EDRulebook: 4 Game Concepts

Game Terms

The following summary of game terms should help you get started playing Earthdawn . Complete definitions and examples appear in the body of the rules.

Round

A round is a timekeeping unit used to keep the action of the adventure flowing. A round represents the time required to take most actions, and equals 10 seconds of game time. A round of action during combat is referred to as a Combat Round.

Characters

Archetypes are pregenerated characters. The ones included in this book provide a sampling of the races and character types from Earthdawn . Choosing an archetype for your character is the quickest way to get into the game, because an archetype can be used immediately.

Attributes Attributes measure a character's natural abilities, what he or she can accomplish without training or magic. Talents , skills , and spells provide other capabilities. Attributes, talents, skills, and spells all appear on the Character Record Sheet. All are measured in step numbers.

The Damage section of your Character Record Sheet tracks any damage your character takes. When the Current Damage equals or exceeds your character's Unconsciousness Rating , your character falls unconscious. When the Current Damage exceeds your character's Death Rating , he or she dies. The Wound Threshold represents the amount of damage it takes to wound your character. That amount of damage must be done in a single attack to cause a Wound. Wounds heal more slowly than normal damage. You roll Toughness dice to recover from damage; Toughness dice reduce the amount of your character's Current Damage. Each use of Toughness dice is called a Recovery Test . Your character may make only a small number of Recovery Tests per day.

Disciplines

The world of Earthdawn is filled with magic. The most talented characters, including yours, are initiated in the use of magic. Such characters are called Adepts . Some Adepts train to cast spells, some train to use swords or other weapons, others train to work with animals. The form of magical training chosen by your character is his or her Discipline . This training focuses the magical energies of your character into special abilities called Talents . Each Discipline offers unique talents. Though characters tend to specialize in one Discipline, they can gain talents from other Disciplines.

[Monster] Talents Talents are character abilities powered by magic. Magic makes the abilities easier to learn, and eventually more powerful than similar non-magical abilities, called Skills Skills . Talents and skills are rated in Ranks . Rank is the measure of proficiency in a talent or skill. Talent and skill ranks are added to an Attribute's step number to determine the ability (talent or skill) step number.

Sheri's character Me'gana has a Dexterity of 16, or Step 7. Me'gana also has Rank 3 in the Melee Weapons talent. This gives Me'gana a Melee Weapons talent step number of 10. When rolling Action dice to determine the result of using a melee weapon, Sheri rolls D10 + D6 (Step 10).

Circles

All Earthdawn characters can be rated according to their knowledge and experience. These ratings are called Circles . All Adept characters begin the game at First Circle. As your character gains experience, he can increase his Circle. As your character reaches each new Circle, he or she gains new talents and abilities.

Magic

Characters of some Disciplines possess the ability to cast spells . Known as magicians , these characters can learn a pattern for a spell, then reduce that pattern to its minimum complexity. They can store Spell Pattern that spell pattern in a Spell Matrix, and draw astral energy through the pattern to form the spell. The same pattern may be used over and over, and as long as the magician holds the spell pattern in a spell matrix, he or she may cast the spell.

Many spells have patterns too large to compress into a spell matrix. Magicians must weave part of these patterns during the casting. The portion of the spell a magician weaves is called a thread . The magician draws energy through the pattern to weave the thread, which expands the pattern. Once the pattern contains all the necessary threads, the magician can then cast the spell.

Blood Magic

Characters in Earthdawn have access to a special type of magic known as Blood Magic . Blood magic requires the character to sacrifice a small amount of his or her own blood in order to power the magic. Because this magic is powered by self-sacrifice, it is sometimes known as life magic. Blood magic is very powerful, and often endures as long as a year and a day. Characters use blood magic to increase the power and potential for success when using abilities and talents. Blood magic also allows characters to use certain powerful charms and to seal oaths. Blood magic is inherently dangerous.

Karma And Legend Points

The high level of magic running through the world of Earthdawn Earthdawn allows Adepts to use raw magical energy, called Karma , to enhance their talents. Characters can spend Karma Points to enhance the possibility of success for certain actions. The rules define the actions for which Karma Points can be used.

The gamemaster awards Legend Points after each gaming session. Your character uses Legend Points earned through successful adventuring to purchase Karma Points. You also use Legend Points to increase your character's Circle and the ranks of his or her talents and abilities. Your character gains Legend Points based on how well he or she performed during the gaming session, but based also on how well you, as a player, roleplayed your character.

The Horrors

For hundreds of years, the world of Earthdawn suffered under a reign of terror perpetrated by beings known collectively as the Horrors . Though the world always had magic, the level of ambient magic gradually increased, and so did the activity of the Horrors. Magic eventually reached a level that allowed the Horrors to routinely breach the extra-dimensional barriers between their world and the world of Earthdawn . The time during which the Horrors freely roamed the world, causing terror and destruction, is known by many names, the most common being the Scourge.

During the Scourge, cities and nations fell to the Horrors' power. Some individuals and communities embraced dark magics to defend themselves, some becoming little better than that which they feared. Now the Scourge is over. Many Horrors remain, but their power is enough diminished that civilization has begun to rebuild. Most people still tremble inside the walls they built to protect themselves and their families, afraid to venture out into the strange, changed world. The few brave enough to face it are the heroes of Earthdawn.

Names

The Names of people, places, and things affect how they interact with the universe. The universe gave certain races the ability to Name themselves and others, allowing them to better interact with magic and the life forces of the universe. All major races of Barsaive are Name-givers.

In the world of Earthdawn , a character's Name becomes more than a simple label; a Name represents that person's very being. This holds true for the Names of specific places, items, and creatures. Even the Horrors bear names, for they also interact with the universe. See the Workings of Magic section for more information regarding Names and Name-givers.

The Passions

The Passions represent the spiritual beliefs of the people of Barsaive. The Passions Passions are the physical embodiment of the life forces of the universe, the living manifestations of emotion. Each of the twelve Passions in the pantheon embody a number of emotions and passions that lie at the source of everything the Name-givers Name-giver races do and believe. Questors embrace the emotions and ideals of a particular Passion, representing their patron Passion in both word and deed. Questors serve to bridge the gap between their patro n and the denizens of the world.