Codex Alera

The RPG
The Setting

One day, an asshole on the internet dared Jim Butcher to write a book using the
two terrible ideas of The Lost Roman Legion and Pokemon.

He wrote and published the 6 book Codex Alera series from that bet. The lesson:
do bet Jim Butcher to do things, but don’t wager any money on those bets.

The roman legion disappeared from our earth an appeared in a strange land
inhabited by strange and vicious beings. They were forced to fight for their lives
against great beast and savage inhuman barbarians.

To their aid they found that they had the ability call on and control (or Craft) the
furies, elemental beings of air, fire, earth, water, wood, and metal. Skill in
furycrafting differed greatly between individuals, and those with many or
powerful furies often had children with powerful crafting as well. Social status
quickly became tied to ones crafting, with the citizenry comprised only of those
who proved their power in crafting or belonged to families of powerful crafters.
The highest nobles in the land were also the most powerful furycrafters.

Through their fury crafty and legions the lords of Alera carved out the great
nation of that lasted a thousand years.

Then everything changed when the fire nation attacked… I mean the vord
attacked. Actually, the series starts several years before the vord attack. Read the
books, they’re good.

The Nation of Alera

Alera is composed of several massive city states, in the style of ancient Rome.
Surrounding these are Germanic style freeholds.
Each city state is ruled over by a High Lord, except for the capital in which ruled
the First Lord. The High Lords and the First Lord are in charge of all military
matters, deciding criminal law, and enforcing the law. Civil law is decided by the
Senate, whose members are elected by the citizens of the realm.

Freeman are not citizens and have no say in the law, but must obey it. All
freeman are expected to serve at least one term in the legions, though some
spend their entire lives in the legion. Unmarried women must give two years of
civil service supporting the legion. Anyone, man or woman, with sufficiently
strong furycrafting may join one of the six orders of Knights (one for each
element), and in doing so earn citizenship. Knighthood and citizenship may also
be granted for exemplary service to the realm, and citizenship can be earned by
winning a duel against a citizen (though one must find someone willing to dual
and a lord who will recognize the dual).

The dwellers on the steadholds are called holders, and are not citizens, but the
owner of the steadhold, the steadholder, is considered a citizen with all rights and
obligations.

Citizens and freeman are not considered equal under the law. The freeman do
have some amount of legal protection (citizens can’t just go murdering freeman
on the streets), but in the courts the word of citizen is typically counted over the
word of freeman. All citizens however, are considered to bound equally by the
law. Higher ranks of the nobility might have greater authority and wealth, but
must obey the same laws as all other citizens.

Then there are slaves. Slaves technically have some legal protections, but those
are rarely enforced. Technically a slave is only someone who sells themself, or is
legally found in default and forced to, and can free themselves when they earn
their back their cost. Owners are supposed to pay their slaves a small amount for
this purpose. Again, this is rarely enforced and depends upon their owners.
Technically you cannot just capture and enslave someone, but unless someone
can and is willing to make a legal challenge, this can still happen.

The Cursors

Serving the First Lord are the Cursors. Officially they serve the First Lord as
messengers, but it is somewhat of an open secret that the cursors are the First
Lords agents and spies.

Cursors act in different ways as suits their talents. Some use a number of false
identities, other work while openly serving their official position of carrying
messages, other live all their lives as courtiers or courtesans gathering
information by negotiating the social circles of the citizenry.

While largely an urban position, scouts and rangers are also serve as Cursors,
gathering intelligence and serving the First Lord at the edges of the realm. This is
especially true after the events of the Vord attack.

This rulebook is written with the idea that players will play as a group of cursors
and their allies. This is not required, by the giving of missions provides a useful
motivation for the characters to act.

Timeline and Times of play:

Before the series: (-1000 to -50 years)

This period is somewhat in the series. We know that Alera expanded, defeated
many other races. Furycrafting was discovered, and progressed so far that not
only were the Roman arts of furyless engineering lost, but by the time of some
historians argued that these skills had never existed.
We do not know if these skills were just forgotten as furycrafting proved easier, or
were repressed to secure the power of the furycrafting nobility. Slavery existed,
but the legal protections did not become corrupted and degraded until a few
hundred years prior to the story.

Questions to be answered:

What time are you playing in? How far has the empire expanded? Who are the
current threats to the empire? Who are the current major nobles?

Rules Considerations:

Furycrafting is determined by birth, not merit. Thus furycrafting cannot be

improved by experience after character creation.

Also, there would be no Marat or Canim Characters.

Soon after the Series: (0 to 50 years)

We are giving some idea as to how the world is changing after the series.

Many of the Cities of Alera were destroyed, and many of the High Lords are dead.
The vord were broken but are not gone, and the lands must be reclaimed. A
peace exists with the Marat, the Icemen and Canim, at least for a time.

During this time the consequence of the Vord war are of pressing concern. Most
of the Aleran cities were destroyed, and the population was decimated. (the exact
figures of deaths is not given, but I’d imagine at least one third of the population
is dead, likely more). The weather crafting Octavian did has disrupted the
climate, and without the Great Fury Alera furycrafting is more unstable and wild
furies are rampant. The crotch and the vord still cover most of the land.
Furycrafting is starting to become merit based and no longer restricted to the
Alerans, the Romanic arts are being revived. Slavery has been abolished, and
there has been a move to enfranchise all freeman to vote for the senate.

Questions to be answered:

How are the new allied races responding to one another? What difficulties are
being encountered in reclaiming the lost parts of the land? What crises are being
caused by Tavi’s attempts to change Aleran society?

Rules Consideration:

The base rules are developed around this time period.

Other considerations:
I recommend not having any of the PCs tied closely to any of the major characters
from the series. To avoid becoming too like a fan fiction, keep the pcs away from
the these characters so you don’t have to ‘write’ them. Ehren or Tavi might speak
to the PC’s to send them on a mission, but the PCs would act on their own
meeting and interacting with new people.

Long after the series: (50+ years)

At this point most of the characters from the series will either be dead or retired.
You will need to decide for yourselves how the history of Alera has progressed
since then.

The advantage and disadvantage for this time period is that much of the setting is
not entirely up to the GM and players.
Rules considerations:

Furycrafting has been merit based for over a generation now. As such the Noble’s
Bastard and Nobleborn merits may not be taken (a character can still be noble,
but this is measured purely by the Status Merit).

At the GM’s discretion Marat and Canim character might be able to start with
furycrafting (how the hell you balance this is your job).
The Basics
This game uses a modified version of the World Of Darkeness RPG rules, after the
God Machine Chronicles rules update.

It will not repeat the stuff covered in the WoD core book, or GMC, so you’ll need
copies of those. All that will be covered is changes from the Core book.

Skills:

Certain skills do not make sense for a fantasy setting. Fortunately, each can easily
be replaced by the appropriate skill that DOES need to be in the fantasy setting
that isn’t included.

Computers is removed and is not replaced.

Occult is replaced with Legend Lore.

Legend Lore:

The knowledge of various legends and superstitions of the peoples of Carna.

Some of these might have a basis in fact, but what is difficult to determine.

Science is replaced is ‘The Romanic Arts’

Romanic Arts: the knowledge of the hold Romans, including siege engineer,
furyless construction, etc. For a long time this knowledge was considered nothing
more than an esoteric and useless historic knowledge, but interest has renewed
after Third Calderon.

Drive has been replaced with Ride.

Ride: skill in ride isn’t required to stay on a horse under normal conditions, but
keeping on if the horse panics, bad weather, combat riding, etc require the ride
skill.

Animal ken is still used to calm or care for your mount, but Ride can be used to
control it in the very short term.

Specialties include: Specific type of mount, Combat riding, trick riding.

Firearms is replaced with Archery.

Archery: what it sounds like. Archery now has specialties in Longbow, shortbow,
crossbow and balest

Skill Specialties: A number of those listed are not appropriate, and some new
ones might be appropriate.

Of note, Furycrafting Theory is an Academic specialities.

Merits:

Crack Driver is Replaced with Crack Rider. It’s the same, only for Ride not Drive.

Fighting Merits: most of these work as written, it is up the GM if it a given style

makes sense. Firearms is replaced by Archery.
Holistic Awareness: Can be used to treat lethal wounds as well, though not
aggravated. ((this fits better with the fantasy theme))

New Merits:

Nobles Bastard: (2 dots)

You are the bastard child of a high noble. This puts you at a disadvantage socially,
especially among members of the citizenry, but some of your noble parents fury
crafting has been passed on to you.

Treat your Status (Aleran citizenry) as one dot lower, but you start with 1 extra
dot of furycrafting ((can only be taken at character creation)).

Nobleborn: (4 dots)

You are the trueborn child of one of Alerans nobles. You gain 1 extra dot of
furycrafting and an extra dot of Status (Aleran Citizenry).

Your noble heritage means that you are born with allies, obligations, and
enemies.

Legion Style (1-5, style)

Prerequisite: Athletics 2, weaponry 2

1) Shield Wall: You increase the defense bonus from your shield by 1. If
you are denied your shield bonus (from tilt, or using it for an attack) you
still gain the standard benefit so long as an adjacent ally can use their
shield to defend.
 2) Tortoise: Your unit forms their shields into a solid wall. You cannot
attack, but anyone inside your formation gains +2 armor so long as you
hold formation.
3) Shield Mates: If you choose to fight defensively, you adjacent allies
benefit from your bonus to defense as well.
4) Step In: You can move freely through your formation. In addition, you
swap places with an adjacent ally as a reaction when it is not your turn.

Character Creation:

Follow the directions for character creation in The God Machine Chronical, add
the Effort resource, then add points in Fury Crafting for Alerans, or apply the
template for Marats or Canim.

Combat Changes:

If you choose to dodge, you may apply your defense vs ranged attacks. However,
you may only use athletics to determine your defense, regardless of merits.

Ignore all ballistic rating on armor.

Use the profiles from GMC for weapons and armor, with the following additions
and replacements.

Weapons and Armor

Type Damage Initiative Str Size Availability Rules

Gladius 2 -2 2 2 2
Eartcrafter 5 -4 5 3 2 9-again, two handed,
Maul
Canim 4 -4 4 3 3 9-again, two handed
Greatsword
Type Dmg Range initiative Str Size
Bow 2 30/60/120 -4 3 3
Crafting 3 60/120/240 -4 4 3
Bow
Balast 4 60/120/240 -5 4 3 ** Armor
piercing 1

**The balest requires 3 turns to reload, a Balast can be fired with str 3 if braced.
Fury Crafting

((The way furycrafting is describe in the books isn’t really consistent. Some
characters are supposed to have skill in only one element, and having skill in all 6
is considered to be something only the Lords can do.

BUT, everyone can apparently use the causeways and furylights, and everyone
legioner is suppose to be able to light a fire and keep themselves warm with their
furies.

My solution is to have Bound Furies (ie those already bound into an object by a
crafter) be useable by anyone with any fury craft. Ie, every Aleran can use the
causeway, or turn on/off a furylight.

I just ignore the scene with where everyone in the legion can firecraft.))

All adult Alerans possess some skill in fury crafting, but for the majority of Aleran
history the skill in furycrafting differed sharply between the classes, and was tied
to bloodlines.

Rural Alerans view their furies as having personalities, and typically name them.
They commonly have a smaller number of more powerful furies.

Urban Alerans furies are less defined, and rarely thought of having any personality
or intelligence. Naming furies is highly looked down up. They typically have a
larger number of weaker furies.

Effort:

Use of Furycrafting is shown as being exhausting. The limits of one’s ability is

often the result of simple exhaustion. To denote this, furycrafting abilities are
listed as having a cost in “effort”.
Characters have a maximum amount of Effort equal to their dots in Stamina +
Resolve+4. Effort regenerates at a rate of one point per 30 minutes, so long as
the character is not performing any taxing activity. 4 hours of sleep recovers all
effort. ((Even pc’s without furycrafting have effort, keep track of it. GMs are
encouraged to add Effort costs to tiring activities other than furycrafting)).

If a character runs out of effort they gain the Drained condition, and must spend 1
willpower to perform any strenuous action and do not regenerate Effort. The
Drained condition is resolved by getting at least 2 hours of sleep.

Skill in Furycraft.

The level of furycrafting before AV 1 depended upon fortune and bloodline. If

playing before this period, Furycrafting cannot be increased after character
creation.

The level of furycraft varies, from High Lords with great skill in all six furies, to
lowly holders with barely any skill in one. Aleran player characters start with a
level of power at the lower level necessary to qualify for Citizenship. Players have
5 dots to distribute among their Furies.

You may buy additional fury crafting during character creation using merit points
at the cost of 3 merit points per furycrafting dot.

Using Furycrafting

From the novels, Furycrafting is divided into two types, internal and external. For
the game, this is further divided into Innate, Called, Techniques, Improvised and
Manifesting.

Furycrafting can either be thought of as commanding your own personal fury, or

the furies naturally inhabiting the nearby elements. For rules purposes there is no
difference. The exception is Manifestation, which always uses your personal
furies.

Internal Furycrafting:

Internal Furycrafting affect the character, giving them a bonus to certain skills or
attributes, or occasionally abilities. These bonuses can either be Innate, or Called.

Innate bonuses are granted simply by having a level of furycrafting in an element,

and access to enough of that element. They require no Effort, and are added
automatically to the skill. Using this feels completely natural, it’s not even
something one thinks about. When denied that element, it feels strange. Unless
noted otherwise Innate bonuses are equal to the dots in the element. Innate
bonuses are always to a skill, only those bonuses listed under each element are
considered innate.

Called bonuses are far more taxing, but give a greater benefit. Called bonuses cost
effort. In addition to the listed effects, if the player can justify it, they can Call on
their fury to give them a bonus to single roll. This cost 1 effort, and the bonus is
equal to half of their dots in fury crafting (round down.)

External Crafting:

External Crafting is utilizing your fury to affect the world around you. The ability
to manipulate the very elements of the world is an incredibly power. However,
furies are simple beings, and often do not know HOW to accomplish effects most
basic pushing and pulling.

Over time Aleran society has developed a number of Techniques that let them use
their furies in subtle and powerful ways. If the crafter does not know a technique
for a given task, they can attempt to Improvise a solution. This is matter of
imagination and intelligence as much as raw furycrafting strength.
Lastly, the most powerful of Crafters can Manifest their fury. Calling their fury
into physical form to unleash it.

Techniques are learned. Each Techniques each have a dot level. Furycrafters
automatically learn one Technique at each level of Furycraft they possess at
character creation. They can also buy additional techniques with experience. You
cannot learn techniques with at level above your Furycrafting.

Techniques have a cost in effort and use dicepool equal to Fury+Skill, or in some
cases Fury+ attribute, or Fury+Attribute+Skill. Untrained skill penalties do not
apply to Technique pools.

((Basic Techniques. These are known automatically at no cost, at furycrafting level

2. They are so basic that know skill is used, instead you roll Furycraftingx2))

Improvisation is more versatile, but also more taxing. Improvisation can be used
to create any effect the player can dream up, and the GM allows. Improvisation is
not a learned skill, but a matter of quick thinking or careful planning.

The pool for improvisation is Fury+ Wits for standard actions, and Fury+
Intelligence for extended actions.

The cost for Improvising is always at least 1 effort, and if improvising a Technique
costs 1 additional effort, and uses Fury+Wits or the standard pool, whichever is
smaller.

Manifesting calls the Fury come forth from its element and act. Doing this is
extremely taxing, and costs 1 Effort per turn. The manifested Fury acts
indepenantly, and can attack or use any Basic Techniques.
Fury Power (in General)

Dots in an Elements.

1 dots: Basic Internal Crafting.

You have the ability to use your elements Innate bonuses, and call on your fury
for extra bonuses

2 dots: Basic External Crafting.

You can learned the most basic of techniques.

3 dots: Manifestation.

You can call your fury forth, and know the more advanced techniques.

4 dots: Greater Manifestation

Your Manifested fury is even more powerful. Your own fury is of considerably
more power than most wild furies, and you can overcome them with ease.

At this point you can perform multiple feats associated with your element

5 dots: True Power

At this power you can perform any Techniques known in Alera and you can
develop unique feats of crafting. You are limited more by your imagination than
your strength.

Total dots

2-3 Holders, freeman, and legionares

4-10 Knights and lesser citizenry

11-17 Nobility, Lords

18-25 High Lords

25+ First Lord.

Buying Furycrafting.

Improve Fury crafting 4 exp

New Furycrafting 10 exp

Technique Technique Rating X1

Elements:
Above is the general structure of fury crafting power, but each element is unique.

Air:
Special: Salt disrupts windfuries. This only effect external crafting, internal
crafting unaffected.

It is difficult to use windcrafting techniques while inside of a stone building.

Increase the effort cost of all techniques by 1.

Internal Crafting:
Innate: Unless underground add half your Aircrafting to your initiative pool.

Add you Aircrafting to athletics rolls for Jumping or avoiding damage from a fall.

Calling:

Increase Dexterity by half you Furycrafting for one scene for the cost of 1 point of
Effort. You may double this bonus for one round for an extra point of effort.

You can increase your defense equal to half your aircrafting for one round
for one point of Effort. You can increase your speed by twice your Aircrafting for
one round for 1 point of effort.

You can add a bonus to a melee attack roll equal to your dots in crafting for
1 point of effort, but if you do not have earth 2+ the strain causes an amount of
bashing damage equal to the bonus.

External Crafting
Basic: Air Push, Softfall

Air Push: 1 effort, AirX2 vs Strength

If you roll more success than your opponent they are Knocked Down.

Softfall: 1 effort, Airx2

You attempt to slow the fall of another to prevent harm. Reduce the damage
from falling by your successes.

2 dots: Farseeing, Farhearing. Anti-eavesdropping screens

Farseeing: 0 effort, no roll required

The crafter bends the air to let them see into the far distance. Functions like a
high powered telescope. Can be held for others to use.

Farhearing: As farseeing, only with sound.

Anti-eavesdropping screen: 0 effort, no roll

The crafter bends the air to prevent their conversation from being overheard.
Neither mundane listening nor aircrafting can be used to listen through the
screen.

3 dots: Flight, Veils, windstream blast

Flight: 1 effort per scene, no roll

You can fly. You can fly at speed is your base speed+(airx2). Maneuvering
requires Dexterity+ Air+ Athletics rolls.

When inside flight costs 1 effort per round (this replaces the normal penalty for
aircrafting inside stone buildings). Flight in high air can be down at greater speed
with less effort.
 Veil: 1 effort per scene. Air+ Stealth

Success means you are hidden from normal sight. You can also hide other people,
each additional person requires an additional success.

Furycrafting senses can attempt to penetrate the veil. Add your Air points to any
opposed roll to avoid being detected.

Windstream blast: 1 effort. Air+ Dexterity

Blast an area several meters across (circle Air meters in diameter?). If you get
more success than the enemies Stamina they are Knocked Down. Bows and
thrown weapons cannot be used in the area affected by Windstream Blast. Can
be used while flying.

4 dots: Weathercrafting, Hold Lighting

Weathercrafting: 3 effort (extended action), Air+ Intelligence + Survival OR

Academia.

You move the winds to change the prevailing whether. Breaking cloud
cover, granting favorable winds for travel, preventing or causing storms. Greater
effects require more success.

Hold Lightning. 2 Effort Air + Intelligence + Survival

Skilled aircrafters can gather lightning of a storm and hold it to attack with
later. Success indicates the crafter has captured a lighting bolt. A crafter can hold
a number of lightning bolt equal to their Dots in Air.
 Releasing a lighting bolt is an attack using Air+ Dexterity, defense is not
applied to this attack. The weapon value of a lightning bolt is 4L.

Earth:
Special: Being surrounded by air does not stop crafting. However, you must be in
contact with the ground, stone floor, or stone as large as man to use internal
crafting.

Internal Crafting:
Innate:

Add your Earthcrafting to Animal Ken Rolls to calm an animal. Add half your
earthcrafting to Seduction rolls.

Called

Increase your Strength by half your Earthcrafting for a scene for a single point of
Effort. Double your bonus for a round for an extra point of Effort.

Increase the damage bonus of any melee attack by your Earthcrafting for a point
of Effort. Effort is spent before the attack is rolled.

External Crafting:
Basic: Earthpush.

Earthpush: 1 effort, Earthx2 vs Dexerity

If you roll more success than your target, they are Knocked Down.

2 dots: Rolling Earth (Move at the speed of a horse). Earthwall.

Rolling Earth: 1 Effort per scene, Earth + Dexterity + Ride.

The crafter and a number of allies up to their dots in Earth move at 14+ Earthx2
Speed. This cannot be used for combat movement other than charging.

Earthwall: 1 Effort per Roll. Earth + Intelligence + Craft, (extended action)

The crafter build fortification by moving the earth. The bigger and stronger
the walls, the more success are required

3 Dots: Stone Flow. Instant Wall.

Stoneflow: 2 Effort. Earth + Dexterity + Craft?

The earth crafter moves through solid earth at a speed equal to your dots in
Earthcrafting. Moving through solid stone requires 3 success. Bringing along a
companion requires an additional success per companion.

Instant Wall: 2 Effort. Earth + Intelligence + Craft

Unlike Earthwall this pulls up a smaller section of wall (Earth dots meters
across) in mere moments.

Water:
Internal Crafting:
Innate: Gain a bonus to Empathy equal to your water crafting. Gain a bonus equal
to your watercrafting on Athletics checks for swimming.

Called:

Gain a bonus to intimidate or subterfuge equal to half your Watercraftering when

trying to determine the truth. Last one scene costs one effort.

Gain a bonus to socialize equal to half your watercrafting for once scene for one
effort.

Special:

Your empathy has a downside. If someone is suffering a penalty due to an

emotion, you suffer an equal penalty to a max of half you dots in watercrafting or
the penalty suffered by the other, whichever is lower. (metalcrafting can negate
this penalty).

Truthfinding: If you have at least 2 dots in watercrafting and are physically

touching someone, you can tell when they are speaking the Truth. This only
confirms truths that are freely given.

Youthful: If you have at least 3 dots in watercrafting, you do not appear to age
other than your hair going gray.

External Crafting:
Basic: Waterpush.

2 dot: Simple Healing, Waterwitching

3 dots: Facechanging, Superior Healing

4 dots: Healing without Tub. Water Shields

Waterpush: 1 effort, WaterX2

This is a bashing attack (no weapon bonus); if you get a number of success equal
to your targets stamina they are Knocked Down. Requires at least a barrels worth
of water.

Facechanging: 2 Effort, Water+ Subterfuge, Extended Action.

You use your control of your own body to change your appearance, with effort
you can even mimic the appearance of another. You cannot change your total
mass, so you cannot gain the appearance of someone with different size. This
effect does not alter any of your stats.

This change lasts until undone. Undoing the change takes 5 minutes and no roll.

Changing your appearance takes time; each roll represents 20 minutes of effort.

Success needed

A face similar to your own- 3 success

A face highly different from your own- 8 success

Different gender - +5 successes.

Specific Person - +5 successes.

Bonus/Penalties: Cannot see the person you are trying to mimic (-3). You
are very familiar with the face (+1). You have changed into the face recently (+2).

Simple Healing: 1 Effort. Pool: Int OR Dex+ Medicine + watercrafting

Using a tub, you can apply an entire days worth of attended healing in an hour.
This works the same way as the standard use of Medicine skill, but the healer may
choose int or dex, and healer is limited to downgrading one wound per hour
rather than per day. 1 effort is expended per hour of healing.

Superior Healing: Int OR Dex +Medicine + watercrafting.

As with basic healing, only the cost to heal is 2 success per point of lethal damage,
and 5 success per point of aggravated damage, and there is no limit to the rate of
healing.

Healing Without Tub:

You may make a single healing test as per Basic or Superior Healing without
needing water.

Watershield: 1 Effort Wits+ Water

You create shields of whirling water to deflect incoming attacks. Add your success
to your defense. If taking a full defense action you do not double this bonus, but
can choose to apply this bonus to adjacent allies defense.

If an enemy misses a character protected with Watershields with a melee attack,

you may use waterpush against them as a free action.

NOTES on Healing:
Healing is tiring for the person being healed as well as the healer. Each point of
lethal damage downgraded costs the healed 1 effort. Healing a point of
aggravated damage cost all of the healed’s effort and they cannot regenerate
effort unless they sleep for at least 6 hours.

Wounds caused by fire cannot be healed by watercrafting. Watercrafting can be

used to prevent ‘bleeding out’ but these wounds cannot be downgraded.

Fire:
Internal:
Innate: Gain a bonus equal to half you firecrafting to Gain a bonus equal to half
your firecrafting to resist fear. Gain a bonus equal to half your firecrafting when
using Performance to make a speech.

You can avoid penalties from extreme cold.

Called: Gain a bonus equal to half you firecrafting for Persuasion or Intimidate
roll. Cost 1 effort.

External:
Basic: Fireblast, Light, extinguish.

2 Dots: Instill Emotion. Firebolt

3 Dots: Sword of Fire. Flameball. Torch of Passion

4dot: Steal Fire. Pillar of Fire.

Firebolt: 1 effort, Fire+Dexerity.

You use fire as a lethal weapon. The weapons damage is equal to your firecraft,
and max range of 50 meters x your firecraft.
Fireball: 2 effort, Fire+Dex.

Like Firebolt, only aoe. Radius in meters equal to your firecrafting.

Sword of Fire: 1 effort per scene, no roll.

You light your sword into a blaze, giving it +2 damage, and having all damage
caused by your sword count as burning.

Torch of Passion: 1 effort per scene, Fire+Presence+Performance.

This technique requires a source of fire (sword of fire works). All who see the fire
are sweep up in a powerful emotion, though the use of the technique can direct
the emotion so either friend or foe receive the full force of the emotion.

If used to instill courage in allies, they receive a bonus equal to your success on all
resolve rolls. If use to instill fear in enemies, they get a penalty to their resolve
equal to your success, if you rolled more success than there resolve+bonuses, the
enemy can take only full defensive actions or flee unless they spend a point of
willpower.

Suggested bonuses plus penalties (to Resolve)

Outnumber enemy +1. (if outnumbered 2 to 1, +2, 3 to 1, +3, etc).

Enemy was retreating +2

Resent Victory +1

Steal Fire: 1 effort, Fire+Weaponry

If holding a metal weapon, you can attempt to have the metal absorb the heat of
a fire attack. If you roll success you negate a fire attack that would have hit you.

Wood:
special: Wearing heavy metal metal armor prevents woodcrafting. Despite
referring to wood, all plant life works for woodcrafting.

Internal:
Innate: Gain a bonus to equal to your Woodcrafting on all attacks with Bows.

Gain a bonus to Survival rolls when in areas with heavy vegetation (This bonus
does not apply to Woodcrafting Techniques).

Called:

Gain a bonus equal to your woodcrafting to all stealth rolls for a scene, only
useable when there is sufficient vegetation. (1 effort

Reduce all penalties to movement through dense brush by your woodcrafting for
1 scene. (1 effort)

External:
2 dots: Woodveil. Entangle.

Woodveil: 1 Effort, Wood+ Stealth + Dexterity

If in an area of dense vegetation you can command the plants to hide you and
others from sight. This functions like the called effect, except it can affect a
number of allies equal to your wood, and functions in areas where you would not
normally have enough cover to make a stealth roll.
 Entangle: 1 Effort, Wood+ Manipulate+ Survival vs Wood + Strength
+ Dexterity

You call on the surrounding vegetation to bind an enemy. If you succeed the
enemy suffers the Entangled tilt.

(Entangled: You cannot move or attack, and suffer -2 to defense.

Resolution. Gain enough success on Strength + Dex + Wood to beat the initial
success of your opponents (1 roll per round)).

3 dots: Woodland Eyes. Vengeful Trees

Woodland Eyes: 2 Effort, Wood+ Wits + Survival.

The vegetation up to 100 meters per dot of Woodcrafting informs you of any
disturbance. You automatically make Wits+ Composure rolls to spot anyone
moving through that area, and gain a bonus equal to your success on the initial
roll.

Vengeful Trees: 1 Effort, Wood + Manipulate + Brawl

A nearby (up to 50 meters) tree reaches out and attacks an enemy. This counts as
an attack with weapons bonus equal to your dots in Woodcrafting.

Metal:

Internal:
Innate

Gain a bonus to all melee attack rolls while using a primarily metal weapon equal
to you metalcrafting. Gain a bonus to defense equal to half your metalcraft when
being attacked by a metal weapon.
You can ignore penalties from pain, emotion, exhaustion up to your dots in metal
craft so long as you are in physical contact with metal. Whenever using this,
empathy rolls against you suffer a penalty equal to half your dots in metal.

Called

Increase the value of metal armor you are wearing by half your dots in
Metalcrafting for one round (1 effort).

Ignore wound penalties up to your dots in Metalcrafting for one scene (1 effort).

External Crafting:
2 dots: Punch Through

Punch Through 1 effort Metal+ Weaponry

As a reflexive action before an attack you can give a metal weapon you are
wearing armor piercing equal to your successes.

3 dots: Shatter Their Blade.

Shatter Their Blade 1 Effort Metal+ Strength + Weaponry – Opponents

defense + Metal.

You strike at a weak spot in your opponents weapon and break it. You
need to roll successes equal to the weapons durability.

5dots: Man of Steel.

Man of Steel 3 Effort Metal+ Stamina.

You turn your skin into living metal armor. You gain armor (both melee, and
ballistic) equal to your success for the remainder of the scene. This stacks with
existing armor.
The Marat:

The Marat appear similar to humans, except for their pale skin, pure white hair
and strange eyes.

The most defining characteristic of the Marat is their bond with their totem or
Chala. Each Marat bonds with a particular animal and draws strength from this
animal, this is both a physical and spiritual connection.

Due to their connection with their totems, their natural athleticism, and their
reduced need for comforts such as schelter and fire, the Marat do not make as
much use of tools or clothing as Alerans. However, they are just as intelligent and
just as capable as any Aleran.

Marat’s typically prioritize physical attributes and skills, and find the idea of lying
both strange and distasteful, so rarely invest points into subterfuge.

Character creation:

Night Vision: The Marat can see very well in the dark. They suffer no penalties for
the dark of night.

Endure Elements: The Marat do not suffer penalties for exposure in anything less
than extreme conditions. They gain the Iron Stamina merit at 1 dot for free.

Natural Grace: The Marat gain a +1 bonus to Athletics, Stealth and Survival Rolls.

The Bond.

All adult Marat are bonded with an animal totem. This totem gives them
empowers them. Marat characters gain a number of bonuses depending on their
Chala. Attribute bonuses increase both current and max attributes.
Original Clans

Gargant Clan. +1 strength, + 1 stamina.

Gain the Giant and Strong Back merits for Free.

Horse Clan: +1 Dex, +1 Stamina

Gain +2 to Ride rolls with your Challa, and the Stunt Rider Merit for free.

Wolf Clan: +1 Str, +1 Dex

You gain the Scent trait, and the Fleet of Foot Merit at 2 dots for free.

Herdbane Clan: +1 Str, +1 Dex

Gain +3 bonus and the 8-again roll to athletics rolls to jump.

New Clans: These clans didn’t exist at the time of the series, but could come up
when now that the Marat are being exposed to new Animals to bond with, or in
the case of the Fox, may start again. If playing Near Future, your clan is likely
small, to the point you still work and live with the larger clans.

Fox (Reborn!): +1 Dex, +1 Wits

Gain the Danger sense and Common Sense Merits for free.

Garim Clan: +1Str, +1Stamina

Gain the Grappling Style and the Iron Skin perits at 2 points for free.

Grass Lion Clan: +1Str, +1Dex

Gain the Fleet of Foot Merit at 3 dots for free, and the Patient merit for Free.

Unusual Clans: Instead of bonding to an animal, a Marat might bond to

something else. This is well outside the norm, and should be handled with care.
If you decide to use this option you are having a significant effect on your
campaign.

Aleran Bonded. In the series there is one Aleran bonded Marat. If your character
is Bonded to a Aleran, that character MUST be a Player Character.

Aleran Bonded Marats do not gain bonus stats. Instead they have 3 points of
furycrafting. These must be distributed among the furies your bonded Aleran
possesses.

Canim Bonded: As of the series, there are no Canim bonded Marats. It is possible
that this could happen, but the Canim are susptious, naturally antagonistic, and
fiercely protective of their young.

Canim bonded Marats have +1 str, and +1 stamina. They gain the Giant merit for
free, and the Scent trait.

Vord bonded: Passages in the book suggest that the vord corrupt the bonding
process. This could refer to the takers, or it might only apply to bonding with a
vord queen.
If you choose to have a Marat bond with one of the Vord, even an NPC Marat, this
is MAJOR EVENT.

Rules are not provided, as this should be central point to your chronicle, and
should be determined by the players and GM.

The Chala

If your Chala is an animal, you have the Bonded condition with your Chala.
Animal Chala also gain +1 intelligence.

You, (and your Chala if a player character), have the Totem’s Strength condition
whenever you are close to them.

(Totem Strength:

You bound to a totem and draw strength from it. You have an empathetic
awareness of your totem. The presence of your totem sooths your spirit, as long
as you have chance to commune with your Chala you regain an additional point of
Willpower each day.

Resolution: You are more than 2 kilometer from your Chala.

Beat: None)

Your Chala gains the Night Vision and Iron Stamina merit (one dot version) if they
do not already have it.

Animal Chala can be trained to improve. For every 3 experience you gain, your
chala gains 1 experience.
The Canim.

The canim huge and physically powerful, with wolflike heads and fur. Even their
workers are a danger to an Aleran. They also practice a strange and dangerous
form of ritual bloodmagic.

Canim live far longer than Alerans or Marats. ((according to the books over 900
years, but personally I think that’s way too long)).

Character creation:

Attributes: Cainim Characters gain 2 additional dots of strength and 1 additional

dot of Dexterity and Stamina. In addition, their Maximum Strength is 7 and
maximum Stamina and Dexterity are 6.

Cainim start at size 6, and may buy the giant merit as usual.

Cainim have the Nightvision and Scent traits.

Natural Weapons:

Bite 1L

Claws 0L

Cainim Ritual Magic: TO BE DONE LATER.

Creatures of Carna

Animals
Wolves: As Dog, with Size 5 and Stealth 3.

Fox: As cat, with size 3, no claws, bite 0L

Gargant:

Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wit 3, Resolve 4, Strength 5, Dex 2, Stamina 5, Presence

3, Manipulate 1, Composure 2.

Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Survival 1

Claws: 2L Dice Pool 9

Speed 12( ?)

Size 9

Health 14

Taurg:

Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wit 3, Resolve 4, Strength 5, Dex 2, Stamina 5, Presence

3, Manipulate 1, Composure 1.

Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Survival 1

Horns: 2L Dice Pool 9

Speed 15

Size 8
Health 13

Herdbane:

Attributes: Intelligence 1, Wit 3, Resolve 3, Strength 4, Dex 3, Stamina 3, Presence

3, Manipulate 1, Composure 3.

Skills: Athletics 3 (Jumping), Brawl 3, Survival 2 (8 again rule when jumping)

Speed 14

Size 5

Weapons

Claws 2L Dice pool 9

Bite 1L Dice Pool 9

Grass Lion:

Intelligence 1, Wit 3, Resolve 3, Strength 4, Dex 3, Stamina 3, Presence 4,

Manipulate 1, Composure 3.

Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Survival 3, Stealth 3

Speed 14

Size 5

Weapons

Claws 2L Dice pool 9

Bite 2L Dice Pool 9

Leviathan

Size 20

Weapons:

Bite Death Dice pool: HA!

The Vord

Mantis Form

Garnet Form

Vord Knight

Behemoths

Lion Form.
Furies
((for quick rules I’m going to have 1 profile per element. Furies are stated like
spirits. Each profile will refer to ‘Force’. For manifested furies, Force is equal to
the crafters dots in that element.
Furies have no effort track, but can use number of crafting techniques. No
Effort is spent for these, beyond the Effort spent to maintain the
manifestation.
Furies cannot truly be killed. Should a fury have all of it’s health track filled,
they unmanifest. If the last health box is bashing, the fury is simply resting and
can be remanifested in the next scene with full health.
If the last health box is lethal or aggrevated the damage is more serious. The
manifester (if any) suffers bashing damage equal to the furies Power, and the
fury cannot be manifested for one full day. Also the manifesters furycrafting in
that element is counted as 1 less until the fury recovers.))

Air:
Power: Force -1
Finesse: Force +2
Resistance: Force -1
Techniques: Airpush, Softfall, Windstream blast (rating 3+ only)
Speed: Force X2 + 14.

Special: Air furies are intangible and cannot be harmed by normal weapons.
Most air furies cannot attack, and can only use techniques (windmanes are
different). Salt causes aggravated damage.
Fire:
Power: Force+1
Finesse: Force
Resistance: Force -1
Techniques: Firebolt, Light, Ignite, Flamewall (Force 4+ only).
Speed: Force + 10.

Attacks: 2L

Special: Cold and Water cause lethal damage.

Earth:
Power: Force
Finesse: Force-2
Resistance: Force +2
Techniques: Earthpush, Rolling Earth.
Speed: Force + 8.

Attacks: 1L

Special: Earth furies have armor (both types) equal to their Force.

Water:
Power: Force-1
Finesse: Force+1
Resistance: Force
Techniques: Waterpush.
Speed: Force + 10.

Attacks: 1B

Special: Normal attacks against water furies cause only half the normal
damage.

Wood:
Power: Force
Finesse: Force
Resistance: Force
Techniques: Entangle.
Speed: Force + 10.

Attacks: 1L

Special: Fire causes aggravated damage to wood furies

Metal:
Special: Metal furies are never mentioned as manifesting in the books. It is not
known if this is intentional.