Okay. Let’s try this again. Not all the game could make it. Too much text. So, one chapter at a time. Here, you get character creation.

Game

This part of the book details all the rules you’ll need to play Elfworld. It begins with character/household creation, moves on to task resolution, then talks about all the nitty gritty details you’ll need for sorcery.

But first, before you start making a character, let’s get a quick look at how the game actually works, so you’ll know how to spend your points when you make your character.

If you’ve learned anything from reading all those pages about elves, you’ve learned that the core of elven existence is Life. Everything hinges on the power of Life. In the game, this is also true.

Every elf has Life Points – around 100 – that represent his power. Whenever your character wants to do something, he has to invest a little of his Life to do it.

The whole game hinges on spending Life points. Every Life Point you spend translates to one d10. Spend as much Life as you like, then roll your dice against a Target Number the GM assigns. If you roll equal to or greater than the TN, your elf succeeds. If not, he fails. You may typically only spend 5 Life on any single roll, although as your elf’s abilities increase, he’ll learn how to better control Life energies.

Standard TNs

Easy	5
Routine	10
Standard	15
Hard	20
Very Hard	25
Difficult	30

 

Skills

Elves are highly trained creatures, taught the intricacies of combat, tactics, espionage, and sorcery. If an elf has a Skill appropriate to an action, he gains a number of dice equal to the Rank of the Skill. These dice do not cost Life and add to any appropriate die roll.

For example, if your elf has a 3 Swordsman Skill, he adds three dice to any roll he makes. These dice do not cost Life and, thus, are “free dice.”

Contested Actions

When you act against another character, both players roll dice, and whoever rolls highest succeeds.

The Magic 10

Any die rolling 10 can be used in one of two ways.

First, you may roll an additional die and add it to your score. If that die rolls ten, roll another die and add it to your score. Continue until you stop rolling tens.

Second, during a contested roll, you may use a ten to cancel one of your opponent’s dice. The ten does not add to your total.

Moving On

Now that you know how the basics of the system works, let’s move on to character creation.

There are two methods for making an elf with this system. The first is making an elven household which requires a group of players creating a household together. The second allows individual players to create independent elf characters.

Creating a Household

Each player gets 100 points to create his character. These points will not only be spent on your character’s traits, but also on his possessions, passions, backgrounds, influences and other elements of his character. Spend them wisely.

Contracts

Before any character creation begins, you can loan and borrow points from and to other characters. However, to do so means you enter into a Contract with those characters. On the back of your character sheet, there’s a space for your Contracts.

Contracts can be for just about anything. An exchange of character points, exchange of favors, exchange of favors for character points, a permanent or temporary agreement… the possibilities are limitless.

Discuss the details of the Contract, make sure you’re getting a good deal, then write it up and have both parties sign it.

You can also make Bargains with NPC elves (the Game Master) if you wish. He has a total of 10 character points per player (4 players = 40 character points, for example), but that Life is first come, first serve. Also, he can always give those points to the highest bidder (in return for services). Don’t miss out on your opportunity for (relatively) free character points!

Influence

The most important element of your elf’s character is his Influence. Points invested into an Influence gains your elf character advantages, and your household advantages within that Sphere. There are four Spheres of Influence, each listed below.

Military

Military Influence represents how strong your Household’s army is, and what rank you hold in it. The more points you and your fellow elves invest in Military, the larger your Household’s army will be. The more points you invest in Military, the higher rank you have within it, and the more men you have in your own personal guard. Whoever invests the most points in Military has more officers loyal to him than anyone else and has the highest rank in the household militia.

Military is the most important Sphere because it is straightforward: whoever has the biggest, best trained army has the biggest, best trained army. Nobody can connive, plot or scheme around one hundred thousand trained soldiers, ready to fight. However, a strong military is always augmented by good reconnaissance (Espionage), a blessing from the Church (Politics) and some sorcerous support (Occult).

Espionage

Espionage represents the number of spies your Household has active in other Households as well as your own retinue of information gatherers and assassins. The more points you and your fellow elves invest in Espionage, the larger your Household’s complement of spies. Whoever invests the most points in Espionage has more spies loyal to him than anyone else, making him the Master Spy.

Espionage is the most important Sphere because it is the most subtle. A good spy can learn the advanced plans of any political movement, learn the movements of any army and steal scrolls from even the most well-guarded library. However, spies cannot act alone. They need sorcery to aid them on more difficult missions (Occult), a good army to advance on the knowledge they gain (Military), and a powerful leader to take advantage of the secrets they learn (Politics).

Politics

The Church is a powerful organization, capable of making judgments that make and break a Household’s back. The points you invest in Politics determine your Household’s standing in the Church, and the more points you invest, the higher your own rank. Whoever invests the most points in Politics has the most influence with the Church, making him the household’s Cardinal.

Politics is the most important Sphere because no vendetta, no war, no expansion of power can take place without the Church’s approval. As powerful as your army is, without the Church’s blessing, they may as well be a well-armed knitting circle. The fate of captured spies relies entirely on the whim of the Church, and the Church keeps most occult knowledge, anyway. However, the power of the Church depends on that same occult knowledge, for without it, they cannot appeal to the Hosts. Likewise, a powerful enough army could always attempt a coup d’etat and even the most influential Cardinal is only one cold knife away from death.

Before any other character creation can happen, all players must bid for Influence. Using their 100 points, they each bid a number of points in each of the Influences. The process works like this:

Bidding is divided into three one-minute rounds (GMs may wish to increase or decrease this time for various reasons). Each player uses his 100 points for a silent bid on as many of the Spheres as he likes (i.e.: you do not have to bid on all, or even any of the Influences). The GM announces all the bids. Then, the second round begins.

Each player spends the time they have talking to other players, making arrangements on bidding, making Contracts, trying to spend their points as effectively as possible.

At the end of the minute, all talk stops and second round bids must be in the storyteller’s hands. The Storyteller announces all bids and records them. All points spent are spent. There is no going back on a bid.

Then, the third round begins. Again, each player tries to talk other players into not bidding in their respective favorite Spheres, makes Bargains with other players (and the GM) and tries to arrange for the most effective use of points. At the end of the minute, all bids and Bargains must be in the storyteller’s hands. He announces and records the bids, and a third and final round begins.

At the end of the third round, all bids and Bargains are final. All points spent are gone.

Players may also want to make Bargains to gain extra points from other players. Any player may also make a Bargain with the Storyteller for more points. All Bargains must be made during the three minute period, written down and signed by both players.

Players do not have to outbid the highest bid for a Sphere, they may bid as many points as they wish. However, at the end of the three minutes, the Storyteller calls off the bidding. Any bids or Bargains not in his possession at the end of those three minutes are disregarded.

Players can reveal their bids to other players with the understanding that player to may use that knowledge to gain an advantage in the bidding. Remember that the Storyteller announces every bid, but Bargains are only between the Storyteller and the names signed to that Bargain.

Once the bidding process is over, the player who bid the most points in each Influence decides how those points are spent. He may take advisors, if he wishes, but his is the final word. The winner is now the “Master of the Sphere” holds a specific rank in the Household:

 

Military: General

Espionage: Master Spy

Politics: Cardinal

 

Players may now purchase Skills for their characters. Skills must fall under one of the four Influences. Purchasing a Skill costs 1 Life, and gives you a Rank 1 in that Skill. Each subsequent Rank costs additional points. See the table below:

 

 

The Master of each Sphere may also look at how each other character spent points in their particular Sphere. For example, the Master Spy may look at each other character’s Espionage Skills. (You may purchase Secret Skills; see “Secrets,” below.) You may make an arrangement for the Master of a Sphere to not look at your Skills… but that would probably require a Contract.

Skill List

When you choose your Skills, choose from the below lists.

Military

Brawl

Demolitions

Dodge

Leadership

Medicine

Melee

Pilot

Strategy

Survival

Tactics

Espionage

Bluff

Disguise

Encryption

Forgery

Perception

Poison

Security

Seduction

Silent Kill

Stealth

Politics

Art

Awareness

Etiquette

Heraldry

History

Intrigue

Law

Ritual

Seduction

Sincerity

Backgrounds

Space Each player has a number of points to spend equal to his Backgrounds. Each Background gives the player a number of points to spend on the upcoming Auctions.

Cursed

There are many kinds of curses (see Magic, below) and you have been the target of one. Each Curse is worth a number of points. Pick one and apply the bonus to your point total for character creation.

Debt

You owe someone a favor, and not a small one. Someday, you’ll be called upon to pay that favor back.

Nemesis

 

Rival

 

Fear

 

Vendetta

 

Love

 

Traitor

 

Every elf needs a Host, a body that houses her spirit. However, you don’t always get to choose the best Host, and sometimes, you get stuck with a stinker.

Traits

All Hosts have 4 Traits:

Beauty

Your Host’s physical attractiveness. The more beautiful your Host, the easier it is to convince other elves of your arguments, integrity, and charm. Thus, in all social tests, add your Host’s Beauty to your roll.

Health

Your Host’s Health determines your Host’s heartiness and how long he can survive in a fight. Not only does it determine how much physical damage the Host can take before it breaks down, it also determines how long the Host can stay in a fight before he starts losing wind. See Combat, below for more information on how Health factors in to fighting. Every point of Health can translate to as many as 10 Life, depending on the method an elf steals it.

Speed

How quick and apt your Host’s movements are. The quicker your Host is, the faster and certain his movements are. Thus, in all physical tests regarding agility and accuracy, add your Host’s Speed to your roll. Also, see the Combat chapter for more information on how Speed helps you in a fight.

Strength

How much your character can lift, push, pull and rip apart. The stronger your Host, the harder he can hit in combat. Thus, in all physical tests regarding physical prowess, add your Host’s Strength to your roll. Also, see the Combat chapter for more information on how Strength helps you in a fight.

To determine your Host’s beginning Traits, roll a die and add 4 (generating a number between 5 and 14). This is the number of points you have to allocate to your Host’s Traits.

To increase your Host’s Traits costs Life. It costs 10 Life to increase the Rank of any of your Host’s Traits.

A Host must have at least 1 in all his Traits and can have no Trait above 5.

Distinctive Features

For each Rank above 2, you must write down a “distinctive feature;” something that sets your Host apart from the mass of other bodies waiting for the gift of possession. If your Host has a Beauty of 4, write down two distinct features that make him so beautiful. If he has an exceptional Health, note some physical representations of that; his large shoulders, wide chest, etc.

Hosts and Dice

Whenever you take any actions, your Host’s Traits give you free dice to roll. You may roll a number of free dice equal to your Host’s appropriate Trait. However, these dice are not automatically added to your total. Instead, Trait dice are “unkept dice.” Thus, when you take an action, you roll a number of dice equal to your Skill + Trait, but only keep a number of dice equal to your Skill.

For example, when trying to seduce a fellow elf, you may roll a number of dice equal to your Seduction + Beauty. Your Seduction is 4 dice and your Beauty is 3 dice. 3+4 = 7 total dice rolled. Since you only keep a number of dice equal to your Skill, you only count 4 of those dice (the number of you r Skill) when determining your success.

Host Advantages

Hosts can have advantages that give you bonus dice and other goodies.

Keen Senses

Your Host notices things most mortals never do. Add one unkept die to all perception based tests.

Large

Your Host is extremely large. Add 1d5 to all damage results.

Lightning Reflexes

 

Military Training

Your Host had some military experience in his native plane of existance. Add one unkept die to all Military Skill rolls.

Seductive Gaze

Your Host is extremely gifted in… nocturnal activities. Add one unkept die to all rolls involving elves who would be or are attracted to you.

Willful

Your Host has a powerful will (not powerful enough to thwart you, however). You may add one unkept die to all attempt to resist mind-altering magic.

Host Death

If an elf’s Host is killed, the elf must abandon the Host. Every round (10 seconds) the elf remains outside a Host, he loses 1d10 Life. This continues until he finds a new Host.

An elf may continue to use sorcery without a Host, but his continual loss of Life makes spending Life for sorcery dangerous.

Players may wish to purchase Secret Influence, once all the public bidding is done. Secret Influence costs triple the regular price (3 for 1), but represents allies, contacts and pull you have in a Sphere of Influence no-one else knows about.

There are two kinds of Advantages: Elf Advantages and Household Advantages. Elf Advantages are those that benefit you and you alone. Household Advantages, on the other hand, can be bought with Life from multiple elves because they are Advantages that benefit the entire Household.

Allies (3 Points)

Friends are hard to find, especially if you’re an elf. Having a true ally is a valuable commodity. An ally can give you a safe place to stay, loan you resources, or bail you out of a tough position. An ally cannot be more powerful than you at the beginning of the game, although his power and/or influence may change over the course of the campaign.

 

An ally costs 3 character points.

Bargains

After character creation, if you’d like to have a few NPC elves owe you a few favors, you may do so now. The cost is double (got to strike when the iron is hot) meaning all Contracts are on a 2-for-1 basis.

Holdings

Elves own multiple holdings in multiple dimensions. In some worlds, they are considered god-kings, while in others, they are completely anonymous dictators, and in some, merely passengers in a vast world who hasn’t the slightest clue an elf walks among them.

See Holdings on page xx for further information on building and developing elven holdings.

Items

Players who want magical items for their characters must use the Magic Item rules found on Page xx. These rules tell you the abilities magic items are capable of, give you specific point totals for magic items, and how to build them.

Spies (3 Points)

Having a spy in  a rival household (or even within your own household) is a valuable asset. Each spy you have costs three points. This provides you with a basic spy who can answer one question per game session. After each question, the GM rolls a die. If the number rolled is equal to or lesser than the number of questions you’ve asked of that spy, the spy is captured.

Staff

Defenses