1000 ChimeraBasic 3.0 PDF

Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper The Chimera Roleplaying Game
www.welshpiper.com 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 per-
mission in writing from the publisher, The Welsh Piper.
Credits Contents
Author: Erin D. Smale Introduction....................................................1 Non-Player Characters.............................20
Editors: Brian Kirby, Greg MacKenzie Chimera: the Nutshell...........................1 Character Types................................20
What You Need to Play.........................1 Creating NPCs....................................20
Artwork: Nova Development Corporation; How To Get Started...............................1 Monsters.....................................................21
Nathan Linder (front cover computer guy) Core Concepts.................................................2 Base Stats...........................................21
Cartography: Erin D. Smale Abilities...................................................2 Adaptations.......................................21
Hexographer Software: Joe Wetzel Action Rolls.............................................2 Creating Monsters............................21
http://www.hexographer.com Alignment (optional)............................3 Monster Descriptions.......................22
Character Sheet: Greg MacKenzie Class and Advancement........................3 Campaign Creation....................................24
Tech Levels.............................................3 Select Genre & Setting.....................24
Clutch Situations: with input from Christina Commonly Used Terms........................4 Consider Technology and Powers..24
Freeman and Tyson Vickers Characters.......................................................5 Define Campaign Hook....................25
Chimera Logo: Michael Mumich Character Generation...........................5 Describe Cultures..............................25
Project Control: Occams Razor Race and Class........................................6 Map the Setting.................................26
Character Races.....................................6 Create Points of Interest..................27
On the Web Character Classes...................................7 Describe Campaign Conflicts..........28
Boons and Baggage (optional).............8 Create NPCs.......................................28
The Welsh Piper (Campaign Development
Character Advancement.......................9 Create Random Encounters............29
for Busy GMs):
Abilities..........................................................10 Devise Adventure Hooks.................29
http://www.welshpiper.com Ability Descriptions.............................10 Creating Adventures.................................30
http://www.welshpiper.com/forums Perks...............................................................11 Choose a Hook...................................30
Perk Descriptions................................11 Invent the Background....................30
On the Facebook Flaws...............................................................11 Define the End Goal..........................30
http://www.facebook.com/chimerarpg Flaw Descriptions................................11 Define Rewards.................................31
Overcoming Flaws...............................11 Create Encounters............................31
Playtesters & Other Help Powers............................................................12 Draw Map...........................................31
Cyberkyd of BlakLite, Mark S. Deniz, Ben- Using Powers........................................12 Write the Epilogue............................31
jamin Eisenhofer, Christina Da Vane Resisting Powers..................................12 Being the Game Master............................32
Freeman, Greg Old-school MacKenzie, Ty- Power Descriptions.............................12 Next Steps...................................................32
son Vickers, and Toby Whos ethereal Equipment.....................................................15
now? Widner Weapons................................................15
Armour..................................................15
Dedication Gear........................................................16
Equipment Quality..............................16
To my best special favourite friend Pooh, Equipment Damage and Loss.............16
aka Peens, P-Pod, and Pipsquack, who was Adventuring..................................................17
as loyal and loving as any two-legged friend Adventuring Hazards..........................17
Ive ever had. Thanks for helping me type, Breaking Objects..................................17
reminding me when its break-time, and Combat..................................................18
giving me head-butts when I needed them Fighting Manoeuvres..........................19
most. You are so sorely missed, my friend. Movement.............................................19
Thank you for all the love you gave me. Healing..................................................19
The Chimera Roleplaying Game Copyright 2011 The Welsh Piper

TWP-1000 (6th Printing) www.welshpiper.com
Chimera Basic 1
Introduction
Using the Basic Rules
Welcome to The Chimera Roleplaying Game! Chimeras mechanics support any con-
This is Chimera Basic, designed to show the games simple mechanics and modular guidelines. ceivable genre, allowing you to create
Chimera is a flexible, rules-lite engine that promotes your creativity over game rules. From campaigns based on traditional or his-
fantasy to sci-fi, and everything in between, Chimera provides an easy-to-learn framework toric settings, your favourite books and
for all your roleplaying adventures. films, or your own creations. Chimera
Basic is easy to learn and easy to play,
You can use the Basic guidelines to create any number of characters, settings, and campaigns. while providing realistic outcomes that
If you like what you see, check our Web site (www.welshpiper.com) for supplements that arent bogged down in detail.
expand on these rules and make it even easier to run games in any setting. To make the most of Chimera, use the
Basic Rules as guidelines instead of abso-
Chimera: the Nutshell lutes. During development, we concen-
trated more on what happens instead of
Chimera is a roleplaying game wherein players assume the roles of characters they make up, exactly how it happensnecessarily,
in a setting created by a Game Master (GM). That setting could be any time or any place: a land some details are lost (or even deliberate-
of medieval fantasy, a science-fiction future, apocalyptic Earth, America in the 1930s, any ly ignored). Our goal is a game that al-
historical period, whatever is appealing. lows fast, yet reasonable, action
resolution, with enough flexibility for
Player Characters (PCs) are characters in the setting whose actions are decided by the players. players to tinker, tweak, and customise
To help define their role in the setting, all PCs choose classes, or professions, which is to suit their own style.
essentially their day job. Each class is defined by its Abilities, which cover things that That said, if your style demands more
characters of that class are good at (e.g., scholars are good at academics, veterans are good at detail, you can add itChimeras flexibil-
fighting, burglars are good at sneaking about, etc.). Abilities cover any action a character ity lets you inject as much realism as you
might attempt during the game, and characters can pick Abilities outside their class, though want, generally without breaking the
non-class Abilities are harder to master. system. However, the game doesnt nec-
essarily play better as a result. In fact,
The characters job in the setting is to go on heroic adventures: stopping evil forces, recover- you may find that extra details slow
ing lost riches, or exploring the vast unknown. Whenever you want your character to do things down and make actions more
something during an adventure (like fight a monster, hack a computer, or charm the border cumbersome to resolve.
guard), you make an Action Roll (AR) with the Ability youre using. If the roll equals or As it stands, Chimera Basic provides a
exceeds the Target Number (TN) assigned to the action, you accomplish what you wanted to solid foundation for immediate and rela-
do. Otherwise, you fail, and the GM usually determines what happens as a result. tively complete play. If you need more,
As your character completes adventures, he earns opportunities to improve his Abilities, we encourage you to modify what you
likeits your game and your setting.
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 improv-
ing 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.
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, option-
al 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!

Chimera Basic 2
Core Concepts
Dice and Dice Rolls
Chimera uses the six standard polyhe- Chimera is a multi-genre roleplaying game, meaning that you can use these guidelines to
dral dice. A d4 refers to a 4-sided die, a create and run a campaign in any setting you want: sci-fi, fantasy, apocalypse, modern, even
d6 refers to a 6-sided die, and so on. historical. To achieve this, Chimera relies on a few core concepts.
A number before the die type shows how
many dice to toss; the result is the sum of Abilities
each die. For example, 3d6 means roll
three 6-sided dice and add them togeth- The first thing youll notice about Chimera characters is that they dont have attributesno
er (for a result of 318). ability scores like you might be used to in other roleplaying games (e.g., Strength, Dexterity,
Intelligence, et al.).
Die Roll Modifiers Instead, everything your character can do is covered by an Ability, which is a broad category
A value after a die roll is added to the of related skills and talents. For example, the Animal Handling Ability covers animal care,
result. For example, 3d6+4 means roll training animals, and handling a mountbasically anything that has to do with an animal.
three 6-sided dice and add four; 3d62
gives a result of 116, and 3d6x10 results The broad scope of Abilities lets you focus on what your character can actually do, instead of
in 30180. 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 chal-
Time lenge: If an action during the game involves an animal, chances are youll use the Animal
Game time refers to durations relative to Handling Ability to deal with it.
the characters. It is measured in seconds,
minutes, hours, etc. Two additional peri-
ods are useful during play:
Action Rolls
Round: 10 seconds Every action your character attempts is resolved with an Action Roll (AR), made with a
Turn: 10 minutes (60 rounds) twenty-sided die (1d20). If the Action Roll result is equal to or greater than the required
A real-time measurement useful for Target Number (TN), the attempt succeeds and you get the desired outcome. A result less than
tracking the duration of game play is the Target Number means that the attempt failed.
called a session:
Session: 24 hours, the typical dura- Action Difficulty
tion of an evenings worth of play The GM assigns Target Numbers, which indicate an actions inherent difficulty, or how hard it
Scale and Distance is to accomplish absent any external factors. The Difficulty Levels sidebar at left suggests Target
Numbers for varying degrees of difficulty.
Chimera is designed for use with table-
top miniatures, where 1 equals ten feet External factorstemporary and circumstantial conditions that influence an actions
indoors and 10 yards outdoors. outcomeare reflected by AR modifiers. Positive modifiers make the action easier, while
Range and distance are noted in scale negative modifiers make the action harder. When using an Ability, add your Abilitys AR
inches and refer to measurement rela- modifier to the roll result.
tive to tabletop miniatures. Thus, 4 is For example, the GM decides that finding food in a barren desert is Very Hard (TN 20). A
four real inches on the gaming table, 40 character has Survival +2, so he adds 2 to the roll; if the modified result is 20 or more, he
feet indoors, and 40 yards outdoors.
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
Difficulty Levels of 18 or more to succeed (i.e., 20 (+2) = 18 = success).
An actions Target Number indicates its
inherent difficulty, independent of ex-
Action Roll Results
ternal factors. There are four possible outcomes of any Action Roll:
For reference, the table below shows the Critical Failure (CF): You fail miserably, and your incompetence creates another problem
Target Number and unmodified percent-
age chance of success on a d20 (each +1 Normal Failure (NF): Your attempt simply doesnt work (or it works at reduced effect)
modifier adds +5%). Normal Success (NS): Your attempt works and produces the desired results
DIFFICULTY TN CHANCE OF SUCCESS Critical Success (CS): You succeed brilliantly, and your cleverness produces an extra benefit
Automatic 2 95%*
Very Easy 4 85%
Critical results occur when the d20 shows a natural result divisible by 4 (i.e., an unmodified 4,
Easy 8 65% 8, 12, 16, or 20). If the modified result of such a roll equals or exceeds the required Target
Difficult 12 45% Number, the roll is a Critical Success; otherwise, its a Critical Failure.
Hard 16 25%
Very Hard 20 5% If the Action Roll is a natural 1, the attempt is a Normal Failure. If the TN was 2 or less,
Unlikely 24 20% interpret a natural 1 as a Critical Failure.
Extraordinary 28 40%
* A natural 1 always fails
If the Action Roll is a natural 20, the attempt is an automatic Critical Success. If the TN was
The negative percentage to overcome, 21 or more, treat a natural 20 as a Normal Success.
though a natural 20 always succeeds

Chimera Basic 3
Resistance Rolls Clutch Situations

A Resistance Roll is an Action Roll made to counteract a special attack Heroes tend to come through in a tight spot, and when your character
or effect (pg. 17). The Target Number required to resist is based on the is really up against it, he can declare a Clutch Situation to improve his
danger posed by the hazard (use TN 12 unless otherwise noted). chances of success.
The Resistance Roll is modified by your experience level plus your AR You can designate any die roll as a Clutch Situationan Action Roll,
in any related Ability (e.g., a 2nd-level character with Athletics +3 Resistance Roll, Damage rollwhich lets you throw one additional die
resists Burns at AR +5). A successful Resistance Roll cuts the effects in when you make the roll. You select the best result.
half; a Critical Success negates the effects completely. Each character gets one Clutch Situation per experience level, and
you may apply multiple Clutch Situations to the same roll (one addi-
Alignment (optional) tional die each). However, you must declare a Clutch Situation before
Alignment (AL) is a convenient label to describe a characters loyal- any roll is made, and theyre lost once spent, regardless of the rolls
outcome.
ties to those around him. There are three Alignments:
Lawful: Primary loyalty is to others; capable of self-serving acts, but Clutch Situations renew when you level up; unused Clutch Situations
not at the expense of other people (especially those in need). 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
Neutral: Primary loyalty is to close or personal groups (e.g., family, Session Rewards (pg. 31), its possible to earn additional Clutch Situa-
friends, faction, religion, racial type); capable of self-serving acts, tions during play.
but not at the expense of personal groups.
Chaotic: Primary loyalty is to self; capable of serving others, but only Tech Levels
to further their personal agenda.
Chimeras multi-genre framework supports ten Technology Levels
Alignment is completely optionalif you find it restrictive or unreal- (TL) to describe the relative technologies that exist in various cam-
istic for your setting, feel free to ignore it. paign settings.
Class and Advancement Tech Levels can be loosely described via their Earth analogues, as
shown below:
Your characters profession in the campaign is represented by his
TECHNOLOGY LEVEL AGE/ERA EARTH TIME FRAME (AD)
class. In turn, each class is defined by a set of core Abilities and special
TL 1 Primitive Prehistoric
talents. As youll see in the next section, classes may be combined to TL 2 Ancient Pre-4th century
create customised professions. TL 3 Medieval 4th 13th century
When a character completes an adventure, he can make an Advance- TL 4 Exploration 14th 17th century
ment Roll against his AdCost to see if he can improve his skills or gain TL 5 Imperial 18th century
an experience level. Improving skills (Abilities, Perks, etc.) makes him TL 6 Industrial 19th century
TL 7 Modern First half of 20th century
better at his class, while a level up makes him a better overall
TL 8 Post-modern Second half of 20th century
adventurer. Check Character Advancement (pg. 9) for specifics. TL 9 Near-future 21st 22nd century
TL 10 Far-future 23rd century and beyond

Chimera Basic 4
Non-player Character (NPC): A character controlled by the Game

Commonly Used Terms Master.
What roleplaying game isnt rife with acronyms? Heres a list of terms Parry: A combatants ability to ward off, block, or avoid blows; a
and abbreviations used throughout the rules: targets Parry is added to the TN of attacks aimed at him. Parry is
Action Roll (AR): A 20-sided die roll to determine the success or optionalif it isnt used, add the Parry bonus to the combatants
failure of an attempted action; an Action Roll succeeds if the result Defence (DF).
equals or exceeds the required Target Number. Perk: An advantage or special ability that grants a bonus in specific
Advancement Cost (AdCost): A value suggesting how much experi- game situations.
ence a character must accumulate before he can improve; use as the Player Character (PC): A character controlled by a player and through
Target Number when making Advancement Rolls (pg. 9). which the Game Masters campaign setting is experienced.
Adventuring Hazard: A condition or effect that causes damage or Power: Any supernatural ability not generally possible under
other difficulties for a character. A successful Resistance Roll usually normal natural laws (e.g., magic spells, divine miracles, psionic
reduces the effect by half (a Critical Success negates the effect com- talents, or super powers).
pletely). Range (Rng): The distance (in scale inches) at which an attack can hit
Alignment (AL): A characters tendency for loyalty, whether to all a target.
others, select others, or self. Rate of Fire (RoF): The number of shots a weapon can discharge as a
AR Modifier: A positive or negative value added to an Action Roll, single action; also the maximum number of targets an auto-fire weap-
indicating temporary or circumstantial conditions that effect the on can hit in a single round.
outcome. Unless otherwise noted, modifiers are cumulative, so bene- Resistance Roll: An Action Roll used to reduce or negate the effects of
fits and disadvantages can cancel each other out. an Adventuring Hazard (pg. 17). When making a Resistance Roll,
Blast Attack: An attack that causes damage to anyone within a certain characters always add their experience level to the result.
radius of a central point of impact. For simplicity, a blast is Small (1 Round (rd): A measure of game time spanning 10 seconds. There are
radius), Medium (2 radius), or Large (4 radius); everyone within the six rounds in a minute, 60 rounds in a turn.
radius is affected by the blast (which could represent an explosion,
gas cloud, radiation field, or the effects of a power). Special Perk (Sperk): Perks available only by virtue of race or class;
you may select Sperks during character generation or buy them later
Cash ($): A generic unit of currency representing a settings dominant during Character Advancement (pg. 9). Each Sperk chosen increases
medium of exchange (e.g., dollars, pounds, gold pieces, silver pen- your Advancement Cost (AdCost) by +1.
nies, et al.).
Target Number (TN): The value an Action Roll has to meet or exceed
Damage (Dmg): The damage caused by an attack, which is reduced by to be successful. Assume an average TN 12 unless otherwise noted for
the targets Defence. easier or more difficulty actions.
Defence (DF): Proof against damage provided by sheer physical resil- Turn (tn): A measure of game time spanning 10 minutes. There are six
ience, mental resolve, armour, and other protections; Defence is turns in an hour, 144 turns in a day.
subtracted from the Damage rolled after a successful attack.
Wound Limit (WL): The maximum number of wounds a character can
Encumbrance (Enc): The bulk and weight of items carried or worn, sustain before being vanquished (pg. 18).
subtracted from your characters Movement Rate.
Wound Penalty (WP): A penalty indicating the negative effects of
Fatigue: Non-lethal damage caused by exhaustion, exposure, or un- suffering damage, applied to all rolls and Movement Rate; each
armed attacks; when fatigued, a character suffers a penalty to all rolls wound imposes a cumulative penalty of 1, which lasts until the
and his Movement Rate. wound is healed.
Flaw: A fault or disadvantageous quality that imposes special limita- Wound Severity: The intensity of a wound, equal to the Damage
tions or penalties in specific game situations. inflicted minus the targets Defence. Healing applies to a wounds
Game Master (GM): A Chimera player who creates and runs the cam- severity; when severity is reduced to zero (0), the wound is healed,
paign setting, describes what the characters see and hear, plays the and its corresponding Wound Penalty is removed.
part of all non-player characters, and arbitrates the outcome of ac-
tions 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 pow-
ers 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.

Chimera Basic 5
Characters
Social Station
Creating a Player Character in Chimera is a breezejust copy a character sheet and follow the This aspect of a characters background
steps below. suggests which side of the tracks he
comes from: was he a rich kid raised in
Character Generation the hills, a guttersnipe, or somewhere in
between?
1. Start with Vision and Social Status Social station impacts starting cash and
Consider the kind of character you want to playa war-hardened soldier, an adventurous will probably colour a characters inter-
actions with people who put stock in
archaeologist, a brutish thug, a cunning sorcerer, or whatevers appropriate for the GMs appearance, come from old money, dis-
setting. For flavour, start on your characters background with the Social Station table at right. trust outsiders, or wear a monocle.
2. Select Race Those of low station will have had fewer
opportunities to excelperhaps as a re-
Humans are the dominant race in most campaigns. If your GMs setting includes other races, sult of poor education, lack of adequate
you may be allowed to run a non-human character (pg. 6). Choose any racial Sperks at this health care, difficult living conditions, or
time, but remember that each one you select increases your AdCost by +1. societal prejudicebut they will have
strong survival instincts, iron will, and
3. Select Class (as adventurers) plenty of drive.
Those occupying the upper social tiers
Choose a class (or combination of classes) to represent your characters profession. The
will have had better opportunities
classes listed in Chimera Basic are generic, so you can use them in any setting or Tech Level. through money, connections, and
Choose any class Sperks at this time, with the provision that each Sperk selected increases authoritybut no guarantee of actually
your AdCost by +1. Note also that all Class Abilities start at AR +1. having exploited them to maximum ben-
efit (e.g., an ivy league student who re-
4. Update Abilities lies more on connections than grades to
get into law school).
You get 4 Improvement Points (IP) to spend on Abilities, Perks, Powers, and Mana, using the
guidelines provided for Character Advancement (pg. 9). Roll 1d8 to determine Social Station:
At the GMs option, you gain 1 additional IP by starting a class Ability at AR +0, reducing your 1. Fringe: Not only poor, but a social
outlier, pariah, or other untoucha-
Wound Limit by 1, or accepting a random Flaw (pg. 11; note that taking a Flaw this way does
ble (5% normal starting cash)
not grant an Advancement Roll bonus). 2. Low: Destitute and relies on alms,
welfare, or other benefits for in-
5. Purchase Equipment come (10% normal starting cash)
Characters begin with 1d6 x $100 for armour, weapons, and gear (pp. 1516), subject to GM 3. Low: Destitute and struggling to
approval (i.e., not all equipment is appropriate for all campaigns). make ends meet through unstable
sources of income (20% normal
The dollar sign ($) is a generic symbol for cash, indicating whatever unit of currency is starting cash)
dominant in the campaign setting (e.g., gold pieces, pounds, ducats, credits, etc.). 4. Middle: Barely comfortable, but
with stable work (40% normal start-
6. Update Character Stats ing cash)
5. Middle: Moderately comfortable
Record the following stats on your character sheet: with stable work (80% normal start-
Experience Level (Lvl): New characters start at 1st-level ing cash)
6. Middle: Comfortable with stable
Movement Rate (MR): Based on race (typically 121d6 for humans)
work and middling influence (100%
Wound Limit (WL): Racial base, plus the WL adjustment for your class(es) normal starting cash)
Defence (DF): Typically zero (0), adjusted by armour worn 7. Upper: Well-off with lucrative work
and notable influence (150% normal
Resistance (RS): AR bonus equal to experience level starting cash)
Initiative Modifier (IM): Typically zero (+0), adjusted by race and weapon size 8. Upper: Lavish lifestyle with inde-
pendent wealth and significant in-
Advancement Cost (AdCost): The sum of your race and class AdCost values fluence (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).

Chimera Basic 6
Race and Class Elf

Elves are graceful humanoids who prefer wilderness environments.
Both race and class are defined by a common set of characteristics:
They keep ancient secrets and have an affinity for things of beauty.
AdCost: Advancement Cost, or the Target Number to beat when mak- Their long life spans promote a passive outlook on life that most
ing an Advancement Roll (pg. 9); the higher the AdCost, the harder it non-elves find detached.
is to earn improvements for your character.
AdCost: 4 MR: 121d6 WL: 2 IM: +0
MR: Your characters base Movement Rate and Movement Die Perks: Comely, Infravision (4)
(determined by race, using the Monster Base Stats table (pg. 21)). Special Perks
WL: Your characters base Wound Limit (determined by race), indi- Aloof: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level
cating his ability to withstand damage; this is adjusted by class. Fey: Roll 1d8 for mana (pg. 13)
Abilities: Capabilities received as a result of character class; class Nature Ways: Improve ARs in the wilderness by level
Abilities start at AR +1.
Halfling
Perks: Special advantages received as a result of character race.
Halflings are small humanoids about half the size of an adult human.
Special Perks: Also known as Sperks, these are talents available They settle in open areas, far from noise and bustle, where they build
only to members of a particular race or class. Sperks are optional: You close-knit communities. Halflings are congenial and love lifes com-
may select some, all, or none, but your AdCost increases by +1 for each forts, and seem to have uncanny luck when the odds are stacked
Special Perk you choose. against them.
Character Races Perks: Lucky, Nimble
Race indicates a PCs species. Chimeras multi-genre scope allows for Special Perks
any race you can imagine. Below are some common RPG races; Fleet: Improve Parry vs. larger foes by level (melee only)
theyre completely stereotyped but should serve as a good starting Indiscernible: Improve Sneak rolls by level
point for your own customisation.
Human
Avian Humans are normal men, generally average in all aspects, but highly
Essentially any intelligent humanoid with wings (for extra flavour, adaptable.
make them feathered for goodly creatures, or bat-like for evil types). AdCost: 2 MR: 121d6 WL: 2 IM: +0
All avians can fly at a speed equal to twice their MR. Perks: none (see below)
AdCost: 4 MR: 121d6 WL: 1 IM: +0 To reflect human variants, the GM should create Perks and Special
Perks: Fly (x2 MR), Nimble Perks based on background, upbringing, environment, or social val-
Special Perks ues. Some examples include:
Eagle Eye: Improve Observe rolls by level when in flight Desert nomads: Proud and honourable people with deep reverence
Cat People for their gods. Their customs are intricate and their laws strict, with
much emphasis on station.
Bipedal felines with lightning-fast reflexes and the ability to pounce.
They are proud, cruel, and capricious. In combat, they eschew armour
Perks: Energetic, Etiquette
and missile weapons, but are excellent climbers and possess natural
Special Perks
claw attacks (2 claws at Fight AR; IM +1, Dmg 1d6).
Persuasive: Improve Diplomacy rolls when negotiating by level
Steppe nomads: Fiercely independent horsemen who subsist on
Perks: Imp. Infravision (8), Pounce, Quick Draw
hunting and animal husbandry; they can be galvanised into blood-
Special Perks
thirsty conquerors.
Agile: Improve Athletics rolls involving balance/dexterity by level
Nine Lives: Improve Resistance vs. Killer Blows by level AdCost: 4 MR: 121d6 WL: 2 IM: +1
Soft Landing: Reduce falling damage to 1d4 per 10 fallen Perks: Mounted Assault, Quick Draw
Special Perks
Dwarf Horse warrior: Use Fight/Shoot for mounted attacks (instead of
Dwarves are stocky humanoids who dwell underground. They are Animal Handling Ability)
familiar with stonework, smithing, and mining. They espouse person- Vikings: Sea-faring raiders prone to plunder. Viking culture is clan-
al honour, but they hoard wealth and mistrust outsiders. based with great importance placed on personal valour.
AdCost: 6 MR: 81d4 WL: 3 IM: +0 AdCost: 4 MR: 121d6 WL: 3 IM: +0
Perks: Healthy, Imp. Infravision (8) Perks: Tough
Special Perks Special Perks
Buttress: Double the DF of a single piece of armour Determined: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level
Deep Ways: Improve ARs underground by level

Chimera Basic 7
Character Classes Mentalist (Men)

People with heightened awareness or advanced brains who wield
Classes are bundles of Abilities that represent professions. You can
powers as psionic abilities.
use classes singly or in combination to create your characters voca-
tion in the campaign (see Custom Professions, pg. 8). AdCost: +3 WL: +1
Abilities: Observe, Wield
Animist (Anm) Special Perks
Those possessing great affinity for the natural world, able to draw Blank Stare: Improve Resistance vs. Enchantment by level
upon the essence of all things to produce powers. Mind Blank: Improve Resistance vs. Divination by level
Psionics: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
AdCost: +3 WL: +1
Abilities: Survival, Wield Occultist (Occ)
Special Perks
Those who study ancient lore to obtain the secrets of magic spells.
Essence: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
One with Nature: Increase mana by level while in the wilderness AdCost: +3 WL: +1
Abilities: Academics, Wield
Burglar (Brg) Special Perks
Individuals generally on the wrong side of the law, adept at breaking Magic Resistance: Improve Resistance vs. Powers by level
and entering, stealth, and thievery. Spells: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12)
AdCost: +6 WL: +2 Scholar (Sch)
Abilities: Chicanery, Observe, Sneak, Tinker
People with formal education possessing broad knowledge in diverse
Special Perks
fields and adept at research.
Backstab: Use Sneak to attack undetected (use foes Surprise TN;
melee only and cannot be used once engaged or if detected) AdCost: +3 WL: +1
Escape Artist: Improve ARs related to escaping confinement by Abilities: Academics, Observe
level Special Perks
Eidetic Memory: Improve recall-based ARs by level
Faithful (Fai) Flash of Genius: Academics rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Devout worshipers of a deity; they receive powers as divine miracles
in exchange for their faith.
Scout (Sct)
These folks are at home in the wilderness and used to picking their
AdCost: +3 WL: +1
way through harsh environments and hostile territory.
Abilities: Mettle, Wield
Special Perks AdCost: +5 WL: +2
Holy Roller: Increase attack ARs vs. the infidel by level Abilities: Observe, Sneak, Survival
Miracles: Access to 1 power school (pg. 12) Special Perks
Frontiersman: Survival rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Gearhead (Grh) Nature Ways: Improve ARs in the wilderness by level
Gearheads are adept at operating and repairing machines, gadgets,
computers, vehicles, and other technical devices.
Thug (Thg)
This profession is for street toughs and hired goons, prone to strong-
AdCost: +4 WL: +2
arm tactics and intimidation.
Abilities: Manoeuvre, Tinker
Overhaul: Use Tinker to reduce a hits severity by level; one Abilities: Athletics, Coerce, Street Smarts
attempt per hit each day (machines and vehicles only) Special Perks
City Ways: Improve ARs in urban environments by level
Medic (Med) Stare-down: Coerce rolls made with 2d20; take best result
Those with this profession are trained to administer medical atten-
tion in the field.
Veteran (Vet)
Anyone with formal combat training is a veteran: soldiers, mercenar-
AdCost: +5 WL: +2
ies, warriors, guardsmen, etc.
Abilities: Athletics, First Aid, Mettle
Bedside Manner: Increase patients natural healing rate by level Abilities: Athletics, Fight, Shoot
(pg. 19) Special Perks
Ditch Medicine: Use First Aid to reduce a wounds severity by Buttress: Double the DF of armour worn (melee only)
level; one attempt per wound each week Deadeye: Upgrade the damage of ranged weapons by 1 die
First Responder: Use First Aid to revive an unconscious or En Garde: Increase Parry by Fight AR (melee only)
stunned patient or to extend poison onset up to 1 turn/level 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 Character background is a tricky thingyou dont want to get too bogged down with specifics,
Chimera classes can be used as stand- but it does help to have a few details to explain where your PC comes from.
alone professions or combined to create
new professions particular to a given
The table below provides random conditionsboons and baggagethat represent extra
campaign. 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
When combining classes, add the Ad-
vancement Cost and Wound Limit ad- the current situation came about (some GM tweaking required).
justments of each. Abilities of each class DIE ROLL (2D12) RESULT
are considered class Abilities for purpos-
2 Roll twice on this table at 1 each roll, ignoring results of 2 or 24
es of advancement; if an Ability is com-
3 Extorted by underworld figure; could be for protection or to keep someone
mon to two or more combined classes, it
quiet about something the PC did (or is said to have done)
gains AR +1. The character has access to
4 Harassed by a rival who opposes the PC at every opportunity
Special Perks from all combined classes.
5 Blackmailed by the authorities to spy on another PC
Based on popular genres, here are some 6 Wanted by the authorities in connection with a crime (PC may or may not be guilty)
effective class combinations: 7 Exiled from local community for putting its citizens or leader(s) in danger
Fantasy 8 Not raised by natural parents (e.g., crazy uncle, kidnappers, gypsies, wolves)
9 Criminal record for past crime; debt to society has been paid, but the stigma
Cleric/Priest: Faithful + Scholar limits opportunities
Druid: Animist + Scout 10 Shunned within local community for real or perceived failing
Paladin: Faithful (w/Holy Roller) + 11 Charged with the care of a dependent relative (e.g., invalid, child, or insane)
Veteran (w/Buttress) 12 Saddled with a random Flaw (pg. 11; player needs to explain origin)
Ranger: Scout (w/Nature Ways) + 13 Character has an acute interest in (and talent for) some hobby (players choice)
Veteran (w/Enemy Mine) 14 Background justifies a free Perk (pg. 11; player needs to explain origin)
Rogue: Burglar + Veteran 15 Knows the location of rumoured cache (e.g., riches, technology, lost knowledge)
Wizard: Occultist + Scholar 16 Possesses a valuable family heirloom (weapon, armour, gear)
Modern or Historical 17 Beginners luck lets you automatically Resist a single Killer Blow (must be used
before attaining 2nd-level)
Big Game Hunter: Scout + Veteran 18 Popular; begins adventuring career with 1d4 loyal (non-classed) henchmen (pg. 20)
Corpsman: Medic (w/First Respond- 19 Recipient of mysterious inheritance; could be lands, a title, or a piece of
er) + Scout tangible property (e.g., a ship, trade goods, real estate)
Gangster: Burglar + Thug 20 Member of an exclusive club
Private Investigator: Scholar + Thug 21 Owed a favour from a powerful local figure (e.g., rich businessman, authority
(w/City Ways) figure, politician)
Professor: Scholar (w/Flash of Gen- 22 Has connections to an influential organisation
ius) 23 Has the favourable attentions of a powerful (but unidentified) patron
Recon Specialist: Burglar + Scout 24 Roll twice on this table at +1 each roll, ignoring results of 2 or 24
Reporter: Profession (journalist) Abil-
ity + Scholar Fleshing out the details of these items is a collaborative exercise for the player and the GM. In
Sniper: Scout + Veteran (w/Dead Eye) all cases, the results make for good adventure hooks (to be exploited at any juncture) or
Sci-fi or Apocalypse roleplaying opportunities, provided both the player and GM are willing to work toward
adding a little extra detail to the setting.
Bounty Hunter: Burglar + Thug
(w/Stare-down) Note also that results are arranged on a curve, with 13 being average. Results of 14 and up
Empath: Mentalist + Scholar are increasingly favourable, while results of 12 and below are generally bad.
Hacker: Profession (comp sci) Ability This makes the table modifier-friendly, so you can simulate
+ Scholar
Technocrat: Gearhead + Scholar
the positive or negative effects (like social
station, class, or racial type) by apply-
Some of these examples are composed of
ing modifiers to nudge characters in
classes and particular non-class Abilities.
You can create these by buying non-class one direction or another according
Abilities during Step #4 of Character to your setting. For example, a race
Generation. 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 spe-
cific campaign.

Chimera Basic 9
Character Advancement
At the end of every adventure, your character can make an Advancement Roll to see if he Creating New Races
improves: roll 1d20 and subtract your current experience level from the result. Determine a new races basic stats ac-
cording to its size (pg. 21), then apply
If the Advancement Roll is equal to or greater than your characters Advancement Cost Perks, Flaws, and Adaptations to reflect
(AdCost), you receive a number of Improvement Points (IP) equal to your current level (e.g., a inherent characteristics. Calculate the
3rd-level character gets 3 IP). Otherwise, you must complete another adventure before you races AdCost as follows:
can try again. +1 per Perk or Adaptation
The GM may grant bonuses to the Advancement Roll for completing mission goals, overcom- +2 per Improved Perk/Adaptation
ing specific adventure challenges, and defeating key opponents (pg. 31). +1 per WL adjustment
Improvement Points may be spent to: Special Perks require some thought (and
GM approval). Try to come up with ad-
Level Up: Increase your experience level by one and apply a +1 bonus to one of the following: vantages logical for the race, but not
any class Ability, Movement Rate (MR), Wound Limit (WL), Defence (DF), or Initiative necessarily required or shared by every
Modifier (IM). [IP cost equal to current level] member of the race.
Improve a class Ability: Gain Ability bonus of AR +1. [1 IP] When determining a Sperks benefit, re-
member that most are tied to the
Acquire a non-class Ability: Gain new Ability at AR +0. [1 IP] characters level (e.g., usable once per
Improve a non-class Ability: Gain Ability bonus of AR +1; you can improve each of your level each day, providing a die roll bonus
non-class Abilities only once per experience level. [1 IP] equal to level, etc.).
Acquire a new Perk: Gain the basic version of a Perk. [1 IP] Dont be afraid to be creativea Sperks
power is balanced by the fact that
Improve an existing Perk: Gain the Improved version of an existing Perk. [2 IP] theyre available only to a specific race
Acquire a new Special Perk: Gain a Special Perk from your race or class. [IP cost equal to or class, and not even all members at that.
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, Creating New Classes
Spells, et al.). [IP cost equal to powers Target Number]
You can create new classes by assem-
Acquire Mana: Gain 1d6 Mana points. [1 IP] bling appropriate Abilities and coming
Acquire a new Class: Gain access to the new class Abilities and Sperks (Abilities already up with new Special Perks. Calculate Ad-
possessed gain a bonus of AR +1). You must also add the new class AdCost to your existing vancement Cost as follows:
Advancement Cost figure. [IP cost equal to current level] +1 per Ability
+1 per WL adjustment
Overcome a Flaw: Remove an existing Flaw; at the GMs discretion (and depending on the Flaw
Special Perks are handled the same way
affected), this may require constant effort (q.v., Overcoming Flaws, pg. 11). [2 IP]
as for races: theyre optional, and each
one chosen increases the characters Ad-
Training (optional) Cost by +1.
To simulate the effort required for character improvement, the GM might require training as Remember that a class Sperk is available
a component of advancement. In campaign terms, this represents tutelage, instruction, and only to members of that class, so if oth-
practice in whatevers being improved (e.g., practicing under a weapon masters guidance to ers could reasonably have access to it,
improve the Fight Ability, serving as a sorcerers apprentice to acquire a magic spell, or taking you should consider representing the
a course at the community college to improve Academics). class via a combined profession (pg. 8)
instead of a stand-alone.
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.

Chimera Basic 10
Abilities
Untrained Actions
Your character may attempt any Ability, Chimera Abilities broadly represent various things your character can do during an adven-
but if hes not trained (i.e., he doesnt ture. Theyre somewhat open-ended (i.e., purposely vague) so players and GMs can customise
have it), the attempt suffers a penalty of the specifics of each to suit their playing style and setting.
AR 4. When youre uncertain about which Ability to use in a given situation, rely on common sense
This means that theres always a chance and group consensus (subject to GM approval). As a rule of thumb, the clever application of
for a character to pull things off, even if an Ability should be rewarded with at least a chance of success, especially if its reasonably
its by accident. plausible and keeps play moving.
Ability Descriptions
Abilities are listed below; the numbers are provided to allow random determination by the
GM when desired.
Critical Results
1. Academics: Book smarts, recall, and logical deduction; this Ability represents broad and
An Action Roll resulting in a natural 4, unspecified knowledge accumulated through education and formal study. At the GMs
8, 12, 16, or 20 is a Critical Success or a
Critical Failure, depending on whether
discretion, your character knows 1 foreign language for every 2 points of AR bonus.
the attempt succeeds or fails. 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
Guidelines for interpreting a Critical re-
sults are noted on page 2. 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
Specialisation friends with; reactions are based on your Action Roll result: CF (resistant), NF (neutral),
Your character may specialise in a spe- NS (friendly), and CS (helpful).
cific aspect of an Ability. For example, 7. Fight: Attack with hand-to-hand (melee) weapons; a successful hit lets you roll for dam-
you could specialise Fight or Shoot with age against your target (two damage dice on a Critical Success). A Critical Failure causes a
a particular weapon type, Academics fumble, which translates to a 1 penalty to your Initiative Modifier next combat turn.
with a particular field of study, Athletics 8. First Aid: Reduce a patients Wound Penalty (1 point per level per hour, or any combina-
with a particular activity, etc. All special- tion thereof) or negate 1 point of Fatigue per level (effects doubled with a Critical Success).
isations are subject to GM approval.
9. Manoeuvre: Operate vehicles and execute special manoeuvres; use this Ability to make
Specialising is just like improving an attacks while driving or piloting a vehicle.
Ability (pg. 9), except that you apply a 10. Mettle: Tenacity, drive, determination, and intestinal fortitude; can be used to resist fear
bonus of AR +2 in the specialised area.
This is independent of the Abilitys normal
or the influence of others.
ARthere is no stacking. Each subse- 11. Observe: Spot details, detect abnormalities, and notice peculiarities in your immediate
quent improvement to a specialisation environment or about a person you encounter.
costs 1 IP and provides AR +2. 12. Perform: Sing, act, dance, recite, or play an instrument to entertain crowds; Perform is
The AR bonus for specialisation applies also used to disguise oneself or otherwise pretend to be a different person.
only to the aspect chosen. When using 13. Profession: Livable trade not covered by a more specific Ability. A professionals skill is
the Ability in other situations, apply the suggested by his AR bonus: Apprentice (up to AR +2), Journeyman (AR +3 or more), Master
normal AR bonus. (AR +8 or more). Naturally, titles vary with the setting.
It takes dedication and effort to maintain 14. Shoot: Attack with ranged (missile) weapons; a successful hit lets you roll for damage
a specialisation. If your specialisation AR against your target (two damage dice on a Critical Success). A Critical Failure requires an
ever falls below your normal Ability immediate Ammo Check (pg. 15) or means that your gun jams (Shoot roll to clear).
AR, you lose the specialisation. 15. Sneak: Hide while stationary or creep undetected (MR Movement Die; no movement
Example: Klar the Barbarian is a Veteran possible if creeping MR is 0 or less).
with Fight +1. 16. Spelunking: Subterranean survival skills, including direction sense, determination of
He spends 1 IP to specialise in Fight (axe), so depth, slope detection, identification of formations and special underground hazards.
while his normal Fight Ability is AR +1, he 17. Street Smarts: Urban survival skills, including resource location, bluff, savvy, haggling,
swings an axe at AR +2. blending in, avoiding scams, gambling, and familiarity with local laws, customs, and
After some adventures, he gains 2 Improve- landmarks.
ment Points. Klar spends 1 IP on Fight and the 18. Survival: Wilderness and outdoor skills, including hunting, tracking, foraging, identifica-
other IP on Fight (axe). As a result, he now
has Fight +2 and Fight (axe) +4.
tion 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
He could have spent his 2 IP for Fight +3, but
Performance Penalty by 1 for 1 hour per level (AR 2 if older tech; AR 4 if newer).
then his normal Fight AR would have been
greater than his AR with the axe, and hed 20. Wield: Use of known powers and certain powered items, knowledge of supernatural lore,
lose his specialisation. identification of supernatural beings, artefacts, and effects.

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

Chimera Basic 12
Powers
Power-wielding Sperks
Classes that wield powers do so via a Powers represent supernatural or pseudoscientific forcesspells, miracles, voodoo, psionics,
certain Sperk (e.g., Essence, Miracles, etc. Chimera powers are defined loosely, which allows you to separate cause from effect and
Spells, et al.). A separate instance of gives the GM freedom to include powers in any campaign, using whatever logic is most
the Sperk must be acquired for each appropriate for that setting.
school accessed. For example, a shock can come from a sorcerers scroll, a saints holy symbol, an empaths
Each time this Sperk is acquired, the mental blast, or even an alien artefactregardless, its the shock power in all respects. While
character chooses the school it repre- it may be brought about or appear in different ways, the effects of the power are unchanged.
sents. He automatically gains one ran-
domly chosen power from the school
selected, and may acquire other powers Using Powers
from that school as part of character
Each power has its own Target Number, which represents how difficult it is to use. To use a
advancement (pg. 9).
power, make Wield roll against the powers TN, with these suggested results:
As with other Sperks, every time the
character gets access to a new power Critical Failure: Power fizzles; wielder must Resist Fatigue against powers TN (pg. 17)
school, his AdCost increases by +1. 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
Power Schools Critical Success: Power succeeds; target Resistance Roll penalised by Wielders level
Each power belongs to a school, or disci-
pline, of related effects:
Resisting Powers
Abjuration (Abj): Powers that create pro- An unwilling target of any power may attempt a Resistance Roll (pg. 17) against the powers
tective barriers Target Number. Each powers description notes which Ability (if any) may be used to stack
Alteration (Alt): Powers that affect the onto the Resistance Roll. A successful Resistance Roll reduces the powers effects by half; a
characteristics of inanimate objects 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 manipu-
late time, space, and physical environ- What follows are capsule descriptions for common powers; the numbers are provided to allow
ments random determination by the GM when desired.
Divination (Div): Powers that impart
knowledge
Abjuration
Enchantment (Enc): Powers that affect 1. Counter (Abj; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
the characteristics of living things Negate all operating powers within a medium blast template (permanent duration on
Evocation (Evo): Powers that channel Critical Success); the Wield roll is penalised by the level of the countered powers wielder.
raw energy into a controlled force 2. Paralyse (Abj; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Athletics)
Illusion (Ill): Powers that deceive the
Freeze a single target in place; target is aware of surroundings while paralysed.
senses 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.
Summoning (Sum): Powers that bring
forth living things 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)
Power Descriptions Create a solid barrier from the current ground cover up to 1x 1 per level. The wall forms
Each power is noted with the following in any shape or direction, but cannot be moved once placed; each 1 section provides a
details: Cover bonus (pg. 18) based on its composition: Earth (Cover +2/lvl); Fire (Cover +0, 1d6
School: A 3-letter code indicating the points of damage if touched or crossed), Ice (Cover +1/lvl); Stone (Cover +4/lvl); Thorns
powers school (see above) (Cover +0, 1 point of damage per level if entered or crossed). Each wall section has a WL
TN: The Target Number needed to Wield and DF equal to the wielders level and may be destroyed by physical means.
the power successfully 6. Ward (Abj; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Special; RS Athletics)
Rng: The range at which the power is
Create a protective mark on an object, portal, or container that triggers upon unauthor-
effective, in scale inches ised 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
Dur: The powers duration, or how long
its effect lasts 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
RS: Ability used to Resist the power
equal to wielders level). A ward fades when triggered, but may be made permanent; a
Unless otherwise noted, lvl refers to ward may be bypassed with a password chosen by the wielder.
the wielders experience level.

Chimera Basic 13
Alteration
1. Control Unliving (Alt; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Mettle) Mana
Compel a single undead or constructed target to do your bidding; 1 order/level.
Mana is supernatural energy that im-
2. Create Unliving (Alt; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS n/a) proves your Wield Ability. Each Mana
Transform bodily remains into undead (e.g., skeleton or zombie) or a manufactured point spent grants AR +1 to any Wield roll.
construct; Wield rolls are penalised by the level of the undead or construct created. You must decide how much Mana to
3. Permanency (Alt; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS n/a) spend before making the Wield roll. Mana
Give a currently operating power unlimited duration; the Wield Target Number equals is lost regardless of the rolls outcome,
the TN of the power being made permanent. but recharges at the rate of 1 point per
4. Silence (Alt; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Sneak) hour. Mana does not affect any other
Contain all sound within a small blast template; can move with wielder at TN 16. aspect of the power.
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) Power Wielding Example
Change weather within a large blast template; Moderate or Severe weather (pg. 26) may Brother Pirol the Pious wants to use remove
be created at TN 16 or TN 20, respectively. Weather changes inconsistent with the local curse on his friend Edric the Unlucky, who
environment halve the powers duration (e.g., snow in a tropical desert). was cursed by a 2nd-level Occultist.
2. Produce (Con; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Special; RS n/a) Pirol has Wield +1, remove curse is TN 8, but
Create an inanimate object no bigger than Enc 1/level; lasts 1 minute/level (if rare or the curse was created by a 2nd-level Occult-
ist. These combine to a Wield modifier of 1
valuable), 1 hour/level (if inorganic), or 1 day/level (if organic or edible). (+1 for Pirols Wield and 2 for the curses
3. Sustenance (Con; TN 8; Rng Self; Dur Special; RS n/a) source).
Create a days worth of food and water for 1 medium-sized creature per level. To improve his chances, Pirol spends 3 Mana
4. Twin (Con; TN 20; Rng Touch; Dur Permanent; RS Mettle) points, raising his Wield AR to +2. Against a
Create a precise replica of a target creature, but at half the originals level. The twin is an TN 8, Pirol needs to roll 6 or better on the
automaton under the control its progenitor and cannot gain experience or memories, but Action Roll.
if the original is destroyed, the twin becomes an independent replacement, capable of
advancement.
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 environ-
ments (e.g., underwater, gas-filled chamber, vacuum, etc.); duration may be divided evenly
amongst multiple targets. Power Modulation
2. Slow (Cos; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Athletics) Aspects of a power can be modulated, or
Halve a targets base Movement Rate and number of full actions per round, and impose an changed in intensity. To modulate a
Initiative penalty equal to the wielders level. power, apply the following AR modifiers
3. Speed (Cos; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Sneak) to the Wield roll:
Double a targets base Movement Rate and number of full actions per round, and grant an Range
Initiative bonus equal to the wielders level. Per additional 1: AR 1
4. Suspension (Cos; TN 20; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Athletics)
Duration
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 Duration x2: AR 2
require air. A suspended target may be slain with one blow or bound as a full action. Duration x4: AR 4
5. Teleport (Cos; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS Wield) Effect
Transport 1 individual per level to another location: Destination within sight (TN 8); Per additional target: AR 1
destination out of sight but familiar (TN 12); destination out of sight but unfamiliar (TN Use smaller blast template: AR +1
16); destination off-world (TN 20); destination in different dimension or plane (TN 24). Use larger blast template: AR 2
Multiple targets must be in physical contact. Damage
6. Timewarp (Cos; TN 20; Rng Self; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a) Damage (upgrade Damage die by 1
Stops time, granting the wielder 1 full action per round; while timewarp is in effect, step (e.g., 1d6 to 1d8)): AR 1
wielder acts as if under the effects of free action and all surrounding beings are effectively Damage (+1 die): AR 2
suspended. Damage (+ level): AR 4
All modulation modifiers are cumulative.

Chimera Basic 14
Divination 5. Shock (Evo; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Athletics)

Launch a force that unerringly strikes a target for 1d4 points of
1. Commune (Div; TN 20; Rng Self; Dur Special; RS n/a) damage (normal DF applies). For each level, the wielder can in-
Ask one yes or no question per level and get a correct answer crease damage by +1 or shock a new/separate target (e.g., at
from a supernatural authority known to the wielder (deity, spirit, 3rd-level, 3 shocks (Dmg 1d4 each) or 1 shock (Dmg 1d4+3).
demon, etc.). If the Wield roll is a Critical Success, one open- 6. Telekinesis (Evo; TN 16; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Fight)
ended question may be asked. Remotely move or control an object (up to 1 Tiny creature or
2. Detect (Div; TN var.; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Street Smarts) Encumbrance 1 per level). Remote weapons attack via the Wield
Check for a particular characteristic of persons or things within a Ability. Objects may be hurled 1 per level for falling damage.
small blast template: affected by a power (TN 12), determine
alignment (TN 16), discern a lie (TN 12), or check for traps (TN 8). Illusion
3. ESP (Div; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1rd/lvl; RS Academics)
Read a single targets thoughts. 1. Charm (Ill; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Convince a single target that you are its trusted friend.
4. Locate (Div; TN 8; Rng Self; Dur Instant; RS n/a)
2. Illusion (Ill; TN 12; Rng 2/level; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Observe)
Determine the direction and distance of a sought-after person,
Create a phantasm of a person, terrain feature, creature, or thing;
place, or thing.
add sound, smell, animation, or programmed interaction (1
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 condition/level) at TN 16.
3. Invisibility (Ill; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Observe)
(include audio at TN 16).
Hide 1 target from sight; mask sound or smell at TN 16; invisibility
6. Translate (Div; TN 8; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
grants an AR bonus to Sneak attempts equal to the wielders level,
Allows the wielder to read and write any language; fluent speech
while attacks against invisible targets are made at AR 4 (AR 8 if
and comprehension at TN 12.
sound or scent is also masked).
Enchantment 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
1. Bonus (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a) medium blast template (AR 4 to attack those thus protected).
Improve one Abilitys AR bonus by targets level.
2. Control (Enc; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Mettle) Summoning
Compel a single target to do your bidding; 1 order/level, though
1. Banish (Sum; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Mettle)
the target ignores self-destructive orders.
Force summoned creatures to return to their place of origin. The
3. Curse (Enc; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Wield)
Inflict a random Flaw upon a single target; wielder may choose wielder can banish up to his level in summoned creatures; any
remaining levels penalise the Wield roll.
the Flaw at TN 16.
4. Enhance (Enc; TN 12; Rng Touch; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a) 2. Familiar (Sum; TN 16; Rng Self; Dur Permanent; RS n/a)
Summon an animal companion from local environment; the
Double the effect of an existing Perk.
familiars level equals the wielders, but it does not advance.
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. Familiars establish a telepathic bond with the wielder (Rng
10/level) and follow directives to the best of their ability. The
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 familiars Wound Penalty is felt by the wielder as Fatigue.
3. Possession (Sum; TN 20; Rng 4/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Success).
Inhabit and control a targets body; your own body is suspended
7. Petrify (Enc; TN 16; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Permanent; RS Athletics)
Turn a single target (and all items worn or carried) to stone. during the possession and receives your being when the power
ends or the hosts body is destroyed. If your body is destroyed,
8. Sleep (Enc; TN 12; Rng 2/lvl; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS Mettle)
Induce slumber in targets within a small blast template; sleepers you become incorporeal until you can re-possess a host or your
body is restored.
may be slain with one blow or bound as a full action.
4. Servant (Sum; TN 12; Rng Self; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a)
Evocation Bring forth an obedient (but non-combative) Medium-sized serv-
ant to carry out mundane tasks; the servant has MR 8 + wielders
1. Blast (Evo; TN 16; Rng 2/lvl; Dur Instant; RS Athletics) level and possesses 1 Improvement Point per level for the GM to
Hit all targets within a small blast template for 1d6 damage spend on Abilities. At the GMs option, the servant may be capable
(normal DF applies). of fighting if the Wield roll is a Critical Success.
2. Entangle (Evo; TN 12; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS Athletics) 5. Simulacra (Sum; TN 16; Rng 1/lvl; Dur 1 rd/lvl; RS n/a)
Create a snare covering a medium blast template; those within Creates 1 duplicate of a target per wielders level; duplicates
suffer a penalty to MR and physical Action Rolls equal to the mimic the originals appearance, actions, and movement in real-
wielders level (Athletics roll vs. TN 12 required to break free). time. Duplicates can make physical attacks, but they possess WL
3. Light (Evo; TN 8; Rng 1; Dur 1 tn/lvl; RS n/a) 0 and are destroyed if hit.
Illuminate a small blast template around the target; light moves 6. Summon (Sum; TN var.; Rng 1/lvl; Dur Special; RS Mettle)
with target at TN 12. Call forth creatures to perform 1 task/level (number appearing as
4. Restoration (Evo; TN var.; Rng Touch; Dur Instant; RS n/a) per monsters description), based on creatures frequency: Com-
Remove an adverse condition suffered by a target: paralysis (TN mon (TN 8); Uncommon (TN 12); Rare (TN 16); Very Rare (TN 20);
8), poison or disease (TN 12), suspension or petrifaction (TN 16), Unique (TN 24). Summoned creatures vanish when slain or their
energy drain (TN 20), or death (i.e., resurrection; TN 24). tasks are complete.

Chimera Basic 15
Equipment
Cash
Weapons, armour, and gear are the tools of adventureyour character will need them. Prices are noted in dollars, though the
$ symbol merely represents the domi-
Weapons nant currency in the GMs setting (where
it should be referred by its proper name:
The table below contains generic weapon stats. pound, gold piece, silver penny, imperial
credit, ducat, etc.).
WEAPON TL ABILITY SIZE PARRY DAMAGE* RNG** ROF ENC COST
Axe, battle 2 Fight Medium 1d6 1 1 $10 Actual prices are highly variable. The
Axe, hand 2 Fight Small 1d4 (2) $10 figures here should be used as guidelines
Bow, composite 2 Shoot Medium 1d6 8 1 $120 to represent the relative cost of items, as
Bow, long 3 Shoot Medium 1d6 16 1 1 $80 opposed to what the purchasing market
Bow, short 1 Shoot Medium 1d4 4 1 $40 will actually bear.
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
Weapon Sizes
Mace 2 Fight Medium 1d6 1 1 $20 A weapons size dictates how fast it can
Machine gun, heavy 7 Shoot Fixed 1d4 8 6 4 $1,125 be brought to bear during a fight:
Machine gun, light 7 Shoot Large 1d4 8 4 2 $600 Small (S): Wielded in 1 hand, +1 to initia-
Pistol, blaster 9 Shoot Medium 1d6 4 1 $80 tive rolls; may be concealed with a
Pistol, flintlock 5 Shoot Medium 1d6 2 1 $40 successful Chicanery roll
Pistol, revolver 6 Shoot Medium 1d6 2 1 $40
Medium (M): Wielded in 1 hand, no initi-
Pistol, semi-auto 7 Shoot Small 1d6 2 1 $35
ative modifier
Quarterstaff 1 Fight Large +2 1d6 2 1 2 $100
Rifle, anti-materiel 8 Shoot Fixed 1d6 32 1 2 $2,500 Large (L): Wielded in 2 hands, 1 to initi-
Rifle, automatic 8 Shoot Large 1d4 4 2 1 $400 ative rolls; at the GMs option, only
Rifle, blaster 9 Shoot Large 1d6 8 1 1 $600 Veterans may use Large hand-to-hand
Rifle, bolt-action 7 Shoot Large 1d4 16 1 1 $400 weapons
Rifle, breech-loader 6 Shoot Large 1d6 8 1 2 $300 Fixed (F): Wielded from a fixed position
Rifle, flintlock 5 Shoot Large 1d6 4 2 $150 but portable; takes a full action to set
RPG 8 Shoot Fixed 1d8/M 16 1 2 $3,200 up for firing after moving and 2 to
Shotgun 7 Shoot Large 1d6 2 1 1 $200 initiative rolls
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 Ranged Modifiers
Sword, great 3 Fight Large 1d8 2 2 $200 Shoot rolls at targets within a missile
Sword, short 2 Fight Small 1d4 1 $10 weapons effective range are made at
* S, M, L indicates a blast attack using a template of the size indicated (Small, Medium, or Large) AR +0. Longer shots are possible, but its
**Ranges in parenthesis are thrown, using the Shoot Ability; melee range is 1 harder to be accurate at range.
Increase damage die by one step when used 2-handed (e.g., 1d6 becomes 1d8)
Divide the distance to the target by the
Capable of Rapid Fire (pg. 19)
weapons effective range; the result is
the AR penalty applied to the Shoot roll
Armour (drop fractions).
Any protective device worn to deflect or absorb damage from physical attacks.
ARMOUR TL BULK DF BONUS ENC COST NOTES Ammunition
Brigandine 3 Light +1 $200 Instead of tracking individual rounds,
Ballistic vest 8 Medium +2 1 $400 Chimera tallies ammo in loads.
Ballistic vest 9 Medium +2 $800
Ceramic armour 9 Heavy +4 1 $3,200 A single load of ammo costs one-tenth of
Combat fatigues 7 Light +1 $200 the weapon firing it. Encumbrance per
Cover, heavy Heavy (+4) Provides a Cover bonus load is based on weapon size:
Cover, light Light (+1) Provides a Cover bonus Small: Enc 1 per 8 loads
Cover, medium Medium (+2) Provides a Cover bonus Medium: Enc 1 per 4 loads
Furs, thick 1 Medium +2 2 $200 Large: Enc 1 per 2 loads
Hide 1 Light +1 2 $50 Fixed: Enc 1 per load
Leather 2 Light +1 1 $100 After a fight, any character who fired a
Mail 2 Medium +2 2 $200 shot must make an Ammo Check (i.e., a
Mail, light 3 Medium +2 1 $400 Shoot roll against TN 12). If the Ammo
Plate 3 Heavy +4 4 $400 Check fails, a loads been expended and
Shield, medium 3 Medium (+2) 1 $100 Provides a Parry bonus his total is reduced by 1; zero loads
Shield , small 2 Light (+1) $50 Provides a Parry bonus means that hes out of ammo.

Chimera Basic 16
Gear
Gear Durability Gear is a general term for tools and supplies designed to perform a specific task. In Chimera,
Each gear pack has 712 (1d6+6) uses gear is bundled into gear packs, collections of related (but unspecified) tools. For example,
when its used up, youve worn out or Burglars tools include any gear related or useful to burglary: wire snips, lock picks, cord, glass
consumed all the items it contained. But cutter, and whatever else makes sense to include in the setting.
some gear is more durable than others,
and its possible for a character to hus- While a gear packs contents arent specifically identified, assume that it contains whatever is
band his supplies carefully. needed to support its purpose. In other words, if you have a pack related to the task at hand,
Every time you use the gear pack, you you have the equipment you need.
must make a Gear Check (i.e., an Observe Naturally, some items vary by Tech Level, though their general purpose is consistent.
roll against TN 12). If the Gear Check
fails, the pack is depleted by one use; GEAR ENC COST ABILITY* POSSIBLE CONTENTS
when a pack is empty, it must be re- Academia 2 $200 Academics Books, database or Internet access, library card
placed. 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
Encumbrance Gun kit 1 $50 n/a Cleaning kit, ammo mould, oil
Encumbrance (Enc) represents the bulk Holy kit 1 $200 Miracles Holy symbol, holy water, lectionary, prayer candles
and weight of your characters gear, Medical kit 1 $100 First Aid Bandages, ointments, antiseptic, syringes, snake bite kit
which affects his actual Movement Rate. Mountaineering pack 2 $200 Survival Carabineers, hammer, pitons, rope, survival tent
Scribes desk 1 $100 Academics Ink, paper, quills/pens, wax, official seal(s)
Subtract the Encumbrance of all equip- Spellbook 1 $200 Spells Parchment, quills, rare inks, scrolls, scroll tubes
ment from your characters base MR; the Spelunking pack 1 $200 Survival Hammer, iron spikes, torches, lantern, rope, oil
difference is his adjusted MR. Survival pack 1 $100 Survival Backpack, bedding, flint & tinder, fishing tackle, saw
For example, a character with MR Toolbox 2 $200 Tinker Diagnostic gear, repair tools, spare parts
121d6 wearing hide armour (Enc 2) * This is the Ability that may suffer a penalty if the gear is missing, lost, or damaged (see below)
and carrying a broad sword (Enc 1) has a Example items based on Tech Level; not meant to be an exhaustive list
total Encumbrance of 3 for an adjusted Possibly required for weapon or armour repair in the field
MR of 91d6.
Equipment Quality
Equipment quality affects its performance and results from superior craftsmanship or the use
of high-tech materials and manufacturing. You can designate an item of quality with a
number of points, each of which can impart one of the following improvements:
Reduce Encumbrance by 1 (minimum Enc 0)
Improve armour DF bonus by +1
Container Capacity Upgrade a weapons attack AR or damage by +1
Determine the Encumbrance of many Improve a missile weapons effective range by +1
small items (coins, gems, hairpins, grains Improve gear Durability or AR modifier when used by +1
of wheat) by the size of their container:
Each quality point cumulatively doubles the equipments cost.
CONTAINER ENC* CAPACITY
Belt pouch, small 0 50
You can use the same scale for poor quality equipment by reversing the benefits (e.g., increase
Belt pouch, medium 0 100 Encumbrance by +1, reduce armour DF bonus by 1, etc.). Each reduction in quality cumula-
Backpack, rucksack 1 400 tively halves the items cost (though the minimum value of any piece of equipment should be
Backpack, frame 2 800 its Tech Level in dollars ($)).
Chest, small 2 800
Chest, medium 3 1,200
Chest, large 4 1,600 Equipment Damage and Loss
Sack, small 0 200
Sack, large 1 400 If a characters equipment is depleted or lost, certain Abilities may be harder to execute,
Strongbox, small 0 200 penalising related Action Rolls by a minimum of 4.
Strongbox, large 1 400
* Encumbrance when full However, if the characters player can come up with a clever way to use the limited supplies
In coins (assume each is the size of an Amer- available on-hand (though jury-rigging or by using improvised tools, for example), the AR
ican dollar coin)
adjustment may be as low as 2 or 1 (or perhaps negated completely).
Youll note an Capacity to Encumbrance
ratio of about 400-to-1. Thus, carrying a
In all cases, any well-thought or clever solution to a given challenge should be considered. As
medium belt pouch (Capacity 100) is En- a rule of thumb, if a player comes up with a plausible plan, he should be rewarded for his
cumbrance 0; carrying 4 full medium ingenuity with at least a chance of success (however remote that may be).
pouches would be Encumbrance 1.

Chimera Basic 17
Adventuring
Material Strengths
Adventures are where the action is, what the characters do in the setting, and why players When attempting to break an object, use
play the game. The guidelines here handle all the action of adventuring. the following Target Numbers for the
Athletics roll:
Adventuring Hazards OBJECTS CONDITION
Adventuring is rife with special hazards. Often, these hazards confront a character without OR COMPOSITION IS BASE TN
Decrepit TN 8 + Enc
warning, though he can weather the effects with a Resistance Roll (pg. 3). When Resisting a Worn TN 12 + Enc
hazard, add your AR modifier in the appropriate Ability to the Resistance Roll. Solid TN 16 + Enc
Sturdy TN 20 + Enc
Unless otherwise noted, a successful Resistance Roll cuts a hazards effect in half (round Unbreakable TN 24 + Enc
fractions down), while a Critical Success negates the effect completely.
Note that the objects Encumbrance is
Burns (Athletics): Any substance that damages tissue on contact (e.g., acid, electricity, fire, added to the Target Number. When En-
frost). Burns are noted by intensity and effect. For example, Acid (RR: TN 16, Dmg 1d8) cumbrance is unknown, consult the fol-
means Resistance Rolls vs. acid are against TN 16, and that failure causes 1d8 points of lowing as a guideline:
damage. When a damage roll is the maximum value for the die (e.g., 8 on a d8), any
OBJECTS SIZE SUGGESTED
exposed equipment must make a Gear Check (pg. 16). If the check fails, the item loses 1 (RELATIVE TO MAN-SIZED) ENC
point of quality (pg. 16). If the Gear Check is a Critical Failure, the item is destroyed. Diminutive (x <) Enc 0
Tiny (x ) Enc 1
Disease (First Aid): Any microbe, virus, or bacterium that makes your character sick is a Small (x) Enc 2
disease. Diseases are noted by virulence and effect. For example, Influenza (RR: TN 16, Medium (x1) Enc 4
Fatigue 2) means Resistance Rolls vs. influenza are against TN 16, and that failure imposes Large (x2) Enc 8
Giant (x4) Enc 16
a Fatigue Penalty of 2. A Critical Failure on the Resistance Roll doubles the effect. Each Huge (x8) Enc 32
week the character is sick requires another Resistance Roll against the original TN, with Colossal (x16+) Enc 64
cumulative effects as above; if the effect is completely removed, the character is cured.
Relative sizes are not exact and are in-
Falling (Athletics): Your character suffers Dmg 1d6 for every 1 fallen or thrown (a softened tended only to provide a fast and worka-
impact reduces this to Dmg 1d4/1). The Target Number is 12 and normal DF applies. ble value during game play.
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 cumula-
tive 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.
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.

Chimera Basic 18
Combat
Combat Actions Chimera combat can be short and deadlythose who rush unto the breach may not live long
Full Actions: Consume an entire 10-sec- enough to regret it. That said, when your PC gets in a fight, heres how to handle it.
ond round and include any Action Roll
(except a Resistance Roll), readying an Surprise
item, and running or creeping (i.e., MR
your Movement Die). 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
Free Actions: Take no time and include
shouting orders, dropping an item, may apply a bonus of AR +2 to whatever action you perform on the first round of the fight (at
making a Resistance Roll, and walking the GMs discretion, you may apply both benefits if the Sneak roll is a Critical Success).
no more than your MR (i.e., MR without
applying your Movement Die). Initiative
You can perform any number of free When a fight starts, time switches to 10-second rounds. At the start of each round, every
actions each round, but only 1 full action combatant chooses his action and rolls 1d12 for Initiative (adjust the roll by the chosen
is permitted. 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
Attack Target Numbers round and combatants roll again for Initiative to repeat the process.
The base Target Number to hit a defender
is his adjusted Movement Rate. Attacking
In this case, adjusted MR means the base Attacks are made with a Fight or Shoot roll against a Target Number equal to your foes
MR modified by Encumbrance, terrain,
adjusted Movement Rate (see Attack Target Numbers, at left). If the attack succeeds, the defend-
Wound Penalty, and the effects of slow
or haste powers. Use this value even er is hit, and the attacker rolls the weapons damage die (2 dice if the attack is a Critical Success).
when the target is running or creeping.
Parrying & Cover (optional)
Parrying uses a shield or melee weapon to block or deflect blows; any parry bonus (pg. 15) is
Combat Positions added to the attackers Target Number.
Its assumed that youre standing while Cover is any material barrier that reduces a defenders exposure to attack; cover bonuses (pg.
fighting, but you can also:
15) are also added to the attackers Target Number, based on target exposure:
Crouch: Low profile movement; this is a
full action at your creeping MR, but Light: Covers of the target (+1 cover bonus)
you gain +1 cover bonus vs. Shoot and Medium: Covers of the target (+2 cover bonus)
Blast attacks. Heavy: Covers of the target (+4 cover bonus)
Prone: You can lie flat as a free action Add the Cover bonus (and shield bonus, at the GMs option) to your Resistance Roll vs. blast
and gain a +2 cover bonus vs. Shoot attacks (pg. 19; double the bonus for thick, strong, or reinforced barriers).
and Blast attacks. While prone, you
may move at your creeping MR or Parry and Cover are optional; if you dont want to use them, apply any Parry or Cover bonus
Shoot. Getting up is a free action, but noted in the rules to the combatants Defence (DF).
costs your Encumbrance in MR.
Damage
Vanquishing Foes 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
After overcoming a foe, a victorious at-
imposes a cumulative Wound Penalty (WP) of 1 to all rolls and Movement Rate.
tacker decides his opponents fate:
Capture: Foe is bound, trussed, or other- If the total number of wounds, or the severity of a single wound, exceeds the defenders Wound
wise restrained; impose a penalty of 4 Limit, hes vanquished, and the attacker chooses his fate (see Vanquishing Foes, at left).
to all rolls and MR while bound. Classed characters (PC or NPC) may Resist a Killer Blow against TN 12. Success indicates that
Driven Off: Foe is sent packing and flees hes Unconscious but suffers a permanent injury in the form of a random Flaw (pg. 11).
the scene; he will not return before a
number of turns equal to the Morale
attackers level.
When a combatants Wound Penalty is half his WL, his leader falls, or his allies suffer more
Killer Blow: Foe is killed, dead, gone to than 50% casualties, he must make a Resistance Roll against his Morale TN to stay in the fight.
meet his maker; he has become an ex-
Failure means surrender or retreat. Player characters do not need to check morale.
foe. Dead foes are usually gone for
good, but may be restored if the cam-
paign allows it. Ending Combat
Unconscious: Foe is knocked out for 1d6 Combat ends when one side no longer poses a threat to the other. After a fight, combatants
turns. Upon revival, the foes wounds must spend 1 full turn (10 minutes) checking the wounded, tending injuries, and otherwise
and Wound Penalty are unchanged. composing themselves. Failure to spend this cool-down period mandates an immediate
Unconscious foes may be dispatched Resistance Roll against Fatigue. Anyone who engaged in ranged combat must also make an
with a coup de grce as a free action. Ammo Check at this time (pg. 15).

Chimera Basic 19
Fighting Manoeuvres
Use the following options to make combat more realistic in specific situations: Combat Example
Automatic Fire: Firearms with a Rate of Fire (RoF) 2 or more can fire multiple shots as a single Klar the Barbarian (MR 111d6; DF 3; WL 6;
AT axe +2 (IM +1, Dmg 1d6)) bursts into a
action. To launch an auto-fire attack, select a number of targets up to the weapons RoF, room to confront a cultist (MR 101d6; DF 2;
and make a separate Shoot roll for each target. For each target hit, roll Damage dice equal WL 3; AT short sword +0 (IM +0, Dmg 1d4)).
to the weapons RoF divided by the total number of targets (add any remainder to the In the first round, Klar attacks with his axe,
damage roll result). Recoil degrades accuracy: apply AR 2 against a single target, or AR the cultist with his sword. Each rolls 1d12 for
4 if firing at multiple targets. Reduce recoil by AR +2 if the weapon is fixed (pg. 15). Initiative: Klar rolls a 12, adjusted to 13 for his
Blast Attacks: All targets within the radius of a blast (pg. 4) take damage, but get a Resistance Initiative Modifier of +1; the cultist rolls 9,
with no IM adjustment, so Klar attacks first.
Roll against TN 12 for half-damage; targets enjoy their normal Defence.
The cultists MR is 10, so Klars Fight roll
Called Shots: An attempt to hit a specific location on the target. Shots at the head or other must be 10 or more; the cultist needs an 11 or
vital organs are at AR 4, but inflict an extra die of damage. A shot at the arms or legs is more to hit Klar.
AR 2 and causes normal damage, but arm hits cause objects to drop, and leg hits impose Klar adds +2 to his axe attack (axe +2); he rolls
a penalty of MR 1 for the duration of the fight. 1d20 for Fight and gets 9, adjusted to 11
Careful Aim: You can line up a shot with any ranged weapon that has RoF 1. The shot is made (Normal Success); he rolls 1d6 for damage and
at AR +2, but with Initiative Modifier 4 and you cannot move prior to pulling the trigger. gets 5. Subtracting the cultists DF 2 means
that 3 points of damage get through, so the
Check: You may skip your turn and hold your action until any subsequent turn during the cultist has a single wound (severity 3) for a
round; whatever action you attempt is at AR +2, and if you respond to another Wound Penalty of 1.
combatants action, your action is resolved before his. The Wound Penalty changes the cultists at-
Death from Above (or Behind): Attacks from above or behind are made at AR +1 (AR +2 if both tack from short sword +0 to short sword 1; he
needs a 12 or better to hit Klar. He rolls 15 and
conditions are met), and the defender cannot parry.
hits for 1d4 damage. He rolls 2 damage, but
Multiple Actions: Each full action in a round beyond the first is at AR 2. When attacking with Klars DF 3 reduces this to 1, so the hit
a weapon in each hand, each attack is made at AR 2. bounces off Klars armour. The first combat
round is over.
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 Klar presses the attack on round 2 and gains
Initiative. He needs a 7 or more (TN 9 because
separately for each shot at AR 1 (AR 2 if shooting at multiple targets). For Ammo checks, of the cultists Wound Penalty and axe +2).
the RoF equals the number of shots fired. His attack roll is 16Critical Success! He rolls
Shaky Ground: Fighting on an unstable, slippery, or moving surface imposes a 1 penalty to 2d6 for damage and gets 8. The cultists DF 2
all rolls and MR. If wounded on shaky ground, make an Athletics roll (TN 12) or fall. reduces this to a severity 6 wound, but this
still exceeds his Wound Limit of 3, so hes out
Stunned: Physical or mental shock can stun a character. Stunned characters suffer a penalty of the fighthis fate is now up to the barbar-
to all rolls and Movement Rate equal to the stun damage inflicted. Stun damage wears off ian Klar...
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
Healing Example
Athletic specialisations for unarmed fighting styles (e.g., judo, karate, wrestling, etc.)
Klar gets into trouble laterhe suffers 2
Movement 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).
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, He gets some First Aid from a 3rd-level com-
respectively, from your MR. Running and creeping are considered full actions (MRs less than rade, and his state improves to WP 1 for 3
hours (after which the ministrations wear off
1 are possible, so you may need to reduce Encumbrance before creeping). and hes back to WP 2).
When travelling overland, you can cover your adjusted MR in miles per day (e.g., MR 121d6 After the adventure, he visits a healer (a 2nd-
equates to 12 miles per day). This is a base rate that assumes a comfortable pace and frequent level Medic), whose Ditch Medicine restores 2
rest stops; it may be adjusted by terrain as the GM sees fit. You can force-march to cover 50% points of wound severity on each wound (2
more ground, but this requires a Fatigue check each hour. points for a 2nd-level medic). The first wound
is reduced from severity 3 to severity 1not
Healing enough to heal it completely, so it still counts
against his Wound Penalty.
Healing ministrations are applied to a wounds severity. When a wounds severity is reduced However, the second wound is reduced to se-
to zero, it is completely healed, and its corresponding Wound Penalty goes away. verity 0, meaning that its healed, and that it
no longer contributes to his Wound Penalty.
The First Aid Ability does not heal wounds, but temporarily reduces a characters Wound
As a result, Klar has a single wound (severity
Penalty. True healing requires a medic, certain powers (i.e., heal), or advanced technology. 1) for WP 1. A week of complete bed rest will
Lacking these expedients, wounds heal naturally at the rate of 1 point of severity per week of heal that remaining point of severity, thus
complete rest (i.e., no activity beyond eating, sleeping, and moaning in pain). healing the wound and negating his Wound
Penalty completely.

Chimera Basic 20
Non-Player Characters
Creating Non-classed NPCs
The guidelines at right are intended for During his adventures, your character will meet other people in the setting. These other
creating classed NPCsrelatively impor- peopleheroes, allies, villains, and everyday folksare Non-player Characters (NPCs).
tant heroes, villains, allies, and connec-
tions for the campaigns PCs. Character Types
Creating non-classed NPCs requires less
detail:
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
1. Start with racial type to determine
reflect the difference between heroes and zeroes, there are two character types in Chimera:
initial stats, Perks, and Sperks.
2. Roll 1d4 to determine initial Im- Classed: Like player characters, any NPC with a character class (pg. 7) and capable of earning
provement Point allowance (1 IP per experience levels within it. Classed characters are a cut above the rest of the population
racial Sperk chosen, +1 IP per Flaw) these are the movers and shakers of the worldwho have full access to class advancement
3. Spend Improvement Points on Abili- options, class Sperks, Improved Perks, and Clutch Situations.
ties and Perks using the guidelines
for Character Advancement (pg. 9); Non-classed: The everyday people of the campaign: rank-and-file soldiers, minions, torch-
All Abilities start at AR +1. Improved bearers, shop keepers, citizens, farmers, and angry mobs. As implied, non-classed charac-
Perks are off-limits. ters do not possess a class nor can they gain experience levels (they are considered
4. Equipment (q.v., Step #6, at right) 0-level). These characters start with the statistics shown for their racial type, plus 1d4
5. Stats (q.v., Step #7, at right) Improvement Points for any Abilities and Perks appropriate to their role (IP are spent as
At the GMs option, non-classed NPCs per the Character Advancement guidelines on page 9).
may receive a bonus of 1 IP for every 5
A summary of NPC capabilities is noted below:
years spent in their chosen profession or
campaign niche. CHARACTER GAIN IMPROVED RACIAL CLASS CLUTCH
TYPE LEVELS? PERKS? PERKS? SPERKS? SPERKS? SITUATIONS?
Classed Y Y Y Y Y Y
Non-classed N Y N Y N N
Creating NPCs
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
NPC Personalities sidebar at left):
Unless you already know an NPCs out- 1. Race: Pick a race to determine the NPCs initial stats, Perks and Adaptations.
look and demeanour, roll 2d12 to suggest
2. Class and Level: Pick a class to determines initial Abilities, WL adjustment, and Sperk
his personality:
availability. You can assign any experience level desired (though 12th-level is the typical
1D12 OUTLOOK 1D12 DEMEANOUR maximum for Chimera characters). Do not worry about the NPCs Advancement Costif
1 Bigoted 1 Violent the character is destined to become a long-term NPC, you can improve him whenever
2 Paranoid 2 Overbearing
3 Bleak 3 Arrogant
(and however) you see fit.
4 Fearful 4 Capricious 3. Abilities: NPCs start with their class Abilities and receive 1d4 points per level for improve-
5 Hedonistic 5 Careless ments (as Step #4 of Character Generation, pg. 5). All Abilities start at AR +1.
6 Practical 6 Emotional 4. Perks: Apply whatever Perks suit the NPCs role; a good guideline is 1 Perk per level, but
7 Naive 7 Quiet/Shy
8 Stoic 8 Exacting you can assign more if the NPCs job depends on it.
9 Adventurous 9 Curious 5. Powers: While any NPC can acquire the Wield Ability, only NPCs with a Sperk to access
10 Hopeful 10 Generous power schools can actually use powers (i.e., only classed NPCs can Wield powers); as a
11 Charitable 11 Outgoing
12 Cheerful 12 Friendly
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. Howev-
Outlook is ones attitude (how one views
er, keep in mind that any equipment, money, or valuables possessed by an NPC can
the world). Demeanour is ones behav-
iour (how one acts). Together they form eventually end up in a PCs hands.
personality, which is simply a guideline 7. Stats: Determine stats as for player characters:
for roleplaying the NPCit has no bear- 7.1 Movement Rate (MR) = races MR Encumbrance (armour, weapons, gear)
ing on die rolls or stats. 7.2 Wound Limit (WL) = races WL + class WL adjustment
Note also that the table is arrayed such 7.3 Defence (DF) = base DF + armour bonus
that more negative dispositions occu- 7.4 Resistance (RS) = AR bonus equal to experience level
py low results, while higher rolls give 7.5 Initiative Modifier (IM) = races IM
more positive qualities. This lets you 8. Level Bonus: Apply 1 point per level across Movement Rate, Wound Limit, Defence, or
generalise entire populations (e.g., all Initiative Modifier per the Level Up guidelines on page 9. (e.g., a 3rd-level Veteran could
NPCs living in the shadow of Depression add 1 point to his WL and 2 points to his MR).
Mountain roll on this table at 2).

Chimera Basic 21
Incorporeal: Lacking substance, such creatures can pass through

Monsters solid objects. They attack via (and are vulnerable only to) powers
of certain schools.
Monsters are creatures in the setting (animals, predators, fantastic
beasts, etc.). While intelligent or social monsters may have classes, Infravision: See in darkness to 4 + level.
most dont, and are represented by base stats and Adaptations. Lowlife: Squishy invertebrates, fungal colonies, and puddles of goo
immune to weapon-based attacks, but can be harmed with burns
Base Stats or powers; all lowlifes gain a Sneak AR equal to their level.
Movement: Alternate form of movement (e.g., flying, burrowing,
A monsters base stats are suggested by its size, as shown below: gliding, et al.) at MR based on GMs discretion.
SIZE LENGTH MR* WL IM DMG RNG** TN ENC Paralysis: As the paralyse power (pg. 12); Resistance TN based on
Diminutive (D) <1 4 0 0 +4 1 0 2 monsters size.
Tiny (T) 1 4 1d2 1 +2 1d2 1 4
Small (S) 3 8 1d4 2 +1 1d4 2 8 Petrifaction: Turns foes into stone (or places them into suspended
Medium (M) 6 121d6 3 +0 1d6 4 12 animation) via a touch, gaze, or other natural attack; Resistance
Large (L) 12 121d8 4 1 1d8 8 16 +1 TN based on monsters size.
Giant (G) 24 161d6 5 2 1d10 12 20 +2 Pounce: Grants a +1 to attack and damage rolls when leaping on a
Huge (H) 48 161d8 6 4 1d12 16 24 +4
surprised foe. [Improved: Increase bonus to +2]
Colossal (C) >96 161d10 10 8 1d20 24 28 +8
* Suggested base only; adjust appropriately for fast or slow monsters Power: The monster has one or more innate powers, useable once per
**Applies to natural missile attacks level each day (no Wield roll required; Resistance TN based on
Base Target Number to Resist certain monster attacks or Adaptations monsters size). [Improved: use power at will, no daily limit]
Encumbrance points that the creature can carry for free
Regeneration: Automatically restore 1d4 points of wound severity at
the start of every combat round. [Improved: Restore one whole
Adaptations wound, regardless of severity]
Adaptations are Perks available only to non-humans. Adaptations Resilient: Ignores Wound Penalties resulting from hits sustained.
marked with a dagger () operate only when a monsters attack roll [Improved: Ignores wounds completely; vanquished only if an
results in a Critical Success. attacks Damage exceeds Wound Limit]
Achilles Heel: Monster suffers damage only when hit in a particular Resistance: Suffer half-damage from specified attack type(s).
location, which requires a Called Shot (pg. 19) to hit. [Improved: Complete immunity from specified attack type(s)]
Armour: Natural protection (thick hide, hard shell, etc.) that im- Undead: Reanimated corpses immune to Poison, Disease, Fatigue,
proves Defence. Called Shots, and Enchantment. Undead have WL 1 for their size
Bug: Creepy bugs have a Sneak AR equal to their level, and can climb but ignore Wound Penalties and never check morale. Undead
vertical/inverted surfaces at their base Movement Rate. suffer Dmg 1d6 from holy water.
Burn: Inflicts acid, electricity, fire, or frost damage, up to once per Venom: Inject natural poison into a foe; damage and Resistance TN
level each day with damage based on monster size (Resistance TN based on monster size (but can vary at the GMs discretion).
based on monsters size). Weakness: Suffer double damage from specified attack type(s); if the
Charge: Inflicts 2 dice of damage when charging or swooping on foes; attack type is a power, a Normal Success on the Resistance roll
requires at least 2 of clear ground to the target. has no effect. (Critical Success required for halved effect).
Construct: Manufactured automatons immune to Poison, Disease,
Fatigue, Called Shots, and Enchantment. Constructs ignore
Creating Monsters
Wound Penalties and never check morale. Healing a construct Monsters are varied, so dont constrain yourself to creating them
requires Tinker instead of First Aid. with the same guidelines used for player characters or NPCs. Instead,
Disease: Inflict sickness with effects up to the GM; Resistance TN follow these simple steps when creating monsters:
based on monster size. 1. Base Stats: Determine the monsters initial stats based on its size.
Energy Drain: Permanently reduce a foes Wound Limit by 1; Resist- 2. Capabilities: Assign whatever Abilities, Perks, Adaptations, and
ance TN based on monster size. Powers (at whatever degrees of effectiveness) are appropriate to
Fearless: Monster never checks morale (always stays in the fight and the monsters role in the setting.
fight to the death). When creating a monster, focus on matching the monsters capabili-
Ferocious: Upgrade monsters natural attack damage die by one step. ties with the challenge its supposed to representtough opponents
get high Fight ARs, Defence, and Wound Limits; humanoid rabble are
Grip: Hold a foe for automatic damage each round; victim breaks weaker but come in hordes; weird creatures probably have uncon-
free with a successful Athletics roll vs. monsters Size-based TN. ventional means of attack and defence (indeed, part of the challenge
Gulp: Swallow whole any foe 2 or more sizes smaller; victim is alive they represent is figuring out their weaknesses).
for 2d8 rounds and may attack from the inside at AR 2. Dont worry if a monster is too powerful for the characterstheyll
Hypersensitive: Surprised only when Sneak roll is a Critical Success either overcome it (with much rejoicing) or learn (perhaps the hard
(regardless of actual Surprised stat value). way) that discretion is the better part of valour.

Chimera Basic 22
Monster Descriptions ANT, GIANT

Class & Lvl : Lvl 1 Attacks: 1 bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2)
The monsters that populate your campaign can be described in terms Move Rate: 41d2 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +2
Wound Limit: 1 (T) Special: Bug, Grip
of their stats, much like characters. What follows is a broad sample of Defence: 2 (+1) Morale: 15
beasties, using the following descriptors: Resistance: +1 Freq.: Uncommon (1d4/4d4)
Name: The monsters name, title, or creature type Surprised: 9 Align.: n/a
Class and Lvl: The monsters class(es) and level; Lvl indicates a Giant ants are 1 versions of normal ants. When encountered, they are either
non-classed Monster or NPC 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
Move Rate (MR): The monsters MR, with Movement Die shown; nest houses a single queen responsible for laying eggs and who is protected by
Encumbrance is shown parenthetically warriors. Ant queens (Lvl 3; WL 3; DF 1; RS +3) are immobile and have no
Wound Limit (WL): Size is listed parenthetically attacks; when defending their queen, ants never check morale.
Defence (DF): Total Defence, composed of base DF plus any armour; APE
the optional Parry adjustment is shown parenthetically Class & Lvl: Lvl 3 Attacks: 2 fists +2 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6),
1 bite +2 (IM 1, Dmg 1d8)
Abilities (AB): The creatures Abilities and AR modifiers Move Rate: 131d8 (0) Abilities: Athletics +2
Attacks (AT): Listed by type and AR adjustment, including Initiative Wound Limit: 5 (L) Special: Charge, Infravision
Modifier (IM), Damage (Dmg), Range (Rng), and Rate of Fire (RoF); Defence: 3 (+1) Morale: 12
only one of the attacks listed is allowed each combat turn, but if Resistance: +3 Freq.: Common (1d4/3d4)
multiple attacks are noted (e.g., 2 claws), roll separately for Surprised: 11 Align.: n/a
each attack and count it as a single action (damage is applied for Apes are territorial primates who form tight-knit clans around a strict, male-
each successful hit, though the defenders DF applies only once) dominated hierarchy. Young males constantly vie for supremacy against es-
tablished patriarchs, but all apes aggressively defend clan females and young.
Special (SP): Perks, Sperks, Flaws (underlined), and Adaptations pos- Rumours abound of semi-intelligent ape clans that ward jungle ruins and use
sessed; Imp. denotes an Improved Perk or Adaptation; you may crude spears and stone axes to defend them.
also include any powers possessed (with the adjusted Wield TN, if
necessary) BEETLE, GIANT
Class & Lvl: Lvl 2 Attacks: 1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)
Resistance (RS): Resistance roll modifier, based on level alone (i.e., Move Rate: 81d4 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +2
applicable Ability modifiers are excluded) Wound Limit: 3 (S) Special: Bug, Photosensitive
Surprised (SR): Surprise Target Number, required for Sneak rolls to Defence: 3 (+1) Morale: 14
Resistance: +2 Freq.: Uncommon (1d4/2d6)
surprise the monster; typically TN [8 + level + Observe AR]
Surprised: 10 Align.: n/a
Morale (ML): Morale Target Number, required for the monster to stay Giant beetles are scavengers encountered in dark, moist, and rotting places.
in the fight (pg. 18); typically TN [16 level Mettle AR] (you may Roughly 3 long, they attack small prey with their giant mandibles. Through
use n/a if the monster doesnt check for morale) fairly revolting, beetles are high in proteina single beetle can provide a
Align. (AL): The monsters Alignment; apply only if Alignment is used medium-sized creature with enough nourishment for a single day.
in the setting; use n/a for monsters is of animal intelligence or CENTIPEDE, GIANT
(because of instinct or programming) has no moral compass Class & Lvl: Lvl 1 Attacks: 1 bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2)
Freq. (FQ): Frequency, or how common the monster is relative to Move Rate: 41d2 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +1
other monsters (which can be adjusted within a given setting): Wound Limit: 1 (T) Special: Bug, Paralysis
Defence: 1 (+2) Morale: 15
Common (encountered 40% of the time), Uncommon (30%), Rare
(20%), or Very Rare (10%); die rolls following frequency indicate Surprised: 9 Align.: n/a
the number encountered in the wilderness or within the
Giant centipedes are foot-long versions of their normal cousins, found in dark,
monsters actual lair (or whatever passes for its permanent home)
damp places. They are adept hunters and ambush prey. A centipedes bite
Equip. (EQ): Equipment carried (ammo loads are noted parenthetical- contains a mild venom (TN 4, paralysis 1 turn). This venom is occasionally
ly), and any wealth or valuables possessed 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
Stat Blocks with a Critical Success).
Monsters are presented via a stat block, which contains all the infor- CRAB, GIANT
mation needed to run the monster during an adventure. The standard Class & Lvl: Lvl 1 Attacks: 2 claws +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)
stat block also provides a brief description of the monsters appear- Move Rate: 81d4 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +1
ance, habits, and other details. Wound Limit: 2 (S) Special: Bug, Grip
Defence: 3 (+1) Morale: 15
You can also use an abbreviated stat block when you just need stats Resistance: +1 Freq.: Rare (1d4/2d6)
for an encounter. For example, heres an abbreviated stat block for a Surprised: 9 Align.: n/a
giant centipede (compare with the full stat block at right): Giant crabs are 3 wide arthropods that inhabit coastal areas. Scavengers,
Centipede, giant (Lvl 1; MR 41d2; WL 1 (T); DF 1 (+2); AB Athletics +1, crabs prefer carrion, but attack with their claws if threatened. At home in the
Sneak +1; AT bite +1 (IM +2, Dmg 1d2+paralysis (RR: TN 4, 1 turn)); water, crabs can breathe air for an hour before they must make a Fatigue
SP Bug; RS +1; SR 9; ; ML 15; AL n/a) check. Humans (and humanoids) dwelling near the sea use the carapace of the
giant crab to fashion shields and armour.

Chimera Basic 23
DEFENCE ROBOT SKELETON

Class & Lvl: Lvl 2 Attacks: 2 blasters +2 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6, Class & Lvl: Lvl 1 Attacks: 1 weapon 1 (IM 2, Dmg bw)
Rng 4, RoF 1), Move Rate: 101d4 (0) Abilities: Fight +0, Sneak +1
1 vibroblade +1 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6) Wound Limit: 2 (M) Special: Gimp, Resistance (edged,
Move Rate: 121d6 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Fight +1, Observe +2, piercing), Slow, Undead
Shoot +2 Defence: 1 (+0) Morale: n/a
Wound Limit: 4 (M) Special: Construct, Insulation, Resistance: +1 Freq.: Uncommon (1d6/3d6)
Resistance (edged, piercing), Surprised: 9 Align.: n/a
Stout, Tough The reanimated skeletal remains of humans, skeletons are mindless undead
Defence: 4 (+2) Morale: n/a who serve as timeless guardians of ancient and evil places. Clad in tattered
Resistance: +2 Freq.: Rare (1/1d4) armour and bearing rusty weapons, skeletons attack without fear or concern
Surprised: 12 Align.: n/a for themselves.
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.). SNAKE, CONSTRICTOR
They are programmed to attack trespassers (i.e., those who do not present the Class & Lvl: Lvl 3 Attacks: 1 bite +2 (IM 2, Dmg 1d6)
proper ID), but can be ordered to stand down with a successful Tinker roll (or Move Rate: 101d4 (0) Abilities: Athletics +2, Observe +1, Sneak +2
given new directives if the roll is a Critical Success). Defence robots maintain Wound Limit: 4 (M) Special: Gimp, Grip, Slow
radio communications with each other and carry 4 loads of blaster ammo each. Defence: 4 (+0) Morale: 13
Resistance: +3 Freq.: Uncommon (1/1d2)
GHOUL Surprised: 12 Align.: n/a
Class & Lvl: Lvl 2 Attacks: 2 claws +1 (IM +0, Dmg 1d6) Constrictors grow to 6 long (though larger specimens can exist). They ambush
Move Rate: 101d6 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +1 prey with their strong bite; if they get a Critical Success, they wrap their
Wound Limit: 2 (M) Special: Paralysis, Undead muscular bodies around their victim and squeeze for 1d6 points of damage
Defence: 2 (+1) Morale: n/a each round until the prey is crushed or suffocated.
Surprised: 10 Align.: n/a SPIDER, HUNTING
Ghouls are gaunt, undead humanoids who haunt graveyards and burial Class & Lvl: Lvl 2 Attacks: 1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4)
grounds. They have a taste for living flesh and can paralyse a victim for 2 turns Move Rate: 81d4 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Observe +4, Sneak +2
when either of their claw attacks result in a Critical Success. Ghouls haunt Wound Limit: 2 (S) Special: Bug, Pounce, Venom
graveyards, where they feed on the corpses of newly buried dead. Defence: 2 (+1) Morale: 14
GOBLIN Surprised: 14 Align.: n/a
Class & Lvl: Lvl 1 Attacks: 1 weapon (IM +2, Dmg bw) Giant spiders are 3 long and live in dark underground or heavily forested
Move Rate: 71d4 (1) Abilities: Fight +1, Shoot +2, Sneak +2 places. They do not spin webs, but instead lie in wait for prey, using their
Wound Limit: 2 (S) Special: Infravision, Photosensitive Pounce ability to seize victims by surprise. If a spider bite results in a Critical
Defence: 1 (+0) Morale: 15 Success, they inject venom (RR: TN 8, Dmg 1d4).
Surprised: 9 Align.: Chaotic TROLL
Goblins are small humanoid rabble who dwell in craggy hills, dark forests, and Class & Lvl: Lvl 6 Attacks: 2 claws +4 (IM 1, Dmg 1d8+1)
caves. They do little for themselves, preferring to go raiding for their needs. Move Rate: 121d8 (0) Abilities: Athletics +4, Sneak +2, Survival +2
Because of their small size, goblins avoid direct combat and prefer to ambush Wound Limit: 7 (L) Special: Batter, Regeneration (1d4
foes with ranged attacks. points/round)
Defence: 4 (+2) Morale: 10 (see below)
For every 12 goblins, there is a sub-chief (Vet 2; WL 3; DF 2; RS +2; Fight +2,
Resistance: +6 Freq.: Rare (1/1d3)
Shoot +2, Sneak +2); for every 3 sub-chiefs, there is a chieftain (Vet 3; WL 4; DF
Surprised: 14 Align.: Neutral
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 Trolls are sickly hued and misshapen humanoids who dwell in swamps and
raiding with light armour, short bows, and clubs, but chiefs and sub-chiefs get rainforests. When wounded, a troll regenerates 1d4 points of wound severity
the best of the tribes spoils, including medium armour and steel weapons. each round, though wounds caused by burns cannot be regenerated. Trolls are
territorial but unintelligent; unless confronted by burn attacks, they fight
OGRE without fear (no morale checks necessary).
Class & Lvl: Lvl 4 Attacks: 1 weapon (IM 1, Dmg bw+1)
Move Rate: 101d8 (2) Abilities: Athletics +2, Fight +3, ZOMBIE
Mettle +2 Class & Lvl: Lvl 2 Attacks: 1 fist +1 (IM 2, Dmg 1d6)
Wound Limit: 5 (L) Special: Batter, Stout Move Rate: 101d4 (0) Abilities: Athletics +1, Sneak +2
Defence: 3 (+1) Morale: 10 Wound Limit: 2 (M) Special: Gimp, Resistance
Resistance: +4 Freq.: Rare (1d4/2d4) (bludgeoning), Slow, Undead
Surprised: 10 Align.: Chaotic Defence: 2 (+1) Morale: n/a
Ogres are large, misshapen humanoids about 8 tall. Brutish and unintelligent,
Surprised: 10 Align.: n/a
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 Zombies are mindless, reanimated corpses. Clad in decayed remnants, they
making weaker foes serve their needs). They like to fight and prefer hand-to- attack in simple waves, pummelling with their fists. Holy water inflicts 1d6
hand weapons and medium armour. Always hungry, ogres band in small clan points of damage on a zombie.
units, but to ensure a steady diet of food and violence, theyll sometimes work
for goblin tribes as hired muscle.

Chimera Basic 24
Campaign Creation
Select Genre & Setting
I want to create a Fantasy Apocalypse The game campaign consists of everything surrounding (and including) the PCthe setting,
campaignbasically a chaotic, dystopian its history, the people who live there, important places, and, of course, adventures.
medieval environment whose inhabit- Thats a lot of material to create, but its possible to devise a campaign quickly by concentrat-
ants struggle in a world devastated by ing on the most important details, laying a solid foundation, and building it over time. It
the malfunction of an ancient doomsday doesnt have to take weeks and monthsif you concentrate on the basic structure, you can
device.
create a complete (and expandable) campaign from the ground up in a matter of hours. Just
The concept is based on the classic post- follow the steps below:
apocalypse vision of a future Earth
wrecked by nuclear war, except that this 1. Select Genre and Setting
setting never advanced beyond the mid- 2. Consider Technology and Powers
dle ages and the doomsday device was 3. Define Campaign Hook
the errant technology of an advanced, 4. Describe Cultures
ancient people (like Atlanteans or Lemu- 5. Map the Setting
rians). 6. Create Points of Interest
The setting will include familiar apoca- 7. Describe High-level Conflicts
lypse trappings: mutants, concentrated 8. Create NPCs
fields of dangerous radiation, lost tech-
9. Create Random Encounters
nology, local warlords, resource scarcity,
and a survivalist flavour. 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.
Tech Level & Powers Select Genre & Setting
Tempering the campaigns fantasy ele-
ment with its apocalyptic trappings sug- Start with a genre that interests your playing group: fantasy, science-fiction, old west, etc.
gests that most cultures are at Tech This sounds elementary, but its crucialplayers who want to run WWII infantry squads wont
Level 2, though its likely that some have fun in a fantasy world.
primitive (or terribly devolved) species
are even lower, at TL 1. Conversely, ad-
The good news is that a genres can be very broad, and Chimeras flexibility makes it easy to
vanced cultures could have attained the create any setting or style you like, even those based on your favourite books, movies, and
equivalent of medieval technology (TL television shows. Dont feel like you have to stick with the traditional RPG genres if you and
3), and these would be the dominant your players want something a little (or a lot) different from the norm.
peoples. The setting is the campaigns time and placewhen and where it occurs. Your genre has a big
There are also bits of ancient technology influence, so fantasy campaigns might take place on made-up continents in pseudo-medieval
left over from the race who created the times or perhaps a fantastic version of ancient Earth, sci-fi campaigns take place on different
doomsday device. These artefacts are TL
planets and solar systems sometime in the future, and historical campaigns take place at a
9 or 10, but very scarce and too complex
for most people to figure out (plus most specific time and place in Earths past (e.g., your WWII campaign might take place in 1944
are in need of repair or lack adequate France). Remember that setting can also differentiate campaigns within the same genre (e.g.,
power sources). Only the very wise (or a fantasy campaign set in a desert is different from one set in the cold tundra).
egregiously foolish) actually try to use
such itemsgiven its ancient origin and Consider Technology and Powers
dangerous associations with the apoca-
lypse, ancient tech is anathema to most. Based on your genre, you should have an easy time assigning a Technology Level (pg. 3),
Powers exist in two forms: Either as ge- which is a broad label for describing the overall extent of tools and science used by people in
netic mutations caused by the doomsday the setting: gear (armour, weapons, equipment, and vehicles), food production, transporta-
devices residual effects or as spells tion, architecture, et al. You dont need to identify every piece of kit, but you should note
wielded by learned practitioners. particular technical accomplishments and trappings that promote the genre.
Mutations are handled via the Power Ad- This means that you can use Tech Levels as presented, but you can also invent new technolo-
aptation (pg. 21). Spells represent a gies to suit your genre, like steam-based engines that allow air and space travel during the
branch of arcane knowledge discovered
and researched by the ancients, but rare-
Industrial Revolution, or special weapons based on fledging sciences that work in your
ly used given their preference for tech- setting.
nology, which they believed was more Powers are special cases. Genre typically implies whether or not powerssupernatural
reliable and therefore more easily con- abilitiesexist in the campaign, but you neednt be a slave to convention: remember that
trolled. Modern spell-casters assert the powers are simply supernatural effects. As a result, powers can work in a modern campaign,
precise opposite, though most people
just as they are expected to exist in a fantasy setting. Because powers are code for the
cant tell the difference between spells
and ancient artefacts. The distinction is supernatural, it doesnt matter if theyre derived from arcane lore, divine miracles, mental
moot, however, as both are viewed with abilities, or whateverif you want powers, simply ascribe them to the campaigns definition
great suspicion at best, and mob violence of supernatural and have done with it.
at worst.

Chimera Basic 25
Define Campaign Hook

The campaign hook is a generalisation of the underlying conflict within the setting. Put Campaign Hook
another way, what is the conflict that permeates the characters goals and motivations? At a high level, the conflict in most apoc-
alyptic settings is the struggle for surviv-
As such, the hook describes a condition that the PCs must address, either to preserve some- al. However, fantasy settings support a
thing they have, or to acquire something they want. For example, the struggle of the rebellion much wider array of conflicts. I think the
against the empire, the search for lost technology, the exploration of new frontiers, the best approach is to roll 3d12 and read the
subjugation of barbarian hordes, the defeat of an ancient evil, or the establishment of new results as if I were creating a fantasy
trade routes are all campaign hooks. campaign, but with a survivalist spin
based on the apocalyptic trappings Ive
Think of campaign hooks as an undercurrent of conflict that ripples throughout the setting.
been on about. My 3d12 results are 5,
Not every mission addresses the campaign hook, but every adventure should remind the 2, and 12.
characters that its there, either through direct confrontation or indirect efforts intended to
According to the Campaign Hook table,
strengthen the characters for a confrontation later. this gives me:
If youre basing your campaign on a book or film, you already have an idea of your hook, but [5] Underlying Conflict: Find or res-
if youre building from scratch, this is a chance to create your own hook, or to put a twist on cue someone
a common theme. [2] Antagonist: Terrible monster
To get you started, roll 3d12 and consult the table below. The first d12 suggests (in high level [12] Antagonists Motive: Self preser-
vation
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. So lets try this: Theres a colony of an-
cients in suspended animation (find or
1D12 UNDERLYING CONFLICT ANTAGONIST ANTAGONISTS MOTIVE rescue someone). These sleeping an-
1 Elevate a ruler Extraterrestrials Money/Wealth cients can, if woken, scrub the envi-
2 Overthrow a ruler Terrible monster Gaining/Maintaining power ronment of the radiation leaked by the
3 Recover technology/artefact Ruler Fulfilling a prophecy doomsday device. However, a race of
4 Defeat an ancient evil Secret cult Keeping a secret mutated creatures (terrible monster)
5 Find or rescue someone Lost race Prejudice/Hatred wards the sleepers to prevent them from
6 Explore ancient ruins Guild or corporation Protecting knowledge waking, because they need the radiation
7 Rebuild a broken civilisation Criminal organisation Pact with a 3rd party to survive (self preservation).
8 Discover or tame territory Supernatural being(s) Fulfilling a vow or oath This is very high-level, and not some-
9 Unravel an ancient mystery Star chamber Insanity/Jealousy thing Id throw in front of the characters
10 Promote trade/make money Government agency Secret agenda right away (mostly because Im not ready
11 Destroy technology/artefact State religion Love to flesh out all the details yet). But it does
12 Discover/recover a resource Rival adventurer(s) Self-preservation make a good, setting-wide conflict that I
can develop as the campaign matures.
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, Cultures
a national or ethnic group, or separate social units within the same society. Rolling 1d6+2, I come up with 4 campaign
cultures. Here are the d12 results for
Roll 1d12 to determine each cultures general disposition, probable alignment, and relative each, and the assumptions I made about
population within the campaign: each to support the campaign hook:
1D12 DISPOSITION ALIGNMENT POPULATION [12] Dominant: High population of
1 Scavengers (seeks stability through exploitation) Chaotic Low benign, Lawful leaders (TL 3; I decide
2 Raiders (seeks stability by preying on other populations) Neutral Medium these are pure-strain humans)
3 Producers (seeks stability through labour) Neutral High [5] Subjugated: Medium population of
4 Producers (seeks stability through innovation) Neutral Low recently conquered Neutral people
5 Subjugated (recently conquered or annexed) Neutral Medium (TL 2; I decide these are humans with
6 Ascendant (aspires to dominate through conquest) Chaotic Medium some mutations, annexed by the
7 Ascendant (aspires to dominate through reform) Lawful Low Dominant humans above)
8 Ascendant (aspires to dominate through commerce) Neutral Low [7] Ascendant: Low population of
9 Oppressed (enslaved or assigned low status) Neutral Low Lawful humans seeking reform (TL 3;
10 Declining (aloof as a result of moral decay) Chaotic Low reform against the Dominant races
11 Dominant (cruel/oppressive leadership) Chaotic High policies? If so, then these guys are
12 Dominant (benign/enlightened leadership) Lawful High sympathetic to subjugated mutants)
[2] Raiders: Medium population of
Use the results from the Culture table above to make assumptions about each cultures race, Neutral humans (TL 1; I think mutat-
social values, relationships with other cultures, and special roles that might support elements ed sub-men who live on the frontiers
of the campaign hook. and wilderness will do nicely)
As a final note, give each culture a name and assign a suitable Technology Level; in general I assigned races based on my preferences
terms, the lower the roll on the table above, the lower the Tech Level. 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 If youre running an historical or modern campaign, youll want to use a real-world map of
Ive mapped out the terrain on the Local the setting. However, if youre making up a new setting, these simple guidelines can help you
Template (see map, at right). The Domi- generate an initial campaign map in short order.
nant and Subjugated human cultures
each occupy Civilised areas, while the Start off small to save time and avoid unnecessary work. The Sub-hex map template (included
Ascendant culture is found along the at the end of this book) provides plenty of real estate for your initial setting. Youll note two
frontier; the sub-men (being somewhat hex sizes on the template: small, 5-mile regional hexes and large, 25-mile atlas hexes.
disorganised raiders) have isolated en- Map the setting by adding terrain to each regional hex on the template, using the symbols
claves throughout the hills and moun-
shown at left. Use only the terrain types that support your vision of the campaign, the
tainous wilderness.
populations who live there, and the encounters and adventures you plan to create.
Youll also note that I didnt use the ter-
rain symbols below. Instead, I created 1. Draw coastlines (if any); by definition, these lines indicate sea level
the map with Inkwell Ideas Hexographer 2. Add terrain in reverse order of elevation: mountains, hills, forests, plains/grassland,
software, which is a fantastic tool for desert, swamp, and sea/ocean.
creating hex maps quickly. 3. Draw in rivers; as a rule of thumb, rivers flow either into bigger rivers or the sea.
You can check out Hexographer at: 4. Check terrain transitions for continuity: hills border mountains, desert gives way to
http://www.hexographer.com 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,
Weather Conditions abundant resources, or commercial benefits. All dominant cultures, as well as many
Certain areas of your map may support ascendant, declining, and producing cultures, reside in civilised territory.
weather conditions (storms, winds, and Wilderness: Areas unsettled and untamed because of harsh terrain, inaccessibility, or
precipitation) that complicate actions. dangerous inhabitants. Most raiding and scavenger cultures, along with some ascend-
For simplicity, describe weather as Mild, ant and oppressed cultures, will be found in the wilderness.
Moderate, or Severe and adjust appro- Frontier: Areas immediately bordering expanding civilisations act as a buffer against
priate Action Rolls (e.g., Athletics, Shoot, the wilderness. The frontier is a middle-ground, and while its not entirely cut off
Survival, etc.) as suggested below: from civilised comforts, neither is it completely safe from wilderness dangers.
Mild: AR +0 6. Place settlements for each culture. Base the size and number of settlements for each
Moderate: AR 2 culture on its population, assuming that a High population is roughly equal to 2 Medium
Severe: AR 4 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 settle-
ments). 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 trades-
men 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).

Chimera Basic 27
Create Points of Interest

Your campaign map also needs to show points of interestplaces to explore, natural features, Points of Interest
monster lairs, and (of course) adventure sites. Rolling 4d4, I come up with 9 points of
interest. For each, I roll 1d20 to deter-
Excluding settlements, there are 4d4 points of interest on your map. Use the table below to mine its identity. Ive also placed each on
identify each one. The roster contains idea-starters you can customise for your genre and the map and added some details off the
setting. This is the time to be creative: Exploit any opportunity to make connections between top of my head:
individual points of interest and the cultures and concepts youve already created. [14] Treasure (Low value; #0807): Pos-
1D20 POINT OF INTEREST DETAILS (ROLL 1D6) sibly a cache of weapons and armour.
[4] Monster Lair (Common; #0806):
1 Fort/Stronghold Warded by: 12 ruler; 3 settlers; 45 fighting order; 6 adventurer
Lets say a hive of mutated ants,
2 Religious Order Alignment: 12 Lawful; 35 Neutral; 6 Chaotic
which the characters will eventually
3 Ruin Type: 1 church; 23 stronghold; 4 dwelling; 5 infrastructure;
need to exterminate.
6 settlement
Abandoned because: 1 disease; 24 attack; 5 migration; 6 disaster [4] Monster Lair (Common; #0501):
Im going to use this slot for a forti-
4 Monster Lair Type (d10): 14 common; 57 uncommon; 89 rare; 10 very rare
fied sub-men bandit camp.
5 Industrial Site Collects/processes some resource type based on surrounding terrain
6 Encampment Used by: 12 raiders; 34 hunters; 5 soldiers; 6 messengers [20] Supernatural (Wild magic field;
7 Historic Site Site of: 13 battle; 45 important figures birthplace; 6 religious event #0209): Given the genre, Im changing
8 Construction Site Building: 1 stronghold; 23 infrastructure; 45 homestead; this to a radiation field, which fills
6 religious centre the entire hex; travellers who fail a
9 Isolated Dwelling Home of: 1 hermit; 2 mad hermit; 3 oracle; 4 retired adventurer; Resistance roll risk sickness or muta-
5 outlaw; 6 homesteaders tion (Critical Failure).
10 Sacred Ground Designated as: 13 burial grounds; 45 consecrated area; [16] Infrastructure (Watch tower;
6 hunting range #0804): Used by the Dominant hu-
11 Crossing Condition: 12 fortified; 34 warded by monster; 56 in disrepair mans to watch for sub-men raiders;
(even result on d6 indicates toll charged) Im thinking its lightly garrisoned.
12 Ancient Structure Type: 12 tomb; 3 astrological calendar; 4 point along a ley line; [2] Religious Order (Neutral align-
56 pagan shrine ment; #0109): Im seeing a fringe cult
13 Hazard Type: 12 poison; 3 disease; 4 unstable ground; 5 electromagnetic of survivalists in a shrine dedicated to
field; 6 radiation some ancient artefact (whose powers
14 Treasure Value: 13 low; 4 medium; 5 high; 6 supernatural and form are as yet undecided).
15 Contested At issue: 13 resources; 45 strategic location; 6 religious significance [20] Supernatural (Teleportation por-
16 Infrastructure Type: 1 beacon; 2 watch tower; 3 transit station; 4 mine; 5 power tal; #0908): This could be an ancient
station; 6 research facility transport device, though Im not yet
17 Gathering Place Type: 13 tribal moot; 45 free trading post; 6 hospitaliers sure how it works, where it leads, or
18 Natural Resource Type: 12 rare animal; 34 rare vegetable; 56 rare mineral if its actually reliable (maybe charac-
19 Natural Feature Type: 1 unusual weather; 2 geothermal activity; 3 peculiar growth; ters can figure it out how to operate
4 blight; 5 natural caves; 6 grove it consistently with a Wield roll?).
20 Supernatural Feature Type: 12 teleportation portal; 3 dimensional gate; 4 time distortion; [14] Treasure (High value; #0902):
5 anti-magic field; 6 wild-magic field Naturally, this is some piece of an-
cient 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 mu-
tants (maybe our antagonist race?).
Not sure why the town was de-
stroyed, 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.

Chimera Basic 28
Describe Campaign Conflicts

Campaign Conflicts Conflict makes the campaign go roundit is the basis for every story, the motivation behind
Ive decided that the Dominant culture of every NPC, and the whole reason characters go adventuring. Consider the tensions in the
pure-stock humans have subjugated an settingwhos upset with whom and why? What does it mean for the campaign, the setting,
enclave of mutated humans (Subjugated and (most importantly) the player characters?
culture) and annexed their territory. The
Dominant humans (being Lawful) are Determine campaign conflicts by identifying tensions between the campaigns cultures.
trying to work to mutual benefit, but Colour these high level tensions with the campaign maps terrain, settlement placement, and
there are purist elements who have no Points of Interest. All the while, make sure youre setting the stage for conflicts that cater to
respect for mutants. Concomitantly, the players gaming style.
there are rebellious mutant factions who
oppose the pure-strains expansionist For example, if your players are interested in combat or stab-and-grab adventures (i.e., kill
agenda. monster, take stuff), create (or position) conflicts that involve force of arms, a lot of action,
I think Ascendant race wants to reform
and solutions that involve fighting. If your players are interested in political intrigue or
the pure-strains imperialist agenda, and solving mysteries, create conflicts that involve sleuthing, social manoeuvres, and dangerous
I further suppose that they support mu- liaisons (Malkovich-style). In short, create conflicts that your players find compelling.
tant rebels. Clearly, this puts them on At this stage, you dont need much detailjust notes on high-level conflicts. Be aware that
the pure-strains naughty list, and I'll Country A and Country B are at (or on the verge of) war, or that MegaCorp LLC is waging
poke at this by placing a cache of ancient
cyber-terrorism to undermine the competition, or that the Frog Cult is opposing Lord Bolsers
technology on the Ascendant cultures
landnaturally, the pure-strains want to efforts to turn the local swamp into farmland.
investigate, but it wont be easy. Youll find that the nature of the conflict isnt as important as how you frame it. In other
The sub-men are a threat to everyone words, if your players like combat, then position the Frog Cult as an entity that must be
because they like to raid and plunder. I assaulted and defeated; if your players like intrigue, then the Frog Cult must be eliminated
also like the idea of a clan of sub-men through political manoeuvring. The conflict is one thinghow your players address it is up to
slavers who traffic only in pure-strain them, so keep in mind how your players are likely to respond to conflicts you set before them.
humans.
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 adven-
turing 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
Create NPCs 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.
Given my settlements and Points of In-
terest, Im looking at about 20 NPCs.
Thats too many to list here, but the ros- Create NPCs
ter includes:
Broadly speaking, non-player characters (NPCs) are anyone in the campaign setting who isnt
Lord Drift (Vet 4, AL N): Archon of a player character. At this stage, though, all you need to worry about are the non-player
Purity; savvy politician who puts
characters who create, perpetuate, or support your campaigns conflicts, either as enemies or
pure-strain humans above all (could
be a patron to PCs looking for com- allies of the PCs, or as important witnesses to their struggles.
missions) As such, non-player characters might be scheming (and possibly recurring) villains, patrons,
Stinger (Sct/Thg 3, AL N): Bounty hirelings, helpful citizens, law enforcement, or whomever has an effect on the PCs mission
hunter aligned with rebels opposed (or ultimate goal). Most will be classed and occupy some significant level of stature (or
to Lord Drifts expansion; he targets notoriety) in the setting.
Drifts profiteers: any official or
agent (including adventurers) acting However, in some circumstances, you may want to also create a few non-classed norms who
on behalf of Lord Drift. have no especial abilities or particular interest in the PCs, but who nevertheless give colour
Father Tang (Fai 2, AL N): Pure-strain to the setting. These worthies may be the source of (or participants in) adventure hooks as the
human cultist tending the Silver Ora- campaign develops: A shopkeeper with access to hard-to-find wares; a low-level politician
cle (hex #0109); he believes the Oracle with little to no influence, but whos willing to help the PCs navigate the local bureaucracy;
can reveal the location of an intact, or a street urchin who can guide the characters unerringly through the city sewers.
ancient city
Glimmer (Vet 3, AL C): Mutated hu- To keep things simple and fast, invent only the NPCs who can motivate storylines or affect the
man warrior living in Tumble (hex characters. As a rule of thumb, consider 14 NPCs for each settlement (regardless of size) and
#0203); his mutation lets him detect 1d6+2 additional NPCs to spread across your various Points of Interest.
alignment, and hes building a coali-
tion to rid the area of monsters and
This is easier than it might sound: when creating these NPCs, include only the NPCs name,
start a new city-state class, level, alignment, job or campaign role, and what hes up to. Dont bother to stat out
Ash (Anm/Vet 2, AL N): Sub-man these NPCs until you need them for an adventure. Naturally, if you have ideas about an NPCs
chieftain whos trying to drag his clan abilities, perks, flaws, etc., jot them down, but dont feel like you need to provide more than
out of the raiding business, but no just topical detail at this point (not only does this ease your task and save you time, but it also
one (not even other sub-men) trusts gives you the freedom to add or change details as the setting matures).
his motives

Chimera Basic 29
Create Random Encounters

Unlike your Points of Interest, which have fixed locations, random encounters can occur Create Random Encounters
anywhere on the campaign map. Random encounters are usually with potential opponents, Below are 3 tables: 1 for Settled hexes, 1
but they can consist of anything that helps to give for Wilderness, and 1 sub-table for Com-
flavour to your settingunusual weather, mon monsters:
hazardous terrain, or visual contact with 1D10 SETTLED ENCOUNTERS
something scary or threatening (as op- 12 Light patrol
posed to a physical confrontation). As a 3 Adventurers
4 Heavy patrol
rule of thumb, a random encounter oc- 56 Travelling merchant
curs 1 chance in 6 for every regional 7 Pilgrims
(i.e., 5-mile) hex the characters enter or 89 Common monster
10 Uncommon monster
explore; feel free to modify encounter
frequency based on terrain, time of 1D10 WILDERNESS ENCOUNTERS
day, or location. 13 Common monster
45 Uncommon monster
To save time and avoid extra work, 6 Rare monster
create a pair of high-level encounter 7 Radiation cloud
tables: One each for settled and wil- 8 Ancient tech (40% functional)
9 Sub-men slavers
derness areas. On each table, add ge- 10 Adventurers
neric entries that you can expand
with more specific sub-tables. For 1D10 COMMON MONSTER ENCOUNTERS
example, include patrol to indi- 12 Hunting spiders
35 Giant ants
cate armed watchmen in any settled 67 Game animal
areayou can customise individual 8 Hiver frogs
patrols later (by size, armament, or 9 Glow crows
disposition). If you have additional 10 Bile worm
time, you can customise additional As advised, the entries are high-level,
tables for specific terrain types or and Ill have to add some detail before I
proximity to particular settlements or Points of Interest, but dont get bogged down in can use them during an adventure. But
as idea-starters, theyll help me flesh out
detailat this stage, generic is best because youll get more clarity about possible encounters
setting-appropriate encounters that
as the PCs explore the setting. support the campaigns conflicts.
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).
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.
Devise Adventure Hooks
Each hook requires three elements:
There are plenty of potential adventure
An antagonist (e.g., an NPC, monster, faction, government, cult, etc.) hooks in this setting. Here are a few off
An action initiated by the antagonist the top of my head:
The consequence of that action, which affects the PCs in some way Mutant ants are stealing livestock,
A compelling hook (i.e., one that will get your players attention) either deprives the PCs of and Puritys food supply is threatened
something they need or rewards them with something they want; when presented with good Father Tang discovers the location of
hook, PCs will actively and purposefully work to prevent a negative effect or to take advan- the ancient city, presaged by the Sil-
ver Oracle, and he needs an escort to
tage of an opportunity.
get there (it may involve the portal in
The key to successful hooks is knowing your players preferences, for theyll ignore a hook hex #0908)
thats unattractive or dull. If your players enjoy action and combat, create hooks that involve A pure-strain noble is taken by slav-
swashbuckling and force of arms to achieve goals. If your group is after intrigue, use diplo- ers, and his family offers a reward for
matic and problem-solving hooks that require more roleplaying than roll playing. his return (hes actually been kid-
napped by the bounty hunter Stinger)
Once you have a roster of hooks, your campaign is pretty much ready to gothe last remain- Sub-men raiders have laid siege to
ing task is to flesh out one of those hooks and create an adventure for your players. Scrutiny (hex #0804), and the garri-
son is cut off

Chimera Basic 30
Creating Adventures
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
Antagonists descriptive material, detailed maps, or extensive background.
An adventures antagonist is typically a
classed NPC with some level of influence Instead, you can use a simple template (like the one-page Adventure Template included at the
in the campaign setting. He could be a end of this book) to help you fill in the blanks you need to run an adventure. As a rule of
one-shot boss or a recurring villain. thumb, each template should be self-contained. For example, if youre running a multi-level
Your adventure hook probably suggests dungeon, use one template for each level; if youre detailing a large city, use one page for each
who the antagonist is, but if you need of the citys neighbourhoods.
some inspiration, roll on the table below: Weve provided a completed Adventure Template at the end of this book as an example of the
1D12 ANTAGONISTS IDENTITY process below.
1 Bureaucrat/secular official
2
3
Ruler/government
Criminal/insane guy
Choose a Hook
4 Occultist Select one of the hooks you devised in the previous section. You can turn it into an adventure
5 Scholar
6 Veteran by fleshing it out with the Adventure Template as a guide.
7 Clergy/non-secular official When choosing the hook, first consider how it affects the characters: The PCs need to feel that
8 Investigator/inquisitor
9 Star chamber getting involved in the story is worth more than ignoring it (or, more practically, the players
10 Monster hive or infestation showed up to play, so give them something entertaining). Dont be afraid to use a range of
11 Barbarian chieftain motivations to get the PCs involved: wealth, power, influence, revenge, justice, self-preserva-
12 Singularly powerful monster
tion, altruism, love, personal values, spirituality, and many more.
Invent the Background

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
Special Foes population (e.g., a tribe of sub-men). This is also the time to identify the antagonists
The antagonists minions are the special
allies, who become special foes for the PCs (e.g., the antagonists robot minions). Unlike
foes encountered in the adventure. other, incidental opponents the characters might face during the adventure, these allies
These are the guys who carry out the these special foesmerit (and must receive) special attention.
antagonists plans and protect him from Motivations & Goals: Figure out why the antagonist is causing problems. Use the same set of
harm (or, more precisely, adventurers). motivations you use to prod the PCs into action: wealth, power, influence, revenge, etc.
In most cases, the adventure hook and Also, remember that no evil villain actually believes hes evilhe always has a good
the antagonists identity suggest what reason for his behaviour (even though its not helpful or of benefit to anyone else). This
special foes the PCs encounter. However, is the key to creating multi-dimensional antagonists, and it makes the setting far more
if you need some random guidance, roll
on the table below:
interactive and believable.
The background may be exactly what the hook implies, or it may be a complicated reality far
1D12 SPECIAL FOES
more complex than the hook suggests. When the adventure begins, the PCs may have a
1 Thugs/petty criminals
2 Special or secret agents chance to poke at the hook for more information about the background, but sometimes its
3 Disgusting bugs more fun to dole out bits and pieces as the adventure unfolds. If you make the PCs work for
4 Constructs (e.g., robots, golems) these clues, theyll have more fun discovering your settings secrets for themselves.
5 Assassins
6 Mercenaries
7 Brainwashed cultists Define the End Goal
8 Ninjas
9 Sub-men rabble The end goal defines the successful conclusion, or victory conditions, of the adventure.
10 Monster hordes From a storytelling perspective, this clarifies when the PCs have completed their mission.
11 Undead
12 Other-worldly horrors 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.

Chimera Basic 31
Define Rewards
Adventuring garners two types of rewards for characters: Monster Encounters
Wealth: Any material gain (e.g., money, land, gear, rare items, etc.). The quantity of wealth Monster encounters can occur with any
creature, who may or may not be friend-
available and the form it takes really depends on the settingin the fantasy genre, wealth ly (as suggested by its alignment and
might be gold coins, gems, and magic weapons, though in an apocalypse setting, wealth perhaps the results of a Diplomacy roll).
could simply be untainted food supplies, ammunition, and working technology. Wealth
For random monster encounters, deter-
can come from goods carried by foes overcome, caches pilfered in the antagonists lair mine monster type by its frequency:
during the adventure, or rewards from a patron when the mission is complete.
1D10 MONSTER FREQUENCY
Experience: During the adventure, characters might have the opportunity to earn special 14 Common (40%)
experience rewards. For each major adventuring goal (defined by the GM), a contributing 57 Uncommon (30%)
PC earns a +1 bonus to his Advancement Roll (pg. 9) when the adventure is complete. 89 Rare (20%)
Worthy adventuring goals could include discovering an important clue, defeating a level 10 Very Rare (10%)
boss, or negotiating a special encounter with a clever solution.
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 charac-
ter uses a Clutch Situation to do something heroic (as determined by the GM), grant a session
reward based on the rolls outcome: Traps
Critical Failure: Reward of 1 IP (pg. 9), which may be spent at any time A trap is any mechanism designed to
Normal Failure: No reward harm trespassers. Cautious characters
can find a trap with a successful Observe
Normal Success: Reward of 1 additional Clutch Situation
roll; a successful Tinker roll will disarm
Critical Success: Reward of +1 bonus to Advancement Roll when adventure is complete it. Characters who blunder into a trap
invariably set it off and suffer the effects
Create Encounters noted below (though a successful Resist-
ance roll can reduce or negate the ef-
An encounter is any challenge the PCs must overcome to complete the adventure. Encounters fects).
can be monsters, obstacles and traps, or special challenges. As a rule of thumb, every adven-
ture should have between 12 encounters per PC (e.g., a party of 4 PCs should have about six 1D10 TRAP TYPE
1 Pit (Dmg 1d6)
encounters per adventure), and about a third of those should be with the antagonist or his 2 Poison gas (Dmg 1d6)
special foes. The remaining two-thirds if the encounters can be determined randomly: 3 Fog (looks like poison gas)
4 Fog (limits vision to 1)
1D6 ROLL ENCOUNTER DETAILS (ROLL 1D6) 5 Spikes (Dmg 1d6)
12 Monster Monster is: 1 establishing a lair; 2 going about his business in his lair; 6 Blades (Dmg 1d8)
3 scouting/foraging; 4 setting an ambush; 5 chasing down prey; 6 lost 7 Dart or arrow (Dmg 1d6)
8 Dart (Dmg 1d4 + poison)
34 Obstacle Type: 12 adventuring hazard (pg. 17); 34 an obstacle that hinders
9 Sliding stairs
movement; 5 alarm; 6 false trap 10 Ward or Illusion
5 Trap See sidebar at right
6 Special See sidebar at right
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 Special Encounters
a multi-part adventure site. Any odd encounter that doesnt fit one of
Start with a basic layout showing rooms and passages that connect them; more detailed map the previous categories, like a puzzle, a
symbols are included with individual genre supplements. discovery, or the possibility of some ben-
efit the PCs might take advantage of.
Write the Epilogue 1D10 SPECIAL ENCOUNTER
1 Puzzle (must solve to continue)
The epilogue is the ripple effect that occurs when characters complete the adventure. Most 2 Safety (PCs can rest undisturbed)
outcomes will be obvious (e.g., the Countess is brought up on trial, the Great Artefact is 3 Equipment, armour (Q 03)
4 Equipment, weapon (Q 03)
recovered, or the village is saved). 5 Equipment, gear (Q 03)
However, you might consider a few loose ends to use as a sequel, just to keep the campaign 6 Rare or special item (needed to
defeat antagonist)
exciting and the players engaged. For example, the Countess minions might continue what 7 Ally or potential retainer
she started or attempt to rescue her, or the Great Artefact could be stolen by a rival. This is 8 Healing or medical supplies
how you can inject recurring villains into the campaign, or draw out the consequences that 9 Vision or helpful clue
might result when the PCs leave a few stones unturned. 10 Unguarded treasure

Chimera Basic 32
Balancing Encounters: A lot of unnecessary work goes into making

Being the Game Master sure that a given encounter is matched to the PCs ability, and
some systems even go so far as to provide point based rating
There are a lot of tips and best practices when it comes to campaign systems to help the GM establish equality between characters and
development (and, to that end, I selfishly invite you to check the challenges they face.
www.welshpiper.com as a starting point). The guidelines in these
Basic Rules handle much of what PCs will do, but there are elements Unfortunately, such systems are only partially effective, because
to game mastering that take some experience. Here are some tips to they have no way to account for tactics or the players innova-
tion. Operating under the assumption that your players will re-
consider:
spond in ways you cannot always anticipate, develop encounters
Dont Plan Ahead: Its easy to get caught up with grand story arcs and so that they make sense in the context of your campaign.
scripted adventures. However, PCs are notorious for going in
their own direction (particularly if they detect that theyre being Not only will you save yourself unnecessary work, but if an en-
herded by the GM). When running an adventure, concentrate counter proves too difficult, the PCs will adjust their tactics
perhaps even retreating in the face of overwhelming odds. If, on
on the current hook, but leave outcomes open, based on the
logical consequences of the PCs actions. Dont worry if you dont the other hand, an encounter is too easy, youll know to make the
next one a little harder.
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 Challenge the Players, not the Characters: The characters are only
ensure that everyone is having a good time playing, and that vehicles through which the players experience your campaign
means giving your players the freedom to make their own choices. setting. While every player wants a powerful character, capable
Let the Dice Do Their Job: When you consult the dice, youre soliciting 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
random guidance from tiny, plastic oracles. In the context of
running an adventure, the dice are your friends because theyll let players simply rely on their characters abilities or dice rolls
suggest directions that you might not consider on your own. This to carry the daypresent them with the opportunity to devise
clever solutions, unusual approaches, and personal choices.
is not to say that you must slavishly obey your polyhedral mas-
ters, but unless the dice suggest nonsense outcomes, its worth RememberChimera is about making up a story; make sure the
players have a role in telling it.
considering what they have to say.
As a GM, its tempting to fudge a roll here and there, particularly Awarding Experience: While the point of the game is to have fun,
if it means saving the PCs bacon so they can continue adventur- character advancement is part of what keeps players interested.
Yet advancement in Chimera is not automatic, and despite a
ing. But doing so is tantamount to saying that the dice only
matter when you like the outcome. This approach is actually players best efforts during an adventure, his character might just
get an unlucky result when he makes his Advancement Roll
unfair to the PCswhile the players are expected to adhere to die
results, the GM suffers no such restrictions. (especially if the PC has a high Advancement Cost). If this discour-
ages players and detracts from their enjoyment of your cam-
If you let the dice tell the story, youll not only come up with paign, you can always give them more opportunities to earn
realistic outcomes, but youll also challenge the PCs to handle bonuses for adventuring goals. Better yet, consider ways to en-
unforeseen situations. In the end, your players will have more fun courage PCs to use their Clutch Situations for more immediately-
overcoming obstacles and digging deep when they need to. Your useful Session Rewards (pg. 31).
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 Next Steps
solve a particular challenge. This is easier if you look at your
Adventure Template more as an outline than as a scriptthe Now that youve seen Chimera Basic, we want your feedback (crave it,
notes are simply guidelines for what the adventure contains, but really). We want to know what works, what doesnt, whats missing,
they dont predict what will happen or how the PCs react to what and how we can improve Chimera. So heres the deal: As long as you
you throw at them. keep sending us your feedback, well keep Chimera Basic free.
In fact, players are notorious for reacting in ways you never Share your comments and suggests on our Chimera RPG discussion
anticipated, and theyll solve problems with approaches that you group at www.welshpiper.com/forum. We look forward to hearing
havent considered. Thats fine and, actually, something you from you.
should encourageafter all, the adventure is all about the PCs
choices within your setting. This unpredictability wont ruin your Chimerapedia
game. Quite the contraryit actually makes it better. If you want more from Chimera, check out Chimerapedia, a quarterly
If you know your NPCs goals and motivations, and you under- update that picks up where this volume leaves off. Formatted for
stand your adventure hook in the context of the larger campaign, NBOS The Keep software, Chimerapedia is available on our website at:
and you have a reasonably flexible background, you can easily www.welshpiper.com/store.
work with the PCs moves, whatever they may be. When the PCs Chimerapedia subscribers get rule updates; new monsters, gear, and
move in a direction you dont expect, simply default to your powers; and programmatic tools for building settings and adven-
intimate knowledge of the setting and adjust your adventure (and tures. If you manage your campaign with The Keep, or if you bring
the direction it takes) accordingly. your laptop to the gaming table, this is a great way to build and
manageand customiseyour Chimera campaign.

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 sup-
plies. 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 fol-
lowing 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 ENCOUNTER DETAILS
#1 Entrance 4 drones moving dirt to repair the entrance; they attack any intruder.
#2 Stinky mud PCs can mask their scent by spending a turn covering their skin with mud; this removes the Sneak
penalty against ants for 1d4 turns.
#3 Fungus farm 2 drones tending fungus; they release poison gas if threatened (floods chamber for 2d6 turns).
#4 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).
#5 Eggs 4 drones carrying eggs; they flee if threatened, leading PCs the egg chamber, where they make a stand.
#6 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).
#7 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).
#8 Escape tunnel The queens escape route, breaks the surface in hex #0805; GM can expand into more chambers if desired.
Foes
NAME (#) LVL MR WL DF RS AT (IM, DMG, RNG, ROF) AB PK
Drone Lvl 2 81d4 2 (S) 2 (+1) +2 1 bite +1 (IM +1, Dmg 1d4) Athletics +1, Sneak +2 Bug, Grip
Warrior Lvl 3 81d4 3 (S) 3 (+1) +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)

Hook
Background & End-goal
Rewards
Epilogue
Encounters
MAP KEY ENCOUNTER DETAILS
#1 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#2 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#3 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#4 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#5 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#6 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#7 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
#8 ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Foes
NAME (#) CLASS/LVL MR WL DF RS AT (IM, DMG, RNG, ROF) AB PK
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
__________ __________ ________ ____ ____ ____ ____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
____________________________ ______________________ __________________________
Copyright 20092011 The Welsh Piper The Chimera RPG Adventure Template
www.welshpiper.com Version 3.0
Permission granted to copy for personal use Updates available at: http://www.welshpiper.com/adventure-template/

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www.welshpiper.com TWP-1000 (6th Printing)

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What You Need to Play

How To Get Started

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Resistance Rolls Clutch Situations

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

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Race and Class Elf

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Character Classes Mentalist (Men)

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Boons and Baggage (optional)

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

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Incorporeal: Lacking substance, such creatures can pass through

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Monster Descriptions ANT, GIANT

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DEFENCE ROBOT SKELETON

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Define Campaign Hook

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Map the Setting

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Create Points of Interest

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Describe Campaign Conflicts

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Create Random Encounters

Devise Adventure Hooks

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Invent the Background

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Balancing Encounters: A lot of unnecessary work goes into making

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

Background & End-goal

Epilogue If the queen escapes or any eggs remain intact, the

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Background & End-goal

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