests. These may be
increased normally, but there is a -5 to the increase roll when using a check to go up. Heroic skills
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 7
are semi-magical, and usually require a POW sacrifice similar to a divine spell to start. They
cannot be taught to others.
In some cases, players may not want to take their chances on a die roll. The player may, at the
discretion of the GM, convert checks into “Experience Points”, and allocate them to skills. Each
check becomes one experience point. Each experience point invested is instead of a roll, and is
subject to the rules below on how many checks per session a character can put into a skill. The
character goes up automatically when he has half as many experience points in the skill, as his
current skill level, rounded up. If this system is used, when the character reaches (half skill level
– 1), the player may roll against the appropriate talent as defined earlier in this section, to
increase skill. When a skill increases, all experience points put into it are lost.
Skills above 20 are treated as 20 for purposes of going up via experience points. A player can split
a character’s checks, converting only one check, for example the check put into scimitar attack,
while rolling others.
Limitations on Check Allocation
A player can roll at most one check per skill per session, except under the following
circumstances:
A character may combine one check from a critical or fumble, and one awarded check, to allow his
player to roll twice, taking the better result; A character with a gift or geas allowing him to use two
checks in a skill may roll twice and take the better result; A character with one or more skills at
skill 20 or higher may put a second check into the 20+ skill, and roll twice taking the better result.
This may be done for at most one 20+ skill per game session.
Example: In the real world it is getting to be time to adjourn the game session. People have to
get some sleep, and one of the gamers works night shift on game nights. So the game ends here,
with Dalan and Zenobia separated from each other, both of them separated from the rest of the
group, and a giant snail moving past Zenobia. Since it is the end of a game session, it is time to
roll checks. Another player rolls a 6 on 2D6, and each character in the party gets 6 “checks” to
possibly improve their skills. Andi thinks it would be good if Zenobia were better at hiding
herself. She would like to put all six checks into hide, but the rules only allow her to use one. She
rolls a 12, which is less than Zenobia’s hide skill; so Zenobia does not go up in Hide skill this
session. Andi then remembers that Zenobia managed a critical success, and that a critical
success gets a check that can be rolled, in addition to allocated checks. So she rolls again, for the
critical check, and with a 19 Zenobia increases her Hide skill to 18.

Training
When one character trains another, the trainer gives up a check and the character being trained
gains a bonus. This bonus is 1 per point that the trainer is better than the trainee, up to a
maximum of 5. Normal training will only improve the recipient’s chance of improving his skill
when that skill is less than 20. Some heroes, gods, etc, are exceptions to this rule and can train
characters to skill levels greater than 20.

Defaults/Starting Skills
There is no default for Language and Custom skills, or Lore skills. For most other skills, a
character starts a skill at a level equal to either the Characteristic(s) listed for it under talent on
the table below minus 10, or a related skill minus ten. For example when a character with a
twenty two scimitar attack, gets a magic axe, his axe attack starts at 12. When he wants to start a
Climb skill he starts at DEX minus 10. When he wants to learn to read Hieroglyphics, his skill
starts at zero.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 8
Core Skill List
The following table describes the core skill list normally used in this game:
Skills Table
Name Talents Difficulty
Administration Intelligence/Charm 10/10
Archery Dexterity 10
Area Lore Intelligence 10
Axe Attack Strength 10
Bargain Charm/Intelligence 10/10
Ceremony Intelligence 10
Channeling Power 10
Climb Dexterity/Strength 10/10
Craft Skills Dexterity 10
Cult Lore Intelligence 10
Culture Lore Intelligence 10
Dagger Attack Dexterity 10
Dagger Parry Dexterity 10
Dance Dexterity 10
Devotional Meditation Constitution 10
Discorporation Power 10
Dreamspeaking Power/Intelligence 10/10
Enchant Intelligence 10
Fast Talk Charm/Intelligence 10/10
Herbalism Intelligence 10
Hide Size >Size on D20
Insight Intelligence 10
Insight Meditation Constitution 10
Interrogation Intelligence 10/10
Intrigue Intelligence 10
Investigate Charm 10
Javelin Attack Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Lance Attack Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Language and Custom Charm 10
Law Lore Intelligence 10
Leadership Charm 10
Legend Lore Intelligence 10
Lightfingers Dexterity 10
Listen Constitution 10
Logistics Intelligence 10
Mace Attack & Parry Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Manifestation {Spirits Power 10
only}
Military Lore Intelligence 10
Mystic Dance Dexterity 10
Navigation Intelligence 10
Rhetoric Charm/Intelligence 10/10
Rhomphaia Attack & Parry Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Ride Dexterity 10
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 9
Seamanship Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Second Sight Power 10
Religious Philosophy Intelligence 10
Seduction Charm 10
Shield Parry Dexterity/Strength 10/10
Siegecraft Intelligence 10
Sing Charm 10
Sorcery Lore Intelligence 10
Spear Attack & Parry Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Spirit Combat Power 10
Spot Constitution 10
Stewardship Intelligence 10
Street Wisdom Intelligence 10
Summoning Intelligence 10
Sword Attack and Parry Strength/Dexterity 10/10
Tracking intelligence 10
Tradecraft Intelligence 10
Tradition Lore Intelligence 10
Treasure Lore Intelligence 10
Unarmed Combat Dexterity 10
Wilderness Lore Intelligence 10

Core Skill Descriptions

This section describes the skills that exist in the basic rules, and how they work in game terms.
Other skills will certainly exist, but this should include all of the skills commonly used in a fantasy
setting, and a few more besides.
Administration
This skill is used in dealing with bureaucracy. It covers knowledge of the structure of the
bureaucracy, what forms need to be filled out when, what the expected input is, the customary
bribe expected in most situations, how to get around attempts by bureaucrats to delay the
character or shake him down. It has some overlap with military lore, in that administration is
often important in dealing with the army; but does not include knowledge of the customs
necessary to pass a character off as an army officer.
Archery
This is proficiency with the bow and arrows. It does not cover crossbows. For convenience, the
differences among the various types of normal arrows are ignored. There are three types of
commonly found bow: composite, long and short. The basic bow is the short bow, available to any
character raised in the country. It is used for hunting small game, with a maximum rage of short
bow range {about 50 paces}. It does 1D8 damage at this range, and 1D10 at their point blank
range of 10 meters. A Longbow has an effective range of about a hundred paces, and has a point
blank range of 20 paces. The associated damage is 1D8+1 at effective range and 1D10+1 at point
blank range. Composite bows are like longbows, except that they are compact enough to be easily
used from the back of a horse or other animal. They are usually available only to nomadic
tribesmen, but are also sometimes issued to the military. Archery skill allows a character to use
any of these types of bows. It should be noted in passing that in the hands of a skilled wielder
both the English longbow and Turkish composite bow had longer ranges and arguably more
penetrating power than described here, but war bow technology is assumed to be less well
developed than in late medieval times, and archers less intensively trained than late medieval
archery specialists.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 10
Area Lore
This skill is covers knowledge of an area and its history. It is usually defined by a city and its
environs, but can cover more substantial areas such as a valley. It is a skill with a very broad
scope, ranging from estimating how old a building is, to knowing where to look for the best bar, to
knowing how the real power structure of the city works. Knowing the name of someone in the
Healing temple and that she lives two blocks over is area lore. This skill has a good deal of
overlap with Street Wisdom, in the sense that both would include information such as which gang
rules which area of the city. It does not include things you would expect to be known only to
people with really shady connections, such as the secret recognition sign of the Thieves Guild, the
names of the top three fences in town, or which city guards are bent enough to let you leave
quickly and quietly over the walls for the right price.
Axe Attack
Like administration, this skill has been used in dealing with bureaucracy, though the effects have
been somewhat different. It is more often used on the battlefield, however. This skill does not
include throwing a throwing axe, but it does include use of other types of axes. The user must
specify which subspecialty of axe attack he concentrates on. The most common type of axe attack
is the use of the battleaxe, which is a weapon which can be used either one handed, in which case
it does the normal one handed weapon damage of 1D10, or two handed in which case it does
1D10+1 damage but the wielder cannot use a shield. Two handed axes, that do 1D10+2, and are as
long as a spear, are also known but rare. Strictly one handed battleaxes are also known, but rare
except in places where their use has a religious significance. An axe is a normal melee weapon
and the rules for a 2 handed weapon apply to the two handed axe, and the rules for one handed
weapons apply to the use of a one handed axe.
Bargain
This skill is bargaining in the context of being a merchant. It covers such things as knowing how
much an item costs elsewhere, what the costs of transporting it from there to here would be,
knowing whether the bid a customer is offering is on the low end or the high end of the potential
range of values for the commodity, etc. It also includes normal haggling, arguing that you don’t
have the money to pay more, etc; but normal marketplace bargaining can also be done with the
appropriate Language and Custom skill. After all, everyone bargains, dresses down when
shopping so as not to appear too rich, etc. Only merchants are skilled at figuring out the relative
prices of goods in various places, and the costs of transport. Overlaps between this skill and
language and custom skills are handled in the usual manner, with the GM deciding whether either
skill would do, in which case the player may roll either; deciding that Language and Custom
would cover the situation, but the situation is unusual so there is a -10 difficulty in using the
Language and Custom skill but allowing both; or deciding that the specialized Bargain skill is
necessary.
Ceremony
Ceremony is the skill of increasing one’s effective magical skill or power by performing a ritual. It
is used in sacrificing for and regaining divine magic spells; sorcery; and to a lesser extent, in
shamanism. The uses of ceremony vary with the nature of the magic performed, and are
described in the chapter for the appropriate magic system.
Climb
This applies to climbing steep hills, getting up on top of roofs, etc. In general, any climb that
requires more than normal walking skill and endurance is covered by this skill. A character who
makes a climb roll climbs up, a character that fails a climb roll cannot figure out how to do the
climb for three rounds, if the climbing is taking place in the context of a fight; or one episode, if
the climb is not. Obviously, a character can do far more climbing in an episode than in three
rounds in the middle of a fight; and the GM should adjust the climb requirements accordingly.
A character can also make his or her climb roll with a -10 modifier for hard skill use, when helping
others to climb. When this is done, the player of the character being helped rolls against the
climb skill – 10 of the helping character, if this is higher than that of his or her own character.
This skill includes knowledge of exotic mounting climbing techniques involving ropes, pitons, etc;
but use of the skill does not require these. Some climbs, however, much require climbing tools
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 11
Craft Skills
This includes glassblowing, silversmith work, singing, etc. In other words any traditional craft
and any other work requiring a high level of a specific skill. Note that by this definition farming is
a craft. Each craft is separate. A silversmith does not necessarily know anything about carpentry
or making armor. Craft skill rolls are seldom required in the game.
If for some reason a craft skill roll is required, use the following rules. Once a character is
reasonably good {15+ at the craft}, doing normal craft work is “routine” and rolled on a D10.
Masterpiece level work, which will allow someone to enchant the item produced as magical, and
impress people, requires a minimum skill of 20 and a D20 minus 10 {for the difficulty of the
work}.
The economic value of a craft skill varies with demand, ease of entry, skill level of the craftsman,
level of guild organization, and even the value placed on it by the culture. An itinerant singer is
lucky to be as rich as a poor peasant or grade level 3; a master goldsmith in a highly organized
guild that limits competition could be as rich as a fairly rich merchant {which is what he is if he
sells his own work}. This is grade 7 or 8 in a highly bureaucratized empire; or middle merchant in
barbarian cultures. The GM should rule on how rich characters making a living by practicing a
craft are, as and when necessary.
Culture Lore
This is a catch-all skill, which describes the lore an elite member of the culture would be expected
to know. This includes literacy in those culture which are literate; commonly invoked customary
law {things like how property is usually divided among heirs after death} familiarity with the
mythos of the common cults in the culture, attitudes toward other cultures, history, political
structures, etc. It does not include how to speak the language, or where the best place to stable
your horse in this town might be; that is custom. It does include heraldry.
At skill levels of below 12, it is clear that you are an adolescent or a foreigner. The character can
read scrolls in the language, so long as they are not esoteric; the character can recognize the
names of deities, but not which social groups worship them, what their mythos is, etc. The
character has no skill in law or history, or heraldry; he would the names of the king and maybe
some baron, but not where their lands are, etc. From 12 to 18, the character has mastered the
basics of the culture, and is starting to understand the history, law, and how things really work in
the culture. At this level of skill, the character does not have to roll to read basic scrolls, and has a
normal chance {D20 roll} to understand history, politics, common heraldry and cult lore scrolls.
Esoteric information, such as whether or not House Artabanes had a connection with a particular
magic sword last heard of a hundred and fifty years ago, will still elude the character. At 18+,
characters start to become aware of secret and esoteric information; for example that House
Artabanes and House Tiridates may be officially at peace, but each suspects the other of having
had some of its members assassinated, that a hero of House Artabanes called on the Devil a
hundred years ago and while the matter has been hushed up they still owe the Devil a favor, etc.
If a character wants to know the principal houses at the time of a battle a hundred years and their
heraldry, he or she should have culture lore of 18 or higher.
Culture Lore has some overlap with more specialized skills such as Insight, Intrigue, Rhetoric,
Seduction etc. When calling for a roll the GM can classify the situation as something any member
of the culture should be able to deal with, in which case he should call for culture lore or a roll of
the specialized skill; something that is in the overlap or gray area, in which case the GM should
call for a roll of either (CL-10) or the relevant specialized skill; or as requiring the specialized skill
and demand the specialized skill. For example, anyone in the culture might be expected to know
the name of the king, who as a legal official is also well known to characters skilled in rhetoric. So
knowing the name of the Eye of the Padishah is either Culture Lore or rhetoric. Persuading the
King to support him or her in pursuit of title or office, or to finance an expedition, is pushing it;
most members of the culture probably know something about this, but they are not necessarily
good at it. So this would call for Culture Lore – 10, or rhetoric. Making a formal argument in a
legal case before the Eye of the Padishah is something even most high status members of the
culture wouldn’t know how to do, so attempting it requires the Rhetoric skill.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 12
Channeling
This skill allows the character to be voluntarily possessed by a spirit, which can use its skills. A
channeler provides his or her communication and lore skills to the spirit he or she is channeling.
The player of the channeler loses control of the character to the player of the spirit being
channeled; but may choose to end the channeling session at any time. In any event, the
channeling session will end at the end of the episode. Channeling may be attempted only once
per day.
A normal success on channeling skill will allow the character to channel a spirit of up to twice the
Power characteristic of the channeling character, and of normal human intelligence or less. A
special success will allow the channeling character to channel a spirit of up to four times the
Power of the channeling character, and up to twice normal human intelligence. A critical success
will allow the channeling character to channel a heroic spirit; a cinematic success will allow the
character to channel a demigod. Failure when attempting to channel a hero or minor deity may
lead to disaster; fumbling roll will result in the character going apparently insane for a week.
Before channeling a spirit, it must first be summoned, unless it happens to be in the area.
Cult Lore
This skill combines the knowledge needed to cast divine spells granted by a deity, with knowledge
of the myths and legends in which that deity appears, and with a difficulty modifier of -10, any
lore skills, other than culture lore skills, listed in the cult description. The primary use of this skill
is to cast divine magic spells as described in the section on casting spells in the chapter on theism.
It can, with a -10 modifier, as an administration skill for rolls relating to a cult’s administrative
structure. Additional knowledge may be covered by cult lore, as defined in the cult description for
a particular cult.
Dagger Attack
Dagger attack skill is pretty much what the name implies. A dagger is any edged weapon smaller
than a short sword, which is about 20 inches in length or less. For game purposes, all daggers do
1D8 damage and can easily be hidden {i.e. unless an enemy pats the character down or makes a
spot roll, the enemy is unaware that the dagger is there}. Daggers may be either thrusting or
cutting weapons, at the option of the character owning the dagger. This skill covers both cutting
and thrusting attacks. This skill does not cover throwing a dagger.
Dagger Parry
Dagger parry skill is pretty much what the name implies. A dagger is any edged weapon smaller
than a short sword, which is about 20 inches in length or less. Normal daggers can parry the 1D10
of a normal attack, but not the damage bonus. Special parrying daggers, which cannot be used for
attacking, can be used to parry up to 1D10+5 worth of damage. Excess damage gets through. A
dagger can be hidden, but unlike a shield does nothing at all to block throwing or missile weapon
attacks.
Dance
Dance covers professional dancing, for a character’s native culture without making a culture lore
roll; and for other cultures if and only if a culture lore skill roll is made. Social dance is much less
athletic, and is included in the appropriate culture lore or custom skill. Simply looking like a
competent professional in a chorus line is “easy” for a character with this skill, and can be done on
a successful D10 roll. Being a soloist or really impressing people is much harder, and requires a
D20 roll. A critical dance roll in an important situation can net a character a fame point, but a
fumble in the wrong spot can also give a character an infamy point. Dance skill is considered a
craft skill, and for purposes of this game a professional dancer are considered skilled craft worker.
Devotional Meditation
This skill takes two uninterrupted hours to practice, and if the skill roll is successful, one point of
Prayer is regained. If the skill roll is a special success, two points of Prayer are regained; if the
skill roll is a critical three points of Prayer are regained. If the character does not have enough
expended prayer to use all of the points regained, the extra points are lost. This skill also allows
the GM to send a vision from the deity to the character performing devotional meditation, if and
only if this is convenient for the story.
Discorporation
Discorporation is the skill of becoming a pure spirit. When moving to on the material plane, in
discorporate form, a shaman moves at the speed he would make if he were a naked runner on the
physical plane. While discorporate, the discorporate character becomes a spirit, and is subject to
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 13
the rules normally affecting spirits. His or her body falls into what appears to be a deep sleep; it
does not move of its own volition and the discorporate character is unaware of anything his body
might normally sense.
Dreamspeaking
Dreamspeaking is the art of dream interpretation. Many shamans and priestly types know it.
Dreams are sometimes sent by gods or demons. A successful dreamspeaking roll will usually
allow the dreamspeaker to figure out whether the sender is a demon, god, Great Spirit, and which
demon, god or Great Spirit it is. It will also usually allow the dreamspeaker to determine which
plan or action the sending is related to, and whether the sending entity is for or against what the
character is planning to do. A Dreamspeaking skill roll with a -10 difficulty modifier will be able
to interpret the dream as if it were a Divination III spell granted by the sending entity. Dreams
are sometimes the result of possession by spirits. A successful dreamspeaking roll will allow the
possessed patient to resume spirit combat against the possessing spirit, using his or her current
POW, not his POW at the time that he lost the fight.
In cultures that value dream interpretation, dreamspeaking often makes people feel better, and
the fact that they have their dreams interpreted is a status symbol. Therefore, a dreamspeaker is
considered a skilled craft worker for purposes of these rules.
Enchant
This is the skill required to make magical items. The process for making a magical item varies
with the nature of the item, but an outline of some typical processes, for game masters to use in
ruling on what is need to make an item are described here. Magical items can be divided into two
types, consumables and permanent items. Consumables are things like sorcery MP restoring
potions; divine magic prayer sticks, etc. To make a sorcery MP restoring potion, start with
ingredients that are usually worth about 10 silver; spend a day enchanting and purifying the
potion {which is where the enchant skill comes in}, and cast Aid. The number of magic points in
the potion is the number of magic points the aid spell would deliver. Prayer sticks start with a
stick of incense, costing about 10 silver pieces each. These must be blessed and various rituals
dedicating them to the deity must be performed {this requires a roll of enchant skill, and also a
casting of the Bless spell}, and then a casting of Prayer at the end of the process. One point of
Prayer can be stored in a prayer stick blessed with Bless I, two points of Prayer can be stored in a
Prayer stick blessed with Bless II, and three points of Prayer can be stored in a Prayer stick
blessed with Bless III. Prayer sticks may only be created by characters that have attained the
required rank in the cult to create them.
Creating a permanent magical item is a much more serious business. It typically requires a
masterpiece quality item {made by someone with a skill of 20+), a minimum of a week and a
maximum of a month of ritual preparation of the item; sacrifice of six checks worth of
advancement {to represent the time needed to make the item}, and one roll on the enchant skill
per week to prepare the item. If the character try to enchant does not make the enchant test,
preparing the item takes a week longer. A fumble will force ruin the materials used and force the
would-be enchanter to start over. At the end of the process, the character ends up with one of the
fairly common enchanted items on the common enchanted item table.
Fast Talk
This is the art of persuading people not to look too closely into something funny. It overlaps with
rhetoric, in that it involves persuasion; and it overlaps with Language and Custom skills, in being
a part of street life. The rules for handling the overlap are the same as for other overlapping skills.
When calling for a roll the GM can classify the situation as something any member of the culture
should be able to deal with, in which case he should call for language and custom or a roll of the
specialized skill; something that is in the overlap or gray area, in which case the GM should call
for a roll of either (Language and Custom - 10) or the relevant specialized skill; or as requiring the
specialized skill and demand the specialized skill. In general, fast talk is highly relevant when
coming up with a quick explanation of why your character is acting in a suspicious manner; of
some value in casual persuasion, and completely useless in an academic or formal legal context.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 14
Herbalism
This is the ability to find valuable plants in the wilderness {including poisons}, identify which
plants are safe to eat, etc. It also has a fair amount of overlap with Wilderness Lore, in that
herbalists often know where and how to hide, etc. Outside the core specialty of plant
identification, herbalism is at a -10 when used as Wilderness Lore. Herbalism is useless for
purposes of identifying animal tracks, predicting animal behavior, or telling a character where to
hide.
In a civilized area, Herbalism requires a roll against the POW characteristic of the character – 10,
to represent luck. This is because the foliage in civilized areas is pretty well worked over by other
herbalists. In the wilderness, the minus 10 does not apply, but a roll of Power or less on D20 is
still required. If a group is marching, though, either they move at half speed or they leave the
herbalist behind. If it is dramatically desirable, the GM may rule that usable plants are present
without requiring a luck roll, and he may upgrade normal roles to special results, special results to
critical results, and critical results to two rolls.
When the luck roll is made, the Herbalist gets one roll on the Herbalism table per day. A special
luck roll gets two rolls; and a critical luck roll gets three.
Herbalism Table
Roll Effect Doses
1-3 Cure Specific Disease I potion {which disease is determined by plot, 1D3
or roll randomly
4 Cure Specific Disease II potion{which disease is determined by plot, 1
or roll randomly
5-7 Heal Potion {cures Flesh rot and also has the effect of a normal Heal 1D3
spell}
8-9 Greater Heal Potion {as above, but has the effect of a Greater Heal 1D3
spell}
10 Heal Body Potion {as above, but has the effect of Heal Body and 1
Cure Flesh Rot II combined
11-12 Blade venom - +5 to incapacitate, +5 to lethality, if any damage gets 1D3
through
13-14 Bitter plant poison, if you can a person to ingest a dose {usually by 1D3
forcing it down them}, they will die unless a (Constitution – 10) roll
is made, but people usually won’t east this stuff. Characters who
survive a dose are seriously wounded
15 Tasteless plant poison – victim dies if unless a Constitution roll is 1
made – and is seriously wounded otherwise
16 Sleeping draught – tasteless – any character who takes this goes into 1
a natural deep sleep, and will awaken at dawn the day after his or
her player makes a constitution roll.
17-18 Shamanic skill enhancer – if a treated form of this plant is smoked 1
the smoker is +3 on all shamanic skills rolls, and on Power rolls for
purposes of spirit combat
19 Berserker plant – the character who eats this plant is affected by an 1
effect which is treated for rules purposes as if it were the Battle
Frenzy divine spell
20 Roll on Rare Herbalism Table NA

Rare Herbalism Table

Roll Effect Doses
1 Revivify Potion – burn seven doses around a body and it comes back 1D3
to life
2-3 Beeswax from rare species of bees, each dose creates 1 candle which 1D3
can be burnt a rate which releases 5 sorcery magic points per hour,
for four hours.
4-5 Awareness potion – a character that drinks this becomes hyper alert 1D3
for 12 hours. Character cannot sleep
6-7 Potion of Dispossession –any character who drinks this will have 1
attacking spirits Banished as if a Banish III spell were cast at them
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 15
8 Panacea potion {treat as Panacea spell} 1
9-11 Trickster shape shifting potion – roll 1D6 to determine form; 1 is cat, 1
2 is raven, 3 is turtle, 4 is rabbit, 5 is sheep, 6 is worm. Shape shift
lasts for one day.
12 Trickster sex change potion – a male character who consumes this 1
becomes female, and vice versa
13-14 Shamanic skill enhancer – if a treated form of this plant is smoked 1
the smoker is +5 on all shamanic skills rolls, and on Power rolls for
purposes of spirit combat. Discorporation automatically succeeds
15-16 Any character who smokes this receives a blessing from his or her 1
deity – all divine spells are regained and a divination {treat as the
Divination I spell} is cast on his behalf
17 Potion of Magic Resistance – drinker is immune to hostile spells 1
unless the caster rolls a critical
18-19 Luck charm – when a character is asked for a luck roll and has time 1
to consume the potion, consuming the potion replaces the luck roll
20 Universal antidote. Character who consumes this will find all effects 1D3
of poisons negated. If drunk, character becomes sober.

Hide
This is the ability to hide people. The basic assumptions are that you have only one round to hide,
are not planning to move, there is a fair amount of cover available, and that the hiding character
is human sized. If the character has 3 rounds to hide, roll twice and take the better result. If the
character has a few minutes to find the best hiding place, roll three times and take the best result.
If there is very little cover available, Hide skill suffers from a -10 modifier. If there is no cover at
all, hiding is at -20. If the hiding character is an elephant, Hide may be at a -20. If the character
is very small, such as being a cat or even rat, Hide skill may benefit from a +10 modifier. If a
character wants to move and remain hidden, his or her player must roll Hide skill again at a -10.
Hiding is hard in Medium armor, because when a character moves he makes noise, so medium
armor is -5 to Hide. Heavy armor is even worse, and is -10 to a character’s ability to hide. A
character cannot hide while doing something very dramatic, such as charging into battle or
casting a spell. If a character has the time to do so, he or she can use one of his or her hide skill
rolls to hide someone else. A character with a few minutes can hide an entire group with his or
her Hide skill, but he or she only gets one roll.
Insight
This is the ability to sense that something is funny about someone else’s actions or reactions. A
successful basic insight roll will tell the skill user whether or not other characters present have
something significant to hide, when asked a question or in conversation. It will also expose a
character pretending to be something, socially speaking, that he is not. For example, to spot that
someone pretending to be a slave is really not a slave, or at least is not used to acting like one,
would be an insight roll. If made with a difficulty of 10, the Insight skill will tell the skill user
what emotions the characters around him are experiencing; whether or not another character is
anticipating something; or the nature of what is being hidden, for example, that the guy posing as
a cook is really a trained warrior. Insight may be opposed by an appropriate Language and
Custom skill at a -10 to effective die rolled or by the Intrigue skill.
Insight Meditation
This skill takes two uninterrupted hours to practice. It allows the character to meditate and
realize that something important happened, even if he or she missed it at the time. In game
terms, the player may roll Insight Meditation, and if successful learn what he would have learned
at the time with Dreamspeaking, Insight, Intrigue, Listen or Spot. All modifiers that applied to
the original Insight, Intrigue, Listen or Spot roll also apply to the Insight Meditation roll. At the
discretion of the GM, it can also be used to inquire about the Insight Meditator is missing
something. Results are strongly uneasy, uneasy, normal, and positive.
Intrigue
This is the art of getting apparently insignificant pieces of information out of people, from which
large conclusions can be drawn and/or planting suggestions and rumors without anyone noticing
that you are doing this. What distinguishes intrigue from other social skills is that its use remains
unnoticed. Intrigue is opposed by Intrigue itself, or culture lore used as intrigue with the penalty
described above in the culture lore rules. The difficulty of remaining unnoticed may make things
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 16
would only require a normal success with rhetoric require a special success with intrigue {for
example. Recruiting for a rebellion is less risky if you feel the possible recruit out first with
intrigue and only attempt to recruit with rhetoric people that the intrigue skill suggests will be
sympathetic, but it is very difficult to recruit someone for a rebellion without disclosing your
interest in rebelling yourself}. When this rule is to be applied is decided on by the GM on a case
by case basis.
Interrogation
Interrogation is the art of persuading a prisoner, suspect or witness to reveal information that he
or she knows. This skill covers all aspects of police and intelligence interrogation, from how to
frame questions to the uses and limitations of torture. To apply interrogation, the target must be
in custody, or have reason to believe that if he refuses to cooperate he or she soon will be in
custody. Interrogation may be resisted by Language and Custom skill, at a -10 to effective die roll,
or by the Interrogation skill itself.
A normal success on interrogation, which is not opposed, will get a character to reveal a secret
implicating others, who he has a relationship of 3 or less with. It will also get the object of the
interrogation to admit anything he is pretty sure the interrogators can find out by other means
anyway. A special will get the object of the interrogation to admit a secret implicating him or her
in a serious crime, in exchange for a promise of leniency. A critical will get the object of the
interrogation to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, in exchange for a
promise of leniency. Torture can be used; this upgrades the result of the interrogation by one
level {failure to success, success to special, special to critical} but if the person or entity being
interrogated fails a constitution roll, it may be inaccurate. If torture is used, people will talk; but
if they crack they will say whatever the torturer wants to hear in order to get the torturer to stop.
Investigate
This is the skill of knowing how to interview witnesses, recognize clues, what questions to ask, etc.
The primary tool of the criminal investigator, it is used when a character is unable to take
someone into custody for formally interrogation, wants a clue about what clues to look for, etc. It
is different from interrogation in that it does not include intimidation, and does not cover forcing
reluctant people to talk {though it can include some persuasion}. It is different from intrigue in
that it cannot be done without other people noticing. On the other hand it does include things
like knowing to look around in the outdoors for tracks when a dead body is found, recognizing
whether or not a wound was caused by a dagger or a sword, etc. In cases where this skill overlaps
with another, the GM can let the player choose between them; if one skill seems less applicable
than the other, the less applicable skill suffers a -10 difficulty modifier.
Javelin Attack
This is the skill of throwing a javelin and hitting something with it. Javelins do 1D10 of damage,
and thrown javelins have an effective range of thirty paces. The advantage of this attack is that a
character can throw a javelin and draw a sword as one action; a character can also run and throw
a javelin at the same time. Finally, a javelin is a one handed weapon that can be easily combined
with a shield. In many situations, these advantages outweigh the additional range of the bow and
arrow. Javelin attack also covers a much rarer weapon, feathered throwing darts. These are like
miniature javelins, about 6 inches in length. They do 1D8 damage, but are much easier to carry
than full sized javelins, and can be hidden.
Lance Attack
The classical knightly charge, with couched lance, this skill is not known in all cultures. The
advantages of this are attack are that it gets the full damage bonus of the mount, not the rider {for
a human riding a horse, this makes the attacker count as large}; that since the lance is a very long
spear it is usually the longer weapon against non lance armed foes and so strikes first; and that
the rider can often ride past his enemy rather than sticking around. The disadvantages of this
attack are that the attacker must be mounted, and his mount must have spent at least one round
at the gallop. The lance itself is treated as a long spear, and does 1D10 of damage. A lance can be
cut down and used as a long spear on foot.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 17
Language and Custom
The ability to speak a language, and knowledge of the customs of its speakers, are normally highly
correlated. So they are merged into one skill, for purposes of these rules. What a character can
understand and communicate is subject to threshold effects. At skill 4, a character can recognize
the language if he or she hears it, at a skill of 7 a character is able to communicate, but at only if
native speakers speak slowly and the concepts being communicated is concrete. The GM may call
for rolls if the character tries to communicate or understand anything. At skill 10, basic fluency is
attained. Communication skills such as rhetoric may be used normally. Communication is
normally possible, but the GM may call for rolls if the concepts being communicated are very
complicated, or it is a stress situation where no time for clarification is available. If the skill 10
character is not a native speaker, he or she will speak with an accent. Also, skill 10 characters are
often seen as uneducated, and the GM may rule that they cannot special in communication skills.
Skill 15 or higher characters may speak with any accent they wish, recognize the accents of others,
and use communication skills without restriction.
Some languages are related. If a character knows a related language, he can get by in the other,
but his fluency drops one level or two at the discretion of the GM.
Language and Custom has some overlap with more specialized skills such as Admin, Bargaining,
Insight, Intrigue, Rhetoric, Seduction etc. When calling for a roll the GM can classify the situation
as something any member of the culture should be able to deal with, in which case he should call
for a language and custom roll or a roll of the specialized skill; something that is in the overlap or
gray area, in which case the GM should call for a roll of either (Language and Custom-10) or the
relevant specialized skill; or as requiring the specialized skill and demand the specialized skill.
For example, knowing whether an outfit is appropriate for a party, and whether it is a good look
for her is something that any woman could reasonably be expected to know something about.
How to get a Follow Fashion spell cast at very short notice is something any woman might know,
but a skilled seductress is more likely to know, so it calls for a roll of Culture Lore -10 or
Seduction. Knowing how to find out that Lord X has a thing for redheads, and prepare
accordingly is Seduction.
Law Lore
This is specialized knowledge of legal precedent, usually combined with rhetoric to argue a legal
case. It can also be used by judges, to make sure their rulings conform to precedent and the
decrees of the Emperor. In game terms, roll both rhetoric and law lore when arguing a legal case,
and take the better result.
Leadership
Leadership is the art of getting people to follow you in stressful situations, such as combat. A
good leader is visibly confident, even when such confidence is clear evidence that he is not in his
right mind. This confidence reassures other people {not necessarily the leader} that he knows
what he is doing and gets other people to follow him. His or her orders are clearly expressed,
short and to the point, etc. The central application of this skill is to get followers to stand and join
you in fighting an oncoming monster; it can also be used to get people to change facing etc on the
battlefield. Normally player characters are exempted from the application of this skill, for
dramatic reasons, but the authors have had characters that were affected by this skill. In fact,
rolls on this skill have been called for by one player when another player wanted to lead his
character.
Legend Lore
Legend lore is knowledge of mythic narratives, and also knowing about bestiaries, etc. With
Legend Lore a character can tell whether the thing the villagers are talking about, with the head of
an owl and the body of a lion, is more like the wyvern the party beat two sessions ago or a dragon
that is clearly out of the party’s league. Legend Lore also covers things like knowing the names of
spirits, etc. GM’s may rule that in some campaigns, Legend Lore cannot be increased unless the
characters deal with something legendary.
Lightfingers
This skill covers most of the specialties of the D&DTM thief class. It includes disarming traps,
picking locks, and picking pockets. These are all combined into one skill because there is not
enough demand for them in the game to justify separating them, and they are usually combined
in one character. This character often plays a role similar to the D&D thief, in our campaign he or
she is traditionally referred to as an “access specialist”. This skill cannot be used if the character
trying it is wearing gloves or heavy armor.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 18
Listen
This is the skill of picking out a conversation in the hubbub of a restaurant, hearing orders in the
noise of battle, or hearing the noise of an ambusher sneaking up quietly on you. It does not
confer understanding of what is heard, so overhearing a conversation in a restaurant may not help
a character if she does not know the language being spoken. A successful Listen skill roll will
prevent surprise, or allow a character overhearing a conversation to understand it.
Logistics
This covers the skill set of a loadmaster or supercargo, and is basically expertly packing supplies
to get the most out of the party’s animals, or loading a ship to maintain stability, etc. It also
includes knowing how much you can put on a mule or into a ship. Most mercantile groups have a
logistics specialist. Logistics is also useful in figuring out how much food a large group of soldiers
is going to need, and the best way to carry it.
Mace Attack and Parry
These are separate skills, but are covered together because of their obvious relationship. Maces
come in three varieties, Light, Heavy, and Two Handed. A light mace is a club, and does 1D8 of
damage. A heavy mace is the typical spiked ball from the middle ages that we usually think of
when we think of a mace. A two handed mace is a long pole, with a larger spiked club, and does
1D10+2. Specialized maces {as opposed to various types of clubs} have the advantage of
penetrating heavy armor as if it were medium, but are usually shorter than broadswords and a
mace wielder strikes after a swordsman in combat. Two handed maces are the only maces
commonly used for parrying, and 2Handed Mace parry is effectively the same skill as 2Handed
Spear parry.
Manifestation
This is the skill of manifesting a form on the physical or heroic planes. A ghost creating a bloody
but translucent human form; a cult spirit animating a statue of the goddess to cast Divine Magic
for the acolyte who has summoned it; and even a tiger spirit producing the image inside a victim’s
mind as it attacks the target in spirit combat are all using Manifestation. Manifestation is
necessary for a spirit to affect the physical plane, outside of the rare places which are part of both
the normal and the spirit planes. If Manifestation is made for the purpose of attacking an enemy
in spirit combat (such as the tiger spirit appearing in a victim’s head above), or some other
purpose directly affecting a creature or character that the creature or character disapproves of, the
opposing creature or character may oppose the Manifestation with its POW. A spirit with more
than one way of manifesting on the normal plane has one Manifestation skill for each form. Thus
a ghost which was also a cult spirit capable of animating a statue of the goddess would have two
Manifestation skills, Manifestation (Ghost), and Manifestation (Animate Statue).
Manifestation allows the spirit not only to affect the normal world, but in some respects, to be
affected by it. While spirits are unaffected by non magical objects such as swords and the like, the
magic on those swords will affect a spirit. Manifest spirits are treated as intelligent creatures, and
can be mystified, etc.
Manifestation ends when:
a) the episode ends;
b) the form the spirit assumes is incapacitated in combat;
c) the spirit is rendered mentally incompetent
d) the spirit is banished;
e) The spirit possesses a target creature or character. If this happens, the spirit is
considered to have become embodied, and is part of the normal world until exorcised.
Military Lore
This covers tactics, strategy, military customs and uniforms, and generally just about any
knowledge that might come with leading a military life. It has been rolled to recognize likely
ambush sites, by players who are not war gamers running characters who are skilled fighters to
ask other players about tactics, and to recognize the senior officer in a group of officers. A scout is
expected to have a good military lore skill, to estimate the numbers, weapons, organization and
movements of an enemy force. There is some overlap with Siegecraft, but Siegecraft is used for
building things, and recognizing how to build things; Siegecraft is really more a combat
engineering type of skill.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 19
Mystic Dance
This skill has the same effects as Insight Meditation, but uses dancing rather than meditative
trance to get there
Navigation
This includes not only celestial navigation, which is fairly rare and primitive; but also piloting and
ship handling. In general, most any technical skill involved in command at Sea {with the
exception of loading the ship, which is logistics} falls under Navigation. The decision to lump
these various skills together was made because the primary focus of this game is not adventures at
sea, and all of these skills are usually assumed to be required in the same individual. Navigation
has been used to determine whether one ship out sails another, whether a ship survives a storm
without losing a mast, and of course, figuring out where the ship ended up when the storm
cleared.
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of formal political and legal argumentation. The art of rhetoric is part of upper
class education, and basic competence is assumed as part of culture lore. Rhetoric is provided as
a skill for specialist advocates and politicians. Rhetoric is usually opposed by either rhetoric or
Culture Lore. Culture Lore is -10 to effective die roll when opposing rhetoric.
The character using the skill must be at least skill 10 in the language he is using, to persuade. He
must be at least 15 in the language he or she is using to persuade to special. The player of the
character attempting to use rhetoric must make both rhetoric and language rolls.
If the speaker makes both rhetoric and language rolls, then the persuasion succeeds if the
listeners are at least Minimally Fluent. (If they aren't, they do get to roll language twice to
understand, and will be persuaded if they understand--or if they fumble twice.) If the speaker,
boldly, is speaking in a language he knows at a bare-minimal level, he must roll separately for
each separate statement he is trying to get across. If he succeeds in his R/F roll, he is persuasive
on each statement. He is also persuasive on each fumble.
If the player of the speaker makes the rhetoric roll but fails the language roll, then the
listener*wants* to understand the speaker. If both speaker and listener are basically fluent these
is a chance that the listener can still be persuaded. If the player of the listener makes the
character’s Language roll, he will get the basic gist of what the speaker is trying to say and be
persuaded. The listener may get some details wrong.
If the concept the speaker is trying to get across is complex, minimum skill to communicate
(“effective “basic fluency”) may be more than 10. If it is simple, such as” Charge and kill them!" it
would be less, say 7 for example. The GM should rule on this on a case-by-case basis.
When used on player characters, rhetoric is advisory only.
Rhomphaia Attack and Parry
The rhomphaia is a slightly curved or straight sword like weapon, attached to a shortened spear
like shaft. Similar weapons, which may be appropriate for characters, are the Falx (a strongly
curved sword on a similar length pole) the Japanese naginata, the Chinese Guan Dao , and the
European glaive. All of these weapons are deadly two handed weapons, doing 1D10+2 of damage.
A character using any of these weapons can also parry with that weapon, but parrying is a
separate skill. Parrying with a rhomphaia is treated as the same skill as parrying with a 2 Handed
long spear. The advantage of this weapon is that it does a lot of damage. The disadvantage, is
that a spear parry is not as good as a shield, and the weapon itself, like other two handed weapons
cannot be carried at the same time as a character is carrying a large or medium shield, or bow.
Ride
This skill is the skill of riding a mount or riding animal. It is a different skill for each mount – a
character riding an elephant is doing something very different from riding a horse. Unless some
other type of mount is specified, the animal ridden is a horse. Just staying on is a “routine” use of
this skill, and is rolled on a D10. To impress someone else, or to go at any pace faster than a
steady walk, requires a D20 roll. In general, a ride skill roll will be called for whenever a character
wants to start his horse galloping, to stop his horse from galloping, or control the horse in a
stressful situation, such as when entering combat. Also, weapon skills while mounted are limited
to a maximum of Ride skill plus five. So a character who is twenty five at weapon attack, but only
fifteen at ride, is reduced to a skill of twenty while riding.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 20
Seamanship
This skill represents being an able seaman aboard ship. In responding to a storm, or other crisis,
the crew of a ship will be asked for a certain number of seamanship rolls simultaneously.
Sometimes, one or more of the rolls will have to beat a difficulty modifier of -10 or -20. So the
prudent skipper, seeking to avoid a dramatic shipwreck which will pose a lot of problems for the
characters aboard ship, will make sure he has plenty of seaman, at least some of whom are good.
Second Sight
This skill confers the ability to see onto the spirit Plane. This tells the character what things
would look like on the Spirit Plane, if where his current location were a spirit site. If there is no
mapping to the spirit plane, so it would be impossible to make it a Spirit Site, then Second Sight is
useless. It also allows a character to see spirits bound into fetishes, traveling to attack someone
else if and only if that someone else would be visible to him on the mortal plane; etc. Finally, it
allows a character to see the approximate POW (rounded to the nearest multiple of 5) of
disembodied spirits. Doubts about what second sight will reveal are to be resolved by the GM.
Seduction
Seduction is the art of using sex, both sexual attractions and/or sex itself, to get what a character
wants. It only works on characters whose sexual orientation attracts them to the caster; but can
be much stronger than rhetoric. Basic seduction can be attempted using either language and
custom skill, or culture lore; the seduction skill is for characters that spend a lot of time seducing
others, and become specialists at it. Seduction has two main uses:
a. to get someone to have sex with the seducing charactering
b. As a form of virtual clout, used to obtain favors, etc.
Players may choose whether or not to resist seduction. Seduction can be opposed by the
Seduction skill itself, using the opposed skill rolls. Seduction may also be resisted with Culture
Lore, Custom or Insight, but the resistance is -10 to effective die rolled, because most people
would rather believe that they are sexually attractive than that they are being seduced. Third
parties may notice seduction attempts with a roll of insight or intrigue.
If successful, seduction for purposes of this game, results in having sex with the target, the
seducer gains one influence point if three checks are invested. If used merely to flirt, it is treated
as a normal modifier to Clout comparable to rhetoric, administration, etc as described above in
the clout rules.
When used against player characters, seduction is advisory only.
Shield Parry
This is the skill of parrying with a shield. Shields come in three sizes, small, medium and large.
Small shields are very light, and do not encumber the character, but provide no protection again
missiles. Medium shields count as a one handed item, and provide 50% cover {roll D6, on a 3 or
less they stop the arrow or sling stone} when held up as a protection against missile attacks.
Large shields provide 2/3 cover when held up against missile attack {roll D6, on a 4 or less they
stop the arrow or sling stone}, and a +1 to effective armor protection when the roll to parry is
made, even if the enemy attack overcomes the parry. A large shield counts as a 2 handed item
when figuring encumbrance, so it cannot easily be carried at the same time as a character is using
a 2 handed weapon or bow.
Siegecraft
This is the skill of ancient military engineering. It is used when building and operating siege
engines, building boat bridges, etc. It includes military and marine applications of ordinary
carpentry; and also confers the ability to tell whether a wall could easily be brought down by the
use of battering rams, sieges engines, or magic.
Sing
This covers professional level singing, one roll is usually made per week. If the player makes the
roll, the character is generally considered adequate and can make a living as a singer at a bar or
inn, or as a street minstrel. If the character has an opportunity to sing as a troubadour or at court,
sing skill must be made at a -10, but if made character will live at grade 8. An appropriate
language and custom skill may be substituted for this skill, at a -10, if the character is
impersonating a professional singer, etc. Non professional singing, such as at a party, etc, can be
done by using an appropriate language and custom, with a -10 to the effective skill roll if the
character wants to be seen as good.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 21
Sorcery Lore
Sorcery spells are learned using sorcery lore. To learn a sorcery spell a character must spend one
game week, and have a scroll or source of training available. The player must then make a sorcery
lore roll, with skill adjusted for the difficulty of the spell of the spell. To research a sorcery spell
from scratch, a character must also spend a week, and critical his sorcery lore roll, after apply any
modifiers for the difficulty of the spell. Sorcery lore is necessary to research a spell because
sorcery lore involves deep knowledge of the structure of sorcery, while school lore does not.
When learned, sorcery spells start out at an effective skill of four. They may be increased as
magical skills, following the normal skill increase roll.
Sorcery Lore also covers general knowledge of sorcery, what it looks and what it can do. For
example, the player of a divine magician who not cast sorcery spells herself might be asked for a
sorcery lore roll, if she is trying to identify sorcery spells that she sees on someone else, using her
mage sight.
Spear Attack and Parry
These are separate skills, but they are covered together because a character that uses a spear will
probably want to know how to both attack and parry with it. Spears come in two varieties, long
spears and short spears.
Short spears range from four to six feet in length, and are treated like one handed swords, except
that the user of a short spear strikes first. They do 1D10 of damage, but cannot be used to strike
from the back rank, etc. They do not have the advantage of splitting parrying weapons in half, etc.
Long spears count as two handed weapons for encumbrance purposes, but do only 1D10 of
damage when they hit. They can be used to strike from the second or third rank of a multiple
rank combat formation like a phalanx. A shield cannot be used for active parrying while using a
long spear. Greek hoplites did carry a large shield, which effectively added to their armor,
especially against missile weapons. Some cultures and cults know how to fight hoplite style.
Treat hoplite fighting as using a long spear, but with the large shield adding one to the character’s
armor if he makes his or her spear parry, and providing a defense against missile weapons. Spear
parries parry the attack if the parry roll is made and is higher than the enemy’s roll to attack, but
do not offer the protective bonus of a large shield when the enemy rolls higher than the parry.
Spears cannot be used to block incoming missile weapons. Parrying spears will break, if the
attacking enemy is using a sword and rolls a special or critical, while the character parrying with
the spear misses or fumbles. Also, when a fumbling spear user drops his spear, he drops both the
weapon he or she uses to attack with, and his or her parrying weapon.
Spirit Combat
This can be rolled, in addition to either a character’s normal POW based attack in spirit combat;
or in addition to a normal POW based parry in Spirit Combat. Take the better result.
Spot
Spot covers both casual scanning, such as keeping watch, and detailed study such as looking for a
secret door. Because staying alert for long periods of time is difficult, and the fact that when no
one is particularly assigned to spotting everyone will assume someone else will do it, when
everyone in the group is marching along but no one in particular has been assigned to spot things
all characters can roll Spot, but their skill is at a -10. If one or two character(s) – no more than
10% of the total group, those characters get to roll full spot skill when something is encountered.
Other characters do not get to roll, since it is assumed that they are relying on the lookouts. Spot
is opposed by hide, and is normally rolled to oppose the hide skill. If a character spots hidden
foes, that character gets to act first, though usually the action is just to warn the other members of
his or her group. Some things, such as a small dagger in the buses near the site of a murder may
be naturally hidden. In this case, players may be asked to roll spot for their characters. The GM
may assume that not all characters are looking in all players and decide which character is looking
where a hidden item might be found. A GM may choose to ask players for spot rolls, even when
there is nothing to be found, to prevent players from gaining information by the mere fact that a
spot roll has been requested.
Stewardship
Stewardship is the skill of managing an estate. It is rolled one per season, to add 20% or subtract
20% from the base profitability of the estate. The base profitability is set by the GM when the
estate is awarded. In addition, the GM may call for a Stewardship skill roll when a disaster, such
as flooding or repeated visits by the tax collector, affects the estate. Player characters do not
normally have this skill, it is included here merely for completeness and because player characters
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 22
may have occasion to hire a steward. In many feudal cultures, the wife does this, while the
husband is off hunting, at war, etc.
Street Wisdom
Street Wisdom covers things like knowing the slang of the underworld, how to find a bookie or a
fence, spotting someone who is a thug in disguise, knowing which gang runs what part of town,
etc. There is some overlap with Language and Custom, in that either Street Wisdom or Language
and Custom will tell a character what parts of town are poor or rich, which gangs are active where,
etc. Street Wisdom also includes knowledge which is unique to thieves, spies, etc. For example,
the secret sign of the thief’s guild members or the names of the three best fences in town are only
available through Street Wisdom. For more on how to handle the overlap see the Language and
Custom skills,
Summoning
Summoning is the art of calling otherworldly creatures to where the summoning character is, and
getting them to serve him. The creatures that can be summoned depend on the magical
orientation of the summoning character. Sorcerers summon elementals, angels, demons, and the
undead. Shamans mostly summon natural spirits, such as healing spirits, etc. Divine magicians
summon “cult spirits”, which are spirits who have sworn to serve the deity. A character with the
summoning skill may summon a type of creature he or she would not normally be able to
summon, with a -10 difficulty modifier to the summoning skill, at the discretion of the GM.
For convenience, summoning always takes eight hours, unless the summoned creature has been
summoned before, and a deal prearranged, in which case it takes 8 rounds.
In general, a character can summon creatures with any characteristic or skill equal to his or her
summoning skill or less. He or she then tries to overcome the creature with his or her
summoning skill + 5. If he or she succeeds, the summoned creature is cooperative, and amenable
to trading a service for a service. If he or she fails, the summoned creature is free to take out its
resentment of being summoned on whomever it can reach. This often includes the summoning
character. Creatures with POW or SIZ greater than the summoning skill of the character
performing the summoning cannot be summoned. Of course, if the summoning character
fumbles or it fits the plot they are free to show up anyway, and will often take exception to the
performance of the summoning. This situation is usually resolved by combat or the casting of an
appropriate banish spell.
Once summoned and found ready to be cooperative, the summoned creature must be negotiated
with. From a sorcerer, the summoned creature will usually demand a sacrifice abstracted as 1 MP
per point of POW or SIZ of the summoned creature, whichever is greater. A spirit servitor will
demand prayer to the deity, abstracted as one prayer spell per five points of SIZ or POW,
whichever is the greater, of the summoned entity. A shamanic spirit may be dealt with in any of
several ways. The shaman and the spirit may fight a duel in spirit combat. If the shaman wins,
the spirit is impressed and sticks around to perform a service. Of course, if the shaman loses the
spirit combat, he or she may have to give the spirit what the spirit would have gotten for the
service, for nothing. The shaman may offer to awaken a natural creature. For example, a cat
shaman might perform an awakening ritual and make a cat intelligent. This is treated as doing a
big favor for the cat; the cat will in return perform services equal to a big favor for the shaman.
The GM should use the rules in the politics chapter for this. Finally, the creature may just like the
shaman. If the shaman can manage a rhetoric or tradition lore roll to convince the spirit that
doing what he wants is the right thing to do, or his player rolls Charisma -10 or less on D20, the
spirit will do what the sorcerer wants for free, once. This is just a guideline, a chaotic demon with
great combat power will demand much more, possibly including a human sacrifice.
In exchange, the summoned creature will fight; cast spells in combat, etc as a character under the
control of the player of the summoning character for one episode. As an alternative, a uniquely
powerful creature, such a spirit with a divination spell of greater than normal power or the ability
to raise the dead, etc may offer one casting of that spell as a service. Note that these high value
abilities {raise dead, etc} do not come with the spirit if you ask it for a normal service; if you ask
for a service generally the spirit will only use abilities that a spirit of that size would normally
have. Once the deal has been struck, the summoned entity will either come again when the
summoning character spends eight rounds to summon it; or goes into a fetish, binding
enchantment, etc as appropriate to await the call for its service. When each side has performed
its part of the bargain, the summoned entity departs. Bargains may be made for extended
periods, so that once both sides have done what they have promised to do, the spirit stays in an
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 23
appropriate enchantment for an extended period, usually a year and a day. This gives the
summoning character a chance to perform the ritual that is his side of the bargain again,
obligating the summoned entity to perform its side of the bargain again.
Summoning can be used to open a gateway into the other world and call creatures into this one,
without the intent of controlling the summoned creates. Whether or not this works is up to the
plot needs of the GM, since the creature being summoned is not being compelled and may decide
not to come. When this is done, the summoning character often makes a fast exit to far places via
some portal or similar spell.
There are many complications to the details of summoning, but in general the GM should not
allow the summoning and binding of entities much stronger than the protagonist characters.
After all, if the summoning fails, it is not much fun to flatten the characters with something that is
much stronger than they are; and if the summoning succeeds it is not much fun for the player’s
characters to watch while the summoned creature does all the work.
Sword Attack and Parry
Swords come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. A character’s sword attack skill may be either
one handed or two handed, and either cutting or thrusting. Most swords are either one handed
swords or large one handed swords with a grip that allows them to be used two handed. True two
handed swords are rare, largely because is hard to make a structurally strong two handed sword
blade. Thus two handed swords, being more expensive and less effective than other two handed
weapons like the rhomphaia, are rare. The type of sword is often specified in the skill, many of
our character sheets say that the character is proficient with a scimitar, which is a culturally
specific type of sword.
Most one handed swords do the basic D10 one handed weapon damage. Used two handed,
bastard swords do 1D10 + 1. Unless specifically described to be otherwise, are both cutting and
thrusting. A character chooses a style that emphasizes either cutting or thrusting, and sticks with
that skill. Thus, 1H Thrusting Sword attack and 1H Cutting sword attack are distinct. A gladius
{short roman thrusting sword) and a 19th century cavalry saber are used in very different ways, so
even though they are both called swords, the skills to use them are distinct.
If a character picks up an unfamiliar sword, intended to be used in a style the character is used to,
is -10 to skill for the rest of the episode, and -5 to skill for the rest of the session. If the style is
different, he is cannot adapt his sword skill and must learn the new sword as if it were a new
weapon.
The sword is more or less the default 1Handed weapon attack. The advantage of the sword is that
a special or critical hit will break a spear, if the spear is used for parrying and the parry roll was
either a miss or a fumble; and that a sword attack special or critical will break a shield in half, if
the shield parry roll is fumbled. Another advantage of the sword is that magical swords, and
weapon affecting spells, are more common and more effective for swords than for other weapons.
Sword parry skills exist, and are common for bastard swords used two handed, but rare
otherwise. Any character that learns to use a bastard sword two handed is assumed also to learn
the parry skill at the same. So a character will start out with both bastard sword (2H) attack and
bastard sword (2H) parry at the same time. After first learning the skills, they are distinct and the
character increases them separately. One handed sword parry skills are rare; the other arm is
available and usually holds either a shield or a parrying dagger. The modern fencing style, which
uses only one arm and emphasizes lunges, is rare. A character will only know how to parry with
his or her one handed one handed sword if the character’s back story supports this and the GM
authorizes it. Treat parrying with a one handed sword as if the character was parrying with a
dagger.
Tracking
Tracking is the skill of identifying animal tracks, following them, etc. In general, following
recently made tracks on normal ground, or identifying the type of creature that made them {if it is
a common creature}, is a regular tracking skill roll. Day old tracks can be followed, identified, etc
at a -5, two day old tracks at a -10, and older tracks are almost impossible (-20) to follow or
identify. Estimating the number of the entities that made the tracks is fairly easy if the
classification system is one, two, or many. If the tracker is trying to tell whether he is tracking a
party of 8 men or 10 it is much harder, and estimating the size of an army by counting their tracks
is almost impossible (-20).
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 24
Tradecraft
Tradecraft covers assuming a disguise, surveillance, counter surveillance, keeping a meeting
secret, basic cryptography, and generally anything a spy or intelligence type would be expected to
know that a common criminal would not. It does not cover things like finding fences, bookies,
untaxed beer, etc. These are covered by Street Wisdom. Tradecraft may be opposed by itself, or
in some circumstances, Spot, Hide, or an appropriate Language and Custom skill. If opposed by
another skill that is not directly relevant, that skill is at an effective -10 to die rolled.
Tradition Lore
This skill covers the knowledge about the Spirit World that a shaman learns as part of his
training. In particular, a character learns the true name of another spirit every time he criticals a
roll to go up in this; it allows him to make fetishes as described below; and it is used to identify
where in the spirit world you are on vision quests, etc.
Treasure Lore
This is the “Indiana Jones” skill of knowing about what famous or powerful treasures, their
histories, their capabilities, and their current location, if known. This includes enough related
knowledge to serve as Culture Lore minus ten for anything associated with a treasure. It includes
general knowledge of the magical capabilities of various treasures
Unarmed Combat
This covers attacking with fist or kick, dodging, brawling, throwing sand in the eyes of the enemy,
etc. It can be used to oppose an armed enemy, at a -5 to effective die rolled if the enemy has a
dagger or equivalent, and a -10 to effective die rolled if the enemy has a sword or the like. When
used to attack, unarmed combat does 1D6 of damage, 1D10 if special or critical. Unless the attack
is special or critical, an incapacitated defender rolls for lethality with the advantage of a -10 on the
die, never reducing below 1. Thus a 10 would become a 1, and he would unaffected at the end of
the episode.
A character without the Unarmed Combat skill may substitute any melee attack or parry skill for
it, at a -10 to effective skill.
Wilderness Lore
A player may be asked to roll Wilderness Lore when his or her character is in a dangerous
situation in the wild, to determine whether or not the character knows how to survive it. The
nature of the dangerous situation can vary; Wilderness Lore rolls have been called for when
characters were in danger of freezing to death, when a character was surprised by a bear, and
when a character that had been stripped of his food needed to know what would be safe to eat. It
also covers knowledge of facts about the wilderness. Answering questions like “Is that tree
normally seen around here?”, “Are we likely to encounter a pride of lions if we follow this
footpath?”, and “Will this forest end soon, or should our fighters get off their horses and walk?” all
come under the heading of Wilderness Lore.
Wilderness Lore overlaps with herbalism in that either can be used to figure out which plants are
safe to eat; but only herbalism will tell a character which plants are valuable for purposes other
than eating. Wilderness Lore confers no knowledge of legendary monsters, only legend lore does
that.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 25

Chapter II - Creating a Character

This chapter describes creating a character.

To create a character, you need to go through a number of things, usually though not always, in
this order:
2. Decide whether the character is being created by the archetype method or by using an
existing character as a benchmark.
3. Determine the character’s concept – Warrior on the make from Lusitania, for example
4. Name the character.
5. Figure out the basics of the character’s history. In particular, what is his or her family
background, social status, motive for adventuring and reason for joining the PC group?
6. Determine the character’s archetype(s).
7. Determine the characters cult, sorcery school, or shamanic tradition, if appropriate.
8. Assign characteristics
9. Select skills
10. Select starting spells, spirits, etc.
11. Decide the character’s skill levels
12. Determine initial economic status, relationships, clout, and any history that will be
relevant in the campaign.
13. Decide what are the most prominent traits of the character.
14. If joining an ongoing campaign in which other characters have magic items, talk with the
GM about creating magic items.
15. Run the character by the GM and the other players. If anyone has any problems with the
new character, make modifications to the character, in consultation with the GM, to meet
these criticisms.

This looks like a lot, but in practice it can be done in an hour or so. At this point, you are ready to
play the character in his or her first adventure.

This is not an exhaustive description of everything a player might usefully do in character

creation, just a process for making sure that all game issues are dealt with prior to running the
character.

Decide Whether to Use Archetypes or Benchmarking

There are two basic approaches to character creation in these rules; archetypes and
benchmarking.
Archetypes map a one word idea of the character, such as warrior or sorcerer, to a set of skills.
The character then starts with that set of skills at a level chosen for starting characters by the GM.
Archetypes are most useful when generating a number of characters together to start a new
campaign; or when NPC’s need to be generated quickly.
Benchmarking is recommended when a campaign has been going on for a while, and a new player
needs a player character comparable to the existing characters, or if a character becomes
unplayable and must be replaced. It is also appropriate for non player characters expected to play
a major ongoing role in the campaign, which the GM needs to know well.

Example: A new player, Charlie, joins the game. Because it has been going on for half a year
now, mostly with the same characters, he would be very frustrated by having a new character
much weaker than the others. Benchmarking is the way to go.

Determine the Character’s Concept

The concept is a sort of short description of the character. This should tell the other players
whether the character is a fighter, religious type, magician, or something else, and hopefully give
some idea of why the character is adventuring.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 26

Example: Being new to the game, Charlie decides to stick with a traditional character concept
that is valuable in a lot of different fantasy situations. He decides to create a fighter. He is
mostly a caravan guard, who wanted to move up to merchant and eventually caravan master,
until he was diverted into being a hero by meeting the other characters. Sometimes, that is still
what he wants; other days he dreams of slaying dragons and marrying beautiful princesses.

Name the Character

The simplest way is to pick a name from a list of names that are listed as popular in a handbook
for the fantasy setting. In general, though, the only rules are to avoid choosing a name which will
tend to wreck the fantasy feeling, like Fred; is so famous that it evokes other associations, like
Frodo; or resembles the name of another character so closely that the two characters will often be
confused with each other {Sosia is inappropriate if another character is already named Sorana}.
It is sometimes useful to use a random name generator.

Example: Charlie decides to name his fighter Benedict, after the character in Zelazny’s Amber
series. The GM vetoes this, because Benedict will be shortened to Ben, which is a common name
in the US, and asks him to pick something else. So he pulls out a book on ancient history, and
picks Priscus. Since no one in the game has even heard of this name before, it is suitably obscure
and the group accepts it.

History
A character has usually done something between the time he was born and the time he or she is
first played. It is good to think about the effects of this. Key points to consider are: who the other
members of his family are; what attitudes towards prominent institutions such as noble houses,
cults, etc are; what ethical code the character has acquired and if he or she has a “mission in life”
that comes from the back story.

Nuclear family members should be listed on the character sheet, because the character will always
have some kind of relationship with them. The game rules covering this are to be found in the
politics chapter, under Relationships.

How the character will behave in play depends in part on his experience of the institutions he has
dealt with. A character whose life has been saved by the healing temple will probably be more
favorable to it than one whose brother died inside it, for example.

Thinking about what ethical code the character subscribes to will help the player determine what
his character will believe to be right and wrong. Characters will not necessarily behave ethically,
but if they are not psychopaths, they will usually try to behave ethically and expect a clear payoff
for behaving unethically. Ethical behavior is usually virtuous

A character with a “mission in life” is often easier to play and GM than a character whose life is
adrift. The problem is that before creating a character with a mission in life, the player should
make sure his character’s mission is compatible with the missions {if any} of the other characters.
It is very annoying to create a character whose mission in life is to kill orks, only to find out that
two of the other players are running orks and the first game is a voyage to trade with some orks.
Characters with a mission in life usually make that mission their driving passion.
Example: Priscus is the third son of a petty trading family, who was big and strong; and
wanted to see the world. So he ran off and became a mercenary. The war having ended, and
his company being unpaid, the authorities decided to look the other way when he deserted with
his equipment. As the son of a trader, he got a job as a caravan guard, and came in with the last
caravan into the city.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 27
Archetypes
Once this is done, it is time to determine the character’s archetypes. An archetype describes a
character’s background quickly, and is intended to speed character creation. A character being
modeled on a “benchmark” character may skip this step, selecting appropriate skills in the skill
selection step below.
There are two types of archetypes, primary and secondary. When starting a low level character,
he or she gets primary archetype skills at 12; or 10 if a secondary archetype is archetype is also
chosen. If a secondary archetype is chosen for a low level character, secondary archetype skills
start at 8. When starting at midlevel, primary archetype skills are at 14, or 12 if a secondary
archetype is also chosen, in which case secondary archetype skills will start at 10. When starting
at a high level primary archetype skills are at 16, or 14 if a secondary archetype is also chosen, in
which case secondary archetype skills will start at 12.
Then, to individualize character skills sets, put the character through four “virtual adventures”.
Ignore the adventure itself, and just give out an average number of experience checks. If your
campaign is like ours, this will amount to 28 experience checks allocated by the players, in four
batches of seven, so that the maximum number of checks that can be put into any particular skill
is four. These checks should be rolled as if they had been awarded at the end of a play session.
The following Table covers most of the common archetypes, and associated skills:
Archetype Skills
Noble Lance, Scimitar or Sword Attack, Shield Parry, Ride, Rhetoric,
Leadership, Culture Lore <appropriate>, Language and Custom
<appropriate>, Gaming, Intrigue, Law Lore
Bandit Archery or Javelin Attack, Climb, Weapon Attack <axe, sword or
spear>, Shield parry <any>, Leadership, Spot, Swim, Wilderness Lore
Warrior Weapon Attack <any>, Shield or Weapon parry <any>, Leadership,
Gaming, Ride, Spot, Wilderness Lore
Soldier Weapon attack <of unit or culture>, Shield parry, Logistics, Military
Lore, Admin, Leadership, Ride, Siegecraft, Spot
Hunter Bow, Javelin, Spear Attack, Spear Parry, Hide, Tracking, Ride, Spot,
Wilderness Lore
Initiate Any cult skill (see cult description for details
Mystic Any cult skill, Power (see cult description for details)
Shaman Discorporation, Second Sight, Spirit Combat, Spirit Speech, Tradition
Lore, Power
Sorcerer School Lore <of school>, Sorcery Lore, Ceremony, Enchant, Summon,
Sorcery Spell <any>, Culture Lore <appropriate>
Merchant Language and Custom <any>, Culture Lore<appropriate>,
Computation, Administration, Bargaining, Insight, Rhetoric, Cultural
Weapon
Scholar Area Lore <any>, Culture Lore <any>, Cult Lore <any>, Natural
Philosophy, Religious Philosophy, Rhetoric, Mathematics, Treasure Lore
Thief Language and Custom <any>, Disguise, Fast Talk, Light fingers, Hide,
Spot
Assassin As thief, plus missile weapon attack, dagger attack, dagger parry, and
poison lore
Entertainer Acting, Sing, Dance, Disguise, Play Instrument <any>, Language and
Custom <any>,
Sailor Carpentry, Climb, Swim, Seamanship, Navigation, Gaming, Language
and Custom, Leadership, 1H Sword or Scimitar, Missile Weapon.

Example: If he were being built using archetypes, Priscus would be a soldier, with the
opportunity to pick a couple of skills off the Merchant archetype list at the GM’s option. Since he
is being built using benchmarks, he is not so restricted, but it would still be a good idea to focus
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 28
on skills that are on one list or the other. Anything else might require an explanation. It is not
at all obvious, given his background, why he would be an expert at Seamanship, for example.

Determine Character’s Cult, Sorcery School, or Shamanic

Tradition
Select a cult, sorcery school or shamanic tradition for the character. This should fit the
character’s history and be appropriate for his or her archetype(s). Details on the cults, sorcery
schools and shamanic traditions may be found in relevant source material.

Example: Priscus was raised by a trader family, which worshipped the god of trade. He became
a soldier, and worships a war god. Since Charlie is not familiar with the world the campaign is
set in, he asks what the names of these gods are. For now, they will be just the soldier god and
the trader god. Since the other characters are initiates or higher in their cults, he starts as an
initiate in both.

Assign Characteristics
The next step is to assign characteristics. There are: Strength; Intelligence; Constitution;
Dexterity; Power; Charm; and Size. Most characters start with 84+2D6 characteristic points,
which may be assigned as the player sees fit, provided that the following rules are obeyed:
a) No characteristic is below 7;
b) No characteristic is greater than 17;
If the character does not have an archetype, but is an unusually talented peasant or refugee,
starting in the adventuring world with talent but little skill, the rules are slightly different. These
characters start off with 88+2D6 characteristic points, and no characteristic may be less than 8,
or greater than 18.
Example: there are seven characteristics, and Priscus must be at least seven in each, so Charlie
starts by putting 7 points into each. This uses up 49 of his points immediately. He adds 1 to
Strength, so it is an even fifty. Charlie then gets to roll two six sided dice. With a five and a
four, the total is nine and the roll is above average. So he has 97 points, which he can allocate 47
as he sees fit. He puts 9 points into Strength, giving Priscus the 17 maximum that is normally
allowed, and leaving 38 points to allocate. He has six other characteristics. He chooses to put
two points in each, raising them to 10. That leaves 26 points. Five points go into raising
intelligence to 15, because intelligence is often important in other role playing games. Five
points go into raising Dexterity to 15, because a good Dexterity is often useful for a fighter. Five
points go into raising Constitution to 15, because a high Constitution is useful for a fighter. Five
points go into raising Size, because being big is also often handy for a fighting man. The
resultant character has the following raw statistics:

Strength: 17 Intelligence: 15 Constitution: 15 Dexterity: 15 Power: 10 Charm: 10 Size: 15

This comes to 7x10 or 70, plus 5x5 or 25, plus 2 extra for Strength, or 97. Note that this is a good
result, and only Strength is really outstanding. Priscus starts with good raw stats.

Select Skills
A character being built using archetypes can add two skills. These are learned are a level two
lower than the lowest skill obtained from an archetype. For a list of the standard skills usually
used in this game, consult the Skills chapter.
A character being based on a benchmark must have appropriate skills from the list in the skills
section, equal in number to the number of skills possessed by the existing benchmark character.
A character may have almost any skill ever devised for any role playing game, but a standard list
of skills and associated talents for fantasy games is provided in the skills chapter.
A character gets his or her native language and custom skill free, at a level equal to his
intelligence.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 29
Example: Charlie borrows Andy’s character Zabdas. Zabdas knows three skills at skill level 20,
1 skill at 19, 1 skill at 18, a skill at 16, 3 skills at 15, 1 skill at 12, 2 skills at 10, and 2 skills at 8.
Since these games traditionally focus on combat, Charlie decides that Priscus will be 20 at
Sword attack and Shield Parry. The long range of the bow is attractive, but so is the ability to
throw a javelin and draw you sword with your shield ready as you charge into melee. So while
he is being indecisive, he recognizes that Priscus might be better off with a high bargaining skill
and chooses that. His 19 goes into war god cult lore, so he will be good at casting spells he gets
from the war god. His 18 goes into Spot, since he hates to be ambushed. His 16 goes into javelin
attack. The three fifteens go into Ride, Local Language and Custom, and Logistics. His skill at
12 is Trader God Cult lore, his two 10’s are Hide and Ceremony; and his two eights go into
Seamanship and Rhetoric.

Select Starting Spells

If the new character is a sorcerer created using archetypes, he or she starts knowing five spells.
His or her skill at casting these is equal to his or her archetype skill level. In addition, the player
of a sorcerer character may select spells as some of his or her starting skills. A sorcerer character
must select Sorcery Lore as one of his or her starting skills.
When starting a new theist, he or she gets a minimum of 5 points of divine magic. If an existing
character is being used as a benchmark for a new character joining an ongoing campaign, the
player of the new character gets the same number of points of sacrificed divine magic as the
benchmark, minus two. Thus, if the benchmark character has 11 points of divine magic, the new
character will have 9. These spells may be any spells offered by the cult the character is in to
characters with initiate status in the cult.
If starting a new shamanic character, play it by ear till we have a better feel for the effectiveness of
shamanic magic. In general, new shamanic characters should not start out as fully fledged
shamans, and should have from 1-4 spirits.
Example: Zabdas has 12 points of Divine Magic. This means Priscus will have 12 points of
divine magic. Charlie decides it is more important to stay alive and win fights than to be great
at bargaining, so most of his magic will be composed of combat spells. He Selects a pretty
standard array of spells: Bless III, Shield III and Black Blade of Death are recommended by the
other players, so Charlie chooses them. He also wants 3 points of Prayer, which allows him to
regain any one of these spells when he casts them, quickly. Finally, remembering another game
where everyone in the party assumed that someone else would know Light, and so all the
characters died fighting nocturnal monsters, he chooses Light.

Select Skill Levels

If the player is using the archetype method of creating a character, skill levels have been decided
and the player may skip this section.
If the player is creating a character based on an existing benchmark, this is the point where he
matches the skill ratings from the benchmark character to skills selected for the new character.
The number of skills should be the same for the character being created and the benchmark. The
player may reassign the numbers in any appropriate manner
Sorcerers may use some of these skills to learn spells. The five sorcery spells they know they start
out knowing at a casting skill equal to that of the sorcery archetype beginning level.
Sorcerer characters may trade one primary archetype skill for 5 additional sorcery spells at a
starting skill equal to sorcery archetype starting skill minus two.
Example: Skill levels for characters created by benchmarking may be chosen as a separate step,
or at the time the skills are chosen. See the example for the section on choosing skills above
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 30
Determine Economic and Political Statistics
The GM, in consultation with the player, should determine economic levels, relationships, etc.
When starting a campaign with all new beginning characters, give each a favor from their family
and refer to them as rich peasants, poor warriors, etc. Translate this into the grade level system if
the characters live in a large bureaucratic empire, like historical Rome or Byzantium.
When the new character is joining an existing campaign, economic power and relationships
should be assigned in accordance with the backgrounds and histories of the characters, with the
proviso that no character should be so dominant economically or politically as to affect the
player’s of the other character’s enjoyment of the game.
Example: Zabdas is something called grade 7, and has a Favor owed to him by the noble house
that runs the caravan. So Priscus is grade 7. He does not start with a favor owed to him by the
noble house that owns the caravan, but from some other family. This brings up the question of
which family Priscus comes from. For simplicity, the players and the GM decide that Priscus is
a poor cousin of the house that owns the caravan, trying to work his way up. So the house owes
him a favor, too. Zabdas a influence points at the war god table {he is a straight fighter}, and
has a few other things that Priscus will not have, but since the GM does not feel that Charlie’s
enjoyment of the game will be reduced because Priscus does not have these, so Priscus does not
get anything to replace them. The purpose of benchmarking is to produce characters that are
strong enough for the player of the new character to enjoy running, not to replicate exactly all
features of the existing characters. Finally, since Zabdas has 97 silver in cash on hand, the GM
rules that Priscus has 50 silver in cash on hand.

Define Traits
Characters have personalities in addition to skills sets. In these rules, personalities are defined in
terms of traits and passions. Traits in turn are broken down into virtues and vices. Unless the
GM decides otherwise, characters start play unformed, and acquire personality in the course of
play. That said, it is usually worthwhile for players to think about what their characters are like
before they play them. It is often better for the player to define the virtues of his or her character,
and inform the GM that he or she wants a chance to exhibit these virtues than to assume that the
GM will come up with something interesting.
The default virtues in this game are Valor, Courtesy, Compassion, Generosity, and Honesty.
Valor is conspicuous bravery, above and beyond the call of duty. Charging a dragon is valorous, if
a character is tough enough to have some chance of defeating it. If the if clause is not met
charging a dragon is rashness, which is not a virtue. Courtesy is basically rigorous adherence to
social norms, being polite at all times even when the character is taunted by his enemies, etc.
Compassion and Mercy are lumped together. Basically, a character is compassionate when he or
she lets enemies go when they could have been slaughtered, helps people in need, spends healing
on non-player characters who are very unlikely to provide help in return, etc. Generosity is
exhibited by spending money in a way that primarily benefits others. Honesty is telling the truth
when it would clearly be to the character’s advantage to lie. These are not the only possible
virtues, so if a player wants to have his character display another virtue, the gamemaster should
feel free to allow that. For example, Justice is a virtue in most traditions. The only reason it is not
included here is that most characters do not do enough judging to make this virtue easily
playable. In general, it is best if a character starts out trying to manifest only on of the virtues,
and others can be added later on. For how virtues are handled in the game, see the Virtues
section of the Miscellaneous Rules chapter.

Vices are the opposite of virtues. They are “bad” qualities a character does not try to manifest, but
appear anyway. The default vices in this game are: Foolhardiness, Cowardice, Knavery, Cruelty,
Selfishness and Deceitfulness. In general, a character should have one vice that he or she is
particularly prone to. For how Vices are handled in the game, see the section on Vices in the
Miscellaneous Rules chapter.

Define Passions
Passions are emotions that drive a character. Typical passions can include devotion to a cult or
cause, loyalty to a family, lord or institution, ambition to acquire a title or office, etc. Oddly, a
passion to gain glory and status does not qualify. It is assumed that all player characters are
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 31
dramatic protagonists motivated to some extent by this passion, which is a major reasons player
characters are more likely to be found on adventures than non player characters.
Unless the GM decides otherwise, characters start play unformed, and passions are defined in the
course of play. That said, it is usually worthwhile for players to think about what their character’s
driving passions are before beginning play. It is often more fun for the player to decide what his
or her characters defining passions are than to wait for the game master to offer opportunities to
demonstrate them.
The games effects of Passions are described in the Miscellaneous Rules chapter under Passions.

Determine Starting Magic Items

If starting a campaign with beginning characters, new characters should not start with magic
items. If joining a campaign where there are other characters without magic items, new
characters should not have magic items. If all other characters in a campaign have magic items;
new characters should start at a low level of magical equipment by the standards of the campaign.
Interpretation of this is left to the discretion of the GM.
In general, no new character should start with a magic item powerful enough to impact the other
player’s enjoyment of the game.
Example: all characters in the game have a magical sword or armor, some have both. A couple
of the characters have items that give additional castings of divine magic; one is a shaman that
has two fetishes, etc. So Priscus would not really have been a front line fighter if he did not have
a magical weapon, or magical armor. The GM decides to outfit Priscus with a magical sword
that always gets the most out of Black Blade of Death {that is, Black Blade of Death makes it
+4), and a set of magical horseshoes that double the speed of the horse. Of course, the
horseshoes would be more useful if Priscus owned a horse, so that gives Priscus his first goal,
making enough money to buy his first horse.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 32

Chapter III – Combat

Combat is basically opposed skills rolls, but happens often and is very important. This justifies a
number of rules specific to combat.

Core Combat Rules

Combat is treated as a series of opposed skill rolls, attack vs. parry, done in a series of rounds,
each of which is composed of the following phases: declaration of intent, spirit combat, archery,
movement, melee, and magic. Because the game is stylized and cinematic, the rules are not exact
on how far a character can move in one round.
Fumbles never damage the enemy, sometimes damage the character who fumbles, and can have a
variety of other bad results for the fumbler. For more details see the section on fumbles. A miss
has no effect.
Successful attacks do damage, which is the weapon damage ( for one handed weapons usually
1D10, for two handed weapons, 1D10+2), plus or minus any relevant impact bonus, plus any
magical bonus, minus any protection provided by armor or magical passive defense. The
subtraction for armor is one point for light armor, two points for medium armor, and three points
for heavy armor. Iron and some other metals are two better, so that light iron is three points,
medium iron is four points, and heavy iron is five points. Thick hides, etc, count as armor.
Damage is only done if the attack defeats the parry, dodge or active defense being used to resist
the attack.
Special attacks or parries, allow the attacker to perform a “combat exploit”. Critical attacks or
parries allow the attacker to perform two “combat exploits”, or to just do maximum damage and
ignore up to 5 points of armor. Cinematic attacks allow the attacker to perform three combat
exploits. To perform a combat exploit, a character must know the exploit. For more details on
combat exploits, please read the section on combat exploits. This rule replaces the second edition
rules for special, critical and cinematic successes in combat.
A special parry of a special attack, critical parry of a critical attack, or cinematic parry of a
cinematic attack, even if not higher enough to block the attack, reduces it one level. A parry of the
next lower level than the attack (normal of special, special of critical, critical of cinematic) that
would have parried the attack had it been of the same level reduces its effect by one class. Thus, a
special 3 parried by a normal 6 is reduced to a normal success, and rolled as such.
Attacks and parries take place in “combat rounds”.

Combat Rounds & Initiative

Combat is divided into “Combat Rounds”. Each combat round has a missile weapon phase, a
movement phase, a melee phase, and a magic phase. A character has two actions in a combat
round. In each action, a character may attack, parry, cast a spell, run up to twenty five meters on
level ground, draw or sheathe a weapon, look around, yell an order, etc. If a character is
ambushed, or simply wrong footed {failed to spot the hidden assassin, etc}, he or she may lose
one or both actions. A character that is attacked always gets to parry, though, if he or she was
aware of the presence of his or her enemy at the beginning of the combat round. A character with
only one action may not choose to do something else with it and then invoke this rule when he is
attacked.
The following procedure describes the order in things are done in each combat round:
1. Declare intent
2. Shoot missile weapons {bows, javelins, etc}
3. Move
4. Resolve Melee Combat
a) Determine longer weapon {spear is longer than sword, which is longer than dagger,
etc} longer weapon strikes first. If weapons are of same length, attacks are effectively
simultaneous.
b) Apply modifiers in Combat Situational Modifier table to skills. Add Bless Spell
Modifiers to skills, Add Size Modifier if relevant, to skill. These modifiers combine
with each other.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 33
c) Roll dice – Attack vs. parry or dodge. An enemy attacked multiple times may not
have enough actions to parry. Higher die roll wins. Resolve attacks as opposed skill
contests as described in the Core Combat Rules.
d) Roll D10 for one handed weapon, or D10+2 for 2 handed weapon. Add magical
pluses for magical weapons. Compare to D10 {D12 for knights, etc} + armor modifier
+ size modifier {if fighters are of different sizes. If attacker roll is higher, defender is
“incapacitated and cannot do anything till the end of the episode. If not, attack has
no effect.
5. Magic phase. Spells that were declared to be cast in the Declare Intent phase, and which
have not been interrupted by a hit on the casting character, take effect. Spells cast at
others, such as Mystify, may be opposed.
6. Resolve looking around {Spot skills, etc} quick lock pick {Lightfingers -10}, etc actions.
7 Return to step 1.
The game master should remember that this is not an ancient warfare miniatures game. Most
combat in the author’s campaign takes place between human sized opponents on flat level
ground. Relatively few modifiers are necessary. Characters are very rarely exhausted, fighting a
huge monster, uphill. If people are spending time adding combat modifiers, it is acceptable to
just say what the character is trying to do is hard, and assess a -10 modifier to skill. The author is
also sometimes relaxed about enforcing the order of the phases. Enforcement of combat rules is
not intended to reduce the amount of fun players are having. That said, combats will usually be
resolved more quickly, with fewer arguments, when a group sticks to the system of phases
described above.
Example: Zenobia having remained very quiet,she failed to attract the attention of the snail.
Dalan’s player was correct in thinking he could outrun the snail. The other characters meet
them back in town. At this point, agents of a local noble show up. He owns land currently being
occupied by the snail, which is slowly eating its way through his vineyard. As the people who
brought the snail onto his land {it followed them as they ran away}, maybe they should do
something about it? As the carrot, he has some friends who can offer weapon training, and
about two thousand silver pieces. He also has a +3 to hit, +3 to damage, javelin he can
contribute to the cause. On the stick side, he can always sue. This would get the party arrested,
and force them to either pay some lawyer money they do not have, or rely on Zenobia’s proven
legal skills.
While they are making up their minds, Priscus comes in. He sits down at a card table and starts
to play cards. One of the other card players, drunk and losing badly accuses Priscus of
cheating. This calls for a duel. They go outside. The characters, along with a number of other
people, go outside to watch. Zenobia sits inside, since drunken men fighting to prove their
manhood don’t much interest her, and if she watches the duel, she’ll probably end up wasting a
healing spell on the loser. The drunk only has a 15 skill with his sword, and is -5 for being too
drunk to be an efficient fighter. The duel is to first blood. Both duelists have swords of about the
same length. So combat is simultaneous. Charlie rolls a 13 to attack and a 15 to parry for
Priscus. Both are successes, and the drunk cannot either attack or parry at his level of skill. He
might critical by blind luck. With rolls of 7 and 19 he neither attacks nor parries successfully.
Charlie rolls a 7 for the amount of damage Priscus does and wins the duel. Priscus walks over to
Zenobia and asks her to heal the drunk. She is reluctant to do so, but eventually yields. Dalan
decides to buy Priscus a beer.
Example continued on next page
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 34
They decide to take the mission. Assembling, they find they number six characters, increased to
seven when Priscus decides to join the group. Most of their fighters are javelin and shield guys,
so they decide to go with a simple tactical approach. Everyone with two javelins throws one of
them, then the other as they rush in and kill the snail. Everyone casts magic beforehand.
Zenobia is not going to be used in the attack, because the snail might incapacitate Zenobia,
making it hard for her to heal others. This leaves them four javelin and shield guys, one guy
armed with a two handed axe, and a bowman.
Everyone casts their spells, usually Bless, Shield and Black Blade of Death, though one, Talwin
has two shots of a spell that adds +3 to hit and +3 to damage, to one javelin. Talwin also has an
axe with the Bloodaxe spell as his primary melee weapon. They go out and look at the snail.
The snail looks at them. The snail does not seem too bright, since after looking at the characters
it goes back to eating. The party, after casting its spells, decides to charge
The first volley of javelins is thrown. A 19 and 20 on the skill roll miss completely. A 10, a 6 and
a 4 all hit. The hits are followed by damage rolls of 4, 2, and 1, none of which penetrate the
armor of the snail {the snail, due to its lack of vital parts, large size and segmented metal shell
has 6 points of armor). This leaves Talwin’s javelin, which is +3 to hit. Since he is 19 to throw a
javelin, he is an effective 22. His player rolls a 10 to hit and a 7 on the second D20. So he hits,
but does not special or critical. He rolls a 3 for damage, to which he adds the +3 for his spell.
That gives him six points of damage, exactly equal to the 6 armor points of the snail. Tink!
This attracts the snail’s attention. Another round of javelins comes in, and the snail’s right head
spits out a miniature fireball which goes towards Talwin. Most of the javelins are again
ineffective, but Talwin’s does 10 points, forcing the snail to roll for incapacitation. In the
meantime, the miniature fireball comes in, doing 1D8+6 damage, which turns out to be 10
points of damage. Fortunately, the player characters are not in a close ranked formation, so
only Talwin is hit by the fireball. So both the snail and Talwin have to roll for incapacitation,
which is covered later in the chapter.

Movement
Human characters normally move 3 paces {about 10 feet or three meters} in a combat round.
This takes one combat action. They can move up to 6 paces, for one round, if and only if they do
nothing else. They can move up to two spaces backward while facing forward and parrying. They
can move up to one pace, without expending an action. Being tired reduces movement by one
pace per action. The authors of the game normally use Battlemats and the associated marking
pens to measure combat distances, and convert each pace to a hex on the battlemat.
Other creatures are divided into several speed classes. This is intended to reflect the fact that
even the slowest cheetah will be much faster than the fastest sloth, and improve storytelling by
using qualitative terms. People do not experience a galloping horse as going twenty five miles an
hour, they experience it as fast. In general, any creature in one speed class can outrun or out fly
any creature in a lower speed class, in a fairly short period of time. Also, any creature in a given
speed class strikes in melee ahead of any creature in a lower speed class, except that when combat
involves a human or a creature with a weapon, weapon length, not speed class, is the decisive
factor In addition, where relevant within a species, speed is added as a characteristic. Horses, for
example, have a speed characteristic, to aid in simulating horse races.
Speed Class Table
Class Name Normal/Top Move {paces} Example
Slow 2/4 Sloth, worm, snake
Normal 3/6 Human
Fast 6/12 Horse, deer
Very Fast 9/18 Cheetah, Falcon

For simplicity, being tired subtracts one from normal and top speeds for all creatures. Two legged
creatures can back up like humans, 4 legged cannot.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 35
Impact Bonus
A character who is big and strong ((Strength +Size/2) > 14) gets a +1 to damage done. This is
referred to as an “impact bonus”. Like a strength or size bonus for monsters, it is added to the
damage done when the characters hits someone using a melee weapon.

Incapacitation
If an attack gets through armor, this forces a roll for incapacitation at the end of the round. The
player of the injured character rolls dice, usually D10, but sometimes something else as specified
in the monster description. If his die roll is greater than the damage done, the character stays up.
A roll of 1 always incapacitates, for named characters only, a roll of 10 never incapacitates.
When a character is incapacitated, he or she enters one of a number of different “medical
Conditions”. These are:
Medical Conditions Table
Condition Meaning
Healthy Character is in good shape
Walking Character functions normally except that odd die rolls are reduced one success
Wounded level, for all skill rolls except lore and communication skills. When a recovery
roll is announced, make even die roll below or equal to CON and the character
gets better. Odd die roll above CON and the character deteriorates to Badly
Wounded/Out of It.
Badly Character cannot walk unassisted or use skills. When a recovery roll is called
Wounded for, make even die roll less than or equal to CON, and the character becomes
Walking Wounded. On Odd failures the character’s state becomes Dying
Dying, Like Badly Wounded, , except that a decline will be to Dead, and an increase will
be to Badly Wounded/
Dead Cannot breathe, move, think, or fight. Once dead, you stop getting CON rolls to
get better. Also, chirurgery has no effect, and unless it is specifically stated
in the spell description that a healing spell affects dead characters, it has no
effect.

An incapacitated character is out of the fight for the rest of the episode. To determine his or her
condition at the end of the fight, roll on the following:
Injury Table
Roll State Notes
1 Healthy Pain only effect, recover at end of
episode
2-6 Walking Wounded
6-7 Walking Wounded
7-9 Badly Wounded
10-12 Badly Wounded If Con – 5 roll is missed, infected
by flesh rot
13 Badly Wounded Disabled, roll on Disability table
14-16 Dying
17 Dying Disabled, roll on Disability table
18 Dying Immediate Con roll, dead if failed
19 Dying Immediate CON roll, modifier -7;
dead if failed
20 Dead

As indicated on the table above, a character can be “disabled” Disabled Characters have a
permanent condition, the consequences of which are determined by common sense, and which
require special healing spells as described below.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 36

Disability Table
Roll Result
1-3 Right Leg Broken - Cure by Reset Bone
4-6 Left Leg Broken - Cure by Reset Bone
7-9 Right Arm Broken - Cure by Reset Bone
10- Left Arm Broken - Cure by Reset Bone
12
13- One eye put out - Cure by Restore Vision
14
15- Addled - Cure by Cure by Cure Madness
16
17- Limb severed - roll D12 as above to determine limb but need Regenerate to cure.
18
19 Hearing Loss -5 to listen skill roll - Cure by Heal Body
20 Weakness - Impact Bonus -2, worst of 2 rolls when Con or Strength rolls are required - Cure by
Heal Body.

Example: Talwin and the snail both have to roll for incapacitation. The GM rolls for the snail
first. The snail has 6 points of armor, so only 4 got through. The GM rolls a 3, and just as he is
about to rule that the snail falls over, he remembers the snail’s +5 for being a large monster {see
the section below on Fighting Monsters}. So the snail is still standing as the others close to
melee. Talwin, on the other hand, has only three points of armor, plus three points for a spell, so
he has total of 6 points of armor. He is incapacitated on a roll of three or less. His player rolls a
2, so down he goes.

At the end of the combat, his player rolls an 11. He is badly wounded and cannot mover under
his own power. He has also been exposed to flesh rot. On the other hand, at least he is not
disabled, and does not have to roll on the disability table.

Healing
A wounded, but not dead, character gets one recovery roll at the end of the episode, and one
recovery roll for each day thereafter, until the character is healthy or dead. For each recovery roll,
a wounded character goes up one level {badly wounded to walking wounded} on even D20 rolls
equal to or below the character’s constitution, or down one level {badly wounded to dying, for
example} on odd D20 rolls greater than the characters constitution characteristic. Other rolls
have no effect.
Some healing spells grant additional rolls that never make things worse. If one of these spells is
cast on the character, roll D20 and compare to Constitution. If the result is even and equal to
Constitution or below, the character goes up one medical condition level. Otherwise the roll has
no effect.
Disabilities never heal spontaneously. For details on healing disabilities, consult the relevant
spell description.

Situational Combat Modifiers

A GM may rule that under some circumstances combat is more difficult due to normal factors,
such as shooting at an enemy who is behind cover, shooting from a moving horse, fighting in
darkness, etc. These are handled by modifications to a character’s effective skill. For example, a
character shooting from a moving horse that normally has a skill of 17 with a bow might have an
effective skill of twelve. After the modifier is applied, the skill is resolved normally. A few
situational modifiers are given below:
Combat Situational Modifier Table
Situation Modifier
Attempting the almost impossible -20
Enemy protected by substantial fortification -10
Exhausted combatant fighting fresh foe -10
Fighting Blind or in total darkness -10
Shooting at enemy behind cover -5
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 37
Shooting at a moving target -5
Shooting from a moving horse -5
Shooting at long range -5
Fighting in low visibility, dense fog -5
Tired (just had a combat episode) -5
Fighting uphill -3
Fighting Mounted enemy while on foot -2

Fumbles
When a character fumbles in combat, roll D10 and consult the table below.
Roll Result

1-2 Off Balance Cannot attack next round

3-5 Off Balance – Can neither attack nor parry next round

6 Lose weapon – weapon cannot retrieved for rest of fight

7 Vision obstructed – Attacks and parries -10 till one round out of combat can be spent
to remove obstruction

8 Hit self – roll D20 and if you roll a 1 damage is maximum and ignores armor; if not
do normal weapon damage; to self. If this happens while parrying, drop parrying
weapon or shield.

9 Hit ally, as hit self except nearest friend is hit. If no friend within reach, hit self.

10 Expose yourself – all enemy attacks increase one level, thus enemy misses become
hits, hits become specials, specials critical successes, and critical successes
cinematic.

Combat Exploits
When a character manages a special, critical, or cinematic success, he or she has the chance to
perform a “combat exploit”. A special success allows one combat exploit that round, a critical
success allows two combat exploits, and a cinematic success allows three combat exploits in a
given round. With the exception of “natural critical”, discussed below a character must know a
combat exploit to perform it.
All characters know the Maximum Damage, Negate Exploit and Ignore Armor Exploits. One
additional attack exploit is learned when weapon attack skill reaches twenty; another attack
exploit is learned when weapon attack skill reaches twenty five, and a new exploit is learned at
every level divisible by 5 thereafter. A parry exploit may be learned when parry skill reaches
twenty, twenty five, thirty etc. Exploits that are neither attack specific nor parry specific may be
leaned as either attack exploits or parry exploits.
A character may use exploits that do not increase damage whenever he or she manages a special,
critical, or cinematic success. No exploit can be used if the success is reduced to a miss or fumble,
whatever the initial level of success. Exploits that increase damage, such as Maximum Damage,
Ignore Armor, Impale, or The Bigger They the Harder they Fall cannot be used when the success
is reduced to an ordinary success (”parried down”), but are otherwise treated like exploits that do
not increase damage.
A player may choose which exploit his character performs after rolling. If both sides in a melee
bring off a combat exploit, both players roll D20 and the lower result declares what combat
exploit it is attempting first.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 38

Combat Exploits Table – (A) is attack only (P) is parry only

Name Description
Attack Emphasis Attack Emphasis allows the player to use his parry roll as an attack roll if
the parry roll is higher than the attack roll. Having used the parry roll to
attack, the charcter parries with the die roll he would normally have used
to attack with. To use Attack Emphasis, the parry roll must be good
enough to earn the exploit.
Parry Emphasis Parry Emphasis allows the player to use his attack roll as a parry roll if
the attack roll is higher than the parry roll. Having used the attack roll to
parry, the charcter attacks with the die roll he would normally have used
to attack with. To use Parry Emphasis, the attack roll must be good
enough to earn the exploit.
Maximum Attacking weapon damage roll is automatic maximum – i.e. 1D10 roll is
Damage (A) automatically ten. Cannot be invoked if enemy parries the blow with a
roller higher than the die rolled, even if parry is not a special or critical
success.
Negate Exploit Ignore effect of enemy exploit on character
Ignore Armor Eliminates up to 5 points of the effect of an enemy’s armor. Cannot be
(A) invoked if enemy parries the blow with a roller higher than the die rolled,
even if parry is not a special or critical success.
Force Retreat(A) Enemy must retreat at least one half normal move, independently of
whether or not he is affected by damage from the blow. Enemy chooses
where to retreat to. Effects of movement enhancing spells like Wingfoot
not counted as part of normal move. If enemy cannot retreat and is
forced to retreat, apply both Maximum Damage and Ignore armor
instead. A second level of Force Retreat allows the attacker to choose
where the defender retreats to. If a character has learned two levels of
Force Retreat they only count as one exploit against the total allowed for
a special, critical or cinematic hit.
Fighting Retreat May retreat from combat, moving up to ½ normal movement distance
(P) per round generally backward, whether or not retreater is affected by
damage from the blow. Enemy must follow or disengage. Effects of
movement enhancing spells like Wingfoot may be counted as part of
normal move, if the retreater chooses to do so.
The Bigger they Offsets one level of size difference, against larger than human targets
are, the Harder only. May be chose three times, but never does more than damage than
they fall (A) the enemy opposed has in size advantage. A character fighting a large,
huge, etc monster, he or she can always use this if he knows it, even if
he has attack or parry emphasis written down as a default. If a
character has learned multiple levels of this exploit they only count as
one exploit against the total allowed for a special, critical or cinematic
hit.
Impale (A) When using a broadsword, dagger or spear, add +5 to damage. If target
falls down, the weapon is stuck in the target. Pulling it out will require a
strength -5 roll on D20.
Hold Enemy Off If using the longer weapon, keep enemy at a distance presenting him
from closing to strike this round. If enemy attack has already been
rolled, ignore it.
Attack 2 Foes Attack 2 foes at roll -5.
(A)
Parry 2 Foes (P) Parries 2 foes at roll -5
Attack All Foes Attack All foes in reach at roll -10.
(A)
Parry All Foes Parries All foes at roll - 10
(P)
Parry Arrows Parries an arrow at roll – 5. May be chosen more than once, in which
(P) case more than one arrow can be parried.
Situational Character may Listen or Spot with a -5 difficulty modifier while fighting
Awareness
Gift of Command Character may issue a seven word order, shouting to his followers, while
fighting. Getting them to hear and obey will require a roll of Leadership
with a -5 difficulty modifier.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 39

Fighting Monsters
Fire and Sword classifies creatures into the following size categories, which are qualitative and
based on size in comparison to a human. Each difference in size class is a +5 to impact bonus for
the bigger creature and a -5 to impact bonus for the smaller creature. The categories, from
smallest to largest, are:
Size Modifier Table
Size Examples Impact Modifier Dice to resist Size modifier to
vs. Human incapacitation hit
Tiny Insects, mice, -15 1D3 -10
Very Small House cat, falcon, -10 1D6 -5
etc
Small Most dogs, l -5 1D8 -3
Human Human 0 1D10 0
Large Horse, Giant Boar +5 1D10+5 +3
Huge Elephant, etc +10 1D10+10 +5
Gigantic Giant, Roc +15 1D10+15 +10
Colossal Large Giant +20 1D10+20 +15

If neither combatant is human, add the adjustments to attack to the adjustment for defense, to
each. For example, a dog is -5 to attack a human, and a human is +5 to attack it. It is attacking a
cat, which is -10 to attack a human, and +10 to be attacked by a human. The dog’s -5 is added to
the human’s +10 to attack a cat, giving a +5 to impact bonus for the dog attacking the cat. The
cat’s -10 is added to the +5 a human would have to attack the dog, giving a -5 for the cat attacking
the dog. It is worth noting in passing that in reality big things are not always tough; horses are
very vulnerable. But big things are pretty always tough in myth, and fantasy role playing games
are much more reflective of myth than of physics.
The size modifier to hit reflects the fact that it is very hard to hit a small agile creature like a
hummingbird, and very easy to hit a large slow target like a giant. The size modifier is simply
added to the attacker’s effective skill before the player rolls the dice to attack.
Monsters also move differently, and attack differently. So the rules on how many actions they get,
how fast they move, etc, may differ from those for humans. For more details, see the appropriate
monster description.
Demonic Features can also modify the rules. Each demon differs from others, even of the same
type; so the modifications to the rules made by a chaotic feature will be described with that
feature.
Example: The adventuring party closes to melee with the snail. They draw their swords {since
Talwin, the only axe wielder, is out of it}. One of the characters hits and rolls a 9 for damage.
He then adds 3 for his Black Blade of Death spell, and 1 for his character’s damage bonus, doing
a total of 13. The monster has 6 points for armor and 5 points for being large. It goes down on
a D10 roll of 1 or 2. The monster bit Priscus with its left head, rolling an 8 for damage. The GM
rolls a 1, and the monster dies.
The GM is annoyed that the fight did not last longer, but with 5 characters attacking the odds
that someone would roll 9 or 10 for damage were actually pretty high. At the same time,
Charlie rolls a 1 for Priscus. This leaves Zenobia with a bit of a quandary, since she has two
incapacitated people and only one Greater Healing spell. Luckily, Charlie rolls a 1 again for the
results of the incapacitation, and at the end of the episode Priscus is fine. Of course, if the GM
had rolled a series of 7’s or higher for the monster, this encounter would have been a very tough
fight.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 40
Encumbrance Rules
A character moving on foot for most of a day can carry sixty five pounds of equipment, including a
two handed weapon, a one handed weapon, and a shield. If mounted, he or she can carry an extra
two handed weapon, and thanks to his horse, he or she can carry eighty pounds. A minor
exception is that Greek hoplite equipment, which included both a two handed spear and a large
shield, is allowed. Characters trying to carry a little more than this suffer a minus 5 modifier in
combat; burdens of more than ninety pounds or six hands of gear may result is greater penalties
to combat skill. If more detailed encumbrance rules are necessary {the author’s campaign does
not have a lot of arguments about encumbrance}, use the rules in GURPS or Dungeons and
Dragons to deal with encumbrance.
A character cannot wear heavy armor, carry a normal load of other equipment, and walk the
normal distance. Characters trying to do so are exhausted fairly early in the day and suffer a -10
penalty to skill in afternoon encounters. They also lose movement for being tired, as in the
movement rules. Characters riding animals, or storing their supplies on pack animals, do not
suffer this penalty.

Mounted Combat
Most mounts are not trained to fight independently. They provide mobility, and if using a lance,
the rider can harness the mount’s momentum in support of his or her blow. So the rules effect of
being mounted is that the rider moves at the speed of the mount, and when using a lance only,
gets the size bonus of the mount {usually large or huge} instead of his or her impact bonus. Also,
the mount bears the burden of encumbrance rather than the rider, so a mounted fighter can
usually carry an extra two handed weapons, and may wear heavy armor. Finally, enemies
attempting to parry may be -2 for trying to parry a blow from above. The downside of mounted
combat is that compensating for the movement of the mount is an issue, so the rider’s effective
weapon attacks cannot exceed his or her ride skill plus ten.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 41

Chapter IV Spirits and Shamanism

The Spirit World, or Spirit Realm, is a separate world, which is linked to the normal world, called
the Material Plane, and the Divine World, or God plane. The mapping between the Spirit World
and either of the other worlds is poorly understood even by shamans, who are not after all
scientists in the modern sense, and will not be further discussed in detail here. Normal characters
interact with spirits only when a spirit attacks them, either by trying to possess them or by
manifesting in the physical world and using a physical attack. Shamans may enter the spirit
world, by a process called discorporation. While in the spirit world they can engage and be
engaged in combat in the spirit world. Also, combat between spirits may be resolved as spirit
combat.

Spirits
A spirit is a creature primarily resident on the spirit plane, much as a normal creature is primarily
resident on the material plane. A spirit appears on the spirit plane as a misty analog of the
creature it would be where it embodied. Not all spirits have embodied forms, some are shapeless
mists with tentacles; while others look like creatures which could exist, but do not.
Spirits can communicate with each other using a semi-telepathic, but also partly vocal language
called spirit speech. Spirits cannot normally communicate with embodied creatures, or
characters, unless they happen to share a language with the creatures or characters, and have the
power to vocalize on the normal plane. Spirit Language and Custom is a specialized skill, like any
other Language and Custom skill, usually taught by shamans.
Spirits may have skills, like normal characters. Spirits may have divine, or very rarely, sorcery,
spells. Spirits may be able to grant spells. When spirits grant spells, use the rules for Divine
Magic, except that usually only one or two spells will be granted; and the spells must be regained
by summoning the granting spirit.
Spirits may be any combination of intelligent or unintelligent, and animal or plant. Intelligent
spirits are sapient; animal or plant spirits behave like the relevant animal or plant.

Hiding on the Spirit Plane

Hiding on the spirit plane is done using the normal hide skill, for simplicity. Spotting hidden
characters is done using the normal spot skill. Roll D30, not D20, to determine whether or not
the character was successful.

Spirit Combat
Spirit combat happens only between disembodied spirits. A normal character, in a body and
expecting a fight, cannot be engaged in spirit combat. For rules on how spirits attack normal
characters, see the section on Possession and the individual spirit type description.
The procedure for spirit combat is done as described below. Unless otherwise noted, spirit
combat follows the normal rules for melee combat. The differences are:
Spirit combat is rolled on D30, not D20.
Spirit combat is possible if and only if two or more discorporate spirits are within two and a half
paces on the spirit plane. Spirits under the control of q shaman cannot attack outside of short
bow range of the shaman if the shaman and his fetch have a combined POW of less than 25,
outside of Longbow range if the shaman and his fetch have a combined POW of less than 50, or
outside of one mile of the shaman if the combined Power of the shaman and his fetch is greater
than 50m but less than 75. The location of a discorporate shaman is considered to be the location
of his or her spirit, not the location of the body.
A spirit controlled by a shaman may be released from its fetish and move to anywhere within the
shaman’s span of control {which varies with POW as defined above} in one round. It can then be
ready to attack next round. A spirit defending a territory may appear at any point on the spirit
plane within that territory. Spirits may follow individual targets, to remain in position to engage.
It takes one round for a spirit to deploy and engage.
Spirit combat takes the form of duels, between two spirits. If more than one spirit wishes to
engage an enemy, the higher successful die roll {that is, below POW} succeeds. Ties, or if both
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 42
spirits fail, mean that neither engages. Spirits that are in communication with each other may
decide which spirit engages by mutual consent.
Spirit combat happens during the spirit combat phase of the combat round. Spirit combat is
fought to a conclusion immediately, and has no effect on the number or nature of actions open to
a character in the material world.
The attacker rolls against POW. A shaman also rolls against and spirit combat skill and if
appropriate his fetch power and takes the best result.
The defender rolls against POW. A shaman also rolls against and spirit combat skill and if
appropriate his fetch power and takes the best result.
If the attacker's roll beats the defender's roll, he rolls to determine the amount of dominance his
attack may inflict on the target.
This will usually be a D10, plus any modifiers for weaponry effective in spirit combat. Special
circumstances, such as the attacker being a dove or tyrannosaur spirit, may increase or decrease
the size and number of dominance dice rolled, at the GM’s discretion.
The defender must roll a spirit defeat die or dice and get a value greater than the Dominance that
is affecting the defender's spirit, or be defeated. A value equal to the domination is a defeat, but
such a marginal one that you automatically get a 1 on the spirit combat effect table. The
character’s spirit defeat die are the same as the character would use to resist incapacitation,
except that all modifiers from physical abilities (such as toughness) are dropped. They may be
affected by modifiers for spiritual fierceness. The spirit defeat die will usually be a D10, Special
circumstances, such as the defender being a dove or tyrannosaur spirit, may increase or decrease
the size and number of defeat dice rolled, at the GM's discretion. "
If defeated, a spirit suffers the effects of a roll on the Spirit Combat Effects Table. A victorious
spirit, if it is serving a shaman in the normal manner, will returns to its fetish and remains there
till the end of the episode. A shaman or a shaman’s fetch are not subject to this rule, and may
move on to attack other targets. A victorious spirit defending a territory may move to attack
another invader of the territory.
Example: Gokleya is a shaman that the group knows, and she has asked them to guard her on a
quest to banish a spirit that is taking over monsters and getting them to attack the human
community. Gokleya has a Power of 22 and a spirit combat skill of 15. She has chosen a site she
thinks would be a good base for hunting down the spirit.
Gokleya decides to discorporate and investigate the target. Unfortunately, she encounters a
spirit left there by the enemy to annoy shaman attacking the site. The Guardian spirit has a
POW of 15. It attacks in spirit combat. Both the GM and Gokleya’s player get D30. The GM rolls
a 12 for the spirit’s attack. Gokleya’s player rolls a 9 for her defense. Things are looking bad for
Gokleya. Then Gokelya’s player rolls a 13 for her spirit combat skill. Gokleya’s player rolls an 8
for her to attack in spirit combat. The GM rolls a 9 for the spirit. The first round of spirit
combat has no effect.
With a 28, the spirit misses its power attack on Gokleya during the next round. Gokleya’s player
rolls a 15, and the spirit a 10 to resist, so Gokleya wins. Gokleya gets to roll dominance. Her
player rolls a 5, so the GM has to roll to see if the spirit resists spiritual “incapacitation”. He
rolls a 7, the spirit remains in combat, and the combat continues.

Disengaging from Spirit Combat

A disembodied shaman, who has disembodied and attacked, may end his or her discorporation
and disengage from combat instead of attacking at any time. Either combatant may use a
successful attack roll to withdraw from spirit combat. A character or spirit that withdraws from
spirit combat may not be pursued. A spirit that voluntarily withdraws from spirit combat is
demoralized, and may not choose to voluntarily reenter spirit combat until the end of the episode
Example: The guardian spirit can disengage, instead of continuing the fight, anytime that its
attack beats Gokleya’s defense. Gokleya is a superior enemy so it might make sense to do so.
Gokleya can leave the fight anytime her player manages a successful attack.

Spirit Combat Effects Table

Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 43
Roll Result
1-4 Losing spirit is banished from the area for the rest of the episode. If controlled by a
shaman and normally resident in a fetish, it returns to that fetish. If losing spirit is a
discorporate shaman, his or her spirit returns to its body, and the shaman cannot
discorporate till the end of the episode
5-8 Losing spirit is banished from the area for the rest of the episode. If controlled by a
shaman and normally resident in a fetish, the shaman must take 8 hours and summon
the spirit again. This is an easy summon skill roll {1D10 vs. skill} If losing spirit is a
discorporate shaman, his or her spirit returns to its body, and is confused. The shaman
cannot discorporate for the rest of the episode, and is “addled”. An addled character can
defend him or herself and attack enemies that attack him. All other skill use is
performed at a -10. Orders, etc are ignored. The shaman’s problems end at the end of
the episode.
9-12 Losing spirit is banished from the area for the rest of the week. If controlled by a shaman
and normally resident in a fetish, the shaman must wait till the end of the week and take
8 hours to summon the spirit again... If losing spirit is a discorporate shaman, his or her
spirit returns to its body, and is confused. The shaman cannot discorporate for the rest of
the episode, and is “addled”. An addled character can defend him or herself and attack
enemies that attack him. All other skill use is performed at a -10. Orders, etc are ignored.
The shaman’s problems last for a week, or until being addled is cured with Cure Madness
13-15 Losing spirit is banished from the area for the rest of the month. If controlled by a
shaman and normally in a fetish, the shaman must wait a month and take 8 hours to
summon the spirit again. If losing spirit is a discorporate shaman, his or her spirit
returns to its body, and is confused. The shaman cannot discorporate for the rest of the
episode, and is “addled”. An addled character can defend him and attack enemies that
attack him. All other skill use is performed at a -10. Orders, etc are ignored. The
shaman’s problems last for a month or until being addled is cured with Cure Madness
16-17 Spirit is lost between planes. If controlled by a shaman and normally resident in a fetish,
the shaman must wait till the end of the month and take 8 hours to summon the spirit
again. The summoning roll is hard {difficulty – 10). When summoned, the spirit is
addled and unable to obey orders until Cure Madness is performed. If losing spirit is a
discorporate shaman, his or her spirit returns to its body, and next round wounds itself
Incapacitation is automatic. Roll for the effect of incapacitation as if shaman was
incapacitated in physical combat.
18-19 Memory is lost. Spirit departs. If summoned, it forgets all about any previous deals with
the shaman. It is, of course, open to a new deal. If losing spirit is a discorporate shaman,
his or her spirit is lost on the spirit plane, and does not remember how to return to its
body. It will return in week. He body does not decay, and breathing makes it obvious
that shaman is not dead. .
20 If loser is embodied, he or she is dead. If not, treat as 19 above.

Note: disease or madness spirits inflict their disease or madness on the other entity that loses to
them, so add suffering from the appropriate disease or madness to the other results from losing in
spirit combat on the spirit combat table when losing to these spirits.

Example: Gokleya finally defeats the guardian spirit, and the GM rolls a 10 for the effects of
spirit combat. The guardian spirit falls asleep and the adventurers move past it. It will be
waiting for them when they get back

Possession
Many spirits are capable of possessing physical beings. There are three kinds of possession:
dominant possession; associate possession and voluntary possession. A character is said to suffer
from dominant possession when the possessing spirit totally takes over his or her body,
suppressing his or her self. A character is said to suffer from associate possession when a spirit
possesses the character, causing pain or causing the character to act in a particular way that
impedes his or her free will in some situations. A character is experiencing voluntary possession
when he or she uses the channeling skill. What types of possession, if any, a spirit can attempt are
determined by what type of spirit it is {see the section on Types of Spirits}.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 44
An attempt to possess an embodied character is resolved using the Spirit Combat rules above,
except that when the attacking spirit wins it possess the target, rather than inflicting a roll on the
Spirit Combat Effects Table. The effects of possession vary with the type of the possessing spirit
and are described in the section on Types of Spirits.
Dominant or associate possession cannot be seen from the outside, and seems perfectly normal to
the possessed character. Of course, odd behavior may be a clue to the fact that the character is
possessed. Someone looking at the possessed character with the Second Sight skill or the Soul
Sight spell can tell that the possessed character is possessed by another spirit. Some possessing
spirits are insidious and even characters with Second Sight or Soul Sight may be required to make
the a Spot Skill roll and overcome the Hide skill of the spirit. Voluntary possession results in odd
behavior that is obvious to everyone.
Only one spirit can dominantly possess a character at a time. If two spirits meet the criteria to
dominantly possess a character, and a conflict arises, the spirits must fight each other in spirit
combat. There is no upper limit to the number of spirits that can associate possess a character – a
character can be possessed by both a curse spirit and an agony spirit at the same time. If two
spirits of the same type are in associate possession of a character, the character suffers the effects
of the more powerful spirit {i.e. the one with the greater POW characteristic}.
Involuntary possession ends when the possessing spirit wants to leave, or is forced to leave by
losing a spirit combat or failing to resist the Divine Exorcism spell. Voluntary possession ends at
the end of the episode, or when the spirit is forced to leave by spirit combat or spell.

Shamans and their Skills

A shaman is a character whose primary focus is on attaining magical or spiritual aims through
involvement in the spirit world. He usually does this by binding spirits into fetishes, though some
shamans, mostly ancestor worshippers, allow themselves to be possessed. Shamans and spirits
have a number of specialized skills, discussed below. Shamans and shaman apprentices usually
know discorporation, second sight, spirit combat, and the tradition lore for their tradition. Some
shamans and some divine casters who work with spirits know channeling.

Learning Shamanic Skills

If a character does not know a shamanic skill, he or she may learn it to a skill of 4 if the character
takes a week off and the player makes three consecutive tradition lore rolls. Failure in any of the
rolls means that the character cannot figure out the basics of the skill and the week is gone. The
more common approach is to convince a shaman to teach the character the skill. This is usually
only possible if the shaman has taken the character on as an apprentice. If this is not the case,
teaching a shamanic skill is a big request, which requires a favor on the favor table. Even with a
shaman to teach a character, it still takes a week to learn the basics of a shamanic skill.

Quests on the Spirit Plane {Vision Quests}

A vision quest is a trip into the spirit world, usually undertaken to prove a character’s fitness to
become a shaman or in response to a specific crises affecting the tribe or other social group
supporting the shaman. Trips onto the spirit plane may also become necessary for other reasons.
Vision Quests use the rules on Interacting with the Legendary World included later in these rules.
Use the spirit combat rules above to resolve combat on vision quests. Communication is dealt
with using the Spirit Language and Custom skill as a spoken language; and the usual assortment
of persuasion skills {Fast-talk, Rhetoric, etc} used in normal adventuring.
Shamans may have a special type of spirit called a “fetch”, usually gained on a Vision Quest, with
capabilities discussed below.
Example: When Gokleya gets to the place where she can begin hunting the spirit that is driving
monsters to attack the human community, she has a choice. She can try to summon the
offending spirit, and fight it there, or she can go on a short vision quest to a spot on the spirit
plane that a dream has revealed to be its lair. If she summons the spirit, she will only have to
fight the spirit, and the player characters can help her to the best of their ability. On the other
hand, with her limited summoning skill of 14, and lack of knowledge of the spirit’s true name,
she might easily summon something else. Fighting the something else would at best be a waste
of her effort, and at worst it would kill her and her companions. She opts for the vision quest
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 45
Fetishes
A fetish is a sacred item into which a spirit controlled by a shaman is bound.
Fetishes are created with the Tradition Lore skill. A one point fetish costs 1 POW to create, and
can hold a spirit of any POW up to that of the using shaman. A two point fetish costs 2 POW to
create, and can contain a spirit of up to half again the POW of the using shaman. A three point
fetish can contain a spirit up to twice the POW of the using shaman. If the POW of the using
shaman decreases,, so that the POW of the spirit is greater than twice the POW of the shaman,
and the spirit released from the fetish the spirit is free. It may stick around and do what it wants,
or return to its normal home on the Spirit Plane, at the GM’s discretion.
Fetishes must contain spirits of a specific type. A healing fetish often referred to as a “medicine
bundle”, will not usually be able to hold a pain spirit.
In general, small spirits have a POW of 2D6+ 5, and getting their support costs 1 check. Medium
spirits have a POW of 2D6+10, and getting their support costs 3 checks. Large spirits have a POW
of 2D6 + 15, and cost 6 checks. Very Large spirits have a POW of 2D6+20, and require 10 checks.
Larger spirits are known, but rarely ally with PC shamans. Some spirits have unusual abilities,
and the cost of making friends with these spirits may be higher at the discretion of the GM.
Getting the support of a spirit gains the shaman the use of all of the spirit’s normal skills, natural
magic, divine spells, etc, in situations which are deemed to deemed by the Game Master {playing
the spirit} to be non combat or to involve relatively minor risk of loss of life or soul. This service
will also include anything which would count as a small or large favor, as described in the clout
rules in the politics chapter. The spirit will also fight in the shaman’s defense. Most spirits will
not initiate spirit combat for a shaman who has bound them, if the shaman is not directly under
attack. Some spirits will do so, but they will usually demand a duel with the shaman, to prove that
the shaman worthy of commanding them, first. If the shaman wins, they will serve the shaman,
including initiating spirit combat against foes who are not directly threatening the shaman. This
is subject to some exceptions. Healing spirits will attack disease spirits, even if the disease spirit
is not directly threatening the shaman, etc. Nothing in this should be taken to imply that a spirit
will attack a foe that is of clearly much greater power than it is, in the eyes of the GM.
It is possible to perform rituals which increase the power or ability of a spirit bound in a fetish.
These rituals are inexpensive, but time consuming. For game play purposes, they are abstracted
to a rule that a shaman, or indeed character with a fetish, can use one of his or her checks to try to
increase the spirit’s POW, or any of the spirit’s skills. This is done by using the check and rolling
to increase normally, as if the spirit had earned the check itself. This reduces the number of
checks which might otherwise be used to improve the character with the fetish. A spirit, once
bound into a fetish, will never exceed the POW limit of the fetish, even if the spirit’s POW is
increased above the limit through service. A fetish may usually be given to a fellow tribesman,
etc; if appropriate.
The maximum number of spirits that a shaman may bind into fetishes is equal to (POW of
shaman + POW of fetch)/3. The maximum number of fetishes a non-shamanic character may
have is equal to POW/3. If a shaman has more spirits than are allowed by this rule, and releases
any spirit from a fetish, it is free to go at the GM’s discretion.

Spells That Affect the Spirit Plane

Some spells affect involvement with the Spirit Plane. The Divine Shield spell allows a character to
resist a shaman trying to force spiritual battle on him with the relevant Cult Lore, if it is higher
than his POW. The Divine Spirit of the Faithful spell adds 5 to the character’s effective POW...
The sorcery Absence of the Spirit spell can hide a character’s spirit on the Spirit Plane, preventing
spirits from attacking to possess it. Mystify affects spirit plane entities, though the chances of
success are much lower than on the normal plane.

Ancestor Worshipping Shamans

Ancestor worshipping shamans are a bit different. They become an ancestor, in effect being
possessed by that ancestor, thus temporarily acquiring the abilities of the possessing spirit and
losing their own. They rely primarily on the Channeling and Summoning skills.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 46
The Fetch
A shaman’s fetch is a spiritual counselor, in effect permanently resident in the shaman’s head. It
usually appears to the shaman as an animal, except that it can speak, act on its own, use special
powers appropriate to the totem, and is in Mind Link with the shaman. The fetch thus can see
through the shaman’s eyes, hear through the shaman’s ears, etc.
To create a fetch, a character goes on a Vision Quest, and sacrifices a point of power. Depending
on the nature of the quest, and the tradition the shaman comes from, the fetch is either an alter
ego, or a distinct spirit. This question is debated in the shamanic community. In game terms,
what appears to be, but probably is not, a new spirit is created. It has a POW of 4, at the time or
creation. It has an Intelligence equal to that of the shaman, plus 6. It may be a spirit of any the
types described below.
The fetch has the following advantages:
a) It can operate on its own, engaging on the spirit plane and so forth independently of the
shaman;
b) As a separate entity, it gets half as many checks as the shaman does, rounded down, per
session. Thus, for a five check session, the shaman would still get five checks, but the
fetch would get two more.
c) If the shaman discorporates, the fetch can occupy his body, allowing the shaman to move
about, run away with the rest of the group, etc.
d) A fetch can add to the shaman’s defenses against magical or spiritual attack. If the
shaman is attacked it may interpose itself, so that the attacker must defeat the fetch
before attacking the shaman; or it may fight with the shaman. If it fights with the
shaman, both the shaman and the fetch are attacked by the incoming spell or spirit, but
both shaman and fetch are treated as one entity which fights with the better of two
separate rolls, one for the shaman, and one for the fetch
e) A fetch often possesses mystical or intuitive knowledge of things it cannot express. At the
discretion of the GM, the fetch can give a kind of sixth sense warning that something the
shaman is about to do is a really bad mistake; or will probably work out much better than
expected. This will happen at most once per session, and is not a divination ability which
may be invoked by the player of the shaman.
A fetch starts out with the basic minimum for a spirit of that type. A hawk spirit will spot
ambushers as well as a beginning hawk; which will be much better than a rock spirit, which will
spot like a beginning rock.
A fetch knows everything the shaman knows, sees everything the shaman sees, hears everything
the shaman hears, etc. The shaman knows everything the fetch knows, sees everything the fetch
sees, hears everything the fetch hears, etc.
A shaman may, if he or she wishes, attempt to increase the power or skills of his or her fetch, in
addition to the experience the fetch earns on its own. To do this, use the rules given above for
fetishes. A player may not combine the checks the fetch has earned with those of the shaman; if
the fetch uses its checks to try to improve something, the player cannot use the shaman’s checks
to try twice.
A fetch is very loyal, but may be killed in spirit combat. It may also desert the shaman, if he or
engages in conduct grossly unbecoming a shaman (learning sorcery lore and aid for example).
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 47
Types of Spirits
Spirits are discussed here because they are the source of the shaman’s magic. Some other spirits,
such as ghosts, are also commonly encountered monsters. These are discussed in the chapter on
Monsters.

The types of spirits describe here include: Agony Spirits, Ancestor Spirits, Apsaras, Banshees, Cult
Spirits, Curse Spirits, Disease Spirits, Dream Spirits, Dryads, Hag Spirits, Healing Spirits,
Madness Spirits, Memory Eating Spirits, Nightmare Spirits, Object Spirits, Oreads, Passion
Spirits, Spirits of Darkness, Spirits of Light.

Agony Spirits
Speed: Very Fast
POW: 3D6+6
These spirits inflict pain. Like disease spirits, they attack CON rather than POW in spirit combat,
and if they overcome the target possess him or her via associate possession. A character
possessed by an agony spirit is incapacitated till the end of the episode, and is walking wounded
until the pain ends. This possession lasts until either the agony spirit is driven out or the shaman
calls the agony spirit back to its fetish
Characters may be freed from an agony spirit, if a healing spirit or shaman attacks the agony
spirit and defeats it; or if the Divine Banish Disease Spirit banishes the spirit
Agony spirits come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, and gaining the support of
an agony spirit costs the standard number of checks.
Agony spirits cannot be seen on the normal plane.

Ancestor Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Ancestor spirits are a specialized type of ghost. They are in the next world, not irritated ghosts
who cannot move on to the next world, but the spirits of ancestors who have come back to help
their descendants. Thus, they must be summoned to appear. Unlike most ghosts, they can
possess characters, but they only possess their descendants, and then only when the descendants
use the channeling skill to allow them to do so. While a character is channeling them, they can be
asked questions and will answer the questions based on the knowledge they had in life. This is
abstracted by assuming that the lore skills of an ancestor survives and can be exploited by the
other characters in the party {the channeling character loses control of his or her own body, and
so cannot ask questions}. A few ancestor spirits can also use physical skills, such as sword attack,
while in possession of their descendants. This is subject to the almost impossible (-20) difficulty
modifier, so it is rarely advantageous.
Ancestor spirits may combine their power with of the summoner to defend in spirit combat; and
they may fight in spirit combat instead of their descendant to shield their descendant. Ancestor
spirits cannot attack spirits that are not attacking the spirit of their descendants.
Ancestor spirits come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large ancestor
spirits are very rare. Gaining the support of an ancestor spirit costs the standard number of
checks. Ancestor spirits are invisible on the material plane.
Ancestor spirits may be bargained with, placed in fetishes, and kept available on a continuing
basis. If this is done, they require one check every other session in sacrifices, until their POW is
reached.
Animal Spirits
Speed: As animal they are spirit of
POW: 3D6+6
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 48
These are spirits of animals, and beasts, similar to those normally present on the physical plane.
Unlike their animal equivalents, they are often sapient, capable of talking, learning spells, etc.
Some have the power to become visible on the normal plane. They are most commonly
encountered as totem animals serving as a shaman’s fetch, or as” great spirits”, worshipped by
animists that grant spells appropriate for the totem animal. They may have multiple forms, some
fox spirits can appear to be human women, for example. They usually have personalities with
traits traditionally associated with the totem animal; foxes are clever, bears slowly to respond but
tough when really angered, cat’s independent, etc.
Animal spirits come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large animal
spirits are very rare. Gaining the support of an animal spirit costs the standard number of checks.
Small and medium sized animal spirits are not manifest on the mortal plane. Large and very
large animal spirits may materialize on the normal plane. Large animal spirits look like normal
animals of the same species. Very large animal spirits materialize in a form one size class larger
than normal for the animal, and are intelligent. They may know shamanic skills and/or divine
cult lore skills and spells. Animal spirits do tend to get jealous; if a shaman is clearly favoring
another spirit {except for the fetch}, by giving it checks while ignoring them, they will ask for
more, stop obeying the shaman, etc.
Apsaras
Speed: Fast
POW: 24+3D6
These are cloud spirits, and serve some air deities as angelic messengers. They can appear as
clouds, or as beautiful girls. As beautiful girls, they perform music or dance, often from lutes.
Their music or dance affects listeners as if it were the divine City Harmony spell, creating a feeling
of peace and contentment. It also feels “heavenly, because it is heavenly. Apsaras can embed a
message into their songs or dances. Treat this for game purposes as if they were trying to
convince the listener(s) with the rhetoric skill, treating their sing or play instrument skill as the
equivalent of rhetoric.
If attacked physically, an Apsara usually dissolves into air. On the other hand, listeners love
Apsaras, and will often attack the character that attacked the Apsara. Apsaras are quite powerful
in spirit combat, with a minimum power of 35 or so.
Apsaras cannot possess characters. They will never allow themselves to be put into a fetish. They
have been known to do services for training, if the trainer is good enough to teach performing arts
skills. The smallest Apsara encountered will be a very large spirit; larger Apsaras, up to POW 50,
have been known.
Apsaras have been known to have allied animals and monsters that they won over with their art.
They rarely organize attacks on their own initiative. Lesser Apsaras have been known to serve as
allied spirits.

Apsaras have been known to act as intercessory spirits for deities, and grant access to divine
magic on behalf of the deity.

Apsaras will only ally themselves to very powerful characters with magical or combat skill s of 30
or higher. They demand 1 check every other session or so, until a number of checks equal to half
their Power have been donated. They are then willing to reduce their tribute to once every other
session.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 49
Banshees
Speed: Very Fast
POW: 3D6+6
These are female mourning spirits, that show up when someone is about to die, and keen for the
character who will die. They are not infallible, but they are reliable enough, and their keening is
upsetting enough, to be unnerving. For more details see the entry for banshees in the section on
monsters.
Banshees come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large banshees are
very rare.
Banshees will never ally themselves to individual characters, and refuse to be placed in fetishes.

Cult Spirits
Speed: As spirit type they are
POWAs spirit type they are
Animist characters sometimes interact with cult spirits, though they are primarily associated with
theists. Cult spirits may be of any type appropriate for the deity described in these rules. See the
description in the Theism chapter for details.

Curse Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Curse Spirits deliver a curse, which is usually a disability or reduction to some medical condition
{walking wounded, etc}. Curse spirits differ from disease spirits in that they must be summoned
by a shaman {or rarely a divine caster}, and when once they possess a character they remain in
the body. Thus, characters affected by a curse never get either better or worse, except for death
curses. Death curses put the character into a medical condition, usually either walking wounded
or badly wounded, and then force characters to roll to try to get better. The problem is that they
never get better, and may get worse. So eventually, if nothing is done, a character with a death
curse, often known as the “evil eye”, will die. Example curses include the evil eye, a madness
curse that acts like a permanent madness spell, and a curse spirit that cuts a character off from
contact with his deities. Players often find this last annoying, since it prevents a character from
casting divine magic

Curse spirits come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes. Gaining the support of a
curse spirit costs the standard number of checks. Curse spirit cannot materialize, and are
invisible to characters without the Second Sight skill or a spell enabling them to see spirits.

Curse spirits are opposed by healing spirits and the divine Exorcism spell. Other spirits cannot
engage a curse spirit, and often cannot even see the curse. Healing spells which treat the disability
do not remove the curse. At the next midnight, a new round of spirit combat breaks out between
the curse spirit and the victim. The victim experiences this spirit combat as a nightmare. If the
victim loses the spirit combat, the curse returns. If the victim wins, the Curse spirit leaves.

Curse spirits may be bound and placed in fetishes. When this is done, they are released, attack
the enemy they are directed to attack, and then possess the target. They remain in possession
until they are banished, or until the controlling character summons them again. Curse spirits
remember bargains they have struck across summoning attempts.

Curse spirits demand 1 check every other session or so, until a number of checks equal to half
their Power have been donated.

Curse spirits do not usually inspire the same revulsion as disease spirits, because curse spirits
only affect the intended target. But they are not regarded as nice, either
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 50
Disease Spirits
Speed: Very Fast
POW: 3D6+6
For each described Cure spell, there is a disease spirit to match. Disease spirits attack their
enemies in sprit combat, and if they win possess their targets. They then remain in possession of
the target for a latency period, which is usually one day, and cause a disease. They are then free to
move on to the next target, leaving the possessed character to suffer the effects of the disease. If
the appropriate Cure spell is cast on a diseased character while the disease spirit is still in
possession, the Cure cures the disease and starts another round of spirit combat. If the victim
loses, the latency period begins again. Disease spirits are highly unusual in that they can attack a
character of their own volition. Another unusual feature is that they are resisted by CON, not
POW, in spirit combat.
When seen on the spirit plane, they usually appear as a malevolent mist. Disease spirits come in
all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large Disease spirits are very rare.
Gaining the support of an animal spirit costs the standard number of checks. Disease spirits with
POW characteristics greater than 28 to 36 usually split into two disease spirits. If a disease spirit
wins in spirit combat it briefly possesses the target character, giving him the relevant disease.
For convenience, getting a disease spirit is treated as producing an effect similar to a result on the
combat incapacitation table; except that it must be healed with the appropriate Cure spell or
equivalent, and the damage is determined by the disease description, not a random roll. Thus a
disease spirit may reduce a character to dying medical condition, with a side effect of blindness.
Once the disease has done its damage, the spirit is free to go elsewhere, and at the end of the
episode it usually does, leaving behind a sick body in one of the defined medical conditions.
Disease spirits are rarely bound into fetishes, because the shamanic community considers them
vile and loathsome. The reasons the shamanic community frowns on them is that they are terror
weapons, striking after fights have been won or lost; and the collateral damage from releasing a
disease spirit into the world can be horrendous. Also, at the end of the episode they do not return
to the fetish and must be summoned again. They do remember deals they have made when
summoned again. If bound, they usually demand 1 check every other session.
Many disease spirits ask only to be propitiated; they appear to the victim in a dream, and if the
performs minor sacrifices amounting to losing a check, the disease spirit will go away. Some
disease spirits have gotten very powerful this way.

Dream Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Dream spirits are like curse spirits, except that instead of inflicting a disability, they cause the
target to experience a recurrent dream. Dream spirits usually try to convey a message, which is
specified in thirty words by the sender when he sends the spirit off to attack. The dream is often
quite pleasant, and can usually be remembered. Possession by a dream spirit ends when the
dream is interpreted by using the Dreamspeaking skill.

Dryads
Speed: Human
POW: 3D6+6
These are the spirits of trees. They appear to second sight when it is used to look at a tree. They
can also appear as beautiful girls. These girls are not material, and vanish when touched. As
beautiful girls, they perform music or dance, often from lutes. Their music or dance affects
listeners as if it were the divine City Harmony spell, creating a feeling of peace and contentment.
It also feels “heavenly, because it is heavenly. Dryads can embed a message into their songs or
dances.
Dryads resemble Apsaras, but they are usually associated with a particular tree, and usually have
alliances with the local elves, and the nearby woodland animals. They are also often allied to local
animal spirits. Also, Dryads are usually much weaker than Apsaras, with Power characteristics in
the 10-25 range, not 30+.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 51
Dryads usually ignore anything that is not a direct threat to their allies, their tree, or themselves.
It is possible, indeed common, to walk right past a dryad’s tree and never notice that the dryad is
there.
Dryads will never allow themselves to be put into fetishes. They have been known to do services
for training, if the trainer knows something that they want to learn. A Dryad cannot be
summoned from outside of its wood.

Ghosts
See the ghost description in the chapter covering Monsters.

Hag Spirits
Speed: Human
POW: 3D6+6
Hag spirits look like s very ugly hags and so look like physical creatures when they are
manifesting. Hag spirits always dodge physical attacks with an effective roll of 20. They can
attack any enemy within javelin reach with a Fear attack, which for game purposes should be
treated as a demoralize spell backed by two points of prayer and with a +10 to the die roll for the
purpose of overcoming opposition. They differ from banshees in that they attack individuals, not
everyone who listens. They will attack anyone who closes to within melee in spirit combat,
fighting one enemy in spirit combat each round.

Hag spirits may be bound and placed in fetishes. Hag spirits come in all of the sizes described
above under fetishes, though very large Hag spirits are very rare. Gaining the support of a hag
spirit costs the standard number of checks.

When called from a fetish hag spirits emerge within ten paces of the summoner, at a place of his
or her choice. The summoner may tell them who to attack, etc. If they have no orders, they attack
the nearest enemy. At the end of the episode, a hag spirit returns to its fetish.

Healing Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
When encountered on the spirit plane, healing spirits look like a fine white cool or warming, as
the case may be mists, beautifully shaped like clouds. They may appear human. They usually
fight a possessing disease spirit in spirit combat and if they incapacitate the disease in spirit drive
out the disease spirit and cure the disease. If the disease spirit has moved on, a healing spirit
usually casts Panacea with a skill equal to its POW, in an attempt to cure the disease. They try
once, and if that does not cure the patient, move on. Healing spirits are usually invisible on the
normal plane.

They may also have wound healing, or other divine spells. They also require that the character
they are assisting defer to them when deciding who to heal and how, unless the spirit is a cult
spirit and the character they are aiding is higher ranking than they are in the cult.

Healing spirits may be bound and placed in fetishes. When this is done, they are released, heal as
many people as they can, starting with other healers, and then return to the fetish

Healing spirits come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large healing
spirits are very rare. Gaining the support of a healing spirit costs the standard number of checks.

If they are cult spirits, the character they are attached to can help them regain their spells with
prayer, or by regaining their spells as if that spells were known by the character.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 52
Madness Spirits
Speed: Very Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Madness spirits are like Disease Spirits, except that when they possess a character they are in
dominant progression, not associate possession; and they do not cause something and leave.
They remain in possession of the victim until they are banished with Cure Madness.

Memory Eating Spirits

Speed: Very Fast
POW: 3D6+6
When encountered on the spirit plane, memory eating spirits look like whirlwinds of black dust.
They may appear human. Like curse spirits, they attack to possess their victims. If they succeed,
they cause the victim to forget anything that the summoning character wants the victim to forget
and the spirit combat with the memory eating spirit. They also take the amount of their
successful attack in skills points, starting with the highest value first, one at a time. The a
memory eating spirit, with 4 points of dominance, attacking a character whose top skills are 22,
20 and 19, will reduce the 22 to 21,and the 21 to 20. It will then choose randomly which of the
two 20 skills to reduce, reducing it to 19. It still has a point of dominance left, so it reduces the
remaining 20 to 19. At that point, having subtracted 4 skill points to match its 4 points of
dominance, it stops. The third skill, the one that started at 19, is unaffected. In the event that
multiple skills are the highest, roll randomly to see which is reduced.
Memory eating spirits may be bound and placed in fetishes. Memory eating spirits come in all of
the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large memory eating spirits are very rare.
Getting a memory eating spirit to align with a character costs the standard number of checks.

When released from a fetish, Memory eating spirits, attack the enemy they are directed to attack,
possess the victim, do their damage and then return to the fetish.

Nightmare Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Nightmare spirits are like curse spirits, except that instead of inflicting a disability, they cause the
target to experience a recurrent nightmare. Nightmare spirits usually try to convey a message,
which is specified in thirty words by the sender when he sends the spirit off to attack. The
nightmare is often very unpleasant. It can usually be remembered when the character is
awakened. Characters possessed by a nightmare spirit usually feel exhausted during the day, and
suffer a -10 modifier to skill use. Possession by a nightmare spirit ends when the nightmare is
interpreted by using the Dreamspeaking skill, or when it is banished with remove curse.

Object Spirits
Speed: Move with object
POW: 1D6+3
Objects, such as swords, or for that matter rocks, have spirits, which in exceptional cases can be
awakened and interact with characters. An object spirit usually has one or more spells that it
knows as skills affecting the object itself; a sword object spirit might be able to sharpen the sword
it is a spirit of, for example. They may have personality compulsions, for example a particularly
perverse sword might hate bloodshed and require a Cure Madness spell every time blood was
shed with it. Object spirits with personalities may attempt to impose their personalities on their
users; this is done using the normal possession rules. If the spirit succeeds, the character does
what the object spirit wants till the end of the episode. Objects which are cult spirits may also
either grant the ability to cast divine spells they have to the user of the object, or cast and regain
spells as if independent entities. Object spirits may have the capabilities of other types of spirits;
a blessed Healer goddess staff might act as a Healing Spirit for example.
Object spirits that are cult spirits have the normal expectation of cult spirits with equivalent
divine magic capability. This may be increased if the object spirit has one or more really
impressive features, such as casting Black Blade of Death as a skill. Other object spirits usually
want about one check per 3 sessions, plus possibly a bonus.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 53
Object spirits cannot be placed in a fetish, nor can they be ordered to discorporate and attack
other spirits. They remain in their object at all times.

Oreads
Speed: Slow
POW: 24+3D6
These are mountain spirits, and often serve gods. When this happens, treat the mountain as a
large temple to the deity. Characters can sacrifice for spells; receive visions, etc, there. Many
animists see Oreads as great spirits, and they can get divine spells by pleasing the Oread, without
formally becoming theists. Oreads are usually invisible on the normal plane, though they can
materialize. When they do so, they look like dwarfs.
If attacked physically, an Oread can either dissolve into the ground or fight. If he fights, the
attacks may regret it, since the dwarf turns into a giant.
Oreads cannot possess characters. They will never allow themselves to be put into a fetish. They
have been known to do services for training, if the trainer is good enough to teach performing arts
skills. The smallest Oread encountered will be a very large spirit; larger Apsaras, up to POW 50,
have been known.
Oreads have been known to have allied animals and monsters native to their mountain. They
rarely organize attacks on their own initiative.

Oreads have been known to act as intercessory spirits for deities, and grant access to divine magic
on behalf of the deity.

Apsaras will only ally themselves to very powerful characters with magical or combat skill s of 30
or higher. They demand 1 check every session or so, until a number of checks equal to half their
Power have been donated.

Passion Spirits
Speed: Fast
POW: 2D6+6
Passion spirits attack a character, and if they win in spirit combat possess that character. If they
possess a character, that character has free will, and continues to be played by the normal player
of the character most of the time. The problem is that the character will be dominated by a
passion – love for someone else, hatred for someone else, fear of trolls, etc.
This possession is in effect a curse, and players are encouraged to look for ways to apply it, since
this can have interesting role-playing effects. Even if the player does not do so, whenever the
character wants to act in a manner clearly contrary to the passion {leave the loved one behind
when running away, etc}, the player must make an opposed skill roll, rolling his character’s INT
characteristic against the POW characteristic of the passion spirit. If the player loses, the GM can
take control of the character and make him act as the passion dictates.
Passion spirits are invisible on the normal plane. Passion spirits come in all of the sizes described
above under fetishes, though very large passion spirits are very rare. Gaining the support of a
passion spirit costs the standard number of checks.
Some common types of Passion spirits:
Love spirits – make the character in love with another
Hate spirits – make the character hate someone else.
Fear Spirits – make the character suffer an unreasoning fear of someone or something
It should be noted that being possessed by a passion spirit is not necessarily unpleasant. Love for
either another human or deity indeed can be very pleasant, allowing a character to transcend his
or her normal limitations and feel wonderful. Some characters do not resist passion spirits.
Being possessed by a passion spirit is usually considered a curse by others, and is undesired by
the rest of society because possessed characters often ignore social obligations while in the grip of
the passion. From the viewpoint of the player, having a character possessed by a passion spirit is
a bad thing because it reduces the player’s control over the actions of the character.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 54
Passion spirits will allow themselves to be summoned and placed in fetishes. The only thing they
will do, though, is attack another character when the shaman commands them to. Once the
passion spirit attacks, it is out of the shaman’s control. If the shaman knows the spirit's true
name, he or she may of course summon it again, after it is no longer in possession of the target
character. Passion spirits will perform this limited service for free, since they like to possess
characters.

Spirits of Darkness
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Spirits of Darkness hate light. They fight Spirits of Light when encountered in spirit combat.
They manifest on the normal plane as if they were Divine Darkness spells. They differ from
Darkness spells in that they cannot be dispelled, a voice can speak out of the Darkness, and
anyone caught inside the Darkness is attacked, either in spirit combat, or by the equivalent of a
divine Demoralize spell.
Spirits of Darkness are often cult spirits in the service of darkness deities. When they are cult
spirits, they can know other spells, may be able to cast those spell at targets visible though the
eyes of the character they are associated with, etc.
Spirits of Darkness cannot possess characters.
Spirits of Darkness will allow themselves to be summoned and placed in fetishes. When called
out from the fetish, they appear anywhere within one round’s movement of the fetish. They may
be moved by the player of the calling character, if and only if the character uses an action and
does not cast a spell that round. Darkness spirits that know divine spells get one spell back per
day.

Spirits of Light
Speed: Fast
POW: 3D6+6
Spirits of Light hate darkness, and affect normal darkness as if they were a Godly Light spell.
They attack Spirits of Darkness in spirit combat. They differ from Godly Light spells in that they
cannot be dispelled, a voice can speak out of the Light, and anyone caught inside may be attacked
in spirit combat, or with a divine Blind spell.
Spirits of Light are often cult spirits in the service of light deities. When they are cult spirits, they
can know other spells, may be able to cast those spell at targets visible though the eyes of the
character they are associated with, etc.
Spirits of Light cannot possess characters.
Spirits of Light will allow themselves to be summoned and placed in fetishes. When called out
from the fetish, they appear anywhere within one round’s movement of the fetish. They may be
moved by the player of the calling character, if and only if the character uses an action and does
not cast a spell that round. Light spirits that know divine spells get one spell back per day.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 55

Chapter V - Theism
These rules are intended to cover polytheistic religions, such as Hinduism or classical Greek
religion. The highest level of abstraction is the “pantheon”. This is composed of all deities
worshipped in a particular area, and involved with each other in the mythology of a culture.
Polytheistic religion was chosen because it is probably the most common religious system in
fantasy. Monotheistic religions usually do not have their deity constantly interfering in human
affairs by granting some people access to magic. This system would be suitable for modeling a
monotheistic religion which sees pagan deities as angels, and saints, seeing them as intercessor
with the true “God”. These intercessors could then grant access to pagan style divine magic.
Because mythology and ritual are not enough to perform all of the functions of a religion, there
are also provisions for philosophies and ethical codes. These are dealt with below under “World
View”. Cults may emphasize parts of a culture’s world view, and ignore others. For example, the
cult of a healing deity might stress the value of being merciful as expressed in healing people;
while the cult of a warrior deity might ignore this.

Pantheons
A pantheon is a group of deities accepted by a culture. The deities in a pantheon may or may not
form a unified whole with tightly intertwined mythologies. In general, an initiate or higher of a
cult usually recognizes the other deities in the pantheon, and is a worshipper of those deities.
Most people in a culture are worshippers of the deities in its pantheon. Many are not very
religious, being worshippers of several deities but really committed to none.
A deity may be in more than one pantheon. In this situation, the god is the same, but the cults
should be treated as distinct. Thus a temple to Isis in Phoenicia might not even let an Egyptian
worshipper of Isis into the temple If they do let the Egyptian in, thought, ceremonies performed
there by the Egyptian or on his behalf will work. It is the same Isis, though it is a different culture.
Example: Zenobia worships Sorana, the Goddess of Healing. Other deities worshipped in the
area include Vijeta the War Goddess, Ognian the god of death, and night; Charissa the Goddess
of Love and Beauty; Galdan the Gold, the sun god and god of wealth; Tanshar the God of Trade;
Lothos the Lawgiver and Verina the Goddess of Truth. Her companions worship Vijeta, the
Goddess of Victory; and Ognian the God of Night and Death.

World View
A world view is what determines what is admirable or despicable; how the character thinks the
world was made, if there is an afterlife what form it will take, when and why the world will be
destroyed, etc. These questions come up, and the answers tend to be culture-wide, not the
property of an individual cult. For example, ancient Greeks had a vague idea that the world had
been created before the birth of the Titans, thought pride in one’s skills and city to be admirable,
thought there is an afterlife in Hades.. This would be true of an ancient Greek, whether he
venerated Zeus, Apollo, or Athena as his patron deity.
These rules do not support an inner model of virtue as the result of personality traits, as
PendragonTM and HeroQuestTM do. The reason for this is that many players strongly object to
rules which take the definition of a player character’s character out of the hands of the player.
Acts that seem outstandingly admirable will be rewarded with influence or fame. Despicable acts
will be rewarded with infamy points. In the absence of a culture description specifying what is
admired or despised, the game master is urged to rely on common sense. Members of a warrior
cult or class will despise cowardice; members of a healer cult will usually admire generosity, etc.
Rules for getting fame and influence, and what a character can do with them, are included in the
Politics chapter.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 56
Example: Sorana teaches that the healer should strive to remain compassionate yet detached so
as to allow her followers to heal others more effectively. Vijeta worshippers are supposed to be
tough, stoical, and detached. All members of her culture value detachment, as the first step
toward enlightenment, courage to face whatever comes, etc. All members of her culture believe
that is unavoidable, and that an honorable death will be followed by a good resurrection and
that a dishonorable death will be followed by a bad death. Zenobia is in the middle of a
philosophical conflict within the Sorana temple. Most Sorana worshippers think that healers
should not carry swords, or go on adventures. After all, they are obligated not to harm others,
and if they do not intend to harm others, why are they carrying weapons? Also, most Sorana
worshippers see adventurers as responsible for their own injuries; after all, they are looking for
a fight and it is only after they find one that they need healing. Zenobia, and her teacher, think
that adventurers often attack things that would eventually get around to attacking the Sorana
temple, if not stopped first, and that it is not a Sorana worshipper’s place to pass judgment on
others. Zenobia holds that Sorana worshippers should be willing to put themselves in the place
where healing will clearly be necessary, instead of rejecting adventurers as unworthy of being
healed..

Cults
A cult is the structure and organization that intermediates between the deity and its worshippers.
The temple, priest or acolyte who leads ceremonies, etc; are parts of the cult.
Cults generally do three things: they mediate between the worshiper (or higher) and his deity.
They act as a mutual assistance organization for members, in many situations acting much like
guilds or unions; in some circumstances, they may be the means by which the entire society
converts the power of the god(s) being on its dies to actual power in conflict with other societies.
In any event, most cults have a hierarchy or at least something that might loosely be called an
organization.
In game terms, the primary relationship between worshippers and their deities is defined in terms
of “divine magic spells”. These are effectively provided on the basis of what amounts to a contract
between the deity and his worshipper. The worshipper sacrifices power to the deity, and in
exchange he gains the ability to cast “spells”, which serve to channel the power of the god to so
some specific thing his worshipper(s) want.
The second function is modeled by treating each cult as a social organization. Cults have lists of
skills, modeled on the abilities of the deities. Older cult members train young cult members.
Many temples also have small libraries. Cults can collect worshippers to help their more senior
people regain divine magic spells quickly, etc.
Cults have a number of religious titles and offices. These are discussed in the politics chapter
under Titles and Offices.
Cults of polytheistic deities usually are not large bureaucratic organizations, but loose federations
of temples. The temple to Apollo in Athens did not report to the temple of Apollo at Delphi.
There was no central authority, comparable to the Pope in Roman Catholicism, to insure
uniformity of belief or religious practice. Artemis, for example, was worshipped as “The Lady of
Ephesus”, where she was an earth mother deity, but elsewhere was a deity of the hunt, and even of
chastity. So the basic unit of a cult, which the characters interact with, is the temple. Beliefs
about the god, and therefore what spells the temple offers, vary.
Characters do not interact directly with an entire cult. They interact with a particular temple or
teacher.

Example: Zenobia does not interact with the entire Sorana cult, which exists in twelve different
cities and a large number of towns. She knows, and interacts with, her teacher. This teacher is
a guru at the local temple. At the moment, his teachings and the spells available at the local
temple are the Sorana cult, to Zenobia. If adventuring takes her to a Sorana temple in a
different city, she will find that Sorana is seen a little differently there and a slightly different
assortment of spells may be available
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 57
Temples
Temples are a subtype of Institution, as discussed in the Politics chapter. If a temple is to play a
significant role in a campaign, a description of the temple should be provided. A sample temple
description is provided below:
Vijeta Temple
Heraldry Red sphinx with a female human head, outlined in silver, on a black
background
Vision of Deity Goddess of wisdom and war. Her mythos is one of passion contending with
reason, and winning about half the time. Her ideal warrior figure would be
Odysseus, not Achilles. She is the patron goddess of this city; and has an
ongoing rivalry with Ognian the god of Death. Ognian’s worshippers would
prefer Achilles.
Aims To provide a temple to support Imperial army and navy’s Vijeta
worshippers in worshipping Vijeta.
To consistently win in ritual duels with the Ognian temple.
To recruit potential, and actual, people or Azadan or Guru rank, into the
temple.
To assist the satrap in any way he deems fit.
To help the high priest distinguish himself, so he can be transferred to a
more career enhancing posting.
To act as a club, where Vijeta worshippers can talk shop, exchange favors,
etc
Ideology We serve the Emperor directly, not through a chain of feudal barons.
Contact People High Priest, Aufidius: about forty, he once commanded a company, and is
married to the daughter of a minor noble. He takes an intense interest in
local military developments. He is a master of ritual and ceremony, and
does divinations if necessary.
Champion, Petronius: one of the Azadan. He fights in the ritual duels with
the Ognian temple, and leads the temple forces in the occasional brawl.
Azadan Galzar: claims to be from the main island, he left the army, came
out this city, and joined the Navy. He is a very good fighter, much better
than most of the people the Navy has, and no one knows why he did this.
Azadan Zadfar: a very good fighter, he was born a noble, in a minor house
known for supporting the Pretender. He is a member of the Firuz the
Founder temple, and the Ognian temple, officially he is back to being a
member of Count Castle Builder’s house. He has spent a lot of time
associating with sorcerers as well.
Resources A small formal temple near the satrapal palace and a larger temple near the
barracks.
Regular subsidy as part of the army and navy budgets
Come influence in the capital
Member of the Federation of Vijeta temples
10,000 silver pieces, cash.
Entry Entry requirements, upsides, downsides and losing statuses are as
Requirements described in the politics chapter under titles and offices.
Titles and Adherent, Azadan, Champion, Devotee, Friend of the Vijeta Temple, Guru,
Offices Initiate, Priest and Rishi
Recognized
Dress Ordinary initiates wear blood red belt buckles or belts. Champions,
Devotees and Gurus usually wear burgundy leather belts, decorated with
ivory sphinxes in the image of the goddess. Otherwise, they wear leather
tunics and trousers of varying quality. At temple ceremonies initiates or
higher wear riding boots, even if they do not own a horse. Wearing a red
or burgundy leather belt when a character is not an initiate is illegal. This
is not usually enforced, but it is also cause for challenge to a duel by a
Vijeta worshipper of the appropriate rank. The duel is legal, and fear of
losing a duel prevents most people from impersonating Vijeta worshippers.
Skills Administration, Archery, Ceremony, Dagger, Dagger Parry, Javelin Attack,
Kayan Custom, Kayan Culture Lore, Lance Attack, Leadership, Logistics,
Military Lore, Rhetoric, Ride Horse, Scan, Scimitar Attack, Scimitar Parry,
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 58
Shield Parry, Siegecraft, Spear Attack, Spear Parry, Tradecraft
Spells Analyze Item, Arrow Armor, Art of Vijeta, Battle Calm,, Black Blade of
Death,, Bless I, II, III, Coup d'Oeil, Death Resistance, Decrypt Text,
Demoralize, Dismiss Magic, Divination I, III, Eloquence, Excommunication,
Exorcism, Find the Path, Form Up, Glamour of the Goddess, Godly Light,
God Spear, Hide Magic, HorseMastery, Inspiration, Intercession,
Invocation of <Deity>, Mage Sight I, II, Mind Link, Mind of the Warrior,
MultiMissile, Oath of Loyalty, Oath of Veracity, Prayer. Rally Round,
Sanctify I, III, Seal of Vijeta, Secret Writing, Seize the Initiative, Shield,
Soldier of Vijeta , Soul Sight, Spirit of the Faithful, Summon Cult Spirit

This is a fairly big temple, offering a wide variety of spells. A small temple might offer only a basic
assortment of combat spells: Black Blade of Death, Bless, Death Resistance, MultiMissile or God
Spear, Prayer and Shield.

Example: Priscus is a Vijeta initiate, and is glad to find out that the local Vijeta temple,
described above offers an excellent array of spells. He called at the Vijeta temple, gave them a
letter of introduction from a prominent champion of Vijeta, and was introduced to Zenobia’s
cousin. Zenobia’s cousin sent him to this bar.

Divine Magic Spell Concepts

The primary benefit of being a divine worshipper is the right to sacrifice for divine Magic spells.
The theory behind this is basically that the worshipper gives up something of value to the deity,
raw magical power and turns the deity acts as a catalyst, making it possible to harness of that
magical power on the worshipper’s behalf. In game terms, a character sacrifices POW
characteristic points, and in return gets a spell described in a format that resembles the following:
Bless I, II, III
Cost: 1 Pt for I, 2 Pts for II, 3 Pts for III
Duration: Episode
This spell adds to effective skill, for all cult skills. +1 for 1 Point, +2 for 2 Points, +3 for three
points. Has no effect on dice rolled. Thus, a skill of 17 under Bless III becomes in effect a skill of
20.
The first line is the name of the spell. The second line is the cost to sacrifice for the spell. The
third line is the duration, in the normal or unmodified form. Some spells have a range specified,
the default range for those spells that do not is the range of a short bow. Some spells are only
available to characters of s specific status or higher. If so, this will be stated in a heading line,
like:
Special: Champion or Devotee only
If this is present, it means that to learn the spell a character must be qualified for the title or office
listed as required, not that they must actually have it. The idea is to create a simple system for
confining some capabilities, like removing curses and banishing demons, to high level characters
without creating an elaborate system of prerequisites.
There is then a body, describing what the spell does. A divine magic spell may be anything
approved by the Game master, but a list of core divine magic spells, with a link to descriptions, is
provided below.
The first step in sacrificing for a divine spell is making sure the character can sacrifice for it. To
sacrifice for a spell the following requirements must be met:
a. The spell must be ritually appropriate for the deity.
b. The character must meet the requirements to sacrifice for the spell
c. The character must have a Power of 12 to sacrifice for a one point spell; a POW of
14 to sacrifice for a two point spell or a POW of 16 to sacrifice for a three point
spell.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 59
The first requirement is merely intended to say that you cannot get Battle Frenzy from a healing
deity What is or is not appropriate should be ruled o by the GM on a case by case basis. In
doubtful cases, the GM may apply a -10 difficulty modifier to cult lore when making the sacrifice.
The second requirement means that if the spell is listed as champion or devotee only, the
character sacrificing for it should be a champion or devotee, etc.
The third requirement means that it takes a strong magical affinity to sacrifice for a spell. The
more powerful the spell, the more powerful the character should be. This avoids Pow 9 characters
relying on Shield from sacrificing their Power down to 6.
One point spells may be sacrificed for with a successful cult lore role, in a temple or other
permanently sanctified holy place. Two point spells require cult lore with a resistance of five;
three point spells require overcoming a resistance equal to ten, under the same conditions.
Sacrificed for spells also requires access to sanctified ground. A one point spell requires access to
ground sanctified by a one point sanctify spell Since there is no Sanctify II spell, a two point spell
requires access to ground sanctified by a three point sanctify spell, as does a three point divine
spell. Sanctify comes in two forms, temporary and permanent. A permanent sanctify involves
blessing the ground or other relevant area. This blesses the area and makes it possible to sacrifice
for spells of equivalent size there. Sanctify can also be cast in a temporary mode. When this is
done, spells already sacrificed for may be regained in the sanctified area, but it is impossible to
sacrifice for new spells
To regain a spell a character must participate in a ceremony. This takes two hours, and can come
in one of several forms. The simplest is an initiate trying to regain one of his or her spells. The
player must make both ceremony and a roll against POW, usually on a D20. The second is a
worship service led by a divine magic specialist {devotee, guru or priest}. In this case, the player
of the acolyte makes a ceremony skill roll and if he makes no one else has to make Ceremony. If
the specialist is alone, he or she is +1 to effective POW. If the acolyte has one other member of the
cult present, both are +2 to effective POWER. If the acolyte has three other people, for a total of
4, everyone is +3 to effective POWER. Sanctify I adds +1 to the die rolled/+5 for purposes of
overcoming opposition; Sanctify III add +2 to the die rolled/+10 for purposes of overcoming
opposition, to the POW roll. The third form is at a worship service led by a priest in a temple. In
this situation, for simplicity, the ceremony roll is always considered to be made, and effective
POWER is +10 for purposes of regaining spells only. Finally, in cults which favor Enlightenment;
an Enlightenment roll may be substituted for a ceremony roll. Using Enlightenment to regain
spells is instant, unlike ceremony. A character may attempt to regain spells only once per day, per
deity.
A normal success on the POW roll regains a one point spell; a success exceeding a five difficulty
will regain a 2 point spell; a success exceeding a ten difficulty regains a three point spell. A special
success regains 2 spells, of any size. A critical success on the POW roll regains all spells, or
regains the spell and allows a POW check.
It is also possible for a character to regain a spell by substituting an equal number of points of
Prayer. If this is done, he or she regains the spell, but expends the Prayer spell.
This game comes with a large assortment of “core divine magic spells” described later in this
chapter. A game master is free to add additional divine magic spells. It is recommended that he
benchmark new divine magic spells against the most effective core divine magic spells, making
sure that the spells he adds are not always preferable to the core spells. In particular, three point
offensive divine magic spells should not be more effective against single targets than Madness or
attack more than the six foes Mystify III does. Generally available skill enhancements should not
be clearer better than Mind of The Warrior or Bless, etc. Spell descriptions should be written and
follow the format used for the core spells.
Example: after the fight Priscus needs to regain Black Blade of Death. He goes to the temple
after the fight, and prays. He has Vijeta cult lore of 19, and a ceremony skill of 10. Charlie rolls
an 8, so he might be able to regain Black Blade of Death. The next step is to roll Power. Priscus
has a POWER of 12, he faces a resistance of 5 because it is a 2 point spell. He rolls a 7, and
regains the spell.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 60
Cult Spirits
Champions and some other characters that have obtained a favor from a temple may have a “cult
spirit”. They are technically angels sent by the deity to watch over, and/or assist the character.
Cult spirits are usually ghosts, animals or object spirits which follow a deity in much the same way
that a human worshipper would. They often have cult skills and/or spells as appropriate, which
they can lend to their human allies. Cult spirits may be of any kind. .
Cult spirits come in many varieties. The most common are ghosts of loyal cult members willing to
serve the deity after death, cult animals, and object spirits for objects sacred to the cult. To
obtain their services, the character gaining the services of the spirit must usually offer something.
The conditions these spirits demand usually resemble those of their shamanic equivalents.
Cult spirits come in two types, passive and active. A passive cult spirit will cast divine spells it
has, and report what it sees, etc, when the character with the cult spirit expends an action to
request this. Passive spirits do not take the initiative. They usually require 1 check for every 2
points of divine magic they start with, plus one. Extra abilities like flying cost 2 extra checks. For
example, a healing dove with 2 points of Greater Healing would cost 1 check for getting a cult
spirit, 2 checks for the ability to fly, and one check for the two points of Divine Magic that it
knows They accept payment on a one check every other session basis, until they are fully paid,
after which they hang around indefinitely. Additional checks may be spent to increase a cult
spirits POW and skills; as POW increases the spirit may sacrifice for additional divine spells,
provided that its POW is never decreased to less than the POW it started play with. Active cult
spirits can act on their own, as separate entities. They cost one check per divine magic point they
have, plus two checks; they may cost an additional 4 checks if they fly or have other special
abilities. Thus, the dove above, if it were to use its own initiative, would cost two checks for being
an active cult spirit, four checks for flying, and two checks for its Greater Healing spell. It would
have the advantage that when the character with it was incapacitated, it could use its own actions
to heal that character.
Allied spirits are a special kind of spirit, possessed by some cults. Some cults are partly shamanic
in nature, and allow for semi-fetch like spirits. An allied sprit:
a) Can operate on its own, engaging on the spirit plane and so forth independently of the
character;
b) Is a separate entity, and gets half as many checks as the character does, rounded down,
per session. Thus, for a five check session, the shaman would still get five checks, but the
fetch would get two more.
An allied spirit knows everything the character knows, sees everything the character sees, hears
everything the character hears, etc. The character knows everything the allied spirit knows, sees
everything the allied spirit sees, hears everything the allied spirit hears, etc. The character can
cast spells known by the ally as if he or she knew them, and the ally can cast spells known by the
character as if the ally knew them. Allies are so devoted to the character they are allied to that for
all practical purposes their interests may be viewed as identical, and the allied spirit may be
played by the player of the character. Allied spirits are granted at the discretion of the GM, and
must be paid for as if they were active cult spirits.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 61
Core Divine Magic Spells
This game comes with a list of core divine magic spells, described below. Many spells are
inappropriate for some deities. For example Battle Frenzy would be inappropriate for a follower
of the Healing Goddess, and Heal Body inappropriate for a follower of a war god. So, for
convenience, the core divine spells are listed in the following table.
The Divine Magic Spells described here include: Analyze Item, Arrow Armor, Art of (Granting
Deity), Assassin’s Dagger, Assassin's Venom, Augury, Banish <Demon, Undead, Disease Spirit>
II, III, Banish Soul, Frenzy, Black Blade of Death, Bless I, II, III, Blind, Bloodaxe, Brave Heart,
Breathe Water/Air, Calling the Dark, Catseye, Catch the Wind's Favor, Change Color of Horse,
Charisma, City Harmony I, III, Cloud Memory, Commune, Comparison of Purity, Confusion,
Coup d’Oeil, Create Market I, III, Crush, Cure Madness II, III, Cure Specific Disease I, II,
Darkness, Darksee, Darkwalk , Deadly Arrow, Deadly Dart, Death Resistance, Death Ward,
Decrypt Text, Demoralize I, III, Dismiss Magic, Distract Animal, Dream Sending, Duelist's Edge,
Eloquence, Endurance, Excommunication, Exorcism II, III, Extinguish, Eye of the Eagle, False
Memory, Fight Disease, Find Otherworld Gate, Find the Path, Fleet Foot, Float, Form Up,
Glamour of the Goddess, Godly Light, God Spear, Great Parry, Great Shout, Greater Healing,
Hand of the Hag, Healing, Heal Body, Healer’s Sight, Health of the Bull, Heart of the Bull, Heart
of the Whirlwind, Hide Affiliation, Hide Magic, Horse Mastery, Inspiration, Invocation of
<Deity>, Javelins of Lightning, Justice of the Lawgiver, Lawspeaking, Lend <Language> I, III,
Lightning Blade, Lock, Madness, Mage Sight I, II, Mariner's Sight, Mask of the Hag, Master the
Air, Melt Into the Background, Mind Link, Mind of Death, Mind of the Merchant, Mind of the
Warrior, <Monster> Slayer, MultiMissile, Mystify I, III, Oath of Loyalty, Oath of Veracity,
Open/Close Otherworld Gate, Panacea, Pathwatch, Prayer, Preserve Scroll, Rain Dance, Rally
Round, Reconstruction, Reflection, Regenerate, Reset Bone, Restore Vision, Resurrection, Return
like the Phoenix, Ride the Wind, Sanctify, Scholar's Memory, Seal of the <Deity>, Secret Writing
I, III, Seeing Behind the Mask, Seize the Initiative I, III, Sever Spirit, Share the Truth, Shield,
Skulking with Intent to Lurk, Slow Horse, Soldier of <Deity>, Speak with the Dead, Spell Trading
I, II, III, Spirit of the Faithful, Strongbow, Summon <Cult Spirit>, Sure Shot, Thief’s Cloak,
Thief’s Mask, Translate Text, II, III, Trickster’s Luck, Trickster’s Mask, True Sight, Truthsaying,
Verification of the Words of the Prisoner, Wall's Ear, Whispering Wind.

Analyze Item
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Special, usually an hour or so.
Range: Touch
Success gets the caster an answer to three of the following questions if the item is sacred to the
granting deity, one question if the item is sacred to another deity in the granting deity’s pantheon,
or for some other reason the granting deity something about it, and whether the item is not
magical, divine, shamanic or sorcerous in nature otherwise.
Success with a ten difficulty gets the answers to all of the questions if the item is sacred to the
deity granting the spell, three questions if the item is sacred to a deity accepted in a common
pantheon with the deity granting the spell, and whether the item is not magical, divine, sorcery or
shamanic in nature, plus the answer to one question, otherwise three questions will be answered.
The caster may choose which questions are answered. Hide Affiliation, if enchanted into an item,
will block this spell.
The questions:
Does the item have more than one effect?
What is one effect of the item?
How does the item affect divine magic spells?
Does the item have any traps to threaten the unwary?
Does the item need to be attuned to an individual to use?
Was the item worn by or associated with a named individual?
Was the item present at a particular place and time in the past?
How was the item created?
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 62
What are the conditions a character must fulfill in order to be able to use the item?

Arrow Armor
2 Points
Duration: Episode

This spell gives the target a +3 on all incapacitation rolls vs. missile fire. This +3 also affects the
chance for named characters to "auto-survive", e.g. a 7 becomes a 10. This spell may be combined
with Damage Resistance or Shield.

Art of (Granting Deity)

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee, Knight or Spook
Grants a +1/+5, following the usual rules for spells like Mind of the Warrior, on all cult skills from
the granting deity. This spell does not affect cult lore when used to cast spells.

Assassin’s Dagger
Cost: 3 Points,
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell adds +5 to the roll to hit to hit, increasing normal hits to specials and specials to critical
on any surprise round of combat. It also adds +5 to the damage done, and +5 to the lethality,
cumulative with any poison or other lethality enhancements. This spell can be cast on any
weapon, not just a dagger. Only weapons held or used by the caster are affected. It is
incompatible with other weapon enhancing spells. If cast on a weapon with another spell already
cast on it, the casting fails. If another spell is cast on a weapon with this spell on it, it goes down.
The spell is cannot be detected by magical means.

Assassin's Venom
Cost: 2 Points
Duration, one blow
Cast on a dagger, mace, or sword, the first time that weapon wounds an enemy, it melts into
poison. This destroys the weapon, but subtracts 5 from incapacitation rolls and adds 5 to survival
dice (what happens after the character is incapacitated). Also, wounds, including death, inflicted
with this spell cannot be healed by normal successes in casting healing spells; they can only be
healed by special successes. It may be used on a magic weapon, but rarely is because it destroys
the weapon on which it is cast.

Augury
Cost: 2 points
Availability, any character made a member of a college of augurs, champions.
Special: takes 4 hours, and requires a ceremony roll to cast, not a cult lore roll.
Augury uses the god's knowledge to determine whether a particular course of action will be
successful using your criteria. For example, you're considering kicking a dragon to awaken it.
Augury will tell you that the omens are very bad.
Augury has the limitation that if augury is performed for a course of action, and the omens are
good, the omens will be bad for any alternative course of action. Augury gives results of very
good, good, indifferent, bad, very bad and unknown. Unknown is when the deity has no idea of
what will happen if you do something, and is very rare.
In rare cases the god will like the results, if the caster does something, but the caster will not. If
so, the god will answer that the omens are good. After all, if the caster were truly faithful, he
would want what the god wants.
This spell may be cast only once per course of action. The omens are the omens, and if they're
bad, casting the spell again will not make them good.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 63
Avenging Fury
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
The character on whom this spell is cast experiences an icy rage; In game terms this Adds +1 to
rolled damage, never increasing damage above the maximum normally roll able for the weapon,
and raises rolls of below 10 to 10 for purposes of overcoming opposition. The addition to rolled
damage, since it has an upper limit of the maximum normally roll able, is different from and
stackable with, spells such as Damage Boost.
Characters affected by this spell are somewhat tougher than normal, because they are more able
to block out pain and keep on fighting. In game terms, this gives a +1 to rolls to avoid
incapacitation.
Also raises rolls of less than 10 to 10 for purposes of resisting mind affecting spells such as
Mystify.

Banish <Demon, Undead, Disease Spirit> II, III

Cost: 2 Points for II, 3 Points for III
Duration: Instant
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell sends a creature which has been summoned back where it came from. Has no effect on
creatures which were not summoned.
In game terms, for Banish II the die rolled to cast the spell attacks the POW of the creature the
caster is trying to banish.
Banish III is the same, except that one is added to the die rolled for purposes of computing
whether or not the result was a critical success, and five is added to the die before comparing it to
the roll of the creature being banished. Thus, a roll of 10 when casting Banish II is treated as a 20
if casting Banish III. This is the same mechanism used in the Mind of the Warrior spell
If the spell succeeds, the target creature vanishes during the magic phase of the next round.

Banish Soul
Cost: 2 Power Points
Duration: Special
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell banishes the soul, either to a hell or to dissolution by chaos. In game terms, this spell is
cast on a weapon, and has no effect unless the victim is killed. It will not be triggered by a blow
that fails to kill the victim; it will be triggered if the weapon is plunged into a corpse. Either
Resurrection or Return like the Phoenix may overcome it, if the Resurrection/Return spell is a
higher successful die roll than the casting of Banish Soul.

Battle Frenzy
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
The character on whom this spell is cast experiences intense rage, in effect going berserk.
In game terms this Adds +2 to rolled damage, never increasing damage above the maximum
normally roll able for the weapon, and raises rolls of below 10 to 10 for purposes of overcoming
opposition. The addition to rolled damage, since it has an upper limit of the maximum normally
roll able, is different from and stackable with, spells such as Damage Boost.
Berserkers ignore pain. So characters under the influence of this spell resist incapacitation with a
D12, rerolling all 1's. They are unaffected when only one damage point gets through.
Berserkers cannot retreat of their own volition, must fight in the front rank of a multi ranked
fighting formation, and must fight any enemy willing to challenge them.
If they fail insight rolls, berserkers must fight anyone within range when they run out of real
enemies.
Berserkers may retreat if their leader orders them to retreat, and his order overcomes the spell in
an opposed roll. When this happens, the spell goes down.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 64
Also raises rolls of less than 10 to 10 for purposes of resisting mind affecting spells such as
Mystify.

Black Blade of Death

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell makes a dagger, scimitar, or sword into a Black Blade that seems to radiate death. This
spell adds +D3+1 to damage if wielder is an initiate, +D3+3 if the wielder is a Champion. This
spell also allows the wielder to send a ghost to its final resting place; attacking the target ghost
when hit in a POW vs. POW contest. If the wielder loses the POW contest Black Blade is
dispelled. If the ghost loses, the ghost is sent to the next world, as if Banish Soul had been cast on
him.
This spell is incompatible with other blade affecting spells.

Bless I, II, III

Cost: 1 Pt for I, 2 Pts for II, 3 Pts for III
Duration: Episode
Bless increases effective skill, for all cult skills. +1 for 1 Point, +2 for 2 Points, +3 for three points.
This spell has no effect on the dice rolled. Thus, a skill of 17 under Bless III becomes in effect a
skill of 20.

Blind
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
A physical, and not mental, effect, Blind blinds an enemy dependent on vision. If the enemy's
POW is overcome, he cannot do anything for one round and suffers a -5 difficulty to do anything
not clearly independent of vision for the rest of the spell's duration. If the enemy's resistance is
not overcome, but the attacker's die roll is successful and ten or greater, the enemy is at -5
difficulty to do anything dependent on vision in the next combat round, after which the spell has
no effect.

Bloodaxe
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell adds +3 to damage done by an axe. +5 if the axe is being used by a champion. Has no
other effect.

Brave Heart
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell gives the beneficiary an extra roll to resist incapacitation in combat. This is always a
D8; take the better result from this roll and the normal die roll to resist incapacitation. It also
gives double resistance rolls, roll twice take the better result, against mind affecting spell.

Breathe Water/Air
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Allows a naturally air breathing creature to breathe water, or a naturally water breathing creature
to breathe air, as if it were the normal environment of the creature on which it is cast.

Calling the Dark

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Instant
This spell can be used to do any one of three things:
Extinguish a normal fire, campfire sized or smaller. This works automatically.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 65
To dispel magical light or fire sources. When used for this purpose, all rules that would apply to
normal Dismiss Magic apply to this spell. A typical uses here would be against Divine Light.
Finally, it can do 1D10 of damage against creatures that do not have a native dark vision power.

Catseye
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Gives low light vision, similar to that possessed by a cat; also causes the recipient's eyes to appear
to glow in the dark like the eyes of a cat. In game terms, compensates for a difficulty modifier of -
10 or less due to darkness.

Catch the Wind's Favor

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Special, 1 round
On a gusty day, allows the caster to create a sudden gust of wind of moderate intensity, enough to
use the Ride the Wind spell in the desired direction. If there is a prevailing wind, the direction of
Catch the Wind's Favor cannot be again, but may shift the wind direction temporarily by up to 90
degrees. Catch the Wind's Favor lasts one round and Ride the Wind is cast the following round.
Catch the Wind's Favor can also be used to improve the range and impact of javelins. With Catch
the Wind's Favor behind it, a javelin becomes a D10+2 weapon with short bow range. Two can be
thrown in the round Catch the Wind's Favor is in effect.
Two opposed castings of Catch the Wind's Favor neutralize each other.

Change Color of Horse

Cost: 2 points
Duration: Until withdrawn or dispelled
Special: Cannot be regained while it is in effect; resists attempts to detect it with a resistance of 20
This spell changes the color of a horse, so that the horse is unrecognizable. It lasts as long as the
caster is willing to leave it up, but cannot be regained while it is in effect.

Charge!
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: 2 rounds
Doubles movement speed, adds 10 to the effective attack die roll, and adds +2 to the Impact
bonus for all weapon attacks on the first round of melee if this happens while the spell is in effect.
While the spell is in effect, the caster must either charge towards the nearest enemy at full speed,
or melee that enemy. If this condition is not met, the spell ends. A horse and rider count as one
entity for purposes of this spell.

Charisma
Cost: 2 Points
Duration" Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell in effect adds 5 points to the Charm characteristic; +1 to Influence; and +1/+5 with the
+1 to effective die roll, never increasing effective skill roll above skill maximum but increasing to
skill maximum and increasing chance to critical, the +5 to overcome opposition only, for Fast
Talk, Rhetoric and Leadership skills. The +1 to Influence is virtual, and cannot be spent.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 66
City Harmony I, III
Cost: 1 point for I, 3 points for III
Duration" Episode
Special: City Harmony III is reserved for Champions, Devotees or Priests
If this spell is cast within the city it was sacrificed for, it prevents the victim from attacking unless
attacked for at least one round, in which he parries. Unlike Mystify, the target is not confused and
may run away, talk, or be interrogated.
If this spell is cast while committing a crime, the spell works but is lost, and the caster appears as
a bad initiate to Soul Sight.
City Harmony is most effective against normal humanoids. Unintelligent beasts and monsters
can be affected, but it is harder; the caster must roll an even number, ten or higher, for the spell;
in addition to overcoming resistance, for the spell to take effect. Spirits can be affected, but only if
they are in spirit combat with the caster of City Harmony. Again this requires an even roll of ten
or higher, for the spell to take effect, in addition to overcoming any resistance.
City Harmony III is like City Harmony I, except that it attacks six targets at once.

Cloud Memory
Cost: 2 Power Points
Duration: Special
Special: Champion, Devotee or Guru only
If this spell overcomes the target in a Spell vs. Power roll the target forgets everything that
happened during the episode in which it was cast. The lost memories are not replaced, so the
target may be aware that something funny is going on.
This spell can also be used to force someone to forget something which happened in the past. The
memory that is clouded must be no more than one episode in duration.
This spell may be used to eliminate the memory of a specific event in an episode, rather the entire
episode, if the caster prefers.

Commune
Cost: variable {1 point for champions}
Availability: champions, mystics {see definition of mystic below}.
Special: takes 8 hours, and requires a meditation roll to cast

A character acquires this spell by sacrificing power to the deity without an expectation of return in
the form of a reusable spell. For this power, the character gets to roll an influence check, directly
with the deity. The character can then meditate inside a temple. If he or she makes a meditation
skill roll, and his or her player then makes a clout roll, the character gets something {usually a
vision, but sometimes a voice}, that counts as a clue to help him or her in his present
circumstances.

The first clue in a session is free; the second costs an influence point. There has never been a case
of a third clue granted in a session. The deity pretty much always tunes the caster out.

Comparison of Purity
Cost: 1 point
Duration: instant
This spell compares one object, known to be of pure metal, to another object whose purity is
unknown. The spell gives a feeling that the item which is being analyzed is as pure as the standard
of comparison, slightly debased with other metal, debased, seriously debased, or totally different.
Iron pyrite ("Fool's Gold) is revealed as totally different from gold by this spell. A thin gold wash
over lead is very debased, compared to a solid gold wheel, but only slightly debased if the
comparison object is lead.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 67
Confusion
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee, Guru or Rishi only.
This spell addles the victim, if it is successful. Being addled has the same meaning that it has in
the Spirit Combat Effects Table. This spell has one big advantage over Mystify. It cannot be
dispelled {though Cure Madness will eliminate being addled even within an episode}.
Confusion is most effective against normal humanoids. Unintelligent beasts and monsters can be
confused, but this is almost impossible. When confusion is cast at these creatures, it suffers the -
20 modifier for attempting the almost impossible.

This spell resembles Madness in some ways, but for many deities and characters, the fact that it
cannot inflict permanent harm is an advantage, not a drawback. Also, confused characters can be
captured and interrogated at the end of the episode.

Coup d’Oeil
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: 1 Week
The caster of this spell may roll twice and take the better result when rolling Military Lore.

Create Market I, III

Cost: 1 point, stackable
Duration: until dispelled or caster ends the spell
Special: Available only to champions, devotees, or priests
A variant of Sanctify, this spell creating a market area within which all who come to trade or talk
are welcome, and considered initiates of the granting deity, for purposes of entering the magic
Market; and all who come to rob or steal are treated as enemies, and repelled as if entering
ground sanctified by the granting deity. Also, thieves or robbers will be visible to Soul Sight
granted by the granting deity as enemies of the cult, when within the magically blessed market
area.

Crush
Cost: 2 points
Duration: Episode
This spell causes a mace head to glossy black and damage done by it to ignore up to 4 points of
physical armor. Has no other effect. This spell cannot be combined with other spells which add to
damage, such as damage boosting.

Cure Madness II, III

Cost: 1 point for I, 2 points for II
Duration: Permanent
Cure Madness attacks a madness spirit which possesses a character, and if it is victorious, forces
the madness spirit out of the body of the victim. The madness spirit then departs, but the target
character is “addled” {see the Spirit Combat section for definition of addled} for one game week
after the madness has been cured. If Madness was the result of the Madness divine spell, treat
Cure Madness as if it were Dismiss Magic directed at the Madness spell.

Cure Madness II is like Cure Madness I. except that 10 is added to the roll to overcome the POW
of the Madness spirit.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 68
Cure Specific Disease I, II
Cost: 1 point for I, 2 points for II
Duration: Permanent
There are a variety of diseases. Flesh Rot covers normal wound infections; Frostbite deals with
Frostbite; Grippe anything resembling a respiratory infection, from cold to pneumonia; Plague
anything with plague like symptoms, Pox anything from Chicken Pox to Smallpox. Diagnosis is
obvious to the healer.
Roll the dice; apply the modifier listed in the Cure Difficulty table below. If the latency period has
not ended, the disease spirit also rolls to resist the spell. If the result is greater than 0, and higher
than the Disease Spirit roll {if he spirit is present}, the disease is cured.
Cure Difficulty Table
Severity Difficulty
Uncomfortable 0
Ill but Walking (treat as Walking Wounded) -5
Seriously Ill -10
Dying -15

The cure takes one day per medical condition raised. Thus a dying character cannot walk for two
days, even if the cure works. If Cure Disease fails to overcome the disease, that caster can never
cure that disease. If a character is cured in the latency period, when the disease is present, the
disease spirit is banished.
Cure Disease II is like Cure Disease I, except that a + 5 is added to the die roll before subtraction
and comparison; and a +1 is added when determining the chance of a critical success

Dance of Heaven
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: One Dance
Special: Granted only to characters with a Dance skill of 20
This spell is usually used by professional dancers on the last dance number of the evening. In
game terms, it allows a character to raise one Dance skill one level of success, after all other
modification, by one level. Thus a normal become a special or a special becomes a critical, etc

Darkness
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Until Dispelled, or spell is regained.
This spell creates a roughly three pace sphere of darkness, inside which enemies dependent on
vision are blinded, as if by successful casting of the Blindness spell above. Torches and normal
Divine Light, low level sorcery light spells (5 points of intensity or less), etc are dispelled
automatically if carried or cast into the area. Two point or higher divine light spells, and normal
intensity sorcery (6-18 pts), fight Darkness spell vs. spell. The spell has no direct effect on fire
magic, but fire magic has no effect on it.

Darksee
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
It gives creatures without echolocation, echolocation. Due to the unfamiliarity of the magically
added senses, skills such as Listen, Scan, and Spot Hidden have a -10 difficulty modifier to skill.
This spell also works to offset supernatural darkness in the Underworld.

Darkwalk
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spell adds 5 for purposes of overcoming oppositions {usually the Spot skill}. It also adds +2
to roll, if result would exceed skill, treat result as equal to skill exactly, creating a chance to
critical. Only useful is there are shadows to hide in.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 69
Deadly Arrow
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spell adds +3 to the damage done by the arrow affected; arrows that did 1D10 will do
1D10+3. This spell affects only a single arrow, and is therefore fairly rare.

Deadly Dart
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode

This spell adds +3 to the damage done by the dagger, dart or javelin; thus throwing daggers or
darts become 1D8 + 3; while javelins are raised to 1D10+3. This spell affects only a single dart or
javelin.

Death Resistance
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Until needed
Special: Knight or champion only, caster only
This spell is cast when it is acquired, and lasts until it is needed. It is regained normally.
Any time a character has to roll not to die, and fails to make the roll, the player can roll again. If
the second roll does not result in death, the player may take the results of the second roll.

Death Ward
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Duel
When cast on ground sacred to the granting deity; which is being used for a duel to first blood,
this prevents accidental death resulting from wounds to either combatant. Characters cam still be
incapacitated, lose limbs, become infected, etc.

Decrypt Text
Cost: 1 point
Duration: Indefinite
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell opposes Secret Writing in the same way that Dismiss Magic dismisses most magical
spells. Treat Decrypt Text vs. Secret Writing as if it were Dismiss Magic aimed at the Secret
Writing spell

Demoralize I, III
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Special: multiple shots of this may be cast once per episode, by a champion, on first unsheathing
his sword. Special: Demoralize III is Champion, Devotee, Guru or Rishi only
If successfully cast and enemy resistance is overcome, this spell reduces successful enemy attacks
with effective skill roll greater than 10 to 10 prevents affected enemies from getting any closer to
the caster, and causes the target enemy to strike second in melee, after the caster and his friends
have attacked him. Critical successes cause the target enemy to run away from the caster as fast
as possible, and to continue until rallied by an unaffected character making a Leadership skill roll,
or until they are out of spell range of the caster.
Champions count as +2 to effective casting roll, and +3 to relevant lore skill when casting this
spell. Champions attacking other champions with this spell roll to overcome the enemy normally,
that is, enemy champions do not get the automatic resistance at Max Power benefit.
If the target is affected by Avenging Fury, Battle Frenzy, Brave Heart, or similar morale enhancing
spell, this spell dispels morale enhancement automatically, but has no other effect.

Demoralize may be cast at unintelligent animals, monsters and spirits, but they are almost
impossible to affect, so the casting is affected by a -20 modifier for attempting the almost
impossible.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 70
Demoralize III is like Mystify I, except that it attacks six targets at once. Roll once to see if the
Demoralize III is successfully cast. When the spell has been cast, roll separately against each
target to see if that target is mystified. Ignore rolls greater than the cult lore used to cast the spell,
and roll again.

Dismiss Magic
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Permanent effect, or episode at caster’s option
Special: Stackable
Dismiss Magic tries to eliminate a spell. There is a -5 difficulty modifier per point of the target
divine magic spell, or a minus 5 for every two intensity points {rounded down} of the target
sorcery spell; when casting Dismiss Magic. Thus, a one point Dismiss Magic would be -5 to
dismiss a one point divine spell; two points would increase Dismiss Magic’s effectiveness to
casting skill. If the spell being targeted is a divine spell which has been cast with additional points
of prayer, the prayer is added to the spell for purposes of resisting Dismiss Magic. Thus, a three
point Shield spell stacked with a point of prayer is a four point spell for purposes of resisting
Dismiss Magic. Adding additional points of Dismiss Magic can never increase the chance of
Dismiss Working to a level higher than the character’s cult lore.
A spell with multiple targets, such Mystify III may be dispelled on all targets, by dispelling the
entire spell; or removed from individual targets by removing the effects from the individuals
affected. This applies if and only if there is a single target spell, like Mystify, that could produce
the same effect on an individual target.
The caster of Dismiss Magic may specify that the effect is limited to the episode in which Dismiss
Magic is cast, but if he does not specify that he is limiting Dismiss Magic to episode duration, the
dismissal is permanent.
Dismiss Magic may be cast to suppress an enchantment. Dismissing an enchantment does not
destroy it, but it does suppress the magical effects of the enchantment for an episode. When
using Dismiss to suppress an enchantment, each POW point put into the enchantment counts as 2
points of Divine Magic.
Two or more points of Dismiss Magic may be stacked to overcome a target spell. If this is done,
the second points adds five to the effective roll, the third point adds ten to the effective roll, the
fourth point fifteen to the effective roll, etc. This addition never increases the effective roll above
casting skill, so this feature never hurts the caster of the Dismiss spell. This addition does not
upgrade the effect of the Dismissal, the +5 does not affect the type of success rolled.
If Dismiss Magic is cast at someone with multiple spells up, and no target is specified, roll
randomly to determine which spell Dismiss Magic targets. If a target is specified, it goes against
that target unless for some reason the enemy does not have that spell up, in which case it is
wasted. For example, a character does not have Mage Sight up, and decides to cast Dismiss Magic
at an enemy. He wants to take down the enemy’s Shield spell. He can specify that he is going
after Shield, but if the enemy does not have Shield up he will have wasted his Dismiss Magic. If
he does not specify a target spell, Dismiss Magic will not be wasted, but it might not go after the
enemy’s Shield spell.
Dismiss Magic has no effect on spirits, or Heroic powers.

Distract Animal
Cost: 2 points
Duration: Episode
If this spell overcomes the enemy's resistance, the enemy will sometimes stand still, confused,
until he is attacked. If a fight breaks out, the animal’s player may choose to have it run away, on
the theory that even a distracted animal will run away from a fight. When a distracted animal is
attacked, it snaps out of it, reacting normally except that it regards the attacker as its enemy,
whether or not they were enemies at the start of the episode. A fumble which hits a distracted
animal is regarded as an intentional attack by that animal.
Distract Animal is most effective against normal animals. Humanoids, intelligent monsters,
colossal or gigantic creatures and spirits can be distracted but this is almost impossible. When
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 71
cast against these targets, Distract Animal is cast with a -20 modifier to skill for attempting the
almost impossible

Divine Dance
Cost: 2 points
Duration: Episode
This spells allows the player of the caster to roll twice and take the better result whenever he or
she is asked for a Dance skill roll

Divine Song
Cost: 2 points
Duration: Episode
This spells allows the player of the caster to roll twice and take the better result whenever he or
she is asked for a Sing skill roll

Divination
Cost: 2 points
Availability: gurus, champions
Special: takes 4 hours, and requires a ceremony roll to cast, not a cult lore roll.

This spell allows the caster to make a statement and asks the deity what the teachings of the deity
say about what the statement. This can include actions, "It would be a good idea to wake up this
dragon by kicking it" for example.

Unlike Augury, divination only takes into account the teachings of the deity. The obvious answer
to the question about whether kicking a dragon to wake it is a good idea is no. On the other hand,
most deities don't have any specific teaching which implies that it is bad, from the viewpoint of
the god, to kick dragons awake. So where augury would get you back an answer that this is bad,
using divination the answer you get back is indifference.

The stereotyped responses to divination are: dogmatic agreement; agreement, indifference,

disagreement, and dogmatic disagreement. Dogmatic agreement is when the deity thinks that the
statement is not only right, but so right that you cannot be a true guru, and perhaps not even a
true initiate, if you disagree. Agreement is when the deity thinks the statement is true, and that
you would be a better initiate or higher if you believed it, but the deity is willing to accept you if
you disagree. Indifference is just that. It happens when the god's teachings don't apply, or when
they conflict. Disagreement is when the deity disagrees with the statement, but is willing to
accept worshipers who agree. Finally, dogmatic disagreement arises when anyone who accepts
the statement is unacceptable to the deity as either a guru, or in extreme cases, an initiate. Some
deities may use a sort of fuzzy logic, indicating truth by changing the shape or intensity of a light
in response.
This spell may be cast at most once per week.
Dream Sending
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Special
This spell is cast just before going to sleep, defining a target individual who is specifically
identified and not more than a week's march away. During the night, the spell attacks the target.
If successful, the caster may plant one vivid image or up to seven words in the target's dreaming
mind. This image, or these words, have the feel of the answer to an unknown divination question,
and will be remembered and recognized as significant by the target.
A successful Dreamspeaking roll will reveal that the image was a sending, and recall the image of
the sender. It will also recall the emotion(s) of the caster at the time of casting.
A character may declare herself open to this spell; if so she performs a ceremony to deity granting
this spell. If this is done, the spell overcomes her power automatically.
The location of the target must be known to within normal divine spell range accuracy.
If the casting fails the spirit of the caster does not find the spirit of the target, and by next
morning the spell has no effect.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 72
Duelist's Edge
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee or Knight/Azadan only
This spell gives a "first strike" advantage against other weapons of the same length class. Thus, if
cast on a broadsword, it stills strikes after a spear on the first round, but blows from it take effect
before other sword blows.

Eloquence
Cost 1 point
Duration: episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell allows the player of a character who is using the Rhetoric skill to roll two skill dice and
take the better result.

Endurance
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: 1 Day
When a character benefiting from this spell is incapacitated in combat, roll a D20, and if the
result is 5 or less the character is not incapacitated and keeps fighting. This spell also offsets all
difficulty penalties due to fatigue or exhaustion, and allows a character to go one night without
sleep without penalty, two nights without sleep affecting him as one night would a normal
character, etc. Finally, this spell gives subtracts 3 from D20 Constitution rolls. For example,
when the GM calls for a Constitution roll to avoid becoming exhausted, a CON 15 character with
Endurance up, whose player rolls a 17 gets the effective roll reduced to 14, and the character is not
exhausted.

Excommunication
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Special
Special: Priest or Champion only
This spell dispels Initiation, and is the only way to dispels Initiation. All benefits of being an
initiate are lost. It works only if the character against whom it is cast has behaved in a manner
unworthy of an initiate in the eyes of the deity. If used unjustly, by targeting against someone
who the god thinks deserves to remain an initiate, Excommunication does not work and is lost.
Excommunication targeted at initiation automatically removes higher ranks dependent on
initiation. Thus if this spell were cast at a champion it would normally cause loss of champion
status as well. Still, gods are fickle, and if the god wanted initiation dispelled but champion status
retained, champion status would be retained.
Usually cast only after Divination and/or Soul Sight have convinced the caster that the target is a
pretty bad initiate.

Exorcism II, III

Cost: 2 Points for II, 3 Points for III
Duration: Instant
Special: Champion, Devotee, Guru or Priest only
This spell attacks the POW of a spirit possessing a character. If it succeeds in overcoming the
POW of the spirit, the spirit is forced to leave both the character and the area, and the character is
no longer possessed.
In game terms, for Exorcism II the die rolled to cast the spell attacks the POW of the creature the
caster is trying to remove. Remove Curse III is the same, except that for purposes of determining
whether success was critical, one is added to the die roll, and five is added to the die roll for
purposes of overcoming opposition. This is the same mechanism as in the Mind of the Warrior
spell. Thus, a roll of 10 when Exorcism II is treated as if it were a 20when Exorcism III is cast.
If the spell succeeds, the spirit departs during the magic phase of the next round.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 73
If cast at a character who is not possessed, Exorcism seems to work but has no effect, since there
is no spirit possessing the target.
If Exorcism fails, the caster cannot exorcise the possessing spirit. Another caster will need to be
found if the possession is to be eliminated.

Extinguish
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Instant
This spell can be used to do one of two things:
Extinguish a normal fire, campfire sized or smaller. This works automatically.
To dispel magical light or fire sources. When used for this purpose, all rules that would apply to
normal Dismiss Magic apply. A typical uses here would be against Godly Light.
Finally, it can do 1D10 of damage against creatures that are not tied to the darkness rune. Others
are not.

Eye of the Eagle:

Cost: 1 point
Duration: 8 hours
This spell allows telescopic vision, making things appear 10 times closer, and also allows the
player of the character it is cast on to roll twice, and take the better result, when rolling Scan or
Spot skills.

False Memory
Cost: 3 Power Points
Duration: Indefinite
Special: Champion or Guru only
If this spell overcomes the target in a Spell vs. Power roll the target accepts a one sentence
suggestion that he remembers something that did not in fact occur. The target makes up, in his
own mind, the memories needed to make the false memory plausible. Since some false memories
-say, that the target was not mystified while on watch - are more plausible than others - for
example, you heard the Emperor order you to assassinate the Emperor -the G.M may impose a
difficulty level that this spell must overcome if an implausible memory is suggested.

Fight Disease
Cost: 1 point
Duration: 1 Day
This spell allows the beneficiary to roll twice against CON, taking the better result, in combat
against Disease Spirits.

Find Otherworld Gate

Cost: 1 Point
Range: Longbow
Duration: Sundown to Sunup
Special: Priest or Champion only
This spell locates a gate to the Otherworld, if it comes within range of the spell. The location is
not specified exactly, but takes the form of an inner sense of which direction to go in, felt by the
caster. The caster can also see the Gate, when found, as outlined in red light comparable in
intensity to the Godly Light spell.
The usual way to use this spell is to find out where a gate should be by other means, come fairly
near it during the day, and make a search while moving at night.

Find the Path

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: 7 hours
Tells a lost caster which way to go to find the path he thought he was on, May require multiple
castings. It is essentially a specialized form of Divination.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 74
Fleet Foot
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spell doubles movement speed of a walking or running target. Has no other effect.

Float
Cost: 1 point (stackable)
Duration: Episode
Each point allow up to 20 SIZ points to float. Must be cast upon inanimate objects, is typically
cast upon a belt or vest (which is worn by somebody in the water).

Follow the <Standard, Leader>

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Next Combat Round, Copied Spells duration is episode
Special: this spell works automatically
Special: requires so 6 points of Prayer to regain, though not all Prayer must be cast at the same
time
This spell is a specialized form of Mind Link. When cast, it copies up to 6 points of divine spells
from the leader or standard that it affects. The problem is that if the standard or leader falls the
caster of this spell is Demoralized. Also, the caster of this spell becomes subject to the leadership
skill, if a PC previously exempted from the use of what skill, when the leader linked to uses it
Multiple copies allow this spell to be cast more than once, but if this is done the caster is
demoralized if any of the standards or leader this links him to falls. This spell does not count
against the leader’s Mind Link limitation
Form Up
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Next Combat Round
Special: Devotee or Champion only
If the caster is leading a group of foot soldiers, this allows the player of the caster to move all
characters so linked into a line or column formation of his choice, overriding the will of the
players of the characters being commanded. It also ensures that all characters hear the
commands; no one collides with the guy next to him, etc, and in general makes sure coordination
is perfect and anything physically possible occurs. Does not confer any control over horse, or
characters not under the formal military command of the caster.

Glamour of the Goddess

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell reshapes the image of the character casting it so that the caster's effective appearance is
equal to her Charm characteristic plus five. The result, if greater than 18, is stunning beauty. This
gives a modifier to Communication and Entertainment skills of +1 for Appearance greater than
18, +2 for appearance greater than 22, or +3 for Appearance greater than 25. These pluses are not
cumulative, but they may be combined with Bless or chaos gift. These modifiers are to effective
skill, as in the Bless spell; not to dice rolled as in the Mind spells. The stunningly beautiful vision
of the caster is still recognizable as her; this is never an effective disguise spell.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 75
Godly Light
Cost: 2 Point
Duration: Special
Colored light spell, which illuminates as if it a very bright lamp, for a distance out to about javelin
reach from the target point to which it is cast. There are no minuses for darkness out to short bow
reach, again from the target point at which it is cast. There doesn't actually need to be anything at
the target point at which it is cast, this spell is often cast at the air. When cast at the air, this spell
falls at the rate of a feather, and the light goes out when it hits the ground. It may of course be
cast at an object on the ground, or in a lantern, in which case it has episode duration.
This spell resists Dismiss or Neutralize Magic with the full power of the caster, and specialized
Darkness spells to extinguish light or fire with a normal spell vs. spell resistance roll, even if the
Darkness magic works automatically against normal light or regular Divine Light.
The color of this spell is selectable by the caster, from. The most common selections are amber,
blue, red and white. This may be restricted by the deity, which may limit the possible colors of
Godly Light.
This spell can also be used as a directional light spell, cast at the palm of the hand, and equal in
intensity to a small torch; this is handy when the caster doesn't want the light to be visible in
other directions than the one is pointing it in.

God Spear
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Cast on a spear whose head has been painted white, or gold, this spell adds +2 to effective die
rolled; increasing chance to critical if the roll is raised to maximum skill. Skills rolls are never
raised to a miss. It also adds +2 to the damage die roll. This spell can be combined with Mind of
the Warrior, giving a +3 to critical. A champion may paint the head of his spear red; this doubles
the effect to +4/+4, which may again be combined with Mind of the Warrior.

Great Parry
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Raises successful parry rolls below 10 to 10 for purposes of resisting the attack only. Also adds 1
to the bonus for parrying successfully, even if the enemy overcomes you. Thus, a large shield
parry that doesn't stop the blow adds 2 to in capitation resistance; parries with other sizes of
shield or weapon add 1 (thus having the same effect as a large shield).
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 76
Great Shout
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Instant
The caster shouts, usually the war cry of his clan or tribe, and focuses on a particular enemy. If he
overcomes that enemy with a Spell vs. defense roll, the enemy is stunned and takes no action until
his player rolls higher than the spell, and lower than his character's Con, on a D20. The player of
the foe gets one try per round, at the beginning of the round, success always lasting at least one
round. The stunning is magical, and may be dispelled. Being hit by an attacker will dispel the
stunning effect. A Great Shout has no effect on creatures which are unable to hear it.

Greater Healing
2 Points
Duration: Permanent
This spell gives two Con rolls, both guaranteed not to make things worse to Badly Wounded or
Walking Wounded characters. It gives one Con roll guaranteed not to make things worse to a
Dying character. Otherwise, treat this spell as if it were Healing.

Hand of the Hag

Cost: 1 point
Duration: Episode
A hand materialized in thin air, allowing a discorporate caster to manipulate objects in the normal
world as if she were corporate. Must be where the spirit world place she is corresponds to the
physical. Caster must be discorporate at the time of casting.

Healing
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Permanent
Healing allows one CON roll to recover from injury, guaranteed not to make things worse. To
benefit from this spell, the target must be at Badly Injured or better medical condition; dying or
dead characters are unaffected by this spell. It can only be applied once per game week per
character needing healing; recover takes 6 hours or next episode, whichever is longer. If CON roll
is made, patient status improves one level; Seriously Wounded to Walking Wounded; Walking
Wounded to cured, etc.

Heal Body
3 points
Duration Permanent
Special: Champion or “Healer” only. A healer is any character holding an a title or office
conferring a relationship to the deity allowing him or her to act as a healer of greater than normal
power, or a character who uses a favor from the deity {not the cult, which is a mundane
institution} to obtain Heal Body.
As Greater Healing except that it allows up to three CON rolls for badly injured characters, and
two CON rolls for dying characters; and the spell cures disabilities that call for Heal Body on the
disability table. It should be noted that both of these effects can happen at the same time. A
badly injured character with damaged hearing gets three CON rolls to get better and regains his or
her hearing with one casting of this spell

Healer’s Sight
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode

Healer’s Sight allows the caster to see, by spending an action to look at a creature, entity, or spirit,
any one of the following. What is being looked for is determined at the time the spell is cast:
Whether the creature or spirit being viewed is native to this world or another;
Whether or not the entity being viewed is living is dead, living, or undead;
Whether the creature or spirit being viewed is spiritually possessed by another entity’
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 77
Whether an entity being viewed needs healing, and if so what type of healing it needs;
Whether or not disease spirits are present, and if so, where they are and what type of disease they
transmit;
Whether or not any incorporeal healing spirits are present, and if so, where they are.
Healer’s Sight is useless if the caster cannot see the target. Darksee and similar spells granted by
the same deity that granted the Healer’s Sight can be combined with Healer’s Sight. Other night
vision spells and abilities do not.

Healer’s Sight is incompatible with Mage Sight or Soul Sight. It prevents the other spells from
being cast on the beneficiary, unless they are cast by the user of Healer’s Sight, in which case
Healer’s Sight will go away automatically. Healer’s Sight turns the eyes a pale green color while it
is in effect.

Health of the Bull

Cost: 1 point
Duration: Episode
This spell allows the player of the affected character, to roll twice, take the better result, for all
rolls related to Constitution. This includes the roll for death or injury at the end of combat after
incapacitation.

Heart of the Bull

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Allows the player of the beneficiary to roll twice, take the better result, for all die rolls related to
male sexual performance or fertility.

Heart of the Whirlwind

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This surrounds the caster with a whirling circle of air, which blows arrows aside and creates a five
difficulty to hit for incoming javelins. The spell has the same effect on shooting out, so is most
often used as protection from missiles while charging. Heart of the Whirlwind also confers limited
flight capability, up to an altitude roughly equal to the height of a human sized caster; while flying
the caster may move at any speed up to his normal ground running speed.
This spell has no effect on non-physical missiles, such as Magic Missiles and Arrows of Light.

Hide Affiliation
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Permanent
This spell hides cult affiliation from, (specify at the time of casting), either all hostile cult Soul
Sight, all Soul Sight, all magical perception. This does nothing to affect non magical perception. If
someone notices that since a character is dressed like a champion of the war god, is swinging a
sword like a champion of the war god, and trying to cult him in half like a character under the
influence of Battle Fury; he is therefore probably at least an initiate of the war god, this spell will
not prevent him from reaching that conclusion.
Note that if cult affiliation is hidden, it is really hidden. Cult spells cannot be shared through
Mind Link, traded, regained via Intercession, etc.

Hide Magic
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spells conceals the fact that divine magic has been cast. It does not hide shamanic magic,
sorcery or heroic powers. It is cast after the spells to be hidden, and also hides itself. After it is
cast, the spells are concealed from Mystic Vision, Mage Sight, and similar magical vision. If a
character with magical vision tries to spot hidden magic; he rolls his Spot versus the cult lore of
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 78
the caster of Hide Magic. If he overcomes the caster’s cult lore, he notices the Hide Magic itself.
Hide Magic still hides the magic it was intended to conceal.

Horse Mastery
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Creates a mystic harmony between man and horse, in which the horse instinctively knows what
the rider wants to do and does it.
In game terms, it allows the target to roll twice, taking the better result, when a Ride roll is called
for. It also adds 10 the character's Ride skill, for purposes of limiting the use of other skills while
on horseback. Thus an archer with a Ride skill of 9 and an archery skill of 16 could use his full
archery skill while riding, if he has this spell cast upon him and his horse.

Inspiration
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spell allows the player to roll Leadership skill twice, taking the better result, while it
is in effect.
Champions may cast this spell at the same time they make a Leadership skill roll, without taking a
separate action to cast this spell. It affects that leadership skill roll, and all subsequent leadership
skill rolls.

Invocation of <Deity>
Cost: 1 Point per participant
Duration: Permanent Effect
All characters participating in the invocation swear an oath to the granting deity. If any of the
characters involved in the invocation breaks the oath, he or she becomes a bad initiate when
viewed via Soul Sight

Javelins of Lightning
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
This spell turns javelins {full sized javelins only, up to a maximum of three}, into bolts of
lightning when thrown. In game terms, it increases their range to short bow range, and add +2 to
effective die to hit dice rolled, never increasing the roll above skill, but instead increasing it to skill
exactly increasing chance to critical; the spell also adds 2 to damage dice done.

Justice of the Lawgiver

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode, Special
Special: Champion, Judge, Priest only
When judging a legal case or arbitrating a dispute; Justice of the Lawgiver does two things:
a) It warns the caster if the result of his or her Culture or Law Lore roll would be a fumble,
preventing the possibility of a gross miscarriage of justice. It allows a reroll of failed or fumbled
Culture or Law skill rolls.
b) It makes the judgment binding, unless this spell is dispelled, participants in the dispute will
live up to their obligations. This spell resists dispel attempts with the full cult lore of the caster,
automatically. If dispelled, the caster will know it has been dispelled. Also, if the participants in
the dispute then refuse to live up to their obligations, they will appear to be bad initiates of
whichever deity granted this spell, when viewed with Soul Sight.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 79
Lawspeaking
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee or Guru only
If the parties to a dispute appeal to the caster for judgment, or in a criminal prosecution by the
authorities; casting this spell allows him to enforce the judgment as if it were a military command.
That is, if the player of the caster makes his leadership skill roll, the parties will comply with his
ruling, whether or not they like it. This means that rhetoric and similar persuasion skills cannot
be used to persuade them to disobey the ruling. Also, when viewed with Soul Sight those who
disobey are seen as “bad” members of the cult of the granting deity. Finally, before doing
anything to disobey the ruling the player of the character trying to disobey the ruling must defeat
the Lawspeaking spell roll with his character’s POW in a D20 opposed skill test.

Lend <Language> I, III

Cost: 1 Point for I, 3 points for III
Duration: Episode
The beneficiary of this spell learns the language granted by this spell, for the duration of this spell,
at a skill level equal to the lower of the caster's relevant language and custom skill, and his own
best language and custom skill. Lend Language III is the same as Lend Language I, except that up
to 6 others, or all people present on sanctified ground {of the casting deity} will benefit..

Lightning Blade
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell temporarily turns a broadsword into a blade of Lightning. In game terms, it adds +2 to
damage done, and +2 to effective die rolled, never increasing the roll above maximum skill, but
instead raising to maximum skill and increasing the chance to critical. The +2 to effective die roll
can be combined, or “stacked”, with the +1 from Mind of the Warrior.
This spell cannot be combined with Black Blade of Death, Damage Boosting, or similar spells

Lock
1 Point, Stackable
Duration: Until Dispelled
This locks a door, or closable container, so that the caster can open the locked door or container
automatically, but others must break it down. The strength of the Lock is equal to the cult lore of
the character casting the spell; it may be overcome by a Light fingers skill or Strength roll greater
than the resistance of the Lock spell. The Lock spell may also be dispelled, but it resists attempts
to dispel it with the full cult lore of the caster, not a cult lore roll.
If the caster wishes to allow others to open the locked door or container, he may stack Lock spells,
1 point per individual authorized to open the lock, and cast the spell while they are touching the
locked door or container.

Madness
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Till next sunrise, unless attacker is special vs. missed resistance roll or critical vs.
normal resistance success, in which case effect last until madness is cured.
Special: Champion, Devotee, Guru or Rishi only
This spell attacks the enemy once, as if by a madness spirit attempting to possess him, and
induces madness if the attack succeeds. Treat the attacker’s cult lore as if it were the power of the
spirit. If successful, roll D6:
Madness Table
D6 Result
Roll
1-2 indecision, character can defend him or herself, but player cannot declare intent
3-4 Catatonia, character becomes unresponsive
5-6 Nuts, character is unresponsive, except that sometimes the character hits him or
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 80
herself in the head, thinks he or she is an elephant, etc.
If resisted, roll again; if the second attack is successful, the target is mystified.
This spell has no effect on animals, unintelligent spirits, golems, zombies, or other creatures ruled
by the GM as not having sufficient intellect to be driven insane.

Mage Sight I, II
Cost: 1 Point for I, II Points for II
Duration: Episode
Mage Sight I identifies instantly whether a person or item has a magical spell cast on them. It
identifies whether than magic is divine, sorcery, or shamanic in nature. Finally it identifies
instantly whether or not the person or object is by nature magical. Finally, it tells the viewer
approximately how much magic there is:
None
A little, (1-4 pts)
A fair amount (5-9 points)
A lot (10-20 points)
More than a lot (21 or more points)
By looking for a while (several minutes), it becomes possible to: identify individual spells;
determine whether or not the deity granting Mage Sight can tell the character more if he or she
casts Analyze Magic; and, if a Spot Hidden roll is made, which pantheon the character or spirit
being viewed worships, if that pantheon is the same as the pantheon of the deity granting the
spell, the identity of the deities worshipped. Finally, this spell automatically identifies
champions, the deities they are champions of, and whether or not an individual or item has
performed a Hero Quest worth at least one fame point.
Mage Sight II gives all the information Mage Sight I gives, instantly. For example, it allows the
viewing mage to see whether or not an enemy charging him has Black Blade of Death on his sword
in time to dispel it the same round. Mage Sight II also combines with Spot ability; allowing the
caster to see Magic which has been hidden by normal means, such as a magic item hidden by a
Hide skill roll. Finally, a character using Mage Sight II can oppose spell vs. spell to penetrate
magical concealment, such as Mystic Block, Insignificance, etc.
Mage Sight is incompatible with Healer’s Sight or Soul Sight. It prevents the other spells from
being cast on the beneficiary, unless the character with Mage Sight wants to replace, in which case
Mage Sight goes down automatically. Mage Sight turns one eye black and one eye violet while it is
in effect.

Mariner's Sight
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: 1 day
Grants vision as if looking through 10x binoculars. Also allows the beneficiary to roll twice on
Spot rolls, using the better result.

Mask of the Hag

Cost: 1 point
Duration: Episode
This spell causes the caster to look like an elderly, ugly, revolting hag. Also conceals the identity
of the caster, unless the observer is using Mystic Vision {more than 4 points of Mystic Vision are
required}, Mage Sight, etc. Even with Mystic Vision or Mage Sight, the observer must overcome
the cult lore roll plus 10 of the caster with the cult lore of the caster of the Magical Vision spell.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 81
Master the Air
Cost: Three Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee or Guru only
This spell allows the caster to fly as if he or she was a Sylph. Has no other effect.

Melt Into the Background

Cost: 1 point
Duration: Episode
This spell allows the player of the caster to roll twice, taking the better result, when trying to use
his character's Hide skill.

Mind Link
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Special: multiple points of this spell can be combined with each other, to allow borrowing bigger
spells
Mind Link allows telepathy, seeing through each other’s eyes, and hearing through each other's
ears, between two characters. Each is aware of what is happening to the other. Each participant
may borrow a divine magic spell from another participant. The lender does not lose the spell, but
if the lent spell is cast the borrower must participate in a ceremony to regain it before Mind Link
can be regained. One point of Mind Link allows the character to borrow a 1 point spell, 2 points of
Mind Link allow the character to borrow a 2 point spell, and 3 points of Mind Link allows the
character to borrow a 3 point spell.
A character who wants to keep Mind Link up while casting another spell through it may cast
Prayer at the same time he or she is casting the other spell. The prayer will be used instead of the
Mind Link; and the borrower must participate in a ceremony to regain the other spell before
regaining his or her prayer spell.
Borrowed spells must have been granted by a deity that offers Mind Link. Deities that do not
offer Mind Link do not lend spells through it.
Most functions of Mind Link do not work when one of the two linked characters is or becomes,
mad, seriously wounded, unconscious, dying, dead, or possessed by a spirit. It is interrupted
{that is, it will come back} if one of the involved characters is in spirit combat, asleep, mystified,
etc. The location of the character that left the Mind Link and the reason for loss or interruption of
the Mind Link is not revealed to the other participant in the link.

Mind of Death
Cost: 3 Power Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion Only (can only affect the caster)
This spell gives a +2 to effective skill roll for purposes of rolling a critical, thus a 20 skill character
whose player rolls an 18 also has a chance to critical, just as if the player had rolled a 20. It also
gives a +10 to the effective skill roll for purposes of overcoming opposition. Thus a character that
rolls a 10 to parry counts as having rolled a 20 for purposes of resisting enemy attack. This spell
counts as a morale improving spell, resisting, and being dispelled by, Demoralize.
This spell affects all attacks and parries and melee.

Mind of the Merchant

Cost: 2 Power Points
Duration: Episode
This spell gives a +1 to effective skill roll for purposes of rolling a critical, thus a 15 skill character
whose player rolls a 14 also has a chance to critical, just as if he had rolled a 15. It also gives a +5
to the effective skill roll for purposes of overcoming opposition. Skills rolls affected are those for
Administration, Bargaining, Culture Lore when used to evaluate jewelry and Treasure Lore.
Other details are similar to Mind of the Warrior.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 82
Mind of the Warrior
Cost: 2 Power Points
Duration: Episode
This spell gives a +1 to effective skill roll for purposes of rolling a critical, thus a 15 skill character
whose player rolls a 14 also has a chance to critical, just as if he had rolled a 15. It also gives a +5
to the effective skill roll for purposes of overcoming opposition. Thus a character that rolls a 10 to
parry counts as having rolled a 15 for purposes of resisting enemy attack. This spell counts as a
morale improving spell, resisting, and being dispelled by, Demoralize.
This spell affects all attacks and parries in melee.

<Monster> Slayer
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, or character who has five fame points earned in combat, only
This spell is intended to help the caster fight a specific type of monster, thus it is Dragon Slayer,
etc. It usually opposes a type of monster that is a traditional enemy of the deity in myth, and
which he or she has expertise in killing. In game terms, it allows the player of the caster to roll
twice for damage, taking the better result, if and only if the target is a “monster”, where a monster
is an enemy which is either of huge {or larger} size or has a demonic feature. Monster slayer also
subtracts 10 from bonuses due to Size modifiers, so that a huge monster is +0, a gigantic monster
is +5, and a colossal monster is +10.
Monster Slayer is incompatible with Black Blade of Death, Bloodaxe, Sorcery Damage Boost, and
other weapon affecting spells.
This spell is rare, because of its limited applicability. Also, a character with Dragon Slayer is often
still toast fighting a dragon, reducing the demand for the spell.

MultiMissile
Cost: 2 points
Duration: Episode
This spell gives an archer a second shot, during the magic phase of the round, at the same target
he or she shot in the first round. This is rolled separately, and is treated independently. No
second shot is conferred if the character benefiting from this spell casts another spell during the
round.

Mystify I, III
Cost: 1 point for I, 3 points for III
Duration: Episode
Special: Mystify III is champion, devotee, guru or rishi only.
If this spell overcomes the enemy's resistance, the enemy will sometimes stand still, confused,
until he is attacked. If a fight breaks out, his player may choose to have him run away, on the
theory that even a confused character knows enough to want to get away from a battlefield. When
a mystified character is attacked, he snaps out of it, reacting normally except that he regards his
attacker as his enemy, whether or not they were enemies at the start of the fight. A fumble which
hits a mystified friend is regarded as an intentional attack by that friend.
Mystify is most effective against normal humanoids. Unintelligent beasts, monsters and can be
mystified, but this is almost impossible. Attempts to mystify them suffer a -20 modifier to skill
for attempting the almost impossible.
Mystify III is like Mystify I, except that it attacks six targets at once. Roll once to see if the Mystify
III is successfully cast. When the spell has been cast, roll separately against each target to see if
that target is mystified. Ignore rolls greater than the cult lore used to cast the spell, and roll again.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 83
Oath of Loyalty
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Until Renounced
This spell binds the caster to serve another, who need not be a member of the cult of the granting
deity. If the caster wants to do anything which would violate the oath, the player must roll the
character’s cult lore, opposed with his character’s Power. If the cult lore wins, the caster is bound
by his oath and cannot break it
If POW defeats cult lore, the character may do as he wishes. If he or she does so, it is treated as a
violation of the caster duty to the granting deity. Soul Sight reveals that the caster is a bad initiate
A loyalty oath may be renounced, but only in a public ceremony performed by a priest of the
granting deity, who must not be the caster. At the ceremony, the deity judges whether or not the
caster has sufficient cause to renounce his oath. If the caster has been given sufficient cause to
end his service, the oath ends. If not, there is no effect

Oath of Veracity
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: One day
This spell binds the caster to tell the truth, the whole truth, and noting but the truth. If the caster
wants to say anything which would violate the oath, the player must roll the character’s cult lore,
opposed with his character’s Power. If the cult lore wins, the caster is bound by his oath and
cannot break it
If POW defeats cult lore, the character may do as he wishes. If he or she does so, it is treated as a
violation of the caster duty to the granting deity. Soul Sight reveals that the caster is a bad initiate

Open/Close Otherworld Gate

Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Special
Special: Priest or Champion only

This spell opens a gate to the Otherworld, and if it overcomes the power of the Gate Guardian(s),
allows the caster and up to six companions unopposed entry to the Otherworld. If it fails to
overcome the Guardian's power, the Gate is opened, but the guardian must be fought.
This spell will also open a gate to normal world from the otherworld, but if used for this purpose it
does nothing to overcome opposition.
When an otherworld gate is open, and this spell is cast on it, the gate is closed.

Panacea
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Special
Special: Champion or “Healer” only. A healer is any character holding an a title or office
conferring a relationship to the deity allowing him or her to act as a healer of greater than normal
power, or a character who uses a favor from the deity {not the cult, which is a mundane
institution} to obtain Panacea.
As Cure Specific Disease I, except that it affects any disease.

Pathwatch
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Journey
Special: Devotee or Champion only
+1/+5 to Scan at all times while on the path; +2/+10 if the character stops and deliberately scans
for a couple of rounds. Also, the character on which Pathwatch is cast may react when he or a
group he is in is ambushed even if he is otherwise unable to react due to surprise.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 84
Prayer
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Special
A handy support for divine magic, any time this spell is cast the caster can get one and only one of
the following effects:
This spell allows the caster or another initiate or higher chosen by the caster, to regain one point
of divine magic, if and only if the deity granting the regained spell is also the deity granting the
prayer. When praying to help others regain divine magic, the character doing the praying must
actually want the character being prayed for to succeed, not merely have been paid to pray, in the
eyes of the deity being prayed to. Whether this is or is not the case is determined by the GM, but
as a general rule prayer granted as a favor in response to active persuasion will work, and prayer
purchased on the open market or in response to a request from the religious hierarchy will not.
One point of prayer can extend the range of a divine magic spell from short bow range to longbow
range, and two points of prayer will allow a divine magic spell to be cast at anything the caster can
see. A deity can only extend the range of spells that it grants, other spells cannot be extended.
Prayer can be added to a spell to help that spell resist attempts to dispel or neutralize it. For
example, two points of Prayer might be added to a Mystify spell, to make it counts as a three point
spell for purposes of resisting attempts to dispel or neutralize it.
Prayer may also do other things, varying by immortal or deity, as described in the cult or temple
description.
Multiple points of prayer may be regained at one time. Thus a character whose player rolls well
enough to regain a three point spell may choose to regain three points of prayer, if the character
had used up that much prayer.

Preserve Scroll
Cost: 1 Point (one-use)
Duration: Permanent
Special: Stackable
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell preserves one “check” worth of information on a scroll. This means that it will not be
damaged or destroyed unintentionally, as a side effect of reading it; or through normal wear and
tear associated with time. It does not protect the scroll from fire, or against intentional
destruction. Note that this spell is “one use”. Once cast it is gone, and must be sacrificed for
again. Multiple points of this spell may be used to preserve all of a multiple check scroll. This
spell cannot be used to preserve part of a scroll; if a scroll has three “checks”, three points must be
cast; the caster cannot isolate one “check” of information and preserve that.

Rain Dance
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Special
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell is cast during the planting season, and the entire village must participate in casting it.
Most villagers use Prayer, and not this spell itself, to cast it. It requires a Ceremony roll at the
time of casting, which if made eliminates drought risk and creates better growing conditions for
crops. In game terms, add 5 for purposes of overcoming agricultural difficulty to the D20
agriculture results roll. Reroll all 20's, making it much harder to fumble.

Rally Round
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: 1 Round
Special: Devotee or Champion only
Stops charging cavalry who are no more than one movement round away from the caster, and
returns them to a line formation no more than two paces apart, with at least one cavalryman on
each side of the caster. May also be used to rally disordered cavalry within one movement round,
and reform them in the line formation described above, column two wide or column four wide.
Rally Round may also be used to change cavalry under the command of the caster from any
formation to any other formation, automatically in one round.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 85
This spell has no effect if the caster is not himself mounted. This spell can be resisted by any
cavalryman who does not want to rally to his commander. This spell has no effect on cavalrymen
who are neither formally under the military command of the caster, or followers of the caster.

Reconstruction
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell gives the best visual reconstruction that the granting deity can offer of a particular past
event, as viewed from wherever the caster is currently standing. This will be very good, if an
initiate of the granting deity personally observed the event, or if there are a large number of
witnesses, many written accounts, etc. It is not so good if no one was watching, as when two
thieves break in, etc. This visual reconstruction can be enhanced with other divine sensing spells
granted by the granting deity. In this case, the granting deity will give his best guess as to what
these spells would have showed, had the caster been viewing the event with them on. Where this
is unknown to the deity, the worshipper will be so informed. Reconstruction counts as a
divination spell for purposes of sharing the vision reconstructed.
Reconstruction may be of any event that is connected to an object or place that the caster is
looking at it. The reconstruction is not limited by the ability of the caster to understand it;
successfully casting a reconstruction of a major battle will result in the caster getting a vision of an
extremely confusing mess.

Reflection
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell reflects spells cast at the beneficiary, which fail to overcome his resistance roll, back at
the enemy who cast them with an effective attack roll equal to the successful resistance.

Regenerate
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Permanent
Special: Champion or “Healer” only. A healer is any character holding an a title or office
conferring a relationship to the deity allowing him or her to act as a healer of greater than normal
power, or a character who uses a favor from the deity {not the cult, which is a mundane
institution} to obtain Regenerate.
Cures disabilities listed as requiring Regenerate to heal. This spell keeps the patient out of the
campaign for 1D6 play sessions, or two game weeks, whichever is longer.

Reset Bone
2 Points
Duration: 1 Week
If a character suffers from a broken bone, this spell will fix that, if the character has a week of
recovery time. After that, the bone is reset, and the character is as good as he was before the
injury,

Restore Vision
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Permanent
Special: Champion or “Healer” only. A healer is any character holding an a title or office
conferring a relationship to the deity allowing him or her to act as a healer of greater than normal
power, or a character who uses a favor from the deity {not the cult, which is a mundane
institution} to obtain Restore Vision.
Restore Vision cures blindness. It keeps the patient out of play for 1D6 game sessions.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 86
Resurrection
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Permanent
Special: Champion or “Healer” only. A healer is any character holding an a title or office
conferring a relationship to the deity allowing him or her to act as a healer of greater than normal
power, or a character who uses a favor from the deity {not the cult, which is a mundane
institution} to obtain Resurrection.
Resurrection is like Heal Body, except that it only affects dead characters and gives four rolls to
improve instead of three . If applied at the end of an episode, it suffers no difficulty modifier, if
applied after one day, it is cast at a -10 modifier to cult lore, and if applied after longer than that,
but up to a maximum of one week later, it is cast at a -20 to cult lore. Resurrection suffers a -10
difficulty if the caster or her compatriots killed the character being resurrected
After the end of the episode in which a character is killed, the character’s spirit proceeds to the
afterlife. After the end of the episode, any character performing resurrection must first summon
the spirit of the departed out of the afterlife by making a summoning roll.
Resurrection does not cure any diseases the character has suffered; these must be cured
separately. Resurrection cannot be performed on bodies that have been burnt to ash, vaporized,
have had their heads removed, or are otherwise in a condition that prevents return of the soul to
the body.
Resurrected characters lose one point of Constitution and one point of Power, due to the shock of
death.
Return like the Phoenix
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Special
Special: Devotee or Champion only
The spell is cast at the time it is sacrificed for, and remains on the character, having no visible
effect except to make her faintly magical until she dies. When she dies, if her death was not due to
old age, and her body is in good enough condition for healing spells to work, she does not decay,
and at the next full moon she returns to life. If the moon is full at the time of death, she returns to
life during the night and is fully healed and ready to act at sunrise. Otherwise, she returns to life
in a weakened state, and needs Greater Healing to fully recover. This healing will take place
automatically at the next full moon, but all skill use is difficulty 10 until then. Return like the
Phoenix will reconstruct a body destroyed by fire; but does not otherwise repair damage such as
limb loss or disfigurement.
Return like the Phoenix has no effect if the character commits suicide.
Once the character has returned to life, the spell is expended, and must be regained. The rules for
regaining it are the same as those for regaining any other spell.

Ride the Wind

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: 1 Round
Special: Champion, Devotee or Guru only
A limited teleport spell, this spell moves the target immediately to a place downwind of his
current location, up to short bow range away. This is effectively instant. It cannot go anywhere
the wind cannot, thus it does not allow the caster to teleport from one side of a castle wall to the
other. Also, if the wind's path leads through any entity capable of resisting magic, that entity will
resist the spell as if it were the target.

Sanctify
Cost: 1 Point for I, 3 Points for III
Duration: Until moved, may be cast for permanent duration at certain times
Special: In general, Sanctify I is devotee or champion only, and Sanctify III is champion only.
This spell is used to create a holy object or piece of ground. Sanctify one blesses a small room or
cell sized area. Sanctify two a small apartment, Sanctify III a fairly large temple, capable of
holding up to fifty people.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 87
Sanctify 1 adds a +1 to the die rolled for all purposes, and a +5 to the die roll for purposes of
overcoming difficulty, when attempting to regain a divine magic spell from the granting deity.
These cannot be combined. A player rolling a 5 is 10 for regaining divine spells, not an 11.
Sanctify III adds a +2 to the die rolled for all purposes, and a +10 to the die roll for purposes of
overcoming difficulty, when attempting to regain a divine magic spell from the granting deity.
These cannot be combined.
Anything that happens inside the area affected by the Sanctify is immune to divination by other
deities. Thus, the actions of a character wearing Sanctified vestments are unknown to other
deities and words spoken on Sanctified ground are not overheard.
The Sanctify spell attempts to dispel all offensive or scrying sorcery cast into the area affected by
the Sanctify, Sanctuary I tries to dispel as if with one point of Dismiss Magic , Sanctify III tries to
dispel as if with two points of Dismiss Magic. If the Sanctify is overcome, the incoming spell gets
through, but the Sanctify still exists and may attempt to dispel the next spell.
The Sanctify spell protects all within as if with Spirit of Faithful against incoming spirits. Again,
this protection is equivalent to the comparable Spirit of the Faithful spell.
If any person not an initiate or higher in the cult, or invited in by an initiate or higher of the cult,
enters, they must, the first turn they enter, resist the Sanctify as if it were a spell cast at them by a
character with a cult lore of 10 for Sanctify I, or 20 for Sanctify III. If they fail to resist the spell,
they must attempt to leave the Sanctified area until such time as they get out. This supersedes
other intents, except to attack and parry enemies who close to melee with them, or are in the way
of their attempted exit.

Scholar's Memory
Cost: 2 points
Duration: While reading one “check” of text
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell allows the beneficiary, if he is reading an unreadable text, to see it through the eyes of a
devotee or higher of the granting deity, of earlier times, who read it. This can compensate for the
effects of damage on a scroll, and improves the character’s chance of reading it. This spell is
useless if the text being read was never read by a devotee or higher of the granting deity. In game
terms, it allows the player of the character on whom it is cast to roll twice when trying to read the
scroll, once against the relevant culture lore and once against his cult lore.

Seal of the <Deity>

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Indefinite
This spell seals a scroll in its case. The intended recipient, looking at it, gets a vision of the caster
or sender, to authenticate the message as coming from the sender. If anyone other than the
intended recipient opens the case to read the scroll, the Seal disappears, and an image of the
person opening the case is made available to anyone casting divination to the granting deity. Of
course, this image is sometimes simply a Mask of the Hag, but sometimes it is useful. This spell
also water, alcohol, etc proofs the scroll by making the case watertight.

Secret Writing I, III

Cost: 1 point, 3 points
Duration: Indefinite
Special: Secret Writing III is Devotee or Champion only
Hides a text, so normal readers cannot understand it. The one point version reveals gibberish;
the three point version hides it completely. If hidden completely, text may be written over the
Secret Writing; this cover text disappears when the hidden text is revealed. When someone that
the caster defined as capable of reading the message picks it up, the message is revealed. Who
can read the message is defined at the time of casting.
This spell is opposed by Decrypt Text using the normal spell vs. spell rules. It cannot be
dismissed, neutralized or dispelled by general purpose Dispel Magic spells.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 88
Seeing Behind the Mask
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode (interview, interrogation, or party)
Gives a +1/+5 interpreted as usual, to Insight and Intrigue skills. This spell is unusual in that
even if a character has Mystic Vision or similar magical sensing spells up, he must still make Spot
Hidden, resisted by the roll to cast the spell, to see that this spell is up.

Seize the Initiative

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode, but only until the order is shouted
This spell allows the caster to shout an order at the end of the declaration of intent phase. All
characters under the caster’s command that could the order automatically hear it. The players of
these characters can, and all non-player characters will, change their declaration of intent to
obeying the order. If two or more characters cast this spell and want to issue orders at the same
time the winner of a POW vs. POW contest goes last.

Sever Spirit
Cost: 3 points
Duration: Permanent
Special: Champion only
If caster overcomes target, and target is alive; target was alive, and is now dead. This spell will not
work if the target is unaware of the caster, or if in the view of the god, the intent of the caster was
to strike from ambush or as an assassin.

Share the Truth

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
The targets of this spell sees what the caster sees, hears what the caster hears, and remembers
what the caster remembers, as if he were the caster. This spell can be used by a scout to allow
others to target an enemy he can see with offensive magic; by a diviner to insure that others can
directly experience his divination, either as it happens or as it is remembered, etc.

Shield
Cost: 1 Point for I, 2 Points for II, 3 Points for III
Duration: Episode
This spell adds 1 for I, 2 for II, and 3 for III, to effective armor against physical attacks, and
protects a character against magical attack. The player of a character protected by Shield rolls a
D6 when the character is attacked by a spell, and if the roll is less than or equal to the size of the
Shield spell, the attacking spell has no effect on the character. Thus on a roll of 1 for Shield I, 1 or
2 for Shield II and 1, 2 or 3 for Shield III, the character is protected. Champions, Devotees get a
+1 to this effect, so Shield I protecting a devotee stops incoming magic on a 1 or 2, etc. Shield
interferes with other spells, skills or items which affect magic defense.
A spell which is not blocked by Shield is resisted by natural POW only. Whether or not to use
Shield is a decision made by the player whose character is protected.
This spell has no effect if the roll for the attacking spell was a critical or cinematic success.
This spell has no effect on spirit combat.
This spell does not protect spells on the character protected. Nor does it protect itself.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 89
Skulking with Intent to Lurk
Cost: 3 Points,
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
Adds +2/+10 to Hide rolls. This is interpreted in the usual manner for +1 +5 spells

Slow Horse
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Cast against a horse ridden by enemy, this spell slows it to the speed of a comparable human gait.
Most importantly, an enemy galloping away moves at the speed of an enemy running away and
can be ridden down. An enemy riding towards the caster with a lance can have his momentum
drastically reduced, resulting in a -4 to damage rolled.
This spell’s effects are too visible and well known to make it effective as a means of cheating in a
horse race; and use of it in this context is a cause of infamy.

Soldier of <Deity>
Duration: Episode
Cost: 2 Points
Raises successful cult skill rolls less than 10, to 10, for purposes of overcoming difficulty and
opposition

Soul Sight
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Soul Sight allows the caster to see, by spending an action to look at a creature, entity, or spirit, any
one of the following. What is being looked for is determined at the time the spell is cast:
Whether or not any person or spirit he is looking at is an adherent of the pantheon of the granting
deity.
Whether the creature or spirit being viewed is native to this world or another;
Whether or not the entity being viewed is living is dead, living, or undead;
Whether the creature or spirit being viewed is spiritually possessed by another entity’
If the creature, entity or spirit being viewed is an adherent of, initiate of devotee of, or champion
in the cult of the granting deity., whether or not it is good standing in that cult,, and rounded to
the nearest 5 points how many divine spells it has;
Whether the creature, entity or spirit being viewed is of subhuman intelligence, normal human
intelligence, high human intelligence, or superhuman intelligence;
Whether or creature, entity or spirit being viewed is subhuman power, normal human power,
high human power or superhuman power.
Soul Sight does not penetrate Hide Affiliation, unless the player of the other character wants it to
do so. Soul Sight is useless if the caster cannot see the target. Darksee and similar spells granted
by the same deity that granted the Soul Sight can be combined with Soul Sight. Other night vision
spells and abilities do not.
Soul Sight is incompatible with Mage Sight or Healer’s Sight. It prevents the other spells from
being cast on the beneficiary, unless they are cast by the beneficiary of Soul Sight, when Soul Sight
will go away automatically. Soul Sight turns eyes jet black while it is in effect.

Characteristics of 6 or less are considered subhuman by this spell; 6-15 are normal human; 16-25
is considered high human, and anything above 25 is considered superhuman or heroic.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 90
Speak with the Dead
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
An image, like a ghost, the quality of which varies with the roll to cast the spell, appears. For a
variable period, which in game terms is from 5 to 15 real minutes, the ghost of the departed will
appear and answer questions. This spell compels the ghost to appear and not to attack, but not
necessarily to cooperate. Also, the ghost answers using the knowledge he had at the time of his
death. Questions he didn't know the answers to at the time of his death; or questions about the
next world, are never answered.
The session ends when the caster runs out of questions, or the 15 real time minutes have expired.
That dead individual who has been summoned cannot be summoned again with this spell.

Spell Trading I, II, III

Cost: 1 point for I, II points for II, 3 points for III
Duration: Indefinite
Special: Champion, Devotee or Priest only
Two parties wishing to trade spells ask a champion, devotee, or priest of the granting deity to be
the Middleman; or someone wishes to trade with the granting deity. The caster then casts Spell
Trading and then each of the others casts the spell they intend to trade. The spell traded can cost
at most one point if Spell Trading I is used, two points if Spell Trading II is used, or three points if
spell trading III is used.
Spell trading fails if Spell Trading, or either of the two spells to be traded, is not successfully cast.
Successfully cast spells disappear
Once a spell has been traded, it cannot be regained until the spell it was traded for has been cast.
Traded spells are cast at the power of the character using the spell, if a POW 11, Cult Lore 20
character trades away a spell to gain another he casts the traded spell with his POW not his cult
lore. An exception arises; a character with cult lore for the deity the spell traded for came from,
higher than his POW, may use that cult lore to cast the spell, Thus two characters in the same cult
can profit from using Spell Trading to trade inapplicable spells for powerful 3 pointers ahead of
time, but if they go outside their cult the spell traded for is cast with POW.
Restricted spells, such as champion only spells, may be traded; but the act of trading does not
remove the restriction. The character who traded for it can "cast" it at any time, but it will have
no effect. Spells can only be traded between worshippers of deities in the same pantheon.

Spirit of the Faithful

Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode

Spirit of the Faithful allows a character to attack and parry in Spirit Combat using Cult Lore
minus five, unless the player prefers to attack and parry using Power.
Casting this spell does not need to be declared in declaration of intent. Instead, it may be cast
before the start of a spirit combat it is intended to affect, without costing any actions. The spell
expires at the end of the episode in which it is cast.

Strongbow
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell adds 2 to the damage done by arrows shot from the bow on which it is cast. It cannot
be combined with MultiMissile.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 91
Summon <Cult Spirit>
Cost: 2 or 3 points
Duration: Special
Special: Cast with Summoning, not Cult Lore
This spell summons a cult spirit or demon, whose true name is always somewhere in the spell. It
summons only that spirit or demon; the nature of the spirit or demon is determined by the GM at
the time the spell is learned. The cost varies depending on the power of the entity summoned.
Note that the deity, not the character, determines when he or she can sacrifice for this spell, and
what he gets. GM's may disallow it at times; deities are not usually particularly interested in play
balance across different instances of the spell.
The entity summoned will serve the caster until his obligations are fulfilled, or until he dies. This
varies; a raven that incarnates some of the powers of the War Goddess may be only required to
grant one favor, and then allowed to return to Valhalla for three sessions, until it can be
summoned again.
The advantages of this spell are that it allows the summoning by true name of an entity loyal to or
controlled by the deity, without angering the deity; when you sacrifice for the spell you
automatically learn the true name of the entity to be summoned; and it protects against the effects
of failed or fumbled summoning rolls.
The nature of the connection between summoned entity and summoned varies on a case by case
basis.

Sure Shot
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Sure shot negates all difficulty modifiers due to cover, range, movement, or light conditions. It
does not allow a character to shoot at a target he cannot see.

Sword Dance {aka Scimitar Dance}

Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion Only
This spell gives the caster either the Attack Two Foes and Parry Two Foes or Attack All Foes and
Parry All Foes combat exploits for free – the player does not have to roll a special or critical and if
he or she does, the character does not need to take the exploit to use it.

Thief’s Cloak
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: 1 round
Special: Master Thief, Spook or champion only
Renders the caster invisible, so that he cannot be seen by physical means, and attempts to see him
magically must overcome the roll for Thief's Cloak on magic vs. magic combat. Spot Hidden
specials higher than the roll to cast Thief’s Cloak, and all successes, see evidence of something
when looking at a user of Thief's Cloak. This spell is stackable, to cover consecutive rounds, up to
a limit of three, So three points of this spell may be cast at once, leading to 3 rounds of invisibility
beginning the round after casting has ending.
Thief's Cloak ends when the caster attacks or casts another spell.

Thief’s Mask
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
This spell blurs the caster's features, so they are unrecognizable unless the witness is using
magical vision, such as Mystic Vision or Mage Sight. Even with Mystic Vision or Mage Sight, the
observer must overcome the roll to cast Thief’s Mask + 10, in order to identify the caster.
Note that this spell is visible as a kind of dark grey, and does not actually hide the caster. So
someone can look at someone whose identity is hidden by this spell; decide that it looks like
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 92
somebody is up to something bad, and cut him in half with a sword, without bothering to identify
him.

Translate Text, II, III

Cost: 2 Points for II, 3 Points for III
Duration: 2 days
Range: Touch
This spell will allow the caster to translate one check’s worth of a scroll written in a language he
does not know, but the granting deity does. The two point version will only translate normal
scrolls {i.e. non-technical scrolls that do not require the reader to have skill in something other
than reading to understand}. The three point version will translate anything the deity can
understand {that is, anything requiring competence in a cult skill}. Note that a character may use
this spell to translate a scroll that he or she cannot understand once it has been translated.

Trickster’s Luck
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: 1 round
Special: Cast at beginning of round, costs no actions to cast
Allows the player of the character casting the spell to roll twice, taking the better result, for any
die roll he is required to make during the round in which it is cast

Trickster’s Mask
Cost: 1 point
Duration: Episode
This spell replaces the features of the caster with the features of the granting deity, for the
duration of the episode. This replacement is for all purposes, so not only sight but also voice and
even sex are disguised. It applies to observation assisted by magical spells, such as Soul Sight,
MageSight or even Visions from the Past. It is not perfect, and the Mask can be penetrated if the
character doing the looking overcomes a 20 with his spot skill on the first attempt. When this
spell is cast, it appears as a separate holder of the object to the sorcery Object Reading spell.

True Sight
Cost: 3 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell adds a +2 to effective die roll, never increasing above skill and making rolls raised to
skill exactly, critical successes. It also adds +10 to Spot skill rolls for the purpose of overcoming
opposition. A Spot of 14 becomes a spot skill of 24 with this episode. Finally, True Sight allows
the beneficiary to see through Illusion spells, if the caster’s cult lore skill is higher than the skill
used to cast the illusion.

Truthsaying
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: Episode
Special: Champion, Devotee or Guru only
+2 to effective die rolled, never increasing above maximum skill and creating a chance to critical if
increased to maximum skill rolled; and +10 to overcome opposition, on all Insight skill rolls used
to determine if someone is speaking the truth or lying. Has no effect on Insight used to determine
people's feelings, motivation, etc?

Verification of the Words of the Prisoner

Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Special
Special: Devotee or Champion only
This spell is in effect a specialized version of Divination, which allows the caster and all initiates
or higher of the caster's god, when conducting an interrogation on Sanctified Ground, to know
whether or not the deity agrees that what the person or entity being interrogated is the truth. This
knowledge takes the form of a feeling of certainty if the god agrees, extreme doubt if the god
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 93
disagrees, and no feeling at all if the god doesn't know, doesn't care, or is totally clueless. This
spell may give differing results, varying with the deity being consulted. Also, this spell gives no
clue about the _intentions_ of the speaker, merely whether or not the deity being consulted
agrees with the words.

Voice of Heaven
Cost: 2 Points
Duration: One Song
Special: Granted only to professional singers with a Sing skill of 20
This spell is usually used by professional singers on the last song of the evening. In game terms, it
allows a character to raise one Sing skill roll one level of success, after all other modification, by
one level. Thus a normal become a special or a special becomes a critical, etc

Wall's Ear
Cost: 2 points
Duration: 1 week
Cast on a small object, or small piece of a much larger object (hence the name), this spell turns the
object into a third ear for the caster. The spell is hard to spot; anyone trying must beat the caster's
Hide skill to see it, as well as requiring the ability to sense magic by some means
The caster can listen through this ear as if it was one of his normal two, if he concentrate, and is
aware of noise being made within easy earshot. Of course, this assumes that the caster is within
divine spell range of the ear at the time the noise is made.
A character may only have one Wall's Ear up at a time ... listening to a lot of different locations
would be extremely confusing.

Whispering Wind
Cost: 1 Point
Duration: Episode
Allows the caster to listen to a conversation within range of the spell as if he were physically
present {one or two paces from the speaker}; also allows him to talk with a friend as if he were
physically one or two paces away from that friend.

Divine Intuition and Divine Intervention

Divine Intuition: Champions and rishis learn this skill. It starts at 4 and may be increased
using the normal skill increase rules. This skill can be used no more than once per episode, takes
no actions and represents using the champion’s or rishi’s link to the deity to have the deity tell
him {or another character} what he should do. In many situations, the deity has no will of its
own; in this case the character feels no intuition, and the player must make up his own mind. If
the deity declines to provide guidance, the divine intuition skill is not considered to be used.
Another character may ask the champion or rishi to use his or her divine intuition to tell the other
character what to do. Of course, asking your deity what you should do and then ignoring the
deity’s answer annoys the deity. Other initiates who use the champion’s or rishi’s ability to
provide guidance, and then don’t take the advice risk becoming bad initiates when viewed with
Soul Sight. A champion or rishi who asks the deity for guidance, and then ignores that guidance,
may cease to be a champion or rishi at the GM’s option.
Divine Intervention: A champion or rishi starts a relationship with his or her deity, as
described in Politics chapter under Influence Points. This relationship is increased by the rules
used for influence points – a champion or rishi may use one check per session to try to increase it.
This roll to increase is -5, because it is harder to increase your influence with a deity than with a
normal human being or institution.
To use this influence to call for divine intervention, the player makes his character’s Divine
Intuition skill to determine the cost of what he or she wants. If it is not given in the table below; it
the intuition roll succeeds he finds out what the cost of his desired intervention will be. The cost
may range from 1 point, if the character is asking for a small amount of help in a situation where
the deity wants to help, to 6 or 7 points; if the champion is in a real mess and there is nothing in it
for the god except helping the character. Cost is basically determined by how much help is given,
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 94
and what other benefits if any the god gets by giving it. The champion or rishi knows the cost,
and can elect to pay it, or not. If the champion is unwilling to pay the price does not get any help.
A list of fairly common divine intervention requests, whose costs may be assumed to be known to
all champions and rishis, follows:
Prepare – Cast all prep spells at once, costs 1 influence point for every five spells cast at once
Defend – Stop special attack of enemy monster from hurting character – 1 point per round
Recharge – Regain 20 points of divine spells instantly – one point, may stacked at 2 for 40, etc
Upgrade – raise cult skill result one success level – 1 point if skill does not harm others, 5 points if it does

Divine Intervention can never ask for anything the god would deem unethical; it can never give
help beyond the power of the god to give. The champion or rishi may suggest what type of aid he
or she wants. The god is not bound by this suggestion.
The cost of divine Intervention must be paid in Divine Favor. If insufficient divine favor is
available for the intervention requested, the deity will not intervene.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 95

Chapter VI - Sorcery
Sorcery is what most of us think of as magic, the magic worked by wizards. It is magic which has
been tamed, and made subject to the will of the caster. Unlike either shamanism or divine magic,
it uses a spell point system, in which units of magic, called “magic points”, are spent on various
effects such as intensity, range, duration, etc. If the caster is very good, sorcery can be awesome.
But since each spell is a skill of its own, sorcery is very difficult to master.

Magic Points
A character starts with his or her POW in magic points. He or she can increase her magical Power
by using checks to increase magical power, and making magic point storage items. A character
regains spent magic points at a rate of one fourth of his or her Power per day. For convenience
this always happens at midnight.

Learning Spells
Sorcery spells are learned using sorcery lore. To learn a sorcery spell a character must spend one
game week, and has a book or source of training available. The player must then make a sorcery
lore roll, with skill adjusted for the difficulty of the spell of the spell. To research a sorcery spell
from scratch, a character must also spend a week, and critical his sorcery lore roll, after apply any
modifiers for the difficulty of the spell. Sorcery lore is necessary to research a spell because
sorcery lore involves deep knowledge of the structure of sorcery, while school lore does not.
When learned, sorcery spells start out at an effective skill of four. They may be increased as
magical skills, following the normal skill increase roll.
Some sorcery spells can only be learned by students of particular schools, or advanced sorcerers.
These will be indicated by a line right below the effects of manipulations line. These spells require
either a specialized or an advanced understanding of sorcery to comprehend. Rare spells can only
be learned with the specific consent of the GM, and the GM should consider carefully both the
likelihood that the rare spell could be learned in the game context and the possible impact on the
campaign of letting characters learn them.

Manipulating Spells
Each point of spell (except Ease) costs 1 MP to cast, and the total spell can be no greater than the
skill of the caster in that spell. The ability to use manipulations is considered factored into spell
skill. Thus, a character that has just learned a spell can do up to four points of manipulation. The
default manipulations are given below, but may vary if noted specifically in the spell description.
Intensity
Varies with spell, default is one point per point of effect. However, there are two other
common systems, called Cumulative Cost and Exponential Cost.
I Cumulative Cost Exponential Cost
Effect Cost (intensity) Effect Cost (intensity)
1 1 1 2
2 3 2 4
3 6 3 8
4 10 4 16
5 15 5 32

Duration and Range

The standard costs for duration and range are given here:
Duration Range
Cost Length Cost Distance
Free Episode Free Self or touch
1 Until next sunrise Free 20 Paces
3 Entire Day Free Short Bow Range
6 Seven Days 3 Long Bow Range
10 One Month 6 Vision Range
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 96
15 One Season 10 One Days March
21 One Year 15 Seven Days March
28 Seven Years 21 One Month’s March
(600 miles)
36 Forty Nine Years 28 One Season’s March

Ease
Subtracts 1 MP per point of Ease used, up to a maximum of half the magic point cost of the spell.
Magic point cost reduction due to Ease always comes last, after modifiers for wands and other
enchantments.
Subtlety:
Each point of subtlety hides two points of other manipulations. This can be beaten by a character
using both a form of magical perception and the Spot Hidden skill, if the character’s Spot skill roll
is higher than the die roll to cast the spell.
Area
Some spells require an area effect, normally 5 square meters per point.
Multispell:
If multiple targets are available, visible at the same time and within range of the spell, they may
be attacked by paying the intensity cost to attack each target separately. Range, Duration, etc to
attack the second, third, etc targets are free.

Casting Spells
Sorcery spells are cast by rolling skill or less on D20. If intended to affect a resisting target, the
spell is treated as opposed in spell vs. spell combat by the resistance of the defender. By default,
defenders resist with POW, but this may be affected by spells and status. Thus, a sorcerer casting
Engulfing Darkness against a POW 17 enemy is in a very similar position to a warrior swinging a
sword against an enemy with a 17 parry. Where appropriate, the character may use Ceremony to
enhance their skill in casting a spell. Each uninterrupted hour spent in Ceremony adds +1 to skill.
The character may spend no more time in hours than their skill at Ceremony. If the character
spends more than 8 hours in Ceremony, they must make a CON roll every hour thereafter. That
is, if attempting +9 or better, a CON roll will be required at hour 9, 10, 11… A failed roll negates
the Ceremony.
Example: Talwin knows a sorcerer, named Mani. He suggests that the group have a meeting with
Mani’s town rep, and see if Mani needs a band of adventurers to go looking for something. The
answer comes back that Mani needs adventurers to look for Ichiyasu plants, an ingredient of
sorcery magic point restoring potions.
The group haggles some for payment, getting 1500 silver pieces plus expenses, and one point of
enchantment from Mani. So they decide to go look for Ichiyasu plants.
To help them in the field, Mani casts Awareness on people. Zenobia will have to look for the
plants, and Talwin and Priscus are to be lookouts. The first component of the spell is intensity, 4
points of additional Spot capability cost 20 points. One month of duration will also cost 10
points. Mani is only 20 at the spell, and he is willing to put 40 magic points into Awareness for
the group. Three castings of one month duration +4 Awareness would be 60 points. So he
reduces the effect to +3, which is 6 points, and uses the four points to ease the spell, reducing its
cost. Each casting now costs 12 points, so he can afford to cast the spell on three people. The GM,
laying Mai, rolls 5, 15 and 12, so all castings succeed.

Enchanted Items
Enchantments are made with the sorcery enchant skill, and are by far the most common type of
magic items. The basic rules for producing these are given below.
The item to be enchanted must be of masterpiece craftsmanship. One POW is required to prepare
the item for initial enchantment.
Costs of Effects Tale
Cost Effect
1 point +2 to POW for MP regeneration only
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 97
1 point +1 to POW for resistance only
1 point +1 to Specific Spell casting skill when casting that spell
2 points +1 to school lore used when casting all spells for that school
1 point 3 points of permanent enchantment of a spell onto an item

Apply Bonuses for Form of Item:

Wand - may be improved, can add to already existing enchantment for spell casting skill
increase only. Magic Metal - Half cost for Dam Boost (Weapon) or Dam Resist (armor);
Roll Results, one enchantment skill roll per point of POW used
Enchantment Skill Results Table
Skill Roll Effect
Fumble item destroyed
Miss no effect, no loss of POW, may try again
Success normal effect (as on cost section above)
Special effect +1 (or extra 3 points of spell)
Critical effect +2 (or extra 6 points of spell)
Limitations
A character can never make a permanent spell greater than the largest intensity spell he can cast
without ceremony or aid from magical items.
The player computes the cost of the item, adds the form bonus if applicable, sacrifices one POW
point per point of needed effect, and rolls Enchantment skill once per POW point used. If he
exceeds the limitations of the maximum size item he can create, because he rolled well on
Enchantment Skill Results, he must stop rolling and keep the POW.
Example: A character wants a +3 to POW for resistance purposes ring. Each +1 to POW for
resistance purposes costs 1 POW point. So the total cost of his item is 4 points. His enchantment
skill is 24. He rolls a 12, prepping the item; a special 3 making it +2 for Resistance, a 15, making
it +3. If all he wants is a +3, he can stop here, having gotten his +3 ring at a slight discount. Or
having put in 4 points of power, he can roll again. He tries again, and with a 20 followed by a
14, is a critical. He gets a +2 to effect, adding 3 to the total resistance of his ring. This gives a
total of, 6 points of resistance for 4 POW.

Example: A character with a 17 Damage Resistance skill wants to make a suit of armor tougher
by providing permanent Damage Resistance. He finds that 4 point Damage Resistance costs 16
Points to cast. He has, again, an enchant skill of 24. He looks up Damage Resistance, and finds
his 4 point Damage Resistance will cost 16, round up to 18/3 or 6 POW points, plus one to prep
the item. Ouch. He waits till he has some armor made of magic iron. That’s half POW point
cost to Enchant. So we’re now looking at one to prep, and 3 to make the item. This looks more
reasonable. So he starts, 12; prep succeeds; special 3, armor now has 12 intensity points of Dam
Resistance permanently enchanted. He rolls a 1? This could be bad, but then 14, so no effect. He
then rolls a 17, making it, leaving him with the equivalent of 18 intensity points in enchantment.
Now, he has to stop. He cannot go over his maximum normal spell casting limit. So he gets
some pretty tough iron armor, for only 3 POW points. If the iron began as medium, before
enchantment, it is now Damage Resist 4 and is effectively +6.

Maintained Sorcery Spells

Most campaigns allow for some “semi-permanent” spells to be maintained during “off time”. In
general, the rules are:
1. All such spells must be cast with at least a month duration
2. The total MP available is X * daily regenerated POW. X will vary campaign by campaign,
but is typically 7, reflecting a week of “off time” per month.
3. All such spells may be eased.
4. Ceremony may be used. However, no more than 8 points of Ceremony total can be used
on these spells (i.e., the character took 1 day off per month to do the ceremony)
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 98
Sorcery Schools
Most sorcerers belong to a school. Being a member of a school has two advantages. Each school
has a school lore, which can be used to cast any of a number of different spells, as if it were
knowledge of the specific spell(s). Another advantage is that schools have secrets – where a spell
is a secret known only to a specific school or schools. If so, this will be noted in the spell
description. None of the spells described in these basic rules are school secrets.

Summoning for Sorcerers

Some sorcerers know the Summoning skill. This means that they can summon the common types
of elementals, Gnome, Salamander, Sylph and Undine; and any demons they know the true name
of. A sorcerer may have no more than his or her POW/5 elemental servitors at any one time. To
summon an elemental servitor, use the summoning skill, treat it as a sorcery spell with intensity
and duration, and use the rules provided under the elemental description. To summon a demon,
a sorcerer must first obtain the true name of the demon; what must be done after that is up to the
game master, though guidelines have been provided in the demon description.

Sorcery Spells
The basic rule is that a sorcery spell must be something a game master will allow a character to
cast. A fairly complete list of sorcery spells has been provided, and a wise game master will not
allow any spells clearly superior to the existing standard spells. In general, sorcery spells are
strong on manipulation of the elements, and physical damage and much weaker in the mental and
emotional area. Sorcery spell descriptions follow a simple format. The first line is the name of
the spell. The second line describes any modifications to the normal rules for manipulations.
Below that I the description of what the sorcery spell does, the following core sorcery spells are
included as part of the basic game: Absence of the Spirit, Age at a Snail’s Pace, Aid, Alarm,
Animate <Substance>, Aura of Power, Awareness, Blast of Air, Blur Cloud, Calling, Calling on
the Fire, Castle Defense, Clingfire, Conceal, Control Phantasm (a.k.a. Realize Phantasm),
Countermagic, Create Phantasm, Cushion Impact, Damage Boosting, Damage Resistance, Dull
Blade, Engulfing Darkness, Enhance Charm, Enhance Constitution, Expose the Lie, Fire Rain,
Follow Fashion, Freeze Blast, Hearing Projection, Hide the Message, Illusory Paperwork, Image
Intensification, Image Resolution, Incredible Lightness of Being (a.k.a. Magic Carpet),
Insignificance, Intensify Healing, Invisibility, Lightning Fingers Magic Missile, Mystic Block,
Mystic Light, Mystic Lock, Mystic Vision, Neutralize Magic, Object Reading, Object Tracing,
Portal, Presence, Purple Rope of Binding, Reveal, Seal, Seize the Essence of the Text, Shadow
Walk, Sphere of Protection, Vision Projection, Voice Projection, Vision From the Past.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 99
Absence of the Spirit
Effects of manipulations are normal
Absence of the Spirit detaches the construct shamans think of as the sorcerer’s spirit from the
spirit world, making it harder to engage in spirit combat. When trying to engage a character
protected by Absence of the Spirit in spirit combat, the attacker must roll D6 difficulty and defeat
the difficulty conferred by Absence. For 5 points of Absence of the Spirit, a roll of 3 or less on D6
means that the attacker cannot grasp the protected spirit to attack it. For 10 points of Absence,
the protected character is protected on a roll of 4 or less. For 15 points of absence, the protected
character is protected on a 5 or less. There is no level of Absence of the Spirit which will provide
total immunity to spirit attack.

Age at a Snail’s Pace

Effects of manipulations are normal, except Duration
This spell slows aging, reducing the effective aging for the duration of the spell to the next lower
time on the duration chart. Thus, 15 points of duration reduce a season's aging to a month, etc.

Aid
Effects of manipulations are normal
This spell gives magic points to another caster, which he can use to cast spells, either immediately
or for the duration of the spell. Each intensity point of aid allows transfer of up to three more
magic points to the character being helped. Under no circumstances does Aid allow the character
being helped to end up with more than twice his Power in magic points. Aid cannot be used to
help the caster, nor can Aid spells of long duration be used to transfer more than a total of three
magic points per point of intensity.

Alarm
Effects of manipulations are standard, except Duration which is indefinite and free.
This spell complements Castle Defense, and in many ways resembles it.
Special: this spell must be cast on a building or ship, and does not move {if cast on a ship or
movable building, it moves with the ship or building}.
This spell protects a volume which must be clearly defined at the time of casting. It is triggered
whenever any creature of human size or larger, not authorized to enter the area, tries to enter the
protected volume. The result is to set off a medium intensity sound illusion, saying something
like “unauthorized entry attempt detected” in a loud male human voice. This basic functionality
costs 5 intensity points. To increase the functionality to detect spells {including Vision Projection,
Voice Projection, Mystify, etc} costs an additional 5 points of intensity. Spells which are totally
hidden by the subtlety manipulation are not detected. To lower the size threshold to include
small or very small creatures costs 5 points for small or 10 points for very small. To make the
voice a whisper in the caster’s {or any other person’s ear, designated by him} costs 5 intensity
points. Each additional person for whom “whisper notification” is required is 5 additional points
of intensity. To make the alarm very loud, like a blast on a war horn, costs 5 additional points of
intensity.
The alarm is triggered by anyone who is not authorized by being inside at the time of the casting
of the initial spell, or anyone else who accompanies them inside, or anyone who they specifically
invite into the protected area. People who were inside at the time of the casting of the original
spell
The volume protected is a small room for 5 points, a large room for 10 points, and a single tower
for 20 points. Larger buildings, such as castles, are usually protected by multiple castings of this
spell. A small ship counts as a large room, a medium sized or large ship is an equivalent to a
tower.
Alarm has no effect against attackers who are already inside the protected area, or if any doors or
windows have been left open, giving outsiders freedom to enter. A ship with a gangplank lowered
also loses its Alarm.
The Duration of Alarm is indefinite. For purposes of resisting Dispel or Neutralize Magic, Alarm
is rolled normally, except that 20 is added to its roll. Against spells such as Dismiss Magic, which
assign a fixed value based on size of spell to defense, add twenty to the intensity of the spell prior
to determining whether it is spelled, and then roll. If Dispelled, Alarm automatically comes back
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 100
at the end of the episode, as if it were an enchantment. If the protected area is breached, as by a
battering ram, or otherwise ceases to be a unified defensible entity, Alarm is automatically
dispelled.
If a character makes a Lightfingers skill roll higher than the roll to cast Alarm, or a character
defeats Alarm with the intensity component of an Insignificance spell cast upon him {as if the
intensity of Insignificance were a skill} , the Alarm does not go off. The Alarm does not go off if
an attempt to dispel it is made, and gives no warning that it is not functional if dispelled for one
episode.

Animate <Substance>
Duration is normal; other manipulations have effects described below
This spell animates a substance. There are several types of substance, with varying capabilities.
Animate <Substance> cannot be cast on a living being or spirit.
Bronze: One point of intensity will animate a metal object the size of a one handed sword, Two
points animates an object the size of a two handed sword. Five points will animate an object the
size of a dwarf; ten points will animate an object the size of a normal human, fifteen points will
animate an object the size of a troll; twenty points will animate an object the size of a horse or
great troll.. The animated object may attack and parry in combat, but only if the caster
concentrates on running the animation, costing one action. If this is done, the object will attack
and parry with skill equal to that of the spell caster. This spell can be combined with vision,
hearing, or voice projection. When used to animate metal, such as bronze, ten points gives a +1
impact bonus, fifteen points gives a +2 impact bonus, and twenty points gives a +3 impact bonus.
Animations use a different system in combat; they have hit points. An object the size of a one
handed sword has five hit points, an object the size of a two handed sword has ten hit points, an
object the size of a human has fifty hit points, an object the size of a troll has one hundred hit
points, and an object the size of a horse has two hundred and fifty hit points. Instead of forcing a
roll on the incapacitation table, each point of damage that “gets through” does a hit point of
damage. Animated bronze object are treated as if in heavy bronze armor; it costs five intensity
points to animate bronze so that it moves at half human speed, ten intensity points to allow it to
move at full human speed
Fire can be animated; this does fire damage; D12, if it “hits” the target. A given object made of fire
has one tenth the number of hit points of a similar sized object made of bronze.

Aura of Power
Effects of Manipulations are normal
Increases effective POW for purposes of resisting spells and spirit combat, see Cumulative Cost
chart for costs.

Awareness
Effects of Manipulations are normal
This spell Increases effective perception skills as if it were the Divine Magic Bless spell. See
Cumulative Cost Chart for costs.

Blast of Air
Effects of Manipulations are standard
All characters within the area affected by Blast of Air must make DEX rolls vs. the intensity of
Blast of Air. If they fail the DEX roll entirely, they fall down, and their players must make a roll
against incapacitation as if 3 points had gotten through armor. If they make DEX but do not
defeat the Blast of Air, and the intensity of Blast of Air was 8 or less, they are knocked off balance
and cannot move for one round. If the intensity of Blast of Air was 9 or greater, they are knocked
off balance for two rounds, and have to roll against incapacitation, but are only incapacitated if
their player(s) roll a 1. If a character in the affected area makes his DEX roll and also defeats the
Blast of Air, the character can move normally.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 101
Blur
Effects of manipulations are standard
Requires 10 intensity points on when D20 are rolled to cast spells, 15 intensity points where D30
are rolled, 20 intensity points where D40 are rolled, etc. When opponents of the target attack
with weapons, and their first attack roll is not a critical success, they must roll again, and take the
worst result.

Burning Cloud
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell creates a smoky, fiery cloud immediately in front of the caster. For each MP expended
on area effect, 1 "hex" (corresponding to one normal-sized human) is covered. The cloud has an
initial direction of movement, assigned by the caster. The cloud slowly moves, at half-normal
human speed, up to the range allocated at casting. Changing the direction of movement requires
an action by the caster. Anyone hit by the cloud takes damage, which ignores armor. The first 3
damage require 1 MP each, each damage point from 4-8 requires 2 MP each, 9-15 requires 3MP
each, etc... (e.g., to do 7 damage takes 9MP)
In addition, during the Magic Phase of any round a character is engulfed they are attacked by a
roll vs. twice the spell's damage. If this overcomes the target's CON roll they may take no action
next round other than stand still or run in a random direction. This effect is countered by
Breathing spells.
E.g. That 7 damage cloud engulfs Foobar the Barbarian for two rounds before moving on. The 1st
round (in the Magic Phase) it rolls an attack of 16, a miss, and Foobar can do whatever he wants
2nd round. After the 2nd round it rolls a 13, and Foobar fails to resist with a CON roll of only 7.
On the 3rd round Foobar may be SOL, even though the cloud may have passed on.
This spell does not work in high winds, and is strongly affected by Sylphs, Blast of Air or similar.

Calling on the Earth

Effects of manipulations are standard
Each point of intensity adds 1 to the caster’s effective POW, for the purpose of regaining magic
points only, for the spell's duration. Unless the caster specials the casting roll, it can never more
than double a character's effective POW for this purpose, nor does it have any other effect. This
spell is incompatible with Calling on the Fire.

Calling on the Fire

Effects of manipulations are standard, except Duration. This spell cannot be extended past
episode duration.
Each point of intensity regains one magic point, for all sorcerers within javelin reach of thee fire
on which it is cast. For obvious reasons, this spell is usually cast with an Ease Component. The
fire must be kept under control and going for at least two hours if the spell is to work. This spell
can never more than triple a character’s ability to regain magic points in a day. If the casting
attempt fails, Calling on the Fire will never work on that fire.

Castle Defense
Effects of manipulations are standard, except Duration which is indefinite and free.
This spell must be cast on a building or ship, and does not move {if cast on a ship or movable
building, it moves with the ship or building}.
Each intensity point of the spell subtracts one from the roll to overcome of any spell targeting or
affecting anyone or anything in the area protected, if and only if the caster is outside the protected
area. If the result is negative, the spell has no effect. Thus a Divine Mystify spell cast with a roll
of 18 is 8 to overcome enemies within a 10 intensity point Castle Defense, and a Divine Mystify
spell cast with a roll of 8 in the same circumstances will have no effect. This spell also acts blocks
attempts to cast Hearing Projection, Vision Projection or Voice Projection into the area protected,
resisting this casting with the skill of the caster of the Castle Defense spell. The spell also locks all
doors, allowing them to be opened only by people who were inside the protected area at the time
of the casting. Others must use Lightfingers skill, defeating twice the intensity of the spell, to
enter. They can of course batter the door open, and the spell adds no physical strength to the
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 102
door. There is an upper limit of 10 points intensity for a normal casting of this spell, and 15
points for a special casting of this spell. This spell resists attempts to find out what is going on
inside by divination, etc, as if they were attack spells cast at the people inside whose activities
would be revealed.
The area protected is a small room for 5 points, a large room for 10 points, and a single tower for
20 points. Larger buildings, such as castles, are usually protected by multiple castings of this
spell. A small ship counts as a large room, a medium sized or large ship is equivalent to a tower.
Castle Defense has no effect against attackers who are already inside the protected area, or if any
doors or windows have been left open, giving outsiders freedom to enter. A ship with a gangplank
lowered also loses its Castle Defense.
The Duration of Castle Defense is indefinite. For purposes of resisting Dispel or Neutralize
Magic, Castle Defense is rolled normally, except that 20 is added to its roll. Against spells such as
Dismiss Magic, which assign a fixed value based on size of spell to defense, add twenty to the
intensity of the spell prior to determining whether it is spelled, and then roll. If Dispelled, Castle
Defense automatically comes back at the end of the episode, as if it were an enchantment. If the
protected area is breached, as by a battering ram, or otherwise ceases to be a unified defensible
entity, Alarm is automatically dispelled.

Clingfire
The effects of Manipulations are standard; except duration which is 1 round per point. '
The effect of Clingfire is to attack the target with fire, 1 point of intensity provides a 1D6 lethality
weapon, 2 points of intensity provides a 1D8 lethality weapon, 4 points of intensity provides a
1D10, and 6 points of intensity provides a 1D12 lethality, for the a duration in rounds equal to the
duration manipulation of the spell. This damage is burn damage, and will not be affected by
healing spells or herbs specifically listed as targeting wound damage. The caster of Clingfire must
overcome his target in a spell vs. spell roll. If he fails to overcome his target, Clingfire has no
effect. Normal armor protects the target from the first round of Clingfire damage, but does not
affect damage in subsequent rounds. Magical protection protects the target on both the first and
subsequent rounds.

Conceal
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell, invisible to Mystic Vision, blocks the Reveal sorcery spell, opposing the strength of the
Reveal with its own intensity as if the two were skill rolls. Unlike reveal, the sorcerer need not
have the object or rune of the thing concealed on his person; conceal may be cast by drawing the
rune of the thing concealed on the ground or even in the air at the time of casting.

Control Phantasm (a.k.a. Realize Phantasm)

Effects of manipulations are standard
Each point of intensity adds one point of INT, POW, or STR to a Phantasm. No stat can be higher
than SIZ/2 of the original Phantasm Spell. (i.e., a SIZ 10 illusion has a maximum STR of 5) If INT
is added, this spell allows an animated object to function autonomously. The animation will
follow the orders of the caster or whomever the caster specifies for the duration of the spell. Any
skills of the phantasm are limited to INT, and any die roll to inflict damage is limited to STR.
(Design note – this spell is not intended to create true fighting phantasms, just ones that can walk
around carrying messages or torches) Each 5 points of intensity can give the phantasm 1 point of
Heroic Charisma.

Countermagic
Effects of manipulations are standard
This confers resistance to magic. Intensity is converted into effect using the Exponential Cost
table above. When an attack spell {one that requires a roll against the POW of the defender}
comes in, the player of the protected character must roll a six sided die. If the roll is less than the
effect of the spell, the attacking spell has no effect.

This spell has no effect in spirit combat. This spell has no effect if the player of the attacker rolled
a critical or cinematic success.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 103
Create Phantasm
Duration Normal, with an exception
This spell creates, and animates, an illusion. 2 points of intensity will create an illusion up to 10
SIZ. Each additional two points of intensity doubles the available SIZ. To allow the illusion to
move, add one intensity point per speed class. Sounds can be generated, with volume appropriate
to that size of object. The quality of the image is based on the casting roll. Duration is normal
except that an illusion can be made “permanent” for 6 magic points,
Example - creating a reasonable SIZ 40 Griffin would cost 6 MP for the SIZ, and 3 MP to give it
3x human speed. The animated Phantasm will only move as directed and requires concentration
(i.e., 1 action per round). (See also Control Phantasm) Duration is normal, except, an immobile
illusion can be made "permanent" for 6 intensity points Thee illusion will not cause direct
damage. That illusory Griffin approaching a knight on a horse will not cause any claw damage,
but the horse getting spooked and throwing the rider might.

Cushion Impact
Effects of manipulations are standard
Each 10 points of intensity provides one level of C.I. Each level of Cushion Impact negates one
incapacitation effect on the target. When triggered, the level then ablates. The spell ends when
all levels have ablated, or the duration expires.

Damage Boosting
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell increases damage that will be done by a weapon. See Exponential Cost Chart.

Damage Resistance
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell is usually cast on clothes or armor, and protects the wearer by providing additional
armor protection. See Exponential Cost Chart.

Dull Blade
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell reduces the done by a melee weapon, using the Exponential Cost chart. It is in effect
the inverse of Damage Boost, and is used to reduce the effectiveness of weapons to be used in a
duel {the referees count blows which would have damage the duelist’s opponent as hits, but no
actual damage is done}, and to reduce the effectiveness of enemy weapons against friends of the
caster.

Engulfing Darkness
Effects of Manipulations are standard, except that duration which is 1 round per point.
This spell creates a black cloud in front of the caster, upon any target capable of resisting the spell,
out to the maximum range of the spell. For each MP expended on area effect, 1 "hex"
(corresponding to one normal-sized human) is covered. If the caster overcomes the resistance of
the target, the cloud is bound to the target, and moves with the target. If the cloud does not bind
to the target, it may be moved by the caster at up to normal human speed, in any direction.
Moving the cloud requires an action on the part of the caster, and happens during the movement
phase.
The cloud blinds anyone within, and cannot be seen through. On the first round inside the cloud,
enemies of the caster (which can include friends who are unaware of who cast the spell), must
leave the cloud by proceeding away from the caster, and out of the cloud, as quickly as possible.
Of course, if they are the target, they will take the cloud with them. Someone who cannot get out
one round will panic. If they an INT roll, with the intensity of the Engulfing Darkness spell as a
resistance, they collapse into numb shock and don’t do anything for the rest of the episode.
Creatures with Dark vision are immune to the fear shock attack, and may see through the spell.

Enhance Charm
Effects of manipulations are standard
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 104
This spell increases the value of the Charm Characteristic, using the Exponential Cost chart. A 20
is always a failure on a Charm roll, even if after Enhance Charm is cast the character’s
constitution is 20 or above. This is actually the basic sorcery glamour spell.

Enhance Constitution
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell increases the value of the Constitution Characteristic, using the Exponential Cost chart.
A 20 is always a failure on a Constitution roll, even if after Enhance Con is cast the character’s
constitution is 20 or above. This is actually the basic sorcery healing spell, since it improves a
character’s chance to improve his medical condition and decreases the chance that the medical
condition will decrease.

Expose the Lie

Effects of manipulations are standard
Each point of intensity allows a particular statement, of up to one sentence in length, to be
analyzed as true or false. This spell must overcome the resistance of the speaker, since it relies on
physical consequences of nervousness due to lying to succeed. Expose the lie will be ineffective if
the speaker has been tortured, is possessed, or is otherwise in a state where desire to please or
compulsion is far more important to him than the truth or falsity of what he is saying. Expose the
Lie exposes lies, it does not reveal truth. Thus, if the speaker is misinformed, Expose the Lie will
not reveal his error.

Fire Rain
Duration is One Round; Other Effects of Manipulations are Standard
This spell causes a rain of droplets of red fire, in game effect being the same as attacking the
characters below it with a D12 Fire spear. Each character affected costs 1 Magic Point, plus a base
cost of 4, thus attacking six characters with this spell would cost ten points, but ten characters
would only cost 14. Only characters that would be exposed to normal rain are affected. Characters
inside structures, tunnels, etc are protected. All targets must be within the range of the spell.

Follow Fashion
Effects of Manipulations are Standard
This spell allows the caster to change one or more of the following features: hair color, eye color,
shape of nose, breast size (if female), and size of ears. See Cumulative Cost Chart. The change
may be to any naturally occurring size or color; at double intensity costs colors may be changed to
colors that do not occur naturally.
While most players will probably think of this as a disguise spell, it is more often used in the big
cities as a beauty spell - if blonde hair and blue eyes are in this season, a society lady would go to
the local sorceress and ask for a casting of this.

When used as a disguise, Follow Fashion makes the character disguised seem different, and if two
or more features are changed completely different. But if the disguised character is present for an
episode, other people who know him or her will penetrate the connection by the end of an
episode. People who need to figure out who the disguised character is instantly, need to make a
Spot if one feature is changed, Spot -5 if two features are changed, Spot -10 if three features are
changed, etc. This effect wears down over time, so if the spotter has time to be with the disguised
character, the difficulty decreases by 5 after every ten minutes or so.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 105
Freeze Blast
Effects of manipulations are standard except for duration which is always instant
For the basic cost of 5, a narrow blast (1 hex wide) of freezing air comes out of the caster's palm,
extending up to the range allocated. The first target hit takes a D10+2, the next a D10, next a D10,
and thereafter any target hit takes a D8. Only non-metal and magical armor protects against this
damage. Targets who resist the spell take no damage. Each addition 5 points of intensity add one
to the damage done. Thus, ten points of intensity would do 1D10+3 to the first target hit, etc.
If used underwater, the range on this spell is reduced by 1 level, i.e. 3 MP only gets you Short Bow
range, not longbow. This spell also extinguishes normal fires, if the damage roll exceeds their
size. A candle is size 0, a typical torch would be size 2, a typical campfire size 5.

Hearing Projection
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell is exactly like vision projection, except that the caster's ear rather than eye is projected.
Note that this means that spells cannot be targeted indirectly through hearing projection, though
they may be targeted against an eavesdropper using hearing projection.

Hide the Message

Effects of Manipulations are Standard, except that 1 point of Duration buys an indefinite duration
This spell hides the writing on a scroll, until dispelled. The effect is to create an apparently blank
scroll or parchment, which may itself be written on. Writing over the hidden message will be
erased when this spell is dispelled. Each point of Area manipulation hides approximately one
modern normal page worth of message.

Illusory Paperwork
Duration: "permanent", special, Subtlety effects special
The basic effect, which requires 1 intensity point, creates paperwork, similar to that which could
be created with a normal Administration roll at the level rolled for casting the spell. The spell
resists magical detection and analysis, generic Dispel Magic sweeps, and other attempts to detect
it as false, with 2*Subtlety used + the roll to cast the spell. If the spell is ever detected it (and the
"paperwork"!) disappears.
For 2 additional intensity points the caster has the option to add in their own Administration roll,
if successful the paperwork is at a level equal to the sum of the two skill rolls. In this way
"Special" successes can be obtained. However, if either roll is a failure the paperwork is a failure,
if either is a fumble the result is a fumble.

Image Intensification
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell offsets minuses to perception skills resulting from poor light. It will not allow vision in
complete darkness, but does improve vision if there is any light at all. Each intensity point of
Image Intensification offsets one difficult point from low light levels (if using a D6), or four
difficulty points resulting from low light levels (if using a D20). One intensity point will be
partially effective, thus a difficulty of 3/6 will be reduced to 2/6 by one point of intensity. This
spell is not obvious, and the eyes of the beneficiary continue to look normal.

Image Resolution
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell allows the caster to view a particular point he can see, as if he were standing there, if he
casts a range component sufficient to get the spell there. The advantage of this, relative to Vision
Projection, is that the user does not become vulnerable to spells as if he was there, nor does he
lose vision from his current location. But he cannot change the point where he or she is seeing
from, nor can the user of Image Resolution cast spells as if he or she were at the point projected
to. This basic effect costs one point of intensity.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 106
Incredible Lightness of Being (a.k.a. Magic Carpet)
Effects of manipulations are standard
It allows the caster to lift an inanimate object and anything on top of it into the air and move it
around. This is usually a carpet, though it has also been cast on a chair, a broomstick, and a cut
off piece of a ship’s sail. Each intensity point allows the lifting of 3 size points. Carpets vary from
1 size for a welcome mat to size 20+ for a large oriental rug suitable for a Great Hall. In general, a
rug can carry one person or pack for each point of size. Any excess lifting capacity can be used for
1 hex (3 meters?) of movement. One unit of vertical movement costs two units of horizontal
movement. If the object leaves spell range it is no longer controllable by the caster and falls to the
earth.
Guiding the object requires one action and any complex maneuvering will require a successful
spell skill roll. Otherwise the object will continue moving however the caster last directed it to
until the direction or range expires. Also, actions broomsticks carried out from the back of
broomsticks require a riding roll, but a lance can be used and does not require an additional
action (don't know why you'd want to since a broomstick does not have a meaningful damage
bonus).

Insignificance
Effects of manipulations are standard
The first point of Insignificance forces other characters that are looking for or at the insignificant
one to make Spot Hidden Rolls if they wish to see him. Each additional point of Intensity adds
one to the resistance to Spot Hidden.
Insignificance is temporarily suppressed if the insignificant character does something dramatic,
violent, or obviously important. This suppression lasts until one round after the end of the
dramatic action.

Intensify Healing
Effects of Manipulations Standard
This spell improves natural healing, intensifying the body's normal tendency to restore itself to
health. The game effect is that the player of a character under the influence of this spell may roll
twice any time a natural constitution roll allows a chance to recover from incapacitation or
wounds is called for, and take the better result.
This effect costs 3 Intensity points to produce if the character who benefits from the spell is
Walking Wounded, 7 intensity points if the character is Badly Wounded, and 12 points if the
character is dying. It has no effect on dead characters. This spell has no effect on CON rolls
resulting from the casting of divine healing spells.

Invisibility
Effects of manipulations are standard, except duration which costs 5 points per combat round
This spell makes the character invisible. Treat this as the equivalent of a successful Hide skill roll
equaling (roll to cast this spell + 20). Ignore negative modifiers to hide skill, since the character is
invisible, not hiding. This spell does not hide the beneficiary on the spirit plane, nor does it
conceal tracks, etc made by the character. As with the hide skill, any dramatic action, such as
attacking with a weapon attracts attention and dispels the spell.

Lightning Fingers
Duration: instant
Range: normal, affects all the bolts
For each 3 intensity, a bolt of lightning erupts from one of the caster's fingers on one hand,
targeting opponents in the same general direction (<= 60 degree arc). Each bolt does D10
damage, ignoring metal armor. Targets that resist take no damage. For obvious reasons, most
sorcerers are limited to a maximum of 4 bolts. This spell works underwater.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 107
Magic Missile
Duration: Instant, Other Manipulations normal
This spell creates magical missiles, which are treated as darts thrown with a chance to hit equal to
the character’s skill at casting the spell, with a lethality of 1D8, but which ignore armor lethality
minuses. Magic that protects again incoming spells is ignored, but magic that reduces lethality die
rolls, or absorbs wounds, is effective. Thus, Shield II does not absorb the missiles, does affect
their lethality with a -2 to the lethality die. Each missile costs 3 Magic points of intensity to
create. Archery difficulty resistance due to low visibility or cover apply vs. Magic Missile, other
difficulty resistance does not.

Mystic Block
Effects of Manipulations are standard
This spell attempts to conceal the presence of spells on the target, or the fact that the caster
touched an object being read using by object reading.
If the enemy caster fails to overcome the skill of the caster, plus twice the intensity of the block,
with his roll plus twice the intensity of his sensing spell {each point of divine magic counting as 4
pts of intensity}, the block conceals the presence and nature of all spells on the target including
itself. If the enemy is using object reading, he or she must overcome the skill of the caster, plus
twice the intensity of the block, with his or her roll to cast Object Reading. When this spell is cast
to block Object Reading, it blocks one episode worth of contact with the object for duration equal
to the duration component.

Mystic Light
Effects of Manipulations are standard
This spell normally produces a circle of soft, even amber light, with a radius of 2 meters per
intensity. Other colors may be produced for double the intensity cost. If it is successfully cast on
an enemy, it will subtract 2 from all skill abilities requiring vision.

Mystic Lock
Effects of Manipulations are standard, except that indefinite duration comes at a cost of one point

This spell creates a magical, as opposed to mechanical lock. The caster, and possibly some other
people designated by him at the time of casting, then become the only ones who can open it. The
first other person costs one point of intensity; the second costs two more for a total of three, etc.
Additional intensity may be added for the purpose of making spell harder to dispel. This must be
placed on something that can be opened (and thus locked), (i.e., doors, cabinets, etc).

Mystic Vision
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
- One point of Intensity allows the character upon whom it is cast to see whether or not something
is magical.
- Two points allow identification of the magic by type and intent {i.e. spirit, divine or sorcery;
offensive, defensive, support}.
- Four points allow estimation of the approximate power, counting each point of divine magic as
four points of intensity; it also allows the viewer to use an appropriate lore skill {sorcery, god or
spirit lore} to attempt to identify the exact power and source of the spell.
- Eight points allow the viewer to attempt to Spot Hidden spells, using the Intensity of his Mystic
Vision as if a skill or spell rolled on the opposing skills or spells chart.
Example: A character has hidden one of his magic items, inside a scarf. Mystic Vision 8 is
effectively an 8 point Spot Hidden skill, in looking for hidden magic items. It also allows exact
identification of the caster, and in the case of divine spells, deity involved in casting, if no attempt
at magically hiding this information has been made.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 108
Neutralize Magic
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
Add the intensity doubled, plus the skill roll to cast, and compare it to the intensity plus the raw
POW of the target. If the Neutralize magic number is higher, it wins. If the defending intensity
plus POW of caster is equal or higher, neutralize fails to dispel the opposing spell. Each point of a
divine spell counts as five points of intensity. Neutralize magic _will_ suppress enchantments, as
if they were the corresponding spells; but a suppressed enchantment will come back to normal
when the duration of the Neutralize Magic spell ends.
Which spell is targeted by Neutralize Magic does not have to be declared in the Declaration of
Intent Phase. The selection of a target to be neutralized may be done when the Neutralize spell
happens in the magic phase. Within the magic phase, Neutralize Magic goes first, and may target
a spell being cast at the same time as the Neutralize spell. If the Neutralize overcomes the spell
that is being cast, that spell has no effect.

Object Reading
Effects of manipulations, except Duration, are standard
This spell analyzes the nature, past use, and associations by the magical principle of sympathy, of
an object, which need not be magical. Use the Cumulative Cost Chart for the cost per piece of
information. Object reading works only once per object per caster. The information desired may
be specified by the caster; thus the caster could ask if a dagger was used to commit a particular
crime; how the dagger is enchanted; who enchanted it; who last owned it; who owned it before the
last owner did, etc. The information gained can only refer to events that occurred in the past if the
time the event occurred in the past would be included in the duration component of the spell, if
duration were read backward in time {i.e. measure the duration backward in time, if the event
occurred in that interval, then information about it can be revealed by this spell}.
Object Reading, unlike Mystic Vision will give an exact description of an object's functioning and
properties, in game rules terms.
If this spell is opposed by sorcery which would conceal the information desired, then it tries to
overcome the concealing sorcery by the normal spell vs. spell combat rules.

Object Tracing
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
This spell traces a specific object, which the caster must be able to visualize by the caster. Tracing
a large magical object requires one point of intensity; a small magical object, or large normal,
object three points of Intensity; while a small normal object requires seven points of Intensity.
The object to be traced must be within the range of the spell. Each foot of stone between caster
and object requires an additional point of intensity. The Tracing spell gives the caster the current
direction of and a feel for the distance to {i.e. what range component would be the minimum
required to reach it}. If two or more objects fit the description, Object Tracing traces the nearest
one. Object Tracing is ineffective on the Spirit and Hero Planes, and in areas where normal
spatial relations are distorted.

Portal
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
This spell creates a portal that people can move through. The caster needs one point to anchor
each end, one point of intensity per three size points of the maximum size creature intended to
move through it, one point per wall or foot of rock or so between the two ends, one point per
creature to move through it, and normal range and duration components. Note that a Portal takes
one round to cast, and one round to form; characters can only start moving through it after one
round has elapsed between successful casting and first movement.

Presence
Effects of manipulations are standard
This spell magically matches a character’s awarded fame. Each fame point doubled costs 4 MP to
enhance. Thus a character with 2 awarded fame points could have them doubled to an effective 4,
at a cost of 8 magic points of intensity. This spell will never increase either awarded fame by more
than the character started with.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 109
Purple Rope of Binding
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
Turns a short length of rope the caster is touching into a lacquered purple rope, which then moves
at normal human speed towards a single target and attempts to entangle it. The entangle attack
has a skill level equal to twice the intensity of the spell, and rolls each round against this skill level
to entangle. The target may resist by using an action to take an opposed DEX roll.
One may slash at the rope before it entangles the target. A successful hit with a cutting weapon
that overcomes the spell intensity cuts the ropes and dispels the spell.
Once entangled, the victim has only two possible normal actions: (other than D.I. etc.)
1) Try to cut the rope; this requires a successful dagger attack that overcomes the spell intensity,
or a 1-handed sword/scimitar attack that overcomes 2X intensity.
2) Try to break out by main strength. This may only be attempted once per episode and requires a
STR roll that overcomes 2X intensity.
Someone else can cut the victim free; this requires two consecutive successful attacks (no
opposition) with a suitable edged weapon.
The rope can travel as far as the range component of the spell allows.

Reveal
Effects of Manipulations are standard,
This spell reveals the presence or absence of the thing or substance searched for, if the caster has
a sample of that object on his person. Thus, reveal silver would work if the caster had a silver coin,
to use in invoking the principle of sympathy in searching for silver. The thing, feeling or what
have you, being searched for can also be represented symbolically; thus Reveal could be used to
detect humans with a man rune as the sympathetic object; enemies with a run for malice; disease
with a disease rune, etc.
To make the object(s) revealed glow magically, the caster must put three points of intensity in the
spell. To give the caster an intuitive sense of the distance and direction of the nearest instance of
the object, mood, spirit, etc searched for, the caster must put five points of intensity into the spell.
Solid rock may be penetrated in the search, at a cost of one point of intensity per foot of rock
searched.
If someone is trying to hide the object searched for on or within his or her person, then the caster
of Reveal must overcome the defender's power per the normal rules for resisting spells. If the
object is behind six feet of rock or metal, this spell will not pass through the rock to reveal the
item

Seal
Effects of Manipulations are standard, except one point of duration buys indefinite {i.e. until
dispelled} duration.
This spell magically marks an item, with a sigil unique to the caster. Reading, magically analyzing,
or removing something from inside the item on which it is cast, will break the Seal. Whether the
Seal is broken or unbroken, and who cast the Seal, are readily visible to anyone with Mystic
Vision.

Seize the Essence of the Text

Effects of Manipulations are standard, except that duration is always one day
This spell doubles effective reading speed, for the duration of the spell. It has only one effective
level of intensity; one point. For example, a one point one day duration casting of this spell would
allow the caster to read one check's worth of material per day, instead of two. In all other respects,
the caster remains subject to the normal rules for reading scrolls.

Shadow Walk
Effects of Manipulations are standard
This spell improves Hide skill. Each three points of intensity buys a +1 to the effective die roll,
after the roll is made. Increases that would adjust the character's Hide skill roll beyond his skill
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 110
level increase to skill exactly instead. For example a character with a Hide skill of 16, benefiting
from a 12 intensity point Shadow Walk has a roll of 6 increased to a ten, when resisting Spot
Hidden. A 14 is raised to 16, not 18, and a second roll to see if the character makes a critical
success may also be attempted.

Sphere of Protection
Effects of manipulations are standard
The first point of intensity creates a virtual wall around the beneficiary, making it possible to
block incoming spells. Each point of intensity thereafter adds two points of POW to the virtual
shield. This shield is the first thing encountered by an incoming spell. For example, suppose a
Sorcerer with a POW of 13 casts an 11 point Sphere of Protection on himself. A divine caster casts
Blind at the protected character. The Blind would first have to overcome the Sphere of
Protection, which has a virtual POW of 20. If his spell overcame that, he would have to roll again
to overcome the caster’s POW of 13.

Sphere of Protection protects objects that are on the protected character’s person {sword,
clothing, food} as well as the protected character. Sphere of Protection does not protect against
spells that do not have to roll to overcome the POW of the protected character – a Sword with
Black Blade of Death is not affected by Sphere of Protection as it cuts the protected character in
half}. Spells that project a character’s senses, such as Vision Projection, are not protected by
Sphere of Protection.

If and only if the protected character is the caster, Sphere of Protection will absorb any spells that
it stops, giving the protected character one magic point per two intensity points of the blocked
spell {if sorcery} or one magic point of POW sacrificed {if divine}. If there is no storage for the
absorbed magic points, they remain till Sphere of Protection ends, and then go away. Sphere of
Protection cannot store more magic points than twice the intensity of the spell. Sphere of
Protection does not affect spells that are not cast with hostile intent. If ten divine casters try to
help their sorcerer friend by casting all of their Mystify at him {before going to regain it and leave
on the adventure}, Sphere of Protection will have no effect on their Mystify spells.

Stairs of the Banana Peel

Effects of Manipulations Standard, Area Manipulation required
Copied from a Trickster Divine Spell of the same name, this spell makes an area of ground or
stone slippery. The size is 5 square meters per point of Area manipulation. Everybody crossing it,
or trying to fight in it, must overcome the intensity of the spell with a Dexterity roll {D20less than
or equal to DEX, but greater than spell Intensity}. If they fail, they fall down. They cannot move,
cast spells, or fight, until they stand up, which may be done within the area if they can beat the
spell Intensity with a Dexterity roll, or if they crawl out of the slippery area and make an
unopposed Dexterity roll.

Vision Projection
Effects of Manipulations are standard
One point of intensity creates a viewpoint, additional points allow that viewpoint to be moved 10
paces per point of intensity, at a rate equal to human walking speed. The viewpoint is invisible to
normal, but not to mystical vision. It need not be anchored on a physical object. It may be hidden
from magical vision; this is done using the viewer's Hide skill. Magic may be cast by or at the
caster, as if the caster were where his viewpoint is. The viewpoint may not be moved through solid
rock or in any other way impossible to the viewer personally, if the viewer was standing where the
viewpoint is. This spell may be combined with vision enhancement spells, such as Image
Intensification, Image Resolution, or Alertness. Divine magic may be combined with this spell, if
and only if, the deity approves of sorcery and knows sorcery him or herself {that is, sorcery spells
are also cult skills}.

Vision from the Past

Effects of all manipulations except Duration are standard
This spell allows the target to see into the past, starting at a specified time no earlier than the
current time minus the duration component of the spell, for ten minutes. This vision is exactly as
if the target were standing then, where the target is standing now. This spell lasts for ten minutes
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 111
or until the target moves significantly. This spell does not carry the effects of other sense
enhancing spells, such as Mystic Vision, with it; nor does it confer any unusual ability {i.e. any
ability other than the unaided vision of the target} to defeat spells such as Insignificance.

Voice Projection
Effects of Manipulations are standard
This spell is like Vision Projection, except that the voice is projected. One point of intensity
projects normal voice, two points of intensity projects either a whisper or a loud voice; four points
will project a very quiet whisper, barely audible to the recipient if it is in his ear, or a loud shout.
Eight points allows a great shout, as loud as the human voice can get.

Wing Foot
Effects of Manipulations are standard
Five points of intensity adds half again to the movement of the target, if and only if it is moving on
land. Ten points of intensity doubles it. Fifteen points of intensity multiplies land movement
speed by two and a half. This multiplication occurs after all other modifiers, for example
characters slowed by mud are first slowed and then sped up. This spell has no other effects.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 112

Chapter VII - Economics

These rules will not spend much effort on economics, since most characters do not spend much
time analyzing the economic structure of their societies. The primary purpose of this chapter is to
determine what characters can buy, at what cost. It also covers trading in enough detail to run a
trading adventure or two. A little background knowledge about the economic structures of the
society characters live in is also sometimes helpful for the game master.
These rules separate earnings and expenditures into two kinds, ordinary and extraordinary.
Ordinary earnings and expenditures deals with daily income and outgo, the things a character
could buy in a story without requiring more than a sentence in a narrative. An example would be
a character buying a glass of cheap wine. No one really cares where he or she gets the money to
do this, and it is unlikely to be significant in either character development or narrative.
Extraordinary economics covers substantial one shot profits, such as loot, the haul from an
occasional very rich trading run, a one shot payment from a noble sponsoring a tomb raiding
expedition, etc; and unusual expenses such as purchasing magic items. There is some overlap
between them; in that a character’s normal life will produce a small savings that may be put into
the extraordinary fund
In addition, these rules divide economies into two types, Imperial and Barbarian. The Empire has
a large and prestigious army and civil service, and a substantial luxury trade promoted by the fact
that the Empire has {comparatively} a lot of wealthy people to create demand. The Empire also
acts as a free trade zone, reducing the threat of banditry and lowering the cost of taxation by local
authorities, thus reducing the cost of trade. The Empire also has a more efficient farming and
fishing base than most barbarian societies {though still inefficient by modern standards} so that
10% of the population is free to do something other than raise food. On the other hand, the
Empire has a very high degree of inequality, with a few very wealthy people at the top and a lot of
slaves at the bottom. Barbarian economies are much less wealthy, and have a greater percentage
of the population involved in raising food. On the other hand, they are also more egalitarian, with
no really wealthy, by Imperial standards, and fewer very poor, people. The Imperial economy is
mostly monetized, while the barbarian economy still has a substantial barter component.
Neither economy is capitalistic, in the modern sense of having joint-stock companies judged by
return on investment. The principal institutions are extended families, which have sometimes
formed business partnerships; temples; towns and guilds. And of course, in the Imperial
economy, the Empire is an institution.
Neither society is individualistic, in the modern sense of people seeing themselves primarily as
autonomous individuals. People tend to think of themselves as first and foremost members of
clans or extended families, secondly as members of nuclear families and as individuals last and
least. This is a matter of degree of course. In a modern individualist society many people think of
themselves as fathers or mothers first, and individuals second and some people are highly
devoted to larger groups. Likewise, individualism is not unknown in fantasy settings based on the
ancient world. On the other hand modern individualism would be seen as extremely selfish, and
is more likely to be characteristic of villains than heroes.
This affects characters in a number of ways, but it impacts economics primarily by affecting the
concept of property rights. Goods are relatively scarce, and are seen as being held in trust for
one’s descendants to a much greater extent than they are in modern times. So an expensive item
is not so much the property of an individual, but of a family or institution, not the character using
it.
Many major items and property belong nominally to institutions such as noble families and
temples, not individuals.

Normal Economics in a Civilized Empire

An Empire has a professional army and civil service, and expects the higher ranking people to live
in a manner which befits their rank. People in the Empire know these expectations, and loosely
classify the economic status of the other people they meet accordingly.
This is abstracted into a system of pay grades, called ranks to emphasize the bureaucratic flavor of
the Empire. Historically, this actually most closely resembles the Czarist Russian administration,
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 113
but it will also work for civilized Empires resembling Rome or Byzantium. It is also used in the
Tishriei setting, available in from the Fire and Sword download page at BRP Central
There are fourteen grades for characters, plus “super grades”. A character’s status is in part
determined by his or her grade.
Many characters are not members of a bureaucracy; merchants, some farmers, and nobles have
property of their own. But bureaucracy is pervasive enough in the Empire so that anyone with a
moderate amount of Imperial custom knows the rank structure and classifies people’s incomes by
it.

Grades and What They Mean

1-3 Army recruit, servant in a temple, poor farmer, etc. This is just barely getting by, with
few luxuries, except uniforms, meat once a week, etc. No savings.
4-6 Trained soldier, journeyman, most farmers, poor merchants, etc. Getting by, you can
live this way but still not much. This level has a new outfit once a year, a little firewood in winter,
an occasional beer binge or minstrel show. At this level a character saves one silver per session if
grade 6.
7-9 Decurion, Specialist, priestess, clerk, master in a guild, most merchants in town, minor
noble, etc. A couple of new outfits a year, once really nice outfit, a little silver jewelry, paper and
ink, etc. grade 8 is usually the lowest supervisory grade entitled to support a servant or follower of
his own. This level Saves (grade -5 silver per session) * (grade -5 silver per session) per session.
10-11 this level includes the following: Centurion, Champion, Senior Priestess, Junior
Tribune, rich merchant, etc. A minor magic item or two, reasonably new clothes all the time, a
really nice outfit for parties, aged wine, a scroll every third or fourth session, etc. This is the
lowest rank which confers political “clout”, and normally creates eligibility to become one of the
“Few”, if not born to this status. Often have fairly major magic items, but usually they get them by
making or capturing them, not pulling rank to get them. This grade saves (grade - 5) * (grade - 5)
silver per session.
12-13 Tribune, Urban Praetor, Rich noble, High Priestess, Member of the Assembly of
Experts, Minor Hero, etc. Can have most of what they want, within reason. At this level, the
character can buy a scroll every session, if the character wants one and has the opportunity. The
character becomes an ex officio, a Senator if he or she holds an office of this rank. At this level, a
character can use admin skill to acquire magic items, significant commands, etc. At this level, a
character saves (grade -5) * (grade -5) in silver per session.
14 Legate, Praetor or Strategos, high minor to middling hero, etc. This grade can have
pretty much anything he or she wants within reason, and on occasion, something that’s not within
reason. But not something that will unbalance the game. Saves 81 silver per session.

S - Super grade. This category is reserved for named individuals known in the entire
society for their wealth; a historical example would be Marcus Crassus, or a modern example Bill
Gates.

A few notes: Super grade characters are pretty much unplayable. You usually get promoted by
persuading someone who has the slot that you want to get promoted to promote you.

Savings may be added at the end of each session, since these rules do not track normal earnings in
detail. Add savings to the character’s war chest.

Ordinary Economics for Nobles, Merchants and Peasants

While most player characters in this campaign are soldiers, clerics, civil servants, or mercenaries
in the pay of the Empire, most of the population is not. But the civil service rank system and its
military and clerical equivalents are well enough known to the population so it can be used as
shorthand.
Most peasants have the right to till some land, or are sharecroppers under a relatively stable
hereditary system. They live as the equivalent of grade 3-5. An occasional rich peasant is grade 6
or even 7. The poor peasants and unskilled laborers in the cities live as level 1-2. Since exactly
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 114
how well the peasants are living is seldom of concern to the player characters that is about all I’ll
say about this.
Merchants vary in social class. To survive as a merchant requires trading capital. This can be
made to yield enough to live at a corresponding grade. The trading capital equivalent of each
grade:
FTE Level Trading Capital Cost
Level 1 1 silver piece
Level 2 20 Silver pieces
Level 3: 100 Silver pieces
Level 4 200 Silver pieces
Level 5 400 Silver pieces
Level 6: 1000 Silver pieces
Level 7 2500 Silver pieces
Level 8 5000 Silver pieces
Level 9 10,000 Silver pieces
Level 10 25,000 Silver pieces
Level 11 50,000 Silver pieces
Level 12 100,000 Silver pieces
Level 13 : 250,000 Silver pieces
Level 14 500,000 Silver pieces
Super grade - The sky’s the limit

Small town street vendors live at level 2 or 3. Owners of a decent shop tend to live from level 5 to
level 7. Substantial inter-city traders range from about 8 to 11.
Example: A character wishing to raise her level of comfort by investment must accumulate
investment capital to make up the difference. For example, Lyra, as a Level 10grade, might
want to live as level 11. To do so, she would need to accumulate 15,000 Silver pieces and invest
them. Her best shot at 15,000 Silver pieces is plunder of course. And she has the connections to
invest it, since she is a member of the trader god cult {which also functions as a club}. Most
characters don’t. Living one level higher than you’re entitled to by your civil service rank is not
uncommon, and probably won’t get a character investigated. Living two levels higher is very
unusual, and any character doing that should expect to be investigated by the authorities, who
will want to find out where the money came from (and want some of it).
A character wanting to set up or retire as a merchant will have to raise the above capital from his
extraordinary resources. Thus, a Decurion who wants to buy a tavern and live as the equivalent of
a grade 6 must get 5000 Silver pieces in his war chest.
Nobles own land, which customarily carries with it legal obligations to support others as well as
oneself. How many a given piece of land supports, and the title to go with it, will be described
when the land is awarded. Legally, nobles cannot sell land. In practice they can, but it will be
seen as a sign that the seller has serious money problems. Selling and buying land will be handled
on a case by case basis. For example, being an Azadan might yield:
Title FTE Level

Azadan 9

Constable Squire

Soldier x 3 5

Manservant 5

Slots for followers a character has by being a noble are simply added to those he controls through
title or office, but the funding source is distinct.

Cost of Followers
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 115
Characters sometimes want to support more followers, maidservants, etc than their titles or
offices cover by default. To figure out what this will cost, use the table above for Nobles,
Merchants and Peasants. Of course, if a knight is supporting an army of followers, people may
wonder where the money is coming from.

Normal Economics for Barbarians

Barbarian societies differ from the Empire in not having a large bureaucracy, and in being poorer.
They are also less well organized and law abiding; almost all men and some women in a barbarian
society own weapons and know something about how to use them. A final major difference is that
while cash is known, most barbarian societies do not have a full cash economy; what people can
get is set by custom and barter instead. Such societies usually have a class of small traders, but
the real money that creates rich merchants will usually be made by traders from neighboring
civilized areas. Administration will be much less important in most barbarian cultures than it is
in the lunar heartland. Some parts of the Empire qualify as barbarian by this definition. A
barbarian will usually fall into one of the following categories, economically:
Poor peasant: Living standard rarely as bad as the worst off in the Empire, usually lifestyle is
comparable to that of a peasant in the Empire at grade 3. Usually free, and has a spear and shield
if male. Clothing is poor quality homespun, armor is light or none. They are usually illiterate.
Middle peasant: Like poor peasant, except somewhat better fed and clothed, Will have medium
armor if a luck roll is made; and a sword or axe as appropriate if a luck roll is made. No savings.
Rich peasant: Like poor peasant, except much better fed and clothed. A rich peasant will have a
few rugs, or a little furniture, and a decently maintained but small, house. These types will
usually, if male, have medium armor and a sword, as well as a spear or bow. Will save 1 silver a
session or so. They are usually, but not always, illiterate.
Shepherds, hunters, fishermen and the like will usually have possessions comparable to those of
poor or middle peasants.
Craftsman: Comparable to Rich peasant, except will own the tools of his craft. He usually lives in
a town, more likely to be literate. A craftsman saves one silver piece per session.
Clerk or scholar: There are relatively few of these in most barbarian societies, treat as rich
peasants except that they will be literate, know how to write, and will probably own 1-10 scrolls,
quill pen and ink, etc. Clerks usually save one silver piece per session.
Poor Warrior: Treat as a rich peasant, except that he is a full time fighter, will have weapon and
other combat related skills at 15 or higher, and will usually be a member of a warrior cult. In
some cultures, a poor warrior will start off with a horse, but only light armor. Would save one
silver a week, except that being a warrior does not encourage saving for the long term, likely to
drink a lot.
Rich Warrior: Like a poor warrior, plus. May have iron weapon or armor, some magic
enchantments, etc. A rich warrior will usually own horse and at least medium armor. He or she
is usually either a noble or a very successful, formerly poor, warrior. If a successful warrior,
primary weapon skills will be 18+. A rich warrior is sometimes a devotee of a war deity cult, or a
full time warrior in the entourage of a noble. If a very successful warrior, may have one or more
magic items.
Minor Noble: A rich warrior, with 1 to 10 poor warrior followers. A minor noble will usually also a
comparable number of servants, whose living standards will be comparable to those of middle
peasants. Depending on age and a number of other factors, may have weapon and other combat
skills ranging from 15 to 22 or 23. May hold any rank in a military related cult. A noble often has
leadership and persuasion skills, in addition to warrior skills. A noble will usually have at least
one magic item. Dresses and eats well for a barbarian, will usually have a nice place to live by the
standards of the culture.
Noble: Can have up 5D30 warrior followers personally, and 1D20 poor nobles following him.
Lives very well, roughly at a level comparable to grade 9-11; may have magic weapons and armor,
heirloom magic items, etc.
Clerics: devotees, not being full time church types, usually live at a living standard set by their
secular rank; priests usually live at the clerk or scholar level, unless the priesthood they hold also
ennobles them, in which case they live as, usually poor, nobles. Champions are treated as nobles.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 116
Extraordinary Economics
Extraordinary economics covers rare events, such as inheriting wealth, making a killing from loot
on an adventure, etc. Characters may of course get rich from loot more than once; the point is
that loot by its nature is not a predictable source of income. Money gained from loot, etc, is
referred to as “extraordinary resources”.
Extraordinary resources are those a player keeps track of on his character’s sheet. They are listed
as, 1500 silver in gems, for example. If visibly worn, they must be described. If hidden, they need
not be described, but are assumed to be in small portable gems or gold. Their location should be
described, but is assumed to be reasonably secure (a money belt underneath outer layer of
clothing, for example).
Spending extraordinary resources is a dramatic event, and usually will not be required for
anything significantly greater than a character’s savings rate. A reference price list is given below;
this is just a guideline for game masters and is not intended to be binding as to either availability
or price.
A few things that can be bought from extraordinary resources:
Armor and Weapons Market Price Table
Item Cost {in silver) FTE Level where Item is
Assumed
Dagger 5 2
Spear 5 2
Javelin 5 5
Mace 25 4
Axe 50 5
Rhomphaia 100 6
Broadsword or Scimitar 150 7
Small Shield 10 3
Medium Shield 20 4
Large Shield 50 5
Light Armor 100 . 3
Medium Armor 250 . 5
Heavy Armor 1000 8
One Point Weapoon or Armor 1000 + cost of item enchanted 9 (for 1), 10 (for 2), 11 (for 3)
Enchantment etc
Two Point Weapon or Armor 3,000 + cost of item enchanted 10 (for 1), 11 (for 2), 12 (for 3),
Enchantment etc (total for all enchantments)
Three Point Weapon or Armor 10,000 cost of item enchanted 11 (for 1), 12 (for 2), 13 (for 3),
Enchantment etc(total for all enchantments)
Four Point Weapon or Armor 25,000 cost of item enchanted 12 (for 1), 13 (for 2), 14 (for 3),
Enchantment etc(total for all enchantments)

Clothing Price Table

Item Cost {in silver) FTE Level where Item is
Assumed
Rags - 1
Poor Man or Woman’s Work Clothes 5 2
Work Clothes 10 3
High End Work Clothes 25 5
Cheap Dress Outfit 50 6
Adequate Dress Outfit 100 8
Good Dress Outfit 250 9
Baron or Baroness Dress Outfit 1000 10
Duke’s or Duchess Dress Outfit 2500 12
Wooden Ring 25 3
Wooden Earring 25 3
Ivory ring 100 8
Ivory earring 100 8
Silver Ring 100 8
Gold Ring 1000 11
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 117
Silver Earrings 100 8
Gold Earrings 1000 11
Pearl Ring 2500 12
Pearl Earring 2500 12
One point clothing, ring or earring 1000 + cost of item enchanted 9 (for 1), 10 (for 2), 11 (for 3)
enchantment etc
Two point clothing, ring or earring 3,000 + cost of item enchanted 10 (for 1), 11 (for 2), 12 (for 3),
enchantment etc
Three point clothing, ring or earring 10,000 cost of item enchanted 11 (for 1), 12 (for 2), 13 (for 3),
enchantment etc
Four point clothing, ring or earring 25,000 cost of item enchanted 12 (for 1), 13 (for 2), 14 (for 3),
enchantment etc

Personal Equipment Market Price Table

Item Cost {in silver) FTE Level where Item is
Assumed
Backpack 2 3
Bedroll 2 3
Block and Tackle 4 5
Bottle 10 5
Climbing Kit 10 5
Craft Tools 10 4
Crowbar 1 2
First Aid Kit 10 5
Fish Hook 1 2
Fishing Kit 4 3
Flint and Tinder 6 3
Grappling Hook 15 5
Hammer 12 3
Ladder 10 4
Lockpicks 30 5
Mining Pick 10 4
Musical instrument 20 4
Musical instrument (fine) 150 7
Oil, flask 1 3
Papyrus, sheet 2 6
Pole, 3 m 2 5
Rope, 10m 2 5
Sack, large 5 4
Sack, small 2 3
Torch / flaming brand 2 3
Waterskin 5 2
Wineskin - ornamented 25 7
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 118
Books, Scrolls and Writing Supplies Price Table
Item Cost {in silver) FTE Level Assumed
Pen 10 5
Ink 10 5
Fine Ink 100 9
Paper ( 10 sheets) 1 per sheet 5
Candle, 1 Hour 5 4
Scroll (Common Skill) 50 per check 7 (up to 3 checks)
Scroll (Uncommon Skill) 100 per check 9 (up to 3 checks)
Scroll (Rare Skill) 200 per check 12 (up to 3 checks)
Scroll (Sorcery) 250 per check 9 (up to 3 checks)

Animals, Transport
Item Cost {in silver) FTE Level Assumed
Pack Mule 100 5
Pack Horse 500 6
Pony 500 7
Riding Horse 700 7
Cavalry Horse 1500 8
War Horse 3000 9
Carriage and two horses 10,000 11
Cat 5 3
Dog 5 3

There are a lot of other things characters might want, but I’m not going to cover them all in detail
here.
Note that some items may require an admin roll plus a modest bribe. For example, a Vijeta
consecrated object that adds +2 to Lore for divine spell casting and counts as a sanctified object
for the purpose or regaining Vijeta spells would require either 1000 L. in bribes and either a hard
admin roll or a contact in the Vijeta temple. In general, divine relics can rarely be purchased
outright, and where this is being considered should be converted into the equivalent cost in
sorcery enchantments,
Extraordinary resources can also be used to buy land, titles and offices. This usually requires a
luck roll (possibly with some difficulty), some service which is deserving of reward, and a bribe
equal to about a tenth of the listed cost of trading capital needed for living at that level as a
merchant.
Trading
It will sometimes happen that individual trading expeditions need to be gamed. For purposes of
the game profits from trading is the result of the following factors: funds invested; suitability of
the goods selected; volatility of the prices at the source; risk or time involved in the trade itself;
volatility of prices and demand at the receiving end; and total demand at the destination.
The amount of funds invested is determined by the player character in character, the game rules
do not discuss how the funds invested are obtained in detail. Suitability of the goods selected is
determined by rolling the bargaining skill of the head trader in the syndicate. If the roll is made,
the goods are suitable. A failure means that the value of the goods at the destination will be half
that expected.
The volatility of prices at the source is determined by estimating a base cost at the source, and
deciding whether demand varies a little or a lot. If it varies a little, a special bargaining roll gets a
reduction of 20% to the cost, a normal Bargain skill roll results in the desired goods being
available at the normal cost, and a failure adds 20% to the cost.
For volatile goods, follow the same procedure, except that the swing is plus or minus 50%.
Subtract 10% if the buyer can make a clout roll with the trader’s guild or cult. This adjustment is
to the amount the characters pay for trade goods, but it has no effect on the theoretical “worth” of
the goods.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 119
Next add 20% per game session to the cost of the goods, to obtain their worth at the destination.
This covers transport time and risk, modified by the need to prevent rewards from trading
becoming excessive for a particular session.
Add ten percent to the value if a character can make a clout roll with the trader’s guild or cult at
the other end.
Finally, make another roll for the effects of price volatility at the destination end.
Then apply a cap of five thousand silver pieces in a town of 10,000 people or less, ten thousand
silver pieces for a small city of twenty five thousand or less, or twenty thousand silver pieces for a
larger city of a hundred thousand or so. There is no cap for cities larger than this. This deals with
the fact that demand for anything is limited in the destination city.
Example: a group of characters pools five thousand silver pieces for a trading run. Their trader
makes a bargain roll, and the goods he buys are suitable for sale at the destination, and should
net the expected profit at the other end. The goods are perfume, a couple of small gems and a
magic item, so that they can be easily transported. The next issue is price volatility at the
source. None of these goods are subject to sporadic demand, nor are any so scarce that there
will be a shortage of sellers. So they are low volatility goods. Another bargain skill roll by the
player of the trader is also normal, and the character fails a clout roll with the trader’s guilds at
the source end, so the goods cost five thousand to buy. The characters spend one game session
transporting the goods, fighting their way through a medium sized encounter. This raises the
value of the goods to seven thousand. The goods are also low volatility at the receiving end,
because they are cheap enough that there will usually be buyers, and demand will be fairly
steady. So the trader makes another bargaining skill roll, and the goods are worth seven
thousand. This time the trader makes her clout roll, and by getting a good spot in the market
and being introduced to the right people, she can sell them for seven thousand and seven
hundred silver.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 120

Chapter VIII - Politics

Politics has ten significant aspects in this game: Persuasion, Institutions, Status, Fame Points,
Prowess Points, Infamy Points, Influence Points, Favors, Clout, Titles and Offices.
Persuasion is just a brief expansion of the rules for rhetoric, explaining how to handle issues
related to political persuasion.
Institutions deals with how society is organized. It deals with temples, noble houses, guilds,
trading partnerships, etc.
Status Points deal with a character’s “place in society” in the traditional sense, or “where are you
in the food chain?” in modern slang.
Fame Points track really remarkably good acts that individually affect a character’s position in
society.
Prowess Points track things characters do that demonstrate that they are tough.
Infamy points track remarkably bad acts that are individually significant enough to hurt a
character’s reputation and position in society.
Influence points are a minor version of favors. They track the cumulative impact of actions that
are not individually important to make an impact, but which cumulatively amount to support for
another character, institution or cause.
Favors are the things that fall under the category of “we owe you one”. If your character has
helped another person or group in the past, they are expected by the rest of society to help you in
return. If they fail to do so, they will be seen as less than reliable allies by others, and will be less
likely to get help when they need it. Also, if your character has helped another person or group,
he or she has been useful, and is expected to be useful in the future, if treated properly.
Clout is a way of converting status and favors into the support that a character might expect to get
in the course of play.
Titles and Offices are discussed here because they confer authority and provide a more
comfortable and steady living than being a freelance adventurer. They are also a major
component of status and thus clout.

Political Persuasion
Traditionally force is the first resort of player characters. Sometimes force is inappropriate; either
because the player characters do not have enough of it or because they are dealing with people
they hope to have a long term relationship with. In these situations, the player characters may try
to persuade people to help them.

Some persuasion attempts are simple. Treat these as a simple roll compared to the rhetoric skill.
Others are more complicated. If the characters are seeking significant support from a noble
house for a proposed adventure, the first step is for the GM to figure out who the player
characters will need to persuade. If the player characters are members of the House, they may
know this. If they do not, their first problem is to figure out who to approach. Once they have
figured out where to start, the gamemaster needs to figure out how reasonable their request is.
The first step is to figure out if the fulfilling the request would also be in the interest of the people
or group being asked to help. A proposal to fight a common enemy will usually get a better
response than a proposal to make new enemies. Assuming that the request is clearly reasonable,
or the requesters have enough influence to pay for it if it is not, the next step is to figure out who
the characters have to persuade.

In our example, the player characters will have to persuade someone in the House to introduce
them to an adviser likely to favor their request; then they have to have to persuade that adviser to
support it, then they will have to persuade another adviser to support it {ideally} or at least not to
oppose it, and then persuade the Head of the House. The first is a normal clout roll, asking for a
minor request. Then the characters have to persuade the adviser. For any significant help, this
scene should be role played. The adviser will need to be persuaded of two separate things. The
first is that what the player characters propose is a good idea. The second is that it is a good idea
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 121
for the adviser to stick his neck out and support the characters. To persuade the adviser that the
player characters’ proposal is a good idea is a normal rhetoric roll {probably opposed by rhetoric
or culture lore} if it actually is a good idea, but may face a modifier of -5, -10, or -20 to skill if it is
not an obviously good idea. So far, the adviser has not been asked to do anything, so all that has
been needed is rhetoric. When the player characters ask the adviser to go to the Head of the
House and asking him to see them, supporting their request, they are asking for action. It is time
for a clout roll. Assuming they make this, he will agree, provided the player characters can win
the support of another adviser. He gives them a couple of names. Meetings are set up and the
process is repeated. Once they have enough advisors on their side, the characters are ready to go
to the Head of the House. They have to persuade him that their request is a good idea, and then
make a clout roll to get the Head of the House to do something about it.

Failure at any point stops the process, but the characters can try again when conditions change
{when something relevant to the proposal happens, or at the next game session in any event}. A
fumble on the rhetoric roll convinces the target that the proposal is a bad idea, and may result in
either rejection of the idea, or a dramatic conflict among advisers.

Institutions
Institutions are social organizations that last for more than a generation, and with which player
characters can establish relationships. For example, a prominent mercenary commander might
have a relationship to a particular noble house. Another player character might be an initiate in a
temple, and another might have an investment in a trading company. In setting up a game, it is
often helpful to know basic information about the institutions that the player characters may get
involved with. In these rules, we recommend a short form, usually in the form of a table giving
the heraldry, aims, ideology, contact people and resources associated with the institution.
Temples were described above in the Religion chapter. Sorcery schools were described in the
sorcery chapter. A sample noble house is described below.

House Chakad

Heraldry Black bull’s head on a white background

Aims To retain their wealth in land, sheep and cattle, and acquire more.
To win the legal disputes they have with House Kambiz and House Farhad,
which are currently before the satrap
To keep freight rates low, so that beef, hides, wool, mutton, etc can be shipped
into Tishrei at a reasonable cost
To suppress cattle rustling and predators in the back country.
Ideology We exist to serve our feudal superior, King Kavad
Contact Patriarch Kavkaz: He leads the House, in traditional patriarchal feudal fashion.
People He can usually be found at the House Seat, or riding around its lands giving
judgment, resolving problems, etc
Constable Darman: he heads the azadan of the house and can often be found in
Tishrei hiring mercenaries and hero bands
Advocate Trebonius: a hotshot lawyer hired from the imperial capital to
represent the House before the satrap. He is wondering why the satrap keeps
postponing the legal inquiry.
Commercial Agent, Sotimos: a freedman who used to be a slave of the house,
now a junior Jaran worshipping merchant, often to be found buying and selling
for the House in Tishrei.
Resources Cattle barons, they have vast rangelands and about 35,000 cattle and sheep.
Slave shepherds and cattlemen to herd them.
Four small castles, one on the river and two inland, sited to protect these lands;
they also have three castles in the Zama province.
Comfortable, but not outstanding luxurious, town houses in Tishrei and Zama.
About one hundred fifty Azadan, with horses. About 120 of these are mounted,
about 30 of the mounted men have heavy chargers
Strong ties with the Royal House; their heir Fayal is married to one of the King’s
nieces.
About 90,000 silver pieces in cash, most of which are not in Tishrei
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For purposes of the game, the entire house relates as one entity to outsiders. If a party of
adventurers returned a hundred cattle captured by bandits to Constable Darman, the entire house
feels a debt to them, and they would gain one influence point each with House Chakad.
This is a compromise, between the need to know about the institutions the players deal with and
the need to minimize the effort required to GM. Institutions the player characters probably will
not interact with on a continuing basis can be simulated with a wave of the hand. On the other
side of the balance, our home campaign has noble house that some of the characters are members
of. It has a ten page description, including the name and deeds of the founder, history, about a
dozen different members with personalities and conflicting objectives are described, and religious
affiliations and philosophies are described in detail. This effort is justified by the importance of
knowing exactly what is going on in the House to the player characters, the fact that some player
characters are insiders and would know this information, etc. Also, communication may not be
instantaneous. Patriarch Kavkaz may not be aware of the return of the cattle to Constable
Darman if this happened elsewhere, recently. Also, this is a general guideline. If it is important
to the narrative, individuals within an institution may act as individuals, and ignore the
obligations of the institution. Since the institution will be seen as responsible for this, and may
acquire infamy, this will not make the people ignoring the obligations of the institution popular
within it, but when it is important enough to the individual being asked for a favor, it can certainly
happen. This should happen rarely, and only when it has some narrative significance.
Really large institutions, such as the Imperial Army, or the historical Catholic Church, are too
large to be represented by this system. Break these institutions down into smaller component
institutions, such as the legion or the bishopric. Then describe the parts of the institution that the
player characters will be likely to be dealing with. If a character wants to have influence
elsewhere in the larger organization, he or she should ask someone in the part of the organization
he or she deals with to write a letter of introduction to someone in the other part of the
organization. This will give the character the influence he or she currently has, minus one, in the
different part of the larger organization he or she will be dealing with. The influence point used to
get the letter of introduction is lost.

Status Points
Status describes a character’s links to other people, groups and institutions. This status is then
changed according to the table below. When anything changes that might affect status, refigure
status:
Status Table
Cause Value
Being a noble, of the kingdom you’re in or the +1
Empire as a whole
Being a hero +1 per fame point awarded on legendary
quest
Each title or office held + Status value of title or office
Earned Fame +1 per point awarded in play
Earned Infamy -1 per point awarded in play
Being rich (FTE level – 9) Empire only
Having clients +1 for 1-3; +2 for 4-9; +3 for 10-20; +4 for
20-50
Having CHA 18+ +2
Any other characteristic 18+ +1
Having CHA 17 +1 {not cumulative with the 18+ bonus}

Any act notable enough to affect status should be recorded on the character sheet for the
character. A GM is entitled to audit status claims, and if no one remembers incidents for which
status was assigned, strip the character of that status.

Fame Points
A fame point is awarded for outstanding success or effort, which is indicative of strong will or
commitment, and is likely to be remembered. An example would be:
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One fame point awarded for completing a substantial quest {quest to rescue Mira and bring
back Dragon’s Egg}.
This is an actual example of a fame point awarded, in play, and brings out key elements of the
idea of a fame point. This quest was extremely dangerous, lasted multiple sessions, and helped a
major institution in society {the noble house Mira came from}. Also, a fame point should never
be awarded during a session in which it was earned, but at the following session. Fame points are
awarded at the discretion of the GM, though he or she will usually consult with the players.
In addition, a character gets one Fame Point for each of the following titles or offices held: Adept,
Arghban/Castellan, Azadan/Knight, Captain, Champion, Companion, Guru, Judge, Priest,
Shaman/Shamanka or Vizier.
A character also gets one fame point for having a skill at 25 or higher, one additional fame point
for having a skill at 30 or higher, etc.

Prowess Points
Prowess points are awarded when a character does something that meets one of the requirements
for a fame point, but not all of them. An example would be a sorcerer killing 15 people with a Fire
Rain spell. This does not demonstrate the kind of admired courage that a warrior who kills a
dragon does. But if the sorcerer kills enough people with big Fire Rain spells, he will become
known as tough. So his action should be recognized. The gamemaster awards prowess points at
the end of each session. A gamemaster should usually award at most 1-prowess point every three
sessions or so, per character. Prowess points reward exceptional performance, not the normal
performance expected of a character contributing to the success of a session.
When a character accumulates ten prowess points, his or her player can trade them in for a fame
point. Prowess points have no other effect.

Infamy Points
Infamy points reduce status, and are awarded whenever a character does something so stupid, or
so cowardly, that the other players remember it weeks later, and keep wondering how the
character could have done such a thing. They are never awarded during a session, but always
awarded, by the GM at the end of a subsequent game session. A player cannot refuse to accept an
infamy point.

Influence Points
Sometimes a character does a lot of little things, that individually are not very important, but as a
continuous pattern of behavior amount to a considerable amount of work on behalf of some
institution or cause. For example, a player character healer who shows up at the healing temple
every day, and helps them by healing people, will spend a considerable amount of magic on behalf
of the temple and be more influential in the healing temple than a character that does not. To
track this, these rules have “influence points”. A character increases influence points by rolling
D20 higher than the current number of influence. A 20 is always a success. Each roll made
increases influence by one. One check per session may be used to get an influence increase roll.
The institution or cause, in which influence is gained, must be appropriate and should be
approved by the GM. If this option is chosen the check is lost. In addition, the GM can award
influence rolls based on a character’s actions in play. Unlike normal skill checks, more than one
influence check can be awarded in a game session – a particular action could be viewed as being
worth 3 influence checks. The GM may be fairly liberal in awarding influence points, if he wishes
to encourage interaction with the institutions and causes involved in his campaign.
A character has his or her influence points/5 of “virtual status” in an institution or cause which he
or she supports. Add this to the character’s status when making Clout rolls. In addition, when a
character reaches 15 influence points, he or she can trade 10 of them in for a Favor, which may in
turn gain the character a title, office, magic item, or other significant increase in power. When he
or she does this, the influence points are lost, but the favor can then be used to fulfill the clout
requirements for something he or she wants.
A character may “borrow” the influence of other characters to add to his or her clout. This is less
effective than using his or her own influence, so the “borrowing character gets one point of virtual
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 124
status for every 7 points of influence. A character can also, with the permission of another
character, add the other character’s influence to his or her influence, when securing a favor. If
this is done, the favor costs 12 influence points, not 10. The other character loses the influence he
or she contributed to getting the favor.
A character may “combine” influence in two separate institutions or causes; if they can be
appropriately combined {you normally cannot combine influence with two cults that are enemies
of each other, for example}. Whether or not combination is appropriate should be ruled on by the
GM. This is less effective than using influence with one source, so the “combining” character gets
one point of virtual status for every 7 points of influence. A character can also “combine”
influence with different groups when securing a favor. If this is done, the favor costs 12 influence
points, not 10.

Favors
A character is awarded a favor whenever he or she does something valuable enough for another
person or group to be recognized as significant in play. Typically, a character gets a favor point
whenever he or she goes on an expedition lasting multiple sessions and involving risk of death for
which he or she was specifically recruited; when he or she saves the life or limb of an individual;
and whenever he or she does work for another group or individual that costs six checks. Favor
points may also be awarded for other reasons at the discretion of the GM.

Clout
If a character wants someone else to do something, the player of that character will be asked for a
Clout roll. The GM determines how much Clout your favor will require, using the Clout Use
Guidelines below to determine the difficulty your character must overcome.
You then determine clout, which is:
Status + Influence Points +Relevant Virtue Points {max is higher of Influence Points or 1} +
(+1/+2/+3/+4) for relevant skill rolls.
Relevant skills are skills that can be used to persuade others. These often include rhetoric,
intrigue, admin, and seduction used for flirting. The GM rules on whether a skill is relevant. If
your character is trying to convince a nomad to do something and both are male, skill in flirting
might not be too useful. On the other hand, archery might be very relevant. Only one relevant
skill may be attempted. The +1/+2/+3 means +1 for success, +2 for special, +3 for critical, 4 for
cinematic success.
The player then rolls dice for the request, as described below.

Minor Request
Getting a meeting with someone who is fairly hard to see;
Trading a divine magic spell to you if you pay for the trading and it won’t get the trader in
trouble;
Telling your character something that is not public knowledge but not a closely held secret;
Casting of a common sorcery spell by a character with a skill of 16 or so with the spell;
Getting a priest to lead a ceremony specifically for your character ;
Getting a check or so of training up to a skill of 15 or so;
Getting a 10% discount from a trader who is not particularly greedy;
Borrowing a scroll from a group or cult you are a member of.

To get a minor request, roll the character’s clout or less on a D10. Failing the roll means that the
request is impossible at this time {the trader does not have or just traded the spell, etc}. Success
means that your character gets the request, at no cost to the character if he is willing to do
something minor {that costs a check or so} in exchange. If your character has a status of five or
greater, or has any influence points with the group or individual he is asking from help from, the
request is fulfilled at no cost to the requesting character.

Major Request
Getting a meeting with a king, hero, or celebrity;
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Trading a divine magic spell to you if it will get the trader in trouble;
Telling your character something that is a closely held secret;
Casting a common sorcery spell by a character with a skill of 24 or so with the spell;
Getting backing for appointment to an office that the character is qualified for;
Getting from anyone else anything that would earn a character an influence point if he did it;
Getting a rare spell cast by someone who will keep quiet about it
Borrowing a magic item from a group or cult you are a member of.

To get a major request, roll less than your character’s clout on a D20. Failing the roll means that
the request is impossible at this time {the trader does not have or just traded the spell, etc}.
Success means that your character gets the request, at the cost of an influence point. If he or she
does not have an influence point with the group he or she is asking for the request, roll D20 again.
If this is less than your character’s status, they will let you owe the favor to them, at the price of
entering into a patron/client relationship as the client. Characters of higher status than the
character they are asking for help do not become clients, since society thinks that on some level
they are entitled to the request. If the second roll is failed, the character does not get the request.
If status – influence point sowed = 0, your character’s credit has run out and he or she will not be
allowed to borrow any more influence.

Huge Request
Asking for a magic item as a gift;
Any request which if granted will cause major problems for the granter;
Getting backing for appointment to an office the character is not qualified for;
Requesting the grant of a title of nobility;
Requesting a pardon for a felony.

To get a huge request, roll less than your character’s clout or less on a D30. Failing the roll means
that the requested favor is impossible. Success means that your character gets the request, if and
only if he or she has a favor point to pay for the request. If the character does not have the favor
point to pay for the request, then the request is not granted.

Impossible

Asking a character to do something the GM cannot imagine that he or she would do;
Asking a character to violate a taboo or geas;
Asking someone to do anything leading to probable or certain death without a strong religious
or ethical requirement that he or she take this risk.

If a character wants something that is impossible, he or she is not going to get it. An exception
may be made at the GM’s discretion, if he or she has a strong story reason for bending the rules.

Relationships
There are several types of socially recognized relationships in this game that have an impact on
clout and influence. This is different from relationships of passion, like falling in love, which this
game assumes that the players will deal with on their own. These rules are intended to reflect
what third parties expect of the character, and outline the penalties for violating social
expectations. These relationships are of the following types, and should be noted on the character
sheet.
Nuclear family members start with 10 influence points, and one free favor, owed to each other.
This represents the fact that a character is socially recognized to owe something to his or her
brothers and sisters, father and mother, etc. Also, nuclear family members start out as “Friends”,
in the eyes of the rest of the world. A character may choose to deny his close relatives the use of
this influence, but doing so will normally be cause for the award of an infamy point.
Extended family members start with 5 influence points, owed to each other. This represents the
fact that a character is socially recognized to owe something to his or her cousins, mother and
father in law, etc., father and mother, etc. Also, extended family members start out as “Friends”,
in the eyes of the rest of the world. A character may choose to deny his relatives the use of this
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 126
influence, but doing so will normally cost him or her an influence point with them, and may if the
situation is important enough, be cause for the award of an infamy point.
Friendship is a socially recognized relationship which is voluntarily entered into. To become
friends, two characters must experience a “qualifying event”. Adventuring together qualifies, as
does one party doing something that would cost an influence point if requested, without requiring
a clout roll or demanding the expenditure of an influence point. Other things may count as
qualifying events if it is dramatically useful in the eyes of the GM. The players of the two
characters may then agree to become “friends”. The GM decides if a non-player character is
willing to become friends with a PC. Once two characters become friends, each gets 5 influence
with the other; minor requests are assumed to be fulfilled without requiring a clout roll; and the
two characters are assumed to be willing to meet with each other even if social conventions of
rank would normally make this difficult. A friend may refuse to allow the other friend to call on
his friendship; but this will always cost an influence point with the friend being refused. If may,
at the GM’s option, cause the end of the friendship if favor is denied when a friend would be
expected to help. When a friend has spent all of his her influence with another friend, the
friendship may be ended at any time by the player of the other friend. Friendship is usually
informal. In some circumstances, it may be a formal title, such as Friend of the High Priestess.
When Friend of <individual or institution> is used as a formal title, see the description below in
the section on titles and offices.
Patron/client is a formalized and restricted version of friendship. This comes about whenever a
character asks another for something that would normally require an influence point, or a favor,
when he or she does not have one to expend, and gets it anyway. If the helping character wants to
establish a client/patron relationship, the requesting character becomes a client. He has three
influence points with the character making the request, who becomes a client. Both client and
patron are expected to fulfill minor requests from the other. If the patron does not do so, it costs
him an influence point with the client. If the client does not do so, the patron/client relationship
ends and an infamy point may be awarded at the discretion of the GM. What the patron gets from
the client is support in fulfilling various minor requests; and the glory {see fame points above} of
having helped a lot of people. What the client gets is the fulfillment of the initial request; both
get each other making it easier to get along in daily life. The key difference between patron/client
and friendship is the recognized inequality of patron and client; and the difference in “qualifying
events”.
Once a relationship is established, characters gain and lose influence within it in accordance with
the Influence Point rules above.
The values awarded actually vary by culture. Some cultures have very close nuclear families, very
weak extended families; very strong friendships, and very weak client/patron relationships, if so,
the number of influence points each side gets will differ from the above default values.

Titles and Offices

A brief description of common titles and offices is provided below. Titles and offices usually
confer the following benefits:
 The player of a character with a title or office may roll skill increase checks for characters
not currently in play, but performing duties associated with the title or office, as if that
character had participated in the session.
 The title or office holder is assumed to be supported at a particular grade, which is usually
higher and sometimes much higher, than the default caravan guard and the like positions
adventurers without a position are qualified to hold. This level varies with the title or
office
 Title or office holders may gain fame, as described above.
 Title or office holders may be able to use the institutional clout conferred by their position
to get what they want in some cases.
 Title or office holders may have authorization to do things, and make decisions, which
others do not.
 A title or office may confer the right to support followers.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 127
In a theocratic empire, religious status may be required for a nominally secular position. The list
below covers religious, quasi-religious and secular offices. The list does not include rare titles like
King, King of Kings, or Mobadan-Mobad.

A character can hold more than one title or office; for example, a character might be a devotee, a
knight, and a captain at the same time. In this case support is at the highest grade level of any
individual title or office. Fame points from titles and offices are cumulative for the titles/offices of
Azadan, Argban, Captain, Companion and Champion; Devotee and Champion or Rishi;
Companion, Guru and Rishi. The fame point for being a Judge, Legate, or Vizier can be added for
to any of these career paths. Other combinations, such as Adept and Azadan, are not cumulative.

The titles and offices described here are: Adept, Adherent, Argban/Castellan, Azadan/Knight,
Bard, Captain, Champion, Companion, Devotee, Friend of <Individual or Institution>, Guru,
Initiate, Judge, Legate, Mercenary, Missionary, Priest, Rishi, Shaman/Shamanka, Spook and
Vizier.

Adept
Description
An adept is a sorcerer, who has mastered sorcery, and is generally considered good enough to
operate without being under the supervision of another. Adepts are expected to teach others, and
usually have apprentices.
Entry requirements
Five skills at twenty or higher, at least 4 of which are magical in nature (cult lore, school lore or
sorcery lore, Ceremony, Summoning, etc).
An adept must have cast a 25 point sorcery spell without using Ceremony, but he or she may use
any enchantments he or she may have to boost his or her skill.
He or she must have earned either: a fame point for casting a spell or being on a quest; or
campaign where the character was primarily a spell caster, a big favor from the authority
recognizing Adept status.
The player of the aspiring adept must be prepared to explain to the satisfaction of the GM why his
character wants to be an adept and is a suitable candidate for adept. The character may be forced
to explain to a board or panel of mages, what he has done, and what he plans to do with adept
status once granted. He or she may be forced to answer a series of questions about hypothetical
situations to the satisfaction of the panel. .
Upsides
An adept gets a familiar, which will be either a sorcerous familiar that knows Aid and regains spell
points or a cult spirit; this spirit becomes an ally in permanent Mind Link with the character, and
its MP/Divine Spells and skills may be used as if they were the adept's own. This spirit is usually
a small animal, but some sorcerers have a homunculus instead.
Grade level upgrade {+1grade level, up to a maximum of 10}, Adepts who are below grade 7 are
automatically raised to 7.
Resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of 10; increase
all rolls below 10 to 10
Status is +1 for being an adept
Upon becoming an adept, a character gets three rolls on Loot table.
The school or organization recognizing the character as an adept will bestow one sorcery item
{from the table in the appendix}. This will often have been contributed by another group wanting
the character to be recognized as an adept, and may fit the new adept’s existing abilities.
An adept is entitled to two followers; one is often a student training to become an adept; one is a
cook/batman, etc, who also knows Aid to help the adept, but is not of great combat value; These
followers start at a grade level 2 below the adept
Downsides
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 128
An adept must not behave in a "manner unbecoming an adept"
An adept must put at least half of all checks, rounded up, into "magical skills"; this category
includes Ceremony, Enchant Sorcery Lore, Summoning, and any sorcery spell.
An adept will usually not be offered titles or offices the performance of whose duties would be
inconsistent with adept status, knight being the most obvious example.
An adept may not become a devotee, or hold any secular office such as knight, etc. An adept may
become a “companion”, in effect serving as the house, court, etc sorcerer for a hero band, league,
noble house, satrap, etc.
Loss of Adept Status
A sorcerer loses adept status when he earns three infamy points for "conduct unbecoming an
adept; infamy points may be offset by fame, if the adept has twice as much fame as infamy.
A sorcerer loses adept status if he or she joins a cult or accept a title or office which is
incompatible with being an adept.

Adherent
Description
An adherent is a character who is a formal supporter of a deity, but who is not an initiate.
Entry Requirements
An adherent must accept the teachings of the deity, and comply with any ritual requirements
associated with such acceptance.
Upsides
An adherent my sacrifice for divine magic from the deity adhered to, using the normal rules for
sacrificing for divine magic. He cannot regain divine magic on his own, but an initiate or higher
may use prayer spells to regain his magic for him. An adherent’s magic cannot be shared through
Mind Link, spell traded, etc; since he has not fully accepted and understood the teachings of the
deity.
Disadvantages
To become an adherent a character must make some sacrifices. These are abstracted as two
checks, which is time spent buying incense for sacrifice, praying, forging a mystic link to the deity
adhered to, etc.
Renouncing Adherence
It is acceptable to renounce Adherence. A character that does so loses all benefits of adherence,
until he or she returns to the fold. This includes divine magic.

Argban/Castellan
Description
The Argban were fairly similar to western castellans, and this description will also do for
castellans as well.
Entry requirements
An argban must already be an azadan, or already be a captain; and be able to meet the
requirements for the status the character does not have.
The player of the candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM why the character is a good
candidate for Argban status. The GM may require that this explanation be made in character to
the authority conferring the status, or its representatives,
The character may be asked to perform a quest on behalf of the authority conferring Argban
status.
Upsides
The character gets to live in, and run a castle, living much like a feudal baron;
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 129
The character gets +2 to Status, cumulative with status gained from other titles and offices.
An argban gets a grade level upgrade {+1grade level, up to a maximum of 12}, Argban that are
below grade 9 are automatically raised to 9.
One magic item, from the magic item rewards table of the GM’s choice, or designed by the GM.
An argban resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of
10; increase all rolls below 10 to 10;
An argban gets one additional fame point.
An Argban is entitled to ten followers; at least six are soldiers or Azadan assigned to defend the
castle.
Downsides
One of the Argban must not behave in a "manner unbecoming a noble";
Argban are expected to defend the castle they are assigned; if it falls in their absence Argban
status is automatically lost and 1 infamy point is assigned. Depending on what the Argban was
doing at the time he was away while the castle was being lost, more serious penalties are
sometimes imposed;
Argban must meet the requirements imposed on Azadan;
An argban will usually not be offered titles or offices the performance of whose duties would be
inconsistent with defense of his or her castle.
Loss of Arghban Status
a) Earn three infamy points for "conduct unbecoming a noble; infamy points may be offset by
fame, if the Azadan has twice as much fame as infamy.
Any Argban who loses his castle loses Argban status immediately; he may or may not be
reappointed when and if the castle is retaken,
An Argban who joins a cult or accept a title or office which is incompatible with being an Argban
loses argban status.

Azadan/Knight
Description
The Azadan were fairly similar to western knights, and this description will also do for knights as
well. A character who is a full time military professional, and master of several weapons, who is
not outstandingly devoted to any particular deity, is one of the Azadan. He gets his special powers
more from the fact that he is tough, and knows he’s tough, than from devotion or representation
of, any particular deity. These guys are elite fighting men, and they know it.
Entry requirements
Five skills at 20 or higher, including at least one weapon attack and parry
Have a fame point for fighting something tough
The candidate must have defeated either a skill 25 opponent or a "monster" of huge or greater
size. This may be the same incident that the candidate got his fame point for.
The player of the candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM why the character is a good
candidate for Azadan status. The GM may require that this explanation be made in character to
the authority conferring the status, or its representatives,
The character may be asked to perform a quest on behalf of the authority conferring Azadan
status.
Upsides
Gift of magical armor (usually a +1 armor is no magic armor is owned, +2 armor if character has
+1 armor, +3 armor if character has +2 armor, + 4 armor if the character has+3 armor}; medium
or heavy armor is usually given; but light armor or other combat related magic items, may be
given at the Game Master’s discretion.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 130
Gift of a magical weapon (usually a +1 sword is no magic item is owned, +2 sword if character has
a +1 sword, +3 sword if character has a +2 sword, + 4 sword if the character has a +3 sword};
weapons other than swords can be given, or even other combat related magic items, may be given
at the Game Master’s discretion.
Grade level upgrade {+1grade level, up to a maximum of 10}, knights that are below grade 7 are
automatically raised to 7.
The character gets D12 to resist incapacitation {“I'm tough, I'm a knight”}.
The character resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll
of 10; increase all rolls below 10 to 10.
Status increase: +1 in dealing with all members of his or her primary culture; +2 in dealing with
Clan, House or League; +2 Status points in dealing with warrior or soldier cultists.
The character gets another Fame point.
By custom, an Azadan is entitled to a mount at the expense of the personage conferring the status.
Traditionally, if he doesn't own a horse, a he gets a cavalry horse; if he owns a cavalry horse, he
gets a warhorse or charger. Instances have been recorded of fancier mounts being granted;
trained mammoths and bison have been granted to Azadan capable or riding them.
An Azadan is entitled to 2 followers; one is usually an old friend who is also a good fighter but not
of Azadan status; one is a cook/batman, etc, who usually sacrifices for prayer or knows Aid.
These followers start at any grade level 2 below the knight
An Azadan has an advantage in qualifying for command positions such as Argban or Captain, and
the title is sometimes required these offices.
Downsides
One of the Azadan must not behave in a "manner unbecoming a noble"
An Azadan is expected to fight when others are willing to fight; if not could end up with infamy
point
An Azadan must put at least half of all checks, rounded up, into "combat skills"; this category
includes weapon attacks and parries, unarmed combat, Ride, Leadership, Military Lore, Spot,
Cult Lore for combatant deities {those that have weapon attack and parry as cult skills}, and Siege
Craft; others may be included at the discretion of the GM.
Azadan will usually not be offered titles or offices the performance of whose duties would be
inconsistent with knightly status, priesthood being the most obvious example.
Loss of Azadan Status
Earn three infamy points for "conduct unbecoming one of the Azadan; infamy points may be
offset by fame, if the Azadan has twice as much fame as infamy.
Join a cult or accept a title or office which is incompatible with being an Azadan.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 131
Bard
Description
A bard is a combination of poet, composer, and musician. Bards usually offer both public
performance and performance at courts. Bards differ from ordinary musicians because they are
poets as well as performing artists, and are often very well known
Entry Requirements
Three performance skills at 20+, one of which must be Sing, one of which must be culture lore
Having earned a fame point by a critical success on the Sing skill, or composition of a song
{composing a song takes one check, and is rolled on Sing skill = 10}.
Upsides
A raise to grade 9, or from grade 9 to grade 10
Plus one fame point for being a bard and invitations to sing at court functions, when at court.
Special or critical sing rolls performing before important figures will earn the bard another fame
point.
A bard may have his or her songs performed by others; this can be used to confer either a fame
point or an infamy point on another character, if the deeds are ruled to be remarkable by the GM
and a song to do so is performed by the bard
Bards have access to divine spells noted as bard only.
Bards are viewed ambivalently, which makes them +1 for every five Fame Points they have earned
when performing Fast Talk, Rhetoric or Seduction. This plus is treated as if it were Bless, except
that it may be combined with Bless.
Downsides
Bard status cannot be combined with any of the following titles or offices: adept, argban, guru,
shaman/ shamanka or vizier.
Targets of satire often do not like it. Assassinating a bard is bad form, and cause for the award of
an infamy point, but only if you are caught.
Bards may be sexy, but they are also slightly disreputable. If you are trying to marry up, or obtain
a government post, being a bard counts as an infamy point,
Loss of Bard Status
Conduct unbecoming a bard can lead to loss of bard status; it is worth noting that being caught
seducing a noblewoman, or being known to know bandits would not be unbecoming a bard, but
declining an invitation to sing, or seeking one of the offices Bards cannot hold, would be.

Captain
Description
A captain is the leader of a company, which is a group of fighters smaller than a phalanx or legion.
Entry Requirements
A captain is a prominent individual, usually but not always a companion or Azadan {but
champions, adepts, and even viziers have also been known to serve in this role}. There must be a
requirement for a captain, of course. The player must explain to the satisfaction of the GM why
his character wants to be a Captain and is suited for the job.
Upsides
The character gets+1 Fame point;
The Captain gets a+1 to grade level, up to a maximum of grade 11;
Immunity from prosecution or taxation while serving as a captain
Can recruit and maintain a personal staff of up to four others, to at one grade level below the
captain, and two at two levels below the captain, plus some number of squads;
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 132
A captain has broad discretion about when to fight, who to fight, etc; consistent with his
commission;
Equipment for the troops the captain is authorized to raise is usually provided with the captaincy.
The captain and his or her entourage may keep up to 25% of the value of loot captured in war or
fighting.
A captain usually receives a symbol or office, often a weapon, which may possess magical powers.
Downsides
Captain is an office, conferred for a set number of sessions or the duration of a campaign. A
captain may be confirmed in office by the next GM; but he or she may also be removed from office
and prosecuted for abuse of power. So abuse of power in pursuit of loot is discouraged.
A captain is expected to lead his men, not follow them, into situations where there is an excellent
chance of death.
A captain spends a lot of time on administration and logistics, so he loses one check per session to
administrative duties, and his success will likely hinge at least as much on his administrative and
leadership skills as his combat skills
Loss of Captain Status
Character may lose captain status if he disgraces himself, engages in excessive peculation, or
otherwise behaves in a manner unbefitting a captain.

Champion
Description
A champion is an Azadan/knight who is linked to a god and champions the deity’s cause
physically.
Entry requirements
A champion must be both a devotee and an Azadan/knight and a devotee. The plot must call for a
champion. The champion must be the most qualified player character who is willing to accept the
role.
Upsides
Champions have all of the advantages of an Azadan and a Devotee
Champions start a Divine Intuition skill, and gain a relationship with their patron deity which
enables them to call for Divine Intervention.
Champions get permanent Bless III and Shield III; if dispelled these spells go down and come
back up gain at the end of the episode
Champions resist mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of
10; increase all rolls below 10 to 10
Champions do not need to pay influence for favors done on their behalf by temples to the deity, or
personnel of those temples. Priests, etc are assumed to have a duty to assist champions
A champion gets one additional fame point, upon becoming a champion.
Champions may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions; this guidance
is listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be welcome.
If a champion has Summon Cult Spirit III, or sacrifices for it, the spirit summoned hangs around
instead of going back to the spirit plane at the end of an episode. Champions often get spirits for
their weapons, but hawks, ravens, and other animals have also been champion familiars. This is
not, by the way; a formal requirement. A champion who gets a sylph does not have the elemental
with him when walking the streets of Glamour; the champion may dismiss the spirit and summon
it again.
Downsides
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A champion cannot cast spells, or use magic items, which are “ritually inappropriate”. This is
because a champion accepts part of the deity he is a champion of into himself. So a champion
cannot use items which the god could not or would not use. If there is any question about what is
ritually inappropriate, the game aster’s ruling is final.
A champion must "act like the god", which normally means that he or he must act the way an
exemplary worshipper of the deity must act. Again, this is the result of accepting part of the deity
into the champion. .It there is any doubt about what this clause means the game master’s ruling
stands. A player may insist on violating it, if he thinks that the character, but violation of this
clause brings immediate loss of champion status.
A champion may not accept officers that require him or her to play roles that the deity he or she is
a champion of did not play in myth. A follower of Vijeta could serve as a Captain, but not as a
judge or vizier. Again, in disputes about the meaning of this clause, the ruling of the game master
is final.
A champion may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions. This
guidance is listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be
welcome.
A champion finds it harder than a normal character to learn skills outside the list of cult skills for
the deity he or she is a champion of. Getting a roll to go up in a non-cult skill costs 2 checks, not
one.. A check with a plus to go up counts as two checks, but loses the plus. Two checks with a plus
to go up become one check with that plus.
A champion may not ritually impersonate any other deity as part of a ritual.
Loss of Champion Status
A character stops being a champion if the god doesn't need a champion, or he or she fails to "act
like the god". Characters that lose champion status “honorably” retain their champion abilities,
but revert to being Azadan plus Devotee for acquiring new abilities.
If the reason for the retirement is that the deity doesn't need a champion, and the deity needs one,
the champion may be selected as a champion again.
A champion may “partially” lose champion status, as a result of conduct unbecoming a champion.
For example, a warrior who made a little money on the side, or who played the role of the
Trickster on a quest, might lose the D12 roll on incapacitation dice.

Companion
Description
A companion is a character who is known to be a friend and adviser to another much more
powerful character, and who derives his or her power and influence from this fact. In effect,
because he or she is known to have influence, he or she has part of the power, of the character
he/she is known to be a companion of.
Entry requirements
Skill 20 or higher in intrigue, and any other skill the GM rules to be of interest to the patron
The potential companion must have already established a friendship or client to patron
relationship with the character that he or she will become a companion of.
Formal introduction at court, plus one or more private meetings with the patron
The player of the aspiring companion must be able to explain to the GM why his character should
be granted companion status. The GM, if he or she so chooses, may have this explanation made
in character, to the patron or the patron’s representatives.
An aspiring companion may be forced to perform a quest or other service for the character he or
she aims to become a companion of.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 134
Upsides
A companion has half the influence of the noble he or she is a companion of, rounded down, up to
a maximum of 6. This is added to his own status when seeking favors with others. This status is
“virtual” It may be used to gain favors for the companion him or herself, but cannot be spent. He
may, however, get a lot of minor requests that would be denied an ordinary character {it’s smart
to be nice to a friend of the king}, and has a long leg up in competition for titles or offices with
another character of comparable accomplishment.
A companion gets a +1 to his or her grade level, up to a maximum level of 12, or one less than the
rank of the noble conferring the honor, whichever is lower.
A companion gets one additional fame point.
A companion will usually be given a magic item, and possibly an office, by the patron, if he
qualifies for them, when he or she becomes a companion.
A companion is +10 to admin skill rolls, because people don’t want to make trouble for people
who have the ear of his patron.
The companion is seen by the friends of the noble or king he is a companion of as a representative
of the noble or king he is associated with
A companion is a Friend of his patron, and has all of the associated benefits. See the description
of the Friend of <Individual or Institution> description for details.
Downsides
A companion must usually lead a hazardous quest, or perform some other big favor, for the king
or other noble he or she is associated with this, to “make” companion.
A companion is expected to grant anything that would count as a minor request to the character
he or she is a companion of, without requiring a Clout roll. If he or she refuses this, he or she will
suffer the lost of one influence point with the character he or is a companion of. If this reduces
his influence to zero, the companion loses companion status.
The companion is seen by the enemies of the noble or king he is a companion of as a
representative of the noble or king he is associated with.
The A companion is a Friend of his patron, and has all of the associated disadvantages. See the
description of the Friend of <Individual or Institution> description for details.
Loss of Companion Status
Companion is basically a title, but it can be lost by doing something that makes it publicly obvious
that you are not a friend of the noble, satrap, sultan or whoever you are a companion of.
Companion status disappears when the character’s influence with the character that he or she is a
companion of is reduced to zero. Death of the character that the companion is a companion of
will also cause loss of companion status.

Devotee
Description
A devotee is just that, a character who is devoted to his or her deity. He or she is an initiate who
has made it into the inner circle. He has mastered the skills of his or her deity, and has access to
Devotee only spells.
Entry requirements
A devotee must have 5 18+ cult skills, including cult lore and at least 20 points of divine magic
from the deity the character will become a devotee of.
He or she must also have the Blessing of the deity. The deity temporarily possesses the character,
and judges him. If he or she passes this test, he or she is a devotee. If not, the penalty is up to the
GM.
The player of the character must explain why the character is a good candidate for devotee to the
satisfaction of the GM. The GM may require that this be done in character, in a ceremony before
a priest or champion of the cult,
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 135
A candidate for devotee may be required to go on a quest to prove his or her devotion to the deity.
Upsides
Devotees can learn some spell unavailable to ordinary initiates.
Devotees get a permanent Bless III; if dispelled this goes down and comes back up gain at the end
of the episode
Devotees get a +1 to status, and an effective additional +2 to status when trying to influence other
adherents or initiates of their deity.
Devotees may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions; this guidance is
listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be welcome.
Downsides
A Devotee must "act like the god", that is not do anything which leaves the GM saying that he
cannot imagine the god doing what the character is doing. The character may cancel action or
lose devotee status on the spot. Note that this forbids the casting of sorcery spells, or becoming a
shaman, for most deities. It also by implication forbids being a devotee of more than one deity.
Devotees may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions. This guidance is
listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be welcome.
Devotees have a highly visible tie to the deity. They can be recognized as devotees by unaided
normal vision; unless the deity customarily shields members from identification, in which
affiliation may remain hidden if and only if the devotee sacrifices for a second point of Hide
Affiliation on the spot.
Devotees lose one check per session, due to the requirement to perform services for the cult, teach
others, etc.
Events may come up that create a conflict between the needs of the hero band, league or noble
house the character serves and his or her cult. A devotee is expected to place the demands of his
or her deity above those of his or her other associations. Failure to do so may lead to loss of
Devotee status.
A Devotee cannot join a new cult

Loss of Devotee Status

A character loses devotee status if he or she behaves in a manner unbecoming to a worshipper of
the deity. This can happen because he or she failed to “act like the god”, or because he or she fails
to perform the religious duties incumbent on a devotee, or because he or she accepts a secular
office vizier. Azadan is a title, so a devotee may be an Azadan.

Friend of <Individual or Institution>

Description
This title is conferred on people who have done something significant for the granting individual
or institution. In general if it is appropriate to award something, but no other title or office is
appropriate for the recipient, then this title is awarded.
Entry Requirements
The recipient of this title must do something which would cost at least one influence point if
requested, without requiring a clout roll or demanding the expenditure of an influence point.
Other things may count as qualifying events if it is dramatically useful in the eyes of the GM.
Upsides
A friend receives at least one influence point with the person or entity granting the title. He or
she can get one minor request per game session from the grantor without having to roll. If the
request for which the title is granted would have been a major request had it been asked for, this
is the only benefit obtained. If the favor done was something which would count as a huge favor, a
minor magic item or high class article of clothing is usually thrown in to sweeten the deal. If the
favor is something which is greater than a huge request, a nice magic item, or a sinecure raising
the recipient’s income by the equivalent of a grade level would be appropriate.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 136
Downsides
A friend must come to the aid of his friend(s). One minor request every other session or so may
be demanded of a character with a powerful friend, by that friend. Failure to do so may be cause
for the award of an infamy point. Enemies of the grantor may regard friends of the grantor as
enemies as enemies, on the theory that the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Things can get
awkward if a character is a friend of two people who are enemies of each other.

Guru
Description
A guru is a teacher, usually a religious teacher, who is qualified to be an interpreter of the written
teachings of the gods. The title of guru is sometimes loosely extended to any character who has
mastered something, and is an expert deemed qualified to teach.
Entry Requirements
Five appropriate skills at 20 or higher, including at least two religious skills. Religious skills
include cult lore, philosophy, rhetoric, meditation, dreamspeaking, etc. Generally, physical
combat skills, or skills like Hide with obvious practical use and little religious or scholarly
significance, are excluded;
Publication of at least one book length scroll;
The player of a guru candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is a
good choice for guru. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
appropriate evaluating official.
Upsides
A guru gets +1 status point;
A guru gets a +1 to his or her grade level, up to a maximum level of 11;
A guru who has the skills to qualify as a devotee in a cult he is at least an adherent of, gains access
to the devotee spell list. This is true if and only if the cult actually values knowledge skills. The
cult of the Gladiator God will not recognize a guru as the equal of a devotee. He does not acquire
the ability to start a divine intuition skill, or the other upsides and downsides of being a devotee.
A guru can attract up to a dozen or so followers, provided he or she is willing to teach them.
These will be people who are interested in religious teaching, and are more likely to be aspiring
religious devotees, or rich people supporting the propagation of religious knowledge, than a crack
corps of Azadans. The exact nature of these followers will vary, and is left up to the GM.
A guru will, if he is lucky {i.e. his player rolls POW or less on D20} be given a pretty big magic
item, or 10,000 silver pieces, by one of the people looking to him for spiritual advice.
Being a guru can be a powerful leg up in applying for titles or offices for which knowledge is a
requirement, such as priest or vizier.
A guru gets an influence point roll with one of his followers {his choice} whenever he or she uses a
check to teach his followers.
Downsides
A guru must not behave “in a manner unfitting to a guru”. Drunken gurus who go on adventures
explicitly for purposes of gaining loot; swing swords, and challenge other characters to duels are
violating this clause.
A guru must behave in a “nonviolent manor” – in practice this means never physically
incapacitating an enemy,
A guru has an obligation to teach his followers, which costs the character one check per session.
The character does get an influence roll as part compensation. This may be waived at the GM’s
discretion, but should not be waived on a continuing and regular basis.
A guru is generally seen as scholarly and unworldly. He or she is unlikely to be offered an office
like champion or captain, which these qualities would be seen as a serious drawback in.

Loss of Devotee Status

Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 137
Characters who violate the clauses on not behaving “in a manner unfitting to a guru’ or who
violate the rather weak clause on nonviolence, or who do not teach their followers on a regular
basis may get an infamy point. After accumulating three infamy points a character will usually
lose his or her followers and guru status.

Initiate
Description
An initiate is a committed cultist, who adheres to the general code of conduct mandated by the
cult, and relies on its divine magic to assist him or her in his tasks
Entry Requirements
To become an initiate a character must have the appropriate cult lore skill, and ceremony skill, at
a level of at least 10.
He or she must also have at least five cult skills at a level of 10 or higher.
The player of an initiate candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is
a good choice for initiation. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to
an appropriate evaluating official.
An initiate cannot be a devotee or champion of any other cult, nor, unless an exception is made in
the cult description, can he or she be an adept or shaman. If a character does become an adept or
shaman after initiation, he or she remains an initiate but cannot advance further.
The ceremony to become an initiate costs a point of the POWER characteristic.
Benefits
A character has to be at least an initiate before he or she can become a devotee. .An initiate is
entitled to one training check, in a cult skill per session. This training check is available if and
only if the aspirant spends another check from that session on the performance of cult duties.
Treat this as training from a skill 21 character. This check is instead of, not in addition to, any
checks that may be awarded for participation on adventures. An initiate may sacrifice for, and
regain, divine magic as described in the rules for divine magic and described in the cult
descriptions. He does not suffer the -10 penalty to cult lore of adherents. He or she may not
sacrifice for spells that are listed as requiring a higher office.
Renouncing Initiate Status
A character may renounce initiate status at any time. All benefits stop immediately. A character
who has renounced initiate status may return to initiate status, with the consent of the deity and
the sacrifice of another point of POWER.
Losing Initiate Status
A character may lose initiate status if he or she breaks a taboo, or otherwise engages in conduct
unbecoming an initiate.

Judge
Description
A Judge is an imperial judge, authorized to decide legal cases as a representative of the Emperor.
Entry Requirements
To become a Judge, a character has to be in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at
the wrong time, No player character can become a judge unless the plot require one. If the plot
requires a judge, a companion or vizier is chosen for the role. If neither a companion nor a vizier
is available, or if all companions and viziers are unsuitable, the best fir for judge is selected.
Upside
Upon becoming a judge a character gets +1 Fame point;
A plus on to grade level, up to a maximum of grade 11;
Immunity from prosecution or taxation while serving as a judge;
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 138
Can recruit and maintain a staff of two investigators, one grade 8 and one grade 7, and two
bodyguards, both grade 7, and one clerk, grade 7;
The judge has the power to investigate crimes, arrest and try suspects, etc. Jury trials are not
unknown, but an inquisitorial procedure is more common
The judge and his or her entourage may keep up to 25% of the value of property confiscated or
fines levied, on malefactors.
A judge receives a symbol or office, usually an orb, which may possess magical powers.
Downsides
Judge is an office, conferred for a set number of sessions or the duration of a campaign. A judge
may be confirmed in office by the next GM; but he or she may also be removed from office and
prosecuted for abuse of power. So abuse of power in pursuit of loot is discouraged. Also, a
character may cease being a judge if the campaign changes, there is no role in the plot of the new
campaign for a judge, and the player wants to continue playing the character. In that case, the
judge is considered to have resigned without prejudice.
Administration of justice in a violent society may involve health risks. Criminal gangs may be
unenthusiastic about judges who rule against their members.

Legate
Description
A legate is a diplomat, sent to represent a kingdom or noble house. He ranks above a messenger
or herald, because he or she is authorized to remain and negotiate within certain instructions, as
opposed to simply delivering a message and going home.
Entry Requirements
Rhetoric, Intrigue, and Culture Lore for the language the contract or treaty being negotiated will
be in, at a skill level of 20 or higher;
Being a member of the institution, or a Friend or Companion of the Individual, on whose behalf
the legate will act;
The player of a legate candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is a
good choice for legate. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
appropriate evaluating official.
Upsides
A legate gets +1 status point, though this ends when the diplomatic mission ends;
A legate gets a +1 to his or her grade level, up to a maximum level of 11, though again this ends
when the diplomatic mission ends;
If successful, a legate usually earns five influence checks with the individual who sent him out as
legate and the institution he represented. If a character completes a difficult, campaign long
mission as a legate he or usually gains ten influence checks with the person who sent him, or the
organization he represented. Legates are often appointed to other offices on completion of the
mission.
Downside
Being an envoy can often involve health risks. The concept of diplomatic immunity is often
underdeveloped in fantasy settings, and envoys may be assassinated by third parties. This is in
addition to the normal risk of being eaten by monsters attendant to travel.

Mercenary
Description
A mercenary is a soldier who fights for a living. He is motivated more by pay than ideological
commitment.
Entry Requirements
To become a professional mercenary a character must have a missile weapon or spear skill of 15
or higher, a sidearm {scimitar, sword, axe, etc} skill of 15 or higher, and a parry skill of 15 or
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 139
higher. This is in normal circumstances; standards have declined dramatically during wars, etc.
A mercenary must also be an initiate or higher in a combat cult, or have a few fetishes, or know
aid, depending on the unit. The would be mercenary must also usually bring his or her own
equipment, or suffer a loss of one grade in living standards while paying the company he or she
joins for his or her gear.
Upside
Support at grade level 4, grade level 5 if mounted, and a small chance at striking it rich or gaining
a magic item through loot.
A mercenary will usually also get one or two checks of training per session from his leaders. If he
does not get this, he may conclude that his superiors do not care about his survival and desert.
Downsides
A mercenary has to obey orders, or lose his status as a mercenary {possibly along with his head}.
Mercenaries can get killed, or seriously injured. It is normally expected that healing will be
provided to the extent that it is available, but common soldiers seldom have priority when there is
not enough healing to go around.

Missionary
Description
A missionary is a specialist in converting people to his religion. Most traditional religions have
few missionaries, since they have a traditional ethnic base that is mostly raised in the faith and
they are not interested in gaining converts. Others persist in trying to convert others and support
missionaries.
Entry Requirements
To become a professional missionary a character must usually have a rhetoric skill of 15 or higher,
a custom skill in the culture he or she is intending convert people from of 15 or higher, and a cult
lore skill of 15 or higher.
Upsides
Support at grade level 4, grade level 5 if mounted, and a relationship point roll for the
denomination he or she serves for the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th, 15th etc convert made. Note that this is the
Fibonacci sequence if any doubts arise about what number should be next.
If not a player character, half the checks, rounded down, the player characters get, per session.
Downsides
A missionary has to remain orthodox and obey orders, or lose his or her status as a missionary.
They are usually expected to remain in the area where the people they are expected to convert can
be found.
Missionaries are not always popular, and have been known to be killed and eaten; it is not as
risky as serving as a mercenary, but it is not risk free, either.

Priest
Description
A priest is a religious official, often but not necessarily tied to a temple, who is a member of the
religious hierarchy. A priest is usually the lowest rank for a full time religious type, and the rank
most compatible with going on adventures.
Entry requirements
A candidate for the priesthood must be one of the following: a devotee of the deity he or she is to
be a priest of; a guru and at least an initiate of the deity he or she is to be a priest of; a companion
of someone with the authority to award a priesthood and at least an adherent of the deity the
candidate is to be a priest of; a member of a hereditary priestly family. In all cases, the priest
must be literate, which requirement can usually be satisfied by a Culture Lore of 12 or higher.
The player of a priest candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is a
good choice for priest. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
appropriate evaluating official.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 140
Upsides
The priest gets a grade level upgrade {raise grade level from below 8 to 8, or 8 to 9, rarely and as a
big favor, from 9 to 10).
A priest resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of 10;
increase all rolls below 10 to 10.
Status +2 in dealing with all members of the cult he is a priest of, +1 Status in other situations
Becoming a priest causes the character to gain one Fame point
A priest will usually receive a magic item from the divine magic item table upon investiture
Others can "give" prayer spells for the priest, that is sacrifice for prayer which he or she can then
use and regain as if it were his or hers; up to a maximum number of points equal to the sacrificed
divine magic of the priest.
A priest is an intercessor, and may use his or her own prayer spells to regain divine magic for
others in his congregation, as if he were using it to regain his own divine magic.
Downsides
A priest must not behave in a "manner unbecoming a priest".
A priest must sacrifice one POW point.
A priest is expected to have Soul Sight, and must sacrifice for it upon becoming a priest
A priest is expected to perform ceremonies for others, assist champions, etc
A priest must put half his checks, rounded up, into religious skills {cult lore, culture lore skills,
POW, Ceremony, enchant, summoning, etc}; this makes priesthood incompatible with Azadan
status. What is a religious skill is a question for the GM to finally rule on, but non-cult, non lore
skills rarely count; and the only religious weapon skill is the sword for war god types.
A priest loses one check per session to the abstract performance of religious duties. In the right
circumstances he can obtain an influence point roll by sacrificing another check and going “above
and beyond the call of duty” in support of the cult.
Loss of Priestly Status
A priest may lose his or her priestly status if he or she earns three infamy points for "conduct
unbecoming a priest; infamy points may be offset by fame if the priest has twice as much fame as
infamy.
A priest will lose his or her priestly status if he or she accepts a cult or accept a title or office which
is incompatible with being a priest.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 141
Rishi
Description
A rishi is a divinely inspired poet. A rishi can be thought of as a guru or sage with a direct link to
a god who represents that god, in much the same way that a champion is an Azadan or knight who
is linked to a god and champions the deity’s cause physically.
Entry requirements
A candidate for Rishi must meet the qualifications for becoming a guru, and also the
qualifications for becoming a devotee of the deity he or she is seeking inspiration from. The
player of a potential rishi must explain to the GM why the deity would want the character as a
rishi, or the needs of the plot must call for a rishi and the character must be the best qualified
candidate among the player characters, in the eyes of the deity
Upsides
Rishis get permanent Bless III and Shield III; if dispelled these spells go down and come back up
again at the end of the episode
A rishi counts as a “Healer” if the deity as a healing deity, and as a “Diviner”, which may add to
the spells available to him
Rishis start a Divine Intuition skill, and gain a relationship with their patron deity which enables
them to call for Divine Intervention.
Status is increased by 2 when dealing with all members of the cult he is a rishi in. Status is
increased by one in all other situations.
A rishi gains one fame point on becoming a rishi
A rishi may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions. This guidance is
listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be welcome.

Downsides
A rishi must not behave in a "manner unbecoming a rishi".
A rishi must behave in a “nonviolent manor” – in practice this means never physically
incapacitating an enemy,
A rishi cannot accept secular offices, etc while performing his or her religious duties, without
performance of a divination to the deity he is inspired by. Deities usually deny such permission.
A rishi may receive guidance from the deity, in the forms of dreams or visions. This guidance is
listed as both an upside and a downside, since the guidance may not always be welcome.
A priest must put half his checks, rounded up, into religious skills {cult lore, culture lore skills,
POW, Ceremony, Devotional meditation, insight meditation, summoning, etc. What is a
religious skill is a question for the GM to finally rule on, but non-cult non lore skills rarely count.
A priest loses one check per session to the abstract performance of religious duties. In the right
circumstances he can obtain an influence point roll by sacrificing another check and going “above
and beyond the call of duty” in support of the cult.
Loss of Rishi Status
A character stops being a rishi if the god doesn't need a rishi, or he or she fails to "act like the
god". Rishis that lose rishi status “honorably” retain their rishi abilities, but revert to being Guru
plus Devotee for skill increase, etc.
If the reason for the retirement is that the deity doesn't need a rishi, and the deity needs one, the
rishi may be selected as a rishi again.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 142
Shaman/Shamanka
Description
A shaman is a specialist in shamanic magic. Shamanka is the feminine form of shaman;
references to “or she” below are technically references to Shamanka and not shamans.
Entry requirements
A shaman or shamanka much have five skills at level of 20 or higher, at least 3 of which are
magical in nature (spirit combat, etc).
A Shaman must also have beaten a POW 25 or higher spirit in Spirit Combat
He or she must have earned a fame point in spirit combat; this may be the fight used in b),
The player of a shaman candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is
a good choice for shaman. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
elder who is already a shaman.
Upsides
A shaman receives a fetch, if he or she does not already have one.
A shaman resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of 10;
increase all rolls below 10 to 10.
A shaman is usually gifted with a shamanic item by the tribe or shamanic elder recognizing him
or her as a shaman.
A character gets a fame point for being a shaman.
A shaman gets the true names of three spirits to summon, etc, as specified in the tradition
description.
A shaman is entitled to 2 followers; one is often a student training to become a shaman; one is a
cook/maid, etc, who is not of great combat value; these followers start as poor peasants {FTE 4 in
the Empire}.
If a shaman rolls below 10 in spirit combat, if successful, are automatically boosted to a 10 for
purposes of resisting or overcoming opposition
Downsides
A shaman must not summon or use Disease spirits
Must put at least half of all checks, rounded up, into skills related to dealing with spirits.
A shaman will usually not be offered titles or offices.
Loss of Shaman/Shamanka Status
A shaman known to summon disease spirits may lose his or her status as a healer, and become
known instead a “witch”. This may result not merely in loss of shamanic status, but in exile or
death
A shaman who joins a cult, or accepts a title or office which is incompatible with being a shaman
may lose his or her status.

Spook
Description
A spook is anyone whose primary duty is to gather information by going out and looking for it as
opposed to sitting in the library, or who engages in covert action for a living.
Entry requirements:
Five skills at 20 or higher, including Hide and either Intrigue or Street Wisdom;
Resist a special spot while hidden, or overcome a special or critical resistance with Intrigue
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 143
The player of a spook candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is a
good choice for spook. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
appropriate evaluating official.
Upsides
Stealth oriented magic item, or armor quality improvement {light +1 or medium +1} up to a
maximum worth of 10.000 silver pieces.
Investigation oriented magic item {maximum value of about 10.000 silver pieces
A grade level upgrade {+1grade level, up to a maximum of 10}, spook who are below grade 7 are
automatically raised to 7.
Spooks use a D12 to resist incapacitation {I've got to hang in there and pull this off, "My name is
Bond, James Bond")}.
Spooks resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of 10;
increase all rolls below 10 to 10.
A spook Status is +2 in dealing with the organization or institution he is acting as a spook for and
is +1 when dealing with other agents.
Since a spook is generally assumed to have a "need to know"; he or she is treated as a “friend” of
the institution he or she works for purposes of obtaining information and scrolls from it.
The spook may create for him or herself, at the time he is promoted, one sacred item which has a
permanent divine magic spell. If divine magic, the spell must be one he can cast during the ritual;
if sorcery, a sorcerer can cast it for him. The item used for this must be of masterpiece quality,
and "appropriate"; a horn would not be appropriate for Melt into the Background. What is and
isn't appropriate will be decided by the GM on a case by case basis, except that items listed as
appropriate in the cult description are always appropriate.
Upon promotion, a spook gets a cash bonus of 2500 silver pieces.
A spook resists mental magic such as Demoralize or Mystify with a minimum effective roll of 10;
increase all rolls below 10 to 10
Downsides
A spook must not betray the organization he or she is an agent of, or at least must not get caught
doing so.
A spook is expected to undertake assigned missions; if not could end up with infamy point.
A spook must put at least half of all checks, rounded up, into "agent skills"; this category includes
weapon attacks and parries, unarmed combat, hide, intrigue, light fingers, street Wisdom, Spot,
Cult Lore for "spook deities" {those that have two or more spook skills as cult skills}; others may
be included at the discretion of the GM.
A spook will usually not be offered titles or offices the performance of whose duties would be
inconsistent with serving as a secret agent.
Loss of Spook Status
Any character that earns three infamy points for "loose talk, betrayal of the company, etc" can lose
spook status. Infamy points may be offset by fame, if the spook has twice as many fame points as
infamy points;
Any character that chooses to join a cult or accept a title or office which is incompatible with being
a spook will lose spook status.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 144
Vizier
Description
A vizier is a scholar/administrator who holds a position as an expert adviser or administrator, in
the service of an individual or organization.
Entry Requirements
A vizier candidate should have three skills at 20+, one of which must be administration, another
of which must be either rhetoric or intrigue.
The candidate must be a Guru; or Companion; or being owed a Favor; by the individual being
advised, or the individual heading the organization being advised
The player of a vizier candidate must explain to the satisfaction of the GM, why the character is a
good choice for vizier. This GM may require that this explanation be made in character, to an
appropriate evaluating official.
Upsides
A vizier has access to half the status of the institution or individual he or she is a vizier of, up to
maximum of 6, rounded down, when making clout rolls. This status may be used to gain favors
for the vizier personally.
A vizier gets a +1 to his or her grade level, up to a maximum level of 11, or one less than the rank
of the noble conferring patronage, whichever is lower.
A vizier gets +1 fame point.
A vizier will have access to the library of the institution or individual conferring the rank upon
him, and an ability to have clerks copy scrolls for them, abstracted as 300 silver pieces worth of
scrolls per session.
A vizier may roll admin skill twice whenever an admin skill roll is called for, and take the better
result. Exception, if a fumble is rolled, the player must roll twice and if a result in the lower half
of the range is rolled, he or she must accept the fumble. This is because his or her status makes
people reluctant to challenge the vizier, not because of outstanding administrative skill. It does
not apply in strictly technical contexts, such as determining the authenticity of paperwork.
A vizier is seen by the friends of the noble or king he is a companion of as a representative of the
noble or king he is associated with.
A vizier may support two followers, one of whom is usually a clerk/student who copies scrolls, etc,
and one of whom is a trusty companion.
Downsides
A vizier is expected to undertake missions, usually legal or diplomatic but sometimes theological
or even military, when asked by his or her patron.
A vizier is expected to grant anything that would count as a small favor to his or her patron free of
charge
A vizier seen by the enemies of the noble or king he is a companion of as a representative of the
noble or king he is associated with.
Loss of Vizier Status
Conduct unbecoming a vizier can lead to loss of vizier status
Accumulating a net of three infamy points for stupidity can lead to loss of vizier status; infamy for
stupidity can be offset by Fame for sagacity at a rate of two for one – he’s a very smart guy, but
he’s done some pretty stupid things.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 145

Chapter IX – Interacting with the Legendary World

The rules for interacting with the legendary world are based on stories like Jason and the
Argonauts. These are narratives involving interactions with the Gods, etc. They differ from
normal adventures because the actions of the characters must, to a considerable extent, conform
to a predefined narrative structure.

What Makes an Adventure a Quest?

Major and consistent differences between normal adventures and legendary quests are:
I. Legendary quests begin with calls that have a mystical flavor – a vision from a deity or the
like. Normal adventures usually begin with something that is not remarkable, a chance to
hunt boar or join a caravan as guards.
II. The decision to go on a normal adventure is usually not a big deal. The characters are
hunters asked to hunt or caravan guards guarding a caravan. On normal adventures,
characters are not asked to deviate from their social roles or make major sacrifices.
Characters do not risk ostracism for going on normal adventures.
III. The sacrifice demanded by participation in a normal adventure is minimal. Characters
may be risking their lives, but they are usually not risking their reputations. Likewise,
deities and other legendary creatures do not usually interfere in normal adventures. Most
“monsters”, such as orks that are presented in the rules are common enough in an FRP
setting so that their mere appearance does not make a quest legendary. A giant sized Ork,
or one of superhuman intelligence, might well be a legendary entity whose involvement in
a quest would help to make it legendary.
IV. Preparation is pretty minimal for most normal adventures. The characters may buy some
one use magic items, talk to people, sacrifice for spells, etc. Major rituals or large
preparatory efforts are extremely rare in normal adventures. A normal adventure may be
undertaken with no preparation whatever.
V. There are no special rules for the scenes in a normal adventure. The scenes of a normal
adventure are its episodes. The scenes in a normal adventure do not usually involve
legendary entities. Fame points are usually not awarded just for participation in a
normal adventure, though there are exceptions.
VI. Legendary quests involve things of such difficulty that the DM can envision singers of the
quest and the questers, while normal adventures tend to be less remarkable.
It should be noted that this division is not hard and fast. A normal adventure might involve a
serious decision, or include a scene where the player characters encounter a “legendary” creature.
Some things that might at first appear legendary are normal. Going to talk to a dragon is not in
itself legendary, though dragons are so rare and powerful in Fire and Sword that they are arguably
legendary; and success in convincing the dragon to join your side would certainly be worth a fame
point. Likewise, a legendary quest might begin in an unremarkable manner and miss a couple of
the criteria above. In general, I regard a quest as legendary if it involves significant sacrifice, risks
a character’s reputation as well as his or her life, and involves significant participation by one or
more legendary entities as opponents of the questers.
Legendary Quests have several stages: the Call; the Decision; the Sacrifice; one or more scenes;
the Climax; and the Conclusion. These are described in more detail in the rest of this chapter.

The Call
A major quest begins when the character becomes aware of a big issue, justifying the quest, This
can be the result of anything from an assignment to go on the quest by a superior {Jason and the
Argonauts, where the King sent Jason on the quest in hopes of getting rid of him} to a dream sent
by a deity. If a deity is sending a dream, the GM should make sure that the quest is to some extent
in the interest of its worshippers.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 146
Polytheistic deities, intercessory saints in a monotheistic world, founders of sorcery schools,
ancestral spirits, and intelligent animal “great spirits” have all instigated quests. Sometimes a
human, asking a goddess { or great spirit, or whatever} for help starts a quest; in granting the help
the deity recognizes the action proposed as a quest, and converts the action into a legendary
quest.
The legendary entity asking for the quest can send a dream or message to anyone known to any of
its worshippers, shamans, sorcerers, etc. It cannot reach people who have no indirect connection
{with only one link} to anyone with loyalty to it and its aims. More than one character may be
solicited by a legendary entity to go on a quest. In general, legendary entities select characters
with at least one awarded fame point, and high relevant skills, as these improve a character’s
chances of success on a quest.
Characters who have been asked to go on a quest, may also ask others to go on the quest. Since
legendry quests involve risk to life and limb, and often start with earning an infamy point by
walking away from a character’s responsibilities, this leads to a decision point.

The Decision
The next step is for the character(s) to decide whether or not to respond to the call. This is a real
issue, because quests are hazardous. Also, not all quests are in the interest of all characters. My
healer character Zojila probably would not respond to a call to bring a True Sword of Death into
the world. A deity may compel a character to go on a quest, if he or she is a devotee or champion
of the deity; refusing to go could result in a loss of their status. Initiates, gurus or priests cannot
be so compelled.
The final reason not to go on a quest is the sacrifice involved. Most characters have obligations
and lives. Going on a quest involves walking away from army and feudal superiors, wounded in
the hospital a healer character volunteers at or works for, etc. So it is not something to undertake
lightly.

The Sacrifice
The sacrifice has three parts to it.
The first is just the natural result of dropping whatever a character is doing in order to go along
on a quest. All offices are lost, titles lose their pluses to grade, and at the discretion of the GM an
infamy point may be awarded for ignoring one’s obligations to go off on a quest. Fame resulting
from lost titles and offices is retained for the duration of the quest.
The second aspect is that sacrifices may be called for from the character. In general, a deity or
legendary character is restricted in the help it can offer, by a rule of balance. It cannot provide
more help than has been sacrificed to it. So, if a character wants or will need from a greater
power in performing the quest, he or she must sacrifice to it.
The third sacrifice a character makes is of free will. While performing the quest, he or she will
sometimes feel an impulse to do things that may not make sense to the player {just as they do not
make conscious sense to the character}. When the character feels the inner compulsion to do
what is necessary to perform the quest, he or she has to do it. A player can refuse this inner
compulsion, but then the quest ends unsuccessfully.

Preparation
This involves convincing people to support the quest. It also involves telling the hero about any
help the supporting legendary entities are prepared to provide in return for the sacrifices made to
them. In our Jason and the Argonauts example, this is where Jason gets the Argo, talks to Hera,
and she tells him she can answer seven questions. It also covers assembling the crew. Next, we
move on to the quest itself.

Scenes
The next phase is one or more dramatic incidents. These differ from normal episodes in that they
take place on the God Plane, or Legendary Plane, involve creatures of greater than normal size,
intelligence and power(s), and do not necessarily obey the normal rules of physics, space and
time. A non-combat example from Jason and the Argonauts would be the scenes on Mt.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 147
Olympus, where Jason looks at a giant size Zeus and Hera. The Clashing Rocks would be another
such scene.
Heroic scenes can be set in the middle of normal battles. At one time, a character named Rolf was
engaged in battle on three planes at once, a fight as part of a large battle in the normal world,
several different combats on the spirit plane, and fighting an enemy hero on the legendary plane.
To go on to the legendary plane as part of a scene, a character must have at least one awarded
fame point. Depending on the scene, and how you get there, it may require more than one. A
character with more than enough awarded fame points to get on the legendary plane, may use his
or her points to help other characters onto the legendary plane.
Skill rolls made on the Legendary Plane are made on D30.
Fame points also serve as “Will” points. Fame gained under another name or actions which
would have made a character famous had they been attributable to the character may be counted
at the discretion of the GM. Robin Hood’s fame strengthens the will of Robin Hood, even if he is
busy rescuing the Lion heart under another name. A spook character may not be famous, but his
or her successes will increase will just the same.
A will point may be used to:
o Enter the legendary plane.
o At the discretion of the GM, a character may use one will to start a “legendary” or “heroic”
skill, or learn a spell, which is not normally available. These skills or spells follow the
normal rules, except that there is a -5 modifier to skill because they are hard to use or to
cast.
o Roll twice, taking the better result, for all rolls of a particular type in a particular scene.
This may be started at any time, but only lasts till the end of the scene. It never affects
rolls that are already made. A type is considered to be any single thing that might be
rolled against. Sword attack, shield parry, Power, etc. Thus luck rolls and power rolls for
purposes of casting traded divine spells are the same “type”, while melee attack and parry
are distinct. More than one type of roll may have the better of two results if an only if
more than one will point is expended. If a character already gets “best of two” and uses
will for this purpose, he or she gets “best of three”. If a character already has “best of
three”, and uses will for this purposes, he or she gets best of 4. A character cannot use
will to add more than one roll.
o To regain up to 21 magic points of divine magic spells, or 85 magic points. This does not
allow a character to sacrifice for new spells, etc.
o To make up to one day of time pass, to allow the performance of ritual ceremonies and
summoning.
o To change the location of a terrain feature on the scene of an encounter, if and only if the
feature is not essential to the plot.
o A character may “give” will to another character. Any will given must be used
immediately, not stored for later use.
o To resist any other effect which the GM requires be resisted by will. For example, a
monster might be so terrifying that it paralyzes with fear any character who does not
either roll fame or less on D10, or spend one will point. Characters might have to keep
walking all night in freezing weather, requiring the character to make a roll of will or less
on D20, and if the roll is missed, the character loses one will.
Characters lose one will for each will use, except that when a roll of dice against will is called, a
character whose player makes the roll does not lose will.
Events on the Legendary Plane are sometimes visible on the normal plane, but shimmer giving
the feeling that something supernatural is going on. A character that is fighting three enemies,
one of whom has been sent as opposition for the scene for the character, and two of whom are
followers that cut down his followers, are fighting three enemies. He fight his destined opposition
using D30, and the others using D20.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 148
It should be noted that not every event that takes place In a Legendary Quest takes place on the
Legendary Plane. Movement from the site of one scene to the next will often be made on the
normal plane, and the characters may face normal plane encounters. An enemy king, totally
unaware of the legendary quest might send a band of assassins after the questers, based on his
interpretation of events on the normal plane. The resulting fight would take place on the normal
plane.
Opposition may also take the form of opposing questers, sent by enemy deities. Encounters with
this kind of opposition are always Legendary, and resolved using D30.
The quest continues from one scene to the next, until the climax is reached and the questers have
either succeeded or failed. Usually, as a matter of dramatic structure, the challenges get more
difficult to overcome as the quest continues

Climax
The climax is the final challenge that the characters face. It is subject to all of the special rules
given for scenes of a legendary quest. In a well design quest it will contain multiple challenges
specific to the different characters involved, and require choices which determine the character of
the questers. This encounter is also the point where fame point(s) are usually awarded

Conclusion
This is the wrap up phase. Seeds for the next quest are planted here, rewards are handed out if
appropriate, and the effects of the quest on the social status of the characters are determined.
Characters will usually get at least one awarded fame point for completing a quest, and may get
additional fame points for their parts in individual scenes. Characters who succeed in a quest and
qualify for the title will often become champions of the sponsoring entity.
One or more items will often be created that are “relics” of the quest. These items have been
enchanted by the events on the legendary plane.
Finally, influence may be awarded because the quest benefited certain groups, which may be
grateful.
On the other hand, the people the character walked away from to go on the quest might not
forgive him or her. Offices lost might not be regained. The infamy point for being unreliable and
walking away from his or her obligations, may, at the discretion of the GM, remain.
Any influence, friendships, etc lost because the character did what he had to do to make the quest
work, remains lost.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 149

Chapter X – Creatures
A basic list of non human creatures, with attached descriptions of their characteristics, is
provided in this appendix. The GM should not limit him or herself to these creatures, but use the
provided creatures as benchmarks when creating his or her own creatures. The sample creatures
do provide a useful beginning list, and cover most creatures likely to be encountered in most
game settings. The reader may notice that I have not described the creatures; this is not because I
think description is unimportant but because I think most potential fantasy role playing game
masters will know what a horse or a dragon is. For those interested in creature descriptions, links
have been provided, usually to Wikipedia entries describing them.

Format for Creature Descriptions

Name: The creature’s common name. This usually includes a link or two so that readers
unfamiliar with the creature can find out something about what it was, is, or is described in myth
as.
Characteristics: Some creatures are potential player characters, and the statistics for creating a
player creature of these species are provided here. If no characteristics are listed here, the
creature is usually not sentient and unsuited for use as a character by a player. The characteristic
modifiers are in addition to, not instead of, size modifiers to impact bonus, etc.
Attacks: the creature’s favored attacks, how much damage they do, and the associated skill
Parries: active defenses, not always limited to parrying but also includes dodging
Armor: The armor value of the creature when commonly encountered.
Size Class: how big the creature is, for details see below under rules;
Speed Class: how fast the creature is, for more detail see below under rules;
Strength Modifier: a modifier to the impact bonus, based on how strong the creature relative
to its size. The values for this can range between -3 for a hollow boned bird to +3 for a dwarf. If
no modifier value is included in the description, assume that the strength modifier is zero.
Agility Modifier: a modifier to the enemy’s chance to hit based on the creature’s skill in
dodging. The value for his can range from -3 for a sloth to +3 for pixie. If no modifier value is
included in the description, assume that the strength modifier is zero.
Magic Resistance: Usually the effective POW characteristic of the creature, but may describe
other magical resistance as well;
Poison: The effects of any poison the creature possesses.
Significant Abilities: The creature’s typical abilities. Sentient races divide these into Innate
Abilities (the minimum ability ratings possessed by all members of the race, equivalent to the
Racial Keyword) and Typical Abilities (those specific to an average member of the sample
occupation).
The creatures described in this chapter include: Angel, Basilisk, Banshee, Bear, Boar, Boar, Giant,
Brontothere, Cat, Centaur, Centipede, Giant, Chonchon, Demon, Dire Wolf, Dog, Guard, Dog,
Hunting, Dragon, Black, Dragon, Fire, Dwarf, Eagle, Elf, Fox, Gargoyle, Gaur, Ghost, Gnome,
Golem, Great Ork, Griffin, Harpy, Hippogriff, Horse, Heavy, Horse, Light, Horse, Medium,
Hydra, Impala, Indricotherium, Jotun, Lamia, Lion, Manticore, Mastodon, Minotaur, Mule
(Jenny), Mummy, Naga, Ork, Panther (Leopard}, Pixie, Rakshasa, Rhinoceros, Saber Toothed
Cat, Salamander, Scorpion Man, Shedu, Sphinx, Sylph, Tiger, Troll, Undine, Unicorn, Vampire,
Wolf, Wyvern, Zombie.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 150
Creature Descriptions
Angel
Notes: Angels are spirits that come from a deity, either as divine messengers or as aid for
characters. For purposes of this game angels include not only the traditional cherubim and
seraphim, but also entities such as Charmed’s Whitelighters and a champion’s allied spirit.
Angels are often a source of knowledge, and magical support; they are much less often a source of
direct combat power. Usually, angels will only fight directly if there is a demon on the other side
Angels may appear in a variety of forms, most commonly that of winged humanoids, but also as
talking doves, talking swords forged in Valhalla, apparently ordinary humans, and ghosts. Angels
are individual, so no standard angelic statistics are provided.
Basilisk
Attacks: Gaze, Bite does 1D8, Gaze skill is 18-25, Bite 15-20
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 15-20
Armor: scaly hide (1 point)
Size Class: small
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: 15 (always)
Typical Abilities: Hide in Cover 18, Spot Intruder 18.
Innate Magic: Corrosive Blood 18, Death Gaze 22, Resist Magic 18.
Poison: roll 1D10+10 vs. Constitution characteristic, if injected, if Poison works character
is dying; if poison fails roll again and if poison works character is incapacitated. Rules
for healing are as normal, except that rolls of 10 or below have no effect.
Banshee
Banshees are one of the few types of spirit that often interacts with non shamanic people. They
appear as pale, translucent keening women dressed in white. The keening is usually foretells the
death of at least one person who hears it; and is frightening in itself. A banshee’s keening attacks
those who hear it as if it were the Demoralize divine spell. If a character resists demoralization,
he or she cannot be affected by banshee keening for the rest of the episode. The effect of banshee
keening is not instant; it takes at least ten rounds to demoralize a character. When shamans use
banshees in combat, banshee keening is often the first warning that a group is about to be
attacked. The maximum number of enemies a banshee spirit can attack is equal to its POW.
These are the nearest targets, so a wise shaman will make sure that a banshee is closer to his
enemies than to his friends before it starts keening. When a banshee has finished its keening,
and attacked the maximum number of targets possible, it disappears.
Demoralization due to banshee keening lasts a week. Banshee keening is not a spell, so Dismiss
Magic and Neutralize do not remove it. Specialized spells to improve morale will eliminate
banshee demoralization. Spells intended to banish demons will work against banshees as well.
Banshees are not actually undead, and spells against undead do not affect them.
Some ghosts also have the ability to keen like banshees. They are often mistaken for banshees,
but after the demoralize attack has ended, they stick around and fight like other ghosts. These
ghosts are affected by spells that affect other ghosts.
Banshees dodge physical attacks, with an automatic dodge skill roll of 20.
If a shaman or Shamanka has summoned a banshee, he or she is not affected by its keening. A
bound banshee requires one check per session, spent on it; if this does not happen it will depart.
If gained as a cult spirit, a banshee is more cooperative, and the cost is given by the cult spirit
rules below.
Bear
Attacks: Claw and Bite do 1D10+2 usually skill is 18-25; Grapple {bear hug} squeezes 1D10+8, 18
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: 2 {fur and thick skin}
Size Class: large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12.
Significant Abilities: Catch Fish 18, Charge at Foe 20, Dig 12, Forage 15, Scent Intruder 15,
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 151
Swim 12.
Boar
Attacks: Slash with Tusks does 1D10+2; usually skill is 15-20.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: 2 points
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Distinct Abilities: Acute Smell 18, Charge 16, Cunning 15, Root for Food 20, Scent Predator 15
Boar, Giant
Attacks: Slash with Tusks does 1D12+2; usually skill is 18-22.
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor: 3 points
Size Class: large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Distinct Abilities: Acute Smell 18, Charge 16, Cunning 15, Root for Food 20, Scent Predator 15
Innate Magical Talents: Up to three at 22 each; typical talents include Glowing Bristles,
Invulnerable to Normal Weapons, Magically Acute Sense of Smell, Razor Tusks, and Thundering
Trotters.
Brontothere
Attacks: Butt 1D10+2, usually skill is 20.
Parries: None
Armor: 4 point
Size Class: huge
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Speed Modifier: -2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Charge 25; Hear Noise 15, Scent Food 18
Cat
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 15-22.
Parries: Dodge 20
Armor: Fur equivalent to light armor
Size Class: Very small
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: 0
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Catch Vermin 18, Climb 15, Dodge 18, Hide.18
Centaur
Characteristics: STR, 3D6+6 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+6 DEX: 2D6+3 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 2D6+9
Attacks: Kick does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 15-22; Bow (1D10) usually skill
22, Lance (1D10) usually skill 20; broadsword (1D10) skill usually between 15-20
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: Hide equivalent to 1 point
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Listen 15-20, Hearing 12, Jump 20, Centaur Tradition Knowledge 16,
Centaur Customs 14, Close Combat 14, Know Animals 18, Know Local Area 13, Play Lyre 18, Track
20
Centipede, Giant
Attacks: Bite, does 1D10 + size bonus
Parries: none
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 152
Armor: Hide equivalent to 8 point
Size Class: Gigantic
Speed Class: Fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+21
Significant Abilities: Listen 15-20, Spot 15-25, Hide 10-20 {cannot hide while moving, it knows
how to find hiding places for a creature its size}, low light vision 15-25
Chonchon
Attacks: A demoralizing howl, affecting all that hear it and fail to resist it. Skill varies between 15
and 30. Chonchons are an alternate from for some sorcerers, and may also know and cast any
sorcery spells
Parries: Dodge 20
Armor: Hide equivalent to 1 point
Size Class: Small
Speed Class: Fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Fly 15-25, Spot 15-25, Listen 15-25, Hide 15-25,
Demon
Rules Notes: For purposes of this game, demons are an unusual type of spirit that is usually dealt
with by theists and sorcerers, not by shamans. They are malevolent spirits that can be dealt with
by anyone who knows summoning, not just a shaman. Demons speak human languages. Like
other spirits, they require a fee for their services, but the fee is often an evil act such as a human
sacrifice, not the relatively innocuous sacrifice of time spent in study, etc.
Demons usually have INT, POW, and CHARM characteristics of 3D6+6, minimum. When first
summoned they customarily appear as a beautiful creature of the same kind as, but opposite sex
to, the character summoning them. This is a convention, which demons adhere to because it is
the most effective way to distract and manipulate the summoning character, and may be ignored
by the demon at the Game master’s discretion. Demons may possess any skill the Game master
chooses to give them, but usually do not have cult lore skills. They may, at the GM, know sorcery.
Demons may possess other creatures, using the spirit combat rules. They are usually restricted
to attacking either the summoning character {if a deal is not reached}, or targets designated by
the summoning character.
Demons often have the power to assume a material form and fight for the character summoning
them. The simplest way to create a physical combat demon is to start with a monster of another
type and add one or more of the following demonic features:
Demonic Features Table
D100 Name Effect
Roll
1-4 Bat Ears Bat sonar like ability to sense in darkness. Scan, search, etc can be
used but at -5 to effective skill.
5-8 Tough +2 on incapacitation roll, and -2 to injury roll
9 Gray Third Creature has permanent Magesight II
Eye
10-12 Great Vision Creature rolls Spot skill twice, taking higher result
13-16 Fast Character moves at double normal speed for creature of its type.
17-19 Dancer’s Moves like a dancer, +2 on Dance skill increase rolls, distinctive so
Grace everyone will remember seeing the creature, +2 to critical which is
cumulative with Mind of the Warrior, etc when attacking and
parrying.
20-23 Magic Add 10 to POW before rolling to resist magic
Resistant
24-27 Mediocrity Add 5 to successful rolls below 10, subtract 5 from successful rolls
above 15
28-29 Resilience, Roll twice, taking the better result, on incapacitation roll
30 Hand Blade Hand is a curved sword, treat as scimitar with Black Blade of Death
and attack skill 25
31-34 Immolates Does extra +6 with flaming weapon, 1D10+6 damage if you touch it
or it couches you, produces light as if Yelm’s Lesser Light spell
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 153
35-37 Three Lives Creature has to be incapacitated three times before it finally goes
down.
38-39 Charming +5 Virtual (cannot be spent) to relationship points when making any
clout roll
40-41 Nerd -5 hard modifier to all social and persuasion skills, including
Leadership,
42-43 Terrifying Anyone fighting character in melee must resist as if attacked by
Demoralize spell on first round of engagement
44-45 Insignificant Treat as permanent 15 Intensity Insignificance spell, may be shut off
at will or to attack but not regained until next sunset
46-53 Extra Arms Character has 2 extra arms, and two extra actions. This does not
provide extra weapons, etc.
54-55 Aura Chaotic aura distracts all enemies in melee with the character, in
game terms roll twice to attack taking lower result
56-58 Beauty Character appearance mysteriously beautiful, +5 to Appearance,
treat as Charisma spell as well.
59-61 Ugly Character appears hideously ugly, -5 to appearance and a -3 modifier
to all social skills except intimidate
62-64 Red Skin +2 on incapacitation roll, as it were armored, combinable with armor
and other armor enhancing magic.
65-66 Reflection Treat as Reflection spell
67 Immunity Character resists offensive magic or spirit combat with critical POW or
cult lore roll as appropriate
68-70 Fire Breath 1D10+6 Fire attack, spitting fire out to javelin reach, skill equal to
character’s POW
71-74 Haste Character has double number of actions per round, and moves as if
Fleet Foot were cast on him or her
75-76 Mace +10 to resist incapacitation by maces
Resistance
77-78 Axe +10 to resist incapacitation by axes
Resistance
78-83 Sword +10 to resist incapacitation by swords
Resistant
84-85 Spear +10 to resist incapacitation by spears or javelins
Resistant
86-89 Missile +10 to resist incapacitation by missile weapons
Resistant
90-91 Lucky Creature critically parries or resists a spell once per combat, in a
situation where only a critical would parry or resist
92-94 Death Roll incapacitation and injury dice twice, taking the better result
Resistant
95-96 Floats Creature floats in water without needing to make swim skill roll
97-98 Astral Creature can go onto the spirit plane for one round, as if he wasn’t
there, walk through a wall or whatever and rematerialize
99 Shape shifter Have two different shapes that may be different looking creatures of
the same type, or different creatures. Intelligence and other mental
characteristics are the same in all forms, but the physical
characteristics can be distinct.
00 Endearing Rolls twice taking the better result, on Rhetoric, Fast Talk, Seduction,
and all custom skills, taking the better result. Also +10 virtual
relationship points when making clout rolls
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 154
Dire Wolf
Magic resistance: Treat as successful POW roll of 15
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, and usually skill is 20-25.
Parries: dodge, skill usually 15-20
Armor 2 pt
Size Class: large
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Corner Prey 12 (+2 per pack member), Scent Prey 18-22, Track by Scent 18-
22.
Dog, Guard
Attacks: Bite does 1D10 usually skill is 15-22.
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor 1 point
Size Class: human
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Track by Scent 18-22.
Dog, Hunting
Attacks: Bite does 1D10 usually skill is 15-18.
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor fur equal to leather armor
Size Class: Small
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: 0
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Bark at Stranger 15-18, Corner Prey 10 (effective skill is 10+number of pack
members)
Dragon, Black
Attacks: Bite (1D10), Claw (1D10), skill 35, Breathe Flame (1D10 cone shaper fire), Tail lash (1D6
plus knock flat oppose with dexterity roll) 40
Parries: None
Armor: 9 point scales
Size Class: huge
Hit Points: 1,000
Speed Class: fast {when flying}, slow {when walking}
Magic Resistance: 30
Poison: roll 1D10+10 vs. Constitution characteristic, if breathed in, if Poison works character is
dying; if poison fails roll again and if poison works character is incapacitated. Rules for healing
are as normal, except that rolls of 10 or below have no effect.
Significant Abilities: Hear Intruder 25, Spot Prey 20
Dragon, Fire
Attacks: Bite (1D10), Claw (1D10), skill 35, Breathe Flame (1D10 cone shaper fire), Tail lash (1D6
plus knock flat oppose with dexterity roll) 40
Parries: None
Armor: 9 point scales
Size Class: gigantic
Hit Points: 10,000
Speed Class: fast {when flying}, slow {when walking}
Magic Resistance: 30
Significant Abilities: Hear Intruder 25, Spot Prey 20, Resist Critical Hit {reduce special or critical
hits to normal hits} 15
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 155
Dwarf
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+9 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+9 DEX: 2D6+3 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
1D6+3 SIZ: 2D6+3
Attacks: Axe (1D0+2) skill 15-55, Hammer (1D10) skill 15-55, Repeating Crossbow (1D8+1) skill
15-35
Parries: Medium Shield {protects as large due to small size of dwarf) skill 15-55
Armor: High quality medium or heavy armor {3 pts or 4 pts)
Size Class: small
Constitution Modifier: +5
Strength Modifier: +3
Speed Class: small
Speed Modifier: -1
Typical Abilities: Unarmed Combat 12-36, Dwarf Customs 15-35, Dwarf Sorcery School Lore 15-
35, Smith 18,
Eagle
Attacks: Claw and Bite do 1D8; usually skill is 18.
Parries: Dodge 18
Armor: Feathers and Tough Hide equivalent to medium bronze,
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Small
Strength Modifier: -1
Magic Resistance: POW 14
Significant Abilities: Aerobatics 15-25, Dive 20-30, Spot Prey 18-25
Tactics: Eagles fly high, and dive down on small targets such as birds or rabbits. They rarely
attack humans or larger targets
Elf
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+3 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+3 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+8 SIZ: 2D6+3
Attacks: Bow: 1D8/1D8+3 skill is 20 {+5 in forest, -5 outside forest}, Spear 1D10, Short Sword
1D8 skill with both is 15
Parries: Small shield, parry skill 15
Armor 1 point skin, plus another point of light armor, or more rarely 2 pt medium
Size Class: human
Strength Modifier: -1
Speed Class: human
Typical Abilities: Acute Hearing 14, Elf Tradition Knowledge 20, Alert 17, Camouflage Self in
Trees 20, Climb Tree 17, Close Combat 14, Elf Language & Custom 13, Night Vision 18, Local
Area Lore 22, Move Quickly in Forest 17, Plant Lore 16 , Stealth 18.
Fox
Attacks: Bite does 1D10 usually skill is 15-18.
Parries: Dodge 18
Armor 1 point
Size Class: Small
Speed Class: fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Acute Hearing 18, Cunning 23, Dig 12, Hide: 23 Leap 15, Run Fast 15, Scent
Food 18
Gargoyle
Attacks: Claws do1D10, Thrown Javelin, skill is usually 15 for both.
Parries: dodge, skill is 12
Armor 8 point armored hide
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human, modifier plus 2
Magic Resistance: POW 20
Significant Abilities: Camouflage (against rock) 20, Climb Cliff 15, Jump 12
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 156
Gaur
Attacks: Butt does 1D10; usually skill is 18-22. Can charge, which doubles their damage bonus
Parries: None
Armor: Hide equivalent to medium bronze armor
Size Class: Huge

Speed Class: Fast

Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Scent Predator 18
Ghost
Ghosts are one of the few types of spirit that often interacts with non shamanic people. They are
usually the spirits of creatures that have died by violence, and been unable to go to a normal
afterlife, instead remaining near the scene of their deaths. Less often, a ghost went on a normal
afterlife, but then returned to the normal plan as a spirit in the service of a deity or shaman.
Ghosts are insubstantial beings that look like translucent versions of the creature they were in life.
They are usually bound to an area, though they may be in the service of another character. If
bound to an area, they are free to attack anyone who enters the area, and sometimes they must
attack whoever enters that area. If in the service of a shaman, they attack only enemies they are
ordered to attack. To create a ghost, first determine what kind of creature it was in life, and then
determine its Intelligence, POW and CHARM characteristics. A ghost may have any skills that the
original creature could have had in life. They are usually guardian spirits, confined to an area, if a
character leaves the guarded area, they will usually not pursue. Some ghosts can communicate
using human speech, others cannot. All appear misty, not solid.
When first scene, a ghost has a demoralize attack {treated as the Demoralize spell} which is
automatically cast at any creature entering a defended area, with a roll equal to its POW. If a
character fails, he is demoralized until he or she can no longer see the ghost. A ghost can also
attack it foes in physical combat. It attacks its enemies with whatever weapon it has, as if it were
a normal attacker. On the other hand, both attack and parry skills are -20 against a ghost. Ghosts
are almost impossible to hit.
Ghosts may cast spells, and have spells cast at them. Spells that affect humans work against
ghosts, if and only if the attacking spell roll is an odd success greater than 10. For purposes of
spirit combat, ghosts are treated as discorporate spirits. They can be attacked by shamans in
spirit combat.
Ghosts come in all of the sizes described above under fetishes, though very large ghosts are very
rare. Ghosts will only align with characters if they are not guarding an area. Gaining the support
of a ghost costs the standard number of checks.
Gnome
Note: This is the earth elemental, not the goblin. It is a tiny, hard working humanoid, less than
one meter tall. It is usually summoned .to build earthworks and tunnels, or as a servant. A
sorcerer can summon a gnome, if he has a small amount of earth available. Summoning a a
gnome is subject to the normal rules in the Summoning skill description. A gnome will serve a
sorcerer, when summoned, for magic points in accordance with the normal duration rules given
in the sorcery chapter. In addition, magic points may be sacrificed at the time of summoning to
give it hit points. It uses these magic points to materialize in the physical world. Gnomes are
unusual in that they are not subject to the normal incapacitation rules. They have a number of hit
points equal to the number of magic points sacrificed when they are created. Ordinary physical
damage done to a gnome is ignored. Damage from magical weapon enchantments or spells is
counted, and when a gnome has been reduced to zero hit points it is destroyed. Gnomes are not
intelligent in the normal sense of the word and are immune to mind affecting spells. Gnomes can
talk, and understand single sentence commands of ten or fewer words in length, provided that
none of the words have more than two syllables. Usually, they are just told to go get things, clean
up the house, and carry things. They can be used as guardians, and often warn sorcerers.
Gnomes can merge into the earth and grab people who walk over them as described below.
Attacks: Gnomes usually attack by merging into the ground and grabbing the foot of a person
passing overhead. This is a 1D10 attack, and if grabbed a character must overcome the strength of
the gnome {automatic roll of 15} to break free. A gnome then tries to pull the victim into the
ground, this is like quicksand and is not fast, but unless the character can defeat a strength roll of
15 at some point, he will be pulled underground and buried alive.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 157
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 15-20
Armor: none
Size Class: small
Speed Class: fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Special: immune to non-magical damage eliminated by hit point damage, not normal combat
incapacitation rules.
Typical Abilities: None
Golem
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+3 CON: 2D6+9 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 3D6
Attacks: Any human
Parries: Any
Armor: Cannot be damaged by normal or special hits, or by non magical weapons, since it is
made of clay, not flesh.
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +5
Magic Resistance: 40
Typical Abilities: May have any human skills, though golems rarely know any form of magic.
Notes: Golems can be created by sorcerers, as a 15 point enchantment, or by some holy men, who
can make one as a sign of exceptional support {treat as a Huge Request, to see if it is granted}.
Golems pretty much obey orders, like loyal servants
Great Ork
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+9 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 3D6+2
Attacks: Heavy Mace does 1D10+1 sling does 1D8, skill usually 15-20
Parries: Large Shield, skill usually 15-20
Armor: Any, usually leather
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Size Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Typical Abilities: Acute Dark vision 17, Acute Hearing 17, Ambush 16, Butchery 20, Hide 22,
Know Local Area 22, Ork Tradition Knowledge 20, Motionless 18, Set Traps 14, Stalk Prey 22, Ork
Language and Customs 13.
Griffin
Attacks: Claw and Bite do 1D10+2; usually skill is 18.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: 2 pt Feathers and Tough Hide
Size Class: huge
Hit Points: 400
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: POW 20
Significant Abilities: Aerobatics 12, Dive 25, Spot 22, Grab 20
Harpy
Attacks: Claws : Damage 1D10, skill 15; Drop Stones Damage; Dung : does no damage but
exposed target to disease, most often Flesh Rot or Pox, and stench is horrible, forcing a hard
Constitution roll {Con-5} to remain effective for the next round. If roll is missed, character must
make a regular Constitution roll or be incapacitated. If incapacitated, the character is unwounded
and automatically recovers at the end of the combat round.
Parries: dodge with a skill of 18 bur strongly prefer ranged attacks
Armor: Feathers and Tough Hide equivalent to light leather,
Size Class: small
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: -1
Magic Resistance: POW 14
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 158
Significant Abilities: Aerobatics 18; Close Combat 15; Defecate on Foe 18; Drop Rocks 15; Resist
Disease 25; Spot 18
Hippogriff
Habitat: Mountains.
Attacks: Claw and Bite do 1D10; usually skill is 15-22. Hippogriffs can also use their Claw attacks
against disembodied spirits, when they fly into the spirit world.
Parries: Dodge 10
Armor: Hide equivalent to medium bronze,
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: 0
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+18
Significant Abilities: Aerobatics 20, Cunning 22, Dive 25, Spot 20, Grab 20
Innate Magical Abilities: Attack Disembodied Spirits (Attacks), Fly Into Spirit World 22-30,
Second Sight 18-25.
Horse, Heavy
Attacks: Kick does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 10-15.
Parries: None
Armor: thick hide equivalent to light armor
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Speed Modifier:-3
Strength and Size Modifier: +3
Distinct Abilities: Battle Training 18.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Horse, Light
Note: This is the horse ridden by unarmored or lightly armored cavalry
Attacks: Kick does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 10-15.
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor: thick hide equivalent to light armor
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Speed Modifier +3
Strength and Size Modifier: -3
Distinct Abilities (sometimes): Battle Training 15.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Horse, Medium
Note: This is the horse ridden by scale, mail, or lamellar armored cavalry who do not bard their
horses
Attacks: Kick does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 10-15.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: thick hide equivalent to light armor
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Hydra
Attacks: Bite does 1D10.
Parries: none
Armor: 5 point scaly hide
Size Class: large (but may be huge, gigantic, or colossal)
Speed Class: human
Hit Points: 500 per head
Magic Resistance: POW 20
Innate Chaos Features: Drool Acid 20 {attacks at 1D10 + 5 and destroys armor that stops it}
Poison: Attacks with a 15 against CON characteristic. If target character does not resist first
attack he is dying; if he resists roll again and if does not resist the second time target character is
seriously wounded; otherwise target character is lightly wounded.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 159
Impala
Habitat: Chaparral.
Attacks: Butt and Kick does 1D8 usually skill is 10-15.
Parries: Dodge 20
Armor: 1 point Feathers
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +1.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Leap 22, Scent Predator 18.
Indricotherium
Attacks: Trunk and Kick do 1D10 usually skill is 15-23.
Parries: None
Armor: 4 point
Size Class: gigantic
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +1.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+15
Significant Abilities: Significant Abilities: Acute Hearing 20, Cunning 15, Dig 12, Intimidate 25,
Scent Food 15
Jotun
Attacks: Throw boulder (1D8 + Strength bonus), Tree Trunk (1D10 + Strength bonus) skill 10-25
Parries: usually none
Armor: 7 pt hide
Size Class: gigantic {though some smaller giants are merely huge, and the biggest colossal}
Hit Points: 800
Speed Class: human.
Magic Resistance: 20 {always}
Lamia
Habitat: deserts, hills.
Attacks: May use any weapon a normal human uses. Also, when a lamia and a human look each
other eye to eye, the player of the human must roll higher on a POW roll than the lamia’s power.
If he or she fails, the human character finds the lamia sexually exciting, and will be willing to give
blood to the lamia when asked. The lamia has a “control appetite” skill, which his or her player
uses to determine whether he or she can stop drinking blood before the victim is incapacitated.
When this roll is failed, roll for the effects of incapacitation of the victim is if in combat. When
disguised as a human being, lamias will feel cold to the touch when the temperature is below
about 75 degrees Farenheight.
Parries: Any
Armor Any human
Size Class: human
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +1.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Hide 15-25; Intrigue 15-25, Seduction 20-30, Spot 15-25,
Magical Abilities: Appear Human 15-25, Glamour {treat as Glamour of the Goddess Spell} 15-25,
Mystify {treat as the Divine Spell} 15-25
Lion
Habitat: Open terrain.
Attacks: Bite and Claw do 1D10 usually skill is 22-25.
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor 1 point
Size Class: large
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Ambush 18, Panic Target 15. Panicking targets flee; this ability is resisted
with the Intelligence characteristic.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 160
Manticore
Habitat: Hills, mountains, rough terrain, chaparral.
Attacks: Claw does 1D10, skill is 22; Tail 1D10 (+poison) skill is18;
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor 2 points {mane and thick skin}
Size Class: large
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +1.
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Ambush 18, Climb Rocky Slope 18, Cunning 18, Spot Prey 15.
Poison: +5 to incapacitate if one point gets through, +5 to lethality, wound resists Cure spells with
a resistance of 15.
Mastodon
Habitat: Forest.
Attacks: Body Slam 1D12, usually skill is 15-22.
Parries: None
Armor: 4 point
Size Class: huge
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Speed Modifier: -2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Acute Hearing 15, Cunning 15, Dig 12, Intimidate 18, Scent Food 15
Minotaur
Attacks: Great Axes (1D10+2), Horns (1D8), skill usually 15-25
Parries: Great Axe Parry: skill usually 15-25
Armor: Any human, usually 2 pt
Size Class: large
Speed Class: Fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Typical Abilities: Berserk Rage 22, Bull Cult Lore: 18, Close Combat 20, Tracking 15, Wilderness
Lore: 18
Mule (Jenny)
Attacks: Kick does 1D8 usually skill is 10-15.
Parries: Dodge 10
Armor: 1 point Hide
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +2.
Constitution Roll plus: +2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Mummy
Note: These are The Mummy and The Mummy Returns fantasy horror mummies, not the real
mummies created by the Egyptians.
Habitat: Graveyards, tombs
Attacks: Any weapon attack the mummy knew in life
Parries: Any parry attack the mummy knew in life
Armor: ignore any hit on a mummy that is not an even roll over 10, because it chops off a small
nonessential part of the zombie. Mummies also have 2 points of armor from the wrappings used
in mummification. They have been known to wear armor, usually bronze, over the wrappings
which mummified them.
Size Class: human
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Mummies are much like zombies, except that they move faster and are
intelligent. They can know divine magic or sorcery, and often control zombies. They do not smell
as bad as zombies, and so do not have a stench attack.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 161
Naga
Note: This is the Buddhist Naga, a large King Cobra like snake with a human face, usually with
one head but sometimes with many
Attacks: Bite (1D10), Claw (1D10), skill 15-25, Bite is poisonous, see below – some have up to
seven heads, these have one attack action per head
Parries: Dodge 15-25
Armor: 4 point scales
Size Class: human or large
Hit Points: 100
Speed Class: fast
Magic Resistance: 15-30
Poison: roll 1D10+10 vs. Constitution characteristic, if breathed in, if Poison works character is
dying; if poison fails roll again and if poison works character is incapacitated. Rules for healing
are as normal, except that rolls of 10 or below have no effect.
Significant Abilities: Any human that does not require arms; usually at least one appropriate
language and custom skill, but sometimes culture as well {even though they cannot write}.
Ork
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+3 INT: 2D6+3 CON: 2D6+3 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+3 CHA:
2D6 SIZ: 2D6+2
Attacks: Spear does 1D10, Club does 1D8, and Sling does 1D8, skill usually 15-20
Parries: Small Shield, skill usually 15-20, Dodge 15
Armor: Any, usually light
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: -1
Size Modifier: -1
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+3
Typical Abilities: Dodge 14, Fear Sunlight 16, Hide 18; Know Local Area 13, Ork Tradition
Knowledge 13, and Search for Food 14, Unarmed Combat 15, Ork Language and Customs 13.
Panther (Leopard}
Habitat: Almost any, but most common in forested hills.
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10, both are usually skill is 15-22.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: Fur equivalent to medium bronze armor
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Ambush 18, Climb Tree 12, Cunning 15, Leap 15, Pounce 12.
Pixie
Characteristics: STR, 1D6 INT: 2D6+3 CON: 2D6+2 DEX: 2D6+9 POW: 2D6+3 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 1D6
Attacks: Sling (1D10) skill is usually 15
Parries: Dodge 20
Armor None
Size Class: Very small
Speed Class: fast
Typical Abilities: Aerobatics 12, Elf Tradition Knowledge 15, Dodge Attack 20 12, Fly Fast 18, Set
Traps 15
Innate Magical Abilities: Invisibility 22
Rakshasa
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+9 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 3D6+2
Attacks: Any human weapon, usually skill 15-30
Parries: Large Shield, skill usually 15-30
Armor: Any
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Size Modifier: +3
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 162
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+9
Typical Abilities: Any human, usually warrior archetype
Common Magical Abilities: Demonic Features {see under demons}, sorcery – particularly Create
Phantasm and Control Phantasm, a few have a gaze attack similar to that described for vampires.
Rakshasas never know divine magic
Rhinoceros
Habitat: Plains, Forests
Attacks: Butt 1D10+2, usually skill is 20.
Parries: None
Armor: 4 point
Size Class: huge
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Speed Modifier: -2
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Charge 25; Hear Noise 15, Scent Food 18
Saber Toothed Cat
Habitat: Almost any, but prefer open terrain.
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10+2, both are usually skill is 15-22.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: Fur equivalent to medium bronze armor
Size Class: large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Ambush 21, Climb Tree 10, Cunning 15
Salamander
Note: This is the fire elemental, not the lizard. It resembles the lizard, but is made of fire,
though it does have two golden eyes. It burns anyone it bites. A sorcerer can summon a
salamander, if he has a small fire available. Summoning a salamander is subject to the normal
summoning rules described in the Summoning skill description. A salamander will serve a
sorcerer, for one episode, in exchange for a number of magic points sacrificed to it when it is
summoned. It uses these magic points to materialize in the physical world. Salamanders are
unusual in that they are not subject to the normal incapacitation rules. They have a number of hit
points equal to the number of magic points sacrificed when they are created. Ordinary physical
damage done to a salamander is ignored. Damage from magical weapon enchantments or spells
is counted, and when a salamander has been reduced to zero hit points it is destroyed. A
salamander vanishes at the end of the episode, unless it has been bound into a brass or gold
enchantment. Salamanders are not intelligent in the normal sense of the word and are immune
to mind affecting spells. Salamanders can talk, and understand single sentence commands of ten
or fewer words in length, provided that none of the words have more than two syllables. Usually,
they are just told to burn particular targets
Attacks: Fiery Breath does 1D10+10, melts weapons that hit it and do more than five points of
ordinary damage. Enchanted weapons that roll less than the power of the enchantment on 1D6
are ignored. Salamanders may set fire to any area where they stop for more than one combat
round, at the option of the GM. Poison has no effect on a salamander.
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 15-20
Armor: none
Size Class: small
Speed Class: fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Special: immune to non-magical damage eliminated by hit point damage, not normal combat
incapacitation rules.
Typical Abilities: None
Scorpion Man
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+2 CON: 2D6+3 DEX: 2D6+3 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+3 SIZ: 3D6+12
Attacks: club does 1D10, bow does 1D10, and Sting does 1D 10 + 2; skill usually 15-20
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 10-15
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 163
Armor: chitin (1 point)
Size Class: large
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Special: Odd rolls to hit are leg hits, which have no effect
Abilities: Climb Mountainside 16, Knowledge of Local Area 14, Move Quietly 12, Set Traps 14
Poison: +5 to incapacitate if one point gets through, +5 to lethality, wound resists Cure spells with
a resistance of 15.
Shedu
Habitat: Open terrain.
Attacks: Charge (knock opponent flat to stomp); Butt and Stomp do 1D10+2; usually skill is 18.
Parries: None
Armor: 3 pt Tough Hide
Size Class: huge
Hit Points: 400
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Smell 18
Sphinx
Characteristics: STR, 3D6+12 INT: 3D6+6 CON: 3D6+3 DEX: 2D6+8 POW: 2D6+12
CHA: 2D6+12
Attacks: Claws: 1D10 + Size Bonus
Parries: Dodge 15-25
Armor: 6 pt Magical fur
Size Class: large, but can be as big as colossal
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Magic: May know any, except that sphinxes never know Mind Link
Significant Abilities: Smell 18
Sylph
Note: This is the air elemental. It appears as a beautiful woman, usually about a meter and a
half tall and as thin as a modern supermodel; she is of unearthly beauty. This is usually very
frustrating for the sorcerer, since the spirit will disappear if anyone tries to have sex with it. A
sorcerer can summon a sylph, if he has a small amount of air available. Most breathing sorcerers
can manage this. Summoning a sylph is subject to the general rules in the Summoning skill
description. A sylph will serve a sorcerer, when summoned, for magic points in accordance with
the normal duration rules given in the sorcery chapter. In addition, magic points may be
sacrificed at the time of summoning to give it hit points. It uses these magic points to materialize
in the physical world. Sylphs are unusual in that they are not subject to the normal incapacitation
rules. They have a number of hit points equal to the number of magic points sacrificed when they
are created. Ordinary physical damage done to a sylph is ignored. Damage from magical weapon
enchantments or spells is counted, and when a sylph has been reduced to zero hit points it is
destroyed. Sylphs are not intelligent in the normal sense of the word and are immune to mind
affecting spells. Sylphs can talk, and understand single sentence commands of ten or fewer words
in length, provided that none of the words have more than two syllables. Usually, they are just fly
around and look pretty, but they can fly one person for each five magic points sacrificed at their
creation; they can also dissolve into air and protect characters from incoming arrows like a
whirlwind, protecting a maximum of one character per five points sacrificed at their creation.
They can be used as guardians, and often warn sorcerers.
Attacks: As blast of air spell with intensity equal to current hit points {that is, magic points at
creation minus damage done to the sylph}
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 20-30
Armor: none
Size Class: human
Speed Class: very fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 164
Special: immune to non-magical damage eliminated by hit point damage, not normal combat
incapacitation rules.
Typical Abilities: None
Tiger
Habitat: Forest, jungle.
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10+1, both are usually skill is 20-25.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: Fur equivalent to 2 pt armor
Size Class: large
Speed Class: Fast
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+10
Significant Abilities: Ambush 20, Move Silently 18, Terrify Prey 18.
Troll
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+2 CON: 2D6+3 DEX: 2D6+3 POW: 2D6+6
CHA: 2D6+3 SIZ: 3D6+12
Attacks: Maul does 1D10+2, Light Mace does 1D8, sling does 1D8, skill usually 15-20
Parries: Large Shield, skill usually 15-20
Armor: Any, usually leather, plus 1 point thick skin
Size Class: large
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +1
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Typical Abilities: Acute Dark vision 10, Acute Hearing 10, Hide 10, Know Local Area 13, Ork
Tradition Knowledge 15, Ork Language and Customs 9
Undine
Note: This is the water elemental. It appears as a beautiful woman, usually about a meter and a
half tall and as thin as a modern supermodel; she is of unearthly beauty but her skin is blue. This
is usually very frustrating for the sorcerer, since the spirit will disappear if anyone tries to have
sex with it. A sorcerer can summon an undine, if he has a small amount of water available.
Summoning an undine is subject to the normal rules in the Summoning skill description.. An
undine will serve a sorcerer, when summoned, for magic points in accordance with the normal
duration rules given in the sorcery chapter. In addition, magic points may be sacrificed at the
time of summoning to give it hit points. It uses these magic points to materialize in the physical
world. Undines are unusual in that they are not subject to the normal incapacitation rules. They
have a number of hit points equal to the number of magic points sacrificed when they are created.
Ordinary physical damage done to an undine is ignored. Damage from magical weapon
enchantments or spells is counted, and when an undine has been reduced to zero hit points it is
destroyed. Undines are not intelligent in the normal sense of the word and are immune to mind
affecting spells. Undines can talk, and understand single sentence commands of ten or fewer
words in length, provided that none of the words have more than two syllables. Undines can give
the ability to breathe water to one person for each five magic points sacrificed at their creation;
they can breathe water themselves and look around in a river or ocean. Undines attack by siren
song as described below
Attacks: An undine rolls her sing skill against the POW {or cult lore} of a listener as a magical
attack. If successful the listener is entranced by magic, and unless the magic is dispelled by the
end of the round, the listener will dive under water at the end of the episode. If the undine does
not see fit to give the listener the ability to breathe water, the listener will drown. If there is no
lake, river or ocean, the listener will not jump into the water, but will sink into inconsolable
depression when he or she leaves the undine; this lasts until the disease is cured with a Cure
Madness or the player of the depressed character manages a critical power roll. .
Parries: Dodge, skill usually 20-30
Armor: none
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Special: immune to non-magical damage eliminated by hit point damage, not normal combat
incapacitation rules.
Typical Abilities: Sing skill is usually 20-30
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 165
Unicorn
Habitat: Forest.
Attacks: Kick does 1D8, Horn does 1D10+5, and usually skill is 15-25.
Parries: Dodge 12
Armor: 2 points
Size Class: Large
Speed Class: Fast
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+12
Significant Abilities: Large 2w, Spot 20
Innate Magical Abilities: Detect Injury 20, Detect Poison 25, and Resist Magic 18, Unicorn Law
20,
Common Unicorn Powers: Unicorns can perform almost any type of healing, including
resurrection; they can also interact directly with non-corporeal spirits.
Vampire
Notes: It is very difficult to provide a single set of statistics that will cover all vampires, since they
vary widely in folklore and due to the influence of US media new versions of the vampire legend
are increasingly propagated. A “default” vampire should be treated as looking like a human, with
the strength of a troll, and a maximum strength charm characteristic, who is -10 at all skills due to
exhaustion if he or she is out in full sunlight for a short period of time. If staked out in full
sunlight, a vampire will be destroyed. Most vampires can shape shift to bat form, and are
immune to non-magical weapons.
Vampires may not cross a threshold until they are invited in, but once invited in they may come
and go as they please.
Characteristics: STR, 2D6+12 INT: 2D6+6 CON: 2D6+9 DEX: 2D6+6 POW: 2D6+6 CHA:
2D6+9 SIZ: 2D6+6
Attacks: May use any weapon a normal human uses. Also, when a vampire and a human look
each other eye to eye, the player of the human must roll higher on a POW roll than the vampire’s
power. If he or she fails, the human character finds the vampire sexually exciting, and will be
willing to give blood to the vampire at the vampire’s request. The vampire has a “control
appetite” skill, which his or her player uses to determine whether he or she can stop drinking
blood before the victim is incapacitated. When this roll is failed, roll for the effects of
incapacitation of the victim is if in combat.
Parries: May use any shield or parrying dagger a human normally uses
Armor: Any
Size Class: human
Speed Class: human
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+6
Typical Abilities: Night Vision 17 may have any human abilities.
Magical Abilities: Vampires may shape shift into bat, or for that matter any other form the GM
finds convenient.
Wolf
Habitat: Almost any.
Attacks: Claw does 1D8, Bite does 1D10; skill is usually 17-20.
Parries: dodge, skill usually 15-20
Armor 1 pt
Size Class: human
Speed Class: fast
Strength Modifier: +1
POW 2D6+6
Significant Abilities: Corner Prey 12 (+2 per pack member), Scent Prey 18-22, Track by Scent 18-
22.
Wyvern
Attacks: Bite does 1D10, Can also Sting doing 1D10+2; skill 25-30
Parries: Dodge 15
Armor: 5 point armored hide
Size Class: large
Speed Class: slow on ground, fast in air
Magic Resistance: POW 2D6+8
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 166
Significant Abilities: Aerobatics 15, Listen 15, Scent Prey 18, Spot 15
Zombie
Habitat: Open terrain.
Attacks: Any weapon attack the zombie knew in life
Parries: Any parry attack the zombie knew in life
Armor: ignore any hit on a zombie that is not an even roll over 10, because it chops off a small
nonessential part of the zombie. Zombies may wear any armor, though it is rare to spend the
money on good armor for a zombie.
Size Class: human
Speed Class: Slow
Strength Modifier: +3
Magic Resistance: Cannot be affected by mind affecting spells, resist physical damage spells as if
they were a physical attacks
Significant Abilities: Zombies are soulless and have no spells; they do have a stench attack that
disables anyone first moving into melee weapon reach if the closing living creature fails a
Constitution roll {Constitution or less on D20}. Zombies sense living creatures of larger than tiny
size well enough to attack and kill them, though no one quite knows how. Zombies can be taught
to do simple unskilled labor type tasks, and have been used to do so by the very desperate or the
very cheap.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 167

Chapter XI – Miscellaneous Rules

This chapter includes rules that do not fit anywhere else, such as the rules for the effects of
poisons and diseases. It also includes tables of sample magic items. In general, magic items
should not be determined randomly and handed out casually. On the other hand, many players
have been conditioned by D&DTM to expect magic items as a reward for victory. At the end of a
long play session, it can be handy to be able to tell the players roll on a rewards table. The GM
should be careful to make sure he can deal with the resulting increasing in character power on a
long term basis, though.
Virtues
The default virtues in this game are: Valor, Courtesy, Compassion, Generosity, and Honesty. A
game master may add others if it is appropriate for the setting.

Before each session, each player either emails or phones the GM and tells the GM what virtue his
character(s) are working on displaying. The GM tries, if possible to provide an opportunity for th
character to practice that virtue in the next session. If the character practices the virtue, the
character receives a Virtue Point associated with the appropriate virtue. If a character acts
virtuously without prior coordination with the GM, the GM may choose to award a virtue point
even the character did not do so in the context of passing an explicitly defined test.
A character’s virtues can also be used as “plot hooks”, to involve the character in the action.
If the GM decides that it would be helpful to the plot for a character to display a particular virue,
he can suggest a course of action displaying that virtue to the player. Whenever a character helps
the plot along in this way, he or she gets a Protagonist point as well as a virtue point.
A game master should award virtue points at the end of a session, and state why the award is
being made. If the award is too controversial, the game master is well advised to back down. Once
awarded, virtue points can be used for two purposes.
The first use for virtue points is that they can be used as if they were influence points in clout
rolls. If a particular institution {or individual} values a particular virtue {the war goddess Vijeta
values valor, while the healing goddess Sorana values Mercy} virtue points can be added to
influence points. The maximum number of virtue points that can be used is equal to the number
of influence a character has in that institution, except that if a character has no influence points, a
virtue point may be used to get 1 point of “virtual” influence. Virtue points are more flexible than
influence points in that they can be used with a variety of institutions, but they cannot be
expended to get major or huge requests.
The second use for virtue points is that if a character can accumulate ten of them, at least seven of
which are in one virtue, he or she gets a fame point for being a very virtuous character. This may
be repeated, so acharacter could have two or three fame points for being exceptionally generous.
Vices
A character that does something bad may be awarded a vice point. A character earns a vice point
when the GM and at least one player agree that the character’s action is bad.
A character’s vices can be used as “plot hooks”, to involve the character in the action or drive the
plot.. If the GM decides that it would be helpful to the plot for a character to display a particular
vice, he can suggest a course of action displaying that vice to the player. Whenever a character
helps the plot along in this way, he or she gets a Protagonist point as well as a vice point.
Each vice point decreases the number of virtue points in the corresponding virtue by one. The
default vices in the game are: Foolhardiness, Cowardice, Knavery, Cruelty, Selfishness and
Deceitfulness. Foolhardiness and Cowardice both decrease Valor; Knavery decreases Courtesy,
Cruelty decreases compassion; Selfishness decreases Generosity and Deceitfulness decreases
Honesty. If a character is more bad than good, he or she can have negatives values in the virtues.
If a character gets to a total of -10, he or she becomes infamous as a “bad guy”. This is treated as
an infamy point for purposes of social and political persuasion and influence, but may be treated
as a fame point {at the GM’s discretion} for legendary questing. A character may become known
as a bad guy multiples times.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 168
Passions
Whenever a character does something significant that demonstrates a passion, he gets a passion
point in that passion. For example, a character who rushes into a burning building to save his
cousin would get a passion point in Love <Family> {and probably a friendship or even companion
of office with the cousin}. In general, passion points are should only be awarded for actions
“above and beyond the call of duty”. When a knight fights an ork, he or she is just doing his job.
When a knight fights a dragon, he or she is probably doing so because of a passion. As a general
rule, a GM should give out at most one passion point per character per session.
Before each session, each player either emails or phones the GM and tells the GM what passion
his character(s) are working on displaying. The GM tries, if possible to provide an opportunity for
th character to demonstrate that passion in the next session. If the character acts in accordance
with the passion, the character receives a Passion Point associated with the passion. If a
character acts passionately without prior coordination with the GM, the GM may choose to award
a passion point even ifthe character did not do so in the context of passing an explicitly defined
test.
Passions are a reason for living, learning and growing. The principal game effect of a passion is to
allow a player to try a skill increase roll that he or she has just failed, again. To get another chance
on a skill increase roll, a player rolls a D10 and compares it to the number of passion points his
character has in a particular passion. If it is less than the number of the character’s passion
points, the player can try the roll again. A character can get at most one point of skill increase per
passion per session. Once a character has actually gone up in a skill as a result of a passion, the
player cannot use the passion again until the next session.
Passions can also be a source of fame or infamy. When a character has ten or more points in a
passion, his or her player may trade in ten points of the passion for a fame point. OF course, the
passion must be in some sense admirable for this to occur. If the passion is strongly disapproved
of in the culture and the character becomes famous for the passion the character becomes known
as a “bad guy”. This is treated as an infamy point for purposes of social and political persuasion
and influence, but may be treated as a fame point {at the GM’s discretion} for legendary questing.
A character’s passions can be used as “plot hooks”, to involve the character in the action or drive
the plot.. If the GM decides that it would be helpful to the plot for a character to display a
particular passion, he can suggest a course of action displaying that passion to the player.
Whenever a character helps the plot along in this way, he or she gets a Protagonist point as well as
a passion point.
Protagonist /Antagonist Points
Protagonist points are a way of rewarding players whose characters have useful hooks that can
help advance the plot and jazzing up the final duels at the end of a campaign. They allow heroes
and villains to pull off things that movie heroes and villains do. Protagonist points are a limited
form of “script immunity”.
Protagonist points may be awarded at the beginning of the campaign, or earned by displaying
traits and passions useful to the plot.
Antagonist points are given by the GM to major villains who are expected to play a significant
continuing role in a campaign, or who need antagonist points to balance out the protagonist
points of player characters in climactic fight scenes.
In game terms, a protagonist point allows a player who is not satisfied with his roll on the Injury
Table, or who fails a “Luck Roll” to try again, or to raise the result of any other roll by one success
level: fumble to failure; failure to success; success to special success; special success to critical
success; or critical success to cinematic success. The protagonist point is then lost.
Unused protagonist points do not carry over from one campaign to another, unless the game
master of the next campaign wants them to. The purpose of protagonist points is to provide the
GM with a simple parameter that makes a campaign more or less cinematic. If you want your
game to play like a Bollywood movie, give out a lot of protagonist points and use highly
melodramatic plot devices in your scenario. If you want a grittier and more “realistic” game, don’t
give out protagonist points and refrain from having highly unlikely events in your plot.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 169
Poison Rules
Poisons are defined in terms of a period of onset, an effect if the Constitution roll to resist the
poison is made {most often character is walking wounded for a short period of time}, and an
effect if the constitution roll to resist the poison is made. The Constitution roll to resist may suffer
a hard (-5) modifier if the poison is unusually lethal, and may be easier if the poison is weak. It is
assumed that the character gets something resembling a normal dose; the GM may modify the
Constitution roll and the roll on the injury table if the dose is stronger or weaker than normal.
An example poison is Rattlesnake venom.
Rattlesnake Venom: Effect is delayed till end of episode, if Con roll is made, character is walking
wounded for rest of day; if Con roll is special or critical character is unaffected. If first Con roll is
failed, character is incapacitated, and rolls for the effects of incapacitation with a modifier of +5
on the injury table, ignoring rolls on disability table and disease.

Effects of Diseases
For convenience, the effects of diseases are considered to be the same as those of combat, as
described in the medical conditions associated with incapacitation. The effect varies from one
disease to another, and is described below.
Flesh Rot covers normal wound infections; it reduces a character to walking wounded if his player
makes his or her Con roll, it reduces a character to badly wounded otherwise; roll for further
effect from there.
Frostbite deals with Frostbite; it has effects similar to Flesh Rot, but a different cause
Grippe is anything resembling a respiratory infection, from cold to pneumonia; a mild case of the
grippe reduces a character to walking wounded; a serious case of the grippe reduces a character to
badly wounded, and a very serious case reduces the patient to dying. A very serious case can only
be brought about by a Disease Spirit with Power 25+.
Plague anything with plague like symptoms. All forms of the plague reduce the affected character
to the dying medical condition.
Pox comes in two forms, brown pox and black pox. Brown Pox reduces a character to walking
wounded; Black pox reduces the character to dying. The Cure Pox spell can be used to cure either
kind.
Madness covers mental illness of all kinds; most people are a little nuts, it is only when a
character gets so out of touch with consensual reality he can no longer deal effectively with others
that he or she is considered mad.

Rewards Tables
Ideally, all magic items and other rewards should be adapted to the situation, the campaign and
the characters. Unfortunately, often the GM finds him or herself at the end of a long session,
without having decided in advance what the characters will get. When this happens, consult these
tables for inspiration. Feel free to reject random results that yield items that are too strong, or
otherwise unsuitable for your campaign. These tables are a convenience only, not a rule which
must be followed.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 170
Loot
Roll Item Effect Value
1 Potion of Healing 1 Casting of Greater Healing 40 Silver
pieces
2 Red Fox Fur Cloak FTE 11 clothing, roll for sex and size 100 Silver
pieces
3 White Fox Fur Cloak FTE 12 clothing, roll for sex and size 400 silver
pieces
4 Silver Pomander FTE 12 clothing, with perfume 250 silver
pieces
5 Masterpiece Silver Ring FTE 11 jewelry, may be enchanted 200 silver
(Lunar style)
6 Masterpiece Silver Bracelet FTE 12 jewelry, may be enchanted 500 silver
with Ruby
7 Red belt with dove buckle, FTE 11 jewelry, may be enchanted 400 silver
room for 2 gems
8 1-3 rubies, Can be set in jewelry 1D8x50
gap. each
9 1-3 doses sorcery MP Restores 5 MP per dose, only one may be 50 MP per
restoring potion drink in 2 hour period dose
10 1-3 doses of woad Storm God One Use Divine Magic Shield III 30 silver
spell per dose
11 Potion of Disease Resistance As Fight Disease Spell 100 silver
12 Potion of Spirit Resistance +1D6 POW for one episode in spirit 50 silver
combat
13 1D6 Magic silver tipped +5 damage to lycanthropes, trolls, undead 75 silver
arrows
14 Masterpiece gold torque Barbarian noble jewelry 600 silver
15 Masterpiece gold ring FTE 12 jewelry 750 silver
(Imperial Style)
16 Masterpiece silver mirror FTE 11 jewelry 500 silver
17 Silk robes FTE 12 clothing 750 gold
18 Jar of Henna FTE 11 cosmetics 450 silver
19 Drink Me if You Dare Beer - FTE 9+ alcohol 250 silver
keg
20 Fine Parchment FTE 9+ paper 200 silver
21 Sandalwood perfume FTE 10+ perfume 300 silver
22 Frankincense FTE 11+ perfume 500 silver
23 1D3 sticks incense Each stick is 1 point of prayer when 100 silver
burned. ea stick
24 Bearskin rug or cloak (PC Barbarian noble garment or rug 500 silver
choice)
25 Composite Bow Comp bow does D10 damage, longbow 600 silver
range
26 Two ivory tusks Raw material for diptych 400 silver
27 Ivory signet ring Stamp of noble house, etc 200 silver
28 Silver and glass monocle +5 to spot skill, for seeing distant objects 1000
silver
29 Fine wine – 1-3 amphora FTE 13 alcohol 500 silver
30 Embroidered silk umbrella FTE 13 clothing – protects for sun, rain 1000
silver
31 1D3 Doses Blade Venom +5 to incapacitate if any gets through, +5 500 per
to lethality die (21-25 death) dose
32 Magic Resistance Potion +5 to Effective Power while under the 200 per
effects dose
33 Pendant with image of Masterpiece jewelry, +2 to app, may be 1000
goddess enchanted with Moon Goddess spells silver
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 171
34 Golden ring of Disease Wearer has permanent Fight Disease spell 2000
Resistance up silver
35 Insignificance Potion Potion with Insignificance 15 on it 100 silver
36 Damage Boosting 4 potion Applied to blade, is equivalent of Dam 200 silver
Boost 4 spell for entire day
37 Satrapal pardon One use, character will be forgiven one 1500
crime in satrapy pardon is found in silver
38 Friend of temple award 3 free castings of divination or skill 20 500 silver
trainer training checks as appropriate
39 Lucky Charm +2 to POW for purposes of making luck 400 silver
rolls only
40 Holy Candle When burnt, character burning gets Bless 400 silver
III from appropriate deity (3 uses)
41 1D6 Golden arrows Banish III vs. vs. Shades, Darkness 150 each
Elementals, etc; +2 to hit
42 1D3 doses Wing foot Potion As 10 intensity point Wing foot spell, 90 silver
43 Masterpiece silver pendant, Masterpiece quality jewelry, can be 750 silver
with image of goddess enchanted
44 Wooden cat statue Masterpiece carving, suitable for a small 150 silver
cat spirit fetish
45 Potion of Magic and Spirit +1/+5 to POW as if Mind of Spell when 200 silver
Resistance resisting spells and spirits
46 Silver scroll case Magically protects a scroll stored in it 250 silver
against damage of all kinds
47 1D3 uses of lipstick +2 to App for female characters in civilized 50 silver
empires per dose
48 Follow Fashion potion As 15 intensity point follow fashion 100 silver
49 Blue Magical Gem Looks to be about as magical as a 3 Pt. 1000
divine spell, but does nothing silver
50 Silver Statue of Trader god Decorative, masterpiece quality, 500 silver
51 Black Candle Regains 10 points of {non healing} divine 350 silver
magic, if burned in one evening pieces
52 Astrological Divination Tolls Knowledge Deity Divination I, once per 800 silver
week
53 Manuscript Illuminator’s Kit – Five paint brushes, plus red, blue, black 400 silver
Fine Paint Brushes and gold paint
54 Black Whip +1, +5 to Evil Deity Ceremony 500 silver
55 1D3 uses Veil Dust Grey Dust the thrown up in air over a 200 per
person’s head gives him Insignificance 15 use
56 Scented red candle Get 1 POW check when burned in 8 hr 600 silver
ceremony, at most once per week
57 Silver Mirror Reflects the images of humans, but not 250 silver
undead, usable for one episode per week
58 1D6 doses of rosemary +1 to App. 100 silver
perfume per dose
59 1D6 Doses Blue Athletic Dust Apply to entire body, roll twice taking 50 silver
better result and +3 as Bless to swim skill; per dose
dust is one use as it is washed off when
swimming
60 Red Tipped Javelin Stores Deadly Dart spell, so can be cast in 500 silver
advance and regained, spell works when
javelin is thrown
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 172
Scrolls
Scrolls usually confer some number of “checks” in a skill. These should be treated as if they were
experience checks. It takes two game days to get one check worth of experience from a scroll by
reading it.
Roll Item Effect Base
Value
1 Admin D3 checks in Administration skill 100 silver
per check
2 Advanced Admin If character is 15 or higher in 300 silver
Administration skill, character can get one
Administration skill check +2 to a
maximum skill of 25
3 Area Lore – Local D3 checks in area lore for city or province 150 silver
characters are in per check
4 Advanced Area Lore – Local If character is 15 or higher in Area Lore 300 silver
skill, character can get one Area Lore skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
5 Bargain D3 checks in Bargain skill 200 silver
per check
6 Advanced Bargain If character is 15 or higher in Bargain skill, 600 silver
character can get one Bargain skill check
+2 to a maximum skill of 25
7 Ceremony D3 checks in Ceremony skill 100 silver
per check
8 Advanced Ceremony If character is 15 or higher in Ceremony 300 silver
skill, character can get one Ceremony skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
9 Local Culture Lore D3 checks in Culture Lore for a culture 100 silver
common in the are per check
10 Advanced Local Culture Lore If character is 15 or higher in the Local 300 silver
Culture Lore skill, character can get one
local Culture skill check +2 to a maximum
skill of 25
11 Exotic Culture Lore D3 checks in Culture Lore for a culture 100 silver
which is not native to the area per check
12 Cult Lore – Knowledge Deity D3 checks in Cult Lore for local knowledge 50 silver
deity – replace with sorcery lore if theistic per check
worship is rare and sorcery common
among scholars
13 Advanced Cult Lore – If character is 15 or higher in Cult Lore 150 silver
Knowledge Deity skill, character can get one Cult Lore skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
14 Cult Lore – Earth Deity D3 checks in Cult Lore for local earth deity 100 silver
– roll again if earth deity is rarely per check
worshipped locally.
15 Cult Lore – War God D3 checks in Cult Lore for local war deity – 100 silver
{1D3 checks} roll again if earth deity is rarely per check
worshipped locally.
16 Cult Lore – Trade God D3 checks in Cult Lore for local trade deity 100 silver
{1D3 checks} – roll again if earth deity is rarely per check
worshipped locally.
17 Cult Lore – Moon Goddess D3 checks in Cult Lore for local moon deity 100 silver
{1D3 checks} – roll again if earth deity is rarely per check
worshipped locally.
18 Cult Lore – Unusual Deity D3 checks in Cult Lore for an unusual deity 200 silver
{1D3 checks} – roll again if earth deity is rarely per check
worshipped locally.
19 Dream Speaking D3 checks in Dreamspeaking. 100 silver
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 173
{1D3 checks} per check
20 Advanced Dreamspeaking If character is 15 or higher in Dream 300 silver
{1 check} Speaking, character can get one Dream
Speaking skill check +2 to a maximum
skill of 25
21 Enchant D3 checks in Enchant skill. 100 silver
{1D3 checks} per check
22 Advanced Enchant If character is 15 or higher in Enchant skill, 300 silver
{1 check} character can get one Enchant skill check
+2 to a maximum skill of 25
23 Insight D3 checks in insight skill. 100 silver
{1D3 checks} per check
24 Advanced Insight If character is 15 or higher in Insight skill, 300 silver
{1 check} character can get one Insight skill check
+2 to a maximum skill of 25
25 Intrigue D3 checks in Intrigue 100 silver
{1D3 checks} per check
26 Advanced Intrigue If character is 15 or higher in intrigue skill, 300 silver
{1 check} character can get one Intrigue skill check
+2 to a maximum skill of 25
27 Investigate D3 checks in Investigate 100 silver
per check
28 Legend Lore 1 check in Legend Lore 300 silver
29 Language and Custom – D3 checks in a local Language and Custom 100 silver
Local skill; choose randomly if more than one per check
“local” language and custom skill exists
30 Language and Custom – If character is 15 or higher in Enchant skill, 300 silver
Local - Advanced character can get one “local” local
Language and Custom skill check +2 to a
maximum skill of 25; choose randomly if
more than one “local” language and
custom skill exists
31 Language and Custom - D3 checks in a Language and Custom skill 100 silver
Nearby used by travelers to this area ; choose per check
randomly if more than one “nearby”
language and custom skill exists
32 Meditation D3 checks in Meditation 100 silver
per check
33 Meditation - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Meditation 300 silver
skill, character can get one Meditation skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
34 Military Lore D3 checks in Military Lore 100 silver
per check
35 Military Lore - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Military Lore 300 silver
skill, character can get one Military Lore
skill check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
36 Navigation D3 checks in Navigation 100 silver
per check
37 Navigation - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Navigation 300 silver
skill, character can get one Navigation skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
38- Rhetoric D3 checks in Rhetoric 100 silver
39 per check
40 Rhetoric - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Rhetoric 300 silver
skill, character can get one Rhetoric skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
41- Sorcery Lore D3 checks in Sorcery Lore 100 silver
43 per check
43 Sorcery Lore - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Sorcery Lore 300 silver
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 174
skill, character can get one Sorcery Lore
skill check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
44 Sorcery Spell - Aid D3 checks in the Aid Sorcery Spell 50 silver
per check
45 Sorcery Spell – GM’s choice D3 checks in a sorcery spell of the GM’s 100 silver
choice, may be common sorcery spell table per check
46- Sorcery Spell - Common D3 checks in a spell, roll randomly on the 100 silver
48 Common Sorcery Spell Table per check
45 Sorcery Spell – Advanced - If character is 15 or higher in the relevant 300 silver
Common sorcery spell, character can get one skill
check +2 to a maximum skill of 25. Roll
spell randomly on the common sorcery
spell table.
49 Sorcery Spell – Player Choice D3 checks in a Sorcery spell of the player’s 300 silver
choice per check
50- Stewardship D3 checks in Stewardship 100 silver
51 per check
52 Stewardship-Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Stewardship 300 silver
skill, character can get one Stewardship
skill check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
53- Summoning D3 checks in Summoning 100 silver
54 per check
55 Summoning - Advanced If character is 15 or higher in Summoning 300 silver
skill, character can get one Summoning
skill check +2 to a maximum skill of 25
56 Player choose from entire D3 checks in chosen skill 300 silver
skill list (1-5 normal, 6 per check
advanced)
57 GM choice from entire skill D3 checks in chosen skill 100 silver
list (1-5 normal, 6 advanced) per check
58 Twice normal checks – roll Twice rolled checks Same as
again and double checks normal,
per check,
but for
larger 3 of
checks
59 Roll plus “preserved” Same as roll, but never wears out 1000
silver per
check
60 Catalyst Scroll - 1 Power Gives one power check when read 600 silver
Check

When a roll on the Common Sorcery Spell Table is required, use the following table:
Common Sorcery Spell Table
Roll Spell
1 Awareness
2 Blast of Air
3 Clingfire
4 Conceal
5 Damage Boosting
6 Damage Resistance
7 Follow Fashion
8 Image Intensification
9 Image Resolution
10 Magic Missile
11 Mystic Block
12 Mystic Light
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 175
13 Mystic Lock
14 Mystic Vision
15 Neutralize Magic
16 Object Reading
17 Object Tracing
18 Reveal
19 Vision Projection
20 Wingfoot

Sorcery Item Table

Roll Item Power Effect
1 Ring of Flight Ring Allows User to Cast Incredible Lightness of Being on himself
even if not a sorcerer. User must supply 8 MP, for episode
duration.
2 Storage Ring Ring Adds 1D6 + 2 MP to sorcerer’s MP storage
3 Ring of Power Ring Adds +4 to effective POW, as if Aura of Power spell
4 Cloak of Blur Cloak As Blur spell, user must come up with 10 MP for episode
duration
5 White Crystal Pendant Can cast Aid, delivering up to 12 MP one every 4 four days
6 Wand of Air Wand +5 to Animate Air, +5 to Blast of Air; often used to create
Control 10 cone of dust in front of user, blinding foes
7 Wand of Light Wand +5 to Mystic Light, giving ability to cast if you don’t know
& Fire the spell; also +5 to Clingfire
8 Sash of Sash Permanent Intensify Healing spell on wearer.
Healing
9 Cloak of Cloak Apparently non magical cloak, that if used to wrap an item
Concealing blocks theistic and sorcery detection spell, unless a special
or critical is rolled
10 Wing foot Boots Boots with permanent Wing foot (1-5 intensity, 4-5 ten
Boots intensity, 6 15 intensity} enchanted into them
11 Magic Monocle Monocle Monocle with Mystic Vision 4 and Seize the Essence of the
text; rim is silver wire
12 Rope of 10” Purple Rope, 10! Long; sorcerers who know the spell are +5
Binding Rope to cast it. Other sorcerers may use the rope to learn how to
cast the spell, as if they had a teacher for the spell, and are
+5 after learning the spell. Non sorcerers, or sorcerers who
don’t want to take the time to do it right, may start a “Use
Purple Rope of Binding” skill which is treated as if it were
the sorcery spell, but are not +5, and can only use this
rope.
13 Wand of Wand Red Wand, adds +2 to intensity of any spell if relevant
Intensity
14 Wand of Wand Blue Wand, adds +2 to duration of any spell, if relevant
Duration
15 Wand of Ease Wand White Wand adds +2 to ease of any spell, if relevant
16 Anti Magic Wand Black Wand that affects Neutralize Magic. Sorcerers who
Wand know the spell are +5 to cast it. Other sorcerers may use
the rope to learn how to cast the spell, as if they had a
teacher for the spell, and are +5 after learning the spell.
Non sorcerers, or sorcerers who don’t want to take the time
to do it right, may start a “Use Anti-Magic Wand” skill which
is treated as if it were the sorcery spell, but are not +5, and
cannot use the skill without the Wand..
17 Ring of Ring Confers personal sphere of protection {1-5 5 points, 6 ten
Protection points} vs. {-3, sorcery, 4-5 divine, 6 spirit magic} on the
wearer/ Sphere of Protection is as the spell
18 Ring of Dark Ring Confers Dark Vision on the bearer
Vision
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 176
19 Cloak of Cloak A light grey cloak that affects Insignificance. Sorcerers who
Insignificance know the spell are +5 to cast it. Other sorcerers may use
the cloak to learn how to cast the spell, as if they had a
teacher for the spell, and are +5 after learning the spell.
Non sorcerers, or sorcerers who don’t want to take the time
to do it right, may start a “Use Insignificance Cloak” skill
which is treated as if it were the sorcery spell, but are not
+5, and cannot use the skill without the cloak.
20 Staff of Power Staff Doubles effective power, after all other modifiers, and thus
POW regeneration rate.

Divine Item Table

Roll Name Form Power
1 Red Ring or Adds 1D3_1 to Cult Lore and POW, cumulative with Bless.
Crystal Pendant
2 Healer’s Silver Ring Pale Green Crystal, which will store a spirit of healing.
Ring
3 Moonstone Silver Ring Black and White Ring, that allows player of character
Ring wearing it to roll twice and take better result when trying to
regain Moon Goddess divine spells
4 Anti- Cloak Black cloak with silver trim, confers permanent +3 on
Archer incapacitation rolls caused by arrows
Cloak
5 Demon Glass Dagger with weird colored designs, gives wearer a demonic
Dagger dagger feature while it is being worn
6 Spell Silver Ring Stores 1D6+6 points of divine spells {cast into ring and
Storing then regained} chosen by person doing the casting; cannot
use any till fully loaded.
7 Ring of Silver Ring Bearer has permanent spirit of the Faithful
Resistance
8 Bless Ring Silver Ring Permanent Bless III {roll randomly for deity conferring
Bless}
9 Scimitar Silver Scimitar with permanent Black Blade of Death
of Death Scimitar
10 Helmet of Ram’s Head Gives wearer the Inspiration spell as if he or she had
Command Helmet sacrificed for it, using his or her highest cult lore, even if
the deity does not normally offer Inspiration.
11 Ring of Silver Ring Wearer always has Reflection up, as if cast by an entity of
Reflection POW 19+1D10 {roll once, when ring is obtained}
12 Ring of Silver Ring Adds 5 to effective Ceremony and Cult Lore when regaining
Power spells.
13 Revelation Red Rock Confers Divination I spell at skill 20, and adds +5 to rolls
Crystal Crystal on checks to increase POW, and -1 to rolls against POW to
regain divine spells.
14 Holy Medium Iron Armor with Permanent Shield III; sacrifice 1 POW check to
Armor Armor attune Shield to deity of wearer’s choice
15 Healer’s Embroidered When worn, this sash provides Fight Disease as if spell;
Sash Sash also Greater Heal spell when wearer is incapacitated
16 Lifeguard Left Earring Float spell, works automatically when wearer falls in water
17 Light Red Candle Red Candle which never burns down, when invoked illusion
Candle of being lit is created and Light is cast till candle is
extinguished
18 Moon Pendant Moon Rock, used for summoning moon goddess spirits,
Rock also a +2 to all moon goddess cult lore or POW increase
rolls, treat as !D10+6 attunable crystal
19 Wisdom Pendant Gives 1 extra check per session, in Lore skills only Treat as
Crystal POW 8 attunable crystal
20 Strength Pendant Allows Character to roll checks for STR as if it were a skill,
Crystal treat as 10 pt attunable crystal
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 177

Attunable crystals have spirits of their own; a character goes to sleep contemplating the crystal
while wearing it. That night, he and the crystal engage in spirit combat; if the wearer beats the
crystal he attunes it; if the crystal beats the wearer he becomes afraid of it and cannot attune it;

Shamanic Item Table

Roll Name Form Power
1 Bone Dagger Dagger +5 to Spirit Combat skill
2 Amulet of Amulet +5 to effective power in spirit combat
Spirit
Resistance
3 Ghost Fetish Bone Amulet for POW 15 Ghost Spirit
4 Medicine Fetish Cut flower that does not die; fetish for POW 20 Spirit of
Bundle Healing
5 Spirit Rock Rock Strangely colored rock with POW 9+1D10 Spirit will fight to
defend owner of rock in spirit combat if given a check every
time it does so. Rock may be small enough to set in gem
6 Cat Fetish Ivory Fetish for up to 20 POW cougar sized, cat spirit; becomes
Cat physical body of cat when cat spirit is summoned
7 Ebon Ring Ebony Fetish for up to 20 POW Spirit of Darkness
Ring
8 Hag Fetish Doll Small doll of human bone, painted black, fetish for spirit
which appears to have physical form, but can only be
damaged by special or critical hits; attacks any enemy
within 10” with Fear attack, can engage those who stay in
spirit combat
9 Bear fetish Cap Bear spirit fetish; wearer can be temporarily possessed by
Bear Spirit, getting 4 pts of armor {plus any he has} and
rolls best of 2D12 to stand up
10 Tiger fetish Doll Painted wooden tiger becomes real tiger which will fight for
owner when spirit is called. Spirit is POW 20, can fight on
spirit or normal plane with 15 Spirit Combat skill; but every
time it is used it must be summoned again, before it is used
again
11 Spirit Veil Veil A veil which hides the identity, and with a Hide skill of 15,
the spirit of the character wearing it, on the spirit plane
12 Stone of Rock +2 to effective POW increase rolls
Power Crystal
13 Air Fetish Clear Clear Crystal that can house an air spirit, POW 20, buffets
Crystal enemies as if Intensity 15 sorcery Blast of Air spell, can only
be damaged by critical or special hits, goes away and must
be summoned again, if hit.
14 Mask of the Mask Wearer frightens attacking spirit if his POW overcomes
Hag theirs; if overcome, attacking spirit leaves battlefield.
15 Heron Fetish Feather Fetish for up to POW 20 Spirit Heron, will fight in spirit
combat for fetish owner; will remain after use if one check is
put into either its POW or teaching it spirit combat Only
works in daytime
16 Bat Fetish Doll Miniature black or red bat doll; use as fetish for up to POW
20 bat spirit; treat as heron above except nocturnal
17 Axe Fetish Axe Spirit of Axe, which when the user hits with it, attacks as
spirit of user’s POW in spirit combat; also a regular battleaxe
with permanent +3 damage
18 Spear Fetish Spear Treat as axe fetish, except fetish is of spear spirit
19 Ivory Horse Doll Ivory horse doll; fetish for horse spirit. When spirit is called
upon, becomes a full sized cavalry horse, which can be
ridden. Must put one check into its POW {initially 15} after
use or spirit will go away
20 Moon Rock Rock Fetish for warrior spirit made of moon rock, fetish becomes
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 178
warrior when spirit is summoned. Treat spirit as active cult
spirit.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 179

Appendix A - Free Art License

Preamble:
With this Free Art License, you are authorized to copy, distribute and freely transform the work of
art while respecting the rights of the originator.
Far from ignoring the author's rights, this license recognizes them and protects them. It
reformulates their principle while making it possible for the public to make creative use of the
works of art. Whereas current literary and artistic property rights result in restriction of the
public's access to works of art, the goal of the Free Art License is to encourage such access.
The intention is to make work accessible and to authorize the use of its resources by the greatest
number of people: to use it in order to increase its use, to create new conditions for creation in
order to multiply the possibilities of creation, while respecting the originators in according them
recognition and defending their moral rights.
In fact, with the arrival of the digital age, the invention of the Internet and free software, a new
approach to creation and production has made its appearance. It also encourages a continuation
of the process of experimentation undertaken by many contemporary artists.
Knowledge and creativity are resources which, to be true to themselves, must remain free, i.e.
remain a fundamental search which is not directly related to a concrete application. Creating
means discovering the unknown, means inventing a reality without any heed to realism. Thus, the
object(ive) of art is not equivalent to the finished and defined art object. This is the basic aim of
this Free Art License: to promote and protect artistic practice freed from the rules of the market
economy.

Definitions
- The work of art:
A communal work which includes the initial artwork as well as all subsequent contributions
(subsequent originals and copies). It is created at the initiative of the original artist who, by this
license, defines the conditions according to which the contributions are made.
- The original work of art:
This is the artwork created by the initiator of the communal work, of which copies will be
modified by whosoever wishes.
- Subsequent works:
These are the additions put forward by the artists who contribute to the formation of the work by
taking advantage of the right to reproduction, distribution and modification that this license
confers on them.
- The Original (the work's source or resource):
A dated example of the work, of its definition, of its partition or of its program which the
originator provides as the reference for all future updating, interpretations, copies or
reproductions.
- Copy:
Any reproduction of an original as defined by this license.
- The author or the artist of the original work of art:
This is the person who created the work which is at the heart of the ramifications of this modified
work of art. By this license, the author determines the conditions under which these modifications
are made.
- Contributor:
Any person who contributes to the creation of the work of art. He is the author or the artist of an
original art object resulting from the modification of a copy of the initial artwork or the
modification of a copy of a subsequent work of art.
1. AIMS
The aim of this license is to define the conditions according to which you can use this work freely.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 180
2. EXTENT OF THE USAGE
This work of art is subject to copyright, and the author, by this license, specifies the extent to
which you can copy, distribute and modify it.
2.1 FREEDOM TO COPY (OR OF REPRODUCTION)
You have the right to copy this work of art for your personal use, for your friends or for any other
person, by employing whatever technique you choose.
2.2 FREEDOM TO DISTRIBUTE, TO INTERPRET (OR OF REPRESENTATION)
You can freely distribute the copies of these works, modified or not, whatever their medium,
wherever you wish, for a fee or for free, if you observe all the following conditions:
- attach this license, in its entirety, to the copies or indicate precisely where the license can be
found,
- specify to the recipient the name of the author of the originals,
- specify to the recipient where he will be able to access the originals (original and subsequent).
The author of the original may, if he wishes, give you the right to broadcast/distribute the original
under the same conditions as the copies.
2.3 FREEDOM TO MODIFY
You have the right to modify the copies of the originals (original and subsequent), partially or
otherwise, respecting the conditions set out in article 2.2, in the event of distribution (or
representation) of the modified copy. The author of the original may, if he wishes, give you the
right to modify the original under the same conditions as the copies.
3. INCORPORATION OF ARTWORK
All the elements of this work of art must remain free, which is why you are not allowed to
integrate the originals (originals and subsequent) into another work which would not be subject
to this license.
4. YOUR AUTHOR'S RIGHTS
The object of this license is not to deny your author's rights on your contribution. By choosing to
contribute to the evolution of this work of art, you only agree to give to others the same rights
with regard to your contribution as those which were granted to you by this license.
5. DURATION OF THE LICENCE
This license takes effect as of your acceptance of its provisions. Copying, distributing, or
modifying the work constitutes a tacit agreement. This license will remain in force for as long as
the copyright which is attached to the work of art. If you do not respect the terms of this license,
you automatically lose the rights that it confers. If the legal status to which you are subject makes
it impossible for you to respect the terms of this license, you may not make use of the rights which
it confers.
6. VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE LICENCE
This license may undergo periodic modifications to incorporate improvements by its authors
(instigators of the "Copyleft attitude" movement) by way of new, numbered versions. You will
have the choice of accepting the provisions contained in the version under which the copy was
communicated to you, or alternatively, to use the provisions of one of the subsequent versions.
7. SUB-LICENSING
Sub-licenses are not authorized by the present license. Any person who wishes to make use of the
rights that it confers will be directly bound to the author of the original work.
8. THE LAW APPLICABLE TO THIS CONTRACT
This license is subject to French law.
9. DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
To benefit from the Free Art License, it is enough to specify the following on your work of art:
10. WHY USE THE FREE ART LICENSE?
1) To give the greatest number of people access to your work;
2) To allow it to be freely distributed;
3) To allow it to evolve by authorizing its transformation by others;
4) To be able, yourself, to use the resources of a work when it is under Free Art license: to copy,
distribute or transform it freely.
5) This is not all: because the use of the Free Art License is also a good way to take liberties with
the marketing system generated by the dominant economy. The Free Art License offers a useful
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 181
legal protocol to prevent abusive appropriation. It will no longer be possible for someone to
appropriate your work, short-circuiting the creative process to make personal profit from it.
Helping yourself to a collective work in progress will be forbidden, as will monopolizing the
resources of an evolving creation for the benefit of a few.
The Free Art License advocates an economy appropriate for art, based on sharing, exchange and
joyful giving. What counts in art is also and mostly what is not counted.
11. When to use the Free Art License?
It is not the goal of the Free Art License to eliminate copyright or author's rights. Quite the
opposite, it is about reformulating the relevance of these rights while taking today's environment
into account. It is about the right to freedom of movement, to free copying and to free
transformation of works of art and the right to work in freedom for art and artist.
1) Each time you want to use or put this right into practice, use the Free Art License.
2) Each time you want to create works which can evolve and be freely copied, freely distributed
and freely transformed: use the Free Art License.
3) Each time you want to have the possibility of copying, distributing or transforming a work:
check that it is under Free Art License. If it is not, you are liable to be breaking the law.
12. To which types of art can the Free Art License be applied?
This license can be applied to digital as well as to non-digital art. It was born out of observation of
the world of free software and the Internet, but its applicability is not limited to the digital media.
You can put a painting, a novel, a sculpture, a drawing, a piece of music, a poem, an installation, a
video, a film, a recipe, a CD-room, a Web site, or a performance under the Free Art License, in
short any creation which has some claim to be a work of art.
13. History of the license?
This license has a history: it was born at the meeting “Copyleft Attitude " which took place at
"Access Local" and "Public" in Paris at the beginning of the year 2000. For the first time, it
brought computer specialists and freeware activists together with contemporary artists and
members of the art world.
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 182

Appendix B -Useful Web Links

This appendix includes some possibly useful links. They introduce internet resources that may be
helpful to gamemasters and players.
Fire & Sword Links
BRP Central – site supports Fire and Sword, though it is really much more a site supporting the
Basic Role Playing rules published by Chaosium.
BRP Central Systems Fire and Sword Download Page – location of Fire and Sword rules, Short
version of Fire and Sword rules, City of Tishrei Setting Description, Designer’s Commentary,
Character Sheets, etc.
BRP Central Fire and Sword Forum – forum for announcing news on Fire and Sword and
discussing issues related to these rules.
Fire and Sword Blog – has postings of new rules, clarifications, etc by the author. Questions will
be answered in response to
Fire and Sword Yahoo Group – Join this to get announcements regarding the Fire and Sword
Rules.
Player Advice
What is a social contract? – TT article on group understandings in role playing
Seven Rules of Character Creation Part One – Advice on creating a character that fits into a game
Seven Rules of Character Creation Part Two – Advice on creating a character that fits into a game
Ten best RPG characters -list of characters from film and literature

Game mastering Links

What is a social contract? – TT article on group understandings in role playing
Robin’s Laws of good game mastering {useful cheap pdf}
Treasure Tables – free game mastering pdf’s
Effective Game Mastering – Advice for game masters
Behind the Screen – advice for Game Masters
Big List of RPG Plots – basic discussion of RPG plots
36 Plots – another discussion of RPG plots
House Ganzak – Sample noble house description for HeroQuest, can be used as a model

Role Playing Game Theory

Role Playing Game Theory – Wikipedia General Article
Threefold Model – Original defining post
Threefold Model – Wikipedia Entry
The Big Model – Wikipedia Entry

Miscellaneous
Dice – The Steve Jackson Games Dice Page, to roll dice when no physical dice are on hand
Fantasy Name Generator – Online name generator
Chessex home page - source for dice, battlemats, and figures boxes
Minifigs catalog
Reaper Miniatures – a manufacturer of miniatures
Fire and Sword – Fourth Edition 183

Appendix C –Character Sheets

Why Are There So Many Different Character Sheets?
The basic reason for this is that I try to convey information, invisibly to users, by offering a variety
of character sheets. The information being conveyed is:
* What are the historical weapon combinations? Many Fire and Sword readers are neither war
gamers nor military historians. It may not be obvious to them that it is impractical to carry a bow
and a long spear at the same time when fighting on foot, which made this weapon combination
very rare. The rules prohibit it, under encumbrance. In addition by offering different character
sheets for archer, spearman, and large shield and javelin fighters, I point out that these are
plausible, common weapon combinations, and others are not.
* The skill defaults will obviously be different for an urban sorcerer's apprentice and a rural
hunter. The character sheet lists all skills which all starting characters that fit the character sheet
description are expected to know, or at least have a default in. If there is no default, the skill has
been left off. Thus, all the rural fighting types have a default in Wilderness Lore, but the sorcerer
sheet does not include one. This distinction is easy to convey with different character sheets for
the common character types, but almost impossible if I try to pack all types of characters on one
sheet. It should be noted that having an uncommon skill for a character's archetype is not
impossible. On the other hand, a GM may prevent your character from starting with it, and
require the character to use an influence point and take a week to learn it {or maybe you can start
with it as one of the two outside of archetype skills characters are allowed to start with}.
The character sheets
 Archer: for rural archers
 Craftsman or Scholar: for urban craftsmen, merchants, and scholars, armed with spear
 Javelin and Shield: rural fighter armed with javelin and shield
 Shaman/Shamanka: rural shaman’s apprentice
 Sorcerer: Urban sorcerer’s apprentice
 Spearman: Rural fighter armed primarily with spear
 Thief: Urban Thief, can also be used for anyone with experience on the shady side of the
law.
Hope these character sheets are useful.
Archer
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: ____________________________________________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Spells Castings Social & Resources Value
Sword Att (Str or Dex -10) Title -
Small Shield Parry (Str-10) FTE Level
Archery(Dex -10) Status Points
Unarmed (Dex-10) Fame Points
Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Influence/Favors
Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10)
Herbalism (Wild Lore -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10) Friends and Family
Ride (Dex -10)
Spot (Con -10)
Swim (Dex-10)
Track (Wilderness Lore-10)
Wilderness Lore (Int – 10) Patron_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Logistics (Int -10) ____________ Temple
Military Lore (Int-10) ____________ Goldsmith
Siegecraft ( -)

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Cult Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Summoning (-) Bargaining (Int or Cha – 10)
Religious Philosophy Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Intrigue (Int – 10)
Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
8 Seduction(Cha – 10)

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Craftsman or Scholar
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: ____________________________________________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Spells Castings Social & Resources Value
Spear Att (Str or Dex -10) Title -
Shield Parry (Str-10) FTE Level
Dagger Attack(Dex -10) Status Points
Unarmed (Dex-10) Fame Points
Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Influence/Favors
Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10)
Spot (Con -10) Friends and Family

Patron_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Logistics (-) ____________ Temple
Military Lore (-) ____________ Goldsmith
Siegecraft ( -)

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Area Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
__________ Area Lore Bargaining (Int or Cha – 10)
__________ Cult Lore Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Intrigue (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
Seduction(Cha – 10)

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Javelin and Shield Fighter
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: _________________ Title s and Offices:______________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Spells Castings Social & Resources Value
Sword Att (Str or Dex -10) FTE Level
Large Shield Parry (Str-10) Status Points
Javelin Att (Dex -10) Fame Points
Unarmed (Dex-10) Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Cults Rank

Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10) Influence Value
Herbalism (Wild Lore -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10)
Ride (Dex -10)
Spot (Con -10) Friends and Family
Swim (Dex-10)
Track (Wilderness Lore-10)
Wilderness Lore (Int – 10)

Patron_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash Total

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Logistics (Int -10) ____________ Temple
Military Lore (Int-10) ____________ Goldsmith
Siegecraft ( -)

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Cult Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Summoning (-) Bargaining (Int or Cha – 10)
Religious Philosophy Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Intrigue (Int – 10)
Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
Seduction(Cha – 10)

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Shaman/Shamanka
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: _________________ Title s and Offices:______________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Shamanic Skills Skill Spirits Powers Social & Resources Value
Channeling * Name: FTE Level
Discorporation * Type: Status Points
Dreamspeaking * Fame Points
Herbalism ** Name Infamy Points
Second Sight * Type Virtue Points
Spirit Combat *
Summoning (Int – 10) Name Cults Rank
________ Tradition Lore Type

*Defaults to Tradition Lore -10 Name Influence Value

** Defaults to Wild.. Lore -10 Type

Wilderness Skills Name

Climb (Str or Dex -10) Type
Herbalism (Wild Lore -10) Friends and Family
Hide (20-Siz) Name
Listen (Con – 10) Type
Ride (Dex -10)
Spot (Con -10) Name
Swim (Dex-10) Type Patron_______________
Wilderness Lore (Int – 10)

Languages & Customs Skill Combat Skills Skill Cash Total

Carried
____________ Temple
____________ Goldsmith

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

Religious Philosophy Ceremony (Int – 10) Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore
_________ Culture Lore

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sorcerer
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Magic Points, (default is POW): ______________________________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Sorcery Spells Skill Social & Resources Value
Unarmed (Dex-10) Title -
FTE Level
Status Points
Fame Points
Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Influence/Favors
Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10)
Spot (Con -10) Friends and Family

Patron_______________
Master_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Military Lore (-) ____________ School
____________ Goldsmith

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Area Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
__________ Area Lore Enchant(Int-10) Bargaining (-)
__________ Cult Lore Summoning (Int-10) Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Seduction(-)
Sorcery Lore
Treasure Lore
8

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Spearman
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: ____________________________________________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Spells Castings Social & Resources Value
Spear Att (Str or Dex -10) Title -
Small Shield Parry (Str-10) FTE Level
Sword Attack(Dex -10) Status Points
Unarmed (Dex-10) Fame Points
Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Influence/Favors
Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10)
Herbalism (Wild Lore -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10) Friends and Family
Ride (Dex -10)
Spot (Con -10)
Swim (Dex-10)
Track (Wilderness Lore-10)
Wilderness Lore (Int – 10) Patron_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Logistics (Int -10) ____________ Temple
Military Lore (Int-10) ____________ Goldsmith
Siegecraft ( -)

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Cult Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Summoning (-) Bargaining (Int or Cha – 10)
Religious Philosophy Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Intrigue (Int – 10)
Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
8 Seduction(Cha – 10)

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Thief
Name:_______________________________________________________________________
Player:_______________________________________________________________________
First Impression:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
In a Nutshell:__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Archetype: ____________________________________________________________________

Stats
Str: Int: Con: Dex Pow: Cha: Siz:

Combat Skills, Spells, Social Info

Combat Skills Skill Spells Castings Social & Resources Value
Spear Att (Str or Dex -10) Title -
Shield Parry (Str-10) FTE Level
Dagger Attack(Dex -10) Status Points
Unarmed (Dex-10) Fame Points
Infamy Points
Virtue Points

Influence/Favors
Wilderness Skills
Climb (Str or Dex -10)
Hide (20-Siz)
Listen (Con – 10)
Ride (Dex -10) Friends and Family
Spot (Con -10)

Patron_______________

Languages & Customs Skill Military Skills Skill Cash

Leadership (Cha-10) Carried
Logistics (Int -10) ____________ Temple
Military Lore (Int-10) ____________ Goldsmith
Siegecraft ( -)

Lores Skill Mystical Skills Skill Social Skills Skill

__________ Area Lore Ceremony (Int – 10) Admin (Int or Cha – 10)
__________ Area Lore Bargaining (Int or Cha – 10)
__________ Cult Lore Fast Talk (Int or Cha – 10)
___________Cult Lore Insight (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Intrigue (Int – 10)
_________ Culture Lore Lightfingers(Dex-10)
Legend Lore Rhetoric (Int or Cha – 10)
Treasure Lore Seduction(Cha – 10)
8 Street Wisdom {Int-10}

Equipment: ____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Awarded Fame:_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Items: _________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes: ________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________