MAGICAL EQUIPMENT

HEALING AIDS

Booster Potion
A booster potion increases the effectiveness of a character’s Recovery Test. Each booster potion adds 8 steps to a character’s Toughness step for one Recovery Test. If a character has no Recovery Tests left, the booster potion has no effect.

Healing Potion
Healing potions automatically heal one Wound, and also add 8 steps to a character’s Toughness step for one Recovery Test. A character may use a healing potion whether or not he has a Recovery Test available. If a character has no Recovery Tests left, the healing potion heals one of the character’s Wounds. He then makes a Recovery Test using Step 8 (2D6) for the effect of the healing potion instead of his Recovery step.

Last-chance Salve
Last-chance salve can be given to any character who has been dead for one hour or less. The clear salve glows a gentle blue as it works its magic, a process that takes one minute. The character may then make all of his or her remaining Recovery Tests. If a character has no remaining Recovery Tests, last-chance salve entitles him to one extra Recovery Test. If this reduces the damage taken enough to revive the character, the character lives. If not, the character stays dead.

Resist-disease Potion
Resist-disease potions add 3 steps to a character’s Toughness or talent step when making a Resistance Test against a disease.

Cure Disease Potion
Cure disease potions heal damage caused by disease and add 5 steps to a character’s Toughness or talent step when making a Resistance Test against a disease.

Kelix’s Poultice
Kelix’s poultice adds 5 steps to a character’s Toughness or talent step when making Resistance Tests against poison. The poultice must be applied to the wound where the poison entered. If no wound exists—for example, if a character swallowed poison—the character must be intentionally wounded, and the poultice applied to the wound. The effects of the poultice last for 5 rounds and add 5 steps to the character’s Toughness or talent step for Resistance Tests made during these rounds.

Kelia’s Antidote
Kelia’s Antidote suppresses the effects of poisons, meaning that a character takes no damage from the poison for 4 hours. The antidote also adds 4 steps to the character’s Toughness or talent step when making a Resistance Test against the poison. Kelia’s antidote only suppresses the effect of one dose.

LIGHT QUARTZ

BLOOD CHARMS

Absorb Blow
An absorb blow charm causes 2 points of permanent damage to the wearer. These charms are usually quartz, veined red from the wearer’s blood. Absorb blow gives a character a one-time bonus of 12 to his Physical Armor Rating; the charm absorbs 12 Damage Points of the first blow the wearer takes after activating the charm. Using the charm destroys it, leaving only a cracked, blackened piece of stone. Armor-Defeating Hits have no effect on an absorb blow charm. A character cannot use the charm, however, if an attack takes him enough by surprise to prevent him activating the charm. For more information on Armor-Defeating Hits, see Combat.

Astral Sensitive Eye
An astral sensitive eye is a magically treated lump of amber, hollowed out and filled with a gel worm and nourishing fluid, then attached to an eye patch. When worn, the worm burrows into the wearer’s eye, destroying it. Though the fluid in the gem makes this process relatively painless, the wearer takes 1 permanent Damage Point as the price for his ability to see through the gem. Though the character’s vision through the gem is slightly cloudy, that eye has astral sight. As with the windling ability of astral sight, the character wearing an astral sensitive eye takes Strain. To use the astral sight, the wearer makes a test using either his Perception or Spellcasting Step, whichever is higher. An astral sensitive eye can never be removed, and the Damage Point can never be healed.

Death Cheat
A death cheat charm costs its wearer 3 Damage Points. Usually made of turquoise or tourmaline, the charms have a single red spot drawn from the wearer’s blood. Upon the wearer’s death, the death cheat charm automatically grants the character a Recovery Test with a 5-step bonus. Once the wearer has used the charm, it becomes inert, appearing as a translucent stone drained of most of its color. Though the charm has no intrinsic value, nobles or would-be heroes often offer up to 100 silver pieces for a used death cheat charm, wearing them as an unearned badge of honor.

Desperate Blow
A desperate blow charm costs its wearer 4 Damage Points. Charm makers usually fashion desperate blow charms from steel and quartz. The wearer’s blood infuses the quartz with red, and one drop of blood is perpetually suspended from the steel. At the wearer’s discretion, the desperate blow charm adds 6 steps to either an Attack Test or a Damage Test. A desperate blow charm may be used more than once, but in order to reattach it, the wearer must first recover at least 4 points of damage in one Recovery Test.

Desperate Spell
A desperate spell charm costs its wearer 3 Damage Points. Made of silver and a small pearl, the wearer’s blood leaves brilliant red speckles on the pearl. A desperate spell charm adds 6 steps to either a Spellcasting Test or a Effect Test (or the Effect dice) when using a spell. A desperate spell charm may be reused, but in order to reattach it, the wearer must first recover at least 3 points of damage in one Recovery Test

Horror Fend
A Horror fend charm costs the wearer 2 Damage Points. Charm makers construct Horror fend charms from gold and silver designed around a piece of elemental earth. Two drops of the wearer’s blood travel along the gold, soak into the earth, emerge in the silver, then soak into the earth to start the pattern again. Horror fend charms offer protection against the Horrors or their constructs. Your character chooses when to use the Horror fend charm. Using the charm increases the wearer’s Physical Defense and Spell Defense by 3 points each, and the effect lasts for 2 Combat Rounds. The character chooses when to use the charm, and after using it once may either recharge the charm or let it fall from his body, destroyed. Recharging the charm costs the wearer an additional Damage Point. Unlike the initial 2 Damage Points, a character may heal any Damage Points lost by recharging without disposing of the charm. To heal the original 2 points of damage, the wearer must first destroy the charm.

Targeting Eye
A targeting eye is magically treated piece of quartz hollowed out, filled with a gel worm and nourishing fluid, then attached to an eye patch. When worn, the worm burrows into the wearer’s eye, destroying it. Though the fluid in the gem makes this process relatively painless, the wearer takes 1 point of permanent damage. The wearer sees through the quartz, though his vision through that eye remains a little cloudy. At a cost of 1 Strain Point, the eye allows its wearer to add 2-steps to missile weapon or throwing weapon Attack Tests. A targeting eye cannot be removed, and the Damage Point can never be healed.

PROVISIONS

RATIONS

Trail Rations
Trail rations consist of dried fruit, dried meat, and nuts. A week’s worth of trail rations weighs 8 pounds.

Dwarf Mine Rations
Dwarf mine rations consist of nuts and vegetables grown exclusively underground. Hearty and lightweight, a week’s supply of these rations weighs 6 pounds. The rations have the consistency of gravel, and some claim they have a taste to match. Characters eating dwarf mine rations all day add 1 step to their Toughness step for their first Recovery Test the following day. Though undeniably healthier than other rations, dwarf mine rations often cause strife within mining groups and adventuring parties. After a week of eating such rations, each character must make a Willpower Test each morning to see if he can face eating more. Obsidimen and dwarfs must roll a test result of 2 or more to continue eating dwarf mine rations. Humans, trolls, and orks need a result of 3 or more to make a successful Willpower Test. Elves, t’skrang, and windlings need a result of 4 or more.

DAILY FOOD AND LODGING

Food
All of the meals described below are full meals capable of sustaining a character for a full day. Prices are listed in the Goods and Services Table.

Simple Meal: A simple meal consists of cheese, bread, and fruit when in season. This type of meal emphasizes quantity over quality.

Average Meal: The average meal includes fatty meat, bread, cheese, fruit in season, and a few mugs of average ale to wash it down.

Good Meal: A good meal includes fine fish or lean meat, vegetables, three or more types of bread, a bowl of soup, and a few mugs of good ale. Dessert may or may not be included, depending on the establishment.

Sumptuous Feast: A sumptuous feast includes at least nine courses, including appetizers, soup, ale-tasting with various breads, salad, ale-tasting with different cheeses, a shared entree, a personal entree, ale-tasting with nuts, and dessert. Fine dwarven stout is served throughout the meal, a different variety for each course, with at least three varieties served during each ale-tasting.

Theran Uyglar: This rare dessert is a light, custardy parfait traditionally served without a glass. Instead, magic keeps it afloat. The taste changes into a variety of flavors as the dessert is eaten, caramel and sweetmeg being the most common.

Drinks
Ale and wine are the most common drinks in Barsaive, ranging in quality from average to fine. Prices also vary, ranging from a few copper pieces for a mug to a king’s ransom for the best vintages.

Lodging
Nearly all towns and cities in Barsaive offer lodging of varying quality. The most typical lodging houses are described below. Prices are listed on the Goods and Services Table.

Flophouses: Flophouses are the most inexpensive lodging available in Barsaive. These facilities are basically large, common rooms where characters roll up in their own blankets and sleep on the floor. Flophouses offer no services of any kind.

Cheap Inns: Cheap inns offer both public and private rooms. Public rooms have one large bed which can accommodate several people. A private room contains a single-occupancy bed. Cheap inns usually offer simple and average meals, and average ale and wine.

Merchant Inns: These inns offer higher quality accommodations than cheap inns, but also cost more. They offer only private rooms, some of which come with private baths. Merchant inns offer all types of food and drink, from simple meals to sumptuous feasts.

Guild Inns: Guild inns are run by the dwarf guilds, who originally built these facilities to house journeyman guild members. Over the years, many have begun to serve travelers, who generally have more ready coin than the average journeyman or apprentice. Most rooms at these inns have security locks, resistant to lock picking. These magic locks fit over the door’s regular lock on both sides of the door. Picking a security lock requires a successful Lock Picking Test using a Difficulty Number of 15. A successful Dispel Magic test also defeats these locks. The locks have a Spell Defense of 12, and the Difficulty Number for the Dispel Magic Test is 7.

Luxury Inns: Luxury inns exist only in Barsaive’s larger towns and cities. The staff at these establishments pay attention to details and try to fulfill any reasonable customer request. Typical magical amenities include lamps and fireplaces that ignite and douse on command, wine buckets that automatically chill wine to the right temperature, and baths that sense which muscles ache and massage them. For nervous travelers carrying valuables, luxury inns feature safes and safe deposit boxes.

SERVICES

ARMORER
Armorers repair and forge new armor and shields, and often also sell armor. Armorers will also decorate armor, for example, etching a group symbol on a breast plate or shield.

MESSENGER
Messengers carry messages between clients. Most messengers work only within city limits or a certain area, though some carry messages to other cities and regions in Barsaive. Windlings and obsidimen specialize in messenger service, though individuals of any race can be messengers. City residents use windlings to ensure quick delivery. Obsidimen, though slower, have a better reputation for reliability.

SAGE
Sages possess immense knowledge in many scholarly areas, especially magic. They can provide characters with information on history and legends that may help them in their adventures.

SCRIBE
Skilled in writing, scribes pen letters and formal documents for a fee. A talented scribe can also translate a group’s adventure log from a pile of disjointed notes into a stirring tale of heroic adventures.

LIBRARY ACCESS
Many cities in Barsaive have libraries that characters can use to research legends and history. Library access usually includes aid from library assistants, and sometimes the services of a scribe. The most famous library in Barsaive is the Great Library of Throal.

WEAPONSMITHS
Weaponsmiths forge and repair all types of weapons, from swords and staffs to maces. They can also add decorative markings to a weapon. Weaponsmith Adepts who possess the Forge Blade Talent can also improve the quality of a weapon. For the cost of this procedure, see Talents.

TRANSPORTATION

VEHICLES FOR SALE

Carts
Small wheeled vehicles used by merchants to transport goods, carts usually measure 4 to 5 feet long and 3 feet wide. Pack mules usually pull carts, but some merchants use also horses. The cost of a cart does not include the animal to draw it.

Wagons
Wagons are capable of carrying from 2 to 5 passengers. Usually a team of horses pulls a wagon, but mule teams are used with some smaller and slower wagons. The cost of a wagon does not include the team of animals.

Canoes
Canoes are small boats capable of carrying only 1 or 2 characters safely. Propelled by their passengers, canoes are 10 to 15 feet long and 3 feet wide at the center. The ends of a canoe taper to a width of 3 to 4 inches. These craft are used most often for travel along the running streams and rivers near Barsaive’s larger mountain ranges.

Rowboats
Rowboats are propelled by oars fixed onto their sides. Usually 10 to 12 feet long and 5 feet wide, these boats can carry up to 4 passengers safely. One of the passengers must also work the oars. These craft are often used as fishing boats on Barsaive’s calmer streams and rivers.

Sailboats
Sailboats are used most often on the Aras Sea. These craft range from 10 to 40 feet long. The smallest sailboats carry only 2 passengers, while the largest may carry crews of up to 20 people. Merchants who travel the Aras Sea, trading at the various cities along its shoreline, use the larger sailboats.

ANIMALS

HORSES

Draft Horses
Draft horses are used as pack animals and to pull carts and wagons. They are generally stronger than riding horses, but are also slower.

Riding Horses
Riding horses are used for personal transportation. These animals are quite strong and fast, but cannot wear barding.

War Horses
The largest and strongest of Barsaive’s horses, war horses can wear barding and carry a fully equipped cavalryman. Most cavalries, including the ork scorchers, ride war horses.

DOGS

ELEPHANTS

FALCONS

PACK MULES

THUNDRA BEASTS

GRIFFINS