1000 ChimeraBasic 3.0 PDF

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper
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The Chimera Roleplaying Game

TWP-1000 (6th Printing)
The Chimera Roleplaying Game: Chimera Basic

TM
Simple Rules. Unlimited Options.

Copyright 20062011 The Welsh Piper. All rights reserved.
The Chimera Roleplaying Game and The Chimera RPG logo are trademarks owned by The Welsh Piper.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying or computerisation, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, The Welsh Piper.
Credits
Contents
Author: Erin D. Smale

Editors: Brian Kirby, Greg MacKenzie
Artwork: Nova Development Corporation;
Nathan Linder (front cover computer guy)
Cartography: Erin D. Smale
Hexographer Software: Joe Wetzel
http://www.hexographer.com
Character Sheet: Greg MacKenzie
Clutch Situations: with input from Christina
Freeman and Tyson Vickers
Chimera Logo: Michael Mumich
Project Control: Occams Razor
Introduction....................................................1
Chimera: the Nutshell...........................1
What You Need to Play.........................1
How To Get Started...............................1
Core Concepts.................................................2
Abilities...................................................2
Action Rolls.............................................2
Alignment (optional)............................3
Class and Advancement........................3
Tech Levels.............................................3
Commonly Used Terms........................4
Characters.......................................................5
Character Generation...........................5
Race and Class........................................6
Character Races.....................................6
Character Classes...................................7
Boons and Baggage (optional).............8
Character Advancement.......................9
Abilities..........................................................10
Ability Descriptions.............................10
Perks...............................................................11
Perk Descriptions................................11
Flaws...............................................................11
Flaw Descriptions................................11
Overcoming Flaws...............................11
Powers............................................................12
Using Powers........................................12
Resisting Powers..................................12
Power Descriptions.............................12
Equipment.....................................................15
Weapons................................................15
Armour..................................................15
Gear........................................................16
Equipment Quality..............................16
Equipment Damage and Loss.............16
Adventuring..................................................17
Adventuring Hazards..........................17
Breaking Objects..................................17
Combat..................................................18
Fighting Manoeuvres..........................19
Movement.............................................19
Healing..................................................19
On the Web
The Welsh Piper (Campaign Development
for Busy GMs):
http://www.welshpiper.com
http://www.welshpiper.com/forums
On the Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/chimerarpg
Playtesters & Other Help

Cyberkyd of BlakLite, Mark S. Deniz, Benjamin Eisenhofer, Christina Da Vane
Freeman, Greg Old-school MacKenzie, Tyson Vickers, and Toby Whos ethereal
now? Widner
Dedication
To my best special favourite friend Pooh,
aka Peens, P-Pod, and Pipsquack, who was
as loyal and loving as any two-legged friend
Ive ever had. Thanks for helping me type,
reminding me when its break-time, and
giving me head-butts when I needed them
most. You are so sorely missed, my friend.
Thank you for all the love you gave me.

Non-Player Characters.............................20
Character Types................................20
Creating NPCs....................................20
Monsters.....................................................21
Base Stats...........................................21
Adaptations.......................................21
Creating Monsters............................21
Monster Descriptions.......................22
Campaign Creation....................................24
Select Genre & Setting.....................24
Consider Technology and Powers..24
Define Campaign Hook....................25
Describe Cultures..............................25
Map the Setting.................................26
Create Points of Interest..................27
Describe Campaign Conflicts..........28
Create NPCs.......................................28
Create Random Encounters............29
Devise Adventure Hooks.................29
Creating Adventures.................................30
Choose a Hook...................................30
Invent the Background....................30
Define the End Goal..........................30
Define Rewards.................................31
Create Encounters............................31
Draw Map...........................................31
Write the Epilogue............................31
Being the Game Master............................32
Next Steps...................................................32

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Chimera Basic 1
Introduction
Welcome to The Chimera Roleplaying Game!
This is Chimera Basic, designed to show the games simple mechanics and modular guidelines.
Chimera is a flexible, rules-lite engine that promotes your creativity over game rules. From
fantasy to sci-fi, and everything in between, Chimera provides an easy-to-learn framework
for all your roleplaying adventures.
You can use the Basic guidelines to create any number of characters, settings, and campaigns.
If you like what you see, check our Web site (www.welshpiper.com) for supplements that
expand on these rules and make it even easier to run games in any setting.
Chimera: the Nutshell

Chimera is a roleplaying game wherein players assume the roles of characters they make up,
in a setting created by a Game Master (GM). That setting could be any time or any place: a land
of medieval fantasy, a science-fiction future, apocalyptic Earth, America in the 1930s, any
historical period, whatever is appealing.
Player Characters (PCs) are characters in the setting whose actions are decided by the players.
To help define their role in the setting, all PCs choose classes, or professions, which is
essentially their day job. Each class is defined by its Abilities, which cover things that
characters of that class are good at (e.g., scholars are good at academics, veterans are good at
fighting, burglars are good at sneaking about, etc.). Abilities cover any action a character
might attempt during the game, and characters can pick Abilities outside their class, though
non-class Abilities are harder to master.
The characters job in the setting is to go on heroic adventures: stopping evil forces, recovering lost riches, or exploring the vast unknown. Whenever you want your character to do
something during an adventure (like fight a monster, hack a computer, or charm the border
guard), you make an Action Roll (AR) with the Ability youre using. If the roll equals or
exceeds the Target Number (TN) assigned to the action, you accomplish what you wanted to
do. Otherwise, you fail, and the GM usually determines what happens as a result.
As your character completes adventures, he earns opportunities to improve his Abilities,
increase his experience levels, get new Powers, even develop special advantages called Perks
to give him an edge in certain situations. Your character can increase his chances of improving by taking special risks, called Clutch Situations, essentially going above-and-beyond
whats necessary to complete his (and his companions) adventuring goals.
An adventure can last many game sessions; your character wins if he completes his mission
and survives to adventure some more. Over time, your character can become an accomplished
hero in the GMs setting.
Using the Basic Rules

Chimeras mechanics support any conceivable genre, allowing you to create
campaigns based on traditional or historic settings, your favourite books and
films, or your own creations. Chimera
Basic is easy to learn and easy to play,
while providing realistic outcomes that
arent bogged down in detail.
To make the most of Chimera, use the
Basic Rules as guidelines instead of absolutes. During development, we concentrated more on what happens instead of
exactly how it happensnecessarily,
some details are lost (or even deliberately ignored). Our goal is a game that allows fast, yet reasonable, action
resolution, with enough flexibility for
players to tinker, tweak, and customise
to suit their own style.
That said, if your style demands more
detail, you can add itChimeras flexibility lets you inject as much realism as you
want, generally without breaking the
system. However, the game doesnt necessarily play better as a result. In fact,
you may find that extra details slow
things down and make actions more
cumbersome to resolve.
As it stands, Chimera Basic provides a
solid foundation for immediate and relatively complete play. If you need more,
we encourage you to modify what you
likeits your game and your setting.
What You Need to Play

Chimera Basic contains all the guidelines you need to get started, plus a blank character sheet
and several templates for the Game Master. Youll also need paper, pencil, and polyhedral dice
(the standard RPG dice numbering 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sides, and, on occasion, a 30-sider).
Youll need one person to be the Game Master, and at least one player to run a character
(though groups of 35 PCs are usually bestaside from having a stronger party of characters,
Chimera is more fun when there are more players).
How To Get Started

Read through Chimera Basic to learn how to play. As you learn the rules, youll see how easy
and flexible Chimera is, and how you can use it to run all your RPG campaigns.
Dont forget to visit our Web site (www.welshpiper.com) for free adventure scenarios, optional rules, Game Master tips, and other Chimera content. While youre there, why not sign up to
our discussion forum (www.welshpiper.com/forum) for conversations with other Chimera
players, product announcements, extra goodies, and subscriber-only content.
We hope you find Chimera exciting and funtake it for a spin and see if it serves your
imagination as well as we think it will. Good gaming!

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Chimera Basic 2
Dice and Dice Rolls

Chimera uses the six standard polyhedral dice. A d4 refers to a 4-sided die, a
d6 refers to a 6-sided die, and so on.
A number before the die type shows how
many dice to toss; the result is the sum of
each die. For example, 3d6 means roll
three 6-sided dice and add them together (for a result of 318).
Die Roll Modifiers

A value after a die roll is added to the
result. For example, 3d6+4 means roll
three 6-sided dice and add four; 3d62
gives a result of 116, and 3d6x10 results
in 30180.
Time
Game time refers to durations relative to
the characters. It is measured in seconds,
minutes, hours, etc. Two additional periods are useful during play:
Round: 10 seconds
Turn: 10 minutes (60 rounds)
A real-time measurement useful for
tracking the duration of game play is
called a session:
Session: 24 hours, the typical duration of an evenings worth of play
Scale and Distance

Chimera is designed for use with tabletop miniatures, where 1 equals ten feet
indoors and 10 yards outdoors.
Range and distance are noted in scale
inches and refer to measurement relative to tabletop miniatures. Thus, 4 is
four real inches on the gaming table, 40
feet indoors, and 40 yards outdoors.
Difficulty Levels
An actions Target Number indicates its
inherent difficulty, independent of external factors.
For reference, the table below shows the
Target Number and unmodified percentage chance of success on a d20 (each +1
modifier adds +5%).
DIFFICULTY
TN
CHANCE OF SUCCESS
Automatic
2
95%*
Very Easy
4
85%
Easy
8
65%
Difficult
12
45%
Hard
16
25%
Very Hard
20
5%
Unlikely
24
20%
Extraordinary
28
40%
* A natural 1 always fails
The negative percentage to overcome,
though a natural 20 always succeeds

Core Concepts
Chimera is a multi-genre roleplaying game, meaning that you can use these guidelines to
create and run a campaign in any setting you want: sci-fi, fantasy, apocalypse, modern, even
historical. To achieve this, Chimera relies on a few core concepts.
Abilities
The first thing youll notice about Chimera characters is that they dont have attributesno
ability scores like you might be used to in other roleplaying games (e.g., Strength, Dexterity,
Intelligence, et al.).
Instead, everything your character can do is covered by an Ability, which is a broad category
of related skills and talents. For example, the Animal Handling Ability covers animal care,
training animals, and handling a mountbasically anything that has to do with an animal.
The broad scope of Abilities lets you focus on what your character can actually do, instead of
what an attribute score suggests he can do. It also prevents redundant skills, and it keeps play
movingno more worrying about the exact skill required to overcome every specific challenge: If an action during the game involves an animal, chances are youll use the Animal
Handling Ability to deal with it.
Action Rolls
Every action your character attempts is resolved with an Action Roll (AR), made with a
twenty-sided die (1d20). If the Action Roll result is equal to or greater than the required
Target Number (TN), the attempt succeeds and you get the desired outcome. A result less than
the Target Number means that the attempt failed.
Action Difficulty
The GM assigns Target Numbers, which indicate an actions inherent difficulty, or how hard it
is to accomplish absent any external factors. The Difficulty Levels sidebar at left suggests Target
Numbers for varying degrees of difficulty.
External factorstemporary and circumstantial conditions that influence an actions
outcomeare reflected by AR modifiers. Positive modifiers make the action easier, while
negative modifiers make the action harder. When using an Ability, add your Abilitys AR
modifier to the roll result.
For example, the GM decides that finding food in a barren desert is Very Hard (TN 20). A
character has Survival +2, so he adds 2 to the roll; if the modified result is 20 or more, he
succeeds. Unless otherwise noted, all AR modifiers that influence a roll are cumulative.
As a shortcut during play, you can determine the d20 result required to succeed by subtracting
the total AR modifier from the rolls TN. For example, Survival +2 against TN 20 requires a roll
of 18 or more to succeed (i.e., 20 (+2) = 18 = success).
Action Roll Results

There are four possible outcomes of any Action Roll:
Critical Failure (CF): You fail miserably, and your incompetence creates another problem
Normal Failure (NF): Your attempt simply doesnt work (or it works at reduced effect)
Normal Success (NS): Your attempt works and produces the desired results
Critical Success (CS): You succeed brilliantly, and your cleverness produces an extra benefit
Critical results occur when the d20 shows a natural result divisible by 4 (i.e., an unmodified 4,
8, 12, 16, or 20). If the modified result of such a roll equals or exceeds the required Target
Number, the roll is a Critical Success; otherwise, its a Critical Failure.
If the Action Roll is a natural 1, the attempt is a Normal Failure. If the TN was 2 or less,
interpret a natural 1 as a Critical Failure.
If the Action Roll is a natural 20, the attempt is an automatic Critical Success. If the TN was
21 or more, treat a natural 20 as a Normal Success.

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Chimera Basic 3
Resistance Rolls
Clutch Situations
A Resistance Roll is an Action Roll made to counteract a special attack

or effect (pg. 17). The Target Number required to resist is based on the
danger posed by the hazard (use TN 12 unless otherwise noted).
The Resistance Roll is modified by your experience level plus your AR
in any related Ability (e.g., a 2nd-level character with Athletics +3
resists Burns at AR +5). A successful Resistance Roll cuts the effects in
half; a Critical Success negates the effects completely.
Heroes tend to come through in a tight spot, and when your character
is really up against it, he can declare a Clutch Situation to improve his
chances of success.
You can designate any die roll as a Clutch Situationan Action Roll,
Resistance Roll, Damage rollwhich lets you throw one additional die
when you make the roll. You select the best result.
Each character gets one Clutch Situation per experience level, and
you may apply multiple Clutch Situations to the same roll (one additional die each). However, you must declare a Clutch Situation before
any roll is made, and theyre lost once spent, regardless of the rolls
outcome.
Clutch Situations renew when you level up; unused Clutch Situations
do not carry-over from level to level (e.g., a 2nd-level character has 2
Clutch Situations until he reaches 3rd-level). However, if the GM uses
Session Rewards (pg. 31), its possible to earn additional Clutch Situations during play.
Alignment (optional)
Alignment (AL) is a convenient label to describe a characters loyalties to those around him. There are three Alignments:
Lawful: Primary loyalty is to others; capable of self-serving acts, but
not at the expense of other people (especially those in need).
Neutral: Primary loyalty is to close or personal groups (e.g., family,
friends, faction, religion, racial type); capable of self-serving acts,
but not at the expense of personal groups.
Chaotic: Primary loyalty is to self; capable of serving others, but only
to further their personal agenda.
Alignment is completely optionalif you find it restrictive or unrealistic for your setting, feel free to ignore it.
Class and Advancement

Your characters profession in the campaign is represented by his
class. In turn, each class is defined by a set of core Abilities and special
talents. As youll see in the next section, classes may be combined to
create customised professions.
When a character completes an adventure, he can make an Advancement Roll against his AdCost to see if he can improve his skills or gain
an experience level. Improving skills (Abilities, Perks, etc.) makes him
better at his class, while a level up makes him a better overall
adventurer. Check Character Advancement (pg. 9) for specifics.

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Tech Levels
Chimeras multi-genre framework supports ten Technology Levels
(TL) to describe the relative technologies that exist in various campaign settings.
Tech Levels can be loosely described via their Earth analogues, as
shown below:
TECHNOLOGY LEVEL
TL 1
TL 2
TL 3
TL 4
TL 5
TL 6
TL 7
TL 8
TL 9
TL 10
AGE/ERA
Primitive
Ancient
Medieval
Exploration
Imperial
Industrial
Modern
Post-modern
Near-future
Far-future
EARTH TIME FRAME (AD)

Prehistoric
Pre-4th century
4th 13th century
14th 17th century
18th century
19th century
First half of 20th century
Second half of 20th century
21st 22nd century
23rd century and beyond

Chimera Basic 4
Commonly Used Terms
What roleplaying game isnt rife with acronyms? Heres a list of terms
and abbreviations used throughout the rules:
Action Roll (AR): A 20-sided die roll to determine the success or
failure of an attempted action; an Action Roll succeeds if the result
equals or exceeds the required Target Number.
Advancement Cost (AdCost): A value suggesting how much experience a character must accumulate before he can improve; use as the
Target Number when making Advancement Rolls (pg. 9).
Adventuring Hazard: A condition or effect that causes damage or
other difficulties for a character. A successful Resistance Roll usually
reduces the effect by half (a Critical Success negates the effect completely).
Alignment (AL): A characters tendency for loyalty, whether to all
others, select others, or self.
AR Modifier: A positive or negative value added to an Action Roll,
indicating temporary or circumstantial conditions that effect the
outcome. Unless otherwise noted, modifiers are cumulative, so benefits and disadvantages can cancel each other out.
Blast Attack: An attack that causes damage to anyone within a certain
radius of a central point of impact. For simplicity, a blast is Small (1
radius), Medium (2 radius), or Large (4 radius); everyone within the
radius is affected by the blast (which could represent an explosion,
gas cloud, radiation field, or the effects of a power).
Cash ($): A generic unit of currency representing a settings dominant
medium of exchange (e.g., dollars, pounds, gold pieces, silver pennies, et al.).
Damage (Dmg): The damage caused by an attack, which is reduced by
the targets Defence.
Defence (DF): Proof against damage provided by sheer physical resilience, mental resolve, armour, and other protections; Defence is
subtracted from the Damage rolled after a successful attack.
Encumbrance (Enc): The bulk and weight of items carried or worn,
subtracted from your characters Movement Rate.
Fatigue: Non-lethal damage caused by exhaustion, exposure, or unarmed attacks; when fatigued, a character suffers a penalty to all rolls
and his Movement Rate.
Flaw: A fault or disadvantageous quality that imposes special limitations or penalties in specific game situations.
Game Master (GM): A Chimera player who creates and runs the campaign setting, describes what the characters see and hear, plays the
part of all non-player characters, and arbitrates the outcome of actions within the game.
Initiative Modifier (IM): An adjustment applied to Initiative rolls,
indicating the relative quickness of an action attempted during a
combat round.
Mana: A point pool representing your characters ability to use powers effectively.
Movement Die: A die whose result is added to your Movement Rate
(MR) when running, or subtracted from your MR when creeping.
Movement Rate (MR): The number of scale inches your character can
walk in a round. Adjusted for Encumbrance, this figure is also the
Target Number for attacks aimed at you. Your Movement Die is added
to your MR when running, or subtracted from it when creeping.

Non-player Character (NPC): A character controlled by the Game

Master.
Parry: A combatants ability to ward off, block, or avoid blows; a
targets Parry is added to the TN of attacks aimed at him. Parry is
optionalif it isnt used, add the Parry bonus to the combatants
Defence (DF).
Perk: An advantage or special ability that grants a bonus in specific
game situations.
Player Character (PC): A character controlled by a player and through
which the Game Masters campaign setting is experienced.
Power: Any supernatural ability not generally possible under
normal natural laws (e.g., magic spells, divine miracles, psionic
talents, or super powers).
Range (Rng): The distance (in scale inches) at which an attack can hit
a target.
Rate of Fire (RoF): The number of shots a weapon can discharge as a
single action; also the maximum number of targets an auto-fire weapon can hit in a single round.
Resistance Roll: An Action Roll used to reduce or negate the effects of
an Adventuring Hazard (pg. 17). When making a Resistance Roll,
characters always add their experience level to the result.
Round (rd): A measure of game time spanning 10 seconds. There are
six rounds in a minute, 60 rounds in a turn.
Special Perk (Sperk): Perks available only by virtue of race or class;
you may select Sperks during character generation or buy them later
during Character Advancement (pg. 9). Each Sperk chosen increases
your Advancement Cost (AdCost) by +1.
Target Number (TN): The value an Action Roll has to meet or exceed
to be successful. Assume an average TN 12 unless otherwise noted for
easier or more difficulty actions.
Turn (tn): A measure of game time spanning 10 minutes. There are six
turns in an hour, 144 turns in a day.
Wound Limit (WL): The maximum number of wounds a character can
sustain before being vanquished (pg. 18).
Wound Penalty (WP): A penalty indicating the negative effects of
suffering damage, applied to all rolls and Movement Rate; each
wound imposes a cumulative penalty of 1, which lasts until the
wound is healed.
Wound Severity: The intensity of a wound, equal to the Damage
inflicted minus the targets Defence. Healing applies to a wounds
severity; when severity is reduced to zero (0), the wound is healed,
and its corresponding Wound Penalty is removed.

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Chimera Basic 5
Characters
Creating a Player Character in Chimera is a breezejust copy a character sheet and follow the
steps below.
Character Generation
1. Start with Vision and Social Status
Consider the kind of character you want to playa war-hardened soldier, an adventurous
archaeologist, a brutish thug, a cunning sorcerer, or whatevers appropriate for the GMs
setting. For flavour, start on your characters background with the Social Station table at right.
2. Select Race
Humans are the dominant race in most campaigns. If your GMs setting includes other races,
you may be allowed to run a non-human character (pg. 6). Choose any racial Sperks at this
time, but remember that each one you select increases your AdCost by +1.
3. Select Class
Choose a class (or combination of classes) to represent your characters profession. The
classes listed in Chimera Basic are generic, so you can use them in any setting or Tech Level.
Choose any class Sperks at this time, with the provision that each Sperk selected increases
your AdCost by +1. Note also that all Class Abilities start at AR +1.
4. Update Abilities
You get 4 Improvement Points (IP) to spend on Abilities, Perks, Powers, and Mana, using the
guidelines provided for Character Advancement (pg. 9).
At the GMs option, you gain 1 additional IP by starting a class Ability at AR +0, reducing your
Wound Limit by 1, or accepting a random Flaw (pg. 11; note that taking a Flaw this way does
not grant an Advancement Roll bonus).
Social Station
This aspect of a characters background
suggests which side of the tracks he
comes from: was he a rich kid raised in
the hills, a guttersnipe, or somewhere in
between?
Social station impacts starting cash and
will probably colour a characters interactions with people who put stock in
appearance, come from old money, distrust outsiders, or wear a monocle.
Those of low station will have had fewer
opportunities to excelperhaps as a result of poor education, lack of adequate
health care, difficult living conditions, or
societal prejudicebut they will have
strong survival instincts, iron will, and
(as adventurers) plenty of drive.
Those occupying the upper social tiers
will have had better opportunities
through money, connections, and
authoritybut no guarantee of actually
having exploited them to maximum benefit (e.g., an ivy league student who relies more on connections than grades to
get into law school).
Roll 1d8 to determine Social Station:
1.
2.
5. Purchase Equipment
Characters begin with 1d6 x $100 for armour, weapons, and gear (pp. 1516), subject to GM
approval (i.e., not all equipment is appropriate for all campaigns).
The dollar sign ($) is a generic symbol for cash, indicating whatever unit of currency is
dominant in the campaign setting (e.g., gold pieces, pounds, ducats, credits, etc.).
6. Update Character Stats

Record the following stats on your character sheet:
Experience Level (Lvl): New characters start at 1st-level
Movement Rate (MR): Based on race (typically 121d6 for humans)
Wound Limit (WL): Racial base, plus the WL adjustment for your class(es)
Defence (DF): Typically zero (0), adjusted by armour worn
Resistance (RS): AR bonus equal to experience level
Initiative Modifier (IM): Typically zero (+0), adjusted by race and weapon size
Advancement Cost (AdCost): The sum of your race and class AdCost values
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Fringe: Not only poor, but a social

outlier, pariah, or other untouchable (5% normal starting cash)
Low: Destitute and relies on alms,
welfare, or other benefits for income (10% normal starting cash)
Low: Destitute and struggling to
make ends meet through unstable
sources of income (20% normal
starting cash)
Middle: Barely comfortable, but
with stable work (40% normal starting cash)
Middle: Moderately comfortable
with stable work (80% normal starting cash)
Middle: Comfortable with stable
work and middling influence (100%
normal starting cash)
Upper: Well-off with lucrative work
and notable influence (150% normal
starting cash)
Upper: Lavish lifestyle with independent wealth and significant influence (200% normal starting cash)
7. Finishing Touches
Consider how your characters past contributes to his present career and future goals. You
dont need a full background, but a few details can help establish your motivations. If youre
in the mood for some random inspiration, use the Boons and Baggage table (pg. 8).
This is also the time to choose an Alignment for your character. This isnt relevant in all
campaigns, so check with your GM first.
Finally, dont forget to give your PC a name (preferably suitable to the setting, as Tim the
Enchanter will eventually stop being funnyunless thats your plan, in which case you
should go for it. Full-steam like).
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Chimera Basic 6
Race and Class
Both race and class are defined by a common set of characteristics:
AdCost: Advancement Cost, or the Target Number to beat when making an Advancement Roll (pg. 9); the higher the AdCost, the harder it
is to earn improvements for your character.
MR: Your characters base Movement Rate and Movement Die
(determined by race, using the Monster Base Stats table (pg. 21)).
WL: Your characters base Wound Limit (determined by race), indicating his ability to withstand damage; this is adjusted by class.
Abilities: Capabilities received as a result of character class; class
Abilities start at AR +1.
Perks: Special advantages received as a result of character race.
Special Perks: Also known as Sperks, these are talents available
only to members of a particular race or class. Sperks are optional: You
may select some, all, or none, but your AdCost increases by +1 for each
Special Perk you choose.
Character Races
Race indicates a PCs species. Chimeras multi-genre scope allows for
any race you can imagine. Below are some common RPG races;
theyre completely stereotyped but should serve as a good starting
point for your own customisation.
Avian
Essentially any intelligent humanoid with wings (for extra flavour,
make them feathered for goodly creatures, or bat-like for evil types).
All avians can fly at a speed equal to twice their MR.
AdCost: 4 MR: 121d6 WL: 1 IM: +0
Perks: Fly (x2 MR), Nimble
Special Perks
Eagle Eye: Improve Observe rolls by level when in flight
Cat People
Bipedal felines with lightning-fast reflexes and the ability to pounce.
They are proud, cruel, and capricious. In combat, they eschew armour
and missile weapons, but are excellent climbers and possess natural
claw attacks (2 claws at Fight AR; IM +1, Dmg 1d6).
Perks: Imp. Infravision (8), Pounce, Quick Draw
Special Perks
Agile: Improve Athletics rolls involving balance/dexterity by level
Nine Lives: Improve Resistance vs. Killer Blows by level
Soft Landing: Reduce falling damage to 1d4 per 10 fallen
Dwarf
Dwarves are stocky humanoids who dwell underground. They are
familiar with stonework, smithing, and mining. They espouse personal honour, but they hoard wealth and mistrust outsiders.
AdCost: 6 MR: 81d4
WL: 3 IM: +0
Perks: Healthy, Imp. Infravision (8)
Special Perks
Buttress: Double the DF of a single piece of armour
Deep Ways: Improve ARs underground by level

Elf
Elves are graceful humanoids who prefer wilderness environments.
They keep ancient secrets and have an affinity for things of beauty.
Their long life spans promote a passive outlook on life that most
non-elves find detached.
Perks: Comely, Infravision (4)
Special Perks
Aloof: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level
Fey: Roll 1d8 for mana (pg. 13)
Nature Ways: Improve ARs in the wilderness by level
Halfling
Halflings are small humanoids about half the size of an adult human.
They settle in open areas, far from noise and bustle, where they build
close-knit communities. Halflings are congenial and love lifes comforts, and seem to have uncanny luck when the odds are stacked
against them.
AdCost: 4 MR: 81d4
WL: 2 IM: +1
Perks: Lucky, Nimble
Special Perks
Fleet: Improve Parry vs. larger foes by level (melee only)
Indiscernible: Improve Sneak rolls by level
Human
Humans are normal men, generally average in all aspects, but highly
adaptable.
Perks: none (see below)
To reflect human variants, the GM should create Perks and Special
Perks based on background, upbringing, environment, or social values. Some examples include:
Desert nomads: Proud and honourable people with deep reverence
for their gods. Their customs are intricate and their laws strict, with
much emphasis on station.
Perks: Energetic, Etiquette
Special Perks
Persuasive: Improve Diplomacy rolls when negotiating by level
Steppe nomads: Fiercely independent horsemen who subsist on
hunting and animal husbandry; they can be galvanised into bloodthirsty conquerors.
Perks: Mounted Assault, Quick Draw
Special Perks
Horse warrior: Use Fight/Shoot for mounted attacks (instead of
Animal Handling Ability)
Vikings: Sea-faring raiders prone to plunder. Viking culture is clanbased with great importance placed on personal valour.
Perks: Tough
Special Perks
Determined: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level

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Chimera Basic 7
Character Classes
Classes are bundles of Abilities that represent professions. You can
use classes singly or in combination to create your characters vocation in the campaign (see Custom Professions, pg. 8).
Animist (Anm)
Those possessing great affinity for the natural world, able to draw
upon the essence of all things to produce powers.
AdCost: +3
WL: +1
Abilities: Survival, Wield
Special Perks
Essence: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
One with Nature: Increase mana by level while in the wilderness
Burglar (Brg)
Individuals generally on the wrong side of the law, adept at breaking
and entering, stealth, and thievery.
AdCost: +6
WL: +2
Abilities: Chicanery, Observe, Sneak, Tinker
Special Perks
Backstab: Use Sneak to attack undetected (use foes Surprise TN;
melee only and cannot be used once engaged or if detected)
Escape Artist: Improve ARs related to escaping confinement by
level
Faithful (Fai)
Devout worshipers of a deity; they receive powers as divine miracles
in exchange for their faith.
AdCost: +3
WL: +1
Abilities: Mettle, Wield
Special Perks
Holy Roller: Increase attack ARs vs. the infidel by level
Miracles: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
Gearhead (Grh)
Gearheads are adept at operating and repairing machines, gadgets,
computers, vehicles, and other technical devices.
AdCost: +4
WL: +2
Abilities: Manoeuvre, Tinker
Special Perks
Overhaul: Use Tinker to reduce a hits severity by level; one
attempt per hit each day (machines and vehicles only)
Medic (Med)
Those with this profession are trained to administer medical attention in the field.
AdCost: +5
WL: +2
Abilities: Athletics, First Aid, Mettle
Special Perks
Bedside Manner: Increase patients natural healing rate by level
(pg. 19)
Ditch Medicine: Use First Aid to reduce a wounds severity by
level; one attempt per wound each week
First Responder: Use First Aid to revive an unconscious or
stunned patient or to extend poison onset up to 1 turn/level

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Mentalist (Men)
People with heightened awareness or advanced brains who wield
powers as psionic abilities.
AdCost: +3
WL: +1
Abilities: Observe, Wield
Special Perks
Blank Stare: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level
Mind Blank: Improve Resistance vs. Divination by level
Psionics: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
Occultist (Occ)
Those who study ancient lore to obtain the secrets of magic spells.
AdCost: +3
WL: +1
Abilities: Academics, Wield
Special Perks
Magic Resistance: Improve Resistance vs. Powers by level
Spells: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
Scholar (Sch)
People with formal education possessing broad knowledge in diverse
fields and adept at research.
AdCost: +3
WL: +1
Abilities: Academics, Observe
Special Perks
Eidetic Memory: Improve recall-based ARs by level
Flash of Genius: Academics rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Scout (Sct)
These folks are at home in the wilderness and used to picking their
way through harsh environments and hostile territory.
AdCost: +5
WL: +2
Abilities: Observe, Sneak, Survival
Special Perks
Frontiersman: Survival rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Nature Ways: Improve ARs in the wilderness by level
Thug (Thg)
This profession is for street toughs and hired goons, prone to strongarm tactics and intimidation.
AdCost: +5
WL: +2
Abilities: Athletics, Coerce, Street Smarts
Special Perks
City Ways: Improve ARs in urban environments by level
Stare-down: Coerce rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Veteran (Vet)
Anyone with formal combat training is a veteran: soldiers, mercenaries, warriors, guardsmen, etc.
AdCost: +7
WL: +4
Abilities: Athletics, Fight, Shoot
Special Perks
Buttress: Double the DF of armour worn (melee only)
Deadeye: Upgrade the damage of ranged weapons by 1 die
En Garde: Increase Parry by Fight AR (melee only)
Enemy Mine: Increase attack ARs vs. specific foe by level
Mighty Blow: Upgrade the damage of melee weapons by 1 die

Chimera Basic 8
Boons and Baggage (optional)
Custom Professions
Chimera classes can be used as standalone professions or combined to create
new professions particular to a given
campaign.
When combining classes, add the Advancement Cost and Wound Limit adjustments of each. Abilities of each class
are considered class Abilities for purposes of advancement; if an Ability is common to two or more combined classes, it
gains AR +1. The character has access to
Special Perks from all combined classes.
Based on popular genres, here are some
effective class combinations:
Fantasy
Cleric/Priest: Faithful + Scholar
Druid: Animist + Scout
Paladin: Faithful (w/Holy Roller) +
Veteran (w/Buttress)
Ranger: Scout (w/Nature Ways) +
Veteran (w/Enemy Mine)
Rogue: Burglar + Veteran
Wizard: Occultist + Scholar
Modern or Historical
Big Game Hunter: Scout + Veteran
Corpsman: Medic (w/First Responder) + Scout
Gangster: Burglar + Thug
Private Investigator: Scholar + Thug
(w/City Ways)
Professor: Scholar (w/Flash of Genius)
Recon Specialist: Burglar + Scout
Reporter: Profession (journalist) Ability + Scholar
Sniper: Scout + Veteran (w/Dead Eye)
Sci-fi or Apocalypse
Bounty Hunter: Burglar + Thug
(w/Stare-down)
Empath: Mentalist + Scholar
Hacker: Profession (comp sci) Ability
+ Scholar
Technocrat: Gearhead + Scholar
Some of these examples are composed of
classes and particular non-class Abilities.
You can create these by buying non-class
Abilities during Step #4 of Character
Generation.

Character background is a tricky thingyou dont want to get too bogged down with specifics,
but it does help to have a few details to explain where your PC comes from.
The table below provides random conditionsboons and baggagethat represent extra
details about a character at the start of play. Entries describe circumstances in the characters
present, but the player is free to craft whatever background story he wants to explain how
the current situation came about (some GM tweaking required).
DIE ROLL (2D12)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
RESULT
Roll twice on this table at 1 each roll, ignoring results of 2 or 24
Extorted by underworld figure; could be for protection or to keep someone
quiet about something the PC did (or is said to have done)
Harassed by a rival who opposes the PC at every opportunity
Blackmailed by the authorities to spy on another PC
Wanted by the authorities in connection with a crime (PC may or may not be guilty)
Exiled from local community for putting its citizens or leader(s) in danger
Not raised by natural parents (e.g., crazy uncle, kidnappers, gypsies, wolves)
Criminal record for past crime; debt to society has been paid, but the stigma
limits opportunities
Shunned within local community for real or perceived failing
Charged with the care of a dependent relative (e.g., invalid, child, or insane)
Saddled with a random Flaw (pg. 11; player needs to explain origin)
Character has an acute interest in (and talent for) some hobby (players choice)
Background justifies a free Perk (pg. 11; player needs to explain origin)
Knows the location of rumoured cache (e.g., riches, technology, lost knowledge)
Possesses a valuable family heirloom (weapon, armour, gear)
Beginners luck lets you automatically Resist a single Killer Blow (must be used
before attaining 2nd-level)
Popular; begins adventuring career with 1d4 loyal (non-classed) henchmen (pg. 20)
Recipient of mysterious inheritance; could be lands, a title, or a piece of
tangible property (e.g., a ship, trade goods, real estate)
Member of an exclusive club
Owed a favour from a powerful local figure (e.g., rich businessman, authority
figure, politician)
Has connections to an influential organisation
Has the favourable attentions of a powerful (but unidentified) patron
Roll twice on this table at +1 each roll, ignoring results of 2 or 24
Fleshing out the details of these items is a collaborative exercise for the player and the GM. In
all cases, the results make for good adventure hooks (to be exploited at any juncture) or
roleplaying opportunities, provided both the player and GM are willing to work toward
adding a little extra detail to the setting.
Note also that results are arranged on a curve, with 13 being average. Results of 14 and up
are increasingly favourable, while results of 12 and below are generally bad.
This makes the table modifier-friendly, so you can simulate
the positive or negative effects (like social
station, class, or racial type) by applying modifiers to nudge characters in
one direction or another according
to your setting. For example, a race
of high-born men might get a +1
to indicate their generally good
fortune, or maybe characters
who rolled 3 or less on Social
Station (pg. 5) get a penalty of
2 to reflect their miserable
lot in the campaign.
Finally, dont be shy about
modifying the results above
these are generic possibilities
and easily customised for a specific campaign.

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Chimera Basic 9
Character Advancement
At the end of every adventure, your character can make an Advancement Roll to see if he
improves: roll 1d20 and subtract your current experience level from the result.
If the Advancement Roll is equal to or greater than your characters Advancement Cost
(AdCost), you receive a number of Improvement Points (IP) equal to your current level (e.g., a
3rd-level character gets 3 IP). Otherwise, you must complete another adventure before you
can try again.
The GM may grant bonuses to the Advancement Roll for completing mission goals, overcoming specific adventure challenges, and defeating key opponents (pg. 31).
Improvement Points may be spent to:
Level Up: Increase your experience level by one and apply a +1 bonus to one of the following:
any class Ability, Movement Rate (MR), Wound Limit (WL), Defence (DF), or Initiative
Modifier (IM). [IP cost equal to current level]
Improve a class Ability: Gain Ability bonus of AR +1. [1 IP]
Acquire a non-class Ability: Gain new Ability at AR +0. [1 IP]
Improve a non-class Ability: Gain Ability bonus of AR +1; you can improve each of your
non-class Abilities only once per experience level. [1 IP]
Acquire a new Perk: Gain the basic version of a Perk. [1 IP]
Improve an existing Perk: Gain the Improved version of an existing Perk. [2 IP]
Acquire a new Special Perk: Gain a Special Perk from your race or class. [IP cost equal to
current level]
Acquire a new power: Gain the power; you must have access to the powers school (to access
new schools, re-purchase the Special Perk that allows you to use powers; e.g., Miracles,
Spells, et al.). [IP cost equal to powers Target Number]
Acquire Mana: Gain 1d6 Mana points. [1 IP]
Acquire a new Class: Gain access to the new class Abilities and Sperks (Abilities already
possessed gain a bonus of AR +1). You must also add the new class AdCost to your existing
Advancement Cost figure. [IP cost equal to current level]
Overcome a Flaw: Remove an existing Flaw; at the GMs discretion (and depending on the Flaw
affected), this may require constant effort (q.v., Overcoming Flaws, pg. 11). [2 IP]
Training (optional)
To simulate the effort required for character improvement, the GM might require training as
a component of advancement. In campaign terms, this represents tutelage, instruction, and
practice in whatevers being improved (e.g., practicing under a weapon masters guidance to
improve the Fight Ability, serving as a sorcerers apprentice to acquire a magic spell, or taking
a course at the community college to improve Academics).
Assuming a character can find a suitable instructor (and convince him to provide instruction),
training takes time and money. Here are some guidelines:
Gaining an experience level: Applying the lessons learned from adventuring to the physical
and mental improvements represented by level gain consumes 1 month of game time per
level earned, at a cost of $1,000 per month of instruction.
Abilities: Improving an existing Ability by AR +1 requires a month of game time and $500.
Acquiring a new Ability requires two months of game time at a cost of $1,000.
Perks: Acquiring a new Perk takes two months of game time and $1,000. Improving a Perk also
takes two months, but the advanced training required costs $2,000.
Sperks: New Sperks are acquired in one game month at a cost of $2,000.
Powers: Gaining a new power takes one game week per Target Number of the power, at a rate
of $250 per week. New powers are hard to find, as most instructors are reluctant to share
such knowledge; finding a willing mentor requires the PC to make a Street Smarts roll
against the TN of the power sought.
New Class: Training consumes the class Advancement Cost in game months, at a rate of
$1,000 per month.
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Creating New Races

Determine a new races basic stats according to its size (pg. 21), then apply
Perks, Flaws, and Adaptations to reflect
inherent characteristics. Calculate the
races AdCost as follows:
+1 per Perk or Adaptation
+2 per Improved Perk/Adaptation
+1 per WL adjustment
Special Perks require some thought (and
GM approval). Try to come up with advantages logical for the race, but not
necessarily required or shared by every
member of the race.
When determining a Sperks benefit, remember that most are tied to the
characters level (e.g., usable once per
level each day, providing a die roll bonus
equal to level, etc.).
Dont be afraid to be creativea Sperks
power is balanced by the fact that
theyre available only to a specific race
or class, and not even all members at that.
Creating New Classes

You can create new classes by assembling appropriate Abilities and coming
up with new Special Perks. Calculate Advancement Cost as follows:
+1 per Ability
+1 per WL adjustment
Special Perks are handled the same way
as for races: theyre optional, and each
one chosen increases the characters AdCost by +1.
Remember that a class Sperk is available
only to members of that class, so if others could reasonably have access to it,
you should consider representing the
class via a combined profession (pg. 8)
instead of a stand-alone.

Chimera Basic 10
Untrained Actions
Your character may attempt any Ability,
but if hes not trained (i.e., he doesnt
have it), the attempt suffers a penalty of
AR 4.
This means that theres always a chance
for a character to pull things off, even if
its by accident.
Abilities
Chimera Abilities broadly represent various things your character can do during an adventure. Theyre somewhat open-ended (i.e., purposely vague) so players and GMs can customise
the specifics of each to suit their playing style and setting.
When youre uncertain about which Ability to use in a given situation, rely on common sense
and group consensus (subject to GM approval). As a rule of thumb, the clever application of
an Ability should be rewarded with at least a chance of success, especially if its reasonably
plausible and keeps play moving.
Ability Descriptions
Critical Results
An Action Roll resulting in a natural 4,
8, 12, 16, or 20 is a Critical Success or a
Critical Failure, depending on whether
the attempt succeeds or fails.
Guidelines for interpreting a Critical results are noted on page 2.
Specialisation
Your character may specialise in a specific aspect of an Ability. For example,
you could specialise Fight or Shoot with
a particular weapon type, Academics
with a particular field of study, Athletics
with a particular activity, etc. All specialisations are subject to GM approval.
Specialising is just like improving an
Ability (pg. 9), except that you apply a
bonus of AR +2 in the specialised area.
This is independent of the Abilitys normal
ARthere is no stacking. Each subsequent improvement to a specialisation
costs 1 IP and provides AR +2.
The AR bonus for specialisation applies
only to the aspect chosen. When using
the Ability in other situations, apply the
normal AR bonus.
It takes dedication and effort to maintain
a specialisation. If your specialisation AR
ever falls below your normal Ability
AR, you lose the specialisation.
Example: Klar the Barbarian is a Veteran
with Fight +1.
He spends 1 IP to specialise in Fight (axe), so
while his normal Fight Ability is AR +1, he
swings an axe at AR +2.
After some adventures, he gains 2 Improvement Points. Klar spends 1 IP on Fight and the
other IP on Fight (axe). As a result, he now
has Fight +2 and Fight (axe) +4.
He could have spent his 2 IP for Fight +3, but
then his normal Fight AR would have been
greater than his AR with the axe, and hed
lose his specialisation.

Abilities are listed below; the numbers are provided to allow random determination by the
GM when desired.
1. Academics: Book smarts, recall, and logical deduction; this Ability represents broad and
unspecified knowledge accumulated through education and formal study. At the GMs
discretion, your character knows 1 foreign language for every 2 points of AR bonus.
2. Animal Handling: Train, care for, or ride an animal; used to make attacks while mounted.
3. Athletics: Physical activity, including climbing, swimming, running, jumping, holding
ones breath, bashing and breaking things, overpowering others, and unarmed combat.
4. Chicanery: Pick pockets, pilfer items, perform sleight of hand, and conceal small items on
your person (including Small weapons).
5. Coerce: Intimidate, taunt, and cajole others into carrying out your commands; use with
openly hostile people or when you dont care if you look like a jerk.
6. Diplomacy: Interact with people who arent overtly hostile or who you might want to be
friends with; reactions are based on your Action Roll result: CF (resistant), NF (neutral),
NS (friendly), and CS (helpful).
7. Fight: Attack with hand-to-hand (melee) weapons; a successful hit lets you roll for damage against your target (two damage dice on a Critical Success). A Critical Failure causes a
fumble, which translates to a 1 penalty to your Initiative Modifier next combat turn.
8. First Aid: Reduce a patients Wound Penalty (1 point per level per hour, or any combination thereof) or negate 1 point of Fatigue per level (effects doubled with a Critical Success).
9. Manoeuvre: Operate vehicles and execute special manoeuvres; use this Ability to make
attacks while driving or piloting a vehicle.
10. Mettle: Tenacity, drive, determination, and intestinal fortitude; can be used to resist fear
or the influence of others.
11. Observe: Spot details, detect abnormalities, and notice peculiarities in your immediate
environment or about a person you encounter.
12. Perform: Sing, act, dance, recite, or play an instrument to entertain crowds; Perform is
also used to disguise oneself or otherwise pretend to be a different person.
13. Profession: Livable trade not covered by a more specific Ability. A professionals skill is
suggested by his AR bonus: Apprentice (up to AR +2), Journeyman (AR +3 or more), Master
(AR +8 or more). Naturally, titles vary with the setting.
14. Shoot: Attack with ranged (missile) weapons; a successful hit lets you roll for damage
against your target (two damage dice on a Critical Success). A Critical Failure requires an
immediate Ammo Check (pg. 15) or means that your gun jams (Shoot roll to clear).
15. Sneak: Hide while stationary or creep undetected (MR Movement Die; no movement
possible if creeping MR is 0 or less).
16. Spelunking: Subterranean survival skills, including direction sense, determination of
depth, slope detection, identification of formations and special underground hazards.
17. Street Smarts: Urban survival skills, including resource location, bluff, savvy, haggling,
blending in, avoiding scams, gambling, and familiarity with local laws, customs, and
landmarks.
18. Survival: Wilderness and outdoor skills, including hunting, tracking, foraging, identification of flora and fauna, direction sense, weather prediction, and survival.
19. Tinker: Work with machines (e.g., vehicles, locks, traps, computers) or reduce a machines
Performance Penalty by 1 for 1 hour per level (AR 2 if older tech; AR 4 if newer).
20. Wield: Use of known powers and certain powered items, knowledge of supernatural lore,
identification of supernatural beings, artefacts, and effects.

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Chimera Basic 11
Perks
Flaws
Perks are special talents available to anyone, regardless of race or

class. Most operate automatically by adjusting die rolls or game mechanics in specific situations. You must have the Perk for at least one
experience level before you acquire the Improved version.
Perks are also good for customising Chimera. Whenever youre
tempted to change the rules, consider assigning your tweaks to a Perk
instead. Not only does this save you the effort of making wholesale
changes to the entire system, but it lets you introduce the change
faster and makes it easier to pull back if the tweak doesnt work out
the way you expected.
Flaws are physical and mental maladies, bad habits, and other foibles.
Every time your character takes a Flaw (willingly or not), he receives
a one-time bonus of +1 to his next Advancement Roll (pg. 9).
As with Perks, feel free to create custom Flaws for your setting. The
only word of advice is to manifest the Flaw, wherever possible,
through some mechanical effect. In other words, its easier to enforce
a Flaw via a die roll modifier than to rely on a players ability (or
consistent willingness) to roleplay it.
Perk Descriptions
Flaws are listed below; the numbers are provided to allow random
determination by the GM when desired.
1. Awkward: Penalise Diplomacy rolls by 2 (socially inept)
2. Butt Ugly: Penalise Diplomacy rolls by 2 (hideous visage)
3. Butterfingers: Penalise Tinker rolls by 2 (clumsy)
4. Cataracts: Penalise Observe rolls by 2 (cant see well)
5. Clueless: Penalise Academics rolls by 2 (dunce)
6. Debt: Financial obligation of 3d6 x $1,000
7. Frail: Reduce Wound Limit (WL) by 2
8. Gimp: Reduce Movement Rate (MR) by 2 and downgrade Movement Die by 1 step (e.g., d8 to d6, d6 to d4, d4 to d2)
9. Glass Ceiling: Increase Advancement Cost by +2
10. Hearing Defect: Penalise Observe rolls by 2 (cant hear well)
11. Humanitarian: Cannot land Killer Blow upon vanquished foes
12. Lazy: Penalise Resistance vs. Fatigue by 2
13. Oblivious: Penalise Observe rolls by 2 (doesnt pay attention)
14. Outsider: Penalise Diplomacy rolls by 2 (social prejudice)
15. Pacifist: Fights only in self-defence
16. Phobia: Requires Mettle roll (TN 8+threats level) to face a specific
threat
17. Photosensitive: Penalise all ARs in full light by 2
18. Power Strain: Powers wielded at normal effect
19. Restricted Armour: Maximum armour bulk of Light
20. Restricted Weapons: Maximum weapon size of Medium
21. Savage: Always lands Killer Blow upon vanquished foes
22. Shakes: Resistance Roll vs. Fatigue required after any intense
action (combat, escape, et al.)
23. Sickly: Penalise Resistance vs. Disease and Poison by 2
24. Slow: Penalise Initiative Modifier (IM) by 2
25. Spendthrift: Wasteful spending reduces effective income by 10%
26. Spineless: Penalise Mettle rolls by 2 (lack of confidence)
27. Unfriendly: Penalise Diplomacy rolls by 2 (youre a jerk)
28. Unlucky: Reduce Clutch Situations by 2 each level
29. Wasteful: Penalise Gear Checks by 2 (careless consumer)
30. Wild Shot: Penalise Ammo Checks by 2 (inconsistent shot)
Perks are listed below; the numbers are provided to allow random
determination by the GM when desired.
1. Batter: Bonus of +1 to any hand-to-hand (melee) weapon damage
rolls. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
2. Bullseye: Bonus of +1 to any ranged (missile) weapon damage
rolls. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
3. Comely: Bonus of +1 to Diplomacy rolls based on physical attractiveness (subject to racial and gender preferences). [Improved:
Increase bonus to +2]
4. Crackerjack: Bonus of +1 to Resist Traps. [Improved: Increase
bonus to +2]
5. Economise: Bonus of +1 to Gear Checks. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
6. Energetic: Bonus of +1 to Resist Fatigue. [Improved: Increase
bonus to +2]
7. Etiquette: Bonus of +1 to Diplomacy rolls with upper classes.
[Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
8. Fire Conservation: Bonus of +1 to Ammo Checks. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
9. Giant Killer: Bonus of +1 to attack and damage rolls vs. larger foes.
10. Healthy: Bonus of +1 to Resist Disease and Poison. [Improved:
11. Insulation: Bonus of +1 to Resist Powers. [Improved: Increase
bonus to +2]
12. Lucky: Bonus of +1 Clutch Situation each level. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
13. Marksman: Bonus of +1 to Called Shots with ranged weapons.
14. Mounted Assault: Bonus of +1 to attack and damage rolls while
mounted. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
15. Nimble: Bonus of +1 to Parry. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
16. Portage: Bonus of +1 point of free Encumbrance. [Improved:
17. Quick Draw: Bonus of +1 to Initiative rolls. [Improved: Increase
bonus to +2]
18. Stout: Bonus of +1 to base Defence (DF). [Improved: Increase base
Defence by +2]
19. Tough: Bonus of +1 to Wound Limit (WL). [Improved: Increase
Wound Limit by +2]
20. Weapon Proficiency: Bonus of +1 to Initiative rolls with a particular weapon type (a group of related arms: swords, pistols, bows,
rifles, etc.). [Improved: Bonus of +1 to damage rolls with proficient weapons]

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Flaw Descriptions
Overcoming Flaws
You can overcome a Flaw by paying it off. This is done as an improvement during character advancement (pg. 9) and costs 2 Improvement Points.
At the GMs discretion, some Flaws require effort to suppress and
control (e.g., Phobia, Unfriendly, Wasteful, et al.). This work is represented by reducing the number of IP received at advancement time
by 1. You may ignore this penalty, but that causes a relapse and the
Flaw returns.

Chimera Basic 12
Power-wielding Sperks
Classes that wield powers do so via a
certain Sperk (e.g., Essence, Miracles,
Spells, et al.). A separate instance of
the Sperk must be acquired for each
school accessed.
Each time this Sperk is acquired, the
character chooses the school it represents. He automatically gains one randomly chosen power from the school
selected, and may acquire other powers
from that school as part of character
advancement (pg. 9).
As with other Sperks, every time the
character gets access to a new power
school, his AdCost increases by +1.
Power Schools
Powers
Powers represent supernatural or pseudoscientific forcesspells, miracles, voodoo, psionics,
etc. Chimera powers are defined loosely, which allows you to separate cause from effect and
gives the GM freedom to include powers in any campaign, using whatever logic is most
appropriate for that setting.
For example, a shock can come from a sorcerers scroll, a saints holy symbol, an empaths
mental blast, or even an alien artefactregardless, its the shock power in all respects. While
it may be brought about or appear in different ways, the effects of the power are unchanged.
Using Powers
Each power has its own Target Number, which represents how difficult it is to use. To use a
power, make Wield roll against the powers TN, with these suggested results:
Critical Failure: Power fizzles; wielder must Resist Fatigue against powers TN (pg. 17)
Normal Failure: Power succeeds; target gets normal Resistance Roll (pg. 17) but wielder must
Resist Fatigue against powers TN
Normal Success: Power succeeds; target gets normal Resistance Roll
Critical Success: Power succeeds; target Resistance Roll penalised by Wielders level
Each power belongs to a school, or discipline, of related effects:
Resisting Powers
Abjuration (Abj): Powers that create protective barriers

Alteration (Alt): Powers that affect the
characteristics of inanimate objects
An unwilling target of any power may attempt a Resistance Roll (pg. 17) against the powers
Target Number. Each powers description notes which Ability (if any) may be used to stack
onto the Resistance Roll. A successful Resistance Roll reduces the powers effects by half; a
Critical Success on the Resistance Roll negates the powers effects completely.
Conjuration (Con): Powers that bring

forth inanimate objects
Power Descriptions
Cosmology (Cos): Powers that manipulate time, space, and physical environments
What follows are capsule descriptions for common powers; the numbers are provided to allow
random determination by the GM when desired.
Divination (Div): Powers that impart

knowledge
Abjuration
Enchantment (Enc): Powers that affect

the characteristics of living things
Evocation (Evo): Powers that channel
raw energy into a controlled force
Illusion (Ill): Powers that deceive the
senses
Summoning (Sum): Powers that bring
forth living things
Power Descriptions
Each power is noted with the following
details:
School: A 3-letter code indicating the
powers school (see above)
TN: The Target Number needed to Wield
the power successfully
Rng: The range at which the power is
effective, in scale inches
Dur: The powers duration, or how long
its effect lasts
RS: Ability used to Resist the power
Unless otherwise noted, lvl refers to
the wielders experience level.

1. Counter (Abj; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)

Negate all operating powers within a medium blast template (permanent duration on
Critical Success); the Wield roll is penalised by the level of the countered powers wielder.
2. Paralyse (Abj; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Athletics)
Freeze a single target in place; target is aware of surroundings while paralysed.
3. Remove Curse (Abj; TN 8; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS n/a)
Negates a curse; Wield rolls are penalised by the level of whoever created the curse.
4. Shield (Abj; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Sneak)
Increase targets Parry (or Defence) by +1/level; the bonus may be divided evenly amongst
multiple targets.
5. Wall (Abj; TN 20; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Athletics)
Create a solid barrier from the current ground cover up to 1x 1 per level. The wall forms
in any shape or direction, but cannot be moved once placed; each 1 section provides a
Cover bonus (pg. 18) based on its composition: Earth (Cover +2/lvl); Fire (Cover +0, 1d6
points of damage if touched or crossed), Ice (Cover +1/lvl); Stone (Cover +4/lvl); Thorns
(Cover +0, 1 point of damage per level if entered or crossed). Each wall section has a WL
and DF equal to the wielders level and may be destroyed by physical means.
6. Ward (Abj; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Special; RS Athletics)
Create a protective mark on an object, portal, or container that triggers upon unauthorised access. Ward effects cover a small blast template; possible wards include: Fear (Resist
via Mettle or flee in terror); Drain (as Energy Drain adaptation); Harm (inflicts 1 point of
damage per level); Stun (inflicts stun penalty equal to wielders level); Warning (sends
mental or audible alert; one word per level of the wielder); Weakness (Fatigue penalty
equal to wielders level). A ward fades when triggered, but may be made permanent; a
ward may be bypassed with a password chosen by the wielder.

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Chimera Basic 13
Alteration
1. Control Unliving (Alt; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Mettle)
Compel a single undead or constructed target to do your bidding; 1 order/level.
2. Create Unliving (Alt; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS n/a)
Transform bodily remains into undead (e.g., skeleton or zombie) or a manufactured
construct; Wield rolls are penalised by the level of the undead or construct created.
3. Permanency (Alt; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS n/a)
Give a currently operating power unlimited duration; the Wield Target Number equals
the TN of the power being made permanent.
4. Silence (Alt; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Sneak)
Contain all sound within a small blast template; can move with wielder at TN 16.
5. Transmute (Alt; TN 16; Rng Touch; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Change the form and function of an inanimate object (up to 1 Encumbrance point per
level affected, though Encumbrance value is unchanged).
6. True Strike (Alt; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Increase attack and damage rolls of a single weapon or ammo load by +1/level; the bonus
may be divided evenly amongst multiple weapons/ammo.
Conjuration
1. Control Weather (Con; TN 12; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Change weather within a large blast template; Moderate or Severe weather (pg. 26) may
be created at TN 16 or TN 20, respectively. Weather changes inconsistent with the local
environment halve the powers duration (e.g., snow in a tropical desert).
2. Produce (Con; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Special; RS n/a)
Create an inanimate object no bigger than Enc 1/level; lasts 1 minute/level (if rare or
valuable), 1 hour/level (if inorganic), or 1 day/level (if organic or edible).
3. Sustenance (Con; TN 8; Rng Self; Dur Special; RS n/a)
Create a days worth of food and water for 1 medium-sized creature per level.
4. Twin (Con; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS Mettle)
Create a precise replica of a target creature, but at half the originals level. The twin is an
automaton under the control its progenitor and cannot gain experience or memories, but
if the original is destroyed, the twin becomes an independent replacement, capable of
advancement.
Mana
Mana is supernatural energy that improves your Wield Ability. Each Mana
point spent grants AR +1 to any Wield roll.
You must decide how much Mana to
spend before making the Wield roll. Mana
is lost regardless of the rolls outcome,
but recharges at the rate of 1 point per
hour. Mana does not affect any other
aspect of the power.
Power Wielding Example

Brother Pirol the Pious wants to use remove
curse on his friend Edric the Unlucky, who
was cursed by a 2nd-level Occultist.
Pirol has Wield +1, remove curse is TN 8, but
the curse was created by a 2nd-level Occultist. These combine to a Wield modifier of 1
(+1 for Pirols Wield and 2 for the curses
source).
To improve his chances, Pirol spends 3 Mana
points, raising his Wield AR to +2. Against a
TN 8, Pirol needs to roll 6 or better on the
Action Roll.
Cosmology
1. Free Action (Cos; TN 16; Rng Touch; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Athletics)
Enable a target to survive and move/act without penalty in hostile or restrictive environments (e.g., underwater, gas-filled chamber, vacuum, etc.); duration may be divided evenly
amongst multiple targets.
2. Slow (Cos; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Athletics)
Halve a targets base Movement Rate and number of full actions per round, and impose an
Initiative penalty equal to the wielders level.
3. Speed (Cos; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Sneak)
Double a targets base Movement Rate and number of full actions per round, and grant an
Initiative bonus equal to the wielders level.
4. Suspension (Cos; TN 20; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Athletics)
Place a single target in suspended animation; the target is unaware of his surroundings
and recalls nothing while suspended. Targets neither age nor need to eat, but they do
require air. A suspended target may be slain with one blow or bound as a full action.
5. Teleport (Cos; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS Wield)
Transport 1 individual per level to another location: Destination within sight (TN 8);
destination out of sight but familiar (TN 12); destination out of sight but unfamiliar (TN
16); destination off-world (TN 20); destination in different dimension or plane (TN 24).
Multiple targets must be in physical contact.
6. Timewarp (Cos; TN 20; Rng Self; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Stops time, granting the wielder 1 full action per round; while timewarp is in effect,
wielder acts as if under the effects of free action and all surrounding beings are effectively
suspended.

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Power Modulation
Aspects of a power can be modulated, or
changed in intensity. To modulate a
power, apply the following AR modifiers
to the Wield roll:
Range
Per additional 1: AR 1
Duration
Duration x2: AR 2
Duration x4: AR 4
Effect
Per additional target: AR 1
Use smaller blast template: AR +1
Use larger blast template: AR 2
Damage
Damage (upgrade Damage die by 1
step (e.g., 1d6 to 1d8)): AR 1
Damage (+1 die): AR 2
Damage (+ level): AR 4
All modulation modifiers are cumulative.

Chimera Basic 14
Divination
1. Commune (Div; TN 20; Rng Self; Dur Special; RS n/a)
Ask one yes or no question per level and get a correct answer
from a supernatural authority known to the wielder (deity, spirit,
demon, etc.). If the Wield roll is a Critical Success, one openended question may be asked.
2. Detect (Div; TN var.; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Street Smarts)
Check for a particular characteristic of persons or things within a
small blast template: affected by a power (TN 12), determine
alignment (TN 16), discern a lie (TN 12), or check for traps (TN 8).
3. ESP (Div; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1rd/lvl; RS Academics)
Read a single targets thoughts.
4. Locate (Div; TN 8; Rng Self; Dur Instant; RS n/a)
Determine the direction and distance of a sought-after person,
place, or thing.
5. Scry (Div; TN 12; Rng Self; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
View a known person or place in real-time, regardless of distance
(include audio at TN 16).
6. Translate (Div; TN 8; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Allows the wielder to read and write any language; fluent speech
and comprehension at TN 12.
Enchantment
1. Bonus (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Improve one Abilitys AR bonus by targets level.
2. Control (Enc; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Mettle)
Compel a single target to do your bidding; 1 order/level, though
the target ignores self-destructive orders.
3. Curse (Enc; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Wield)
Inflict a random Flaw upon a single target; wielder may choose
the Flaw at TN 16.
4. Enhance (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Double the effect of an existing Perk.
5. Fly (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Grant flight to 1 target/level; flight MR equals wielders level.
6. Heal (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS n/a)
Restore 1d6 points of severity to a single wound (1d8 on a Critical
Success).
7. Petrify (Enc; TN 16; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Athletics)
Turn a single target (and all items worn or carried) to stone.
8. Sleep (Enc; TN 12; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Induce slumber in targets within a small blast template; sleepers
may be slain with one blow or bound as a full action.
Evocation
1. Blast (Evo; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Athletics)
Hit all targets within a small blast template for 1d6 damage
(normal DF applies).
2. Entangle (Evo; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Athletics)
Create a snare covering a medium blast template; those within
suffer a penalty to MR and physical Action Rolls equal to the
wielders level (Athletics roll vs. TN 12 required to break free).
3. Light (Evo; TN 8; Rng 1; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Illuminate a small blast template around the target; light moves
with target at TN 12.
4. Restoration (Evo; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS n/a)
Remove an adverse condition suffered by a target: paralysis (TN
8), poison or disease (TN 12), suspension or petrifaction (TN 16),
energy drain (TN 20), or death (i.e., resurrection; TN 24).

5. Shock (Evo; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Athletics)

Launch a force that unerringly strikes a target for 1d4 points of
damage (normal DF applies). For each level, the wielder can increase damage by +1 or shock a new/separate target (e.g., at
3rd-level, 3 shocks (Dmg 1d4 each) or 1 shock (Dmg 1d4+3).
6. Telekinesis (Evo; TN 16; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Fight)
Remotely move or control an object (up to 1 Tiny creature or
Encumbrance 1 per level). Remote weapons attack via the Wield
Ability. Objects may be hurled 1 per level for falling damage.
Illusion
1. Charm (Ill; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Convince a single target that you are its trusted friend.
2. Illusion (Ill; TN 12; Rng 2/level; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Observe)
Create a phantasm of a person, terrain feature, creature, or thing;
add sound, smell, animation, or programmed interaction (1
condition/level) at TN 16.
3. Invisibility (Ill; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Observe)
Hide 1 target from sight; mask sound or smell at TN 16; invisibility
grants an AR bonus to Sneak attempts equal to the wielders level,
while attacks against invisible targets are made at AR 4 (AR 8 if
sound or scent is also masked).
4. Obscure (Ill; TN 8; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Observe)
Create a visual barrier that conceals all within and behind a
medium blast template (AR 4 to attack those thus protected).
Summoning
1. Banish (Sum; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Mettle)
Force summoned creatures to return to their place of origin. The
wielder can banish up to his level in summoned creatures; any
remaining levels penalise the Wield roll.
2. Familiar (Sum; TN 16; Rng Self; Dur Permanent; RS n/a)
Summon an animal companion from local environment; the
familiars level equals the wielders, but it does not advance.
Familiars establish a telepathic bond with the wielder (Rng
10/level) and follow directives to the best of their ability. The
familiars Wound Penalty is felt by the wielder as Fatigue.
3. Possession (Sum; TN 20; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Inhabit and control a targets body; your own body is suspended
during the possession and receives your being when the power
ends or the hosts body is destroyed. If your body is destroyed,
you become incorporeal until you can re-possess a host or your
body is restored.
4. Servant (Sum; TN 12; Rng Self; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Bring forth an obedient (but non-combative) Medium-sized servant to carry out mundane tasks; the servant has MR 8 + wielders
level and possesses 1 Improvement Point per level for the GM to
spend on Abilities. At the GMs option, the servant may be capable
of fighting if the Wield roll is a Critical Success.
5. Simulacra (Sum; TN 16; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Creates 1 duplicate of a target per wielders level; duplicates
mimic the originals appearance, actions, and movement in realtime. Duplicates can make physical attacks, but they possess WL
0 and are destroyed if hit.
6. Summon (Sum; TN var.; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Special; RS Mettle)
Call forth creatures to perform 1 task/level (number appearing as
per monsters description), based on creatures frequency: Common (TN 8); Uncommon (TN 12); Rare (TN 16); Very Rare (TN 20);
Unique (TN 24). Summoned creatures vanish when slain or their
tasks are complete.
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Chimera Basic 15
Equipment
Weapons, armour, and gear are the tools of adventureyour character will need them.
Weapons
The table below contains generic weapon stats.
WEAPON
TL
ABILITY
SIZE
PARRY DAMAGE* RNG** ROF
ENC COST
Axe, battle
2
Fight
Medium
1d6
1
1
$10
Axe, hand
2
Fight
Small
1d4
(2)
$10
Bow, composite
2
Shoot
Medium
1d6
8
1
$120
Bow, long
3
Shoot
Medium
1d6
16
1
1
$80
Bow, short
1
Shoot
Medium
1d4
4
1
$40
Club
1
Fight
Small
1d4
1
$5
Crossbow
3
Shoot
Large
1d8
4
1
$600
Dagger
2
Fight
Small
1d4
(2)
1
$10
Grenade
7
Shoot
Small
1d4/S
4
1
$8
Mace
2
Fight
Medium
1d6
1
1
$20
Machine gun, heavy
7
Shoot
Fixed
1d4
8
6
4
$1,125
Machine gun, light
7
Shoot
Large
1d4
8
4
2
$600
Pistol, blaster
9
Shoot
Medium
1d6
4
1
$80
Pistol, flintlock
5
Shoot
Medium
1d6
2
1
$40
Pistol, revolver
6
Shoot
Medium
1d6
2
1
$40
Pistol, semi-auto
7
Shoot
Small
1d6
2
1
$35
Quarterstaff
1
Fight
Large
+2
1d6
2
1
2
$100
Rifle, anti-materiel
8
Shoot
Fixed
1d6
32
1
2
$2,500
Rifle, automatic
8
Shoot
Large
1d4
4
2
1
$400
Rifle, blaster
9
Shoot
Large
1d6
8
1
1
$600
Rifle, bolt-action
7
Shoot
Large
1d4
16
1
1
$400
Rifle, breech-loader
6
Shoot
Large
1d6
8
1
2
$300
Rifle, flintlock
5
Shoot
Large
1d6
4
2
$150
RPG
8
Shoot
Fixed
1d8/M
16
1
2
$3,200
Shotgun
7
Shoot
Large
1d6
2
1
1
$200
Spear, normal
1
Fight
Medium
+1
1d6
(2)
1
1
$20
Sub-machine gun
7
Shoot
Medium
1d6
4
2
1
$40
Sword, bastard
3
Fight
Medium
+1
1d6
1
1
$20
Sword, broad
3
Fight
Medium
+1
1d6
1
1
$15
Sword, great
3
Fight
Large
1d8
2
2
$200
Sword, short
2
Fight
Small
1d4
1
$10
* S, M, L indicates a blast attack using a template of the size indicated (Small, Medium, or Large)
**Ranges in parenthesis are thrown, using the Shoot Ability; melee range is 1
Increase damage die by one step when used 2-handed (e.g., 1d6 becomes 1d8)
Capable of Rapid Fire (pg. 19)
Armour
Cash
Prices are noted in dollars, though the
$ symbol merely represents the dominant currency in the GMs setting (where
it should be referred by its proper name:
pound, gold piece, silver penny, imperial
credit, ducat, etc.).
Actual prices are highly variable. The
figures here should be used as guidelines
to represent the relative cost of items, as
opposed to what the purchasing market
will actually bear.
Weapon Sizes
A weapons size dictates how fast it can
be brought to bear during a fight:
Small (S): Wielded in 1 hand, +1 to initiative rolls; may be concealed with a
successful Chicanery roll
Medium (M): Wielded in 1 hand, no initiative modifier
Large (L): Wielded in 2 hands, 1 to initiative rolls; at the GMs option, only
Veterans may use Large hand-to-hand
weapons
Fixed (F): Wielded from a fixed position
but portable; takes a full action to set
up for firing after moving and 2 to
initiative rolls
Ranged Modifiers
Shoot rolls at targets within a missile
weapons effective range are made at
AR +0. Longer shots are possible, but its
harder to be accurate at range.
Divide the distance to the target by the
weapons effective range; the result is
the AR penalty applied to the Shoot roll
(drop fractions).
Any protective device worn to deflect or absorb damage from physical attacks.
ARMOUR
Brigandine
Ballistic vest
Ballistic vest
Ceramic armour
Combat fatigues
Cover, heavy
Cover, light
Cover, medium
Furs, thick
Hide
Leather
Mail
Mail, light
Plate
Shield, medium
Shield , small
TL
3
8
9
9
7
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
2
BULK
Light
Medium
Medium
Heavy
Light
Heavy
Light
Medium
Medium
Light
Light
Medium
Medium
Heavy
Medium
Light

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DF BONUS
+1
+2
+2
+4
+1
(+4)
(+1)
(+2)
+2
+1
+1
+2
+2
+4
(+2)
(+1)
ENC
2
2
1
2
1
4
1
COST
$200
$400
$800
$3,200
$200
$200
$50
$100
$200
$400
$400
$100
$50
NOTES
Ammunition
Instead of tracking individual rounds,
Chimera tallies ammo in loads.
Provides a Cover bonus

Provides a Parry bonus

Provides a Parry bonus
A single load of ammo costs one-tenth of

the weapon firing it. Encumbrance per
load is based on weapon size:
Small: Enc 1 per 8 loads
Medium: Enc 1 per 4 loads
Large: Enc 1 per 2 loads
Fixed: Enc 1 per load
After a fight, any character who fired a
shot must make an Ammo Check (i.e., a
Shoot roll against TN 12). If the Ammo
Check fails, a loads been expended and
his total is reduced by 1; zero loads
means that hes out of ammo.

Chimera Basic 16
Gear
Gear Durability
Each gear pack has 712 (1d6+6) uses
when its used up, youve worn out or
consumed all the items it contained. But
some gear is more durable than others,
and its possible for a character to husband his supplies carefully.
Every time you use the gear pack, you
must make a Gear Check (i.e., an Observe
roll against TN 12). If the Gear Check
fails, the pack is depleted by one use;
when a pack is empty, it must be replaced.
Encumbrance
Encumbrance (Enc) represents the bulk
and weight of your characters gear,
which affects his actual Movement Rate.
Subtract the Encumbrance of all equipment from your characters base MR; the
difference is his adjusted MR.
For example, a character with MR
121d6 wearing hide armour (Enc 2)
and carrying a broad sword (Enc 1) has a
total Encumbrance of 3 for an adjusted
MR of 91d6.
Gear is a general term for tools and supplies designed to perform a specific task. In Chimera,
gear is bundled into gear packs, collections of related (but unspecified) tools. For example,
Burglars tools include any gear related or useful to burglary: wire snips, lock picks, cord, glass
cutter, and whatever else makes sense to include in the setting.
While a gear packs contents arent specifically identified, assume that it contains whatever is
needed to support its purpose. In other words, if you have a pack related to the task at hand,
you have the equipment you need.
Naturally, some items vary by Tech Level, though their general purpose is consistent.
GEAR
ENC COST
ABILITY*
POSSIBLE CONTENTS
Academia
2 $200
Academics Books, database or Internet access, library card
Artists supplies
1 $100
Perform
Materials appropriate to the artists media
Burglars tools
1 $100
Tinker
Lock picks, glass cutter, shears, twine, wax
Camping supplies
2 $100
Survival
Bedroll, tarp, flint & tinder, rations, water skin/canteen
Cartography desk
1 $200
Academics Ink, paper, rule, compass, sextant, quills/pens
Chemistry set
1 $200
Academics Beakers, chemicals, microscope, Ph kit, reagents
Craftsmans tools
2 $100
Profession Materials and tools appropriate to the craft
Explorers pack
1 $100
Survival
Backpack, local map, canteen, flares, rope, compass
Fighting gear
1 $50
n/a
Whetstone, armour repair kit, oil
Gun kit
1 $50
n/a
Cleaning kit, ammo mould, oil
Holy kit
1 $200
Miracles
Holy symbol, holy water, lectionary, prayer candles
Medical kit
1 $100
First Aid
Bandages, ointments, antiseptic, syringes, snake bite kit
Mountaineering pack 2 $200
Survival
Carabineers, hammer, pitons, rope, survival tent
Scribes desk
1 $100
Academics Ink, paper, quills/pens, wax, official seal(s)
Spellbook
1 $200
Spells
Parchment, quills, rare inks, scrolls, scroll tubes
Spelunking pack
1 $200
Survival
Hammer, iron spikes, torches, lantern, rope, oil
Survival pack
1 $100
Survival
Backpack, bedding, flint & tinder, fishing tackle, saw
Toolbox
2 $200
Tinker
Diagnostic gear, repair tools, spare parts
* This is the Ability that may suffer a penalty if the gear is missing, lost, or damaged (see below)
Example items based on Tech Level; not meant to be an exhaustive list
Possibly required for weapon or armour repair in the field
Equipment Quality
Equipment quality affects its performance and results from superior craftsmanship or the use
of high-tech materials and manufacturing. You can designate an item of quality with a
number of points, each of which can impart one of the following improvements:
Container Capacity
Determine the Encumbrance of many
small items (coins, gems, hairpins, grains
of wheat) by the size of their container:
CONTAINER
ENC*
CAPACITY
Belt pouch, small
0
50
Belt pouch, medium
0
100
Backpack, rucksack
1
400
Backpack, frame
2
800
Chest, small
2
800
Chest, medium
3
1,200
Chest, large
4
1,600
Sack, small
0
200
Sack, large
1
400
Strongbox, small
0
200
Strongbox, large
1
400
* Encumbrance when full
In coins (assume each is the size of an American dollar coin)
Youll note an Capacity to Encumbrance

ratio of about 400-to-1. Thus, carrying a
medium belt pouch (Capacity 100) is Encumbrance 0; carrying 4 full medium
pouches would be Encumbrance 1.

Reduce Encumbrance by 1 (minimum Enc 0)

Improve armour DF bonus by +1
Upgrade a weapons attack AR or damage by +1
Improve a missile weapons effective range by +1
Improve gear Durability or AR modifier when used by +1
Each quality point cumulatively doubles the equipments cost.
You can use the same scale for poor quality equipment by reversing the benefits (e.g., increase
Encumbrance by +1, reduce armour DF bonus by 1, etc.). Each reduction in quality cumulatively halves the items cost (though the minimum value of any piece of equipment should be
its Tech Level in dollars ($)).
Equipment Damage and Loss

If a characters equipment is depleted or lost, certain Abilities may be harder to execute,
penalising related Action Rolls by a minimum of 4.
However, if the characters player can come up with a clever way to use the limited supplies
available on-hand (though jury-rigging or by using improvised tools, for example), the AR
adjustment may be as low as 2 or 1 (or perhaps negated completely).
In all cases, any well-thought or clever solution to a given challenge should be considered. As
a rule of thumb, if a player comes up with a plausible plan, he should be rewarded for his
ingenuity with at least a chance of success (however remote that may be).

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Chimera Basic 17
Adventuring
Adventures are where the action is, what the characters do in the setting, and why players
play the game. The guidelines here handle all the action of adventuring.
Adventuring Hazards
Adventuring is rife with special hazards. Often, these hazards confront a character without
warning, though he can weather the effects with a Resistance Roll (pg. 3). When Resisting a
hazard, add your AR modifier in the appropriate Ability to the Resistance Roll.
Unless otherwise noted, a successful Resistance Roll cuts a hazards effect in half (round
fractions down), while a Critical Success negates the effect completely.
Burns (Athletics): Any substance that damages tissue on contact (e.g., acid, electricity, fire,
frost). Burns are noted by intensity and effect. For example, Acid (RR: TN 16, Dmg 1d8)
means Resistance Rolls vs. acid are against TN 16, and that failure causes 1d8 points of
damage. When a damage roll is the maximum value for the die (e.g., 8 on a d8), any
exposed equipment must make a Gear Check (pg. 16). If the check fails, the item loses 1
point of quality (pg. 16). If the Gear Check is a Critical Failure, the item is destroyed.
Disease (First Aid): Any microbe, virus, or bacterium that makes your character sick is a
disease. Diseases are noted by virulence and effect. For example, Influenza (RR: TN 16,
Fatigue 2) means Resistance Rolls vs. influenza are against TN 16, and that failure imposes
a Fatigue Penalty of 2. A Critical Failure on the Resistance Roll doubles the effect. Each
week the character is sick requires another Resistance Roll against the original TN, with
cumulative effects as above; if the effect is completely removed, the character is cured.
Falling (Athletics): Your character suffers Dmg 1d6 for every 1 fallen or thrown (a softened
impact reduces this to Dmg 1d4/1). The Target Number is 12 and normal DF applies.
Fatigue (Athletics): Any non-lethal damage (excessive activity without rest, a failed Wield roll,
or prolonged exposure) is represented by Fatigue. The GM decides when characters Resist
Fatigue; the Target Number is always 12. If the Resistance Roll fails, you suffer a cumulative Fatigue Penalty (FP) of 1 to all rolls and your Movement Rate. If your Fatigue Penalty
exceeds your Wound Limit, each subsequently failed attempt to Resist Fatigue counts as
a severity 1 wound. Each full hour of complete rest reduces your Fatigue Penalty by 1,
though recovery is effective only in the absence of the fatigues source (e.g., you must get
out of the heat, in from the cold, or halt your forced march).
Poison (First Aid): Any toxic substance is poison, which can cause a variety of detrimental
effects. Poisons are noted by their toxicity and effect. For example, Hemlock (RR: TN 20, Dmg
1d12) means that Resistance Rolls vs. hemlock are against TN 20, and that failure causes
1d12 points of damage. When poison causes damage, your characters base DF applies, but
he gets no bonus from armour. Unless otherwise noted, onset time (i.e., when the effect
manifests) is the victims level in rounds.
Powers (variable): Unwilling targets may halve the damage or duration of a power with a
successful Resistance Roll (a Critical Success negates the effect). The Ability used to
modify power Resistance is noted in the powers description (pp. 1214).
Traps (Athletics): Any device or obstacle designed to capture or damage your character is a
trap. Traps are noted with their complexity and effect. For example, Pit (RR: TN 8, Dmg 1d6)
means that Resistance Rolls to avoid a pit are against TN 8, and that falling in causes 1d6
points of damage. Traps may be found and disarmed or avoided with a Tinker roll against the
traps TN, but a Critical Failure springs the trap.
Material Strengths
When attempting to break an object, use
the following Target Numbers for the
Athletics roll:
OBJECTS CONDITION
OR COMPOSITION IS
Decrepit
Worn
Solid
Sturdy
Unbreakable
BASE TN
TN 8 + Enc
TN 12 + Enc
TN 16 + Enc
TN 20 + Enc
TN 24 + Enc
Note that the objects Encumbrance is

added to the Target Number. When Encumbrance is unknown, consult the following as a guideline:
OBJECTS SIZE
(RELATIVE TO MAN-SIZED)
Diminutive (x <)
Tiny (x )
Small (x)
Medium (x1)
Large (x2)
Giant (x4)
Huge (x8)
Colossal (x16+)
SUGGESTED
ENC
Enc 0
Enc 1
Enc 2
Enc 4
Enc 8
Enc 16
Enc 32
Enc 64
Relative sizes are not exact and are intended only to provide a fast and workable value during game play.
Breaking Objects
Breaking an object with brute force (e.g., kicking in a door, bashing open a strongbox, a
snapping a lock) requires an Athletics roll against a Target Number based on the objects
Material Strength (see sidebar at right). If youre using a weapon to aid the effort, roll for
damage and add the result to your Athletics roll.
A Normal Success damages the object so that another full action breaks it (no roll required);
on a Critical Success, the object is broken immediately.

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Chimera Basic 18
Combat
Combat Actions
Full Actions: Consume an entire 10-second round and include any Action Roll
(except a Resistance Roll), readying an
item, and running or creeping (i.e., MR
your Movement Die).
Free Actions: Take no time and include
shouting orders, dropping an item,
making a Resistance Roll, and walking
no more than your MR (i.e., MR without
applying your Movement Die).
You can perform any number of free
actions each round, but only 1 full action
is permitted.
Attack Target Numbers

The base Target Number to hit a defender
is his adjusted Movement Rate.
In this case, adjusted MR means the base
MR modified by Encumbrance, terrain,
Wound Penalty, and the effects of slow
or haste powers. Use this value even
when the target is running or creeping.
Combat Positions
Its assumed that youre standing while
fighting, but you can also:
Crouch: Low profile movement; this is a
full action at your creeping MR, but
you gain +1 cover bonus vs. Shoot and
Blast attacks.
Prone: You can lie flat as a free action
and gain a +2 cover bonus vs. Shoot
and Blast attacks. While prone, you
may move at your creeping MR or
Shoot. Getting up is a free action, but
costs your Encumbrance in MR.
Vanquishing Foes
After overcoming a foe, a victorious attacker decides his opponents fate:
Capture: Foe is bound, trussed, or otherwise restrained; impose a penalty of 4
to all rolls and MR while bound.
Driven Off: Foe is sent packing and flees
the scene; he will not return before a
number of turns equal to the
attackers level.
Killer Blow: Foe is killed, dead, gone to
meet his maker; he has become an exfoe. Dead foes are usually gone for
good, but may be restored if the campaign allows it.
Unconscious: Foe is knocked out for 1d6
turns. Upon revival, the foes wounds
and Wound Penalty are unchanged.
Unconscious foes may be dispatched
with a coup de grce as a free action.

Chimera combat can be short and deadlythose who rush unto the breach may not live long
enough to regret it. That said, when your PC gets in a fight, heres how to handle it.
Surprise
You may surprise a foe with a Sneak roll against his Surprise TN. If successful, you may either
execute a full combat action before your foe can respond (see Combat Actions, at left), or you
may apply a bonus of AR +2 to whatever action you perform on the first round of the fight (at
the GMs discretion, you may apply both benefits if the Sneak roll is a Critical Success).
Initiative
When a fight starts, time switches to 10-second rounds. At the start of each round, every
combatant chooses his action and rolls 1d12 for Initiative (adjust the roll by the chosen
actions Initiative Modifier (IM)). The highest result goes first, then the next highest, and so
on until everyone has a turn. Actions are resolved on their turn, so its possible to dispatch a
foe before he can act. If the fight isnt over after everyones turn, the fight moves to the next
round and combatants roll again for Initiative to repeat the process.
Attacking
Attacks are made with a Fight or Shoot roll against a Target Number equal to your foes
adjusted Movement Rate (see Attack Target Numbers, at left). If the attack succeeds, the defender is hit, and the attacker rolls the weapons damage die (2 dice if the attack is a Critical Success).
Parrying & Cover (optional)

Parrying uses a shield or melee weapon to block or deflect blows; any parry bonus (pg. 15) is
added to the attackers Target Number.
Cover is any material barrier that reduces a defenders exposure to attack; cover bonuses (pg.
15) are also added to the attackers Target Number, based on target exposure:
Light: Covers of the target (+1 cover bonus)
Medium: Covers of the target (+2 cover bonus)
Heavy: Covers of the target (+4 cover bonus)
Add the Cover bonus (and shield bonus, at the GMs option) to your Resistance Roll vs. blast
attacks (pg. 19; double the bonus for thick, strong, or reinforced barriers).
Parry and Cover are optional; if you dont want to use them, apply any Parry or Cover bonus
noted in the rules to the combatants Defence (DF).
Damage
When hit, a defender suffers a wound of severity equal to the damage roll minus his Defence
(ignore wounds of severity zero or less). Regardless of severity, each wound suffered
imposes a cumulative Wound Penalty (WP) of 1 to all rolls and Movement Rate.
If the total number of wounds, or the severity of a single wound, exceeds the defenders Wound
Limit, hes vanquished, and the attacker chooses his fate (see Vanquishing Foes, at left).
Classed characters (PC or NPC) may Resist a Killer Blow against TN 12. Success indicates that
hes Unconscious but suffers a permanent injury in the form of a random Flaw (pg. 11).
Morale
When a combatants Wound Penalty is half his WL, his leader falls, or his allies suffer more
than 50% casualties, he must make a Resistance Roll against his Morale TN to stay in the fight.
Failure means surrender or retreat. Player characters do not need to check morale.
Ending Combat
Combat ends when one side no longer poses a threat to the other. After a fight, combatants
must spend 1 full turn (10 minutes) checking the wounded, tending injuries, and otherwise
composing themselves. Failure to spend this cool-down period mandates an immediate
Resistance Roll against Fatigue. Anyone who engaged in ranged combat must also make an
Ammo Check at this time (pg. 15).
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Chimera Basic 19
Fighting Manoeuvres
Use the following options to make combat more realistic in specific situations:
Automatic Fire: Firearms with a Rate of Fire (RoF) 2 or more can fire multiple shots as a single
action. To launch an auto-fire attack, select a number of targets up to the weapons RoF,
and make a separate Shoot roll for each target. For each target hit, roll Damage dice equal
to the weapons RoF divided by the total number of targets (add any remainder to the
damage roll result). Recoil degrades accuracy: apply AR 2 against a single target, or AR
4 if firing at multiple targets. Reduce recoil by AR +2 if the weapon is fixed (pg. 15).
Blast Attacks: All targets within the radius of a blast (pg. 4) take damage, but get a Resistance
Roll against TN 12 for half-damage; targets enjoy their normal Defence.
Called Shots: An attempt to hit a specific location on the target. Shots at the head or other
vital organs are at AR 4, but inflict an extra die of damage. A shot at the arms or legs is
AR 2 and causes normal damage, but arm hits cause objects to drop, and leg hits impose
a penalty of MR 1 for the duration of the fight.
Careful Aim: You can line up a shot with any ranged weapon that has RoF 1. The shot is made
at AR +2, but with Initiative Modifier 4 and you cannot move prior to pulling the trigger.
Check: You may skip your turn and hold your action until any subsequent turn during the
round; whatever action you attempt is at AR +2, and if you respond to another
combatants action, your action is resolved before his.
Death from Above (or Behind): Attacks from above or behind are made at AR +1 (AR +2 if both
conditions are met), and the defender cannot parry.
Multiple Actions: Each full action in a round beyond the first is at AR 2. When attacking with
a weapon in each hand, each attack is made at AR 2.
Rapid Fire: You can rapid-fire any gun that has RoF 1 and an internal magazine (e.g., revolver
or semi-automatic sidearm). The maximum number of shots equals your Shoot AR. Roll
separately for each shot at AR 1 (AR 2 if shooting at multiple targets). For Ammo checks,
the RoF equals the number of shots fired.
Shaky Ground: Fighting on an unstable, slippery, or moving surface imposes a 1 penalty to
all rolls and MR. If wounded on shaky ground, make an Athletics roll (TN 12) or fall.
Stunned: Physical or mental shock can stun a character. Stunned characters suffer a penalty
to all rolls and Movement Rate equal to the stun damage inflicted. Stun damage wears off
at the rate of 1 point per round.
Unarmed Combat: When fighting without weapons, attacks are made with an Athletics roll;
damage is based on the attackers size (pg. 21) and treated as Fatigue. The GM may create
Athletic specialisations for unarmed fighting styles (e.g., judo, karate, wrestling, etc.)
Movement
A character can walk up to his Movement Rate (MR) each round as a free action. For each
round spent running or creeping, roll your Movement Die and add or subtract the result,
respectively, from your MR. Running and creeping are considered full actions (MRs less than
1 are possible, so you may need to reduce Encumbrance before creeping).
When travelling overland, you can cover your adjusted MR in miles per day (e.g., MR 121d6
equates to 12 miles per day). This is a base rate that assumes a comfortable pace and frequent
rest stops; it may be adjusted by terrain as the GM sees fit. You can force-march to cover 50%
more ground, but this requires a Fatigue check each hour.
Healing
Healing ministrations are applied to a wounds severity. When a wounds severity is reduced
to zero, it is completely healed, and its corresponding Wound Penalty goes away.
The First Aid Ability does not heal wounds, but temporarily reduces a characters Wound
Penalty. True healing requires a medic, certain powers (i.e., heal), or advanced technology.
Lacking these expedients, wounds heal naturally at the rate of 1 point of severity per week of
complete rest (i.e., no activity beyond eating, sleeping, and moaning in pain).

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Combat Example
Klar the Barbarian (MR 111d6; DF 3; WL 6;
AT axe +2 (IM +1, Dmg 1d6)) bursts into a
room to confront a cultist (MR 101d6; DF 2;
WL 3; AT short sword +0 (IM +0, Dmg 1d4)).
In the first round, Klar attacks with his axe,
the cultist with his sword. Each rolls 1d12 for
Initiative: Klar rolls a 12, adjusted to 13 for his
Initiative Modifier of +1; the cultist rolls 9,
with no IM adjustment, so Klar attacks first.
The cultists MR is 10, so Klars Fight roll
must be 10 or more; the cultist needs an 11 or
more to hit Klar.
Klar adds +2 to his axe attack (axe +2); he rolls
1d20 for Fight and gets 9, adjusted to 11
(Normal Success); he rolls 1d6 for damage and
gets 5. Subtracting the cultists DF 2 means
that 3 points of damage get through, so the
cultist has a single wound (severity 3) for a
Wound Penalty of 1.
The Wound Penalty changes the cultists attack from short sword +0 to short sword 1; he
needs a 12 or better to hit Klar. He rolls 15 and
hits for 1d4 damage. He rolls 2 damage, but
Klars DF 3 reduces this to 1, so the hit
bounces off Klars armour. The first combat
round is over.
Klar presses the attack on round 2 and gains
Initiative. He needs a 7 or more (TN 9 because
of the cultists Wound Penalty and axe +2).
His attack roll is 16Critical Success! He rolls
2d6 for damage and gets 8. The cultists DF 2
reduces this to a severity 6 wound, but this
still exceeds his Wound Limit of 3, so hes out
of the fighthis fate is now up to the barbarian Klar...
Healing Example
Klar gets into trouble laterhe suffers 2
wounds at the hands of the cultists: the first
is severity 3 and the second is severity 2; his
Wound Penalty is 2 (for having 2 wounds).
He gets some First Aid from a 3rd-level comrade, and his state improves to WP 1 for 3
hours (after which the ministrations wear off
and hes back to WP 2).
After the adventure, he visits a healer (a 2ndlevel Medic), whose Ditch Medicine restores 2
points of wound severity on each wound (2
points for a 2nd-level medic). The first wound
is reduced from severity 3 to severity 1not
enough to heal it completely, so it still counts
against his Wound Penalty.
However, the second wound is reduced to severity 0, meaning that its healed, and that it
no longer contributes to his Wound Penalty.
As a result, Klar has a single wound (severity
1) for WP 1. A week of complete bed rest will
heal that remaining point of severity, thus
healing the wound and negating his Wound
Penalty completely.

Chimera Basic 20
Creating Non-classed NPCs

The guidelines at right are intended for
creating classed NPCsrelatively important heroes, villains, allies, and connections for the campaigns PCs.
Creating non-classed NPCs requires less
detail:
1. Start with racial type to determine
initial stats, Perks, and Sperks.
2. Roll 1d4 to determine initial Improvement Point allowance (1 IP per
racial Sperk chosen, +1 IP per Flaw)
3. Spend Improvement Points on Abilities and Perks using the guidelines
for Character Advancement (pg. 9);
All Abilities start at AR +1. Improved
Perks are off-limits.
4. Equipment (q.v., Step #6, at right)
5. Stats (q.v., Step #7, at right)
At the GMs option, non-classed NPCs
may receive a bonus of 1 IP for every 5
years spent in their chosen profession or
campaign niche.
Non-Player Characters
During his adventures, your character will meet other people in the setting. These other
peopleheroes, allies, villains, and everyday folksare Non-player Characters (NPCs).
Character Types
It takes all kinds of people to populate a campaign setting, but not everyone has what it takes
to be an adventurous hero (or diabolical villain)the world needs average schleps, too. To
reflect the difference between heroes and zeroes, there are two character types in Chimera:
Classed: Like player characters, any NPC with a character class (pg. 7) and capable of earning
experience levels within it. Classed characters are a cut above the rest of the population
these are the movers and shakers of the worldwho have full access to class advancement
options, class Sperks, Improved Perks, and Clutch Situations.
Non-classed: The everyday people of the campaign: rank-and-file soldiers, minions, torchbearers, shop keepers, citizens, farmers, and angry mobs. As implied, non-classed characters do not possess a class nor can they gain experience levels (they are considered
0-level). These characters start with the statistics shown for their racial type, plus 1d4
Improvement Points for any Abilities and Perks appropriate to their role (IP are spent as
per the Character Advancement guidelines on page 9).
A summary of NPC capabilities is noted below:
CHARACTER
TYPE
GAIN
LEVELS?
PERKS?
IMPROVED
PERKS?
RACIAL
SPERKS?
CLASS
SPERKS?
CLUTCH
SITUATIONS?
Classed
Non-classed
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
N
Creating NPCs
NPC Personalities
Unless you already know an NPCs outlook and demeanour, roll 2d12 to suggest
his personality:
1D12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
OUTLOOK
1D12
Bigoted
1
Paranoid
2
Bleak
3
Fearful
4
Hedonistic
5
Practical
6
Naive
7
Stoic
8
Adventurous
9
Hopeful
10
Charitable
11
Cheerful
12
DEMEANOUR
Violent
Overbearing
Arrogant
Capricious
Careless
Emotional
Quiet/Shy
Exacting
Curious
Generous
Outgoing
Friendly
Outlook is ones attitude (how one views

the world). Demeanour is ones behaviour (how one acts). Together they form
personality, which is simply a guideline
for roleplaying the NPCit has no bearing on die rolls or stats.
Note also that the table is arrayed such
that more negative dispositions occupy low results, while higher rolls give
more positive qualities. This lets you
generalise entire populations (e.g., all
NPCs living in the shadow of Depression
Mountain roll on this table at 2).

Creating NPCs is an art, not a science. If theres one rule to creating NPCs, its that you should
not use the same guidelines used for creating player characters. Ultimately, you can equip
NPCs with whatever capabilities they need to do their job in the campaign, but if you like
structure, follow these guidelines to create classed NPCs (for non-classed characters, see the
sidebar at left):
1. Race: Pick a race to determine the NPCs initial stats, Perks and Adaptations.
2. Class and Level: Pick a class to determines initial Abilities, WL adjustment, and Sperk
availability. You can assign any experience level desired (though 12th-level is the typical
maximum for Chimera characters). Do not worry about the NPCs Advancement Costif
the character is destined to become a long-term NPC, you can improve him whenever
(and however) you see fit.
3. Abilities: NPCs start with their class Abilities and receive 1d4 points per level for improvements (as Step #4 of Character Generation, pg. 5). All Abilities start at AR +1.
4. Perks: Apply whatever Perks suit the NPCs role; a good guideline is 1 Perk per level, but
you can assign more if the NPCs job depends on it.
5. Powers: While any NPC can acquire the Wield Ability, only NPCs with a Sperk to access
power schools can actually use powers (i.e., only classed NPCs can Wield powers); as a
guideline, the number of powers known should not exceed twice the NPCs level.
6. Equipment: Supply the NPC with whatever armour, weapons, and gear he needs. However, keep in mind that any equipment, money, or valuables possessed by an NPC can
eventually end up in a PCs hands.
7. Stats: Determine stats as for player characters:
7.1 Movement Rate (MR) = races MR Encumbrance (armour, weapons, gear)
7.2 Wound Limit (WL) = races WL + class WL adjustment
7.3 Defence (DF) = base DF + armour bonus
7.4 Resistance (RS) = AR bonus equal to experience level
7.5 Initiative Modifier (IM) = races IM
8. Level Bonus: Apply 1 point per level across Movement Rate, Wound Limit, Defence, or
Initiative Modifier per the Level Up guidelines on page 9. (e.g., a 3rd-level Veteran could
add 1 point to his WL and 2 points to his MR).

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Chimera Basic 21
Monsters
Monsters are creatures in the setting (animals, predators, fantastic
beasts, etc.). While intelligent or social monsters may have classes,
most dont, and are represented by base stats and Adaptations.
Base Stats
A monsters base stats are suggested by its size, as shown below:
SIZE
LENGTH MR*
WL IM DMG RNG** TN ENC
Diminutive (D)
<1
4 0
0
+4 1
0
2
Tiny (T)
1
4 1d2
1
+2 1d2
1
4
Small (S)
3
8 1d4
2
+1 1d4
2
8
Medium (M)
6
121d6
3
+0 1d6
4
12
Large (L)
12
121d8
4
1 1d8
8
16 +1
Giant (G)
24
161d6
5
2 1d10 12
20 +2
Huge (H)
48
161d8
6
4 1d12 16
24 +4
Colossal (C)
>96
161d10 10
8 1d20 24
28 +8
* Suggested base only; adjust appropriately for fast or slow monsters
**Applies to natural missile attacks
Base Target Number to Resist certain monster attacks or Adaptations
Encumbrance points that the creature can carry for free
Adaptations
Adaptations are Perks available only to non-humans. Adaptations
marked with a dagger () operate only when a monsters attack roll
results in a Critical Success.
Achilles Heel: Monster suffers damage only when hit in a particular
location, which requires a Called Shot (pg. 19) to hit.
Armour: Natural protection (thick hide, hard shell, etc.) that improves Defence.
Bug: Creepy bugs have a Sneak AR equal to their level, and can climb
vertical/inverted surfaces at their base Movement Rate.
Burn: Inflicts acid, electricity, fire, or frost damage, up to once per
level each day with damage based on monster size (Resistance TN
based on monsters size).
Charge: Inflicts 2 dice of damage when charging or swooping on foes;
requires at least 2 of clear ground to the target.
Construct: Manufactured automatons immune to Poison, Disease,
Fatigue, Called Shots, and Enchantment. Constructs ignore
Wound Penalties and never check morale. Healing a construct
requires Tinker instead of First Aid.
Disease: Inflict sickness with effects up to the GM; Resistance TN
based on monster size.
Energy Drain: Permanently reduce a foes Wound Limit by 1; Resistance TN based on monster size.
Fearless: Monster never checks morale (always stays in the fight and
fight to the death).
Ferocious: Upgrade monsters natural attack damage die by one step.
Grip: Hold a foe for automatic damage each round; victim breaks
free with a successful Athletics roll vs. monsters Size-based TN.
Gulp: Swallow whole any foe 2 or more sizes smaller; victim is alive
for 2d8 rounds and may attack from the inside at AR 2.
Hypersensitive: Surprised only when Sneak roll is a Critical Success
(regardless of actual Surprised stat value).

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Incorporeal: Lacking substance, such creatures can pass through

solid objects. They attack via (and are vulnerable only to) powers
of certain schools.
Infravision: See in darkness to 4 + level.
Lowlife: Squishy invertebrates, fungal colonies, and puddles of goo
immune to weapon-based attacks, but can be harmed with burns
or powers; all lowlifes gain a Sneak AR equal to their level.
Movement: Alternate form of movement (e.g., flying, burrowing,
gliding, et al.) at MR based on GMs discretion.
Paralysis: As the paralyse power (pg. 12); Resistance TN based on
monsters size.
Petrifaction: Turns foes into stone (or places them into suspended
animation) via a touch, gaze, or other natural attack; Resistance
TN based on monsters size.
Pounce: Grants a +1 to attack and damage rolls when leaping on a
surprised foe. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
Power: The monster has one or more innate powers, useable once per
level each day (no Wield roll required; Resistance TN based on
monsters size). [Improved: use power at will, no daily limit]
Regeneration: Automatically restore 1d4 points of wound severity at
the start of every combat round. [Improved: Restore one whole
wound, regardless of severity]
Resilient: Ignores Wound Penalties resulting from hits sustained.
[Improved: Ignores wounds completely; vanquished only if an
attacks Damage exceeds Wound Limit]
Resistance: Suffer half-damage from specified attack type(s).
[Improved: Complete immunity from specified attack type(s)]
Undead: Reanimated corpses immune to Poison, Disease, Fatigue,
Called Shots, and Enchantment. Undead have WL 1 for their size
but ignore Wound Penalties and never check morale. Undead
suffer Dmg 1d6 from holy water.
Venom: Inject natural poison into a foe; damage and Resistance TN
based on monster size (but can vary at the GMs discretion).
Weakness: Suffer double damage from specified attack type(s); if the
attack type is a power, a Normal Success on the Resistance roll
has no effect. (Critical Success required for halved effect).
Creating Monsters
Monsters are varied, so dont constrain yourself to creating them
with the same guidelines used for player characters or NPCs. Instead,
follow these simple steps when creating monsters:
1. Base Stats: Determine the monsters initial stats based on its size.
2. Capabilities: Assign whatever Abilities, Perks, Adaptations, and
Powers (at whatever degrees of effectiveness) are appropriate to
the monsters role in the setting.
When creating a monster, focus on matching the monsters capabilities with the challenge its supposed to representtough opponents
get high Fight ARs, Defence, and Wound Limits; humanoid rabble are
weaker but come in hordes; weird creatures probably have unconventional means of attack and defence (indeed, part of the challenge
they represent is figuring out their weaknesses).
Dont worry if a monster is too powerful for the characterstheyll
either overcome it (with much rejoicing) or learn (perhaps the hard
way) that discretion is the better part of valour.

Chimera Basic 22
Monster Descriptions
The monsters that populate your campaign can be described in terms
of their stats, much like characters. What follows is a broad sample of
beasties, using the following descriptors:
Name: The monsters name, title, or creature type
Class and Lvl: The monsters class(es) and level; Lvl indicates a
non-classed Monster or NPC
Move Rate (MR): The monsters MR, with Movement Die shown;
Encumbrance is shown parenthetically
Wound Limit (WL): Size is listed parenthetically
Defence (DF): Total Defence, composed of base DF plus any armour;
the optional Parry adjustment is shown parenthetically
Abilities (AB): The creatures Abilities and AR modifiers
Attacks (AT): Listed by type and AR adjustment, including Initiative
Modifier (IM), Damage (Dmg), Range (Rng), and Rate of Fire (RoF);
only one of the attacks listed is allowed each combat turn, but if
multiple attacks are noted (e.g., 2 claws), roll separately for
each attack and count it as a single action (damage is applied for
each successful hit, though the defenders DF applies only once)
Special (SP): Perks, Sperks, Flaws (underlined), and Adaptations possessed; Imp. denotes an Improved Perk or Adaptation; you may
also include any powers possessed (with the adjusted Wield TN, if
necessary)
Resistance (RS): Resistance roll modifier, based on level alone (i.e.,
applicable Ability modifiers are excluded)
Surprised (SR): Surprise Target Number, required for Sneak rolls to
surprise the monster; typically TN [8 + level + Observe AR]
Morale (ML): Morale Target Number, required for the monster to stay
in the fight (pg. 18); typically TN [16 level Mettle AR] (you may
use n/a if the monster doesnt check for morale)
Align. (AL): The monsters Alignment; apply only if Alignment is used
in the setting; use n/a for monsters is of animal intelligence or
(because of instinct or programming) has no moral compass
Freq. (FQ): Frequency, or how common the monster is relative to
other monsters (which can be adjusted within a given setting):
Common (encountered 40% of the time), Uncommon (30%), Rare
(20%), or Very Rare (10%); die rolls following frequency indicate
the number encountered in the wilderness or within the
monsters actual lair (or whatever passes for its permanent home)
Equip. (EQ): Equipment carried (ammo loads are noted parenthetically), and any wealth or valuables possessed
Stat Blocks
Monsters are presented via a stat block, which contains all the information needed to run the monster during an adventure. The standard
stat block also provides a brief description of the monsters appearance, habits, and other details.
You can also use an abbreviated stat block when you just need stats
for an encounter. For example, heres an abbreviated stat block for a
giant centipede (compare with the full stat block at right):
Centipede, giant (Lvl 1; MR 41d2; WL 1 (T); DF 1 (+2); AB Athletics +1,
Sneak +1; AT bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2+paralysis (RR: TN 4, 1 turn));
SP Bug; RS +1; SR 9; ; ML 15; AL n/a)

ANT, GIANT
Class & Lvl :
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 1
41d2 (0)
1 (T)
2 (+1)
+1
9
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2)

Athletics +1, Sneak +2
Bug, Grip
15
Uncommon (1d4/4d4)
n/a
Giant ants are 1 versions of normal ants. When encountered, they are either
looking for food (60%) or carrying food back to their nest (40%). In the nest, 1
ant in 6 is a warrior (Lvl 2; WL 2; DF 3; RS +2; AT 1 bite +2; PK Venom). Each
nest houses a single queen responsible for laying eggs and who is protected by
warriors. Ant queens (Lvl 3; WL 3; DF 1; RS +3) are immobile and have no
attacks; when defending their queen, ants never check morale.
APE
Class & Lvl:
Lvl 3
Attacks:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
131d8 (0)
5 (L)
3 (+1)
+3
11
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
2 fists +2 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6),

1 bite +2 (IM 1, Dmg 1d8)
Athletics +2
Charge, Infravision
12
Common (1d4/3d4)
n/a
Apes are territorial primates who form tight-knit clans around a strict, maledominated hierarchy. Young males constantly vie for supremacy against established patriarchs, but all apes aggressively defend clan females and young.
Rumours abound of semi-intelligent ape clans that ward jungle ruins and use
crude spears and stone axes to defend them.
BEETLE, GIANT
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 2
81d4 (0)
3 (S)
3 (+1)
+2
10
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)

Bug, Photosensitive
14
Uncommon (1d4/2d6)
n/a
Giant beetles are scavengers encountered in dark, moist, and rotting places.
Roughly 3 long, they attack small prey with their giant mandibles. Through
fairly revolting, beetles are high in proteina single beetle can provide a
medium-sized creature with enough nourishment for a single day.
CENTIPEDE, GIANT
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 1
41d2 (0)
1 (T)
1 (+2)
+1
9
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2)

Bug, Paralysis
15
Uncommon (1d4/1d6)
n/a
Giant centipedes are foot-long versions of their normal cousins, found in dark,
damp places. They are adept hunters and ambush prey. A centipedes bite
contains a mild venom (TN 4, paralysis 1 turn). This venom is occasionally
valuable to alchemists, apothecaries, and the medical community; a successful
First Aid roll (TN 12) extracts $2 worth of venom per point of success (double
with a Critical Success).
CRAB, GIANT
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 1
81d4 (0)
2 (S)
3 (+1)
+1
9
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
2 claws +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)

Bug, Grip
15
Rare (1d4/2d6)
n/a
Giant crabs are 3 wide arthropods that inhabit coastal areas. Scavengers,
crabs prefer carrion, but attack with their claws if threatened. At home in the
water, crabs can breathe air for an hour before they must make a Fatigue
check. Humans (and humanoids) dwelling near the sea use the carapace of the
giant crab to fashion shields and armour.

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Chimera Basic 23
DEFENCE ROBOT
Class & Lvl:
Lvl 2
Move Rate:
121d6 (0) Abilities:
Wound Limit:
4 (M)
Special:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
4 (+2)
+2
12
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
Attacks:
2 blasters +2 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6,

Rng 4, RoF 1),
1 vibroblade +1 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6)
Athletics +1, Fight +1, Observe +2,
Shoot +2
Construct, Insulation,
Resistance (edged, piercing),
Stout, Tough
n/a
Rare (1/1d4)
n/a
Defence robots are Tech Level 9 constructs assigned to guard or defend a

specific location (e.g., a control room, a military base, a research facility, etc.).
They are programmed to attack trespassers (i.e., those who do not present the
proper ID), but can be ordered to stand down with a successful Tinker roll (or
given new directives if the roll is a Critical Success). Defence robots maintain
radio communications with each other and carry 4 loads of blaster ammo each.
GHOUL
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 2
101d6 (0)
2 (M)
2 (+1)
+2
10
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
2 claws +1 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6)

Paralysis, Undead
n/a
Uncommon (1d6/2d8)
n/a
Ghouls are gaunt, undead humanoids who haunt graveyards and burial
grounds. They have a taste for living flesh and can paralyse a victim for 2 turns
when either of their claw attacks result in a Critical Success. Ghouls haunt
graveyards, where they feed on the corpses of newly buried dead.
GOBLIN
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 1
71d4 (1)
2 (S)
1 (+0)
+1
9
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 weapon (IM +2, Dmg bw)

Fight +1, Shoot +2, Sneak +2
Infravision, Photosensitive
15
Uncommon (2d6/6d8)
Chaotic
Goblins are small humanoid rabble who dwell in craggy hills, dark forests, and
caves. They do little for themselves, preferring to go raiding for their needs.
Because of their small size, goblins avoid direct combat and prefer to ambush
foes with ranged attacks.
For every 12 goblins, there is a sub-chief (Vet 2; WL 3; DF 2; RS +2; Fight +2,
Shoot +2, Sneak +2); for every 3 sub-chiefs, there is a chieftain (Vet 3; WL 4; DF
5; RS +3; Fight +3, Shoot +3, Sneak +2). When led by a sub-chief, goblin morale
improves to TN 12 (TN 10 when under the control of a chieftain). Goblins go
raiding with light armour, short bows, and clubs, but chiefs and sub-chiefs get
the best of the tribes spoils, including medium armour and steel weapons.
OGRE
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Lvl 4
Attacks:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
5 (L)
3 (+1)
+4
10
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 weapon (IM 1, Dmg bw+1)

Athletics +2, Fight +3,
Mettle +2
Batter, Stout
10
Rare (1d4/2d4)
Chaotic
Ogres are large, misshapen humanoids about 8 tall. Brutish and unintelligent,
they have no patience for strategy and use force to get what they want. Ogres
do very little for themselves, stealing what they can from weaker foes (or
making weaker foes serve their needs). They like to fight and prefer hand-tohand weapons and medium armour. Always hungry, ogres band in small clan
units, but to ensure a steady diet of food and violence, theyll sometimes work
for goblin tribes as hired muscle.

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SKELETON
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Lvl 1
Attacks:
2 (M)
Special:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
1 (+0)
+1
9
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 weapon 1 (IM 2, Dmg bw)

Fight +0, Sneak +1
Gimp, Resistance (edged,
piercing), Slow, Undead
n/a
Uncommon (1d6/3d6)
n/a
The reanimated skeletal remains of humans, skeletons are mindless undead

who serve as timeless guardians of ancient and evil places. Clad in tattered
armour and bearing rusty weapons, skeletons attack without fear or concern
for themselves.
SNAKE, CONSTRICTOR
Class & Lvl:
Lvl 3
Move Rate:
101d4 (0)
Wound Limit:
4 (M)
Defence:
4 (+0)
Resistance:
+3
Surprised:
12
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 bite +2 (IM 2, Dmg 1d6)

Athletics +2, Observe +1, Sneak +2
Gimp, Grip, Slow
13
Uncommon (1/1d2)
n/a
Constrictors grow to 6 long (though larger specimens can exist). They ambush
prey with their strong bite; if they get a Critical Success, they wrap their
muscular bodies around their victim and squeeze for 1d6 points of damage
each round until the prey is crushed or suffocated.
SPIDER, HUNTING
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
Lvl 2
81d4 (0)
2 (S)
2 (+1)
+2
14
Attacks:
Abilities:
Special:
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)

Athletics +1, Observe +4, Sneak +2
Bug, Pounce, Venom
14
Uncommon (1d4/2d4)
n/a
Giant spiders are 3 long and live in dark underground or heavily forested
places. They do not spin webs, but instead lie in wait for prey, using their
Pounce ability to seize victims by surprise. If a spider bite results in a Critical
Success, they inject venom (RR: TN 8, Dmg 1d4).
TROLL
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Lvl 6
Attacks:
7 (L)
Special:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
4 (+2)
+6
14
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
2 claws +4 (IM 1, Dmg 1d8+1)

Athletics +4, Sneak +2, Survival +2
Batter, Regeneration (1d4
points/round)
10 (see below)
Rare (1/1d3)
Neutral
Trolls are sickly hued and misshapen humanoids who dwell in swamps and
rainforests. When wounded, a troll regenerates 1d4 points of wound severity
each round, though wounds caused by burns cannot be regenerated. Trolls are
territorial but unintelligent; unless confronted by burn attacks, they fight
without fear (no morale checks necessary).
ZOMBIE
Class & Lvl:
Move Rate:
Wound Limit:
Lvl 2
Attacks:
2 (M)
Special:
Defence:
Resistance:
Surprised:
2 (+1)
+2
10
Morale:
Freq.:
Align.:
1 fist +1 (IM 2, Dmg 1d6)

Gimp, Resistance
(bludgeoning), Slow, Undead
n/a
Uncommon (1d4/3d4)
n/a
Zombies are mindless, reanimated corpses. Clad in decayed remnants, they

attack in simple waves, pummelling with their fists. Holy water inflicts 1d6
points of damage on a zombie.

Chimera Basic 24
Select Genre & Setting

I want to create a Fantasy Apocalypse
campaignbasically a chaotic, dystopian
medieval environment whose inhabitants struggle in a world devastated by
the malfunction of an ancient doomsday
device.
The concept is based on the classic postapocalypse vision of a future Earth
wrecked by nuclear war, except that this
setting never advanced beyond the middle ages and the doomsday device was
the errant technology of an advanced,
ancient people (like Atlanteans or Lemurians).
The setting will include familiar apocalypse trappings: mutants, concentrated
fields of dangerous radiation, lost technology, local warlords, resource scarcity,
and a survivalist flavour.
Tech Level & Powers

Tempering the campaigns fantasy element with its apocalyptic trappings suggests that most cultures are at Tech
Level 2, though its likely that some
primitive (or terribly devolved) species
are even lower, at TL 1. Conversely, advanced cultures could have attained the
equivalent of medieval technology (TL
3), and these would be the dominant
peoples.
There are also bits of ancient technology
left over from the race who created the
doomsday device. These artefacts are TL
9 or 10, but very scarce and too complex
for most people to figure out (plus most
are in need of repair or lack adequate
power sources). Only the very wise (or
egregiously foolish) actually try to use
such itemsgiven its ancient origin and
dangerous associations with the apocalypse, ancient tech is anathema to most.
Powers exist in two forms: Either as genetic mutations caused by the doomsday
devices residual effects or as spells
wielded by learned practitioners.
Mutations are handled via the Power Adaptation (pg. 21). Spells represent a
branch of arcane knowledge discovered
and researched by the ancients, but rarely used given their preference for technology, which they believed was more
reliable and therefore more easily controlled. Modern spell-casters assert the
precise opposite, though most people
cant tell the difference between spells
and ancient artefacts. The distinction is
moot, however, as both are viewed with
great suspicion at best, and mob violence
at worst.

Campaign Creation
The game campaign consists of everything surrounding (and including) the PCthe setting,
its history, the people who live there, important places, and, of course, adventures.
Thats a lot of material to create, but its possible to devise a campaign quickly by concentrating on the most important details, laying a solid foundation, and building it over time. It
doesnt have to take weeks and monthsif you concentrate on the basic structure, you can
create a complete (and expandable) campaign from the ground up in a matter of hours. Just
follow the steps below:
1. Select Genre and Setting
2. Consider Technology and Powers
3. Define Campaign Hook
4. Describe Cultures
5. Map the Setting
6. Create Points of Interest
7. Describe High-level Conflicts
8. Create NPCs
9. Create Random Encounters
10. Devise Adventure Hooks
As a final note, these are generic guidelines, useful for any genre, but they arent customised
for any particular setting. Feel free to tweak results to suit your vision.
Select Genre & Setting

Start with a genre that interests your playing group: fantasy, science-fiction, old west, etc.
This sounds elementary, but its crucialplayers who want to run WWII infantry squads wont
have fun in a fantasy world.
The good news is that a genres can be very broad, and Chimeras flexibility makes it easy to
create any setting or style you like, even those based on your favourite books, movies, and
television shows. Dont feel like you have to stick with the traditional RPG genres if you and
your players want something a little (or a lot) different from the norm.
The setting is the campaigns time and placewhen and where it occurs. Your genre has a big
influence, so fantasy campaigns might take place on made-up continents in pseudo-medieval
times or perhaps a fantastic version of ancient Earth, sci-fi campaigns take place on different
planets and solar systems sometime in the future, and historical campaigns take place at a
specific time and place in Earths past (e.g., your WWII campaign might take place in 1944
France). Remember that setting can also differentiate campaigns within the same genre (e.g.,
a fantasy campaign set in a desert is different from one set in the cold tundra).
Consider Technology and Powers

Based on your genre, you should have an easy time assigning a Technology Level (pg. 3),
which is a broad label for describing the overall extent of tools and science used by people in
the setting: gear (armour, weapons, equipment, and vehicles), food production, transportation, architecture, et al. You dont need to identify every piece of kit, but you should note
particular technical accomplishments and trappings that promote the genre.
This means that you can use Tech Levels as presented, but you can also invent new technologies to suit your genre, like steam-based engines that allow air and space travel during the
Industrial Revolution, or special weapons based on fledging sciences that work in your
setting.
Powers are special cases. Genre typically implies whether or not powerssupernatural
abilitiesexist in the campaign, but you neednt be a slave to convention: remember that
powers are simply supernatural effects. As a result, powers can work in a modern campaign,
just as they are expected to exist in a fantasy setting. Because powers are code for the
supernatural, it doesnt matter if theyre derived from arcane lore, divine miracles, mental
abilities, or whateverif you want powers, simply ascribe them to the campaigns definition
of supernatural and have done with it.

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Chimera Basic 25
Define Campaign Hook
The campaign hook is a generalisation of the underlying conflict within the setting. Put
another way, what is the conflict that permeates the characters goals and motivations?
As such, the hook describes a condition that the PCs must address, either to preserve something they have, or to acquire something they want. For example, the struggle of the rebellion
against the empire, the search for lost technology, the exploration of new frontiers, the
subjugation of barbarian hordes, the defeat of an ancient evil, or the establishment of new
trade routes are all campaign hooks.
Think of campaign hooks as an undercurrent of conflict that ripples throughout the setting.
Not every mission addresses the campaign hook, but every adventure should remind the
characters that its there, either through direct confrontation or indirect efforts intended to
strengthen the characters for a confrontation later.
If youre basing your campaign on a book or film, you already have an idea of your hook, but
if youre building from scratch, this is a chance to create your own hook, or to put a twist on
a common theme.
To get you started, roll 3d12 and consult the table below. The first d12 suggests (in high level
terms) the nature of the conflict, the second d12 identifies the primary antagonist standing
in the PCs way, and the third d12 hints at the antagonists motive for doing so.
1D12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
UNDERLYING CONFLICT
ANTAGONIST
ANTAGONISTS MOTIVE
Elevate a ruler
Overthrow a ruler
Recover technology/artefact
Defeat an ancient evil
Find or rescue someone
Explore ancient ruins
Rebuild a broken civilisation
Discover or tame territory
Unravel an ancient mystery
Promote trade/make money
Destroy technology/artefact
Discover/recover a resource
Extraterrestrials
Terrible monster
Ruler
Secret cult
Lost race
Guild or corporation
Criminal organisation
Supernatural being(s)
Star chamber
Government agency
State religion
Rival adventurer(s)
Money/Wealth
Gaining/Maintaining power
Fulfilling a prophecy
Keeping a secret
Prejudice/Hatred
Protecting knowledge
Pact with a 3rd party
Fulfilling a vow or oath
Insanity/Jealousy
Secret agenda
Love
Self-preservation
Describe Cultures
To keep things interesting, we suggest you populate your campaign with 38 (1d6+2) different
cultures. Based on genre and setting, each culture is an intelligent species or character race,
a national or ethnic group, or separate social units within the same society.
Roll 1d12 to determine each cultures general disposition, probable alignment, and relative
population within the campaign:
1D12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
DISPOSITION
ALIGNMENT
POPULATION
Scavengers (seeks stability through exploitation)

Raiders (seeks stability by preying on other populations)
Producers (seeks stability through labour)
Producers (seeks stability through innovation)
Subjugated (recently conquered or annexed)
Ascendant (aspires to dominate through conquest)
Ascendant (aspires to dominate through reform)
Ascendant (aspires to dominate through commerce)
Oppressed (enslaved or assigned low status)
Declining (aloof as a result of moral decay)
Dominant (cruel/oppressive leadership)
Dominant (benign/enlightened leadership)
Chaotic
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Chaotic
Lawful
Neutral
Neutral
Chaotic
Chaotic
Lawful
Low
Medium
High
Low
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Low
High
High
Use the results from the Culture table above to make assumptions about each cultures race,
social values, relationships with other cultures, and special roles that might support elements
of the campaign hook.
As a final note, give each culture a name and assign a suitable Technology Level; in general
terms, the lower the roll on the table above, the lower the Tech Level.

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Campaign Hook
At a high level, the conflict in most apocalyptic settings is the struggle for survival. However, fantasy settings support a
much wider array of conflicts. I think the
best approach is to roll 3d12 and read the
results as if I were creating a fantasy
campaign, but with a survivalist spin
based on the apocalyptic trappings Ive
been on about. My 3d12 results are 5,
2, and 12.
According to the Campaign Hook table,
this gives me:
[5] Underlying Conflict: Find or rescue someone
[2] Antagonist: Terrible monster
[12] Antagonists Motive: Self preservation
So lets try this: Theres a colony of ancients in suspended animation (find or
rescue someone). These sleeping ancients can, if woken, scrub the environment of the radiation leaked by the
doomsday device. However, a race of
mutated creatures (terrible monster)
wards the sleepers to prevent them from
waking, because they need the radiation
to survive (self preservation).
This is very high-level, and not something Id throw in front of the characters
right away (mostly because Im not ready
to flesh out all the details yet). But it does
make a good, setting-wide conflict that I
can develop as the campaign matures.
Cultures
Rolling 1d6+2, I come up with 4 campaign
cultures. Here are the d12 results for
each, and the assumptions I made about
each to support the campaign hook:
[12] Dominant: High population of
benign, Lawful leaders (TL 3; I decide
these are pure-strain humans)
[5] Subjugated: Medium population of
recently conquered Neutral people
(TL 2; I decide these are humans with
some mutations, annexed by the
Dominant humans above)
[7] Ascendant: Low population of
Lawful humans seeking reform (TL 3;
reform against the Dominant races
policies? If so, then these guys are
sympathetic to subjugated mutants)
[2] Raiders: Medium population of
Neutral humans (TL 1; I think mutated sub-men who live on the frontiers
and wilderness will do nicely)
I assigned races based on my preferences
for the setting. Note also that I havent
defined the antagonist race from the
campaign hookthatll come later.

Chimera Basic 26
Map the Setting
Map the Setting
Ive mapped out the terrain on the Local
Template (see map, at right). The Dominant and Subjugated human cultures
each occupy Civilised areas, while the
Ascendant culture is found along the
frontier; the sub-men (being somewhat
disorganised raiders) have isolated enclaves throughout the hills and mountainous wilderness.
Youll also note that I didnt use the terrain symbols below. Instead, I created
the map with Inkwell Ideas Hexographer
software, which is a fantastic tool for
creating hex maps quickly.
You can check out Hexographer at:
http://www.hexographer.com
Weather Conditions
Certain areas of your map may support
weather conditions (storms, winds, and
precipitation) that complicate actions.
For simplicity, describe weather as Mild,
Moderate, or Severe and adjust appropriate Action Rolls (e.g., Athletics, Shoot,
Survival, etc.) as suggested below:
Mild: AR +0
Moderate: AR 2
Severe: AR 4
If youre running an historical or modern campaign, youll want to use a real-world map of
the setting. However, if youre making up a new setting, these simple guidelines can help you
generate an initial campaign map in short order.
Start off small to save time and avoid unnecessary work. The Sub-hex map template (included
at the end of this book) provides plenty of real estate for your initial setting. Youll note two
hex sizes on the template: small, 5-mile regional hexes and large, 25-mile atlas hexes.
Map the setting by adding terrain to each regional hex on the template, using the symbols
shown at left. Use only the terrain types that support your vision of the campaign, the
populations who live there, and the encounters and adventures you plan to create.
1. Draw coastlines (if any); by definition, these lines indicate sea level
2. Add terrain in reverse order of elevation: mountains, hills, forests, plains/grassland,
desert, swamp, and sea/ocean.
3. Draw in rivers; as a rule of thumb, rivers flow either into bigger rivers or the sea.
4. Check terrain transitions for continuity: hills border mountains, desert gives way to
grassland, grassland gives way to forest, etc.
5. Define settlement patterns by partitioning your map into Civilisation, Wilderness, and
Frontier:
Civilisation: Areas where people build settlements because of favourable terrain,
abundant resources, or commercial benefits. All dominant cultures, as well as many
ascendant, declining, and producing cultures, reside in civilised territory.
Wilderness: Areas unsettled and untamed because of harsh terrain, inaccessibility, or
dangerous inhabitants. Most raiding and scavenger cultures, along with some ascendant and oppressed cultures, will be found in the wilderness.
Frontier: Areas immediately bordering expanding civilisations act as a buffer against
the wilderness. The frontier is a middle-ground, and while its not entirely cut off
from civilised comforts, neither is it completely safe from wilderness dangers.
6. Place settlements for each culture. Base the size and number of settlements for each
culture on its population, assuming that a High population is roughly equal to 2 Medium
or 4 Low populations. In turn, a High population occupies 1 large, 2 medium, or 4 small
settlements on the map (a Medium population would occupy 1 medium or 2 small settlements). A settlement need not be an actual town or villageit might be an underground
cave complex, a fortified stronghold, or a simple encampment in the woods.
SETTLEMENT SIZE
EXAMPLE
INFLUENCE*
POPULATION LIMIT
Small
Village
1 RH
Low
Medium
Town
1 RH + 6 surrounding RHs
Medium
Large
City
1 AH
High
* Range of patrols and limits of legal jurisdiction (RH = Regional Hex; AH = Atlas Hex); settlers
within the sphere of influence are safer than those outside it, due to the policing efforts of
the local government (encounters within the sphere reflect this, consisting predominantly
of armed patrols, commercial traffic, and peaceful travellers).
7. Determine the characters home base. This is a safe harbour and headquarters that
supplies a variety of adventuring needs: rumours; weapons and armour; gear and tradesmen to create and repair it; facilities for training, healing, and research; and a full cast of
Non-Player Characters to act as allies, enemies, retainers, hirelings, rivals, and sources of
information. A small settlement is recommended, because it takes less effort to detail.
Though the Sub-hex template appears small, resist the temptation to map out a larger area or
start with the Regional template. First, its not worth the effort to do extra prep work at this
early stageonce you start playing and the PCs start interacting with the setting, youll get
plenty of ideas about the directions in which you want the campaign to expand.
Second, the Sub-hex templates size is deceptively large: Each 5-mile regional hex has an area
of 21.6 square miles; there are 100 of them on the Sub-hex template, for a total area of 2,160
square miles (about the size of the Palestinian West Bank).
When your campaign eventually progresses beyond the map, you can either extend it with
another Sub-hex map template, or you can transfer it to the larger Regional template (also
included at the end of this book).


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Chimera Basic 27
Create Points of Interest
Your campaign map also needs to show points of interestplaces to explore, natural features,
monster lairs, and (of course) adventure sites.
Excluding settlements, there are 4d4 points of interest on your map. Use the table below to
identify each one. The roster contains idea-starters you can customise for your genre and
setting. This is the time to be creative: Exploit any opportunity to make connections between
individual points of interest and the cultures and concepts youve already created.
1D20
POINT OF INTEREST
DETAILS (ROLL 1D6)
1
2
3
Fort/Stronghold
Religious Order
Ruin
4
5
6
7
8
Monster Lair
Industrial Site
Encampment
Historic Site
Construction Site
Isolated Dwelling
10
Sacred Ground
11
Crossing
12
Ancient Structure
13
Hazard
14
15
16
Treasure
Contested
Infrastructure
17
18
19
Gathering Place
Natural Resource
Natural Feature
20
Supernatural Feature
Warded by: 12 ruler; 3 settlers; 45 fighting order; 6 adventurer

Alignment: 12 Lawful; 35 Neutral; 6 Chaotic
Type: 1 church; 23 stronghold; 4 dwelling; 5 infrastructure;
6 settlement
Abandoned because: 1 disease; 24 attack; 5 migration; 6 disaster
Type (d10): 14 common; 57 uncommon; 89 rare; 10 very rare
Collects/processes some resource type based on surrounding terrain
Used by: 12 raiders; 34 hunters; 5 soldiers; 6 messengers
Site of: 13 battle; 45 important figures birthplace; 6 religious event
Building: 1 stronghold; 23 infrastructure; 45 homestead;
6 religious centre
Home of: 1 hermit; 2 mad hermit; 3 oracle; 4 retired adventurer;
5 outlaw; 6 homesteaders
Designated as: 13 burial grounds; 45 consecrated area;
6 hunting range
Condition: 12 fortified; 34 warded by monster; 56 in disrepair
(even result on d6 indicates toll charged)
Type: 12 tomb; 3 astrological calendar; 4 point along a ley line;
56 pagan shrine
Type: 12 poison; 3 disease; 4 unstable ground; 5 electromagnetic
field; 6 radiation
Value: 13 low; 4 medium; 5 high; 6 supernatural
At issue: 13 resources; 45 strategic location; 6 religious significance
Type: 1 beacon; 2 watch tower; 3 transit station; 4 mine; 5 power
station; 6 research facility
Type: 13 tribal moot; 45 free trading post; 6 hospitaliers
Type: 12 rare animal; 34 rare vegetable; 56 rare mineral
Type: 1 unusual weather; 2 geothermal activity; 3 peculiar growth;
4 blight; 5 natural caves; 6 grove
Type: 12 teleportation portal; 3 dimensional gate; 4 time distortion;
5 anti-magic field; 6 wild-magic field
Points of Interest
Rolling 4d4, I come up with 9 points of
interest. For each, I roll 1d20 to determine its identity. Ive also placed each on
the map and added some details off the
top of my head:
[14] Treasure (Low value; #0807): Possibly a cache of weapons and armour.
[4] Monster Lair (Common; #0806):
Lets say a hive of mutated ants,
which the characters will eventually
need to exterminate.
[4] Monster Lair (Common; #0501):
Im going to use this slot for a fortified sub-men bandit camp.
[20] Supernatural (Wild magic field;
#0209): Given the genre, Im changing
this to a radiation field, which fills
the entire hex; travellers who fail a
Resistance roll risk sickness or mutation (Critical Failure).
[16] Infrastructure (Watch tower;
#0804): Used by the Dominant humans to watch for sub-men raiders;
Im thinking its lightly garrisoned.
[2] Religious Order (Neutral alignment; #0109): Im seeing a fringe cult
of survivalists in a shrine dedicated to
some ancient artefact (whose powers
and form are as yet undecided).
[20] Supernatural (Teleportation portal; #0908): This could be an ancient
transport device, though Im not yet
sure how it works, where it leads, or
if its actually reliable (maybe characters can figure it out how to operate
it consistently with a Wield roll?).
[14] Treasure (High value; #0902):
Naturally, this is some piece of ancient technology. I have no idea what
it looks like or what it will do, but
thats definitely whats here.
[3] Ruin (Settlement; #0203): A village
razed by sub-men raiders seems too
obvious, so lets say instead that this
was a town destroyed by terrible mutants (maybe our antagonist race?).
Not sure why the town was destroyed, but the ruins consist of burnt
out buildings, untamed growth, and a
couple of strangely intact structures.
Im also 99% sure that theres some
sort of catacomb network below.
Ive made some liberal interpretations
about these areas, but thats how this
part of the process worksbe creative.
None has any detail at this point, but
thats fine, because Im just using them
as idea starterstheyre subject to
change, and Ill flesh them out as the
campaign develops.

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Chimera Basic 28
Describe Campaign Conflicts
Campaign Conflicts
Ive decided that the Dominant culture of
pure-stock humans have subjugated an
enclave of mutated humans (Subjugated
culture) and annexed their territory. The
Dominant humans (being Lawful) are
trying to work to mutual benefit, but
there are purist elements who have no
respect for mutants. Concomitantly,
there are rebellious mutant factions who
oppose the pure-strains expansionist
agenda.
I think Ascendant race wants to reform
the pure-strains imperialist agenda, and
I further suppose that they support mutant rebels. Clearly, this puts them on
the pure-strains naughty list, and I'll
poke at this by placing a cache of ancient
technology on the Ascendant cultures
landnaturally, the pure-strains want to
investigate, but it wont be easy.
The sub-men are a threat to everyone
because they like to raid and plunder. I
also like the idea of a clan of sub-men
slavers who traffic only in pure-strain
humans.
Create NPCs
Given my settlements and Points of Interest, Im looking at about 20 NPCs.
Thats too many to list here, but the roster includes:
Lord Drift (Vet 4, AL N): Archon of
Purity; savvy politician who puts
pure-strain humans above all (could
be a patron to PCs looking for commissions)
Stinger (Sct/Thg 3, AL N): Bounty
hunter aligned with rebels opposed
to Lord Drifts expansion; he targets
Drifts profiteers: any official or
agent (including adventurers) acting
on behalf of Lord Drift.
Father Tang (Fai 2, AL N): Pure-strain
human cultist tending the Silver Oracle (hex #0109); he believes the Oracle
can reveal the location of an intact,
ancient city
Glimmer (Vet 3, AL C): Mutated human warrior living in Tumble (hex
#0203); his mutation lets him detect
alignment, and hes building a coalition to rid the area of monsters and
start a new city-state
Ash (Anm/Vet 2, AL N): Sub-man
chieftain whos trying to drag his clan
out of the raiding business, but no
one (not even other sub-men) trusts
his motives

Conflict makes the campaign go roundit is the basis for every story, the motivation behind
every NPC, and the whole reason characters go adventuring. Consider the tensions in the
settingwhos upset with whom and why? What does it mean for the campaign, the setting,
and (most importantly) the player characters?
Determine campaign conflicts by identifying tensions between the campaigns cultures.
Colour these high level tensions with the campaign maps terrain, settlement placement, and
Points of Interest. All the while, make sure youre setting the stage for conflicts that cater to
the players gaming style.
For example, if your players are interested in combat or stab-and-grab adventures (i.e., kill
monster, take stuff), create (or position) conflicts that involve force of arms, a lot of action,
and solutions that involve fighting. If your players are interested in political intrigue or
solving mysteries, create conflicts that involve sleuthing, social manoeuvres, and dangerous
liaisons (Malkovich-style). In short, create conflicts that your players find compelling.
At this stage, you dont need much detailjust notes on high-level conflicts. Be aware that
Country A and Country B are at (or on the verge of) war, or that MegaCorp LLC is waging
cyber-terrorism to undermine the competition, or that the Frog Cult is opposing Lord Bolsers
efforts to turn the local swamp into farmland.
Youll find that the nature of the conflict isnt as important as how you frame it. In other
words, if your players like combat, then position the Frog Cult as an entity that must be
assaulted and defeated; if your players like intrigue, then the Frog Cult must be eliminated
through political manoeuvring. The conflict is one thinghow your players address it is up to
them, so keep in mind how your players are likely to respond to conflicts you set before them.
As a side note, the cohesion between a campaigns conflictshow closely theyre related
reflects how open the campaign is. Sandbox campaigns give PCs many open-ended adventuring choices, so the conflicts tend to be unrelated, involving disparate antagonists with
independent goals. Conversely, linear campaigns take PCs along a more scripted adventuring
path, so the conflicts are usually connected in a progressive fashion, with escalating difficulty
as the PCs advance in ability. Of course, you can always start with unrelated conflicts and
connect them later, as opportunities present themselves through character actions.
Create NPCs
Broadly speaking, non-player characters (NPCs) are anyone in the campaign setting who isnt
a player character. At this stage, though, all you need to worry about are the non-player
characters who create, perpetuate, or support your campaigns conflicts, either as enemies or
allies of the PCs, or as important witnesses to their struggles.
As such, non-player characters might be scheming (and possibly recurring) villains, patrons,
hirelings, helpful citizens, law enforcement, or whomever has an effect on the PCs mission
(or ultimate goal). Most will be classed and occupy some significant level of stature (or
notoriety) in the setting.
However, in some circumstances, you may want to also create a few non-classed norms who
have no especial abilities or particular interest in the PCs, but who nevertheless give colour
to the setting. These worthies may be the source of (or participants in) adventure hooks as the
campaign develops: A shopkeeper with access to hard-to-find wares; a low-level politician
with little to no influence, but whos willing to help the PCs navigate the local bureaucracy;
or a street urchin who can guide the characters unerringly through the city sewers.
To keep things simple and fast, invent only the NPCs who can motivate storylines or affect the
characters. As a rule of thumb, consider 14 NPCs for each settlement (regardless of size) and
1d6+2 additional NPCs to spread across your various Points of Interest.
This is easier than it might sound: when creating these NPCs, include only the NPCs name,
class, level, alignment, job or campaign role, and what hes up to. Dont bother to stat out
these NPCs until you need them for an adventure. Naturally, if you have ideas about an NPCs
abilities, perks, flaws, etc., jot them down, but dont feel like you need to provide more than
just topical detail at this point (not only does this ease your task and save you time, but it also
gives you the freedom to add or change details as the setting matures).

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Chimera Basic 29
Create Random Encounters
Unlike your Points of Interest, which have fixed locations, random encounters can occur
anywhere on the campaign map. Random encounters are usually with potential opponents,
but they can consist of anything that helps to give
flavour to your settingunusual weather,
hazardous terrain, or visual contact with
something scary or threatening (as opposed to a physical confrontation). As a
rule of thumb, a random encounter occurs 1 chance in 6 for every regional
(i.e., 5-mile) hex the characters enter or
explore; feel free to modify encounter
frequency based on terrain, time of
day, or location.
To save time and avoid extra work,
create a pair of high-level encounter
tables: One each for settled and wilderness areas. On each table, add generic entries that you can expand
with more specific sub-tables. For
example, include patrol to indicate armed watchmen in any settled
areayou can customise individual
patrols later (by size, armament, or
disposition). If you have additional
time, you can customise additional
tables for specific terrain types or
proximity to particular settlements or Points of Interest, but dont get bogged down in
detailat this stage, generic is best because youll get more clarity about possible encounters
as the PCs explore the setting.
To keep your tables simple and to determine probabilities easily, use a d10- or d20-based
format for each. This makes it easy to adjust the chances of each entry in increments of 10%
or 5% (this also makes it easy to include monsters by their frequency; pg. 22).
Create Random Encounters

Below are 3 tables: 1 for Settled hexes, 1
for Wilderness, and 1 sub-table for Common monsters:
1D10
12
3
4
56
7
89
10
SETTLED ENCOUNTERS
Light patrol
Adventurers
Heavy patrol
Travelling merchant
Pilgrims
Common monster
Uncommon monster
1D10
13
45
6
7
8
9
10
WILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS
Common monster
Uncommon monster
Rare monster
Radiation cloud
Ancient tech (40% functional)
Sub-men slavers
Adventurers
1D10
12
35
67
8
9
10
COMMON MONSTER ENCOUNTERS

Hunting spiders
Giant ants
Game animal
Hiver frogs
Glow crows
Bile worm
As advised, the entries are high-level,

and Ill have to add some detail before I
can use them during an adventure. But
as idea-starters, theyll help me flesh out
setting-appropriate encounters that
support the campaigns conflicts.
Devise Adventure Hooks

Adventure hooks are plot seeds designed to motivate the PCs to action. Using your high-level
conflicts, NPCs to promote them, and random encounters to give them flavour, devise some
adventure ideas that appeal to your PCs interests and style of play.
Writing adventure hooks is a quick exercisesimply review your high-level conflicts with an
eye for detail, and isolate a few threads of activity in each. Consider the likely outcome of each
activity and present them as they relate (or would be of interest) to the PCs.
Each hook requires three elements:
An antagonist (e.g., an NPC, monster, faction, government, cult, etc.)
An action initiated by the antagonist
The consequence of that action, which affects the PCs in some way
A compelling hook (i.e., one that will get your players attention) either deprives the PCs of
something they need or rewards them with something they want; when presented with good
hook, PCs will actively and purposefully work to prevent a negative effect or to take advantage of an opportunity.
The key to successful hooks is knowing your players preferences, for theyll ignore a hook
thats unattractive or dull. If your players enjoy action and combat, create hooks that involve
swashbuckling and force of arms to achieve goals. If your group is after intrigue, use diplomatic and problem-solving hooks that require more roleplaying than roll playing.
Once you have a roster of hooks, your campaign is pretty much ready to gothe last remaining task is to flesh out one of those hooks and create an adventure for your players.

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Devise Adventure Hooks

There are plenty of potential adventure
hooks in this setting. Here are a few off
the top of my head:
Mutant ants are stealing livestock,
and Puritys food supply is threatened
Father Tang discovers the location of
the ancient city, presaged by the Silver Oracle, and he needs an escort to
get there (it may involve the portal in
hex #0908)
A pure-strain noble is taken by slavers, and his family offers a reward for
his return (hes actually been kidnapped by the bounty hunter Stinger)
Sub-men raiders have laid siege to
Scrutiny (hex #0804), and the garrison is cut off

Chimera Basic 30
Creating Adventures
Antagonists
An adventures antagonist is typically a
classed NPC with some level of influence
in the campaign setting. He could be a
one-shot boss or a recurring villain.
Your adventure hook probably suggests
who the antagonist is, but if you need
some inspiration, roll on the table below:
1D12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
ANTAGONISTS IDENTITY
Bureaucrat/secular official
Ruler/government
Criminal/insane guy
Occultist
Scholar
Veteran
Clergy/non-secular official
Investigator/inquisitor
Star chamber
Monster hive or infestation
Barbarian chieftain
Singularly powerful monster
Having adventures is why your players play Chimera. Its where the action is and how the
players experience the GMs setting.
Creating adventures is easy, because an adventure is really little more than a set of connected
encounters. Provided youre familiar with your setting, you do not need to write pages of
descriptive material, detailed maps, or extensive background.
Instead, you can use a simple template (like the one-page Adventure Template included at the
end of this book) to help you fill in the blanks you need to run an adventure. As a rule of
thumb, each template should be self-contained. For example, if youre running a multi-level
dungeon, use one template for each level; if youre detailing a large city, use one page for each
of the citys neighbourhoods.
Weve provided a completed Adventure Template at the end of this book as an example of the
process below.
Choose a Hook
Select one of the hooks you devised in the previous section. You can turn it into an adventure
by fleshing it out with the Adventure Template as a guide.
When choosing the hook, first consider how it affects the characters: The PCs need to feel that
getting involved in the story is worth more than ignoring it (or, more practically, the players
showed up to play, so give them something entertaining). Dont be afraid to use a range of
motivations to get the PCs involved: wealth, power, influence, revenge, justice, self-preservation, altruism, love, personal values, spirituality, and many more.
Invent the Background
Special Foes
The antagonists minions are the special
foes encountered in the adventure.
These are the guys who carry out the
antagonists plans and protect him from
harm (or, more precisely, adventurers).
In most cases, the adventure hook and
the antagonists identity suggest what
special foes the PCs encounter. However,
if you need some random guidance, roll
on the table below:
1D12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
SPECIAL FOES
Thugs/petty criminals
Special or secret agents
Disgusting bugs
Constructs (e.g., robots, golems)
Assassins
Mercenaries
Brainwashed cultists
Ninjas
Sub-men rabble
Monster hordes
Undead
Other-worldly horrors

While a hook hints at whats happening, the background reveals whats really going onthe
antagonist, his motivation, and what he hopes to achieve. The background should identify:
Antagonist & Special Foes: In simple terms, the initiator of the conflict that the PCs have
become part of. This could be a recurring villain, a powerful monster, or an entire
population (e.g., a tribe of sub-men). This is also the time to identify the antagonists
allies, who become special foes for the PCs (e.g., the antagonists robot minions). Unlike
other, incidental opponents the characters might face during the adventure, these allies
these special foesmerit (and must receive) special attention.
Motivations & Goals: Figure out why the antagonist is causing problems. Use the same set of
motivations you use to prod the PCs into action: wealth, power, influence, revenge, etc.
Also, remember that no evil villain actually believes hes evilhe always has a good
reason for his behaviour (even though its not helpful or of benefit to anyone else). This
is the key to creating multi-dimensional antagonists, and it makes the setting far more
interactive and believable.
The background may be exactly what the hook implies, or it may be a complicated reality far
more complex than the hook suggests. When the adventure begins, the PCs may have a
chance to poke at the hook for more information about the background, but sometimes its
more fun to dole out bits and pieces as the adventure unfolds. If you make the PCs work for
these clues, theyll have more fun discovering your settings secrets for themselves.
Define the End Goal

The end goal defines the successful conclusion, or victory conditions, of the adventure.
From a storytelling perspective, this clarifies when the PCs have completed their mission.
End goals should be simple and specific: Bring Countess Samon to justice, or Retrieve the
Great Artefact of the Ancients. Goals can also be multi-part, like Protect the village from
attack, then eliminate the raiders where they sleep.
When the end goal is achieved, the adventure is over, and the characters earn their reward
(see below). This is not to say that the adventure cannot spin other threadsjust that the
immediate goal has been achieved. For example, the PCs might bring Countess Samon to
justice, though her followers might cause problems of their own down the road.
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Chimera Basic 31
Define Rewards
Adventuring garners two types of rewards for characters:
Wealth: Any material gain (e.g., money, land, gear, rare items, etc.). The quantity of wealth
available and the form it takes really depends on the settingin the fantasy genre, wealth
might be gold coins, gems, and magic weapons, though in an apocalypse setting, wealth
could simply be untainted food supplies, ammunition, and working technology. Wealth
can come from goods carried by foes overcome, caches pilfered in the antagonists lair
during the adventure, or rewards from a patron when the mission is complete.
Experience: During the adventure, characters might have the opportunity to earn special
experience rewards. For each major adventuring goal (defined by the GM), a contributing
PC earns a +1 bonus to his Advancement Roll (pg. 9) when the adventure is complete.
Worthy adventuring goals could include discovering an important clue, defeating a level
boss, or negotiating a special encounter with a clever solution.
Monster Encounters
Monster encounters can occur with any
creature, who may or may not be friendly (as suggested by its alignment and
perhaps the results of a Diplomacy roll).
For random monster encounters, determine monster type by its frequency:
1D10
14
57
89
10
MONSTER FREQUENCY
Common (40%)
Uncommon (30%)
Rare (20%)
Very Rare (10%)
Session Rewards
At the GMs option, PCs might also earn a session reward for heroic actions. This requires a
little more bookkeeping, but its more immediately rewarding to the players. When a character uses a Clutch Situation to do something heroic (as determined by the GM), grant a session
reward based on the rolls outcome:
Critical Failure: Reward of 1 IP (pg. 9), which may be spent at any time
Normal Failure: No reward
Normal Success: Reward of 1 additional Clutch Situation
Critical Success: Reward of +1 bonus to Advancement Roll when adventure is complete
Create Encounters
An encounter is any challenge the PCs must overcome to complete the adventure. Encounters
can be monsters, obstacles and traps, or special challenges. As a rule of thumb, every adventure should have between 12 encounters per PC (e.g., a party of 4 PCs should have about six
encounters per adventure), and about a third of those should be with the antagonist or his
special foes. The remaining two-thirds if the encounters can be determined randomly:
1D6 ROLL
ENCOUNTER
DETAILS (ROLL 1D6)
12
Monster
34
Obstacle
5
6
Trap
Special
Monster is: 1 establishing a lair; 2 going about his business in his lair;
3 scouting/foraging; 4 setting an ambush; 5 chasing down prey; 6 lost
Type: 12 adventuring hazard (pg. 17); 34 an obstacle that hinders
movement; 5 alarm; 6 false trap
See sidebar at right
See sidebar at right
Traps
A trap is any mechanism designed to
harm trespassers. Cautious characters
can find a trap with a successful Observe
roll; a successful Tinker roll will disarm
it. Characters who blunder into a trap
invariably set it off and suffer the effects
noted below (though a successful Resistance roll can reduce or negate the effects).
1D10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TRAP TYPE
Pit (Dmg 1d6)
Poison gas (Dmg 1d6)
Fog (looks like poison gas)
Fog (limits vision to 1)
Spikes (Dmg 1d6)
Blades (Dmg 1d8)
Dart or arrow (Dmg 1d6)
Dart (Dmg 1d4 + poison)
Sliding stairs
Ward or Illusion
Draw Map
The Adventure Template contains a 20x20 square grid you can use to draw the layout of the
adventure site. In most cases, this is the interior of some structure: a temple, a dungeon level,
a cave complex, a starship deck, etc. Use a separate template for each level, floor, or locale of
a multi-part adventure site.
Start with a basic layout showing rooms and passages that connect them; more detailed map
symbols are included with individual genre supplements.
Write the Epilogue

The epilogue is the ripple effect that occurs when characters complete the adventure. Most
outcomes will be obvious (e.g., the Countess is brought up on trial, the Great Artefact is
recovered, or the village is saved).
However, you might consider a few loose ends to use as a sequel, just to keep the campaign
exciting and the players engaged. For example, the Countess minions might continue what
she started or attempt to rescue her, or the Great Artefact could be stolen by a rival. This is
how you can inject recurring villains into the campaign, or draw out the consequences that
might result when the PCs leave a few stones unturned.

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Special Encounters
Any odd encounter that doesnt fit one of
the previous categories, like a puzzle, a
discovery, or the possibility of some benefit the PCs might take advantage of.
1D10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
SPECIAL ENCOUNTER
Puzzle (must solve to continue)
Safety (PCs can rest undisturbed)
Equipment, armour (Q 03)
Equipment, weapon (Q 03)
Equipment, gear (Q 03)
Rare or special item (needed to
defeat antagonist)
Ally or potential retainer
Healing or medical supplies
Vision or helpful clue
Unguarded treasure

Chimera Basic 32
Being the Game Master

There are a lot of tips and best practices when it comes to campaign
development (and, to that end, I selfishly invite you to check
www.welshpiper.com as a starting point). The guidelines in these
Basic Rules handle much of what PCs will do, but there are elements
to game mastering that take some experience. Here are some tips to
consider:
Dont Plan Ahead: Its easy to get caught up with grand story arcs and
scripted adventures. However, PCs are notorious for going in
their own direction (particularly if they detect that theyre being
herded by the GM). When running an adventure, concentrate
on the current hook, but leave outcomes open, based on the
logical consequences of the PCs actions. Dont worry if you dont
get a chance to introduce a clever plot twist or a cool villain
there will be other opportunities. In the meantime, your goal is to
ensure that everyone is having a good time playing, and that
means giving your players the freedom to make their own choices.
Let the Dice Do Their Job: When you consult the dice, youre soliciting
random guidance from tiny, plastic oracles. In the context of
running an adventure, the dice are your friends because theyll
suggest directions that you might not consider on your own. This
is not to say that you must slavishly obey your polyhedral masters, but unless the dice suggest nonsense outcomes, its worth
considering what they have to say.
As a GM, its tempting to fudge a roll here and there, particularly
if it means saving the PCs bacon so they can continue adventuring. But doing so is tantamount to saying that the dice only
matter when you like the outcome. This approach is actually
unfair to the PCswhile the players are expected to adhere to die
results, the GM suffers no such restrictions.
If you let the dice tell the story, youll not only come up with
realistic outcomes, but youll also challenge the PCs to handle
unforeseen situations. In the end, your players will have more fun
overcoming obstacles and digging deep when they need to. Your
campaign will be more enjoyable for it.
Winging It: Be prepared to abandon whatever expectations you have
for how the PCs will respond in a given situation, or how theyll
solve a particular challenge. This is easier if you look at your
Adventure Template more as an outline than as a scriptthe
notes are simply guidelines for what the adventure contains, but
they dont predict what will happen or how the PCs react to what
you throw at them.
In fact, players are notorious for reacting in ways you never
anticipated, and theyll solve problems with approaches that you
havent considered. Thats fine and, actually, something you
should encourageafter all, the adventure is all about the PCs
choices within your setting. This unpredictability wont ruin your
game. Quite the contraryit actually makes it better.
If you know your NPCs goals and motivations, and you understand your adventure hook in the context of the larger campaign,
and you have a reasonably flexible background, you can easily
work with the PCs moves, whatever they may be. When the PCs
move in a direction you dont expect, simply default to your
intimate knowledge of the setting and adjust your adventure (and
the direction it takes) accordingly.

Balancing Encounters: A lot of unnecessary work goes into making

sure that a given encounter is matched to the PCs ability, and
some systems even go so far as to provide point based rating
systems to help the GM establish equality between characters and
the challenges they face.
Unfortunately, such systems are only partially effective, because
they have no way to account for tactics or the players innovation. Operating under the assumption that your players will respond in ways you cannot always anticipate, develop encounters
so that they make sense in the context of your campaign.
Not only will you save yourself unnecessary work, but if an encounter proves too difficult, the PCs will adjust their tactics
perhaps even retreating in the face of overwhelming odds. If, on
the other hand, an encounter is too easy, youll know to make the
next one a little harder.
Challenge the Players, not the Characters: The characters are only
vehicles through which the players experience your campaign
setting. While every player wants a powerful character, capable
of fighting, figuring, or fast-talking his way out of any scrape, its
the players whose interest you have to maintain. As a result, dont
let players simply rely on their characters abilities or dice rolls
to carry the daypresent them with the opportunity to devise
clever solutions, unusual approaches, and personal choices.
RememberChimera is about making up a story; make sure the
players have a role in telling it.
Awarding Experience: While the point of the game is to have fun,
character advancement is part of what keeps players interested.
Yet advancement in Chimera is not automatic, and despite a
players best efforts during an adventure, his character might just
get an unlucky result when he makes his Advancement Roll
(especially if the PC has a high Advancement Cost). If this discourages players and detracts from their enjoyment of your campaign, you can always give them more opportunities to earn
bonuses for adventuring goals. Better yet, consider ways to encourage PCs to use their Clutch Situations for more immediatelyuseful Session Rewards (pg. 31).
Next Steps
Now that youve seen Chimera Basic, we want your feedback (crave it,
really). We want to know what works, what doesnt, whats missing,
and how we can improve Chimera. So heres the deal: As long as you
keep sending us your feedback, well keep Chimera Basic free.
Share your comments and suggests on our Chimera RPG discussion
group at www.welshpiper.com/forum. We look forward to hearing
from you.
Chimerapedia
If you want more from Chimera, check out Chimerapedia, a quarterly
update that picks up where this volume leaves off. Formatted for
NBOS The Keep software, Chimerapedia is available on our website at:
www.welshpiper.com/store.
Chimerapedia subscribers get rule updates; new monsters, gear, and
powers; and programmatic tools for building settings and adventures. If you manage your campaign with The Keep, or if you bring
your laptop to the gaming table, this is a great way to build and
manageand customiseyour Chimera campaign.

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Apocalypse Ants
Hook
Mutant ants are stealing livestock, and Purity's food

supply is threatened
Background & End-goal

The colony of giant, mutated ants is depleting local food supplies. All they do is burrow, eat, and make little baby ants. Lord
Drift (Lord of Purity) posts a reward to be rid of them. The PCs
must exterminate the entire colonyants, eggs, and queen
Rewards Lord Drift offers $20 for each ant killed ($50 for
the queen), plus healing/burial expenses. Advancement Roll
bonuses: +1 for destroying the hidden eggs (#7); +1 for following the escape tunnel (#8) to its exit.
Epilogue If the queen escapes or any eggs remain intact, the

ants will start a new colony. If the PCs succeed, they earn
Drift's trust and bigger commissions.
Encounters
MAP KEY
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
ENCOUNTER
DETAILS
Entrance
Stinky mud
4 drones moving dirt to repair the entrance; they attack any intruder.
PCs can mask their scent by spending a turn covering their skin with mud; this removes the Sneak
penalty against ants for 1d4 turns.
Fungus farm
2 drones tending fungus; they release poison gas if threatened (floods chamber for 2d6 turns).
Empty
Cluttered with gear scavenged by the ants (2 survival gear packs, 1 medical kit). Sinkhole in SW corner
(Trap TN 12 or sink in 1d8 rds; Athletics TN 12 at cumulative AR 1/rd to escape, AR +2 if aided).
Eggs
4 drones carrying eggs; they flee if threatened, leading PCs the egg chamber, where they make a stand.
Queens chamber Ant queen defended by 6 warriors; if 2 warriors are slain, 4 drones arrive to move the queen into the escape
tunnel (#8).
Egg chamber
2 warriors with giant mandibles (Dmg 1d6) guarding 10 eggs (DF 0, WL 1 each); there are 8 more eggs
hidden under the soil (Observe TN 12 to find 1d4 hidden eggs).
Escape tunnel
The queens escape route, breaks the surface in hex #0805; GM can expand into more chambers if desired.
Foes
NAME (#)
LVL
MR
Drone
Warrior
Lvl 2 81d4
Lvl 3 81d4
WL
DF
RS
AT (IM, DMG, RNG, ROF)
AB
PK
+2 1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4) Athletics +1, Sneak +2 Bug, Grip
+3 1 bite +2 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4) Athletics +2, Sneak +2 Bug, Grip, Venom
(TN 8, Dmg 1d4)
Queen
Lvl 4 11
5 (M) 3 (+0) +4 by mutation
Observe +6
Mutations (poison gas,
sonic wave)
Ants possess infravision (4") and are hypersensitive (Surprise TN 12), with Morale of 16level. Each ant has a random mutation (1d6):
1 poison gas (TN 8, Dmg 1d4, Rng 2) in Small blast template
2 giant mandibles (Dmg 1d6)
3 wings (fly MR 121d4)
4 sonic wave (Dmg 1d4 stun; Rng 4") in Medium blast template
5 paralysis Adaptation (Resist at TN 8 (plus Athletics AR) or paralysed 1 turn/level)
6 impervious (RS +4)

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2 (S) 2 (+1)
3 (S) 3 (+1)



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Hook
Background & End-goal
Rewards
Epilogue
Encounters
MAP KEY
ENCOUNTER
DETAILS
#1
______________________
#2
______________________
#3
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#4
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#5
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#6
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#7
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#8
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Foes
NAME (#)
CLASS/LVL
__________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________

____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________
____________________________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
MR
WL

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Permission granted to copy for personal use
DF
RS
AT (IM, DMG, RNG, ROF)
AB
PK
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The Chimera RPG Adventure Template

Version 3.0
Updates available at: http://www.welshpiper.com/adventure-template/

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Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game: Chimera Basic

Simple Rules. Unlimited Options.

Author: Erin D. Smale

Playtesters & Other Help

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

Chimera: the Nutshell

Using the Basic Rules

What You Need to Play

How To Get Started

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The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Dice and Dice Rolls

Die Roll Modifiers

Scale and Distance

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Action Roll Results

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A Resistance Roll is an Action Roll made to counteract a special attack

Class and Advancement

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EARTH TIME FRAME (AD)

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Non-player Character (NPC): A character controlled by the Game

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

6. Update Character Stats

Fringe: Not only poor, but a social

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

Creating New Races

Creating New Classes

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

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Perks are special talents available to anyone, regardless of race or

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The Chimera Roleplaying Game

Each power belongs to a school, or discipline, of related effects:

Abjuration (Abj): Powers that create protective barriers

Conjuration (Con): Powers that bring

Divination (Div): Powers that impart

Enchantment (Enc): Powers that affect

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

1. Counter (Abj; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

Power Wielding Example

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The Chimera Roleplaying Game

The Chimera Roleplaying Game

5. Shock (Evo; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Athletics)

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Provides a Cover bonus

Provides a Parry bonus

A single load of ammo costs one-tenth of

The Chimera Roleplaying Game