Character creation

It's Time to Start Your Adventure

Keep track of your character’s development and attributes using our online character creation sheet. You will need to submit a complete character sheet in order to play your character at an event. A complete sheet will allow the Ref team to create plot and content just for you – so include as much information as you can!

This style of Character Sheet allows the Ref team to quickly export detailed Character information, allowing us to create a clear picture of the Player party’s skills, knowledge, and any areas in which they might need support from the Crew.

This page, as well as the downloadable Blood Red Roses Handbook, contains all the information you’ll need to create a character. It will be helpful in filling out your Character Sheet too.

Building a Character: Where to start…

All player characters are created using 100 character points (CPs). There are many attributes and skills with varying CP costs that can be used to build a unique character. It is up to the Player to decide whether or not to spend all 100 character points.

Players will receive experience points (XPs) per each event played and may use them to buy new skills and abilities for their characters in the future. XP will also be received for crewing an event and can be used to build player characters if desired. 1 XP is equivalent to 1 CP.

As part of its creation a character can also have disdvantages which cost minus CP. No more than 20 CP of disadvantages may be taken per character

Basic Attributes

A player character begins with with the following:

An ability to speak Algundian
1 hit point in each limb and 1 hit point in the torso
Social status of level 2 – Freefolk
No Skills
No Wealth
Basic Equipment

Land of Birth

Players can choose to have characters from different states of the League. Characters born and raised in Algundy have the standard 100 CPs for character creations. Characters from other states create characters with 90 CPs but begin with a 10 point knowledge package of their home province including; basic geography, culture and contacts.

Take a look at the country overviews on our Geography and Lore page for inspiration.

Social Status

In the world of Blood Red Roses status is everything. You can’t lift a sword unless you have the right status or belong to a Guild. Penalties for bearing arms without the right status can be extremely severe.

Choosing your character’s status can be done using the table below.

LEVEL	CP COST	INFORMATION OF STATUS
0. Slaves	- 10	Taking this status counts as a -10 point disadvantage. The character is the property of someone else and has no rights under law. They can own nothing and may not possess a weapon or armour. If given such items they are the property of the owner.
1. Peasants (The Bondi)	- 5	Taking this status counts as a -5 point disadvantage. The character is the property of a noble but has rights and privileges protected under law. They cannot own land and must ask their nobels permission to marry, move or train in another profession. The character can own objects and a knife with a blade length of less than a foot. No other weapons may be owned.
2. Freefolk	0	The character may join a Guild and may own property. They are free to travel, to marry or to perform business without a noble's permission. They can own objects and a knife with a blade length of less than a foot. No other weapons may be owned unless the character is a member of an appropriate Guild or carries a Writ of Exemption (see Advantages).
3. Gentry (Carls)	20	The lowest level of nobility. The character may not join a Guild. They may own land, weapons and armour, they may maintain a heraldic device. They have the right to ask for noble justice rather than common justice. The character gets one free skill at level 1. A martial Carl, or Knight uses the title of Sir, regardless of gender. A non-martial Carl has the right to use the titles of either Sir or Dame. Alternative titles are available, please discuss with the ref team.
4. Low Nobility (Landsgraves)	50	The character may not join a Guild. They may own land, weapons and armour. They have the right to ask for noble justice rather than common justice. They have the right to use the titles of Landsgrave, Lord or Lady. Included with this package the character has Heraldry skill at level 2, Stewardship at level 2 and an Art skill at level 1. They have an income of 5 Librium a year and two contacts amongst the nobility.
5. Mid Nobility (Edda)	75	Eddas may not be created without permission of the Ref Team. The character may not join a guild. They may own land, weapons and armour. They have the right to ask for noble justice rather than common justice. They have the right to use the titles of Edda or Lord or Lady. An Edda has Heraldry at level 2, Stewardship at level 2, Politics at level 2, and an Art skill at level 1. They have an income of 10 Librium a year and three contacts amongst the nobility. A retinue would be expected to accompany anyone playing an Edda.
6. High Nobility (Baron)	100	To be discussed on a case by case basis with the Ref team.
7. Ruler (Earl)	200
8. High King (Archduke)	1000

Wealth

Wealth in Algundy was originally measured in silver coins called Pennies. There were 1000 Pennies to the Librium, literally 1lb in weight of silver. As civilisation and trade have developed so too has the currency. There are now three coins; a copper penny, a silver sovereign and a gold crown. As a base rule one copper penny will feed an adult for one day on a basic diet. Three copper pennies a day would add meat, cheese and ale to the diet.

1 silver sovereign is worth 12 copper pennies
1 gold crown is worth 20 silver sovereigns (240 copper pennies)

The Librium of currency now equates to 1000 copper pennies, or in more practical terms that is 83 silver sovereigns and 4 copper pennies or 4 gold crowns, 3 silver sovereigns and 4 copper pennies.

If your character has wealth then you will begin an event with the weekendly stipend for your annual income. If your character has no wealth then they will begin the game with no cash. If your character ends an event with a large amount of cash, above your initial allotment, you will get a point cost reduction on buying the next level of wealth. Discuss this with the Ref team. The table indicates the costs of purchasing the varying levels of wealth in CP.

We have created a short guide on ‘What Things Cost’ in Algundy to give you an idea of how far your money will go. Click the button to take a look.

Wealth per Year	Pennies per Game	Sovereigns per game	Crowns per game	COST IN CP
0	0	0	0	0
500p*	5	3	0	5
1lb	11	6	0	10
5lb	8	14	1	20
10lb	5	9	3	30
20lb	10	18	6	40
40lb	9	17	13	50
100lb	5	14	34	60
200lb	10	8	69	70

*500 pennies per year is the maximum for a peasant

Guild Membership

Guild membership carries several rewards and comes in four grades; Apprentice, Journeyman, Master and Grand Master. In addition, membership to an appropriate guild is one way to acquire a skill above level 1 in a restricted skill. Only the level of Grand Master needs to be discussed with the Ref team before purchase. Guild members should carry the appropriate Guild membership Writs.

Guild membership packages can be used as an equivalent for other professions such as those within the Church or the Rangers – speak to a Ref for more details.

Guilds are bodies or organisations that cover all the business to do with certain markets or services. Some are large and others are very small. For example there is a Guild of Mercenaries, a Guild of Clothiers, a Guild of Taverners and Bawdy Keeps etc. There isn’t a definitive list but many Guilds have already been established and have a hierachy in place. Speak to the Ref team if you’d like to join a certain Guild or even create one. There will be Guilds within most countries in the League, each with its own Grand Master. The Grand Masters from each country are likely in contact with one another.

GRADE OF MEMBERSHIP	CP COST	NOTES
Apprentice	10	Has three craft related skills at level 1. Has Guild membership. Has disadvantage ‘Serves a Master’ (already built into the cost).
Journeyman	25	Has one craft related skills at level 2. Has two craft related skills at level 1. Has Guild membership. Has the disadvantage of ‘May not settle to practice craft’ (already built into the cost).
Master	50	Has one craft related skill at level 3. Has one craft related skill at level 2. Has two craft related skills at level 1. Has two contacts within the same guild. Has Guild membership.
Grand Master	130	Has one craft related skill at level 4. Has one craft related skill at level 3. Has two craft related skills at level 2. Has politics at level 1. Has three contacts within the guild. Has one contact in the nobility. Has guild membership.

What are Writs of Exemption?

A Writ of Exemption, often just called a Writ, is a document or set of papers that permit a character to perform a task or carry items that would otherwise be illegal for them. You need a Writ to bare arms and armour unless you are of noble status. You need a Guild Writ in order to practice your Guild related skill or craft and you need a Writ to explain your ability to heal the sick and injured.

Here are some template documents for Writs of Exemption. Please feel free to download them and edit them for your purposes. You could even tea-stain the paper and add wax seals before you bring them back into the game world if you wanted to!

Hit Points

Some people are tougher or luckier than others; a character can have more hit points than basic 1 in each location. You can purchase an addition hit point in each location for 30CP. This advantage can be taken multiple times but must be bought concurrently e.g. 3 extra hit points would cost 120 CP as indicated in the table.

EXTRA HIT POINTS	CP COST PER LEVEL	TOTAL COST
1st	30	30
2nd	40	70
3rd	50	120

It is reasonable to assume that the more hit points a character has the tougher they are to defeat in combat. It is also worth noting that you can choose to play a non-combatant character. Physical combat isn’t for everyone and we have extensive provision for both combatant and non-combatant characters.

Contacts

A contact is an acquaintance that may be able to supply your character with information or assistance. It costs 5 CP to have a contact of the same social status or lower. For every level of status higher than you, the cost is increased by 5 CPs. It’s worth remembering that contacts are a two-way relationship, on occasion they may come to your character for assistance.

Allies

Allies are similar to contacts but they are more loyal. They are willing to take risks for your character and even endanger their own life if the situation merits it. It costs 10 CP to purchase an ally of the same social status as your character or lower. For every level of status higher than your character the cost is increased by 10 CPs. Please remember that allies are a two-way relationship, on occasion they may come to your character for assistance.

Equipment

Certain equipment is rare in Algundy and requires character points for your character to use it in game. The cost includes acquiring the item and appropriate training to use and care for it. So, for example, if an untrained person picked up and fired a flintlock they will have to make a bead draw to determine whether they hit, miss or blows their own hand off.

Should you acquire rare equipment during play you will get a 2 CP reduction on the cost of ‘purchasing’ that item, otherwise, that equipment is lost by the start of the next game.

Slaves and Peasants (Bondi) may not purchase equipment as they are not permitted to have possessions of their own.

Any character wishing to upgrade from other metal armour to Plate can do so by only paying the 10 CP difference.

EQUIPMENT*	CP COST	NOTES
Ring Mail / Bezainted / Maille / Brigandine Armour	10	Ring Mail/Bezainted gives 3 armour points. Maille/Brigandine gives 4 armour points
Plate Armour	20	Gives 5 armour points
Flintlock / Arquebuse / 1 Grenade	10	A Flintlock/Arquebuse gets 10 shot per event
3 Smoke Grenades	5	3 per event
Cannon	20	Speak to the Ref team
A Legendary Weapon	20
A Saint’s Relic	10

*The list in the Equipment table is not an exhaustive list. Any special equipment not listed here that significantly affects the performance of your character must be discussed with the Ref team and a CP cost set.

Natural Advantages

These are the powers that could make a person into a hero.

ADVANTAGE	CP COST	DETAILS
Artist	15	The character is naturally creative, the value of any object they make is increased by 50%
Beserk	20	There is Fens blood in your veins, or perhaps you simply have a wild streak. You lose control in combat leaving a trail of destruction behind you. The character ignores all damage for a period of three minutes. If all opponents are killed before the berserk begins to calm down you will attack the nearest perceived threat, a friend, an animal or even an inanimate object. Once the fit is over all hits will immediately affect the character possibly resulting in death if medical attention is not available.
Constitution of an Ox	20	The character never gets ill, wounds never become infected. The character could walk through a village invested with the Grey plague without any risk.
Courage	10	The character is immune to the call of ‘fear’ and will remain steadfast in the face of a creature that radiates ‘fear’. Those with Courage are less effected by creatures who radiate ‘terror’ and will run away for a period of 10 seconds rather than being frozen for 30 seconds first. Courage should always be demonstrated or verbalised in character in order to take effect – “By the light of the Lady, I stand!”
Exemption	10	This is an extremely important advantage; it allows you to practice skills that would normally get you into trouble and to carry a sword when you would not normally have the right to do so. This advantage comes in the form of a Writ that you must carry at all times. Check the website to view an appropriate Writ.
Forester	15	The character never gets lost in the wilderness, they can find food and water and construct simple shelters.
Iron Will	20	Possession, hypnotism or other forms of unnatural persuasion cannot affect the character. This could be due to mental strength or just plain stubbornness. Iron will should always be demonstrated or verbalised in character to take effect – “The strength of my resolve protects me!”
Mathematician	15	The character has an almost unnatural capacity for mathematics, working out complex equations in their head. All skills that relate to mathematics (artillery, navigation etc) can be bought at half cost.
Mentor	10	The character had a non-guild master that taught them a skill such as Herbalism at advanced levels. This advantage allows you to take Herbalism above level 1.
Squeamish	20	The character is squeamish and faints at the first sight of their own blood. The character faints and is out cold on their first hit. The crew will ignore that character whilst they remain in the faint and the hit is ignored as it was ‘Just a scratch’.
Stomach of the Boar	20	The character can eat anything and not suffer for it. Food could be rancid, mouldy or deliberately poisoned, it doesn’t matter as the character will suffer no ill effects.
Strength of the Bull	20	The character can perform incredible feats of strength twice a day. This could be lifting and throwing an anvil, pushing over a peasant hut or snapping chains. If used in combat, this ability doubles the damage of a single blow per use. This ability can be purchased multiple times.
University Educated	10	The character attended one of the Leagues foremost seats of learning. This advantage allows you to take Churgery above level 1 and the Occult skill above level 1. You also know the classics, history, spelling, trivium and mathematics.

Natural Disadvantages

These are not to be taken lightly and will make a difference in the game and could seriously impact your character, so choose carefully. You may make your character as flawed as you wish but you can only receive a maximum of -20 CP back for your disadvantages per character.

DISADVANTAGE	CP COST	DETAILS
Bad Reputation	-5 per group	One group looks upon your character as bad news; a group could be an order of the church, a guild or a town or community. Work out with the Ref team what your character did and if the reputation is deserved. This disadvantage can be taken multiple times.
Blind	-15	The character is completely blind.
Branded	-10	Branding is often the punishment for thieves and other such criminals so that wherever they go their nature will be known. Brands are always on the face and are difficult to cover or hide.
Coward	-5	The threat of physical violence terrifies the character. They cannot willingly take any action that would endanger themselves and when confronted by multiple threats they must take the least frightening option.
Cursed	-5	The character has been cursed by some supernatural means; it could be the evil eye, the fairies or an evil witch. The nature of the curse should be arranged with the Ref team. An extreme curse may be worth -10 CP.
Damned	-20	The character is an agent of Evil, with no chance of redemption, all of their actions should be aimed at the eventual corruption and damning of those around them. The character begins with one random mutation (speak to the Ref team for this) and one spell. Please be advised that should the character be detected by a witch hunter then it may be a very short-lived character.
Deaf	-10	The character is completely deaf.
Debt - Minimum	-5	The character owes someone money but the amount is so minor that it causes no real inconvenience or threat of harm. With regular payments the debt is likely to be paid off within a year.
Debt - Medium	-10	The character owes someone money and the amount is substantial enough that they will struggle to pay it back over their lifetime. There would be serious physical and social repercussions for missing a payment.
Debt - Life	-15	The character owes a debt that will never be financially paid off. The penalties for missing a payment are much more severe. Failure to make payments would almost certainly mean the end of the character’s life.
Dullard	-10	The character does not benefit from formal learning, all academically linked skills cost twice as many CPs to purchase.
Enemies	-10	Someone intends your character harm. This advantage can be taken multiple times and each time it is taken you gain 10CP and your enemy has 100CP added to their creation.
Feral	-15	The character was brought up away from contact with civilisation as the League knows it. Perhaps they were raised by animals, or their family were pagans hiding in the woods, or perhaps as a changeling baby you were stolen from your family and switched by faeries or spirits. The character can speak only pidgin Algundian and may have developed no skills that involve instruction, such as reading, astronomy etc. Perfect for primitive characters.
Greed	-5	The character is avaricious to the point of stupidity. They are the type of character that knows the precious gem on the alter is booby trapped but still can’t resist taking it.
Heretic	-5	Your family are heretics. Several members of your family have faced the inquisitional flames for their beliefs. The family name may attract the attention of the Church.
Hunted - Minor	-5	Someone or a small group is looking for your character. You could owe them money or they might have a vendetta against you.
Hunted - Major	-10	Your character is wanted. A large bounty is on your head, attracting bounty hunters and the attention of law keepers. There is a certain fame that goes with it, the common folk know your name and will help in your capture, so vile are the charges against you.
Lame	-5	The character has a permanent injury to their leg, possibly a badly set break. The character walks with a distinct limp and can never run, whatever the situation.
Lapsed Membership	-5	Although you were once a member of a guild and have all the training attendant to your rank, you fail to keep up dues or an infraction in guild law has seen you ostracised from your guild. As a result, you have no access to your guild contacts and your income becomes variable as you can only work where the guild enforcers can’t see you.
Mutant	-5	The character starts with one mutation (speak to the Ref team). The character may be perfectly innocent of Evil but in the eyes of the Church they are a criminal. This can be taken multiple times.
Mute	-10	The character cannot speak.
Oath	-5	The character has taken an oath that somehow restricts their actions. Examples might include, Oaths to always fight a certain enemy or fulfil a certain quest. The repercussions for breaking an Oath or Vow are often very extreme, sometimes resulting in death.
One-Eyed	-5	The character has lost an eye, depth perception is impaired.
One-Handed	-10	The character is missing a hand.
Ravaged	-5	The character has survived the plague, either the Grey plague the Rot or the Archduke’s Evil (an unpleasant form of the pox). Though you survived the disease has left you scarred. On the plus side you are now immune to the chosen disease.
Reckless	-5	The character is brave to the point of foolhardiness. No matter how big or nasty something it the character will not run. In any situation with an element of danger the character must act in a foolishly courageous manner.
Rival	-5	Your character has a rival. It could be another merchant in the same trade, or another knight striving to become more popular at court. It could be a friendly rival – but it probably isn’t.
Revenge	-5	Someone has persecuted your character or their family and loved ones. You must try to do that person harm at every opportunity.
Secret - Minor	-5	The character has a secret that should it be revealed, will cause them public disapproval and possibly lead to their arrest.
Secret - Major	-10	The secret is so bad that should it be revealed the character is a dead person, hunted throughout Algundy and the League.
Servant	-5	Characters with this disadvantage are in debt to another or are paid servants. They must obey the instructions of their master/mistress or risk punishment.
Slave	-10	The character is the property of another with no rights or conditions of treatment under law. They can own nothing and may not possess a weapon or armour. If given such items they are the property of the owner.
Tainted	-10	The call of the Evil is strong in the character’s veins. If they die they will likely rise as one of the lost. The Church and their agents make the character uncomfortable. The character is subject to bad dreams and strange visions.
Temper	-5	The character has a hot temper and will react to provocation or baiting.
Unlucky	-10	The character knows the scales of probability are tiped against them. Any actions with an element of chance involved are more likely to go against the characters wishes.
Vendetta	-10	A non-player character (NPC) at least two social levels above you has done you wrong. Your character is driven to exact justice at every opportunity.
Vow	-10	A more serious version of Oath. All vows are very restrictive. Examples are vows of silence, vows of poverty, vows of chastity etc. The repercussions for breaking an Oath or Vow are often very extreme, sometimes resulting in death.

Skills - overview & information

Skills are components of a character that can be purchased using CP or are included within Status or Guild Membership packages. They are important aspects in defining any character.

There is no definitive ‘skills list’ for Blood Red Roses as there is no intention to limit players in character creation. As such one character could have the skill ‘Metalworking’ and another might have the skill ‘Smithing’, both skills are acceptable and both allow the same tasks.
The breadth of a skill should be modelled on the examples in the table. A skill called ‘Make’ is too broad a definition whereas a skill called ‘Make Chairs’ is too narrow.
In some cases, a skill above Level 1 will be unavailable without the addition of certain backgrounds – these are restricted skills.
Some skills may require a bead draw to determine the outcome. The higher your skill level the higher your chances of success.

Examples of skills

Lore (Geography)	Lore (History)	Lore (Folklore)
Mining	Tracking	Smithing
Law	Churgery	Leatherworker
Heraldry	Herbalism	Tactics
Craft (Brewing)	Lore (Alchemy)	Etiquette
Tailoring	Craft (Poetry)	Trapping

There is a more extensive, but still not an exhaustive list of skills here:

Skill Levels

Skills are rated from Level 1 to Level 5; Level 1 being a basic knowledge of the subject and Level 5 representing an almost supernatural talent for the skill:

Level 1 Skill – Cost 5CP

Represents a basic knowledge of the subject but limits what the character can do. With a language, it represents a knowledge of basic phrases and an ability to count in that language. Level 1 in Herbalism would permit the ability to identify common herbs of the character’s homeland and prepare and medically apply fresh herbs.

Level 2 Skill – 15CP

Represents professional knowledge of the skill and probably training in its use. A character can use the skill to earn a living. Level 2 in Carpentry would allow a character to make simple, functional furniture and equipment. Level 2 in heraldry would enable a character to identify someone from their home region by device and to know the famous devices of the entire country.

Level 3 Skill – 30CP

Represents a mastering of a skill; the character can now confidently perform all of the major areas of the skill. At this level, a character can begin to teach the skill. Level 3 in Tailoring would allow the creation of costumes fit for the Archduke, and would allow knowledge of what the latest fashions are and what is likely to become fashionable soon. Level 3 in Strategy would make the character as knowledgeable as a general, effortlessly controlling troop movements, logistics and giving an idea of the enemies’ deployments.

Level 4 Skill – 90CP

Represents a truly inspired knowledge of a subject or a craft. Items manufactured by you are sought out simply because you made them. A knowledge-based skill at this level would put you as one of the foremost scholars of the subject in the country if not the entire League. Someone with a craft skill at this level would be able to become a guild master.

Level 5 Skill – 180CP

Represents Legendary skill. A Sword-smith with a skill at this grade would produce weapons rumoured to be magical. An Architect would be considered to be inspired by the Goddess. A Poet or Troubadour would have it said of them that they had sold their soul to Evil, or that the pure notes of their voice could crack stone or make a statue cry. Characters cannot start the game with this level of skill, to get to this level would require the character to buy a skill up to level 4 and then make some discovery during the course of play.

Skill Use

To successfully use a skill at any level the character must go through the motions of using the skill; roleplaying the skill is essential. For example; to use Churgery the character should go through the motions of performing an operation, preparing instruments and bandages, the actual action of the surgery, followed by stitching up the wound. Another example would be that of the Tracking skill; the character should go through the actions of looking for tracks on the ground, checking for broken vegetation etc. – simply standing in woodland, asking a referee what you see will get the answer of ‘mud and trees’.

Skill Stacking:

Where two characters have the same skill and collaborate on a task, their skill level may be treated as being one level higher than it is. For example, two level 2 Leather-workers are working together to complete a large armour repair. Working in this way means their skill level will be treated as a level 3, reducing the repair time. Remember to inform the Refs in play if collaboration occurs and they can detail and confirm the benefits of the skill stack.

Upgrading Skills:

As skills are upgraded during play the player only need pay the CP difference between their current level and the next level.

Cost for Upgrading Skills

SKILL LEVEL	PURHCASE COST (CP)	UPGRADE COST (CP)
1	5	-
2	15	10
3	30	15
4	90	60.
5	180	90

Specific Skills – Some skills need a little more detail than others

Armour Repair
There are several skills involved with Amour Repair: Craft: Armourer, Craft: Leather-worker and Craft: Tailor.

Armourer is a craft skill that covers the repair of metal armours (chain and plate) and Bound Shields.
Leather-Worker is a craft skill covering the repair of leather and furs. This may include leather armour and Unbound stretched hide shields. Due to the less complex nature of leather, repair takes half as long as metal repair.
A Tailor or character with a Needlework skill would be able to mend cloth or fabric armour such as gambesons or arming jacks.
Unbound wooden shields would require the skill of carpentry to be repaired and again take half the repair time of metal due to simplicity of construction.
All shields are considered to have 5 armour points for the purposes of repair.

Armour REPAIR TIMES FOR ALL ARMOUR AND SHIELD TYPES

SKILL LEVEL OF REPAIRER	HOURS PER POINT (METAL ARMOUR OR BOUND SHIELD)	HOURS PER POINT (LEATHER ARMOUR OR UNBOUND SHIELD)
1	2	1
2	1	0.5
3	0.5	0.25

Healing

Wounds and injuries are the unavoidable consequences of combat. Without assistance, healing is a slow and perilous business where wounds take months to knit closed, bones may set crooked and, most commonly, death occurs from the wound becoming infected resulting in blood poisoning. For these reasons healing with assistance is the path of choice for most people. There are two branches of healing within Blood Red Roses; Herbalism, that deals with damage and injuries before your character enters minus hit points and Churgery that deals with wounds that cause your character to enter minus hit points.

Herbalism – Overview and Game Mechanics

The most common form of healing is that practiced by the herbalist. Every community has someone who has some knowledge of the healing properties of plants. By applying herbs to an injury and bandaging the afflicted body part the natural process of healing can be accelerated.

Herbs quickly lose their potency after gathering. Herbs used for healing that are more than a day old cause the herbalist to be treated as a rank lower in the skill than they actually are. Herbalists would be wise to carry an appropriate Writ from their noble stating that they are medical professionals and not traveling poisoners.

The base time for healing without assistance is one month per point of damage. More serious wounds such as those from a two-handed weapon may take longer

To use the Herbalism skill effectively the player must apply herbs to an injury and bind them there – usually this is done with a cloth wrap in the form of a poultice. The wounded person must then rest for the appropriate amount of time in order for the injury to heal properly. Any vigorous movement (such as walking) that puts strain on the wounded area will reset the healing time. Herbalists should make a note of their patients’ movements to help the Refs keep track of this. For example, someone with a wounded arm could quite easily walk with the arm strapped down and it would heal as they travelled. They could not lift anything or fight with that arm without resetting the healing time. If the wound was on the leg or the torso then whilst the poultice would prevent the injury from becoming more serious, it would not start healing again until the character stopped moving around and got some rest. The healing time would then reset and fresh herbs may need to be applied.

The healing time for a wound is dependent on the level of the herbalist’s skill:

Level 1 Herbalist
Healing time is 4 hours per point of damage. Level 1 herbalists cannot prepare dried herbs and must gather herbs daily.

Level 2 Herbalist – Restricted unless you have Mentor Advantage
Healing time is 2 hours per point of damage. They can prepare dried herbs which will heal as per the level 1 skill (4 hours).

Level 3 Herbalist – Restricted unless you have Mentor Advantage
Healing time is 1 hour per point of damage. They can prepare dried herbs which will heal as per the level 2 skill (2 hours).

Level 4 Herbalist – Restricted unless you have Mentor Advantage
Healing time is ½ hour per point of damage. They can prepare dried herbs which will heal as per the level 3 skill (1 hour).

If two herbalists of the same level cooperate the level of their skill may be treated as one higher than it actually is. For example, two level 2 herbalists are working on a front-line fighter who has taken severe burns. Working together gives them an effective skill of level 3 and allows them to prepare a salve as a level 3 herbalist would. This is an example of Skill Stacking.

Churgery – Overview and Game Mechanics

Although herbs are amazingly useful in the healing process, they are not able to set bones or permit the removal of an arrow fragment from deep within a lung. To achieve these and other miracles of healing, the new science of Churgery must be used. Taught in medical schools and the newly founded universities, this is the scientific approach to healing, or ‘wounding’ someone in order to heal them.

Churgery introduces the idea of cleanliness into dealing with injuries. It will reduce the chance of initial infection and, once stitched, will also greatly reduce the possibility of any secondary infections. Cleaning a wound carefully is important because the continued presence of shrapnel such as shot, arrowheads or even dirt in a wound can lead to life-long and perhaps life-limiting complications. Churgery has many benefits but is still an emerging science, very much subject to circumstance. Churgeons would be wise to carry an appropriate Writ stating that they are medical professionals and not traveling necromancers.

The tasks that can be successfully performed by a Churgeon are dependent on their skill level:

Level 1 Churgeon:

Cleaning, treatment and stitching of an injury can occur. They can remove foreign bodies such as shrapnel, arrows and bullets. Without this basic level of Churgery an additional point of damage is caused by removing the item. A bead draw will also occur for the negative hit points associated with an internal injury.

Level 2 Churgeon* – Restricted unless you have University Educated Advantage.

Broken bones can be set and dislocated limbs mended as well as removing foreign bodies. The chance of infection is reduced meaning that healing bead draws are one stage better.

Level 3 Churgeon – Restricted unless you have University Educated Advantage.

Effects as level 1 and 2 but in addition better practice further reduces the chance of infection meaning bead draws are two stages better.

Level 4 Churgery – Restricted unless you have University Educated Advantage.

The almost godlike ability allows the Churgeon to attempt to heal wounds to the head and delicate wounds to the body. The Master Churgeon can almost achieve modern scientific feats due to expertise and infection is eliminated. The Ref team should be consulted in extreme cases.

*It should be noted that without the co-operation of a level 2 (or above) Churgeon, broken bones will begin to set incorrectly leading to lifelong crippling injuries.

If two Churgeons of the same level cooperate the level of their skill may be treated as one higher than it actually is. For example, two journeyman Churgeons collaborate to try and remove a pistol shot from the chest of their companion. They are both level 2 Churgeons but working together gives them an effective level 3 skill, greatly improving their companion’s chance of survival.

The science of Churgery is so new that many of the procedures the player characters will perform may never have been done before. A good living can be made lecturing or publishing once their skill is honed.

Non-physical wounds such as those caused by the uncanny powers of the forces of Evil cannot be treated with churgery. You can’t cut out spiritual corruption with a knife, not that people haven’t tried…

Alchemy

Alchemy is considered an early form of scientific chemical and physical investigation. The production of black powder and the guns that use it, grenades, acids and non-biological poisons as well as clockwork mechanics, the production of oils and explosives all fall under its remit. Alchemy is in no way a stable science, for example making gunpowder is a dangerous process; a spark or naked flame nearby could cause an explosion at any time.

Making alchemical substances will be accompanied by a bead draw to determine whether or not you have had an accident. Damage from a flashover ranges from lost eyebrows to blindness, so beware!

Alchemy is considered a secretive science. Some branches of the Alchemists Guild believe that only the Masters of the Guild should hold the recipes but there are others who believe the information should be for everyone within the guild. One thing is certain, anyone with any alchemical recipes will not share them for free. Imagine if the recipe for black powder was leaked – everyone would be making it!

In order to make shot for a weapon, a character must be a Master level member of the Alchemist Guild and have alchemy of at least level 2. This is because the recipe for Black Powder is one of the most closely guarded in the League.

Here is some guidance on the alchemical skill of preparing shot for weapons:

Level 2 Alchemist – The character can make one shot per hour of work at a cost of 2 pennies for the raw ingredients.

Level 3 Alchemist – At level 3 the greater knowledge of the alchemist allows the production of 2 shots per hour of work at a cost of 1 penny per shot for raw ingredients.

Level 4 Alchemist – At level 4 the character can produce 4 shots per hour of work at a cost of 1 penny for the raw ingredients.

Outside of the use of black powder, there are no prescriptive limitations to Alchemy as there can be so many aspects to it e.g. explosives, clockwork, oils, poisons etc. Just speak to the Ref team about how your character would like to use Alchemy.