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Acknowledgements:

The society gratefully acknowledges all those who have contributed to the Fools & Heroes system in the
years since its creation, both as writers, referees, officers and players, who have thus helped make it
what it is today. In particular we thank all of those too numerous to mention individually who
contributed to the creation of this updated Players Guide.

Pictures;
Original Art;
Digital Art;
Front Cover Art
Original Concept;

Cara Dutson, Barry Deri, Katy Shackleton


Anna Atkinson, Louise Deri, Hazel Gledhill, Dave Smith, Gareth Young
G. Smith, C. Clarke
Adventurers Unite Copyright 2009 Anna Atkinson
John Naylor & Steve Bell

Fools & Heroes, F&H, Referees Guide, Players Guide, all other Fools & Heroes documents, and their respective logos are trademarks
of the Fools & Heroes Society in the United Kingdom. All Fools & Heroes characters, names, setting and background and the distinctive
likenesses thereof are the property of the Fools & Heroes Society. This material is protected under the copyright law of the United
Kingdom. Any reproduction or unauthorised use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written
permission of the Fools & Heroes Society. Any similarities to actual people, organisations (religious or otherwise), places or events
included herein is purely coincidental. Although other fantasy settings, real life historical backgrounds and world views have been called
upon for inspiration there is no to intent to cause offence.
Copyright 2009 Fools & Heroes

Contents
Contents.......................................................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................5
Welcome to the Fools & Heroes Society..........................................................................................................................5
What is LARP?............................................................................................................................................................................................................5
A National System.......................................................................................................................................................................................................5
The Branch..................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Playing the Hero.........................................................................................................................................................................................................5
Playing the Fool..........................................................................................................................................................................................................5

Character Design........................................................................................................................................................................6
Creating a Character.........................................................................................................................................................6
Step One Character Background..............................................................................................................................................................................6
Step Two Character Race.........................................................................................................................................................................................6
Step Three Character Profession.............................................................................................................................................................................6
Step Four Character Religion..................................................................................................................................................................................7
Step Five Outfit Your Character...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Step Six Almost Ready To Adventure........................................................................................................................................................................8
Final Character Creation Checks...............................................................................................................................................................................8

Character Races................................................................................................................................................................9
Humans.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Halflings......................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Elves............................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Half Elves....................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Dwarves......................................................................................................................................................................................................................9
Allowed Professions....................................................................................................................................................................................................9

Character Professions.....................................................................................................................................................10
The Adventuring Guilds of Ithron..............................................................................................................................................................................10
The Guild of Mercenaries..........................................................................................................................................................................................10
The Guild of Scouts...................................................................................................................................................................................................11
The Guilds of Guards & Foresters ..........................................................................................................................................................................11
The Guild of Alchemists............................................................................................................................................................................................12
The Guild of Blacksmiths..........................................................................................................................................................................................12
The Guild of Physicians............................................................................................................................................................................................12
The Guild of Mages...................................................................................................................................................................................................13
Faithful of the Seven..................................................................................................................................................................................................13
The Orders of Knighthood.........................................................................................................................................................................................13
Religious Orders.......................................................................................................................................................................................................16

The Illegal Underworld...................................................................................................................................................17


The Guild of Thieves.................................................................................................................................................................................................17
The Nighthawks ........................................................................................................................................................................................................17

Special Characters..........................................................................................................................................................18
Type One Special.......................................................................................................................................................................................................18
Type Two Special......................................................................................................................................................................................................18

The Land of Ithron..................................................................................................................................................................19


The Duchies and Cities of Ithron....................................................................................................................................19
A Brief History of Ithron................................................................................................................................................20
A Brief Bestiary of Ithron...............................................................................................................................................22
Ithronian Life..................................................................................................................................................................23
The Calendar............................................................................................................................................................................................................23
The Alphabet.............................................................................................................................................................................................................23
Numerals...................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
Money.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
Equipment.................................................................................................................................................................................................................23

Politics & Power.............................................................................................................................................................27


Social Status..............................................................................................................................................................................................................27
The Nobility...............................................................................................................................................................................................................27
The Law of Ithron......................................................................................................................................................................................................28

Religion......................................................................................................................................................................................31
The Pantheon of the Seven ...........................................................................................................................................31
Oaths.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................31
Disrespecting the Gods.............................................................................................................................................................................................31
Holy Days.................................................................................................................................................................................................................31

The Gods.........................................................................................................................................................................32
The Churches............................................................................................................................................................................................................33
The Kindred..............................................................................................................................................................................................................34
The Devoted..............................................................................................................................................................................................................34
The Priesthood..........................................................................................................................................................................................................35

Supplication & Advancement....................................................................................................................................................................................35


Sinning & Absolution................................................................................................................................................................................................35
Sinning......................................................................................................................................................................................................................35
Excommunication......................................................................................................................................................................................................36

Structure of the Churches...............................................................................................................................................36


Primates....................................................................................................................................................................................................................36
Defenders of the Faith...............................................................................................................................................................................................36
State Religion............................................................................................................................................................................................................36

Abilities of the Faithful...................................................................................................................................................37


Holy Symbols............................................................................................................................................................................................................37
Meditation & Praying...............................................................................................................................................................................................37
Power Against Undead..............................................................................................................................................................................................37
Holy Water................................................................................................................................................................................................................37
Religious Rituals and Prayers...................................................................................................................................................................................38
Other abilities...........................................................................................................................................................................................................38

Dark God Churches........................................................................................................................................................38


Magic.........................................................................................................................................................................................39
Active and Dedicated Power..........................................................................................................................................39
Commands................................................................................................................................................................................................................39
Resisting spells..........................................................................................................................................................................................................39
Enchantments/Prayers..............................................................................................................................................................................................39
Rituals.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................40
Understanding Spells................................................................................................................................................................................................40
Common Spells..........................................................................................................................................................................................................40

Combat......................................................................................................................................................................................42
Safety.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................42
Combat Etiquette.......................................................................................................................................................................................................42
Hit Locations.............................................................................................................................................................................................................42
Hit Points..................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
Types of Wound.........................................................................................................................................................................................................43
Subsequent Wounds...................................................................................................................................................................................................43
Wounds......................................................................................................................................................................................................................43
Wound Count............................................................................................................................................................................................................43
Protection..................................................................................................................................................................................................................44
Armour Description..................................................................................................................................................................................................44
Weapons....................................................................................................................................................................................................................45
Spells in Combat.......................................................................................................................................................................................................45

Poisons............................................................................................................................................................................45
Healing............................................................................................................................................................................46
Staunching Wounds...................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Rousing Subdued Limbs............................................................................................................................................................................................46
Rousing from Unconsciousness.................................................................................................................................................................................46
Bandages...................................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Spells.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Alchemical Potions....................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Physicians' Medicines...............................................................................................................................................................................................46

Player Information...................................................................................................................................................................47
Game Calls and Signs.....................................................................................................................................................47
Time Freeze .........................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Time Out ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Time In .................................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Hand in the air..........................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Calls..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................47
Ribbons.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
Sigils.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................48

Player Guidelines............................................................................................................................................................48
Taboos.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
Acting........................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
Respect for the Atmosphere & Environment..............................................................................................................................................................48
Talk...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................48
Respect for the Public...............................................................................................................................................................................................49
Costume....................................................................................................................................................................................................................49
Consistency...............................................................................................................................................................................................................49
Monstering................................................................................................................................................................................................................49

Character Returns...........................................................................................................................................................50
Between Adventures..................................................................................................................................................................................................51
In-Character Writing.................................................................................................................................................................................................51

Fests................................................................................................................................................................................52
The Fest Banquet......................................................................................................................................................................................................53

Fools & Heroes Society Structure..................................................................................................................................54


Liaison Officers (LO)................................................................................................................................................................................................54
Executive Officers.....................................................................................................................................................................................................54
The Rules Committee.................................................................................................................................................................................................54

Elections....................................................................................................................................................................................................................54
The National Executive Council................................................................................................................................................................................54
The Society Constitution............................................................................................................................................................................................54

Introduction
Welcome to the Fools & Heroes Society
This guide aims to provide you with
essential player information for use in
the Fools & Heroes (F&H) national
Live Action Role-Playing (LARP)
system. It will also provide a basic
outline of the way in which the Society
is organised. It is not designed to give
players all of the possible information,
but to outline that information which
any starting character should have.
Hopefully it should encourage both new and existing players
to explore the opportunities afforded by the F&H national
campaign.
F&H is an equal opportunities society any reference to the
male gender is also applied to the female gender.

times each month. These adventures follow a local storyline


or plot specific to the area: the majority of local events will be
based around plots run by the branch referees. In addition,
there is a national plot and elements of this may appear in any
adventure.
At each meeting of Fools & Heroes, the players are divided
into two roughly equal teams. Each team takes it in turn to
play their characters on an adventure or to play the monsters
and act out the plot written by the referee. The referees
usually run at least two adventures at each meeting, so a
player should always have the opportunity to play as well as
monster.
In addition to this, branches can organise 48+ hour events
called fests, which attract large numbers of participants from
all over the country. See the section on fests for more
information on the possibilities of banqueting until dawn,
taking part in a mass battle (or two) and rubbing shoulders
with the good and the great of Ithron.
It is worth mentioning that, whilst we are an amateur and
therefore non-profit-making society, we pride ourselves on the
professional level at which the game is played. There is an
annual membership fee, which you will need to pay after your
first two free adventures, but this is kept as low as possible.
The money you pay is used to provide public liability
insurance, to cover some of the overhead expenses for the
branch which you join and also some of the society running
costs (including your free copy of this guide).

What is LARP?
So, what exactly is live action role-playing? Essentially it is a
kind of free-form amateur dramatic hobby without scripts or
audience. First of all, you take on a character then it is up
to you to react, as your character, to the events that take
place around you. All of your decisions and actions will
determine the course of your character's life (or death).
Live role-playing (or LARP) takes many forms, from swordand-sorcery fantasy to futuristic science fiction. Fools &
Heroes is set in a fantasy version of our own world (England is
renamed "Ithron"), where knights and warriors clash with
hideous creatures, priests do the bidding of their Gods, mages
wield powerful magics (when they are not running away) and
alchemists and blacksmiths peddle their wares, while
physicians help the injured and infirm. In this kind of world,
the actions of individual adventurers do make a difference.
Within this genre of LARP, there are many different systems
active at the moment; the main differences between them
being the game world and the systems for combat and
advancement. For ease of explanation, Fools & Heroes is
best described as a level based system: your character's skills
are determined by profession and rank combined with
individual ability.
Combat is based around a one hit per location system, which
means that each character (not the player!) will receive an
injury from a single weapon blow always assuming that they
are unarmoured. This represents the painful truth: being hit
with a real sword would hurt lots. Armour complicates
matters but these things are explained later.

The Branch
Each local Fools & Heroes branch is run by a Liaison Officer
(LO) who is your first point of contact for rules, advice,
enquiries etc. Fools & Heroes is a closed book rules system
to both preserve mystery and also to avoid deluging new
players with too much irrelevant information.

Playing the Hero


Fools & Heroes is a game designed to be a heroic struggle
against evil, be that monsters, horrors or villains. All Player
Characters respect the Seven Gods of Light and should
behave in a good manner. Player Characters should also
avoid violent conflict with other Player Characters. Fools &
Heroes is not a Player versus Player system.

Playing the Fool


Of course not every character is as honourable, respectful,
truthful or magnanimous as every other. Most characters are
flawed in some way otherwise they would not be that
interesting to play. From the arrogance of the knight to the
cowardice of the thief; from the ill temper of the mercenary to
the self-righteousness of the priest. This is not to say that you
cannot play a brave thief or a humble knight but such
characters will probably be flawed in some other manner.

A National System
Fools & Heroes is a national society, with local branches in
many locations around the country. Currently there are about
twenty branches, so the chances are high that an adventure
will be running somewhere accessible to you pretty much
every weekend. Each branch runs adventures, usually at set

Character Design
Creating a Character
Step One Character Background

Step Three Character Profession

"So you want to start adventuring do you?

"Right then, next thing you've got to think


about is how you want to make your money
adventuring, its not all just hack and slash.
Who's more important, the guy that falls
over a lot or the lass that stands him up
again? If you go down to the market square
you'll be able to sign up to some Guilds.
Hey! Don't just run off, give it some thought!
Do you want to carry weapons? I know it's
an odd question, but we can't have
everyone wandering round with weapons
you know... it would end up like Axir. Well
then a staff... okay... how have you coped
up to now? Anyway, here's a little thing for
you to remember to use tools of war,
such as swords, crossbows and maces as
well as shields and metal armour, you need
to be a member of the Mercenary or Scouts
Guilds. Well, normally anyhow. Staves,
bows, daggers, hatchets and leather
armour can be carried by anyone. Why?
Well, you need them for hunting and
chopping down trees and stuff. Throwing

Hmm. I see, and you want my advice do


you? Stand up straight lass and pay
attention; you know nothing about
adventuring at all? I suppose it's better than
sitting around this tavern every weekend,
but it's not all fun and japes. Killing
foulspawn takes time and dedication. Right
then, what's the first thing we need to do?
What's your name, eh? What do you mean
you don't know? Well then, Adriana is it? No
surname? Dear me, the number of orphans
nowadays is getting worse. I remember the
days when we used to look after our
Think of a background. The height, weight, gender etc of your
character is (in most cases) predetermined, but try to think
about who your character is. Why have they taken up
adventuring'? Who were their parents'? What is their full
name? In LARP there is often a lot more small talk between
characters than there is in tabletop role-playing, since walking
and talking is more highly emphasised. If you don't know your
own name or where you were brought up there is a good
chance that you will be stuck for ideas when asked. You may
have to live your entire adventuring career being ridiculed
because you said the first thing that came into your head
"Actually, my parents are Giadunese grape pickers". All
characters should have a surname, unless there is a particular
reason.
Check your idea with your Liaison Officer (LO) before
playing the character.

Choose a profession (see p.10). Think about your background


concept and decide what would fit. Remember that some
Guilds are restricted, also that you may need to join the Guild
of Mercenaries or Scouts if you wish to carry many kinds of
weapon legally. Some professions negate the need for a
Weapons Permit, but the majority are not available to a
starting character

Step Two Character Race


"You're a Dwarf are you? Human?! Oh thats a

scarf! Homely looking lass though aren't you,


no wonder your parents want you out of the
house. Why do I ask? Well it's Guilds you see,
some of them you could join and some of them
Choose your race. Make sure you know the racial
advantages and disadvantages for the race you want to play
(see p.9), and that you have the props needed, e.g. Latex
ears (elf) or a beard (all dwarves). Whilst role-play is the
determining factor in choosing which races you may play, do
bear in mind that dwarves and halflings tend to be short and
fat, whilst elves are normally slim and tall.

ranger of Te
scouts guild

Step Four Character Religion

Brief Guide to Basic Starting Professions


Military
Mercenary Guild of Mercenaries, see p.10 (may lead to
Guard, see p.11)
Scout Guild of Scouts, see p.11 (may lead to Forester,
see p.11)
Squire leads to Knighthood, see p.13
Crowan Priests See Clerical p.13 and p.33
Crafters
Alchemist Brewer and purveyor of potions and oils with
wondrous effects, see p.12
Blacksmith Fashioners of arms and armour, see p.12
Enchanters See Mages p.13
Healers
Physician Guild of Physicians. Healers of wounds,
poisons or disease, see p.12
Vleyborian Priests See Clerical p.13 and p.33
Clerical
Kindred The first step in the worship of the Seven.
Characters who wish to progress in a Church must become
kindred first before supplicating to become a Devotee or
Priest, see p.34
Devotee Devout followers of a God, often considered the
militant or support arm of the Church, see p.34
Priest Priests of the Seven, see p.35
Mage:
Please note that this is a restricted profession and may not
be available at any given time.
Apprentice The aspiring mage must have his Soulfire
awakened by another mage. This is a traumatic and painful
process. The new apprentice then learns magic under his
master until they reach a rank when they select their school
of specialisation. They do not necessarily join the same
school as their master.
Demonologist Skilled in summoning or dismissing
Demons.
Enchanter Skilled in manipulation of matter and magical
items.
Necromancer Skilled in the manipulation or destruction of
Undead.
Thaumaturgist Skilled in the manipulation of soulfire as a
weapon.
See p.40 for more details of the Schools of Magic
Multiple and Other Professions
You are not restricted to a single profession, however you can
only truly master one profession at a time. So you may wish to
become a Captain in the Mercenaries guild, but also become
a low ranking Physician so you find it easier to heal after a
fight. Talk to your LO or a referee about the requirements and
restrictions about joining more than one profession at a time.
Many other character professions are available as a result of
character development, see the sections in this guide
pertaining to The Adventuring Guilds of Ithron (see p.10) and
Religion (p.31) for further ideas or greater detail. In all cases
your LO will advise you on the possibilities that exist (they
usually have good ideas too.)

"What's that you say, girl? You've met the


Defender of the Faith of Longstor and he told
you all about his church? Well, don't bother
asking for advice then. Was it too much for
you to think to ask about all of the Gods and
consider carefully before you made a decision?
Well, who am I to stop you? Don't forget to buy
yourself a holy symbol... no, I don't think that
he'll lend you his. Well, if you're going to
become a Priest, I hope that you know all your
strictures. Break them and you'll never be able
Decide on a religion (if any). Religion should not be entered
into lightly for it is a defining point of your character and not
simply a quick way to cheap power. If you wish to be religious,
speak to your LO and make sure you know all the relevant
sins and strictures as well as understanding about tithes and
the nature of your faith. Don't forget that you can join a
religion at any time: many characters wait and find out about
the faiths during role-play. Ensure that you read the section
on Religion (p.31-38) carefully.

Step Five Outfit Your Character


"Think about how much money you've got
before you run off! Only ten crowns, eh? Well,
it'll just about buy you a longsword, but you
can forget about anything fancy like that
spear over there. Why? Well, you'll have to
pay Guild fees you know every month,
regular as the moon. Now off with you, get
Buy equipment (p.23-25). Starting characters receive ten
crowns worth of equipment from the equipment lists.
(Remember that this is not necessarily newly bought with
coins, for example the sword may be a family heirloom).
Characters should not buy equipment from other PCs before
they attend their first event. Remember to get any specific
items that you need, such as holy symbols or bandages etc.
Starting characters are only eligible for the discounts available
to apprentices of Guilds they are paid up members of.
Pay Guild fees. Each Guild has monthly Guild fees, which
must be met in order to avoid a visit from the Guild Enforcer
and possible expulsion from the Guild. If you do not adventure
in a month, then you may opt to "work for the Guild", which
negates the need to pay the usual fee for that month, providing
you haven't used any abilities, such as brewing alchemy.
"Oh, it's you again! Where's my beer? That's
better... what's that? Did you join any Guilds? The
Scouts Guild... mmm. I see you've bought
yourself a longsword so did you remember to
get your Weapons Permit signed? Good ...what
else? A bandage too? That leaves you two

Step Six Almost Ready To Adventure


Now off you go, down to the hiring
square, and get talking to the other
adventurers. They know a lot more than
you, so listen to them! If you're lucky, there
might be someone important there ...you
never know ...the Mayor or one of the
Primates themselves might be there
looking for adventure.
What will happen next is that hopefully
someone will hire you, usually for pay
related to your social standing. After that,
you just pick up your weapon and head off.
If you see something you don't
recognise...ask. Most of the others will
know how do deal with things that you may
come across, so the important thing is to
ask. Well, that's it. Just try to make sure
that you work as a group: if you leave
others to die, they will have no
compunction about doing the same to you.

priestess
of
kharach

Final Character Creation Checks

may borrow until they can arrange their own ask your
LO, ideally in advance, so they can arrange something
suitable for you. Try to make your character look
distinctive and make sure to include anything that is
required for your character type. You will also need
something to wear whilst monstering, preferably
something different.
See the section on Player
Information, particularly the costume guidelines (p. 49.)
Make sure that your footwear is sensible and safe. It's
great if you can get footwear with a suitably fantasy feel,
such as boots etc., but safety is more important when you
first get started.
Familiarise yourself with this guide. The sections on
campaign background are particularly useful and
designed to give an overview of the information available
to the average Ithronian.
Lastly and most importantly start playing your
character, have fun and remember It is just a game!

Check your choices with your LO and tell him what you
have taken as your 10/- worth of starting equipment.
Know your character abilities. Read the relevant section
for your Guild (p.10-17) and discuss your character with
your LO. Make sure you know your social status (p.27).
Get any permits needed. If you are a Mercenary or a
Scout you will need to get a Weapons Permit from your
LO, otherwise, your character could end up with a hefty
fine (see The Law p.28-30).
Make sure you have physreps for any equipment you
want (see p.23). It's no good buying a sword in-character
if you only own physrep axes out-of-character. You
might well be able to borrow some weapons from other
players, especially when you first start, but don't rely on
this.
Make sure you have costume for your character. Don't
turn up in your normal clothes. Although you won't be
expected to have the most lavish costume straight away,
the important key words are thought and effort. Many
branches hold a stock of costume that beginning players

Character Races
Physreps

Humans

Pointed Ears, Clean shaven face.

Half Elves

Ithron is predominantly human. Non-human characters are


subject to varying amounts of racial prejudice and will not
be permitted to hold the most important positions such as
Heads of Guilds or Churches.

Dirty half-breeds I call em lad. Those HalfElves are the product of mixed parentage
elves and humans see? Well or half elves and
other half elves, and maybe elves and half
elves You get the point!
They can portray the appearance of their
elven or human race to a greater or lesser
degree, but are normally taller and slimmer
than the average human and often have
pointed ears. Due to the dilution of their elven
Restrictions:
May not join certain Guilds. May never
learn non-religious magic.
Special Abilities:
One natural resist a day.
Pointed Ears (Optional)
Physreps

We are the only people of any consequence, of


course. We are the rulers, the movers, the
shakers. Non-humans? Who cares about them?
If they have any sense, they should stay in their
homelands like they're supposed to and not mix
Restrictions:
None. May follow any profession.
Special Abilities: None.
Physreps
None.

Halflings
Those Halflings are small, jolly creatures who
normally prefer staying at home to travelling:
few venture far from their homes. Never ever
get one to sing lad... I once heard a halfing
lass sing... the pitch was so high, it hurt my
ears! Anyway... they are, however, very fond of
food and constantly seeking new gourmet
Restrictions: May not join certain Guilds. May never study
non-religious magic of any kind. May not
use any two-handed weapon or a shield with
a largest dimension of more than 36", or
learn to double-stack most armour. May
double stack armour (if they learn the skill
from a relevant Guild/Church/Knighthood)
but can only wear up to a maximum of 5AV
(stacked) i.e. Heavy leather (2AV) and
Heavy Studded Leather (3AV).
Two natural resists a day.
Special Abilities:
Physreps
Furry feet.

Dwarves
Now there be a fine race! Anyway now lad
Dwarves are short, stocky and invariably
bearded. Hard as nails fighters from deep
woodlands or mountain caverns, dwarves have
an innate distrust of elves and half-elves, which
is rightly so... they are dirty you know...
anyway them dwarves have a certain fondness
for halflings (perhaps because of their similarity
in height). Due to their fine constitution, they
are immune to diseases and to serpent venom.
Restrictions:
May not join certain Guilds.
Unaffected by physicians' medicines
but affected normally by alchemy.
Special Abilities:
Immunity to disease and venom.
Large beard (both genders)
Physreps

Allowed Professions

Elves

Elf

Half-Elf

Halfling

Dwarf

Mercenary/Scout
Guard/Forester
Blacksmith
Physician
Alchemist
Thieves
Mages general
Mages demonology
Mages necromancy
Mages enchantment
Churches

Human

Those blasted elves are usually reclusive,


woodland creatures, steeped in magic and
legend. Very few venture to human towns
and those that have done seemed to dislike
material possessions, preferring to travel
light. They can be a little bit aloof and up
their own.... ye know what I mean lad?
Sometimes they are all distant and mystical:
being practically immortal they have totally
different ideas on the importance of the
Restrictions:
May not join certain Guilds or schools.
One natural point of active reserve and
Special Abilities:
knowledge of the Command Spell
"Drop".

Character Professions
multiple Guilds & Churches. (The character must pay for all
initial Guild fees from their starting 10 crowns.)
Leaving a Guild:
You may leave a Guild at any time but once you have left you
may only rejoin with the express permission of the head of that
Guild. Many Guilds will require you to hand back Guild
property when you leave, whether you want to or not (this
includes Soulfire and spell-books).

The Adventuring Guilds of Ithron


Adventuring? ADVENTURING?!!! I send you
off for a pound of butter and you come
back to tell me that you're going to go
adventuring?! Don't you know that it's highly
dangerous? What's wrong with training to be
a Master Baker like your dad? Not exciting
enough? What kind of answer is that? Well,
go on then, take yourself off down to the
hiring square! If you can convince one of the
adventuring Guilds to take you on, then I
may as well give you my blessing at least
you'll have a chance to make something of
yourself. That's right, the adventuring
Guilds ...you can't just up and do it, you
know ...you need training ...equipment....the
support of a group of like-minded people.
Why? Well, it's dangerous out there, my girl.

The Guild of Mercenaries


The Guild has a reputation for unnecessary
violence and bad behaviour. "Death before
tactics" and "A mage can't cast if he's got no
face!" some claim are unofficial mottoes of the
Guild.
However, the Guild does number many
disciplined and noble warriors amongst its
Laws dating back to the days of Axirian rule prohibit Ithron
from maintaining a standing army beyond the knightly orders;
however professional soldiers exist within the purview of the
Guild of Mercenaries. They form the backbone of most
adventuring parties, backing up the Scouts and protecting the
non-combatants.
Although often vulnerable to magic,
mercenaries can be as heavily equipped and dangerous as
any
knight
are far
lessrelated
likely totofight
fairly.
Members
areand
taught
skills
war,
specialist use of
weapons, the wearing of heavy armour and how to use the
Guild facilities to repair their weapons or armour.
The Guild is led by the General who, along with the
Undercouncil, appoints the Guild Enforcer.
Membership Restrictions
Anyone can join the Guild and start as an apprentice.
Mercenary Progression
A mercenary starts as an Apprentice paying -/6 a month.
Membership entitles you to a Weapons Permit don't lose it
(in or out-of-character), a character only ever gets the first one
for free. The replacement cost is -/6 (much less than the fine
levied if an officer of the law catches you carrying restricted
equipment without a permit). The apprentice can also have
their metal armour (4AV or more) repaired for half price.
The subsequent rank of Guildsman carries a higher Guild fee,
but members can then purchase discounted weapons and
armour. (See the equipment list). Mercenaries may have to
do Militia Duty (see below).
Militia Duty
Both Mercenaries and Scouts may be called upon by the
Mayor of Norham or the Guildscouncil to perform militia duty.
The Guildscouncil may require an individual to perform militia
duty a maximum of twice a year, though the King or Mayor
may call an additional third duty. Most mercenaries and
scouts will jump to it if so ordered, but any of them has the
option of paying 25 crowns scutage to wheedle out of it.
Anyone who shirks militia duty without paying scutage is highly
likely to get outlawed.

There are many Guilds in Ithron, however only a few become


involved in adventuring and thus these are the only ones
outlined for standard play. If you have a character idea which
involves membership of another Guild e.g. Merchant,
Entertainer, Astrologer, Scribe etc., see the section on Special
Characters (p.) and speak to your LO, who will contact the
Campaign Co-ordinator on your behalf for discussion and
consideration
your idea.
Guild Limits &ofFees
You may be a member of more than one Guild, but may only
hold the rank of Guildsman or higher in one. In addition, some
Guilds disapprove of their members joining any other Guilds at
all: check with your original Guild before joining a second. In a
month when you adventure you must pay Guild fees for all
Guilds that you are a member of. If you do not adventure in a
month, you may elect to work for your Guilds in that month
and not pay any Guild fees. If you don't adventure but choose
to have your character do downtime work (e.g. Undertake any
research, make a magical item, brew potions) then you must
pay all your Guild fees. Remember that Guild fees increase
every time you progress in a Guild.
Advancing
Advancement takes place at the start of the calendar month.
It is possible that a superior may stop your advancement in
one Guild, but that does not prevent you advancing within a
different Guild or a church. Remember that advancement is
not automatic: some Guilds have limits on the numbers that
may hold certain senior ranks and all advancements depend
on the provision of the correct character return to your LO (see
p50)
No return means no advancement!
Joining a new Guild or a church is counted as the single
advancement allowed within the month. However, a starting
character may, with the LOs permission, start as a member of

10

Scouts and Mercenaries on militia duty are entitled to pay of 1


crown per day and must provide a primary weapon, plus either
secondary weapon or shield. Although higher ranks are
rumoured to receive decent pay when doing militia duty, the
amount of extra work loaded on their shoulders makes it a
fairly even trade.
Each time a Mercenary or Scout character performs militia
duty or pays scutage they should ensure that their Weapons
Permit is signed to that effect by a magistrate. An unsigned
Weapons Permit could result in the character having to
perform additional periods of militia duty.

The Guilds of Guards & Foresters


Guards can be found in the towns and cities
enforcing the Law, while Foresters roam the
highways and the wilds. Of course, there is a
fair bit of overlap in their jurisdiction which is
probably the reason for the rivalry between
Picked from the ranks of the Mercenaries (Guards) and Scouts
(Foresters), these men and women are sworn to enforce the
laws of the land. Although well-paid and granted special
powers under the law, both are still highly dangerous jobs and
not to be taken lightly the side benefits might not be much
use when you are called to bring in a rogue demonologist!

The Guild of Scouts


The real hard part is telling a good scout
from a bad one. Yer not likely to see either
for long periods of time, but the good scouts
appear out of bushes behind the enemy and
stab them in the back, or sometimes they
emerge from hiding just in time to stop your
blood pumping from your body.
Of course great scouts are as rarely seen as
bad scouts, but the presence of the former

Guild of Guards
Guild of Foresters
Officers of the law are always on duty and have certain
powers of arrest. In return full officers receive payment
according to their rank each month (in which they undertake a
mission).
Guild Livery
A Guard/Forester must openly wear his tabard to show his
position as an officer of the law. A Guards tabard is a red
surcoat with a yellow eagles head that looks to the left as the
person looks at the tabard. A Foresters tabard is identical
except that it is green with a brown eagles head.
The head of the Guards is the Marshall, who is entitled to use
the Guild's permanently enchanted longsword. The head of
the Foresters is the Huntsmaster, who is entitled to use the
Guild's permanently enchanted axe.
Guards and Foresters are usually appointed from those
Mercenaries and Scouts of at least Guildsman rank who are
believed to be honest and trustworthy: this is confirmed by an
oath sworn on The Seven.
Guards & Foresters carry a version of the usual Weapons
Permit and are entitled to the same discounts on equipment as
Mercenaries and Scouts. In addition, their armour repairs are
free. Promotion after the rank of Guard is not guaranteed
immediately, as numbers are restricted.
Membership Restrictions
Only humans are permitted to join either of the Law Guilds. A
lawman character should be of good moral standing (even
more than regular PCs) as the dishonest and corrupt will
quickly be weeded out by the rest of the legal profession (i.e.
the referees). They may not be members of the Mages or
Alchemists Guild (or any illegal guild obviously), they may not
be a priest and they may not be a member of the Vleyborian
Church.
Guard/Forester Progression
A guard or forester must be recruited from the mercenary or
scouts Guild respectively. When they join they retain all skills
that they learned from their former Guild.

The many wild areas of Ithron are full of hazards, both natural
and supernatural. The best way to ensure survival is to be
properly prepared, which means knowing where you're going,
what's up ahead and how to deal with it. Though permitted by
law to carry and use any weapons or armour, Scouts tend to
be lightly armoured, avoiding stand-up fights and preferring to
check the pathways ahead so as to lead the adventuring party
along a safer route. Speed and stealth are the main weapons
of a Scout, though bows, spears and blades can be pretty
useful as well.
Scouts are sometimes accused of cowardice and criticised for
working poorly with the rest of the group, however it is usually
the Scout who is expected to risk his neck away from the
safety of his friends and the physicians: a lack of security
compensated for by the skills that Scouts are taught, such as
tracking and signalling.
The Scouts are headed by the Pathfinder who, with the
Undercouncil, appoints the Guild Enforcer.
Membership Restrictions
Anyone can join the Guild and start as an apprentice.
Scout Progression
A scout Apprentice joins the Guild paying -/6 a month.
Membership entitles you to a Weapons Permit don't lose it
(in or out-of-character), a character only ever gets the first one
for free. The replacement cost is -/6 (much less than the fine
levied if an officer of the law catches you carrying restricted
equipment without a permit). The apprentice can also have
their leather armour (3AV or less) repaired for half price.
The subsequent rank of Guildsman carries a higher Guild fee,
but members can then purchase discounted equipment. (See
the equipment list). Scouts may have to do Militia Duty (see
below).
Militia Duty
As for Guild of Mercenaries (See Above)

11

The Guild of Blacksmiths is closely allied with the Guilds of


Mercenaries and Scouts. It is the Blacksmiths who provide
the tools, consumables and facilities to enable both Guilds to
repair their own armour. In exchange for these facilities the
Mercenaries and Scouts guarantee to buy all their weapons
and armour from the Blacksmiths. Both Guilds have also
negotiated discounts on the standard prices for members of
sufficient rank (these discounts are set out in the Equipment
List). NPC members of the Guild also work as lifelong
retainers of the Knightly Orders.
The Guild is led by the Forgemaster who, along with the
Undercouncil, appoints the Guild Protector.
Membership Restrictions
A person of any race may join the Guild.
Blacksmith Progression
Anyone can join the Guild and start as an apprentice, paying
3/6 a month. Membership of the Guild will entitle you to
certain arms and armour discounts, create weapons and
armour, repair armour at a forge, and get significantly reduced
repair costs. Master Blacksmiths are able to repair armour in
the field.
All Blacksmiths must keep a sales ledger, which can be
inspected by a Referee at any time.

The Guild of Alchemists


Indeed, mysterious and expensive
alchemical concoctions certainly are, but at
the end of the day can you afford not to have
tthem?
Although swords and bandages are the staple equipment of
most adventurers, those with money can benefit greatly from
the purchase of alchemy. Through years of research and
record-taking, the Alchemists have learned to produce a
variety of potions with healing, protective and poisonous
properties. Some masters of the art can also produce rarer
and more powerful concoctions.
During apprenticeship bankruptcy is a constant danger and
the Alchemist must keep a careful balance between those
potions she sells and those she keeps for her own protection,
however those Alchemists who reach the rank of Master are
notorious for their wealth. Alchemists are often portrayed as
greedy and unscrupulous, however they can be very powerful
allies.
The Alchemists are represented by their Guildmaster, who is
supported by the Guild Protector.
All alchemists must keep a recipe book, sales ledger and
record book of materials used, which can be inspected by
a Referee at any time. Playing an Alchemist can involve a lot
of record-keeping and downtime activity.
Membership Restrictions
The Guild is only open to humans, dwarves, and halflings. At
this time the Guild also disallows members to also hold
membership in either the Mages or Physicians Guild.
Alchemist Progression
Alchemists start as an Apprentice, paying 4/- per month, and
gain a number of potion points with which to brew potions.
They may learn a few simple recipes, they are taught how to
harvest ingredients and they learn to recognise basic
alchemical sigils.
Guildsman and higher have more expensive Guild fees but
gain more potion points and access to more potent recipes.

The Guild of Physicians


Despite all the armour, all the skill, all the
alchemy and all the magic that may be at your
disposal, there always comes the time when
what you need most is the skilled hands of a
physician.
p
Adventuring is a dangerous profession and people frequently
get hurt. Where there is pain and suffering, there are
inevitably Physicians some seeking to help their fellow men,
some in search of a quick profit. Serving as a Physician is not
for the faint hearted, since it often requires you to be near the
front line of combat and a healer whose prices are too high
often finds himself with few friends.
Physicians are trained not only to deal with straight-forward
wounds, but also in the use of medicines and special healing
methods: higher ranks of Physician may learn how to apply
more than one bandage to a location, cure disease and purge
a body of poison. In recent years the Physicians have often
been called upon to examine candidates for office, since their
skill in identifying races allows them to confirm that such
candidates are human.
The Physicians are led by a Guildmaster who, along with the
Undercouncil, appoints a Guild Protector.
Only members of the Guild may purchase Physicians' healing
medicines and they may also purchase bandages at a
discounted rate. Physicians are encouraged to put together a
book containing the knowledge that they learn, but this is not
essential.
Membership Restrictions
The Guild is only open to humans, full-elves or halflings.
Physicians may not also join the Alchemist Guild.
Physician Progression
Physicians start as an Apprentice, paying 1/- a month.
Apprentices are taught the names of the medicines, though
they may only purchase and carry one of them. This medicine

The Guild of Blacksmiths


Blacksmiths work hard for a living. Almost
as welcome a sight as a physician as the best
way to heal any wound is not to suffer one!
w
However, many in the militant Guilds or
knightly orders tend to forget that after its
formation the Guild of Blacksmiths quickly
attracted the other crafters, the
manufacturers and the repairers of Ithron.
Within the Guild you can now find those skilled
in everything from simple jewellery craft to
ssiege weapons and everything in between.
Weapons and armour need to be forged by skilled hands, and
the Guild of Blacksmiths is always ready to oblige. Without
these skilled artisans the Knights, Mercenaries and Scouts
would be without vital armour repairs and equipment.

1
12

is used for the treatment of bleeding wounds. They are also


taught basic healing techniques beyond that of simply tying a
bandage (see healing p.46).
Physicians of higher rank are taught amongst other things how
to mix medicines in the field to treat various wounds and
afflictions.

Mage Progression
All mages join the School of General Magic as an Apprentice.
The apprentice is taught the basic sigils of magic and a
handful of basic spells determined by their master.
Apprentices advance to Journeyman, then Junior
Guildsman. If your master allows your final advancement;
then you must apply to one of the Schools of Magic to be
allowed entry as a Guildsman.
No permission no advancement. The mages are a very
select group.

The Guild of Mages


RESTRICTED
It is a rare few who are picked to apprentice
to this Guild, and thats all for the best
believe me. Some mages create wonderful
magics indeed but some dabble in dealing
with the dead or worse
w

Faithful of the Seven


There are those that hear the calling, to one
of the Seven Gods of Light. Vleyborians heal
and even restore the dead to life,
Kharachians can strike their foes dead with
but a word, Sidheans see through to the
truth of things, Traldans are blessed with the
luck of their Lady, Longstorians can call on
all the forces of nature itself and Crowans
walk near-invulnerable across battlefields

Trading physical weapons for magical power, a Mage can


become a dangerous opponent. However, the road to
greatness is long and hazardous. Firstly, the Guild can be a
bit choosy about who they let in: you have to find a mage of
sufficient rank who is willing and able to take you on as an
apprentice. If you're lucky, your master will awaken your
Soulfire and begin straight away in teaching you of the secrets
of being a mage and how to use your power. If not, you could
have a long apprenticeship.
Sooner or later your master will teach you to recognise
magical auras, know about your personal mark, create your
spell-book (the spells take time to acquire and there is a limit
to your knowledge).
On the completion of your
apprenticeship, you will finally be able to savour the mysteries
of Soulfire as well as to use it without exploding. You may
then choose to remain as a practitioner of Thaumaturgy
(general magic) or to specialise in the study of Enchantment,
Necromancy or Demonology. A Master Mage of any School is
highly dangerous.
Usually the most potent Mage of all is granted the title of
Archmage and leads the Guild as a whole not without the
help of the Archmage's Staff, a magical item with a range of
powers. Second in the Guild is the Witchfinder, who is
appointed from among all master mages not already holding a
post within their School. Whilst all Guards and Foresters have
the power to arrest and bring a witch to trial, only the
Witchfinder possesses the Witchfinder's Pendant, which
confers the power to rip the Soulfire out of any witch or any
mage who dares to disobey the rules of the Guild. The
Witchfinder usually takes over the running of the Guild when
the Archmage is unavailable.
The Archmage is also supported by the four Schoolmasters
and the Keeper of the Seven Secrets (an emissary between
the realms of mortals and the other planes.)
Membership Restrictions
Only humans and full-elves are allowed to join. Also, since
Mages are supposedly rare, each branch is limited in the
number it may have. Your LO will be able to tell you if there is
a free space at any given time. You must be able to read and
write Ronish. You will then need to gain permission to join the
Guild in-character, often dependant on finding a Mage of
sufficient rank who is prepared to take you on as an
apprentice. It is illegal in Ithron to use non-religious magic
unless you are a member of the Mages' Guild and apprentices
must undergo a ceremony to awaken their Soulfire.

The Churches are a powerful force in Ithron and many Priests


take it upon themselves to join the ranks of adventurers,
questing against the evils of the demonic, the undead and the
heretical. Each of The Seven offers its followers different
forms of aid: Each Church also asks a price from their
followers and no Priest will ever be wealthy or free from his
obligations.
See the section on Religion (p.31-38) for details on playing a
Priest (or any other level of religious character).

The Orders of Knighthood


The nobility of Ithron recognises four great orders of
knighthood. The Griffin Order is renowned for its courage and
strength, the Grey Order for its chivalry and piety, the Black
Order for its ferocity and efficiency and the peasant Templar
Order for its discipline and sacrifice. All four are extremely
powerful military forces and even a single knight is a
dangerous opponent. Each knighthood is commanded by the
Head of the Order (or the Seneschal of the Templars) and
guided by a Chaplain (a Sidhean, Crowan or Kharachian
Priest as appropriate to the Order).
Anyone wishing to play a knight must first speak to their LO or
to a Referee since all of the orders have rules regarding which
armour, weapons and heraldry their members may carry. In
addition, knights of the Griffin Order must be male: female
knights can exist within the Orders of Grey, Black or Templar
Knights. In order to play a Knight, you must have access to
good physrep metal armour and be prepared to make the
tabard required. Each of the knightly orders has a different
honour code which must be strictly adhered to.
Knights and Weapon Permits
The tabard of a knight is all they need to carry restricted
weapons and armour as allowed to him by his order.

1
13

A blessed Holy Symbol of Sidhe and Kharach.


4 Bandages, which are replaced at the end of each
adventure/event
When a Black Knight Character is finally Knighted they
require a longsword or shortsword that will become their
honour sword. A Black Knight will never use any sword
other than their honour sword except in the direst of need.
When finally knighted a Black Knight can cause fear in an
opponent and can never be forced to drop their honour sword.
The Order of Grey Knights
To Err is Not Knightly

The Order of Black Knights


Death Before Dishonour
Its said that the children the Black Knights
recruit are taught all the arrogance and
cruelty of the Axirian Empire where the Order
was founded. Of course, its seldom said
within earshot of a Black Knight
w
People all over the world fear and respect the Knights of the
Black Order, whose awesome reputation as warriors is almost
matched by the rumours of their cruelty and arrogance and the
fact that they possess the ability to lay dead souls to rest.
The Order was formed in Axir almost 500 years ago by a
number of like-minded gentry who worshipped Kharach. Led
by Sir Ludwig Altdorf, the first Liege Knight, the order grew
within a short 50 years to be the most powerful knightly order
within Axir. It remains so to this day.
When the Axirians invaded Ithron in 678, it was the Black
Order which led the main fighting force. Led by the infamous
Sir Gwion Aldred, the order distinguished itself many times
over the first three years of the invasion and won many battle
honours. These days are said by many to be the Order's true
period of glory and current Black Knights remember the heroic
deeds of their predecessors with pride.
After the invasion was complete, some of the Black Order
decided to remain within Ithron and were soon afterwards
joined by a break-away faction of disillusioned Grey Knights.
Due to both this infusion of knights who were Kindred of Sidhe
and to the respect that the Black Order had gained for the
Griffin Order, whose knights fought honourably and heroically
against them during the invasion, the Black Order became
Kindred of Sidhe and Kharach jointly as they are today.
Over the centuries, the Order has admitted many Ithronian
nobles into its ranks, such that few of the Ithronian Black
Order are now native Axirians. However the Ithronian Black
Order of Knights still has cordial relations with the Black Order
of Axir.
One of the Liege Knights is appointed Head of the Order and
is thus eligible to become the Knight Commander.
Livery
The symbol of the Black Order is a red heart and grey threepronged throwing star. This is placed centrally on a black
tabard with red trim.
However a starting squire will only require a plain black tabard,
as the character progresses you will be required to add to the
tabard until the full livery is attained.
Membership Restrictions
To play a Black Knight you must start your human character
as a squire who has been a member of the Order from
between the ages of 4 and 7. You should also arrange to be
the squire for an existing player character knight of the order.
Black Knights are dual kindred of Sidhe and Kharach and as
such pay 1/12th of their income to each of the two churches
and half paid to the order.
Black Knight Progression
A Squire starts with no money but receives the following
equipment from the order.
A single one-handed weapon of his choice (not a sword)

When I played at being a Knight as a lad,


this is the order that I imagined being.
Chivalrous, honourable, devout and lots of
other words I cant spell
o
The Grey Order originated in 389 from a group of four halfelven devotees of Sidhe. Despite the stigma attached to their
descent, the four half-elves and their recruits performed acts
of such bravery and dedication that within 50 years they stood
side by side with the Griffins in the service of the Kings of
Ithron.
In 491 the Griffins called for the aid of the Greys at Norham
and most of the Order answered the call. One of the four
men, Hermigan, remained behind due to his belief that
Norham had become a place of greed and debauchery and
when only one of the founders and 4 other knights returned
Hermigan was cast from the Order. Hermigan was eventually
slain in 991 by adventurers and finally atoned for his betrayal
of his brethren.
Since that time the Grey Order has been a small but potent
group of powerfully religious and devout men whose faith
drives them to the greatest feats. The Order do not recruit as
such, but rather it seems that they gather like-minded nobles
to their ranks.
The Greys remain a powerful force and their deeds are some
of the greatest stories that have ever been told.
All Grey Knights are nobles, trained since the age of 14 away
from home and educated in courtly matters as well as those of
battle. Grey Knights are thus famed for their chivalry and
bravery and quest continually to prove their worth.
Those unfamiliar with the disciplined approach of the Greys
might assume that some of their courtly pursuits are not strictly
in keeping with knighthood. However, whilst they do hold
ladies in high regard (or men for most female Greys) and have
been known to act foolishly in demonstrating love to them,
they are scrupulous in their devotion to their God. "To sin is to
err and to err is not knightly". They also spurn wealth and will
often accept little or no payment in order to undertake a good
and noble quest.
The Order of Grey Knights is led by the Head of the Order,
who is eligible to become the Knight Commander.
Livery
All Grey knights wear a grey surcoat and, unless they have
attained the seventh rank of devotion, also wear a black sash
to denote their imperfection in the eyes of Sidhe. Some grey

1
14

Knights wear their family coat of arms on their shields or on a


belt flash.
However a starting Errant will only require a plain grey tabard
with a black sash worn diagonally across it.
Membership Restrictions
To play a Grey knight you must start your human or half elven
character as one newly-knighted who is embarking on a series
of quests, in similar fashion to the Arthurian knights of Malory.
Grey knights do not receive starting cash.
All Grey Knights are Kindred of Sidhe, so tithe 1/12th to the
church and half to the Order.
Grey Knight Progression
Grey Knight Errant do not start with any money. The order
provides them with;
A suit of armour (5 AP or less).
4 Bandages, which are replaced at the end of each
adventure/event
A blessed Holy Symbol of Sidhe.
A single one-handed weapon and a shield
Once Knighted a Grey can eventually become a Sidhean
Devotee, known as a Knight Devout. If a Grey Knight sins at
any point they may never become a Knight Devout.
The Order of Griffin Knights
Strength and Honour

Membership Restrictions
To play a Griffin you must start your male, human character as
a squire: a noble who has been trained from between the ages
of 4 and 7 in warfare, honour and chivalry. You will need to
find a Griffin Knight to squire to, as you are required to
adventure with him in order to progress.
All Griffin Knights are Kindred of Sidhe and Crowa, so tithe
1/12th to each church and half to the Order.
(The restriction on sex is not a player restriction just a
character one)
Griffin Knight Progression
A Squire starts with no money but receives the following
equipment from the order.
A single one-handed weapon of his choice (not a handand-a-half sword)
A blessed holy symbol of Sidhe and Crowa.
4 Bandages, which are replaced at the end of each
adventure/event
When finally knighted a Griffin Knight learns to use the handand-a-half sword (up to 42") one-handed, is immune to fear
and is able to call on Crowa for aid in battle.
The Order of Templar Knights
Devotion and Obedience

The poor Knights of Sidhe, seems like theyll


take any mongrel scum and call them a knight,
yet somehow it works. I guess humility is
easier when you start off as inferior
e

The finest bred, strongest, most honourable


men in Ithron and therefore the entire world!
Hey.... dont look at me like that, thats just
what they keep telling me!
w

The Order was first formed in the year 118 during the first
crusade, when the Lord De Payen and his retinue approached
the High Father of Sidhe in the city of Saleen and requested to
be received into the priesthood. At Sidhe's intervention the
men were instead inspired to become warrior monks the
perfect fusion of Knight and Priest.
During the years 174 to 207, the Church of Sidhe fell under
the control of the Heresiarch Julian the Third. Refusing to cooperate with his abomination of their beliefs, the Knights
turned to the good Church of Vleybor. It was during this brief
period that the Knights first donned formal uniform; a white
surcoat with a red celtic cross upon the left breast, in honour
of the support that the Vleyborian Church gave to the Order
during these troubled times. Even today, the Order continues
to show respect and honour to the Vleyborian Church.
Templar Knights often pledge themselves to the protection of
Vleyborian Priests, especially those who are not able to
defend themselves.
The Temple in Ithron was founded by Sir Boris De Chinobeau,
who arrived on the shores of Ithron from the city of Akra in the
far away Holy Lands. Now, many years later, the Ithronian
Order is thriving, perhaps because it is open to all races,
sexes and nationalities. These things are not deemed as
important as the spirit that dwells within the vessel of flesh.
The head of the Templar Order is the Seneschal, who is
eligible to become the Knight Commander.

This order was formed by Lord Griffin for the protection of the
city of Norham and is perhaps the oldest knightly order in
Ithron. Three of the oldest Griffin Keeps, including the original
Keep of Bruckston, still stand on the outskirts of Norham,
whilst the newer Brisel Keep is the second largest in the
country. Although numbers in the Order are greatly
diminished since the days before the Axirian conquest, when
more than 20,000 brave souls looked to the distinctive black
and green banner, Griffin Knights remain a respected and
integral part of Ithronian strength and heritage.
Strength and Honour is the motto of the Griffins and the
actions of these knights frequently live up to the image which
those simple three words inspire. The Griffin Knight knows no
fear and can call upon the Goddess Crowa for aid in battle,
taking punishment that no ordinary man could take. However,
Griffins disdain the use of any type of missile weapon as the
weapon of a coward and view offensive magic in much the
same way (though divine miracles are greatly appreciated).
The Griffin Order is led by the Head of the Griffins, who may, if
blessed by the Gods, become the wielder of the powerful
magical blade known as the Griffin Blade. He is eligible to
become the Knight Commander.
Livery
The surcoat of the Griffin Order is black edged in green, with a
green griffin's head facing towards the Knight's right arm.
However a starting squire will only require a plain black tabard,
as the character progresses you will be required to add to the
tabard until the full livery is attained.

1
15

The Order is led by the Holy Mother Rose and guided by a


Chaplain (a Crowan Priest assigned to it). The Mother Rose
may earn the right to carry the Order's holy item, the Rose
Shield.
Livery
All Roses should wear armour and a red surcoat, upon which
is featured the device of a sword, point downwards,
intertwined with two roses.
Membership Restrictions
Initiates must be a female character of any race who are
Devotees of the Goddess Crowa and must wait to be invited to
join the Order, (usually such an invitation comes only after a
woman has distinguished herself in battle). An initiate must
swear oaths of obedience, chastity, poverty and the defence of
the weak and innocent.
Roses donate all of their income to the Order, which in turn
forwards half to the Church of Crowa. All armour and
weaponry is supplied by the Order, together with a small
amount of other equipment which is replaced each month.
Crowan Roses do not require a Weapons Permit.
(The restriction on sex is not a player restriction just a
character one)
Rose Progression
The initiate must donate all her possessions to the Order in
keeping with her vow of poverty.
The Order gives all new Roses a suit of armour of their
choice, two weapons and a shield or a third weapon.
The Order will repair or replace this equipment.
Order provides the initiate with 3 bandages and will
replace them at the end of each adventure or event.

Livery
A plain white tabard, those that are Knighted wear a white
tabard with a red Celtic cross over the left breast, although
those who have fought in the Konn have right to wear a red
Maltese Cross instead.
A starting squire will only require a plain white tabard, as the
character progresses you will be required to add to the tabard
until the full livery is attained. Other clothes should be grey
without ostentation.
Membership Restrictions
The Templars will accept a person of any gender or race,
however they must be a kindred of Sidhe and not a member of
any other Church. An established character may decide to
leave their profession and join the Templar Order. This is the
only Knightly Order that allows this.
Templars tithe 1/12th to the Church and two thirds to the order
and may never own more than 10 crowns worth of equipment
other than that provided by the Order.
Templar Knight Progression
The Squire is given the following equipment:
A single one-handed weapon of his choice
A blessed Holy Symbol of Sidhe.
4 Bandages, which are replaced at the end of each
adventure/event.
Once Knighted a Templar is taught various spells that they
may employ.

Religious Orders
The Religious Order of Crowan Roses

Sometimes mistaken for being a Knightly


Order, the Roses are still respected religious
warriors in their own right
w

Once merely a mercenary unit, the Order has distinguished


itself in battle on many occasions since its unofficial founding
in Konn in about 974. During the crusades, several women,
led by the devout Sophria Steel, grouped together at first for
security and self-defence, later to help those others who
needed it. It was Sophria who trained the women in the arts of
combat, kept their enthusiasm constant and imposed strictures
designed to maintain the strength of the group. Under her
leadership, the group became worshippers of the Goddess
Crowa and a superbly disciplined fighting force.
After the decimation of the Order and murder of Sophria by a
dishonourable opposing force of three times their size, the
Order swore to uphold the vision of their fallen leader and left
the lands, which had shown them so much animosity. They
came to Ithron in 992 and began to organise themselves once
again.
Ever since the time when the Order decided to open its ranks
to Ithronian women, the Roses have been responsible for
many deeds of heroism and self-sacrifice such as those of
Sophia, a young Rose who slew a dragon in 993, and Holy
Mother Astona, who gave her life in retrieving the captured
banner of the four knightly orders. Because of these valiant
actions, the Order has now earned an autonomy and status
similar to that possessed by the knightly orders.

a knight of iTron

1
16

The Illegal Underworld


The Guild of Thieves

The Nighthawks

RESTRICTED & SECRET

HIGHLY RESTRICTED & SECRET

So you're thinking of taking the shady path in


life? Well be warned, whilst it can be profitable
it can also be dangerous. Don't listen to what
others tell you: the "Guild" of Thieves exists ...a
collection of muggers, burglars, pickpockets
and thugs who are protective of their own.
Secretive and illegal, they operate in the
shadow of the adventuring Guilds and even the
churches, but a thief who betrays the Guild or
squeals to the Law can expect to wind up dead
or so I've heard.
Now Im not one to trust rumours, especially
about the scum of Ithron, but there are those

"Listen to me very carefully, you do not want to


cross this group. An elite order of assassins,
the Nighthawks view the murder of Ithronian
citizens to be their province and theirs alone.
The only reason you could possibly want to get
in touch with them is because you want
someone killed.
Take my advice, don't do it. It's illegal (you
could be tried for murder) and it's expensive. If
you're set on this course of action, leave a note
addressed to the Nighthawks on the Kharachian
shrine, saying who you want killed. Leave the
cash with the note. It's risky. If the Guild
doesn't take the contract you still lose the
Dont speak of them and you will be safer.
Dont contact them except to hire.
Dont expect a response except that either your
target or you will be found dead.
Assassins and murderers, they settle the score only when that
one act is justified and is the only course left, and they retain
that right for themselves alone. Should they not agree with
your motives dont expect to remain alive for much longer.
Dont ever, ever cross them.
If you want to join the Nighthawks Guild you should contact
the Campaign Co-ordinator (CC). Do not tell your friends or
your Liaison Officer. Your membership of the Assassins
does not go on your character return or on Fest
applications. This is a secret in and out-of-character.
-------------Taking out contracts----------One of the rules of Fools & Heroes is that you do not kill
other characters: you are the good guys! However, if you
have a major in-character grudge with another character
then you can hire the Nighthawks to kill the other party.
You should write to the Campaign Co-ordinator, stating the
name of the character you want murdered, as much detail
about the character as possible, the reason you want the
character killed and the amount of money you are offering.
You have to spend the money in advance. If the contract
isn't accepted, you still lose the cash.
Contracts requested for out-of-character reasons will not be
accepted. Death of the target will constitute the only
evidence of contract acceptance. Since having a character
killed is not a pleasant experience, you should not
announce to other players that you took the contract out.

Down the darkened alleys and twisted backstreets of every


city and every town, clandestine meetings take place. You
will not know where and you will not know when, the
underworld keeps its secrets close. The members of the
Guild walk among you, leading double lives, operating within
the shadows, working on deeds where those of higher morals
could not act. The thieves are jealous of their secrets and it
has been known for punishments to be meted out to those
that would cross the line into their territory. To be caught
stealing by the law is one thing, to be caught by the Guild is
an all together different matter.
The Thieves Guild: In order to preserve secrecy, recruits
must wait for an invitation to join from the Guild itself. Each
branch is limited in the number of thieves it may have and the
Guild should have checked with your LO that a free space
exists before issuing such an invitation. Don't talk to other
players or characters about your aspirations (in or out-ofcharacter). The Thieves Guild expects you to stay quiet about
your membership. If you wish to apply to the Guild then have
a quiet word with your LO.
In return for your 1/12 tithe to the Guild and your monthly fee,
the Thieves will teach you skills to recognise and disarm traps,
pick locks and use throwing knives and stars. You will also be
taught how to recognise other members of the Guild so you
can keep a low profile. Membership of the Guild does not stop
you from becoming a Guildsman in other Guilds.

tools of Te
trade

17

Special Characters
Type One Special

Morning Barman! Pint of Best? Don't mind if


I do! While you're at it, who's that strangelooking fellow in the corner? Came in this
morning on one of the early ships did he?
Has a foreign air about him, doesn't he!
Yes ...and I don't mean the garlic. Looks
kind of snooty too, doesn't he?! I wonder
what someone like him is doing in the Blue
Dragon? No, don't worry. I'm not after
The hiring square was filled with men and women of all races
and careers; knights, priests, mercenaries and scouts. A
physician walked past carrying his important equipment close
to his chest, while near by an alchemist was selling her wares.
Yet there a person of a different type stood looking to be hired.
What could they do? They looked maybe foreign, maybe some
sort of scholar or bard, but they wielded a sword, so they were
probably not a mage. The hirer simply shrugged her
shoulders. No doubt they were an adventurer and so no
reason not to hire them too.
Adventurers can come from all sorts of backgrounds and
follow all ways of life. It is possible to play a character that
does not conform to any of the current standard rules or one
who has an unusual background. This includes people of
noble birth, knights of non-standard orders, those who speak
other languages or come from a foreign background. It is also
possible to develop special characters through game play.
There are two types of special characters:

Come from an unusual background but in all other ways follow


the standard rules of the game. Examples include;
Foreigners to Ithron
Member of Nobility or of Axirian blood.
Non-standard Guild or Profession (e.g. Heralds Guild)

Type Two Special


Are of a non-standard race or have different rules to those of
other players. Type two special characters have more
restrictions on them such as they cannot become the head of
a Guild or church, and possibly other Guild memberships will
also be restricted.
All special characters should be worked out with your LO who
will help you put your ideas together. These will then be sent
to the CC and if necessary the relevant Senior Referee to be
passed as fit for play. It is worth noting that the process of
creating a special character takes some time to make sure
that it fits within the game and there may be a number of
weeks spent trying to make sure that the rules for the
character are playable. Also do not forget that if, as you are
playing the character, something seems out of balance or
unplayable, the rules can be adjusted again, but these again
must go through the same channels with your reasons for
what seems wrong with your rules. Some special characters
will get a card from a Senior Referee, others a sheet with the
rules on keep bringing these to adventures where you
expect to play so that the referees running the adventure have
an idea of what you can do.

Te foolish do
heroic dEds

18

The Land of Ithron


The Duchies and Cities of Ithron

19

A Brief History of Ithron


There follows a series of extracts from the incomplete work A
Human History of Norham Province" by the elven scholar and
historian, Abner of Brisel.
Ithron Under Axir
In the year DCLXXVIII of the human calendar, the
Axirians made their third attempt to invade Ithron,
which, until that time had remained a free land and
ruled by Kings. The Axirian forces, led by the
Order of Black Knights, landed in the South West
and fought a ferocious battle against the massed
force of the Ithronian Griffins the first of many
such battles in their successful VI year campaign
to conquer Ithron.
It was during this time of war that the sorcerers of
Ithron, sorely pressed by the battle mages of Axir,
created lesser magics and taught them to those
able pupils that they could find and train swiftly it
is these lesser magics that are the common form
practised today. Some claim that the entire
purpose of the Axirian invasion was to wipe out the
Ithronian sorcerers, because they had reached
phenomenal levels of power. Indeed, had the
sorcerers banded together, Ithron may never have
fallen but those jealous and paranoid individuals
perished alone and with them, allegedly, perished
the secret of sorcery.
It is my opinion that much of humanitys distrust
and hatred of non-human races stems from this
time, since the non-human races gave no aid
during the invasion and were thus perceived as
cowards. Whatever the real reason behind their
policy, the non-humans races were not spared
from the persecution and cruelty which the Axirians
inflicted upon all the inhabitants of Ithron over the
next few decades. This probably contributed to
the withdrawal of non-humans from Ithronian
society they have had no part in the running of
the country ever since
In the year DCCLXIV, the city of Norham was
established as a regional capital and assigned to
an Axirian military governor. Then, after a long
period of peace and stability throughout the
Empire, the city was granted full status as capital
of Norham Province, which included all the lands of
Ithron, Lirron and Sortho. Norham Province was
also permitted to enter a period of selfgovernment, which it achieved by setting up a
council. This council was composed of the heads
of the various professional Guilds and was referred

Formation of the Adventuring Guilds


With the departure from Ithron of almost all of
the Axirian troops, the Praetor needed to find a
different way of keeping order within the
province he therefore charged the
Guildscouncil with the task. Intrepid individuals,
volunteers and city militia were called to service
and the Guilds of Mercenaries and Scouts were
formed,.
The Guildscouncil found that it was impossible
to maintain the same high level of order as the
Axirians had done, but they managed to keep
the cities and settlements safe for a while.
Gradually however, foulspawn and bandits
began to move into the unprotected areas and
take the wilderness as their home. The
mercenaries were unable to stem the tide of
terror which ensued, so the Guildscouncil were
forced to change their tactics.
First of all, they banned all except Mercenaries
and Scouts from carrying most forms of
weapon. Members of those Guilds received
substantial training and then formed a pool of
professional fighters whom the Guildscouncil
were able to hire, along with members of the
other Guilds, to protect the vulnerable areas of
the country. Hiring these self-funding groups of
adventurers soon became the standard way of
dealing with any unusual situation or problem.
Sending out groups of adventurers proved so
successful, and so cost-effective that only
members of Guilds that took part in keeping
Ithron safe became eligible to sit on the
Guildscouncil and only an active adventurer
could head the Guild. The churches soon
followed suit this is why individual Primates
are always drawn from adventurers and are
expected to continue to remain active
adventurers. This short term solution to a long
term problem is typical of the human leadership
of Norham Province. Its success can, I think,
be measured by the level of danger that
continues to threaten all of the towns and cities
to this day
Godking and Ithrons Independence
In CMXCIII, the Axirian governor, whose motives
had been suspect for some time, declared
himself Godking and sole ruler of Ithron.
Unable to provide enough troops to defeat him,

20

Return of the Dark Gods


In CMXCVII, one of the six dark children of Sidhe
evil Gods who had been sealed away in a divine
prison by Sidhe escaped and made the journey
to Ithron. This God was Seraklan, master of lies
and deceit. Appearing as a creature known as the
Jester, Seraklan tried to corrupt the people of
Ithron with subterfuge and false promises, but
most were protected by the Seven and did not
listen to him. Therefore Seraklan deceived the
sea-faring people of Llaminusu and led them in an
attempted conquest of Ithron just as the Axirian
Emperor was murdered and the Empire
descended into bloody civil war.
The Llaminusian raiders and their priests of
Seraklan swept into Ithron like an unstoppable
wave, destroying and plundering wherever they
could. The army of the nobles arrived in time to
save Ithron from being over-run by the Llaminusian
hordes and the adventuring army managed to put
a halt to some of Seraklans plotting, but not
before four of the dark Gods had escaped. These
four merged and ascended to the heavens in the
shape of a malevolent new God: The Nameless
One.
Resigning of the Pact
By the turn of the millennium, the Pact between
Gods and demons was due to be re-signed, and
doing so required the presence of the Primates of
all the thirteen churches to be in attendance along
with the tablet of the Pact and all thirteen holy
items of the Gods.
With the difficulty of forcing the sundering of the
Nameless One in to its constituent Gods and due
to disruptions caused by demon cultists and
Axirian politics the Pact was signed after a years
reprieve was granted by the Emperor of Sharda to
the mortal followers of the Gods in order to ensure
it was done.
The God Mutilator
The arrival of the God Mutilator was heralded by
the branding of seven members of the School of
Demonology and when he arrived on this plane he
made his aims clear nothing less than the
destruction of the Gods, the Emperor, and
rulership of all. His threat was no idle boast,
having over several thousand years previously
maimed Longstor by severing his arm, and killed
Kharach, forcing his exile from Elysium.
It was only by effect of a great ritual of miracle,

21

The Usurper
Late MIV and Early MV saw the return of the
insane enchanter Dr Tachademus and the
disappearance of King Stephen while visiting
Axir, kidnapped by his own champion Drake
Hellmourn who assumed charge of the country,
and allied himself to a strange race of ancient
Elves, the Grynar, Dr Tachademus managed to
plant a powerful staff into the earth at Hadsfield
and block the power of the Gods from their
followers, thus Sidhe came bodily to this plane
to allow the faithful access to Mana through him.
The Grynar, Tachademus and Hellmourn were all
working for a being called The Traveller or
Taracan (actually Seraklan), who planned to
usurp the rulership of Elysium and Sharda from
her brothers. Eventually Hellmourn and
Seraklan were defeated at the battles in
Shielding.
The Neresian Crusade
In Axir shifts of political power brought several
militant groups to the front and rumours of a
resumed war against the Konn started to
circulate and recruiters for the Axirian legions
arrived in Ithron to gather additional strength.
Patches of dead land appeared in limited parts
of Ithron caused by Konnish mages who appear
to be draining the land of its Soulfire directly.
Ithronian forces responded by invading the
Konnish held province of Nerese, but withdrew
leaving the Adventuring community to fight their
way clear after the King abandoned them in
favour of withdrawing more than five thousand
militia. This caused considerable ill-feeling
between certain notable adventurers and the
King.
Subsequently the King attempted to negotiate
with the Konnish forces for peace only to be
undermined by the Knight Commander Sir
Constantine de Bayard who cited that Konnish
agents were already present in Ithron, who were
prosecuting a war against the country and the
Gods already.
A brutal invasion of Nerese in order to release
Ithrons leeched Soulfire and the souls also
stolen from the fallen was successfully executed
by a combined force of Ithronian, Axirian,
Oluthonian and even Nipponese troops. The
campaign was extremely bloody and the knightly
orders bore the brunt of the losses, leaving the

A Brief Bestiary of Ithron


Here follows an extract from the diary of a deceased
mercenary Guildsman in Caer Marw. Rumour has it that his
promising adventuring career was cut tragically short by a
chance encounter with a goblin shaman who was
inconsiderate enough not to comply with the "absolutely
accurate" notes below

Dark Elves

Treated as Foulspawn legally, the Dark Elves


have little other resemblance to such beasts.
Intelligent, wily and treacherous the Dark
Elves are a potent danger whenever they
gather in force, especially when accompanied
by their magicians who practice the dark arts
that are forbidden to their fairer cousins.

Foulspawn
Goblins

Little critters breed like rabbits! You let `em


get a foothold an' next month there'll be a
whole new tribe sprung up! Luckily they ain't
too smart or strong or brave, an' they can't
match a good merc in a straight fight. You
got to watch `em though, `cos they're
treacherous little things that'll stab you in
the back soon as look at you.

Undead
`orrible rottin' corpses risen from the dead,
they `ate the livin' an' will try to drag you
down with `em! Sometimes they look almost
`uman but others are just shamblin' bones or
a ghostly shadow. Most of `em can be
delayed with a good bit of steel or the power
of The Seven, but it often takes a
necromancer to do the job properly.
Personally I try to avoid `em an' leave it to the
professionals ...though sometimes the
necromancers and the Kharachians are as
scary as the undead!

Orcs
Dangerous an' ugly customers; tougher
than your average `uman an' more
aggressive too.
Luckily they're not so clever, an' an
organised group with heavy armour,
poisons or magic should be able to deal
with `em pretty quickly. Bloke down tavern
last month reckoned that he'd seen some
who'd started worshipping the Dark Gods...

Demons

If there's anythin' that really scares me, it's


demons. Father Amblin says that they used
The full bestiary is made available only to trained Referees
in an attempt to encourage players/characters to learn
about Ithron's various inhabitants from experience. In
addition, some monsters are limited to specific areas of the
country and may not be encountered unless you travel
there. A Referee may, however, allow your character to
research the nature and abilities of a creature if they feel
that sufficient resources are available to you.

Trolls and Ogres

Te monsters
of iTron

22

Ithronian Life
The Calendar
The Ithronian calendar is similar to the modern one, except
that the months have different names and the year is 1000
years earlier than our own time, i.e. if the current "real" year is
2009, then the Ithronian year is 1009. The months are as
follows and have the same number of days as the real
calendar (time in the campaign world progresses at the same
rate as "real" time).
January Deepwinter
July Highsummer
February Thawing
August Shielding
March Springsdawn
September Harvesting
April Planting
October Summereve
May Budding
November Drawing
June Shoring
December Midcold
Important Days
There are many important dates in the Ithronian calendar,
such as holy days (see under Religion), local feast days and
national festivals. Different areas observe and celebrate in
different ways.
Check with your LO, Primate or Guildmaster to find out which
dates apply to you, which dates you are obliged to observe
and how you should or could do so.

The Alphabet
The origin of the Ronish runes used by most Ithronians is
steeped in legend, but it is believed that they were first used
by a tribe who called their lands "Rone". If Rone ever existed,
no one knows where it was or what happened to its people.

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
A

J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R

TH T

EE

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
E

S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Full
Stop
Comma

s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z

The basic numbers to learn are as follows:


1 5
10 50 100 500 1000
I
V X
L
C
D
M
But what about numbers that fall in between these sums? For
these figures, you need to use combination of numerals.
Generally, if a smaller numeral is placed before a larger one,
e.g. XC, the first numeral is taken away from the second. So
XC can be read as 100-10=90. If a smaller numeral (or more
than one) is placed after a larger one or if two identical
numerals are placed together, the numbers are added, e.g.
CX= 100+10=110, XX=10+10=20, XXX=10+10+10=30 but
XL=40.
Large numbers that are not simple multiples of ten etc. have
to be broken down into blocks and dealt with a piece at a time,
so XIV=14, 10+(5-1) and XCIX=99 (100-10)+(10-1). So
2009 is written as MMIX. For those people following the
Ithronian calendar, 1009 is written as follows: MIX.

Money
The national currency is provided by the Bank of Ithron and
consists of gold pieces (crowns) and silver pennies, of which
there are twelve to the crown. All prices are described in
terms of crowns and pennies, e.g. 12 crowns and 6 pennies
would be written 12/6" (or IC as XII/VI). The Bank of Ithron
also produces the most commonly used banknotes which can
be found in almost all areas, but various nobles, cities and
Guilds also have the right to print banknotes of various
denominations, (provided that these are backed by gold in
their possession). Therefore there are many different notes in
use throughout the country and all are legal tender. Even so,
the careful traveller is advised to beware of forgeries most
genuine notes will bear a stamp or seal and forgeries may not
be of the usual quality.

Equipment
Physreps
A "physrep" is a physical representation of an object which is
used in place of the real thing; in other words, a "prop". In
LARP, physreps are used for many items, such as weaponry,
alchemical potions etc.
In order to gain benefit from any piece of equipment that your
character owns, you must own a suitable physrep and be
carrying it or wearing it on the adventure, as appropriate. You
cannot claim on an adventure that you are using your potion of
purge poison, if you didn't remember to bring the correctly
marked physrep bottle along with you. No physrep means no
use of the item. If you forget or lose an item which is required
for your character's abilities, such as a holy symbol or some
important part of priestly garb, you may find that your spells
and/or your abilities are not available to you until the item is
replaced.
Fools & Heroes is a friendly society where players help each
other to promote a fun, fantasy atmosphere environment.
Therefore, if you need something ask. Many players bring
along spare equipment and costume which may be lent to
others who are either new to the game or have forgotten what
they need.

.
,

Players who wish their characters to be literate should learn


the above runes. Most character professions require literacy,
the most important being Physicians, Mages, Priests, Devoted
followers and Alchemists.

Numerals
The Ithronian numbering system is identical to our own, save
for the fact that written numbers are represented by Roman
Numerals. Though the system may appear daunting to the
newcomer at first, once the few basic rules are learnt, the
method in the madness becomes clear and numerals become
easy!

23

something slightly different, e.g. a double crossbow, speak to


your LO.
Discounts
The discounted price lists for Mercenaries and Scouts are
shown in order to aid in downtime purchase of equipment, but
these discounts are only available to characters of sufficient
rank in the relevant Guild (i.e. Guildsman).
If no discount price is shown you must pay the standard price.
Notes for the Equipment List
ML
Maximum Length of weapon (or dimension of shield)
MP
Maximum Poundage for the physrep weapon
Cost
Normal List Price
Merc
Mercenary Discounted Price
Scout Scout Discounted Price
1
May only be purchased by a member of that Church.
Kindred cannot use Holy Water
2
May be purchased by a member of any religion, but
only a member of the specific religion will derive any
benefit from it.
3
These are free for Priests (all ranks) and Devotees
of Father rank.
4
The physrep for a tinderbox should be wait for it
a tinderbox. Safety matches may be used, but a
character must wait for 10 full seconds before
striking each match this simulates the time
necessary to create a spark using proper flint and
tinder.
5
Silver Daggers may only be purchased from the
Guild of Mages and must be kept enchanted to
avoid blunting. Blunted daggers may be resharpened by the Mages, price negotiable upon
application.
What follows is not an exhaustive list of equipment, but the
basic prices of standard equipment together with various Guild
discounts. If there is no price against a piece of equipment for
a listed Guild then it gets no discount, and the standard price
must be paid.
Two handed weapons (including Bastard Swords), Plate
armour and a sundry of other specialised types or arms and
armour can only be purchased from PC Blacksmiths.

Weapon Physreps
The maximum weapon lengths set out in the following
equipment list refer to the length of a weapon from base to tip,
not just blade length. In addition to the maximum lengths
stated, no weapon may normally exceed 60 inches in length.
Weapons of up to 78 inches may be allowed (Referee
discretion), but use of weapons of greater length is not
permitted. Always check prior to use and be aware that the
local site referee has final say: she can overrule previous
referee decisions and ban any physrep deemed unsafe.
Large shields can be very dangerous to use and therefore the
maximum size of a shield for a player should be no larger than
from the floor to the waist of the player wielding it.
Important safety note: Never attempt to use an item as a
weapon if it was not designed for LARP, e.g. do not pick up
a piece of wood to use as a stake/subdual weapon. Use of
non-LARP weapons is extremely unsafe and liable to result
in injury.
Equipment Costs
The following list details the equipment usually available in the
appropriate Ithronian shop or merchant house, together with
the standard price for such an item.
When purchasing equipment (other than starting
equipment) you should first approach other player
characters, particularly any Blacksmiths or Alchemists. It
is often cheaper to buy some equipment from them and you
may also find that a broader range is available via this route.
With the exception of starting equipment you should check
with the site referee or LO of the branch you are purchasing
equipment in (your own LO if you are purchasing between
games) as plot may make the local price fluctuate or even
make some items temporarily illicit or unavailable.
Many Guilds (e.g. Mages, Physicians & Alchemists) also
provide a range of equipment at special discounted prices for
members, so remember to check Guild prices before buying
elsewhere.
Special Equipment
If you own a physrep that does not exactly conform to
anything on the equipment list, or would merely like to try

essential equipment
for Te
eager adventurer

24

Equipment List
Weapons not requiring permit
ML
Dagger
18
Hatchet
26
Cudgel (Subdual)
26
Club (Subdual)
36
Staff (2 Handed,
36+
Subdual)
Bow
25lbMP
Arrow
36
Weapons requiring permit
ML
Shortsword
26
Longsword
36
Hand Axe
36
Small Mace (Blunt)
26
Mace (Blunt)
36
Crossbow
25lbMP
Quarrel
Shields
Small Shield
26
Medium Shield
36
Large Shield
36+
Armour not requiring permit
Light Leather (1AP)

Light
Studded
Leather or Heavy
Leather (2AP)

Cost
1/0
3/6
2/0
5/0
7/0

Merc
0/8
3/0

Scout
0/8
2/6

5/0
0/3

4/6

3/0
0/2

Cost
4/6
9/0
7/0
3/4
7/0
5/6
0/3

Merc
3/6
7/0
6/0
2/6
5/6
4/6
0/2

Scout
3/6
7/0
4/6
3/0
6/0
5/0

3/0
5/0
8/0

2/6
4/0

2/6
4/0

Cost
1/0
0/5
0/6
0/7
2/0
1/0
1/0
1/0

Tunic
Sleeves
Trousers
Cap
Tunic
Bracers
Greaves
Helmet

Merc
0/10
0/4
0/5
0/6
1/6
0/9
0/9
0/9

Candle 3
Magical Items
Spell Card
Ritual Scroll
Stick of Incense

Ring-Mail (4AP)

Chainmail or
Scalemail (5AP)

Tunic
Bracers
Greaves
Helmet
Hauberk
Sleeves
Trousers
Helmet
Shirt
Sleeves
Legs
Coif

Cost
3/0
1/6
1/8
2/0
6/0
3/0
3/0
3/0
8/0
5/0
5/0
5/0

Merc
2/0
1/0
1/2
1/6
4/0
2/0
2/0
2/0
5/6
3/0
3/0
3/0

Potion of Heal Limb


Potion of Heal Body
Potion of All Heal
Potion of Purge Poison
Potion of Cure Disease
Miscellaneous Items
Candle
Torch
Lantern
Tinderbox4
Mirror
6 feet of rope
Bandage
Lockbox
Silver Dagger5

Scout
0/10
0/4
0/5
0/6
1/6
0/9
0/9
0/9

Scout
2/0
1/0
1/2
1/6
4/0
2/0
2/0
2/0
5/6
3/0
3/0
3/0

Religious Items
Holy Water (per vial, not inc. bottle) 1
Holy Water bottle (empty) 1
Holy Symbol (unblessed) 2
Ritual of Absolution or Cleansing
Blessed Stake
Prayer Card 3
Ritual Scroll 3
Stick of Incense

Cost
0/1
0/6
1/0

Alchemical Potions

Armour requiring permit


Heavy Studded
Leather (3AP)

0/1

Cost
0/7
0/1
1/0
1/0
Free
0/1
0/6
1/0

25

Cost
2/6
3/0
6/0
4/0
4/0
Cost
0/1
0/3
1/0
1/0
1/0
1/0
0/4
2/0
30/0

Te adventurers vault

26

Politics & Power


Social Status
General
Populous
20
8+
8

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Church

Knights

Guard/Forester/
Mercenary/
Law
Scout

Mages

Physicians

Alchemists

Blacksmith

King & Queen


Nobility, Positions of Power (e.g. Mayor of Norham, Primate, Archmage, Guild Enforcer etc), Law Court superiors (e.g. Judges, Chief Justice etc)
Battle, Liege,
High Father (P7)
Librarian,
Magistrate
Captain,
Town Elder
Master Mage
Doctor
Master Alchemist
Master-smith
Mother Rose
Marshal,
Ranger
Devout
Constable,
Father
Master Merchant
Order Knight
Forester
Guild Senior
(P4-6 D6-7)
Townsman
Freeman
Merchant

Sister Rose
Brother
(P2-3 D3-5)

House Knight
Errant

High Guildsman
Deputy,
Junior Forester

Guildsman

Churl
Foremen
Peasant

Junior Guildsman
Novice
(P1 D1-2)
Kindred

Squire

Journeyman
Apprentice
Excomunicant
Slave

Social status is the hierarchical ranking that determines a


persons place in Ithronian society. The King is at the top and
slaves are at the bottom. Everyone else is somewhere inbetween. Social status determines a number of factors within
the game, based around the law, politics and power.
Individuals social status can be found by looking at the table
above or by asking a referee and this will be the basis on
which you are paid for hirings and missions. If you gain a
position of power than ask your branch referee what is your
social status as this will change dependant on your favour with
the King, Nobility and the various councils.
Remember to respect those of higher rank than you (even if
you are in a different Guild/Church etc), always be courteous
to the nobility, excomunicants are scum, slaves and outlaws
have no rights and branded criminals are not to be trusted!
An excomunicant can remain and progress within a Guild
(with the Guildmasters permission) but is paid for missions
at a rate stated by their social status.
When being paid status at hiring, PCs who are branded
should assume that 1/- is deducted from their normal pay
per criminal brand (to a minimum of one) they have unless
specifically arranged otherwise
All beginning characters start with a social status of a peasant,
which is 2.

influence suffered a serious decline. Hopes were raised when


the true King was found and dashed when he became nothing
more than an underling of the powerful Guildscouncil.
After the removal of the remaining Axirian troops, who were
recalled to Axir after the murder of the Emperor and the
downfall of the monarchic system, the nobles saw the chance
to benefit from the temporary power vacuum and claw back
some of their previous power. They were content at first to
build up their influence gradually, but were then forced to unite
in open and military strength in order to force back the
Llaminusian raiders who invaded in 998 and nearly brought
Ithron to its knees for a second time. Hailed as saviours, the
nobles did not rejoice in the near bitter defeat suffered by the
forces of the Guildscouncil, but they milked the moment for all
it was worth. With little military opposition, they moved swiftly
to retake control of Ithron, with a noble appointed true King
who now sits upon the throne.
The King
Is the lawful ruler of Norham Province. Many people of Ithron
noble and commoner alike have come to perceive the King
as a symbol of Ithron's freedom.
The Dukes:
There are no more than about a dozen Duchies in the country,
making the Dukes a select group of powerful men. If there is
no monarch upon the throne, or if the King is unable to rule,
then the powers of the King pass to the Duke's Congress.
All Dukes are NPC's who are controlled by the Campaign
Co-ordinator.
Earls:
An Earl swears fealty to the Duke whose area he holds lands
in. There is normally only one Earl in an area of significant
importance, though special circumstances in some cities have
created exceptions (e.g. The three Earldoms of Brisel). Earls
tend to own the prize pieces of land in any area.

The Nobility
For the most part, the nobles of Ithron are descended from the
conquering Axirians. Those who settled early after the
conquest married relatives of the previous rulers more often
than not, with following generations becoming more Ithronian
than Axirian, but a few of the lower ranking nobles, such as
Barons, are still of true Ithronian blood.
When the country was ruled by the Axirian military governor,
the influence of the nobles remained sizeable, due to their
blood ties with the administration. Later, when the majority of
Axirian forces had been pulled back from Ithron, noble

27

funds, ordering new buildings, allowing members in, kicking


members out, changing Guild rules and handing out
punishments for breaking Guild rules, just to name a few. All
members of the Guildscouncil must be human and must
undertake an examination by a physician prior to accepting the
rank as head of their Guild.
It is protocol that at the start of the Guildscouncil any member
of the council can ask an Oath to be sworn that no member of
the council is a member of an illegal guild. All participants
must respond declaring an Oath that they are not.
The Chief Justice
The holder of this office is appointed by the King and has
responsibility for the overall governance of the Law of Ithron,
in addition to those responsibilities and powers of a Judge
(see below). The Chief Justice appoints all judges and
magistrates and may also remove them from office as he sees
fit. He is paid a monthly stipend of 10 crowns by the King in a
month he holds a session of court.
Judges
A judge may hear cases of major crimes and, jointly with 2
other judges, may hear cases of capital crimes. A judge may
issue Weapons Permits to Scouts and Mercenaries. Judges
also have the rights and powers of magistrates and receive a
monthly stipend of 5 crowns in a month he holds a session of
court.
Judges should normally be of the nobility. No character has
an automatic right to be a Judge, though the Primate of Sidhe
would normally hold such a rank. All Dukes and Earls are
Judges.
Magistrates
Magistrates receive a monthly stipend of 3 crowns in a month
he holds a session of court and may sign Weapons Permits,
issue arrest warrants and hear cases of petty crime. All
nobles of Baronet rank or higher are automatically
magistrates.
Player characters may apply to be magistrates. To be
successful in their application, a character should normally be
of good standing in a Guild or Church and not be prevented by
duty or stricture from carrying out any legal duties (such as
ordering a flogging etc.).

Viscounts:
There will usually be two or three Viscounts in a major area.
They tend to own the land around major towns and villages
other than the largest settlement, or have control of areas of
trade importance (depending on the areas already held by the
Earl). Viscounts swear fealty to their Earl.
Barons:
There are usually four or so Barons in an area and they tend
to own the wilder or more problematic areas. As such, these
nobles tend to be very militarily minded and have a larger
number of soldiers than might normally be expected. Barons
owe fealty to their Viscounts.
Baronets
Baronets are the lowest rank of noble. The title is not
hereditary, but the eldest son of a worthy Baronet can be
created Baron. A Baronet can earn up to 5/0 a month from his
estate, which is usually a fortified manor house in an untamed
area. A Baronet must deliver 10 armed soldiers to his Baron in
times of trouble (i.e. whenever the Baron wants them).
The Dukes' Congress
The Dukes' Congress meets as necessary and is made up of
the Dukes of Norham province, each of whom holds a single
vote. Only the Dukes, the King, the High Primate and the
Mayor of Norham hold a right to attend these meetings,
though the Congress may call any other person to attend.
The Church Council (Council of Light)
It is the responsibility of the Church Council to govern and
administer the Churches of Norham Province. The council
consists of the Primates of Crowa, Kharach, Longstor, Rolbor,
Sidhe, Tralda, Vleybor and the Knight Commander. Only the
above members or their nominated representatives, plus a
representative from the Dukes' Congress and the Mayor of
Norham, have the right to attend, though they may request or
allow other persons to attend. To be quorate, four members
must be in attendance. One Primate is selected as High
Primate of Norham Province.
Each church also has a Council of Elders (the CC), who work
in tandem with the Primate and approve (or refuse!) such
actions as spending funds, ordering new buildings, imposing
stricture and penance-just to name a few. All Primates must
be human and must undertake an examination by a physician
prior to accepting the rank as head of their church.
It is protocol that at the start of the Church Council any
member of the council can ask an Oath to be sworn that no
member of the council is a member of an illegal Guild. All
participants must respond declaring an Oath that they are not.
The Guildscouncil
It is the responsibility of the Guildscouncil to govern and
administer the Guilds. The council consists of the Archmage,
Surgeon General, Guildmaster Alchemist, Forgemaster,
General, Pathfinder, Marshall and the Huntsmaster. Only
those members or their nominated representatives, plus a
representative from the Dukes' Congress and the High
Primate, have the right to attend, though they may request or
allow other persons to attend. To be quorate four members
must be in attendance.
A member of the Guildscouncil is elected Lord Mayor of
Norham Province (usually known as Mayor of Norham).
Each Guild also has its own Undercouncil (the CC) which
works in tandem with the head of Guild and approves (or
refuses!) such actions of the head of the Guild as spending

The Law of Ithron


Like most countries, Ithron has a set of laws which dictate
acceptable conduct and set out punishments for those who
break the rules. The laws are not meant to be fair or even
just; they represent the fact that the game is set in a feudal
society and those at the top are in control of the law. As the
characters are the good guys, there are some protections in
the form of advice on how to apply the law to stop player
characters from being unduly penalised where they are doing
the right thing. However, if your character steals something or
murders someone, then they may find themselves facing the
courts.
The Law changes from time to time, so the section that follows
is not the complete law but merely a brief over-view. Most
people in Ithron do not have a strong grasp of the intricacies of
the Law but if your character should then you may ask your
LO (Liaison Officer) for a copy of the current Law document.
Arrest & Trial
The people who are responsible for enforcing and upholding
the law are the Guards and Foresters; in effect they are
Ithron's police force. They may only enforce the law whilst

28

they are on duty and wearing their tabard, but they tend to be
on duty all the time.
Whilst it is the duty of Guards and Foresters to enforce and
uphold the law, it is the duty of all characters to report criminal
activity to them, even if that activity stems from friends or
companions.
Anyone accused of a crime may only be arrested by a Guard
or Forester, unless the crime is breaking Guild Laws (where
the Guild Protector can legally arrest), witchcraft (where the
Witchfinder may arrest) or heresy (where one of the Defenders
of the Faith of the Seven may arrest). An arrest warrant may
also be required, depending on the law at the time and the
circumstances. Once arrested, the person is brought to trial.
The current choices of trial are as follows:
Trial by Truthtell:
The accused is questioned under spells of Truthtell.
Trial by Combat:
For knights, nobles, professional mercenaries, professional
scouts and some Crowans only, as determined by the court.
Only full victory is considered proof of innocence, a defeat or a
draw results in a guilty verdict.
Trial by Judiciary:
A magistrate, Judge or group of legal officers (depending on
the severity of the crime) will ask questions and then
pronounce guilt or innocence.
The Laws
The laws themselves are fairly simple and tend to follow
English law, e.g. there are crimes of theft, murder and
treason. However, there are also laws that are specific to the
setting of Fools & Heroes, e.g. heresy, witchcraft and the
practising of Guild secrets. In addition, new laws may be
passed and branches may have local laws (by-laws), though
these must be passed by the Campaign Co-ordinator. As
cases are heard and appeals lodged, case-law may be formed
and so add to or limit existing definitions of crimes.
It should be noted that, whilst the Guilds and Churches of
Ithron may institute such laws as they see fit in relation to the
members of their own Guilds or Churches (provided that the
law is then ratified by the Chief Justice of Ithron), the law of
Ithron takes precedence over any such Guild/Church taws.
The basic laws are listed below, though the punishments are
left out as these may vary according to the circumstances of
the crime.
Attempted Law Breaking:
An attempt to commit a crime shall be treated as if the crime
had been successfully carried out. Conspiring to commit a
crime is not in itself an offence (unless it is treason as
conspiring to commit treason is also a form of treason).
Assault:
Inflicting non-permanent injuries without due cause upon a
person constitutes assault. This includes kidnapping, false
imprisonment etc.
Bodily Harm:
Inflicting of permanent injury upon a person, where the victim
is not killed constitutes Bodily Harm.
Contempt of Court:
An offender is classed as any individual who, according to the
opinion of the presiding Judge of Magistrate, is behaving in
way which demeans or aggravates the legal process.

Corruption:
An offender is classed as anyone who uses his position as a
member of the administration of the province of Norham, or as
a member of a recognized Guild or Church, to obtain reward of
any sort for himself beyond that which is normally associated
with the position or allowed by law, with little or no thought for
his fellows.
Disrespecting a Noble:
Any individual who disrespects the title or reputation of a
Noble of Ithron without due cause. This may be waived for
high social standing figures of authority.
Heresy:
This offence is defined as the worshipping of anything other
than The Seven (Crowa, Kharach, Longstor, Rolbor, Sidhe,
Tralda and Vleybor) or the intention to undermine the worship
of The Seven.
Interfering with the Law:
An offender is classed as anyone acting so as to stop the legal
process being carried out. This includes interfering with an
arrest or trial, stealing evidence etc.
Magical Assault:
The casting of spells at any individual where that individual
does not consent without due cause.
Membership of the Nighthawks:
This is a serious offence and is punishable by death.
Membership of the Thieves' Guild:
This is not a serious offence.
Murder:
This offence is defined as the wilful causing of the death of a
legal citizen of Ithron by any means other than an agreed duel,
battle or legal process, and without suitable reason.
Ownership of Restricted Weapons:
This offence is defined as the carrying of restricted weapons
and/or armour without a valid Weapons Permit. The following
groups do not require a Weapons Permit and are therefore
exempt from prosecution under this law:
Knights, Crowan Roses, Priests of Crowa, Nobles, Noble
Militia whilst on their Lord's land.
Ownership of Contraband Equipment within City limits:
Ownership or use of Enchanted or Blessed weapons within
City limits.
Practising Guild Secrets:
This offence is defined as the practising of the Guild secrets of
the Alchemists, Mages or Physicians' Guilds without their
leave, where the person is not a member of that Guild.
Removal of a Brand:
This offence is defined as the act of removing a brand from a
person, which was ordered to be so placed by the Courts of
Norham Province.
Theft:
This offence is defined as the act of denying the legal owner
rights to or use of his property.
Treason:
This offence is defined as overthrowing or acting against the
legal administration of Norham Province.

29

A Noble with status of a Baron and above


(Your LO can sign permits as an appropriate local NPC)
These people may also revoke any weapons permit. Permits
allow the carrying of weapons and armour restricted under the
law. They also are used to keep track of Militia Duty each
man has served. Under Martial Law only those men serving
with the militia will be permitted to carry weapons so it is
important to sign the permit of each man serving (Also this will
stop a man serving more than twice with the militia).
Other Permits
The Guilds of Mages, Blacksmiths, Alchemists and Physicians
also issue permits to members. Failure to carry such permits
can result in a charge against them of practicing Guild
Secrets.
These Permits may be signed by:
The King of Ithron
The Chief Justice
A Judge
The Lord Mayor of Ithron
The Guild Master of the relevant Guild
A Noble with status of a Baron and above
(Your LO can sign permits as an appropriate local NPC)
Any Permit must be shown when requested by any Guard,
Forester, appointed militiaman, Judge or Magistrate, or Guild
Protector of the relevant Guild. Also any Master Mercenary or
Master Scout can request to see a permit for their relevant
Guild. A Judge can revoke a Permit but she should be
prepared to explain himself to the relevant Guild.
Guild and Church Law
The Guilds and Churches of Ithron may institute such laws as
they see fit in relation to their Guilds or Churches, but the Law
of Ithron takes precedence over Guild/Church Law. The Chief
Justice must ratify all Guild and Church Law. These laws
usually apply only to members of the appropriate Guild or
Church. Any Guild or Church law that is broken by someone
not of that Guild or Church must be tried by the Courts (This
will count as a Major Crime unless the penalty is death where
it will be a Capital Crime). The Guild Protector/Defender of the
faith will arrest the lawbreakers and administer punishments.

Use of restricted Poisons:


Any individual who applies Swiftdeath poison or uses
Swiftdeath poison coated weapon that is not of an appropriate
Guild or rank.
Witchcraft:
This offence is defined as the casting of non-religious magic
without the permission of the Mages' Guild, or without being a
member of that Guild. In order to avoid the practice of
Witchcraft, anyone leaving the Guild of Mages (for whatever
reason) must present themselves to the Guild to have their
Soulfire drained, as this magic is considered the property of
the Guild.
Weapons Permits
A Weapons Permit can be one of six different Types. All
members of the mercenaries or scouts Guilds are given a
weapons permit when they join the Guild, red for mercenaries,
green for scouts. Guards and Foresters are given a new
weapons permit when they finish their probationary period.
Members of the Royal Guard & Household are given special
blue weapons permits by the King.
The Guildscouncil can also issue special yellow Weapons
permits on a discretionary basis (For example to the Primate
of Kharach for the holy Item of Kharach). These special
permits must be signed by two of the signatories below and
the leader of their Guild or Church plus the Chief Justice (CC).
When a weapons permit is issued it must be signed by one of
the following:
The King of Ithron
The Chief Justice
A Judge
A Magistrate
The Knight Commander of Ithron
The High Primate of Ithron
The Lord Mayor of Ithron
The General
The Pathfinder
The Marshal
The Huntsmaster

30

Religion
not (normally) be making such an oath. Religious characters
should have enough respect for all deities that they will avoid
bandying their names about for anything but a major issue.
Excessive or trivial use of such oaths will result in divine
punishment or a withdrawal of their favour.
Showing disrespect to a God can find a character cursed or in
sin and this can often place the character in a very difficult
situation.

I am Father Anthony Appleford, Priest of


Vleybor. Do you wish to pray or perhaps make
an offering? Ah! You seek education in matters
of faith! Then rest assured that you have come
to the right place. Here, you may learn much
of the grace which the Gods bestow upon us
all. Here, we may teach you what is known of
the nature of the Seven and perhaps, as we
speak, one of them in particular may shine
their holy light upon you ...perhaps not. Not all

Disrespecting the Gods

The Pantheon of the Seven


The acknowledged Gods of Ithron are the Pantheon of the
Seven. This consists of the neutral God Sidhe and the six
Gods of light: Crowa, Kharach, Longstor, Rolbor, Tralda and
Vleybor. Six dark Gods exists as opposing natures to the six
light Gods but no player may ever be a follower of a dark God.
The level of respect and worship that a character shows to the
Gods varies from character to character, but everyone in Ithron
acknowledges their existence and power (there are no
atheists). To do otherwise usually results in swift divine
punishment. Becoming a member of a faith will colour the
whole outlook of your character.
Some see the Gods as proud and feel that they work at some
vast game of their own, with their own aims and desires, but
that does not mean that they ignore what happens throughout
the world. Indeed their scrutiny is most meticulous and any
mention of their name draws at least part of their attention.
Oaths sworn on the Gods, for example, are strictly binding.

Oaths
I knew a fellow once, swore on the Gods that
he had not cheated his brother ...turned out
that he had. He was wearing nice leather
boots that day ...we had to send them back
later to his wife, poor woman. There wasn't
A character that swears an oath on a God, or all Seven, is
demonstrating that he has total belief or faith in what he is
saying or agreeing to. An oath made on the Gods that is false,
or a pact made under such an oath that is then broken, will
bring serious repercussions on the offending character. Some
such offenders have been reduced to nothing but a smoking
pair of boots. Oaths on the Gods should be rare. Non-religious
characters do not worship a God directly and therefore should

31

Certain actions are considered disrespectful to the Gods.


Examples of disrespect are as follows.
For all characters:
Swearing petty oaths on the Gods
Manipulating a follower of the Light Gods in order to
place them in sin
Cheating on religious tithes
Stealing holy symbols for most purposes other than
returning them to the Church
Interfering with a consecrated shrine
Cursing the name of the Gods
For religious characters:
Denying ones faith or rank in the church
Aiding Demons, Undead or the Dark Churches for
personal gain
Intentionally sinning or breaking a stricture
To sin against one God is to sin against all Gods
Breaking a penance
Disrespecting the Gods is a major sin for any religious
character and even non-religious characters can be cursed by
the appropriate God.
Each of the Gods have holy days that are dedicated to them
and the cathedral is a good place to show your respect.

Holy Days
Each church has two holy days which are acknowledged by all
followers of the Seven and most of the general populace.
Holy days are either fixed (F), in which case they occur on the
day listed, or variable (V), in which case they fall on the first
Sunday on or after the date given. The highest ranking
member of the church in each area should perform a
ceremony on the holy day. Details of the appropriate
ceremony and how to conduct it should be obtained incharacter via the Primate. The holy days are listed below with
the information on each God and their church.

The Gods
Crowa
Goddess of Battle & Protector of the Weak

Longstor
God of Nature
Lord Longstor mainly concerns himself with
forests and other places, the wild areas where
nature runs free but he overlooks it all...the
earth, seas, seasons, plant life and animals. His
e
followers advocate the primacy of the natural
course of events and the protection of
wilderness and forest areas from interference
and desecration. The natural cycle and the
omens of nature are of great interest to his
followers and they can often seem remote and a
bit wild compared to other people. They despise
anything unnatural, especially that which is
corrupted and will do anything to return them to
the cycle either by killing or by curing. Longstor
is usually patron to Woodsmen, scouts,
ffishermen, hunters and astrologers
A nature symbol, usually an acorn of
Holy Symbol:
leaf.
Green/brown.
Colour:
The Coat of Longstor.
Holy Artefact:
Ploughing of the Sod, 2nd of February
Holy Days:
(F);
Festival of Crops, 15th of August (V).
Rolbor
God of Wealth, Prosperity and Hospitality

Lady Crowas sphere is combat, skill at


arms and the protection of the weak. She
demands skill at arms from her followers and
aids them in the performance of heroic feats.
They're a reasonable bunch, Crowans...if a bit
headstrong from time to time. They also look
down on magic as a means of combat and
abhor treachery. The priests look to the
Goddess for protectionand are never seen in
G
armour ....other followers never seem to take
their armour off. They do not believe that
every fight should be fair but should be won
by hand to hand combat with the best fighter
winning and if you cant win then you can die
fighting. Warriors tend to pick her as their
patron, along with Mercenaries and
p
Holy Symbol:
Colour:
Holy Artefact:
Holy Days:

A weapon, almost always a sword.


Red.
The Crowa Blade.
St Alfred's Day, 23rd of April (V);
Crusade Day, 5th of July (F)

Kharach
God of Death
Lord Kharach is the Keeper of the Halls of the
Dead and patron of executioners, and funeral
workers. Kharach is a powerful God and yet a
patient one.He knows when it is someone's time
p
to die, often using his followers as the means to
bring death, yet he does not begrudge us life
either ...everyone will come to him eventually.
He can wait. Kharach is often feared, you know
as are his followers but he is not cruel, evil
nor arbitrary. He and his followers abhor torture
and he is often called the merciful God..
Kharach's priests inspire great respect, for they
are able to set dead souls to rest and thus
prevent them from being called back as undead.
They look after the bodies of the dead as well as
the soul, showing respect in many ways: those
who have passed on deserve to be treated with
w
Holy Symbol:
A skull, usually human.
Colour:
Black and/or dark red.
Holy Artefact:
The Mace of Kharach.
Holy Days:
End of Winter, 1st of March (V)
Night of the Dead, 31st of October (F)

Lord Rolbor wishes everyone to celebrate,


prosper and enjoy life and you may rest
assured that his priests help everyone to do
jjust that, though never to excess.Rolbor
rewards those who follow him and share what
they have with others, so that all may prosper
and not just the chosen few. Rolborians look
down on greed and selfishness, finding that
sharing and friendship bring the greatest
rewards. Rolborians tend to find themselves
rich, content and able to live an easy, opulent
life but are also generous of nature. This can
often find them targeted by the lazy and the
greedy but they are not fools and will find a
more worthy cause if they are being taken
advantage of. Rolbor is the patron of traders,
Usually a gem, though any expensive
Holy Symbol:
piece of jewellery may be acceptable.
Anything expensive and opulent, often
Colour:
purple and gold.
Crystalis
Holy Artefact:
First Milk, 12th of February (F)
Holy Days:
Harvest Festival, 28th of August (V).

3
32

Sidhe
God of Justice, Equality and Balance

Vleybor
Goddess of Life
Lady Vleybor, also known as The White
Lady, Vleybor is concerned with the
creation, preservation and renewal of life.
Her spheres of influence are primarily
fertility, peace, healing and
l
love.
Vleyborians tend to be great lovers
too. Followers of Vleybor tend to be
welcomed anywhere for their coming is a
sign of prosperity and good health. They
are also healers, who wish to prevent
unnecessary death and conflict ...striving
to live a life full of compassionate acts,
peace, love and understanding. Vleybor's
power extends over all forms of life,
including the cultivation of plants and

Lord Sidhe (pronounced Sid-thay) is also known


as The Father of the Gods or simply the
Allfather He is indeed the father of all the
other Gods and Goddesses and acts to balance
tthem in their actions and spheres of influence.
He is often seen as a remote, unhelpful God
who prefers to sit, watch and wait in judgement
upon others. It's true that he rarely takes
action, but he is an honourable God who
demands his followers to be fair and equal in all
their dealings, treating all with the same degree
of impartiality. It is rare for a follower of Sidhe
to lie or cheat. He is the patron of Judges,
Magistrates, Knights, Guards & Foresters.
M
Holy Symbol:
Colour:
Holy Artefact:
Holy Days:

A set of scales.
Grey.
The Scales of Sidhe.
Council Day, 15th May (F);
All Saints Day, 1st November (V).

Holy Symbol:
Colour:
Holy Artefact:
Holy Days:

Tralda
Goddess of Luck

The Churches
So, are you thinking of joining a church? You
are ...but you'd like some advice? Well then,
firstly you must consider your choice very
carefully and make sure that it is the right
thing for you. There are many advantages
for the faithful, but it is a lifetime commitment
and very definitely a two-way relationship. If
you think you have a strong calling towards
one particular God, then take every
opportunity to speak to those who already
follow that path of worship. You can even
write to one, if there are none where you live
most priests will be happy to spend time in

Lady Tralda is often referred to as simply The


Lady, and is called upon by many who are
involved in dangerous activities, not just
f
followers.
Tralda is the Goddess of luck and
opportunity and she is the patroness of
thieves, actors, gamblers, entertainers, artists
and musicians. She is generally unconcerned
with basic right or wrong and will change the
outcome of any event on a whim. Those who
do not understand the nature of Tralda may
wrongly assume that she is totally amoral,
since she appears to act in any manner likely
to suit her own purposes and is notoriously
unreliable when called upon (often playing
practical jokes upon her own followers) but she
is not evil. She doesn't usually wish harm to
aany except those that hurt and provoke her
Holy Symbol:
Colour:
Holy Artefact:
Holy Days:

The Celtic cross.


White with red decoration.
The Cup of Vleybor.
Lovers Day, 14th of February (F):
Mid-Winter, 1st of December (V).

Joining a Church
This should not be taken lightly and should not be considered
as a way to gain some spells and power over undead. A
character may be stopped from joining by a Referee if the
character's motives are wrong, as the deity will see through
lies and deceit.
Respect for the Pantheon
It is important to remember that any character who becomes a
member of a church of the Seven should have a high level of
respect for all members of the other churches in the pantheon.
Even though there appear to be differences between the
faiths, the Pantheon is united: all acknowledge the others and
work together as part of the same whole.
Restrictions
There is no racial restriction on joining a religion however only
a human may become a Primate and be in charge of a

Usually the Lady's face, but any


gambling symbol (dice, playing card etc.)
is acceptable.
Anything. Sometimes bright and/or multicoloured.
The Luckblade.
Festival of the Summer Dance, 1st of
May (V);
Fools Day, 1st of September (F).

3
33

church. Any Devotee, of any race, may become the Defender


of the Faith. A Kindred of a church is not prevented from
joining any Guild except where racial restrictions apply,
however a Devoted/Priest character may not be a member of
the Mages Guild, since no character may have both Mana and
Soulfire within them. Anyone with Soulfire who becomes a
Devoted/Priest instantly loses their Soulfire, whilst a
Priest/Devoted is unable to have Soulfire awakened within
them.
Devotees and Priests also cannot gain the highest positions in
any Guild, indeed priests are restricted to the lower Guild
ranks since their primary allegiance is to their God and their
time should not be dominated by secular matters.
A character may only be a Professional in one Guild or
Church. A Professional is either:
Guildsman rank (or higher) in a recognised Guild
(excludes illegal Guilds)
A priest of any rank
A devotee of Father/Mother rank
A Knight
Once you have picked a church, you need to decide how you
will best serve your chosen God in terms of the level of your
commitment. All of the churches have a similar organisational
structure, with three levels at which you can join: as a lay
worshipper (the Kindred), a pious devotee (the Devoted) or as
a fully-fledged cleric (the Priesthood). Each level of
worshipper pays a tithe to their Church: the amount of the tithe
is different for each level, but the fundamental principle is the
same.
Tithes
Tithes are only ever paid on cash received (from any source),
not on goods found or gifts or items received. All tithes should
be rounded up to the nearest penny. Characters should not
abuse this or try to cheat their God as this will lead to divine
punishment.
Sins and Strictures
As a member of a church you will be expected to follow
certain strictures and live according to the way that your God
recommends. It's not always easy sometimes people falter,
lose their way and become sinful. Each level of worship
demands spiritual commitment, the higher the level, the higher
the commitment that is required. To find out about these talk
to other players who follow these faiths or if none are available
your LO.

The Kindred
A kindred of a God is a lay worshipper and
there is no requirement for them to openly
announce their membership of the church,
but it should not usually be hidden. Kindred
should listen to the priests of their church on
religious matters and usually, out of respect,
follow the instructions they are given.
However, they are not strictly obliged to do
this unless it breaks a sin or stricture.
Kindred pay 1/12 of all monetary income as
a tithe to their church and gain the following
abilities: they may purchase and wear a holy
symbol of their faith, use their symbol to hold
A character may join up to two churches at Kindred level.
Where a character is a Kindred of two churches they can not
progress in either church, since in order to advance from
Kindred they would need to leave one church. Leaving a
church constitutes turning your back on the God and always
results in excommunication. Excommunication by one deity is
excommunication from them all.
A Kindred must avoid Major and Deadly sins.

The Devoted
Those who have successfully supplicated and

devoted themselves to a God follow a hands-on


approach to worship, existing to ensure that
their God's will is achieved. Fortunately for
many Devoted the Gods tend not to impose
their will often! The Devoted do not usually
concern themselves with preaching or
converting, but follow the instructions given to
them by their Priests and by their deity.
Devoted followers tithe half of all monetary
income, gain all of the abilities of a kindred and
must avoid the sins relevant to their increased
level of commitment. A Devoted may also use
Before joining a church as a Devoted, a character must
successfully supplicate (see supplication). In order to play a
Devoted, both player and character must be able to read and
write Ronish. A Devoted must wear an appropriate cowl/hood
and prayer scarf in order to perform rituals. All Devoted
followers must pay for the components of spells, such as
prayer cards and ritual scrolls. A Devoted follower may only
be member of one church.
A Devoted must avoid the following levels of sin: Major,
Deadly and Devotional.

34

and do so without sin. Characters who fail through sinning at


the absolvable level may, at referee discretion, be permitted to
make a subsequent attempt, but an appropriate gesture of
contrition and atonement will be required. Characters who fail
in any other respect shall be banned forever from attempting
to join the ranks of the Devoted or Priesthood. A character
that supplicates successfully will progress to the rank of
Novice at the start of the subsequent month. A Novice has
mana and is able to cast spells/prayers. These must first be
learnt from Priests of your church.
Speak to your LO for full details or if you are unable to contact
other members of your church.
Advancement
A character must adventure at least once and avoid sin for the
entire month in order to progress within the Church. If a
character sins in a month, they may choose instead to
progress in a Guild, provided that such advancement is
available to him. Characters may not progress in both Church
and Guild in the same month.

The Priesthood
Priests are the ultimate representatives of
their God. They are responsible for looking
after the other members of the church, for
providing spiritual comfort and guidance, for
converting new members to the church and
for dispensing religious advice. They should
always be ready and willing to preach to both
the converted and to those who have yet to
join a church. Priests conduct the rituals on
holy days and tend to the religious shrines and
buildings. Priests demonstrate, by the
example of the lives they lead, the path that
best represents the sphere of influence
managed by their God. As such, they must
avoid a more difficult level of sin in addition to
those which the Devoted and Kindred must
avoid. A Priest must give three quarters of all
monetary income to the church, but does in
turn receive all of the benefits of membership

Sinning & Absolution


All followers of a religion have sins that they
must abide by in order to keep the favour of
their God. However being in sin is not always
the end of it. It depends a great deal on the
level of sin that you have broken, you see. It's
the same for every church: some sins may be
absolved through a ritual of absolution enacted
by a Priest of your church, some may not. If
you commit a lesser or "Major" sin, then you will
be "in sin" and unable to benefit from the
abilities of the faithful until you have been thus
absolved. Only if the sin broken is of a higher
level will you be excommunicated, which
happens instantly. However, if you are forced
into sinning by someone else for example you
are the victim of a magical spell or some such
you are not to blame for your action and will

Before joining a church as a Priest, a character must


successfully supplicate (see below). Priests should at all
times seek to represent their God, spread the word of their
faith and act in the best interests of their church. They should
not seek to conceal their religion or shirk their religious duties.
In order to cast rituals, a Priest must be wearing calf length
robes, a cowl/hood and a prayer scarf. It is rare to see a Priest
who is not wearing full robes with sundry other religious
paraphernalia, even when they are not casting. If you wish to
play a priest, you (and your character) must be able to read
and write Ronish.
Priests must avoid all levels of sin: Major, Deadly,
Devotional and Ecclesiastical.

Supplication & Advancement


In order for your character to become a Priest or Devoted of a
church you must first supplicate. To do that you must begin
as Kindred. Then you must demonstrate your worthiness to
your God by spending at least one calendar month, usually
starting at the beginning of the month, free of sin and by
conscientiously acting in a manner appropriate for the rank
you seek to become. Success will enable you to progress to
the rank of Novice among the Priesthood or Devoted, failure
will usually mean that you remain a Kindred and may never
again seek to become a Priest or Devoted. Most people
usually have only one chance at supplication and their
character will change, one way or another, as a result of their
actions during that time.
Even if you succeed and make it to the rank of Novice, you
must still work hard to keep up the standard that your God
expects. Progression within the church may only be made
following a month spent without sin, when you have also
undertaken at least one mission.
Supplication
Supplication must last for a whole calendar month, during
which time you must adventure at least once. You must follow
all of the strictures and tithes for the level you wish to attain

Sinning
When you join a religion, make sure your LO or Referee
explains the sins and strictures that apply to your character. If
you ever think your character has broken a religious sin or
stricture then tell a Referee straight away.
Major Sins
A character in sin loses all religious powers and abilities.
These lost abilities will return when the character has been
absolved by another character who is a Priest of that church.
In these cases a religious penance will be set by the absolving
priest.
Deadly, Devotional & Ecclesiastical Sins
If a member of a Church commits a sin of this level which his
rank states that they must avoid, then the character is
instantly excommunicated and branded as an excomunicant
by his God. They lose all religious powers and abilities
permanently and are cast out from their church. Any
character that leaves a church is considered to have
renounced their God this also results in instant
excommunication.

35

specific God cannot deny the power of the Gods or their


existence and therefore should be mindful when the Gods
have indicated that a person is unfit. Remember an
excomunicant is rejected by all the Gods, even the dark.
Redemption for an Excomunicant is an almost impossible
task and certainly will not be achieved except with months
or even years of dedicated role-playing.
Excomunicants should also be aware that if they are
unrepentant the Primate or Defender of the Faith of their
former Church may ask for the character to be outlawed.

The raising of an undead or the summoning of a demon will


result in instant excommunication for any religious
character.

Excommunication
Excommunication: So Youve Ruined Your
Life
Being cut off from the Gods is a terrible thing
and it is the longest and hardest path to climb
back into their grace. You will almost certainly
fail, but not to try would be the greater evil.
From now you can expect to be mistrusted,
reviled and occasionally feared for the taint that
ordinary Gods-fearing people see in you. Even
your former friends will turn from you, and what
is even worse, they should! Excommunication is
your burden and without constant humility,
penitence and acceptance of your wretched
status you are doomed to being forever
unforgiven. If you encourage others to treat you
with affection or trust when the Gods have
marked you, then your selfishness and hubris

Structure of the Churches


Primates
The head of each church is known as the Primate. The
Primate is a character selected from the Priesthood and who
has usually reached the rank of High Mother or High Father.
The selection of the Primate is made by the Council of Church
Elders, who are also responsible with the Primate for the day
to day running of the church. The deity may make their
approval of the Council's choice known, for example by
granting the Primate use of the appropriate holy relic.
If other members of the church have cause for concern over
the running of the church by the Primate, they may appeal to
the Church Elders, who may replace the Primate if necessary.
The Council of Light
The seven Primates and the Knight Commander
form the ecclesiastical Council of Light and are
responsible for meeting to debate any issues
regarding the worship of the pantheon within

Playing an Excomunicant
Playing a character that has been excommunicated is quite
difficult, so being excommunicated during the game is a
common cause of character retirement. However the road to
redemption can be a very intense role-playing experience and
ultimately can be very rewarding.
If you are excommunicated in the game you can play the
character as penitent or as unrepentant. There is little
difference on how other characters will treat you; the
difference is in how your character acts.
A penitent
excomunicant should be constantly humble and remorseful if
they are to stand any chance of being forgiven.

Defenders of the Faith


The second in charge of the church is the Defender of the
Faith (DoF), who is appointed by the Primate (with the
approval of the Church Elders). The Defender of the Faith is
usually a Devotee who has achieved the rank of Father or
Mother, but may be a member of the Priesthood if
circumstances are exceptional.
If a church has no Primate at any point, the DoF will take on
the responsibilities of the Primate until a new one is chosen.
Your LO should be able to tell you who all the Primates and
DoFs are and how to contact them.

So that excom is your friend? Wrong! They


were once your friend, but how can they be your
friend now? You cannot be their friend because if
you did, youd be defying the Gods too, and by
making them the reason for your own offence to
the Gods, well thats hardly a friendly thing to do
is it?
They may have been a comrade in arms, your
sibling or even your spouse but now they are noone. Their only chance is to struggle back to the
grace of the Gods, so if you help or comfort them
beyond the minimum required for your own faith
then you are making their path all the more
difficult. If I were you, even if I pitied the scum,
Id still look up and check if they said the sky was

State Religion
From amongst the Primates of each of the Seven churches a
High Primate is elected. This Primate is the spokesperson for
the Churches on the Kings Council. Depending on the state
of the kingdom at the time this may or may not be chosen as
the current state religion of Ithron at the time.
Depending on the decisions of the Campaign Co-ordinator
and the Senior Referee for Knights and Religion, Ithron may
or may not have a particular state religion at any one time.
The state religion usually reflects the feelings of the whole of
Ithron at the time. Historically the state religion was calculated
by the number of characters of each faith and the ranks that
they held. However this is no longer always the case and
depends wholly on plot. There are no hard and fast rules on
this subject.
The High Primate was historically of the state religion but
again this does not now necessarily follow.

All characters, especially religious characters, should


shun an excommunicated character, offering no aid other
than that dictated by their own God: a sin against one God is a
sin against them all. Even those characters that follow no

36

Power Against Undead

Abilities of the Faithful

Undead are the nasty, foul, perverted


abominations of the force of life ...corpses made to
walk the earth for some twisted purpose, all
members of the faithful view undead as abhorrent
and seek to destroy them whenever possible.
Many religious characters see it as their duty to
release the tormented souls of the undead
wherever they find them. Any religious follower can
use a blessed holy symbol of their God to hold one
undead creature at bay. All you have to do is hold
the holy symbol in your hand, arm outstretched in
front towards the creature. You must then remain
looking at that undead creature, concentrating and
chanting the name of your God aloud. This will not
drive the creature off or stop it attacking, but,
provided that you're doing it right and don't break
your concentration, the undead will not be able to
advance on you. Trying to split your attention
between two or more creatures can be a risky
business, some of them can move quite quickly
and you could find yourself in trouble before you

I expect that you're wondering why it's all


worth it, aren't you? I thought so. Well, there
are several answers to that. First and most
importantly, there is no substitute for the
relationship that the faithful have with their
God ...I won't try and describe it for you,
because each person relates to the Gods in a
unique way. Take it from me, though ...it can
take your breath away.

Holy Symbols
At whatever level you enter a church, you are entitled to wear
and use the holy symbol of your faith. A Holy Symbol is a
blessed item, normally worn around the neck, which is usually
a small representation of your God's symbol. Each God has a
different one. You need to focus with your holy symbol when
you pray to your God and, if you're a member of the Devoted
or Priesthood, then you also need your symbol in order to
dedicate prayers and perform rituals. Generally speaking, a
member of the faithful should never be without their holy
symbol.
If you wish to own and use a holy symbol which is not of the
recommended shape, check with a Referee and (if possible)
your Primate before you use it. Holy symbols should not
normally be hidden.

Dismissing Undead
Stand with your holy symbol held in your shield hand and
stretched out towards the undead creature. Your other arm
should be held out sideways parallel with the ground, with the
fingers of your hand spread wide and your palm facing
towards the creature. Hold this position for five chants of your
God's name, then swing your arm rapidly, still outstretched,
until your open hand is brought into contact with the back of
the hand holding your holy symbol. At the moment of contact,
shout "leave". One point of active Mana is channelled through
the holy symbol to strike at the undead creature, but it is worth
noting that one point alone may not be sufficient or even
effective, though several in succession may have the desired
effect.

Meditation & Praying


With your holy symbol, you can pray to your God and perhaps
receive advice and guidance. The amount of guidance and
help and the type received will depend on the whim or choice
of the God. It helps if you are in a place that is sacred to your
God at the time, also if there is more than one member of your
church praying the bigger the building and the greater the
number of followers, the more likely you are to gain a
beneficial response.
To meditate, a character should adopt a meditative position
with eyes closed, holding their holy symbol in one palm and
waiting in silent contemplation for as long as they consider
appropriate. Mediation/Praying does not cost any Mana, but
does not automatically confer the right to an answer: the Gods
may not wish to answer or could be busy!

Holy Water
Holy water is used in several ways but only by
the Devoted or the Priesthood. It may be used
against undead creatures by throwing the holy
water over the creature. It is also used by
priests in the services of Absolution and

devotE of
vleybor

The amount of holy water a Priest or Devotee may carry is


limited to the amount of Mana they have, however a Priest
may be able to bless more during the day given the
appropriate ritual.
The holy water is activated by the religious character calling
upon the appropriate deity. In use against undead, the holy
water is thrown over the undead creature and the appropriate
deity's name announced clearly.
Holy Water must be purchased (unless blessed yourself with
the appropriate spell) and can generally only be used by

37

Priests and Devotees of the God whose power blessed the


water.

your character will be unable to cast prayers until a new spell


book is purchased. Tell your LO if this happens.
Personal Marks
Your personal mark must appear in your spell book, also on
all spell cards and ritual scrolls that you use. Do not let your
personal mark fall into anyone else's possession as it is
rumoured that it can allow skilled practitioners of magic to cast
irresistible spells at you.

Religious Rituals and Prayers


Priests and the Devoted gain the ability to channel the
religious power of their God. With this they are able to cast a
number of spells or prayers a day each different depending on
the nature of the God and the prayers they have decided to
learn or be taught. These will be written into the characters
prayer book in Ronish where too there needs to be a copy of
the characters personal mark. If you decide to join a church
these are things that you should be taught about in-character.
Mana
Priests and Devoted gain Mana, i.e. a daily amount of power
granted to them by their deity. Mana is refreshed at dawn
each day and unused Mana cannot be carried over from one
day to another. A third of the full Mana received, rounded
down (with a minimum of one), may be used as active Mana
which can be used to cast commands, resist spells and
dismiss undead. The rest must be dedicated into prayers
(which are cast from spell cards) or ritual scrolls. Active Mana
may be dedicated but once this is done it may not be used as
active again until the character's Mana is refreshed at dawn.
(See Magic, p.39, for more detail on spell casting).
Spells/Prayers
Religious spells/prayers are split into three categories, just like
magely magic (see Magic p.39 for a brief explanation of how
spell casting works or speak to your LO for more details.) You
may learn new prayers from other characters or NPCs, by
research, or from the prayer-books or scrolls of other
members of your Church. A character may only learn or relearn one prayer a day.
Spellbooks
Devoted and Priests may learn a fixed number of prayers
which they must record in a prayer book speak to your LO
for details. A Referee may ask to examine your spell or
prayer book at any time, therefore you must bring it with you
to all events you attend, even if your character will not be
carrying it around with them. Prayer books should be written
in Ronish. If it is taken out on an adventure and lost/ stolen,

Other abilities
At the highest ranks priests and devotees may develop other
abilities. The exact nature of the extra abilities reached at
these levels are considered church secrets and should only be
revealed to the character from within the game.
High Fathers/Mothers also have the ability to create blessed
scrolls. These are scrolls containing one of the prayers that
the priest knows. These can then be used by all members of
the faithful of that particular church. However these are not
cheap and cost the priest to make, this charge is often passed
on to the follower of the church who wishes for the scroll.
Ask your LO for more details on this when you reach the
higher ranks within a church. At a basic level any religious
character can attempt to buy a blessed scroll from high
ranking Priest Player Characters of their church.

Dark God Churches


As mentioned before there are six dark Gods each with their
own church of followers. All members of a dark church are
NPCs and are considered heretics under the law of Ithron.
There are no exceptions to this and there will be no special
characters passed allowing the player to worship a dark God.
Although the dark Gods are each paired with one of the light
Gods they are not opposites of the light God they are paired
with.
The nature of the dark Gods and their names are to be
learned during in-character game time only.
While the two pantheons of light and dark fight each other
they will sometimes put aside their differences when it comes
to destroying undead or demons. The churches and their
followers, be they light or dark, should seek to destroy these
abominations where possible.

symbols of Te
light gods

38

Magic
Spell casters are split into two distinct groups: Mages and
Religious followers. The type of magic and costs in power
vary but the mechanics of spell casting are roughly the same
for each. Some creatures/races have a natural ability to cast
magic, again the mechanics remain similar.
All spells need power to be cast. Mages use Soulfire (the
power of the Mortal Plane), whereas religious followers use
Mana (The power of the Gods).

Commands
Number one: the simple command.
This type of magic can actually be very difficult
to master with more complex spells, for unlike
other forms of casting it contains no physical
component and is reliant upon the spoken word
only to activate the magic. However, the major
advantage is that because you use your "active"

Power
Power is power, only the methodology of
acquisition differs. One can dedicate oneself
to a Deity and by conforming to their ideals
you will receive a portion of their might to
wield on their behalf. Otherwise through will,
discipline and rigorous training, you can put
your hands on the Soulfire that seethes unseen
around you now. With dedication you can
learn to use that Soulfire to access the

Commands are the simplest form of spell to use, to cast such


a spell, the caster need only know the spell (i.e. have it written
in his spell book and have studied it that day) and expend the
required number of active points (see below). The caster
points at the intended target and cries out the appropriate
activating phrase as detailed in the spell instruction.

Resisting spells
To resist a spell, a character raises both hands above their
head and crosses them at the wrist, shouting "I resist that
spell". This costs one point of active. Characters may
normally only resist spells cast directly at them, as opposed to
their equipment or surroundings.
Resisting a spell with active takes great will and
concentration. The player should always call a resist clearly
and loudly while crossing their arms before them and roleplaying the effort of throwing off the effects of the spell.

A spell casters power can be broken down into active reserve


and dedicated power. A spell casters active reserve is up to
one third of his total power rounded down, with a minimum of
one point. The magic user does not have to take his
maximum active reserve and can convert any active power
into dedicated power at any time. Non active power is
dedicated. Casting or dedicating spells uses up a person's
power and this may never go below zero.
Power is usually regained at dawn.

Enchantments/Prayers

Magic
Magic is a complex art, but with careful
observation we can categorise some of its
behaviour. Firstly, the spells that we Mages
learn are divided up into four orders of magic of
increasing complexity and potency. The first
two orders are that of common magic general
purpose spells such as putting people to sleep
or enchanting a weapon. The third and fourth
orders of magic are divided into each of the
specialist Schools Thaumaturgy, Demonology,
Enchantment and Necromancy and can give
the caster the power to travel to the realm of
invisibility, be immune to all damage, and banish

The second way of casting magic is that of the


enchantment (known in ecclesiastical circles as a
prayer). The Soulfire used in enchantments is
dedicated into spell cards that contain the
personal mark of the mage. These are ripped at
the moment of casting, but ...watch out ... Your
personal mark is not destroyed when your spell
Enchantments/Prayers are the most common type of spell.
The magic-user writes the spell activation phrase from his
spell book onto a spell card and places his personal mark on
the reverse, expending the appropriate amount of
Soulfire/Mana as the card is dedicated. To cast the spell, the
magic-user reads the activating phrase aloud and then tears
the card in two. Unused cards lose their power at dawn, but
not their personal mark.

Active and Dedicated Power


A third of a spell-casters power is active, this power they can
access at will to resist hostile magic or to cast any command
spell they know. The rest is dedicated and must be prepared
into a card or a ritual scroll before it can be used.

39

and pointing, walking and performing a ritual. However you will


not understand the spell that is being cast or (unless obvious)
the target of the spell, unless you understand that spell or if
the spell is cast directly at you.
Understanding Spells
Religious characters and mages do not understand each
others spells. Mages can understand spells from other
schools (if they know the spell and it is their Spell book) and
Religious characters can understand spells from other
Churches (if they know the spell and it is in their Prayer book).
A character who is a target of a spell will feel the effects of a
spell starting and so will understand what spell is being cast at
them and can therefore choose to resist it.
Spells cast by monsters using natural active cannot be
understood by anyone unless they are the recipient of the
spell.

Rituals
"The final form of casting is used in the most
powerful of all magics, but is also often one of
the first you will learn ...the ritual. The ritual is
akin to an Enchantment, since it is cast with prededicated ritual scrolls. Unlike the
enchantment, the ritual as well as its material
and verbal components also involves the mage
performing complex arcane gestures, including
amongst others, walking around the target of
Rituals are the most complicated and time-consuming spells.
The spell must be written out (in Ronish) in full detail onto a
scroll (7" x 21" minimum size about the same as two pieces
of A4 paper with doweling at both ends). The power cost is
dedicated into the scroll when the personal mark is added to
the reverse. To cast the ritual, the magic-user follows the
instructions contained within the spell and calls out the
activating phrase upon completion, at that point ripping the
scroll in two.
Remember: A Referee should oversee all rituals.
The Schools of Magic

Common Spells
On the following page there is a short list of the common
spells encountered in the game and their effects. This list is
only a small part of a much wider and expansive list so do not
be afraid to ask a ref or call time freeze to find out the effect of
a spell.
Spells have different durations but most fall into the following
categories.
Permanent These spells have an instant and
permanent effect. Ironically both wound spells and
healing spells are good examples of this. Once cast
the spell has no further effect (meaning that a wounded
character may be healed or a healed character may be
subsequently wounded.)
Triggered These spells last until a certain effect
happens to the object or person it is cast on. Often the
spell will then revert to a lesser duration. A good
example is an enchanted sword which will last all day
unless the sword is used in combat (first blow or parry
made with the sword.) At that point the spell lasts for
one encounter (detailed below). Triggered spells will
otherwise dissipate at dawn the day after the spell is
cast.
Encounter These spells last for fifteen minutes (or
one encounter whichever is shorter). On a typical
adventure if a fight or interaction ends and the players
walk to the next encounter then encounter duration
effects can be considered to have ended.
Temporary These effects last for 30 seconds and
usually temporarily inconvenience the target (most nonwounding combat spells are of this type).

There are four Schools of magic, each one


specialising in a different type of magic. The
four Schools are that of Thaumaturgy,
Enchantment, Necromancy and Demonology.
Each one has a different Schoolmaster and
different School rules.
Each of the four Schools deals with magic that
relate to its field. Demonologists are
specialists in magic that deal with Demons, the
planes, and portals. Necromancers are
proficient at controlling and destroying undead,
and can also bring the dead back to life through
their studies of the energies of life itself.
Enchanters are the makers of magical items,
and because their magic tends to deal with

Understanding Spells
Deducing spell casters
You are able to deduce a caster (both priest and mage) if you
see them performing arcane actions, e.g. ripping a spell card

40

30 Second Durational Spells


Spell
Activating Phrase
Befriend
Be my friend.
Entangle

Become
that

Fear

Fear me!

Freeze

Freeze!

Heat Metal

I heat that

Sleep
Writhe

Sleep!
Writhe!

entangled

in

Other Common Spells


Spell
Activating Phrase
Bladesharp
May this Weapon strike
true!
Bless Armour

May this
blessed.

armour

be

Bless Weapon

May this weapon


blessed.
Become like a

be

Body of
Deaden Blow

May no blood be spilt from


this body.

Dragonscales

May this body be


surrounded by a shield of
power.
Drop that

Drop
Heal
(Body/ Limb/ All)
Lift

May this be healed.

Obey

I lift the spell cast upon


you.
Obey me and...

Shatter
Strikedown
Stun
Warp Wood
Wound Location

I shatter that
I strike thee down!
I stun your
I warp that
I wound your

Effect
Target must treat caster as a friend for 30 seconds or until the caster is unfriendly
towards him.
Target is entangled in the indicated material for 30 seconds and cannot move other
than to struggle ineffectually. They can still cast command spells and resist spells cast
at them. This spell cannot normally be resisted as it targets the material.
Target is filled with horror and loathing of the caster and are incapable of anything but
either fleeing or cowering for 30 seconds, though they may still resist spells.
Target cannot move or speak for 30 seconds. Any wounds taken in that time have
immediate effect. They may still resist spells.
Indicated metal item rapidly heats and will burn any body location still in contact with it
after 30 seconds (regardless of padding or dousing). The item then cools down after
30 seconds more of heat. If the item is worn the victim can do nothing but attempt to
remove it, though they may still resist spells.
Target falls to the ground as if in slumber and cannot resist further spells.
Target should fall to the ground and writhe as if in great pain for 30 seconds, unable to
do anything except resist further spells.
Effect
Enchants the target weapon. The spell activates when the weapon is first used in
combat, if unused it will expire at dawn. Once activated it will last for 15 minutes or
until the end of combat, whichever is shorter. When striking with an enchanted weapon
call enchanted clearly.
Negates the effect of the first blow received to a target's armoured locations. Spell
remains in effect until a blow is received or until dawn. This spell may be stacked with
Dragonscales and/or a potion of Mighty Strength.
As for Bladesharp (you should still call enchanted).
Causes target to act like the named animal/plant etc. Expires after 15 minutes or the
end of the combat, whichever is shorter.
Once activated (by the first blow received) all blows received by the subject during the
spell duration are treated as subdual hits blade venoms have no effect. Expires after
15 minutes or the end of the combat, whichever is shorter.
Negates the effect of the first blow received to any location, armoured or unarmoured.
This spell may be stacked with Bless Armour and will be the second to activate on
receipt of a blow.
Target drops indicated item to the ground from his hand. If the item is tied to the target
the target must ensure to place as much of the item on the ground as possible before
being allowed to pick it up again.
Heals the wound to the specified location (lethal or subdual) and the location is
returned to full hits. Any bandages on the healed location may now be removed.
Removes the effects of a mind-effecting spell from a target creature. The caster must
state the spell they intend to lift.
Target must obey a single 10 word or less command. The target will perform the action
by the most direct route their character would normally take (this does not apply to a
potion of compulsion), the spell lasts for 15 minutes or one encounter, whichever is
shorter or until the command has been completed. For the spell, if ordered to kill
themselves, they may struggle for 30 seconds before doing themselves in.
The indicated hard, non-wooden item is rendered useless.
Causes a lethal wound to every location, regardless of extra hits, including armour.
Causes a subdual wound to a location, regardless of extra hits, including armour.
Similar to shatter, but effective on a wooden item, such as a shield, bow or spear.
Causes a lethal wound to a location, regardless of extra hits, including armour.

41

Combat

Drum rolling (i.e. rapid tapping of a weapon against a


location) is not permitted.
Every blow struck should be adequately role-played (i.e.
encouraged to do cinematic/heroic fighting) and delivered
with minimum force (i.e. pull your blows), lest an
unfortunate strike hit someone in a sensitive region (i.e.
head, groin) causing an OoC injury. The player should be
in full control over their weapon with a firm hold.
Unacceptable strikes include; stabbing, grappling,
trapping, pinning, wild swinging (inc. un-aimed shots) and
striking targets you cannot see (i.e. hits over the shoulder
behind you).
Do not conduct real hand-to-hand fighting (i.e. using real
punches and kicks), all strikes should be delivered with
LARP safe weaponry.
Players should not react to the vocals of spells unless
their character (or monster) is the target of that spell or
they Understand the vocals (see Magic Section).
Similarly they should not react to weapon calls (like
Venom or Enchanted) unless they can see the effects.
Equipment
Clothing
All participants are required to wear adequate footgear
and are encouraged to wear ankle-supporting boots.
Shields
Shields should never be used as a weapon to barge an
opponent aside or to charge an enemy with, equally
opponents should not push or grab shields.
The maximum size of a shield for a player should be no
larger than from the floor to the waist of the player
wielding it.
If you use a large shield or you are a regular frontline
fighter, you are encouraged to wear head armour.
Weapons
The maximum length for any weapon is 60 inches.
Weapons between 60 and 78 inches are allowed at the
discretion of the referee running the event where the
weapon is being used. Weapons over 78 inches long are
not permitted in the Fools & Heroes system.
In combat do not grab for another persons weapon.
Throwing and missile weapons should always be
released aimed at a specific target, raising the angle to
compensate for range on a target is acceptable, but using
indirect fire on a group of targets raises the chances of
head hits to an unacceptable level and is not allowed.
It is unacceptable to draw a weapon across a throat that
makes skin contact (a gap of several inches must be
kept).

Combat can play a large part in a Live Role-Playing event


and therefore it is important that everyone follows the same
rules closely and carefully to avoid injuries. The aim is still
for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Safety
Safety is of the utmost importance! It is important that
Referees and players check that weapons are in a good state
of repair and are not unsafe, a weapon can still be well kept but
used in a dangerous fashion. In either case Referees have the
power to ban a weapon or to stop combat to remove someone
from play.
Combat is the area where most injuries are likely to occur. It is
therefore important to make sure that it is as safe as possible.
Though a Referee may be running the event it is every players
responsibility to make sure the event is safe. You are
encouraged to call a halt to the game if you perceive that a
situation has become dangerous.
The aim of the game is to have fun, but it must be safe.

Combat Etiquette
Core
Play should be stopped when a non-member of the
society is in close proximity of an encounter or IC activity,
unless permission has been granted by the event
organiser(s) (LO, referee etc).
Members attending Fools & Heroes events and
participating do so at their own risk and the related
activities carries with them risks. Members should become
knowledgeable about the risks involved and assume
personal responsibility for their actions. Referees that are
not convinced about a members health may ask for a
Doctors note before allowing the member to continue
participating in an event.
Fools & Heroes is a non Player versus Player (PvP)
society, it is defined as 'Causing a permanent wound (e.g.
killing) to another Players Character (PC) as your PC' and
is a major breach in the rules and ethos of the game, it is a
sanctionable offence. There are exceptions however;
duels, execution by the law, assassination by a certified
Nighthawk, magical compulsions from an NPC etc.
People playing monsters should not be encouraged to
have win at all costs attitude, they should role-play
monsters (inc. fighting style) to the referees brief, ecology
and situation, if in doubt role-play to make Characters look
good and most importantly; heroic.
General
Player Characters should not normally play dead. If
doing so they should clearly state they are doing so to
anyone investigating them and not attack anyone before
standing up. Monsters should only play dead when
instructed to by the referee.
Monsters should not normally attack opponents who are
unconscious during a fight unless briefed by a referee
otherwise. Once a fight is over opponents may be finished
off.

Hit Locations
These are the areas that a body is divided up in to for combat
purposes.
Each location is separate from the others and takes wounds
independently of the others. The torso includes the front and
back of a person and counts as one location, except for

42

armour purposes where it is treated as two separate locations


(see below).

to the limb means that the limb is counted as wounded until the
end of the encounter when the limb recovers automatically.

Subsequent Wounds
A location that is wounded that is struck again is wounded
again. If the damage is lethal and the location had only
suffered a subdual wound then the location is now lethally
wounded. If the location had been treated by a bandage then it
is considered wounded again. Multiple lethal wounds have no
further effect.

Wounds

Each character and most monsters will have a number of hit


points per location. Most characters have only one hit point per
location but this can be increased through the use of magic and
alchemy.
Hit points simply represent the minimum number of successful
hits to the location it takes to cause a wound. Most player
characters are wounded after taking 1 hit to an unprotected
location hence they are said to have 1 hit per location (noted
as 1HpL). If you are playing a monster or character with
multiple hits per location then you may find it easier to count
down hits remaining on each location. After suffering the
appropriate number of strikes the location will suffer a Wound.
Remember that a character does not know about hits per
location, all they know is that either the victim was tough
enough to survive the wound, or that the wound was too
minor to stop the creature.

Head or Torso
Location Wounded
Person is rendered unconscious. They should lie still with their
eyes shut.
Location Permanently Wound
The character dies.
Arm
Location Wounded
The character must drop whatever is held in the affected hand.
The arm may not be used and any shields strapped to the arm
should not be wielded.
Location Permanently Wound
The arm cannot be used again, unless it is regrown. The arm
is also too frail to block the impact of weapons, or to hold
armour, and any strike to the arm should be applied to the
body unless the remnants of the arm were specifically struck in
a manner that would not impact the body.
Leg
Location Wounded
The character should fall over. They may continue to fight
from the ground, but may not use the leg to propel themselves
(i.e. walk) or stand.
Location Permanently Wound
The leg cannot be used again unless it is regrown. In order to
keep the game moving it is acceptable for the character to be
helped around between encounters, but they must remain on
the floor if fighting starts. The leg is also too frail to stop blows
from weapons and damage to the injured location should be
applied to the other leg (unless there is a good reason why the
other leg would not have been hit).

Types of Wound

Wound Count

Most monsters will have the same hit locations as described


above.
Head and Hand Locations
For safety reasons, no one should ever aim to hit someone else
on the hands or head. If someone receives a head or hand hit
they should role-play it, after it has been confirmed that the
player is uninjured.
Where someone has crept up on another person a light tap to
the shoulders with a call of head hit is acceptable as a head
hit.

Hit Points

Ooo.... That looks painful.... Physician!!!


There are two types of wound a character can suffer;
Lethal Wounds
A Lethal Wound is caused by all weapons except those with the
damage call of subdue (see later), Lethal Wounds can also be
caused by other effects including spells. Normally if a Lethal
Wound is left untreated for the characters Wound Count the
Lethal Wound becomes a Permanent Wound.
Subdual Wounds
This sort of damage tends to be caused by clubs, cudgel etc.
When attacking with such a weapon the wielder should call
subdue as he hits. This damage can also be caused by
certain effects and spells. A subdual wound to the head or
chest simply renders the victim unconscious. A subdual wound

43

If a lethal wound is not healed within five minutes (300


seconds) it becomes permanent. A wounded character should
keep track of the length of time he has had his wound. This is
the Wound Count. If a Timefreeze or Timeout is called then
the Wound Count is suspended until Time In is called.
Reduced Wound Count
If a character has effects that reduce a characters Wound
Count than these effects will stack. E.g. A person who has a
curse from a Dark God that reduces their Wound Count by 60
seconds and has a magical effect that reduces their Wound
Count by another 60 seconds will have an effective Wound
Count of 180 seconds.
Zero Wound Count
A character who has a reduced Wound Count to zero, will take
an immediate permanent wound (i.e. death or loss of limb) the
first time they would normally be wounded by an effect. E.g. A
person has a curse that reduces their Wound Count to zero,

the first time he is struck in the chest that causes a wound the
person will die.

Each piece or armour has an Armour Value set (AV) out in the
armour table. For each hit received on a piece of armour the
Armour Value is reduced by one point, but no damage is taken
to the underlying hit location. When the Armour Value has
been reduced to zero the armour offers no further protection
and any subsequent hits will damage the underlying hit
location in the normal way. Subdual weapons cause damage
to armour in exactly the same way as lethal weapons.
Although the chest and back count as one hit location (the
Torso) armour for the chest and back is treated as two
separate locations for Armour Value. Therefore a hit to the
chest, which reduces the Armour Value, does not reduce the
Armour Value of the back.
Armour obviously gets damaged and it is possible to repair it.
The cost to repair one point of Armour Value is shown in the
following table. Armour cannot be repaired beyond its original
Armour Value and can only be repaired in downtime (i.e. not
on adventures) unless a character has a skill that allows them
to do that.
At their discretion referees may reduce the armour value points
of any armour physrep if it is of poor quality.

Protection
Apart from the intrinsic toughness of a creature (measured by
its HpL) a variety of protections can stop incoming attacks.
They are listed below in order of activation.
There are several spells, effects and potions, which can offer
protection.
These protections can be stacked; dependent on the rules for
each effect, but you may not have two of the same protection in
effect at the same time. E.g. you may have Bless Armour and a
Dragonscales, but not two Dragonscales or two Mighty
Strength potions.
1. Outer Protective Shell
The first strike on the protected creature will usually activate
any effect in this category first.
1.1 Bless Armour
Bless armour activates first, but only if there is at least some
armour on the struck location. (The armour need not have
remaining AV). The effect will negate one blow and be dispelled
(even if the blow is enchanted).
1.2 Dragon Scales
Dragon scales activates after any existing Bless Armour
effect. The effect will negate one blow to any location and be
dispelled (even if the blow is enchanted).
2. Armour
Armour is struck after any outer shell protections. It can resist
one normal hit for every AV. Armour can be stacked with
another different kind if the wearer possesses the appropriate
skill, with points being deducted from the outer layer before the
inner. Armour only counts if the actual Phys-rep is struck.
3. Body
The body location is struck next.
3.1 Floating Hit Points
(e.g. Mighty Strength) When a hit location is struck and damage
would be caused to it (e.g. where an enchanted weapon is
used, or the location is unarmoured) then the blow is negated
and the magical protection has been used.
3.2 Hits per Location
Normally one strike will cause a wound to most PCs (1 HpL).
Certain spells (e.g. Crowan Strength) cause the recipient to
gain enhanced Hit points. These simply increase the effective
HpL of the recipient.
A strike that reaches this level is considered to cause physical
trauma even if the character has multiple HpL, therefore a
weapon coated with poison oil or any effect that requires skin
contact will take place on the first strike regardless of how
many HpL the victim possesses.

Type

AV

Repair
Cost

Light Leather

-/1

Light Studded
Leather

-/2

Heavy Leather

-/2

Heavy Studded
Leather

-/3

Ring Mail

-/4

Scale Mail

-/5

Chain Mail

-/5

Plate

-/6

Description
Thin leather, fur, or padded
armour
Thin leather or padded
armour with studs etc.
Thick leather armour,
leather should be rigid and
inflexible. However leather
trousers are an acceptable
physrep for heavy leather
Thick leather armour
covered with studs, leather
should be rigid and
inflexible
Interwoven metal links in
the Oriental style, usually
where the rings sit at 90
degrees to each other in
the vertical axis
Metal
scales
joined
together or riveted on to
thin leather
Interwoven metal links.
This will be in a traditional
European style. It tends to
be closer knit and heavier
than Ring Mail
Large steel plates covering
locations

AV = Armour Value
Repair Cost = Repair Cost per point of damage taken
Un-Stacked Armour
It is not uncommon to have multiple pieces of armour but not
stacked covering a single location. In this case each piece of
armour needs to be bought separately and only provides
protection for where it actually covers. e.g. a Chain mail tunic
has short sleeves that cover the top of the arms, whilst leather
bracers cover the lower part of the arms. Both the chain
sleeves and bracers will have to be bought and costs can be
found on the equipment list (irrespective of their actual size
and how much arm coverage they provide). The two pieces of
armour would then provide AV protection to the locations they

Armour Description
Armour is used to offer protection in combat. In order to benefit
a character must own such armour and the player must have a
physical representation (a.k.a. physrep) of it. Although armour
is bought to cover a location (e.g. arms) protection is only
gained on the portion of the location that the physrep covers.
E.g. If plate vambraces are purchased in character but the
physrep only covers the forearms then no protection is gained
for the upper arms, even though the full cost is charged for the
armour.

44

cover and the character will have to keep a mental record on


how much damage has been caused to each piece of armour
as they adventure.
If a character without the stack armour ability wear two pieces
of armour that overlap (i.e. on top of each other) they only gain
the Armour Value of the top piece of armour and cannot then
use the underlying piece when the first loses its armour value (it
should be treated as having no armour points until the top piece
is physically removed).
Stacked Armour
Some characters have the ability to stack armour. This ability
allows the character to wear two pieces of armour, on top of
each other, on a hit location and gain the Armour Value of both
pieces. The armour must however be of different armour types.
E.g. a character cannot wear a light leather and fur. They may
however wear Heavy Leather and Light Studded Leather, or
Scale and Chain Mail.
Shields
All shields made from a hard material (i.e. wood) should have
padded edges and preferably a padded front. Shields should
never be used as a weapon to barge an opponent aside or to
charge an enemy with. Equally opponents should not push or
grab shields.
Shields slung over and worn on the back, or simply strapped to
a location (i.e. not wielded, bucklers) provide no extra
protection and do not count as armour.
All shields in this game are considered to be made out of
wood, unless they have been given a special item lammie
issued by the SR Magic.

Weapons
The normal maximum weapon lengths are set out in the
equipment list and refer to the length of the weapon from the
base of the pommel to the tip of the weapon, not just the blade
length. Whilst some latitude should be allowed for new players
with over length weapons, they should be encouraged to get a
standard length weapon as soon as possible. Other than this
weapon length maximums should be adhered to.
Wielding weapons without the appropriate skill
If a character wields and uses in combat a hand and half
weapon, a two handed weapon in one hand or a throwing
weapon (without an appropriate skill) then they will pull a
muscle. Until the next dawn they will not be able to use that
hand or arm (as if it was permanently wounded). This damage
cannot be healed on adventure and merely requires rest,
before it is healed again (at dawn).
Enchanted Weapons
There are two types of Enchanted Weapons; permanently and
temporarily enchanted weapons. Permanently enchanted
weapons are rare and are considered magic items. The
physrep for a permanently enchanted weapon should be gold in
colour and have various runes carved in. The wielder should
shout Enchanted when striking with such a weapon.
Temporarily enchanted weapons are normal weapons,
enhanced with a spell. They should have a red ribbon tied to
the weapon and the wielder should shout Enchanted when
hitting with the weapon. Both weapons give off a shimmer
when unsheathed. This allows characters and monsters to be
able to identify such weapons.
The damage caused by an enchanted weapon can be lethal or
subdual depending on the type of weapon.

45

Enchanted weapons cause one point of damage to any armour


they hit in the usual way, but also cause one point of damage
to the underlying hit location. If a character is stacking two
layers of armour then the armour struck that is still providing
protection (i.e. has not been reduced to 0 AV) and the
underlying hit location take a point of damage. There are
however some protections against enchanted weapons.
Bows and Crossbows
Missile weapons can be particularly dangerous if the weapon
or the ammunition is not in a fit state of repair or is poorly
made. It is therefore imperative to check bows and arrows
very carefully.
When an archer is shooting at a target they should ask
themselves Is this shot safe? If they have doubts then they
should not fire the shot. Also within close range he should not
draw the bow to its maximum. This is not possible with
Crossbows and referees should check to see if a crossbow is
safe to use at short range.
The maximum poundage for bows and crossbows in Fools
& Heroes is 25 pounds; arrows should not be more than 36
inches in length and have suitable padding on the head.
Shorter arrows should be used if possible as this reduces the
poundage on the bow, but using shorter arrows does not mean
someone can use a higher poundage bow.
Thrown Weapons
Like missile weapons these can be dangerous. They tend to
be small and can easily hit eyes etc. Thrown weapons must
have no core and only physrep weapons specifically designed
to be thrown should be used in this fashion.
Characters cannot throw weapons and cause damage unless
they have been taught the skill.

Spells in Combat
Magical spells in combat bypass the hits system entirely as
they do not hit the character. Each spell simply causes an
effect (usually a wound) to the character. Stun and sleep spells
effectively cause a subdual wound (stun limb causes a limb
subdual wound while sleep simply causes Unconsciousness)
while wound and strikedown spells cause a lethal wound effect
to one or more locations.
Magical spells are not hits and as such no effect that grants
additional hits protect from the spell (armour, dragonscales
etc.) however this also means that the victims protections are
not activated by the spell. A character that is struck down and
has a mighty strength running still has a floating hit available
below their armour or if they have a trollstrength it is not
activated by the wound.

Poisons
A poisoned blade will last for one combat before losing its
potency. The poisoned weapon should be marked with a
green or black ribbon (according to the type of poison) tied
around the blade and the wielder should call "Venom" or
"Swiftdeath" as appropriate when striking their blow. Blade
poisons must enter the bloodstream to take effect (i.e. the
blow must hit and break the skin).
Blade Venom:
This poison is usually found as an Alchemical oil or as natural
animal venom, represented by a green ribbon tied around the
phys-rep. This poison has a Poison Count of 300 seconds.
Once venom enters his bloodstream, a victim will fall over and
writhe in agony for 30 seconds. After this they fall

unconscious. If the poison is not purged before the victims


Poison Count has expired the victim will die.
Oil of Swiftdeath:
This deadly poison can be found as an Alchemical oil, and is
represented by a black ribbon tied around the weapon. This
poison has a Poison Count of 120 seconds. If oil of Swiftdeath
enters his bloodstream, a victim will fall unconscious
immediately. If the poison is not purged before the victims
Poison Count has expired the victim will die.
Reduced Poison Count
Poison Counts cannot normally be reduced unless an effect
that specifically reduces a Poison Count in a person is enacted.
i.e. A person has a curse that reduces the Poison Count of any
poison that effects the person. Any effect that reduces the
Wound Count of a person will not reduce the Poison Count of a
poison.
Ingestible Poisons:
As well as the poisonous oils there exists a drinkable analogue
of each which take effect when ingested, either directly or as a
contaminant to food or drink. Both poisons may be purged by
one of several methods always provided that the cure is
administered before the victim's time runs out. It is worth
noting that other poisons may exist!
It should be noted that there are certain protocols with
regards to poisoning a character's food and drink and so this
is best left to the Nighthawks (at the very least, check with a
Referee first).

Rousing Subdued Limbs


A subdual limb wound can be removed by vigorously rubbing
the location for 30 seconds or by any other effect that heals
wounds. (Head or torso subdual wounds simply cause
unconsciousness and have no further effect).

Rousing from Unconsciousness


An unconscious character can be woken by 30 seconds of
shaking as long as they have no effects keeping them
unconscious (e.g. Lethal head or torso wound, poison etc). A
trained physician can also wake them in 5 seconds using
physicians salts.

Bandages
Anyone can apply a bandage, provided that they are conscious
and able to tie it on this isn't as easy as it sounds if one of
your arms is wounded! Tying a bandage on a location
suspends the effects of a wound. If no further wounds are
taken, the bandage may be removed at the next dawn. If the
bandage falls off before that time, then the wound re-opens
and a fresh bandage will usually be needed. Normally only
one bandage may be used on a location at any time, so
additional wounds to a bandaged location must be treated by
different means, unless a Physician is present who has the
ability to put further bandages on. A bandage suspends the
effects of a wound rather than healing it, so any enhanced
hits or multiple hits per location are not returned.
Bandages are infused with healing properties and must be
specially bought by a character as well as represented by the
appropriate physrep.
A bandage must go around the location at least once in
order to work.

Alchemical Protection
Alchemists are capable of manufacturing many different types
of potion that give aid to the serious adventurer - some that
serve to protect, others that enhance combat abilities or grant
you invisibility! Ask your local alchemist what they can make for
you and how much it costs. Alchemical potions do not come
cheaply
Alchemical Potions
A character that drinks more than two potions which are not
instantaneous in effect will be poisoned as if by venom (even
if they are normally immune to venom) all the potion effects
are neutralised and then combine in the stomach to produce
a noxious mess.
If the potion is identical to a durational one that is already
imbibed (i.e. a Mighty Strength but not a Heal) there is no
further effect except that the character is one step closer to
being poisoned with alchemy.

Spells
Some religions, in particular the Church of Vleybor, have
access to certain healing spells. These spells instantly cure all
wound(s) on the location specified and allow the victim to
remove any bandages that were on the location.

Alchemical Potions
Even an apprentice Alchemist is capable of manufacturing
certain useful healing potions; and the company of a wellstocked Master Alchemist can make the difference between
the life and death of party members. Most of the effects of
alchemical healing potions are identical to those of spells and
the effects are instantaneous.

Physicians' Medicines

Healing

There are quite a few types of Physicians' Drug, which may be


mixed by trained Physicians to produce elixirs with healing
properties and are identical in their effects to healing spells.
An apprentice must learn to identify these medicines before
they are allowed to carry any for themselves or taught the
correct recipes: careless mixing is more likely to poison than
heal. Physicians can also heal a wound using the "Physicians'
Fuss" and may rouse an unconscious patient in 5 seconds with
the help of specially prepared salts normally this would take
30 seconds.
A Physicians' Fuss restores one locations hits and may be
represented by a number of different methods. Some people
use a needle and thread to simulate stitching of a wound,
others carry pots of ointment or physrep leeches (not real
ones!)

Staunching Wounds
The most basic form of healing is the "simple fuss" (not to be
confused with the Physician's Fuss, available to members of
the appropriate Guild). The simple fuss requires no training
and can be done by anyone. A character who fusses a wound
is working to staunch the flow of blood temporarily; therefore
the Wound Count for that body location is suspended whilst the
fussing takes place. Should the fussing cease before the
wound is healed, the victim resumes their Wound Count from
where they left off.
A character can only fuss one wound at a time, must be fully
conscious to do it and cannot perform any other action whilst
fussing (Though they can fuss with only one hand as long as
the other isnt being actively used.)

46

Player Information
Theres a lot to take in every time you go out and adventure,
but with a bit of common sense and an understanding of some
out-of-character information youll do fine dont worry. The
following section looks at the in and out-of-character calls youll
hear shouted to keep the game running smoothly or to give
those running the game a chance to direct player actions. Well
also look at safety rules and a range of ideas to help foster the
best enjoyment of the game for you and your friends. After that
well look at what can happen between adventures and talk
about how the society is run and what else we get up to after
that first adventure!

Game Calls and Signs


Remember that calls are meant to be heard by the player so
they know how to react but are not audible to your character.
You should refrain from reacting to calls In-character unless
you can see the effects (venom causing a writhe or the glint
of an enchanted weapon).
The following are important calls (calls which can and should
be used by anyone, player or referee, if necessary);

Time Freeze
(or one short blast from a whistle)
Stop where you are, close your eyes until "Time In" is called.
Don't chat out-of-character and pay no attention to anything you
hear during this time. This call is used to enable Referees and
spell-casters to set up instantaneous effects, move objects that
have been teleported etc. As far as the characters are
concerned, there is no gap in time.

Time Out
(or one long blast from a whistle)
Stop any in-character actions, but remember where you were
and what you were doing, so that you can pick the action up
again later when "Time In" is called. Be aware that important
instructions may be issued to players in this time.
If you suspect someone has been actually hurt (including
yourself!) make a Time-Out call, you do not need to wait for
an official call from a referee.

Time In
(or two short blasts from a whistle)
Pick up the action from where you stopped when "Time Out" or
"Time Freeze" was called.

Hand in the air


If a player or a monster has their hand in the air, then you
cannot see them. They may be invisible or just not there (e.g. a
Referee who is monitoring a combat, but is not physically
present as a monster). Pay no attention to them unless they
take their hand down, in which case they've just magically
appeared out of nowhere.

47

Calls
Weapon Calls
Blunt
The weapon used is blunt (but delivering lethal damage). This
call is required in case the monster is invulnerable to non-blunt
damage e.g. Mace, Hammer etc.
Cleave
If this is called when striking your shield, the shield is shattered
and you should drop it. If it is strapped on treat the time
removing the shield, as the arm below being shocked and
numb with pain from the force of the blow.
Enchanted
A blow from an enchanted weapon will do a point of damage to
any armour worn, followed by a point of damage to the body
location struck.
Knockback
The sheer force of this blow is so strong that the recipient is
knocked backwards or unbalanced by the force of the blow.
(Remember to take into account the terrain, if in doubt simply
crouch and stagger rather than risk tripping backwards or
throwing yourself into something or someone you did not know
was behind you!)
Silver
The weapon is coated with, or made of, silver. Certain
creatures react badly to silvered weapons.
Subdual
This weapon is delivering non-lethal subdual damage e.g. staff,
cudgel, club etc.
Swiftdeath
This poison has a Poison Count of 120 seconds. If the blow
inflicts a wound, take the effects of the wound but also fall
unconscious immediately. If the poison is not purged before
the victims Poison Count has expired the victim will die.
Venom
This poison has a Poison Count of 300 seconds. If the blow
inflicts a wound, take the effects of the wound. If still
conscious, writhe on the ground in pain for 30 seconds, and
then fall unconscious. If the poison is not purged before the
victims Poison Count has expired the victim will die.
Effect Calls
Choke
If you are choked, you are cut off from all air supply and cannot
take any action apart from struggling for breath and/or falling to
the ground, which may be accompanied by suitable gasps and
wheezes etc. After 2 minutes fall unconscious, if the choking
continues uninterrupted for a further 3 minutes, you will die of
asphyxiation.
Disease
If you contract a disease, you will feel the effects immediately
and should collapse groaning and vomiting etc. You can move
around slightly and talk, but cannot fight or run. You will
recover for the next encounter and then, from this point on,
spend alternate encounters being ill but able to function and
then so ill that you cannot do anything but groan and retch.

You will die if the disease has not been cured by the end of the
day.
Entrance
Target must do anything the caster says for the duration of a
month, can be lifted by a Lift spell.
Paralyse
Usually the result of being touched by a Ghast or a Ghoul. If
you are paralysed, then you must freeze in position for one
minute. The effects of any damage inflicted on you whilst you
were paralysed is taken at the end of the minute, after which
time you may be re-paralysed! Ghouls cannot paralyse through
metal armour.
Possession
Target becomes possessed by a creature and becomes an
NPC whilst possession lasts, this effect may be resisted with
those with active.
Sights of War
Any Character who was looking at the source of the call at the
time it is called may do nothing but retch and vomit at the
stomach churning sight for 30 seconds.
Other Calls
No Effect
The person you are striking is visibly not being harmed by the
blows and/or spells you are directing at him. This may be a
temporary defence or a complete immunity.

atmosphere in which all players are encouraged and assisted,


especially those new to the game or to the system.

Taboos
Fools & Heroes is a diverse society and references to certain
subjects are not allowed.
Abuse References to non-consensual sexual activity
(e.g. Rape) is to be entirely avoided, even as part of
character background.
Children Though children can certainly be at risk in the
dangerous world of Fools & Heroes, references to the
specific abuse or torment of children is to be avoided.
Racism and Xenophobia Though both of these exist in
the game world, players should be aware that it should
only exist between the fantasy races (elves, dwarves etc.)
and not real world ethnicities or countries.

Acting

Ribbons
Ribbons are used to denote certain auras or effects on items or
monsters. Please take care with character kit that you avoid
using ribbons in a manner that may be mistaken for being one
of these indicators.
Ribbon Colour
Black
Green
White/Silver

Visibility
Visible
Visible
Visible

Red
Blue
Gold/Yellow
Brown
Grey
Purple

Visible
Visible
Trained only
Trained only
Trained only
Trained only

Description
Swiftdeath covered weapon.
Venom covered weapon.
Silver weapon or oil of silver
coated weapon.
Enchanted or blessed weapon.
Demonsbane aura.
Magical aura.
Enchantment aura.
Necromantic aura.
Demonological aura.

Sigils
There are a variety of special symbols called sigils that
characters may learn to recognise depending on their Guild or
profession. If your character has not learnt the sigil then they
should ignore it as if they could not see it. Sigils should be
marked in red or drawn within a circle to indicate they are not
visible to those without the appropriate ability.

Player Guidelines
What follows are those official guidelines of Fools & Heroes
with regard to standards of behaviour, costume and roleplaying which are expected of its members and which have
been designed to enhance the flavour and feel of the role-play
experience for all participants. Whilst Referees and Liaison
Officers do have the authority to request a player not to
participate in an event if their costume or role-playing does not
meet the requirements, all members of the society should
endeavour to foster a positive, friendly and enjoyable

Keep your character constant and believable. Use the social


class system and react appropriately to your superiors and
inferiors. Remember that certain modern ideals of inalienable
rights, democracy and tolerance are rare or even absent within
the game world.
Remember that you are in a game and that the people around
you are portraying their characters. They may interact with you
in a number of ways including being rude, angry or insulting.
Try to remember that though their character may behave
terribly, the player may actually be quite nice! If you do
become uncomfortable with another players in-character
treatment of you then talk to them during an Out-of-Character
period or ask a referee to help. Usually a quick chat can
resolve any out-of-character issues.
If a situation has developed which has a strong atmosphere
(e.g. fear of a monster, tense anticipation or other focused
role-playing) do not deliberately attempt to break the mood.
Stay in-character between adventure encounters unless a
"Time-out" has been called. These periods of time are
excellent for developing in-character relationships and finding
out more about your environment and companions.

Respect for the Atmosphere & Environment


Wristwatches, trainers, blue jeans or items bearing
recognisable script should not be visible.
Filter-tip cigarettes and lighters should not be used. If you
smoke, use roll-ups or pipes and matches. Remember that
some woodland used for adventuring may have rules regarding
smoking. Check with your LO before assuming that smoking is
possible on any adventuring site.
All props should be of a suitably "fantasy" flavour. Please
remember that the props used during an adventure are
somebody's property. While some props may be made to be
destructible, always check with a Referee before taking any
action that may cause damage to a prop.
Never drop litter during an adventure, this includes spell-cards
and biodegradable items such as food.
Items of real religious or occult significance must be avoided
at all costs. This includes pentacles, the Star of David,
modern crucifixes (the Celtic cross is permissible), real skulls
or any item that may alarm or concern the public.

Talk
Use of modern day talk, catch-phrases, expletives or speech
can ruin the "medieval/fantasy" atmosphere, so try to avoid this.

48

Always use character names during "Time in". Never argue


with a monster or Referee about an aspect of the rules during
the game, save any grievance until after the adventure. Almost
every possible disagreement can be resolved amicably and its
very likely the Referee has information you dont have access
to.

Respect for the Public


Always be aware of the public during adventures and treat
them with courtesy. If their path takes them through an
encounter, stop the action with a "Time Out" to allow them to
pass. You will never be penalised for dropping out-of-character
to talk with the public.
Respect private boundaries. Never stray into an area where
you are not permitted to go and never engage in any activity
that is likely to damage the adventure site (e.g. climbing over
stone walls or damaging trees). If unsure check with the
referee.

Costume
Members are expected to provide costume for themselves as
detailed below, however branches often have communal kit
which may be loaned to starting players.
Upon attending their 3rd event, if not before, a member should
have prepared for himself a personal weapon and upper body
costume which will conceal any items of modern clothing.
Ideally this should be a jerkin or tunic of suitable design.
Please note that it looks out of place and defeats the object of
the exercise if you wear modern clothing under your costume
(e.g. a collared shirt or T-shirt). The preparation of authentic
style undershirts is advisable.
Upon attending their 5th event, if not before, a member should
have prepared for himself suitable costume for his legs (e.g.
breeches or suitable trousers) and some sort of head-gear (e.g.
hat, hood or helmet).
In their first year of membership, a member is expected to have
prepared a full character costume and to be able to provide his
own physreps for character possessions. The member should
also have prepared a separate costume for monstering (not
including monster masks, which are provided by the branch as
necessary).
Members are required to supply themselves with suitable
banqueting equipment (i.e. a plate or bowl, drinking vessel and
a spoon or eating knife of suitably "fantasy" design) for use at
fests.
Simple patterns for tunics, breeches and hoods are available
from Central ask your LO. Charity shops can be a good bet
for antique-looking clothing that may be subtly altered with
ease. Also, several members of the society are happy to make
(and sell) costume for others ask other people where they got
their costume from! Remember good costume really
enhances the flavour of the game and makes you feel good
too.

Consistency
Players must obey all rules of the game and also respect the
authority of the Referees, obeying their instructions promptly
and without argument. There may be more to the situation than
you are aware of. If you disagree with a Referee's decision,
take the matter up after the adventure. If the matter cannot be
resolved at that time, write to your LO who will take the matter
up with a Senior Referee.

49

Players should follow the spirit of the rules. Rule-playing or


loophole-hunting is not in the spirit of the game and may be
penalised in-character if it occurs.
In order to preserve the flexibility of the F&H system, whereby
players from any branch may adventure in another and know
that both the rules and campaign world are the same, it is
important that all players obey the rules as they are written and
respect that campaign world.

Monstering
In the excitement of designing, advancing and role-playing your
character, it is sometimes all too easy to forget that there is
another side to LARP which is just as important that of roleplaying the people and creatures that characters will meet
during an adventure.
In Fools & Heroes, the term "monster" is used out-of-character
to denote any Non-Player Character (NPC), whether that
character is a bad guy or a good guy, human or other creature.
Thus the people playing the part of these NPCs are known
collectively as "monsters" or "the monster team" and their
activity is entitled "monstering".
Usually what will happen is that the number of players who turn
up to an event will be split into two groups who alternate
playing and monstering. Therefore, whenever you attend an
event, you should ensure that you bring costume and kit for
monstering as well as for playing. If your character dies during
a normal adventure, you will usually join the monster team until
the adventure finishes.
The tips below are designed to provide you with the basic
information you will need in order to monster well.
Remember good monstering enhances the role-play
experience for the adventuring characters too and,
because of the variety of possible roles available, can
often be even more fun than playing. In any case,
monstering should definitely not be viewed as a secondary
feature of LARP!
The Monster Brief
Before an adventure begins, the monster team will be briefed
by the monster co-ordinator, who is normally, but not
necessarily, a Referee. The monster co-ordinator will outline
the plot for the adventure, give a brief description of each
planned encounter and assign NPC roles, explaining creature
stats and abilities to individuals as necessary. Listen to the
brief carefully and note any information given to you for play of
a specific character or creature: this could be background/plot
information or simply the number of hit points that the NPC has.
Some monster co-ordinators will give each monster a print-out
of the adventure, so that they may refer to it between
encounters in order to remember what they should be doing
next.
If you are given a copy of the monster brief, keep it
carefully and do not place it in a location on your person
where it is likely to be spotted and removed by players. If
a player searches you for treasure and manages to find
your monster brief, tell the player that the sheet is not
physically there and may not be taken.
Monster Costume
Monster costume should be noticeably different from your
player character costume but should also conform to F&H
costume guidelines. Good colours to pick are dark browns and
greens (forest colours) and black. These can be dressed up

with accessories or masks (provided by the monster


coordinator) to create lots of different NPCs.
Gloves and hoods of a suitably "fantasy" design are great the
gloves cover up your hands if you are not playing a human and
hoods improve the look of monster masks by covering up the
join at the neck.
Monster co-ordinators will normally arrange for special costume
if this is required for any particular NPC.
Monster Role-play
Always follow your brief. If you ad-lib, make sure you keep
within your set guidelines don't go inventing or amending plot
on the spot, this confuses players and causes a headache for
Referees. If you find yourself floundering or forget important
information, catch the eye of the monster coordinator, who
should be able to fill you in quickly (via a "Time Freeze" if
necessary).
Make your monsters believable. Avoid comic or suicidal
monsters unless otherwise instructed in the monster brief.
Make sure you know how your monster should behave (e.g.
the different movement speeds of undead or the spells that an
NPC mage is able to cast). Don't be afraid to ask for this
information if it is not provided and the monster type is
unfamiliar to you.
When playing humans, elves etc. bear in mind the social status
system. Many adventurers socially outrank peasants by a
significant amount and are often armed so a certain amount of
fear and respect should be due unless briefed otherwise. Try
to avoid repeated stereotypes such as stupid peasant.
Do put thought and effort into your monster role. Even small
things such as sounds (the soft hiss of a wraith at night, or the
unintelligible grunt of foulspawn) greatly enhance tension or
atmosphere.
Unless you are instructed specifically to create an ambush, you
should not play "possum" (i.e. lie down during a fight,
pretending to be wounded, then attack the party when they've
moved past you).
If your monster is escaping from the party, check to see if any
of them are pursuing you. If you are chased, do not put your
hand in the air and "go invisible" while you're in plain view.
Obviously you don't want to run for miles, but try and lose the
pursuing character before deeming that the monster has
successfully got away. Even if you are not pursued, you should
still aim to leave plain sight before dropping out-of-character.
If your monster is killed, play dead for a reasonable length of
time so that characters may search your body for possible
treasure etc. Be ready to move out when the monster coordinator calls for dead monsters to leave put your hand up to
signify invisibility and rejoin the monster group away from the
adventuring party.
Don't act on information that you know as a player, but which
your monster would not have had access to.
Follow the usual guidelines for respecting the atmosphere and
environment, avoiding modern talk, phraseology etc. during
encounters. It may be amusing to quote from popular films, but
this can ruin the F&H fantasy atmosphere.
Monstering for the Players
If you are in any doubt about how to react to a player's action,
give the player the benefit of the doubt, e.g. if you are unsure
of a hit in combat.
If you suspect a player of cheating, then inform the Referee.
Remember that there are, for example, a variety of magical
protections available to characters that enable them to ignore

the effects of weapon blows (including a blow from an


enchanted weapon).
Never victimise a player for personal reasons, reasons
concerning your character or because of a suspected breach of
the rules.

Character Returns
Fools & Heroes is a national system, where characters may
end up with a position that places them in control of a church,
Guild or even the whole country! Those funds which heads of
churches and Guilds may oversee and spend come from the
characters: all your Guild fees and tithes are recorded and
collated.
A player must tell his LO certain information at the end of every
month: e.g. how much they earned, spent, paid to the Guild
and/or tithed to the church. This information is called the
character return.
The character return has another important use: it is the
method used to show the LO that you wish to advance.
Without this notification, your character will not advance even
if you are eligible to do so. Only players who hand in regular
returns will be given national positions; indeed, failure to hand
in regular and successive returns could result in character
death. Therefore, all players should hand in a return each
month, even if they did not adventure.
Players should give their character return to their LO within the
week following the end of the month e.g. A return for July
should be given to the LO by the 7th of August. Always contact
your LO if you are unable to get your return to them in time.
Failure to hand in a return is not a quick way to avoid bad
effects of an adventure. Advancements, gains in equipment
and increases in money (anything good that happens to your
character) will only be allowed if recorded on your character
return. Expenditure, loss of abilities/limbs, death, curses etc.
(anything bad that happens to your character) will be upheld
whatever you do.
What Should Be In A Return?
Your name, both real and in-character.
Your branch and membership number.
The month the return relates to.
Details of your membership in any Guilds or Churches and the
rank in each which you believe your character has attained. Do
NOT include details of the Guild of Nighthawks.
The starting balance of cash from the previous month.
The amount of money your character earned (from all sources),
any expenditures (including armour repairs), Guild fees, tithes
and gifts. These should be shown item by item and be followed
by the closing balance for carrying forward to the next month.
If you are an Alchemist, you must provide detailed records on
potion manufacture and sales. If you are a blacksmith youll
need to provide information on what items youve made,
repaired and sold.
The equipment your character owns and what state of repair it
is in.
If your character is a spell caster then the return should include
a list of the new spells which your character has learned, along
with the level of power (Mana/Soulfire) that your character has.
The return is a record of what your character has
achieved/experienced over the month and should outline any
important events that took place even if your LO saw the
event in question.

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Most importantly of all if you wish to advance, indicate the


Guild/church that your character wishes to advance in. Be
prepared to give further information as to why the character
merits the promotion.

Between Adventures
Whilst the adventure may be the high spot of any month, roleplay related activity does not stop there! There are many
different pursuits that players and characters may undertake in
the intervening time the most popular ones are listed here.
For more information on any of the following, contact your LO
Research
Whenever a player character wishes to find out more
information on a subject, or decides to try and create a new
spell by studying the effects of existing spells etc., this falls
under the heading of "research". Possible research activities
are numerous and almost always take place during downtime,
i.e. between adventures. For any type of research, the player
should notify his LO of his intentions.
New Skill/Spell/Potion Research
When a character has advanced to the highest level in a Guild
or church they may attempt to research new skills, potions,
spells or recipes. There may be an IC fee payable to check the
feasibility of the idea before research starts.
Decide what sort of research you will be undertaking (magical,
alchemical etc.) and work out what your preferred goal would
be.
Give the spell/potion a name and write down a brief description
of it.
Write down your character's reason and motivation for
undertaking the research.
Give a description of the effects or abilities expected from the
completed work and indicate how you expect it to fit within the
existing game mechanics.
Give a rough idea of how much money the character will be
spending on the initial stages of research often a monthly
cost is involved and it will most likely be quite expensive to
complete the research. If funds dry up, the research may
always be completed when more money becomes available.
Some Churches and Schools may be willing to assist their
researchers financially speak to your Guild Head or Primate.
Once you have written down all of the above, send it to a
Senior Referee via your LO.
Forms for this kind of research are available from your LO
Senior Referees submit their findings on research to a meeting
of the National Executive Council, when Council members vote
to pass or reject proposals on additions. Not all research will
be passed, but persistence sometimes prevails.
Plot Research
So, your town is being terrorised by a corrupt organisation and
you're desperate to find out more about their strengths and
weaknesses'? Maybe Ithron is being assailed by strange
phenomena and you want to find out if there is a precedent or
what it all means? Try doing a spot of downtime research!
Players whose characters wish to research elements of local or
national plot (e.g. possible weaknesses of the local bad guy,
cure for a strange illness, meaning of strange portents etc.)
should speak to their LO who will contact the CC where
necessary. It is a good idea to have spent some time thinking
about possible avenues of research people to interview,
subjects to look up in the library etc. While both your LO and
the CC might give you some general hints, you're more likely

51

to achieve a good result if you can demonstrate that the


character more or less knows what he's doing and what he's
looking for.
Religious Research
It is a simple fact that the Gods know more than their followers
do and are even, from time to time, minded to pass this extra
information on to those who seek their guidance on specific
matters.
Players whose religious characters wish to pray/meditate in an
attempt to solve a problem should speak to their LO

In-Character Writing
Letters
There are many reasons for writing in-character letters:
introducing yourself to your Guild Head or Primate, asking
questions of those in your Guild or Church, seeking or providing
information, magical spells or instruction, attempting to
manipulate the political scenario or just generally keeping up
to date with in-character friends.
As a general rule, in-character letters should be written in
Ronish upon a suitable style of paper etc. (i.e. biro and filepaper don't lend themselves well to the feel that an in-character
letter has). Some people like to decorate their letters with
family insignia, church symbols, knotwork and so on these
embellishments certainly add to the flavour and feel of the letter
and don't necessarily have to be complicated.
Remember to enclose a stamped SAE if you're hoping for a
reply from a letter, especially if you have written to a Guild
Head or Primate.
Newsletters
Once upon a time Some Guilds and Churches would produce
a newsletter and aim to distribute it once a month, though this
was obviously dependant on the contributions received from
characters in the organisation as well as a few other factors.
Typical content included articles relevant to the organisation
such as news, poems, stories and debates. A good newsletter
is excellent PR for its organisation and can be widely talked
about for example the renowned Crowan newsletter
"Warpath" has attracted many new followers for that religion.
Given the use of the internet it is easy to collate information
now and some schools, Guilds, churches and in-character
groups do still have such newsletters, and if they dont then
why not try and start one up for the Guild or church or group
your character is a member of. Its a great way to get to know
other players and their characters and is something youll be
able to look back on with pride later on. Several branches also
produce in-character newspapers for their locale, check with
LOs and branch referees to see if they have one or would like
contributions for a new one.
If your church or Guild produces a newsletter, this will be
distributed to you by your LO towards the end of each month. If
you are a member of an organisation that has no newsletter as
yet and you'd like to help construct one (or even just contribute
something), get in touch with your Guild Head or Primate. You
may even get to edit a newsletter yourself.
The Norham Herald
The Norham Herald is a mostly in-character magazine which is
produced by the society and is free to all members. Incharacter articles on anything and everything are welcomed,
such as fest reviews, letters to the editor, challenges,
obituaries, theological debates, songs, maps, interviews etc.
The magazine also includes out-of-character information felt to

be of interest to the society, such as extracts from the minutes


of National Executive Council meetings, contact lists, costume
hints, adverts from useful suppliers of LARP goods and so on.
The address of the Norham Herald Editor is found inside each
issue if you have not yet seen one, ask your LO for a copy of
a previous issue.
Norham Heralds are distributed directly to branches by the
Editor, one for each member according to the up-todate
membership list held by the Secretary. The Secretary usually
holds surplus copies of back issues and, for as long as the
surplus stock lasts, will send these out to branches upon
request.
Surfing the Internet
A wide variety of F&H sites are available on the internet. Most
of these sites belong to local branches and display out-ofcharacter information on topics such as scheduled adventures
and other branch events, together with in-character information
about the characters who hail from that branch, background
information on the local campaign and NPCs etc. There are
various in-character sites as well, each set up for a particular
Guild or church. Since the first edition of the players guide
came out this is an area that has expanded massively and
pretty much every in-character Guild, school church and order
as well as each branch will have their own in and out-ofcharacter web sites or forums.
All players using the internet for society related activity are
expected to read the societys web guidelines which are
available from the main society website.
Ask your LO or the Secretary for details of the national website
and other available sites. The main national society website
has a huge number of forums and message boards and links to
each branch that has its own as well, although F&H is live roleplay a lot of people find that use of the internet can enhance
their in-character experience and understanding, enjoy!

What Does It Cost?


The society is a non-profit-making organisation. The price is
therefore subject to review, but prices are kept low in order to
make the event as accessible as possible.
The player fee covers the weekend camping fees or
accommodation costs, all food and drink at the banquet and a
contribution towards the overhead costs of site hire, equipment
hire, prop/ costume manufacture etc. The monster fee is set at
a lower rate as an incentive.
In addition to the cost of your place, you will also need to
consider the costs of travel to the fest site, provision of food
and any camping/ role-play equipment that you need. If a fest
takes place during the winter months, in-door accommodation
is usually offered, but for many fests you will need a tent.
Both players and monsters must also be able to provide a
"banquet kit" for themselves, which consists of a plate/bowl,
knife/spoon, tankard/goblet etc. of suitably "fantasy" design.
Charity shops are a good place to hunt for cheap wooden
bowls etc., but these items may be purchased from many
mainstream stores at a reasonable price.
Playing at a Fest
The following is what you can expect when attending a fest.
The fest organisers will call "Time In" at some point during
Friday evening, usually somewhere between 7pm and 8pm.
This is the point when the fest officially starts and the bar in the
tavern opens!
Each player can normally expect to go on one adventure,
though special character types such as thieves and scouts may
be given additional and possibly secretive objectives to
achieve. The fest organisers draw up the lists of who will
adventure when, with whom and for what. Characters with
specific preferences regarding adventuring companions may
note this information on their fest application form, but are
advised that it may not always be possible to accommodate
such requests. The lists are normally posted in the tavern on
the Friday night find your character name and check when
you are due to adventure. Even if adventures appear to be
running late, you should be ready at the time specified unless
instructed otherwise by a Site Referee. If you are assigned to
an adventure that starts early in the morning (e.g. 9am), make
sure that you get up in time. A late start to the day waiting for
adventurers to turn up can put the schedule for the whole day
at risk.
You will need to check with the Site Referees on the availability
of armour repair and/or fresh supplies of equipment over the
weekend.
Fests are often subject to special plot
circumstances, which may mean that neither are available at
all.
A number of different in-character areas are usually
designated, such as the tavern (which may become the
banquet hall on the Saturday night) and any fields/woodland
around it. Because of the considerations of safety and respect
for the property of other people, tents and the terrain
immediately surrounding them are always out-of-character
areas. Do not run from an in-character area to an out-ofcharacter area in order to escape a monster, pursuit, prizewinning Trollball team, avalanche of small furry creatures, etc.
It is expected that people will return to camp at different points
during an evening, sometimes well into the early hours of the
morning. If you return to the camp after 11pm, please bear in
mind that there may be people trying to sleep keep the noise
down or find an in-character area where others will not be

Fests
What Is A Fest?
A fest is a national event which is open to all members of the
society, but which has a fixed number of player and monster
places. Often themed around the culmination to an aspect of
local or national plot, a fest will usually consist of several
adventures, a banquet and at least one full battle, as well as
the opportunity to role-play socially as your character inbetween. In order to fit all of this in, the fest is normally set on
woodland with an adjacent camping area (such as a scout site
that has been specially booked for the event) and takes place
over an entire weekend, from Friday evening to Sunday
afternoon. Fests on a bank holiday weekend may be longer,
but the premise is the same.
Each fest is usually hosted and monstered by a specific branch
or group of branches apart from F&H Summerfest, which is
hosted by the society as a whole and takes place on an annual
basis over the 3-4 days of the August bank holiday. Individual
society members may apply to play or monster at a fest, though
most hosting branches will not offer a player place to one of
their own members and, if you are a regular fest player, it is
considered polite to monster at least one fest a year, whether
that fest is hosted by your branch or by another one. There are
usually about 6 8 fests a year, each held in a different
location.

52

disturbed. Similar consideration applies if you should get up


before 8.30 am. At larger fests its possible some sleeping
areas may be set up for those players with young families in
tow and as such you should always be especially aware of their
needs as well regarding late nights and early starts.
If you bring your own alcohol to drink during a fest, keep
modern items such as beer cans out of sight pour the drink
into your goblet or tankard and dispose of the can carefully.
Even if you have a player place, always bring spare costume
and/or monster kit to a fest. Your character might be killed,
requiring you to start a new one, or you might be asked to help
out with specific monstering tasks. If there is a general
requirement for players at a fest to do some monstering, this
information will usually be included in the fest application form.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast for the weekend and
ensure you take sufficient suitable clothing. You can never
have too many socks! Remember your sensible footwear too,
as fest sites can be muddy.
Collect any rubbish that you generate over the weekend and
dispose of it sensibly. It's usually a good idea to take a few
black bin liners with you. Try not to leave rubbish around the
camp for the organisers to have to deal with late on Sunday.
Enjoy yourself!
Monstering at a Fest
Find out about the accommodation arrangements in advance.
Many fests provide in-door accommodation for their monster
team, but this is not necessarily the case.
Find out what is expected of you over the weekend and make
sure that you turn up on time for your monstering duties. Don't
force the organisers to comb the camp 5 minutes after an
adventure was due to start, looking for monsters who haven't
arrived.
Some monsters will be needed to serve at the banquet, others
may be able to attend as an NPC or as their character. Ask the
organisers about this in advance, so that you know what
costume to bring with you etc. If you do get to sit at the
banquet, allow players to take their places first.
Enjoy yourself!
What to bring with you!
Just to recap, both monsters and players will probably need the
following: tent, camping gear, sleeping bag, food, drink,
banquet kit, adventuring costume, spare/monster costume,
weapons, any assorted physreps needed by the character,
footwear, changes of clothing and, above all a sense of
adventure!

The Fest Banquet


The Peace
At the start of the banquet a tradition known as the swearing of
the peace often takes place. The highest social rank of each
race, Guild and church (usually the Guildmaster or Primate, if
present, in the latter cases) stands and declares;
I, <Character Name> swear the peace for all <race/Guild/church>
present.

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This tradition is an in-character reason for otherwise paranoid


or scared characters to attend a banquet without needing
weapons or preparing for a fight. Swearing the peace is there
so that hot food can be safely served and players can drink and
relax without worrying about an attack from anyone. Once the
peace has started to be sworn no-one may fight, cast offensive
spells or act unsafely whether or not the character belongs to
any of the races or Guilds that have been sworn for so far!
For reasons of safety, courtesy and consideration, weapons of
any construction must not be taken into a banquet.
Enjoy yourself, but remember to be considerate of others.
The peace usually lasts to at least dawn the next day and
commonly until the first event times in the following day.
Etiquette for Guests:
Try to have a separate and flashier costume for banqueting, as
it improves the overall appearance and feel of the banquet.
Be polite to your hosts. This includes having the courtesy of
asking their permission in advance of any unusual action that
you might wish to take during a banquet. It's their job to see
that things run smoothly and they do not want any unwelcome
surprises. If they are unable to permit your request for any
reason, you should respect their decision.
Avoid making out-of-character announcements, especially at
the beginning of the banquet when the atmosphere is very incharacter.
It's arrogant to order servers around: they are ordinary roleplayers wanting to have fun too and are not there to fulfil your
every wish or be shouted at. Appreciate them and be patient
with them: you too might be doing this job one day.
Entertainers have nerves of steel to do what they do. Respect
their courage, thought and effort and not just their ability. When
an entertainer is performing, don't chat amongst yourselves or
walk about the hall until the act has finished. Do not heckle or
sing along (unless they encourage it). A host may insist that
the heckler stand up there and then to provide a suitable piece
of entertainment on the spot or even remove them from the
banquet.
Etiquette for Entertainers:
Tell your hosts in advance that you wish to entertain and advise
them of the style and type of entertainment that you will be
performing, i.e. serious, comical, song, play, story, poem etc.
If you have more than one piece of entertainment, try to
perform them separately stand up for a second or third time if
appropriate.
Find out if the host is going to decide the order of
entertainment. If not, find out who the other performers will be
and talk to them beforehand. It helps the atmosphere of the
banquet if the entertainers manage to avoid a run of serious
pieces. Rowdier entertainment should be left towards the end
of the evening.
Although you might feel nervous about the idea of entertaining,
do have a go and enjoy the experience.

Fools & Heroes Society Structure


particular concern. The areas are divided up as follows: SR
Creatures, SR Magic, SR Religion, and SR Guilds.

Liaison Officers (LO)


The Liaison Officer for a branch is usually also a Referee,
which is encouraged but not required. Liaison Officers are
responsible for events, administration and representation at
branch level, e.g. provision of monthly character returns to the
Campaign Co-ordinator, collecting branch memberships and
passing to the Secretary, keeping branch accounts in order and
informing the branch of events and information distributed at
meetings of the Executive Council.
A Liaison Officer may choose to create Branch Officers to cover
aspects of the administration, such as a Branch Secretary or a
Branch Treasurer. The Liaison Officer remains responsible for
any tasks delegated and should be the first point of contact for
any players in that branch.

Elections
For posts at national level (Executive Officers and Rules
Committee) all paid-up full members (junior members may not
stand) of the Society are eligible to stand, provided that any two
other paid-up members are prepared to nominate and second
them (Senior Referee candidates should be trained and
experienced Referees). All paid-up members of the society are
eligible to vote. Elections are managed by the Secretary and a
Returning Officer (who may be the Secretary if that post is
unopposed, does not figure in the election, or if the Secretary is
an outgoing officer).
Liaison Officers are elected internally by each branch.
For further information on elections or any of these posts,
please contact the Secretary via your LO

Executive Officers
The President
The President is responsible for the general running and policy
of the society. The President usually oversees all society
events and contact with outside organisations and is
responsible for the presentation and image of the society.
The Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for the administration of the
society at national level. The Secretary controls membership
lists, fees etc. and is also responsible for the democratic
organisation of the society, the conduct of elections,
organisation of meetings of the Executive Council and
distribution of the Players Guide.
The Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the accounting of the society
at national level. He/she runs the main society account and
oversees the accounts of each branch. In order to do so, the
Treasurer may give notice to see any account held by any
branch. The Treasurer is also responsible for authorising
society expenditure and agreeing charges.
The Campaign Co-ordinator (CC)
The CC is responsible for the live role play side of the society.
The CC has overall responsibility for the implementation of
campaign guidelines and controls the campaign centrally. This
involves processing monthly character returns from every
branch and providing regular information updates to Liaison
Officers.

The National Executive Council


The National Executive Council (or Exec for short) is organised
by the Secretary and consists of the Liaison Officers and the
Executive Officers. They meet at least twice a year.
The Council usually discusses such issues as rules changes,
expenditure, society organisation and events, together with any
issue raised by a Liaison Officer (perhaps on behalf of their
branch). All Executive Officers and members of the Rules
Committee attend and present a report on their specialist area.
Decisions are made by simple majority, each LO having one
vote.
Any member of the society may attend a meeting in the
capacity of an observer, but may not usually participate unless
formally recognised. Attending a meeting with your LO is a
good way of finding out about some of the work that is done by
these officers, especially if you are considering standing for one
of these posts yourself.

The Society Constitution


The society constitution is primarily concerned with setting out
the philosophy of the society, its systems of organisation, the
responsibilities of society officers and required conduct for
members.
The document is held and updated by the Secretary, who is
responsible for its distribution to all officers of the society.
Members of the National Executive Council may propose,
discuss and vote on amendments to the constitution, but any
vote must achieve at least a 75% majority in order to be
passed.
If you would like to see a copy of the constitution, speak to
your LO
There is also a complaints procedure and a disciplinary
document available from your LO should you need to complain
about the conduct of another society member.

The Rules Committee


The Senior Referees and Campaign Co-ordinator are
responsible for considering ideas for rules changes and
presenting their findings at meetings of the Executive Council.
(This includes research on new spells, potions and recipes etc.)
Senior Referees are the final arbiters in the clarification of rules
and may provide advice and guidance to branch referees if
requested. Each Senior Referee has a specialist area of

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