EDRulebook: 7 Disciplines

My discipline is more than simply my vocation, it is what I am. All that I am is because of my chosen discipline. It guides me through my life on this world.
--Jerreck, Elf Wizard of Lowilla All characters in Earthdawn are Adepts, people able to use magic to power special abilities called talents. In order to become an Adept, a character must choose a Discipline. In one sense, your character’s Discipline is his profession, but a Discipline involves much more than that. Your character’s Discipline provides a metaphor for how he or she sees the world. For example, a Troubadour sees the world as a grand stage on which he can perform, while a Warrior sees the world as a vast battlefield on which he can fight for the causes he supports.

This section lists and describes the available Disciplines. Each Discipline is divided into Circles, which indicate the character’s experience. Your character begins the game at First Circle, advancing to each consecutive Circle as he or she gains experience, measured in Legend Points (see Building Your Legend). These rules do not reflect it, but characters will be able to advance well beyond Eighth Circle. Each Circle description includes a list of talents your character may learn at that level of experience. (See Talents, for a description of all the talents.) Each Circle also lists any other abilities or options your character gains at that Circle.

A sample character, an archetype that players can use as a character in the game rather than creating their own, follows the description of each Discipline. These archetypes were created using the random method of generating Attributes (see Creating A Character).

The races shown for each of the archetypes are only used as examples. When creating your own character, you can choose from any of the races allowed to your character’s Discipline. These archetypes can also be used by the gamemaster as opponents and villains (see Gamemastering Earthdawn) The sample archetype on this page explains the character statistics given in each archetype.

GAME TERMS

Information in the following categories describes each Discipline and how to use it in the game.

IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES

Players with characters of this Discipline should emphasize these Attributes when creating their characters. Important Attributes include those on which many of a Discipline’s talents are based.

RACIAL RESTRICTION

Certain races cannot choose certain Disciplines. Racial Restrictions indicate those restrictions. For example, the Racial Restriction listed under the Archer description is obsidiman. In other words, an obsidiman cannot be an Archer.

KARMA RITUAL

Each Discipline includes a ritual that allows characters of that Discipline to gain Karma Points. A character must spend a certain number of Legend Points to gain the Karma Point(s), then perform the ritual to receive the points. The player does not need to make any tests to perform the Karma ritual; he or she always succeeds. Each ritual takes 30 minutes to perform. Your character may only perform his Karma ritual once per day.

Each Discipline’s Karma ritual is a unique talent that allows a character to purchase additional Karma, which he or she can spend to increase the chances of success for specific actions. The rank of a character’s Karma Ritual equals the maximum number of Karma Points he or she can purchase per ritual. If, for example, your character has the Karma Ritual talent at Rank 3, he or she can purchase up to 3 Karma Points by performing one ritual.

Typical Karma rituals associated with each Discipline appear above the Circle descriptions of each Discipline. We encourage players to create unique Karma rituals for their characters.

ARTISAN SKILLS

Each Discipline also lists a number of Artisan Skills common to that Discipline. Some Disciplines encourage a variety of Artisan Skills, while others (especially magicians) recommend only one. With the gamemaster’s approval, non-magician characters can choose an ArtisanSkill not listed for their Discipline (see Skills). Magician characters must take the Artisan Skill of Robe Embroidery.

TALENTS

Each Discipline also lists the talents available to your character as he advances from one Circle to the next. You must buy ranks for each talent. See Building Your Legend for information on advancing in Circles and purchasing talent ranks. Building Your Legend also describes the Ritual of the Ghost Master, a unique option for purchasing talent ranks available to all Disciplines at Fifth Circle.

CHARACTERISTICS BONUSES

As your character advances in Circles, he or she gains bonuses to some characteristics automatically. Descriptions of these bonuses appear under each Circle. Many of them increase your character’s Defense Ratings.

Initiative bonuses increase your character’s Initiative step by the number listed. This increase is permanent as long as the character remains at the appropriate Circle or higher (see Combat).

Karma bonuses allow your character to spend Karma Points on the types of actions listed for the ability. If the ability description lists a specific Attribute, the player may spend Karma Points for the character only when making tests using the specific Attribute listed, NOT when making a test for talents or skills based on the Attribute.

Physical Defense bonuses increase your character’s Physical Defense by the number listed. This increase is permanent as long as the character remains at the appropriate Circle or higher.

Recovery Test bonuses give your character an additional number of Recovery Tests per day. The number of tests gained appears in the Circle description. This increase is permanent as long as the character remains at the appropriate Circle or higher.

Social Defense bonuses increase your character’s Social Defense by the number listed. This increase is permanent as long as the character remains at the appropriate Circle or higher.

Spell Defense bonuses increase your character’s Spell Defense by the number listed. This increase is permanent as long as the character remains at the appropriate Circle or higher.

Archer	Elementalist	Sky Raider	Troubadour	Wizard
Beastmaster	Illusionist	Swordmaster	Warrior
Cavalryman	Nethermancer	Thief	Weaponsmith