Burning Wheel Codex PDF

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Cunce1,t and Design Rules for Rich

Luke Crane Richurd Soto
Devclop1nent Foren1ord
Radck Drozdalski, Chris Adam Koebel
Allingl:iarn, Pe1r.r Tierney.
Mayuran Tiruchch,a111, Copy Editor
Alexander Newman. Dwighl Elisa ~1adcr. Pa1rick Hie1:,rer1
Frohaug. Anthony Hersey,
Thor Olavsrud, Jared Son·nsr.n, Cover
Rich Soto, Anthony Hcrs<'·)'t Judd Kurl Ko,ooda
Knrlmn11 nnd Tnpi Mu l.:korum
Art and Illustrations
Taxider1nist Jordun \Vorl•:y. Kurr Komoun.
Topi ~·lnkkoncu Ric-hard Lusd1ek. S1oru A Cook,
.lcunifcr Hodgtrs. Kev Suther.
The Black Duke Rcbckoh Be1111i11g1on. Pc1rr
Nathnn Black Bcrgling, Doniel Schcnsrrom.
Russ Nicholson, Christopher
Roden Concept and Design 1\1ocllel' and D,•jao .Mondi,·
Pc1<'r Tierney
Folios
Speaker of the Jordan \Vorlcy. Jou ~-tiller and
Secret Language Huss !'-.icholson ( ,·cspcc tivt'ly)
Iladek Drozda lski
Playtesting
Don Corcoran. Hart Crane.
Roles of Magic Essay
Chris Allinglwn1, Andy Markom.
Thor Olavsrud
Eric Cardon, Jason Ellis, Keren
Lifepaths and Traits Fo~m, Rich Soto, Alexander
Luke Crone ond Anthony Hersey Cherry. Tony Hamilton, Wilhelm
Fitzpntrick, Aaron Brown,
Wi1.ard Dana11er l)empsey, Jason Costa
l\.1errill Sterritt and Bob Doherty. Rowan
W\vw.burninglvheel.com
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Cruwford, Mel Stephenson, Thank You

Charles Nairn, Chris Ferrand, Jake Norwood, Ron Edwards,
Jeremiah Frye, Josh Rynn, Clinton R. Nixon, Ralph Mnzza,
Briun Todd, Johmal Brown, Erin Strumpf, Bob Doherty, Corly
Jarnes Rowlond, Adam Lnyzell, Bo,gen, Megan Mcferren, Nicole
Chris l·lnnnrun, Sean John ston, Fitting, Bncl1el Brown, Phil Kobel,
Abel Vorgas. Alun Steiner, Kc,vin Corruption, Chris Bennet,
Chris Johnson, Janet Gilbert, Robert Earley-Clark, Karen
Jon Lconurd, Jonathan \Vhite, Twel\'cs, Chris Peterson, Lukusz
Pedro A111odor-Ca1es, Daniel Lenord, Sanjccv Shah, Jonuthon
Hrncox, Doug N<'wmon. John Slack, Doniel Slack, \Vcsley
Smvropoulos, ~liguel Zapico, Edmunds, \Vil Alombre, Kyle
Mnrk \Vnt ~on, Aaron Fri<'sen, Foxworthy, Nid1olos DiPctriUo,
ChristofJher Conndl, Greg Falk, Rachel \Vnlton. Phil Wnlton, Oon
CcorfHadli11g1011, Bnuulon Corcoran, Joanna Walmsley, Dan
Fru11kli11, Justin Smith, Erik F,~sindcn, Alicia Fcssinden, Erin
Moofnnglc. Andrew t\1erlinu, Lower)', Brilln Lowery, Jule Ann
Kaitlrn Con:ornu, Shelby Adums, \Vnkcmnn, Jeremy Wakeman, Jon
Mirh~el Adams, Tyler Bensend, Markus, Hich DiTullio, Jonathan
Ju~on Hl'ilman, Brandon Wi~c, \VJ1ite, Mike VanHclder, Paul
Brodie B,mscud, Pou Murtincll, Bc.akley, Merrill Sterritt und
Matcu Pnstorer, Quim Ball-llosera, Adorn Koebel
Euclnlcl B01una1i nnd Albert
Puignnu
In Memoriam
Uob Doherty
E:r:tra Rotam /\'ct/la Salus
Bumr-r th. \!,,pc Bumtr and th. Mo.,.ttr

B.min;; Wl1«I, lllf C.odc.<. ~I< ,\dm•utt Oum,r. the C""'9c<rr Ix I ~ b o r<gbtrttd tnd<uurk (®)
Bun" cue traJrmark, ("') o( Luk<' Crnnl'. The fin, ..poktJ wt < So ·
i •11....Jc,. Cron,, TI1< Bumin~ Wlt«I Cu.Jul, 0 2011> Lui« C'.nul<',
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158N: 978-0-975-888'>·0-2 . .
l'rinrcd in ll,c Unil<d Su,:~ or Cu,hing-Mollo)', Inc. Ann Arbor. Michigan.
fust Editio11 I f'l'rsl p,;,,,;,,~
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Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
the Codex
Codex lgnis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1O
Adventure Burner
Looking from on High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 12
Burning Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Adventure Burner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
More Bloody Rules ... . ... . . . ... . .. . . . . . . 39
Commentary
Commenting on Commentary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Table Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Running a Qan1e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Situation Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Antagonists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Building Beliefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Instincts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Artha Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . 95
Trait Vote ... .. .. . ... . .. . . . .... ... .. . 106
Intent and Task ... . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Advancement . ... . . . . . .. . • . .. . . . . . . . . 125
Practice . . . . . . . . ...... . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . 129
Obstacles . .. ... ....•.. . . . . ... . . . . . . . 132
Versus Tests . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Help . . . . . . . . . . . •... ... . . . . . .. .... 144
Linked Tests .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . •. 148
Let It Ride . . . . . . . . • . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Shades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 152
i Re.sources . . ..... .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. 156
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• Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 163
Duel of Wits . . . .. .•. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Range and Cover . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
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It •. •· · •. •. .. . . .• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 189
lnJ'Ury · · · • · · . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20"';;,
Wises . . . . . . . . . .•. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Monsters . . . . . .. ... . •. •
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Magic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 219
The Roles of Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
the Arcane Library
The Arcane Library . . . . . . . . . ... .. ....... 247
(iifted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Corruption . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ... . . . . . . . .. . 255
Practical Magic . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 263
Religion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 270
Art Magic . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 279
Enchanting . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ... . . . . . . . . . 290
Spirit Binding . • . . , . . .. . , , ,.. . . • • , . . . . 306
Summoning . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 324
Death Art . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 340
Folklore. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 363
Blood Magic. . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 367
The Arsenal Method . . . .. . . . ... ... ...... 372
Artifacts
Magical Artifacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Lifepaths
Using the Lifepaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
Wizard Burner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
The Path of Spite. . . . • . .. . . .. . .•. . . . . . . . 418
Roden lifepaths . . . . . . . . . . •. . . .. . . . . . . . 437
Nests of Roden . . . . . • .. . . .. . . . . . . • . . . . 445
Troll lifepaths . . . . . . • •. . . . . . . •. . .. . . . . . 462
Mountains of Trolls . . . • •. . . •. . .. . . . . . . . . 466
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Great Wolf lifepaths . . . .. . . . . . •.. . . . . . . . 480
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• Way of the (ireat Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . 485

t· Monstrous Trait List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
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Monstrous Skill List.
Index .. ... . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Index of Traits . . . .. .. . . . 555
Reference. . . . ... . . . - . . .. 559
Colophon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560
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Foreword
Tlw origins of its nwne shrouded b y the 1nists of time, the Burning T/lheel
is n perfect analogy for the experience of playing the game. It won't allow
you to sit icily by, toking turns only ns the cold stare of i.be GM falls
upon you. There is no engaging the wheel part·way. The game doesn't
~ve quarter: it doesn't grant mercy. h burns. Though you u1ny often be
given cause for reflection, it is not a game of stillness, but one of action.
A wheel is crafted to n1ovc, to turn. This is n grune about momennnn.
In the rkvcn years since l first set eyes on t11e Burning \Vheel, I've played
countless otl1er rolepluying games. I've seen trends emerge from tl1e game-
design zeitgeist only to fnJI back into the churning sen of "\Vhat if we
made a gruue about ... " Through aJJ that, Burning \Vhcel has remained a
fixttU"C of not just my gruning shelf, but my gan1ing mind. It is a book I've
taken down, ti.me and again, to turn over in my Liands, wondering what
talcs it would wring from me next. I think t11is is what Luke and company
intended, pnrticularly when they published the Gold edjtion-a physicaJ
object weighty enough lo match the heavy brand the wheel burns onto
its disciples, tl1osce who feel its constant turning in tlieir rrunds.
I've heard Bui11i11g \Vheel dubbed the Swiss watch of roleplaying games-
not just for tl1c intricate impossibility of reassembling it if viewed as
merely individual pieces, but becau se of 1J1e intimate and slightly
mad way each piece fits together into tl1c larger whole. A thing whose
surface is precise and beautiful but whose insides-whose elements-
require devotion nnd time 10 fully undersUmd. Luke describes tJ1e main
mecbarusms as a huh-the core around which the rules are crafted-with
the systems tl1at expand on that hub and give the wheel motion as its
spokes. \Ve're given ruscretc systems such as Resources, Circles and i.bc
Duel of \Vits. \Ve'rc challenged to master Fight and take on the back-and-
fort11 engagements of Range and Cover. As we play, Olli" Steel is tested
witJ1 each new spoke crafted to expand on tl1e hub and support tJ1e wheel.
\Vhnt you're holding now is potent fuel for yow· cnmprugn's inner fire .
More ways and means to turn the wheel. New spokes to build onto
the hub. Every time 1 start a new roleplaying game (Burning \\'heel
or othenvise), I pull the Adventure Burner from my shelves and drink
from the foun tain of wisdom that its essays contain. I've lost collllt of
tJ1c many times a page from the Magic Burner lifopaths of the creatures
11 of the Monster Burner, looking hot11 for adversaries and allies. Now and
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• here, in the Codex, we are granted access to that strange library anew,
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• revised and reformed. These are gears whose teeth have been carefully
filed to fit the intricate clockwork of Gold.
$' I bope this book imparts momentun1 in a strange directio~ no matter
what your camp_aigu might look like. I hope it kindles something in you
Md your follow ployel's. As it has for me, 1 hope it !iP.ts you aflame.
Adam Koebel
Spring2016
,tdam Koebel is codl'signer of 1/ie awarc/-winning D1mgc&n IJlnrld roleplo,ring gomc. He's
a pioneering member of tl1e Ttuitc/1,lt' liue actuol-plaJ· co1111111mit~ am/ spend, 111011. of his
tin1c i11 l'a11com~r, British Columbiu, either ranting about ficlio,wl positionillg to Starr:rajl
plQJ-en or half designing game,.
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Codex lgnis
The Codex should be dead. Its pages should be lifeless bones of old
ideas, pac ked between two covers and dumped into you r lap. It
contains no new ma1·crio l. t \'crything wi1.hin has been published
beforr in one form or 1u1otlwr.
So whul good is ii ? \Vh y not wrifc u 11cw s up plcmc11t? \X1 hy u~e

this old dros:;?
F11ir quc.stions. Allow us 10 unswcr:
In 2011 , w,i publ ished the defin itive 1·clitio11 of Burning \Vhcel. It
has taken live years for thl~idrus of that cdirion 10 sci lie u11d for tht~
need for more muterial tO buil<l to a boil.
In th<- Codex, we chos r to i11 r. lurle the Adveuturc Burner,

Commentary, Ar<·nne Library, Magical :\rrifatts and t he
monstrous Jifepaths. Aud I think you will SCP.. we hove spun this
dross into gold. \Ve have takeo the '1ust matcrinl pul>lisl,ed. tested
it , distilled it and re fined ii. This is no mere regurgita tion. \Ve tuok
11 hummer l'O rhe metul nnd Letll it into sl111pc, until ir lowecl with
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. : purpose nnd pattern.
Tltrough our efforts, we have crr.atccl r·he perfccr companion to

Burning \Vhcel Gold. The matcrio l i11 the Codex ndds no wci~ht
to the game. To the contrary, it provides breadth and deprh,
ultimately lightening the load Gold bears. This t·omc works
for you. h provides. Shimmering, it shall g uide you down nP-w
and wo ndrous poths-10 cream r.ver better stories, ever moro
memorable charac ters.
This Codex is stamped with the mark ofmorr tha n ten years of our
blood and sweat. \Ve are proud 10 put it in your honcls, and hope it
brings light into your Ii fe.
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Looking
from on High
J11u·oduc·tio11s out of the way. the Codex begins with thl' Burning
Philosophy st>ction, in which we look at the principles bclrind the
811r11i11g \Vlwr.l systr.m. Th.is in1roductio11 presents a perspective
for both plnycrs and gume rnasters.
111 thl' eponymous Adventu.rer Burner, we provide a framework for

1:rcaling your ow11 worlds and situations. plus a few new rules to
1:11huncr long-tenn play.
Two Things
Rules l\1astery
Burning \Vhed i~ YCry 11111ch a gn1ne. It's incant to be played
skillfully 011<l 111as1t·red over ti1ne. To gain maximum c11joyn1ent
from u s1•ssio11 or Burning \Vht:eL il is irnporLa111 lo have some
fari lity wirh 1he rules. The rules arc deep enough that one i:;
rewarded for exploring 1hr.n1 and invoking thr.n1. The n1ore you
play, the mor<> you Ira r11 ubout the ga,nc mid how the various pieces
fir 1ogcd1er. The Letter you play, the richer the results.
Buy-In
Burning \\1hcd is not your standard fantasy RPG. It is n1ort•
characlt'r-focu,cd and player-driven titan your1radilionnl fanta sy
fart:. allliougli ir uses more intense rult's thau othrr nomraditionnl
al11:r11a1ivc.~.
Som,· folks grok Burning \Vhcr.l at a gloncc-it is tJ1e ga1nl' they

ulw11ys IJOptid for. For everyoni~ elst:, B11r11ing \Vh1:cl ask:; only for an
OJll.'11 , hont:i.t d~sirc 10 1ry ii ,lul und Sl'C how ii works. Somcti uws,
pluy<·rs wi II lw relucl 11111 to 11·r u 1ww gu1nc ur I hcy' II br skcp1 icnl of
u /ll'W ,,1yl1· ur 1,luy. Timi's p1:rfordy 1111111rnl. b111 for Bunting \Vheel
111 l111v1· u l111p1· of worki11g witli your group. cvl·ryorn· ut 1he tubll·-
i,wludin~ lhc douhtPrs-ltas 10 suy, "Ll'l'!, give I his II fair sho1:·
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The Adventure Burner
How do you l'l"l'l\tc thi:; basie level of buy-in? That's a tough question. i--4
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\Vt.,\'t' found that it ·s best to pince so1ne lirnits on the game the fu·st time ,.,..
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,·uu ph1y. Burning W'hcd is a deep game, n1eant for long-term play. It's -·
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; 101 possiblt· to take it ull in at onee. You' ll be overwhelmed. To have the (/Q
bt·~t d11,11ce o[ l'onvineiug skeptical or wary players to give it a shot, we ::t'

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rt'romnwnd playing our starter scenario, Trouble in Hochen (contained
in tlw Twilight in the Duchy Vc1·dorben PDF). Don't modify it or hack
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it to suit your group's nt·eds. Muke your group step up and come 10 ::3
Burning \Vheel as it is. Ask thcrn to give ii their best shot. Ask them to ::r::
n•11lly gl· t in t ht•rc and play the game. Ask them to use the mechanics -·
and tr~ 0111 stuff they wouldn't normally try otherwise. It is a test, after
1111.
Afterward, if it dicln't work , you can say you gave it your best shot. But
if you had a reasonably good experience, you ~an t'alk about starting a
more involved game.
How Long Does It Take?

Bunting Wlu!cl c1u1 be nm as a single session, an adventure or a campaign.
In a su1glc sessiou. you generally resolve one problem in the cow'Sc of
play-usually uhour fmu· to six hours.
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An ad,·cntw·e is a term we use for o cycle of piny lasting two to sL,

sessions. An adventure con1oins an overarching goal, n subordinate goal
or two and an unexpected twist.
A cruupuign is o series of i11tercoru1cctc<l advcnt1ires.
\Ve talk about the differences be1wccn each type of gan1e in the Bunning
the Game chapter in tJ1e Con1n1cntary section. For now, it's enough
for you to know 1.ha1 B1u·ni11g \Vhccl plays slightly differendy-using
diffore111 n1echnnic.s-depc11ding on how long you play it.
Burning Philosophy
T hi:; dmptcr a\ll'mpls to spell out some or the philosophy be hind
13ur11i11g \Vhl·rl. If you don't wa nt to read my poetical musings, just
:,ki p I hi ~ scel ion. If you wn m 10 sec my tho ughts a bout wha t goes
0 11 lw hind I lw rules, rend on.
Fight for What You Believe

Bm·ni11g \Vht'el is about fighting for wha t you believe. You ta ke up
thl' fight both ns n player of rhe game and us a character in play.
Vou figh t wit h Elcel. word:i nnd mogic. All o f Lhc othcl' rulc.s ar c
inciclem al to ll1osl' fighrs. They help you prepare for, s urvive and
recover front those conflicts.
You r Belic,fs anno unce lo the group wha t you' re willing to fight
for. \\\~ provide rules for conflict, hur more important, we provide
a framework of conscq11N1ce!l for your actions. This frnme work-
s ucccss, failure, injury, compro1nisc--mukes your decisions in dlC'
game meaningful. You know thnt when you srep up, your struggle
is going to affect you nnd the, game, even if you don 't get what you
wanl in I.he end.
The Big Wheel

Bu111ing \Vheel is an odd duck of a game. It's a mess of contradictions.
It doesn"t have a setting, but the W'eputl1s tu·e tightly foc used a nd
impose n cult ure a nd perspecti ve on the characters. Play is open-
cnded- t hcre's no fixed structure like those found in otu· other
gan1cs. And the syste m itself is modular-chunks can be added 0 1·
rcplnccd with case- but if you tweak the core mechanics, it falls
a pur t.
\Ve often hear questions like " \Vhy are d1erc so mnny fiddly bits?
\Vhy so muny skills? So mm1y h'aits?" The short a nswe r is: Because
thl' game need~ it. The long answer is: Setting in Burning Wheel is
primarily presen ted to th<' players in cJ1e fonn of skills and traits.
It's 110 1 1•no ugl1 for us to soy thut a culture J1as a particulal' feel.
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Th<.' gwnr uceds
. to represent t hat cultur<.' mcchanicaJly. New setti ngs
and t·uluu-es requirr new system d ements, because the system is what
t•n.forees 111eru1ingful dedsions in pJay.
But then•\ more to it thau that. The range of options io the game creates
thl' spaces in which we pJuy. Skills can be used creatively. AcJvancemenr .
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requin•s dedication aud focus. Fight, Range and Cover, and Duel of
\Vits allow the play<:r to make in1portant decislons on multiple levels.
These decisions briug the player deeper into the grunc and open up new
perspl'crives that ca11 be fw1lier explored through the mechanics.
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We Think Life Should Be Hard

You know those li11le bits of the game I.hat don't rnnke sense, are a pain
in t he ass or seem broken? Those arc hooks that we built into tl1e game.
Sure. it"s a drug 10 be an indigent sorcerer with BO Resources. So now
you huv<.' to earn rour bread by summoning someone's dead loved one,
bani~hing an angry spirit o r going on ridicuJous ly dangerous quests. Fight
i:- <liffieuh and scar y on ptwposc. You ' re s upposed to prepare for it, be
s111ar1 about ir. Tools and silo<'~ scen1 like munda ne, pointless details.
13111 in 1his game, they urc a chance to get into trouble over something
innocuous-ekmcnts tJiut g round us i11 !.he "reality" of t he fiction. And
because 111os1 charncte rs stnr1 lacking som<~thing-or burdened with
something rhey don ·1 wunt- thr dwrac ters urc in motion wit.ban energy
111111 propels them rig ht into Llu~story.
Burning Currency Cycle

The c urre ncy c ycle of a gnme encompasses a playe r's operation of the
system, the feedback the systmn produces and the reward presented to
t he player as a result of the operation.
1311rni11g \Vheel has a long, complex and downright baroque currency

cyclC'. 111 its ,nost basic forin, tl1c c urrency cycle is " Belief, Ac tion,
RewnrJ." Let's break that down.
You ' re a player in tl1e game; you stare a Belief for your c hru·acter. 111c
CM presents m1 oh,;rode or challenge to thnt· Relief. You state an intent
for ovcrr.oming that obstacle. You and the GM dctcrminr the appropriate
wsk for the inlent to overcome that obstacle and select d1e appropriate
s wr, ski/I or auribute 10 wi; t. Af1cr gathering help, spending m1ha and
us ing o the r advnnluges, yo u roll a gainst 1he ohstndc. In 1nost cases,
1h1: tesr earns you (1111d those who helped) advancement, regardJess
of .<,ur;ccss. If su<:c11ssful, you achieve your inte nt in the manner you
,J1·~r'ribcd. If you fuil rl1e rest. the CM cono·ols the o utcome a nd can hove
1111' r:isk fuil oulrighr 01· twis r your i11w11t into unforeseen consequences.
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This process also produces a result in the shared fiction of the game:
Soc11ethi.11g happens in the story. This resuh-a vivid description, a
tlu-illing performance-provides context for new Beliefs.
Successf11I tests lead to fulfilled Beliefs-accomplishing goals and

ea.nli.ng art.ha. Failed attempts lead to n1ore, unexpected challenges to
Beliefs, which engage the cycle a.new, allowing the player to earn more
aclvance1ueul~. Failed atte111(JlS 1:ur11 artlta as well.
Advancements increase the size of the dice pool. This means you can take
grt'.ater und greater risks while atten1pting to act on your Belief. Trait
votes reflect how tbe other players view your portrayal of your character.
A.rrha invested in your s1a1s and skills can cause a heroic shift in power
for yonr duu·acter. But it aU comes hack to testing to try to fulfill a Belief.
Collaboration and Sportsmanship

B1u·ning \Vheel is not a collaborative grune. Not all opinions have equal
weight. Not. every s uggestion should be considered and included.
Bm·ning \Vheel is a gruneof strong opinion, vision and zeal. To excel, you
must nd,·ocate you1· position. However, it is also a thoughtful and civi,1
gan1e. You are expected to play at youJ· absolute best within the scope
of the written rules and the un,vritteo spirit of the game. But to be good
players you 1nust be courteous to one another. You n1ust ensure that
the other players m1clerstand tho rules as well as you do. If they don't,
explain what is IIIH~IP.111' ;;o they can make rl1e best decision possible at
the ti1ne. Do not cheat, grief or spam. Help each other and the game will
prosper-even when you 're fighting for )'Our beliefs.
Some Advice for the Players

So,ne advice for players of Burning \Vheel: Dare the GM to hurt
you. Hurl your character into danger. You n1ust take risks with your
character while 1naintaining the civil attitude described above.
\Vhy take risks? \Vhy not sit back and be .safe? Hisk-taking is dramatic
and exciting. You push your limits and lay everything on the line for
your Beliefs. Furthermore, play·ing it safe in Burning \Vheel won't get
you the resources you need to succeed.
' fhis is a novel way to play rolep]aying games for some. You set out your
own priorities. The GM challenges them. You plunge into the challenge
wholeheartedly, no matter the danger. You don't hide or evade.
_;
The Adventure Bun1er
Don't Be a ,vet Blanket

\Vbcn ru1othe1· player wants to do something dangerous or risky, don't
smother him with s uggestions about 14 the righ t way to do it." Play
dumb und pretend you don't unclcrs tuud the risks. Or play along and
encmu·agc the bad behavior. Of course, you still need to be considerate
1md thoughtrul iu your actions.
1bo often I sc<' players use so much caution w1d care that they stifle good,
mll·r~clic ideas. Don'1 do tluu. Make bn.cl decisions and enjoy the fallout
ruHI cneouruge good risk-taking in fellow players.
Inherent Dran1atic Irony

Burning \Vhccl demands n deep i11vcs1n1ent in your cluu·acter. To make
n good character for this game, you i:uust com.m.i, ymu·seU-co1nmit
to your gruucsmansh.ip in the nmnbers and your sense of drama in the
Beliefs ru1d Instincts. The more you tlu·ow yourself in10 this enterprise,
the more engrossing and exciting the results will be.
Convcrsl, ly, Bw·11.i11g \~' heel acknowledges an i1runu1aJJlc divide between

player and character. The character is a fictional element only olive in
ow· imaginations. It is only in action when we all sit around the gaming
mblc. It is not the player; it hos no life of its own. The player· is not tl1c
chnractcr, but the character cannot exist without tl1e player.
The system provides n safe environntent and many opportunities for

the player to set up his character to fail-not because cl1c play<'r wishes
his charac rer iU, or even because he is incompetent, but because failw·c
is interesting. h shows frailty, vulnerability, courage and heru1 iu tJ1e
characcer. It lets us syrnpatltizl' with him. Failure creates narrative
tension: He fails now, but one dny be will overcome.
Are these frulures pm·cly mechanical? Are we suggesting that you gimp
yourself for a test to <lcliberntely fail ? No1 at all. Numbers-wise, it's always
possible to place yow· character at risk. 1Vter 11IJ, you know ho1v n1any
dice you roll, you know the obstacle. The math isn't that hard. But I nm
suggesting a different kind of fuiJure.
You c1111 set your character up to fall with clever use of Beliefs, Instincts
and t1·aits. You can make him believe in something that's wro/lg. You
know it's wrong. but he doesn 'r. Hr pursues th.is goal with all of the vigor
we expect of the righteous, but uhimntcly, we kuow he's not doing tlu•
right tlting. Or he's doing the right things for tl1e wrong reasons .
..
,:: ,., .
•
' ,) •· if' . ~ (/ ,: ,'
I • • •• •.·. , / , •
l
Or he is at war "rith his heart. One Belief tells him to go in one directio
n,
another pushes hi.Jn doM1 the opposite path. Which will he choose? The
decision is engaging for you as a player, but it is also engrossing for the
audience-the other players-to see the internal conflict played out
before their eyes. C-ertainly, you might want your character to do the
right tiring, to go where you would, but that's the easy answer. Choose
1..hc wroug direction. Do the misguided, selfish, uw·ightcous thitlg. Let
your exp1~ricnccs at the table, not your own personal beliefs, shape your
u·ansfonuation.
Burning \Vheel is a character-driven game. When we set out on the wrong

path, we creute tension and exciting opportw1ity to do the right tbing.
This sounds backward, but re1ne1nber that the premise of this grune is to
fight for what you lJclievc. So if you believe in the right thing, thP.11 1he CM
n111s1 challenge or oppose that belief witJ1 the wrong thing. That mcaus
if your character changes, be'U fall-he' ll fight for the wrong thing. It's
a good choice, but a hard one! IJ you beUevc passionately in rJ1e wrong
thing, tJ1en tJ1~ Ctvl has a chance to challf!uge and oppose you with the
righl thing. lf your char.act('r d.1ange.s tuHlcr tJ1ese circun1stances, then
lie rises-her.an lciu·n frorn his 1nistakes and nm1 to the riglu puth. And
this is tl1e s1.uff tliat heroes are 1nade of.
Directing your character toward this kind of transfonnation needi; u

cleverly worded Belief or l:\vo to ar.k.nowledge that wJ1at you and your
character want 1night be different. E>.plore d1al conflict of interest; sbow
the rest of us the internal su·ugglc. It 1nakes for a satjsfring ga,nc.
Some Advice for the GM

Being the CM in Burning \X1heel is different fr01n heing a player. \'fle mostly
don 'r have to worry about Lracking advanccrnent, artha, cpiphll.Ilics or
u·ait votes. \Ve have au overall vision or a world, a handf-ttl of problcn1s
in 1.hat world and a host of ch1u-acters i-o c1nhody those problems. \Ve
hulunce our vision ru1d our ,vi][ to persevere with an aeconunodating,
cooperative: au ih1de.
\Ve urc never rude. \Ve never react out of ungcr. Our 1·ole is to preseut
unexpected challenges to the players that make perft\CI sense in thl\
context of tht· setting ru1d the action.
p
Secrecy In1pulse
Try not to hide or protect your ideas. Try your best to place chr.m in
harm's way-in the path of the players. ,Vhen the players want to know
something, test chem. \Vhen the players want to confront and change
sorncd1ing. 1cs1 tlten1. \Vhen they wunl to fight something, test them.
\Vhe n you feel that 1ightening in your gu1, "'No. I can't let them .. . ,"
1ha1 's a sign that you need to set an obstacle and call for a test. Give the
-
....
0
(/l
0
"O
pluyers a shot 111 your viUains, your organizations. your tricks and traps. o""
Let ti1em 11·y to succeed. Let tl1e1n risk failure. This staccato rhythm of "-<
d,aUengcs-~omc o,·r.rcorne and others foiled-is what creates thr story
in Bunting \Vft,,,~(.
Emergent Properties
Burning \Vlwd has 1na.11y moving parts. lt is unlikely that one can
u1terpre1 the entin~ range of possible re!;ults by looking al thr indi,;duaJ
pil'crs. li1 dw r.ourse of operation. ii is very likely that th.is sptrn1 of
interlocking gears produces mwxpt?r.tcd nisults. Pi:opertics of the game
em~rgl' only tlirough ,•xploration. No amowll of study or preswnption
will illmninaH: all of the possibilities.
This phenomenon is due in part to the complc:xity of die current'y cyde
and in pan to the nature of n rolr1>layi11g game.
Let's look at some emergent play involving onf' Bdief. Le,.-s say you have
a Belief that states. "l will liberate Oro from his bm1.-!t•n, .~ You· n• l,!Oin[!
to steal Dro's smff, because you tJ1ink he's a bnstaril and you neetl to Nit
and pny rent. So, you usr Circles and \\;s,•s 10 get do~t;' to him. Lutrr.
you mrct him and rnalizr that he',; go1 trouble$, tw. You syrnputhize.
You ust• Persuasion 111111 Falsehood 10 wnse hi::; proLl<'lns out of him. But
as you' re gettJng to know him. you di~covcr thul lu•°::; a terrible person.
One of llis burd1ms is, iu faet, that he was rJw o ne who had yow· family
killed. He feels deeply guilty about it, but it doesn·, chnnge the fact that
your mom. da<l aJ1d little sister are gone-dispatched on the ex,iculion
block for heu1g seclition.ists. You've still got that Belief about him: -[ \\ill
librrate Oro num his burdens.,. Yet . .. somethinc: has shifted. Now you
~ .
use yum· wises and Circles to lt~ru·n about his shadowy past. You Legin to
marshal allies 1lguinst him. Then you dcdde to use your Per:;uasion and
Falsehood to lure hin1 out alone.
At the Inst, you-a pencefuJ per;,on ac heart-decide to a.:1~assinate Dro
wiili yoiu· own hnnd. You play your Belief to ils final iteration: You
wiU remove his ultin1ate burden-his cold, dead soul. Everything has
.
.J .t', , ' '. .
} ' !! <' , '
I '
---, .
changl~d now for you. You began sirnply wanting to survive, even if ii
n1eru1t stealing Ji-om anotl1cr. Bui you 're oot who you once were. \Vhen
you pick up the dice, swvival is the furthest thing from )'Our mind. Only
revenge weighs hcuvy in your heart und your hond as you roll the dice
to finish what vou star1ecl.
You used the sys1en1 to accon1plish a very different onn than d1at with
which you started.
Now i1nnginc this in three layers. You have three Beliefs. All of then1 create
a contl\XI like this. Each Belief colors how and why you engage tbc system.
In a virtuous cycle, each enguge.n1cnL casts new light on your Beliefs.
Thus, what sce1ns strnightforwar<l al the start-player priorities, skill

tests. advanecu1ents, rewards-grows around you in rich, complex and
unpredictable patterns.
Dive into a Demo

That's enough philosophizing. Before you head for the Commentary
section, I rcconunend you do,,11load tJ1e Twilight iri tJ1e Duchy Verdorbcn
fro111 uur1tiugwlwcl.co1n ,u1d r1111 it for ~0111e friuuds. Make t.hc gmuc
frrsh in rour 111jnd as you read and onr fw·thcr ramblings ,viU make
1nuch n1orc sense.
J
Adventure Burner
This src1ion lakes you through a detailed approach for creating a
Burning \Vhed game. I don't reconllllend you use this text word-
for-wor<l every time you want. to start a game. I rcconnnend you
adopt the spirit of the process.and f0t·ge1. the rest. Use the ideas here
1o gr1 you t>xcit<'<l about staning grunes, then go off and use these
mystical 1cd1niqucs to create your own scenarios. adventures and
co111puigns.
:\1 Burnin~ \~1 hcc l Headquarters, we're fans of sketching and

brains torming. \Vt> 1hi.uk those arc vital part$ of the creative
process, so LIU! chapter starts with an exhortation to brainstorm.
Theo wr. walk through escablishing a ~ituation and setting.
r f1•1•l that only after you have situation and setting can you
drvclop clwractci·s. You might feel differently and want to start
with i:harac1ers first and th<m plug the1n iuto a setting. That's
nr.ccptablc. These are guidelines for you.
The chapter also bricOy discusses how to kick off your game or
si:ssion with action. This discussion is followed by u breakdown
of how to dmlle11ge Beliefs. You want to write sn·oug Beliefs, bul
liow do you know what to write the1u about? H you write a strong
situation, how do you induce players to care about it?
Lastly, the chapter rounds out with some rules variations that we
like 1·0 consider when fleshing out our settings.
Definition of Ter1ns
Herc are some terms that wc'1·e going to lean ou throughout the
Adventure Burner chapte r:
Characters
In this chapter, we talk about characters dint the players have
liw·ned up. relationship clutracters that the players have na1ned
<luring chLu-acter burning un<l straight-up GM-controlled NJ>Cs.
23
7
Setting
The setting is die overarching container of play-the place, the age, the
atn1osphere. But setting in Burning Wheel is represented primarily h
stocks, traits, skills and gear. Il's rnore than just geography; it's culnu-:
and people. Tim geographical aspce1-cl1e places-arc just sketched oiu.
Situation
Situation is a problcn1 in the setting to which thr. characters arr
inextricably bound. In Burning \Vhcel, characters n1us1 fight theu· way
through thl•.sc proble,ns. Thcn~'s no othPr option.
Action
Actio11 is t11e thing that's happening iii;ht now. Its t11c inuncdiatc, in-your-
fa cc problc1n llull is 1111:n·ly u pan of a bigger problem ns repri>,scnted
by the :,it11atio11.
Chicken or Egg
To play t hi,; ~,une cffc<·t ivcly, you rnusl c1·en1c a situation. Tu have 11
sit unrion , you n1u:,;1 hnvc scui ng and ehn racters. But seuing does11'1
1natter nn lcs~ you have a c01npdl iug sit nation. And characters n1us1 he
firn,ly tut wined wi1l1 Loth scLCi11g unc! situation. So whi1·h co,nes first?
Chickl'n? Egg? Seuin1[? Situation?
Sketching and Brainstorming

To st•t up a game of Burning Wheel nnd r.rent<' cmnpelling eharacters.
setting au<l sit1mtio11. you and your groJu.p must toss aroun<l su111e idc11s
to narrow ~·mir nplinn,, ancl finrl n genernl IH;pect of tl1c fantus y genre
l'hat interests evervOnl'.
\Ve usually spend a sti!<sion to set up n gan·1c and create cl1uracrers.

Although we nlso sometimrs do pr<:p through email, we find it much
1nore productive 10 1nnke I in1c to do it all fuct'-to-foce.
Draw on nny sourr.f of inspiration at your disposal. If you recently read

J. (.;regory Keyes' The ll'alerborn und were inspircJ by the gods and
rny1hology, dou't hesitate 10 propose pulling those gods into your game.
If vou rc<"cnth· wa1d1cd Per er Jackson's filn1 of ThC' Rr.Lurn of the King
u,;d wc>r<· inii j>ircd by Theod1·11·s speech at Pelennor F"ields, rell your
friends why yon lov~ it aud wrhy you wuut cutaclysmic wars l,en\'Ct'Jl
1he forces of light nnd darkn,:ss in your game. lf you just finished l\1ark
5 111 ylie·s Artesia cornics and love the flavor of his world-the intrigue,
rhc politics. the culture-you should propose using similar ideas in your
game.
Find a land, a placr or a tin1e that interests everyone io the group. Work
with it a bit-adding or adopting ideas. Get everyone involved.
GM's Big Picture

To begin o gum,, of Burning \Vhccl, one of tho players has to buve a su-oog
opinion-a vision. That player takes on the role of the game master.
As the game master, your job is to approach the gan1e with tl1e fire of
inspiration in your gut. You have an idea that excites you. You want to
share it. I call that idea the Big Picture.
\Vhcn you present that Big Picture to the players, you weave their
feedback into it. You want them lo interact with this idea. You want
rhem 1.0 have a stake in the fate of this nascent thing. So we bend Wld
srietch it a s best we can 10 o.ccommodute tl1e players' needs. Some ideas
don ·1 fit and nre discarded fro111 the start. Some will wash out during play.
\~'ltilc the process is not an equitable collaboration, there is give and take.
However, as you brainsto1m, remcntber this clicmm: Limitations make

things interesting. Don't try to include everything i.u your Big Picture.
Li1nit it; pru·e it do,vn. \Vhen yon decide not to include an eleo1e111, devi se
a reason or logic beltind t.hc decision. Likewise, when you expand the Big
Picture to include input from II player, share the logic of your decision.
\Vhy do these clements exist (or not) in your schema?
The Big Picture is your world, but the term "world" is too big. The word
world makes you cl,ink you need to design an ecology and economy right
off t he bnt-t he whole fantas y ,nilieu. You don't. You need only sketch
rough lines. Create a loose struct11re witll indistinct borders thnt rou can
detail in play. As you fill in each area, you lerun how it works. When you
retu n1 to a place you established, it feels comforting. fostering a sense
of space and time.
Tone
Ser a LOne lor your garne. Tone is o(ten t ied directly to the setting. Smne
examples include: s traight bistol'ieal {Barbara Tuchman's A Distant.
1't1irror), mythological or m)'Stical (711e Tale ufthe Heike, which is son
of historical but with magic and heroes), fairy tale (Willian1 Cold1nan's
Th e Princes.~ Bride), grim dark fantasy (Stephen R. Donaldson's
Th e !vlirror of Iler Dreams or Glen Cook's The Bl.ack Company) and
i U, r.,.1, 1,•.: n- -1 ,,,.,,,
: lf. ,.,,
• / ·· '
. '
adventurous in the vei.n of clussic

Dungeon s & Dragons farnasy
(Terry Brook s' Th e S111ord of
Shannara).
Loose Character Concepts

Toss around s0111c loose character
ideas. The C~t's Dig Picture is a
large circle cnco1npassing appro-
pri11tr. r.hnr11ctr.r concepts. Playr. rs
state wlsat typr of character they'd
like to play, but they :;hould also
he ready t.o adap t ns d1~1uils get
firn1ed up. There will likely have
to be son1c negotiation bet ween the
GM\; co11ccp1 of the selling and 1hr.
players' chm·act.l.'r concepts. Try to
ac.conunodate all of I hf! idem; that
make sense. Throw out everything
that's disruptivr. or nonsensical. Actually, keep one thing that doesn't
mft ke s~nse. Yo11a1igh1 be able co make the anon1aly compl'lling us play
de\'d ops.
A word to the wise: Consider the lifcpaths. Try to 1nold your concepts to
the existing Hfopaths. Creating new lifepaths is possihlc, but it should
be yout· option of last resort, not your first.
One-Sentence Setting
At this point, you should have at least one sentence to describe the type
of setting in wliich you want to play. You should not hove more than
three bullet points.
AH dH&ir.11t ki11Jdom iH wlt,di d propltr.si'et/k,n!J Ytcledj'ust!y, letiVIH!J it

till ta Iris son uppn /,is tleatlr.
rite la.sf Elven citadel, st,11a sh.inin3 example Pfalltltat tlte First FPlk can
auPmplish, a place PfwisJpm anti1race.
A hrPken /anti to which the Ores were exiledafter their Jark IPrJ wu
defeated
rite primon{ialforest that links ta all forests.
,.
i'
p
A tap_estry of Dwarven princes ?''"'J for fame andJlory from their

palatialhalls .scatteredalo"'J the mountains.
A land walked bJJods who do not have the best interests ofhumans
anti bea.sts at hearl.
Burning Situation
Burning \Vhecl doesn't care about the topography, population, dimsite,
cosmology or creation 1uyths of your world unless-unless-it matters.
Whnl matters in Burning \Vhcel? Stuff that challenges the players'
Beliefs.
Ro,v Do You Challenge a Belief?

To successfu lly challenge a Belief, you fhst need to create believable
comcxt. You need to draw the players into the world so that they cure
uLout rheir characters and these challenges; then you confront them.
Blootlshe.fin the name ofviolence is iYYe!tjious,- I shallnot raise myhanJ

to strike another.
ABelief like that $penks of p.ac;i6sm.. You cau,,vl challenge it simply hy
saying. "You're in a fight! " Or even, "Some guy picks a fight with you.
Whal do you do? "
You need to create a situation in whicl1 t he player can make a choice

about how he will engage that Belief.
In this ease, the owner ofthat pacifist Beliefis a tloetor. What will he
do when one ofh,°5 patients is attaeketl while convalesein!J? w,1/ he
intervene? Wt11 he stand idly hJ? Run for help?
A situa1ion is something that contains choices. \Vhat are these choices?
They are potential actions a player can take with his character. It's not
enough to have the option to refuse or to walk away. ln the context of
the game, you must have the option to cul your own path.
These choices lead to actions. Actions are tcl;tS of a character's abilities.

Resolurion of an action produces a result that changes the situation,
even if only slightly.
Building a situation is tricky business. Note its many qualifications:
• A well-wrought situation is interesting to everyone at the table.

• It is a conflict that encompnsscs ,nany fictional people, making it
ensy fol' the players to bura characters that are central to this long-
term conflict.
• It gives players room for input and interpretation through their

Beliefs, Instincts, reputations, affiliations and relationships.
• And perhaps ntost important, a situation is not easily resolved, uor

is it solved through any one straightforwai·d path. In fact, there is 110
correct solution-only action.
All t hat is certain is that the situation must be confron ted through
adventure and conflic t. \X1 hen the situation stops burning, when
players cau 110 loa!!cr find con llicts to which they can attac h .Beliefs and
Inst inc ts, you know your game has eon1e to a conclusiou.
Ho,v Does One Create a Well \\'rought Situation?

Creating a situ at ion requin~s a 1neasurc of passion, a slice of inspiration,
a helping of detexmioation ancJ a good a1nL>unt of patience.
• Think. Conic to tht ta ble witb an idea t.lun excite.s •you about Burnin110
\Vhcel or fantasy ganiing or literature. It could be a character or
eveu a situation burrowed fro1n anothel' story.
• Brai11stor111. Everyone hns an idea they' re excited about. Ger it all

out oo the rahlr.. I like to havr. everyone pop off an ic.len, and I write
t.ltr.m do,vn in n (jst as they come.
• Be inspired. Gtt cxcitell nboul other peoplr.'s ideas. Repeat each idr.a
a.loud as it's announced. Roll it around on your tongue.
• Be merciles.~. The ocher s ide of this fr:endly collaboration is to be

merciless and honest. Cut out idr.as that don't interest you.
• Co111promise. Aft.er you've all brains1on11ed about ideas that e.tcite

you and hacked off the ones that don't, cou1promise. Merge what
you have. How can it nil fit together? The Gtvf is the main player
in this role. It's primru·ily his job to take the ideas and build them
into a coherent whole. Be imaginative. Crcace a warped intemaJ
logic. Each connection between two elc1nents creates a reason or
paradigm. Explain this log ic lo the group.
Usr. the following questions to get you started and talking. Again, the
GM ,;honld take a stroug role in this, but needs to honor reasonable
.-equ~s,~. especially for iucludiug character types. Try not 10 break the
,euing. bur rather llesh it out.
• 111,at's the conflict? Whut nre the characters involved in? What are
the sides? \Vhat problein do they foce?
- 11'/,o opposes the goals of the characters? Who arc the

antagonists? \Vhat ii; the relationship between the antago-
nists m11J tJ,e chai·actcrs?
- /11hat are the a11lagonists' goals? \Vhy,arc t.hc characters in

their way?
• /111agi11e a scene in which all of the characters are standing i11 a

room mit/1 the antagonists or their minio11s. \Vhat do I hr. antngonist~
want from that 111r.l'l i11g? \Vhnt clo the characters want? Pnrlc:y,
redrnss, slaughter?
• Alternately, imagine the characters standing at. the scene of some

gn!af disaster ur cu/amity cleurlJ• caused by one ofthe antago11isM.
\Vhat ·~ the r.lisaster? How did it happen? \'\' hat are the charoctexs
going to do about it right now?
• And lastly, what's cl1c raison d'etre; \Vhy are the characters together
as an inseparable group? \Vhat is the glue that binds them? Are 1.hey
fnmily, neighbors, fricnrls or fellow employees?
rite situRt,"gn for one ofr,ur uunpm'jns wa.s a.s follows: An iu ll!JC aYYivul
be~«$,:; Deatl, J"';.,ctl cqntn,I "f 11,c t;o.,/ ofF,i-e~ /41den1, wltul, ht:Au
the worltl. rl,c lantern nuw!Jullcrulin DeaU,'$ &are. MJSkriuuslJ, tlte
_'/roup w/lS Jispakltu{ en ajouYHtj bJ Dea.tit lt«self /Q /inJ the lanUYH
anti JcciJe whether 11r nut to rekintllc it.
Tl,c ton/fitt was two-fold First, Ute pl4Jcrs haJta suuessfu!IJ UJmpletc
tl:eiYjPurncy. Sccontl, they woultl hat'& to convintc l>caUt in rc!}arl to
the fate oftire lanttrn.
Their opposition was (rijltteniHJ· when I cgns1ilcrcd the sr:ttinJ of
wnlkin!J!]DJs, it struck me Utat Uteir enemies woultl he tltc two !)Otis
who wislreJto see li!]ltt andfire extinJuishetleternally: Nijht anrl C?IJ.
Those arc powerfulenemies.
~ A
'
i ; , t.. _
I •
i , ;, rt' t fi ... I! 1!~, ·.t
1
< .ul 1 ·. :
From the Qut.sd, Iplannedt" have tlte 4«/ofColdpursu,itJ them, tun,UfJ

allin the1Ypath to ice. The t;"d "fNijht wuuld then u(for tu a,i/ the>H ,;,,
/heir 1uest... 1fthey wfJuld un& perform a smallservice /"r l11in.
TltfJse were my b'j settin!J n1laiHs. MfJre ,inmediately, Iplannttltu "Pl'"se
them with tribes "fhumans whu believe/ themselves to be the Chusen
(n"t the players}, j"blins whu SfJu!Jht to cause mischiefanti lesser!J"tls
whfJ simpfJ wu11te~ to jet tl,eir waJ .IC$fit& t/,e en./ time.,!
This was a rather esoteric but hljh-stakes!fame.
The last element"/the situati'un was tlte must impurtanf by for: WhJ
were du: draracicr.s tojctl,cr? What buunJ tl1e1n? We Jcc,ileJ ll1at t/rr;_y
aYJent!J believedthey were Chusen ufDeath. Each hadtheir own re«sfJn,
but essentiallJ they weYe zealots fay the!J"d I'll talk moYe abfJut the
charaeteYs in the 8uYniH!f Characfeys se&Hon.
Burning Setting
\Vhen creating a setting for Burning \Vheel, it's irnportanL to
acknowledge the game's limits. Versatile though the game rnay be, you
cannot "do whatever you want."
Burning \Vheel doesn't provide you wirh u map, geography or other

setting details, but there is a selling to th is game. TI1e lifepnths, traits
and game rules 1hcn1selves create the setting. The atrnosphere of this
sclli11i; is pa,:;sio11utc a 11d violent. It's fraught witlt volHtilc cu1utiu11s Uke
fnith , greed, grief and hatred. The people of 1his setting are trying to
escape the grind of their daily Life, looking for son1ething better. They
are a colorful, quirky people-but often scarred or crippled by their
experiences.
Look over the Ii fcpaths and traits. Try to fit these ideas into your setting.
If you c11n 1nake it work, your gan1e will go smoothly. If you can't make
you r ideas fit with our intrinsic setting, you need to rethink your gan1e.
Tcchnologicnlly, Burning \Vheel favors fourteenth-cenhrry France and

cwelfth-cenlury China. The poor nre very poor but s urviving. The
wealthy arc very wealthy but also teetering on the edge of ruiu. Magic
is extremely potent, armor is effective nnd injury frorn a sword or bow
is calamitous for the vict.in1.
By default, there are peasants, villagers and townsfolk. There is a noble

ruling class and an elite class of 1nagicians and priests. The age of
the professional soldier-mercenaries-has just dawned. Slavery and
l.londage arc not uncommon, and society casts out those who don't fit
or ober t1·adition: criminals, vagabonds, insurrectionists and sorcerers.
In addition to humans, there are all manner of fantastic peoples. The

most robust are Elves, Dwarves, Ores, Trolls, Great \Volves and Roden.
Each people has its own distinct culture that governs its abilities
and outlook. These peoples are heterogeneous-their cultu1·es exist
seporat ely within the setting.
All of tJ1ese cle~ncnls exist in the default Burning \Vhecl setting. You
can and should pare down the default settings to what's absolutely
neccssm·y to get your setting off the ground.
Use the following questions for inspiration. L et the world-builders in

your group go 10 town-the GM should take an especially strong role-
but be sure Lo accepl input from all interested players. Try to answer
these questions us succinctly as possible and don't spend more than a
half hour or so on this part!
• fflhat's the Big Picture?\('hat's going on in this setting tlu:it makes it

,ipe for adventw·e? \Vhat's changing, evolving or declining?
• lflhal:'s the culture? \Vhat arc the cultural analogs? Analogs can be
taken from history, current events or fantasy works.
• ll1hat: is the environment or atmosphere like? ls it a sunlit realm of
contrasts or a dour, grin1 country?
• fllfwt:'s the name ofthe 11wst important place in this setting?Not the
capital per se, but tl1e place where all the action goes down.
• lf11,at's the nanze ofa faraway place? A place that folks talk about,
dream about or mutter about under tl1eir breath.
• Whal t;ries of magic exists in this selling? How is it viewed by the
various cultures?
• ll1hi.ch character stocks are in play in this selling? Which are
restricted and why?
• Who are the moMlers of this setting? Are they outcasts, or are they
a part of everyday life?
• flow does the econorny work!' Whul 's cl1e currency? Who collects the
taxes? What do people do for work? What's the major trade?
7
I'm JOiHj to Yun Jown tlte answeYs for SPme Pf these '{~!UJn.1 for 411
example campaijn:
Bij Pitture: We plaJed in this worldin a previous!Jame. We wa11teJto
explore more ofit hut we diJn 't want to rehash what we'ddone. 011 the
other hand, the results ofour last campaij11 were rather catastrophic:
Fox Coe! tri&ked Forest t;od, Mountain t;oel and Fire t;od into war with
one another. This resulted1n Ft're t;od's lantern hein!J dousedaHdstolen.
We Jecided'fhat in the aftermath ofthat divine cataclysm, Death haJ
come ,ntopossession ofthe lantern andan ice tlje hadset ,n. rite 1uestion
overlta"'jin!J this world now was: w,11 Death exi,n!Juish the lantern for
!Jood a11dplun!Je the world ,nto eternal darkness or would she rekindle
it and hr,n!J a11 a!Je ofreh,'rth?
Culture: We decided that some time hadpasseds,nce Deatit had!JaineJ
the lantern. In that time, !JlacieYs crept down from the north. Human
civilization CYumhleJ into itinerant trihes, slowly flee,'n!J hefore tlte
ine)(vra/Jleaid But in aJJi(t'vn to these tribe5, !]Yca&(uny lro//5 now walktl
the earth, protectedfrom the sun hJ thepallof!Jloom thatpruu/eJthe ia.
Env,ronment: rite ice llje wasn't complete. I decided that the uunpaijn
wouldstart on tlte ice andmove south and wes4 ,nto veYdant str1l-livin!J
lands. But ,ftire!JYoup delaJet/, the weather would turn coldand the
clouds would hlot out the sun.
The Most Important Place: This campaijn didn't ne&essarifJ have a
centYal location. It was ajournt:J, a 1uest that traversed the world
In fact I maele &erla,n that the location ofeach session was markedlJ
different titan the last: a!Jreat cave, a ruslt,n!J rive,; a hidden jlade, a
!Joh!tn !Jrotto, a mountain town, a rott,'nj vallt:J and windsweptpla,ns.
FarawaJ Place: There were two farawaJ places ,n this world: the land
ofDeath andhome. One was at the end oftheirjourno/ and the other
was the bC!J1'nn,nJ,
MaJ1&: Thor decided lte wanted to plaJ a summoner, so tlte WQrll/ Ital/
Summon,'n!J. Dan")' decided that his hrother was a sp,'rit h,ntle,; thus
there was also Sfirit Bindt'n!J. And, despite the fact that!Joris trod the
earth ,n ma")' forms, there W.ll5 no Faith ma3ic present in the world
IfJou wisheJ to entreat a30d, eitherJPu hound it with Summonin3 or
entountereJit thro"!Jh1our Circles or relationships.
Burning Characters
Chura<'ter Concepts
'
,r111.·11 you'n• burning up your characters, weave in the details you've I
rrl'utl'd for your ga1ne. Review questions. Tic characters into s~tting I
anti situation. I
Continu,n!J mJ example from the Settin,J anti Situation heatlin!Js, we I

hat/four characters joined to!Jdher by a love of Death-the power, not
the practice.
Thor JedJetl that he wanted to plllj a mulic,ne man who treated with
the dead He daimeJ that he haJreceivedhis powers when he died and
was thrust back ,nto life by Death herself
Dro tit.tided tliat lie wantr..Jtorial 11 simtfe hunftr who ,vi.shttl fo juule
his companions safelj to the Land ofthe l>ead.
Group Burning
\Vhen you makl' characters, try to make them together as a group.
T here's a certain energy and camaraderie that only comes when all
heads art> bi:nt lo rule books and pencils can be heard scritd1ing on
worksheets.
Making characters together is pretty s rraigluforward. Take turns

announcing your conccprs and check to make sure ('vr.ryone is still on
dmsame page. Then tuck into the Burner. Choose your lifepaths. Divide
stnt., trait, resource and ski ll points. Buy your gear. \Vrite. Instincts.
Reud off the Steel, Health. Grief, Greed and I-J1:1trecl questions. Hold off
011 relationships and Beliefs for a moment.
Hacking LifeJ)aths
If you're ~tuck on finding the right lifepatb to rcprcsc111 your setting,
you may use the following options. However, the 1nodi6cntions must be
uppro\'ed by the other players first and then the CM gets final say. He
can make suggestions to modi(y or tailor your changes to th<' setting.
This fr; his job: to ensure rhe setting creates adequate adversity for your
liule guy.
Clu111ge //,e Na11uw fir11t

Tliis mc tho<l is by far the simplest, best option for modifying
lifopo1hs to suit your sr.uing. Change a " knight" to " jani_s snrr,"
for exumplt:. Soruc1imes that 's the diffcn,ncc you need to make
i r.
. . ..
I
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somerl1ing fit. JI that 's not enough, ndu a wise or skill to the pnth.
Don' t change unyt.hing else. ff tl1at's still not enough, change one skill
to somclhing rnorc appropriate to your setting. For cxrunplc, if playing
in u Renaissance setting, you rnight need to change Bow or Crossbow
10 Firl'anns or smncthiug si1nilur.
Son1c1irnes the culture of your selling just dot>.sn't fit the lifcpaths.
To uccornmodntc the culture. consider chru1ging one of tJ1r lifopnth's
1·1!1.1uircrner11s--a truil or skill.
- The Adventure Burner
Traits are a m~jor part of the Burning \Vheel ethos.. but it's tenipting to
cut rhr111 out m ftwm· of yow· new awesome setting. I nrge you not to.
Believe it or not, be~1~nd each lifepath trait is a careful decision about
grune balance. So, 1t s cool to change the names of traits to suit the
Oavor of yo11J' game, but try not to change their substance.
Ne,v Lifepaths
SomeLimes your setting will encourage inventive twists that aren't
inr.lnded in our Iifepaths. Create a new Jifepath th.at suits your
requirements. Try to look in the various settings in the Codex for an
analogous lifepath and base your new path on that.
Lise this option sparingly.
Of Men and Monsters

Sometim1~s, a player is going to <levise n cluuacter concept rhat simply
ca nnot ue burned up using the existing lifepaths. There arc a couple of
ways ro go about this. You can sin1ply rough in the appropriate abilities
and tTaits for rhe creature or you can burn it from one of the extant
lifepat h sets and then just toss on some additional traits to make it into
a monster.
DannJ wanteJto play a halftYol/, hal/-yeti. We useJthe TYoll lifepatl,s ta

create the skeleton oftire thaYacter: The.n we replatedsome ofhi.s TYolli.slt
traits wit/, traits from du: Mon.siY<1u.$ T,-ait List: Ratltcr tha11 bci,'J .sea~
he was hairy. He replaeeJ lti.s Claws a~u{ Fan!J.S with the Aura ofFear,
a11(/Iris Ni_jht Ej'es with Keen Sijht.
Cultural Traits
\Vhat cultural traits apply to the characters of this game world? Pick
one r.o three character traits for each culture (sec the Burning \~' heel,
pugc 198).
Material \Vorld
Take a look al your material world. Can you 1nake your setting more
interes ting by imposing limits or restrictions? \Vhat weapons arid
armor are available? Arc some wcapnns and armor restricted to certain
cultures or characrcr stocks? \Vhul property is available? Are resource~
and gear otherwise rcstri~tcd?
'
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Burning Action
You've got u ;.c11i11g, u situu1io11 u11d chnnu:1crs,
so you·rt· good 10 go, right? Aln1ost. l.,111 11111
quite. You 11e1.·d on il11111cdiutc problem iu tl1<'
setting 10 kick you off. You 1w1•J 1w1iu11. To
c-r1•orP 11ction. th<> G~·I 1na kl's n stro11~ s11111·11ie111
11uou1 how tllf' u111ui::011bts. ,heir 111i11iu11s 11ml
1111· g;l'11l'ral fon:c•s of 1hc sN1i11g un• out ro mnkc.·
the li,·1·s of I h,· dutrurH·rl> Jiflicuh.
Thc•s<· forn:s rau 11twrk Ihr churacfl'r, cli r1·1·lly.

a1111ck thrir n·l11rio11~hips nnd property. orcvl·II
lry to dcslllhi li,m the ~Cltifl~ itsc:l f. Tl11· c rir St•IS
up u ~c,•1111rio :u1d lnys i1 0111 fur 11,.. pl11r,•n.
Ahcrnnlt•ly, 1111: 11c1ion ran consist of n n1is.;io11

for the plnycr charoc1cr,-u11 111·1 ll11·y must
1111cler1nkc-. The dirtr.rio11 for 1hr n1i,sio11 rnu w.s
from (1111' of 1h11ir rclution~hips. Thi· go11I of the
mission c11t111111lc~ 1hr111 wilh lhl'ir r.1w111it,. It
should11'1 1opplo•. or Jin·ctly confrc.1111 d11· 1·m·my.
Built! up lo I hni.
Tw/J fribe.s-(!He u/funy fruf/s, unc oflrum1111s-mi:ct al tl,epYuplre.sid

place, the 11111ufh 11(a!JYCaf &ave, B11tl1 &!aim t1J be Cl1ose>1 of Deatlt 14
1011/erl-akc tltis 1ue.st. You ari: mr:mbtrs ofb11th tn'l,es. Yo" mJ<St strike a11
a&eoYdso that tl,r. lYibcs do noi sla"j/,/er cad, otl1er nn,Ifa,1 to &ompli:ie
Deaf/rs '!"est br.fo~ ii i.s bC!JU>f.
/11 our!Jame, a &oHtest hetween tire d1amp1iJxs ofcad, tr,'l,e wn.s t/ul11Yed
Tire wmner.s would!JO 11n the 1u.est.
OH&e tlte eonlesl.s were 1'ceit/ul, theJYUup ofClto.rcn was led info aJY&al
t11ve bJ Bat (;ot/. He let/ them lo a d1as111 from which they /,at/ lo leap in
tlaYkncss i11!11 R,'vcY (;01/antibe swept aw9- Tho/ luul lo m11kc Forlt It.sf.;
lo smy eonstt'oJ<S 011:e fht:J hit tlte fee21i'J, r11sltinJ l'iver...antl then lhq
weYe aiva1.011 theiY 1ucsl.
Burning B~li~fs.and Relationships

Now dull you have sct ting. s1t11atto11, characters and actiou 011 the table
die ploycrs finalize ony relationships their characters have and writ~
Beliefs.
The action as dcscriucd by the GM should grab you by the throat. If

your enrmies arc ~cl ing" against you, you shouJd be narrowing your
ryr.s and saying ""i'\o wny after heari og the description of their actions.
If you·vl' been :;,~rH on ll 1nission 1 you should be staring a1 the CM with
conviction, announcing, ~Nothing can st.op me!''
The followi11g bullN points give you s01ne pointers:
• \~'rite a Rrlief about l'lw action. This Beli1•f n111s1 be gonl oriented.
• \Vritc a gonJ-oriented Belief about hclpiog, hindering or learning

ahout another player's char::U:lf:1·.
• \Vritc a non-goal-oriented ethical statement about the situation-

you oppose the situatio11 on moral grow1ds, you'll do the right thing
no mailer what or you' ll follow your code despite the sintation.
• \Vriti'. a goaJ-01·icmed Belief about one uf yow· n:laciouships.
• \V1ite an etlt.ical statement about something you want to explore u1

the setting.
Chris wrote tlte(ollowitlj Beliefs for- /,is funy troll who loveJ l>eath:
• I mu.it(i11d a !lu,Je tu aid me on this joun1ey (or I w,11jd lost).
• I must YC$Cue the latttern and keep if: /4ur11i11j,
• ! love Death. I w,11prove to her my f rowess andserve at her sil/e.
The sifuafio11 in ofour-first session wa.s a tlirecf dtallt:11Jt: to l1is last Belie(:
to prove h,'s love for Death and win his plau on this ruest at all &osts.
Burning Mechanical Details

Thrrc are a hnndful of mechariicnl details that rhe C~[ and interested
play,!rs can fiddle wi!'h to lmr-1er customize the game for the setting.
• \Vha1 optional or new rules from this book are you using? Make s1u-e
nl) of the players are aware I.hat thesr. ruJes m·c in play.
' ..
I •
' ' .
• \\' hat's your Resources cycle? One ,non t.h, season al, six mo nths,
n11nual?
• If traditional Sorcery is used, wh at's its idiom? Does ir 1·equ ire
speech ? Gestu res?
• Lf traditional Sorcery is usec~ w ha l spells are available? \l'hich spells
arc inappropriate io the gmne worl d? Jf Su m.mon ing is used. which
orders an• in pluy? lf Art Magic. what scJ1ools? ff Deuth Art, whid i
crea tu res ru·c appropriate? If Spirit Bind.in/!, wh ich donrnins?
• ff Fnith is usrrl. wlmt is LIil' Fni1h i<lion1? \Vliat are tJ1e religions? Is
Fuith univt'rsal or d ors ii only affect bclicwcrs?
Resources Hacks
Are tbere specia l conditions on your world that ne~~ssitate characters
b~gi1111ing w ith certa in n:sou rcc,:;. g1ior or rc.la 1ionships ? ff necessary,
d ist r ib 111.- 5 , 10 01· 15 resou r c:1· p oinrs to each cha ra cter, so t hey may
begi n rhc ga nu~in line wil 11 tJ1c ,·ision of you r world. Don't ra ke this one
lightl y. Jt can break i11c gu nu:. Err on the conscr\'ali vc side.
Does yo ur worl<l n eccssi1a t e r.r.rt ain traits for s ur v iva l ? ls it a n

t1pocalyptic wastcln nd. un undl'rsc.a kingc.10111, a realm of r.loud castles?
Tf s u, n~i.,11 nppt'Oprinte ll'nit:, to t he characlt:rs 50 that cvcryl11i11g {iv;
and 1nak1•s sense. T hese tra its sh ou ld n1osdy be ch a r acter n-aits, but
low-end die tTaits a re a r.cr. ptnblc. 100.
Burning Starting Artha

f or gan1cs with a n iorc bcroit: lccl, sta rl your players wit h a larger puul
of artha-up Lo t hn!e fate mid t h ree p e1-soua . To cucour~l' you r plnyera
to realJy divr. into lheir Beliefs, start them with the. ba re 1n ini n111111 of
une fate and one per sona.
Wrapping Up
The q uestions an d b uJlet points in tltis chapter should have you primed
to develop a functional situution and setting for a Burning \Vheel grune.
T ltis chapter is little n1orc than a sketch . f or a ntore iu-depth look at the
individuaJ mr.r.hanics and how to use them in yum· grunes, check oul the
rather extensive Comrnentai-y section. Beliefs , setting and situation all
have individual Commen tru-y chap ters; building n long-running grunc is
discussed in the RWlning lhe Game ch ap ter~and collaborating and b eing
a good, supportive player is discussed in th e Table Behavior chapter.
~
--
More Bloody Rules

Here an•. some rules lhat n1ight help clean up some bad habits and
soft spots in I he rules that emerge in long-term play.
Too Many Cooks

For tc!-ts in which space or time is constrained, when design by
co111mi11cc· would prove detrimenutl or ,vhcn the Gl\1 feels like ii.
only one hclpC'r should be a llowed unless cxlruordinary conditions
are met. Extraordinury conditions include a training skill or lrait
that allows for t' Xtra help, a workshop (not just loots) or extreme
conditions as clctcrn1incd by the gmne's circumstances.
Slowest and Loudest

\Vhen using help 10 inakc a test as a group-such as running away,
sneaking or climbing-the cha rac le r wilh lhc lowcsl exponent
rum;i uiake the tcsl for the g roup. U two chon1ctcrs have the san'lc
exponent, use the one with the higher obstacle penalty.
Slowest and Loudest applies to tests in which the g roup must

succeed together: They are a ll 11·ying to convince s01neone, they
arc a ll sneaking together, they are all fleeing an enraged n1onstcr,
etc. Jr is not a universal rule to be applied to nil help. Sometimes the
master can accepl help from t he students, but at other times, when
the studen ts have to escape the rampaging n1onsrnr, the protective
master can only go as fast as the slowest of the pupils.
Fight Action Variants

Counterstrike Variants
There are t,vo variants to the Countersuike action that we use at
Burning \Vhccl Headquarters: Counter-Lock and Counter-Disarm.
They use the srunc basic mechanics ns the CoW1terstrike--the same

action interactions. You divide yow· dice between defense and attack.
39
The ai1ul'k portio11 of the Counter-Lock ucts as a Lock action . Clicck
tlu: inierat'tio11 ugai11s1 your OJ)poncnt's current action. lf you meet your
obs1udr or wi.t1 the v«·rsus 1es1, apply a Lock a ccordiJ1g to Lhc srandurd
rul«-s. This also iJ1dicatl'S you've won advantuge at hantls fighting distan('(:.
The attack portion of dw Co un1er-Disui-m acts as a Disann actiou.

Check 1.he interactions against your opponent's current action. [f you're
successfrt.l, you knock yom· opponent's weapon away, as per the scundnrd
rult•s.
I only rcconrn1c11d incorporating t.l1r.sc variant nr.1 ions if you 're looking to
udcl ,non· nr.u-tinJ flavor 10 yotu· gmnc. J also rr.co1runend lin1iting them
10 ;,periJit· skills or e\'ell iudivid1111I cl1aracwrs who ca11 1cacb t.l1c111. A
sin1plc instr11c1io11 cycle i.:au bl• used for 1.eadm1g this new technique.
Dan1aging Locks
After you incapac itate your opponent with a Lor.k action._ yo u may
1:un1in11e to apply 1hc L ock action even though your opponent cannot
resist a11r f1uth er. Each suh:,cqucnt wiopposed Lock action cotulls as o
bare-fisted Strike. You ,uay 110 1 uses any weapons for this 8n·ikc rxccpt
claws or teeth. The grappled ,;c1i111 may uot defou,l in any way. ,\ rmor
<lor..s 1101 protect agains1 1.his u1tuck.
If you wish to incapacitate smneone und knife them, you use a regular
Strike action aud all the nonnaJ rules for tha t at:tion apply.
Stature
Stat1Lre gets shorl shrift iu Bunting \Vheel. Let's sec if we can n1ake up
for that. There arc five statures: tiny, dituinutive, 1niddliug, 111assive
and gigantic.
Middle of the Road

Humuns, Elves, Ores and \Volvt>.s all count as middling stallu·e. m.!.ither
diminutive nor 1nassivc . And due to the ir Stout trait, we ' II count
Dwarves as middling stattu·e for the purposes of this rule. Roden, aJns.
are dir11in111jvr..
Grabbing the Big Guys

Add a +1 Oh penrul)' for each step of difference in stat1u-e when a smaller
character is attempting 10 Lock, Charge or Push a character of bigger
stal ure.
- The Adventure Burner
Thu~, 11 ()wurf or liuanun bus + 1 Ob to Push, Charge or Lock a Troll

(111ossiv1• stalnr~ ). They wo llld have +2 Ob lo Push. Charge or Lock a
Drugon (gi~annc stntnrt>).
Faith Hindrance Against Stature

\X°lll'll attempti11g to use thr Faith Hindrance rniracle against creatures
of larger than 111id<llinl,{ -;tatnrc, use the following modifications: massive
,;rnrure counts as two people (Ob S); gigantic :itature counts a s three
people (Ob 6) .
Free Shots
Take all lhe free shots owed to you on a 1naneuver in Range aud Cover
(instead of being limited to one as described in the standard rules). Don't
say l never gave you anything.
Instinct Timing
How much time does an Instinct provide? The core ntles are intentionally
silent on the mattr.r. I want players and GMs to decide what feels -right.
Instincts arc a way to edit the story so it fits better wid1 our conception
of what is heroic.
But if I h111.I to put a nu1nber on it, I'd say 2-3 actions before a conflict are
reasonable for un Jn:;tinct. But don't gel too picayune with this definition.
If you have an '"Always practice ... "' Instinct, then you practiced the last
time there was a good mon1ent for it. But this doesn't mean you can
sq11ccze i11 one last practice session right now before your big fight.
'. '
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_... __
Commenting on
Commentary
In this St'Ctio11. we try to pass on all of our observations and
insights t1bout Bur11i11g \Vhcd . \Ve break the game down c hapter
by clrnptt't\ rule by rule. \Ve also try lo talk about what happcus al
t he 1ahle-s111ff beyond the rule books. This section is for e.\'.1w r1
users who wnnt 10 gl·t n1orc out of their p;amcs.
In N1c.h commentary chapter, we discuss the rules, how they work

a11d what they mean. \Ve talk abou·t house rules and vnria1ious.
And then we u·y to delve into pruc Lical applications of Lhe rules at
the rable. So, there's more than just 11s blabbering ahout how much
we likr the f ight system. There ore poinre1·, on how to get more
from the rufos for your game.
Tradit ionally in our section introd11c1 ion!>. we list each chapter

and g ive a summary. There ai-c loo 1nuny chapters in this sectior1 !
You' re just going to have to read through and cujoy the process of
discovery (or use tlw Tobie of Co,11,~nt,;}.
The Co1nmcni-ary section isn't incant to he n:ad straight through.

There's no na rrative to iL Euch chapter is largely independent of
t he others. Cornmentary is meant to be di gestl!d a bit at a time.
Read 11 chapter to clear up confusion ubuur mechanics after onr of
your games. Or consult a chapter be fore your game lo help sharpen
your situat ion. \Ve feel these essays ore all useful, but there's too
much informatjon to absorb in one pass.
43
Table Behavior
Rules give us tile procedure for the operation of the sy,1cm. They
tell us how to n,n 1hc 1,un1e. hut there's n1on• to how w,' play than
rult·s. \Vha1 do players <lo 01 the tnblc wh<>n ploying Burning
\Vhcl'i? In this cbupter, we hi ghligh1 s001e in1por111nl habits 111 our
rnhle: referencing die rules. loggiug 11•s1s ond nr1ha. supporting
, thl' other players in pursui1 of their goals. passing the spotligl11
n11d taking no1 es.
Referencing the Rules

'fl1ere·s II cc11ain ebl, and flow to the in1e11~i1y of play in a rolcplaying
gaul('. Sonu:timi:s we're ull talking in fw my voices. deeply cugros,;ed
u1 the situc11io11. Son1eti.J111·s wt·' re slinging dice and crying ,·ictory
or howling d efeat. So1netimcs W<' ' n· on interested we1nbrr of the
audience. So1ne t.in1es ,vr. zone out. And sometirnes we need to
reference the ruJC;1.
There is no secrl't knowledge in the Burning \Vhcd 1·uJcs. Evl'rynnl'

is encouraged 10 k,now the rules ofthc ganw. S01ne player,; will have
a bcner handJc on iJ1e ntles than otl.iers. T hat"s only natural. But
when n rules question arises, we. referenc-c tJ1e rules: \VJ1111 s thnt
obsmcle? \Vhnt';; the. practicr. tin1e? \Vhat's the appropriate skill?
Sornetunes we all go to the rules ut tll(' samr time. So111etunes tht•
referrer is the C~1, but more oficn it is a player not directly i.J1volvcd
in 1.hc act ion who reaches for a book and reads aloud tltc relevant
passage. It helps us all becon1c n1ore fru.niliur with the syste111. Our
ml'n1ories are sttbjective, faulty and mu-eliablc. By relying on tilt'
rules. we ensure that calls are. as fair and consistent as tl1e.y can be.
It deserves n1cotio11 that if there's 11 dispute to be set1lcd or

interpretation to be mudc about the rules, the G~1 is the lead plnycr
in tJw rnnttcr. \Ve can each cite ntlcs, bur Lilt'- fmul cml is tlu: GM's.
Master Your Role

Players arc re.sponsible for knowing their 1>art. U you' re playing n
knight, familiari:.m yourself with Figbl. [f you're playing n courtier,
lem11 the Duel of \Vi1s chapter. If you 're playing n priesl, read up on
faith. If you're playing a sorcerer, learn what yo1u· magics do and
bow to perfom1 tl1e10.
44
Commentary
ffyoureplitJ'>IJ a Dark Elf, make sureJou know1u~r Spite.

It's considered very bu<l fornt at OUJ' toble to not know the specialized
rules for a character you 're ploying. You ntight not hove mosterccl tJ1cm,
but mil.kc o rcnsonoble aucrnpt to absorb the1n. h's the polite thing to do.
One way to learn these spccio1facd rules is lo help refer 10 them d1u-ing
play. \Ve don't e..xpccl you to 111c111orizc cvcrrtl1ing Jicforchond. \Ve learn
much better by doing and refrrriiig i11 play.
Logging Tests and Artha

The best prat·ticc for logging a test for advancement is to wait m1til tJ1c
moment hus pussed, the tc;t is resolved uud the performance hos ended.
The ~potligh1 will iJ1c,-itnbly puss to onorJ1cr player or the GM. Use that
montcnl to quickly check off your ad\'unec11uint. If rou don't know what
the cW'ficulty was, look it up-either on page 41 of the Bualing \\' heel
or on your charac ter sh(~{·t.
Do not be rude and interrupt the CM and other players by asking for
the difficulty. If 1 could go buck and arnkc t.his a rule, I would: '"If you
interrupt another player or die G!VI with a q11csrio11 about advancement.
you lose the test for u<lvancc1ncut tha1 you arc. trying to log., Tht•
interruptions drive u1e crazy, cspeda.lly sini;e tl1cy're tllll1ccess11J1··
On the other hand, when firs t starting our \Vith Bnn1mg \~'heel, for the
first few sessions yon should stop play momentarily after a test or scene
and walk eve11·onc tlu-ougb logging tests.
\Vheo you s pr.n<l artha, Lhc siruation is different. You must announce
Lhc expenditure to the group and 1nark it off your sheet (1111d 1nark we
progress toward epiphany) os you spend it.
Supporting Other Players

Suppo11i.ng other players in pursuit of their goals is a 01ore nuanced
behavior than referring to rules or logging tests, ~111 it is an important
habit al th('. tnbl1•. It rcquir~s mcosw·es of sensitivity, hmnility, fair ploy
and a sense of drama.
Support. goes bcyoud passing a helping die, but it can start tben•. lf a
player is in pursuit of a Bcli,~f, doo' t ju1np on th1\ test simply becaust•
you havC' n bctte.r c honcr of succeeding. Offer to help the other player
occompLlsh this goul. Rolcploy the mentorsltip and support.
On the other hw1<I. if you're gunning for o goal, out you don '1 need Ulis
1cs1 for ndvonccrncnt, 1ttl.c n n1on1cnl lo roleplny your chur11c1cr nskinu
for hdp. Mnke 011 impnssioncd pl('n. L<'t another player Slrp up and shnr:
in yo1tr momrnt. Help them help you accomplish your goal.
i\1101.hcr great wuy lo suppo11 u11otl1cr plnrcr is 10 i11dudc his cl1aroc1er iu

one of yow· Belie.fs. \Vritc u Belief nbo111 hl•lping. hindcring or convincing
n11otl1t•r plnyrr·~ chnrm:tcr. h's g11nrn111cc<l to benefit you ho ti1, and you 'II
get to shnn· the spotlight 10 resolve tilt' ;;i1uotion.
Passing the Spotlight

Sonll'timc•s you l111v1• to tukc cenler stage when n Bdicf is chullt·ngt cJ.
However. nf1t•r you'n~m:co111plisli1•d II goal. think 11hou1 how you c 1111 liclp
yo1u· frllow players accornplish 1..hcirs. Don '1 he selfish in rhr spollight.
They've hr.lpcd you. Now. what c:nn you do 10 help tl1e111 ? \Vc've found
that u session of Bu111i11g \Viard pill)' oftr n rcvolvc::s llrOund one or rwo
players clriviug the: oc:1io11 while other plu}'l'rs. who arcn'1 as inveswd.
()luy s11pporti11g roles. h \ u pcrfcctlr natur.il stnt<'. and tho~,· role•.<chn11g,,
from session 10 srssion. \t'c 1:011 ·1 alJ be: i.J1 tlm spulligl11 all tJ1e tin1c·.
As the G~I. you 1n11s1 h1 conscious oft his ph1~110111!'11011 as well. It

1
dorsn't pay to focus too heavily 011 one clinractcr--cl111Ue11ging only drnt
chnn1cter's Beliefs. This wilJ sty111i1• the growd1 of the: group. \Vlw11 I'm
n11111ing a can1pnig11, I u·y 10 pick one Belief from Iwo different clmracu.- r:;
to challenge i11 a session. During tJ1e sc.ssio11, I set up the challenges for
those Beliefs. Evoryouc else is cxpcc1ccJ to hrfp or support those players.
Hopch1Uy the)' have Beliefs nhout doing just 1.ho1. Next s~ssion. I set up
challenges for two different Beliefs. This way, i11 our on1toing grunes.. I
work to ensure tJu~spotlight is shamcl over 1hc long rnn11.
Note Taking
At B\VHQ we like extended cmnpaigns. \X1e like story liurs 1hat sp:u1
;.L-slo.iuu~, cu111puig 11s, cluu-uctcr.l a11d even groups! \Ve foster this t)'pc
of play hy keeping notes 0 11 our pluy. Usually a couple of players will
note down the nruncs of characters met, places visited and itc:ms found .
The C~1 logs Duel of \Vi1s compronlisc.-, 11nd winni.J1g statements. Aucl
S<>1ncti1nes a pluyer will keep on obsessive log of nil of his dmractcr's
UCl."U111plis l1111c11 ls .
Commentary
Aftl'r pinyin~ this way for mai1y years, we have a sprawlina archive of
matl' rial from multiple cainpaigns. Honestly, it's a bit dau~ting. Since
ii's a.II scribbled i.11 notebooks, it can be hard to finrl a particular piece of
information. 1-lowevcr, it's incredibly inspiring. I can grab 8 notebook, Oip
ihrough ii and 11ot only rc1ncmber son1e good times, but find inspiration
for other stories for those characters-stat blocks, scrawled notes, careful
plans and lists of 11an1es.
Tht'rc's plm1ty of <lo,v11time i.n a grunc when the spotlight is on another

player or the CM is in the bntlu-oorn. Instead of re\\-Titing your equipment
list (again), checking your email 01· tuning out, rnke some note.s. Jot dO\vn
wha1 you're thinking about the <;runpn.ign. Write down your friends
hilarious in-d-..:u·ncter outburst. Hecord the name of the fortress you
jus1 couquercd. The noles ,vill pay dividends in the long run. \Ve use
notebooks a nd a folder full of notes for each crunpaign. Some folks like
10 u:.e on line documents and wikis, too. These can be shared around 1.hc
group 10 allow everyone to conlJ'ibutc and collnborotc.
.,
Running a (jame
The Burning \Vhecl provides procedures for creating a character,
c-nu ,uerating player goa ls, resolving con flicl s and changing
charaeters over time. Yer the tex t cloes nol provide instructions
on how ro coo1binr those elrmenls and run a session, ndvenrure or
ca111p11ig11. T his chaprt•r contuins loose cornrnentnry on how lo r1111
a gan1r of Burning \Vlll'cl. \Ve'II get into specifics in the. individual
com111c11tary d1aptcrs.
One-Off
A complete game or Burning \Vheel can be ployed in one sitting. In
thi:; case, tlic situation mus! be u 011r-ac1 srory with one goal to push
toward. Cou1pljcutions in uttaining the goal and the resolui-ion of
1he goal make up rJie action for the session. Burning \Vhcel sessions
of this typ1• run frorn two to sb: ho1u·:;.
I lcrc arc :;0111c of the one-offs I've run: A tribe of O1'eS oumnpts to
ovcrtluow its leader; a delegation of Elves comes to congrarulate
a Dwarven prince upon his coronacion, but they forget to bring a
gift; four adventm·ers find a rnngical sword and debate who keeps
rhe tTcas1u'C; fow· Elves jo urney to a lost island to end their kin
who have brconte Dark Elves; a fnmily gnrhers to c:rcn1ate rheiJ-
deceascd gmndfather and divide his patrimony; and a ragtag group
of adventurers ntust rucl a town plagued by a violent dcrnon.
During a one-off session, don't worry about tracking advancctnent.

Don't track arthn for epiphanies. Most players ,viii focus 011 one
Belief in a one-off session. Once they've made a staten1ent about
that Belief, challenge it. You 're not going to get: a second chance.
If a player is struggling with a Belief, try to push for a cl.unax that
threatens or changes that Belief. Otherwise, don't ,vorry about
ch11llcnging each Belief in a one-off. Drive toward the action ,vith
players who nre interested and focusecl. Other players with tangential
Beliefs need ro dive into d,e action mu.I pw1·icipate-encouragc d1c 1111
hut don't coddle t hem.
When starting a one-off session, it's viral that the CM be explicit

abou! the situation. Before characters arc chosen or blll·ned, the
GM tells th,: players what the goal of the session will be. l-Ie's not
48
Commentary
oblignted IO n·veal un_Y secrets or spell it out, but he inust tell tbc players
\\·h11t's going on. Doing so allows the p layel's to make more directly
llpplkab le c hoices for 1.heir clutrnctcrs -Bclicfs, skills, wises, gear-and
thus gt't rigl11 to chr action.
Single-Session Goals
If yo u ,verr to tat·klr n dungeon in n single session of play, tbr CM might
C1
l)J
give u goal like. "retTicve the orb.'' He then notes about four obstacles that 8
(I)
lead to 0111.' fight. I-low the players handle the obstacles dctennines the
state of the fighr. Tlwy cun walk into it fresh and smart, or t.hey can wash
up bcdrnggled and in IToublc. The results of t.he action in the dungeon
rni~ht leacl 10 u Dud of \Vits about the fate of 1hc nforemr.ntioned orb.
If every1hing goes well, we n1ig ht play o ut a rell11TI trip througb sorne
of t he obstacles.
Short Campaign
To run fl s horr ca,npaigo of Burning \Vhecl, you' ll need a sr.tt:ing and
a si111a1ion with two goals . One gonJ sh ould he obvious and explicit,
:;irnilar to a one-off sl.'ssion goal. The second goal should be occluded and
emergent. It prcscmts itself aftt·r Lhe first goal hns been accomplished or
faileJ to be acco mplished.
How long is shor l? \Ve recommend 4-15 se.ssions. In four sessions, you can
accomplish lfUile a bit, but don't have roo:r11 to advancP- many abilities. In
15 sessions, you can us ually see 011e full cycle from a starting chaiacter
through n rrait vote or two, with plenty of advancen1ents.
You have more time to stretch your legs in a short campaign. You can
afford to more broadly address individual Beliefs. 1-Iowevcr, you still
ueed lo stay tig htly focused on the resolution of the. situation at hand.
Pla n on confronting th(' first goal at the end of die second session or the
beginning of the 1hird. However, don't start slow. Start off the fu·st session
of the short campaign with act.ion-a confTontation, a fight. 11 <lispute, an
argument_ a ceremony o r a mystery revealed. Use this action to engage
the players; challenge u Belief or two right out of the gate.
Once you 'vc accomplished t11n1 first goal. the players will have new ideas
ol,our their 81·lict's. Encourage the players to clmnge them. Prepare to
Lr. taken by surprise. Prcpurc to have to scramble to challenge tben1.
c;
... • > : .,
Your second gonl is a twist or revelation presented nt the conclusion of

s
the first. h is not an uncourir.ctcd sm·prisc. II a 11a1tu-nl outgrowth from
the action L11us fur. This twist is revealed in the action of con1pleting that
first gonl. You topple t.hc clnJ-c. but you lrnrn 1h111 your wifo is prcgnmn
by hiln. You gain u pup from wr opposing wolf pack. bu1 now you'rr
<imbroilcd in II wur wilh the gods, and so on.
Long-Term Mechanics for Short-Term Play

In n short c1u11pnign, it·,. possible for the pluyers 10 nccomplish micro-goals
frorn session to scssion- d1nngi11g u Belief m the top of rach session to
reflect their inUlll\WRtr goal. This is perfectly 11cccptablc. Also, encourage
t.hcm to track advnnccml'UL You·II probably sec aclvm1ce1ne111s in session
Lhne or four. Don't worry uuout trucking epiphany arthu-u n.lrss you
plan l o r<'lur11 to these d1ru-uc1crs in 1hc fu ture. A11 cpiph1u1y typically
requires 30-50 sessions of piny 10 11rcon1 plish.
Lifestyle mninll'nuncr cycl1•.s dcprncl on 1hr pace oncl passage of 1i1nc in

the fiction. If you're playing u llllll, tl1rUlcr-like ;;tory d1ut happens over
1hc course of n week, 1.hcn you won·, llc1·d lhe lifcsrylc maintcnanco rules.
If you 't-e pluyi ng n shor1 can1paign 11ho111 u wur tJm1 ~puns a year-with
sig11ificu111 downti1110 he1wccn the hattlrs- d1cn you'll wa,11 10 agree 011
11 111ni11tcnnncc r.yclc.
AJso. nl the end of II short caJ111>aign, lnkr tirnc to perforn1 a trail vote.
It is an oxeellcnl way lo reOcct on the game and ccmrnt thr cluu·actcrs
in 1.hc group's imnginution. II is nlso a nice rcwm·d for aJI of your hard
work. Or, you cun nccclcrore the puce even frrrthcr and allow o rrni1 vote
afrer the first short can1paig11 goul is nccomplished. Thnt way. you gel 10
piny the changed r.haractcrs-which is its own rrwnrd.
Long Campaign
Burning \Vhccl is designed to be nm as n long cnn1pnign. The sys1cm
crratcs growlh and change in the churacter--Beliefs nnd lnstiJ1c1S change,
abilities advance, injuries reduce your abilitic~. new traits arc carnet!
and old ones lost. In a long cnmpaign, theRe evcn1s happen inevitably
nncl repeatedly. Thus the cltru·acter changes 1101 once, but gradually.
constantly, ns the story progressrs. l find t.h is style of piny inuncnscly
satisfying.
How long is long? To us, n long c11111puign is just gelling rolling around
session 12. Al t.hi~ point, all of die original Beliefs nrc resolved and now
wt•.'re really digging i.tuo tJ1<i selling.
..
·----
I
I i~
I
Commentary
For II long g11nw, it's important to have a l,ig, loose setting. The C~I and
w
thr plnyrr~ ntied lo hnve nn idea of the ,culture, the custorns. the mores
und even 1J1c prejudices of tJ1e people tJ1 ey w·c playing.
1lowl•vcr. 1hr, pregnant sit1mlion thnt kicks off a one-shot or shon -tenn
game is also virnl to the s uccess of n lo11g-term game. You must jump into
0 Jong-1t•r111 l-(1Ulll' with a1;tion and you rnust move front action to acLio11 •
\Vh~n a gun I is m:complished. it reveals n ew informatio11, u new situation
iJ1111 chan~cs tht• players· pPrspcc tiv,~s. Pluycrs rnust u1odify their Brlicfs
10 nec.0111nwdn1r tJ1is 11cw information. Lf you n:ach n point in which tJ1c
nc1io11 is n:solv1•<l uud pluy<irs don't wish 10 modify their Belir.rs. you ' vc:
rcnc:hNI tJ1r end or yum· gnruc.
In u lon~-1cr111 gurnc. truck ndvanrcmc111 and log a rt ha expenditures

fur rpiphnnics. K1•cp a prnct ice journal. At lr·ast one pln yer showd take
11011,,; on imporiunt l\'P Cs met, compromises rr uchcd w1d otJ1er imponar11
1•vo>nts. Pr.rfonn a u·ait vote every o-12 sessions.
Reir1corporutc N-PCs. Old chnri.t:tcrs encoun1t,rc·,l in tlw curly dnys or tlu.-

gnme return with u 1ww pcrspecti\'e and 11c.w gouJs.
Hcvi~i, locutiuus. lkcurring localiom; bdp cn~:ue n sr.11s1· or place in the

game. Yon cau indicate progress or change in the settir1~ witJ1 description~
of how cer«oin locations have ehw1ged during the course of tl1c story. Tlw
play,·rs Cful also disectly l'h ange the~e pluces-buyir1g them. n1ling 0Ycr
tJ1cm. destroyir1g them or libcrnting tJ1em. This in 11u-11 l'reatcs a scnsr or
ownl·r:.hip, whid1 tran5lates to owncrsh.ip uf LIil' story iL~1:lf.
F.ngngc with the practice 1111d lifestyle maintenaucc t yd1·,. \X'l1l,n a

charnc1er absolutely must rccon:r from ru1 inj ury. use tJ1is rlowutime to
allow the otJ1er charnctcrs to accomplish long-term ailn~. 'Jl1eir progress
is described in terms of prncti<:e cycles- ir1trig11ing at courtl' Practice
Etiquette. Scouting a ci ty? Practicr. So·cct\\·isc. Imprisoned? Tune to do
pushups for two hou rs a day nud pructice yottr P ower.
\Vhcu you reach a lull in tJ1t• gan10, do11 ' t be afn1id to sel it nsiclr. for a
while. ·talk uboul tJ1c setling, the chm·acters and the c.vents. Find out
what parts of the setting interes t 1h1i group. Pick up the game again
and address 1.hose inmrcsts. Or play from a different p erspeetiv~ame
setting, b ut different characters. \Vii' ve: nscd one of our settings to play
0111 a dozen campaigns from n vru·iery of perspecti ves. From n<lve111ure
10 adventure, some cJ1aracters recur, some arc new. This practice truly
gives the selling n feeling of life and dcptJ1.
; . ' , , 1 - ! l•r'
:.1>; •.: ' •. ,' , ,.u • . ' I,''
One-on-One Games
Soinc of 1uy fu voritc c1u11pnigas huve been one-on-one: oue player aod
niysclf us the GM. These gronrs are intense. You hnvo lo be vel)• focused.
There's no way to turn aside 10 l.lllother plu)'er nucJ get a break while your
hruin chrws on u t.horuy problcn1.
L1 my exprriencc, this i111 cnsity n1akcs the sessions shorter 1.ltan they
would be for u larger group. My 011e-play1:r sessions lost between rwo
nnd t.l.u·ec hom-s. Never longer. 1'he.y'rc cxhousti11g, since you cun't pnss
the spot light nud rest or nincct.
l\1echanically, the game works (in,; in tllis n1odt c~cept fo1· tlu-ci- asper.ts:
help. arthn an<l u·ait voles. Help i~ u problc111 since 1l1cre is only onr
plnyer-antl hdp is u vital a;,p(•t:I of dw system I hat ties deeply 10
odvanccmcnt and learning 1ww skills. To rcn1e<ly tltis, play st.rong NPCs
n11d use 1he111 us surrogutc l'C11. Builc.J closti rclntjonships. Lei. tl1c NPCs
help and be help~d during piny.
The ar1ho awards for ~tVP. \Vorkhorsc and Entbor.liJnc111 arc a-icky. They
are derived from Ii group votr. h',, tou easy for tJw GNI ;u1d player 10 lazily
agree that nil awards an· deserved. Or too cusy fQr rhc playr.r to sit back
and let 1he Ci\-l liaud out Liu~awards nr will. Neither of 1hese sct•narios i&
at'CCJ>tuhlc. llotJ1 player and C.:~l n111s1 he open. hont>.-;t and cri1ical of Ll1c
session. They both fl('Cd lo look a, the· session with <litipassion. Ile harsh
critics. Your play will benefit gre:uly from it.
Trails votes are difficult in u n1nnncr ~imilar to group-tlctcnninr.d artlra

awards. lt·'s too easy to be lazy and ju!;t toss on benefits. Thr. player
and Gl\-1 musl be crirical of Lhr. play ru1d look a l it with an open m.i nd.
Procedurall)', tJte CM plays a cl1rnl role in rhr. tTait vote, acting ho1h as
die group und us the Gl\1. It's qwH: a bit of powc:r. I lc judges the plup~r s
pr.rforruancc und detern1incs what 1rnic i~ appropriate or wha1. traits ore
valid to bl.' 'reruoved. It's n bit stressful but also very refrt>.shing. It's a
1re1uc11dous venue for deeply changing fl characccr. ,\ one-011-onr. game
will transform you and the wny you play.
A group game is like u little pnrty, but a one-on-one game is u1ore like a
date. The intimacy, for lack of u hcrter word, call br intimiduting. There's
nowhere to hide! Still, tJ1c cxpcriencr. is ,·c1·y rewarding. Try it 0111.
Commentary
Practical Action
811n1ing \Vhccl is o game about action. Characters take action in service
of tl1eir Beliefs to accomplish their ends.
Options and Questions

To keep action interesting, there can be no set outcon1e co tl1e situation.
Both pluycr and GM must be prepanid for a be ne ficiul or harmful
outcome, but the CM holds tl1c greater responsibility in this process.
\Vlwn t.he CM pre.~encs au ohst.ade for you to overcome, there must be an

explicit que.stion about its resolution. Your nemesis, the cardinal, visits
your cell. You've been coudcnmerl. I-le r eprx-scut.s yonr only possibility of
rcd.rcss, yet you hate llinl. " 'ill you treat. witli him or will you go !>toically
to yow· fate? If you !Teal witl1 him, will you plead, bribe or spell your
way 0111 of t his si111u1ion?
If then?s 110 question, considt•r Saying Yus to chis accion and moving on.
fights and arg1unen1s in Bur11ing \Vhee.l have uncertain outcomes. They
prcse111 their ow11 in11emn1 ques lions: \Viii yon survive? llow much
will t his 1:ost you? But ngai.11, if tlmrc's no question-if an opponcut is
unossailabl-do11 't play out the action. MoVli tJ1e srory along to the powt
al whlch therl' is n question with uncertain outcomes. You can't defeat
tl1e gianc in single coniliat; you' ll bl· clcstroyed in a single blow. But cru,
you ourwit hlrn? Can you escape J1is dungeons? Those arc questions
whose outcornes we don 't' know. Their resolution will provide us with
iJHcn:sting play.
Practical Situation
Sintple Motivations
\Vht·n devising problems to be solved iu fantasy roleploying gan,es. it's
easy 10 run away with complicated, 0111's ized ideas. The classic cxampll~:
\Ve must save the world! \Vh y? Because tJ1e forces of ancient chaos have
arriv,•d l.o annihilatl' ii! Creal. Who cares?
Suc h s ilunlions ure wrnpling, because they arc full of awe and imply
heroi c d~cds. H owever, Burning \Vhccl opcraces best with s i1nple.
humuu motivations: greed , jculuusy. grief, hatred , zclllou-y. Ion·. despair,
fra1crni1 )', ,·t.c. Drill dow11 10 d 1esc bas•· rnotivations and you Clln give the
impending doom of 1he world more gravity.
....
1 •
Pinn• tJicsc tht•mcs nt tl1c core of your s itua tion and build our from there.
Gi\'l' yo ur characters 111otiv11tion s based 0 11 tl1cse. simple c1notions and
Biu·ning \~1hecl will sing.
Evcu if yon ' re conduc ting an old-school d ungeon cr a wl, m ake yo ur

dnngconeer h a teful a nd bigoted or rnotivn tc• h.i.Jn wi th loyalty and
friendshi p. The Goblin King nu th e cen ter of this bcllish pil 1nigh1 be
mo tivated by uru-equi tcd love for the noble k n i,gh t's bea utiful sister.
.\,loti vntions Like tl1esc hel p the actions nrnke sense. They g ive structure
uround which you C,ll l <'llsil y w ra p Bd icfs and Ins tinc ts . And n1 0s1
unpor rn nt, they ullow yo u to start from u h elicvahlc center a nd grow
0111 into the rcubn of t he font astii:.
The key to crellli.ng nu epic gamt· iu 81u·ning \Vhccl isn't in the shndc
of tl1c vWnin 's ubilit ies. b ut the n101iv111ions. T hese motiva1i ons must be
mud1• comprehensible. rven sympntJ1c-1jc. Make th(' core of the story smnU
nnd set it ngru11s1 n ln rgc bnckdrop. Your game wi lJ rnke on nn epic scope.
Practical Situation in
Continuing Games
h1s one thing io sci up a nenl world aud l111vc arr intci'tSting starting p oint,
I.Jut how do you cont inue thnt gruu e?
Last Time ...

\'ou can p ick up rigb t where yo u left off. Bricn y nic-np tl1e IAsl session.
Drop the plnycrs right b ack in uo t he ucLion. This is a basic tech nique
Lha t works well for r esolving cli!f-hnngcrs an d otl1cr 1u1.f inish c<l ucLion.
It's easy for tl1e Grvt b ecause h e doesn't have lo do n lot o f new work for
t.h e n ext scene.
The CM can and s hould use t he break l,('C\v eeu sessions Lo add a new
C\vist or dilne nsion to the situa.-io n. Bring in a rela tionship to help or
an ene1ny to hinder, or use n previous fojlurc resul t lo add a new twist.
Be sm·e 10 a dd this 11ew ubs1nclc to the end o ft.he rccup uf last ~c.,;sion.
The players arc welcome to modi fy or chan ge Beliefs to suit developments

in cJ1is ongoiug problem.
Our Intrepid Adventurers Recently Discovered ...

You can use a recap method that takes the lusr hit of a ction and restates
it as 11 kind of prolog u~ fo r the coming session. This works well witl1 big
r~velutions . Resta te the d iscovery. Ranlc off a numbt\r of ilie pla yers'
Commentary
options for dealing with the

situation. Give them a few minutes
to discuss. Then hit them with a
new twist: A relationship conies to
sec then1 with ,nore information;
011 antagonist makes a move
against on ally; or an antagonist
makes n move direc tly against· tl1e
group.
This technique is most ea sily used

at the top of the session,. but it 's
qu itc e ffective during a session,
Loo. If t·he players luck di rec ti on,
you c an stop tht> bick e ring and
say, "You rei:ently discovered that
tl1e twelfth daughter of the Queen
r-.•lother of the cil)' is n sorcc:rcss and
in loV(• with Ian's charac ter. \Vhat
nrc you going to do about it? "
~1ea1nvhilc ...
If your group is split up, }'OU 1nus1· s,vitch the spotlight between the two
scgnll' nts. I find it e.ffcc livc to start the session with a " Meanwhile. .. ,"
focusing on the group that wa~ inac tive nt the end of the lasr session.
Describe the situation of both groups. Let the players write or n1odify
Beliefs. Foc us the action on one part of the group. Allow them to overcome
or reso lve one obstacle. Cut back to the other group and do the same.
Try 10 keep each cut to five ro 10 mjnutes . Don't mnke the other group
sit so long Lhut they get bored. Try lo make the cuts back and forth witl1
die rolls. Somctin1es you can even intcrt\vine tests berwcen '"'o sepru·a,ed
groups. Set up 11 test and huve one group throw the dice. Cut to the other
group before narrating tl1c rcsuJts . Hnvc the second group roll for their
test, but then cut back Lo the first group and determine tl1eir results. And
then finally jump back to die second group for their results. It 1:an he a
nice tension-building technique.
Onc:e the acLion is resolved, narrate the groups rejoining. " After your
huiTowing e xperiences, you meet ugain on d1t> fru· side of the marsh." Or.
""Lut,•r, Lac:k al your apartments in Lhe t'ity, you discuss whnt happened."
; 1 ,• : ~
Of com-:;e, if one group is in great danger, the other players may have to
come to t.ltl' rescue. If this is the case, don't make the captur ed or danolina
r, 0
group wait too loug. F'rnme an obstade to the rescue and resolve it. Dig
dght into the real acrion of the situntion--pluycrs helping Olli' nnot.her
i11 a heroic fashion.
You can also use Mcunwhilr s ituations to demons trate what the
antagonists aJ'e doing or to show off a piece of the Big Picture. 0111:c the
players have resolved u sit uutio n-<'spccinlly one tJtut transpired over
n long period of grune time-hit t.hcm with a Meanwhile: "Meanwhile,
the Society of Pro fessional Mourners has set up an office in tl1c f uncrary
district. \'011 hear about it from sonw of your dients." Or, " Meauwhilc
. '
while you were out traipsing a r ound tlir co11111rys idc, die Council has
passed n law rcsu·icting the practice of magic in the city." You can use
tlwst.> to showcase thr effects of the players' actions in the serting and
foreshadow the O('xt situatio11.
Born fro m your setting and s ituation. such s impll' s tate ments cn11
galvanize a group and ~!JIil' t.l1rm to creative actio11-csp(,cially if they
d 1alll'll8l' lldil'f::,.
Later...
The CM cono·ols 1hc paci11g o f the game. If he feels the game is s taJled
or drugging , he mus t reframc uu: action. )·le Lriefl y narrates a jump
in time and thc11 describes tht.' -r u rrl'rll, more p,·essing situa1 ion lo the
players . It's the perfect opportunity to grab Olll~ of thr playe r's Beliefs
and confront him nhout it.
Don' t s ny, " You finish that and wait. " Put the players right int0 thr
throat of a problem t.l1cy can' t ignore. Tell them. " Your hearing goes
poorly. You 'r e conducted bai:k to your cdl to awai t tl1r. verdict. After an
intcnninable.. undefiuable amount of tin1c:.. the cardinal-yoUJ'
. nemesis-
is admitted to your cell to give you absolution." \Vhat will you say to the
cardinal? \Viii you try 10 escape j11dg1nent?
This technique is very powerful, but take care in using it. Players will
often want to interject some action or detail, 04 0h, hefore iliat I wanted
to go shopping." Say no. Tell them there was no time. This is a GM
superpower. You cont1·ol pacing. You get to set the si:cnes. Of cow·se, if
you hone!idy forgot a pending request, you should honor it. Don' t be ·a
dick. but don't let players di thca-.
Commentary
\Vben Do You Back Off and Let the Players Take ilie Reins?
h 's imporlant to ket•p the action moving, to keep tl1e players interested
and engaged . ;Vtcr a good, strong rw1, players will be exhallited and out
of idt•1.1s. Their characters will be beat up, in need of 1-est and recuperation.
You J o 1101 want to rei;1 up t:hc characters before evet)' dramatic situation.
Tlw wliolc p oint of being wow1dcd or suffering sinlilar pennllics is
t.l1at thes<.> u1odificatio11s make 1.he next action more d11nge.rous, more
challenging. If t.hc players are allowed 1.0 gatJ1cr their su·cngth before
1:'l'ery eucotwtcr. then tile penalties lose their value, which causes success
aud faihu·e d1l'mselves to lose their value.
Thus, you must sn·ike. a balance. You. 1nust push t.he players and threaten
t.hrir choracters . You must hru-ry tl1ern, work theru. But once they have
nccou1plished t hat great goal in their Beliefs, you must: back off. Once
U\<.' situation has been r1!solvcd or substantially changed, you must. give
t.he rei.J1s to the players. You must frrune the action so they can rest and
considt>r their option!;.
EYcn so, unless you're cnJing a campaign, you musL constrain Lheir
choices. GiYe them n sel amount of time or resources to use. Give d1cm
a month to rest and pracLicc, for example. During 1hat time, they can
make Rcsow·ccs test.5. At the end of the rrsL period, something happens:
An event ttarn;pi.J·cs t11al challenges their Beliefs in an 1mexpected way.
Certain savvy playel's will huild rest.. rr.cuperation nnrl n~fittinr, in1o rheir
Beliefs . They'll create personal goals that seem to dodge ilie situation and
create room for them to lessen the i.rnpact of injm-y, true or loss. Don't get
flustered by chis cactic. It's a beautiful thing and perfectly vttlid within ilie
scope of Burning \Vheel play. Don't forget: Your job, as GM, is to challenge
their Beliefs, whatever they may hr.. So if the players write Beliefs shout
replenishing lost. gear or recovering from w.o unds, run with it. Challenge
tltem: Pester them as they recover; tax them as they save; sumn1on them
for duty when they practice. The story will spin in uuexpeeted direct.ions
with this actiou. The players will gain a new perspectivt!, you' ll generate
hooks for fut ure d evelopments and resting won't be quite so easy.
Of c:ou.rsc, if thP.y resolve these Beliefs, they should be given time to rest
und refit 11s p r.r their goaJs. As t11ey recover, hit them with a Meanwhile
situation. Or whc-n 1·hcy'rc done, frame the action with n Later situation.
Keep things n1ovi11g !
. ·1: . -.. : , ,. ; ··1 ;°
If there's Lru1y no action or situation to be resolved, then don't play

out tJ1c rest and downtin1c at uJI. Simply set a lcnglh of ti1ne and allow
ploycn, to log practice, recovery ru1d jobs as appropriate. Dou't forget
those w·~stylt· 111uintenancc tests!
rfi'L
l~l
w1
,.
~
-
Situation
Commentary
I believe stories arc best told through the actions of their
protugonisls and antagonists. However, this statement is simplistic.
It',. not enough lo have protagonists and antagonists. To create
druma. we need the seed of a prohlern that will drive the characrnrs
into con !\ict.
\Ve call this seed " situation." A situation takes a handful of

elemcn1s from tlic bigger settiug, places them in context an<l pits
thern against one another. Nfnny forcc.s are ut work, all vying for
dominance. The outcome is uncertain.
In 1his chapler, we offor corrnnentitry un creating and playing

through ~ituutions in Burning \Vhccl. \Ve discussed the Big Pit:1 un'.
in the introduction-a settirrg fraught with peril and all manner
of interesting characters. Jt seems like that would be all you' d
need to get a game rolling. Unfortunately, starting out with only
charncters and u setting mukes playing Buruing \VhP.P-1 hsiri!P.r
than it needs to be.
That's where we come in. Tu play Burning \Vheel, we need a Big

Pir.ture and this smaller situation. Once we have them, we can
design our characters so they are part of this world. They hav~ a
role in it, a stake in it. They feel at home. They care about it or,
conversely, hate it.
\Ve need to wind your character up :And launch him or her into the
situation. You know the forces at play. You know your role. Write
Beliefs 1.hat thrust you into action. They tell us that you're going
to enter this space and do something. \Ve don't know the outcome,
hut something is going to change. In tltc course of this action, other
unanticipated elernents will be revtaled and create new s~tuntions.
New Beliefs will be written to address new situations. Action will
spin off into unforeseen directions. Play will be interesting and
exciting.
59
.
., , . . ., ·.-
,I • .. , • ~ I
' , . ' ·' /'
;, I 1'
Three General Situations

Broadly spraking. therr are three general types of situation in fantasy
l'oleplaying: thr quest, the stl'uggle and intrigue. They u.re not mutually
exclusive to one story, but they exist discretely within a narrative.
For example, you 1nust recover nn artifact and confront a supernatural

C'\'il. Heroes risk their li\'t'S in this qurst. Meanwhile, rhe armies of evil
f Wnrm over the land in an ovcrwhdn1ing I i<lc. A sn1all band of heroes
must ruJly their Lidcu6 ucn:d allic~ 811d stand against evil at 11ny l'OSI.
\Vhilc in the halls of power, the struggle und the qunst have unearthed
ugly tTuths about th(' ruling elm;s. These. revelations must be carefully
11aviga1ed lesr they topple the very order lltat nil now fight to uphold.
Thu, exun1ple out Iincs au epic campaign. However, your game does 1101
nerd to be nearly so involved, especially at lbe outset.
h's lwst to pick one of th,· al'chetypes and work fron1 then!. flesh out
the situatiou at hand, und perhaps leave hooks for the other tropes to
tie in later, if appropriate. In gcnr.ral. n. campaign will be mostly of onr
situation type, with floul'ishe~ from the other two types.
Quest
A quest is a journey to a foreign, lost or exotic place to recover or destroy
a person, artifact or piece of knowledge. Quests can be epic in .:cale-to
!\fount Doom-or local-to tbt' attic above or to the. sewer;; bent:uth
your homP..
Quests contain stories of self-discovery, mastery and corning-of-age.
Ii we 're aill'ling for a quest story, chcn one of your Beliefs nlight be about:
• Seeking the missing item

• Learning sornething about the object of the quest, ideally fro1n
someone url\villing to buud ,over that inforn1a1ion
• Bcarinu
t>
others whu seek th~ swot~1hh1007
Struggle
In a struggle, our protagonists face overwhcln1ing odds against which
they must fighL \Vhile at first it 1nay seem the protagonists fight for
survival or self-interest, ultimately they fight to change the established
order. Revolutions, wars of succession and wars of resistance are all
classic struggles.
Commentary
-·
(./)
.....
C
-·
.....
~
0
::,
Sttugg les often include stories of self-sacrifice, coming of age, justice

an<l other loaded values.
If we 're s n·uggling for a cause. one of you r Beliefs should contuin:

• An idealis tic ( perh a ps even naive) statement about the politics,
religion or philosophy of the selling
• Sacrificing so1netJ1ini; you care about for ru1 ideal
• A defiant declaration about overthrowing (or safeguarding) the
powers that be
Intrigue
l11trigm: perhaps l111: 11111st subtle an<I least gla morous o f t he t lm::l'
h,
nrchclypes. A11 intrig ue unfolds within a social or culttu·al sb·ucrure.
Protago nists must operate within that structure-plnying by its rules,
both overt and covert-lo achieve their ends. Cou11s, guilds anJ clans
:di mnk,: pcrfort backdrops for i11tJ·ig11r,c..
l11trigw•s often involve power. revenge, l,en.ign tyranny, despotism and the
lofty l1111tle IU upliolcl the. rights of protagonii;ts. Protagonists of intrigues
are n·fornu·r~.. w histlt: -blmvcrs, arnbitio11s sociul climbers aud the power
hungt)'· Antagonis~ inc lude the estAhlis hcd order or forces 1hnr would
turn llw order ro ~vii.
'i/1,·, ,i { .,--
' . .,.1, , -..
. . '
J.' l:" t ··
: .i
· :· :
'fo set up an iurriguc, establish a strong social order in the settirig ancJ
then upset the bnlru1ce: The du.kc dies witl1ou1 nn heir; an in1poverishcd
nobility desperately tries 10 retain power in 1hc face of wealthy 1ncrchnnt
fruuilics; Lhc king has gouo mud rU1d is in love with a cbombcrmnid; vour
guild is being undennined by its former aUics. Euch of these siruutions
creates nrnny hooks for conflicts about iuo·i~uc.
If we·rc aiming for 1111 intrigue.story. the11 011c of your Beliefs might require:
• Ccniug information fron1 ~o,uo:onc
• Setting SOIIICOIII' 11p for foilun: or s111·cess

• Covering up a scc-r('I
• Eslablisliing nn ulliancc or friendship
• Ruiuing an 1•11emy
Choosing an Overall Situation

The initial situation is n Lrou<l tcn1plnte. fl ~hould hf' ea:;;y 10 insrr1
yourself into ir.
Let's1laJ a handoftloujhly atlveniurers tlisl'af&lteJ to aida town /Je.sd

"1 a Jemo11, SfYUJJle OY ruest? The {iM decitle.s that tl,e demon will
fo.ssess sc&Yef.s that will leaJ lo furlher ntlventuYe.s, so it's a '!"est. The
{iM tluesn't ltnve tu reveal ltis secrets t., the tlnJeYs, /,uf Ire sl,uulJ tell
them that lte's intere.stetlin YunHiH_'J a ~uest.
Place yourself in 1.hc framework. Cun you i1nagine plaring a character
in this situa tion? Are you inspir<•d by it? Do you lmvc· ideas for other
characters, plnr.cs or ortifncts?
If you· re not inspired, nsk your fellow pbycrs for help. Ask the1n to pitr.h
you ideas. Keep an upcu n1ind. lf you absolutely cnn'r he moved to play
in th.is situation, then perhaps you and ~·our friends.ner.rl to talk about
why you'rci playing t.lris grunc.
Buying Into a Situation

Situaliou is something 1hat all of tl,e players agrt-e to buy in10 before the
gan1c begins. ff u1e players aren't excited nbout in1n1ersing t11cmscl.ves
in the situation, then there's a problem. The uninterested are either
going to get left behind or, if there '.s uo :utercst at all, the grune is going
to grind to a halt.
Commentary
So right at the beginning, everyone 1nus1 expLicitly agree to the situation.

Do uol move on from situation generation until you've heard everyone
........
t/l
r:::
-·
.....
Q)
sny. ·'Yes. I wan I 10 play tlm1 ." Tie their characters into this idcu using
Beliefs. lnstinc1s, traits, relationships and property! 0
::3
Build Tension
Build up rnnsio n. Don't destroy tl1c world in a day. Threal.en it. Build
towiu·d its evc11111al deo1ise. In doi11g so, you provide solid anchors oo
which players can hook their Reliefs. As t.he grune progresses, those Beliefs
will guidr you in how to continu~ lo challenge the players.
Relationships, Affiliations,
Property and Situation
Once thr players have bu1ned up their characters, it i; the GM's joh to
take the rclAtionships, affiliations, propr.rty and anything else witltin
reacl1 ,mtl bind it 10 the situation. Put relationships in power. Put them
in jeopardy. Threaten tl1em. llndenni11e or attack affiliations. Covel
prope11y. \Vork to change the laws of the Big Picture so you can own it.
\Vlicn setting up rhe situation, use the game elen1ents provided in

character burning as fodder for Beliefs.
Reincorporate
Reincorporation is a technique for building a situation from parts
of a previous scenario. You take characters and placrs aud use them
again in a new way. A penonalit-y the players met in the past has now
changed-she's been promoted or perhaps lost cverythiug. She has a
new perspective.
Places nrc powerful tools for reincorporation. It's a simple trick to have
action in the grnne transpire in a set of locations. This trick lends the
game a sr.nse of time and space. Players can come to know the places
in tl1eir world.
Setting
' \Ve need a place for our fantasies to inhabit. \Ve need bounds nnd
limits, for 1hcse e,nbellish aJ1d highligb1 our charac1ers and 1bcir
ac1 ioos. But we don't w1111t to overburden ouJ-selves. \Ve want to use
1hc barest description and 1nini111al dc1nils Lo evoke the g reatest
rang<: of pos:iibilitics.
Burning \Vhcel's setting is an abst ract iou, an agglomeratio11 of

fontnsy tropes re presented by lilrpnths, traits. skills and gear. h's
uol u pince, but an ideo or oes d1<'lic. L1 this selling, the world is
rough, harsh. T hcrr. is a grea1 di\'ide IJl't wccu wealthy aud poor.
The poor are downtrodden, sickl y and hnrrit'd . The weahJ1y are
powerful 11nd aloof. People of all types fight for what they believe
with words, swords and sorcery.
The cities, the lands, the seas and the people arc for you to decide.
Tl.Jose uames, qualities and details fall to you to desigo-puUcd
from your knowledge of tltc fu11ta sy ge111·e. T hese places u 11d
cultures contain inherent inequities that one must struggle against
or quest to overcome.
Devil in the Details

A setting for Burning \Vheel is broad, con1poscd of brusb st,·okcs
a nd vague pronouncements, punctuated by a han<lfuJ of details.
The iterns that get listed on ea ch character sheet-n·aits, skills
a nd gear-arc 1l1c onJy setting details that truly 111aner. They are
the most vital elements of auy setting. Population, geography and
cuJtw·c ure all secondary.
Setting Over Time

Don't fill in yow· setting all at once. Don't front-load. Sketch 0111 1.he
broad l.iJJes-some geographical, smne political, some culturul-but
leave tJ1e precise detail.; to be filled in later us needed. Focus on tbc
inuuediatc details. Flesh out the space tl1at's directly iu the path of
the players' Beliefs nnd relationships.
Make somr. notes about possible contingencies, but I strongly urge

yo u 10 rC"froin from "world building."
64
Commentary
W'hy? \Vorld building can be great fun , an exciting exercise for tJ1e
imagination . but in Burning Wheel, it often creates 1m impediment 10
t.horoughJy and accw·ately challenging Beliefs.
This isn ·1 to say tJ1at you s houJdn 't have a deep or con1pelling se tting.
Your sen:ing s hould be runazing and exciting. But it's third in the list of
things important to a Burning " ' heel gume: player priorities, situation
and S('tt.ing. in that order.
So as you tcsr for Cirdes, note the NPCs found. Build a list of c.'O nt111~ts
over timr. As you explore each new place, givt' ita culture and a climute.
Make it men1ornblc a nd inspirh1g. Present fresh idc:as. Each ne.w cuJnu-e
encountered ~hould receive u·aits appropriate 10 tJ11i sin1ation. Don't just
make the culture exotic, rnnkl" it challenging.
Culture
Creating a fantasy cultun; is a delicate, prolonged procc.ss. Jt canuot be
done in a single night. Certainly, fascinnting facets cu11 e1nergc wul be
explored in a scs:sio u of pluy, but a culture is too vast a nd complex to be
cxhausl'ed by one s uch look.
\Vhen ino·oducing a culture inlo my grun<!s. I stan. \\1th a ClJ t11ra.l analog.
whet.her froa111.istory or fiction. I n,odi.fy it Lo s1til my needs-in fact, I
strh·e to make it onJy barely reco~ni7..nble.
Using tJ1e analog, we can describe a ,node of dress, 1U-cl.titec1 u.rc, accent
and even climatr.. I also like co include one element of the cuJnrre that is
different from ow·s and offensive lo our 1noden1 sensibilities-something
tha t jars the n1odern player. lo a n:cent gnme, victinis of human sacrifice
went willingly to tJ1c sla ug hter and, in fact, rc:;i5Lcli ullt:wpts nt rescue.
Con,•ersr.ly, I like to include n custom tJ1at's di[ercnt from, but pleasing

to our sensibilities. I often make the fooil uud cliet of t.lte sett.ing different
from our own, but perhaps more delicious.
Added 10 1lic con i of the c ultural 1u1alog, these two accents arc usually
enough to creme a convincing model. Of course, when you' re deciding
on tlu: con 1en1 of the society's c ustoms, you should seek to intersect with
und ro11lT1t\•ene as many Beliefs 1md lnstinc:ts as possible.
Cultural Traits
Page 198 of thr• Burning \Vhed brir fly describes culnu·al 1raits. On tJ1e
s iu·facr .. it muy. r;ci•m dint cult urn I traits create a one-dimrnsional or
possibly even hi~o11·d , i,·"·of <·nit urc.
4
• f
' ,. ..
Cultural ITui1s do carry this risk. 8111 they nrc designed to blend into nil
of II charoctcr·s other u·rut:;. You curry n piece of your culture with you
ninong u1J of tltc otJu:r u·aits you've acquired fron1 your fnrnily, your life
mul your work. \Ve hope tlus creates a uunnccd view of character, rot her
tJ111n 1.1 sh'reo1 ypc:.
Names
Nuincs m·e 111ugit·al. Aud tJ1cy arc potent tools in yo1u· hands. \Vhcn you
nrunc an dcmcnl in o roleplnyiug game, whether o character, a house or
inu, a city or n sword, you n1akc it just u li11lr n1ore reul, rnorc titilistant.ial,
to everyone ds(:. A sword fom1d iu a tomb? Big deal. The Sword of Seven
Shodows fo1111cl in tlw tonu>of An1s-Ekbru·? Tlrnt's spccinl.
\Vhen you i111rocl11cc sonwLhing new to yow· group. ruunc it! It wilJ crcnte
a connection between UH.' oth,crs ut the table nnd 1hr. fictio11al clen1c111.
You can do s01111~ pretly neat u·icks if )'OU g<'t creative with your nruning.
For instance, you can as~ig11 differe111 earthly lnngunges to cuJtun:s i11
a fnuu1S)' garnc. For one of our gmncs, we kept n f\·longolian-to-English
dicLion011· ot 1hc tnblc. An)' 11111c we rrceded u mune for a clraractcr, a ship
or an island, we dovr: i.1110 Ilic dicLiormr) and pulled one oul.
Assigning different cultures 10 different languages creates uuditory

diffcrerrtiution bet"'ecn 1.hc 1:,vo cult11.rcs in n recognizable but subtJc way.
Monsters
\Vhen choosing ,nonsters for yo,u· setting, us<' folktales and rnrthology
ro inspire you. A linle research c1111 pay huge dividends. Rather than
having a kitcherr-sink setting, you can pare down your d1oiees 10 a few
irnporturll entities and really focus on how they're a p1u·t of tJu: setring.
Gear
Restrict or add gear as appropriate for the setting, having different stuff
available in differenl places. Even better, price Reso1u·ces diffcrcutly
depending on where the plo.yers arc.
~· .
...
Commentary • __ E,
, -- '\
&> ••
. 0 0
c:;:D-_- .. -~ O•
C, • =.:.~a:, - .
~ - -~ ~~-
~-
._.
~- -
_. · C>
.
Playing Burning Wheel in

an Established Setting
On occasion, it can be fun playing son1conc else's world. \Vhe1her it's
Ham, Earthsea or the Old \Vorld, it's possible to take a different look at
th(:se settings through the lens of Burning \Vheel.
l' rn not goiJ1g to relate a step-by-step couversion here, but I will sny that
you want to look for settings with a particular tech level and societal
slructw·e. Even more than that, you want to make sure that this is a
world in which characte.rs struggle against great odds to make changes
in lhc;mselvcs and the society.
Once you have a world you think fits the mold of Burning \Vhcel, you
need 10 completely redesign the grnne to 1natch it, right? No. Don't rewrite
the game. Resist the urge with all strength available to you. Instcud, look
for onr. or two characteristics in the world that really 1natter and write up
the rules for them. It could be II s1nall set of lifepaths for all the players
/ ; 1 1 •' I ' . , . , ;.°•~· I J I t, !
to draw fro1n. a magic s yscen1., or a ne w piece of technology. But the

mosl i1nportant aspccl to re1nc1nber is: Keep it simple. Enjoy the setting
through play. not by tinkering hopelessly with rules.
\Vhen picking ru1d choos ing from clc1nents of Burning \Vhccl, be sure to
establish the rules nnd cmphnsi.i e the feel and ntn10sphcre of the setting.
It could I.Jc as s imple us ~uying " \Vc're all playing knights.'' Or "'~1agic
is rare and dangerous in th.is world. You cnn't s tnrt with any spells and
we'll use.> Corruption. ''
Tlw clmn 1ctcrs an<l pluccs uf 1bcsc worlds draw 11s to thern. But once
you' re playing i11 nu established world, t real en non lig htly. Consider all
of those fan1ili11r places and f&scinnting bnckstories as toys for you to
play with . Thcy'n.' a source to druw fro1n, hut also exist lo be changed.
And fmnJly, steer clcui· of " the plot.~ \Vhcre the plot and main characters
nrc, s tart somewhe r<' clsli. Sturt in a diffen·nt t i,nc or 011 a dj fferent
contine nt". This will help you mnkc tlic world your own, and avoid any
feeling of ''Oh, Ced would nc,·,!r say Lhn1. "
Antagonists
B11.rning \Vheel revolves around chllrar.tcr-driven drama. Chamctcrs
arc the m os1 in1portant clemen t of t he gumti. The problen1s that
confr0111 your characters comt in many fonns, but dte most r ngagu1g
tu1d 1ncmorablH ones n1·,• the ru\lagonists.
The Source of Antagonism

An untu~onist can s pring from fiv e s ources in Burning \Vlicel:
rd:-itinnship., , tlu! Enmity CluusC!, tJ1e Big; Picture, th1! setting und
the sit11u tion.
Relationships
By spcrn.ling a few resou rce points. players can create m1 m1tugouist
for themscl\'eS at the heginning of the game. The level of power paid
for-minor, important or powerf11l-dr.1 !'rminf's where this character
fulls in the CM's scheme. Minor charnt·ters will pester tl1e character
at a local or taccical level. Important chan1ctcrs form pru1 of th1·
situation. Powerful characters are en1ne.shr.d in the llig Picture.
The playcrsen~uLe t.Lcsc clmractcrs·iu ,•c ry ~kc1r.hy le.-rn&- a type of

relario11ship, a relative power level and a name. It is up to the GM to
pince thc,n in context. The GM fleshes them ()ut based on the initial
sketch, personifying thcn1 and giving them life.
Enntity Clause
Antagonis ts can bt• generated extemporaneously from the Enmity
Clause rule (Burning \Vhcel page 382). As a res ult of the failed
roll, the GM can introduce a ch aracter who opposes the players'
goaJs. These characters a re often minor, hut due to the scale of the
Cirdr., r11lf's, they can be us powerful as thf'y r.ome. lf you tr)' to use
Circles to conlltct the ki11g and you fail the test, then you've ,nade
a powerful cuemy.
Keep 1.hat iu mind. The higher the obstacle for th e Circles test, the
more the character should he plugged into the situation, the settlng
and, uJti11111tc ly, the Big l'ic1ure.
69
:q
The Situation
S ituations dcrnnnd antagonists. To ad eq uatel y challenge the players'
Beliefs, tht.')' must be opposed by tl,e actions of other charac ters.
Jrnportant relation~hips mid encntir.s from fail ed Circles tes1s can both
einl'r"e us uulull,onis1::1 in the s i1·unt ion : tho capruin of t.h<> gunrd wit h
whom" you muse' fight; tl1e courtier who is jealous of your love; or your
brother who has turned to evil.
Thosr extunplcs tic directly back 10 die clmrncll01'5. However, sonietimcs

the situntion dcrnuncls o villain who stn11ds a pa rt fro,n and in direct
opposition to the cha racters. Sometimes you need a Lad-ass Ore
s unlllloner wl1o's rozing town!- aud villages. Sumct iln cs you need a rebel
ln1dcr who's ina dver tentl y undcnnining uu; character's 1nachi11 ntions.
Sometirnes you need u staunch const!rvai:ivc m inister who oppos,:s the
cluu·acters purdy because they a rc oursid~rs.
\Vlwre do m1!11gonis1s like chal come from? They arc born by innrit.ing
1.he best way to challenge tin.· players and br pe rso11ifyi.ng tha t challenge
in th r. form of an engaging clmr::icter. Tl1cr a ren' t r. realcd by the player.;.
They arc purely tl1r provinct~of the C M in tlu! role of chief a dversary.
Sit11ntio11-huscd an mgonists can a!so emerge fron1 allies who a re ru111ed

against the charuct1;rs by their actions d1ui11g play- from a Duel of \~'it:5,
a failed ccst or just fallout from play.
The Setting
I n·y to crea te the secm.ing of a living, breathi11g world in my gruncs.
Therefore, in addi tion to a ll of the e hm·ncters who arc tied in to a nd
opposed to the charac ters, I a lways create characters and groups who
exist o utside of die im1ncdinle action, hut who ore never theless opposed
to the players.
These a ntagonists arc connected to t h Li s tructure of t he setting. They

a re n1cmbers of importru1 t groups with their 0,\-11 agendas. T hey do not
directly or a cti vely oppose tlu: players, bnt Lhcir ve ry nature is inlwrently
opposed.
A tlrajun tleciinatetlyuurpeuple in fl>1cient times. He's nut parl ufthe

situatiun; he iue.sY. 't care a/nutyuu ur1uurpetty aims. rhuu!Jh so,netlay
yuu m'!fht find him anJ &fJn(runt him. Or tire k,'>'!J: He's not inferestdin
1uur trials anJ travails, but he certainly Juesn 't wantl"" JUiH!J aru:u11I
la1/4"n!l his men anti upsettitlj the status 'fUU, He Juesn't oppuse yuu
Commentary
because he cares abou.tyou. He .stands inyour way because its hisjob to

keep punk.s likeyou in the,r plates.
\Vht•rc do these characters com<•. frou1? Exlrnpolntc them fron1 all of the
I.lits and pieces on the characters' sheels-particularly their lifepaths,
rr.putations, affiliations and relationships.
Ifaplayer has treateda knijh~ tltat means there "re other knijhts in the
.sel:tin.'l There are probably cadres oftl,em. who do they work for? How Jo
they jdpaid? Who's tl,e,r boss s boss? Who s his toss? whats his Hame?
what's his Yank and title? Thats a .settin1-base,I NPCrijht there.
Ifaplayer buys an affiliation witl, aJYoup of>ntljt.s, he's imp/yin!J a whole

eeo.sy.stem. Fir.sf, theJYoup itself: Who lends them? How are the members
ranked? Are tl1ere rivals in the!JYoup? Who are they? What are the,r
names? What tlo they want? Does the!fYO"f itselfhave any rivals? Are
the rivals publicly known or do they plot in secrd? who leads the rival
!Jroup? Whats his name? Where i.s he (rom?ju.st a few 'fUesfiOHS like
those can produce a proper antaJoni'.st thatyou tan keep in you,· back
pocket until the time ,s rijht.
I a1n not advocating that you build out ever~· NPC in your setting.
The key here is to pluck these personalities from the character sheet
and then drop them into the background. \Vhen the characters start
ulo"ini:$ in large,, g rander circles, you'll be ready with ~Olll<' thoughtful,
powerful antagonists.
The Big Picture

Finally, when I run a garne, I ensure that beyond the siruation and the
setting, something Big is happening in the backgro11nrl-the wheels of
change arc grinding on. The players 1night never directly encounter this
change, but even just mentioning it enriches the gamc--traders arrive
Crom hcrctofore unheru·d of kingdoms, ·wors cl'upt in distant provinces,
wizards brood in cowers for generations, gods grow angry and throw
plagues upon the land.
There arc two keys to making tl1ese events meaningful. First, they should
he scary. If the players wel'e involved, they would certainly be put to the
test. (n 1.his way, these rumblings are a way for the GM to indicate that
BeUefs are being chaUenged whether you' re there or not. Second, these
events need faces: heroes, gods and wizards whom the players later meet,
only to find out, "Oh, you're the one who leveled that city ... " These
faces arc all potential antagonists or allies. They go about their husiness,
'.
:
' ..
• ! ' , , ·, : ~': ' $' . j ', .. • .
. ,,.,
bur 1.hcv nre. 110 1 allied or in sync witJ1 LIil' plnyers' goals. 1l1ey are 110 1
ncccssa~ily di rectly opposed- nt lcust not to start- but if pressed UJC!y
will fight for Lhcir own goals.
The Face of Antagonism

So how do you s11cce.ssf11ll y ontn_gonize so111co11l'? \Veil_ the wenker the
a111ugonis1, the morr dirco:1 hb in1eruc1io11s 11111s1 br. If you·re on tl11,
outs wi1 h your locul hostler. hc'1, only going 10 bug you whl'll you come
into hi~ stnblt·.
If .vou·rc 111 odds witJ1 tlw local guard caprniu. well. d1 u1's n slighth·.
diffrn·111 ma11rr. Slu,'s going 10 ride you when she set·s you, but she';
also bn-oinrrC'I 10 instruct hrr soldicrti 10 kccr, IHI eyl'
•
on you.
•
Thus. lwr reach
is t•xlC'11d1id bt'youd her inunediatr prcscm:c. She has ngcnrs to do her
rlirty work.
At thr 11·,·el aLo,·e tl1 m-tJ1c t•vil wizard who coutroL, the wastdand-you
never sec him u111il the final co11front11Lion. You a1·c vexed and plngucd
by his minion~. b111 he is 0111of reach until 1111:: very lust.
Finnllr. rhere arr ru1tngo11is1s whom you mighl never dirc:ct.l y confro111-ut
lenst iu Lhc \\'II)' 1h111 you want. Cods. kings o.nd ou1<'r powers beyond our
k<>u remain aloof. You defeat tJ,r.ir minions and their ugenLS. you ruin
1hcir works, but you never s n·ikc at rJ111111 directl y. T hose outagon.isrs
can be frustroring 10 denl witlr since tl1e gmnc is so characler driven, bul
when used sparingly, they can odd 10 the 1e11sion uncl crctuc tJ1e feeling
of a na turnl order in you r world.
An Antagonist Is an Empty Vessel

I-low ,nany lifep11 rl1s do you choose for yo,u- villains? Do you "'rite Beliefs
for them? \l1hat skills and spells do you choose?
An a nt.11guni:,1 begins lifr. os nn c1npt)' vc<1scl, a container that will hold
n conflict. T he shape of that vessel is detern1i11ed by h.is p ince in the
gn111e-his purpose, his nnn1c, h.is power level. Its contents arc added
only as necessary, bul once they're in, they remain and evolve.
T hus, if you hove 11n Ore sun1moner lending u horde, rn1npaging ac ro;s
the rountrysidc, you'll ultimately n eed to know hL~ slots. skills, traits,
spells and geor. Bui when you first introduce h in1, wluu do you need?
If be rcn1ains in the bac:kground, then you don't need his stats or skills.
You wo nt lo hold off in creating t hose stats bccnuse you wont to c11su1.-
~ 1'1.
>
Commentary
the s11mn1oner is the right kind of challenge for the players. lf you
planned 011 using a five-lifcpath character with a horde of goblins, but
your players arc ripping through their opponents, then you want lo give
him a few more lifcpaths and some better minions.
This isn't cheating. Your job as G~l is to c reate adversity. Jf your villains
get bowled over withou t any sort of a fight, then it's no fun for tl1e
players.
So keep your villains c,npty until the time conies when you need hard
numbers. Once you huvc those numbers, though, stick to then1.
~1otivating Antagonists
There arc villaius who directly oppose you because it is their nature to
want what you do not. An Ore surrunoner exists to destroy all that you
stand for. \Vby? Bc1:a11sc he is o'erbrimrning with hau·ed. He needs no
other n1olh·ation to send him into conflict witJ1 the group. But such
motivation is poor and thin. Even the most wrathful villains must have
a deeper motivation.
There arc villains who believe what yuu do. They stand for what you
stand for, but tl1ey achieve their goals in a vile, destructive manner.
For example, a despotic king sits on the throne. You want co depose him,
as does a rather dark, tmscttling wizard. You wish to re.store justice to the
kingdom. The wizard wishes to punish it-its rulers, its ministers and
even its people-for allowi11g itself to be so co1Tupted.
How do you oppose th.is wizard? \Vhen do you oppose her? Do you work
with her to topple the despot and then confront her? Or do you stand
up for what you believe in from the outset and make a true euemy of
the wizard? 8he is the besL t-ypc of vjlJain because your relationship is
complex. There is no one way to deal with her. You must, in fact, confront
yourself before you can confront her.
As you place your antagonists onto your palette, be sure to create some
who arc simpl)' opposed, and others who share the same goals, but for
different reasons.
Antagonist Beliefs
Smull-fry antagonists don't nec<l Beliefs. TI1c thugs and angry shopkeepers
don'I rcquin• thnt much attention. But all the rest of them do.
Write a Belief that describes this villain's world view.

~• \ I
Villains need n goal-oriented Bclie.f as well. This goal should be to

accomplish an act thar inlcrsecls with as many of the players' Beliefs as
possible. If the players all have a Belief about their patron, the viJlain
must acl ugains1 him. If the players all have a Belief about fUI orphanage
on<I ib, s111fL tlmn lrn's gnt ro burn it down. \Vrite a gooJ-oricntcd Belipf
nbouL whut the villain must acco111plish.
Au an1agonist Jot·1:m 't need to huve uJI DclieJ s101.s filled. You should fill
them ns appropriate. Fm:us on tJie bcsl way to challenge I.he players. Ancl
you should change thmn as you ncecl until hr. fmaUy appears on stage and
111N~ls the players. Until lht'n. ht' remains an e1npty ve.ssel. His con1cnt.s
are de1cr111incd by necc.·,;~ity.
Additional llclief:; ca ll focus 0 11 rying his goals and philosophy together.

Or you can write a Helief about another character in the game. \Vriting
Belir.fs nbout characters is wugh becau.,1: you don't nliCP-,sarily wan, to
focus your main m1tugo11is1 on ju:;t onl' character. You want hin1 to Lit'
1ogethcr a:; many of 1hc players' c linrutli:rs as possible.
\I . '
,
~----,.
.......
p - - - -- - - -- -- ~
Commentary
Typically, a guruc ofBu~ning \Vbeel has only one or two r eal antagonists
al u time. You play against them and uhi1nately confront them. In the
co11frontalion. they are changed: They arc defeated; changed from
nntagonist to a lly, or they are. magnified and elevated. Thus, there's not
too much to keep track of, only a handful of Beliefs.
-·,....
t/l
VI
The Evolution of an Antagonist

\Vha1 follows is nn extended extunple about one of the best and most
11111ikcly villnins I've ever created, \Vizard Librarian Xu, tJ1r Storm King.
Througho111 our long-r11 1111ing can1paign, a cabal of sorcerers bas

plagued the charac1ers. For all intents, using a couple of generations
of charnc1r.rs. the players have been at war with a group of 20 or so
wizards for about 10 years. In 1he course of play uo cmpi.rr was 1opplcd,
ci1ies were dcs1roycd, factions were crushed, demons were summoned.
minds broken. lives were lost. \Ve felt it was rather epic.
Now there's only one surviving member of tJ1at cabal.
There's also a giant magical storm engulfing the capitaJ l'i1)'· The stonn
delivers vicious lightning s trikes that either immolate the target or
imbue it wit.h magic. Muta n1 s roam the wastes. Jt's a fantasy apocalypse
caused by my friend Chris' young \Vizard years ago in a pr1•vious
campaign.
Ju his last encounter with our heroes, \Vizard Librarian Xu wa:.

poisoned and grievously injured. He Oed the chaos to the relative.safety
of 1he slorm and the now-aba ndoned capital city. There he reruprrated
and took com1nand of the place. J·le becrunc the Storm King.
I explicitly told the playets this last bit when I pitched t he game to
them. h was the Big Picture and the situation coming together for the
ga me. I a lso told thern that their characters had heard rurnors of the
Storm King in the Tower. Previously, Danny, Chris and l had played
an abortive short campaig n in which they gained knowledge of the
situation we wer e now in. \Vhcn we were setting up this uew gan1e.
they helped 111c fill in the details about the situation-the storm, the
monsters, the wastela nd.
I presented their mission to them: They were charged by the recently

reinstated emperor to go forth and slay the Storm King. thus ending the
storm so 1hat the <'n1peror could return to his rightful throne.
; '\ <
: '· I ., .. J,
The group wrote strong beliefs about destroying tlie vile Storm King
and all of his works.
My init ial conccpl for this garne was to have a puissant, despotic villain
l't1ling like Sau ro n over an anny of rnagically corrupted 1nutants. 1
iniagined lh(i players would swarm his tower a nd the re would be a giani
fight. 1 envisaged rny S tonn King in ornate, heirloom ar,nor, wieldinc.
a deodly h alberd, shouting spells behind red lips and ivory teeth. I kcp:
tba1 in1agc in my head for 1hc first few sessions, but I didn'1 detail ii
any funlwr.
Once rim players began their approach to tlw &l.orin, I had to k110w
,norc about this putative S1onn King anil his 1nutant ar10)'· I thought
about bi111 for a bit \Vho was he really? He was a product of the cabnl.
Therefore, hr knew ·' red wizardry"' as we cull it: lire spells and mind-
affect ing spells. He also knew a handful of battle spells such as Turn
Aside the Blade aud the Fear. I dugrhrougli ,ny old (old) notes. I couldn't
re111e1nber which of the red wizards he really was. \Vas he Kwok? Mosu?
Fou? No, 1hey w1•rc a ll slain. \Veil, if 1ha! was the case. then his uame
was Xu, hr was u north('rner from a rcniorf port and was a ... n:searcher.
S uddc11ly, ,ny fc:arso,uc conccpt lost u hit of his s1arurr. \Veil., l coulcl
just change him to make him wh11t J wanted, rig ht? No one rciJly knew
whnl wns contained in 111y voluminous 11011:buoks. I decided against ii.
It would defile the purity of our ongoing garnc. He was who he was. I
was prepared to work wir h the concept.
l set to work. \Vbat was my raw mawrial ? He was a powerful, sorcrrous

researcher. r cou ld use that. Hell. I could set him up with lifepaths ru1d
1lien just h ave hin1 prnctico nnd 1.n1in to get all of the n1arti:tl stuff that
I wanted. Yeah!
So 1 burned up a headmaster-sorcerer-researcher with the College of

~1agic lifcpaths. An eight-lifcpath had-ass! \Voohoo. 64 years old. Ouch.
Based on the ca,npuign 1i111cline, h1!' d h ave two-and-n-hnH to t·hrec
years to pracl ice after his last 1neeting with the players.
l pondered his spell list, his skill lis t, his resources. It bcc1u11e clear tLat
Lhrec years wasn't cuong h Litnc for hirn 10 beco1nc a n1artinl master
aud do all of the magical reseu rch he 11ccded to do at tlt!! tower to create
pluynr-killing e11chanu11cnts. l:irm. I could have just fudged it, but my
gut told me not to. My gut told u1e to leave hin1 be. My conscieJJcr, on
the other hand, was screan1ing at 111e: "He's going to die like a sucker!"
\Vd I. wr. wou Id see.
--
Commentary
I did give hi1n three (rough) Beliefs to give energy and direction to his
nefarious plans:
• All of chc :;ccrcts of this land [1nca11.ing the ruined capitalJinust be mine.
• I will found a new (magical) order and city iu this tower.

....
.....
Ul
Ul
• The Gifted 1nust be protecrcd and instructed.
I did not revco l thes e Beliefs {until the very last moment of rhc lasr
session).
During play, I always referred to Xu as the Stonn King, implying he was

rnore like my original concept. I never revealed his actual nature. Until,
of course. 1ny friend Chris-playing his disguised wizunl -passed o
brilliant Sorccrer-·wisc test to discover who Xu truly wus. I infonned
rhe group that he wa~n't a 1nnss murderer, but a librarian. Still, I rried
to present hirn as a mysterious, rcn1ote, brooding presence. This caIJ1e
across especially whi:n they interrogated mutants who sP.rvcd hitn. To
them. the Storm King was aloof und powerful.
As the carapaign progressed., thl' group discovt, red the Storm King was
kidnapping children Cron1 their parents and tnking them 10 the tower.
How ..
ghoulish !
I ,:lier, the group wa:; allcrnpl.ing lo fwd a safe place to hide in the Storm
King's half-ruinc<I citadel. They made a Slaver-wise test to find an old.
disused sla,·er snfchouse. They failed and instead founrl ooe of the
Storu1 King's schools, run by ex-slavers. Six children were being trained
there, guarded by former s la,•ers and mercenaries. h was obvious then,
especially to Chris' disguised wizurJ, thot the Stornl King was culling
Gifted children from the surrounding wasteland and instructing the1n
on how to use their power. The children wr.re athintive, intelligent and
curious. They were not abused, enslaved or manipulated.
This revelation challenged many Beliefs about toppling the Storn1 King.
Herc was evidence of his good works. \Vould they still crush him? Was
he still n tyrant?
\Vhcn the time can1c to confront the ,vizard, the playel'S were deeply
divided. One group wanted vengeance, the other reconciliation. I
pounced on 1.l1e divisive atn1osphcrc in the group. 1had ti.le Storm King
raise a flag oft ruce so they could discuss the situation. \Vere tl1ey at war
or was something else afoot?
,.
; I 0
1. _: ." ' ' f t I ._
' ..
Just prior to 1hat scene, 01y understanding of Xu had crystallized. He

wus a survivor, uot a visionary or a savant. He wanted to ensul'e that
he was protccLcd nnd fed, so be could practice his a r1 unopposed. Over
o decade ago, he'd been sun1n1ancd lo a war council of sorcerers, where
he was n1adc a soldier. He wlulled to rel urn to his roots and sLudy Lhc
wondrous secrets al his fce1. I-le' d seen all of his friends, colleagues nnd
rivals die. E\'cn his own scrrct library was razed in 1hc fighting. The
lands thatsupponed him revohcd. Evl'l')' ploy and ni,n was crushed. He
was tired. He didn't wa111 10 die like t he rest , but neither <lid he wam
to fight.
I aJso decided I hat ht• would r.op 10 a II of I he evil acts he'd co,nmiued.
In doing so, I knew 1h01 I could deslroy some illusions-he oidn'1crratc
the S1onn: and ht• never summoned dcu1ons. Thr players I he,nselvcs did
those things. Me ,ucrdy profited fro,n Lhcsc rvcnls.
In the final 111on1cn1s of the cnn1paign. 1his villain 111anifcs1ed before me.
He wns not 1hc swaggering outomaron of des1J·uc1ion I had originally
envisaged. He was a s111ull. tin'. d 111an, racliaLing power. His old battle
robl•s long lost, he dressed i11 linery. His fin g,:rs, ears and neck were
laden with enr.lwntcd jewelry. I-le carried no weapon, nor wore uny
armor.
He met the ,~hnraclers a lonr in a wheel-shaped cha1nbcr in a vnst,

abandoned citadel tower- u croSSroucis. literal and n1etaphorical.
They de1na11ded that Xu co,nc and stand trial for his cr imes. He
scoffed. They wanted a Duel of \Vits, bu1 I declini;d the stakes. 1 would
accep1 a Duel, b11L not wider those terms. [ anade i1 clear in 1he ensuing
conversation that he wus not trying to end the S1onu. He even said,
. ,. \Vhy woltld I do t hnt? It prot r.cts me.., This wa;; a shocking revelotion
for the players.
1-lowe,•cr, I also made i1 clear that I would accept froa1 then1 a statemen1
of ptu-pose about the stor111 rather than abou1 his own fate. ln doing ,o,
I was cnrcfu l to challenge Beliefs across every charnr.ter on the 1able.
Some wanted justice. so r mocker! justice. Some wanted the storm to
<:nd, so I ernbraced the storin. And, due to a previous Duel of \X1i1s
arnong the players, they couldn't just 1nurdoi: 1he wizurd where ho: stood.
Tbey hud agreed that he would -either be token to justice or would work
to end I he storn1.
Commentary
l{uthcr than a cacnclysmic fight, we e11ded the campaign with a Duel

of \Vits: Their stutemcnt of purpose was " You wi ll work to cod the
Sto rm with Yang [Chris's character] .... iMine was, "Tltcrc is no empire,
no justice. The citadel was abandoned and 1 claim it as mine own."
lo other words, it was" End the apocalypse'' versus "Admit the empire is
-·
,_
VI
VI
oone
Cl
and uivcn over to wizards a nd mutants.'' Good stuff!
~
During the Duel of \Vits, 1was careful to choose actions that reflected his
jn<lrd caution. And when I (narrowly) lost, J rnade 3ure to compromise
rntlier than escalate to violence. Xu would do as they asked, pro\'idcd
that he could have his order a nd be protected-thus fullilling two of
his Beliefs.
As a resul t, evc•n though I lost the Dud, quite a few of the players wcrr
sympathetic to the old villain. They could see it his wn y.
Anrl that is the greatest possible victory I could ever have hoped to wiu.
q
Building Beliefs
In 1his section, we attrmpt to distill ruorc than ten years of udvicc
aho111 writing Beliefs. Pray for our in1morral souls.
Belief versus Situation

You cannot write Bdicfs in a vucuum. Before Beliefs arr put to paper,
the. Cl'\1 nnd plnyers ugrce 1.0 till' rough action, the situation. 8ituation
includes a bit of tire sruing, Lltli pluycr characters. aniagonists and
u problem or two 111atcan'r uc ignored.
Once you have your situation. tlw players must hind their charuch:rs
iu10 it. I low arc you goi11g ro chairgc this situalion? ,nm,
must
you do right uwny? If a player hos 1roublt- answering those two
1111cs1ions coneretcly-i11dudi11g u character, a scct:ing clement and
a proule1n-thc11 tltc situation is locking. The CM n1us1 review ti.Jc
sin1ation, tightt'n it up and 111ake it rnore threatening. impossible
ro igtiore (but not :;o pn:~sing Ihm th~· gmnc is going to end in 1he
first session).
Tlic r,ost for ignoring 1he sin1atio11 isn't Liu.' end of the road; rather
it causes die antugouist's plru1s to evolve. " '11ile tl1c player.,; dawdle.
the viUai11 guins. The situation hccun1cs more gri.111. The idea is that
if the players foil 10 stop the initial problcul. the antogoni3t chftllgcs
t.he setting to his benefit. He takes oviir. He n iins lives. He murders
loved ones. He steals 11nc:ientnrrifac1s. I-le rewrites law. He enslaves
nations. His work is never finished in the first ~ession. lf tl1c situation
is ignored (or ff challeng~ nrc. fniled), rhc Big Picnu·e is du·catencd.
Your first &lief always refers to this situation. It describes your view
of it 1111d ho1v you' re going lo tackle it. Arc you opposed? \Vhy? \Vhut
nction will you take to stop it?
Intraparty Beliefs
The otlmr players at the tnble present other oppoittulities for Beliefs.
During play, you interact with tl1c1111nore than 11nythiI1g else in the
garuc. Each of you hov(i your own opinions and rnethods. Each
player has u unique perspecti\'e on the history. behavior or action~
80
Commentary
of the other players' characters. And each pluyer is talcing action in the
situation. You 111 ~Y fin~I those actions co1npelliag and want to help. Or -·a-..
you 111ay find their actions offensive a.u<l wish to thwart them.
\X
1ritcyour second Be.lief about another player character. \Vhat intrigues
-·
~
CIQ
you? \Vhat offends you? I-low will you help? I·fow will you hinde r the,n?
One-on-One Games
-
t,::I
(I)
, -.
(i)
lir
In one-011-one games. the CM is the " other player" mentioned above.
The GM must present tt compelling, recurring allied N'PC about whom
thr player cares.
Ethical or Philosophical Stances

Some of my favorite Beliefs contain no gonl or opinion, und no action ot
all. They are philosophical guides. They arc tl1e 1noral underpinning of
the charnctei:. These are by far the hardest Beliefs to write. Not that you
cun 't co111e up with 11 fnscinating statement of your philosophy. On the
contrary. that's the easy pnrt. The difficulty lies in application. If poorly
conceived , cJ1ese Beliefs arc too easy to ignore. And if you· re ignoring one
of your Beliefs, you ' re ca1Tyi11g around cleadweight.
Make ymu- third Belief ru1 clhical_ moral or philosopllical statement. For
the besl effect, write it so that it- can be contradicted. It 's easy to say that
you belie ve in Cod or good, but it's not ensy to c hallenge a Belief like
that. A slightly more nuanced Belief like, " As a faitl1f11I man, I should
sacrifice mys~lf for the greater good," tells us more nbout the chru·acter
aud allows for the statement to he rested . .lust how much of yourself
will you sa crifice? Try 1101 to have more than one of your Beliefs lie an
c1.hicnl s1a1.e111cnt.
The Fourth Belief

Loyal, Zealot nncl olher similar u·aits ~rru1t characters a fourtJ1 Belief.
According 1.0 the rules, the Belief must tie into the nature of the trait.
Tlic rul1~ for Lhe trait;; say that if the Belief is changed, the trait is lost.
Somt~ of this might sound contradictory, but you can in fact change the
Belief Lied LO the trail. To clarify: You lose the ttait if you use the Belief
s lot for anything aside from a Belief relating to the trait.
If you' re Loyal l,ut your muster is kiUed, you can talce on a new master
und write a new Loyal Belief about it.
"I • . ' .' .. ~·.' :
}
. ,' . ,• . .
Often players ,vritc ti.vo-pru'l Belief:; into tl1esc slots: "I believe tr
in lhis thin"·
o•
therefore I u1ust... ,, \'ou can. kccp ti IP cJ eclurntive, •tS On11h,
e-.
~ Ule c
111
iu1d change the action to rcnec.l your current situation. nt
Give and Take

\X' hen you start n B1u-ning \Vhecl gan1c, the GNJ presents a situation
building on 1.he Big Picture and the charucccrs. You ,vrite your Belirfs
bnsed 011 those cl~rnents. 1'he G~1 then presents scenes or actions to
challenge those Beliefs.
The gruuc proceeds based on your decisions ,md tJ1e results of the rests-
pass or fail. Based on yow· actions, a new circumstance ·will arise. Thr
situation will change. You will havt! a nc,v opinion about this situation.
Son1e Beliefs ,viH be fulfilled by tJ1c <levelopo1cnts of the ongoing ga.mr.
\Vrite new ones based on the ne,v circu1nstance.
d
Commentary
SoJlll.' Beliefs will be engaged but left incomplete. Tweak tJ1cn1 so they
.-cflect dw r.1u-rcn1 situation. Otbers wiU luy inoctivc. 'folk to t.hc Crvl
1tnd we other players about these. Is tJ1c story headed in that direction?
-....-·
a.
~
If ii is. keep tJic OcHcf. lf you nrc clinging to an idea that the gon1e bas ~
1110ved pus,, change it.
--·
t,:j
(1)
(1)
Belief-Building Tips ii:"

Beliefs are 11 principled 10-do lis1. The two most common problems wt•
sec with fidicfs arc 1h01 they either hnve an ideology but no action, or an
1trtion without a driving ideology. Each Belief needs an objective so it's
clear when thr cha.-acter is pursuing his Belief nnd he i:un earn art Im.
11 11<l 1•ad1 Belief needs nn ideology to buck Jt up so the action hos context.
Red Flags
If the plnycrs don't know what they'.-e supposed 10 he doing, their 81•licfs
urc broken. The ,;ii nation and buy-iu arc p.-obobly dcfiden1 i11 this cnsc.
(00.
If the plnycrs a ren't euruing at- least one fate point prr sc•ssion for
p11rs11i_ng their Beliefs. their Beliefs nrc locking.
If I b~ players haven't" co111plc1c.cl 11 Belief and earned II persona point

wi1hi11 n ~rssion or two, their Beliefs lack urgency. Thl'y'rc not broken.
uut po1c111ially srngnnnr. To earn persona points, try 10 hrrok your goal-
oriented Beliefs down into smaller steps.
Inner Conflict
By design. Beliefs proville ru1 opportunity for you to evoke Llir inner
110-moil of your character. You hove three Beliefs rather thau one so you
can co1wtcrpos1: 1hen1. You arc supposed 10 hove differing or conflictiug
opinious ahout various elcn1en1~of the grunc. Your actions in thr situation
may 1:0111ravcnr. yo w· philosophy. In play, ns the action rises. you get to
dr.ti<ll' whici1 is more important to you. Play oul t.he tunnoil in o draniatic
fashion, llllO you'II cru11 nrtha for Moldbrcakcr ns wcll ns for playing your
01hr r Bdil'f or accomplishing n gool.
Direction
You can 11sr. Bl'lief'- ro set \'our character on an arc-tmnsfonnacion from
ncophytl' to m11s1er. fro,;, worm to hero, fro1n child to adult and even
from h1:ro 10 sonl!'thing more.
r
·J lu· Jturn, u ·t I I It I I' ! ' ,( ' t .' •
Ethical statements nre one tool for setting such directions. You pla .
. th . f I ) t 11,111
now, but you plan on growing past en1 10 uture p ay. In fact , you can ·
ntakc ethical statcn1ents now and set yoursdf to n1ovc into direct coitflj
,vi1..h that stance later. I can say. "'l will never raise my· hand in v1•0 1,.~neect~
I can i>lay a rJacifisl in the 010,nenl. However. n1y plnn cnn b,, r h'.
. . or I IS
peaceful n1nn to u·ru1sform u1 the cour se of play into a c-0ld-bloodl'd kil~
r.
Of course. there is a dru1gcr in playing your character too rigidly-lockino
onto a pl'cdeterntlned course. "lb prevent this, stuy open to tJ1e pussil,ilitie:
that arise in piny. Consider tl-1c events of tJ1e gruur. and how r.hey uffrci
your chru·actrr's perception. Be prepru·ed for unexpected ch11uge.
r once plared a churac11·r wh0111 I planued 10 n-ausfom1 frum u pad.fist 1,,

a 1nartiul art~ 1nus1t•r. But after seeing the won1ar1 he loved kill£·d hcfon.
hin1-struck down by the 1:u1·ses of 1.U1 angry go<l-his gouls !lt·emt·d
hollow. I huil to readj 11st und ch oos1i ru101 lu:r long-tcrn1 urc for ltini:
Perhaps to devote hin1sdf to thl· fa.irh or to 111edic:inl·: perhaps his h,,11 r1
broke and he detcnuiued never to renu-n ho1ne again.
Goal-Oriented Beliefs
[tis u good Liabit co shapf. one "Belief so d1a1 you can accornplish it in tlil'
current Sf!!-sinn. Tt- might not happen, but you &hould try fur it. Sl111nriug
for the Personal Coals award keeps you activr. and 1·ngagl'1J.
Someti111cs we even cross out die ·'Belier 6tle for one of our Beliefs anti
,vrite " Goal" over it.
\Vbat's an Ap1>ropriate Goal?

Goals are rcla1jve cJ1ings. l11 gun1r t£'nus, a goal 1nu,1 require acliuu from
you-you 0111st· 1isk for tJ1is B~lief. At 111i..11i.J1111n1. you rnust n1ake at lrast
one test ia pursuit of tJ1c goal. It is prefernblr Ihut you ,nuke: a seric~ of
tests, but the,n.~ is no hard fonnnltt.
Rcn1ember, our n1otto is " Fight for what you believe."' lf a player isn't
fighting, tJu•n the game isn't delivering on its prornise. Therefore. as a
GM, you must place a challenge in the path of each Belief: an opponent
to overcome, a confidante to convince, an artifact to rescue, a mystery
to solve or even a dangerous cliff to scale.
These e lements arc born fron1 the Big Picture. They are facets of the
settiug that you pull from tJ1e bac:kgrow1d and place into the fo~"l'Ound.
ft should be feasible to acco.1nplish goals in a session or cwo.
,·-.
Commentary
Reconciling Two-Part Beliefs

Two-pru"1 Beliefs
. are very useful because they
. allo w you to mamtrun
. . your -·0..
.....
.....
philosoplucaJ_ stance ~ut _1~ change up what you 're going to do about it. ;s
()Q
\f hen 1l1e acnon poruon ,s mvalidatecl or tJie goaJ acconlplishecl, you can
kc-ep die_ ideologi_cal stateo~cnt ~d change ilie action or goal. "I am loyal o:l
to the k1ng, tJie'.ef~re I wiU. · · has huge potential for play. \Vbat will .........
(l)
(I)
you do for the king? Keep your statement of loyalty and as the situation lri"'
changes, in~f'i.·t nc•w actions into the Belief. Now you get a fresh persona
poin1 fro,n 11 m play!
The '·fo1u·d1 Beliefs" from Loyal, Zealot and similar traits arc often two-
part Beliefs and thus fall into chis category.
Practical Beliefs
This section hrf'.;lks down s omP. issues witJ1 Beliefs. in Burning Wheel:
trouble writing Beliefs, writing Beliefs for a campaign, changing Beliefs
during a campaign, what to do when you earn Molclbreaker, what to do
when you ' vc finished with a Belief, how to play a Belief that can't be
accomplisbeu and some practical advice 011 challenging Beliefs in general.
Trouble \Vriting Beliefs

If your players are having o·ottble writing Beliefs, 1Ty Lo get s01nething
down on pnper, anything that's even close to the concept. Don't worry
11ho11r. getting it perfect 0111 of the gnte. Have then1 write proto-Beliefs,
even if you know thar they'll need to change.
During the session, confront your players with u lmndful of decisions.

U5c your own inspiration and ideas for the situation to prod at balf-
bakcu Beliefs . Set up a problem that can't be l:iOlved in a single roll.
" 'hen the players grabs for the dice, pause them. Before any rolls are
mad,\ nail down the intent ruid task for this test and ask what needs to
be acr.omplished by the ,~nd of the session. This declaration can often be
converted into a Belief on the spot.
At 1he end of the session, be sure players are given the proper rewards for
playing Beliefs. Break down the reward process. Let each player know
why lw's ean1ing cJ1cscso·angc Httle points. This will close part of the cycle
for liim- ltc should un<lcr~tnnd now that if he acts on his Beliefs, he' ll get
rf'war<led in a way chat wiJI allow him to act n1orc effectively next thne.
Writing Beliefs for a Campaign
You wnnl to toi>plc tlw duke, b111 it's . .
going to tokl' ninnv. scss·1011s of
to get there. You con " ·rite• n lli,lrd 1.hat stnh•s , " I nnrnr o"cnl P1uy
duke, no ,natter th!' cos1.
" 1'1us
. 1.s n nrc!',
. strong Bclicf. bur ir',, vriro\\·
rv
th <·
10 eanl l'ewnrds for ii. 111 d11• s hort 1<-rn1. you've got to constan;l~·
1
:n~d
1
against the duke or hit; work:;. This ,viii probably ~ct you O ha.. "u/u't •
futt·' ,uiut:,. L1hinu11dv, ' '11 11,.,.
. 11f1c1· mun .\' sessions of work. you . 1or
~ .01 np 1h 1I 1 .
1 11
ooul (or dit: tning). Thal'll n,:t you on.. persona point- not 0 11 ,d '
t, • • • I 1'41lill(•
n:wnrd for nil your l'lfort .
It's IJl'st
.
to hrcok tl1at long-term goal
.
into bits Lhut ,·ou
.
can accnrni '1l~ . 1ljfl
the sl,ort tt•nn: " ~ will rob thr duke_:,; ~ r.-~s nry of rvcry fll'll11~ :- or. ~1 11 ill
kidnup the duke.s hrotht·r, Boron t\'II ( ,rown tln: fiud . and hold liim for
ran:lorn;" o r. "I w·ill emburrn.s , tlJ1· duk r at c-uurt whl'II Ll11: priiwr ,.0111l., -
As..:,uiw, for Llw silk,: of 11rgunient , tlwt thcsr instances ar,• n111 lon1!-,~nu.
cunapai~'l1-spu1u1it1;,! gonls. hut ..!;t(•1111rio,, that you (·UJ1 ac-compli, 1, ill u
s1•ssion or ''"" ur plu~.
\X'riting strong, go11l-oric111rd Belic•h; allows you to Mu y on rrark for , 0111
large,r ainis. earn lots of urtha ( h) be savl'<l for that final coniro111a1io~. of
cour5e) and havt: ,nany exciting sessions en route to your ~naJ.
Changing Beliefs During a Can1paign

\Vhen rlo •you d11u1ac:, a Udicf? In tlw rules as written. •\'OU 1'a1t channe r- 0lll'
at uny point us long as the Ctvl approves the tin1in~. l-lowe,·1·r. ",. rarl'!i
change Br.liefs chuing a session . \Ve prefer 1o l<'t t hen1 hr d1allt·ng1•d in
1h1~ rorll"sC of the ~cssion. If we 1:UJ1'1 challenge a B1,Ji\·f in a :::r,:;inn. \\{·
1·eexarninc it. At 8\VJ-lQ, we change Bl'lir fs 111 the :;1an of a s,•ssiun. \\'r
review what hnppt·ncd last 1in1c we pluyed. \X'e :itull' wlil'l"I' \\ l' arc now
llJlCI what we plan on doing. Tf g oul-oril' lltcd Ddief~ wen· urconipli,,hrd
in the previous sc;si<in, w,· chru1~e or upduh• d11•1n. If id,•oloc:i1:~ w1>re
d1nllcnged or c ru:;hcd , we ch,:uigc t he1n to 3uil our new out looks. If-.·,•
have a Be lief thal's 1101 b eing r hallt•ngrd_ we rry to rework it so ii 1·,m
be ,nore rewarding.
Ou rare occasions, an earth-sh&ttering event ,vill rock oac of the pluycrs.

S0111cthing snups. 1-Ic's got to make a change right now. This mo1ncnt is
perhops one of the uiost· power[ttl jn all of Bu.ming \Vheel. By all mean,.
go with inspired changes of Heliefs!
S01nctitnes, a Belief needs to sit in reserve for a session or 1,vo befort" you
cun really dig into fr. T hat's perfectly ncccprahlc. It's rare that n siuglt
session challenges all of a player's Beliefs. Yet, if a couple of sessions pass
,vithouL the Belief being touched, then you need to cbaugr. it.
Commentary
In campnign piny, if you' re playi.Jig hard . J .
. I ti. · wu 1 gon1-orrented Beliefs t,:I
vou II prol>uh y I so ha\'c far-reaching gouts tb , . '
· . ·0 ·11 . lit aren t npproprrute for
f.
....
C
,_
11 Bdu•I. . r you ngrcc to Hcccpt n sidt'. miss·
a.
. . ,
. o
"oal. so what tlo you do with the Belief fhnt , ,
· ron to 11e1p a ncnd-10 help
lll'l'Olllphtih 111101.hcr pluyer s "oul. You need 1. . .
O Wrrt!' 8 8 C11e£ t1bo111 tlus
I .
. -·
::,
(IQ
r- b k · )OIi re rep ucmcr? \Ve keep t,:I
1101 es on the ac ·s of our character shcf•ts l
, •. . .
nm'. or1ha ,, e vc mvestcd III tbc111). So if w,,· 11,.,.c•d Io eI<'.ru· n ue
n ; hon-term gonl. we cun do so without four of iorgetung
°
· n >0111 1011g-1e1111 goals (and
n . f
· our u·rg p ans.
f
1ie s Iot or
-
~
....
~
vi'
1
\Vhen rlw imnwcliutc si11ru1ion is resolved , ,,....a, 1•e fer to I I1c 11011.•s ru ukc
sure thc(re still gt•rmuue and then write new Beli,:fs for 1.hem. ·
J1'11e11 to 8"y /\io to Clu111gi11g" BeliPJ
It's po,;siblc·. in Liu; ro urse of a session, for rhc CM to hnvt· un
1111revcalecl obstacle waiting to challenge u Belief. lf rhis is rhe cusc,
,u1d ~ pluy<'r asks to change_the Belief thul is about to he cl 11illenged,
the (.,1\'l can and should ndv1sc him to wait. 011.ly delay I he chnngr. of
rhe llclicf if you cau chull<!ngc ir Ihis session. Jf you can', get to it this
sessio11 1 lei the player change it.
~1oldbrcakcr
1l1c Moldhreakcr reward is a pow!'rful tool in long-term p!ey. You r.a.n
.
earn this rc>war<l i.n a very sdf-conscio11s wav. You are. mcontTol of when
you piny in to or when you hreak a Bclief. Breaking a Belief isn't the
s.une 11s disregarding it for convcni1mr.e's sake. You n1ust dive in10 t11c.
<lranw, un u play against yourself. For your 11·011blcs, you ca1TI a nice
per5ona point.
\X1hnt do you do with the Relief after you've broken ii.? Do you discard
it? No. You keep it. Breaking ic convincingly shows how much you truly
care nhour tliur ideal. You ret11rn to the Belief and piny it earnestly, like
one shamed by one's own actions who resolves stalwartly to do good from
now on. Yow· n·ansgressioo reaffirms your Belief.
\V1: talk about Moklbrcnker n bit more in the Artha chapter, but to bri1!lly
~ummarize what's suid there: If you find yourself breuking a Belic:f three
limes in a row, l hen it:s rirnc to chru1gt: it.
f'inishing a Belief
\Vlu,n we aeeomplish a gonl related to II Belief inn grunc, we hnve a short
conversution. The CM asks, "Arc you done with thut? Do you want to
p11sl1 that further?" Rcmentl>er, the GM's foL is to challengt' Beliefs. Even
"'
if a situation is resolved, it's possibJc tbaL I.lie Belief isn't resol d _
. . U . Ve With
it. A Belief ,nay take on new rr1canmg u1 1e rcsolut,on of die action ,
· 1I s
up the player to deci de.
On the other hand, us the Cl\11, you have to be honest. Jf you ha

inspiration for n1orc action bchjad a Be~ief, t.l1~n you ~hould sny so. A,~~
if you don't, you should tell Lhc player, 1feel like you're done with tha,
I don't have anyt.lung else. Do you agree?"
If the. player and Civf don ·1 agree, djscnss the problcn, and work out an
appropriate direction. You can ,nodify d1c situation or create a new one
to acco111n1odute che Belief.
Guiding Light Beliefs

A guiding light Belir.f is one that is not accomplishablc br any means.
It provides a.a ethical rule II pon whjch Lhe player can 01casure his
character's actions. Ar 13\VHQ, we try to discourage these Bcliefa in new
players . 1' hey' re hard to play and hard to challenge. However, for a
skilled Burning \~Theel pluyer, they' re a lot of fun . Guiding liglir Beliefs
help you "gt•t into churacter.- They encourage you 10 offer 11 difforen1
perspccr.ivc 0 11 the situution. Ir you hnvc a Belief Lhat says ~1n111St nrvcr
raise my hand in violence agu.in, since I have been forced to slay mine
o,vn brothc1;" how ru·c you going to topple rhe duke.?
Guiding light Beliefs that· subscribe to an ideology-"! will abide by the

precepts of Nergal's Ten1ple,'' {or cxan1ple-ru·c colorful but difficult to
play. Behind rhesc Beliefs sits ru1 idt'ologicnl syste,11. The player mnsr
keep this ideology in 1nincl while h<.' play.. and be ready to spout lhosc
prcccpt.s and abide by thc111 ! On the ocl1cr hand, as tl1e Gl'vl, you n1ust
aL;o kno,v these principles. Yon rnust be rcndy to offer situations th:u
directly contradict the111 or present options in which one way contravenes
the ideology and meother vcuerarcs it. This is quite a challenge to bring
out du1i11g gamcplay.
As the GM, I find that not only do I have 10 present nuanced situations,
but I often have to ren1ind players oftheir o,vn ideologies! "Really, you're
going to do that? f thought that ,vas against your religion." So take care
wil'l1 these Beliefs. It's okay for each player to have one, but no ,nore.
\Vhen getting suuted ,vith the game, try to focus on goal-oriented Beliefs.
You can develop these deeper, more nuaueed Beliefs in play.
Practical Advice on Challenging Beliefs

Here arc sorue practical perspectives on challenging Beliefs. T~y wert'
presenrc.d to us by Michael Prescott on our fonnns.
Commentary
A player has the Belief ''I n1usL kill that bastard Mordock." Here are b:j
a uumber of ways you can challenge that one Belief using different
"tivr'-- on the character Mordock.
~~ )c ~ -
i::
.....
.....
0...
=s
, 1<didatio11. Make r,.1ordock super villainous, mean to cl·''clre
m n, e tc. .1o ~
o;,
validate the worthiness of the Belief.
• Undermining. Make !VJordock u super nice guy, someonc·nobody

--·
(1)
in their right mind would want to kiU. The player has 8 chance to
define his character by tJ1e tuueasooablc pw·suit of his goal.
•Flip. Switch fron1 validating lo tmderminiog, or vice versa. Have tJie

...;Uain repent and beg for mercy; now the long-validated player has
co risk looking murderous to complete his goal.
• Opposition. Make Mordock bard to kill in logistical te1ms. He has

henchmen, powerful aUies. etc. so that once he's dead, it feels like a
big uccomplishnlC'nt.
• Catch-22. Make gunning for ~lordock cosdy in terms of the player's

other Beliefs. For example, if the player has a Belief about curing his
sister's tenninal illness, Mordock is the only guy who can CUJ'e her.
• Dillidc ancl Conquer. Li_ke Cutch-22, but you cause interplaycr

friction by getting the other players lo oppose the player witb the
belief to bring down Mordock. For example, Mordock is the only
person who can tench the players the :secrets of Encbanting.
• A1erge. Create hal'lno11y in the group b~· ,nuking Mordock's death a

means of accomplishing other goals. Jlerhaps Mordock also has the
Black Chalic1!, an item 1.hat another player ueeds.
Try t0 imagine your players' Beliefs in this scheme. What's the comn1on
goal they shnrP.? \Vl11.1t nrP. thP.ir imcondary goals? How can you tic the
secondary goals back into the common goal? Can you use the st-,eondary
goals as obstacles l'O accomplishing the common goal?
What's the mood at t he table? Do the players universally hate one of the
antagonists? Can you turn him into a sympathetic villain and thereby
challenge all of 1J1r.ir Beliefs by cuusing then1 1.0 question their goals?
Michael 's simple scheme for challenging Beliefs helps frame matters
~1110 n pat1err1 of easily executed actions. liow do your group's goals fil
into this scheme?
Instincts
' Instincts arc a trir:ky pnrl of the gn,ne. A good Instinct is harder
10 writl' thau a good Belief. And often, a bad l11stinc1 is harder 10
apply thnu n bad Belief. To write a good Ilclicf, you need a situation,
a cbnrnctc r and a sense of drainn. To write a good Inst inci. you
need n charac.tr.r, u sense of dra,nu and a bit of systr.m inastery.
lns1inc.ls ga,nc the systc1n, so lo use the111 best you need 10 know
how the sy;;tern works.
The rules m e nt ion two types of Ins tinc ts : those 1.hat add
drnrnclerizution a11d 1hosr. lha t grant a mccltnnical benefit . There's
a third I ypc thnt we describe in this chaptcr-lnstincts born from
the situation. \Vt: nlso discuss what mak1:s ll good cl1ura1)terization
Instin c t and how yo u gr.t ! ht! most mechanical benefit from an
lnstincl.
Characterization Instincts
A characterization Inst inct as n rerninder to you about how to play
your character Llu·ough a situatiOJI. h offers little or uo mecharucaJ
hcuefit, but it telJs you " what your chru·ncter would do ... lt"s helpful
when ovcrwhebned by choices to he able to refer to yow· instinct list
and be nudged in a direction.
T he best chnractcrizacion l m;tincts remind you to do somethiug with

yow· cbarncter that. you, the player, 1uc bad at or uocornfortable
with. They remind you to push against coolfortablc behavior. They
remind you to be cool when you always blow up; they rc1nind you
to lie when you always teU the truth; they remind you to be cold-
blooded when you're us ually sanguine.
Mechanical Instincts
A mechanical Instinct is one that gains you son1c 111echanical
advantage in the game. Typically, you are allowed to make a free
roll to cover your ass when trouble arises or to tl'igger a condition
that bypasses a penalty.
lns tincts work best in the !ooser fran1ework of independent nod

versus tests mlJ.de in the course of play.
90
.....
Commentary
As it says in the Burning \Vheel :page 56), Instincts let you 1nake a
rest when t~·iggercd by a situation or obstucle. Essentially, play stops
ndvnndng for a n1on1ent and you step buck in time to 1Lllow the player
with the appropriate Instinct to 11111kc a tc.-st. lfyou have an Instinct such
11s, ·'Always re1nember to bring a gift wheu visiting," and you arrive at
court in piny but you forgo1 a gift, you get to make n Resources test oa
the sic.le for an appropriate gift. No questions asked.
Instincts can also provide the pretext to t urn u situation into a versus
tcsr-rnther than n standard test or an outright declara1ion by the
GM. You have an J11stinc1 to "Always watch out for an ambush." You're
nssurl.'d of getting to tc-st your Observation against an impending
ambush. 110 1nalle1· how distracted your character is.
Finally, au Instinct allows you to take an action in the game that

alleviates a penalty. This is the"[ forgot to say ii, but my guy would
totally clo that" type of Instinct. ''A lways sleep with a knife under my
pillow... You don'1 have lo talk about thut knife, cvrr. It's always under
your pillow whc-n you bed down. "Always lock the door when I lea\'e the
vault." That vauh is always locked when you leave. You don't leave it
aj11r unless you spccificnlly state you play ngainstyour Instinct.
Instincts in Duel of \Vits, Range and Cover and Fight!

Co111rary to appearances, lnstincrs don't work in Duel of \Vits, Range
nud Cover and fight. They work before you cngflgc these syste1ns and
afccr, but not during. Timing is too important iu rhesc instances to let
people cheat outright. If lnsrincts cou ld change actions, 1ht>se conflicts
would rapidly devolve into Instinct wars.
You cnn write l.nntincls about being prepared for n Fight, or to always
escalate to violence in o Duel of \Vits, or to always gather your arrows
11fter a skir,nish in Range and Cover, but you can't write anything that
interferes with the action sequence. "Always light in aggressive stance"
will allow you to start a fight in aggressive stance, but once }'OU drop
ou1 of stance, you don't a11torr111ticully pop back in. You have to spend
the action required.
"If tlisanned, draw my knife." This Jnstiuct sounds cool, but it breaks
the rules. It costs two actions ro dra,v a knife in Fight. Since there's no
way you r.ould have h11d the knife ready before you were disarmed in
the melce, the Instinct can't pay off.
J • , • , . ,, ·r., •.. .,. I •
·.·:;,•,·.i
.' .·1· · ...
... , . .· .'":;~ ·. .· I' \ •
Situational
Instincts
SiniationaJ 1ns1incts are similar
to characterization Instincts
but rather than focu sing on'
the character per se, tJ1ey relutc
an action about a specific
circun1stance in the storr.
So instead of, ''Always draw my

sword a, the first sign of trouble,"
your third In st inct should be
something lik,~ "\Vhen J see my
traitorous brother, attack him
vigorously! " Or, "\Vhen J see the
night watch, run ." Or, "Wbcn
Soryu mouth s off, try LO cover
for hi1n."
Thr.se Instincts relate to specific

circ umstances and particular
characters you are involved
with in tl1e game at hand. Usiug
these fnstincts will pay off
haudso,nely in artha and create
a pleasant chaos i.11 tlie ga1nc.
Practical Instincts
Let me rry to give some advice about connnon problems with Instincts.
Always Win
rsee badJy written, poorly conceived Instincts all the time. They go
something like this: "Always win;" or "Always do the right thing;" or
"Always know [somr.thing s~emingly prosnjc but actually impossible--
ex.its, the tr11ch, yow· thoughts]."
Bad Instincts are written to shield tlie character (and player) from
danger. That's not what [nstincts are for, ~o don't tolerate Instincts like
that.
d
Commentary
Mu.ke sure Instincts are focused on a physicnl n·c tion th1tt can be
accomplished in a single heartbeat or something that you do habitually
when you 're not under pressure or in danger. Instincts have to make
-.........
:ti)
:3
:::1
sense in th<:' context of their use! lf you have mi Instinct "Always .....
(")
ti)
nssess rny opponents for weaknesses,.,., and you get ambushed, there's
110 time for assessin'! Checking out your opponent seems like such
0 simple thing. but it's tricky. ,veaknesses need to be stµdie<l. That
b1stinct needs t o say « Always assess iny opponents for weaknesses
before a fight."' But if you were at court and you inet your enemy in
passing. that' d be a perfect time to assess her for weaknesses-even if
you don't say you did it. \Vhcn you fight her, you can call back to that
• t< \Vf '
moment and say, weren t we at court together? I totally assessed her
weak.nrsscs then! I want to 1nake a Perception test to have noted where
she wears rhc lightest arn1or..,.,
Picking Three Good lnstincts

Players often stn1ggle to choose three good Instincts. They typically have
one sweet Instinct in 1nind, bur lack inspiration for the second or thii·d.
Let us scart off this discussion by removing the pressure. The Burning ;
\~11cel stares, "Cbru·actcrs n1ay have one to three Instincts . .,., You 're not
required to have a ll t hree. U you only have om,i instinct, you're fine. You
can start playing and worry about adding others as play progresses.
\Ve often use this tactic when ·we're set with two great Instincts but
blanking on a third: ln the course of, play something usually happens that
makes us say " My guy would never do that," or "My ~ y would always
<lo that!'' That becomes our missing lnstinct.
\Ve also use these guidelines:
PersfJlutl f 11sli11cl
Make one instinct about your character's personality.
Never let them (or.,ct that I'm a ng/J/e.

11 11
"Never let an Elfinsult me. 11

':it/ways bait the capte've wg/ves. "
Materit,l /11stiru:t
Make one fns tinct about yow· gear or equipment.
11
':ii/ways mentl my armgr 6efore I heJtlown.
11
l
':it/ways .sleep with a knife under my pt11"w. I
"Never wear .shges. 11
.--
I -
Skill-Based l11sli11cl
Look over yow· skills. fmagine how they would make your character
l>chuve. \Vrite an lnstinct about that behavjor.
11
"wlten I'm in a {ihrary, rlo research.
11
~lwaJs intimiJatepeople who are shorler than me.
':4/waJs recite apoem for 111/ loveY. ,J
Changing Instincts
Instincts can and s hould be changed us your character grows. Exan1ine
your Instincts every fow session s. Are tlu:y causing you trouble? Do thPy
really refli:ct your chan1ctcr's current personuJit y?
If you 're not getting into or out of 1ro11hle witJ1 an lnst;ncl, how can you
refine ii? Perhaps the intent reflects yo w· chilract.cr··s personality, hut in
prac:1jc,~it's not coming up. Can you ,nodify the Jnstinct to refler.t your
current siruution while reu1inir.g the licart of it?
,t;;.Jl
i~
Artha Cycle
Burning \Vher.l is a ga1ne of rewards. It is not enough for you to
daim to want so1nething. lt's not enough for you to fight for what
you 1hink you wnnt. Thega1nc only begins to work when you stake
your dai1n on a Be.lief and are t.hen rewarded in fate and persona
poi111s. That artha create~ incentive for further engagement with
c,·('11 tighter. 1nore drnmalit; Beliefs, but it also fuels other parts of
the systcn1.
Anha is 1ncao1 to be used. It's not hoarded or reserved. You can

onl!· o,:,nP.fil fron1 it if you spend it. And gem~rnlly, you need to use it
to overcome obstacles so that you can fulfill your Beliefs. The more
you i11vesl in t hat circuit , the rnore you're likely to get hack. Spend
art ha a nd earn it right back. Do inore, push harder.
But that's not all. You need that artha to advance, too. Perception,
Faith and Hr.sources can't advance without it. You need to invest
it in challeng<'s that are too difficult to overcome without it. That
in,·cstn1cnt pays off as your stal , skill and attribute dice pool:;;
increase.
One way to advance abilities of exponents 5 and higher is to use

anha to pass challenging tests. The only way to garner the artha is
to play your Beliefs, Instincts and traits to thoroughly engage with
thegaine.
F urthennorc, investing artha in Belie.fa hP.lps you earn traits from

trait votes. Those traits codify the aspects of your character that
you evoked while fight ing for your Beliefs. Spending that artha
has helped bring your character closer to your vision of who he is
right now.
Lastly, there's the ultimate investment: epiphany. Fighting for

your Beliefs, spending, earning and investing make an epiphany
incvi.table. It takes quite a long time, but it's worth it. A gray-shade
ability substantially multiplies your character's effectiveness.
1'his enormous, beautiful cycle is born from working toward

fulfilling one Belief.
95
Awarding Artha in General
Artba uwnrds DJ'l' granted nt t.he end of each session. How do we remernher
if we played u Belief or lns1iJ1ct? \Ve developed u 1nethod LJ1111 r feel
enriches our games. \Ve wrap up 15 1ninutes earlier than we used 1
0.
We each read our Bcliels. Instincts un<l tn1its aloud iu 11.u·n. As we read
we each iutcrjcc1· conU11c111ary-" I played Ll1111 when I. .. " or "Tlus 011 ~
didn't get couched at all. ... r Other players also offer insigh1s. Of11:n. one
of us will shrug off a Belief, "Jdidn't play this ut nU;' and tl1c rest of 115
shout, "Are you kidding?! \Vhat l11c bell else were you doing whcu vou
n1urdered that dude in cold blood? l " or son1e1hi11g similar. If I he pl;yer
agrees, he truces the award. U he disagrees. thc11 he doesn'1 take the poi.111.
ll's important t11at the group lls a whole re1 ne1nber und p1usse L11c! s~ssion
together. It ht>lps us ull keep ftJeused on t lu, game.
This works in t11c 0LJ1cr direction, 100 . If u player isn '1curning arrJiu front
a Belief, ii 's obvious. Therefore, whcu reviewing Belitfs for artlu:r, we c,111
cleru·ly Sl<e wh111·s rnisfiring and whnt's worki11g.
Earning Fate
Fate is die ,nost conunon arrJu1 currency. h is the easies, LO earn and 1hef('
arr n1orc condi rjons for its ncqui5itio11 thnr1 persona or drcd.s co1nbincd.
Earning Fate for Beliefs

The conditions for earning fate for playing a Belief are very loose. Thr. 1cxt
says, "serves u purpose or drives tl1e ga,ne forward. " Ideally, I intended
that the player make! ll IC.SL in service of a Belief. J ,w1n1 you to bring your
slate,nent ullo the g111ne-,11a!ke it 1nanifes1 witJ1 a risk of fuilure. If no t
that, t.hen at least a strong pcrforrnance based on or defr.nding n Belief
is necessary for tJ1c reward.
Nlerely restating die Belief to t11c group or silentJy banding over a few
helping dice during tl1c scssio11 is not enough to earn tl1is reward. Beliefs
11111s1 be actively pursued-there 11111st be some risk-if you wish to be
rewarded.
WfJrki11g TfJu,ard...
For 1nost Beliefs, you earn fate points on your way to eoruing a
pr.rsonn point for personal goals. You don't 11cco1uplish the goal this
session, Intl you nct.ivcly wo-r kcd toward it. That earns u fnle point.
I
I.
Fate 1l-li11es
Some Beliefs arc not goals. Either t.he explicit goal is beyond the
scope of the crunpaign or the Belief is an ideological or philosophical
statement. " I will spend my every breath to overthrow this empire" is
an example of the former (for m·gu.ment's sake, let's say the scope of
the game doesn't include room for me to actually topple anything so
grand as an empire). " Fire is my guide and my succor" is nn example
of the latter type of Belief.
I·'
I can work toward both of those Beliefs. I C8Jl attack the imperial tax
collectors and drive them from my to,vn. I can defame the emperor
in puhlic. T can write 111anifestos about the downfall of tl1c emperor.
For the fire Belief, I cru1 use fire to light my way. I can build irres to
keep us warrn when it rains. I can boil water. I can sterilize 1ny rnedical
implernents. I can speak in mystical terms about the fire within when I
make decisions. All of this coun1s toward playing a Belief, even though
there is nothing to ultimately accomplish.
Th,:se ru·c accc,prabfc Beliefs. In fact, I reconwend writing one for your
character. \Ve call them, rather baldly,/ale ,nines. You work tJ1em into
play to provide characterizalion and are rewarded with fate points.
;
I i, ... ' ,''
~ :- " ·'· ,. ,··,
Earning Fate for Instincts

Instincts art> often Lheir own reward. They can grant a n1echanicnl
advantage. If that mechanic is invoked and you benefit from it, you
don't get an artha award. If tJ1c Instinct 1necha11ic is invoked and Yott
s uffer for it, then you 're rewru·dcd wid1 a fate poinl.
No one 1:ru1 trigger your Instincts but you. Good Instinct play rrquires
a proactive player. lf you don't invoke the lnstincl, you Calu101 benefit
fron1 i1. U you don't caJI for its we<:hanicol aspect lo aid you, then the
Instinct remaius inert. If you don't invoke the instinct in a problematic
circumstance, then you won't b e rcwru·ded. This reward is very much
dependent 0 11 your own bcbavior at thr. table.
Earning Fate t'or Traits

Trait awards ure very i1hportru1l, but t.J1ey arc less frequent tha:n rcwru·cls
for Beliefs. The crik1·ia for the reward is that the story must head in an
unexpected direction du(• to the invocation of the trrut.
\V(:'ve drift.cd the conditions for rhis nwru·d sliglttly. \Ve only give out trait
awards for cbaract<'r traits. On a rare ocr.asion, we' U grant the award
for aoorhcr type of trail. \Vhy? \'i/r fed that using a die or call-on trait
is reward enough.
Using a character trail is ptu-cly a way to r.,nhell.ish perf01n1ance and color

decisions. This is a noble thing nnd it should be rewarded.
At the end of t11e session, we qui,~k ly scan our trait lists and n1ake a case
for any character lTaits that \'\'e1·c brought into play in a n1r.aningfu.l
way. \Ve try 1·0 cite the n101ncnt of decision or chauge. lf the group
ngrees, wr. take thr. nword . lu general, you earn onr. fate per session for
playing character traits. Od1envise, play becomes trait-bingo ratl1cr tlmn
1neaningful roleplay.
Earning Fate for Humor

In some of ow· games, the humor point is a nightly award. Ju other
campaigns, it's rare. Burning \Vhecl is, by its nature, a rathr:r heavy
game. (t's au intense experience, fighting for what you believe! But in
this context, we value comic relic!f. If tJ1at in-character remru·k makes
us all laugh-from humor, joy or excite,nent-we wn:nt to reward you.
However, comcclic mo,nents pa:ss quickly and in th~ final end-of-session

tally, they're easy to forget. 'lo 1nake sure just rewards are distributed,
some of us "rill n1ake a note of what was said if we think it's humor-
- Commentary 0
worthy. My notebooks and character sheets are Linered witJ1 incongruous
quofl)S that are just bizarre out of context but were spit-take hilarious
in the moment.
Earning Fate for Skills

Right Skill, Right Ti1nc is the rarest of the fate point awards. It's meant
to award devcr character builds or diligent practice. It is only disbursed
when the group is at an impasse and the G!'vl calls for an obscure or
wilikely skill to bypass tl1e obstacle. A player unexpectedly chimes in, "I
have IJ1u1 !'' The gu,nc rolls on and he's rewarded in the end.
The h1!St example J can rernember is a group who needed to sneak into
11 well-guardt'd citadel tower. Dro chi.Jned in, "J have Architecture. J
want m usr n1y knowledge co find us a..secret entrance..,, Oro wa<; the
aLsol111c lu;ro for tJ1at session. I think he got MVP and the Right Skill,
High1 Tirne award.
You cannot earn this award more than once per skill, ever. Once we know
you have that skill, there's no more magic to it. Once we sturtto rely on
your dui-ch skills, you ' re in the runuing for \Vorkhorse, not !light Skill,
Righi Time.
Earning Persona
There arc five distinctions for earning persona points: Embodirnent,
Moltlbrcnkcr, Personal Coals, \Vorkhorsc and ~IVP.
Earning E1nhodin1e11t
Anyone can nmninate another player for the Enibodiment award. Just
recap I.he scene or scenes and why you tbiuks the player des~rves an
En1hoclimcnt point. Everyone has a chance to chi111e in, for or against.
D011'c nominate yourself.
We also tend to make Embodirnent awards gradually harder to earn.

Repeating your stellar performance from session to session will earn
you a frw persona points in the early ga1nes, but later in the campaign,
it's just what we expect as your normal behavior. If you want that
awa,:d, you have to push into new and interesting ground.
Earning Moldbreaker ·
Moldbrcaker is perhaps my favori te award, but it has its problems. 1t is
earned for dramatically playing against a Belief. You can betray a Belief
in sinrations presented to you by the GM or you can set up your own
Moldbreaker by writing conflicting Beliefs. Both are perfectly valid. lt's
in1portant to note that you don' t earn this persona poiut by ignoring a
Belief. If a Belief doesn't come into play, or if it's challenged and you take
no action, then there is no reward.
To get the Moldhreaker award, you 1nust bring your character's internal
struggle into the spotlight. Yon must show the rest of the group how you
are fighting with your own dea1ons. Show us how much tl1is decision
costs you.
S01neti1nes tbis rolepluy results in you serving one Belief while ignoring
another. That"s perfectly normal. Often, if a great perfonnauce or brain-
breaking decision doesn't get you Moldhreitker, you are considered for
an Embodiment point.
'The Afoltlbreakcr Belief Cha11ge 1Varning

As I sa.id above, I love rvlolclbreaker moments. They're very powerful
for nw. They represent a point at which many parts of the game
come together and present the player with a poignant, me.aningful
choice. The rvtoldbreaker mo1ne111 is purl of the classic 13tu-ning " ' heel
question, ''Is that what you belit•ve now? \Veil, what if this happens?
Do you still bc~licve tlun?'"
\Vhc:11 I C~1 and a player un<lergoes a Moldbrcuker 111on1cnl. l ask

about the llclicf ut the end of the session. -<Do you HriU believe that?
Do you want to change iii.~ Ddicf?'" I um c.:umfortable with 1he
player deciding either way, but I want to rnake stu-e that there is still
interesting conflict to squeeze fron1 the decision.
Sometimes when you break a Belief, you are changed by d1e moment.
Your character has sm-priscd you. You no lo11ger believe. You know it
intuitively. You know you have Lo change. Powerful stuff.
Otl1er times when you break a Belief, yon are using that 1non1ent to
<lefine the very Belief that you played against. By going against it this
one time, you are demonstrating just bow committed you are to your
ideals. You would prefer to do this another way, but circumstances
have forced you to co1npromise your ideals. However, this doesn't
make you callow or disingenuous. In fact, it roots you even n1orc
firmly in yo,u· ideological stance.
'n1us, after you earn the Moldbreaker award, reflect a bit on tlte Belief
and the direction of the character. If you no longer believe, change it.
If you care even n10rc, leave it ulone.
Commentary
Lf u player earns Moldbrcaker in multiple sessions, I flag the Belief.

After three times. I request that the Belief be changed to reflect
thr character's new ideology. Generally, the players agree with me.
On occ,\~io11, t.he situations in the game are so fraught with chest-
tigh1e11i11g, fi st-clenched struggles of ideology that it's appropriate
1o keep the Belief even though it's been broken repeatedly. This is a
iough call, though-soolct.hing to be discussed and verified by bod1
player and GM.
Personal Goals
The persona point for the Personal Goals award is straightforward on the
surface. Did you accon1plish the goal set out in your Belief or not? lf yes,
you get· u persona point. U" not, then you eiirher played it to drive die grune
forward and earned a fate point or didn't touch on it and didn't benefit.
In practice, this 11wurd ca.n get a little muddy. Players can have Beliefs
whose meanings changr. in context. "I w-ill dcstToy the Red Council and
nil of its evil works," for example. In the crunpaign, the Red Council is
down to one wizard who muintai.ns lots of evil works. Once that wizard
JJ1,• //11( '/ U /, . '. ll /i, ·,f l ,, / , '
is destrovcd, is I.hut Belief cotu1ted as accomplished? \Vhat happen ·r

. . s l the
evil works stiU exist or the cv1J woc·ks are thwarted but the oolc .
. , - Wizard
survives? \Vito decides?
\Vhen we read our Beliefs at the end of the session, we' IJ just ask ti ,
player who owns it. "Are you stiJJ interested in that Belief? y011 pretle
much fulfille~ it, bu1 you co'.1ld pursue it n1~rc if you'd like." If the go?i
hus been noruu1aUy ncco1nphshed, but conta111s open-ended possibilities
we let the pluyl'r decide whether to keep the Belief and take a fal'e poin/
or ch1111gc r.he Belief 1u1d tuk (! n persona point. '
At our 1abl<.', when a personaJ goaJ is achieved, we strongly encourage the

player to ,vrite a new Belief to replace that one. It's tacitly understood
that the C~·I is going to move on and challenge other Beliefs.
MVP
To de1enninc 1hc lvlV P, we review die SE!SSion. First, we look at the tests
made. \Vas a particular test or conflict crucial lo the progress of the
story. inc redibly inlluc ntial 01· vital to the s urvival of 1hc group? If one
player's actions stund out , we award him the MVP award. If therr.'s no
test or conflict we can point 10, we look for mo1ncn1s of perfonnancc in
which a player's decision or action drove play in a vital direction.
Jf the session was mellow, ~veryone contributed equally or it was a

builder, moving tow,trd future action, don't be afraid to withhold this
award. It is not obligatory; it. is discretionary.
,vorkhorse
For the \Vorkhorsc award , we look at everyone's actions across the
session. \Vho used lots of scerningly n111ndane skills to keep us going?
\Vho carried us through that fight, soaking up blo,vs that would have
killed us all? \Vho was the unsung hero? I-le gets the persona point for
\Vorkhorse.
\Vorkhol'se is a test-based award. It's for rolling lots of dice without

hogging the spotlight. 1-lowc,•er on occasion, a player ·will slog nway
behind the scenes ,vithout a lot of tests. A player can devise plans,
inspire other players Lo action or play the anchor, supporting the other
players with a strong perfonnance and still earn this reward. This
includes passing lots of helping dice while not testing 1nuch yourself.
This award is not bused entirely on success. You can labor behind the
scenes, testing to rorage nnd cook for the group, trying to muster a
couple of linked dice, but only accruing failure and penalties. In the
Commentary
rules.. you·,·e hurt the group, but in the fiction you've fed aud clothed
thl' group so they can carry on 1 he fight-even if you've also rnade them
sii:k and poor. On occasion, that's also worthy of the \Vorkhorse award!
The Deeds Point

Tlw clreJs point is tbe single rnost powerful type of art11a in the gan1e.
It n u1 b1i spent lwfore the roll or after. It can douhlc your dice or rcroll
you1· u·aitors.
The criteria for earning a deeds poinL are iat.entionally vague. In fact,
<lc,,ds points arrn ' 1 earned, they're given. Unlike fat e or persona points,
which un· earned by fulfilling playe r-driven criteria, 1.hese points are
luu1dl•d out at Lhe sole discretion of the GM.
The deeds point. is bound up i.n the Big Picture of the game. It's for
pcrforrning rc rnarkablc. unexpected things 1J1at. the GM thinks are
exemplary or cvrn frustrating! These point.s arr. cnrncd when the playt~rs
sncrific1\ 1.heir pct1y aims for a grand act.
U you feel Ii.kc you're crn.ising l'owru·d a deed:; point, then you're doing
ii wrong. If you feel as if you 'v.- trick1id yom· way into one. then rou've
Jone yo1u-~elf a disse.rvic;e.. IC yo,u· stomoch i~ in kno1s and you,r hands
1rcmhling under the intensity of the events t11at concluded yow· game,
then yo n mighl b11 r.ligililc.
Deeds poi.nt5 can be earned in conjunction witb pcrsonu points for goals.
However, in tJ1c quest for that goal, the )>layer mus( risk his character
10 unanticipated heights or profol.llld de pd1s. li these great deeds arc all
part of rhe plan, t.hen it's worth a persona point. If the situation blows
up, gels complicated and you hnvc to take a few deep breaths before you
dive in (yet you still manage to persevere) thr.n ·you might be eligible.
The context of piny and the r.hnllenges therein are paramount. h 's all
relative-and, ultimately, up to the GtvJ.
As 11 (iM, I!JIZV& uut 11 JeeJs point tu eaeh member uf my !fruup fur

&umpletin!J the eamf«'!fn!foalofentli,'!f the re'!/n ofapuwe1ulwizard
As 11 plaJeY, I earneJa deeds point (or hefpt"n!J bani.sh a (ireafer Da:mun
who haJpla!/ueJuur fllrl:J fur1ears. Buth events resulted from a lut of
hard work, but fh&J /u,th eoneludeJ with exflosive, unexpectedre4ufts.
'ft,,· J/"r11i11 :_. JI I,. ,·l i :;,},•.,
Artha Bloat
U you play Bm·ning \VI.tee) over a loug
period of tin1e, you n1ay experience
arthn bloat. An excess of fate and
persona builds up. This happens for
a uwnber of reasons:
• If you 're too lenient awarding

fate for Beliefs , Instincts a nd
traits, it's easy to build up a
hefty reserve.
• If you're not challenging players wiLh difficuJt obstacles, they have
less incentive to spend artha. Thus if yo u see players witJ1 eight m·
more fate poirus, you should he su1·e Lo hit them with sonic steep
obstacles.
• If you're not using tlu: e~1.cnded conflict mechanics enough , player,;

tend to build up a fat reserve.
Conflicts Soak Artha

Duel of \Viu;, Range and Cover aod Fight require lots of little rolls that all
carry significant. consequcncc.:s-iu thc!ic conflicts you 're always pushing
for just one more success. Thus a player can easily invest a lot of artha
in just one conflict. Conversely, if you ' t·e not using t hese systems, players
are missing out 011 an opportunity to invest in their abilities.
The gaJne awards artha a t a rate tl1at is not easily modified. The rate
of awards assumes iliat the extended cu11llict mechanics ,vill be used
at least once per sessio1L Thus if you rely solely on versus tests in your
game, you 're skewing the risk/r,t:ward balance of the grune. In long-term
games, the rate of reward and use can balance ove r time-you might
have a meUow session one week, and a hectic one the next. If you'Ie
using versus tests exclusively, then yoUI players will build up ridiculous
reservoirs of artha. If players an~ aecum11lati11g stockpiles of a.rt.ha, that's
a red flag that it's 1irr1c to put the sptu·s to tbc111. l-Iit them with conflicts.
Set up big moments that require thein to completely engage with the
system- not just one hattfo, but n series of conflicts that keeps them on
their toes and burning artha.
--
Commentary
Artha for NPCs

Doi/1 give your n,ooks any artha, no n1attcr bow bad-ass they arc. It's
ju~I rude.
IJ you ~pent tiine burning up a creature or r.haracter to oppose the group

and you don't want to sec your vii.lain punkcd, then provide a fate and
a persona point (or L,vo) . Otherwise, let your antagonist's dice fall as
.
tht'Y 01ny.
.
Going further, your Big Bads should start with a nice reserve of three
fate and three persona.
Allied NPCs and Artha

I try to de-en1phasize artha for allied NPCs. The pla~·ers, not the
supporting cast, aTe the focus of the game. On occasion, however, jt is
appropriatl' for cl1ese characters to start ,vith, earn and spend artha as
per the guidelines presented here and in the Burning \Vheel.
NPCs Can Earn Artba

Page 63 of the Burning \Vhccl states d1at NPCs can earn artha. Tt's up
to the players to nominate the character-for Embodiment, Personal
Coals, etc. However, in practice, I've found that this acknowledgement
is very rare. Thus I sha.inelessly pester the players if I feel like l've done
a good job "';th on NPC: " Did you enjoy tbat performance? Can l have
an Embodin1cnt point?" Don't be shy. They're not going to give you
anything unless you ask.
q
Trait Vote
Troit votes 11re 011 often ovC'rlooked purr of Burning \Vhecl's grand
currency cycle. In a lra ir vote. th«~g roup provides feedbnck about
the d1nruct.er play in the rnost recenl urc of the ca mpaign. The
vote- highlights the evocarion, of Beliefs, Instincts and traits and the
group's own self-pcrceptiou. T he process is both a capstone of the
currency cycle. and n snfct y vn lvc for I he systcn1-we get final say
over tht' churac1ers after a ll is snid a11d done.
T he basic mechanic of t he trait vote is very sir11ple, bu t rbc

procedure is lcf I rather vague.
When to Trait Vote?

There's no perrecc time for a !Tait vote:. Try to perform the vote
after a major even t or accomplish1nr.11L in tire campaign. I like a
vote eve11• sLx to 12 sessions. Th1-1 cxac.1 tinling is up to t he events
ru1d flow of your game.
If you nm a trail vote too soon, the players don '1. lrave a seuse of
eaclr other's characters. The votes arc strained. 1f you wait too long
to vote. tJ1cn the precipit11t:ing events of the can1pnign aYe forgotten
a nd lots of good trait opporu1nities are missed.
Trait Vote Procedure

At B\VHQ, we've developed a procedtu·c for our trait votes. \Ve
devote 11 wlrole session to the process, with any ex1:nl tin1e put toward
smaller "intcrin1" procedures Like practice, copying over characters
and single-player wrap-up events.
At chl~ start of the vote, we review the p eriod upon which we're
voting. \Ve try to recall a rnajor event at the beginning of t he
eligibility period to mark it in otu· miuds. Then we agree oo how
many traits we' re eligib le for in the vote. This usually takes one of
chr ce forms : one character u-ait only; one character trait and one
other trait; or two traits of a ny type. \Ve alinost always break this
limit, bur it's good to set a guideline.
~ 106
Commentary
\Ve go m·ound the table in turn and read out ow· current traits. The GM
and U\l' owning player make cases fol' and against losing o·aits. We vote
10 keep or lose any traits thnt are so identified. Traits are lost if they are
111,pluycd, unused or actively played against. This js a small but vital

part of this process. This is yow· chance to get rid of those humiliating
lifopath o-aits.
Once w«>'ve voted off any traits, we then pick a character. Each player
in rurn no1ni11111es thnt r.haracler for a trait. One player takes the role
of secret.U)' and notes down tJ1e no1ninations. Trait no,ninations can be
ba:;ed on traits frmn 1.he lifcpaths, the special list, the general list or trai1s
tl1a1 you develop on the spot dw'ing the vote.
\Vhca you no,ninate, tell tlic group the na1ne of the trait and why you
think the character should have that a:ait. Don't give a speech, hut a
short conunent is in order.
If we ha vr a group of fo1u· players and a.Gl\il, at the end of the noininatipn

proct·ss, each player should have five possible traits next to his nrune: one
nomination fron1 each player, including h.imself, and the GM.
Once alJ of d1c norninations are in order,. starting with the first character
no1ninated , read out t.he list of traits one at a time, The player who
nominated the trait should make a case for the trait and why it is
uppropriate. Decide on the type of trait-character, die or call-on-at
this point. If a question arises about what the trail do<~, use another trait
as a model and create your own. Vote on each nomination according to
the procedm·c in the Burning \Vheel.
lf you are nominated fo1· more traits tl1an. you 're eligible, the group should
review rhc deadlocked tl'aits. Make cases for or against the1n. Revote until
a decision is reached or you decide to bJ·cak the eligibilit)' linutations.
Following this procedure should lcart you to shiny new traits in a

reasonablr. amount of tune.
Beliefs, Instincts and Trait Voting

The ch1tracter sheets have a place in which you can r1otc whether you've
spent unha using a Belief oJ' Instinct. This note helps to rernind us of
momenL<, in which we've invested. The amount of invest1nent is a good
benclunark for the types of traits for which the character is eligible.
., ,..
( (
This process is proble1natic in games wid1 high Belief turnover. It become

all but in1possible to log your investments ,vithout keeping anothe;
separa te record. 1 do not ,vant to encourage more hook.keeping, so use
this rule lightly. Use it to inform yow· decisions a.bout die trait vote rat.her
than as a strict measure.
Evolving Traits
Using the trait vote rules. you can nead y transform a character trait into
something rnore potcnr and useful-a die ur cull-uu u·uit. So when you're
voting. examine t1·aits that have been played well. Can tJ1ey evolve into 11
new form with n1orc benefit to refJect h ow the character has been played?
If so, propose their evolution rather tluu1 a whole new trait.
Take care that you don't forget character traits. In our gan1cs, sornetinies
we get so caught up in developing die 011d call-on traits, ,ve lose our
character traits as they gee promoted to other levels. As you evolve
character traits, b e sure co vote on new on es that accurately reaect
chru1gcs i11 th e character.
Reputation Votes
A trait vote is just one of rwo ways lo vole co change your character in
Burning \Vhccl. You also vote to change, increase, decrease, add or remove
reputations. The process is essentially the same as a o-ait vote, but you're
looking at reputations, not traits. Reputation votes can co1ne at the end
of any scenario, but d1ey'rc usually lun1ped into the u·ait vote process.
Don't overlook the reputation vote. It's very useful!
Intent and Task
The intent-and-task procedure is a simple, vital part of Burning
\Vhed. lt exists so we can clearly discuss how to interact with
an obstacle. It is not a negotiation. Either the GM presents an
obstacle und describes the options for testina
b to overcome it , or a
player states a11 action for his character and the GM asks for the
underlying reason-the intent-so he can judge the correct task.
Note that task and action arc slightly askew in this schen1e. As a
player, you're telling us about what your character is doing. The
C~1 (and usually the rest of the group) then need to tTanslate that
action into the syste1n.
This 1nakes the operation of the rules pretty sin1ple. It boils down
to -describe cool things for your character and we'll figure out
what it rneans in the rules and make a roll for ii! " This philosophy
stands at the core of the resolution systen1 and bubbles all the way
up iulU Dud of \Vits, Range am.I Cover and Fight.
Intent
lutent-what do you want out of this roll? What are you trying to
get from this situation? What. are you trying to acc01nplish here?
lutent adckesses the player behind the character. Often, intent is
implied by the situation. You 're hunting for your enemy's hideout
an<l you encounter a sentry. You want to sneak past the sentry. The
GM calls for a Stealthy test. The underpinnings of that exchange
are obvious to us-you want to sneak past; you are going to do it
by being quiet and sneaky.
But that's not the only option. You can choose to alter tl1e vector of
your intent. You could choose to capture the sentry, trail him back
Lo his observation post or even murder the sentry-three different
intent:; with three different outcomes for one obstacle.
You toultl also announce tltatyou want to convince the sentry tltat
you 're on Juartl with ltim. Wait the obstade was to sneak past the
.sentry. >'bu S'9" "wltat? You were sneakinj thro"Jlt tlte wootl.s anti
nowyou want to saunter up antitalk to tltisJuy?"
109
i: I
,
[ fi r , I •
/i1 i.'1 /i ! I!:, ,
'
! lf ' I ,
•
\ I's.
NSure!"
"No, way. That's not an appropriate task for this Qhstaele. ''
The. GM vetoes that i.ntcru. \Vhy? Because .it is inappropriate for tllr,
situation. It doesn't 1nakc sense in the fiction. Yo u'r e not dressed like
one of thcin. You' re sneaking through 1.hc woods. They' re on pal.Toi. You
can't just pop up out of nowhere, start a conversation a nd expect it to go
well. That intent is no good for getting post die sentry.
So what happens? Usually, tl1c player refra11.1cs his intent to something

more appropriate to tJ1e situation. Or t he player ca.n press his ca se and
des,wihc how he will accomplish his intent-his tusk.
Task
Task describes how you accmnplish yotu- intent boili a ccording to the
n1les and in a fiction:
11
«t pull ()Ifmy hoots and creep aloH_9 the rocks ruletly.
"Cireat. Te.st Stealthy. Dol"" have any wisesyou want to FoR.K?

'Yes! I u~etl f(} be a sentry so I know how lazy they are. And l_1Yeat up
1
play,nJ outside a dan3erous foYest. Se11try-wlse and Forest-wise?"

Task n1usl dovetail witl1 intenl. \Vhat you:re doing must· make sense as a
way to get what you're afte r. The GM m·bitrates this (usually backed up
by the rest of tl1e group) . If i1 doesn' t n1ake sense to hin1, it doesn't -fly.
So to rettu-n to 01u· previous exrunple, being sneaky and passing the sentry
n1akes sense. \V11at a.bout the other intents?
To capture the sentry: " I sneak up behind hin1, muzzle him and choke
off his windpipe. " Test Stealthy plus Bra,vling (or Martial Arts) plus
appropriate wises.
To follow him back to his observation post: " I keep rny distance and
trail him on his rounds. \V]1crc docs he go? " Stealthy plus Observation
or Tracking, maybe even l-lUJ11ing.
To murder h.im: ''I hu.rl my knife into hh; neck, slicing his "rindpipe,
killing him bcfore be can make-a sound." Thro,ving plus Stealthy, Knives
and any appropriate wises.
Note how merging the intent with the tusk changes what skill is t ested
anrl what FoRKs are approprinle.
---
Commentary
Divining the implications of intent and task-what abilities can be used-

occupies u huge space in the game. You are 1neant to enter that space
crcarivcly and suggest interesting, unexpected combinations. Bur to do
50, you huvr to baek it up in the fiction. The process points right back to
the rop: It's got 10 ,nuke sense to the people at the cable.
Now, whur abour our waggish actor? He wants to impersonate another

sentry ro dl'Ct'ivc this one. \Vht>n we squint at the intent, it cloesn 't seem
like that bad of an idea. So we usk hi111, ""How would you do it?"
~Easy, I roll nrouJ1d in the mud and get good and dirty. Then r move off
n good hundred yards or so in the direction he carne. 1 call out loudly,
·Damn i1 !' Then I come s1aggcri11g down rhe trail, cursing and muttering.
'Fell in thr dan1ned 1nud! Hey, friend! You're wanted back at the posl.
Damned mud. ( slipped i.n il. Can you believe it? Anyway, yeah, you'r e
wanted back at the post."'
Hm. \Veit, i1 sounds unlikely, but it certainly is intriguing. The C~f

cm1 still veto, but the player is clearly onto something. In this case, the
GM can gran t the lest: ''Fine, test your Acting, plus FoRK in Disguise
and Falsehood. Obstacle is ltis \Viii. and 1'1n going to give you a+1 Ob
disadvantage because tltis is utterly outlandish."
Note that he's changed his intent from the originaJ exan1ple. He's not
rrying to sneak past, per se. He's tiying to trick the sentry into leaving
his post. The rask is appropriate for the outJandish intent. ff he succeeds,
the player deserves the fruits of his laboc Fortune favors the bold and
fa il11rn is fun.
By the way. my absolute ravorite part of these 1no1nents is when the

player re8ponds to the CNl's outline for the task saying, " \Vait, I don't
have Ar.ting!" \Veil, tbat's why we hnve rules for Beginner's Luck. Don't
let them weasel out of the test.
\Vhat Skills or Ability for the Task

Assigning skilb for ta.sk5 takes some fluency with the grune. The best wo.y
ro learn is 10 let the player suggest a skill that the character possesses. "I
,,,.ant to bypass this seno·y."
"what 5k,1{ wgu/iJP" use?"

"Falsehogd, 11
"fJ,,, / ~11ri1 11i,;;;.
. ..
/I !I , ' ! ' • 1 ;
,,
I J
Does tht' suggestion n1akes sense? [f it doesn't, produce your ow11

suggestion. Go with your gut. Don't fljp cluough t he book looking for
an appropriate skill.
You '11 gain an intuitive understanding of the skills a fter making calls like
this during your gan1es.
Tu:;ks arc a major p ru·Lof th e setting. The.y p rovide info rn1 ntion about
how this place works. So when you 1nake a call on a skiJI for a task, be
finu and be consistent. That's how it works here!
No \Vcasels
In Mouse Gua rd, we wrote a rule called No \Veusels. It says that once a
G~1se1s an obstacle, you niusr engag" it. T his rule isn't entirely applicable
t.o Burniug \Vheel, but it's a good guideline. Once you've stated your
intent and task, once your chru·acter is in motion a nd the obstacle has
been presented, you' re e.xpected to roll tbe dice. Even if it's too hard!
But Weasels ...

Pan of 1naking a test in Burn'ing \Vheel involves a bit of n ~gotiation
with the GiVJ and other players. Ca11 J do this? \Vllat about this? To my
1nind, iL's equivalent to the characters i.nvestigaring their environmeut.
So1nel.im1~s chis poking abouL will lead do\\'ll a path. For exa,nple:
Plll)'eY Rith: "We need to jd into this fortress. Docs it have a touriyanl
and a eurlam w11.II?"
t;M Luke: "Yes it does. "
Pla.yer Rich.- "Oh! Lt!t's r.liml, if! We!JO climb if. Were jooJ eli1nbers. "
t;M Luke: "Sure. It's the midJle ofwinter anJ there's ite on the wall.
Alsu, it's a new tfJnstruetion with a nearlj sheer su1ace. I think Ob 5 i.s
the fairest I tan be. 11
Player Ridt: "Oh... we're not that!JOod at elimbi°"'J. Vh. Maybe weeanjust
l01oek on the!Jak? We, um, we!JO to th_e!late. 11
Thjs is perfectly accepta ble! However in the fiction of the story. we have
l.o imagine that some ti,nc has passed. ' fhc characters have at the very
least 1nude the initia l preparations for the climb ond have only given
up a t the last ,ninute. So they' re in a bit of a different situation. Are
there consequences? Perhaps mild ones-time advances, along with the
n1achinations of the plot-but it's up to the GM ultin1ately.
Commentary
No Fishing
A11y negotiation about the appropriateness of the action should be handled
when you state your intent. Any rules dtlrifications and obstacles should
be hnndled before you get to the intent stage. You can ask questions about
rules and look up details in the rule books. We want you to be informed
when you boldly declare your action. \Ve don't want you fishing, " \Vhat's
che. obstacle to convince hiJn? That's too high. \Vhat if I intimidate him?
\Vhat if I use a wise to know what he knows? "
Au obsLacle isn't a physical thing. It's a rnetaphor. Once it's presented,

you need to confront it!
Roll the Dice or Say Yes

The Say Yes rule is difficult to adjudicate, yet it's one of the most vitaJ
dements of the systen1. Ii grants the CM the nuthorin.l power to cul right
10 the important stuff and skip extraneous or tiresome action.
In one campaign, our characters were crossing a narrow span over a

chusm. The G~I, Pete, described the bridge in vivid detail. One of the
players, Rich, described his character hopping up to the railing nnd
caperiJ1g along. Should Pete have called for a Speed test for llicb 's
character to keep bis balance? No. Never. Why? Certainly " in real life"
there's a chance of falling, but in the story, it just didn't matter. Rieb was
roleplaying. He was embellishing, interacting with Pete's description.
Rich made the scene better.
And what would the test have acc01nplished? He would have succeeded
and stayed on the bridge. Success would have kept h.un at the same point.
Or he wotLld have fallen and we would have had to save him. It would
have turned out Hke a false note in a bad action movie. There would have
been quick cuts aud close ups but nothing really would have happened.
Thus, Pete could Say Yes to this action. Rich wanted his character to look
cool crossing the bridge. Great! Move on.
Later, those same characters needed to cross a narrow ledge to gaiJ1 entry
to a lost tomb. Pete described wind whipping along the cliff walls. We
would have to make Speed tests to cross and enter. This was a totally legit
test. The tomb was the goal of a long quest. Would we get in unscathed?
Or would th.is cost us? In this case, it wasn't about us in particular, hut
about our gear and an NPC friend. lf we foiled, we'd lose those precious
resources!
I .I ,, • •~• ,I ·:1 : : i ,, ,,, • •I
' J • -
(n anothl'r gu,nc, our previous session ended with Thor'

. • . S SU.tn
111akino- a 1>nc1 ,,·1th a revenunt to lead the group across encl! tnoner
t"_ • • • . ess plai -
the begw11u1g of the next session, I hud to res1s1 evr,)• bad C~·I i n,. At
wrurted to call for Orienteering te.sts.. Sw·vival tests and ora i,~'Pulse. Ir
. r,g
wo.ntc< I to d 1g · I1t ·into tIlftt 101111\cy
· an d rno.k·c ·11 ,·cal with d',,,g g U tests. · I
..,e ro s 13
it would have been too u111ch and llllll('rcssary-und it'd brt•ak ti . · Ul
• ' lC l ilt
of the dc•al Thor ,nadc in the previous session. L1stead l d"~c ··b cr1t
, "" 11 ClI th
iu·<l11011s journey 1111d cut right to the goo<l :;tuff-1.he group of Ll'& vclle e
on the banks of t.lw river that borders the Lando!' the Dead l 'h rs
· ouo11 I
did not l'Xplidtly Say Ye_:;, the idea is thr. siune. "
Don't Be a \Vet Blanket, ~lr. GM

Don't caU for a test just to ser! a clr.tractcr fuil. U you feel th.is irnpulse-
"\Vell, he\; walkin~ do\\'n tlit' street, but there's a cha11c:e he could fail
and ge t lo,;t !~-n::;isl. Takl' c1 <lrc p bread1 w1d describe I he next obstacle.
If a ploy1·r asks for n tt.-st or rlcscribes so,net!Jing sin1pl~ and cool for his
character. don"t c.all l'o r p1111iti,•r tests. A!<k yourself. " Is unY1hi11g reallv
ar stake heH·?'' ,\ good 111eus11rc for irnpQrt1u11 1ests is whether or 11~1
they ncti vrly drnfl1,ngc or· huild into o ehollt'11ge ror a B('lief or Instinct.
IJ nol. just rolcplay through it. If 1hey do. negutiutr an intent and task
nn<l roll so,ne dice!
Success
Success in Burning \Vheel is rather srraightforwan.1, ahnost rigid. You
get what you ask for. Neither ,he Gtvl nor I he other players can impede
or negate that result.
\Vhen a successful player has corned his intenl. we often 1w, 1 to him
to put rhc finishi11g touches on tl1e test. He. slated what he wanted and
how he was doing it. 1-le gathered dice and rolled . Finally, he picks up
the tlu·cad again and cu1bellishes o bit' on his victory, dcscril,ing ii to us
with n detail or two.
This isn't a canon procedure, hut neither does it drift the rules. h si111ply
stretches the application of intent and task fron1 before the roll to before
and after the roll. It has u pleasa111 &ide effect: It helps us krep die thread
of the narrative. Occasionally.. ,ve' U get bogged do,vn iu helping and
FoRKing. The posl-roll desct·iµrion rcininds us wl1crc we left off.
-,_..,
Commentary ~)
Failure
You fail ll lot in this gru11e. You roll the dice quit<' often, and Crtquently
rhe diffir.ulty is rather steep. This is a design feature. Success isn't a
given, it's something to strive for. And foilw·e isn't a ron<lhlotk~ it's a
twist or a co1nplication.
In fot t, Burning \Vhcel advocates that a protagonist n1ust fail en route

10 tl1c climax. \Ve think thal failure makes a chaructcr ,nuch more
intcrcsling. How do you deal witl, the 1tnexpccted? \VIHtt choices do you
makr when you don't .aet what you wru1t? 'The answers to these questions
cl O •
erpen your chnrar11•r.
' .
( !11 · i • ', •, 'fl .. I~ ... 1i i:· '
Success is the province of the player. He gets to pick n direclion in Ute

story nnd push for it. If hr passes his test, he n1ovc>s in tliat direc1ion.
Fuilurr is the province of 1he G~-1. If the player docs not overcontl' t1 1111
obstacle, tl.1c11 the C:M nudgc:s Ll1t· narrative in n direction of his choice.
Fuilur<' isn't II dead Mop; it'.s un oppor1u1ti1y for u new, unexpectc<l 1ur11
of evc111s-1norc pcunltirs. more lcol.5, more co1111ic1s and more situatious.
Failurti also typically pro,.;dc~ opporn1ni1ies for odvuncl'nwru. An<l ir is
reworded with urtbo when you b ring your Br.liefs iu10 piny. You don't
have 10 be sucn:ssful: yo11 nH'rcly e11guge with yo ur goals in the fictio11
and you 're rewarded.
Announcing Risk of Failure Before the Roll

According 10 the 011r11inµ \Vlwcl (pug<· 32). when u tr.st b mud1·. rl,<'
player ai111ounc1·s i11w111 onJ ttl:sk urul 1hr CM Slflll'1> Ll1e results of 0
possiblo fnilun•. Ir's II good h11bi1 10 g'l'l i,11 0. au<l n l'alid rule, bur I
t·onl'c$S rlwr I do 1101 i:xplkitly tlJlnouncP llw H·rn1, of i:ncb test. \Vhy?
Two rcm,ons: I finJ tlw results of fnilurc irnplieil in 111os1 lt'3ts. If r 111
doing rny job cotTt·ctly us lire Gl'vl. Liu: situulion is so d1arr;l'd rJ,at tl w
player knows h;.-s going to get druggC'tl i11Lo n worl<l of slrir if h.. fails. "''
project tire consequences it110 the fiction as wr.'rc 1alki11g i11-rhu ru,·1t'r
llll<l jockt•yu1g before the u:st.
The second reason I don '1 ,uu101111<'1: fuilul1' result,, is a bad hnbi1 Ill
13\VHQ. ~-ly players trust rue. T liey know I hnv<· 11 dt·,1011s GM-hraiJ,
1har wiU tukc their inlercsl's into ltt•m1 nncl screw thc1n g1•nrly but lirmly.
I can ·1 \\Tile rules aho111 this kiud of trus, and. frn 11kly. I think bu.;inl(
a game solely on trust is nwful. h leads 10 all sorts of 01.hcr bad habits.
Howcn•r, it rim•;; hnv,• 1.1 po$itiv,• sid,:. \Vi1h.l101,1i11g ~onw failure n•suh~
nUows for thcgmnc to move a linlc.f11sti•r. II ,·aril'S thr n1onotony ofrhc
testing structure and !)rovides roo111 for th<' occn::ionnl inspired surprise.
And you know, somctim(:s tJ1e sm·prisr is 011 111('-S(lmrtimes I'm so c.nught
up in n1y pluyers· successes tJuu- I forge1they cun foil.
\Vhen I do nnnouncc failures before a roll, it's often after hearing a rcaUy
i.tupo11ant intent and t11sk from rhl'. player,:. Once J give thcn1 the failure
result, we have l'vcrytltlng clear about what's on the line. EYen tJ1cn. l'U
keep n1y 1'whu-e rcsu.l ts vague, ~1r you foil tltls. )'Ou 're going to br Jo;t.'"
If the failure con1P.s np, 1hcu l em.bcllish with details. OtJ1erwisc, I lravt"
it unspoken.
Commentary
So why do I have the rule to announce failw·c conditions prior to the

roU iu the Bw·ning \Vheel? Do I still support it? Announcing the risks
--
::s
~
of foil1u-e before a roU is absolutely a good rule and a worthy practice to ::s
follow. It fom1s good habits. Lt adds a new dynamic to the grune-knowing
that f:1ilure isn't arbitrary when you roll the dice. I'm a poor role model,
50 definite.Ly follow what's written in the book.
Protesting Failure Results

On occa~ion, onr of n1y players will protest a failtu·c rcsuJL. Hc' Uclaim
that r ve gone too far or even brokeu a rule.. It's perfectly valid for a player
to call foul in Burning Wheel if he thinks lte's been wronged.
If r ve niadc a tall that breaks a rule or is against the spirit of the game,
I apologize a nd offer ru1 alleroative. The G~l is as bound to the rules as
l.h~ player. Sornctimes 1 gl't carried away in the heat of tlu: mon1cnt and
I honc~tly appreciatc it when 1ny players pull me back down to earth.
If l'vr made a call that offends, f apologize and rclract ii. That's not my
nirn at all.
If I've mndc a call that seen1s to go too far-tha1 provokes prorest or

incrcclulity-T recousider ir. ls the player turtling up and failing to
engage a Belief? U I [eel like my failure result appropriatr.ly. if forcefully.
challenges a Belief, l lct it· stand. Protests be damned. Ifl'\'e. n1ade a bad
coll, I uncmpt to rctcon il nnd take 11 otep back in the narrative.
Separate Intent and Task

" 'hen adjudicating the result of a failed test, wc find it's a usl·ful exercise
to look a1 the intent and task separately. You wanted to assassinate the
duclicss quied y in a crowded room and implicate you1· enemy? A daring
plan. The intent is to lay the blame of the duchess's 1nurder upon your
enemy's shoulders. The task j,, her secret 111urdcr by stiletto. The obvious
failure result is that you do 1101. murder your target and ru·e caught.
However, tl1a1's a bit or a roadblock and it leads to rather n·ite situations
tliut lack nuanc1•-fighting your way out or pleading innocence. A 1.ess
obvious option has you succeed in the ass.assioation, but you are caught.
It \ t 1·rtai11ly much harder to plead iiu1ocence ,vhen the blood is running
<lown your knife hand. In this circum5tanc.e., the action is refran1ed: The
duchess is dead nnd everyone knows you're guilty. A still less obvious
and more devious t1.1rn hns vo11 r-mcccei.l, but your dear friend is wrongly
hlamcd for the acl and c.~rtcd off to the gallows. Your actions have
dragged an innocent soul down. What will you do?
r. :: .'.' ~, ,t :: :·. (
• l
I! j , i ; I • • I •• •
\Vhich direction to choose? Each is serviceable. The key is in cbe

character's Beliefs (or to a lesser extent, an Instinct). \Vhich option
presents an interesting and difficuJt choice for the player based on his
Beliefs? Lf the player has a Belie( about never fighting in the open, then
tJie firsc option is quite valid. If the player has a Belief about maintaining
his pristine repucation, then tlw second option is a so·ong challenge lo
that Belief. lf 1.he player has a Belief about using tJ,e duchess's murder 11.5
protC'XI to propel his friend to power, dwn o rwist like the third suggestion
isn't no optio11-il's a nccC'ssity.
Directing failures is n ulnllcr of observation and practire. The best
guideline I've found as a G~I is that if thr option bores, it 's going to
be boring for the group. But if 1.hc inrngined turn of even ts 111akcs me
squinn or gc·I butte rflies in 1ny stomach, it's probaJ)ly 1he way to go.
Listen to your f{Ut !
The Light Touch Versus the Heavy Touch

S lanuni11g yow· players with carth-shaucring failures at l'vc11· turn is
exhausting. Yow· players wiU btu·n out, become fru sLTated or. worse, grow
gun-shy. Be scns i1ivr 10 the situation. Build up from smalJer u\issteps to
bigger disas1.crs over the course of u session. It's even better if you can
built.I up fro,n minor inconvenicncr:s to o·uc catastrophe across multiple
sessions.
If II tcs1 isn'1 dfrcctJy in S<'rvicc of a Belief or lnstinct, use a light touch

on the failun:. Apply a rninor inconvenience and move on. If a linked
tcs1, a test to make tools for a job 01· a test of a similar caliber becomes
too onerous, 1hc co~t outweighs the benefit 1u1d players will quickly
disenguge from the sys tr,u.
However, if a 1es1 is dircclly related 10 a Belief or instinct, use failure

to shock and surprise your plnycrs. Change the situation. Ttu·n matters
on their head. Shake them up. And I.hen sit buck and watch the players
scramble. They will care abou1 ll1esc twists because. their Beliefs are-on
the line!
Failure Timing
Hold off on appl)·ing the results·of a faiJure until dn:rmaticaJly appropriate.
Delaying the inevitable cun add to the tension. Just be sw·e not to wait
so long that you forge1.
If you arc handling multiple sitn ultuneous actions, hold off for a beat.
Resolve 1hr rolls for as many of the ploycrs as plausiblr. and tJ1cn co1nbine
the failure result into a cascade of disaster!
:•.ala
Comtnentary
Practical Success
r,ailurc gt'ls u 101 of discussion, but what about poor old success? \Vhat
cuu it doc In addition to having u noticeable effect on the fiction of your
~runt'. :;tu:cess can aJso bP- used 10 generate mechanical benefit.
\lake .~111// Yon can craft itr.ms for one use or buih to last. You can
• 1
also mnkl' itcn,s of a par1icular 9uality-poor. nm-of-thc.-m.ill or

~IIIH'l'IOI'.
• ,·kq11irPge<11'. You can use your s kills to acquire useful gl!ar!
• Find cash. S11cct·ss can produce cash -dice! This effect isn't jus t from
Rl'~ourn·s: you can use a variet)' of abilities to squeeze cash out of a
person or location.
• :\Jake aji·i<•nd. You can use social skills to build tcmporru-y alliances
and i11d11n· NPC:s to lllke action for you.
• Allel'iate the pain . You ca11 conc·oct solutions to allrviate penalties-

whe1 hcr medicinal, social. physical or otherwise.
En1bcllishing Success
The ploy~r's intrnl is made rnanifest and lw describes his character's
actions. I turn 10 my players, " Tell us what happened!" \Vhm1 they
complete their inevitably entertaining dC".scription. l try lo e1nbellish
a litlle. I try to a<ld in reactions or other details. Adding a small detail
can really help. It n1akes great success even more vivid and memorable.
There's something special about collaborating to describe a brilliant
vic1ury.
Irr m uns ure of where a player is going with his description of success, I'll
back off and as k a fow quick questions, "And then what? \Vhat happens
11ext?" Ruther t.han stepping on his victorious toes, J o·y to create room
for him to make a stateLnen1.
Honor Success, Challenge Assumptions

Sometimes I react badly to s uccess. " Fine, you get what you want..,.
And play stalls on that point. Don't fall into this bad habit. The player
uccomplislies his intent. Describe the result. Honor it with ru1 engaging
illumina1ion. MukP. it special.
.- . •. • , , . ' , I, i.
011cc 1.he success is our there, solidly in the rninds of the players, it's
tin1c to introduce ne,v inforn1ation and new problcrns. These aren't
faihu-t' results. This inforn1ation is stuff the players cun sec con1ing.
Unlike u failure result., players get to choose how tl1ey' ll deal ,vith this
new information.
Advantage
Succt·ss techn.it-ally ca11·1 prod uce adv:uuage dice unless the player or GM
stuted thar ir was a linked tes t bcfot~ tht~dice were rolled. Thi!i is due
to rhc failure condition-+1 Ob-for linked rests. It's bad fom1 ro screw
players with unforeseen pc.nult.ies after a die roll. Hence, the reverse is
true: It's had forrn to give out n.dvan1age dice without risk.
Success in a Duel of Wits

S uec,•ss in a Duel of \Vits is one of du• 1110s1 powerfuJ results in th r.
gn1111:. llsing rhis systcrn. you can mak1' u11o tl1er character do almost
8.U}'thing! Of course. to ~et wh.at you wa111. you need to state your own
goal beforehand or ir1coq1orate it into your comprornise.
1-lowevrr, Dud o f \Vits rrsults arc flexible and versatile: You can get
paid, cause pl"oplc co lake your side. gain reputations, add affiliations,
cement relationships or push anocherd1::u·ac1cr into au arriou he wouldn'r
01.hcnvisc tak•).
Co ahead: Next rime you ' re in a Duel of \Vits, ask for a little bit n1ore than
you would have otltt:nvisc. Once you have an agrcc1nent, you·re going to
get what you want. Jusl be carcfuJ what you ask for.
Practical Failure
Burning " ' heel is an effects-based game (1nostly). The sysl~m provides a
ho,;1 or 111cd1nuh:aJ option,; tlu:11 out: 1:w1 upply in n variety of situation~.
This section describes how you cun use mechanical effect;; as failure
results.
New Test
The rnost basic a1t'chnnical re~c;ult of a failun~ is u ne,v test. Rather than
getting ,vhal he wants. the player is shunted clown another course in
which he must make nn nddilionnl test to ge.t l.,uck on track.
A fa,1e;/ C/imhin, test leavesJQuY chaYa&te,- da11!}/i°Hj fr()m apYecipiu-

HQWJQU mustpass an A!Jiliry test f() s&Yamhle lo sa(ety.
Commentary
A(ailed PeY.sua.sion fest results in a soldier demandtn!J a bribe, thus

,,ecessitati'nj a Re.sour-ces test.
-
0
.....
~
Afai1eJ Onenfeen'nj test can lead to a tn,pped corn'Jor. You mu.stpass

....
0
aSpeed test to avo,'J the trap.

full-Blown Co,iflic:t
When failure forc<'s a player to 1nake a ocw test, it can lead to a single
ic.s1 or n fuJl-blown conflict: Duel of \Vits, Range and Cover or Fight.
You jump a mu.sketeef' and attempt to clout h,in with a .s1n1le blow. )1,u
fo,1, .5() now)'ou mu.st Jraw swords and duel with him. The FiJht rules
are then broit!Jht into play.
Unexpected Encounter
When a player fails. place a character or monster in the group's path. You
now have a new enemy who can be reincorporated into future obstacles.
Ti'avelinj throu!Jh a w,1d wood, the ran1erfa,1.s her Orienteert'nJ test and
inadvertent~ leads her companions into the lair ofthe Doom Serpent.
A fa,1u( Intimidation test summons forth the peddler's rather larye
cousin, who is ironitalfJ called "Ttny. "
Obstacle Penalties
The GM can impose a +1 or +2 obstacle penalty on a future, related test.
You fail to .surpriseyour opponent with a Stealthy test. You Ye in a bad

.situation;you now have +1 Ob toyour ,nifialpo.sition,'n!J test.
l>urt'nj an aryumen; you so in.suityour friend that the (iM applies a
+Z Ob penalty to a future .socialskill test "Jain.st him.
Gear Loss
One of my favorite failure results is to apply an effcct against gear or
properly. Gear can be losL so tJ1at it's cornpletely gone or so the character
must 11:st 10 recover i1. Gear can be damaged-made poor quality or
assigm:d an ohstaclc penalty 1mtiJ it is repaired. Gear can be broken-
made unavailable until repafred. Broken gear can requfrc a Mending
ltM fo repnir or a morj' substantia l skill like Blacksntltb or Carpenter.
Gear lo~s is b,~st used in physical tests.

. .
Swept awll)' down a river, you fa,1your Speed test. Not only areyou far
from .shore, butyour arrows have spdleJ(,'om their 'fuiver. They sa,1 off
into the current.
Y'7u (alf t'7 pick that lock andyour lockpitks arejammetlin the medtani.sni.
It'll take a Mendi11!J le.st to extract th:m. Fa,1ure this time will tYiJJer
the tYap mechanism for .sure.
A failed Seduction le.st at tl1e hallf Y<Hnpf.s theyoun3 latlj to .SJJttlher
Job/et ofwine Qveryour finery. Your outfit i's rui11eJ antiJQU have 1111
obstaclepenally to any Qf/ter tesi at the ball untttyuu chaH_tJe.
Dr.1stie failure results cun sel' gear ruined-destroyed unlcs~ refigurcd
with nrngic.
You jamJQUY sfeel-Jaunf/eteJhandinto a J(JQlff.SJllJ mechanism to halt

its pro3res.s. YQu fa,1your f>uwer test. YQur!Jaunt/et and vam6rate aYe
sucked into the mach1i1e anti crushed Tire ,nachine rumbles un.
Injury
Failure in physical ia~ks c1m n·-~ull i..it injury. You cnn assign a wound
grlld,·. rather llum a coorci.JU11t·. or you cu11 assign u \\'Otmd coordinn1c
using the stundn.r<l wounding ru It!&.
Assigning n wound grade gives me more control over the cffecr of the
result . ''You fall and l!tkc a midi wound/' rut.her 1Juw "You faJI ru1d take
a B7."
Using wound coordinates is more abstract. bul ii-'s a naturaJ evocation
of the sysccm-PTGS coordinates ru·e bttih i.1110 the mechanics! \X1ottnd
coordinates are generally monl foir, us well, since they let players use
traits such as Iron Skin lo reduc.e their ilnpac1.
Jnjw·y is a great faihu-c cffoct for martial vt:rsus tests-you are defeated
and you rak e a wound. Brutal!
Supr.rficial and light wounds are assigned if the prcsstu-c is on the

characters to ~uccced ia the next scene uud there's no ti1ne to rest.
TrpicalJy, players can take care of these wounds rad1er rasiJy if given a
moment's rest; therefor(• l11cy uro of limited ,·nluc os penalties.
Midi wounds am uppropriatc results for fulls, near-drownings, poisonings,

<·xplosivt·.i; or traps. Tl11•y'rc Lough to treat, but they 're not {ataJ. They
leave u nice, lasting sting.
llli
Commentary
S<·n•r<' iuid 1ruu1natie wounds will r_ake out all but thP. most powerful of
duintric:rs. Tht'St' 1~·t· gn~at restUls lor terrible falls, brutal traps, deadly
poisoni- or had ~l'.Cld~·nts, but use the~ sparingly. Only the most dire of
failun•s results 111 u Srven~ or Tramnattc wound.
1don·, like 10 use mortal wounds as lest failure results for anything but
(1ahts. ancl e\'\'ll t.hcn only in the most extre1ne circumstances. You can
~ - .1 • t•fft•rt ns von set> fit, but be careful
U~l U 11 J •
Turning a Relationshi1)
Thl' rwtt1rt' of n Telarionship can change 85 the result of a failed lest. Just
likr ,1 d1arat·1rr c:an 1w11 from ill-disposed lo favorablr: due to a successful
iesl. a ehural'lrr cilll nrrn froru friendly to inirnical.
.\ relationship can d 1ange temporarily-you're fouding with your lover,

so for the rirnr lll'ing, he's your 1~ncmy. Or tJ1e change can be pcmtanent-
..
t00 murh JaJnage has been done to his heart and he swears eternal
venaeancr
c- u11011 •you.
·'
'·
These rhan~c;; can come as a rrsult of a Duel of \Vits co,npromise, but
they can also emerge as the. result of a failed Persuasion test against
\ViU. They arc nlso born of other kinds of faihu-l'-losing a figlit, stealing
something from son1eont', failing to pay back a loan-but be sure to
relegrnph thP.se changes to the player. Set up the relationsl1ip as volatile.
Play the character into th<> situation. Givr the player no doubt as to whats
al stake. No1 merely because you stated failure consequences but hr.cause
th,: r:htlflll'ler you are portraying is so vivid.
Destroying a Reputation
Page 385 of the Burning \Vhecl briefly 11otes t hat reputations can be
drstroyed as the result of a failed test. Apply tl,js result to any test in
which 1hr character··s failure is visible and public: a duel, an argun1ent,
a hattle ur cwen a comically faiJcd [nconspicuous test. The failure results
in a J ir suli1ractcd from the relevant reputation!
,\ repuru tion rr:"uccd 10 7.cro ii; 10;;1. It can b e re-earned in play.
Damaging an Affiliation
:\ffiliatio11s can h1i dumngecl as lhf' result of n failed test. This is a
l,rilliu111 failun· r1:!>11lr fur a foi led Accounting or Estate ~lunagciuent
tr~1. R1·sourr.c:. 1111d Cird,~<:i can br used ru; w~II, but they're the obvious •!
(·boir1•s. t\ batt lr- lost miµ;hl prompt supporters to withdraw investments,
or poor conduct in rourt n1ight cause business to dry up.
\
·11,,, ((lf/'1/(fl:.! ' ' ' " 1•/ .. ' •11 .;
As iu the case of reputations, this effect reduces the affiliation b,,, one
clic. An nfftliution reduced to zero is lost. It must be repurchuscd in plu .
os described in the rnlcs on pages 383 and 385 of the Burning " ' heel.)
Apply Traits
You n1oy olso apply traits as the result of n foilrd tes r. This i~ u r,1ther
drnstir co11di1ion, so use it sparingly. This result c'liangc·s a chnmcter
fu11d1u1u•n1ally in ways t.ha1 other f11il11rc l'l's llhs do 0111. Once assi"ncd
a rrnit is hard 10 g('L dd of! " '
You t·nn nssigu ch11rac1c r trni Is fo r n variety of fnilur<'. condi1 ions:

Churnct<'rs l.'lUI be sfarrcd, brn11dl'd or stigo101izcd. Die trails 1.hm odd
obstucle peouhit•s, rcduc·e stats or sk ills 0 1· low<'r stat caps or<' appropriate
for tests 1hur carry th<' risk o f din· physical <:onst•qu,~uces.
Die u·oits tJ1a1 pro\'idc infmnous n·puta1jons arc nlso c•xc-l'llen1 de\'iccs 10
tock 0 1110 ponil'.ulnrly bnuol sociul skill fnilurcs.
Do 1101 ossign call-on 1ra its as Ult' rcsull of failure si11tt' 1hcy on: solely
bc.ncficinl.
Use Failure to 1'rigger Instincts

As wt''vc dt•111onsrra1e<l, a failed 1c~1 pro,·i<lc; n1n11y opporn1ni1ies! 111
ndrli1io11 to nil that we'vr. 111cn1ioncd. you c·an ulso u~r failure rc5uhs to
1riggrr n player's l.nstinct.
!(you l,ave the Instinct "Never let the111 fo0et tl,atyou ~e a noble,• and
you fail an £ti1uet!e lest, I'm 3oin!} to use this chance to rideyou. Yo,u-
interloci<toY resp11nds, "Oh. Yc.s. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't
Yeto!}t112eyour name. OryouY face. Your (an1if;, is one of.-!}oodbYudi,'!},
Iprc.sume.?"
!(you /,ave the /nJtinct "Never accept an insult," I'm !}OIM!} to ,c.se nearly
every .social.skillfoiluYe re.suit to in.suityou!
tf1ou have tl,e Instinct "NeveY wear .shoes,"a (ailed Stealthy /:e.st is!JOin3
to Ian/you OH .solffe .sltaYp Yo&ks or broken!]lass.
This rnny sccn1 mean, but it's not:. You're showing the player that you
care, that you'rr paying attention. And you're providing hitn a chance
to earn or1ha. Sec whnl n grc·nt C~1 you are?
Advancement
In the Burning \Vheel, l rant on and on about advancement-
"AJvance1nent is lifeblood" and all that. This mechanism is a
funda,ncntal gear in the Burning \Vheel cycle of play. As a player,
you·re supposed to want to i.Jnprove yow· character's abilities.
Advance1uent shapes your behavior in play. To advance, you must

have your d1aractcr attetnpt a variety of tasks. You can't do thti
srune thing over and over again to advance your ability. You nee.cl
to altempt a combination of easy and difficult acts. Furthennore,
you need 10 attempt tasks that are statistically in1possiblc.
Arh·anccrnent also paces tl1e campaign. The hard coded system-

how n1arry rolls per session toward adva.nceruent-detern1incs how
Ion~ ir·s going to take you to master that sword so you can confront
your rival
The Rate of Advancement

wlost abilities don't advance in a single session of play. In .o ur gao1cs,
we sr.e advance,uents pop three or four session·s into a campaign.
lt·'s possible to aJvance sooner, but you have to devote yourself to

the ability's progress and be a bit of a 1es1-monger or stru-t ,vith very
low exponents.
TI.us is part of I.he design. \Ve created Burning \Vheel for crunpaigns.
It really stru1s to shine si.,;, eight or even 1Z sessions into a campaign.
The Behavior of Routine Tests

\Vl,cn you n eed a routine test for uclvancement, you have an
incentive to use FoRKs, lobby for advantages, angle for linked tests
und. most important , accept help to get as many dice into your
hand as possible.
Help for routinr tests is key in a group situation. The routine test
you are bencfi1t ing front is often a difficult or even chaHenging test
for the helper. By hclpirrg one unothcr, the group can earn a broad
spectrum of advancCJnents in a single session-or even a single roll,
if you 'rt clever.
125
·,,·
- . , ,,
-• ~ .: / i • • j
'
• !I . ,• t .• I' , ,:
' •· ' ~, f' '
Behavior of Difficult Tests

Difficult tt'sts require a bit of djce optimization. You want to gather lltc
precise nuruber of dice so the test counts as difficult and uo t routine for
advunren1<'nt. Still, you don't ''"UJll to lake too few dice, either! (f yoll
have n skill of 84 for nn Ob 4 test, it ·s difficult to know whet.her to roll
four (lice or fi ve. My first i1npulse in thut siruation is to get help. [f 110
help is offered, r root aro1111d for a FoRK or udvunta~c c[jc_ I can afford
to takl' that extra die and still lo~ the difficult test.
Earning Difficult Tests Through Help

You ran also earn clifficu.lL tests b y h1,lping another player. To gain this
benefit. you 1nust he atte nli\'e to Lill' aetion. You 11111st involve yourself in
your friends' scenes. Piner yo11.1·self i11 rJunger wirh th<:n1. Thus when lhr.
time comes for a test , you can justH\ your hdp. You give thcn1 he.lping
dice to overcornc the t)bs1acle ,v hile you
con1pru·r. dw obstacll· of tlw lt·s1 to your
raw exponent nnd log the appropriatr.
rest for ad vnncr1nrnt. Us i11~ thi s
'
n1cthod. you r an cns un: 1h01 peupll'
who n eed routine Le.sis gel 1he 111-by
pilinfl on h e lping dice-ru1d ptm plc
who need difficult rests grt thc111-hy
prodding assista11rc.
Behavior of
Challenging Tests
Challenging tests arc. a win-wiri
s ituation. On one hand, you can br.
c:011fidcnL t11at you will fa.ii a chnllcngiug
test. You can bri·ab yo1ll' dic:1:, to:ss t}1cm
do,vn diffidently und grin 11t tl1c crvt,
.,, fail. -
Or, you can dig in, mus te r your traits,

gut lier your arth11 .. hlow on your <lier.,
m111tc:r your i1nprccation~ 10 tlu, gods
mul roll. You just might get lucky \\1th
some 6s and pull it off. It's 1!xhil tu·ating!
Commentary
Of t·our5 e. faihut• i5 n 't an option for Faith and Resources. You must
,.11cccl'd to advance. So spend that artha and get ready to weep.
Earning Challenging Tests Through Help

Th<'rc'~ another way lo earn c hallenging tests 1hn1 isn't quit.r. as
i.n'"igoraring: You can help another player in need. If your ftiend is making
u ll'St tlrnl 's hi~h<>r than your exponent, ttrto devise a way to help. He.'U
gt>t a ll'SI relative to Ull' 1111,nber of dice roUecl. You'Uget a challenging
1t:s1 for ndvunct'lllt'III.
Thr hitdl is that if your Cricnd nr.cds a r.h11llr.ngi11g test for his cq>onent... he
111i#11 not be able to aet:ept help. Taking the extra dice will usually change
the type of test. Thus you rnighr 11ee<l to ~r.t up tJ1c tcs1 differentJy-taking
action your·self so your friend can help you imd get tJ1e trst lu~ner.ds.
Balancing Success
Against Advancement
Somcti.mr.s you want to s u<:ceed. And somctin1es you want 10 hurl ymuself
against inipossiblc odds and fail. Once you stat't playing the advan<:cmrnt
game, you quickly rwi into a juicy decision: Do you muster dice and pass
the te~t with linh} risk of failure and no benefit to arlvancemcnr, or do
you risk failing the test by using fewer dice and logging a needed test for
u<lv,Ulce1111·111.? l(s a simple 1natler to muster enough help from your mates
to wrn any clifficult test to a routine. But without the difficult tests, you
won't aclvru1ce. You 1nust make a decision: Do you opt for short-tr.rm gain
and pass the test or do you l'isk failw·e for a chance at long-terrn gain?
There\ no right answer. Sometinies you'll need to choose one way and
:.ornetuncs you ' II go in tJ1e other direction. A goal could be too important
10 r isk failure or )'OU might be one test a1vay from advancing au ability.
'l11e be1,t moments arc when it is crucial for you to pass a test, but you
also need the tc>.st for advancement-so you can't ncld too tunny dice. The
tension h1:lwccn. success versus advancement adds a lot to the gan1e. And
as always, if you are not s w·e which path to truce, check yow· Beliefs.
Beginner's Luck
Br.~i,mcr's Luck iinposcs a doubl~ obstacle-penalty on lcs t s hy unskill~cl
characters. This is 0 n,. of my favorite rule; in the gRme. I futd it simulates
1m1ikilled twhavior very wdl-casy st.1tff is still arcomplishnble without
( :.
: lI . ' • • • . • ,.,...., #
~,,,. ,~: . ' . .,
Loo much fuss; modcrulc tasks ure possible to ur hicve, but not a sure
t.lLing: ond difficult fonts Ort~ alJ but ianpossihlc fort.he unskilled. Simple.
d cgnnl. b<'uutiful
Qf CO U1'$(•. u1is sin1plc, (1fcg1111I anti bcnu1ifu( r 11)0 CU USCS u(( 60 rl s of
bcudachcs. Naml.'ly, how do you dcuJ wit.It u do11.blc obs1adc pc11ahy when
you· re making a versus test. skilled ugui.J1s1 unskilled?
Beginner's Luck, Helping and Advancement

I lnskillcd C"haracters may help Olll' ano1.l1cr ,vitl1 a lts L. Tlw primary
charuc1cr lcsts using 1.hc Beginner's Luck rules. The helping character
cnn t·ru·n a <liffic uh or drnllenging tes1 toward advancing the sl a l used
10 help, and does not gain a skill test applied to a plit udc.
\Vhcn using Bt•ginncr's Luck rules in u versus 1cs1 agni11s1 a skilled

opponent . il's hrsl 10 courll the u11skillcd 5uccrss1•s us half sncccssc~
two 1111skillcd successes equal one skill<"<l suc·ccss. This makes factoring
ad\'a nccrncnt eusic·r. Dis<"ard au y rcu111i11iug half sur.crsses.
Factoring Beginner's Luck Obstacles \Vith

Disadvantage and Tools
\Vltcn making n test using 13cgi111wr's Luck and disadvantage. Lbe testing
obstoclc is doub le Lile bnsc plus the disad vantage. T he ad vancement
obsta cle is just d1c base obsrnclc plus 1.hc d.isadva.ntagc.
\Xlhen muk ing fl Rcginnc> r'i- I .11ck 11•J-r wi1ho111 r<!ff11ir~d tool~, the testing
obstacle is double the double obstacle! No netheless t.lll' advanccmenr
obstacle is only doubll' tJ1e base obs1aclL'--d1c ob5tacle for the test witJ1out
tools.
Peifgn111H!J unskilfetl SuYjery eny11,u· severe?' w11u11tletlfrientl witl111ut

ll111fs is not a31111tlitlta, even worst '{l"" Yt suptrfic,°R/9' wountletl as well.
In this case, your 116.staele woufI.be 3xZ = 6 for the unskt!letltreatment of
a severe wountl. 6xZ = 12 for 11/J fools. Anti+ 1 Ob on top ofthat foryo,<r
superficialwoundpenalty.
Time to spent:/ that tleeis point.
Practice
Pr,ll"I ict' is a subst't of Advancement, but. we broke it. out into its
0 ,,·11 d 1uptcr so wt• can tnk<' a deeper look at the rules and their
11pplicutio11.
Tht· Burning \Vheel n1akes the purpose of prnctice explicit: h

l'Xi:-1s so you ca n acqui.re tests needed for aclvancc1nent that you
otucrwist' missed while out oo ca1npaign.
f·lowt'n!L'. that prac tice requires a substantial investment in ga,nc

time. \'our character spends a lot of time practicing. Tl:iat tio1e is
1101 spt•nt adve1u1u·ing, working or recovering.
Th(' pracLicc cycles help set t he pace of play. In fnct, they are
part of a suite of longer-term mccl1anisnts-working, recovering,
rcst'o rch-that arc all scoped to produce a sense of the passage of
time. You play hard, down in the shit for a while, then you crawl up
out of the- muck, rest, recuperate and reequip. Once you're ready.
you ht'ad back i n10 the fray and begin the cycle anew. This proci:s,..
creates a sense of ongoing lifo Jor the characters.
Pressure
The adventure-rest-practice-reequip-adventure cycle is the natural
pace of the grun c. However, it's the GM's job to keep up the pressure
for as long as possible without breaking the players. Don't give them
a mQlnent ol' peace. Thl'ow chn!Jenges at tl1em. \Vhen tl1ey stop for
r 1:s t. move your pieces in the Big Picture. Make cl1crn say, "'lTh oh .... "'
Force· the players to create their peace by accon1plishing their goals
or by spending themselves utterly. \Vhen they're wounded, broke
and raµged. let them go 10 ground but let the1n know that their
enemies will not rr.st.
Squeezing in Practice
Pr1.1cfi<:c <.kwsn '1 only huv,: to lmppi>n during downti1ne. Certain
,,1,:nwnt,; of 1:i.unpai,;11 life un~rnrnnt to be. note.cl as practice, 1·uthcl'
\l11.J11 t1·s1s. You 're not supposed to tf>St i-o forage, cook and n1end
1
.:\·ery night tliat you'
\ . r<' out on 1~11~ trail, for 1ixample. You test when
11 s in1por1an1. Otherwis<\ you note tJ1c ti111c spent as practice.
129
I.n less adventurous lifestyles
• • , }'OU
cun praet ice Reading, \VriLin,
. . D .
Con1pos111on , octnne, 1-1.istorv.
g.
Etiquette ru1d u variety of oth~;
s kiUs as pru1 of yow· daily ro111·irw.
I prefer LO linti1 this type of practice

to a c ti vities yo u perform wben
you gc1 up and stuff you Jo before
you bed dowll for the. night. For
exn1nplr, I pla y an Elf wbo keeps
a jo1u11aJ of his tr11vcls. He makes
hi~ cn t'ries when his con1pa11ions arc
resting. I use the jo1u·ual to practice
his E lven Script.
Practice Log
\Vlwn you' rr sqw·czing u1 practke
b.-1 \\'Ct ll other c,·cnls, ifs irnporta nt to ke«'p a log. You can practice
piecern('al-11 day here, a day there. for cxarnpk:. I've 11oted in my Elfs
practice log Lhar he has 1'¼ we(·ks of prar.tire toward hir. Elven Script skill.
Elven Script is ru1 ncad<'miL· :;kill. so I need six 111onths-24 weeks-beforr.
I can notch a tes t.
Practice Instincts
A great way to squeeze practice into your character's routine is via an
Instinct. M,y afore111entioned E.lf has an l.nsrinct, "Always ker.p n journal
of n1y travels.'·' Such an Instinct leaves no doubt as 10 your charactcr·s
behavior. You can b e confident the refore. that when you explain that
you 've been praelicing your Elven Script skill for the past year, your
fellow players can sec it in yow· LnstineL
Practice and Recovery

Can you rest and recover while prnri-icing '? I o nce heard u u,le of H
pneumoniac schola1· who refu sed to resl and subsequently worked hi.insr.lf
lo dcurh. \Vas he practicing while recovering?
\Ve piny this situationally. If the nature of t11e injwy pe1111.its, we allow
light practiC'c: routine 1csts for Head, Hesearcli. langtu,ges, wises or sunilar.
f low1•w•r, you can pt:1•clicc while you r friends arc ntu'Sing tJ,cir wouucls.
Thr.y'n: laid up in b,•d, pissing a nd moaning. You 'rr oul in t.he world.
,;l111rpn1in~ your skills 1111<1 preparing for the nexl adventure.
Commentary
Practice and Passage of Time

The pniccicc rules are meant to aJlow for the passage of Jong stretches of
timr in your ga.ine. Let rive years pass! You don't get to practice for all
of those five years-you need to eat, sleep and work, too, right? But set
aside a porrion of that tirne that you feel is appropriate. Let the players
pracrice and beef up their abilities. And let the setting and situation
evolve and change mean,vhile!
Practical Limits of Practice

The pral'ticc rules are very loose and meant to smooth over wi-inkles
between the advance1nent system and the game fiction. However, they
can be too loose. The CM can and should impose intent/task limits on
the practice cycle. If, for exrunple, a player wants to practice his Sword
skill, but he has no sword because be is, in fact , locked in a prison, then
he may not practice that ability.
The literal tin1c allotment for practice is too liberal-15 hours of potentiaJ
practice for a \Viii of BS is just too much. No one has that 1nucb free time
and willpower! The CM can and should also limit the runo1u1t of time
available. Characters n1ust maintain thefr lives; they must sleep, eat and
pay their bills. If a player wishes to push his character beyond reasonable
tolerances, t he GM may call for Will and Health tests to maintain his focus
ancl dedication on bfa travails. Failure not only hnpedes his practice, but
can also 111ake him sick or crazy.
Practical Instruction
Instruction is a much more efficient way to gain tests for advancement
than practice-possibly even more efficient than adventuring. Instructors
can typically be fom1d with Circles and hi.red with Resources. The Circles
test obstacle can vary, but the Resources test obstacle is 4. By subjecting
the instructor's availability to those t\vo types of tests, you ensure that
finding an insn·uctor is also subject to the intent and task rules. Thus i£
iL's not appropriat~ to search for au instructor, the GM can inform tbe
player that the intent is inappropriate and move on.
Or course, if you have time in your busy schedule, your character can
learn Instruction and t,~ach skiUs to the other members of the party.
4
Obstacles
Obstacl1)s arc problems I hut players 1nns t OVt!r'Comc. They can seem
likr. a drug or even u p11nisl11nent from rl1l~ C.1\1. This couldn't be
further from tlw tl'uth. Obstacles urc love.
Burning \Vhed thrives 011 its eurrcncy cycle. \Vhile obstacles mny
scc1n likr roadblocks, they're actnully one of 1hc building blor:ks
of the cycle.
\Vhcn u plnyL·r w11111 s to pcrfonn a 1ask , the CM is ol,ligatc<l to set

an obstacle•. Tht· CM can n•for 10 the skill, spell or trait list in most
,;uses. Some tasks arr cler,:rr11i11l'd ~ys1c11Hlli1·all y-lik(' the hase
obstacle to Strikr in a Figl11. Sonw tasks ask the G~I to determine
an appropi-iatc olJstuclt· usin~ 1lw rather loose guidelines on page
15 of the Burning \Vhecl.
O!Jstacles c01nc in two forms: basl' u11d n1o<lifirrs. Your base

obstacle forms thl' core di(ficulty of a ccou)plishin~ your task. Each
skill lists n series of base obstacles for cl'rtain tasks, for examplr.
And base obstacle.:; arc 1.1gnostir to your Hbilit y exponent. Ob 1 is
Ob 1 whether you've g01 u skill of 2 or 8.
You throw modifiers on top of base obstacles to 111ake a task

111orc difficult. Morli6crs come from incidental effects like injury.
working coru:.litions , n1agic nnd other in-game effects. The system
hands out plenty of obstacle penalties on its owu, but tl.ic CM can
distribute disudvnntoge os appropriate.
\Vhat is not obvious behind this system is that these obstacles

create setting. \Vben a player acts in thr ga1nc, he n eeds a difficulty
for his tesr. The obstacle is the number, bur it's also the object of
udvt'rsity in the fiction. OIJstncles. over tin1e, cre.nte o st'nse of space
and logic in the ganH· world. \Vhcn o player repeatedly meets the
some obstach.• for the sa1ne task, he knows what to cxptlct and he
knows how to set up his character to best overcon1e this problen1,
or he knows mtough to find nnother way around.
132
·' ...
,
Commentary
If' the ob,tud<' for the snn1e task varies ench tin1e a player atte1npts it-
\
with llw same intt'ot-it destabilizl·s the game world. The solidity and
l'onsistency of thl' world distorts. Plnyers stTuggle to find tlwir footing,
to ran· about whn(s happening uround them. Rolls seem arbitrary.
Co11\'tr:-l·ly. when dorw. right, chturging the obstacle· for the smnc intent
und task cau be n pow<'rful signal that- son1cthi11~ has changed. lt can
be u signilil'I' of magic or otherworldly forces at work, but this only
works if the obstacle hm, been used consistently up ro a point before the
my:..teriou:; dw ngl' is presrnted.
:\11d sornl·timcs. you can clinnge your tnsk a11J use u Jiffcrcnl skill to
f(l'I a whole diJf1•re11t obst aclc !
Punishment!
Obstack modi fi ers S<'l'III punitive. 11 nl·.gative rcinforcen1ent. T hey 1nake
it harder for a player to succeed ut u tnsk. 1 know r of1cn flinch when
I asses,; 11 steep pc' nalty. I don' t like punishing players for trying 10 be
heroic. However. there's a ,nassively poEitive side to obstacle 1nodifiers.
In de:sign porlancl', they are foedbnck. \'011 perform an action and the
game ~ives you f<.>NJbuck about that action. It, this eaoe, tho fel'dback
INs the player k11ow a bout the difficulties and limits of the environn1eot
and 1hc character. This is import·ant. The ga me ex ists on ly as au
cxcl1a11ge between our i1naginations a11d the rules. Tht penalties give
us a sea le and a structure for our i1nagination.
Obstacles and Advancement

Furthermore, at n certain level of play, we require obstacle penalties
to keep the advancement system running. Tests bcco1ne too ca::;y.
Cha ral'.t('rs need bigger challengcs to udvanc('. Obstacle penalt ies
(among other clements) provide this opportunity. \Vhat was punishing
with a Stea lthy IJ2 is a nice perk at Stealthy 86. It's a satisfying
transformation for boLl1 player and G~f to watch near-insurmountable
prolJll'rns become mere b11n1ps in t.he rou<l for our herots.
I • ' . ..
Obstacles and Artha

In addition to advancen1cnl, ousLacles provi<lc opponunit ics to spend
nnhn (und thereby earn epipbauies) as well as an incentive for other
players to help (and earn 1Ltcir own neccssarr advancc,ncnts). Obstacles
,nay seea1 punitive or obstructionist, but they arc a vital, produetivr:
fund,unent of the ga111c.
Practical Obstacles
The- Hub provides a brief ovcr'lit·w of obs1acles. The Cha.racier Burner
skiU lis t providrs nu1nero11s obstacle.s for rrsts. Thai· said, versus tl'sts
constitul1' rougl1ly ha lf of the ol.is1adcs in t he gau1e. Even the trait
list conrni11s a handful of obstnclcs . And cluu·cu:-ll~r s lnts muk c:: up the
re,naindcr.
}.-lost of those obstacles arc purely 1nrcluu1ical exec utions- you consulL
rhe. skill, it fPl ls yn11 tlw ,lifficnlry. Ho,v cl<; yo u, as thP. CM, judgr. ru1
obstacle on thr /1,·?
~1y Favorite Obstacle

The Gtvl sets the obstacles for 1rsls. So1ne playrrs cry foul tbat t.hr. GM
can seemingly set an arbitrary difficulty for their goals. \Veil, tough
luck. Son1eonc has go1 to mukc the;;e r.ha lle nges hard. In t his gaine, the
GM docs that heavy lifting to challenge thr. players. Sen ing obstacles is
funduinentnl l o that opposition.
My favorite obstl!ck is 3. Jt's great. Le.t me explain why. Ob 2 is easy.

l~ven ·a character with a :ikiU of 3 is likely to pass an Ob 2 test. On the
other hand, obstflcles 'l or 5 arc just darn hnrrl. 11 t:ikr.s 11 character
with six or eight dice available t.o have a good shot at au Ob 4 or 5. But
Ob 3 ~its right in the 1niddlc 1here. It's achicvablr. with three, four or
five dice, but thew's also a reasonable risk of failure even when rolling
eight or nine dice. h 's u nice, co1nfy i,tatistieal zone in I he system. \Vhen
in doubt, scr your obstacle at :3!
Of cou rsc you need Ob 2 (or even Ob 1) tests to ma kc the world go ronrn.l.
Not 1:very ncLion is rlifficuh; yntt need routine wsts for ud"nncen1r.nt. So,
if an action is perfunctory or del'.ld easy, dou't hesitate to hand out an
Ob 1 or 2 test. It's cornmon to think that you should Say Yes to low-
obstoclc tests. This is not the easel You should Say Yes when there's
Commentary
nothing HI stake. uo con/Uct. You should call for Ob 1 and Ob 2 tests in

\
situations of risk. even if it's small. These tests often produce beautiful,
unrxpectcd resu lts.
Obstacle-+ und higher tests a1·c equally vital, but they're dangerous.
\Vlten sel'ling a high o hs1nc lc, you're saying, "Hey, t his scenario is
important ! 13111 you' m probably not going co gel what you want." lligh
obst1H' l('s ure th(' shurp 1ncans by which the GM confronts the players.
Th('~ mak1• play('rs sit up and take notice•. Be clear about what the
playc~r gets if he succeeds. Let him know just how important the test
i~. Thal wny he can spend artl1a, use f oRKs and get help according to
hi; priorit it's.
Social Skills Against Will

Simple soeial skill tests a rc very difficult in Bunting \Vl1ccl. To use n1ost
soi;ial skills, you must meet an obstacle ec1ual to the 1ru·gct's \X'ill exponent.
For characters with low skjlls-cxponent 2 or 3-or unskilled characters,
it mak('s the test seem i1npossible.
\Ve desig1wd social skill tests to be difficult lo be successful with. Talking

yo1U· way out of (or into) a situation is a powerful weapon. It's perhaps the
easiest thing for us, at the table, to do. But tills ease isn't representative
of rhc difficult)' of actually convincing or intimidating someone. Thal's
hanl to do.
The high obsrnclc also c11cow·agc:-s use of the Duel of \Vits systern. lf you ' re
afraid of outright faihu-e, iu.itiate a Duel of \Vits. Not only can you gun
for a compromise if you ' re losing, but you can also log juicy \ViU and
skill tests dttring the conflict.
Finally, and most importantly, the high obstacle encow·ages players to

inves t in the tesl. Such an obstacle requires tJ1e use of FoRKs, help and
urtha. This additional investment n1akes the end result-the enhanced
rolcplay, the more nuanced argument-much more satisfying.
Traps as Obstacles
I low do you set a tTap in Burning \Vhecl? First, determine the effect of
the trup. What d oes it do? Does it cause an injury? Does it lock off a
section of ye oldc dungeoni' DoPS it r.nsta speU? Release poison? Design
an effect for yow· trap.
Next. :-cl un fJbstndc to ,;pol or uvoid the trap . You can use Obscrviuj
to spo1 trnps bl•fon• thl'y'n· triggered, but too 1nud1 looking for t on
raps
1nnkcs for a boring gunw. You can walk chru·artcrs into traps ancJ then
han• tlw players 1nukC' Spl'ccl trsls Lo dodgc out of the. way, Agilit)' ies,s
ro ger thC'i.r hnnds frrc or Pow1•r tests 10 stop the rncchanism, etc.
The 1•ffl'c-r of rhe rrap is t.l1e reslJt of t11e failed tcsr. For ea3y, not-too-
dcadly traps. I'll allow n Perception or Obscrvntion test to spot tlil:
1nccl1anisu1. If that fails, I'll forC(! a s1•con<l test lo avoid the effects of
••
Commentary
tlw trap. For dt•udly lrups. l dt'scribe d1e n·ap n·iggered and call for test:s
\
0
af!I\Ul~t tlw trap·~ obstadt•. I ruake stu·e the players know the severity of cr-
.....
Vl
-
cht> ,...iruarion so t..ht'y can gather help and spend arcl1a appropriately. l try n,
()
1101 II) fall i.t110 spoc-then-disann n1ode as I find it tedious. ft 's much rnore (D
V,
i111t·n·,;1i11µ 11) ha,·t· duu-uctt·rs lcuping ninlbly from d1e jaws of deacl1.
Weather
\X'c atl1t>r cu11 hr an ob$tacll' dming play-not just as an obstacle modifier.
You ra n use ,n'nthcr to invoke Navigation, Pilot. Orienteering, Clin1bing
or other skill tests, or Perception, Speed or Forte tests.
The ace ual obstacle depends on yotu· setting. 1n one of ow· home brew
seni11gs. winter w1d s un11ncr are cuJn1, while fall aud spring are very
n>larill'. Thr.n·forc, hjgh w1·ndwr obstacles an.• 111orc appropriate in the.
,...pring und fall.
\\'eac.her makes for an cxcdk.nt excuse to use outsized obstacles. Obstacles

1 to :inn~ too wt>ak for the forcc of nature. Obstacle's 4 to 10 are rnuch
more approprintc!
Squalls and stor111s are goocl excuses for Navigation. Piloting and
01i<'t1Lecring tests. Rain provides a pretext fur a Speed t<'-S1 if you ' re
l<-uping a precipice. Snow is good grow1ds for Forte and ~peed tests. lee
and \\~nd make firn~ friends for Clitnbing tests.
You can frrune these tests like so: '"Normally, this wouldn't be a problem,
uu1 the god s arc ru1gry and the weather is blowing. You need to test... "
Fa.ilun, l1lows you off course to uncbarf P.d limcls, r.a11sr.i:; injury, ran~s gear
co l11i swept away, etc. There's lots of room for good, adventu1·ey stuff.
Wilderness
Wildl'nlcss is sin1ilar to we.atbcr in certain respects; it's a massive,
irn11lacu hle obstade. Perhaps not quite so overpowcrmg as weather,
wilrli,mc·ss nonct.hdc~s provides excellen t acdon. Swrnnps, steep ravines,
rm,hing rivers, crumbling glaciers, and so on. ff your gmnP. involves
travc·I, hr s ure 10 pre.sent jnteresting terrain features as obstacles that
thr churac1.crs must tlircad through.
\Vild1·r11css ohstarl1~s mosc often test Orienteering and Speed-to stay

on the path u11d Lu :;tuy out of hllrm 's wny. You can use Power to n1ovc
boulders or debris, or to huul people 10 safety. Ditch Digging is a fun
and usrftLI skill for carving trenches around dangerous terrain. Song of
Arbors can bl'. used to sufcly tTaverse an ancient forest.
C
Trapper, Foraging uncl 1-hu,ting tests can often lead to wilderness

cuc-ountcrs. A failed test ,night lead a character into a sucking swamp
or entangling vine~. Prospecting can prc•cipitate dangerous rock slides
or collupsin!,! holes. A.1t.irna1 Husbm1dry failures can lend to a character
chasing his herd t11rough clinging brambles.
\Vilclernt•.;;:; ohsuu:les urc b1·st ~er in the range of 2 to 6. The lowc1· the
obstacle, tht• 111orc of a nuisance tlw c·haUcnge is, which helps build the
atrno:;p here. \Vhc rcas higher obs ladt•!i inclit:ate greater clangers and
higher s take!;.
\Veather and \Vilclerness as Obstacle ~1odifiers

ln addition to prescrll'ing their own obsrnclcs, wcathrr and wilderness
can both net as 1nodiliers for 01 her obswcler,.
!(it's raini"'!} whileJou're trackin!l so»1eone, your o6stacle sl1oultl be

ltijlter titan it woicltl6e otherwise.
!(you're (i3hti"'!f in a swam/', the obstacles (or nearly all oflour tesf.s
shouldbe ltiJltcY tha11 tlttj Wllultl he 1fJ"" were fi,1lttin3 on Jry land
r&i§1
(W,J
-
Versus Tests
Versus tests arc the workhorse 01echonic of the game. You use a
,·crsu,; tc:-t when you want to compete with another character or
l' lltitr in a sin1ple, direct way.
:\ ,·ersus tet\t can resolve a situation in one t hrow of the dice or

a scrim, of v<•rsus tests can create an iterated resolution. In this
chapter. I talk about those tests specifica lly resolving situations
in one roll. 1'11 talk about iterative resolution in the Fight, Duel of
\Vi1s and Range and Cover sections.
Social Versus Tests

Versus tests a re used to resolve social situations only when both
parlics want lO inOuence t.hc otJ1er pm·ty. 1f you waut to convince a
mercenary to help you on yow· quest and he wants to convince you
to change your goals, you n1ake a versus test.
You do not use a versus test when you're simply convincing another
character who docs not want to be swayed, wants to merely do his
job or just wishes you would go away. If you 're trying to co1npel that
mercenary to join your quest, but he doesn't have a counterpoint,
then the test is an independent test, not a versus test.
\Vhcn to Use Versus Tests for Social Interactions

If you want to stand up and reject the attempt at manipulation,
you let the other guy test his skiJl using your \Vill as the obstacle.
Tt's worth noting that Let It Ride wiU protect you from having tu
go through it again unless something changes, but Let It Ride also
bi11ds you to the result.
lf someone wants s01nething from you and you want something from
them, you can resolve the sto.od off using a versus test. One of you
is going to get wha t he wants. The other is not.
You can also escalate to a Duel of \Virs, if you want something from
the other person but you don't want to risk a black-and-white, win/
lose result. Even when unskilled in a Duel of \'lits, you can often
gain a compronlise from a skilled opponent.
139
Violence in the Versus Test
\'iolenct' is sl·rious business in Burning \Vheel. Nothing trun1ps it. You
cannol stop a bla<le with words . In fa ct, by d efa ult, Burning \Vheel
cousiders attempting to convince someone who is stabbing you a violation
of intcut 1.1Dd task.
"' I run Liin1 tlu·ough."

" I plead for my life."
Thcre·s no contest in these two statcrncnts in Burning \Vhecl. The intcm

and task :;ysten1 is not intended to make aJJ skills equivalent-just the
opposite. Using intent and htsk , we hope you can clenrly delineate
appropriate acrions in ea ch circumstance. Just know that, by default,
words don't counter physical actions. \Vhen II punch is thrown, it's time
to duck. After the scuffle, you can taJk .
Versus Tests for Competition and

Physical Altercations
Versus tests are the best and simplest 1nechanic to resolve a competilion
between two characters: a race, a test of strength, a display of knowledge,
etc. Set the stage, gather help and FoHKs Rnd roll to detemune who
has won tJ1e contest. lc's even possible to compete with tlu·ee or more
characters. Everyone rolls and the highest amount of s uccesses wins
the day.
For a brawl or a shoving match, use the Simple Martial Conflict rules
described on page 425 of the Bunling \X'hcel. The intent of the opponents
dcternlines the results.
\Vounds in Versus Tests

If this versus test concerns more of a duel or co,nbat, use the rules for tJ1c
Bloody Versus Tests on pages 426-427 of the Burning \Vheel.
Versus Tests with Help

A group can usl.' a versus t1!sl to overcouie an opponent. One player is
designated the primary actor and everyone else helps. The group succeeds
or fails together.
This is an exc<'llent method for resolving skirmishes, gang fights and

shouting matches.
........
Commentary
What Versus What?

\'t'r:-rn, test:-, versatile. They don't always have to be Power versus
tll'C
Po\\·l•r. Spl'l'd vers us Speed or Persuasion versus Persuasion. Let Lhe
playt·rs declare their intent and task. Us,e the abilities appropriate to tJ1e
:;i111ation. If I want to md<lc you but you want to nut away, we test Power
vl'rsus Speed. If l want to convince you bur you want to rile the crowd,
wt' tes t Persuasion versus Oratory.
Also, notr tJ1at you must obc~y the skill versus stat paradigm-double
obsrndt' pt•nalty for 1.he stat tested against ilie skill wuess otherwise noted
(like Steel tests in Range and Cover).
Abilities Must Be in the Same Realm

There are li1nits to the feasibility of versus tests. The abilities tested
must be in the sa1ne realm. ln Bw·ning \~' heel it is not appropriate to test.
Persuasion versus Brnwliug when n scoundrel is pu,nrneliag you. Once
the punch is thrown, it's too late for words. The words can't physically
stup the pu11d1-aud tl1e situation is now very physical-so you need to
resort 10 other methods. Stop him wiili your Power, run away wiili your
Speed. Thwart him nnd then engage witJ1 tJ1e Persuasion.
Set My Obstacle
At 8\VHQ we have a bad habit picked up from playing Mouse Guard
and B1u-ning Empires. \Y/e make the GM roll first in a versus test so the
opposing player can determine bow much art.ha to spend before rolling
the dice. This n lazy, cowardly habit. Don'L do it!
ln a versus test we gather our dice at the same tin1e-everyone knows
how muny dice the other side is rolling-and then we roll 1.ogetJ1er and
r.o unt up :succcs!Scs. Afler the roll we can use our call-ons nnd s pend ow·
fate and deeds points if need be.
Ties
V,;rsus test ties can prove quirky. How do you define t11e aggressor or
defender? \Y/hat happens when a tie can't be broken?
Aggressor or Defender
Tied versus tests arc won by the defender. It's worth noting that the
aggressor or d efende r tags aren't literal. Aggressor is the player who
initiated.
ftp
, I t •
;--~
- --
-- ---
Deadlocks
In the case of versus tests like two Ores trying to kill ooe another, two
monks debating doctrine, etc., a tie deadlocks tJ1em.
What page 26 oft.he B1u·ning \Vl1eel does not say ( though it is implied) is
that the coaruct now 1noves on from the deadJock to another test in the
sume situation. Combine the deac!Jock with the Let It Ride rule and you
have u perfectly f1111ctioning cycle. Two ,vrestlers attempt to best each
other with their skill. They tie. They cannot overcome each other with
technique, so they sw·ge back into the fight and attempt to overpower
their opponeot-Powcr tests. This too results in a Lie. They are 1natched
i.n skiJI and power, now it's a matter of cnd11rance--Fo11e tests. \X'ho can
oudast the other?
'f,'/ '/tit'·
Commentary
~
That situation calls for diree successive tests. \Vhat seemed like a sin1ple
,·('rsus test ha!:> L1u11cd into a Herculean struggle. The wuutended results
creatcci tension, escalation and action.
This med1odology applies to all sirnilar situations. If you ·ve ever played
The Sword demonstration grone with me, you '11 rerncrnber that I often use
1.his tcclu1ique. '1\vo characters rush for the sword. They tie on a Speed
1esl. They get there at the sainc time. They both gr:ih for the sword. Thl'y
tie on nn Agility Lest. They both grab it at the same time. They attemp1
10 wrestle it out of each other's hands. They te!>c Power and ...
Jt"s nn effective tcdu1iq11e and one of rny favorite hi1s of interaction in

the. gam<:. It does rcri11ire thr. CM 10 be nin1ble and ready with lightning-
quick co111p licatioos and descriptions so the players stay tightly focused
on this innncdiate, pernicious prohlen1.
Call-On Traits to Break Ties

You ca11 use a call-on trait to break a tit~ or rcroll failed diet'. Ducsn ·,
rerolling failed <lice break tlte tic?
Usually you ' re going to use a call-on for the reroll_ bnt thl're are instanr.es
when you 'IJ siniply want to break die tili in your favor rather than rt>roU:
If you·ve rolled a ll successes (no failed dice) und the rolJ is still tit"d: or if
you do not want to risk a rcroll in which you might not get l'\'1·n a sinizle
success, when all you need is one. Using the call-on to break l11l' tie in
Lltis case is a guaranteed win.
b
Help
' Hdp is a viral pa rr of Bun,in~ \Vhcel. Not only is it useful for
pnssi11g l<'s ls. it binds the g roup to~crhe r socially. It c1tn mukc nn
othl'rwise in, p ossibk- lt·St possible. It enhances the advancement
s ystc,u. providing oppo rtunities for frs ls 100 risky 10 11 tt cnip1.
It le b us rcsolv<' potc111iall.y co mplt•x sct·1111rios involvi ng lors c>f
players w ill, a ::;ingl(• ro ll ol' 1he <lict·.
Burning \Vhl'l'I is. by iti- 111111tr1', a g roup- oriented game. Playrrs

often acr 1ogethl'r. M1·lp focilital es tliis pa rt of the game•. Rmher
1!tau sitting 0 111 , playe rs 011 rht· s itldi ncs can pa rt icipat<- by hclpin~.
When to Use Help

Use help wht.> 11 rh<' ~ro up is t1t' ti11~ a~ u unit a nd failure for 0 111,
mt·nibc r is the rq11ivalr nt of fnilw·e for the whole g roup.
S neaking a bout is u d ussic l"xumple. The group needs lo ~neaJ.: into

a pluce together. l11<lividual S teal1.hy lests will result in somt gelling
caught and son1c going 1111t.Jrtcctcd. This is problenuirir and often
renders tlic s ucct'ssful rolls moot. If the loud., dum5y charac1t·rs
a re caug ht, the sneaky playe rs a.re going 10 tum aro und and help
their cuuu·aucs. Sv wh y <l.itl Lhey test ir1 tht, firs t plucc? Tht:)' wi: n:
successful , but it clidn 't ,nntiler.
In those ins tances. we fin d it easie r a nd more effici ent to havr

the g roup test toge the r us ing 1.hc helpi ng rules . If thr test is
passed, the group s ucceeds. If the les t is failed . the group fa ils.
Task of Help
\Vhen you help, you're pigg ybacking onto the pri1nury player's
intent-you agre.e with it and you want it to br s uccessful However.
10 pass that helping clie, you must state your task-what you' re
doing and how you' re doing it. That task must be appropriate to
the intent. If the task doesn ·, fit, the CM can veto your helping die.
144
..
Commentary
Coloring Help
The skill you use and the task you invoke become part of the test. These
,,tcrncut::1 color the ;;uccess and failure of the event, just like the primary
player's task does.
Accepting Help
Advauce1nent commentary, we discussed
111 tJ1e
why you would accept or decline help. You might.
need n particular type of test to advance, and
taking ex1n.1 dice "'ill change the type of test, etc.
Conditional Help
\VI.ten we hnnrl over helping dice, we'IJ often
n1ake i1npro1nptu agrcen1ents: I'll help you now
if you'll help inc later. They're nonbinding, but
thr.y cun be deliciously ju.icy when your felJow
player has a Belief that runs counter to yours yet needs your help on a test.
Advancement for Helpers

Helpers cam tests for advancement. You g,et a test as if you'd used your
own raw skilJ. lf your skill is 84 and you helped with an Ob 3 test, you
get a difficult test for advru1ccment. lt doesn't rnallcr how many dice the
primary acting player rolled.
Helping is vital to increasing your abilities. Helping one another pass

Beginner's Luck tests is especially fun and useful. TI1e primary acting
player will usually get a test toward aptitude (unless t.h~ test was really
hard), while you can rack up a test for advancing the stat ,vith which
you helped.
Sharing the Spotlight with Help

TI1e help rules arc an excellent device for sharing the spotlight. Imagine
you're the hest in tlie group for a job and everyone knows it. Rather than
routinely testing every time your niche arises in the story, you instead
extend a hand to another player who is learning or struggling in this
a~ea. You roleplay your offer to help him learn. You hand him helping
dice and say, "Co ahead, lead us through!"
.
l
ivlaybc you ean1u tes1 for advunccn1eut, maybe you don't. Maybe your
fellow player e,u·ns u test. \Vhaf; n1ore in1portnnt is that you have used
the syste,n to suppor1 lca1nwork and action.
Sluu·ing the spotlight lik<' 1his takes a conscious decision. r wnnr to

demonsu·atc my skill and expert ise, and l want to succeed. But I remind
1nysdJ to buck off. I sacrifice a bit or inu11ediate gain to gain long-1enn
enjoyn1cut a11d s111isfoc1ion with the ga1ne and story.
The Many-Headed Beast

Helping fostrrs n gn•at dyna,nic; a t the table. It allows the group to
panicipntt" in 1110111t"1lls don1i.nared by n single player. However, this
also c·11gc11clers a problcn1 when 1the group acts as a many-headed be~t,
always hrlping. The gnme loses i1s mccho.11ical punch when the players
arc 1ossing helping dice in10 one pile for every test. How do you prevent
that wilhoul silnply suyiug - No"' aJl the tune?
As the CM, you mus1 accept thu1 not aJI tests are appropriate for the
whole group. Use the following guidelines: To participate in a test, each
character 111ust uc1 at Lhr sa1ne time. They can act in sequence 10 provi<lc
help- I trigger the mechanism, you run across tJ1e bridge-but not help
in a test and Limn wander off into nnorher test saying, "l\1eanwhile.... "
The characters 11111st be physically in tJ1e san1e space or must be occupying

the correct place when the test is mn<lc. The wbole group can sneak
through a room t0gether usmg StcalrJ1y. However, the whole group cannot
all fit in the cardi111Ll's cabi11et to convince hiln to take rJ1ei.r side.
The characters must be able to conceivably operate on die task at han<l.
You cnnnot all 1nake a watch together. One ,vatchmake1; one apprentice;
that's it. Five of you can't all fit iJ1 the forge. One masLer smith, one
apprentice smirJ1 and someone to chop woocl: 1.hat's all f'd allow. You car.'t
all bend the king's ear. It's rude. so one of you ,nay speak for the rest.
If this problem stilJ persists after applying this wisdo1n, look at our new
rule, Too Many Cooks.
NPCHelp
Characters controlled by the GM or even your own bodyguards and aides
can provide help for a roll so long as tJ1ey have the appropriate ability
and are not acting 111mdlcssly. 111cy' re not help-bots. Like any other
l.
Commentary
charac1er, they should have a reason lo help. That's an important detail

because if you fail this ll!st, they're subject to the- resuh as well. And tJ1ey
might not be so lrnppy you dragged them into this ,ness.
Pass the Dice

\Vhl'n helping, you physicaUy puss yow· die or dice to tJ1e player receiving
help. This small gcstuJ'e creates a viscera] connection bctwec11 you two.
You aJ'c now both bonded to this test. It seems like an unlikely thing, but
you'U huvr to u·ust us. It's very powerful.
Also, at B\VHQ we each keep dice of an distinct color so tJ1al' when we

hnnd ovrr hclpi11g dice, we can see whether or 1101 we helped in tJ1e tes1.
There's no 1ncchanical i.nccntive for this ac1. h mt rely adds some fu11 to
1.he I.wiping rules and creates a nice sunplc ritual 1Lro11nd help. Evcryouc
wants to watch the roll nncl see how they did!
Linked Tests
Linked tests provide a versatile method to bring players together
to overcorne an obstacle. 1' he <lunger with a linked test is that rolls
are called for and ,nude purely for the advantage rather than
10
further the fiction.
To 1nukc a test to provide a Unkcd die, the linking player lllust

hnve botl1 a legitimate task and an intent thac- generates its own,
appropriate result in the fiction. "l want to give hi1n +lD" isn't 11
valid intent. On the other hand, "I want to help hirn by sharpening
hi.; tools and cleaning Ll1e workspace," is a valid intent and an
cxccll<:nt use of the Mending skill.
How Many Links?

How rnany linked tes ts shoul<l you snake? ~'e often hear tbis
question. Unfortunately, otu· answer is rather lacking: It depends.
Generally, we allow one linked test per player, if appropriqte.
Descriptively set tJ1c scene and then pause the action. Find out who's
doing what. Ask each player in turn what they're doing and how
they're doing it. lf a character is involved in other matters at tl1e
time, then he can't participate in a Linked test.
Link Intent and Task

It is vitaJ that a linked test have its own intent und task-its own
reason to be. A linked test nn1st contribute something more to the
fiction than just +1 D. Jf a linked test doesn't 1nean an)'lhing, tJieu
you 're just rolling to generate a 1nechanicru effoct. Boring! Just beg
for an advantage die in that case.
There are three possible results for a linked test: failure that passl".s
a penalty on to the linkee; success that creates a result like any otlier
test; and success that creatP.s an cxernplary result that grants tlie
Hnkce +1D. to a test.
148
Co1nme11tary
Link versus Help

Linked tt·sts arc mcchanicaUy simiJar to heir. Both give udva ntage dice.
Wlw11 do you use a linked test as opposed to giving help?
If the' c.:onditions for help canno1 be rnet or if help is inappropriate, the

player rnay ask the CNI if tbere is an action he can 1ake that will link to
1hr primnry ti's!.
\Vliru II player wants to perfonn an ac1io11 tangential, but possibly helpful

to a task a t hand, us,: a linked test.
Lin.keel dice nrny also be gcuera11•d far in advance of a test. They do not
nt·ed 10 bl' clirecrly tied lo the next lest. You caJI prepare a bolt o( cloth
wit.It your \Veaving skill This preparation can be used as n linkP.d test to
a fu11u-e Sewing skill test.
Finally. some s ituations require? rht opcraljon of a large social, culn1raJ or

physical 1ned1onisn1: A party, o religious service or ,nanaging a caravau
can all b1• sci up as a series of linked tests by t.lic GM. Each test affects
the ntxl and, 11lti rnat.d y, tbe fa1c of the entire operation. In this case.
the GM. 111us1 deccnni.nc what the final test of the SP.ries will be. Hr then
offors u,e play1?.r.: a htu1Jf11l of possihll1 ~kills they can u~e in tl1e seriP.s.
Hr tells t.he111 how mauy tests nel·d to he accornplished before the final
test is n mrl1:.
Alrernntely, ilie GM can set an ohstade for un hnportant tesl and invite
the playar,; 10 link into it witlt wsts of their own choosing.
Thl<final test in the ~cries often dcter1nincs tJ1e overall ouccon1e, bm thnt
doesn't always need to be the case. Using this nw1hod, you can gr.nerate
a series of results 1J1a1 ull color the final outcome.
Let It Ride
' If w,· had to re.state I he ·rule, we' d say: You n1ay not test. the
sauw abiJiry repeatedl y to bypass the sun1c obstacle. You only
gc-t one chance to overr.01ne each obstacle. Furthern1ore, your
result-pass or fail-snLads for all si.Jnilar obstncles in your path
for the- rcu1a i11der of the session or uu1il the iu-gumc conditions
sign.ilicn ntly change.
Why Let It Ride?

Let ll Ride clevntc-s the gum,: from task resolution to conflict
resolution, if tl1osc terms n1can anything to you. Let It Ride takes
us Crom u fantastir. n1edicvaJ silnuhuion Lo a gan1e about creating
d uiracter-drivcn nru-ratives.
Let It Ride Duration

Let It Ride is meant to last Jor the rernainder of the session. fr should
bridge sessions only rarely.
Iftht:jYO"f is on a loHJ V")'a!ft: andmake.s a Navijation test tlun°HJ

the prst session, tht:J don't havt: to test a!Jain for tht: VO)'ll!J& as loHJ
as the conditions sttf)' the-same.
tf7ou fa,1 to convince someone anti tl,o/ vow to never speak to )'Ou
RjRin, then1vu mijlrt have to tleal wit/, tl,at over multiple .sesswns.
Let It Ride Conditions

Tbe Let It RicJe rule states that yow· success or failure 5tands tu1til
conditions 14drnstically or signifie11ntly change." Here are s 01nc
examples of changing conditions:
You discover new information; you 're deceived 01· betrayed; you lose
your horse/ship/flying carpet; the weather takes a sudden, horrific
turn for tl1e worse; you're lost; you' re found; your finery is covered
in shit/blood/mud; you learn a new spell or school of magic; your
precious possessions arc stoleu; yuu t.liswver H puwe.-ful artilact; you
earn a new trait; a miracle happens.
150
Co,n,nentary
('.Of,dirions I hal don '1 generally count as significanr- or drascic: you 're
supcrficiully or liglu ly wo11nrll'rl; )'r,ll change ll Belief: you clutngc llD
lnstiiu.:t; you ask, '·How ahout now?''; or you fail nnotl1cr test.
I( vou' rc wo unded s o badly 1hat rhe. sk ill or ability with which you
0 ,.,:rnune an ol.is tor:le i;; n><l11c:1:rl 10 z~ro, then I.et It Ride d ocs n ' Lapply.
-·
::::0
Or lir.rwist·. \\'Ounds i;hou ldn 't count 11s a change of conditions for Let Jt
l!idt~
Shades
Ability shading is an i ntcresting, soroewhat proble,natic aspcci of
the Burning Wheel system. The game is weighted heavily toward
the default black/rnunda1H: shude. Jf used superficially, shadin"
0
cun uppenr sup.eriluous 10 the syste,n-pcrhnps it even looks like
cruft.
If you're. playing gritty one-offs, you really don'r need tlirse rules.
However, if you're playing an exi-en<lccl campaign . or a shor1 er,
higher-powered gnrne, then these rules are entertaining nnd add
a lot to th('. game.
Starting Shades
I'll be frank. At B\VTiQ, w.- don't like starting grays. \Ve prefer 1hat
a gray be earned in play. \vc like tJ1e sweat, tears und blood that
such u feat requires. We W,e long games.
\Ve do not think it is appropriate to dump a stat do,vn to 2 to

purchase n gray shade. No1· do we like to see a wasteland of R2
skills topped with a single G5 Knives or Sword skiU. Such play is
bad fo11n in ou1· eyes.
:~1- Are Starting Grays Ever Acceptable?

Starting b'Tays are appropriate in high-powered ga,ncs, usually
for characters with six or more starting lifcpaths. ln the point
distribution, Elves and Dwarves are ,nos! likely 10 have the points
lo pull th.is off. Eight-lifcpath Hu1naus and Ores can pull a starring
gray without crippling tlH.'JOselvcs. Trolls can field a gray Power ot
five or six Hfcpaths without too much jiggering. ltodeo or \\lolvrs
don't usually get CJ1ough points to con1fortably shade shift all ahili~·
during character buraing.
Starting grays require the approval of the whole group. The person
huying the gray should fr.ss up, "l1n1 power-gaining. ls that okay?"
If the group isn't cOJnfortnble with your starting gray shade, then ic's
fair to break the stat cap for your srock by o point or two in order
to make your concept work without rcbuilcliug the ,vhole character.
152
-
Commentary
Shade Shifting in Play

Shudr shifting an ability in play is one. of my ravorite aspects of this
systcn1. 111c process requires discipline, delcnninatioo and luck. but when
you shade shift, it's just about the greatest ganting feeling eve~ven
bcttt·r than pulling off a Feint in Fight.
Shndl' shiftiug is the longest arc ot' Bunling Wheel's grand currency cycle.
Ir hnpprns far less frequently d1an trait votes or deeds point awards. In
fart . ir only happens after you earn multiple deeds points and undertake
a serit>S of n·ail vote:.. Using llil' epiphany ruEes, shade shifting requires 20
fat ti, 10 per,onn and 3 deeds points. Tlte shade shift cycle is a beautiful,
slnw-,noving gear iliat clicks into place witl1 a sublline noise.
l'L'r~onally. when l srarl a new character, 1 don't focus on any one path
for hin1. I let the character\; nature emerge in play. After] spend u deeds
point or l wo, I thi11k about graying out a st.a~or skill. I assess th1! direction
the character has been heading in iu1d where I've been spending artba.
Once I ~re a 1)ath, 1 an1 as diligent as possible, puslw1g arthe into that
abili1 v ns often as I cun.
On yo1u· quest for a gray-shaded ability iu play, you mµst game tl1e
sy,uern und flavisbly focus your artha expenditures on one abilitJ. invest
something i.n every test you can. Spend tt persona point, use face to open
1hr f,s. And wh1·11 you have a clrancn to spend n deeds point, dive inlo the
si11111rion anrl don't n1iss your opportunity.. Shade shifting takc>,5 a long
rimr i11 play. You don't always g~tthr. opportunifjes you ne1!d when yon
want thcro, so you need to rake what you 1:an when you get it.!
Shudl' shifting cun be u bir unnerving. Erurning .a gray-shaded ability

clmnrrcs
0
tl1e rrrune. Your d1aract~.r's llower mt11e now ~
~
m-ay
-.
area increases
massively. 'fire G~I rnust present new types of obstacles to mnke them
more rhullerrgi.ng and must test you more su-iclently, lest yow- new power
becomes boring.
Shade Shift From Traits

h is possible to earn, via a trait vote, a trait that shade shifts an ability
This cloesu't require tl1c a.rt.ha expense: of the cpipbony. So long as lhe
d111ra1:t<'r ri:rains du: trait~ he bcnc£it::i ii·om thr. gray or white slmdr. ability.
;t ·,, . ,} i':,fi •f I f( •,~ '
• 1(
I •f f1, r.,~ ' ,' / " ('·,,.
'T • '
Shade shifting via tTaits is controversial in 1ny opinio11 . I don't like

circumvem.ing the epiphany cycle. However, I <:lUI sec it bciJ1g npproprintr.
in two cases: For shorter epic carnpaigns, the rrnii vote t.yclc cnn
suppla nt the cpipbany cycle. For truly long-ru nning "chullcngl' the
gods" campaigns, trait votes can be u~cd to P-a111 white-shade ubili1irs.
Gray Faith, Sorcery and Other Nightn1ares

fl's very cnsy to shade shift Faith and Sorcery. Faith and Sorcery 11l111os1
always need un cx.tro success. Since thr,y w·copc11-cndetl abilitir.s, you can
spend a fate poinL10 tlu·ow anothcJ· die, even if you ha,·cn 't roUc<l nny 6s.
- Commentary
r
rv~· found that players like to abuse these loopholes even further by
:::ponuning c.hc GM "rith low-grade, Jow-risk tests. For Faith or Sorcery,
they c11s1 spells without consequence that don't have great iJnpact or risk,
buc c.hey dwnp artha into them.
Thcrc·s ,10 easy tool you can use to curb this bad behavior from the
players. As the Gl'vl, si1nply Suy Yes to the low-grade, low-risk requests.
- ( cast Magesense ... " Just Say Yes to Lhe spell. "I ask for guidance. .. "
Just proYide tbc holy vision. Am I recommending adversnriaJ behavior?
No. I 11111 recon1mcncling tha1 the CM use the tools available to challenge
tlic players across the longest arc of the game, so that their grand
achievemt\llt-the shade shift-is fulfilling and rewarding, not cbeap.
q
Resources
,. Re$ources. represent credit, wealth and temporal power. The system
h quirky. You test to acquire ntorc material wealth or to llink·e
pay1ncnts. Success iudicates your Hcsources rcn1ain steady· or c•ven
i1nprove. Failure indicates your Resources are r!!cluccd.
In the fiction, you're 111:anaging your as$ets: asking favors

Liorrowiug uu creJit, accepting gifts from others umJ calling in'
yonr 1na1·kers wben it'.s· tirnc to pay. Your Resources test indicates
whether you maJ1age your assets well, whether your credit holds
and your 1narket·s get cashed. 1( you 1na11age these factors well, you
Jon't suffer any penalty. If you n1anagc thc,n poorly ior you're just
unlucky), your resources dwindle.
Poverty
Low Rcso1u·ces puts you at risk of d~scending furtherintu poveny.
You have fewc:r dice to me<'I obstadcs. therefore you ' re more likely
ro experience tnx. Tax increases your chances of failing rests. The
effer.t of rnx is much more <lra,natic when you r 82 is reduced to 131
than when your 85 is reduced to .84. \Vith a low-exponen, ability,
ta.xis 1nore likely to reduce you i-o 0 and permanently knock a poi11t
off the exponent. ln fact, it's common to bounce between BO and
B2-earniug a few a<lvanci:,nents and tben getting Taxed b»ek to
oblivion due to an lui.lucky roll.
This cycle of poverty c,,;sts by d esign. h is hard to cli1nb 0 111 of

poverty. The system crea tes incentive to 1ake ri1,ks in venues outside
of Resources. H's not cuuugh to throw your fic:sou n:c, dir.c np;ninst
every obstacle. You'll be truced eventually. That tax will prod you to
get a joh. Once you' re·working, you 're stuck in u cycle of rccovcrinp;
taxed Resources while testing to maintain your lil'cst-ylc. It's n
<lownwurd spiral.
To break uw spiral, you n!!c<l t.o look outside: of Hesourccs: You need
to make linked tHsti; into your R1;su1u·cr.s; you nel'd to gN eash from
otlrer ~ourc;l's like d11ngco111s, raids, robheries, extortion, gifts nnd
vussulal-{c, Tl1t~sP. ac1 ivi I ic,<; nll 111akr. r.xccllcnt. sotu'Cl'., of alternate
.mcomt:.
156
Commentary
Gaming the Resources System

\X'ltcn you ' re poo1· and i t'!, Resources mainlenance tin1e, you have to
husband your wcohb carefully. Or when you hnve tl Bl Resow·ces and
you need to puss a big, expensive test, you should to be cautious. Let me
give you some advice born frmn hnrd lessons.
Coordinate your Resources: Designate one player to ,nake the big
Resources tesl. lf you can' t risk being Taxed, don't help. l\ilake linked
tesr;; into the Resources test. [f you can accept cl1c risk of Tax, help the
primc1ry r,laycr. You rnay earn a test for advancement from yom· help.
Choo~,i onr; charur.ter who can afford 1hc Tax if il hits, who is ,villing to
tak,; tlw fall , has cash on hand or hns 11 trail like Penny-Wise to mitigate
failun·.
.....
•
I ; •
I I, ) ; ••• .'
Adventurer's lnconie
Life ns an adventurer doesn't n1ake you rich. Gear and expeditions arc
expensive. The services of doctors and_ nr~orcrs aren't cheap. Itinerant
,vizard:. and warriors are poor credit risks so you have to pay for
c\'crything in cash. And just ,vhen you n1ake a penny, it's tax tiJne and
you've t::,crot to pay up on what little you earned.
•
\Vhen advenu1ring, cake tio1c out to scavenge for loot when the
opportunity arises. An Ob 3 lest should be enough to net you a die or
two of cash. Don'1 be afraid to take out loans and repay them. \Vlten
ncaotintincr
t::, 0
n Duel of \Vi1s cornprornise, ask for money!
Courtly Income
\Vhc11 at court. selflessly slaving away for tbc good of the kingdom, do
110\ neglect your own needs. Secm·e donations to your cause in the form
of rush, property, l'il.lcs and funds. Persuasion, lotiu1idotion and EA'tortion
make excellent tools for acquiring money. You don '1 want your finery
to become threadbare or faU out of fashion after a season at court, do
you? You must think of your own needs at nil times, lest you fall behind
your rivals.
Noble Income
Jf you ttre noble and have vassals under yow· protection, do no.t neglect
to send forth ymu- bailiff to ensure the dutiful collection of taxes. Your
vassals shall make payn1ents fron1 their own funds and produce for you
cash for the appropriate, ag~eed-upon sun1. By this 1nell1od, with the
help of just ten vassals, you can collect the funds necessary to raise a
,night)' forn·ess.
If ye find yourself in extrcmitJ nnd forced to treat '";tli other wealthy lords
for financial gain, ye may countenance to osk them for a loan. Be not
fearful of such endeavors! CertninJy thine enterprise shaJI be profitable
and ye shall promptly repay all that is owed.
Religious Income
Donations arc the bread of religious instirutions. Suasion can loosen the
purse strings of 1hc most miserly n1e1·chant and cause him to proffer
cash so that his soul ,night rest more easily. Such a donation is but a
tri flc for the rich.
Jf donations are bread, titles are butter and properties are jruu. Do not
neglect to secure these temporal artifacts. Though they be burdensome,
they are also profitable for the church.
- Commentary
scoundrel's lncorue
If ye bt' 11 scomtdrd, knave or rogue, ye cun earn coin by lightening the
ptu-St' of another tlu·ough snbtle tricks of the 1l'ade. Or, perhaps, should
:,t·cn•ts bt• diY11lgecl to thine car, you can trade the1n, or gather coin for
your assunu1ce they nrvr.r b e repeated. Should all of your pride and
resources nbaru.lu11 yo u, ruu cau take to thy knees and prostrate yourself
before tJw ruercies of yo1u· fellows.
Cash Money
The 13uruing \Vhecl 1011chcs briefly on using Rcsow·ces as 1noney in the
Currency sct·Lion of the Resources chapte1·. To recmphusizc th.is here:
C:onsidt·r your cush dice as bags of silver: yow· cache is a box full of
treasure and gold: your fund is a pro1nissory note that you can draw
on. Ne.
Loot and Fence

How does loot work in 1he game? You grabbed a sweet sword and want
10 sell it? \Vhen you sell it, you convert it to cash dice. You don't test or
use Bcwtu-c,is to sell ru1ything. You test Haggling to agree on a price-ru1

amount of cash dice-or Persuasion 10 convince your mark to buy.
Linked Resources or Resources Help

A linked test into Resources 1·isks raising· the obslacle if the linked test
is fuiJcd. 1-Ielp carries no such risk. However, a Linked test insu.latcs the
assisting character-he won't b e taxed if tbe test is failed , whereas a
player who gives a helping die is taxed if the roll is failed.
Lifestyle Maintenance
Every so often in the course of play, al a predeternuned jtu1cture, the
GM calls for a lifestyle maintenance test. This test pits the expense of
I.he character's day-to-day living conditions against his Resources. For a
tn,ical character, it's an Ob 2 tcs1.-poor advcnttu·er. Bui it's important
1.o pay attention to the actual living conditions for the last lifestyle
rnaint1·ni1111:c'. cycle and assess the obstacle based on that. I've seen
player:, sci their characters to living on the street to lower their lifestylt'
rnain11:nancl' obstacle 10 1. The opposite holds true us well-a profligate,
tarch:ss lifos1yli:, living in hotels und eating well shou.lcl raise the obstacle.
Life u1 court is 1norc. 1>xpensive 1hnn life on the road, and so on.
• J. • J • • •
Lifestyle Maintenance Failure

lf you fuil thjs lest, you've been living beyond your means. Your lif
)
has overborn vow· hesources. In ti1e f'uture, you had better bring. estylc
. . in more
inco111e, get a job or curb yotu· expenses.
17tis failw·e isn't drastic, but it is nolable. It should be co1nmernorated

with a wistful dcsci·iption of all that heavy spending.
Failing and Reduced to Resources 0

Failing your lifestyle 1uai111enaoce test and being reduced to Hesourccs
exponent O is bad. You ' re broke. You ' vt: spent it all on this lavish (or
noL) Lifos tylc. The rent is due, Ll1e piper calJs aud yow· pockets are empty.
Jt's ti1ne to go out into tlie world and earn some ducats.
No Resources for Lifestyle Maintenance

U a charac.rcr has a BO Resources and caru,ot get cash 10 n1ake the
1naintenance test, 1he11 he automai-icaUy fails hjs lifes tyle n1aintenru1ce.
He can't be ta.~ed any further, so fniltu-e comes in a different foan-he
falls sick, his gear breaks down, his toolkits run dry, hi:s animals die, Jus
Cinery becomes threadbare, rus reputation withers, etc.
Injured and Poor

If you 're recovering &0111 an injury such as a severe, traumatic or mortal
wound, then you 'II ruost likely have to pass a lifestyle 01aintenance test
as you convalesce. lf you're pom; trus can impose a crushing financial
burden. lf you have no Resources at all to support yourself, the GM cau
chip away at your possessions or eve11 your HeaJth.
Characters have is a massive incentive in the syste1n to stay 011 the road,
injltred and poor. Keep hunting for thaL fortune. Don't rest until you
know you can pay your expenses. lt's harsl1, but if you survive, you'll
benefit mightily.
Practical Resources
For some games, Resotu·ces play only a ininor par1 , but for advennu-crs
in the tTadition of Alexandre Dwnas or even Glen Cook, Resources are
central to the action of the setting.
Setting and Currency

The Rr.sourccs mechanic is rut ahsn·action. \Ve don't wiu1t to count coins
or manage books. \Ve want to makP u roll, just like we'd ,nnke a roll 1.0
forg" a shirt of mrul. Howeve1; too 1nuch abstraction renders the mccbaJllC
Commentary
dull. \Ve 111akt• ll.l1 Annorcr roll to forge a shirt of mail from steel links,
not merely ··1 make some armor." Likewise, if we reduce Resotu·ces to a
,oll only 10 get some cash. WP. cio the game a disservice.
Yllnr settiJ1g has a ctu-rency syste111: gold, ducats, Jivres, pounds, talents,
1.'IC. Use it ro delineate how n1uch a die of cash is worth. You don't have
w be 100 specific. A cash die equates to a s1naJI bag of silver, for example.
A cache or fw1d is a taJent.
In our g,uncs. I use currency to illus trate different locations in the

,;etting. In one land, s1nall-change cash is called "quick," and the gold
standard is called nn " imperial throne." In another land, the people
inst ituted u currency or «fifths." Five fi frhs n1ake up one unit. The
whole unit doesn't even have a name! But five fifths buys a ton of rice,
so it's a substantial amount of money.
Industry
Another way ro make Resources shine is to link it directly 10 industry in
your setting. Inventing small details like the industry of a city can add a
nice sense of depth. Is a city a banking center? Docs tJ1is province make
its ntoney growing and selling sorghum? Is this town known for its silk
weavers?
These details then help qualify Resow·ces tests. \Vhcn you get ca sh
or make n lon.n, you 're tapping into the industry of the pince-you' re
opening an account, buying a bushel of sorghun1 or six bolts of silk. These
nil cou.nt as Hesolu·ces rests and cash dice, but the color is important.
Each chru·acter has a sottrce of wealtJ1, too. Each player should note cl1e
basis of his Hcsourccs according to the cl.cments of cl1e setting: rents,
allowanr.c. inheritnnce, indust1-y, cash from wages, credit, propert)', etc.
Most chnrac1crs start with a little cash, but the wealthier they get, the
rnorr. nuanced the source of cl1e Resources.
In play, this small detail provides cl1e GM with tren1endous opportunity.

I.et ':-. say you play a yoUJtg prince of a me1·chnnt fan1ily who makes its
money from u trading fleet. In play, the fantily's rivals attack and burn
<mr: of thdr cnr go-ladc:n ships. This is 1u1 excellent excuse for a +1 Ob to
Rr:soun:r.~ tests until the loss can be recovered. If tJ1e yo1mg prince goc!\
11-ruicling unrl cap lurcs a ship, the penalty is alleviated. Even bc11cr, if
th,: young priur.e manages to capture a convoy of treasure-laden ships,
)'QU 1·11 11 ~rant the player a s 11bs1a111ial rur1ount of cash dice-+5D to
+HID, I think. Thus tl11~r.olor of the source of income provides grist for
the adventure mill.
Failure and Maintenance Cycles
Burning \Vherl garnes nrc meant to play out over longer arcs of game time
tha n one \\'ould expect. Some scenes are played iu intense detail while
od1\'rs sweep n1011ths or years asi<le wi th a fe.w words. As tin1c passes iu
Liw gun1c. through n·av~I. rl'st , rccupcr:t1io11 nnrl prllcLice, you, tl1c CM.
mus1 mcrcilc.ssly caJJ for lifestyle roaintcnnncC' tl'sts. ·
Hent l'umcs due. Tlte lax collcc1or cm11es. The queen demands her shore.
Yo1tr ship ,weds repairs. \Vhc11 the pluy<·.r::; foil their maint,mancc tests. use
tl1c· fuilun· options mercilessly. Apply pNrnlti\'s to fu111rc rolls. Rcpos.~ess
properly. Dl',-tsoy tlwir gc'nr.
\Vhr b,· so cruel? Because niaking money is a tunc-honorrcl reason 10

1mdertake thu-iug advcnt11rc·.s!
-
Circles
Circles is a vibra11t 1 powerful mechanic. It grants players a
substantial measure of creative control and unburdens the GM
from n.n oftcn-tiresornl' duty. Circles puts some responsibiliry
for the setting in the hands of I he players. Tf the players want a
chan1cter to uppear in the story, the GM isn't obligated to \\."hip
something up, nor docs he hn\'e to be t he bad guy nnd flatly refuse.
lnstend. he calls for a Circles lest.
\Ve have found that this arrungcment produces an interesting side

effect: Once the group embraces the Erunity Clause, the GM gains
acct•ss l o t•ven more power than in the traditional nrrnngement.
E11gaging with the Circles rules entails the risk of finding an
enemy. Arbitrary en(m1ies feel like punishment.
T11r11 tha1 on it s h<>ad and the Circles test could be considered a

sys1em for determining NPC disposition 1oward the players. Sure.
you find who you're looking for. But what do they thi nk of you?
Playing the Circles

Tlui Cirdes rules are very efficient in play-deter1nine who rou
need, calculnte the difficulty and roU. The intent portion of Circles
is nlmost always self-eviden1. But what is your character doing?
How do you rolcplay out the scene? J-Jow docs die task portion of
tlie roll ,vork?
Circles is not an abso·act process. Your character is not simply
wishing or hoping, s ununoning anod1cr being fro1n the darkness of
his or her mind. Circles, as an ability like ru1y otJ1cr, requires action
on your character's part. Admittedly, it's a difficult frame to enter.
How do you roleplay out meeting sor11eo11e for the first tune? Or
fi11ding an old friend (you n ever knew you had)?
Ploy ir· wi1li a ligh1 hand, but do act 011 lhe roil: go to the n1arket,
1alk 10 your friends at court, djspatcn your couriers to fetch rhn1·
woman, ask your relatives to make a connection.
163
.
: '
''
t • f •
: :· , . ,._
For nu•. Circles is very n1uch a «\Vhut would I do here?" abiljty. Askin
frit•nds or [wnHy is u very nati1.1ral, nbnost universally l1111nan aciivi;
And it's a great way to law1cb a Circles test.
Circles Obstacle Modifiers

You're 1101 supposed 10 use nU of the Circles modifiers for every Circles
test. Osing all of the modifiers for each test renders the tests i.tnpossible-
tl,r 111echunic won't see n1uch use with sky high obstacles. However, use
of the mechanic is intended 10 be a risky proposition, so you should use
one or two obstacle modifiers.
Occupation
Occupation is tl1e easiest uspcct of Circles to consider. Examinr the setting
bci11g called upon by the player. Is the character type con1mo11 to that
setting? for rxan1ple. if a player uses his Born Noble lifopath to briug
n knight into the story, we need to nsk '' Does the chnracrcr know any
knights?" The answer is " Yes. almost definitely. " Bur were those knights
common to her circle-with her bci11g a noble child? No. Corrunou to
her circle were pages, nurses. govcn1r.sses and other children. But neither
were knights rare. She probably saw them in court quite often. Thus the
Born Noble circle imposes 1he +2 Ob Uncomn1on Occupation penalty
on a Circles test to find a knight. If the character had the Page lifopath,
Squires would be common to her circles. If she had the Squire or Knight
lifepat11s, squires nnd knights would be common to her patJ1s, whereas
little prmces and princesses w-:iulcl be much less common.
If the occupation is uuimportanl to the Circles test, the GM can really

offer smne surprisi11g twists. For example, " \Ve need 10 find someone who
knows the password for the Thieves' Guild." That's specific information;
occupation doesn't matter. Thus the answer could be a disgruntled fom1er
guild member or, even better, the constable for this district. "\Vhat do
you need that inforrnation for now, friend? "
Station
The station modifier recognizes class distinctions and social ranking. If
you arc dippi11g below or rising above your station, this modifier applies.
So yes, it's more difficult· for a king to find a sen1 unrthnn it is for him to
find another darnned courtier:
Commentary
Time n
.....
The cin1e modifier is problematic as ,vritten. It i.rnplies that the timmg of
the NPC's arrival is up to the GM. This grinds against the basic intent and
lask structure: state your intent, and if successful, that's what you get.
-
""'I
n
(b
VI
Use cl1c time 1nodifier when it is highly i.rl1probable that the player meets
his acquaintance. For example, your group of tltievcs and thugs just
survived a fighl with their' rivals, but one of you was wounded badly m
the scufne. lt's the dead of night and the \Vatch is on the look-out for
you. You need to find a surgeon right now.
Place
The place modifier has similar problems as the time modifier. There
seems to be this i1nplicit idea that you can find your friend, but he'~ i.r1
the next town over. Again, ii seems to break tl1e intcut. and task paradit:,'ln.
The tJ1inking behind 1his 1nodifier is to create a sense of space in the

selling, ratJ1cr than have every NPC bump into you in a bar or at the
market. You get word about your cousin, hut he lives on a farm: you' U
have to ride out lhere to meet him. The modifier isn't intended as a way
ro punish or block, bul a:; a way to deepen your setting witJ1 a momentary
dash of narrative.
You only engage the "specific place/player decides" condition when it ·s

utterly unlikely that the player could k11ow s01neonc hert'. For exan1ple.
you ' re an Elven \Vanderer traveling lhrough a DwaYvt>n bold: Your
starlight is stolen by greed-mad Dwarves; you niake a Circles test to
bring into play an Elven Chandler who knows tlw culture m1d can ht>lp
you recover what was lost. I'd npply the local modifirr to thut tesl. It's
unlikely you'd find such a character hert\ in this Dwarvt'll hold.
Affiliations
Affiliations dice arc useful for passing Circles tests as rhey provide
ronvenient creative bounds for Circles. \Vl1en a player uses an affiliation
with the nnny ma Circles test. this neatly colors the friend or enemy who
might appear as the result of the test.
Going further, affiliations provide an excellent incentive to reinforce

setting aspects. Give 1ne1nbers of an affiliation distinctive dress, insignia.
cere1nonjaJ weaponry or even specialized jargon. Taking the time to
chru·ncterize the affiliation ,vith just one detail pays huge di,'.idends as
the gan1e progresses.
- ....
.. .
.
I ' ; • _ .'I,, ·,··.·.' t'
• • ,.
: I .'
. ;' •• .
I ,' • • : I
t>
or
Ln one of our aames, members the Lmpcrial Inspectorate received . d
a1a e
seal as their badge of office. Over the course of many campaigns th
bad11e
::, was flashed to invoke the affiliation. But the 1nost powerful u' 5e atf
o
the seal carne the day one of the players quit the office. He passionate!
described his character ripping the seal from his neck and violent!~
hurling it to tJ1c ground. Suddenly, that small piece of colorfuJ descriptio~
took on the weight of the whole crunpaign.
Reputations
Reputations are si1nilar to affiliations: they ill'C one-note mechanical
representations of broad , flu.icil aspccrs of the fiction. The srune dangers
beset reputations as affiliations-it's too easy to lean on the1n only as 8
lever to pull when you want extnt dice.
\Vhcn I Cf\-[, J tTy to have NPC, recognize characters by their reputation

without the, player having rolJed or invoked his reputation. For example.
a player introduces hin1self, " l'1n DvaHn ... " and I interrupt him, "Not
Dvalin the Bandit Slayer, is it?"
Such sunple acknowledgcmcnls add a sw·piising amount of depth to the

world. ll lends an air Lhat the playe1·s ex.ist within a living. changing plaet.
Enmity Clause
The Enmity Clause is an1ong the u1ost powerfuJ n1echanical results in
Bw·ning \Vheel (,;econd onJy ;ro the Duel of \Vits compromise) . It is a
potent tool for the CM.
The Enrnity Clause is a gift for player and Gi'vl alike. \V11en you make a
Circles test, there is no bad result. Friend or enemy. something is going
to happen.
An enemy is not required directJy oppose the character, nor are ther
required to be the evil version of the character being sought. The Enmity
Clause provides the GM ,vith the opportunity to introduce an antagonist-
someone opposed to the character's goals, directly or indirectly.
Simple Enemies
At its most basic, Lhe Enmity Clause produces antagonists like an angry
shopkeeper, a surly drunk, a hostile thug, a shtbbom guard, a haughty
servant, an insubordinate officer or a jealous cousin. These sunple
•-·
..,n
-
n
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VI
an1agonists oppose the i.Jn1nediate goal of the chru·acter. They charg('

more, ob(uscatc, provide misinformation or spurn the advances of Lhc
dauracler.
They can raise the obstacle of any subscquen1 interaction-to pw·chasc,

p1:n.11ad1! or pw·sue-<ir force 1.he player to make a 1cst to bypass them-a
versus test for u fight , argument or subterfuge. Once 1.hcy're bypassed.
1her don'1 usually play much 1nore of a role in thr. gan1e. If they reappear,
it's usually through ano1hcr Circles test or via 1he GM's cheekiness.
4
I , I
r .• ,• • f t • • •
Siruple enemies can also convey infonnation Lo major antagonists-

ralting the cban1cLers out, for cxa1nplc.
Epic Enen1ies
Epic eue1nics arc characlcrs ,vho recur tl1roughouL the story, opposing
d11.• playt•rs· chru·actcrs in surprising and escalating ways. Perhaps the
epk descriptor ovcrstntes thcu· role, as these arc the see1ning nobodies
who pop up in the darnedest places. \Ve hate then1, but we can't wajr to
sec when· tliey' U appear next.
To crearr. such a recurring villau1-au m1noying 1uagistrate, a quarrelsorne

cousin, a brutal hunter, an w1bentable bully-you need 10 be dedicated
and focused with your E111njty Clauses. \Vhenever there's an opponuniry
for an Enntiry Clause, you should invoke this character. Either he hjmself
appears on the scene- with a " \Veil, wcU, we n1ec:1 again .. ." or one of the
villain's agents or allies acts for tl1c enemy in the scene and reports 1.hc
cnco11n1<:r hack to tJ1js b1u-geonfr1g antagonist.
Unex11ected Enen1ies
Be creative wid1 tl1c Enmity Clause. ll's easy to have the NPC arrive as nn
antagonist, but as J mentioned ehove, tlie opposition can also be indirect.
The villa.in could have tl1e san1c goals as tJ1c player and be·wiJling to help,
but he has bis owu nefarious reasons.
You can also use the Enmity Clause to place obstacles benveen the player
and his intended contact. The contact could be captured or waylaid by
bandits, pirates or thugs. The contact could have been arrested and
now languishes under tl1e eye of a gaoler. Or the potential contact could
be dead and inquiries abou1 the deceased arouse the suspicion of the
authorities or the ire of his sw·viving family.
Expanding Circles
One flaw in the Circles mechanic is that after you burn yow· character,
and you enter piny, you1· character doesn't acquire new li.fepaths, and
his thus circle~ never expand.
Technically, affiliations and reputations don't g rant access to new

Circles-they only grant power in existing Circles. Jf you are City Born
and buy n knightly affiliation, you do not get Noble seujng cu·des froni
it. Your affiliation bonus applies only in your urban hoo1e.
- Commentary
1t·s t'nsy to fudge th.is ruJe and we're sure most groups do. It only makes ....
()
sens<> 1hat as you increase in reputation and experience, you can use your
influcnc<' an1ong uew and varied social groups. -
>-t
n
( l)
t:/l
Traits providr an answer to the probleui. During trait votes, bestow o·ait.s
that not only grant affiliations and reputations, but also allow access to
new circles .
,\n Elven cluu·actrr in one of our games was appointed by a Dwarvrn king
10 a post in Dwan·en lunds. After spending some titnc serving at his post
(an<l <lea.ling with son1e high-profile crises), he was subscquendy voted

for a o·ait that gave him contacts among the followers of this D1varven
king. Hr can now use his rather substantial Circles and reputations to
call up Axe Bearers, Graybeards and all manner of troublesome Dwarves!
Practical Relationships
A rrlationships is a character who is t ied to a player but controlled
hy the GM. These characters arc vital to presenting a ricb, believable
world. Relationships, while set up by a player, each need a voice and a
per3pective supplied by the GM . ·n,ey need to be impcrfect.ly aligned with
the inu•rest of t he player who created the,n. (f they !ir<: 100 closely aligned,
they br.corne dull and onc-climensio11a.l. Giving the1n their own priorilies
ancl attitudl' in1b11es thein with life and adds energy to yom· game.
To Burn or Not to Bun1

Players of1cn create numerous relationships when starting II gruue. Ouce
created, rhc GJ\11 then rakes control of them. \Vhat oh ligation does !he GM
havt· to provide ab ilities, Beliefs, etc. for these characters?
I am u lazy GM. J ttcat relationships very Jightly to start. If I think

a relationship is i111portant, 1'11 give that character onr Belief. If the
relationship cliaractcr needs to test for s001ct.l1ing, I use t.l1e NPC abilities
on p11ge.s 562-564 of the Burnjng Wheel. Once play has progressed, and if
rite relationship has been fonturcJ, I'll consider burning up the character.
Othr.rwis('., I leave the rdutionship character ns a very rough skeich.
Pick a Lifepath, Any Lifepath

I use a trick 10 crcale colorf11I NPCs off the cuff: Jconsult the lifopnths.
A sin1-1lc lifopnt h provid('S an cusy, oue-ili1nensionn.l character. I can use
the sk ills nnd traits fro1n that path at the ratings suggested on poges
:362-:J64 of the Burnjng \Vht!cl.
4Q
If IUl NPC dl·mands a little ,nore depth, but llOl a fuU burn, ru check his
--lase·· lifcpath-tJ1c Llfcpaili tJ,ar best represents who he is now-and
then ~t<'p backward tlu·ough his require1ncnts. This process takes about
1,vo mi11u1es and g ives 111c u usC'ful, short list of traits ru1d skills that I
can use in the encounter at hm1d.
Relationships for a Player

If u play(·r hus un inti1natc rdacionship who is intended to accompany
hb chan1c·tt>r-likc n hodygunrcl or scrvunt--l n1oke the player don fuil
burn for the d1uracter and then remands coun·ol to 111c. J creute a voice
a.n<l personality for t.lw clwrac.tcr and play hi111 or her as appropriat<'. I
think I have a bad reputation in uny group for playing some very mouthy
uncl disngn•eublc servants.
If a situation arises iu which Lhe player's 1nain ch,u-actm· is absent but the
servant prcs(•nt. I make the player rake over the role of the servant. This
a better solution thtu1 u player sitting idle as the GM plays with himself.
l make tJ1e player log all advancements and artha for the character as
well. [ have enough to worry about. on my end without logging Power
advancements for your irascibll• hobgoblin archer.
RelationshiJ}s for a G~-1

If I have created n character in the cow·se of play, I take ownership of
thnt character. Even if that character came a.bout from a Circles test, I'll
usmtlly retain cmnplete con(rol. I'll t1·ack a.JJ numbers and Beliefs. I use
these characters 10 convey information to tJ1e players. RatJ1er Limn issuing
facts about a place or people as 11ru·ration from on high, I provide details
and color through the voices of tl1cse characters.
The <langer·of these chnraclers is that you caa forget them. Since Burning
Wheel is so player-character focused, it's easy to overlook secondary
characters who aren'1 part of Beliefs. To mitigate this proble1n, both die
players and CM need to take Tcsponsibility. At the start of the session,
a roll call is helpful. Quickly review who is present and where tl1ey are.
Unexpected Surprises
Bu1·ni.ng up a relationship character does have its benefits. Often, 1he
rharacter grows and changes before your eyes. The choices that you make
i11 characler burning add elements tha1 you hadn't anticipated. Suddenly,
that simpler gaoler becomes a former knight Curned extortionist who
somr.how landed this sinecure.
.........
Commentary
Practical Reputations ....

()
To render repu tations useful and lively, I've found they need to be specific.
Reputations designed during character burning are usually loose1; since
-
1-1
(i
('1)
VI
1.bc setting isn't quite Oeshed out yet. But those cru·ned in play deserve to
be tightly wotmd around a place aud an oven! in the setting.
If you d1·ared u nest of bandits Crom t he fores! surrounding Verge, your

reputation sbould state: Bandit Slayer of Verge--1D. As your fortunes
grow and your reputation increases, you can build on that reputation:
Destroyer of C ults in Specularu, n (and Surrounds)-2D. And finally,
whe11 you achieve tJ1c ultimate success: Dragonslnyer of Karruneikos-3D.
Each reputation sten1s from yotu· actions. Each supersedes the last. Each
gives ll1r ., ense of your growing sphere of in.OueJJce and power.
Reputation Votes
There's a lot goiug ou in a B1u11ing \Vhcel grune, boll1 in the nictagame
and i11 the fi cLion. You cnn cu5ily overlook n!p1ttarion vot<is. Don'1· do
that! Use reputation votes as a way to celebrate events. They' re different
than trait votes iu that they' re not about how the other players see you,
but about how you r character is seen in the setting.
\Vhcn you accon1plisb a great deed, or a terrible disaster strikes. take

a few 111omen ts at the end of tJ1e session to discuss how it affects your
reputations.
Practical Affiliations
Affiliations arc an unassu111ing but powerful clement of t.hc ga me.
Nom ina lly, t hey're just bonus dice for a Circles test. But let's look
ar th,~rn from a different p erspective. An affiliation is a tie to an
orgauization. An organization, as we ,nentioncd earlier in this chapter,
lias customs. More important, an orga nization does not exist in a
vacuum. An organization has rivals, suppliers, allies and supporters.
An organiza1 ion has disgruntled former mCJnbers. An organization
is a manifestation of power that seeks to ensure its own survival by
light ing off attacks while accounting for its needs. Fleshing out just one
organ i7..u1 ion can provide insigh t into n Jnassivc chunk of your setting.
\Vlum you have an affiliation, yo u're privy to som e of the aspects

d iscussed above. The n1ore die<', the more you urc privy to.
.. .
Also. don't forget that according to pages 383 and 384 of the Burning
\Vhecl. you can joi11 and create new nffiliations in ploy. lf you join an
<'xistiug organization, you ga u1 access to people and inforrnation. or
course, you need to tesc your Circles to contact those people-who
knows wbo your rri<.'nds or enemies arc in this new group? If you
create a new organization, you give die G{vl the opportu nity to bind
you into tlu~selling, and spawn rivals for the upstarLS and allies who
SCl~k to gain gromu..l in a new order. Creatiug au affiJjation becomes a
situation unto itsdf. It's a small 1nechanical elcmc111, but it can have
huge n11uifications in play.
Duel of Wits
Thl· Duel of\Vits is a powerful systc111 that allows players to resolve
disputes and disngreen1cnts in the ga,ne via their characters.
When to Engage in
a Duel of Wits
Let me give you some advice when you're considering using the
Dud of \Vits ruechauic: Uoleplay, you bastards. Feel it out. Talk.
Poke around. Can you conic to au agreement? Arc you just blo,ving
o(f steam? Are you sin1ply making a declarative statement? Or are
you at loggerheads, repeating yourselves, not making any progress?
Is there so1ncthing you want the otJ1et" parly to do? If so, then it's
Duel of \Vits time.
fs there a Belief at stake? Maybe not yow· Belief, even. Maybe your
friend has a Belief on I he line nnd you want to chalJengc it. see if he
reaJly means it .If so, a Duel of '''its is in order.
Procedure
.lust for f1111, l'n1 going to break down the Duel of \Vits procerlurc
into a series of bullet points.
• Declare t hat you wa11t a Duel of \Vits witJ, u11otJ1cr player.
• The other player can agree or walk away.
• Announce your statcmenl of purpose and then write it down on
your Duel of \Vits sheet.
• Is 1'1is nrgurnent: a big deal or not n big deal?
• Roll for your body of argument or set it according to the big
,1,!al rules.
• Choose your actions in private.
• In cud, volley, use the thrl'c Rs: reveal, rolcploy and roll. You
must rolcplay to roll 111(' dice. And you n111sl rolcplay if you're
giving a helping die.
• \Vhl.'n one. side is reduced to zero body of argument , encl the
Duel of \Vits.
• Co.mproroise based on 1lie damage done 10 the winning side's
body of argwnent. 173
.. , .
--
Everybody Help Every Time
lf you h<'lp 0 11 a body of argwnent roU, you 're bound lo the results of the
duel of wits. You can fight for tl1e side you helped or aid the other side
\
that·s up you. But wharever 1'111'\ resu lt, you' re bouncJ 1'o it-soruething
lo
to consider before you glihly toss in yow- Persuasion helping die.
Am I a Big Deal?
Till' l>ig deal ntlt!S allow you to bypass the body of argurnent roll and
sin1ply scr u star ling level fot both parlies. The rule is designed to speed
up play a bit· and to encow·agc u li ltle buy-in. Docs chis moment feel
critical for both parties? Is this a major mOJnent in the story? lJsc the
rules.
Une,,en hnportances
Can the mmncnt be a big deal for one side and not I.he other? Th.is isn't
written in the rules themselves, hut 1 think it's acceptable. As a yow1g
supplicru1t you' re. arguing ·wi.d1 tJ1 r. abbot about taking a trip to town. To
you, it's life or death. To the. abhor. it's just another whiny ceenager trying
to escape (or the weekend to go fornicate. ln cases like this, l th.ink it's
r easonable to set a big deal on one side-, but not the othe.r.
Do,,,nsides of Big Deals

For me. the big deal rules hav<! an obvious proble1n: in critical moments,
you want to muster your dice, spend artl1a and use traits. Scujng a body
of argument prevents that. l'vlany cases exist in which investing heavily
in a 1·oll cm1 produce more successes tl1an using the big deal rules.
In effect, what d1e big d~aJ l'Ules do is protect the middle: characters
acting on tl1eir own, without a lot of resources to toss into a test~ or players
like n1e who are simply bad at rolling dice.
Consider this next time you're setting up a duel of wits. For skilled
characters with lots of r esource.s, big deaJs can be limiting. For fol.ks who
aJ'e bad with dice, if cau be boon.
Commentary
--·....
0
~
{JI
Tactics
Let·:; talk u bit about setting up your statement of purpose and choosing
ncrions for a Duel of \Vits.
Setting Your Statement of Purpose

The best Slnle1nc11t of purpose compels anolhcr player to action-
csprciully when that action contradict'$ a Belief. Don' t worry about
changing someone's mind. lVlakc them do something if you wi11 . That
\\i ll ratc:he1 up tlw tension and make ymu· statement of purpose much
harder to ignore.
Aiming lligh
Cenain clever players have been known to engage in a Duel of Wits
wi1h n compro1nise already in mind. Knowing that if they lose, they
will 1101 get what's included in their statement, they do not n1ention
1his potc-ntial compromise. lnsread, they write a statement that aims
hirdier than what they hope to gain. ln the event tlmt they lose, they
have a ready compromise-in fact', they achieve whnt t11ey were after
all along. lf they win, they gain rnore than they e,--prcted.
Of 1:ou rs1;, there's a risk in this tactic. Sometimes, you don't really
wa111 to airn so high and pwili so hnrd. You just tnight get whut you
ask1·d for. Be careful.
Choosing Actions
\ilnki· cl,:d sirms bas"d on your performance, your traits and yo1u· Instincts.
D,m \ rnak,- ra11dom dec:isions wid don't· mnkc opti1nal tactical decisions.
l lsr• th1· a<:tio 11 choice lo say•. sonicthing about yotLr c1iaractrr.
Actio11 Cornbi11atio11.'/
The followin« con11,i11 arions or fil' rics of actions have proven useful
. t'
rn play:
• fncile-Poiut: Cause your opponent to hesitate and then attack hiin
without risk of rl'prisal. Dora 't follow l.ncite with Avoid, Obfuscate
'
Fcint or Ut>buttal actions.
• Obfuscat<:-Rt>ln,tlal: llsc Ob fuscate to i1npose a penalty on your

opponent iu the next volley. -rius tactic ma"tin1izes the effectiveness
of Rebuttal, since the dice pools for Rebuttal are smaller than un
i11ron1in~ at wck.
• Ob.fi1scale-Poi11t: If your opponent is using Point-Rt\buttal

l'ombi,rntioni>. use Obfuscate to stop a Point and then reduce the
dTt'<'tivl'ness of the subsequent Rebuttal with the+ 1 Ob penalty.
• {)is111i.~s-Dis111iss-fJi$mi.5,~: If you IIC<'d to win in the first voUcy, you

ran 11:.;t• tlijs combo. but .vou ' II probably hcsita1 e iJ1 t.he second volley.
t11tll's::: you get very lucky. Mathematically, this tactic is less effcctiw·
1.hun Point-Point-Point. Hesitating Rn act.ion in 1hr Duel of \Vits can
prove ,·t>ry eo:;tly.
• Point -Point -Point o r Point - Point-Dismiss: Both of 1hcsc

co,nbinations arr dcvusca1iJ1~ attacks but ndthrr offrrs any defense
. This is not I he wises1 tad ic if .you care about how
or lrickrrv.
your opponent might force: ~·ou 10 ccunpromi:.c. And if you d1ink n
compromise is a negligible a ct. 1hrn you're plari.ng wrong.
• Feint: Thi!> action is a dangerous choice, bul if used elfccth-cly it can

puy off. Lsc lhis action when your oppont'nt is on Lhc dcfcu~ivc and
convii1ctid vou
. 're going to attack.
~ ~
• Avoid: D 0 11'l use Avoid in rhe 1hi.i-d volley. You're rnore likely to bC'
Disn1issed in the third volley. llse Obfuscate insread.
Compromise
Compromise. generated by the Duel of \Vits is probably the most. important
resolution in the ga1ne. It's far more significant and powerful than any one
test rcs ult-e,·en one that results in a l\ lortaJ \Vound. rvlortal \Vounds art'
0
endings. Cornpromisr.s arc beginnings, sudden shifts and new directions

for the game. Ther are vital and powerful. Eve.r1 ,nore in1portant,
l:on1pro,niM~~ s 1.e111 frorn the players. They are bursts of inspiration,
born from the fire~ of a rousing ,deba1:r. and a hard fi~ht.
\Vhile you can use ~1tu1danl or versus lesls 10 overcome sorial obstacles, the
5imple rc'!lol111ion lucks 1111unce. That rrsolution is direct and predictable.
\Vhereas r.ompromi:;c brings acceptable, coutt'x:tual consensus to die fore.
Commentary
The nc:hutl Duel of \Vi ts-the points, the actions-exist so everyone gets
0 reasonable thance to say their piece, so we can get a rough measure
for how nnu~h conipromise is necessary. However, t.Ju.,. comprornise itself
form s 1hc mosLimpor!ant part and it's vital that the whole group agrees
to it. Con1promises blow up obstacles and create 11tbble und ruin in their
-....
0
~
wake. They are u wild. unconttollable aspect of d11! gaine powered by the
aroup·s collcctiv<' will and cunning.
'
-
Vl
The rules for con1promise arc ve1)' loose in Burning \Vhcel. I like it that
way. but lookini; to so1ne of 0 1u· other gaincs for inspiration, I think there
nrr II few i11stiu1ces in which we can offer furd1er advice.
( think tlw text in Burning \Vhed overlooks a fundnrnental nspert of a

c-ompro1nisr in a Duel of \X1its: The goal of thr. Duel of \'\1its systrm is i-o
l'ollle 10 a decision us a group. Compronlises are not die sole jurisdiction
of rhc \\11111e1· or d w loser. Trndi1iona lJy, we alluw the loser,., prup11sc his
compromise first. If it is rejeetcd, it is the wiruwr·s responsibility to make o
co11111eroffcr. Ir thm is rcjcc1ed, it is the respoosibilit:y of the other players
in\"olved iu 1hc Duel of \Vits to offer suggestions. If those are rejected.
you cnn con.;:, ult uninvolved players or die Gtvl.
Duel of \Vits Results Are Nc,v Obstacles

Once a Duel of \Vi1s resuh-a win, a loss. a comprornist•. a tie-i$
determi11c•d. i1 is sci in stone. TI1e winners statement is a hard mechanical
facl in the gun1e, like it or not. ·n il' loser's statement has been discredited
and is u11attai11ahl<'. Tiu.• stOT")' can't go i11 that direction .. . unlcss something
dramatic changes.
A rompromiso. a win or a loss !U"{" all new obstodcs. Thl'y 1'1111 he• broken
tlo,vn and ove;rrome like any other-so long as the group abides by the
n.'.;:,ull of the Duel of \Vits.
Howr Tlw hc~t way 10 co11n 1eroc1 a Duel of \Vits result is with anot11er
Duel or \Vits. You can '1at1 ack tht~firsl resuJt din•ctly. You can't contravene
1he rulrs. So you must he subtle mid clever. You must bnild your case.
Yon must nnderntinc the opposirion .
You prc~,P.nt your case to 1hr. duke. "Yoiu cousin, the baron, is corrupt
and l'vil. Hr• liurhors black niugic and plots ngninst you. Arrest hin1 now
bt>forr- ii"s l oo late."
Thl· dukl· d1•molblu.•s you in o Duel of \Vi1s with a srntca1e11t like, " Your
rlaim~ ru·e spel'io11s and you ,viii never again ,;peak ill of my cousin in
1·ou11. ~ So you·vt' lkl'll booted from cou11 fill~ you have to stop bncl~cring
1hr duk1· with wha1 yvu know to be true. 1 he compromise is of coursC'.
rh ur vou
. rl'!ni.t1 .vo111· libC'r~. uucl don't 111ukE- un enemy
. of till' duke..
So whut huppt>rb in llw /!flllll' now? You go <JIii and prove· the duk1: \\Tong.
of cour-.·! You tuk,: tl11: fight to 1h1'. huron. You rout his m·my of witcbC's.
You l·., a(·t a ro11fl'.,sio11 from hirn .
Th,· 1·n111pro111is1· di<l11'1 blork yo ur ac1io11s at all. rather i1 forced you

i11t11 Hl'tio11 !
\X-lwn tJ11· 1--(l'Ollp ro11 fro1111·d th1• dukl'. tlu: ~tory rcu(·hcd a juncturr. The
/!ro up all~ with th1· d11k1· nncl aid him deposing his evil eousin. Or tlie
f!l'v11p c:oulcl Ill' for!'cd 10 1111tugo11iz1· d11• du.kt' l,y uuring his c:ousi11 a:; the
l'vil husiard that h,· 1rulr i~t Either dirl'l:rio11 i:. great.
\X'e dl'tailt-d onr pn~,-il,lr outr.onw of till' ,;1•l·o11d n·,;ulr abovl'-dlt' players
t11ke th,• fight din·,·t ly 10 the baro11 hinbl'lf. A dassic story of heroir
vigilunt~~m: ··Th,· hulb of pow1•r ur1· d1·11.f 10 our ri~lu,·ou ~cries. Thercfon•.
we must W Uf! <' 1hi:: just wu1· ou rscl\'rs." A1101hcr direction could huvc~
lrad 10 thl• plnyrr-, Llll'ms1·lv1,s IJ1·ing hunted or a.rrcstrd by the duk1· fnr
~ln11cltri11~ a 11wn1hi:r of his fnrn ily.
•\II this from one Duel of \Vits comprontisr!
Walking Away
A Dud of \Vits is not mandarory. \Vhen r hallenged to u Duel of \Vits
you havr two options: to acc<'pt or 10 walk away. You do not haYr to
paniripote. because if you do participate, you'·rc bound 10 the r<·sulls-
good or bad. Thus, smnc timcs thr ~ituarion is s11cl1 rha1 you don't want
to he liound. Sometimes someone wilJ want SOllll'thing front you. but
you do11'1 want unytlting in return. You should nrvcr engage in a Dud
of \Virs out of u s1~11SI' of obligution. If you <lon't want somell1iug 0111 of
it. you l'houl<l wulk away.
If you do d,oo"" 10 walk away, your chu.rnclrr must \;Xii tlw scene. You
litC'rally wulk uway. You do not rol1·pluy ou1 thr nr~tunent any f,u-ther.
Tlw muller ii, no lon~er opr.11 for disrussiou. E~:;ent:ially. you\·r crdt·1l tin•
hi1.(h gnm111l to your in11•rloc111or ,vhilt• pn·.,crvin~ your owu opinion~. It
,·an b,· ,·1:ry hunl 10 walk away, knowing that }'Our fritnd hos made hi~
point u111·or11(·.~1,•<ll
Commentary ~
e,
~
-......
("J)
~
.....
,....
t/l
----:_ -
Take Theru A,,·av
•
\\'id1 i11lluP111"ial or pot<.'nt a ntagonists. J don't have tlu~m exit Wt· srt>nt'
~o 111uch as I sPnd the player characters away. I rl'fust• to clisc us:; th<.'
n1a11,•r und s ho,v 1bc clrarac1crs the door. h 's onreh nmn· appropriut,· to
Llwir nurk and station.
Ir makr~ a pow,·rful s tatt'mr.11t when a n infl11rn1ial nntc1go11.is1 rl'fus1·.:- lo

1:11fwge iii a Due-I of \Vit s. If tliP play1•rs chaUc11g1' you and you refusl'.
~c,u·v,· 1•:;s1•111iaUy cndl'd 1he scr.uc. Discussion scrl·t•ch<.'s to a hah. 111
roleplayi11g l1\rn1S. I tl,in.k ii':, an <.'xrcll1!t1t tp1.irk. Ne~otiations end for
rlw d11y. Tlwy'll n'_.;ttntl' 011 Llw 11101-row. whrn pcrltap,; you· I'<.' in u morr
p11li11: franu:. of mi11d.
\Valking A,vay from the Group

Our group ww~ a cnivt•n tactic during big: monwnts. If one of our member::.
i~ rlis-;a1i:ifi,•d will, whn 1's ut stakr, he' Uhav1• his t haract<.'r exit the seen,·
whil,· hi~ ,·on1rm ni nr1:i IJ11tdi, if 011 1. Sir1ct· he·s walked 0111. hr·s 1101 bmu1d
le, du· rp,;1rl tl> o f the Dtll'I of \Vit~ un<l can act aC'corc-ling to his whin1.
1t ·s a valid charaeH·r choice.. but l find it a raiJier cowardly grunc tactic
as it provides room for one player to snbo1age agreements made by other
pluycr:,. LI u,;uu Uy uriSl:'S wht?.11 o player ii; 1mboppy with both sides. Bt·
a good nu<licnc·e me,nber and stay on hand for IJ1e scenes-even if y011
don't like th<' pOtl'ntial rrsuhs. Perhaps it ' II d1a.ngc your character an i,;
1111cxp1·t·tc<l way!
Secret Sauce
Thr Duel of \Vit&a llow.5 u playl.'r 10 tak.1: on tlw rolr of a social character
and carry 1·t111al w,tif!ht in the rule~ £16 u 1·ombn 1- or magic-orientrd
d1aruc1er.
Creating rult•s for rrsolvin~ sot:ial con.fli('l had un ao:ci<le,nal. unintended

cffrr1 on our gUJ11c:;. \Ve found the rules also si:-1tlccJ player <lhputcs u1 the
table. Dud uf \Vit:; i:.11 ' 1 rc-ully n l,0 11 1 c:lmractcr Ji ~putt•s.. just likc 13clit-f,
ru·e11 ' t really abou t the drnracll·r 1•itlwr. Ii'~ about t.hr player having a
fai.r chann• to voice his thoughts in lht' r outext of 1hc gan1c. Prrsenling
a fair syslr m for n•solving a.rl;(umcnts lwtWt'.l'II plnyers has had a few
knock-on l.'ffccts. It's sped up 01u- g~1mc;; immt:'nsc-ly. i\o more hours
of iugumenls that Inst unril soml•one giv<·s up clul' to c•xhaustion. Now
we cnn jus1 disagrer and. if w1· disagree forrr.fu lly enough. jump ii110 a
Duel of \Vits 10 resolve it. Th.is speedy resolution has. in 1m·11 .. created
u noth,:.r stn1nge effcc1: \Vr d,sogree mo re oow. ~01 just ben111sc we' rr.
old and cunnu<lgeonly. but bci:aus<' w,~ know " '<' can ha\'C productivc
d isagrccn1r111s now. \V(' can argu<'. cajole a nd pll.'aJ and \\'C' know it'll
rret resolved in n sntisfvin•r
I:' • 0
mruuir r so wr 1·nn moYe on and ker1>J)layi11~.
--
Range and Cover
Run gr• a 11<l Cover is an i1en11ion of our con llict ,nechanics designed
10 rl'prl'sent skirn1ishi11g with bows. c;ro.,sbows and guns. As in the
01 h1'r (·0111lie1 systcn1s. players privatdy choosC' actions. reveal rhem

anti piny 0111 1he <:011sl·quenccs.
,\ Ion· t ha II tlw other two s ystems, Range a nd Gover is a snia II

ab~t rm:t war {;Hille nestk•d into the ganlc. Ju il, you at.tc1upt to us,·
, tronf(, ,mrnrt tactics to cncircll· a nd cli,ninute your oppo,u.•111.
( lnlike Duel of \Vits .. I here·s no disposition pool. .Ra11ge and Co\'er

udherr ,; 10 du: d,•a<lly philosophy of our fighting sysu.·ms: You put
~our lifr 0 11 tlw li rw for victory. The skirmishing system often
1ra11, irio11s s1r11iglit into a Figlit rather than being resolved on i1s
l)\\"11.
Set It Up
Bunge and Cov<'r i,; an uhsLTact ::;ystcn1. so ,nuch so that it sufft·r,
~rr.atly wirhout a stTong i11-ga1nt· conte).1!. \'\1hen you dedde that it ·,
1in1c 10 lr t fly. the c~,t needs 10 step up and offer a vh,i d description
of 11t,, s1'<'11<'ry, Ocscrihe the wca tlrnr, tl1<" ground. potential a reas of
,:over and ltow for apart I he oppoll(':Jtls stand. Don ' 1 be dry-about i1.
t·iLllf'r! 131: florid and ri ch with detail. Burning \V]1t'd is n't a tal'lil'aJ
war game: it's a d1arac1er-driven rolrpluying gun1e. So desrribe die
fi,:ld a,, dw di.u·ae ter:s would :,e~, it.
Setting Up \Vith 'factics, Fortifications and \Vises

111 ,,ur gamc-s at B,u-ning \Vl1c•c•I HQ, we often jockey for advantage
iu 1111110 ,· a11tl C,Jvo:r with Tac tics, fortifications nnd applicuhl<' ,vises.
Tru:tics Skill;,, .'irlli11g Up Range llrUI Covrr

\V,- use Tiu-ti,::; to look for ndvnntogt'ous positions or to ~<'-1 up in
pnuln11 fonnut ic,11s , Thc.sc- Tactics tc.s,rs cnunl as linked te-s rs for
i11i1ial posi1in11ing. \Ve also use Tnctirs to tTy to set mnbushcs-
T,wti,·s v,·n,us Tnr:lics or Observa tion. If s11ccessf11.I, we can cause
1111· r·nr·my lo tak,· an obs tade p <·nuJr~, 10 initial positioning iu1d
th,- fir,,, couplr· of volk\'s. Ir wc'rr: n·u.lly lucky und !-.Ul'cl'si.ful,
w,· 1·u11 forr-,, tht lll lo nH;ki· Stf'd ll'Sl s nnd then s hoot 1hc-n1 down
WhiJp tilt') fl t f'.
181
' . .
Fortificatin11s Skill ;11

Ra111re aud Cover
\Ve use Fortifications if
we can choose thr field
of bn t tie and have timr
to entrench, \Ve tlu·ow up
barricades if we on]y ha\'!:
a fl'w minutes. Somr.1inws
w1' will even go so far as to
use· Scavenging to gathrr
maierials if there's nothing
available. lf' we have ii few
l1011n;. Wt\ will dig u·cndws
onJ ::W I up fr:HlT<I position:,. The obvta1·lc~ uud th<' dice confcrn:d an·
listed under 1111· Fortifications .~kill.
ll'ist•s i11 S<'lli11g Up Rll11~,, 111ul Cm•er

\Vhen ~cuing up n l.tnllk in Ran~c a11d Cover, we use wises to usk
ttuiek question~ ul11m1 rlic hulllPfil'ld. Sonll'timcs.. you just ha\'t the
rigl11 skill for tlte job. An Oh 2 Bn11lefield-wi sl' tc,-t could gh-l' you
Ull' lay of the land a11d get you n 11ic1· link<:d di!' to initial positioni.11g.
,\ n Ob 0 Fon,!;1-wi.sr 1csl eould find you ;l dcfcnsibll' grollo. An Ob-+
l'nt hs-\\-iHi:. H !.~ t could ll'ad you to a Irail thu1 cirdl'S buc-k behind your
ruemy.
These wise tests 11ren't alwn.ys for just a lui.1:ed die. Tests Like thes<'.
introduce uew informal ion ahout the scning that can change the
disposition of Ilic harde. 1-Jowcvm·, res ults like these arc intru,el)
con text ual. The nPw i11for,natio11 muBt mu.ke sense. And the CM
decidl's how it affoc1s the ronOict al hand.
Describe Your Actions

HangP and Covc\r is abstract so that if can be used ill tnllll)' diffcrc111
cir<·11mstu11ccs-ficlcls_ forc.,;11,, cnstles and cv1·11 ye ol<lc. d1111geqn,. U
pluyNI ruw, mcrd~· announcing 11wdia11ic-A 1I m:dons, it ,·nn g1:t bori11g
qui<·k.
'litkl! u monw111 to 1Jr·.,,c-rih1: ronr rhnraclt>r's 111on·mc·11ts. \Vhat 's he cloiug~

\X'lwn·',, he look in!:!? \Vl1111 docs hc- do when lie nm~? \Vhnt does hr do
whlln he duC'k., behiu<l COVl•r? Wh111 does lw do wlwn h,~per.ls off a shot ?
......
Commentary
Helping players arc actually the prime descrihers in this s ituation. They
11111st narrate their nc1ions to hand OVt'r 1.hose helping dice. \Vithout a
cool description. they can't hdp. So if you 're help in~. step up and inspirt'
l•ve1-yomi else "·ith your great description.
When to Use Range and Cover?

W11e11 do you initiate a Rang1• und Cover conflict? Ambushes, hunting
partie:;. raids tuHI skin'1islws a ll come up in play. They offer excellent
oppor11111iries to t·ngage I hese mechanics . l-loweve,~ don't be overzealous.
Ra11g1' a11d Cover is a big dt•al. [f you cnn re.;,olve an altercation with a
simpl1· ver;;us 11>st and move on to more important matters, do L11a1. But
if d11:n.-s no\\'here left to nm , and it's time to fight, by aU melllls. thesr
are th(' n1(r,, for you.
Integrating Range and Cover

Thr 131u-11i11~ \Vhec-1 note::; tliut th<' ti1ni11g for u Rang<' and Cover volley
i~ plastic-. not fixed. If wr havt' multiple conflicts cng~ct.l in play, wc·ve
found that it's bes t to bo1u1c1• back II ntl forth between them. voile,• to
vr,lley. Trying to play an exchange uf Fight for every Hangc and Cover
\'OUey i~n ·1 a good idea.
San1e goes for 11011-connirt action,;: Play ·:il volley of Rangr and Cover,
t.hen cul awny tn the acr ion clst:where. Resolve a roll or two and then cut
bac·k L•J thr Runge an<l Covt'r. Keep bo1u1ci11g bnc.k and forth until ont·
sit11arion or the otlil•r i~ resolved.
Range and Cover to Fight

Sonwtime;;. when you ' re fighting a Rauge and Cover batll<', 011c character
1110\'C~ into the " too dose to shoot" nL11ge-in otlwr words, be 's charged
inlo mrl1:c. At this pni111 , you have two choices. You can bring all
parlit'ipnnrs in till· battle i.mo Lhc fight nte<·hmtics. Or you can have tlw
charncrcr who rhargt'd into melee wail until du~ Rw1gc and Cover hus
c·unduck<l or cit lc·ast come to u l11II.
I p11·li·r 10 lw ve the wholt• buttlc drugged inlo FighL It makes the situation
lll(lfl• rlw1g1•ro11s, mor<' desperate. Thosl' who t·harged use the Too Close to
Shoot and Last Ditch A,,-ow rule.<;. Everyone clst~ suu·ts outside of striking
t.li»taun·, If rt.Py just loo::wd arrows in this volli:y or tlie la~,, then their
w1·11pnn:. urt>. c-onsidcn·d unloaded. If they l111v<·11'L lool-ed nny volley:;.
th<'ir w1·opons are <·011si<lered lnnded 1U1d t"t'ady.
: '
Why Can't I Just Shoot Him?

Runge and Cover is an abstract system. There's no line of sight and
you· re not C'ompletcly in conlTol of your character. This can lead to some
fn1stration. lcading players to bru-urnpf, '' \Vhy can't I just shoot him?"or
''\Vhy do I have tu roll to ac1?''
Tltc syst<'n1 itself makes sense nnd can answer, but to really get at rbe
proble111 it's iluportant to build context for your players.
Tlie overarching theme for ull Burning \Vhccl conJlicls is thnt chaos
n'igns. Yow· character docsn 't have a bird's-eye view, can'1 SC<! the hes1
c:our);<' m1tl Clirtainly docsn '1 know the tTuth.
To repre,;c111 I hat confusion and pcrsptictive al the table, we n1us1 abstract

1lw ,;itua11011. Morr concrete rq>rcscntation likr, ,niniaturcs don't work in
Burn.in~ \Vhc:cl and, in my opinion, they detract fron1 the chaos of battlP.
Thus i11 Rangr. and Cov1•r we don't know your li11<' of sight , what cover
is a\•iulablc., the rxacl po,,ition of 1hr cme111y or man y otl1t' r battlefield
conditions until you roll the die~.
If you :;top aud think about it, d1is might be a bit ,nore true lo life than
srnring at a-grid or a rop down view of 111ini11111rcs. Stalking throul!:h thr
woods huntu1~ quarry is tense because you don '1 know when o r if you'll
come upon yo ur pYl~y: when wa<ling lhrough a pitched battlr. \\;tli urrows
rui.11inp: down you don't what your ene my will do in the mon1cnt.
~o we make. om· plans, roll the dice and hopr tl11: gods arr with us this day.
Tactics
Let's sec if we can share son1e hanlc-rarned ,,·isdom with you.
In general, us<' 1hc action to whicli you 're best suited. If you have a high
Stealthy ~kill, use 8nrak In. If you have a 88 Steel (und some dr.cent
armor). by all means cry hn,·oc and th1trgc.
Of course, this bt!gins runt at stTatcgy. If you know you1· opponent is

10
strong in ont• arcu, can you play a countertac.tic.? \Ve ll, it depr.nds. For
example, if your opponent has 11 high Stealthy skill, you 'U want to counter
with Tuc:tic,i- or Obsc,n ·ation-basC'.d ,nancuvcrs like Flank or Hold. But
wlm1 if you <lon ' 1 havt· eithe r of the counterskills? S01ncti1nc:s the rniddlr
of a life-or-death struggle isn't tlu.e righ t li1nc to starl learning a 1ww skill.
Commentary
\ -
-~ , c " ,/-:r.-if/, ~ - -:-..=_,_ .
/ ' I
~
;y ';IC/ . -·-
•.,c
/
In th.is case. you ea11 counter Stealthy (and ueady any skill-based
mru.,r nver) with u Charge. It uses Steel, but more iruportaut it doesn't
1,uffer a double o bstacle peon.It)' for stal versus skill tests (because it's an
Hllributc and ,;peciaJ). It's risky stratr.gy-you will likely gel shot, and
you muy c harge into the wrong location and end up hesitating as you
stan:h in vain for your quarry-hut it ,night be the best gamble you have.
\Vbcn to Maintain
lJ:,,• the Maintain a1.:1ion whr.u you don't want to give- ground, but
can·, c.1Jford to hold u fb:cd positio11. M:aintain uses Speed, under thr
il3~urnp1io11 that )'•>11 'Ll stay mobile, perhaps giving a linlt· ground beforr
r:0111u1·ral larking. Or pc rhnps you ' II sortie out a bit before falling back
re, yr111r original posirio11.
\Vhen to Hold
I [old your ground when you're being rushed or when you simply need 10
shoo, right
. now. Your opponco1: will be ablr 10 n111neuvcr 01 will--elosiuo ~
in. n·l rcating or even nw.u1LaiuiJ1g dis1unc1: 10 get off u good shot. At leas,
with till' Hold nc.tiou. yo11'r~ g11nra11teed 10 shoot.
11·~ L1\.':it ployed ugui11s1 the $11cak In/Out actions mid of course agui11, 1
Chargt·.
\Vhcn to Close
\'011do,t• i11 to improvt· rangt· or 111O,·c· into h ond-10-hnu<l comba1. If
1willH•r of Lhc,1' work to your u_clvru11uge. don·, use closr uctio11s!
\\1icn to \Vithdra\\'
You 11s1· wuhrlrnw actions 10 t!.xiL (:ornh111. Thur ·s obvious. Dur )'Ou t:1111
abo u st! withdraw 11l'.tion5 10 ~ai 11 ar1 advnnt<1geou, run;;c. Note 1.h 111
when yot1 1nm1t·u,·er. you d11 ,;ii i11 ra.11i;e banrls of your owu \\'N1pt111.
:10 if yow· oppt>11t·Jll hu" 111u\"1·d i111r,, op1i1nol n111gl, for r<>rk~. bomh,.
k11i,·t·~, pistols. t•k. I hen you should do your kvd b,:,t 10 " ·ithdru\\ m
your CXt.-Cllll.' range. \'011 Cllll f, 111 all of I.heir IV(•flf)OIIS OUt of run,.:t !lflU
then l(•isure.ly pick t.lu:111 off.
Take a Position
\Vhcn you wi11 yow· fu-st positioning h'-'l t in II Rang,· and ( :nvc·r ~kirmi,IJ.
don't spt•nd y1ntr sucN·sse~ ota sbots or n<'tinn,-; unless yuu nh~ol111rl)
must. lrr~tcacl. take up a posilio11. This \\;II geryou + 1-2D for your nrxt
positioni.n~ roll.
Fighting Ranges
fight fron1 exo·e111e rangr if you ha,·1.• t.l1c 111h-wuagc· in skill. f orrr yo1Lr
opponent to shoot 0 11 th«' n1ovc or to tnkc ,,-iJd. unlikdy slio1s. If your
skill bn'I up to Lite fask of hitting Ob ~i--t tnrget~- yon ran aJso sit oul 111
cxtren1c rllllge as u delaying lnctic. Of coursc. you ··d bc11cr be dd11yii1g
for II reason.
l'ight fro1n optiol11I range only iJ you 1:<111 afford lo absorb 11 fcw shots or
if you absolutely must close in to reduce votu shot obstncles. Otbcrwi~e.
optin1ol range usually pr·ovcs too d11ngu1·ous.
\~lien closing into rnclr.e, try to hove your weapons loaded. If you \\111
thut close action and get fo the "too close to shoot - range. you·u be able
to launch into Fight with a dcl\clly, point-blank bail of shot.
Commentary
Skirmishes
l 1sing the Ha11ge a nd Cover rules, it's possible to run skirmishes involving
groups of two to ten fight ers.
In its si111plcst iteration, you nm a sku111ish by placing all of the players

on Olll! tcwn-whethcr or not they can fight-and allowing 1.hcrn to help
ollC' anot.hcr test for positioning. One cluu·actcr lends, everyone else hel ps.
The leader doles out act ion dice. On 1h~ CM's side, he lumps his villains
i.11to one horde, grabs a pile of hclpmg dice and doles 0 111 his actions as
appropriate.
AJtcrnately. you can break down into rnultiplc groups. The GM divides
h is forces into an equal number of groups to oppose the characters. Note
that the sizes of the groups don't have to b e equal . lf tJ1e players break
into two groups, the CM splits his forces into two groups. T he groups can
be ewmly divided or one group can consist of a Troll and an Ore while
th<' other could be 10 Goblins.
\Vhen posirioning, pair off two opposing teams and run nvo simultaneous
Range and Cover hurtles : player group A versus the Ore :md tJ1c Troll,
player group D ogo inst 10 Goblins. One group will inevitably fall The
remaining group will want to help their companions. Allow them to
make positioning tests against· a nother group on tJ1e other side. ln order
to maneuver and gain action. d1cy must beat their tru·gct's positioning
rolls os per the standard rules. Their target only rolls once to defend itself
from the two incoming attacks.
for ex tra lim, use the Slowest and Loudest n 1les found in this book in
r.omhination with Range and Cover skirrnishes. These new ruJes neatly
curb any die bloat from fonning tcan1s.
The Battle Space

For skirmishes and groupings of fighters to make scuse to everyone al
the table, the CM mus1 dearly describe the battle space. He must set up
the silt iation on 1J1e ground. \Vho's where ? \VJ1at are tJ1ey doing? What
are they dr.fending? \Xflw1 ur<' they ussaulting?
--
f,
' . . , .~ r'J 't : ·
!I •. ; I • • '. '
You can sketch a 1nap if necessary, hut tlorid description usually suffices.
\Ve promise you, if you do not describe every 1naneuver with a shon
spray of vivid details, t11e conflict ,vill quickly nu-n to mush. No one "ill
understand where he is or what he's fighting for. It is a roleplnying game
after aU; the n1echanics exist for you to haJJg your lovely descriptions on.
Fight
The Figl11 systrn1 in Burning \Vheel is designed to be dangerous,
11npn·<lictabk , frightening, ritualistic and exhausting. It de1nands
rnur h of both player and churacter. It is not a 1nn1ter 10 be taken
liglnly.
It is 11111d1 less abstract that Range a n<l Cover and the Duel of \'\1its
rules. You·rc not knocking away points of indeterminall! nteaning
tc, be re,,olvc\J by 111igo1·iation. Tht objrctive is nl!u rly always
murder and sur vival. Your disposicion in a fight is your ski ll and
body. Compromise is w rit in blood a nd. fear.
Or5pite tlu: d.ingrr, most lights do not result in thl' dca1l1 of a

drn racter. You ani morc likely to he incapaeilatcJ, nce or surrender.
The Scope of Violence

\'iole11cc plays a d i fforcnt role in n gamP. of co\1rtly intrig\11; ·1;1:-
opposed to a To lkien epic war. A game about courtly marhinations
might involve 1111 assassina tion or duel once every few scssions-
prrfect figh t materia l -while t he Tolkien s1uffwo11ld he rife ·with
versus rests and Ra11ge and Cover rr.s1s , only rarely calling for the
full Fight rules.
\Vh ile this game is ahou1 figh1iJ1g for what you believe- a nd t he
Fight system is central to this-these rules arc meant to be used
ut the proper juncture. Overusing then, can do just as much harin
1~s underw,ing t hem.
Fight as Climax
The: fight r11les an· !,est used duri11g climactic c-vents. Fight s in
llurning \Vlir1•I are high-stakrs and intense. Fight should not he used
to resolve every single physical (or even violent) dispute. If you' re
n 1gaged in u low-i;takr~, viofont nc1ivi ty likl' "ye olde dispntr:11 th<•
guard." tlu-n use n vr,r.sus test.
Or if you 're 0 11 you r own and the w ho le group is waiting for you
10 finish your scrnc so tht•y cnn ~et o n with the bi~ moment of the
session, use the vr:r.:.ns test rnechanics, not Fight.
189
.I '
'
However, when you·re confronting a d1aracter <lescribeu in your Belief-

when the plot has reached a dirna.x and death is on the line-then by all
1ncans divt' into a fult-blooded Fight.
Fight as Opening Action Sequence

If yom· group is Fight friendly, it's a good idea to sw·prise them once
in a while wit.Ii a jump-stan cornbat al tl1c lop of thi; si;s:;ion. Kick the
session off wi1h u sharp exchange. or two. It gets the blood pumping.
And be prepared to ~-pend the rc.sl of the session dealing with the fallom !
Fighting Smart
The Fight system possesses an inteniaJ logic. It rewards players who fight
;,mnrr. Th,~rc nre optimal and s uhoptimol s trotr.gies. 1b effect nny strategy.
you must begin planning before you cross swords with your opponent
because, indeed, a sword 1n.igh1 not Le the right weapon l'or the job.
lntelligence
Asses/; your opponents befon~ a bartle. Find out how they fight: identify
their weapons and armor. Lf ynu· re .fighting heavily annorcd opponcnt5,
you nct>d 10 develop tactics aod m;e wcap()ns that neutralize their defenses.
If yow· opponent uses longer weapons to .keep his ene1nir.s ar bay, you need
LO either heal ltirn at ltis own garrtc 01· prepare. a gambit to clo~e with liim.
The system substanlially rewards this forethought. Bashing a sword

against plated mail armor can be a futile r.nclcavor-bettcrto havr. your
01acc or axe ready.
Implicit in these loft1• entreaties is the idea that gathr.riog intelligence

and lt:anting how to fight differently are integral parts of play. They
are uot 10 be glossed over. You are meant 10 use your Perception, wises,
Resources, practice rune, instruction and anythin~ else you can think of
to gain advantage i.n the st~ssions preceding a confrontation. These nrc
significant and important po.rt~ of your adventw·csl
Alnbush
For the less scrupulous an1ong us, arnbush is n n·ie<l-nud-u·ue fight-
winning tactic. Surprise your enemy and force him to take a Steel rest.
Use any hesitation to yom· advantage. If your opponeut is only hesitating
for a moment, knock him down with a Push or Chru·ge.. If he's hesitaring
for a few beats, try to Lock him up. He can't resist. If he's hcsitatin~ for
longer tl1a11 a moment, have at hint with n Great Snike or two.
\Veapon Speed
\X't>a11on
r . · i~
::>f)C'l'fJ · W,l'ful
· frJ r bo t'11 L
Commentary
r,reu k"·ing up your own rhythms und

•
eni;oura;..'l_n~ thr. w,r of alrPrnat,: attack~ likr. Pu~h or Disarm. B'u1 your
opponcnl ~ ~-,:upon -.p,:rd if> a du,: 10 hdp you l>eu,•r plan y<Jw· uuur;kf>.
If you prt·d1er whi>n your fJpponc·n1 1:un '1 Strike-.. you huv1· au op1:11inf!
that~ ou can exp loit.
The CrossbO\\' and the Guo

-\ .11otl1cr dastardly Lac ric: i::. lo bring a gun to a 6worcJ fi ght. If you <:an
\\ill tlw 1·ngag1·mrnt 1e-,1. }'<Ju can ,;lio1JI down your IJfJ[lOnNll lik,• u ,log.
lf~<n1 foil to int upacitatc• hun witlt your ,;hot. draw , tc,•I and mo\'1· in t<J
Pn;:wg,· •Jn your 11:nm,.
Positioning
Posi1·io11u1~ i~ tlw motlwr ol' Fight. Your wcuprm l1·ng1h. Sp1·1·d uJtd :.tridi:
uU 1·0111hi11c to pur ) ou at an arl\'U1Jtag1:ow, figh ting di~1u11c1·. Y,,ur OJHi11111I
figluiH:,! disttuw•· might diffc·r frorn yr,ur opp<J1W11L\.. :\nd br:ing <:uugh1
0111.~idr. or }'fJlll" opti111al fighting di!>W.flCI' j-, U trag,:dr. So do wliat1:vc·r
you can to wi11 th1.11 cngagcmi:111 Lc:~1.
Use the Environment

l11urrrwd? Tlu:n:·.:; a hrn1<..lful of found w,•upom, rfo,;r:rihcd in th,· wr·upon,-
1.i.,t <,n pag<- 555 of thr: Burning \\rh,·d . L1r,r your Scavi:nging ~kill t<,
p rodur1· 1u1 improviSl'. cl weapon before, your cm:mi<:!. burs, through thr
dflor. If you· rt;. figh1u1g in rhe kitchen. ·1tsc an Assn,s action in tlu: ligh1
i1 5,-lf and find a boiling pol 10 grab so you C'.an smash your opponent in
tht:- fore wirh ir !
Y,,u CiJn al~o r,, pend an Assr<;s ue tion Lo makr a linkc<l test 10 find n11
udnmtug~ in the fighl. You <:an w,e physi<·al llcti<ms to overturn 1abl1:s.
dunb up bakoni<:::. or slam doors shut. These actions c-0II for Pow<;r. Sper:cl
<,r AgiUt y t<: ~U, n:5pectivcly. Tlwy <:an c"mplr:.tdy c hcu1~e tl, c nnlurc of
tlrr: l,ar t lc· ~pace. You r,an providr· advunlagr. Jor por.i1io11ing, csr.np<' tl11~
fight or ,:ul off r1:ln:1.1t n;spcetivdy.
Tlw kr·y hen: b lO u.~1: dc~criptions of tli1r: buttle spaet: tu !>pW"k qucstic,m,:
··1., th,-;,: u wiwJ,,w 0111 of thi:, rQ<J1n? " Tlm.-,1: qu,:.-,1io11" cun lt:a,J 10 tlu: GM
Suriu/! Yr·, or ,h,!y r.:an 11:ad Lo om: of 1he tm;ts suggr:swrJ above.
Of r;r,11r•w._ rlw<ir· ,1,w.~rionf> an,J 11:~1.s mu.,, uhid1• by intent and task. If
Y"•/ri· figh1ing ;11 du: kit,Jwn, chi., provid1·,. viubl,· inwnl for 1111 A!io,;1:s!i:
"' Ii-. Ll11:r,. 11 1,,Jilin~ pol 011 tlw i-,lovr-? I ,..,ant Lo gral, i1. ~ If you 'n.- fight in~
in rlw thn,rw room, ii \ not. If y<Ju ww 1111:-.1: 1111r...1io11'i judiciou!ily. your
,~ ; . .
,· . i : ; . : '. ' ~~' t: J·' : ; • • •
.
• ',. ! f
fights ,vill be richer and more exciting. If you forget about intent and
task and use the Assess action to introduce improbable elements tli
, en
your fights ,vill beco1ne silly and W1Satisfying.
Use Your Hands

The Physical Action is often overlooked, too. Spend two actions and
you cau use your hands (or feet) to get so,ne work done! I mentioned
tl1at you cnn open and close doors using the Physical Action. You could
also use this lo rip pieces of i:u-mor off of your opponent. Of course, you
rwcd Lo have: hi,n in al least o 1D Lock co get started, but how shocking
would it b~ if sonic brute just graJJbed you and ripped your helmet off?
Use Power and Agility tests to resolve Physical Actions like that.
Arn1or
If you ' re heavily nnnorecl agains t an opponent withoui a11 armor-
penetrating weapon. be aggressive. Don't defend yourself. Let your
m111or absorb th-., blows while ) 'OU c:rush your enemy.
If you're lightly armored. us1· Avoid, Block and Counl'erstrike to soften

inconw1g blows, so if yotu· armor should fail, you' re not al great risk.
lf you' re fightiJlS a heavily armored opponent and you can't penetnue

his defenses, change yow· tactics. If be has a long weapon, get close. If he
has a short weapon, u-y Lo hold him at bay. Push him down or Throw him
if you cun; Lock liin1 up. Teai· away his heln1et (with a Physical Action
illld a Power or Agilitr test) and stab hun in the face. But for alJ that is
w1holy, don't just stnnd there and nail away ineffect1iaUy.
Retreat
If a Cight lllTives at a staJc1nate, don 'r be afraid to retreat nnd exit thr
banlt•. You can reengage another rirne on terms more favorable to you.
Surrender
Surrender if you' re ovcnnatched. A surrender is an excelJcnt time to
push for a Duel of \Vits and it can lend to all sorts of fw1 situations like:
capture, prison, ransom or II tTiaJ.
Commentary
Objects in Motion
Fighrc·r$ arr not standing 11at-flooted, bashing away. " 'e took out 1nost of
th(' movement. rules and 1neasuren1N1ts fr~Jm the game, because everyone.
is in ,notion. Everyon~ is vyiag for position, pushing in, falling back,
circling. A strike, for example, doesn't merely encai} a 1novr.menc of the
nrms-it 's a forccf ul step, a swing of the hips, ao ~x.tcnsion of the body.
Keep this in rnind as you choose your actions and describe what your
character is doing.
Everyone Can Fight

Some playr.rs will shrug their shoulders, throw up tbeir hands and say,
,. I r.u11 ·r fight! l'rn not a figbtet:! " Tbis is never true. Everyone can fight
in Burning \Vl1ccl. Many actions in combat don't require a skill. Avoid,
Charge, I ,ock and Push can all be perfonned using stats. whicb means
1111ynne 1·a11 use 1he111, rrgru·dless of training.
And Ilia1 meaus 1.hal your rogue scholar can help her mercenary buddy
"'II of a scrap,:. Sh(~ c1tn tuckli• an opponent to the ground, push around
wi·uk,·r 1·nrmi1·s and maybe get lucky, grabbing someone and holding
th,·m down. Of course, th.is may all get her killed-but there is no reward
wi1.ho111 risk !
q
. '
Gain Advantage
Gaining udvarHagc over your oppoucnt is key to winning fights.
Adva111ag1· represents positioning and reach. I-laving the advantage
o,•C'r your opponent means tJ1ey have a disadvantage in acting against
you. Aud tJus can br 1hc <liff~rcnC<! between life and death.
I-low do you gain advantage? You can win it ouo·ight through engagemeni
or positioning. This requires you to have a weapon of a different length
1h~u1 your opponent. Thal weapon can be yow· sword or even your hnnds.
You can seize the. advantage during die exchange using the Beac, Push and
Cl.iargc a ctions. Beat a llows you to use your weapon to knock do\\11 yom·
opponent 's guard and gain advantage for yotu·self. ll"'s easy to overlook
this artion, hut I r.nn ·, sti-css f!nough it5 in1portance in these rul<'s .
Push aud Charge require that you use your hands as yotu- weapon for
du~action (perhaps for<:i11g yo11 to a teroporary ,Jjsadvantage). But if
you ri 1n1•t he aclion correctly, you r.an easily surprise your opponent and
gain the adYa.ntagc-aad if you're lucky, knock them down. AJso, note
the special 1itle for Push: H you have u shield, you can use the action at
shor( weapon lengw.
Lol·.k and Tlu·ow can alsc) be used to .gnin advautage, but they arc a bit
trickier to pull off. They bo1h require you 10 position yourseU" at l1ands
fighting distance. Lock entails beating your opponent in a versus test
while making yourself vu.Jt1erabJc to attack. Tiu-ow demands a martial
arts skill, bu1 if .you're skilled it's cxu·cmcly. effective.
You Have Me at a
Disadvantage, Madame
You're staring down t he poinL of your opponent's halberd, con1paru1g
it to rhc rncager length of your 111acc. You envision what co1nes nrxt:
you flruling away ineffoct11a.Jly while she stabs you to death fron1 a safe
<listan<;e. \Vhy dicL,'c- you bring a spear with you? you idly muse. A
question best Jeft for another tirnc. For now, the most pressing question
remains how do you get out of thjs 1ness? Of cotu·se, 1hc answ~r that
loups to mine.I is to clear your throat and apologize. 1-Iowever. it sceU15
we/ re long past the point of a pology, g iven what you did to her brother.
1h1· bishop-c liough he quite l1ad it con1ing, you ar.lmit. Regardless. that
.,..- ...........,.,~' ·
' !
Commentary
--_
J>.~ .,,. ••
~
••
won't help you now. She seems to be talcing measure for a swing likely to
rcrnove yow· head's long service to its suffering body. Well then, uothing
for it but to dive in.
She leads with a tlu·ust and you block. You suspect sht~'s testing you, but
rou'rc also testing her will to end you. She seems quite resolved, y011 must
admi1 . And you iinagine she'll follow that thrust around ,vith a cut to the
head, ne1.:k or shoulder:;. I ,o and behold, here it comes: You can alrnost
feel bones break in anticipation as you
.
swim iuto her.. countersrri.kino--
. t'
pushing tlie haft of the polearm aside us you lunge to land a blow. Not
a ba<l idea, but it cou1d have. used more polish in practice. It seems you
were both touched by the effort. Yon n1ru1aged to ring her bell before
slw ~tt-pped ru·ound, but she certainly re1noved some skin from yow·
shoLtldr.r will, the blade of that bloody poleaxe. \Vell, at least you still
hnvt' all your lirnbs .
Nows your c·hance. She's taking a breath to readjust her grip-is it a uap?
\Veil, only time ,viii tell. You drive at the weapon, brandishing the mace,
but \\itl1 che real ain1 of grabbing the balberd·s shaft witlr your free hand
co buy time to step inside her guard. She works the shaft aYouurl in a tight
l'irdc to avoid your grab, but your ganmil seems lo have worked-you·ri>
definitely close enough to see the murder in lier eyes and the blw· of the
thick wooden halberd butt wheeling toward your hca<l as she attempts
.
to fcnll vou off...
Bide Your Time

The point being, when confronted with a disadvantage, rou must bide
your time. You ' re going to get hit quite a bit, so defend yqurself. Block
and Avoid arc your allies. Both actions 1nitigatc drunage, but Block can
grant you a tidy bonus to your next action or even .a serious penalty to
your opponent. And don't neglect Cow1terstrike. It v,.;}] help ward off the
flurry of blows, and the riposte portion of Counterstrike does not suffer
disadvantage for weapon length and positioning. Using it smartly, you
can pick your opponent apart with a few cuts that reduce her effecti\'eness
or perhaps even uigger a Steel test.
Timing
You huve to consider a lot of timing aspects in Fight, but the one you
want focus on is attackinu your opponent when they're flat-floated and
0
don' t have a n action. Of course, the inverse also h o Id's true, if you ' re
slower than your opponent, you want to make sure they waste their
extra actions on defense.. You don't want tbe1n attacking you while you 're
tat cIltng
· your bn:i1th.
cq
:'· ·1·,,-, •,.: _: f fI ''' ! ' . • ~· ' . • l ./1 ' ,
How Do I Know?
Gauging that timing is tough, but it is possible. The best course of action
is to play through an exchange to get a read on your opponent. In what
exchange did they put their actjons? [-low are they tirning tl1eir attacks
and defenses? If tl1ey secn1 intent on attacking twice in the first volley,
you know that asswning you can su1·vivc, you can cling them in the
second or third volley.
Of course, if you' re fighting a faster opponent, you have to play smart.

Telegraph a certain set of actions but choose a different set. If you front-
loa<lc<l yotu· attacks in the first exchange, perhaps your opponent will
defend in the first volley of the next exchange. This opens up opport1u1itics
for you to attack later in the exchange, since you don't want to waste
attacks against a sll·ong defense.
The Eye of the Storm

The. Eye of the Storm ruJc creates a sense of pacing and space in combat.
It's a perk for you dispatching or running off your opponent. You can
also plan for it. \Vhile you can't affect another group of fighters in this
exchange, you c:an ready a pistol, spell or missile to gain advantage 10
engage at the top of the next exchange. You can slu·ug off your wounds,
grab an itcn1 fro1n your faUen Foe or si.mply take a breath and assess the
field to check for reinforcc,nents or escape routes.
Fight Actions Advice

There an• 19 actions in Fight not including shooting, throwing lllld magic.
The interactions between all of thl~Sc arc complex, but there are certain
optimal cornbinations.
Avoid
Avoid is a good defense for the unskilled ns it reties on Speed und doesn't
suffer the stat versus skill penalty.
Beat
The Beat action is vitaJ to n1nster if you want to fence with opponents
using a variety of weapons. It allows you to steal advantage roidwar
through a fight-possibly disn1pting your opponent's entire script.
Don't neglect the two-handed bonus for using Beat!

I
I
...,.
- _ .......
,. ,,.. :.,~J..,
Commentary
Block
Block is seerui.ngly safe. aod innocuous, but it can be used to set up some
grand attacks-granting you bonuses and your opponent penalties. It
ran t'vcn cause yow· opponent to hesitate. If you arc cun.fident in your
,..kill and know when your opponent will attack, you can set up a Block/
Su·ikc , ·oUey and deliver a powerful blow to your opponent.
Chargeffackle
Shooting into yow· opponent's guard ,vith a Charge/Tackle action is a
s trategy for the bold and the strong. You only want to take this action
if you have a hi~h Power and a good stride-especinJly if you're at a
disadvantage. If you have the advantage, you can often catch your
opponenl Oat-footed by using an action to Charge rather than attack.
You can knock them down (giving them substantial penalties) and still
regain rhe advantage if successful.
Counterstrike
Cowttrrstrike allows you to fight Ii-om a disadvantage but still tag your
opporwnt . { J:-P. ii . hut rlon 't hP prl\rlict.ablc with it.
Disarrn
Di:;a.nn is not the action you see in movies--swid the swords atound and
onr goes flying. Uh ob. It's quite hard to pull off in Btuuing \Vheel (by
design) an<l easy to defend against. It's an action that favors skill and
tirning. Honestly, the Disarm action is for the master fighter co take a
weapon away from a less experienced opponent so that they don't hurt
themselves.
Feint
,\ successful Feint action requires impeccable timing. You need to
know when your opp.onent is going to use one of five actions: Block,
Countersrrike. Beat, Disarn1 or Feint. Feint is most effective against Block
and Cotmlerstrike, so if you have the advantage and yow· opponent seems
ro bti in a defensive posture, use a Feint in your script in place of one of
yuur Strikes-il jusl might pay off.
Great Strike
S.·r und ~tTikc. This powerful action is both satisfying and useful. The two
ar:tiom, of Cntat l-itrike c:an be separated by the intervaJ between voHeys
nr ~-vl'n between exchanges. You don't have to Set and Greut St.rikc iJ1 one
vullc·y. You can get clever wir.h it , setting in your second action, baiting
your Opponenc to forfeit and change a ctions.
-....
Great StTikc becon1es a necessity when using a weapon ,vith little or no

VA against an armored opponent. \Vhen fighting an unarrnored opponent,
use Gr<·at StTike to deliver extra damage.
Lock
Lock is perhaps the most powerful attack available. It bypasses the
darnage circu it and directly, if tcrnporarily, reinoves dice fro,n the target.
Players s hould attempt Locks with their chru·acters regardless of their

Powt'r. Not only is ir a fine oppo1·tunity to glean tests for advanccmcn1-,
but it's an easy action to get lucky with.
Push
Push is a workhorst: action. Any playc~r can pull off an effectivr Push,
regardless of ability. It's a sol.id attack, very useful as an offbeat action
·when using a slow speed weapon: Strike/Push/Strike makes an effcctivt',
aggressive cornbination.
Strike
Ah, good old Strike. \Vhat would we do without you? Actually, Strikes
arcn 't necessary. Unlike tl1e Point action in the Duel of \~lits, you do nor
need So·ike to ·win in Fight. You can disable or nu1 off an opponent with
Charges, Locks, Pushes and Throws .
rf you 're heavily armored, use your annor as protection and pound away
on yotu· opponent with as many Su·ikes a s you 're able. If you're lightly
annorcd and can't absorb a nit, try to tin1e yow· Strikes and put them
in unexpected intervals. Second action, volley 2 is always a nice place
to tuck one jn.
If your opponent is lightly a.rrnorcd and on the attack, give hin1 a ;;trong
poke. Don't let him get the iniliative hy forcing you on tbr. rlefensive when
he can be so·uck down with a solid hit. Of cotu·sc, don't make yourself
vulnerable. If you have to take up a defensive posture, try to wear him
clown as we described above.
Throw
Throw is a clevustating attack that requires skill and timing to pull off.
It's really not worth attempting unless you 're skilled. But if you have clic
Boxing, Martial Arts or similar skill, you should use tl1is as a main P811
of your repe11oire.
Commentary
Miss~les and Spells 1

-;. - '§I Missiles and speJls 11111ke gr~at
~ weapons in Fight. They provide
hot·dcs of advantage dice 10 engage
or position, and they're often quite
injurious. But know th$1L once 1hc
bol 1. is loosed or the spell cnst,
you ' re vulnerable. You are, for the
rnoment, effectively fighting witb
yow· hands. You haven't suddenly
1eleported close to the fight, but
yonr position is exposed. OthC'r
fighters, should 1.bey be so inclined,
can roll up on you and tell you wbal'
they think of your s tandoffish
techniques.
Mind Games
fight is a rnind garne. A fighter of Jit1.le skill can get into the head of a
more dangerous opponent and 1.ake 1he1n down.
I love this aspect of the systern. It's not possible to completely lean on
your high ntunbers or big swords. You must play the game.
To do so, you must watch yow- opponent. \Vhat gear are they carrying?
\~'hat's their weapon speed? \Vhat arn1or? \Vhat actions did they choose?
\Vhai's their timing? Those are a lot of variables to juggle, but each one
offers a bit of information that will make your dccbions abou1 uc1iu11s
more accm·ate.
If you feel like you don't have enough info1nrntio11 to utake solid decisions,
don't go for broke and scU out for a dcspel'ate attack. Play for ti.n1e. Learn
your ripponent 's pattern. \Vear t.he otl1e1· player·down ... and then once
)'Ou W!t yow· intuition tuned, make yow· move.
It's Not Over Until It's Over

LoLs of folks look al the wound pcnaJties from injmy and despair. One
hfr and it 's over, right? Maybe, but I've seen plenty of characters fight
thcit 1Vay through an injury or hesitation and corne back to win (or just
lo escape).
..
---
J ... . ,. , '· • • :' .. , •• • ,·,. (
. .
) I •. ,~
True, once you '1·e injured you' ll likely have to change yow- tactics, perhaps
n1ake riskier decisions. But ii you're injured, try this: Take a stance
that favors your fighting style and play for tin1e. If possible, get to the
Eye of I he Storm and try to shrug off your wound penalty. If that's not
possible ( due. to Reflexes dropping due to lost dice, for example), you
need to disrupt yow· opponent. Look for a way to knock them down or
cause a Steel tcsr.
Never give up. The situation may look had, but you'd be surprised how
inventive de~peration rnakes you.
Stances
Stances co1nprisc ru1 a dvanced parl of the fighting syst en1 and are often
overlooked. Aggressive Stance provides +2D advanta~e dice to Strike and
Grea t Strike, while it re,, trict:s Avoid completely and penalizes Block and
Counterstrike with a +2 Ob. Those advantage dice are often necessary
for a character to deliver superb hjts. \Vitbout them, a character with a
B3 skill can only hope to get J\,fark results witJ1 most weapons.
Defensive St.au ce is the inverse and p erhaps n1orc potent version of

Aggressive Stance. It provides +2D to Block, Counterslrike aad Avoid.
Strike and Great StTike arc penaJjzed ,vitb a +2 Ob penalty while in this
stance. Defensive Stance also bas du~added bene.fi t of acting like a Block
action when it is scripted.
The +2D to Counterstrike and Avoid are invaJuable in llllY fight. Using
those advantages, you cru1 keep an aggressive opponent at bay while
worrying him with counterattacks. Tbe striking portion of Counterstrike
is not penaJizcd in Defensive Stance! I've seen swordsmen win whole
fights agaiust multiple opponents using just defensive Counterstrike
and Pus h actions.
Crosscutting
Son1erimes a Fight happens ,vhile other action takes place elsewhere in
the story. Do your best to cut b etween the various scenes of action. Run
one exchange of the combat, then jump to another scene--perhaps an
exchange of Range and Cover-and so on until everyone bas enjoyed an
equivalent runount of screen time. Usually you can resolve quite a bit
just while combatants nre choosing their actions.
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Commentary
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GMing Fights
Fights are sti-aigbtforward to run one on one. But what about when it's
time 10 crash the gates and party ,vith the Count and all bis cronies ?
Here's some advice for the GM:
Prescripts
Use simple pn~scripted sequences for secondary fighters: Block/Strike/
Bloc~k/Strikc. Don't tell yolu- players. Lr.t t·hP.rn figure out the paner.n anrl
hreak t.hc rhythm the,nselvcs. This is a surprisingly effective tecluuque.
I've had NPCs using scripts like this for whole fights and the players
never even noticed.
Telegraph
Don't choose your actions in brooding silence ( unless t.he pla yc-rs are
confronting the Brood Silent Ulti1nale Boss Opponent. of course). Describe
your NPC's reactions. Dcrnonst1·ate tl1eir stRnces. Annunciate their curses.
You can trru1snl.i1a host of soft information to players that wiU enrich their
experience but also allow tlte,n to make better decisions diuing die n1elc1'.
Don't Be Too Smart

It's possible that, as the CM, you have a 101 of advantageous informution
nt your disposal. You know your players' habits, you know your N-PC"s
weaknesses and likely you know the 1·ules best.
Dou·1 use auy of that. ForgN it all. Rolcplay your antagonists. L<·t 1hcu1
make mistakes, he predictable or overconfident. It adds a lot of d1ru·ucter
to rJ1e game. It tells the players you' re willing to put the story uJ1ead of
ruJes mastery, and scl aside your ovn1 thirst for their blood in scnice of
everyone having a good Li1nc.
Having every Ore Follower fight with the unnosr cunning and resolve
will exhaust the players. Let the players rack up a few solid victories.
Save the .;mart fighting for d1e characters who deserve that spotlight.
It' ll mnkc t.licm stand 0111. even 1nore.
Fight Is Complicated
I hear tltis con,plaint every day: " Fight is: contplicated." You bet. If you
don't like tactical, technical, involved systems, don't use it. I'm not shy
about it being complicated-I like coinplex ga1nes-but it is not·brokcn.
clunky. kludgy, crufty or whatever. Jt works great if you care to use it.
---
Ending a Fight
One of the weaknesses of the Fight 1nechanics is their lack of a dear end
point. Not every conflict uccds to be played our to the d eath, but the rules
g ive no direction in this rcgru·d. 1-fope f ully r can cleru· up any confusion.
• You should end a Fight if the other side is kiJJrcl. That's the obvious
one, right?
• You shoulc.l end a Fig ht if 0110 side is incapacitated. TI1ere 's no nred
to stay in the action srruc:hire if no 011c is a cruaJly fighting-you 're
just b eati11g 011 unr.onsc·ious soon-Lo-bn-corpsrs.
• You sho ul<l t•nd a Fjght· if onr. side isn 't necessarily incapacitated,
but the.y'n• incapaJJle of fighring. Your opponents all have 134 skills
with -3D/+1 Ob injury penalties? Jusi end tl1r figbr. You don't need
io play ou1 the encl of this sorry mess acrion by action.
• You should end a Fig ht if a shocking or earth-shattering rvrnt
t:ranspires that commands everyone's attention.
• You should end a Fight if one s ide wants to quit. Tha1·s ta utnmount
to surrender. Pick up che scene there. No more fighting {invoking tl1t.'
Let It Ride paradigtn) ; one side bus been defeated.
\Vhen a Fight is OVCl', you ha\'('. two n1ain options as th1• crv1. You cau
pick up the action right where the Fight leaves off. One side surrenders
to the enemy. He offers you terrns. Negotiations t.'n~ne. Or you can cut
away, incorporaring the resolution of the combat into the next scene.
but in a new situation. You were all incapacitated-you wake up in the
duke's dungeons, stripped to the waist. The duke and his torturer mock
you a s they douse you with waler.
The appropriate choice depends on circu1nst11ncP.. lf you"re unsure

which option to choose, focus on the characters' Beliefs. \Vhat situation
would challenge them the 1110-st, a new scent' with a new problem or
dealing with the fal1out here and now?
~
Injury
Ai u glance, the Anato1ny of IJ1jury rules seen1 punitive. They
apprar to encourage a cautious, conser\'ativc style of play. They
:;rem to say, '·If your character is badl)' injured, he will b e rendered
i1wfftct in ~ uHd Jorced to sit out for an inordinately long period of
gan1c ti1nr."' That scents clear incentive to avoid injury at all cost.
Not hing could be fur ther fro1n the truth. In prac tice, dcat.h fl·om
injury is r a re. fvlortal wounds are hard to cou1c by. For severe
and traumatic wounds, there's ti1nc to be treated before you die.
L ight and rnidi wounds are not life threatening; they're more of
11 nuisa nce than any thing else. Superficial wounds are annoying
hut Uceting. Once you overcome the foar of taking an injury, you
realize that it isn't a burden, but au opportunity.
Injury as Advancement
Rt:;tiitg tunes fur iI1juries are loug. If you take a had shot and need
LO rec-over, you' re likely out of play for the near fut11J'e. Thal's uo
fun. However, there's one s1u-e wi1y to counteract that: Don't rest
unt i.l the action is over. Suck up your penalties and keep playing.
Playing injured, you 'II have far fewer dice at yotu· disposaJ. When
yo u' re injured, yo u roll fewer dice against obstaclr.s. The san1c
obstacles d1at were easy to overco111c when you were healthy arc
now 1roublcsome und dangerous. That's great!
If your D5 Speed is chopped down to B3, Ob 3 tests now count as

difficulf tcsls for advancement, whereas with a 85 they don't count
for anything. Your listed rating doesn't 1natte1· for advancen1<.'11t, only
tlie runouru of dir.e you're. rolling. \Vhcn injured, you're roiling fewer
dir:r, against tire obstacle and tbereforc th<' test cruTies 1nore value.
Playing i11j11n:d is an excellent technique' for advancing stats and

skills of cxpo1lf'nt 5 or higher. These rr.q1ti.r·I' difficull and challenging
tests for rou 10 advance. It's much easier to rnck up those tesL-. when
0 billudt:s 2, 3 11nd 4 count for adv1L11c1une11t.
203
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•
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~-·','•:.,.If,•,; ; • ;
\Vhen pla);ng injured, your character appears clwnsy for a good number
of sessions. As those advancen,ents accrue, yow· abilities quickly jun1p
up-pnrticuJnrly your stats. Once you've recovered, you reacquire your
injured dice o.nd boosted a few exponents as n bonus. Your increase in
power is significant und satisfying.
What Can I Do While I Recover?

Recovery tiines arc long. Technically. according to the rules. resting 10
recover absorbs nJI of the chnrac1er's down time. You don't recover while
slogging through a dungeon. You recover while laying up in a hostel.
dri11king soup.
111 general at B\VI·lQ, we aUow characte1·s to engage u, light practice
while they recover. Rending, writing, rescarchu1g or conversing for n
few hours a day ate nU acceptable. Light travel-aboard a ship, a sedan
or carriage-is also permissible. Physical training regin1cns, whirlwind
social activity. hard travel, adventure or intense practice-more than an
hour or 1wo a day-are all 0111 of 1hr qucslion.
You cnunot get a job tuu.l work to recover 1a.xed Resources while recovering
fro1n an injury.
C
Commentary
\Vhat Do My Friends Do \Vhile I Recover?

Conversely, while you ' re laid up, your friends can practice, work, instruct
one another, conduct research, pay your biUs, etc. Your recovery is their
ga in!
Resources and Recovery

lnjury and tax combine to create a downward spiraJ of poverty and
privation in the game. If you're injured, you need to rest. Rest typically
takes you tlu-ough one Rcsolu·ces 1naintenance cycle. You need to test
Resom·ces to maintain your lifestyle. If you fail, you're taxed. Thus your
recovery costs you.
\Vorse, if you ' re taxed while going i.nto a recovery period, you ' re going
to remain taxed, possibly bcco1ning ev~n more taxed. You can't work
while resting, so you have to live off of your current Resources or you
need to forgo re.I and boost your Hesources by working while injw·ed.
It's ru1 ugly cycle by design. Infirmity and poverty are disruptivt~ and
desu·ucrive clen1ents in the systern.
Wises
' \Visr.s ure a,nong the coolest aspects of Burning Wheel, but ulso
a,nong the ,uost n1is11sed or ,nisundcrstood. On the surface. wises
look simple: Thcy'r(' k11owledgl' skills. Thry represent the little bits
and bobs of infon11ation thut charartt rs pkk up over time. But
probe u lit tic dreper and ll1cy bcco,ne u lot ,uorl' complex.
In this ehnptc•r. wc'rr going look al thrre nwin questions: l fndrr

10
what ci1-r11n1stancei, should we u:w wisrs in our ga111es? If fio tbc
GM, when should I call for u wis1· test? And if 1",n a plttycr. when is
it appropriau· for 1ue to usk 10 test u wise?
Wises as Information
\Vhen a player asks for inforn1ution 011 behalf of his c:harncrcr, the
firs I thi11g you should consider as 11 GM is whether you have the
inforn1ation or not.
I plared in a gan1c i11 whicb the Big Picture established that long
ago the black dragon descended upou a great Dwarven hall, slew
the defenders and look it as his own. One of the players usstuncd
1hr: role of the last scion of t.lwt Dwarveo honst>. His long-term
goal was to slay the dragon and rcclain1 his homeland. The rest of
the players created characters that wan1ed to help h.in1 for various
reasons. The entire can1paign revolved around preparing for the
goal.
Thor was playing a wizard named Pctronax the Hawk. Early in

the quest, we were atte,npling to tTack down sornc information
about this particular dragon. Trying to con1e up with a place to
start , he asked the Gl\1, '' Do I know any stories about the origin
of dragons?"
Before answering the qucslion, the first thing Anthony, the G~l,
had to consider whether he knew the answer or not. When he was
preparing this ca1upaign, did he determine where dragons canui
from?
206
Commentary
for argument's sake, let's say that he did. At that point, Anthony
would huve had to decide whet.her to sin1ply Say Yes and give Thor
the inforn1111io11 or call for a Dragon-wise test. Furlhl.'1\ he also had
10 consider 1hese derails: \Vould having the answer allow Thor to
circ11111vc11t obstadrs he had planned? Could he think of an interesti ng
conscqucnn' or rmuplication thu1 would re:mlt front a failed wise test?
[f the answer to either of those questions was "No,~ he would ha,·" just
givrn Thor the unsw<'r: ··The first dragons were born from tll<' sparks
thm llc.w off when the world was forged upon the anvil of the Void. Ifs
a common l!'g,•nd that evcryonl' in these parts knows.~
If the uuswc>r 10 either of those qt1l·s1ioros was '' Yes;· Anthony would
ha\'t' called for a trst. I-le might c.vcu have fi shed for more details: "Do
you want llw common legend that is told arou11d hra rths on stormy
11igl11s? That's Oh 2. Or do you want the story rl1c dragons belieYe?
That'~Ob 8.
Hut wluu if Anthony hadn't consid~red the. origin of dragons in the

game? In 1hat case, he would 11ccd a little more information abo111 what
Thor was looking for and why. For instance, Thor might tell him he
wanted information ubout where dragons came frmn so we could go
there and hopefully pick up the trail of this panic-ular dragon. Thor
might have even suggested they can1c frorn a particular ren101e island
known for its moost1·ous inhabitants-an isle known ns Strach.
At that point, Anthony would have had to consider more qucstio11s: Does
the player's contributio11 rontTadict son1et.hi11g previously established in
the game? \Vould having the answer allow Thor to circun1vent obstacles
Anthony had planned? Could he think of an interesting consequence or
complication 1.hut would result from a foiled \X.'ise test?
If the answer to any of t he questions was "No,'' Anthony could have said
yes and gone with Thor's suggestion. "'Sure, they come from Strach."
If the answer to the first question was "Yes," Anthony would have denied
Thor. "You've already been to Strach and there wasn't any evidence of
dragons there. Plenty of 01·her big lizards, but not dragons."
If the answer to the lalter two questions was "Yes,~ then Anthony would
have considcn:d Thor's contribution nnd set an obstucle.
: .: I
In our game, what actually happened is that Anthon)' bad not considered
the origin of dragons at fi,·st, but he' d been rolling it a1·ound in his head
as we played and the campaign developed. \Vhen I usked the question,
he had a.11 idcu in miud: "Remember when you were searching for thr
Lost City of Panax und you fought your way to the Chronicle of Ages in
the Hull of the Alll'atlwr;, 10 do :1omc rc~curch? rou recall Lhe n: was a
section dedicated LO dragons that you didn'1 have: tim<' to investiga1c."'
And so Thor had lo wait for a1101hcir opportun ity to lest Dragon-wise.
And it would be· a bit rnorc rime before he learocd the awful rrutb:
Dragons urr hor11 when a Dwarf advances hi!. Greed 10 cxporu.'111 10.
Information as Setting
h is primarily the CM's job ro lill i11 dt'-tails se1ting through pluy. Most of
those importanr details shou Id bt> shared with the pl11ycn, in the coursr of
play, as per Boll tlw Oice orSny Yc·s. If a delail is i>ssential to helping a player
engage with the situation for 1lw game session, jusl go ahead and share it !
If the sc-}ssion's s i111111ion <ll\[)CrH.J,a upon the playl.'rs knowing tha t the
prince just murderr.d thC\ ('harelaine in cold blood, then tdl the players.
After all, e.ver1•011e·s talking about it! Thl' chatelaine's sou htts <lcmanded
a judicial duel, ,md the print.e's unde= the nr-w king-has agreed !
l3ut if the players hunger more detail and want to draw out more
inforruution that will provide n more 11uanced understandiu~ of the
situation, 1hen a wise is just what ~hr doctor ordered.
\Vhy is the k iug siding with the chatelaine's son a6ainst his own kiu?
Court Gossip-wise. \Vhat ure the rules for judicial duels ? Trial by
Combat-wist!. Do any other kingdoms stand to gain from this turmoil?
Politics-wise.
The answer to each of tbose questions, whether the rest is successful or

failed , has the potential to spin 1he garne in a new direction.
Establishing Setting as a Player

111 addition to eliciting mot·e ir.forrnation from the CM, wises arr. a
key way for the players to put ttheir own stamp on tbe setting. This
is implicit· in the core Burning \Xlhcel rules but perhaps not q uite as
apparent us it should be.
Commentary
\Vises, Intent and Task

Like all other skills in the ga111e. wises must be considered in the context
~
.....
l/l
of Intent and Task. as well as Holl the Dice or Say Yes. The player <n
l/l
stntes his intent-what he hopes to acco1nplish-nnd a lso his task-the
description of how the character goes about achieving that incent. Jn
1111111 y cases, the player·s intent for a wise matches up with wbat the GM
has in mind for I he Big Pict urc, the setting or the session's situation.
For instance, in the sicuatiou described above, the. player might declare
thnt his i11cc11t is to determine whether any other kingdoms stand to
gnin from the turn1oil at courr. I-le wants to use his familiarity with
1he court's affairs (the cha racter grew up with the prince) in the form
of Politics-wise.
In this case, the C~I should already have a pretty tirm grasp of the
details, as they connect directly to his situation. lf the Gl\f does have
foreign affairs in mind, he should call for an Ob 1 test, as a list of the
cou111ry's closest enernies should be comn1on knowledge to anyoni> wirl.J
Politics-wise. If the CM knows that no foreign powers stand to gain
from the situal ion, he sho11 Id just Say Yes and lell the player that no
foreign 1nischief is afoot, 1.0 keep everyone focused on the situation ar
hnnd.
Sometimes your players will attack a situation from an oblique angle.

They'll u.se wises you never expected 1.0 hunt for dNails you never
anticipated. For instance, one of the players has the Poisons skill (not a
wise) an<l is searching for a way to use it to affect the coming dud. He
tells the GM that his intent is to determine whether it is customary for
the king to offer a cup of wine to each combatant before the duel begins.
He fought in a nurnber of duels himself when he was a younger man,
and hr. wants to use Trial by Combat-wise as his task.
In this case, the GM had never considered such a custom before. He

doesn' t know if this court follows that tradition or not, but the existence
of such a custom wouldn't contradict or invalidate the situation he's
presented. It's in1po1·tnnt to keep in 1nind that the CM's goal is to
ensure the players address the situation in some fashion. If they come
up with an interesting or novel way to do so, that's fine. The GM then
nsks the player for 111orc iufonnution: Why docs the player want to
know about this custorn? The player expJains that he wants to know
beca use 1t
· would create an opportunity to attempt to poison · one o f
th
e combatants. Ah! That presents some ve1·y compelling potential
cornplieations! Th<' CM tells the player that it will be an Ob 2 Trial
by Combat-wise tes t for an interc,sting fact. A character would need Lo
hnvt> some passing fa1niliarity with judicial duels to know sonrnthinrr
t:,
like that. Aud ir the player sncceccls i11 the 11.'st.. thcu the custom really
docs exist a nd the pluycr will have added a 1ww bit of detail about the
cc.rcmony surrounding a judiciaJ duel in I hut co u1·1.
Thl' nrc11m1tlatio11 of sucli drtaih; over ti1111· u11d I he richness the\'• hrin«t:,
to a s('I tin~ nr<· part of what mak<' wises so s p,'cia l. And i(s important 1o
note I hut thc facts c,;tablishcd with wise;; in this way nc\~d not be minor.
For i11srm1Cl\ in your selling I wo nearby barous have been warring with
each othc1· for yc-nrs and their ne.ighliors and allies arc b1'. ing dra wn into
ir as wdl. Their but ties fo r111 a backdrop 111 th is poi nt-t ltr real net ion is
d sewhe1·e and the CM hasn'1 cledii:att>d uuy tbouglu ns to why the rwo
are 111 rach other's throats. Nonelhdcs.s yuu might see an opporrunity
to use your tcud-wisr to ,•stal>lish 1h1· cause of thrir en nuty. Thot tesr
cou ld have far-reaching 1•,or11;cq11ences. \Vises allow tl1c GM 1.0 paint the
S<>tting with broad ~trokcs, knowing that he can either fill in the details
later. or allow t he players to add the details that interest them rhrough
fl ICSl.
The players uud the C?vl should take note when such facrs ru·e a<lJccl
to the gnme. They no\v constitute a true nnd c:;tnblish cd porr of ihl'
world. Record tht:sc facts in the same notebook you use for Duel of \Vits
con1promiscs aud other setting details.
Wises and Let It Ride

Recording these details helps ensure that you can recall them when
necessary, but just as important, it ensures that rhe g roup does n't
concradict itself down the road.
Pete: •;[ a1n going to find a secret entrance into the Citadel of the
Unconquered Sun."
Thor (as CM): " No way. \Ve already established that this keep is the
strongest in the entire kingdom. You fnile<l that Citadel-wise test way
back at the start of the campaign. If you want to get in, you an! going
to have lo use diplomacy, trickery, battle or start scaling the walls."
Estublished informal ion, whclher introduced througl, Cl\-1 description or

viu player use of wises, holds a privileged position in Burning \Vheel. Once
a fact has been established, it stands until the players chaJ1ge it through
their actions or until a new situation introduced by the Glvl changes it.
Commentary
For exnmple, once it's estnblished that the Citadel of the llnconquered
Sun bas 110 secret entrances and the only• 1neans of inrrrcss
0
is the front
gate, that remai11s true until the players dig their own tunnel or the GM
i111roduces a situation in which a foreign army lays siege to the place
and sends in sapprrs.
An ost11te rende r w ill 1101icc- that I'm si.tuplv r, Let It Ride hc,re.
• restntin«
Wises and Failure

\Vises arc no different 1bnn other abi lities iu Burning \Vherl when
it comes to fai lure. for a C~I, it's not c·nough tlmt a player hav1· au
nppropriute intent and wsk . Before you allow 1hc player 10 proceed
with testing a \\7SC. considc•r thf' conseque11ces of failure. If you can' t
think of au appropriate c0tnplication or twist, and there ure no othl'r
com ravening facts in play, don't test. Say Yrs and move on.
That said, tlwrl' are always c01uplica1io11s and 11vists t:o br had.
Arc the players using Family Secrets-wise to detenninc that tbe duchess
is having nn affair so they can blackmail her? \~'ell, it\; true that she
had au affair, but her paramour happens to be a powerful cri1ne lord
with a ll sorts of resources at his disposal to make the characters· lives
a hell.
Citadel-wise to detenuinc the location of a secret entrance? Oh. it's

there, but the defenders know all about· it. It's guarded and well trapped.
Trial by Cmnbat-wise to establish a wine-sharing ceren1ony beforehan<I

so you can poison s0tneone? The combatants drink from each other's
cups, as does the king.
A good faihtre doesn't lead to a brick wall. lt requires the players to

make new ttnd interesting choices.
Etiquette of Wises
As you can see, wises accomplish two different goals. On the one hand,
they arc u method for eliciting more inforo1ation from the GM. On the
other hand, they give players the power to establish facts in the gan1e.
' ' . ' '
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'. '' .~ ,1,.' ,,,,'
,' . ;, , :'J l,' l ," ~ - ,•J
Navigating those 1wo abili1ies requires a bit of ctiquet,c. h 's not polite
to de.mand your Gtv( establish facts as lruc without" firs t a sking if it
contradicls what was hns planned for the Dig Pic1 urc, the setting or the
situa1ion. Nor should the GM al1ow the player to do so.
For example, a player hos a clu1racrer wi1h Illness-wise. He wants to

use i1 to establish tltat everyone he:. meets has a tcrininal illness. T his
i$ potentially abusive. especially if used upon other player.;' characters
wi1hou1 tlwir consent. \Vhttt':; a Gl'vl to do? Use the Say Yes or Roll Dice
rule. ~Your intent is 10 dcrnrrnine whether he has a terminal illness or
1101? No ner.d to test. I-It' doesn't.''
As 1he Ctvl, don' t step on players' ideas for using wises out of hand. If
you don't have a lcgi1imate rea son 10 prevent the l CSI a nd the player
isn' t simply tes1 mongering, allow 1bc player the freed om to add to the
selling.
Wises Are Contextual

Roleplaying ga1ncs o.rc all about context, and Buruing \X'hccl is no
exception. By conlexL we rncan the details 1.hut help us to care about the
situation nnd the way our chnracters overcome obs1aclcs.
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Commentary ~
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'K":J
For instance, let's sny the situation is that a small band of thieves
hns just stolen the holy artifacts from the te,nple of their neighbors.
~
....
VI
(l)
That's interesting on its face, hut whal's the context? ln our game, the VI
neighboring people were making war on and cn sluvino
' V t:,
the thjeves'
people. In your game, the tl1 ievcs needed t hr. 11 rt i fact for a despicable
rite. Tl!(' context easts the situation in a ver y particula r light.
Context is where wises shine. The right wise could tell us about the
artifacts and tlwir purpose, or a wise could provide details about the
plannrd rite such as other necessary c01nponents or a specific tin1e or
location.
But it is i1nportant to note that not all wises are equal. Village of
Hochrn-wise is very d ifferent frmn Village-wise. ViHage-wise will give
yon i11forn1ation on villages in general: how they tend to be organized,
how their econo,nies work, basic layout, etc. Village of Hochen-w isc, on
the other hand, will give you much more specific information: who the
wojt is, who the lord is, who t he most disliked man in the village is and
whid, fields are being left fa llow this season.
Broad wises liJ..c Village-wise can h e useful because they are so ,videly
applicable. A player can probably find a use for his character's Village-
wise in any village he happens co pass through. However, it will be
difficult to use it for specific details of a particular place. Very specific
wises, like Village of Hochen-wise, only apply in certain scenarios but
can provide a deep level of deta il in those situations. For instance,
determining that Martin Ralya is the wojt of Hochen is an Ob 1 test
for Village of llochc11-wise. It's common knowledge! Bu1 ir might be
Ob 8-freaky details or specifics-for Village-wise. You might know
about villages, but that docsn'r mean you know intimate details about
this particular one.
Village-wise Example Obstacles

• The difference hetwun a vz1lilje anti a h,unlct, Oh T
• The typical_1oventiHj bot!J for a vz1la!)e in this province, Ob 2
• Tlte composition o/tlte bu.,1rlin!JS in vi1liljes in this aYea Ob 3
• A hiJ holidllJ tltat vz1liljes in th,°5 province ,iicelebrate, Ob 4
·Ju4Jit1!J bl the crops, ca11 I tell what t'1is villa!Je's specialty dish is? Oh 5.
h
,,
Village of Hochen-,vise Exan1ple Obstacles

Villngl" of 1-lochen-wisr:
• Whos the chiefofHochen? Ob I

• Wl1at Joe$ Hoclten pYotli<ce? Ohl
• wl,ich loYJ la1s claim to Hocl1e11? Ob 2
• wlteYe Jo I(inti a pn~t in Hoche11? Ob 3
• why ,'s Hoclzen i11 .such a shambles? Ob 4
• AYe tlzeYe ao/ banditJYoups that fre1i.enf the aYea.s aYounJ Hochen?
obs
• Does Hochen have a history ofQ&&ultism? Ob 7.
Nooks and Crannies

\\'ises ru·c u way for playc-rs to <:Olllllll'III on LIil" li fcpaths their charac11•rs
have taken. A knight who hus Bandit-wise and Ambush-wise has le<l a
different lifo lhnn tl knight who has Court Gossip-wise and Lady-\\'isc.
\Vises show whl"re the chilructcr has been and what they bave studied
closely or lea rnc-d from L11ei r I raycls.
They can also rnakc a compet ent d1nractcr into a11 outright brutal
killing machine through the use of FoRKs and helping dice. A11 Ore
with Elf Armor-wise is a frightening ene1ny. able to call on 011 extra die
when confronted with an Elf or aid his fellow Ores with a well-placed
helping die: "Elven helms have a wcnk poiut above the nose. Aim high,
goblin."
Leaming Wises
\Vises aren't just lbe province of Character Burning. Learning wises
through ploy can be incredibly rewarding. Both Practice/lnstl'uctioo
11n,I RP-ginner's I .ur.k 11rP. vi11hlr. wey~ to learn wises through pl11y. You
aren't li,nited to the wises listed in the lifepaths. Yon 1nay create your
own, as long as the GM agrees it is legitimate.
\Vises learned through plar cnn become skill-based artifacts that shine
on the character sheet. The player of the Ore who has acquired Dwarf-
wise and Dragon-wise while dealing with the war between tbe Dwarven
kings and the dragon: Spider-wise while slaying the spider goddess;
and Elf-wis~ while dodging Elven patrols in the western forests bas
Commentary
hard-won and 1u11giblt· evidence on his cbaracter sheet, showing where

tht· d1ul'nrtcr has been and a way for the dice to represent what he has
lea!'ued.
\Vises and Beginner's Luck

Plavrrs can n1ake wises tests with Beginner's Luck jusr Jike other skil1s.
l ln~killcd use of a wise is subject to a don ble-obstaclc penalty as per the
srandurd unskiUt•d rules.
\\'hen a playe r wants to n1ake an unskilled wise- tf.'St, as the CM you

muM <·011:.;idrr it thoughtfully. First, is it test n1ongering? If the player is
~imply tc:;ting to open a wise, don't allow the pJayer to test. It's fine that
tht' player is gunning for a test, but he must supply a game-appropriate
reason to do so. Furtherrnore, he must provide a bit of color as to how
he came by this kuowlcdgc. It's not enough to say that you want to
tr:;1 Trial by CmnbaL-wisc to establish the. custom for the king to offer
<luclists a goblet of wine before u judicial d1lcl. You :should add, '"'I know
chis u1:1·au:;c I wa:; u hot head in 1ny you.th and fought a lot of duels."
Remember, wises don't just de6nc thr. world-they also define your
d111ractcr.
As with other wise rests, when making a Beginner's Luck ·wise test,
thr. CM needs to balance the equation with a juicy complication or
twisr that results from a failure. lf you can't think of an interesting
consequence for failing a Beginner's Luck wise test-or a previously
established fact-you should Say Yes and move on.
Monsters
Let's talk about sonic of the problems surrounding the u;c of
monsters in your game. How can we use thc1n more efficiently and
keep them alive long enough to mukc au impact?
Using Monsters
I fmd that we fantasy GMs have a tendency to place Big Bads at the
end of a story-ye olde boss fight.
\Ve 've learned th at· in Burning Wheel, those single monsters, unless
overwhelmingly powc,·fu.l , will cnunhlc again:.t the onslaught of
skiUs, help and a.rthu that the players pour on. \Vhctbcr in Range
and Cover, Duel of Wits or a Fight, more often than not. a group of
PCs will conquer auy single opponent. L et us CMs pause and have
a n1oment of silence for all otu· villains lost ro a ~i.ngle, abrupt hla.st
of white fire.
Ahem.
Our collective job as GMs ii; to challenge tl1e: players, right? \Veil,
what must we do to have our Big Bads and eat t.l1e players too? We
must stoop to a little prep work. \Xie must, before placing a powerful
villain fr1to the game, consider how it can best challenge the group.
Fighting ~1onsters
A single monster is going to fall to a rain of blows unless it is either
heavi.ly armored or has n mortal wound higher than the characte.rs'
weapons shade-usually gray or white.
If you want a big fight against a single creature, try using armored
creatures like TrolJs, Fonnians or even B' hcmahs. If your group is
up for it, you can use gray- or white-shade creatures, but make 3ttre
your group has a chance to defend against their attacks. Otherwise,
you 'U wipe them out-an<l that's not fun.
lf you want to fight with a monster who isn't so hea\iJy a,mored-an

Ore, a great eagle, a great spider or a martikhora, for example-you
can try two tactics. One, you can fighl smart: Fight from an ambush;
hit and run; or stay out of direct battle.
216
........
Commentary
Or you can give the monster help. Look at your group of characters. Build
a suite of n1onsters that will challenge eacl1 of them. l'1n not saying to
unleash six: great eagles or five martikbora. But maybe one lead beastie
and then some lesser willing thralls who can add to the mix.
Arguing With Monsters

Unless your rnonster i~ a master of inn·iglle and rhetoric, refuse the Duel
of \Vits! Attack (or rllll; monsters know no pride)!
If that's not the right path, how do you prevent the players from ganging
up on you in a Duel of Wits and wiping you out before you get even a
teeny compromise ? You need lo plun ahead. Try to corne1· yotu· target
charactel' alone. If you can't do that, try co manipulate the group before
t11t! Duel of \Vits so that some sympathize with your side-so that the.y'11
give you help during the conflict.
It's lame if the group gangs up on and shouts Jown every opponent they
face. If you ~t~rHJ a TroU Warlord against them, for example, refuse to talk
to anyone but their leader. The lesser worms can't speak in the presence
of Such greatness. It's unheard of in the Legion!
Shooting at ~1onstcrs
Somt• 111011stcrs t:an I><· \;ffrcdvc 01 Range nnd Cover, hut son1c monsters
are hrlph•ss in sueh n 1.:onflicl.
You ~hould gauge 1he strcngtlts of your adversaries before pitting your
monsters against llwm. Opposing a u-oop of El\'cS ,villi a handful of rock-
l lu·owinu rroinu
\ 'Cl i is C't
t"'I . ti
to end bodl)' for tl1c •yeti. The Elves have rruJ"t
0
and kiUin~ powrr with tll!'iJ" bows.
13111 01w of die most deadly. effceLivc monsters I cvC'r played was a bow-
anncJ fl yiJ1g monkey. I threw a puck of tJ1em al II group of El\'es. It was
a 11111-row 1J1i11g fo r tlwni . Tlu•y ban•ly survived.
Ir your 111ons11·1-s arcn '1suited for u running fight tlu-ough the forest, don't
M'I up d1ut situation. \X' b1m Cra111ing the action. establish I.be environn1cnr
to your monstl·r's adYnn1ng1·. \~' lty? Becaus<• you want to challenge tbc
players. h ·s boring if they just shoot down everything thcr come across.
So ambush them and force diem to withdraw or fight ar close quarters,
or simply don·, orfcr bnnle unless tJ1e players force i t
Monsters and ~1agic

Many ,nonsters ,u-c vuJncrab)c to magic. There's not much to be done
aho111 it unlr.ss yo11 hring in yo1ir own sorr.r.rr.r to r.011111r.r 1hr r.ha ractcrs'
magic. You can protect your Big Bads with Eldritch Shield if they have a
friend who's a sorcerer! If yom· players are rru·ving through your monsters
wicl1 magic, you're obligated to use such tricks to pro,·ide a challenge.
You can also plan aJ1cad and give yolU· monsters protection in ,he form
of enchanted items like tbc Jade AJnulct. That said, whatever you gi,•e
yom· monsters will likely end up in the hands of the players. You can
assigo anti~magic traits to yow· 1nonsters.
T hese tweaks are good for stiff ch allenges, but not good as a regular
habit. Too much of it gilnps your magc players.
Finally, you can just straight- up 1arget the mages and priests. Take
their asses out. Us" clever taclics, henclunonsters ru1d dirt)' tricks.
Hir them hard and fast. Lise attacks that will ,nake the,u hesitate. Be
u11conv1:ntionaJ- 1he Troll " 'arlord will bounce off t he mage 's Turn
Aside 1hc Blade speU, but monsn·ous com1nnnder can easily knock h.im
over with u weU-timed P ush, thus interrupting the spell. Your players
will sweat i1, but when they' re u1timutely tTiumpbant, they' ll tllank you
for the thrilling figbt.
Magic
Ma~ic is a probk n1atic: ck·-Lnc11t in a gan1e since it confers
cxtriwrdiuary power upon a player. This chapter briefly discusses
how to challenge magic-wielding characters in your garne.
To fa cilitate rue explanations in this chapter, I'm going to lump

priests. sorcerers, s urn,noners and death artists under the "n1age"
catrgory.
Challenging Mages
Ma~<'S arc a pain w the ass. They're powerful. They offer unexpected
solutions to lots of problerus. Sometimes, they have one trick that
they rnilk to get past anything you th.row at them.
£-low do you challenge the mages in your game? You need to oppose
them with rn.1 a ntagonist who can resist their depredations. Such an
antagonist couJd be a 1nage with a sustainer for the Eldritcb Shield
spell and an Instinct lo maintain the spclll at all timc.s, for cxatnplc..
Another common tactic for limiting rnagical power is to make

magic forbidden or illega1 in the setting. I find this of marginal
effectiveness. As a CM, frn never willing to fully enforce this custom.
I feel ten·ilile ru1'esting and i1nprisoningplayer characters for doing
their thing, so I don't use this option very much. It can still b e used
effectively if you're willing to lay down the law ru1d then play out
the ramifications. The struggle of n1agic against law or tradition
could make for a good grune, but then that's what the game is going
to be about.
Magic Against Obstacles

Set up obstacles t hat can't be solved with a single spell.For example,
pit multiple opponents against a powerful mage or set up observers
lo interfere ·w ith a sneaky mage.
Cre~te encounters thRt play against the mage's weaknesses. If

you re challenging a summoner, press him for time. Don't give him
breathing room to draw his circles and call forth powerful allies.
Tr you ' re dealing with a mage with white fire bolts, use Ores with
crossbows to outrange him and pepper him and his allies with darts.
219
b
' .• . .
.- 1, a --. • I '
• . · i . ,· :,·
~ ( 1
.
ii I ' ,'
Ma.ke 1nagic inappropriate. [11 intirnate encounters with powcrful

characters, casting a spell is obvious and perhaps rude or dangerous.
\Vhen L11e player i11evitably persists with sumntoning h.is power before
this pol'cntatr. stop the action and round 011 ltin1, " \Vhat arc you doing?
How dare. you?!" Make an issue of it. [t'll n1ake the selling seem richer,
more believable.
Finally, beat up your mages. In fights, attack then1 with force and vigor.
Don\ give them a chm1cc ro sit back and leisurely cast their spells. Cun
for them. Try 10 hit them so thal you interrupt 1.heir spells and rituals.
They' re clearly powerful. It only 1nakes sense that their enemies take
them srriously.
I like to build up pressure aga.inst them. As a magc 's repu lation increases,
I turn the attention onto hin1 more and 01ore. I make him work for his
power. And if he backs off 1.hc fire-spewing madness. so much the better.
In a social setting, l:reac the mage with skepticism and caution. Don't gloss
over the fact I.hat he is a powerful freak who treats with demons. He can't
be tn1sted. Let your villains refuse to engage in disadvantageous Duels
of \Vits. Cite miso·ust and superstition as yow· reasons.
If a rnnge is known for abusing his power, it makes perfect sense for
leaders to exclude him from their dealings. IL folJows that power-htmgry
souls wiU seek out mages and bargain with theo1. Use Duel of \~1its
compromises to shape and focus the mage's power. An excellent minor
cornprontlse against a 1nage is u.or course, I'll do as you as k because f
know you'll never use your powers against me."' Such a small thing to
ask, but it makes the compromised character incredibly dangerous co
the mage.
The Victimized Mage

In my games, when l ino-oduce challenges directed against mage1~·, 1
sometimes see a stnmge phenon.1enon emerge. The mage player feels
victi,njzed. He claims he's being unfairly singled out. l\1y incredibly
heaJthy and productive tripartite response is to roll 1ny eyes, laugh and
tell h.im to get over it
Perhaps H better response is to re1nind the mage player that it is yotU'

job to challenge him and that you're doing the best you cun. If you're
making him sweat, then it sounds like you're on the right track. ~1aybe
even ask him for some ideas on how to better challenge him. Give him a
little rope and he just 1night help you f rx the noose.
Commentary
--·-
~
,
.,a·
-
. ...,J'-
Squishy Faith
Faith is a powerful, versatile ability with one vel'y squishy requirement
anached to it-tl1c player must say a pr.ayer. If any rule is abused in
811n1ing \Vheel, it's Lhis one. Characters with the Faithful trait either
grandstand d uring a single Fight volley, or they rapidly mutter,
" Rubadubdub, thanksforthegl'ub," and toss the dice befol'e we can all
protest.
Faith rules are subject to the intent and task paradigm of the system.
Tiu: prayer or invocation of th~ player fotn1s the printe plirt of the task.
And, as we've discussed in this book, the task must be appropriate to the
intent. The player must offer an invocation appropriate to the n1oment
and his idiom. If he doesn't, the CM can and should inform him that his
task is inappropriate to his intent and stop the Faith dice before they
hiL the table.
Happy Helping Faith

Helping Faith with Faith is also another very squishy, oft-abused area of
the rules. According to the letter of the help rules, Faith can help Faith
any old time, right? So gather a pile of priests and pray up some major
miracles!
\Vhat's a valid way lo lintlt help among the Faithful ? ln our ga1nes,
priests from different religions may not l,elp one another unJess they pass
u Ritual skiU test. It's a small restriction, but one that's acldt!d a lot of
d~pth to our religion-heavy games. There are some basic obstacles listed
with the skill. Extrapolate advantage and disadvantage front there based
on how close or far the ritual is front the faithful's core religious beliefs.
\Vl· also euco1u-ngc. you 10 make the tTuly Fni1.hful rare in your world. lf
a player tries to use Circles to bring the Faithful into pla>7, impose the
+:3 Ob Spccifir Disposition modifier.
Faith in Fight
How quickly cnn you pray'( According to the rules, you can pray and
fight. \Ve love 10 :;cc L>n1tle priesrn bas hing heads while they invoke
clivi.J1c might. I-low often can you pray? Each prayer must be a complete
idea spok1'11, s1mg or invoked in 1.he proper idjorn. The spoken prayer is
pa.rt of Liu.• task of tl1is test! If the tusk cloesn 't. correspond to the intent,
clisallow the test. Since only 11 few words can be spoken in each volley,
mo!:il prayi:rs should take two volleys. Mon~ elaborate prayers can take
three to six \'Olleys.
il,[os1 successful prayer effl'cts ride for tJ,e duration of a conflict. If a

particular prayer is failed , invoke Lei h Ride for l.lu~ remainder of the
eonn.ict.
Prayer in Duel of \Vits

Instead of wi11g a Dncl of \Vits action, faithful characters may use prayers.
Most prayers ouly 1.a ke one volley in the Duel of \Vits. Perhaps cr.v.y sllJff
like a Major ~fuacle will ta.ke longer. \Vhile praying. you 1nny not attack
or defend or perform any other action. Vou are coruplNcly vulnerabfo.
Yotu· prayer takes effecl on the volley after its successful rompleciou.
C
The Roles of Magic
Thr Mngir Bur11cr c.'l.i:H.s lu hdp rou shape the role of the
~upernat ura l in your gaml'. Pe rhaps you seek n n1orc historical
game when' nll' ll of power follow the 1nodcl of Pythagoras (the
famed loni1u 1 Greek 111atheo1atician, philosopher, 1nagician and
mystil') or Henricus Cornelius Agrippa. von Netteshci,n (a Gennnn
magician. ~chola r. physic ian , legal expert· and theologian who
ser,·r d the Holy Ho111an E1npcror ~1aximilian I). Or 1naybc you are
more interes1 ed in a garnc with n1ythological overtones inspired
by thr likes of Odin or IVledea. ~1os1 li.kcly, you are interested in
a ~arne where. mag ic is firmly ensconced in the tropes of fantasy
fict ion inspi red by the exploits of Gandalf and Ced. You should
find something here to help make n1agic in yoLu- ga,ne unique and
exciting.
Spccificnlly, this essay is about exploring magic and practitioners

of mngic in the context: of a Burning \Vbecl ga1ne.
Standard Burning \Vheel is based largel)' ou \Vestcro fantasy anti

history, and as s uch, we draw prhnarily front \Vcstern sotu·ces in
this supplement. It is not our intention lo excl ude t he magic of
otlicr cultures and traditions. It is our hope that those of you ,nore
intcres1cd in magic based oo the legends and stories of Africa, Asia,
Southeast Asia, Australia and t he Americas, or fantasies d erived
fron1 these sources, use the tools in this book to develop t hem
yourselves. \Ve encourage you to share your creations with your
fellow players at our website.
Ftuthcr, because we are speaking of Burning Wheel, it should be

di?ar thnt a ll n1ugi1,; cu11sisls uf choice.s and consequences. Power
exacts a great pl'ice, both from the person that wields it and from
the world itself. But d espite the cosrnic. powers involved, both the
choices a nd the consequences will be fundamentally human in
nature. driven by Belier and Inscinct.
223
i ', •
4 • I •
) 1•
' •
- ,: •:, •
• • •
t .- ,:... ~-' ' ,·
To this end, we should be clear t hat while magical powers hold n degree
of novclLy in themselves, ow· concci1 is that the decision to use power or
nOI , how to apply it and the price to be paid for it is far more interesting
than 1hc actual power itself. The bes t stories of n1agic are about the
choices its usr prcscuts.
Finally, it is wortll uoting that the magic in this book is heavily flavored
by the source materia l we used for inspiration. At BuJ·n ing Wheel
Headquart ers. our pole stru· for matters magical is Ursula K . Le Guin
and her stories of Eanhsea. It is no coincidence that we return to her
stories again and agoiu to illustrate our points. Stephen H. Donaldson's
stories of Thomas Covenant are nnothcr powerful inspiration, 1U1d it
should come. us no surprise d1t1t J. fl. R. Tolkien's stories helped to guide
us as well. Norse und Creek mythology also play an important role in
our Lhinking, and we have drawn from chem heavjly.
Magical Magic
tvlagic is n supernanual power that defies the natural order. It is a force
that controls both man and nat ure. Magic has laws that govern its
working, though they arc often alien from tbe laws that describe the
working of the natural world. In many casesi only another applicacion
of 1nagic or foith is sufficient to guard against it or break its power.
In historical or mythological concept ions of n1ngic, it is generally a

power granted by the gods or spirits of some kind.
Such magic is usually innate in the case of gods (though some, like
Odin, must quest or sacrifice for deeper secrets}. For men, visious
and callings arc a common way to discover power, fro1n ~1oscs and
the burning bush to the Oglala Lukot.n medicine mau, Block Elk, who
received his vision at a young age during an intense, life-threatening
fever. Humans, in general, invoke the power-the power does not belong
to the humans themselves.
In \Vcstcrn fantastic literature, wizards and witches generally keep

the quasi-scientific trappings of the Renaissance- or Enlightcnn1cnt·
cru magus. The historical and religious overtones of such magic are
usually left behind (a grcac many Renaissance magicians were.monks,
like Giordano Bruno, Tommaso Campanella or Abbot Johannes
Trithcmius).
Commentary
PrueI ioners of niagic usually lap their power through esote.ric formulae
and incant nt ions. Oftcu-but not always-the one who seeks co control
such powers 111ust have beeu born with n special gift. Others, like Pan
Twanlowski (a sorcerer front Polish folldore) or Dr. Faust (of German
legeud anti literature), gain access lo their powers by bargaining with
,he Devil.
Archetypes in ~1agical Fiction

There. arc three in1port11nt ter,ns we use in this essay that bear ....
(")
cldi11itio11: ,he ot her, die mistake aJ1d the forbidden place. These arc
thrt·c archetypes that appear in fantnstic fiction. Let's look at theo1
hl'forc wf' delve too dr.cply into I he roles of magic.
17,e Other
The other is a person who, although acknowledged by a conunurnry.
is considered outside it. \\7izru·ds stand apart as otJiers because they
arc different: they wield a power thnt regular people neither have
nor undersland, and their names are writ1en in the book of destiny.
Communities either feru· a wfaard's power. revere that power or both.
11,e ,'J1istake
The n:iistake is n te1-rible enor committed hy a young wizru·d in hubris
or ignorance. The error has far-rend1ing consequences that threaten
<loom 10 the wizru·d, hfo loved ones illld often the world itself.
The fi,rbidrlen Place

The forbidden place appears in story after story. It is a place thut
the conununity considers taboo. It oppe11rs in many guises: a cave.
a haunted forest, a lost te1nple, a deep mine, o tomb, u lab)Tinth or
even the land of tJ1e dead. Tbe forbidden place is fraught witl1 terrible
danger. Perhaps most dangerously of all, tl1e forbidden place forces
the wizard to examine himself, to face who and what he is.
Sorcerer and the Community

Sorcl'rers and wizards always exist in relation to a community, whether
they ure ils protector, its outcast or its terrifying adversary. The
st0ries of ~orccrous heroes often begin with a pressing need within a
community. The community will be tl1reatened, whether by natural

disus1er, conquest or even ni~rc insidious perils, like the weakening of
lite harrier that sepnratr,s the liv ing fro,n tlie dead.
b
q
As on1• who stands apart, the sorcerer is in a unique position to answer

the communit y's n eed. for he is abll.' to see in ways the community
cannot. Further, hi' has, or cnn find , the power to act on what he secs.
If the community recognizes its need and reverses sorcery, or at least

accepts iL community may view thr. sorcerer as a savior. P1·ophecy may
idc11tify him as anoint rd for 1 hr role.
Hamon Alonzo. the hero of Lord Dunsany's 1926 fantasy novel The
Clu,r11•0111ar1 's Shadow, is a prime example. His fatber is the Lord of the
Tower and Hocky Forest , but the fanlily hus follcn on hard times and
has no 111011cy for thr. dowry of R1unon·s sist.er, Mirandola. Ra1non is sem
10 study wit Ii a nearby magician so as to learn how to turn dross into
gold and thus supply his sister's dowry. In this story, the community is
small. consisting only of Ramon's family. T'his is bclievablr. because tl1e
s tory remajns relentlessly for.u sed on the personal level, even though
Ramon's actions ultinullcly affcr.t all of Spai11 and one Jong-suffering
charwoman.
Galen Bradwardc11 pruvid1:s unot11cr exnmplc in lhc film Dragons/aye,:

Galen's community is rhe whole of the kiogdom of Urland. He steps
into the role of savior by sun1moning his n1aster from the dead with an
incantation so that he 1nay confront the dreaded Jragon Verm itltrax
Pejorative.
Thmnas Covcoant, of Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas

Covenant. the Unbeliever; is the quintessential antihero. He shows
another side of this type of wizard. The White-Gold \Vielder, am!
supposed reincarnation of a great hero of the Land, is recognized as
a savior by aln1ost ever yone in that place except for himself. He is
sent forth in accord with prophecy to use his wild magic to thwart the
mar.hinnt.ions of tbP. rlrP.nrlP.rl Lorri Foul.
Other time~, the need is only binted at in prophecy, and only a select few
recognize the portents. Heroes in such stories are often underestimated
and even scorned, for the community does not sec its need. Yet when
trouble strikes and only a mon or wmnan of power has the ability 10
foce il, it is fortunate indeed that such n person is nearby to hear the
call.
Once the need has been identified, the anointed one must step forward
as destiny requires-the living e,nbodiment of the mystical other who
possesses the power to cure the incurable.
-- Commentary ~,,!
{,t,,,.
The Light Side
\Vhether the source of inspiration is historical, ntythological or literary,
cl'rtnin tlwmes recur. Magical heroes generally take one of four roles:
the Adept, the Bringel' of Fire, the Maker or the Ol'acle. Sometirnes a
hero is purely one type, while some her·oe~ blend Lbem.
Our examples are far fron1 exhaustive. \Ve've pared them down to our
favorites and enl:ourage you to reflect oa yours. In some cases, we've
left 0111 the most obvious examples because, well, they're very obvious.
The Adept
·Ced. listen lo me now. /·lave· you. never thought how dunger ,nust
s11rro1111d power as shridow does light? TlziR sorce,y is not a game-we
play for pleasure or praisl'. Think ofthis: that every' word, every' act of
our Art is said and is done either/or good, orfor evil. Before you speak
or <lo )'OIi must know the price lhat is to pay!"
-Ur:r.uln K. Lt' Guin. ,t 11'1:ard ofEa.rtluta
The Ack·pt is a young wizard or sorceress, flush with power-often

beyond that of 1nagical peers-but lacking the w isdom and e:xperi<'nce
10 understand the deeper ramifications of his actions.
The scory of the Adept is one of power, error and redemption. The need
10 redeem himself, to fix an error, is what separates the Adept from the
other roles.
The Adept is powerful, but he is .also innocent, na'ive and vulnerable.

In his arrogance or ignorance, the Adept uses his n1agic to play with
powers he does not yet understand and breaks a fundamental law or
rule 1ha1 is beyond his mastery. Often, repeated warnings against the
danger of his chosen pach go unheeded. The core question of his story is
whether he will earn the wisdon1 to redeem his rnistake (and thereby to
practice his art as a master), or succuo1b to corruption and be enveloped
by it.
The mistakes of wizards are not srnall. They threaten the world,
a community or a soul, often all three. The Adept-vulnerable and
corruptible-,nust go forth as a savior on a quest to undo what he has
wrought.
Such quests generally have three stages, as follows:

;. • ·1 . • •• ,,
'•\ • '• I J • - •: I • '
Commentary
Firsr. the Adept mus! recognize the extent of his 1nistake and that only
he has the ability to fix it. He cannot run from his rnistake, nor can a
mentor or Oracle resolve it for hirn.
Second, the Adept n1ust a ccept that the mistake was the result of a flaw
in himself. Outside forces tnay have played a role in bringing hun to his
mistake, but he alone is ultirnately r esponsible for his fate.
Finally. the Adept 1nusl confront his n1istake, usually in a lost or

forbiddl'll place, and pay a price (whicl1 could be anything fron1
liumili1 y 10 de-nth) to redeem it
Ced drfincs the role of the Adept in A I/lizard of Earthsea , when his
arrogance and envy lead him to attempt to summon the dead. lnstea<l,
he brings forth a monstrous shadow and must undertake a long
nnd harrowi11g c1uesl beyond the edge of the world to master both it
and himself. Only by vanquishing his pride, learning humility, and
accepting the dark things within himself us part of his being, is be able
to ovcrcorne the shadow that he smnn1oned.
T homas Covenant the Unbeliever is another Adept. In Lord Foul's

Bane, his disregard leads him to comm it an unforgivable crime that
he must struggle to redeem. Somewhat uniquely for an Adept, Thomas
Covenant's 1nistake is not t ied to misuse of nragical power, but rather to
a refusal to acknowledge the world around hirn and his role in it. Only
by accepting the world and his place in it can he draw on the wild and
unpredictable magic of his ring to defeat Lord Foul.
John Constantine, too, is an einbodimenc of the Adept. As a yo1tng man,

Constantine thought he had t·he wisdom and power to end a demonic
possession. Instead, he damned a little girl's soul and doomed himself
and the friends who participated in the ritual. The c01nic Hellblazer is a
,' 1 • • t t • t •'/ _.;_ t; -: I
long and winding chronicle of his doomed effort to live with his mistake
and his uddictiou to walking t he razor's edge between the role of the
Adept and the role of the Dark Disciple.
The Bringer of Fire

Prometheus u•as one oft.he Titans, u gigantic race, who inhabited t,he
earth before the crPalio11 of man. To hi,n and his brother Epimetheus
was commilled the office of making man, and providing him and all
ot:her animals u•ith the fac:1tlties necessar.Y for their preservation.
Epimetheus undertook lo do this, and Prometheus was to overlook his
ll'Ork , u•hen it was done. Epimetheus according{,- proceeded to bestow
upon tlte different animals the various gifts of courage, strength,
swiftne.~.~, .~agClcity; wings lo one, claws to another, a she[!), co11ering
to a third, etc. But u•hen 111011 came to be provided for, who was to
be superior to all other animal:,, Epimetlteus had been so prodigal
of his resources that l,e had nothing left to bestow upon him. In hi.~
perple:city he resorted lo his br.olher Prometheus, who, with the aid
of!vlinerva, wen/ up to hea11e11, and l(ghled /zis torch at. the chariot of
the sun and b,-ought dotvn fire to man. l-f1ith this g{ft man was more
than a match for all other ani,nals. It enabled him to make weapons
wherewith to subdue them; too& with which to cultivate the earth; lo
warm his dwelli11g1 so as to be con1paratioely independent ofclimate;
andfinally to introduce the arts and to coin money, the means oftrade
and cqnunerce.
-!fhomas Bullfinch, T/re Age off'ablc
The Bringer of Fire is one who recreates the feat of Prometheus by

journeying to lost or forbidden places, to bring forth salvation for the
people. It should be noted that this represents two distinct arcs for the
Bringer of Fire-the journey lo that forbidden place and the return to
society with his fire.
Fire represents many th ings. ft is the force of creation , and also

destruction. It is a source of protection, and also terror. h transforms,
consumes and purifies. It represents technology and ,nun's ability to
tame nature, but also nature's ability to reclnin1 what man has made--
civilization and primal forces at once. [tallows 1nan to communicate his
prayers to the gods in the form of bun1t offerings. Fire is ,nagie.
But it r:omcs with a steep price. Man does not steal the power of gods
lightly. Ask Crow, who lost his brilliant plun1age; or Dr. Frankenstein,
who lost everything. A victorious Bringer of Fire will be feted by his
p~oplc, but t he price he pays will forever set him apart.
d
Commentary
The Briuger of Fire is both savior and trickster, for power alone is not
enough to stea l power. \Visdon1 , c unning, ingenuity and a true heart ru·e
required to defeat t he c hallenge of the forbidden place.
The forbidden place can be frighteningly real or sublimely spiritual.

The prizt> ca.n be n physical treasure, cldritc:b might or lost or forgot.ten
lore.
Tht· Bri11g<'r of Fire doesn't always rnake his journey with th e fate of
the world at :;ta ke. Tlte people can often continue as they are without
the Briuge.r of Fire's i11tervcotion, yet he cau n1akc thci1· lives better and
morn meaningfu l if his quest is s uccessful.
The Bringer of fire has not erred. as the Adepr bas. But neither is he
perfect. His qtu·st wil l test and change him. He will have to prove his
wisdom. c unning and heart to succeed.
Ced takes on t he niantle of the Bringer of Fire when he enters rbe

lightlcss dt>plhs of t he T01nbs of Atuan and brings forth the Ring of
Erreth-Akbe, thus restoring the Boud Rune, the sign of Peace. Tbe ring
is a physical u·easLtre, but it also represents forgott en lore. Ced's strength
and will arc put to t11e supreme test.in t he ton1bs, as he. struggles against
darkness and the oppressive forcP. of the Nan1eless powers of the earth.
But his n·ue test is discovering Arha, the Eaten One, and kindling the
light of her <lMire for frccdon1 in order to guide her fron1 the belly of the
Nameless Ones and allow her to be reborn as Tenar.
Norse mythology gives us yet another example in the forn1 of Odin the
Allfather, who takes a ,norc spiritua l journey by hanging himself from
the \Vorld Tree for nine days, a sacrifice.: to himself, so that he might
bring forth the Rw1es of Power-elclritch n1igh1. He learns many things,
rrum spdls lo s1ay the weather aud ext inguish fires to spells for blunting
weapons and heali11g. Odin sacrifices an eye so that he might drink
from the \Veil of \Visdon1 and so see into the past, present and future.
Odin's tests are physical in nature, hut also tests of will, requiring the
king of the gods to humble himself and suffer for power.
lnJ011rney to the //lest, Tripitaka the monk (also known as Xuanzang)

and his disciples become Bringers of Fire when they journey to Vulture
Peak in India to bring forth the Buddhist scriptures. Tripitaka's
main magical abiJity is guidance from Buddha himself, though his
companions, like Monkey, have flashier abilities, such as transformation
or leaping incredibly long distances. Countless evils, both physical and
t J •
•
I:
spiritual, test the coo1panio11s on

their journey along the Silk Road
and prove their wonhincss ro carry
the script urcs back lo China.
The Maker
/11 that t.ime u,ere 1nade those
things tliut after111urd.s were ,nos/
re11ow11ed of all t l,e works of Jhe
Elt•es. For Fi;ano,; bei11g come to
his full might, was fill ed with a ,.,.. .~
1H! 111 t bought, or it may be that
.-
some shadow of foreknowledge
came t.o him of I he doom that drew
near: a11d he pondered hou: the
ligl,t. of the Trees, t!te glo,y of Jiu:
Blessed Realm, ,night be preserved
imperishable. Th en he began a
long and secret labo,; and he summoned all his lore, and his power,
and /,is subtle skills, and at the- end ofall he made the Sibnaril.s.
- J. R. R. Tolkir11, Tiu· Sit111urillio11
T he f\•f aker is a skilled technician, a craftsman who accepts the gift

of fire and tames it so that it becomes a power of creation rather than
destruction.
Most frequently it is the product of the Maker's labors that initiates or

is the goal of a quest.
Sometimes, this product can lead to more harm than good, as happened
with Feanor and his sons, who bccan1e so ena,uored of bis greatest
creation that they swore an oath that would lead to great suffering and
misery in the world. The stories of such treasures rarely have happy
endings.
Other times, the Maker crafts physical treasures of power, like the
Finnish god-smith Ilmurinen, ·who created the n1ysterious Sau1po, a
magical artifact that manufactured flour, salt and gold from thin air.
The Maker also exists to mend sucb treasures, like Elrond Half-Elven
taking up the shattered pieces of Narsil-sy1nbolic of the broken
kingdom of Arnor and Condor-and forging thcin anew as Anduril,
the Flame of the \Vest , in J. R. R. Tolkien's Fellowship ofthe Ring.
Commentary
Rart'ly. i1 is tht' land itself the Maker seeks to mend. Heleth, master of
t\ihal. who in Lur11 was rnaster to Ced, shows this face of the Maker
wht'n Ill' s tills the earthquake, mending the fault beneath the Isle of
Gon1 in '"The Bones of tht> Earth."
Tht> Maker·,, stor y is primarily one of building and shaping, whether

it be an item of power. a destiny, a n ation or a person. It requires
sometl1ing brokl·rt that a man or woman of power might mend, or n
Janµ cr that a ma/!ieian might race by crafting a treasure. The mending
is never a n easy lask, and frequently requires a journey to a forbidden
place for 1he reagents necessary for a making. Invariably, the making
rrquires a sacrifice. that is difficult for the 1nagician to bear.
The Oracle
Alas, alas, whul mise,y to be wise
ll'he11 wisdom profits nothing! This old lore
I haclforgolfPn; ,•/sp I mPrP nol here.
-Sophodes, Oedipus Rex
The Oracle is an advisor and g uide, a keeper of secrets and lost lore.
His role is lo inforin, never to act. The Oracle is always a supporting
chara~tcr, great in power but unable to perform the task ror which the
hero is destined.
Oracles deliver knowledge from unattainable sources-the gods, the

future, the past, the dead-and transmit it to the hero so he might
continue his quest. Not infrequently, the hero denies the Oracle's
wisdom to his misfortune.
The Oracle can appear at the beginning of a taJe so that he might

commune with t he otherworld and relay the hero's destined path-one
that is surely filled with misfortune or anguish. But the Oracle can also
be a goal of a hr!ro's quest, dwelling in the forbidden place to deliver the
otltcrworld's lore to the Bringer of Fire.
Teire!>ias the l,lind seer plays the role of OraclP. many rin1t>.<; in his
appcaranr:r.s in epic po.etry and tragedies. In Oedipus Rex he reveals
the cause of the curse on Thebes to the furious and disbelieving King
Oedipus. Even death doc:~ not <lull the prophet's abilities, for Odysseus
venture~ into the llndl'rworld itscl f to learn from the ghost of Teiresias
what he must do to assuage the seu god Poseidon's wrath.
---
Then then· is tl11: tragic Cassandra of the Iliad, whose sufferings seem
endless. She foresaw 1hc destruction of T roy, as well as her own dem ise
and defilement, witb thl' oracular powers inilictcd on her by Apollo.
Dt•s pit(' rhis, h<~r brotht~rs Hector and Paris, und her fath er Priam,
thought her mud and imprisoned her, denyi11g her visions.
Dallben and his udopti\'t' mothers. Ordd11, Orwcn and Orgoch aU

play the Oracle to 1be hero Turan in T/ze Chrouicles of P1ydain. As
an Oracle•, Dnllbcn hr:lps Taran begin bis quests. Ta ran's two journeys
into rhe t'v£arshes of Morva-the forbidden place-to visit Orddu, Onvcn
und Orgod1 mark important turning points in his d estiny.
Playing the Ligbt Side

\Vlten a player creates a magical eharactcr in u Burning \Vhccl game,
it is wortlt consider ing which of the roll's tha t character will play.
All playe.r chnractcrs in Burning \X1 hcd a rc expected to Le dynamic;
protagonists. Ii is expected t hat the story of the ~an1c revolves around
the charac ters nnJ rhat the chanact.crs' lldiefs will be challenged nnd
drnngrd in Lhc course of play.
Of the wizardly rolr.s d escribed ahove, two-the Adept and the

Bringer of Fire- lend themselves 10 the role of protagonist. The Adept,
cspecinlly, addresses the fundnmcnrn l question of magic: \Vha t is tl1e
proper use of magic? \Vhcn is its price worth paying and wh<'n is it nor?
The other two roles-1.he Maker and the Oraclc-ar<' rarely protagonists;
they arc usually supporting characters that aid or gttide the protagoni,;t
in some way.
The reason comes down to choice. Adepts and Bringers of Fire a1·e in
the process of questioning their .choices about magic and themselves.
Their stories are about answering those questions. Makers and Oracles
have typically made their choices and paid their prices. They are not
expected to become something else at the end of the story.
Heleth , cited as a ~1aker, is an example of a rare exception for this type.

He is a cl1aracter who still has a c hoice to make and o. price to pny, and
so he is a 6t protagonist for a tale .
Commentary
In any evcut. when c reating a 1nagical character-whether that

dwruclt'r uses sorcery, faith , or some other magical power-ask yourself
wh,H pricl' and what choice stands before the character. \Vhat does the
chararter st rugglr with ? How does that struggle define magic in your
gnme? \Vriu- a Belief about t hat srruggle.
The Dark Side

Magit'al vi llai11s gent'rally take one of four roles: the Dark Disciple, the
Dccein·r. 1ht• Uringer of Darkness a11d the Un1naker.
The Dark Disciple

Then, grvtesquelJ'i his lava( eyes took on an angle ofcunning. Twitching
nods om•r !tis shoulder, he hissed in a raw voice, "Here-Llzis is fai1:
Fair: Belfer than promise. All of them.- here. All little Lords and puny
Bloodguard-humans. Ready for crushing." lie started to laugh, broke
into a fit of coughing. "Crush/ " he spat when he regained control of
himself. "Crush with power:,. lie ,nade a Lillle noise Like cracking ofbones
in his throat. "Power! Liltle lords. 1l1ightJ' Drool. Bet.ter thafl promises. ,.
- Sr~phcn ll. Dor.aldson, l,ord Fouls Bmw
The Dark Disciple is one who walked die path of the Adept buL was
unable to redeem himself. Instead, he was consumed by his mistake.
Rcdemplion might still be possible, but it is outside the Dark Disciple's
reach aJouc. The in1petus must co1ne fi:on1 another.
The pos.~ibilily of redemption is the defining al tribute of a Dark

Disciple. \Vhcther t bat redemption cmnes to fruition or not is another
s lor y. The men~ possibility gives the character humanity and nlso
makes t he character an cxcel]ent foil for the protagonist, who should,
in turn. recognize that he too might fall as the Dark Disciple has fallen.
In 1hc, m,~nntime, the Dark Disciple must. serve an evil master and pay
for his mistakt' by spreading suffering and lerror. The Dark Disciple is
a sr:rvan1 of a greater evil. He ,nust. be confronted, and vanquished or
n:dl'C~rnnd, bf'forc 1he true evil cun be faced.
Earl, Durk Disciple has u weakness, sown from his own arrogance and
r:orrcsponding to his mistake. Th~ om.> who discovers tha1 weaknr.ss can
~st· it to rf-'mind thc. Dal'k Disciplt: of his humani1 y, or to break his power
if the Dark Disciple rt'f uses redemption.
.
.. . . ' 1 1 '
r1 IJ. r1'
, "'( ·' f t''i •1/ (' , · 1· I ' ,, t" \ ~.
V
Commentary
In general, if the Da1·k Disciple is the foil of an Adept, tbe mistake of

thr. Do.rk Disciple should be the san1e as the one with which the Adept
struggles. A Dark Disciple works best ,vhen held up as a mirror to the
proragonisL
Da rk Disciples arc the 01ost hu1nan of sorcerous antagonists. Their

morives arr I ypically discernible and understandable. We may not
Cc-el dmt we would 1nakc a si1nilar 1ni;;take, but we should be able to
understand 1he choice that was mnde.
Dark Disdples arc often 1he servants of Bringers of Darkness and

Unmaken,, archc1ypes who rarely i111crar.1 wi1h the protagonist s
clin:-cily.
Danh Vader is perhaps the mos1 iconic Dark Disciplti. His flaws are
pricfo and ange1·. 11e is ruled by those passions, as typilted by using
the mystical powers of the Force to kill subordinates who question
his power or fail in I heir duties. Pride-his desire to over1hrow his
master-leads him to seek a nmnion with his sou, leaving the door open
for that son to awaken feelu1gs in him that he had long buried. W' hereus
Darch Vader succumbed to his passions and fell 10 the Dark Side. his
Mm, tbuugh 1tm1plccJ, rcshlt~. Thal ni~m!itaJ1cc pron~.<, to be the l."X11111plc
Darth Vader needs Lo su·uggle anew ugainst his own mistake.
Sarum11n, chief of the Order of the Tstari in The Lord of tht> Rings,
represents another face of 1 he Durk Disciple. Like his evcntual master.
Sauron, Saruman was a servunt of the Vala Aule: like ma'Uy of Aule's
servru1t::;, he was predisposed to covetousness. His lust for ring lore and
Sauron's power led him to abandon his original qurst in Middle Earth
and to become Sauron's accomplice and servant, raising up armies of
ores. His desire for power led 10 his weakness: His pride blinds him to
the anger he arouses in the priinal forces ofFangoru. He sends all his
armies into Heln1's Deep in an effort to conquer Rohan, and leaves his
stronghold undefended against the murch uf the Eats. Gandalf offers
Saruman a chance to redeem himself, but Sarumun is unwilling, and
so Gandalf breaks his staff and his power with it.
Drool Hockworm, in Lord Foul's Bane, is a classic Durk Disciple.

Thinking that lie has captured und mnstered the Staff of Law himself.
he: merely perfonns Lord Fon.l's bidding. Lord Foul, potent and cunning,
grants Drool power so that the twisted cavewight can lead Thomas
Covenant into a trap and further bind the hapless hero to Lord Foul
, I. . .' )
, u ;· :if;·1 ·;- 4 ; l / ,: 1 -1·; ~ :), /: .,
hi111self. Drool is a pawn in the. game, and tl10ugh h e nearly obliterates

Covenant and his companions, i-r is he who is destroyed by Covenant's
wild magic.
The Deceiver
Atloreo1,er [the Noldo,j were 1101 al peace in their hearts, since the)'
hnrl refused lo re/urn into thl' Illes!., and thr.y desirPd both to stay in
!11iddle-C'artl,, which indeed they lo1Jed, and yet 10 enjoy the bliss of
those that /,ad departed. Therefore they harke11ed lo Sauron, and they
learned ofhim many things,for hi.~ knowledge wus great. In those daJ:~
the smiths ofOst-i11-Edhil surpassed all llwl lhcyhad contrived before;
they look thought, and they made the Ri11gs of Power. 8111 Sauro11
guided their labors, and he was awn.r<' of all that they did; for his
desire 11:as to set a bond upon the Efoes and bring them under his
rigilance.
-J. It. H. Tolkien, The Silmartllion
The Deceiver is n dark Oracl~, a n ag~nt of t'vil sent to twist the hero's
destiny and scnrl hint hurtling down tlm wrong path.
The Deceiver's power stems frmn his al,ility 10 fool and manipulate
tl11: pcutugunis t. 'l'he Deceiver rarely has the power to stand np to a
protugonist in II fair fight once his lies hav1~heeo revealed. Instead, the
Deceiver plays upon the we11knesscs of his victims to encourage them
10 destroy the1nselves.
Although the Deceiver's mcrl1ods arc often employed by IJ1ure powerful

entities with apocalyptic goals, tlu: Deceiver himself is 1101 seeking the
e nd of the world. He seeks conu·ol.. likc the Bringer of Darkne!.s, hut is
11ot strong enough to take it by force. lni;tead, the Deceiver's enemies
must be manipulated into giving up cout.rol.
To function, a Deceiver must gain 1J1e trust of u person of power and the
ability to influence that person. The vicrim falls under the Deceiver's
inllucnce due to the Deceiver's evil power, but aho due to a naw or
weakness in the victim's character. The Deceiver guides his victim co
wrong actions, b111 ultimately it is 1J1e victin1's choice. The Dcccin:r does
not mnke anyone do anything.
Often, the baleful inilucnce of t he Deceiver becomes appnrcat to those

who truly care for 1he victim, but by the time it does. the victim is too
far under the Decejver's spell. Those who can see the truth are never in o
posil ion to act directly against thl' Deceiver without hurting1he victim.
Commentary
1)1,n•iver~ 111ost oflcn work on behalf of ocher powers. They arc rarely
the main vi llains and frequently turn on their masters at the end,
thou~h ii is rarelr out o[ penitence. Their evil and selfishness docs not
allow 1hc1n 10 care for anyone bul themselves.
Grima \\iorr11tong 111• or The Tu•o Towers is one of the most recogoiznblc
Deceivers. l-1<' uses his arts>learned at the feet of Saruman to enfeeble
'
and inlhwnct• Thcodc11, king of the Rohirrirn. Under \~'ormtongue's
influence. Tlteo<lcn King drives his loyal subjects into exile and forsakes
his duties. Cr1rna works also to poison the mind of the king against
Camlalf and the cornpanions. \Vhen \Vormtongue is undone, he turns
upon his n1asler.
Snuron hims<'lf. in his g uise as Annatar, t he Lord of Gifts. shows

him~elr n very potent Deceiver. Sauron takes the role of Annatar at the
beginning of the Second Age, befriending the Elven srniths of Eregion
and inst ruc-tiug d1c1n in ring lore and mngic, despite the doubts of
Caladrir l and Ci.1-galad. h is under Annatar's direction that the rings
of power arc made. Later in the Second Age, captured by the king of
N11mc11or, Sauron the Deceiver convinces them 10 build n temple to
the Da rk Lord Melkor where hun,an sacrifices arc made. Eventually,
under ltis dark gu.idance, Nun1cnorcans make war upon Va Ii nor itself,
and E.ru sinks the isle beneath the waves for their presumption. And
so Sauron's manipulation and lies ended one of the greatest threats to
Molkor's ultimate rule of Middle Earth.
In A /Vizard of Earthsea, iL is Serret, daughter of the lord of Re Al bi

and Lady of the Court of the Terrenon, who performs the duties of the
Deceiver. It is she that goads Ced into making the terrible mistake for
which he pays dearly. She senses the weakness in hirn-his pride and
arroga11ce-and plays upon it. Later she seeks to enslave him to the
Terrenon. one of the Old Powers of 1he Earth, thinking that she had
mustered ·that dread stone and could control Ced through it. Through
Serret, the Terrenon promises Ced 1nnstery and rule. By way of much
sufforing und heartache, Ced is able to sec through her wiles to the
1ruth of slavery ncsllcd within her lies. In the end, as is inevitable with
a Deceiver, Serret betrays her master.
--
,: . . ....
The Bringer of Darkness

He thought of J'ara, tl,e high priest, wlto worked strange dooms
from this jell'eled lo111e1; and the Cimmerian's hair prickled as he
rememberccl o tale told b_y a drunken page of the court-how Yara
had laughed in the face of a hostile prince, and l,eld up a glowing,
<'L'il gem before him, and how rays shot, blindi11glJ· from that unholy
jewel, to e11l'rlop tl,r prince, u•ho screamed and fell down, and shrank
to a withered blackened lump that changed lo a black spider which
sca111perccl 1l'ild{1· about the chamber until J'ara set lzis heel upon it.
-Roh~rt E. llowurd. -Tl1<' Tower of th<' F.lcphnn1 ~
Tlw Bringer of Darkness is a sorcerer whosen1astery is bent to infecting

the land wit h fear and ignorance. The Bringer of Darkness seeks his
own aggrandizement and power, te1nporal or otherwise.
Such sorcLirers seek dominion over i-!1t• earth, and they pursue this goal
by e1nploying or making deals with dark powers and by seek ing to
break the bonds of civilization. They seek to n1ake men ignorant and
savage in order to make them easier to rule.
The Bringer of Darkness is not bent ou destruction for its own sake. If
the world were destroyed, therr ·would be nothing to rule and do1ninate.
\VJ1ile it is harder to relate lo the motives of the Bringer of Darkm:ss

than to the motives of t he Dark Disciple, the Bringer of Darkness still
!1as recognizably human quidities. The desin: for power and domination
drives the Bringer of Darkness. though it is not necessarily clear what
the Bringer of Darkness hopes to do with this power should he gain it.
\Vithout a clear purpose behin<l the drive Tor don1ination, the Bringer
of Darkness can be a bit one-dimensional. It is t herefore best to L:eep
hin1 as a menace looming in the background, rather than a force that
confronts the protagonists directly. These characters most frequently
confront the protagonists through their minions, Deceivers and Dark
Disciples in their service.
On the other hand, a Bringer of Darkness with a fully formed 1notive can
become a truly memorable and terrible foe to a group of protagonists.
Arawn Death-Lord, the tyrant that overshadows all of the Chronicles

of Prydain frorn his stronghold in Annuvin, is a Bringer of Darkness.
Able to take a.ny shape he chooses, he spends years travelli1g the land
of Prydain, stealing enchanted tools and knowledge. Rather than using
d
Commentary
chem for himsel f, he. locks thcn1 in the treasure vaults of Annuvin,
where clwir power can benefit no one. He maintains his power by
keeping men ignorant and weak. \X1 hilc h(' is a looming thrent, he most
often acts through his servants, like the Horned King, the gwythaints,
the Cnuldron-Born, the Huntsmen of Annuvin and power-hungry men
that flock to his banner.
The Mngiciun , fron\ Th e Charwoman's Shadow, initially seems to

be a less menacing Bringer of Darknes;; but proves to be all the more
sinister for iL Dedicated to cultivating his owrl powl:r and wresting
away the secrets of heaven, the fvlagician tTicks his servants into giving
away tJ1cir shadows in exchange for his gifrs, but all too soon they
discover that doing so has put them deep in his power. The Magician's
defeat at Ramon Alonzo's hand, while freeing those who suffe.red in
rhe Magician's clutches, docs not drive !back the darkness. Instead, the
Magician sets off on a voyage through Spain, drawing all Lhe J1idden
creatures of mag ic to hin1 and taking them with hin1 to the Country
Beyond Lhc Moon's Rising. The Magician's departure brings an cod to
all magic and Spain's Colden Age.
Jadis, the \Vlrite \Vitch of The Lion, the ll'it;ch, and the 1f1ard,-obe,
is another Bringer of Darkness. The beautif1tl Amazon dmninates
all Nornia with a wand that turns those who oppose her to stone
(reminiscent of Circe's wand, which turns victims into swine). The
remaining, fearfu l subjects of her police state suffer a never-ending
winter. In addition to her wand and 01her sorceries, Jadis maintains
lie,· power with an anny of evil creatures, including wolves, giants,
dwarves, werewolves and ogres.
•
• •t';
' ' '
I •: ...
The Unmaker
Fa/1'11 C/11:rube, to be ,veak is miserable
Doi11g or Suffering: b11t ofthis be sure.
To do ought good ne1w1· 111i/l be o,u· Lask,
/Jut e1·er to do ill our sole• cleligl,t,
As being th,• cor1lra1:v lo his high will
IV/10111 ll'<' resist. If 1111'11 his Pro1•icf1'nce
Out of our e1 1il seek lo bri11gforlh good,
Our labour 11111st ue
to pen,,•rl tl,nt c•nd,
:Ind 0111 of,:ood still to find 11wu11 s ofevil:
11'/iicl, o)i time.~ 111oy succc>ed. so as perhaps
Sh<1/I gri,,1·e J,i,11. ff !fail 1101. and disturb
/-/is inmost co1111s<-ls fro111 Iheir de.~/ ind aim.
- ~1111111 In lkrlz1·h11l, 11po111hr f'nll . J11h 11 Mill on. Pamdi.,, la,1
Tl11:- linmak,·r i:; n sorcerer wlios.c mo ~tc ry

•
i5 foc.u:otd 111>011 hrin°ino
0 ~
dcstru<·tion. Unlike the Bring<•r ,of Darkness, 1hr Llnma ker doc!- not
co11crr11 himsdf with <lorn inion, nor i!- power really his ultimate en<l.
l lnmnkers seek 10 bring about the end of the. world and the dl'Slruction
of all things.
Unnrnkers nrl' 11ot so much chnrni:lcrs as plot elemrn1,;. Thc-ir moti\'es

arc typically inexplicnble, their powers vnst, uu<l rhcy rarely appear
10 the protugonists. Instead, they net br hind the srenes nn<l through
minions. and their actions havC' wiclespreu<l c:on~cquc-ncc,;.
Because 1hcy rarely have motives with ,d1id1 we can sy1upa1hizc. i1 is

best 10 lrave Unmakers off till\ s1t1gc as much n:; po~sible in our games.
Instead, lhc protagonists c11<:ount-?.r tlw llnmokcr und his nets through
his minions, especially Dark Disciples and Dcccivrrs in his servicr.
The key to the linrnnkcr is not his motive, but the n,cthods he employs.
They 11re what give each Urnnnker a unique llavor. In a sense, the
Unmnkcr is a metaphor for a fear or darkness in our~elyes. AddirionaUy,
though powerful. the Unmaker is oot without liutits. There ure certain
rules to how he 1nust accomplish his ends, and the.s~ rules are almost
always lied lo the 1nethod the Unn1aker employs.
Cob. the villain of The Farthest Shore, is a sy1ubol of the fear of drath.
To defeat dratb, Cob breaches the wull betwern worlds. This act grants
Cob rtcrnnl life of a sort, but also slowly strips away all that is good and
worrhwhiJr. in thr world. Without thr. intervention of Ged and Arren.
Commentary
Cob would exist forever, but cbe rc would! be no real life. Cob plays upon
the fear of death in those he encounters, convincing them to willingly
give up thei.r nrunes in exchange for s upposed never-ending existence.
8111 when thry do so, they also give up the things inside tbe,nselves that
allow them to take pleas ure in lifo. Each pe rson who gives up his nrune
10 Cob furthrr e rodes the wull that separates the world of life from the
Dry Land.
Meanwhile, Lord Fou l the Despiser, of the Thon1t1s Covenant s tories,

uhimn!l'ly sc1•ks Lo destroy the Arch ofTinw a nd thus urunake Creation.
Lo rd Foul works through dcspa i r, corrupt ion and scduct·ion. He makes
h is foe.~ th ink 1111,i r light is hnpcl~ss, exposes them to their flaws to make
1hcm s ucc umb to <lespuir, and seduces those who do not react in horror
when thry a rc con fron1 cd wi1h their fl aws. Slowly, through his expert
rna11ipula tio11, he subverts a ll those who wou ld fight hi,n and turns
them to his cause. Indeed , it becomes clear tha t Lord Foul n1ust work
this \I'll)' bccnusc there is a fundamenta l n1ys1ic rule whic h he must
obey: The \Vhi te Cold Bing and its wild magic must be given to lii10
willingly. He cannot tnkc it by force.
Playing the Dark Side

Each /i/111 is Ofl~}' as good as its //ilia in. Since the heroes afld the
gimmicks lend lo repeal from film lo film. on~r a gr('a / rillain can
traflsform a good try into a triumph.
- Roger Ehtn , r~dcw of Star Trel.: II: Th<' Wrath of /...'/,0 11
\Vhereas the childre n of light are protngonis1s. t.hc children of darkness

ure i111cndc<l robe antagonists, plain and sin1plc. Aside from the playt•r
characters, antagonis ts arc rhc n1ost in1poria 111 c haracters in any
Durning \Vhccl garue. To appropriate Mr. Ebert's a nalysis, a hero is
only as good as the villain who makes hi111 i111e rei-1ing.
\Vhilr. encb Burning \Vhccl game is about the player characters, it is

the a11rago11ist, the villa in, who will provide t11c m wit h the opportunit y
to be great. Sorcerous v illains are especially f 1111, as their powers a rc
,vicle-ranging a nd the y can rarely be counte red by anything short of
magic or faith .
Your primary sorct·rou~ villains will be Dark Disciples. They are the
most h11111a 11 of the. villainous t ypes, and therefore the easiest for us to
undcn,tand. The ability l o unders tand 11101ivations is what separates a
villain from a force of ~allir(·. Dark Disciples a rt' also reflections of the
choice:, and po11•111 in I fut II r<' facing t hr protagonist.
In addition, Dark Disciples have o personal stoke in the defeat or
destruction of the protagonists. A Dark Disciple should incorporate his
n1istakc and the protagonist into at least one Belief.
The Deceiver, meanwhile, nius t get close to the player characters-

or someone they care about-in order to do his work. The Deceiver
poisons from close up. He, like the Dark Disciple, usually hns s trong
and complex motivations. It is essential that the characters either not
recognize hin1 for what he is at first.. or not have the political power to
confront him directly.
A Deceiver whom thc players know about but cannot touch due to his.
political inllucnce can be o ne o.f the Les t. mos t maddening viJla ins
players will <·ver face. Such a villain will take g reat care and cunning
on the. plnyrn;' parts to annck.
DccrivcJ"S lmv<' Beliefs bused upon s ubverting their victim~ and getting
1 hem to do son1cthing in the inter-e st oft he Deceiver or his mastrr. If the
victim is 1101 a player chnraclcr. lie should be a relationship of u player

diaractt•r.
The Bringer of Darknc-ss and Unn1nk~·r arc more plot element:. than
villains. They are forces of nature-, and the player characters arc u511ally
beneath their notice. They seek the destrurtion of thl' proiagonists in
an impersonal way. They urc tlu•· big picn1re proble m til'd inextricably
into the fabric of t.hc srtt iug. h just so happens thur th<.' protagonists
stand iu their way. Should the pro1agonists· actions be brought to ,heir
attention. lhl· Bringer of Durknl'SS will rake personal intr rcst in their
destruction. They will send monstrous minions, Deceivers and their
s<'rvant Dark Disciples to carry out 1hc rask. Because I heir mo tivations
are typically one-dimcnsionul, it is best to k eep Brioge r:; of Darkness
and Unmakers in the bac-kground. The players should sec and feel the
res ults of their ac1ions but shouldn ' 1 conic face to foe<' with them until
the final climactic. moinenrs.
Bringers of Darkness and Unmnkers should have Beliefs born of their

goals and their n1otiva1ions. They rarely take protagonists into account
in their Beliefs. Instead, they oblcqucly attack the protagonis1s through
rhe ideological core of pro111gonis ts• Beliefs.
Commentary
Questions, Questions
Jn order to mnk~ the n1o5t of magic in your game, you should consider
both the nature of magic in the world in which the characters live,
and bow the characters' co1nmunities re.late to the power. Review the
following quest ions. Their answers will lend a great deal of dcpll1 to the
magic in your game and help establish its boundaries.
How does 1nagic take sl1ape in your game? Does ii work subtly or
blatantly? Art' speech and gestures required to use the power?
Does magic come from au extlwnal supernatural agency? ls i1 a gift

wil h which only a select few are born or are study and discipline enough
LO allow anyour 10 master I he art?
\\' hu1 li111irn1 ions bind the rnugic in you!" gan1c? \Vhm can't it do? \l'hat
docs ii t•xr.rl at doing?
How is mnstcrr 1aughr or learned? Do people know about it and, if so..

how do they feel about it? Arc thr. men and women who wield 1.hese
powers rrverccl or hated? \Vhat docs religion have to say on the matter?
\Vlmt oftht' luw?
.-\rr there riu1nls a practitioner 1nust observe? Axe. certain actions or

possc,;sions 1i1boo for sorcerers? Are certain 1nngical actions forbidden
or restricted?
The an:,wcr~ lo Lhcse qucstious ,viii cu rich your world and help kc,cp
mllgic n1-ro1w nnd mys1r.rio11.-..
C
-- - .,
The Arcane
This section contains 12 chapters detailing new magic systems.
variotions of f'Xtant system s and a couple of new magical powers.
The Gfterl chapter presents rules For using characters who possess
rhe Gifted tra il but arc untToined in any sorccrous art. JI introduces
an clr m ent of magical n1ayhcm into the game-something for
lovers of young adult fantas y fiction.
Corrupt ion prP.!>Cnts a nt·w emo1 ional attribute for magrs.

Tamperi.ng with a11cierll fon:cs can empower the cluiracter, but al
great cost a11d risk!
Practical ,1/agic offers up a very si1nplc form of magic in which

sorcen·rs a re mcrdy skilkd c rafts men . h's subtle and low-key.
prrfect for a11yooc sick of White Ffrc bolts destroying every
rnonsLCr in rhe path of tl1c sorcerer.
'ThP. Religion chapter talks about ways to codify Faidi into reli~ion.
h describes the powers uf god, nnd pantheous and offers sma II
variants for the versatile Faith mechanic:;.
Art 11,Jagic presents au alternate S01·cery system. Using Art !\lagic,

the wizard playe r can devise his spr.11s ou tbr Oy, rather than
prcpu rchase spells frorn a li~r. Of course. this versatility comes
with a price !
The Enchanli11g chapte r provides an extensive system that

allows characters to create their own 1nu~ical artifacts-,vhcther
~
ir's something created quickly to be, used once or sorncthing

pnins1'akingly crafted and n,cant to los t a generation.
Tiu: nex t chapter, Spirit Binding, detnils tl1e mysterious and

dungerous art of calling nncl binding the very forces of nature.
Summoning is 1.he sister to Spirit Binding, but rather than the

irnplucahlc forces of nature, the sununoner trucks with the dead,
demons, angels and gods.
247
No arcane library would be cornplete without a treatise on raising the
dead. The Death Art chapter offet'.S the cltilling details of this powerful,
obscene art. If you wish to raise corpses fru,n dcalb and liave lhesc
torn1ented souls blindly serve you, this is your foul home.
Folklore teaches you when it's time to yoke up tbe virgins in your
village and toss salt at the,n as they plough furrows in circles to keep
out disease.
Bloocl A,fagic isn't a full rnagic system per sc. It is an optional subsystem
that you can tack on to nearly any of the systems in this book or to
canon Burning \~' heel. Blood Magic provides the awful details on using
rit ual torture nnd murder to fu el your other ,nngics.
Finally, the Arcane Library concludes with a short enlry describing

new ru lcs for 111e1norizing spell,; in the Arsenal /lt/etliod for use with the
traditional Burning \Vheel Sorcery system.
Danger
This book is not a list of prett y new toys to be dumped into your game.
Do not toss in all of the options on top of Fa ith, traditional Sorcery,
Elven Songs, Dwarven Art and Ore Rituals!
Individually, each of these systcrns is dangerous. If you want to use

one, introduce it to your caa1paign with cure and caution. Discuss
t he syste1n wit'h your whole group. I-Jell, if you can, read the whole
section rogcther. Any single one of these can change the face of a game.
Therefore, everyone should he uwuri- of thi- pu&sibilitic~, even those who
aren't playing mages.
So, when starting a ne.w gaine, pick a couple of ,nagical clements to

bring ioto play. Let each character have access to one-a new system, a
new item or a new tl'ait-and go from there.
Another pitfall is the multitalcnted n1agic character: the wizard-priest

with Faith, Sorcery and Enchanting or the Chaos Lord Munchkin
master of Death Art, S11nJ1noning and Corruption. To reduce ca1npaign·
breaking characters, limit each character to one form of magic until
your group gets a feel for r he seal<' oft hr syste1ns.
A fll'r you'r<; con1 fortnblc wil'h the ncw clement:;, introduc.c more systP.mS
and have fun!
The Arcane Library
Sorcerous Skills
Sorcrrous-type skills-Alche1ny, Aura Reading, Death Art, Enchanting,
Practi cal Magic. Sorcery, Spirit Binding and Su,:nmoning-cannot be
learned jus1 by 1111skillecl testing. ln order to acquire one of these skills, the
firs• 1es1 toward learning 1hc skill 1nust come from Instruction. Thereafter,
all other 1rsts needed to learn the skill can come fro,n Beginner's Luck
or lasu·uction.
System Review
Before you can introduce a system ini-o )'Our game, the whole group
mus1 have a chancr to review it. At least two players should read the
r.haptcr and explain the positive and negative aspects of that type of
magic. If 1he group doesn' t think the system is a good fit, t hey ,nay
cir.dine to allow the system inro the gan1e.
\Vhen I originally designe d the Burning Wheel magic system, I
intended sorcerers to be rare individuals. inspired by Ursula K. Le
Guin's fiction, l wanted them to possess a special quality that gave
them access to their power. The Gifted trait is the first conceit of the
Burning \Vhecl Sorcery rules. It sets the first Jim it-a restriction on
learning the n1agic of Sorceq •. Sorcerers, summoners, enchanters
and dt'ath a rtists a ll m.ust be Gi ft ed in order to work their wonders.
The following section desc ribes options for omitting, modifying

and tailoring the Gifted trait for your gtnnc.
Magic for the Masses

You can l'Cmove the Gifted trait from the game. Jn t his case,
Sorcery and other sunilar s!kills no longer require it io order ro tap
u·ue magical power.
Removing the Gifted requirement opens up magic for a ll to learn.

On one hand, magic then becomes ,nore about finding the d usty
tomes and old teachers and learning secrets than about a cadre of
elite 01en and women with the power to destroy all life.
O.n tbe other band, anyone who's played a fantasy roleplaying game
knows that this option could quickly lead to every n1an, woman
und child in t he setting learning Sorcery a nd gaining the power
to destroy all life.
Still, for 1nagic-infused settings where every fariner knows a

charn1 to herd cattle and every doctor knows a chant to knit bone,
this option con be viable.
The key to making this option work is to make learning sorcerous

skills a rcane and ntystical, or at least difficult. If there's an open
exchange of in.formation, all spells would be a\'ailable to everyone
and that becomes problematic. But if tl1cre's a cult to explore or an
economy to navigate, spells will be restricted to those who have
access to the 1nysteries or to those who can aITord t hem.
250
The Arcane Library
Raw Talent
It is possiblt\ ro create a character who is Gifted but untrained in any
art. ln :.:tan<lard Burning \Vhecl canon, this condition means that the
character po!;scsses untapped potential. He needs a sorcerer to teach
him.
There is another way 10 play this. In this case, the Gifted trait indicates
rhai the character possesses the ability to work great 1nagic, but also a
raw rale111 and wild power.
Tlw following powers-Stress, Concentration and Accident-Prone-

manif«·st in Gifted characters who do not possess any sorcerous skills
lik<' Sorcer y, Death Arr or Aura Reading. As soon as any sorcerous
skill is opened. these youthful abilities are no longer available to the
character.
Stress
\Vbcn an unskilled and Gifted character fails a Steel test, his powers
manifest· in unanticipated ways. Roll on the table below to generate a
trait. The trait is applied regardless of whether or not the character
would otherwise be eligible for it. The trait is temporary. ft lasts until
thr: cnd of t he scene in which the cl1anu:lcr was stressed.
Gifted Stress Table

2D6 Stress Trait
2 Bottomless Stomach
3 Clumsy
4 Commanding Aura
.5 Eldritch Sink
6 Child Prodigy
7 Second Sight
8 Low Speech
9 Lesser !Vluse
10 Touch of the Devil
11 Lawbreaker
- -- - -- - --
12 Brass Skin
,} ... :..
-- The Arcane Library
If rhc playrr is stressed again in a future scene, he may decide not to roll C1
011 rh~ rnble and let the previous trait 1nanifest again, or he may choose
to gainble and roll again on the table.
The specific effects of traits like Child Prodigy or Lesser l'vlusc must
!Je decided upon when the trait is rolled. li the player is stressed again
and opts 10 use the previously generated trait, those 1nodified abilities
remain the sarne as when they first manifested. If the trait is cast off
for a new trait, but then later rolled again on the table, the player may
assign 1he benefits to new abilities or the old ones as he sees fit.
Lesser Muse 3rants +2D to a sk,11. If I roll it onte ani choose Cookin!J,
it 3ra11t.s a +2D honus for the scene. IfI'm stressed ajain ani I roll
Lesser Muse a!Jain, I tan thoose to appfJt tire muse to a different skit like
Research or whatever I need at the time.
Tht• traits on the Gifted Stress table can be found in the Character
Burner aud the Monstrous Trait List in this book.
Concentration
The untried hero may spend a persona jpOint to add his \Viii dice to a
Beginner's Luck test.
However, co11ccntrating in such a manner is draining and dangerous.

The player n1ust make a Forte test utan obstacle equal to the Beginner's
Luck test (using the doubled obstacle). This counts as a standard tax
test for Sorcery.
MJ character is testinj his Perception for Be!Jinner's luck for Aura

Readin!]- It's an ob 1 test to detect an Aura trait, douhlei to 2 since I
don't have the sk,11. A'(fer the Perception tes~ whether I pass or(a,1, I have
to make an oh 2 Forle test to resist the tax.
Accident-Prone
\Vhcn Gifted characters foil an at1:empt at any skill test, the results are
spectacular. first, the failw·e results in the worst possible outcome for
1111: situation . Jt's bad. There are loud, painful crashing sounds. This
calamity must affect the people around the character, including his
friends and allies. It cannot. only affect the mageling.
Ifhe were try,'nj to cast a spell, for example, there couldbe

harmless
110
dissipation result. It'd have to be either an unwantei summoniffj or a

Jarhled transmi.ssion.
However, this incident is coupled with another unlikely event. Shortly
after tlit;~ catastrophic failure, the young mage-to-be gains a new friend
or companion. or an important item. Treat these conditions as either
a successful Circles test or Resources test. If you need a value for the
person or object, it can be the equivalent Circl~ or Resources test
obstacle equal to the test's rnargin of failure.
Ifyou (ail hy two, then the ohject can he worth "f to whatever an Oh 2
Resources test would hu.yyou.
Learning
\Vhen usiug the Raw Talent rules, Gifted characters are subject to
the Stresi;, Concentration and Accident-Prone rule,. until they open a
sorccrous skill. The powers are lost when they open a sorcerous skill.
The Gifted t rait reverts to its standard 1nanifestatiou.
Due to their acl'ident-prone nature, learning Sorcer y and casting

spells with Beginner's Luck is very dangerous. Once given a test for
advancement toward Sorcery, Death Art, Summoning or Enchanting,
the Gifted child may begin attempting to test these ski.Us. He does so at
a double obstucle penalty!
should an apprentt'ce actually mana!JC to learn a .5pcllfor fyaJt"t1'unul

Sorcery prior to openittJ the skill, .he cas/$ with a double ohsttulepenaltJ
for Be_,inner's Luck plus a double ohstaclc fenalty for cast,n!J a spell
durin!J practicals. That's a double double obstacle ptnalt.y. Very nastJ.
Tt, avoid this, he needs to open the Sorcery sk,11firs; then be!J,"n castti1!J
spell.~.
Specifically Gifted
Another option for the Gifted trait is to n1ake it specific to one or two
sorcerous skills. The character ,nay learn and use skills for which he is
Gifted, but not any others.
For example, ,fa character is 4i(kdfor Sorcery, he mo/ not u.se Art Mlljit.
J recom rnend this option for c!Ullpaigns wb ich use multiple spell casting
variants, like Art Magic, Sorcery, Death Magic and Enchanting.
Corruption is a new emotional attribut<' designed to e,nphasizc
dw effrcts of magic upon its users in settings where magical lore is
unnal ural or forbidden.
The rnon• the sorcerer calls upon his power, the ,nore corrupted
h<' bcc:01nes-i11 body and soul-and the more twisted and vile he
grows.
\'011 ciut co111bi11e the Corruption emotional attribute witJ1 nearly

an y of the extant ,nagic syste1ns, b ut it works especially well witb
1hr Dca1 h Art, Sorcery, S un1moning, Spirit Binding and Faith
11wch1111i<:s.
fn spiratio11 for this systeut of tarnpc1·ing with dark powers who

punish and reward in a whin1 is taken fro,n 1-1.P. Lovecraft's
va rious ta les, Stephen R. Donaldson's 1'ho1nas Covenant series and
(; runes \Vorkshop's \Varha,nn1cr universe.
Starting Corruption
The Corruption emotional attribute starts at BO. Everyone has the
potential to t ravel down this path. Those who wield magic or truck
with dark powers hasten the speed at which they travel. Increase
the starting Corruption exponent using the following list:
+1 if 1.he character has the Gifted trait.

+1 if the character has 1.h~ Faithful trait.
+1 if the character has the Chosen One trait.
+1 for each point of Spirit Marks (see Spirit Binding).
+1 for each point of Orders (see Summoning).
+1 if the character has ever prayed alone at night to ren1ote,
unholy gods to aid him.
+ 1 if the character has ever entered into a pact with a de1non.
255
I
1
! f'
If a diaractcr ha.; a starting Corruption value of 10 or more, the player

mu31 spend-iive exponenl points to shade shift to gray. J-lc may not begin
play witlt a Corruption exponent greater than 9.
Starting Corruption in Play

If a character mecls ihc conditions for all)' of the above in play-he
earns a trait, prays to bad 1hings at nig ht, gains a Mark or Order-be
earns the Corruption eo1otional attribute at a value appropriate to the
srarting Corruption conditions. Usually, t.hat'JI be Bl.
Starting Corruption Traits

A player whose character begins lite game with Corruption rolls once
on 1he Corrupted Body and Soul table in thjs chapter to get a free trait.
He may choose whe1her to take the primary or alternate version, but
this affec1s his future choices.
Using Corruption
The corrupted use theiJ- Corru[Ption to aid their actions during play. Ir
works similarly to Greed or Spite in that regard. It may only be caJled
upon when the character is undertaking a vile, dark or corrupt acr.
Thi§ can be due to overt uc1ious or si111plc iutent. The group is the final
arbiter of whell1er an act is degenerate enough to warrant lielp from the
chiuering gods who dwell in t.hc shadows of men's dreams.
The Temptation
• F'or one fate point, a sorcerer may call upon dark powers to help
him. Corruption may then help any stat or skill test, whether one
of tbe character's own abilities or a comrade's. Help gives 1D for
exponent 4 or lower, 2D for exponent 5 and higher. The help is from
an outside force, like fttllcn gods or lurking demons. This bonus is in
addition to standa1·d FoRKs and help.
• for one persona point, a sorcerer may substitute his Corn1ption for
any skill or stat in any test.
• For one deeds point, a sorcc,er rnoy add his Corruption exponent to
any skill or stat test.
The Arcane Library
Corruption Brings Strength n0

Thr eorrupted player n1ay always substit ute Corruption for Forte to t-t
t-t
pass tux tests if the player desires. If dice are lost due to a failed test, .g.....
forll' is reduced , not Corruption. If using the Art Magic or Religion .....
0
rules in combination with this e1notional atlribute, Corruption must ::s
br used to pass tax tests.
Advancing Corruption
Corru ption advances like a skill, but like Greed, routine tests always
cou111 for udYn nccu1ent-even when advancing Corruption fron1
exponents 5 to 10. For exponent 5 and higher, routine tests equal to the
expmll'nt c-01u1t as one category of advancement filled. Therefore, from
r.xponl'lll 5 and higher, the allribute advances if any two of the three
l'atrgories-routiue, difficult or challenging-are filled.
You earn tests for advancen1ent when Corruption itself is rolled (when
it rc·places a stal or skill), when tJ1e utrribute is used to help auother test
and when certain situations arise in the game. The replaced stat or skill
does not earn a tesi ror advance1neot when you spend persona points
for replacen1ent or when using the Corruption Brings Strength rules.
The ai(fod stat or skill eurus a lest for advancement as per the standard
testing, helping and advancement rules.
If you spend a deeds pojnt to add Corruption to u stat or skill test,

the standard artha rules apply-tlic stat or skill cants a test, but thr.
added dice don't count when factoring the. difficulty of the test for
ad\'ancen1ent. The Corruption attribute does earn a difficult test for
advanccrnrmt in i-11111 instnnr.c.
\Vhcn the Corruption attribute advances, the character's bo,ty and soul
change. See the Corrupted Body und Soul rules below.
\Ve Have Eternity to Know Your Flesh

\Vhcn Corruption reaches exponent 10, the dark ones, demons or outer
gods from whom the character has been granted power come for him.
They cruelly grant hin1 one la.;( gift before taking hint frou1 this realm
into theirs. Roll on the Corrupted Traits table one last tiine lo see
whu1 truir the sorcerer has earned by advancing his Corruption. The
character is I lien removed from pluy.
b
The Arcane Library
Situational Tests n
0
H
H
'lest!< for advani:in~ Corruption an• also earned through actions in play. s::
If rh1• charaell'r nwet:. uny of the conditions below, the player 1nust ,nark '"O
down thl' adv1\nt:t•1nent ns if he had passed a test at the appropriate
....0.....
1)b~rnde. ::l
The ~it uut ion,; drscrilled in the following :;cction only count toward
advanct>n1rn1 if the Corruption attribute bas been opened. The
Corrupt ion ntt ributc 111uy 1101 bt~ opened via thesl' situations, only
through 1hos1· tlesrribrd under Starting Corruption.
Obstacle 1 Corruption
Lying or i:0111n1i1ti11g a willful falsehood. Casting a·spell.
LC'a rning a new spell. Sununoning au irnp for any purpose. Physically
n\using harm to another person.
Cns1i11g u spell that affet'.t:; another person. Lea1·ning a new facet or
school of 1nagic, S111nmo11ing a greater ilnp for any purpose. Paying
tribute to a de,non. Discovering a tnarked iten1.
Mutilating an animal, hurnan, Elf, Ore, Dwarf, etc. Casting a spell
with harmful intenl. Surllmoning a lesser de1non for any purpose.
Commanding a de,non to perforrn a social service (as per Summoning).
Owning a ,aarkcd item (as per Enchanting).
Murd<'r, by any means. Summoning a dernon for any purpose.
Commanding a demon to perform a physical service tbut leads to the
injury of a person (as per Su1nn1oning). Being Marked by u dcn1on (as
per Summoning).
Torture-to cause physical and emotional pain to a subject so as to
extract informal'ion or derive pleasure fro1n then1. Sum1noning a
gri:uter demon for any purpose. Con1manding a demon to perform a
phy~ical service that lends to the death of a person (us pe1· Sun1moning}.
Paying a physical price for o service (as per Sumnroning).
Necrophilia. Commanding a spirit service from a den1on (as per
S111nmoning). Owning rnany marked items (as per Enchanting).
Necrophagiu. Selling the soul of another to an otherworldly power.
Being possessed by a being with Spirit Nature.
Selling your own soul to an otherworldly power.
Corrupted Body and Soul

\Vheu your Corruption advances in play, roll one die and add the result
to your new Corruption exponent. This will generate a number from 2
to 16. Consult the table below. Listed next to the number arc two traits,
primary and alternate. The firs t time a player rolls on this chart, he
may choose which of these two traits he wants. However, the next time
he advances his Corruption, he n111st choose fro1n the opposite category.
Tlte following tin1e, he must take a u·ait from the other category, and
so on.
IfI atlvattce my Con-uptwn from Tta 2 antiI rolla 1on the tlte, I can du,ose
hetween Rat Speak {pYima,y} oY Lunaiit {alteYnate}. Let's say I choose
Rat Speak from tlte pYima,y tolu:mn. The next time I choose, I must take
the alteYnate lYait. Anti the followin,1 time, I have to take the pninary.
The time a(teY tha~ I have to take the alteYnate. Antiso on, antiso forth.
Corruption Traits
The Corruption traits can be found in the Character Burner and the
Monstrous Trait list in this book. Son1e of the traits are not particularly
nice. Some arc not harmful, nor even useful. The character is stuck
with them, though. One set of traits is particularly vicious-Tongueless
nnd Rudula. The Cods of Corruption a re cruel and mocking. lt amuses
chem that sorcerers would bccon1e so corrupt that they could no longer
speak the words of their spells but not corrupt enough to ascencl into
their divine ranks.
If a charac ter a lready has the trait h'-''s rolled, then tough luck. He's
tarned no hcnefit from his debauched ways.
..
The Arcane Library
'\
0
Corrupted Body and Soul Traits Table 0
,;
Roll Rtsull Primary Trait AICernale Trail ,;
,::
'"O
,...
2 Zoophagia Dissent Parasite ....
0
3 Hat $ peak Lunatic ::s
4 Bottomless Stomach Dreamer
5 Lanw Forked Tongue
•
6 Palsy Wolverine
7 Diseased Tough
8 Bl.ind Fearless
9 Maimed Dreadful
10 Aura of Malevolence Aura of Fear
11 Enlarged Vmm,n Sacs Cilia
12 Fur Spines
1:{ Ton"ucl<-ss
0
Radula
14 Hermaphrodite Tentacles
15 Belic,·er Tough as Nails
16 Arooeboid Shadow and Dust
Corrupted Life
Corruption draws other souls lo its fou l light like moths to flao1 e.
Corrupted characters are often the focus of the aucntion of dilettantes
and seekers of knowledge, but also ofltuntcrs and externlinators.
The Creepy Clause

Failed Cirelcs t('.Sts for characters with the Corruption emotional
attribute arc always interesting. Rather than the standard Enmity
Clause, tbt: G~f can invoke this rule, which nllo"'S hin1 to bring forth
unsavory, de1cstablc seekers of knowledge. and power. These characters
art· always mad in some fashion, and murderou!';. Thr.y either seek to
gain the pow(·r of Corruption from the sorcerer, or wish to elevate the
!iOrc,!rer 10 an exalted place of powt~r (and thereby reap a re.ward for
tll<'msc·lves). They ,nuy also be un\\'itting pawns of powers who seek to
aid or dc~troy tlw sorcerer (sometimes both).
,
'
I '
'
_,; i,. 1 , • f r, :!,· ,
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The Mortal Enen1y Clause
Instead of bringing in creepy ne'er-do-wells, the CM can choose to use
the Enn1ity Clause in n grand and brutal fashion-rather than those
who seek to aid und uplift the corrupted, he can bring forth those
who seek to destroy hirn. \Vitc h hunters {Village Born, Kid, Village
Guard, Pilgri,n, Zeulous Convert) or inquisitors (Born Noble, Religious
Acolyte. Priest , Archpriest, Inquisitor) with a pair of zealous knights
(Born Noble, Page, Squire, Knight) backing then1 up make for good
times!
The Gift of Corruption

Corruption dwells not just in the hr.arts of humanity, but a lso in the
fabric of li fe. \Vhen a corrupted soul fails a Resources test and the
Cif1 of Kindn ess is invoke d, the sorcerer has stumble<l upon some
previous ly unkno'\\•11 secret of 1hc dark u11tl furbiddc11 fore~. \Vlmtcvcr
it is 1h01 he soug ht bears the arcane taint of some degenerate power.
It is a " marked" item, and jus t knowing of it, touching it, seeing it.
inc reases the sorcerer's own Corruption. ~larked items arc described in
th<, Enchanting chnptcr.
Marked items ofLcn possr.ss some mngical power of their own. It's more
likely a curse t han n blessing. Use the Enchanting rules to deter1nine
the nature and power of the it e111. The obstacle. of the enchantment
cannot exceed the margin of failure of t he Resources test. Assume that
a proper anteceden t was used to c reate the ite1n.
Note that just seeing such an item counts as a test toward advancing
Corruption (Ob 3), and owning one count!l even more so (Ob 4).
In this form of magic, there a rr. no spells, no sustaining, no cnsri ug
1inies, no Hash. no grcn< effects. l1 is o siinple magic. A sorcerer is
k ~s a <hundt rous god and more a po~ent, skilled mortal who can
ovcn·om,· ta:.-ks 1hnt vex and belabor the n1unclanc.
Practical Process
\X1 hcn 11:;ing the Practical Magic l'uies, the Sorcery skill may h1•
u:,t>d u; ii proxy to l\'st against obstacles that foll und<'r one of the
skills in one. of the sorcen·r\ schools of magic. The Sorcery s kill
rolls nre opt' n-cnded.
\Vlw11 thl' player wishes to anempl a test using his Sori:,•ry. lw

incnnrs ;u1 cxwruporan1'ous spdl and 1111dcrt11kes 1hc task using
nrngic rather than simple, mundane means. Test Sorcery against
1hr ob,;tacle. The standard succc·ss und failure rules apply.
Tlwrc is no '·du rot.ion" for tbest• spells. They las1 as loo;! 11s the skill
1cs1 would otherwise last. So if you ma ke a p<>l using Sorcery rather
thuu Blac ksmithing, it lnst.s a!-l long as u pol would last ,
Normal skill tesL rules apply-F<>RKs (from other mundane skills),

linked tests, help, etc. Time for che Pructicul Mahril· wst is as thl'
skill for which it i~ be ing ~uhsliluted.
Players may not use Lhe Sorcery skill as n stat or for Beginner's
Luck tcs1s.
Weaving Char1ns
A sorcere r player co n l'nn1 a 1D adva ntage to his Sorcery test if he
nu mes t he spell he is cas1ing und describes tin• effect. For praclieol
mug ir., tl m effects must he simple and low key. This is not the s1uff
of high-ene rg}' magic.
When usin!J $urcery a.s llte Ritualskt1('" sandi(J a IJ(ldj, I inscribe

it with the rune u/endin!J·
263
• ,• •, f '
• I '{ , ,• I I ( , '
Jf•:• , ' _( '
Weavers Balm i.5 a dtarm to ail r.l.$t'nJ pratti&almllJi& for Wean'nJ. The
charm soothes the(rffjerS oftlte 1veaver. rite Sprin!J Steel i.5 a thann for
pratti&al Swonlskill mllJi't. The s11ellboth l'!lhtens andstren!Jthens the
hlatle ofthe taster.
Tools
Tools and raw ma terials arc required for indi\·idual tests as per the
stando rd skill rules.
When us,'n!J Sorcery lo count for Blaeksmith, 1ou mu.st have fMls anti
mel,d to work with.
The Arcane Library
Practical Schools of Magic

In t,nlrr to guin powrr in u t·crt.ain realm, 1hc sorcerer must study a
,d1t1ol of 1111,gil'. Sdwols of rnagir provide access to the expertise of
n·rrni11 ~roup,- of ,;kill,:. Tl\\'y nn' u pan of the Sorcery skill.
.\ sehol,l of 111ngit• cuntnins th1• knowledge of a skill category as described

-
in I la• \clnu1re111t•11t diopter of Burning \~' heel Cold. \Vhen the sorcerer
Im<' 111;1:,lert·d 1hat sdiool, he rnuy use his Sorcery skill as the equivalent
of anY. skill 1h111 foils into the associated skill catenor)'·
0
Prnr1in1l Magic mny be used with g(meral, tvlun uish and Roden skills
only. ::,kilh; spt·ci fit· to any other characrer s1ocks arc 1101 pan of this aTt.
Starting Schools of Magic

Tht• ~orrrn:r begins tl11· grone wi1h the Sorcerous skill categorr for free.
111• also gain,; an addi1ionul sc-hool of magic for each lifepath lie took
during charat·ter burning. The school ofmagic is deri1·edfrom the skill
calc•go1:1· ofthe first skill 011 the lifepath skills list. lf the sorcercr already
knows d1at school of magic fro1n a previous path, he's out of luck. This
lifrpath doc;;n't teach him anything new.
The player may pu.rchase additionnl schools of magic using resource points.
Practical Schools of Magic RP Cost

'Academic 16 rps
Arli, ~n 12 rps
Artlsl 7rps
Craflsman 18 rp$
Forester IS rps
Marli:il 12rps
MedlcliJaJ 13rps
,\lllit11r~ 9 rps
Musleal 7rps
P~a~anl I:! rp~
Ph)'31w 7 rps
School ofThoughl 9rps
Stalarlng 12 rps
Soria I 25 rps
"Sortcrom free
Sp,ci11I 18rps
JJ'ises Restricted
\Vises ,nay nol be folded into the Sorcery skill. They are not a part of
its pracrical n1agic application.
Adopting Schools of Magic in Play

Players 1nay hnvc their characters learn nc,v schools of magic in
play. Cons11lr tht~ tnhlr. hr.low anrl note t he Adoption Obstacle for thr.
pnrticular s,:hool. The obstacle muse be divided into an obstacle for a
\Viii test and an obstacle for n Resow·ccs tes1. The obstacle nurnber may
LI' split in any fashion. with a nl.i11inn1m value of one.
l11 order to learn a school, the n1age must Jincl so,neone or something
willing to divulge this knowledge. No test need be made by this entity.
The player tests his \Viii to learn the school and Resou rces to make an
offering.
Adoption
Practical Schools of Magic Obstacle
Academic 3
.\rlis:111 b
Artist 4
Cr:insm:m 9
Forester 8
Mu rtlal 6
~lcdiclnal
Military 5
Alusieal 4
Pca s1mt ,.
Physical 4
Sehool ofTho1ghl 5
' S.eararlog 6
Sud11l 13
Sorcerous
Special 9
FoY example, the Craftsman school is Ii.stet! wjth an AJopHon Ohstade

of'I. This maJ he spli"t into an Oh 4 will test and an oh S Resources test
or an oh 2 w,1/ test anti an Ob 7 ResouY&es fest or ,n an,r otherfa.sh,iJn
the pllljer sees fit.
The Arcane Library
Aduptiu11 Ti111e t-"d

Adopting a new school of magic requires one full skill practice cy~le ~
for thal category. No other skills may be practiced or learned during .........
(')
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(')
that time. Both tests rnusl be made during that span of gan1e tin1c. l:b
IfI want to adopt thepeasant school I mustpractice itfor three months.

If both ll"SI ~ succeed, 1he character n1ay now cast spells in this school
of mugi(·.
Jl·i/1 Failurl'
If the \Viii test is failed, the character cannot adopt this school.
nr.w,urres Failur,i
Jr the Bl~sources test is fail ed, the cha racter has researched or
uueo,·rrccJ a perverted vcrsio11 of the school. Resources is taxed as
11or111al. 111 addition, the margin of failw·e for the test is added as an
obstacle penalty when casting spells in tJ1e school.
IfI fm1 the R.esour-ces test to adopt the Peasant schoolofma!]i& hy one, I
have a +f Oh penalty to all Sorcery te.st.s in that school.
This perversion can only be corrected by con1pletely relearning the
school from another practical magician wilh a higher skill exponent
who knows t.he school.
Being Taught the Right Way

lf a practical magician lean1s a perverted school. another 01agician may
a11emp1 to 1111do tJ1e dru11agc witJ1 instTuction. The leach 01ust know the
school being taught and have a Sorcery exponent higher than the student.
Tesl lnsrruction. The obstacle is 3 plus the level of perversion. Each

succcssfuJ test reduces the level of perversion by one.
Tax
\Vhcn casting a Practical Magic spell, the caster must resist tax equal
to 1he Sorcery s kill test obstacle. Test the caster's Forte against the
skill test obstacle. In t.hr case of a versus test, the Sorcerer's Forte test
obs1acle is eq ual tl1e nuniber of successes rolled br his opponent. If the
test is open, then the tax obstacle is 1.
.<..•'
.
; ! .'; 1:.,.,·i11 ~~ 1f !, .,1•i I ·o d i
If the Forte test is passed, there is no ill effect. If the test is failed , Forte
is temporarily reduced by a number of dice equal to the margin of
failure. If Forte reaches zero, the character is incapacitated.
1£ the Sorcery test is successful, he passes out after completing his task.
If the test is failed, he passes out before completing the task.
IfI use mJ Sorcery topa.ss an Oh 3 Hi.story test I mu.st also test 11fJ Forte
l?jainst Ob 3. IfI roll two suc~ses, mJ Forte is tempon1rifJ reduced/,J
one die.
l'sc the standard tax recovery rules described in the Sorcery chapter of
the Burning \Vhcel.
No Turning Back
Once you sta rt using magic in place of a given skiJJ for a Duel of \Vies,
Range and Cover, Fight or any other series tesr, you cannot return to
the mundane for any instance of that skill until tJ1e end of tbe conflict.
_ 1\ sorcerer player can opt not to test if he feels that the tax would be too
much for him, but in this case :any opponent would get 10 test against
hin1 unopposed for that action.
Practically Gifted
At the out,;r.t of your campaign. you ,nay deride if Practical Magic ran
be used wirh or without the Gifted trait. If used " ·ith the trait . it's a
rare nrt just like Sorcery in st andard Burning \X' hecl. This bns tlu.•
additional effect of n1aki.ng n111gic very low-key for the campaign world.
If used without the Gi ftcd tTait, magic is 01ore easily accessed. but since
this isn't a powerful art, i t shouldn't be ovcrwhebning. Rather, i1 has tJ1e
effect of creating n nu1gic-rich world in which many differ ent types of
people know a lirtle sorcery. If you lin1it the schools of magic 1wailable,
individual groups will have rnagical specialties and unique flavor.
Sorcerous Skill Practical Magic

The sorcerous skill category for Practical Magic is intended to allow tJ1c
mage to have ar.cess to Alchemy, Aura Reading and Circination through
his Sorcery skill. It is not intended that the wizard have access to Death
Art, Enchanting, Swnmoning, Art Magic. Spirit Binding or any other
fuU-blown art through Practical Magic. However, ,ve recognize that by
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The Arcane Library
default, the literal description of Practical Magic allows access to all
sorcerous skills and hence those ruts. Allowing thaL loophole to remain
makes Practical Magic the supreme magical art. Experiment witb that
loophole a t yoLLr own risk I
If you use practical magic sorcerous skills, I recommend making all

-
sorcerous tests not: open-ended. Make truly magical acts hard, requiring
time and invesanent. \Vhcrcas 1nagic in the mtu1danc world has a hil of
w1predictability to it.
Religion
Heligio11 is dealt wilh very lightly in Burning " ' heel. The Faith
rules nssumc 11II deities in the ga,ne are of equal power, and tlie
powers they grant arr uniforn1. This chaplcr provides guidelines
for introducing n variety of faiths and powers into your Burning
\Vhc,r.1 g1111w.
In our experience, w<-'ve found tha1 tlic Faith rules arc much morl.'
inter~st ing when we impose limits. The rules described iu this
drnptcr providl' limit s and strietu res for thr t~xtant Faith rules.
They create a sense of religious order a nd structure in the ganw
world to help difforcntiate udherencs.
Theism
Before proceeding, you must decide how your ruhurc's religions
view their deities. Is there one chief god and a handful of minor
ones? Are there many cntiti<'~'5 with A ,·Arirty of d11ties a11d sphrrcs?
Or is then• a singular super-religion chat dl•rivcs all its power from
the sao1(' source?
Monotheist
A monotheistic socie.t y wol'ships u singular divine entity who
espouses a singulnr ideology. Ht• is not univ('rsal and omnipot<'nt;
he is powerful, but limitt>d. l\.lirnclcs ar<~then limited to 1he god's
idiom.
Fo1· example, a trihe that worships a local volcano!f"d.
Polytheist
A polytheistic culture contains 1nany gods and their atteudanl
religions. Encb deity rules over a sphere of power. There are ranks
of deities-chief deity, deity, 1ninor deity.
In thei;P. cultures, the priest has 11 patron who favors him. but he
may call upon the aid of other powers so loug as he performs the
proper rituals.
270
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~
.,
,,
Supertheist ~
Supertheis,n describes a single, overarching, all-encompassing ideology.
Divine power is universal, and all power is derived from a single sou.rce. (IQ --·
~
.....
0
Using Burning \Vheel 's unadulterated Faith mechanics produces a :l
supertl1cistic culture. Even if there are 1nultiple gods in play, all entities
have rhe sa,ne power and inOuence.
The Spheres of Gods

111 naunotheisl'ic and polytJ1eistic cu It ures, dei fie power comes in many
forms-gods of war, fire and law.
To simplify the myriad possibilities, Wl''ve divided the domains of

divine power into three spheres: Nature, the Human Condition and
Society. Nature encompasses the natural world out·side of humanity's
control. The Human Condition describes what we arc individually, for
good or for ill. Society describes what we, as groups, do. Use these
spheres 1.0 design deities for your campaign. The list is by no means
exhaustive, so feel free to add clements to it.
Nature
Fire, \Vind, Ocl'ans, \Vater, Earth, Sun, fertility, Time, Volcanoes. Sky,
Mountnin, Chaos, Ice, Darkness, the Moon, the Underworld, Grain,
Spring, Twilight, Dawn, Hain, Storms, Thunder, Earthquakes. Rivers,
Hills.
The Human Condition

Love, \Var, Luck, BenayaJ, Hcvcnge, \'V'ork, Labor, Marriage, Poetry,
Knowledge, Family, Hunger, Famine, Plenty, Death, Birth, Childhood,
Adulthood, Illness, Health, Honor, Fear, Courage, Forethought, Order,
Discord, Harmony, Justice, Grief, Joy, Sex, Anger.
Society
Contracts, the \Vritten \Vord, Travel, Trade, Law, l'vlilitary, Harvest,
Protection, l'vledicine, Augury, Magic, Agriculture, Trade, Ternples,
Nr.cropoli, Ships, Markets, Roads, Craft, Architecture, Crime.
• , •• .>. - ~. ,,1 , • .' \
. I ,.
! ! I ~ , ., t I , I ,_
The Power of Gods

Cods are broken down into three levels of power: chief deities, deities
and 1ninor deities.
Chief Deities
These are singular entities wl10 head up n whole pantheon or exist on
thci r own as I he sole representatives of their religion. They're powerful.
\Vhen determining their nature, choose one doinain fron1 each sphere,
pins at least two more do,nains from any of the three.
Odin, Zeus and Altura Mazda are examples ofthief deities. Odin's
spheres arejusti'te, m~,"t, the s1y, death and(amilJ (i·n the form ofthe
All-Father}.
Deities
Deities have one domain in each of the three spheres.
Athena, Thor antiAn_,ra Mainyu are examples ofdeities.

For example, the Roman!Jod Vu&an is the!Joiof(ire {Nature}, the!J04of
smith,n!J (Society} andis tied to the harvest {Human Condition}-both
in ripenin_, it w,'th /,is heat antiprotect,n!J /I from fire.
Minor Deities
Minor deities control one don1nin in one of the spheres.
Thetis is one ofthe 50 Nereids, a sea 11jmph and the motheY ofAch,1/es.
Her domain is the Ae!Jean Sea.
D~Y is the!JDd ofJ«J, He is the son ofDel/in_,, the!]DJ oftwili!)ht. His
mother is Nrltt, the!Jotldess ofni!)ht.
Ammit is she who dwells in the Hall of Ma'at. Her domain is divine
retribution. When Abubis wei!]Jrs the hearls ofthe dead, those who fail
are!Jiven to her to devour.
Faith in the Nature of God

Once you have a god and his spheres of power delineated, you have also
described the sphere of influence for his worshippers' Faith abilities.
This doesn't restrict the categories of n1iracles described on pages 524
and 525. of the Burning \Vheel. It docs restrict where and how those
I
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miracles can be performed . Gods of oceans are diminished on land·,

oods of revenge Rl'e only empowered when their
D
vengeance and not altruis1n.
· foUowers are seekina
o -:::0
(D
.....
.....
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0
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Divine Afflictions
Afflictions are curses and hindrances handed down from the gods for
angering thc1n with your mortal concerns. These rules, if used, replace
the slandiu-d rules for failure for Faith.
ff u priest fails a Faith lest, the Gl\1 has two options. He may give him
a pass and infonn him that his patron has failed to heed his cries. The
failure has no addi tional adverse effect.. Or he may hit him with an
affliction! Use one of the following:
Empo,ver Thine Enemies!-

You r prayers to your p;od have angered him/her/it. Your temerity
is inexcusable. To teach you a lesson, rather than grant you aid, he
empowers one of his more favored, wbo happens to bP. your enemy.
The GM grants persona points equal to the Faith test's 111argin of faihu-c
to one character of his choosing. This character n1ust be opposed to the
fail11f11 l character's goals. He 1nay be a PC or NPC.
Co11fro11t1"n!J a death artist I /ail a &rueia{ Fait/, test hJ three. rite (iM
Jecitle.s 1/11,f my &Yies ,veYe lteaYtl /Jy tlie Jark!lods. He i>nmdiateb'!Jives
tl,e Jeath arlist three persona points to ae a!Jainst me.
Tax Thine Allies

How dare you question the power of the gods? Your temerity causes the
very viLality to be sapped from your allies. See how you've caused the,n
to suffer! If the spr.ll is failed, the C~1 may call for an i1nmcdiate tax
1cst to be rnnde by one of the character's allies. TJ1is poor soul can be a
player character ~r a G~l-controlled character. He must pass a Forte test
with an obstacle equal to the obstacle of the Faith test. Margin of failure
temporarily reduces Forte. If Forte is reduced to zero, the character is
incapacitated. If Forte is reduced below zero, the character also evinces
stigmata and suffers wounds. The wound is pips equal to the obstacle
multiplied by <>ach die below zero.
So a '4x test for a minor mira&(e (obs) t/,at rduces Forte two below uro
knocks him out and does a 810 wound to the chara&teY.
• I .) \
. ' ' .
A,vful Revelation
Your patTon stuns you witJ1 an awful revelation. The CM may call for
the faithful to make a Sled tesl. T he character's hesitac-ion is increased
bv• the nu1rrri
t"
n of failu re of t he Faith test. If t he test is failed, the player
may not Run Screaming or Stand and Drool from this revelation. He
may only Swoon or Fall Prone (and beg for mercy).
Enn1ity
Such profunc utreranccs offc·nd t he fnilhfull The CM ,nay lurn a
relationship or nanwd Cird{•. on the priest cl.iaracter's sh<>cl from
favoruhlc· 10 h11td'ul or rivalrous. This invokes the Enmily Clause
condit ions for Duel of \Vits ! If no relationship is available, the CM may
assign 011e i11steacl. Fa ilure by onr success indicates a minor relationship.
f-ailu rr by two or three successes indicates a important relationship.
Fuilu n· by fouro1· more indicates n powerful relationship.
lnfan1y
Your arrogance defies reason! T he deity curses you for having idly
called upon his power. The GM assigns you a n infamous rP.putation.
The reputation is of a value equal to or l(iss than thc margin of failure,
111 a m1txiTnum of 30 .
Isolation
Now you must walk in the desen alone. The worst affliction the d<>ity
can impose on his follower is to cut hin1 off from tht' divine conduit.
On the condition of a failed Major Miracle test, the CM may in1pose
isolalion upon this charactr.r or a n allit'd Faithful character. The
isolated character n1ay not ca ll upon th(' powers of this deity again
until he has atoned for this sin. I-le rnust take t he Lost Faith trait until
be cit her performs a ritual of atonen1ent or satisfies the requirements of
the Lost Faith trail.
Curses
The Curse is a new Faith miracle.. It. can be used by any of the faithful
on anyone who is opposed to the religion. h cannot be used on other
faithf11I members of your religion, no matter your differences of opinion.
Curse-Ob 3. This miracle sumo1ons the power of the gods to hurt or

hinder blasphemers! It adds+1 Ob to one of the tarrret's
b
abiJities of the
player's choosing for the duration of the scene.
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... -.-, f l'

-· :.
.·Vt•~--
Rituals
The faithful may alleviate certain divine afflictions-enmity, infamy
and isolation-by performing the proper rituals to propitiate his god.
Test the Rit uals skill. The obstacle for the ritual is one less than the
Fa ith test obstacle that got him into trouble in the first place. The player
1nay get help and rnay use linked tests from Doctrine or Resources.
IfJ"" earnedl""r i.5"/ati"n from an attemptedmajor miracle (Oh TO) it

,:-. an oh '1 Rituals test to at"ne.
If the player does not h ave rhe Rituals skill, he may hire a priest to
pcrforn1 tbe ritual for him. In this case, he 1nust pass a Resources test to
fund the ritual. The obstacle to donate to the priest's cause is the same
as the failed Faith test obstacle.
Faith in Dead Gods

The gods you follow are long fallen, given way-pushed aside, perhaps
even murdered-by the new gods. But even in death, the power of Dead
Cods still resonates across t.ime and civilization. A faded echo of power
still rumbles through the bowels of humanity, and it is to this frequency
the fa.ithfu) are att11ned.
Faith in Dead Gods is a variant of the Faitl1 rules. You may replace
the Faithful trait and Faith emotional attribute ,vitl1 the Faith in Dead
Gods trait and emotionaJ attribute. This at1ributc behaves in a 1nanner
similar to Faith. Use tl1e following rules for the specific characteristics
of the ability.
The power of your dead gods is diminished, and faith in t hem only
grants the faithful miraculous power over himself and other believers.
The character may heal the believing sick, and bend the minds of tl1e
believing wayward. 1-lowever, he has no dominion over non-believers
and apostates-he cannot affect them with the power of the dead ones.
Starting Faith in Dead Gods

Use the starting Faith questions. The s hade of Faith is that of tl1e
charact.e1·'s Will
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Faith in Dead Gods in Play ::-,;:,
....-·0
(I)
Faith in Dead Cods only affects the character himself and other believers. .......
CIQ
These believers must have an appropriate Belief tJ1at clearly states they
adl1erc to the doctrine that the faithful preaches. It otherwise is tested ::s
and advances like Faith.
The Limitations of Faith in Dead Gods

The faithful ma)' call for blessing, curse, aid, boon, guidance, minor
mirade and inspiration. He may not call for an intercession, n1iracle,
puriJicntion. hindrance or consecration.
The 'l\vists of Faith

Thr faithful has access to two other 1niracles of moribund power.
Hypuotism may be used on non-believers.
flyp11otis111 (Ob= Victi",'s U'lll)

Tiu.' faitltful may channel the siren caU of the dead gods through hfa
eyes and speech. Make a Faith in Dead Gods test at ru1 obstacle equal
10 tlu• victin1 's \ViU. If successful, the victin1 hesitates for two actions
and will obey one simple, direct command from tlie faithful. This ··
requirrs n fow moments of peace alone with the victim.
Subli111e Trl111sforrnatiu1t (Ob,;)

The prie.st of the Old Ones rnay assume the form of an anio1al
representative of the physica l qualities of his patron. In tl1is form,
he retains his own thought and philosophy. Use the appropriate stat
block for the animal from the Creanire Codex PDF.
Closer to God
As his Fait.Ii iu the Dead Gods rises, d1e faithful gt"()WS closer to his
ancestors. Time seems to fold around hin1 and he begins 10 exist in the old
temph; as if it were new. Once his Faith .in Dead Gods reaches exponent
10, the faithful joins his strange deities in the void in which tliey reside.
Dealing with Deities

If a situation ever arises in play in which a character must confront a
deity, use the foUowing traits liberally for tl1e divine beings. Minor deities
all have the Force of Nalltrc a·ait. Deities have the Higher Power trait.
Chief deities have the I An1 Cod tra.it.
Force of Nature Vt Zpts
This cntiry is ried into the verr fabric of time and ridr. His will is a force
of 110111rc. If this eutily should ever lose a Duel of \Vi1s against a being of
equal or lesser sraturc, he rec;civrs II minor compromise in addition to the
ro111promis1• d~tcrmincd U)' the state of his opponc111's body of argument.
Higher Power Vt ops

Tli is deity governs over spheres ofnarure, society and l111mani1y. He is
potent and revered. If this entity should cvrr lose a Due.I of \Vits against a
being of l'qunl or lesser stature:, he receives a compromise in addition to thc:-
com pro111iw tl~1e,·minc<l by the bl:tte of his oppont,nt 's body of argument.
I Am God D.Lt__1,.,2~p...,.___ _ _ _ _ _ __
Chief Deities rule over go.ls. men and nil tlw crcm urrs of their many sphcrrs.
Pow1:rful hcyond 11n<lers111ndi11g, tf1t·y art! 1101 10 he triflrd with. If 1his cnrity
should evrr lose II Dud of \Vits nga inst u being of rqua l or lc.ssc.'.r stature.'. he
rcrri,·cs a major rompromisi: in ud<li1ion to the compromise determined by
du; st111e of his opponent'~ borly uf a rg111111·n1.
Art Magic is a variant of the stalldar<l Sorcery mechanics presented
in rhr Burning \Vhc1•I. Th is system does not use a set spell list.
lns1cud. the sorcerer ~at hers his art, skill and inspirat·ion together
uml ealls upon the cldritch powers to obey his will and aid him as
he· rcq II in•s.
Tliis art ca11·1 rccrcntc a ll of lhe effects of standard Sorcery. \Ve

have omitrcd crrrni11 big effects, and it 's not nearly as destructive
as SorC<'ry. 1-lowrver, it is more vcrsari le.
This system is challc11ging to use. The. sorcerer player must think

of the 0111come of his spell before he can cast. He musr envision the
result , 11ot only in terms o f eldritch and arcana, hut in the fonn of
u gnmc-mcdwnical effect. T his takes some practice.. but once the
playrr mastcrs it, he may never want to leave the warm embrace
of Art 1\.lngic.
Sorcerers Use Sorcery

To build a spell using Art Magic, the sorcerer player must first
choose 1hr effect, breadth and duration for the spel l. Once those
facets arc chosen, deter1nine if his school of magic applies. i'irxt, the
player must either name the spell or spcnk a bit of the incantation.
These steps dcterrnioc the obstacle for the spell and any advantage
<lice availnble. Test Sorcery plus the advantage dice against the
obHaclc. If t·he test is successfu l, then the spell has its intended
effrct. If failed, the C.M ,nay choose the consequences.
Sorcery, not Sorcery

Art Magic is accessed through the standard Sorcery skill. \Vhen
using Art Magic, the rules for standttrd Sorcery are replaced with
•hcse rules. Do not use any of the rules in the standard Sorcer y
chuptcr un less other wise instrucled to do so in th is chapter.
\Ve strongly recommend against having Art ~lagic and Sorcery in

your game nt the same time.
Gif1ed
Characters must be Gifted to use Art l'vlagic.
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Effects
\Vhal does the sorcerer want his spell to do? There are a host of effects
ro choose fron1 in Art Magic: 1-Iinder, Advantage, Arcane Knowledge,
Sorcerous \~1eapon, Destroy with Sorcerous Fire , Evoke, Arcane Action,
Illusion, Trait and Transform. Multiple effects can be combined in a
single spell.
Hinder
The magician may hinder one or more of the target's abi lities. \Vhen
using lhis effect, the player mus t ua me which specific ability (or
abilities, depending on the breadth of the spell) he is tar~eting.
Hindra nce can mnnife,;1 as con1mand ing b ranches to entangle,

conjurin g illusions t o blind, or casting diseases or afflictions on your
target.
Hinder Effect Casting Obstacle

+tOh Ob!
+20b Ob:l
+30b Ob5
Advantage
The sorcerer may use his ru·t to grant himself and his a llies aid. Using
this effect, hr. may add advantage dice to stats, skills, Steel. Rrsourcrs,
Circles or stddc (stride is increased by 1 per advantage die added).
Multiple abilities may be targeted using the breadth 1nodifier.
Advantage con manifest as a favorahfo wind in the sails, a burst of

strength, a flash of insight, a quickening of the pulse or the: blessing of
spirits and gods.
Advantage Effect Casting Obstacle

+1D Ob2
+20 0b3
1 ,-
..
•-,. L~
-fSD Oh4
Rec11r11ive Cun;e
A Sorcerer may not directly or indirectly give advantage dice to
Sorcm-y, Enchanting, Sumn,oning, Spirit Binding, Dca1.h Arl or any
other similar spell costing nrl.
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Arcane Knowledge
The sorcerer 1nay plumb the wells of magic in his search for knowledge.
To use the Arcane Knowledge effect, test Sorcery. In this case, Sorcery
.:ounts as a proxy for any academic skill in the skill list. The obstacle
for the effect is the same as the skill test obstacle for the academic skill,
plus breadth and duration.
Sorcerous \Veapon
The sorcerer may stunmon forth an eldritch weapon to wield against his
t'itemies! He 1nay call forlh lhe sorcerous equivalent of a sword, spear,
axl! or mace. This n1ay be wielded in Fight like a normal weapon-it
requires use of n weapon skill or Beginner's Luck. Rather than using
Power as a base for the weapon damage, use the sorcerer's Will exponent.
Add 1hc weapon power from the appropriate conjured weapon. Also, use
1hl' weapon's length, speed, Add and VA categories for the appropriate
weapon I ypc.
Bur11i11g Spear ofArca11e Fury

\~lith au Ob I Sorcery test, d1e wizard n1oy conjure to his J1and an
eklritch (b111 run of the mill) spear, sword or mace ringed in arcane
fire. The player n1ust choose which weapon he desires before the spell
is c11st. To 1uake the weapon superior quality, increase the obstacle by
+2 Oh. The weapon may also be conjured as a spirit weapon. To do
so. incn:use the casting obstacle by +2 Ob.
Deutlt '.r; A:r:e
Tltis spell effect sumn1ons forth a shimmering silver black axe. The
obstacle is 4 . Use the stats for the Sweet A.xe. The weapon may also be
conj11red as o spirit weapon at +2 Ob.
Destroy with Sorcerous Fire!

The sor:erer chants violent and profane syllabics as white fire jets from
hi~fiagenips! Base Ob 4. Must be combined with the One Test Duration
if being used to harm characters. Otherwise, any other duration
is applir.able to set up walls of magic fi:re. May not be used on Self.
Damagl.' as follows: Sorcerer's \Viii os bnsc Power, VA 2, Die of.Fate as
rt how. Successes ,nay be used to increase d111nage (+1 Power per extra
~ur.ce!is), increase I he VA (two successes for+ 1 VA) or modify the Die
of 17n1t· (one success for+ 1 DoF). \Veapon Length: Longest. Range: as
hu111in~ bow.
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Illusion
A sorcerer rnay use his ruugic co create illusions to con£ use or deceive.
Make! a versus test bet ween Sor,cery and the victim's Perception (with
chc: a1 tendanl double obstacle penalty). Be sure to add obstacle penaltirs
to thC' Sorcery tesl for breadth and duration. If the sorcerer wins the
\'Crsus test, his victim hclieves the illusion to be true.
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'{'his spell cannot be used to harm its victims or create perfect

simulacru. It may only be used to frighten, confuse, deceive, bamboozle
or otherwise fool thetn into thinking sotnething is real when it is not. i
ll.>
Illusion coses three actions in Fight.
.....
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Evoke
Using the. Evoke effect, the sorcerer can force a versus test between his
Sorr.P.ry skiU and a target's physical sti:1t, mnrtial or physical skill or
lhe Health attribute. \Vhen using this effect, the sorcerer must declare
his intent to shove, grab, immobilize, knock down or similar. 1-Je may
not use this effoct to directly inj1u·e the 1ru·get. Any other effects of this
,pell con1e fro1n the results of the physical reaction o{ the target-if he
is pushed into a freezing pond, tor example.
A wizardcoulduse the Evoke effect to keep a team ofOres from pulhitJ up

a tree: Sorcery ver.su.s Tree Pullin!!. He could.stop an enemJ .sorcererfrom
he,"n!J able {q draw enou.'Jh breath to ca.st a .spellhimself Sorcery ver.s,t.s
Health. Or lte could knock a b,"rJof/its perch: Sorcery versus Speed
To cast the spell, u1a ke a versus test bet\veen Sorcery and the target. Re
su re tu ac..ld the obstacle modi fie.rs for breadth and duration.
Evoke spells cost two actions to perforru in Fight.
Arcane Action
Using the Arcane Action effect, the sorcerer may overco1ne the material
world around him with his arcane power. Sorcery may be. used to pass
any simple physical wst-pushing, leaping, grabbing, thrusting. The
obstacle for this effect is 1 plus the obstacle of the test at h{!-nd. Success
indicates thnl tbe wizard has passed t he test as if he had been testing
thr. appropriate ability. Failure on the skill test also counts as a failed
spell!
fJsi"'J this, the sorcerer ma;, strike an un.suspectin!J ()ppo.nent with a

swonlor climh a wall.
Trait
Using this spell effect, the sorcerer may grant the target access to a trait
from the general Trait List in the Burning \Vheel or the ~ionsttous Trait
Li~t from this book. Ob 1 plus t he trait point cost for a beneficial effect.
Ob 2 plus trait co:.t fur a curse or clctrin1cntnl effect. Unpriced lifepath
traits in 1he individual c haracter stock chapters arc Ob 4. Con1mon
traits from the eight existing character stocks are Ob 5. Call-ons may
no1 be so granted. Neither can you grant Gifted, Faithful, Loathsome
and Twisted, Essence of the Earth or any similar defining common
trait.
Transform
A wizard n1ay transform himself into an ani1nal. Obstacles are as
follows: Mundane, harmless creature (Like a bird or a fish), Ob 3.
Mundane, effective or tl1reatening creature (like a wolf or a bear), Ob 4.
The wizard is compJetcly n·ansformed into that creature. He may not
cast othel' spells while so changed.
To transforrn another it's Ob 1 plus the victim's Forte, plus a + 1 Ob

peuahy per difforeuce in stature from the original form to tbc 111:w one.
Chan_,in!J a !>raj"" (tiijantic Stature) to a bird (Small Stature) is a

base obstacle 13 (tplus t;To Forlc flus 2, a.ssumu'j our wiz.anlhas black
sharle Sorcery) plu.s four for the tlifferenu in stature: Ob 17, plU$ bruu/th
and duration. t;ootl luck!
Breadth
Breadth describes how rnuch tlu: iifW-11 affor.ts. Does it affect tbe caster;
or the whole town? Choose the breadth of your spe11 from tbe list below.
Breadth of Target Obstacle Modifier

Selr{OJJe·AljilUy)
SinglcTargcl, One Person (One Ahilily) +I Ob
·:~p,.rian·~·rul, Tw.o Abllil.ics +30b
Cnm·d. Copse, Uustcr, 1"hrtc Ahililic~ +4 Ob
VIJJage, Pond._F9ur Ablllllcs +6Ob
Town, Counlrysidc, Custle, Fh-c Ahililies +70b
;•F.•mlfSlx AbUillea +8Ob
Mounl:lin, Plain, All Ahililics +9Ob
-~~-Oe~ll +I0Ob
The parenthetical "(One Ability)" listed with Self and One Person
indicates you can affect one ability on yourself for no pi:nalty or one
ability on another character for+ 1 Ob. ]f you're affecting an object, use
the Single Target breadth.
Brt:llt/th i.s c_umulative. Ifyou wanted to affec.t the Faith anti w,11 ofan
entire &I')', it wouhl be Two Ahilities +3 Oh ofa City +8 Ob = 11 Ob.
~
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Duration of Spell
There are five possible durations for an Art Magic speH: one test,
conflict, session, adventure and campaign. Choose the duration for your
intended effect from the list below.
Duration Obstacle Modifier

One Tesl (according lo Let II Ride)
Conllicl (Rangr an<l Cowr. Figh1 or Duel nf Wits) +1 Ob
-~loo +20b
Adrcnlurc +3 Ob
Campaign +4 Ob
,\ one test durtllion indicates the effect lasts for a single roll or a series
of rolls as per the Let It Ride rule-anything short of a conflict like
Fight, Range and Cover or Duel of Wits. One goal, no change of venue,
no introduction of new problems.
A conflict duration indicates the effect lasts for one Fight, Range and
Cover, Duel of \Vits, Pursuit or Chase. This is a nice hefty duration,
because Lhosc mcchan ics indicate that the character is doing something
imporlani.
A session duration is the simplest to measure. The effect lasts until the
encl of the session. That's it.
The adventure dttration remains in effect until the group has completed
~ome agreed-upon future goal-slay the dragon, rescue the princess,
break into tl,e bank.
Campaign durations usually lust until t he group hus accomplished a

great goal and then drifts off into retire,nent. It's not much of a limit at
all. Typically the g:une's over at the end of the campaign. But campaign
duration docs have a cool flavor, especially if you end up coming back to
the game later and pulling those characters out of retiresnent.
Lasting Effccts
The effect may lnsl beyond the du rat ion of the spell if the spell changed
the cnvironm<int in s01ne way. For exampl.c, you rnay conjure a scourging
fire 10 burn a fol'est. After one scene, t he fire is gone, but the forest
reinuins hurnt.
• .·. :' {~ ' ' ' l.r j I J ,r ( ; ,t ,: ! ; !
Casting Time
The casting rime for a spell is a 11111nber of actions equal to its obstacle.
Spells that cause versus tests have their own rules: Evoke costs two
actions to cast, Olusion costs three.
In Fight, use t.Lte Casl Spell act ion. In Range and Cover, A sorcerer
may cast up to 20 actions of one spell during one volley instead of
performing one of the standard actions. Dangerous!
Casting Under Pressure

A sorcerer mus t cornplete a spell uninterrupted and unimpeded.
Thrrefore, n ;orcerer 1nay not be locked, injured, knocked off his feet
or foil a S lecl test whi le casting. Jf interrupted, the spell automatically
foils at the fu ll margin of failure (and note that tax at this level can
possibly kill the sorcerer, so these a re serious consequencr,s).
A sorcerer muy cnst a spell while otherwise 011 ll.1e move, in a fighc or
argument.
Schools of Magic
Using Art Magic, sorcerers arc trained at various schools and taught to
favor one form of magic over nnot'hr.r. To forn1 your school, select th ree
effects of the ten offered. For example, evocation, illusion and arcane
knowledge. These are the areas in which you specialize.
Name your school. Call it something esoteric and wi?..ardly.
Toke the seven remaining effects and order them from 1 to 7-from
most desired to !co.st desired. These arc the· 1nagical arls outside of
your ability. You may cast spells outside of your school, but the order
indicates the obstacle penalty added on top of the spell's obstacle-from
+1 to +7 Ob.
Joining Schools of Magic in Play

To join a school of magic during the course of a gan1c, a player must find
n member of the school who is willing to instruct him on its theories and
methods. To learn from this teacher, the student must forge a myslical
connection with him: The sludent must pass a Will test with an obstacle
equal to 10 minus the teacher's \Viii. If this test is passed, the sorcerer
player learns one effect from h is mentor's school and now may cast
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it without obstacle penalty. Do not reorder or reshuffle the remaining

0
unlrarrwd eff,,cts. You can only know a number of effects equal to or
lr:l" 1Lia11 your «'urrent Sorcrry skill exponent.
If you foil thi$ test, you cannot learn this art magic effect. Ever.
Founding a Ne,\' School of Magic

A sorl'rrer may found his own school of 1nagic. This requires a year of
1i111r aud an Ou 5 Research test. Symhology, Astrology and Obscure
History url' are<·ptable FoRKs.
tr you pas~ the test, nfter the time alloned, the sorcerer founds a new
school of magic and ,nay remove the obstacle penalty from one effect
outside of his current school.
If you fail the test. t be sorcerer bas founded n corrupted or distorted

n~rsion of the school. All spells in that school are cast at an obstacle
penalty equal 10 the n1argin of failure of the Research test.
For example, ,fyou re tryin.9 to found the School of Brilliant Oratorical

Te&lmi1u.es andyou fa,1your Research test hy two, all advanlaje effects
cast in that school suffer a +2 Oh on top ofthe penalty for their heiHJ
outside ofyour starlinJ school.
Oner a school is founded, all appropriate spells must be cast through
that school, even if they come at a penalty.
Learning Art Magic in Play

If }'Otu· d1nroctcr lco.rns art mo.gic dwing the course of the carnpaigo,
he !\tans in the school of his mentor ( or fro,n the tradition of the text,
if taught from a book). Your tbree stru·ting effects arc the same as yow·
men I or.
Incantation
If the sorcerer player numcs his spell with au appropriately florid name
<JI· off,-r,, a bit ol' chant or verse for the spell, tl1en he gajns +1D to cast
tlw spell.
Consequences
Art Magic has five possible prices that can be paid for each spell. If
rhe sorcerer fails to properly cast an Art Magic spell, he suffers one of
the following consequences: Tax, Hindrance, Enmity, Infamy or an
Unintended Effect.
The GM applies the. consequences of the Sorcery based on the margin

of failure and his judgement of the situation.
Tax
If the spell is failed, the G~1 n1ay call for a t!Lx test (as per the standard
rules). The sorcerer must poss a Forte test with an obstacle equal to
the obsracle of the spell. Margin of failure temporarily reduces Forte.
If Forte is reduced lo zero, the cbaractc1· is incapacitated. If Forte is
reduced below zero, the character suffers a wound equal to the obstacle
multiplied by each die below zero. Sorcerers recover taxed Forte the
rules described in the Sorcery chapter of the Burning Wheel.
Hindrance
The GM may apply an obstacle penalty equal to t he margin of failure.
The hindrance has the sanic dura tion aud breadth as the intended spell.
Enmity and Infamy

A spell gone nwry causes frienda to become enemies! \Vhen using this
failure condition, the GM 1nust describe how the casting goes wroug.
The spell has an effect, bnt it's not exactly what was planned.
The GM may change a relationsltip or named Circle on the sorcerer

character's sheet from favorable to hatefu I or rivalrous. This invokes the
Enmity Clause conditions for Duel of \Vits! If no relationship is present,
the GM may assign one. Failure by one success indicates a minor
relatiuuship. Failure by two or three successes iucllcates an important
relationship. Failure by four or more indicates a powerful relationship.
Alternately, the sorcerer can gain an infarnous reputation among people,

spirits or animals. If the spell is failed by one to three successes, the GM
n1ay assign the character an infamous reputation of a value equal to
or less than the margin of failure in an appropriate sphere of the GM's
choice (people, spirits or animals). The GM can also compound any
existing infamous reputations 01· even turn a positive reputation to one
of infamy due to the failed spell.
0.. ,;,.;
I
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The Arcane Library
Even the hirtls have heardabout what a ha.starJyou. are. >

.....
H
Unintended Effect
The GM twist the intent of the spell so that it has an unintended (and
unhappy) effect. The unintended effect could be that the original effect
is not what was planned for. or the original spell doesn't activate at all.
Instead birds fly fro1u your n1outh, or devils peel themselves from the
wolls or the house catches fire, etc. The only limit here is how evil your
GM feels in thr 1non1en1.
Weaving Magic into the

Fiber of My Being
Using this n1echanic, a Sorcerer may eventually weave the fabric of
spells and incantations into his very being. 1f he casts a spell successfully
a number of times equal to 10 minus his Will, he has "woven" the spell.
Thereafter, the player gains an additional +1D when casting the spell.
This is in addition to other advantages like +1D for the Incantation
rule. Any obstacle pcnallies fol' using a particular effect remain.
This rule is optional for Art Magic. It's beneficial to tho sorcerer player,
but it requires thal he do a substantial amount of bookkeeping-he
must track the spells he's cast and the nmnber of times he's cast them.
If the player doesn' t want to do that, don't use this n1le!
Versus Sorcery
The GM ('an call for Art Magic tests to be resolved using simple versus
tests. The sorcerer player states the spell he's casting and declares his
intent, then he mnkes the versus test. If he succeed!., hP. ,nay dl'h~r.rihc
how his 1nagics have overcome his opponents.
This process n1irrors the one described on page 425 of the Burning \Vhcel.
Bloody Sorcery
Son·cry can nlso be substituted for a martial.!ikill in the Bloody Ver~us
test del:icriLcd on pages 426-427 of the Burning \Vheel. Sorcerer counts
as using a longer length weapon and a shield.
.....
Enchanting
Enchanring is cl1e url of i1nparling an otherwise mundane object
with magical properties. The skill can be used in one of two ways-
to temporarily and quickly in1bue an extant item with power, or to
crca1r and enchant a new itern.
Imbuing
Imbuing requfres the Ench,u1ting skill, an Enchanting tool kit and
n11other complementary skill.
Con11)lementary Kno,vledge
\vhc11 i,nhuing an item wiLh power, the enchanter must use a
compkimentary store of knowledge (or power) in order to guide
his will. The con1ple1nentary skill provides the spark of magic
dwt the enchanter then blows on like an ember so ic blossoms into
fi re. Complementary skills 0111st be, one of the following: Doctrine,
Si ng (or any other art), Folklore, Aucir.nt History, Ohscnre
History, Ancient Languages, Astrology, Demonology, Symhology
or Empyrealia. One or morr. of these skills must be FoRKed into
the Enchanting roll. The item being enhanced or the power being
hcstowcd n1us1 relate to or draw fron1 the con1ple1nentary skill.
Enchanting isn't enough. TJ1cre musl be art and knowledge as well.
Imbuing Process
The magician uses the Enchanting skill (plus FoRKs and help) for
imbuing. The test is open-ended. Imbuing requires hours equal
to the obstnclc. The: plnycr can reduce timf. by working quickly or
increase it by working carefully. The imbued power lasts for one.
test or series test. An item may be imbued for multiple effects with
mufriple rolls, but you must troll for each effect. Let JL]lide doesn't
co1m1 in this case.I
Failure indicates that th<' item cannot hold the power. The time is
wasted, but the rnnterinls remain.
't'ou may not imbue an item to aid lhe Enchanting skill.
290
-- The Arcane Library
Imbuing Effects
Choose one of the follo,ving effects to imbue into your target object:
• Grant +1D advantage, Ob 3.

• Open-ended test for one ability when using the item, Ob 4 .
• Negate n +1 Ob disadvantage when using the item, Ob 3. Use Oh 4
to negate n +2 Ob disadvantage and Ob 5 for a +3 Ob penalty.
Ramne the w1211f'tlbf'ews "I' some Sfe&ial lea for' his atlventut'er friends.
when tlno1k, it ne.,ates the + 1 Oh ftnalf:J fo" a Supetfitial wound
ltubucd Duration
In order to create the rnagical cffcct while imbuing, the 1nagician must
cn'nte an objc-cl-n concoction, n painted sigiJ, a dclicnrc scrofJ, etc. The
imbued magic remains until it's used or the ite1n is damaged, dcso-oyed
or 01hc-rwisc corrupted. Once lost, the magic is gone forever. TI,c imbuing
process must br.gan again.
Antecedents
True Enchanting req uires n core or root substance chat possesses a
~imiJnr nature to the power to be ju fused into the creation. This root
mbstnnce is called an a11tecede11l. ln ga.1ne tcnns, an antecedent is a
trail rx1ractcd frorn n creature and repurposed for the enchantn1eot.
Alcherny and Taxider111y

You do not use the Enchanting skill ilself 10 extract antecedents.
Alchemy or Taxidermy is used instead. Taxidenny requires a carcass;
Alclicmy requires significant sample porrions of the creature. This is a
process of extTnction and preservation. It is delicate and difficult. If you
do not fo llow the proper procedures (if the test is failed), the inherent
power of the subst·nncc is lost.
ltle11tifyi11g T'raits
The ohs1aclcs lo identify the traits of a creature or substance using tl1e
Alchemy or Taxiclerinv skills ore HS follows: Character traits, Ob 1.
Call-ons. Oh 2. Die 1,·;its, Ob 3.
Aurn Rrading may be used to identify traits as weU. See the Magical
Skills section for details on identifying tiraits using Aura Re.a.ding.
• -: ' • I ' : ' 1' ...'
Extracting Antecedents
The ohstadt' to cxr rnct n trait for nn untt'cedcnt is equal to the point
,·ost of the trait. llnpricc:cl lifepntJ1 traits nre. Ob 4 to extract.
Ei-trllctiug Co111r11u11 Traits

Some creatures ha,,e ccrlnin trails us part of their body ro1d soul. These
arc described in the Common Traits listing for each chnractt·r sroc~-
11 i~ n nut Ob :3 Tn.xiclcrmy or Akhemy test 10 extract a conuuon rnut.
.......
The Arcane Library
Specific Antecedent for Each Specific Need

An antecedent is extracted for a specific enchantment. It cannot be used
for 111ore than one enchant1nent, nor can it be used for 1nultiple purposes
\\'iihin 1he sarne ite1n. A player must declare his intent-the nature of
rln: cnchontJnent-when extracting an antecedent.
An antecedent cannot he extYa&tedfor a Forle-enhan&i"nj enchantment

antithen later be usedfor an enchantment(oy YoU>u/in!J the Morla/ Wound
Enchanting
\Vlicn a sorcerer player wishes to create an item of power, he tests his
character's skill plus bonus dice accrued from the following choices:
Vessel. Na,nr. Antecedent, Effect, Internal Duration , External
Durat ion, Trigger, Frequency of Usr., Targ·et, Side Effects, Recharge and
Modularity. [t's a big list with rr1any options. A variety of interesting
dcvic(:s r.an be created!
Encliantiug is separate fro1n i1nbuing. You 1nay not combine the two
in a sing!~ ite1n.
Enchanting Requirr.ments and Restrictions

Enchanting requirC'.s the Enchanting skill, a tool kit, an antecedent and
usually a vessel. There is no tax for Enchanting. Enchanting cannot use
1he Has1ily, Carefully and Patiently rules as described jn the Burning
Wheel Sorr.cry chapter. [t can use the Carefully, Patiently, Quicklr rules
for skill Lcstl;. though.
Choose fro1n the following selections and questions to detennine an

?bstacle and an amount of advantage dice to be used to create the item
in tJuc•.stion.
Vessels and Nan1e

If tJie enrhantmc111is designed for a specialized item like a sword or a
shield, then lliat itc,n 1nust be created and infused with the antecedent
during the enchant1uent. The proper skills, u,aterials and tools are
required 1·0 create· this vessel. They can be part of the enchanter's
rcpc·rtoire or be accessed via help. If the item in question is just a mere
hauhlc· 0 1· lrinkcr, no addi1io11al c ntf1: or 1nutc.rials ore required.
Successfull y crcatin11 n vessel lo be enchanted grant +10 to the

' •ng ro11 only if
Ench·111t. t> I •
you give the ve.sse a unique nan1e.
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Malerauex t;reen Buuts, the Staff uf Hearlwuud ur Dvalt'n $ Bluotly
Ciauntlets.
Antecedent Trait
The enchanter must obtain a trait which represents the source for his
enchantment. The trait, separated from its source, is the antecedent.
Antecedents are incant to be figurative and metaphorical, not literal.
Use the following 1uodifiers for Enchanting using certain antecedents:
• Charae1er trait antecedent, +1 Ob.

• Call-on, 110 bonus or penalty.
• Die trait antecedent, +1D.
The bloud ofa character with the Evil trait cuuld be used tu make a
cumpass that detects evil in others. The hair from the head ofa chilrl
with the Aura of Innocence can he woven intu a chain that renrleYs the
speaker3/i'h. The husk ufa B'hemalrs 8Yass Skin can be userl tu forye
some very fotent armor!
Basic Enchantment Effects

There are 11 different effects an enchanter can bestow upon an item:
make magic, advantage, obstacle, negate penalty, grant skill, grant stat,
ti:ait transference, test hveaks, weapon enchnntrr1ents, magic armor and
useful tnagical device. tvluh.iple effects can be cornbined in a single
r.nchant mcnt.
1l1ake /)t/agic
An r.ncl.ianter 1nay invest" his work with a dweomer or faerie fire. It
casts no light and has no mechanical advantage, but each dweomcr is
unique to 1he enclmntcr who c reates it, like a fingerprint. This is an
Ob 1 effect.
Atlva11t<1gP
A..n encluu1ter may have his item bestow+ 1-30 advantage dice upon
its user: to a stat, a. skill, Health, Steel, Circles or Resources. The
ability bencfitted must be noted a l tl1c tinre of enclianting.
The oustncle i!i ccrual to 1 plus the advantage dice to be granted.
An ~nchant<:r may not create ite.ms which give advantage directly or

indirectly 10 the Enchanting sk.iU.
The Arcane Library
Obstacle
A magical device can irnpose an obstacle penalty upon its target. The
obslacle penalty can be applied to a stat, a skill, Health, Steel, Circles
or Rcsom·cr.s. The ability targeted must be detcr1nined at the time of
enchanting. The Enchanting obstacle is the same as the obstacle to be
imposed-Ob 1, 2 or 3.
Rt11her tban a srt ohsi-acle penalty, the item can impose a double
obs1aclr penalty on a stat, n skiU, Health, Steel, Circles or Resources.
This is base Ob 4 for the Enchanting test .
.IVegnte Pt'l1a/Jy
An Pnchantcr u1ay negate obstacle penalties like dim light, Superficial
\Vo1uids or Obfuscalc. The obstacle ji,; 1 plus the value of the penalty.
Grant S kill
This effect allows the enchanted iten1 to grant the bearer a skiH he
might not otherwise have. The obstacle is equal to the. skill exponent
10 be- granted. This skill must be possessed hy tl1e creature that was
llu: so1u-ce of the an1ecedcnl. If the bearer of the item already has the
skill al a great er exponent, he gt1.ins no benefit from the enchantn1ent.
If he bas the skill at a lesser exponent, ht~can let the item test or test
himself. In this case, if the item tr.sts, he may help jt,
An r.nchan1er may not create an item which grants the Enchanting skill.
Graul Stat
The magical object ,nay grant a new stat exponent. The obstacle for
this effect is 1 plus d1e exponent of the stlt( to be granted. The shade
of the slat matchc.s the enchanter's ski.II. The stut exponent must be
represented in the stat line from the creah1re who was the source of
the antecedent. The stat to be granted 1nust be determined during
the enchanting process. \Vhen used, tlus effect replaces the wielder's
ability with tl1a1 of the jtem.
1}ait 'l'ra1u1fere11ee
Use the Lrait transference enchanting effect for magic like flight,
underwater breathing, flruuing eyes, etc. Apply a trait's effe~,s to the
item, the wielder of the item or the target of the iten1. The trait must be
a part of the antecedent source. Obstacle is equal to the point value of
the lJ·ait. This may only grant characte.r, cosmetic and die traits. CaIJ-on
traits may not be tTansfen-ed. If a dual-purposed u·ait is transfen·ed,
only die non-caU-on part works. If using an unpriced lifepatb u·ait
b
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from one of the existing chaxacter stocks, the obstacle is 4. If using

a co1mnon trait from one of the character stocks, the obstacle is 5.
The Creed. Grief, Spite, Loathsome and Twisted, Gifted, Faithful and
Chosen One trails 1nay not be transferred.
Test Tweaks
The enchanter cru1 imbue the item with n bit of fighting spirit stolen
from the so1u·cc creat1ire for the antecedent. Thus you can create doors
that rl'sis1 being opened, pictures 1bnt seduce onlookers or gloves that
grab 1lw1gs they shou.ldn 't.
\Vheu aeth•atcd, the item causes a versus test between itself and its
turge1. The ability thal 1he item uses comes from the SOUice creature.
During 1hc enchanting process, choose a stat , skill, Hcahb or Steel
attribute that the i1c111 will r haUenge. This is an Ob 2 Enchanting
effect.
Steel twenks: Steel is not generally used in vers us tests. If the

enchanter wants to build a Steel tweak, he can use this effect obstacle,
but no vcr, us 1cs 1 is made. The item siJnply causes its target to make
a standard Steel test.
1¥eapou Er1/u111cemeut.-;
The effectiveness of a weapon can be increased through Enchanting.
T here arc six ways to modify o weapon: increase its VA, increase its
weapon power, 1nodify its weapon speed, reduce its add, modify its
weapon length and turn it into a spirit weapon. T!iis effect requires a
vessel that is a weapon.
• Increase Jl,,I: Ob 1 plus value of the new VA.
• Increase weapon power. Ob l plus value of the new Power.
• !vlodify u:eapon speed: \VS 1 to 2, Ob 2. WS 2 to 3, Ob 3. \VS 3 to 2,
Ob 2. \VS 2 to 1, Ob 3.
• Reduce acid: Ob 4.
• Modify weapon length: rvtagically reduce one weapon length, Ob 1.
MagicaJly increase one weapon length, Ob 2 .
• Spirit l11eapon: Make the weapon a spirit weapon so it can harm
those of Spirit Nature, Ob 3.
~lagir. Armor
An item may be enchanted to confer nrrnot· protection upon j ts bearer.
There urc fom· body locations in 81u·ni11g \Vhecl: head. arms, torso
nnd lr~s. r s1' the followi.J1~ obstuclcs for type and locntion:
The Arcane Library
Prott>cts as leather, + 1 Ob per location. Plated Leather, +2 Ob per

location. Chain, +3 Ob per location. Plated Chain, +4 Ob per location.
Full Plate, +5 Ob per location.
The ru·mor is nm of the mill and may be damaged when 1s are rolled.
Thr armor 1uay be made Superior Quality for a cost of +2 Ob.
lf an annor piece is d estroyed , that piece loses any and all

enchantn1ents. Arn1or may be repaired using Enchanting or craftsman
skills appropriate to the vessel. Obstacles are 1 plus the standard
annor repair obstacles.
IfJou possess a "'rond thatprovides helmetprofution (or the /11:atlanti

it is Jam"Jetl, tirejeweler skt11 may be used to repair it.
Useful 1H11gical Devices

Tools. Ob 2: Despite its unlikely appearance, this item may be used as
tools for a specific skill.
Spell /l fatri:i: , obstacle equal to speU: Use the item to store a spell
tl1a t can then be released when tbe wielder chooses. Once the magic
is released, it's as if the spell has been cast at that moment. Use the
spell's own effect, breadth, duration and area of effect. If appropriate,
the owner of the spell rnatri.-x may direct the spell.
The obstacle to create a spell matrix is equal to tl1e spell to be stored.

The spell ntust tJ1en be cast into tl1e ite1n. It can he done at any tin1e,
not just <lmingthe enchanting process. Casting the spell into the item
deterrnines tl1e results of t he spell when it is finally released-margin
of success, etc. Ta,x or other consequences are dealt with by the caster
when the spell is initially cast, not when it is released. To release a
spell from a spell matrix, the user must abide by the trigger. See the
Trigger heading in this chapter.
Sustained spells 1nay not be placed into a spell n1at1ix unless the item
is also a sustainer.
Sustainer. Ob 4: 111is ite,n sustains one Sorcery spell. You choose its
purpose when the sustainer is created or first activated. Thereafter it
rnay only ever sustain that particular spell.
Once cust·, the spell is sui;tained so long as the sustainer remains in

contact with tl1c sorcerer's skin. The sorcerer does not have to allocate a
\Viii die to the spelJ. Also, the sustainer does not protect against tax. The
sorcerer mu.~t retest tax as per the Power Still Flows Tluough Him rule.
.
' •. '
To u.se a sustainer the mtlje simply casts a "Duration: Su.stained" spell

and then states, "! am pullin!J t\1a!Je Li!Jht in ml staff{or pendant
or ri,lj, or whateverJ "The spell i's then considered maintainedbJ the
sustainer. The ma!}e does not have to allocate a Wt11 die to holdthe spell
i11ultiplier. This item n1ay be used to increase a spell's area of effect,
brcndth or target of a spell 011 the following scale: lncrease one level,
+2 Ob . lnc n~ase two levels, +3 Ob. Inc rease three levels, + 4 Ob .
Increase four levels, +5 Ob. lnc rease fi ve levels, +6 Ob. Multipliers
,nust br r nc ha ntcd with a specific spell in mind. They arc not a ll-
p uqio~l' <lcvicl'S. Fo r stnndard Sorcery area of effects, use tltis list
to dc•termjnc the order : Caster, Single Target, H a lf Presence, Paces,
Prcscnce, Double Presence, Tens of Puces, Hundreds of Paces, ~files,
Nnt un'll Effect, Tens of Miles. For Art Magic, use the breadth scale.
T his may not be used to o ffeel th e Encl1anting skilJ.
Target
\Vh om docs the effoci- affoct?
Target of Enchantment Obstacle Modifier

The 11cm Itself +1D
Widder or Item. One .\bililJ'
Single Target, One Abl lily +10b
Group, Handful. Tuo .\bilillcs +30b
€rowd; Copse, Cluster. Three Abilities +40b
\'illn!!c, Pond. Four Abilltks +60b
Town, Countryside, Castle, t'lve AhllUIC$ +7 011
l:iiy. Forest, Six Abilifirs +80b
Mountalo, Plalo, All Abllltles +90b
Sky. Ocean +10 Ob
The target g roups are meant to be exclusive. You cru1 affect n crowd of
people or three abilities. ff you waut to bestow t hree abilit ies to a crowd
of people, that's two separate targets that n1ust be pa id for individually:
+4 Ob and +4 Ob.
Internal Duration-Enchanttnent Duration

J-(ow Long does the item hold the enchantment.? Does the enchantment
fode over time? Does it havr. lo b e used within n certain time frame?
•
The Arcane Library
Enchantment Duration Ob/Dice Modifier

, l,osts until used and is then expended
Only lnsts unm the e11d of the session +10

,_Sp,edfic physical condiUon +20
Lu~ts until failed lest +10b
Multiple uses +10b
Lnsb until the end or the adwnture +20b
, ·Lasts unlll lhe end or lhc campaign +30b
l.asls fore,·cr +40b
Most of the Internal Dural ions arc self-explanatory. The tricky ones arc
described below.
Specific Pfu,sical Collditiou

The itc1u's power fails if n specific physical condition is met (or is
nmnct ). Physical conditions arc varied-1.he item can't be wet, the
item can never touch the ground, the item n1ust always be held,
the owner may never refuse a l11.u1dshn.ke. Th.is is the most dynaa1ic
duration caregory; it's a lot of fun. These conditions can heavily
iJ1f111c11ce the behavior of the character. The enchanter can develop
his own physical condition for his item. It ,nust not be obsnu·e, but
neither should it be very co1nn10n.
Failc<I Test
This item holds its enchantment w1til a specific test is failed. The
enchanter 1nay detcnnine the nature of the test-what :.tat, skill or
atu·ibu1e is in question. The test or type of test must relate to the use
of the itc1n or to the antecedent. U an ability test of that l)llC is failed
while the character possesses the artifact, it:. power fu<lcs. It may 1101
be used again unless it is recharged.
Multiple U.se11
ltcn1s with tbc ~1uJtiple Uses ioten1al duration hold their enchantment
for a vnrinhlc nun1her of 11sP.s. Soine n1ay never run out, some expire
after only a fe.w uses. Each time the ite1n is used after the first, rolJ a
Die of Fate. If the die comes up a 1, the iten1's powers have expired. It
cannot be used again iuiless it is recharged.
External Duration-Effect Duration

1f the item'!, effect has an external duration, how loog does that last? lf
your enchantment only affects the itcn1 itself.-likt> a weapon or a piece
of armor-do not use this category.
J /,. . liii i'(, U I :.( JJ /,,,,,.' ( uf!',, I
/H otheY words, how loHj areJ"" fro:un ifI hitl"" witlt >HJ(reezie waHt/?
Duration of Effect Obstacle Modifier

: ~ -~cmal DunUon
One lcsl/inslantnnrous +ID
. -Wei ll,I' aerie., lc:sl
Session +I Ob
i'J.~_(ure (!JluJllpleacssions) +20b
C.1111p:1ii:n +30h
Forever +40b
Trigger
\Vhat a ctivates or triggers the en ch antment ? I-low is th<' mag ic evoked
from the i1e1n'? Potions benefit fron1 the , oniatic component honus-onc
must drink them. A ni ugic wand tha t emits bolts of lin~a t t.he caster's
mcntul con1maud requires 1hr. Mind Meld penalty. Magic swords merely
need 1o be held, so they don' t hove a t r igger.
Enchantment Trigger Ob/ Dice Modifier

Nolrigger
~lih,I mdd/11,ouglll control +201,
Veatal, S(!mallc or condllional trigger +ID
Mu;I be louchin~ bearer +I Ob
.
·.(lw;f d_lU4,l +2D
f\'o Trigger
Use tl1is entry for itmns that don 'l requir<' trig_E;crs, like certain magic
swords, 1nagic h elmets, sustaincrs or u111ltiplie rs . Do not get cheeky
with this and create wands of C"<'r-burning-gouts ,o f -firc.
ilJi,u/ i'rleld or Thouglit Co11lrol

This nigger oJlows the bearer to n1erely think his commands und the
ite rn will ohey. This req uires two tandem octious in Fig ht or Hauge
and Cov11r to u·igger. h 's nearly ins tnntaneous!
Verbal, S"rnatic. or Conditio11al '/'rigger

The item niqui.rcs thnt a c.onuuand hr spok en or gest11re perfmmct.l
b efore il r.nn be us1•d. The creator may d c·tcrmine wbich is more
appropriate. lf used in Fight, this trigger requires aclions rqual to half
tlw Enchauting ohstnc.lc . These cowll as spell cllsling actions.
The Arcane Library
Alll•nrntdy, this trigger can be used for a condition like "when it

rains.,. or "when smueone opens the door."
iUust Be Touching Bearer

In order for tl1e magic to be active in this iten1, it must be held in the
proper fashion so that it touches the bearer's flesh-either held in the
luu1d. worn as a ring or hung on a pendant around the neck.
Crazy Ritual
The crazy ritual requires that the user perform s ome lengthy task
before the ite1n can be used. The task takes at least its own scene to
perio,111-ir cruu1ot be performed ir1 a conflict. The task aJso requires
a successful test of its own using Doctrine, Ritual, Etiquette 01·
so1netJ1ing similar. The obs1acle for the ritual is 2. If the test is failed,
the itcn1 1nay uot be used for its intended effect.
The creator of tl1e iterr1 may describe the fonnat of the crazy ritual and
the skill ner.dcd to activate the itean.
Recharge!
Most eucltante<l i1cn1s lose their power aft-er a period of time or n111nber ·
of uses. The int1wnal d1u·ation determines how 1n11ch power the item
ha:; in it. Onc:e that powet is used up-once the duration expires-the
item is rend,~red inert.
The enchanter may build a charm into bis creation so that , once the
internal duration expire:;, he may recharge it. Adding the recharge
option to an ite1n increases i-he Enchanting obstacle by +1 Ob.
The creator 11111st detail how the item is recharged. This process must
require a test of an appropriate ahility, a quest for some rare ite1n or a
change of ownership.
Modularity
\Voul<l you like to design the ite1n so it can be further enchanted and
enhuncc<l in the future? If yes, increase the Enchanting obstacle by+1
Ob.
If tht modulurit y opt ion is chosen, f urlher cnchantn1cnts can be added

lo the ittm wiLhoul having ,-0 create a new vessel. However, additional
UJlleeedl'.nts arc required for further enchuntments. lf modularity is not
chosen, the ite1n or vessel is closed off to further enhancements.
....
• I
; '· .. '" , ,o( r •I _• .~ )
I ~
, ·, • • f
• ') ,
I
\
,. •
\
' f' •'
f/
The Arcane Library
Heroic and Supernatural Gear

Creating h e roic (gray shade) and s upernatural (white shade)
cnchantrnt>nts requires heroic and supernatural skill (even if acquired
by temporary 1ncans) and a heroic or supernatura l antecedent.
A device created with a heroic or supernatural s kill and antecedent

ta~cs on che shade of its creator.
A SWQYJ &Yeater/ with a tempoYary epipltal1)' fQ JYaJ shade and rlYt1jQ>1 's
b/oQd QY3iant's sinew is a.9ra,y weapQn.
Or, yQu &Quid make an item ust"nj aJYtlJ Enthantt"nj skt1/ani da:mon s
hair, which WQu/d.9rant a ~S D,s.9ui.se sk,11.
This grants the skill, stat and tweak abilities as the shade of the skill
of the enchanter. Altcrna1cly, creating a weapon under these conditions
brings forl'h a heroic or s upernatural device, respective to the shade of
die cncha111er's ski II.
Enchanted Failures:
Sacrifice, Curses and Perversion
If the Enchanting r oll is failed, tbe GM may choose one of the following
results- Sacrifice, Curse or Perversion-appropriate to the itcm·s
nature and the margin of failw·c for the test.
In the case of Sacrifice and Curse, t he enchantment counts as having

succeeded and the magic has its intended effect io addition to the effects
of failure. For Perver..ion, the CM may decide on a new, twisted effect
for the item. IL docs not count as having succeeded in the intent.
If none of these options tickle the GM's fancy, he may opt to simply have
the Enchanting rest. fail with no further consequences. Consequences
can be such fun though.
Sacrifice
These corrupted items require a sacri.Gce in order to be used. In this
cose, the sacrifice counts as an additional trigger for the item. This
:mcriftcc can come in a variety of forms: blood, wealth or harvest.
. '; { • •• · , , ; • • .
~
! / /, , .. d
1 ~• • 1 •
• •' 11! • • .'
' ., .' t .I • • • f, , •
Blood
Ln order to squeeze an effect from d1e item, the user must either us
it to spill blood or spill blood onto the item itself. Note the margin 0;
failure from the Enchanting test:
Blood must be spilled Margin of Failutt
. ;fhe user m115l inflict or sustain a superficial wound with tl1e item J
The u&rr 11111 ~1 i11tl ic1 or sustain u ligl11 wound 2

The user must inflict or sustu.i11 a midi wound 3
Thr- us1·r 1110,;1 i11llir 1 or sus111i1111 scn·rc wo1111d ~
Wile u~c~ must inflict or sustain o traumatic wound 5

Must inflict or sustain u mur1ol wou11d 6
You 111us1 inflic1 this injtu-y on an intelligent being capable of feeling

pain and suffering. The ,viclder may not tend to or shrug off tl1c injury
while the iten1 is in use.
Wealth
If the item requires wealth as a sacrifice, the user must offer du~item
or the appropriate gods a certain amou111 of gold and gems. Note
the 1nargin of failw·e for the Enchru1ting test. This is the obstacle for
Reso1u·ces tesrs to sacrifice wealth to the item (or ics patron gods).
Harvest
The enchantment may require an offering of harvest. The margin
of faiJurc from the EnchaJlting test is the obstacle for a Fanning or
A.11inull Husbandry test required to activalc the item. 11tis rcprescnls
the necessity to harvest the hrirain and raise the liYestock.
Harvest can be used with a ,nargin of failure of five or less. Blood can
be used with a mru·gin of failure of up 10 SL'\:. \Vealth can be used with
any margin of failure.
Curses
The itern can be cursed. A ctn·se 1nakes the item so desirable that it
destroys the relationships of those who use it. A cursed iten1 is co,·eted
by its owner, who believes it to be mighty and powerful.
ff the player wishes his character to give up the item. a Will test is
required. The obstacle is equal to the Enchanting obstacle.
d
The Arcane Library
If. during the course of play, another character offers to purchase or

trade for the item and is rebuffed by the owner, he too is cursed! He
goins the benefit of the En,nity Clauae when dealing with the bearer of
the cursed iten1. Cursed iterns always cause a Creed test in Dwarves.
Perversion
A pcrv1:rsion twists the nature of t he item. A perverted enchant1nent's
effect changes 10 the opposite of the intentiou of the enchanter. ff the
itc111 was meant 10 heal, it harms. If it was ,neant to protect, it makes
vulnrrnbk. If ii was n1ennt to a id, it hinders.
Corrupted and Marked Items

Thl'se sacrifices, curses a nd perversions all counr as 1narked items
as descriued under the Gift of Corruption heading in the Corruption
d1npter.
Enchanting Time
Eru.:hanting takes doy:s equal to t he obstacle. You may reduce the tirue
by working quit:kly. ff rhc CM d er:idcs to use II straight failure rcsulr.
rhe tinws are as follow:;: Failure by a margin of one to four sur.ccsses
requirrs rhe cornplele Lime co manufucrure. Failure hy 6ve or n1ore
requires a day or so of mucking about before you make a complete mess
of things.
rr an Enc hnnrine tf'_<;[ i,-; foilc,cl llll<I tlw CMSncl'ificP. Curse ur

IISCS
Pervcrsio.11 mer.hauics, the test takes tJ1c full required timc-dnys equal
10 the obstacle.
GM-Created Items
CMs may crente items for their cainpaigns at will. Use the steps described
in tl1is chapter, but no Enchanting skill test is necessary. Rr. cremive, but
also be consercatioe. Magical arrifac1s are very potent in Brn·uing \Vl1eel.
j
Spirit Binding is the art of calling forth the spirits that dwell in the
carrh, sky, riYcrs, stones, rain, roads nnd even the homes of Men,
Elves, Dwarves and Ores.
Spirit Binding requires daring on the part of the character, a bit of

in1aginarion on the pan of the player and a bit of luck on the dice.
As you'll scr, this fonn of magic differs substantially from Sorcery
in game play. It is subtle and potent~and it con1es with a pric~.
Spirit Rinding ha:; no set spells or list of spirits that the summoner
can call. lnstcacl , the sun1111onrr has a range of loca1ioos-
dctern1incd by hi:; lifcpaths-in which he can bind spirits. Th~
skill is ns follows:
Spirit Binding \V,fl

Spirits nbo1111d. 'fhl')' infuse the world around us. and tho~e who know
their sec rets cnll them forth nnd bind them into St·rvic('.. Using this
skill, a summoner binds a tipirit and sets ii 10 n ra sk.
To suromo11 nnd bind. thr player totnls his dice from Spirit Binding. a
domain binding, a spirit mark, summoning circles and any offerings.
He tests those <lice against nn obstacle tlmt combines the spirit's
Strc;ngL11. the task, the summoner's own .I mmanence. the inuncdiate
need for the spi ri t and the scope of the domain affected. If snct'cssful,
tiJc summoner cun name his task 1111J reduce the nruount of rr.tribution
the spirit will visit upon him. If failed, tlte summoner hns angered Ute
spirit aud will suffer the consequences in either ren·ibntion or enmity.
Obstacles: See the Spiril Ilinding Ohstnclcs and Spirit Services in 1his
chapter.
FoRKs: Astrology. Linked tests arc appropriate.
Skill Type: Sorcerous Tools: No.
Spirit Binding Process

\Vhen a player wishes to call on the spirit world for aid, he
undertakes a series of short steps. Determine if the sun1moncr is
in one of his domains (see Domuin Bindings). Total the dice from
Spirit Binding, the appropriate do1nain binding, spirit marks,
sum,noning circles (sec Circination) and offerings (see Offerings).
Determine the task the spirit is to perforn1, then determine the
306
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necessarr Strength of the spirit to be sun1n1011od. Consult the obstacles

for l1n1uanenco, Need, Mediuu1 und Don1uiu. Total the Su·ongtb and
...-·
obstacle' n1odific1·s.
-·
.....
All of the dice rolled for u Spirit Binding test an: opcn-cndcrl.
Retribution, Not Tax

After the dice nrl' cast for n Spirit Binding, wheLlicr the result i1, success
or u failur<', scr the Retribution section .. There is no tnx for t hi~ mncric,
but then· are COUSCl(UlillCCS. "
Spirit Binding Terminology

Nameless Spirits
Nn mclt'sS spi rils n rr rnt it ics born fro1n 1111· original c lc111!'nts of
crration-tlil· fir.SI ri ve r. ti)(' first ~cu, the first wi11d, t he (irst 1nonntain.
Ll1c first rond. llw first Hre-unrl have bc1·n hrokc11 down and spread
across 1ltr 1iurtn through t he n1iUc11nia They hea r 110 n•sr.n1hlr11ir.,: 10
life as wr k11ow i1. They an• wild, willfu:. capricious nnd unpn·dictoblc
for<'Cs of n11111re, tic,1 din:ctly Lo their don1ai11s, Onr who knows tJ1eir
wnys can 11ms tl'I' the \'cry environs.
Thcsl, entities ure 1101 i11tclligc11t hr l:u11111 n mras ure: they url' 001
sympathetic and bave no desire to befriend liviug creatures. They are
unture. 111 order to co1111nancl tlicm-to tnp I heir prin1ordial power-
one n1us1 use sturdy and clever niagirs. One musi renl'h into rlteir
domains nrn.l bind the spirits 10 one's wi.11!
Spirit Strength
A spirir's Slrcngth detern1i11cs both how old it i~ and 110w pott·11t it
will be when it n1anifcs1s 1lu·o11gh jts 111edi11m. Spirit Strength ranges
fru111 cxpum:111 1 10 10. \~1lrnuc,,cr tl a· ·,pirit is taskt'.J 10 lll'l'Ontplislt
something. u se~ it~ 8u·cngtl1 dice for the 1·es1. Spiri1 StrC'Jl~lh dice arc
always oj)cn-cndcd.
Domain and ~1ediun1

A domain is u conccprual geogrnphic location where a spirit exists. A
domain f'Un be: house. field , river. hill, u101.1ntaio, stonn, lake, sen. ll
is a broad <:onccp1-1·hcsc nrc not specifi~ houses or Sl~as, but ull houses
und oil s<·ns.
.
Jf1 : j' "!
.• • . ' ' '~ ,,. . .... ,· ,..
It tf i J,• • , • ~ •
/ \ 1; ,,. :
A spirit's ntcdiunt is the clement or objP.ct by which iL rn ·r

. . . . . an1iests ·
its domain. A n1ed1un1 1s a specific tlung: a rock, a branch d 1n
. d .tn tl1c s hutters.
gravestone, a cold current, a ,vm ' n oor' a
Spirit Binding Obstacle

To cle.teru1inc the Spirit Binding obstacle, add the Spirit's Strcn th
10
the obstacle n,oclificrs in l1nn1011cnce, Medium, Do,nain and Nee~.
Strength
T he base obstacle LO bind a spirit is its StTength exponent. The spirii
binder player de1ennines the Strength of the spirit that he is attemptin
to bind and thus sets his base obstacle for the test. g
There are a 1111n1her o f con s iderations Lo take into uccoum when

detennining the Strength of a spirit to sun11non. Certain spirit Strengths
arc necessary for certain tasks. The following list describes some of the
possible tasks for spirits and the reconuncndcd St:rengtJ1 for that task. A
rnore in-dep1 h lisl for spirit tusks is dcscril,cd in the Spiri t Tasks sec1ion.
Reveal /11for111atio11
Reveal information nbout· the 1nr.di111n or rJmnain: 8trP.ngth 3.
Service: Hiruler
Strength 2 spirits hinder their targets ,vith a+ 1 Ob pcnahy. Strength 4
spirits itTiposc n +2 Ob. Strength 6 spirits i1npose +3 Ob. Strength 8
spirits in1posc +4 Ob. Strength 10 spirits in1pose +5 Ob.
Service: llelp
Strength 1 spirits grant 1D of help. Strength. 5 spirits gran t 20 of
help. Strength 9 spirits grant 3D of help. A spirit may nol help you
with a Spiril Binding test.
Service: Har,n
Here are a few examples of using a spirit to hann: A Strength 4 spirit
of lightning does £MS: 84, 87, B1 O {VA: 8) . A Strength 4 spirit of fire
does IMS: B3, B6, B9 (VA: 5). A Strength 4 spirit of eartJ1, wood or
stone docs IMS: 83, BS, B7 (VA: 1).
Immanence
lmntancncc describes how close to the spirit world the characier is.
'.
vonsu It t Ite 10l1owing
" . modifier.
list of tTaits nnd apply the appropnate
The Arcane Library
ln1111a11<'11I, +1D Cl)
Chru·acrer~ with the following o·aits contain within them a portion of ........
'"d
the spiril world: Spirit Nutm·e, lmino1taJ, Essence of the Earth, Cold
Black Blood, Stiuk of the Ancient.
--·
>-t
b:I
::sa.
Prc-/111111ane11t, No 1),/otlificr ....
::s
Prc-ltnmanence indicates the charucler contains a sliver of the spirit (IQ
world in him. "fie stru1ds firmly between two worlds, the mundane
and 1hc divine. Pre-lmn1ancnt chru·acters arc 1narked by one of the
following u·uits: Odor of Spirits, Ance;;tral Tni11t, Srone's Age, Shaped
front Earth and Stoll<', Second Sight, Touch of Ages, Mark of the
Brus t, I lmmtcd, Tai111ed Legacy or Fey Blood.
,'l-l,111d1111c 11111/ A,/ortal, ·l·:l

Ob
Crcutur<'s 1.111d characters without nny of the above traits suffer a
+2 Ob when atte111p1ing 10 use the Spirir Bu1di11g skill. Note, though,
tha1 thr y an• not restricted from usmg the skill. There is no required
trni1 like C ifte<l for Sorl'cry.
~1cdiurn and Domain

Tim ;;pi.rit binder player dctennines how he wants th<'. spirit· to nu1nifest:
inn ,;pecific m.:dimn, l 1S n portio11 of the domni.n 01· as ihc whole domain.
Sp,•rifir ;lf<•di11n1, 1\10 1'1otlifier

Examples includr: a gnwe, u single room, 11 1.rre, a large stone in a
field, the ruts 011 n rond, a wave al Sl'U, 11 rushi.J1g -u-ind (in a storn1).
a lwnnh, a wdl, u door. A spfrit stwunone<l iu 1.1 sprcifie medium can
only affect one person o:· object or a small SU'lll'hU-l'.
P(lr/i(I/ Dor11nin nr Expa11sive 1Jfetfin111, +r Ob
Exan1ples i.J1clude: a clcnring, a pond, Lite shallows of a great lukc,
the rapids of a river, the breeze through 1.1 house, tJ1e so·etch of road
between t"-'O ,riling~, the lightning of a s1or111, tlll' hallway in a castJc..
doldrums in a sea. the dunes of a clcsrrt.. a single ruin cloud in u
rain stonn. A spiri1 snnunoned CronL II p11rtinl domain or expansivr
111ediun1 can only affecl a few peoplr (up 10 ils spirit St·rcng1h), 11
group of objects 01· the structure of ils domain or mediurn.
Don1(li11~, +3 Ob
Summoning forth the power of the <!ntire domam-the lake, the
house:. 1he sea, the cas tle, tl1c mountain, the roucl. the caldera, tlw
north wind, the stonn, 1hr dcsert-incm·s a +3 Ob penalt)'. Spirits
of the domain may equolly affect everyone oud 1.werything in their
llomuin.
i .'
j • •• • '
•l. ,: 1 , 1 , 1 .~ '...
; , ;r >: •' .' t I ( l I '
People a11d Posse.,;sio11s

People and theu- possessions arc not part of any domain and maYnot
have a spirit cwokcd from thc1n.
Need
The obs ta de for su1nmo11 ing a spirit increases the more and the sooner
you need it.
U11/,11rried, Not in a Coriflicl, No /Jl/odifier

If the spiri1 binder is uJlhurricd and has a few peaceful moments 10
conjw·e, there is no obstacle penalty.
Hurried, +1 Ob
If the spirit is being sununoned to aid in a versus test or to overcome
an inuncdintc obstacle-the sununoncr needs aid to overcome an
oppo11ent-1he11 apply a+ 1 Ob pcnalt)'·
/11 Range a11d Covt•r or Duel of Witx, +2 Ob

lf thr summoner is r.niliroilcd in Range and Cover or the Duel of \Virs
and he nct~ds u s pirit, apply a +2 Ob modifier to Spirit Binding. This
costs an action.
Fight, +3 Ob
1f you.arr. in a Fight mid need to SlllilJ)tOn a spirit, add+~ to tJ1e Spirit
Binding obstacle. This costs two actions.
Spirit Tasks
These spirits are forces of nature, not ghosts, animals or people. They
act on o different plane, w ith different energy and different intent.
Understanding-then1 is difficult, mastcrinrrr., them even ,norc so. Once
summoned, they n1ay be bound to atten1pt one of tlu-ec general types of
services: reveal, succor or serve.
Reveal
There nre two aspects to the reveal power: Spirits Arc \Vise nod Hevcal
Uu to Me This Fact.
Spirit.,; Are 1Jlise

A spirit tasked to reveal may grant the summoner any wise appropriate
to the dou1ai.n or ,nedium. The s1uruuouer may test for the wise as per
the normal wise rules. The exponent is equal to the spirit's So-eogth-
Thc wise counts ns open-ended when tested. It may be advanced,
The Arcane Library
However. when dw duration elapses, the entire skill disappears,

-~"Jia--~
C/1
induding any nclvance,nc-nts made.
Rt•vral l /1110 ;J,Jt• Tltis F<1cl

-·-·
'"d
,;
.....
Reveal may nlso be used to have. the spfri.t inforin the summoner about
a rc-r1ain ga,nc st•tting facl' : directions, the weather, the lay of the
lnnd. This is for " no contest" selling stuff-pure info dump of spirit
coolness. Grune seltrng facts are established by the CM. This type of
reveal rcqn.in·s n Strength ;3 :ipi1it.
Succor
Spirits may be eaUcd 011 10 protect t hl• summoner (and !tis companions
if a partial domain or fu ll dornain is summoned) . Succor protects from
:'\ar11ral Effec1sorcc'ry and nat ural phcnon1ena of equivalcn1 force to the
rat inp;s on t.hc Narural EIJect scale so long as the effect is appropriate
ro the domain or ,ncd iu m. A spirit can 1101 protect against any effect
hig her than its Strength. The Natural Effect list is ou page 520 of the
Burning \Vheel.
~,,iril ver.-:;11.c; .~lagic

Succor can also be used Lo protec.1 against dmnaging aud raxing
imp<!tus nrngic. U such protection is nppropriale lo the spirit's idiom,
rest th(' spirit's Slrr.nglh. The test is open-ended. Successes reduce
incoming spell s ucce.sscs. Jf the spell is reduced bdow its obstacle, it
has no rffoct on the summoner.
Service
S pirits ,nay he bound to evoke a spooky atmosphere, perfornl a physical
service or induced to hind«!t', to help m· tu harm.
Spooky Stuff
A spirit may be tasked to influence its domain in a spooky, supernaturaJ
manner. This is an Ob 1 service. This has no in-garne mechanical effect.
Eene s,1e11ce falls in the forest. A clearpool roils. Fire burns cold
lik,! <111 O:r

Spirits muy be inducc-d to pcrforn1 a pltysical slnt-base<l tusk. A spirit's
physical slats are equal to the s pirit's Shxmgth. Th.is includes Locks,
Throws and Pushes, bul not StTikes or anything causing direct hann.
/-Ii1ulr,u1c,,
Spirits may be induced to hind(\r. Such hindrance causes it's targets
a.11 obstnclc penalty 10 nil physical actions or Perception-based actions
.f ii,: ! :;1 I'll.' 11:.:: 11 /11·<·! 1 o,·?~, r-
-
(whatevcr's appropriate to the idiotn). Strength 2 spirits hinder
their targets with a +1 Ob penalt:y. Strength 4 spirits impose +2 Ob.
Strength 6 spirits impose +3 Ob. Strength 8 spirits i.tnposc +4 Ob.
Strength 10 spi1·its impose +5 Ob.
Help
Spirits may be induced to help n character with skill (or stat) tests
appropriate to the domain. 1-te]p as per the standard rules. Use the
Strength ns the spirit's skill or stat exponent: Spirits of Strength
1 provide 1 D of help, Sn·ength 5 provides 2D of help, Strength 9
provides 30· of help.
A spirit will never help a Spirit Rinding test. They're very jealous of
the power of the spirit binder and rims it is one thing they simply will
not do.
Har111
If appropriate to 1·heir idiom, spidts mny be forced to harm another
character, object or stTucttu·e. Such an attack must manifest within
the spirit's idiou1: rock slides, falli.t1g branches, ligholing strikes 1U1d
b1u'Sts of flainc, for example. The Power of su<:h an attack is equal to
the spirit's Strength plus the idiomatic material of the attack: water
is +O, sto,1e and ""ood are Powei' +1, flwne is Power +2, lightning is
Power +3. Factor thr damage just like a mclee weapon. Roll the Die
of Fate to dctenniae actual damage: 1-2 Incidental, 3-4 Mark, 5-6
Superb.
Retribution
All spirit bindings-whether successful or 1101-have thr potential to
bring retribution down upon the summoner. Spirits never forget that
they have been bound and c01n1nanded. As much as they can be sai~
to show emotion, they despise the sum1noner for treating them thusly.
Hence they will always try to return iu kind what was asked of them.
Successful Binding
Bi11ding 1Wee/l; Obstacle
If the Spirit Binding test meets, but docs uot exceed, its obstacle, the
summoner will suffer retribution. The retribution is doled out at the
Su·ength of the spirit See Ren·ibution Suitnble to the Task bclow.
The Arcane Library
Bi1uli11g Exceeds Obstacl<' Vl

H the Spirit Binding test exceeds the obstacle, the margin of success ....
"'O
reduces the Scrength of the spirit fol' p1u·poses of retribution. See

Retribution Suitable to the Task below~
-·
1-1
.....
If the 1nargin of success reduces the spirit's Strength to zero, no

retribution is suffered {except ou1ybe for u flung plate, banging
shutter, groaning foundation or cracked window pane).
Failed Binding
\Vhcn th (• spirit binder fails to 1ncct the obstacle of a Spirit Binding
trst , the GM hus 1hrec options: He can benignly declare that there is
no answrr to thr call because there are no spirits available. No further
rel ribut ion is sufferccl. Or he can detenninc the player has angered a
spirit more powerful than he bargained for-see Anger of Ancients. Or
he can decide that the spirit has gone wild aad will eternally plague the
su n1moncr-see the Enmity Clause.
Auger of the A1tcie1tls

The sunimoncr has angered tl1is entity with his prattle. Add the
111argin of failure of tlte Spirit Binding to the su1n1noned spirit's
Strength for purposes of retribution. This new Su·ength indicates the
true nature of the spirit in the area. The spirit ,nay take one act of
relJ·ibution. Sec Retribution Suitable lo the Task below.
Erunity Clause
Alternately, rhe GM may declare thal the s~mimooer has raised
the permanent ire of his intended victi1n or driven the spirit of this
do1nnu1 mud. Trus invokes the Eumi1.y Clause. The spi.J·il may now
euact retribution (at its originaJ Sn·eugth) whenever the sununoner
entets its domain until it is imprisoned.
Retribution Suitable to the Task

Spirits who arc asked to reveal will later atten1pl to obscure. Spirits who
are asked for succor take retribution in the forn1 of hindrance or may
steal from the sum1noner. Spirits who arc asked to serve may obscure,
stl'al, hinder or harm depending on the exact oanue of the service asked
of them. Invariably, the spiri1 will wait for tbe right n1oment to interfere
with the s11n1moner, a crucial or critical juncture con1e to pass in the
spirit's domain. Time unfolds diffcrent1y for them; they can afford to
wait.
. .. • It ';
Ob.-.cur,•
A spirit bound to reveal will later attempt to obscure. Add its spirit
Strength as an obstacle aguinst an appropriate Perception test or
Perception-rooted skill test of tl1e GM's choosing.
Hilltler
Spirits can add their Stl'ength as an obstacle penalty to an applicable
physicu.l task. Spirits of wind can blow in yow· eyes. Spirits of fire can
make campfires refu se to Light.. Spirits of earth and water can trip up
or bog down characters (c-ilusing Speed rest penalties, tor example).
Steal
Spirits previously bo1md to succor or serve may take retribution by
fouling or stealing the sunlflloner's possessions: \~1ind will carry away
unlikely items (like tl1c sum1no11er's staff), a muddy road will suck
undC'r a precious boot , clouds will bring a sudden squall down while
th<: sununom.•r is looking at a fragil e, ancient map.
These items can only be recovered by u Strengtl1 3 Reveal Unto Mc

or a Like n.11 Ox service. Alternately, the GM may toss them back into
play at his discretion.
Har111
Spirits who iu·e asked lo do harm to others will invariably attempt
to do hmm in return. A hillside spirit will roll a stone down upon the
swrunoner or smash hi.Ju wiili a falling branch. \Vind will kick up too
hard while t he summoner is crossing a ledge and toss him off. \Vater
will heave and suck hin1 under.
The Power of such an attac:k is equal to ilie spirit's Strengtl1 plus the
idiomatic 1naterial of the attack: stone is Power+ 1, flrune is Power +2,
lightning is Power +3. Factor the druuage just like a melee weapon.
Roll ilie Die of Fate like u bow to deterinine actual diunage.
Alternately, instead of doing direct harm, spirits may use their Strength
to Push, Lock or Throw the summoner at an inopportime time--like
when he's crossing a lake or climbing a wall. The summoner may
resist with Power or Speed if appropriate.
Scope of Retribution
Everyone who has benefittcd from the spirit's service suffers from its
retribu1ion. ff the Spirit Binding test is failed, the GM determines the
targets of the rP.t rih11t ion so long as they fall in the limits of the medium
and domain obstacles that the sumrnoner player set out for the test.
The Arcane Library
1'in1ing of Retribution Vl
R1•tl'il.mti1111 rnn·ly 1·01111•s illlm('diutely, but it nlwuys nrrives 111 the ....
"O
\\'111':-t p1•s:-ibh· mo1111•111. If a spirit is determined to kill its tormentor, -·......'"'

i1 j,, 1101 t•1w11gh 111 just 111urd1·r him in his sleep. T he spirit waits until
otllt'r ~woplr an: rdying 0 11 thr sununoncr 1.0 snve 1hcm, then makes
ii:, u111•1111H. Spi ri b d1•1t•s1 bl'ing bound and commnnded:. they will
J,•111011,,1r ah· t h1•ir i rt• i II till' most wicked and vcng1:f11 I wnys possible.
Laws of Service
Li,-11·,I lwlow al'<' n f1·w limitations to beur in mind when denling with
t hrM: 1111111de~s ~piri1:.-.
• ·"J>irit.~ c1re limited tu their do111ai11s. The spirit of the pond knows
no1 hin;:: ortl1e hiUs. tJ1e wind knows nothing of what dwells beneath
LIil' ,,·m·1·:-. the smne knows little of the l,irds on the wind, nnd the
fin· knows only the t nste of air and the frngrru1cc of wood.
• Spin't mcmori<'s nre long a11d !heir senses broad. They know much
of whot 1rnn;;pin,s in thl'ir domo in,;-lm1 u fin, jus1 Iii will only
know of the wood i1 r.111s 1111d the air it breathes, nothing more. A
~IOlll' tttkt'n fro111 its l,irthpl11c-1· anti dropped in n new land wiU only
know about him~clf nnd it;. past, 11otl1ing 11bo111 this m:w place WltiJ
it has had n good long time to get 10 know its new neighbors. But a
riw·r s11111111uned fur1h 10 account fur its(•lf will know its lengd1and
brC'adth. from source tu mourh.
• Spirits m,~,- or,~1· acl in their elements. \Vind mny risl~ or fall, brooks
111uy run or s low, th e earth may ynw11. and fires muy douse.
fo :;1
Rut brnnrlres nevt'r instmunneously grow around the enemies of the
~ummoncr, roc-ks nc\·er roll ucruss level ground, water never forms
intO a wall oncl fire does not speak.
• Spirits rl'11eal Lltrough idiom. Spir its in general do not speak the
L<lllf! UI· of man. Rather, bubbles ,viii rise in water, a path will end
uliruplly in the forest, fire will nan• (vaguely taking shnpe), wind
will b low from u cc·rlain direction.
• .'ipiril.1 QI'/ 1111seen. D1mrnndi ng to he led from the forest while

~1a111li11g 111ill. uwaiti11g n sprilt! to 1ak1• yo u by the hnnd, will only
pr1J1l1u:1· a V<'I')' Inn~ wait . \Vulk with 1·ycs half-closed whill\ whistling
11 nwrry 111111· 11r11J you will find yourself al the Forest's edge rather
q11i<:kl y. W111rhing for 1•plwmcr11 will only scrv1: to delay the ur.1 and
muy 11ng,·r 1lw spiril f11rth1ir.
• A spirit bound must complete its task. It can not delay or deviate
from t he task given to it. Once its service is complete, then it is
released from the smmnoner's spell.
• Once it is released fro,11 it,s service the spirit will exacl retribution.
Being bound to the summoner a n d forced to ace iu his will is a
painful and arduous affair for a spirit. Invaria bly, this arouses a
retributive a nger in the spirit. \Vhen a spirit docs so it will take
payu1cn1 in kind for the service stolen frmn it.
Spirit Task Duration

If the length of a spirit's task is longer than a day or so-if the spirit is
asked to guard some location, for cxainplr.-consult the table below to
sr.c c:-.ac1 ly how long the spirit sticks 1u-011nd. Spirits will carry oul their
st:ntcncr. as qu ickly as possible, but tlwy know no time. Roll 2 D6 a nd
commh the dmrl ln:luw.
l ength of Service Table

20(1 l.cngth of Service
2 Mere mou1enLS
:1 2x 8trc11gth u1 Mon i:h s
4 Strength in Months
5 10x Strength in Months
6 2x Strength in Days
7 Strength in Days
8 10x Strength in Days
9 2x Strength i n Years
10 Strength io Years
11 10x Strength in Years
12 Forever
You can a lso use the chart to determine when retribution occurs. Spirits
have a long memories.
The Arcane Library
Domain Bindings V2
.....
"O
Domain bindings are a ritual spiritual bond the summoner has with
au nrchetypal location. They are to Spi1·it Binding what affiliations are
.........""
10 Circles.
.....
o-1
Example domains are: ahyssal alluvialplain, had/antis, castle, caldera,

&oas~ Jeserl, doldrums, footlu1ls, fores/, hou.se, lake, mountain, oasis,
ridje, river, road, sea, iaija, tundra, wad,; north wind, westerlies,
storm, forest fire, prairie (ire or cold current.
\Vhen creating domain bindings, the player may choose from our
examples or make up his own.
Starting Don1ain Bindings

The drnrncter star ts with one bound domain for each lifepath and
approprinle trail. You may summon spirits in bound domains, but
you are nor p01verful there. The player· describes the most prominent
grographiC' local io11 from each lifcpath. The summoner is bound to this
domain.
For example, ifllte summQneY!}Yew "f' on a fann {anl{ has tlte Farmer
!t'foplffh}, he takes tlte domain 6intfiHJ Fanns. whenever he i.s (}If a farm, he
may c,mjure ifs spirits, even ,fit isn 1 the (arm lie!}Yew up on. A character
who has never heen at sea eann"t amjurc white atsea. A characur who has
never hcen to a mountaitJ prairie cannot ca/I ,'ts .spirits to him.
D0111ni11 'Traits
The followiog traits r.ach grant the spilit binder a bound domain, in
addition to any other qualities the in<lividuul n·nits provh.le. lf the
trait tloesn't specify or com1ote a geographic location, tbe player may
choose a domain for thr. trait before play begins:
Adventurer, Rack-Breaking Labor, Bces peaker, Blac k Lung,

Bookwor111, Claustrophobic, Deep Sense, Duwn to Earth, Exile.
Hiding, ·1 Know This Ship ... , Keys to the Churc;h, Landlubber, Lost,
Scavenger, Street Smart, Sword of the \Vhite Towers and \Vorld \Veary.
Sumn1oner Must Be Bound to a Domain

A spirit hinder must have at least a zero-level domain binclit1g in a
particular domain in order Lo summon there. ff a spirit binder does
not have a lifeputh or a binding associated with a partic11la1· domain, •
he may not conjure spirits from that domnio. In chnructer burning.
additional 0-levd bindings mny bl' p111·chasccl for 4 rps earh.
,: ,
• • •, . .. r,,
. , • : , • • • .'i i i '
....
The Arcane Library
Don1ain Binding Levels Vl

Addi1ioru1l donwin bindings n1ay be bought nt levels 0-3 during ....
"'O
........
i-;
chor11C'l1'r burning. Also, the spirit bin(ler's starting don1uins may be

in1·r1•asl'd in rank in charncll'r burning. There arc four levels of Domain ....::s
~
Biudings:
....
0..
::s
Domain Binding Level CJQ
Rating Resources Point Cost
Bound 00 4 11,s
Swum 1D 7 rps
Embodied 2D 25 rps
Masll'n·d :3D -t5 rps
Adn1111agc- <licc· fron1 a domain binding may only be usc-.d when the
s11111rno111·r is co11j11ri11g within the appropriate domain. You may only
l.tave one binding per domain.
Embodied ,'n Laval Fire, for example, &osfs 2S resouY&e points in &haradeY
buYnin!J, This then !JYanfs the plaJeY +2D lo his Spirit BinJin!J sk,1/ when
hes in DY near lava.
Binding Oneself to a Domain

Duriug play, 1lw spirit binder will wish to gain power over a new
domain so as to summon spirits ,vithin it. Doing so rcq1ti1'es tha1. the
summoner spend t i11w in the d01nain, ac t.:as1 a season, but more time if
possible, nnd he must offer a substantial sacrifice-cattle slaughtered,
wine pow·ed. harvt·st offered and burned.
Sacrifice Resources Obstacles

Domain Binding Rating Sacrifice Resources Obstacle
8oUDd OD Ob3
Swon, 10 Oh4
!JQbodie{] 2D Ob5
Mastered 3D Ob6
'I'inw Spent i11 Dn111aiT1

Time Resources Bonus/Penalty
fMJ'8
'·
+1D
One ~·ear
~euon +1 Ob
)' _:., "·. ' •.
'< ;t.',.1 ' :. ) i :~} 1 .',; i.... 1( , ) ,·.• ' '·I
.. . •. ,?
Linking to Domain Binding

Astrology, Spirit Binding, Circination and appropriate wises may he
used as linked t.est.s loward the Domain BindingSacri.fice Resources test.
Binding 'Iraits
Chru·acters cau a lso earn bindings th.rough traits earned in play. If the
group decides a player should earn a die trait rclaled to a binding, then it
cowlts according to these rules. Jn general , the uaits should .start at level
0. but if uir recipient chnracter already has a bindiog, definitely increase
the level by one when you instantia te it as a trait. Further trait votes
(earned by really playing ii up) can increase the level as is appropriate.
Spirit Marks
As the spirit bindt>r practices his cra ft, th e spirits start to imprint
the1uselves on him. T hey leave their mark, and he becomes more spirit-
like. This bt•ucfits the summoner tremendously-it g ives him greater
sway over the spirit world-hut it is dangerous to his own soul.
' Spil'it 1n arks a pply to a medium, not a domain: Fire \X'alk \Vitb Us,
Teeth of Granite, Ghost of Trees, \Vhispers of \Vater. Destiny of \Vind.
Pebble in the Pond. Spiri1 marks are rnore \'ersatile than domain
bindings. They can be used i.n a variety of dornains, so long as the
appropriate medium is present.
The spirit binder player may devise his own spirit marks.
''' hencver tbe e lement , medium or idio1n of the ,nark is involved in

the Spirit Binding test, whether or not the sumn1oner is in one of bis
domains, he gains the applicable bonus diet> to the tes1. Spirit marks
are the eq uiva lent of reputation s iu Circles. They a.l'e more broadly
applicable than domain bindings, bur not universally so.
There arc three levels of spirit marks. A character does not automatically
start with a n y. They must be purchased prior to play.
Spirit Mark Level Rating Resources Point Cost

Touched 1D 10rps
J\.farked 2D 25 rps
b.ffli,sed 3D 50 rps
The Arcane Library
Spirit marks can also be earned in play like reputations. The group Vl
votes on tberu when perfonning a t rait vote. ....
"'O
....
1-t
.....
Spirit Taint .....
t;::I
If 1he total of all of the Spirit Binder's spirit mark dice exceeds his ::I
r.urrenl \Viii exponent, he is in grave danger. If be foils his next Spirit ....::Ia..
13indiog t est, he s uffers retribution, and he gains the AncestraJ Taint ~
trait.
The starting cxporwnt for Ancestral Taint is equal to I he character's

torn I spirit mark dice.
If he has three spirit marks (2l>, Tl> anti 3l>), he starts with a 86
Ancestral Taint.
Thereafter, the Strength of each spidt summoned and bound counts as

a 1est for adva ncement of Ancestral Taint.
Ifhe .summons a Stren!Jth 4 spiYit, it counts as an OIJ 4 test for Ancestral

Taint.
\Vhen Ancest ra l Taint advances to exponent 10, the character is

a hsorhcd into rhe spirit world. He is stripped of all iutdugonco and
consciousness and brcornes one with the fabric of nature. Nothing and
no one can bring him back.
Circination
To the uneduca1ecJ eye, the sutnmoner is forever scratching in the dirt
and wasting time puzzling oYer sigils a nd runes. He drags his staff in
complex patterns and then cries to the heavens. For what? Nothing ever
comes of it! Or so it seems ...
Cirri nation PectAg

Circination is tbe url of <lruwing circles and sigils which ai<l the spirit
hin<lcr in h is arl. There arc three types of c ircles that may be <lruwn: th<'
summoning circle, 1hc fortress circle nnd the prison circlr . The summoning
t:irclc uid~ in conjuring und binding spirits. Th(': fortress protects the
summonc:- r from re1rib111ion, and the prison traps unruly spirits. Circination
is 1es1cd like u reg ular skill: h is not open-ended and docs not get combined
wi1h anything special (except help or FoHKs) when tested.
Circli•s arc specific to a spirit or rit ual nnd muy not be r ep urposed for
s11mmo11ing spirits other than t he ones they were originally intended for.
.. l I I , ,'" 'J' J• 11, <•,·t t ' ' • r: I
I
Obstacles: Summoning Circle: 'fhe spirit binder may set his obstacle. The
Fortress obstade is equal to tl1e Spirit Strength to be deflected. The Prison:
obstacle is twice the Spirit Si-rengtl1 to be t rapped.
FoRKs: llhuninntions, Cartogrnphy, Calligraphy. Symbologr, Painting, plus
appropriate wises
Skill Type: Sorcerous Tools: For summoning rircles, no:
for prison and fortress circles,
yes.
The Sumn1oning Circle

To draw u viable summouing circle, sitnply set your obstacle and test
your skill. If successful, the Circination obstadc equals aclvantagr
dice for the Spirit Binding tes t. Time to draw a sunuuoning circle is 1
hour per obstacle poinL Extra succ:esscs reduce t in1e by 10 percent pe1·
sm:rrss.
The Fortress Circle

This circlr pro11·cts against retribution . Thr obstacle to draw a fortress
is l:qua l to the Strength of the spirit t he summoner intends to conjure.
The time i5 two hours per obstacle point. Thr fortress will avert
retribution from a spirit of thut Strength or lower. If the swnmoner is
in u fortress when retribution comes, the spirit will -rldlcct" and forget
about it for uow. The suuunoner may exit the domain safoly. If he tarries
or rctm·ns, the n~tributi on is back on I
The Prison Circle

If a spirit is wreaking havoc in u do1uniu, a summonrr may bind it to
this circ:le so that it bcromr.s trapped. An i1nprisoned spirit may not
be summoned to serve nor may it enact retribution on anyone outside
the prison. The obstacle for a prison is twic:r. 1.hr. Strength of the spirit
to be imprisoned. The t ime to draw a prison circle is three hours per
obstacle point.
ff the circle is successfully draw 11, the spirit becomes bounrl and trapped
within it. lfd1e Circination fails, tl1c spirit may enncl retribution on the
spirit binder as if it had been commanded to serve.
Making Offerings
A spirit binder may make offerings to the spirits before he sun1mons
them . Offel'ings must be appropriate to the do1nnin and must be.
important or vital to t he summoner or those who live in the domain:
wi11t' poured, harvest proffrred and animals sacri.ficcd.
The Arcane Library
An offering requ ires a Resources test equal to the Strength of the spirit
bejog sun11noncd. Success grants+1D to tbe Spirit Binding test. Failure
causes Resources to be taxed, and there is no Gift of Kindness for an
offering.
Spirit Encounters
Spirits make great encounters, whether or not there1s a spirit binder in
the group. Hr.re are two suggestions for bringing the1n into t he game.
\Vild Spirits
\Vild spirits ma ke great adversaries, especially for spirit binders. A wild
spirit is Olli' who was su1nmoned or disturbed at smue point.and now visits
harm and hindrance upon all who enter its domain. This is how forests
become lost and haunted, seas bcco,ne unsailable and 1n011ntain passes
uncrossable. They a lso n1ake the spirit btnders who tarne them famous.
Imprisoned Spirits
Though rare. it's possible to sturnble across rhe work of another spirit
binder-his circle and an imprisoned spirit within. Perhaps the domain
of the spirit has faJlcn to waste since it has been in1prisoned for so long.
Freeing it will restore life to the place but might also invite retribution.
To free a spirit, you must da,nage or destroy tbe prison circle which
contaius it.
Or perhaps a spirit that contains necessary secrets has been locked

away in a re,note place. Fincling it, freeing it and rebinding it could
make for an epic quest.
Spirits Don't Talk or Bargain

Spirits do not talk, bargain or gossip. They will never engage in a Duel
of \Vits. They cannot be motivated with social slcills. If you wish to
motivate a spirit of the type described in tWs chapter, you must use
Spirit Binding.
Summoning Process
Summoning operates sirnilnrly to t he Circles mechanic described
in the Burning \Vhccl. A summoucr has certain supernatural
''circles"' fron1 which he may call on favors. He uses his knowledge
of those circles, his sk ill in Summoning and his reputations wiLhin
the. super11arural world to bring forth spirits.
Once surnmoned , the conjurer and entity bargain ro form a

supernatural pact, an agreement for service and the prier. of thm.
service.
Decide what type of service is needed, then determine the order of

e11tity to be sun1rnon1~d who r.11n fn Ifill snirl sr.rvir.e. Tiu,. summoner
must have at least a jom-OC)'\11811 levd in this order to s11111111011 from
it. Test surnmoaing plus the gate, orders, reputation and advantage
dice from tbe creattu-e.'s name nga.inst the ob5tacle.
If the obsraclc is inet, an entity of the proper order appears before

the sum1noner, willing to pr.dorm his service. Failure indicates
that the creatu r~ fails to appcur, appears irritated or enraged by
tbe sumo1oner (as per the Enmity Clause in the Circles rules) or
another creanrni uppeun; iu its stead.
Linked Tests for Sumntoning

Astrology, Demonology, Empyrealia, Folklore, Symbology,
Ooctrine and Obscure History mny hr. nsfld as linked tr.sts into
Summoning. There al'C uo FoRKs other than wises.
Gifted or Not?
Summoning cau be used by both the Gifted and the mundane.
Gifted characters use the rules as written. if n non-Gifted character
324
The Arcane Library
a
wishes to SllllllllOII , he must pass Circination skill test with nn obstacle {/)
s::::
cqunl to the order of spirit he wishes to sun11non. Once tha1 circle is 3
Jrawn, hL· 111ny surn,non using the rules ns presented. This is separat,~ 3
0
from nny gatr. fonress or prison circle he- ,night draw.
....0p
A Ciftrd s11nu11oncr calls for1h spirits of the appropriate order whenever C/0
hr has n fr.w minutes of peace, whether or oot Ire has drawn a circle.
Service
Tlicol' :,pirit:; nrc 1101 wish g route r,;. ,\ :;um.moncr conaol demand wealth
from a clcruon and cxpecr for gold to in$t8ntly appear in piles hencuth
his fcN. A sum,noned entity n111s1go forth, find and ac(]uire rhut wealth
und return it 10 the sumn1011<:r. The creatures clescril..ied in this chapter
an• limited IJy their stats, skills, attributl'li and 1rnits. Tirey are potent,
l.>1111101 om11ipote111. Consider this when asking for a service!
The natun· of the ser\'iCl~ is used 1.0 cfoterrnine 1he. price lhe spirit ask~
in ret urn. Lise the following guidelines to dclern1inc where your sCJ·vice
fulls in th is scheme.
'fypes of Service
Below is a suggcstecl list of services for .summoned spirits. The exact
form a nd degree of service is shaped by the entity that performs it.
A Yevelation from a3l1ost may come in the (oYm ofa nijhtmaYe, wheYeas
a Yevelation from a tleiiJ i.s a soul-shak1i1J a(faiY-it's not a mere tlream!
Pl{J·',sical
This is tlte simples! form of sc-rvicc a s111n1noner can ask of a spiri1.
Physical services include: ,nurder, kidnapping, tn1nsport (of ru1 ite1n or
person), guarding or infesting an area ,1ncl protecting the SlmlDloner.
Eco1101nic
Asmn111011cr ,nay demand wcnltJ1 frorn a spirit. Th.is wealth can come
in 1nany forms. Ir is not always just a pile of gold. If the spirit has
Resotu·ces, it may grant the s11m1noner loans, cash and funds as per
the standard rules. If the sununoner is asking for something more, like
an itern or la11d, the spirit 1nus1 go forth and procure it.
Socitil
Asuounoner may ask u spit-it to go forth and convince another person
of something-love, fear, respect, pro1notion, etc. Love and affection
may be earned through the machinations of a spirit. This is a rather
:
..
: : l t :,n·. ! : I :. i 3 /!,'': ·:
complex and open-ended task, the means of which aJe left entirely to
the spirit. Assassination, bribery, arranged mOJriage5 and worse are
not out of the question.
E111power11uml
E.n1powenneut is a spiritual binding l11at grants the sum,noner or a
cluu-acter of his choice one of the spirit's slat.s.
'/}a11sfen•11ce
Transference is the process by which the summoner or a character of
his choice may take on one of the entity's trails. During tJ11! term of
service, lhc creanu-e does not have access to the transferred trait.
Revelutio11
Revelarion is a question answered. If the consulted entity does not
know the answer, it returns lo its realm and seeks those who might.
Asking questions of crearures of this ilk is always unwise. yet some still
persist in doiug so; tbe. answers arc always far worse tJ1an ignorance.
Revelation may be conveyed in the form of a dream or a vision. The
sUinrnoner may request t.he revelation for himself or another person.
Revelations always reveal trutJ1. They may be obscure or confusing,
but they are never false.
Summoning Obstacles
The player chooses what rype oC service he re.quires nnd a corresponding
order that can perform said scrvjce. This sets the obstacle for the
Summonjng skill test and the price for the service.
Summoning Obstacles by Service and Order

Sen·ice Ordrr I Obslacle Price
Rcvclution, Transfer, Pbys icr, I Restles11 Dead Ob 3 Tribute
H<-\·du1io11. Trnnsfor. Sorinl S,mclifil'II Demi Ob-¼ Tribu1e
.-Eliyejco.l, Economic, SocioI Minor Corpornl Spirit Ob5 Possession
'
All bur Rc\'l:lotion CorpoNII Spirit Ob8 Physicnl
~~!al Mujor Co.rpora/ Spirit Ob9 Mark plus other soul

Sociol. Trnn&for. Hevclutiun, Minor Deify Obl0 .\fork plus any one
Ernpown ~xcrpt souls
· Socia.I, Tmosfcr. .Revelation, Deily Ob 11 Other soul plus
~9'-'Cr tribute
.
Socio(. Rc\'Clo1io11 Chief Dti~>' Obt2 Own soul plus
01hcr soul
The Arcane Library
Orders
There are eight orders of supernatural, infernal, celeslial a nd divine
beings: restless dead, sanctified dead, 1nioor corporal spirit, corporal
spirit. major corporal spirit, minor deity, deity and chief deity.
Restless dead are ghosts of souls who have not been properly buried or
who have had their g raves disturbed-this includes t hose disinterred
and bound by death artists. Sanctified dead arc souls who have been
given the proper rites LO send then1 to their final resting place. Corporal
spirits are entities that n1anifest physically before the sum,noncr to
do bis bidding. Th is includes itnps and querubim who fall jnto the
minor corporal and corporal spirit categories. Dremonim and seraphim
are categorized as corporal and major corporal spirits. Deities are tbe
saints, gods ancJ divinities of this world. They arc not tampered with
lightly!
Custontizc the orders to your game world. Minor corporal spirits u1ight
be imps in ooc selling, gebbcths in another or animal companions in
still another. \Vhr n Summoning is introduced into your game, decide
what forms these spirits can take.
The Surnmoned
The creature or spirit that appears bcfore the summoner is a representative
of his order. His exact personality, body type and position are up to Ult'
CM to decide.
If the summoner player wishes to conjure forth a specific spirit, he must
add + 1 Ob LO his Summoning test. Once a sumn1oner has learned one
of a particular creature's names, as per the One Nrune of tlic Many rule
in this chapter, the surruuoner no longer suffers this penalty for calling
forth this particular creature.
Success and Failure in Summoning

If the sumn1oner passes the test, he, has successfully brought an entity
before him. T his entity will perforn1 a service for him.
Successful Summoning
If he met his obstacle, an entity of the appropriate type and of the CM's
choosing appears before the summoner. He announces one of his many
names and the price of his help. He agrees to perform the service for
the price described for his order. No bargain is possible for this result.
If the !>t1lllrn011t·r 1.·xi:eed ~ hi!, obstncle . he li as ~kjllfulh· . c·a!>I hi~-
~11111111011i 11g spd l and earned some lt~,·eragf' over the r ntit y lw has railed
for I h. Thl' t:n:at urc arH1ou11Ct'fi i1 seH with o ne o f it s personal nam,·b
a 11d a;..:n·l·S ltJ perform the service for the prin · descrilwd l'or hi1, ord1·r.
1lu\\'I' \ I '/'. I ht' ', II IIJlrlO IIP J' may ,;p r·11d hi~ l'X I I'll !> lll'Cl';j!,l' S u s fc,llowi,:
Sp,•udin/.{ J/ar;!,ill of Su<Te,<o; It) Bargain

0 111: su1·t·1i$s nHt) lw :,prnl lo gain nn oppornwil)' to burgain or haµgl,·
wi th Llw 1·111ity. \l ak1· a l3argui11i11g or I la:,rgli11g , ·t·r:-t1!> 11.'.,I. If rlw
~11n11110111·r win-, . \11: 111:1~ lo"' "r 1h,• pric1· ur i11cn·a::.c· Ll11· d11ra 1ion of
Iii,· ~,..-, 11·1· I,) ,mt• s lt'p pt·r -,u,:n ;,-,:, i.n hi:, 111urgin ,,I' :-11nxs:i.
lfll1i.' 1•111i t) "in;, tlw Uaqwini11~ ti.:.sr. lw rai~,..., th,• prin· 011(· sr,·p. Dv
1101 1rifll' ,,ith Ill!'. mortal 111w1!
If tlw s111nn1rn11:r loses a ro1t11d <,I· Bargaininl! and IJw pril'r i-; rai!:o t·d.
lw m11) .:-p1·11d 0111' of It b n·maiH iug 1•x1ra s111:.cr·s., e~ ( iJ ,u iy) Iu r0nI uIur
l,ar~aini11p; to Ir) lo lowrr tlw pricf' or iu('n·asr tlw dtu·a1io11 .
lw roll,, ltJ
T he s11111111oner 11111 y u1,;r<'t~ to tht· l'lll'f'l'Ot lt·rm-. br·l'orr
bargain or lw may uttrrnpt I•) gwnJJlt• a n<l lt·sl hini,,df aµui n,;1 d1r
l'lltit-y. Tltcre:s 110 hacki ng OLi l once die BoJ·guiuing die,· hn, t· l,t"1·11
rolled, Lhough-cv,.·n if die terms Hrc now w·a-,ticaJJ~ in tlu· en·aiw·,,·s
favor.
Price and Duration .5ca/e

Use the foUowing scale for price.s: mark, tribuw. po.:--,t!>~ion. ph ) c;ini.l.
unu1intcd mortal soul, summoner's soul. Tlw ma.ximum pricC' i::, thr
stunmoner's souJ plus m1y number of otl1t>r price's!
Use tl1c following scale for durntion: u si.J1~lt· 1·n•111. a day. a wel'k, a
month, a year, ma11y years, u lifc1imt•.
Speruli11g ,llargi11 ofSuet·<',,;.~· for ..f d1•a11tag,•

lip lo two Sununonin~ sucressrs may be sp1•n1 Lo add advantage diet'
ro the Bargaining or Haggli11~ te.s1. End1 ~UlTCSS aJd,; + 1D.
One Nan1e of' Many

If thl' sununoner exc:reds bis obstadt' to s111unron. he also IC'arns one
of the crcnl un;s nanws. Thr advantage of a na mr is two-fold. The
surnrnoner may call on I his creature sperifica lly without penalt Y·
And he gnius +1D to atten1pts to summon this creature in the future.
This bonus does not increase if he successfully sum1nons the. cr<'ntun>
multiple times.
11111
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Failed Sun1moning
If the surnmoner fails his test, there are three possible results. The
CM may declare that no spirit heeds his call: that the summoner bas
angered his intended tru·get or that sornething unintended has heeded
the call ro1d appeared instead.
Angry Spirits
lf the Ctvl decides to bring in the intended entity, the creature is
angered by the summoner's attempt to bring it forth. It does not have
to perfonn the service asked. It may return from whence it came after
berating the erstwhile Faust, or it may stay in the summoner's world
and wreak havoc.
It may be convinced to bargain through a Duel of Wits. However,

it counts as having the Enmit")' Clause against the summoner. As
such, the creature gains +4s to the body of argument for any Duel
of \Vits (including bargaining) with the summoner. This penalty
lasts until the summoner convinces the creature he is not its enemy.
lf unconvinced, th.e spirit can retain its +4s bonus across many
encounters and pacts.
Unir,teruled Sum,noning
The GM n1ay bring in another creature of greater or lesser strength.
This is entirely tlte GM's call. Consult the order list if you're stuck for
options. Use a creature one order greater or lesser than the intended
target. The creature is not obligated to perfonn a service or bargain.
Tt may propose its own pact and price to the summoner if the GM
has son1ething in mind. Otherwise, unless it is contained by a prison
circle, it may either return to whence it came or wander off into the
summoner's world, causing chaos.
The Pact
The result of the summoner's spell is a pact, a spiritual bond with the
spirit. This pact is as binding as a Duel of Wits result.
A spirit must endeavor to do everything in its power to cornplete the

terms ofthe pact. It will cleave to the exact letter of the agreement, but
it will never do more than it is required unless that benefits it.
If it wins, the summoner gets what he asked for. Sometimes this is more
than he bargained for.
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Breaking a Pact
Jf one side fails to co1nplete its side of the bargain, the other party is
freed frotn any obligation to the agreement. Hit is the summoner who
breaks the pact, the spirit is free to remain in the material world for
555 days. During that time, it may take revenge on the summoner for
breaking his word, or it ,nay attend to other matters. During this time,
it may not be summoned!
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U, due to c.xtenuating circumstances, the spirit fails to complete its

appoiuted task, then d1e summoner is freed from paying the price.
The spirir may return to the sununoner to attempt to strike up a new
bargain; otherwise it returns home.
Price of Service
Each spirit asks for a price dependent on its nature.
Sun1n1oner's Soul
The ultimate price for a service is the summoner's mortal soul.
Untainted Mortal Soul

There are tillles a surnmoner 1nay bargain with a spirit for the gift of
anothc1· soul. This soul must be free fro1n taint (and ot.hr.r pacts). By
the conclusion of the spirit's part of the bargain, the summoner must
proffer and sacrifice the untainted sou.I. The spirit must be present to
receive the offering.
Beings with the Eldritcli Sink, Atravicso, Entropic, Tainted Legacy,

Corruption or sinular traits may not be offcr~d in this n1anner.
Physical Price
The entity de1nands a physical sacrifice from the sum1noner. The eyes,
the tongue, a hand, an ar1n or a leg 1nust be re1noved as part of thr
bargain. The character must take an appropriate physical disfigurement
trait such as Maimed, One-Eyed or Tongueless.
Possession
The spirit may den1and access to the sununoner's body and senses as
payrncnt for its services. This state las~ for the same period of time as
the duration of the origir.al service. The player who accepts this price
gains the Possessed trait for the term of the possession.
Tribute
As payment for scrvic.e s rendered, the summoner must build a shrine
to tl11; sovereign powers of the spirit, cornmi:;sion a work of nrt in its
to
name, recover a lost artifact or fund a thousand rites to be spoken the
patron gods. Whatever the final payment is, it is a costly endeavor and
must be completed lest the surnmoner violate the pact. The obstacle of
tbe Re~uurccs test is equal to the obstacle of the order of the creature.
b
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Mark
The sun1n1oner agrees to wear the insignia or mark of t he spirit visible
on his person or nesh. For lesser orders like the dead or minor spirits,
the nuu·k conies in the forn1 of a symbol worn on the person. For other
spirits, the mark appears as a scar or tattoo. The mark can be anywhere
at a ll on tl,e su111n1oner's body. It is inunutable, wiJI never Iade and will
resist all attt'mpts to effoce it. The character must truce the character
trait ~1arkcd by X (whatever the spirit's name is). For deities, a mark
consists of a character trait as described obo\'C plus a reputation with
that spirit's order. The reputation is iuiamous with that spirit's enemies.
Duration of Service
A spirit wishes to serve for as short a span as possible. As such, when
the initial service for a price offer is made, the entity agrees to perfonn
a single service or task, or agrees to extend his protection or provenance
for the length of a single event.
As per the rules described under the Successful Sununoning heading, a

sum111oner may bargain to increase the d1u-ation of the service. Bargaining
begins with the duration of a single event and progresses up the following
scaJe: a day, a week, u month, a year, many years, a lifetime.
Tin,e of Payn,ent
The ti.me at which the price is to be paid must be negotiated between
the sum1noner and his servant. The player and the GM should work
out an appropriate time of payment as parl of the Bargaining ritual.
Murder is eomplete at the death ofthe subject. When the i11fonnati'o11

is presented, a revelat,'on is ended When the summoner has beddedhis
new wife, tlte spirit's socialrole is done.
Affiliated Orders and Reputations

Orders urc the f undamcntal elernent of the summoner's power. An order
is an affiliation with the spirit realm. They act like affiliations do in
the Circles mechanic. A s umn1oner may only caU crenttu·es to him fro1n
orders with wh.irh he is affi)jated.
Summoners 1nay also have reputations un1ong the spirits. 1-lis name
may ring out in the halls of hell I
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Starting Affiliated Orders (/')

s::
.\JI s11111111011t•n; h e/!ill tlw gu,nr with the restless de.ad orde r a t 3
ju11 rut'y1111111 lt-vl'I fo r frrl'. The \'alue of this order m ay be increased or 3
ntldit io1111I orders mny lw bought dur ing character burniug using the. 0
[nlluwi 1tl,! prit'cs: -·

:;3
:::,
CJQ
Degree of Order Rating RP Cost

JoumC)'lllllD Order OD 10 rps busc
Fir..t llnlt•r II) :!O rp> Im~,·
Second Order 2D 25 rps bosc
Thi rd Ord,•r 3D 50 l'J» ha,1•
t\lodif) thr cost IIC!'ording to the r xac1 order of spirits:
Order Affiliations Cost ModiCicr RP Cost

ReatlctiS Dead free
S:tncCilicd Dc3d + 4 rp~
MlnorCorponl Spirit +5 rps
Cori1oral S11irit + (> r p,
Major Corporal Spirit +7 rps
Minor Ot'itr +8 rps
{leltr +9 rps
ChlcCDcity +-10 rps
A 2D a/(i/,'aiion witlt the order ofdtieftleif:J costs JS r-esuur&e points in

dtaraeter burninJ-
Reputation
Reputations among the spirits may he bought in character burning
usi11g rrsource points, just like buying regnlar reputations.
Hcpututions 1·osl 10 rps for ·to, 20 rps for 2D and 30 rps for 3D. The
rt'.fHllalion a pplies to one order of spirits for each die of its i:ating. So a
1D n,putut ion applies to one order, a 2D applies tot wo orders and a 3D
n:putution applies to t·hrcc orders.
Y"" ma,Y be t;iver Of Tribute (tD) am~n_'I the order ofthe restless tleatl
or Harvester ofSouls (2D} amOHj the .santti(ietl tleatl aHtl tlte minor
corporal.spirits.
Rr putut ion:,1 umong thr: spirits do 1101 count when factoring Resources
in <:haraett'r burning.
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Joining Ne,v Orders

To join new orders, the sUJ11n1oner must do one of two things: either he
must pay t.he price of the order or subnut to a geas.
The Price ofthe Or,ler

A smnmoner u1ny sub1nil fill offering to tJ1e order in order to join its
ranks and gain i1s benefits. The offering is equivalent to the price
of a service from a spirit in the order. The GM determines the exact
cmnposilion of' tl1e price.
The s11mn1oner gather s the p1·ice, pronounces his holy and mystic
binding 10 the order and tJ1cn makes his pay1uent. No test is required
lo rnake the pay1nen t. Jf the price is paid, the s urnrnoner gains
a jo11rncyn1ar1 runk in that order. Uthe order offers 1nul6ple price
oprjons, starl wid1 w e lower pr'icc.
Before he canjoin the ranks"/the sanctifieddead, the summoner must

repair his famifJ's fomb as tribute, for example. To be bQund to the
CorpQra/spirifs, he must cut Q(fJus hand
Celts
Rather than pay a price, a swnn1oner may subrnj1. hw1sclf before t.he
powers of the order and accept a geas. The orders send word through
signs ar1d on1ens that the sumn1oner 1nust complete a quest.
To join an order as a journeyman, he must complete one goal as

described by the powers t.hat be.
In order to complet.e a goal, the player n1ust write it into one of his
Beliefs and resolve it, earning a persona point. The GM determines
the nature of a goal, bu t the player may write his Belief as he secs
fiL Scale ilic goals according to tl1e power of the order. A goal for ilie
sanctified dead is less dar1gerous than what deities dc1nand.
Increasing the Rank of an Order

The rank of nn order may be increased by paying a further, more
expensive price or by completing a more elaborate, more dangerous geas.
Paying the Price of llll Order

U an order has a single price listed, an appropriate iteration of tl1at
category n111st be paid. Each price rnust be greater than ilie last. If an
order has multiple prices listed, use the first price for the journeyman
rank, second price for the first order, etc. If you run our of prices, just
keep increasing the value of the last one listed.
d
The Arcane Library
/ucre(lsi11g Orders by Geas Vl

To in crease the rank of your order, you may also sub1nit to a more s::
8
arduous gcas. The mechanics resemble those described above. b ut
each level requires rnore goals to be completed .
a0
To become a me1nbcr of the first order, the sununoner must complete -·
::s
1wo goals as proclaimed by the powers of the order.
To become a member of tbe secon d order, he must complete three

~ouls set by the powers.
To become a member of the third order, he must complete four goals

dctcr111inccJ uy the powers that be.
Earning and Increasing Reputations

Reputations a rc earned anrl increasccl according to the mechanics
described on pages 384-385 of the Burning \Vb ecl.
Circination
Ci.rcin11tion for surn,noners is slighlly different than for spirit binders. '
Rather than draw a sun1moning circle, they draw a gate. A summoner
should huvc the prison draw n before lie summons. If he rlor.s not. this
willful spirit will ta ke its liber ty before striking a bargain. He may
draw a fortress circle to protect himself as does the spirit binder.
Cates and prisons are specific to a spirit or rit ual and may not be
repurposcd or used for summoning spirits o ther tha n the one,; for whic h
they W<~re originally intended. Fortresses, however, n1ay be applied to
a ny spirit or order. T hey may be reused.
The Summoner's Gate

To draw a viable gate, simply set your obstacle and test your skill.
If successful , the C ircination obstacle equals advantage dice for the
Sumn1oning test. The time required to draw a summoning circle is one
hour per obstacle point. Extra successes reduce tune by 10 percent per
success.
The Prison Circle

Tbc prison circle traps a spirit within it. An eoriry may not project any
of its powers beyond the circle-it may not twist, burn or harm while
in the prison. A spirit trapped within a prison may only bargain with
its summoner or wait.
. .
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The obstacle to draw a prison is equal to the \Viii exponent of the

spirit to be imprisoned. If the creature's \VilJ is gray shade and the
imprisoning skill is black shade, increase the obstacle by +2. If the
creature's \Viii is white shade and the irnprisoning skill is gray or black
shade, increase the obstacle by +3. It takes a number of hours equal to
three limes the obstacle to draw the prison circle.
lf the ci1·cle is successfully drawn, the spi rit becomes bound and trapped
within it until the circle itself is physically damaged or altered.
The Fortress Circle

A sum1noner may draw a circle 10 protect himself fron1 harm inflicted
by spirits. Any hostile act l'ro111 a spirit 1nade against those within suffers
a11 obstacle penalty equal to the rating of the circle. If any portion, part
or article of the protected passes outside the bounds of the circle, spirit
creature may be grasp, attack or ensorcell it.
The obstacle to draw a fortress is 1 plus the obstacle penalty the

s11n1moner wishes to apply to otherworldly interlopers. Fortresses may
- be reused. It takes two hours per obstacle point to draw the fortress
circle.
True Names
All creat ures have a true name. This rabled n1oniker grants intense
leverage to the sumn1oner. A creature ,viii never under any circumstances
give up its own true name. However, it will occasionally give up known
true names of its enemies.
Named Dt
This crealure possesses nnd knows its true name. \Vhen its nome is spoken.
it knows who the speaker is and "'hen.• be is.
Knowledge of a true name grants the summoner +3D to summon that
specific spirit and +3D Bargaining tests or to the body of argument roll for
any Duels of \Vits conducted against the creature.
Demon, I Abjure Thee!

Faith Versus the Summoned
The Faithful may atte1npt to banish a.spirit entity from this world and
send it back to its own side. Banishing restless dead, sanctified dead and
minor corporal spirits requires a minor miracle. Banishing anything
greater requires a major n1iracle.
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Spirits of the Dead Vl

s::
Spirits of the dead have no corporal form. Tbey are ghosts. As such, a
they onJy have Perception and \VW for stats; they also have traits and s
0
skills. Beliefs and Instincts may be assigned by the CM. In general, use ::s
the Beliefs, Insrinccs, stats, lTaiti; and skills the creature had in life. In
other words, pick a stat block for a Mannish, Roden, Great Spider or
Great \Volf characler and drop the physical stats. Elves, Ores, Dwarves
and Trolls may not be stunmoned as spirits.
There is one exception to tltis rule. lf the spirit of rhe sunuuoned dead
has been bound into his corpse by a death artist, the spirit heeds the
summoner's call in the tattered trappings of his rot1ing flesh. He is mute
and in anguish. The C!Vl can use the stats for the Ri5en Corpse unless he
has something worse in mind!
Restless Dead
The restless dead have two additional traits, Spirit Norure and Poltergeist.
Spirit Nature is described in the Monstrous Trait List. Poltergeist is
described below.
Poltergeist
This creature is etherea l and may only affect the physical world through an
act of \Viii. If the creatu re w~hes to touch, push, pull, slap, etc., tesr Will
against the obstacle rather than Power or Agility. If a 1est is failed, Will is
reduced by the margin of failure. The creature'~ physical skills may also be
channeled through its Will. Test for the skill as norm&.I. After du: test, test
the creature's \Viii against the obstacle. \Viii is reduced by margin of failure.
If \Viii is reduced 10 zero, the creature dissipates and moy not reform or be
summoned for months equal to its \Vilt exponent.
Sanctified Dead
The sanctified dead also have t,vo traits, Spirit Nature and Rest in Peace.
Rest in Peace,_ _ _ _ __,_..___ _ _____________ _ _

Spirits who have gone peacefully to death 1md whose bodies were properly
sanctified have great difficulty returning to and communicating with the
world of the living. They cannot use. any physicul ability or skill 10 affect
the material world. Those abilities arc losl to them. Also, while tJ1ey will do
whatever is in their power to uid the living, they nre reluctant to undertake
any net that will disturb their peaceful rest or get them kicked out of heaven.
When bargaining with a summormr, spil'its of the sanctified deu<l may
add +2D to 11 sor.iaJ skill. \Vhen in a Duel of \Vits, add +Zs to their body of
argumr.nt i( their opponent's request goes against their better judgment.
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• .', ,·.
( !• • • • ... ,I , ' \ \'. ,, 1
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Relationships with U'l

i:::
8
the Supernatural s
0
There':; no rule that says a rclatjonsbip has to be living or flesh and
blood. tr appropriate to yoiu· game, players u1ay have relationships with
goJ s, demons or the restless dead. Tl1e standard rule, for relationships
-·
::s
::s
CJQ
apply. In general you do not have to oumn1011 you ghost friend but
cxLenuut ing circumstances ,night apply.
You rnay ulso develop a relationship with a summoned entity. Add

together the suu11noner's skill exponent and order rating appropriate
to il11~creature. 1f tl1e summoner successfully brings forth a creature
a numbr r oft imcs cqunl to 10 minm; that nurnhP.r, hH may :irlrl ii as a
re lat ion ship.
GMing Summoned Creatures

The surnrnoner~<; a:rt is a solitary and remote one. He conjw·es forth
demons in private and sends tl1P.rn forth to do his .bidding. It is not a fast
or flashy art. though it is useful.
~ruch of the burdcu of making Sununoning useful is placed on the GM.

\VhP.n the summoner dispatches his minions to topple a king .. tl1e Gl\1
must arbirrate if the en-and is successful or not. There an• t:wo way5 to
play this. First, consider the price. It is the most. in1portant element in
smmnon.ing. lf the price is juicy enough fruit , drnn by all means, have
the creattu·e succeed at its ordained task and rcwrn with due haste ro
the swnmoner to <.lr.mand payment.
Second, if the co1nplction of the task is in doubt, 1ntlc n versus test (or
series of tests) between the creature and its intended target. Allow the
summoner player to act out and roll for bis charge.
If n s pirit has been commar.dcd to nccompnny and protect the summoner.

or some si1nilnr task, allow the smnmoner player access to the creatw·e's
stats. Let him niake rolls for the spirit when appropriate. If d1ere is r.ver
a question of conflict between the entity and the suin,noner, the GM
shoukl u1kc on its role.
"
Skill and Faith

Death Ar t can be incorporated into your game in two ways. It
can be used as a ski LI, like Sorcery or Enchanting, using the rules
described in th.is chapter. Or the powers a nd obstacles described
in th.is chapter can be attributed to Faith. If using Faith, the Death
Art skill replaces t he Ritual skill for priests. All of the Death Art
tests delineated in this chaplcr are made using Faith, rather than
the Death Art skill. Death Art is used for linked tests or to create
tools. Tools and workshops are required whether using the skill
or Faith.
Gifted at Death
In order to use Death Art magic as a skill, the character must have
the Gifted or Cold Black Bloo<l trait.
Mortal Soul
Death Art combines elements both physical and spiritual. Though
the physical aspect of the art-creat ing walking corpses-is
obviously important, the spirit is the prime target. \Vhen a death
artist wishes to animate a corpse, he is calling that creature's soul
back into its body. I·Ie is trapping it in a cage of rotting flesh and
decaying bone, using the soul as a fuel for his evil deeds.
Therefore, this art may only be used on the corpses of those

creatures who are mortal and who are considered to have a
soul-a soul being defined here as native intelligence, imagination,
creativity and the ability to endure suffering. This nieaos no
ani1nals or insects and no .iinmortal creatures.
340
The Arcane Library
Ores, Elves a nd other in1morta1 creatures 1nay not have thefr corpses so
defiled. Dwarves and Trolls, while not truly ilnmortal, are certainly a
•
part of the land in a way that tnost .mortals are not. It's recommended
that they be exempr frorn this as well. And, while it's not listed as a trait,
consider Dragons irnrnortal as well.
Death Art Process

Death Art uses tlu·ce general speUs: H.ise!, Ritual Reani1nation and Death
of the Spirit. Hise! is a short spell used to quickly reanimate a corpse and
put it mider the death arlist's· control. RitunJ Reanimation is a lengthy
process that also raises corpses to serve Lhe sorcerer, but using the ritual
111ed10d, the death artist has much more control of the shape of his
servant. The DeutJ1 of the Spirit speU is a Jong, cornplicated and difficult
process mat enables tJ1e sorcerer to slowly transform a living person in.to
a ghoul, shade or Lich.
Dead Flesh
Before we dig into the black rnagic of raising corpses to do your bidding,
we must discuss the physical state of the dead body. This is an important
consideration for the death a,·tist.
Decon1position
The state of decay affects the obstacles for 1he Rise! and Ritual
Reanimation spells. The obstacle modifiers arc listed with each entry
below.
3 da,r,'I dead, 110 penalty

A corpse remains fresh and viable for up to three days after the ti.me of
deaLl1. It attracts flies-who come to lay their eggs-but it has yet to
become infested. It still looks human bul for the flat eyes and wro..-y skin.
ro days dead, +r Ob
Up to 10 days after dealh, the body begins to putrefy and bloat. The
pressure of tl1e gases inflates the body cavity and forces fluids to either
collect in the cavity or exit from various orifices. It's a messy tin1e.
20 days dead, +2 Ob
At tbis stage, the bloating ceases and the body collapses in on itself.
The fluids drain away and the flesh of Lhe corpse ttu-ns to a creamy
consistency. lnsccts-particularly flies and beetles-swarm to the
body to consume it. The body is typically covered in a crawling cloak
of maggots.
G
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50 days dead, +3 Ob
After 50 clays of decotnposition, the corpse is a putTescent mass of
rotting flesh, i11habited by maggots, flies, wasps and corpse-eating
beetles. lt is a barely recognizable horror of what it once was.
r year dead_. +4 Ob
After one year of death, the corpse is a ragged collection of dried,
leathery skiu, hair and bones. It is very clifficuh co reanimate such debris.
Ma11x _years go11e
Contrat)' to populut beJief, an ancient desiccated coq>se is useless to a
death artist. There's not enolllgh material left to reanimate.
Preserving the Corpse

Corpses rot. lt's an unfortunuce fact of Life. Even under the care of a
diligent death artist, t hey fall apart. For about t:he first year, this can be
held off, but after a year of living death, the corpses crumble.
ln order to preserve a corpse and gain more life from it, the death artist
may use the Taxidermy skill. The obstacle for preservation is 1 plus
its current state of deco1nposition as described above. If the test is
successful, the corpse will not fall apart after a year has elapsed. The
sorcerer can squeeze another year of life out of it. It continues to age, of
course, but the sorcerer may also continue to preserve it after each year
by making the Ob 5 Taxidermy test.
If the test is failed, the corpse cru,nbles to dust ut uu i11uppurtu11e ti1uc

within the next yeru·. The GM may have the corpse disintegrate during
play at a point whenever he likes.
Living Traits
If the corpse possessed certain trails during life, the sorcerer gains
advantage dice when casting the llisc! or Ritual Reanimation spells
on it. Add +1 D to the Death A.rt roll fur each of the following traits:
Aura of Malevolence, Cold-Blooded, Dreadful, Fearless, Horrific Aura,
Lost, Quiescent, Resigned to Death and \Veak-\~'illed. After the corpse
is reanimated, uJI such traits arc lost.
Physical traits that represent the creature's forn1 and function remain.
However, any trait that requires regeneration or organic manufacture-
the Earth's Blood or Venom traits, for example-is lost upon the
creature's death.
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All Good Children Go to Heaven

Each of 1hc following tra its add+1 Ob LO Lhc Rise!, Ri iuul Re1u1i111ation
or Deal h of the S pirit obstacle: Aura of Martyrdom, Aura of Holiness,
Entropic, Fey Blood , Iron Will , Misplaced Aura, Obscure Aura,
3tubboru and \Volvcrine.
Corp ~cs that bore the Eldritch Sink trait in life may not be reanimated
or evoked.
Riser
The most basic Death Art spell allows the sorcerer to cornmand a corpse
10 gather itself up, rise to its feet and heed hjs commands. This ability is
inherent in the skill. The obstacle is 4 plus the state of decomposition.
Advantage dice to the Rise! test can be gained fro1n the victim's traits
(see Living Traits). [f performed in Fight, this spell costs one action
per obstacle point. h1 Range and Cover or Duel of Wits, Rise! takes one
volley to cast.
Success indicates that the monstrosity sha,nblcs to its feet, ready to do ···
its master's ~idding. See the Risen Corpse stat block.
Failure indicates either that t he spell did not take hold or that the
creature is reanimated, but it turns on the caster. The CM determines
which result is appropriate. If the creature turns on its prospective
master, use the Risen Corpse stat block.
Corpses comn1anded to rise n1ust be in the sorcerer's presence.

Unfortunately, this means that interred or cntou1bed corpses may not
he so commanded. The necromancer needs to unearcJ1 the body to free
it so that it 1night serve him.
The Rise! spell can be cast without tools and without preparation. lf
tl1t: <lcath artist wants more from his corpse servants, he must use the
Ritual Reanimation spell.
The Life of the Corpse

A rean imated corpse of a human adult uses the stats, skills, attributes
and traits listed in the Risen Corpse stat block.
Reanimated Corpse
Wi Pc Ag S11 Po Fo He Re Ste Mw Res Cir
81 Bl BJ BJ BS BS - 82
.
87 BIi - -
Stride 6 Hesilalion I
Su Li Mi Sc Tr l\lo
PTGS Base Rise! Obstacle: 4
63 86 88 81 Bro 811
Char H""J'l (')=(, Mule, Cl~ WAikr
l'l':lils
Ilic RwtimAwlwrpse, Hikus. /x4,It,, p,,;,,, N,Jftl Ep/
Skills S.•Wjt AIW BJ
Weapons and l}pe/Nnmc I M s Lenglh VA ws

Dmnuge Ntws/Bik BJ BS 87 51,,rtal - 2
Reanimated C:Orp=s,..e_~D
....1,__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _
This trait grunts the reanimated corpse the \Vi B9, Pc Bl. Ag 83. Sp 83,
Po 85, Fo B5 stnt lina and clin1inates the Health. Resources and Circles
anrilnucs. These creatures may not recover from injury. However, neither do
they bleed 10 death or s uffer from any type of disease or poison. Also, these
creatures may advance extant skills, but they may not learn new skills in
play.
The Reanimated Corpse trait a lso gives the creature the mindless ability to
net in a mob. Up to five walking corpses may help each other at once with
any task, including dragging down t.heir victims and eating them (in other
words, positioning and Lock actions). \Vhen one corpse helps another, it
adds helping dice us per usual, bur it may not then act on his own.
Hungry Dead Cho

As a side effect of their reanimation, the dead become insatiably hungry.
They may consume normal foodstuffs, but the only dish that truly curbs
their desire is living human flesh.
Ritual Reanimation
Raising a corpse back to its unsteady feet is not the only feat a death
1rrtist may perform. Given time and materials, hP. can reshape n corpse
into a grim horror capable of efficiently carrying out his maleficent
will. The base obstacle for Ritual Reanimation is significantly lower
than the Rise I spell.
This process requires a workshop for Death Art and a number of hours
equal to the obstacle of the spell to be cast to raise the corpse. The
sorcerer may work patiently, carefully and quickly as per the standard
skill rules.
~
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The Ritual of Reanimation

There are four types of rituals for creating a corpse servant-reanimated
corpse, soldier of the dnmncd, abomination ond night hu otcr. Ench
ri111al produces a different body Lype and a different stat block. The
sorcerer 1nust choose which body type he wishes to begin with. Factor
the corpse's state of decomposition int<o the obstacle. The death artist
may further ,nodify the body and the obstacle by using the rules
described jn the Transmogrification section. Finally, the deat h artist
plnyl'r can grant. his character bonus dic.P. to the skill test by jmparting
his servant with Beliefs and Instincts.
Rituals of Reanimation Obstacles and Advantages
Rituals
i',,,,_··-:laslc lltual
.
Ob2
Soldier oflhc Damned Ob3
~I.ti.Cl~ Ob4
Nii:hr llunlcr Ob5
Decomposition
3 duys dcud
r.
1 io·dayt dead +1 Ob
20 d:,ys drnd +20h
~ 60 day,1.dead
... ,
+30b
1 ycnrdrad +40h
Nm pn;.sihlc
Traits of the Living

. ,ti~~gTralls +1D per trait
All Good Children Go lo llea1·en + I Ob per trui1
Transmogrification
Enhance slur (2-4) + I Ob per poin1
l~liutat fS,and up) +2 Ob per point
Enhance skill (2-4) +1 Ob per poml
' Enhance skill (5 and up) +2 Ob per point
Add skill + I Oh per ,kill
~~~(~ t,alt level 1 + 1 Ob per 1rai1
Mon,;trous corpse lrnit lc,·d 2 ... ~ 01, p,·r 1rni1
; .'1).ons.tro.us·cqrpse tralt·level S +3 Ob per trail
In l\lorti ad Vivo
+1D per Instinct
Add Belief +:?D prr Brlid (m11:< two)
I Am Night.
Add Night Blooded Trail +20
TIme of Death, Preferred Corpse

Any corpse that's been dead for a year or less n1ay be so raised. Soldiers
of the Dan1ned are best made froo1 fresh kills of strong young men and
women. Abominations are often assembled from the mnsizP.d hodies of
criminals, madmen and lepers. Children on the cusp of coming of age
,nake the best fodder for Night Hunters.
..
The Arcane Library
'lransrnogrification
The sorcerer may tinker with the strength, ability and adaptability of
his creutiou. The n1odifications and enhancements that may be made
to a corpse are listed below. Enjoy!
£11/,a11ci11g the Body

The sorcerer may concoct solutions and lay wards to increase the
physical mettle of his creation. The player may increase physicaJ stats
from the base nun1bers listed with the body. Raising a stat from 2-4
increases the Death Art obstac:le by one for each clie added. Raising
a stat to 5 or higher increases the Death Art obstacle by two for each
die added.
The player rnay increase skill exponents from the base numbers listed
with tJ,e body. Raising a skill frorn 1-4 increases the Death Art obstacle·
by one for each die added. Raising a .skill to 5 or highei· increases the
Death Art obstacle by two for each die added.
Addi11g Skills
The sorcerer may imbue his creations with additional skills. Each skill
added increases the Ritual Reanimation obstacle by +1 Ob. Each skill
added opens at root plus 2. You may .select from the foUowing list:
\Veapon skills, Brawling, Throwing, Hauling, Climbing, Riding,

Stealthy, Ditch Digging, Armor Trainu1g, Shield Training.
lWoMtrous Carpse Traits Level ,, +r Ob

The sorcerer may add any of the foUowing traits to his creation. Each
trait added increases the obstacle to reanimate by 1: Aggressive, Brute,
Claws, Devourer, Fangs, Heaving, Numb, Hideous, Single-Minded or
Silent.
Mo11strous Corpse Traits Level 2, +2 Ob

TI1e following traits may be bound into a corpse before it's reanimated.
They increase the obstacle by 2 each: Berzerker, Dead to Pain,
Hammer Hands, Repulsive Blood, Stillness, Unfeeling or Unflinching.
Mo1UJtro1M Corp.'le 1'raits Level 3, +3 Ob

Aura of Fear, Toothy Maw, Iron Hide, Troll Skin.
--
•; ·• • , ,· , Jf " I
"' / ' -. , r • ! If : 'l.:: ' !i (','' . • P c, f ' l
In Morti ad Vivo
Tinkering with the corpse's composition is primarily a spiri tual and
magical act. This process changes the nature of the creature. The more
qualities the death artist grants to his rotting monster, the more lifelike it
becomes. The more lifelike it becomes, the n1ore willful and self-sufficient
it becon1es, but a lso the more vulnerable it grows to fear and pain.
Reve11ge /.<; ll Vulture

Reanimated corpses lose all of the Beliefs and lnstit1cts tJ1ey had in life.
The will and energy required to maintain such things in life are fuel
for the bindings which lock the spirit in the fl eshy prison and power
its foul deeds. The soul is tTnppcd in a hellish plncll between life and
death. h only knows pain, loss and sorrow. But ii experiences them
without understanding. However, the more power the deatl1 artis1
grants ro his creation, the closer to life and remembering it becomes.
The death artist player may grnrnt hjs creations Instincts and Beliefs in
order to gain bonus dice for tJ1e rean.iJnation rituals.
• Crantiug a crean,re an Instinct gives +1D to the reanimation ritual.

A creature may have up to tJuee Instincts.
• Granting a creature a Belief grruus +2D 10 tbe rca.nitnation ritual A

death artist may allow two Bel'iefs to res1uface in tJ1c corpse's bound
soul.
The CM ,vritcs the Instincts and Beliefs. Even so ilie creat1.1TC n1ay not
act on its Beliefs until it ciilier c:arns iliree Beliefs or is freed from t.he
spiritual bonds that bind it. Creatures wit.h Instincts may use them as
they arc triggered.
I Am Night
Applying the Night Blooded trail co a corpse-so it is only active at
night-grants +2D to the Death Art test to reanio1ate.
Preserving a Trait from Life

lf a death artist wishes to preserve a Lrait the corpse held in life, he must
make a separate Death Art test. The obstacle is 1 plus the t rait point
cost. You may preserve one trait.
Performing the Ritual

Total the obstacle and bonus from the Reanimation Ritual,
Decon1position, Traits of the Living, Transmogrification, In Morti ad
Vivo and I Arn Night categories. Test Death Art plus advantage dice.
;l>,_'~ .•
' F-•
i!I. . /.',:.
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This test requires a Death Art workshop. Success indicates that the
corpse rises from the ritual pit, reborn 10 se,·vc its new master.
Fuil11rc indicates that either the spell has failed and the corpse is
just rotting flesh, or that the death artist hns r.11 llr.cl hor.k snrnr.thing
malevolent and destr uctive to iuhabit the body. In this case, the Gl\1
may opt to have the corpse possessed by an imp or dremon. Roll tJ,e Die
of Fare if you don't l1avc nnyrhing else in mind: 1-Lesser Imp, 2-lmp,
3-Creater Imp, 4-Lesser Dremon, 5-Dretnon, 6-Grcater Dremon. The
possessing spirit transfers the Lawbreaker trait and one other trait of
the CM's choo:Sing (except Spirit Nature) into the corpse. The corpse
also retains any of the traits tJ1at the death artist was trying to impart.
Ritually Reanimated Corpse Stat Blocks

Ritually Reanimated Corpse
'
Wi Pe Ag Sp Po Fo lie Ile Ste Mw Res Cir
81 Bl BJ BJ 85 85 BZ 87 Bil
Stride 7 llesilatlon I
Su Li Ml So Tr Mo
PTGS Base R~nnlmalion Obslade: 2
BS 8(, 88 81 BIO 811
Char H""J'Y Dw( M"fl. a.,,.,sy w.JxH

TrailS
Die RtMi,uw(urpsr. Hui-,, /)riu/" ,,.,,,, N1'11 EJ'ul
Skills S.~tAfWBJ
Weapons and 1)-pe/Name M s koglh VA ws

Damoge N.is/&u BJ BS 81 S/,;rtest z
Soldier of the Damned

Wi Pe Ag Sp Po fo I-le Ito Ste l'ttw Rts Cir
l¼ BZ M 84 84 l¼ 8J 87 8 11
Stride 7 Hesitation 4/0
Su Li Mi Se Tr l\lo
M'GS Base Reanimation Obs1acle: 3
M 81 88 81 BIO 811
Char HHAJ,Y bw< Muk

1ial15
Die Ru,,UJ<Ait.,(u,pu, Hu/M<S, '{)u,( II,,-, I I , , ~ NiJ'rt EjtA
Skills S.~AIWBS
Wuponsnnd 1)-pc/Nume I M s Length VA ~'S

Damnge N.ts/Biu 8Z 84 EU s!,,mst z
Abomination
\Vi Pe Ag Sp Po Fo He Re Ste Mw Res Cir
84 82 84 84 86 86 - BJ 87 BTZ - -
Slridc llcsilation 6/o I
Su
'
Li
.
Mi Se Tr Mu
PTGS Base Reanimation Obstacle: 4
84 87 81 8(0 Bff BTZ
Char H•"'J,Y l>~ Mule

Thiils Die !l<AJ,,,,.m,( urpse, MJWiw: SfAf,u4 Hult.4us, V.r(«l"'J, Bruk, NiJ',t Ey-.,(
Call &uJ:-8rtAJinJ I.AiNr, Ufw,jHfA")' rl,UJJs
Skills S..v.tjt AJiAdc M, HAUIU1J lU
Weapons and l}pc/Namc I ,\I s Length VA \VS

Damage Mti/s/BiJe 84 86 81 S/,uf - z
Night Hunter
Wi re Ag Sp Po Fo He Re Ste Mw Res Cir
BJ 85 86 86 BJ BJ B, 87 81
Stride 8 llcsilalion 7/-f·
Su l.i Mi Se Tr Mo
PTGS Base Reanimation Obstadc: 5
82 84 86 87 88 81
Char HIUlj,y l>w( Muk
Thiits Rr.viinwdCcrpse, Hulu.,s, DUA fp P.w,, V ~ FrAriess, c/,iwe,/. N.st eftk
Die
8/Nil,,..,,,< NiJftt £yd
Skills SAv.tje Aiwl 85; Sful/Jr M, c/i,,,l,i,,J 8'f

Wcnponsnnd 1)-pc/Namc I Al s Length \'A ws
Damage SwJ,· ct-s 82 lM 86 S/,pr/ , J
A three-tlllJ-oll hutlj can he turn'¾! into a R.eanimatetl Corpse with an Ob 2

Death Ari test. /n&reasin!J its Sav"je Attack skt11 from 3 to 4 adds +T Ob.
~ivz'nj it the Climh,'nj sk,11atlds +1 Oh. Adtlt'nj Claws and the Sinjle Minded
trait are +1 oh ea&h. rite total retmiination obstacle for this creature is then
6. IfI!Jive it the Nijht Blooded trait and an /nstin&; I3et +JD to the ksf.
Re-Reanimation
Corpses that a.re dealt a Mortal \Vound in play are once again freed from
their rnortal coil. They die again and may not receive treatment, recover
or heal. They may, however, be rebound by Death Art. Oh h.ideous fate!
The Arcane Library
RebinJiug a spirit to its corpse requires a Death Art ritual similar to

the one that reanimated it in the first place. The death artist gains a
+1D ad"a111agc to the test. The corpse creature aJso gains a Belief. It
may have up 10 three Beliefs. If the creature to be brought back aL-eady
has three Beliefs, the obstacle to control and maintain the creature a s
described under the Inevitable, Immortal Arrny is increased by + 1.
Repairing the Mortal Coil

Corpses that a.re drunaged but not killed may be repaired using the
Tnxi<lern,y skill. Use the obstacles for Field Dressing. Only oae penaJty
die per w01md 1nay be so repaired. No recovery test is possible.
Death of the Spirit

There is another set of rituals contained in this art. Rather than take
thac which is dead a nd g i\'e it the sen1blance of life, the deat h a rtist
may ra ke the Hie slowly from the living and g ive them the semblance
of death .
T his process is undertaken in three s1eps-1oxi6cation, living death

and evocation. The subject niay be willing or unwilling. It does not
matter. At the end of the process they will either be dead or t ransformed
iuto a power! ul spirir of vengeance.
Toxification
The firs t step in this process is to begin killing the body. The death
a rtist must introduce toxins and poisons into t he victim's system and
slowly, but firmly, accelerate his path toward death.
As mentioned above, the victim does not have co be willing or even

aware of the process. But he must ingest the concoctions the death artist
presents to him-either willingly or by force.
Death 1'oxi11s
The victim must consume special alcohol or drugs, or specially
prepar ed meat. Prepai·ing death toxins is an Ob 1 Deat h Art test.
Preparing a meal of poisoned meat is an Ob 2 test. These deadly
substances must be ingested. They ,nay not be injected.
Once th,~ poison is ingested, make u versus test between the victim's
forte and Death Art. If Death Art is successful, the p-rocess has begun.
Apply the margin of success as described under the You Should Be
.. ..
'
'
, • : 1 1 ,•'
Dying heading. If the Death Art test fails, the victim falls ill and suffers
an injury equal to the exponent of the Death Art skill. But now, the
victin1 n1ay not be taken down this path-he is resistant. He may, of
course, be killed and his corpse reani1nated.
You Should Be Dyir1g

Successful intoxication grants the victim the Aggressive trait. Tn
addition, each additional success can be spent to grant one of the
following u·aits: Bottomless Stomach, Cannibal or Deatl1 Addicted.
The victin1 is also now pruned for further torment from the death artist.
The Living Death

During the second stage of the process, t he death artist begins to
separate the victim's soul fro,n his body, like prying back fingernails
from d1eir moorings.
This phase of the process requires a ritual involving candles, sacrifice

and n1editation. It rnust take place iu the sorcerer's workshop and t he
victim must be present.
Test Death Art versus lhe victim's \Vill. If Death Art is successful, the
victi,n earns the Silent call-on trait and t he Necrophagic character
trait. And he is now Teady for the final step, evocation.
Soul Twisti11g
Extra successes moy be spent to apply additional traits to the victim
from the follo,ving list: Dissent Parasite, Blood Lust, Aura of Fear,
Smgle-Minded and Fast Reflexes.
Extra successes ,nay also be applied to eliminating the victim's Beliefs
and Instincts. Two successes may be spent to remove an Instinct
slot from the character sheet-he had tlu·ee, now he has 1,vo. Three
successes may be spent to remove a Belief slot. Multiple Instincts and
Beliefs may be lost in one test. The target player may determine which
Beliefs ru·e lost.
The time for the test is hours equal to the obstacle of the test plus any
extra successes applied for traits.
If you fail the test, something went wrong during the ritual. The victitn
wakes up and witnesses t he hortor around him. He may atten1pt to
escape the death artist's lair using speed, stealth or by force, whichever
is most appropriate to the situation. I-le may not be brought further
down the path to evocation.
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Ghouls
Taking a subject through Toxification and the Living Death effec6vely
rransforms bim into a ghoul. However, he is not under the sorcerer's
direct control. Ghouls are still alive and may think and act as they
please. Persuasion, Seduction, Soothing Platitudes and Intimidation
tests may be used to motivate them and Duel of Wits used to sway them.
Evocation
In the final stage of the ritual, the death ru·tist rips the very soul from
his victim and tTansforms it into a deadly servant. In order for the soul
to be evoked, the victim must be tormented and rhen ritually murdered.
Make a Deat h Art test against an obstacle equal to the victi,n's current
IVill e:tponenl plus his current Forte exponent. Describe your actions in
terms of things metaphysical, religious and ritual. Describe bow you're
transforming your victim into this new 1nonstrous form.
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S11ccel1.,;f11/ Evocatio11
If successful, the death artist rips the very soul from his victim and
transfor1ns it into a servant of his will, trapped in a living death. 1ne
victirr1 earns the following traits: Slave to the Power of Death, Corpse
Bound, Luminescent, Stillness and Heartless.
Extra successes fron1 the evocation test may be spent to add traits ur
to remove Beliefs and Instincts.
• It costs one exu·a succP~<;s to ren1ove a Belief or Instinct at tltis stage.
• T he following traits cost one extra s uccess each: Mesmerizing Gaze,

Horrific Aura.
• These traits cost two extra successes each: Celestial Sight and
A1nuJet Bound can b e used to replace Corpse Bound.
• Gifted and Faithful cost tlt.ree successes each. But can only be
i.tnbued if the servant posses3ed the tra it in life.
• Spiri t Nature costs four extra successes.
The victiu1 retains skills he had in life. Die and call-on traits are lost
and replaced ,vith those imparted b y the Death of the Spirit process
(except as noted above). Character rraits are retained. The s)a\'e's stats
arc equal to its stats in life, minus any dice from injuries sustai.tied at
the time of trus death.
!(a victim is evoked wlu1e su/forinJ from a Traumafi& Wound, all ofhis
slats are reJuadbJ four when he transforms from life to unlifo
The victim may not learn new skills unless he has three Beliefs. If he
has fewer than three Beliefs, he has no f.ree will and muse obey the
commands of his creator without hesitation.
Evocation Time
The evocation test talces days equal to the obstacle.
Failed Evocation
If the test is failed, tl1e victim dies.
Slave to the Power of Death Dt

This creature is now the servant of the sorcerer who evoked his soul. He is
no longer alive, but neither is he dead. He will not age, grow sick, hunger
or sleep. Use the skills the victim had in life. Die and call-on traits are lost
and replaced with those imparted hy the Death of the Spirit process (except
as noted under Evocation). Character traits are retained. The slave's stats
The Arcane Library
nre equal to his stats in life, minus uny dice from injuries sustained at the
tinH' of chis <lcall1. This condition overrides ~onditions from other traits like
Corpse Bound.
The Lich
The death artist may perform the Death of the Spirit ritual upon
himself. A necrornancer who does so is under his own control and
begins the game with three Beliefs.
I Am in Command
A :;uc-cc:;:;ful Death Art test to 1·abc a corpse or spirit purs the sorcerer
in c 01nmand of the creature. Comrnands must be verbalized, but all
implication anti subtext is comprehended via the deep bond bet,veen
the death artist and his creation.
FoY example, tl,c .soYceYeY ""9' .shout, ''c;et him!"anJ the creature w,1/
know who "him n i.s.
Gathering the Materials

Death Art require.s II fow kr.y ingr1>dir.nts, na1nely a victim (n corpse or
one who will soon be) and a labot·atory or ritual chamber.
\Vorkshops
Death A.rt requires a workshop (20 rps) for the higher-end processes-
Rjtual Reanimation and Death or the Spirit. This "workshop" consists
of either a laLoratory or a ritual religious space depending on the idiom
of the arl in your game. Acc1uiring the matP.rials for such a setup is an
Ob 6 Resources test in play. It's not cheap. It also puts the sorcerer's
lifestyle maintenance test at Ob 4 1ninim11m.
Victims and Corpses

Victims are characters in yo1u· story. They can be relationships bought
before play or characters encountered during the game. Victims may
be brought into the game via Circles. lf the sorcerer player wishes to
do this, use the ~pecific di.~position modifier-the player is specifically
looking for a victim. Also, this Circles test brings in chiuactcrs whom
you've known in the past. No matter who the victiJn is, he and the
sorcerer have crossed paths before.
: .: . , J.' o \ ( • I •
Corpses can be acquired in a nu1nbcr of ways, none of them pleasant.

I recommend calling for a test in order to find a corpse based on the
following conditions:
1tlurders
Murder scenes arc an obvious site of fresh corpses. However, it's
difficult to predict where they' ll happen and thus they're difficu.lL
10 exploit. Unless, of course, one arranges and perforrns the murder
011esclr. Then this can becorne a most reliable source of f-resb meat. To
m-rungc for a victirn, use tbe Victin1 mechanics.
Murderous sorcerers arc an excellent opportunity to bring in the locaJ

lnw enforcement figures. In medieval hu,nan kingdoms, bailiffs,
constables and jusliciars ai-e the officers of the king's law. They'll
usuaJly be of a count or b,u-on's rank and have with them a retinue of
knights and squires. Ln a village, most likely the local sergeant will be
the firs! to mvestigate a crin1e, iuterrogating witnesses and searching
for physical evidence. Bored officiaJs love to investigate a good crime,
especially when it means they'll get to crucify a skeevy necromancer.
Graveyards
Finding a suitable graveyard culls for a Cravr.yard-wisc test. The
obstacle shouJd be from 1 to 3, depending on the frequency of such
places in your gan,c. The wealthier an area . tl1c more likely it is to
have a graveyard.
There is the matter of the digging or tomb-breaking. Di&,<>i.ng shouldn't

be a 1cst unless there's smnething else at stake, like a tiow crunch.
Then, by all 1ncans. call for a Ditch Dig_~g test.
Unless one is staJking a funeral , finding fresh corpses in a graveyard

is difficult. RoU a die of fate to dctennine the state of decomposition
of the corpse you dig up:
Graveyard Corpse Ages

10daysdcad
2 20 dn.ys ilend
) · 50 days dead
4 1 year drad
~ year dead
Manr ycun> gone
The Arcane Library
Gibb"ts
Gihbets are execution grounds, specifically scaffolding on which
criininals are hanged until they die. They' re an excellent source of
fresh bodies but suffer from being in rather public places.
You ,·11-11 find a gibbet using Hoads-wise in the country, or a RtrP.P.twi!-11~

ccst in the city. Altc111ately, a Bandit-wise or Criminal-wise test could
be used lo get directions.
Stealing n body fro1n a gibbet requires an Inconspicuous test (during

daylight hours) or a Stealthy test (at night) again5l an Observation of
B3 for small towns, 84 for large1.owns, 85 for cities. In son1e situations,
m1 Ob ;3 Resources test can be paid co bribe the hungman to look d1e
other way. Success indicates the sorcerer gets away undetected. Just
11 family member come to collect the body, rigbt? Failure indicates
someone is np for a new reputation ....
Roll the die of fate to determine how old the corpse on the gihhel is:
<
J .: . : / .~ : ·~: • ,
. , ,-:''~ .~ f '
I
. .. ..
Gibbet Corpse Ages

J Less tbru1 3 dnys dcnd
2 Less thnn 3 duys dcU(J
s 10 duys dend
4 10 dnys de-no
.5. 50 days dcud
6 I yrn r drnd
Grave Pits
Grave pits are comumn in poor areas or areas of the countryside with
temporarily high mortality rates due to plague or war. Grave pit.s are
open to thr. air, with the corpses simply wrapped and dropped in nnd
then covered with a shovelful of quicklime. There is typically a grave
digger prcsenL at the grave pits as a nominal guard, but otherwise
these pits are perforce in remote locations.
Finding u grave pit requires a. Gr-aveya.rd-wise test (detail.~Ob~), or

a Plague-wise test (simple facts Ob 2). Roll a die of fate to detenni.ne
the state of decomposition of the corpses:
Grave Pit Corpse Ages

l 1.: Less than 3 days dead
'
2 10 rlnys d<'.i!<I
-~;· 20daysdcad
4 20 clays dr.a<l
.5'
- SO days dead
6 1 year dead
Battle Sites
Recent battle sites are an excellent source of fresh corpses.
Unfortunately, most soldiers tend to be rather emotional about
retrieving and burying their dead. Stealing u body from an active
battle site requires a Stealthy test versus the force's scouts or, I
suppose, an Inconspicuous test to walk into camp and pretend you're
a surgeon. Getting caught inevitably involves arrows and swords, so
do take care. The upside is that these bodies are always fresh!
Prospecting at an ancient battle site is usually a lost cause. A successful

Excavation test wiU tun1 up battlefield remains. Roll on the following
table to determine the corpse's age:
...
-- The Arcane Library -
Batlle Sites Corpse Ages l;j

(D
Sl>
....,.
1 1 ycur deod
~
2 I yc11r1lc111J
3 Many years gone
>
...,
....,.
..'P
4 ..
l\lnnv. ycurs "One:
Mruty years gone
b Mn ny yea rs gone-
The Inevitable, Immortal Army

Using 1.he Death Art, a sorcerer can accumulate quite a horde of dead
iollowers. ~lajnraining a horde is difficult and dangerous, but: very
rewarding.
Maintaining Your Horde

At the end of each session, before artha is doled out, the necron1ancer
must test \Vill in order to keep his horde of creations in control: base
ohsuicle is 0, +1 Ob for each risen or ritually reanimated corpse, +2 Ob
for each c1·caltll'c with the Slave to me Power ofDeaLl1 trait uuc.J + 1 OIJ
for each of these tluit has three Beliefs.
Success iudjcates that the sorcerer keeps liis chilcl.ren in check. They
will obey his comn1ands unfrulingly for the next session.
Go Forth arul Stalk the Night, My Children

Failing the maintenance test indicates that die death artist's hold over
his dead minions is weakening. The sorcerer may do one of two things:
He may release creatures from his service. These monsters become
independent entities, acting on tlieir own. The sorcerer may not regain
contTol over t hem (except through Re-Reanimation). The sorcerer
must release creatw·es whose maintenance obstacle pennlty equals the
nwrgin of failure.
Ifhe faded bJ three, he's!J"t to release three risen ereatures; one spirit
andQne fleshJ creature,· "r Qne spirit with three Beliefs.
Tigl,teni11g lht Grip
Alt,!mately, the sorcerer can opt to exert his will and force the creatures
to remain in his ser vice. Doing so grants his creations a number of
BeUefs equal to the margin of failure. The Beliefs muse be assigueu to
the most valuable creation with the rnost Beliefs first, then to the next
most valuable, etc.
.. ... ,I ..
• . . . . . ...
" ' • : I : ' t • '
~
'
l Ca11 Re1nen1ber My JJ'ife; You Killed Her, You Bastard!
If a sorcerer fails a maintenance test and has a creatttrc under his
cont1·ol ,vith Lhree Beliefs, he must set it free first before he can decide
what else 10 du will1 the remainder of his margin of failure.
You 1nay choose to n1.i.x these options, releasing members of the horde
and tightening your grip on others in order to satisfy the 1nargin of
failure for the n1a intennnce test.
1/elp 1lf<', 1'<>11 Fool!

The sorcerer n1ay get help to maintain !tis horde from anoLlier death
artist, so long as his friend has the Death Art skill and is not currently
controlling any reanunatcd corpses 01· evoked spirits of his own.
lreedo11i
Creat,u·cs who m·c sci free or break free 01ay act on d1eir Beliefs. The
Cl\il takes control of them, and gen~rally they arc not happy. Their
existence is one of torn1c nt and slnvec·y. It's not U1Jcoo.uno11 fur UletlJ
to break free from the sorcerer's control and simply throw themselves
upon mm in an attempt to take. his wretched life. That rarely ends well.
The truly smart ones crawl off to the hills and barrows and plot 1heir
revcu~c. Tu die ugai.11 in front of their former n1aster only gives him
power over the1n again!
The CM 1nay choose the best cow·se for these monsters, guided by
theii· Beliefs and Instincts.
Belief Bookkeepir,g
Don't keep a record of aJl of the creat1u:es' Beliefs. Simply note how
many Beliefs each monster has. \Vhen the creature is freed, write
up the p1·oper odes to revenge and m1u-der that such Beliefs would
encon1pass.
Jnsti11cts Bookkeepi11g
I do recommend tracking Instincts. They should involve a mb< of
survival and revenge. For example:
'~lwa,rs use my Stealthy when un errands for my ma.sur. "

Ant/, "When tl,e ma.ster falters, shove him ufltlte eli/f."
The Arcane Library
Field Life of a Corpse

The corpses do continue to decompose. Deatb Art does not inherently
preserve rhen1. This does not lessen their effectiveness, per se, but after
a year or so of death, the creatures crumble to a useless pile of hair and
hone. Generally, it's not going to be something you need to worry about.
But it is so1ncthiug to keep in n1iud.
Live in Infamy
Death artists arc bad people. In every culture, tampering with the dead
and calling souls back to serve you (as slaves) is a great taboo. h's ugly
business. These taboos a re typically written into civil and religious
law. The penalties for breaking these laws are often as harsh as can
be-imp1·isonmen1· or corporal punishment are typical.
The Infamous Lives of Death Artists

At any point in the gan1e, if a death artist is ~aught performing his
works, and news of this spreads, he. earns an infamous reputation. If
there are one or 1norc surviving wiu1esses, word spreads. At the end of
the session, revie:w the death artist's candidacy for a reputation. The
group can vote him a new 1D infamous reputation, increase an extant
infa1nous .reputation by one or they may convert one of bis other more
valuable reputations into an infamous one.
Lay Your Fears to Rest

Death Art is an insidious and powerful art, but it is not without its
vulnerabiJities. Its base creations ,nay be felled by fire and axe, whereas
wraiths and spectres are vulnerable to Faith, Summoning and Folklore.
Faith in Light, Life, Health and Purity

Priests of the religions who have power in spheres of light, life, health
or purity have a special options for the blessing, hindrance, purification
and intercession miracles.
.
• The blessing miracle may be used to turn a weapon to a spirit
weapon against Death Art only or add the standard +1D advantage.
Choose before saying the blessing.
• Hindrance stops a number of creatures equal to the priest's Faith
exponent, rather than just three creatures.
• Purification unbinds body and spirit and causes a reani1nated
corpse to crumble before thr. pri<'sl.
' . .· '
. ...,, " ' ..
. ~
Torme nted spiri ts arc another mat ter. These souls require an
intercession. The priest must pray for them and their god n1us1 reach
ou1 and set t hem free. Successful intercession destroys those under the
duress of the Denth of the Spirit.
Sumn1oning Against Death

Sum moning 1uay be w;ed to call forth the souls who arc bound into
t hcsc crcarions. Rcanimarcd corpses count as rest less dead. Fully
evoked spirits count ns minor corporal spirits. If the rest is successful ,
che creatu re will present itself to the st11nmoner. It will not initially
harm him when it is summoned. If the ercaturc has Beliefs, it can enter
into u pacL. Hit has none, it may nor; the death artist's magic has it
trapped. The summoner's magic~ is not capa!Jlc of destroying spirits or
countering the Death Ari magic. The sunnnoner must find a.notber way
to free the soul if he so desires.
However, 1hc summoner n1ay trap these spirit creatures in prison

circles. See the rules for Circinalion in the Sun1n1oning chapler.
!()'our uncle's corpse has l,een raised to serve a death artist anti1ou
summon1our uncle's spirit, the walkin!J corpse eventu.allJ shambles up
and httJsyou.Y summons.
co1nbat t ing the creatures of the night. Often, remedies ru·e specific
to a panicular culture. To allow for a range of possible cultures
and game worlds, these expanded rules describe some overarching
motifs for Folklore and how to use the1n to ward off the walking
dead and track down evil sorcerers.
For the sake of si111plicity, we've brokr.n down this application of

Folklore into three categories: charrns, wru·ds and remedies.
Charms
A chanu imposes a +1 Ob pcuahy 10 any activity against the
wear{'.r by the target creuture.
Charrns are s1nall baubles, necklaces and bracelets worn by

the superstitious. \Vhen created , a chanu must be dedicated to
protecting against a specific t ype of creature-walking corpses,
ghouls or fully evoked spirits. AJso, a chnrm must be fragile and
hreakable-thcre 1nust be the diance that they get ripped, torn,
lost or broken.
\Vards
A ward is a place. object or sy111bol that keeps spirits, the living
dead and reanimat1~d corpses at bay. These creat ures ,nay not
approach, attack or ot herwise act against chaructcrs wil hi n the
protection of a ward.
Ho/_J!JYoves, churches, temples anti runnin!f streams &an act a.s

warls.
Remedies
A remedy hastens the destruction of a constructed, created or
summoned creature. Remedies can also be used to counteract
curses or similar magical effects like Toxification in Death Art.
Remedies for abominations include things like holy water, silver
swords and wooden stakes. A remedy can turn a regular weapon
into a sph·it weapon, grant an advantage die when fighting these
creatures or increase the selected Power of a weapon by 1 when
used against a specified product of Death Art.
363
. , ,; ~ .. . . . • I ,,1 I r : ,• .
\ ,, .
~ .J .
Creating Charms, Wards and Remedies ,vith Folklore
Customs differ from place to place. \Vhat 1night be effective in onf!
village might not work in the ncx1. The folklore skill is used to discover
the proper ch!)rms, wards and rc1nedies for Yarious places.
In order to iden tify an effccLive solution to his current problem, the

player makes a Folklore skiU tesl. The obstacle is Jetennined by
combining a number of factors and conditions. The player and the GM
work together to set the obstacle and thereby detennine the folklore
c ustoms for tl1is particula r locale.
The more obscure and dif6t uh to perform, the lower the obstacle for the
Folklore. Look through the following list. Choose two to 6vc conditions
and criteria tha t appeal to you and that mnke sense.
The base Folklore obstadc is 7. E nch condition that you choose from the
Jist below reduces the obstacle by one.
Ifyou dtoose Number-.s, 4est'!,re anti DR)1-iO-l>ll)' Rituals-three i#ms

from fire li.st-tlte obstatle is retlueetlfrom 7 to 4.
The Arcane Library
Before testing against thr obstacle, dcc:idc if you're going to find a

churm, ward or remedy. They're all t he same obstacle to discover,
but have difft•rent effect s in play, and each has different conditions of
acqui:;ition. One(' yo u've chosen your conditions and set your obstacle,
decide· how they lit together.
Sig11ifica11/ IV11n1bers
Certain ntunhcrs have mystical effects : 4 is had luck in son1e cu.ltu.rcs,
S is a holy number in others. Choose a signifirJ1n1 number.
Sig11ifica11l 1Jletal.,;
Ccrtai.n nwtals UJ'e b1:t1er al co1nbattiug the supernatural. Iron, silver,
gold and lead all have uuique properties.
S ig11ificu11I tllitwra/.y
Sah, diurnouds, quartz a nd a variety of other rninerals an~ uotcd for
their protective powers.
S ig11ifica11t Iferb.,; or Pla11/s

Garlic, cloves, aniseed and adzuki beans a.re all renowned for creating
potent wa1·ds and charms.
Sig11ificatlt A11ilnals or Parts Thereof

A wolf's tooth, rabbit 's foot, la mb's blood or honey can aid the
knowledgeable in creating wards.
Signific,1111 Dates
Holy days, birthdays of saints, equinoxes, solstices, full moons and
eclipses a.I.I innuence the power of supernaturals.
Significa11t Geornelry
Certain symbols-stars, perfect circles, equilateraJ triangles-contain
mystical potential.
Sig11ifica11t Arcltiteclure
The nrnnner in which u building is constructed can be so pure and
powerful thnt it adversely affects the .s pcll's ill intent.
Significa11t Features
A lone tree on a blasted heath, a swiftly running streru.n, consecrated
ground or a mountain shaped like a jagged tooth can all act as
powerful wards.
,·
.-·;, , ;. , .·,.- .t f;.:. ,, i: !·t .· . • •f ' •• ;
Siglliflca11t Gestures or JJ,Ja1111ers

The sign to £\Vert evil, averting the eyes, dancing in circles and reciting
ritual phrases are all well-known sources of power against the forces
of darkness.
Sig11ificarll Day-to-Duy Rituals

Even cvery<lo.y rituals. like sweeping the stoop with a broom, washing
one's hands before a meal or praying to the saints before bed can aid
in keeping one's Lile free and cleru· of the death artist's dark servants.
IfJou those minerals, numhers, dates, architecture and Jll)'-to-t:/4)'

rituals, what does that mea11? You've !Jot to put them all t"Jether: 011
the morn,n!f ofthe dllJ ofthe.new moon, the stoop ofthe house must he
swept dean andthen three per(ettpiles ofsaltpouredon the ltntel Tltat'tl
he an Oh 2 Folklore test to hrin!J this ,nto the!fame. Common knowletljc
amol1!J the midw,feryl
Find the Rare Thing

Knowing the Folklore of charms, wm·ds and remedit:s doesn't necessarily
mean these things arc easily found. If irems need to be acquired,
they may be found th.rough an outing or adventure, or perhaps even
Resources or Circles tests.
Folkloric Restrictions
These broad rules allow for the players to shape local color. If the
GM feels that some of the categories break the mood of the setting,
he rnay restrict them. The .first level of restriction is requiring linked
wise tests to discover which criteria hold power in this place or culture.
The second level of restriction is to cut certain iten1s from the gan1e
outright. The cu.lturc might not ho\d animals sacred or have no great
archireccurc, for exrunple.
. . ~l
~~~.,_
Blood Magic
Using pa in, torture and 1nurder, the. sorcerer may gain bonus dice
to cast his bloody 1nagie-s !
Blood Mugic is not a cmnplete magic system like Art Magic or

Death An. It's an add-on sysLem incant to be con1bined with other
a r1s. It can be combined with -Sorcery, Arl Magic, Death Art, Ore
Hituals. Enchanting, Faith, Summoning and Spirit Binding.
If combined with Enclianting, Sorcery or Ore Rituals, test the skill

plus bonus dice from Blood ·Magic. If used with Sun1moning or
Spirit Binding, I recommend replacing the Reputations a nd Spirit
~larks with the Blood Magic rules. Por Faith or Death Art, use
them in place of rhc helping rules and prepare for sornc bloody
miracles.
\Ve nlso recmnmend adopting the Corruption rules found in this

book if you're using Blood Magic in your campaign.
There are two overall methods to Blood Magic: torture and

sacrifice. Torture uses the victim's p.nin nnd sufforing for sm11II
gains meted out over a longer period of ti,ne. Sacrifice uses the
victim··s death as a one-time, powerful boost to the spell.
\Vhen a player seeks a boost fron1 a blood nrngic ritual, he must

declare before he starts whether he is using torture or sacrifice.
Torture uses the Torture skill. Sacrifice uses Rituals or Rituals of
Blood.
Torture
lf n sorcerer captures a victim, he may torture the victiu1 to fuel his
spells. The sorcerer aims to inflict injury-to draw blood-but not
to incapacitate or kill the victim. It's tJ1e pain, suffering and blood
that grant tbe sorcerer power.
Test tht! Torture skill. The obstacle is equal to the victin1's Will.
Success indicates the victim suffers a wound equal to the torturer's
shade and exponent. Extra successes reduce or increase the damage,
one pip on the PTCS per extra success. If the damage inflicts at
367
I , I ( , • •. •
least -10 of wound pena1ties, the torturer gains a +1D advantage to

the next spell he casts. for each -·10 of wound penalty inflicted on the
victi1n, the sorcerer gains an additional+1D advantage. Thus a Light
wound is worth +1D, a Severe is worth +3D, etc.
If the sorcerer finds his victim's \Viii too high, he may simply beat hin1
before the actual torture session begins.
The Beatings
Beatiug a character into submission entails doing injury to him in order
to inflict wound penalties to reduce the obstacle for Torture (or any
social skill).
Before beginning the torture itself, the sorcerer may dispatch his thugs
to beat the piss out of his victim or undertake the task himself. Make
an Ob 2 Brawling test. Success i:1dicates you do Mark result- damage to
your victim. One success over the obstacle means you can choose to do
an lncidental or ~lark hit. Two successes over means you can choose an
lncidcntal, ~lark or Superb hit. Failure indicates you inflict a Superb
·· hit on your victim.
The rorturing player may make beating tests as often as he likes. but
the results of a test stand: Damagr. fi-01u a beating cannot be reduced or
spent. If a victim is killed or becomes too broken to be tortured, that's
the sorcerer's problem.
The Victin1 Must Remain Conscious and Alive

If the victim falls unconscious or is killed during the torture, all
bonuses are lost. Swooning from a failed Steel test result does not count
as incapacitation in this case. If a stat is reduced to zero or lower, the
victim counts as incapacitated.
Victims Must Recover

A victim recovers from his wounds as per the standard rules for
recovery. The G~I must be sure to track the injuries. A victim of a Midi
wound will bleed lO Severe if untreated. A victim of a Severe wound will
bleed co death if untreated.
Small, Bite-Sized Chunks

It's usually best to jusr take smnJI chunks out of your victims and let
tliem recover. By maintaining a dungeon full of victirns, a sorcerer cnn
keep a rotnt ing stor.k of healthy c:hattel. Gruesome, eh?
The Arcane Library
-
t;;j
0
0
0-
3::
Jl)
--
<;JQ
(")
The Po,ver Re1nains Until Used

The advuntage dice earned through 1orture remain with the sorcerer
until spent. They may be spent individually, en masse or in whatever
combination the player desires.
l.
. . ,, ' ~ ' . ..
Sacrifice
Torture pays o ut sniall benefits over tirne to the sorcerer, whereas ritual
murder grants a large one-tim.e boost in power.
To make a sacrifice, the sorc-crer must have either the Ritual or

Rituals of Blood skill. Make a versus test between t he sorcerer's skill
and the victiin's Forte. This test must take place in a r elatively secure
environment uncl definitely rcqu ires tools-ritual irnplcments, candles,
cups, etc. You may not ritua lly niurder your opponent in a fi ght.
Altar of Sacrifice
If the sorcerer wins the test, he ritually slaughters his victim and gains
a pool of advantage <lice equal lo the victin,'s cu rrent \Viii exponent.
The sorcerer uses these advantage dice for casting or resisting the tax
of n spell. You may allocate the,n as nee<lc<l.
Curse of the Da11111ed

If the sorcerer fails to 1·inmlly murder his victim the CM should choose
one of the following: The victin1 escapes or stYuggles with die sorcerer;
The victim curses the sorcerer before death causing an obstacle
penalty equal to his \Viii on the tax te.st for the spell the ritual was
intended to aid; or the victim's death warps the spell and the CM mar
decide a new or additionaJ effect for it.
The Power Fades

Any advantage dice conferred from ritual murder fade over time. The
sorcerer player loses one die for each test made for wliich the dice a re
spent. When casting a spell, the <lice are expended as he chooses. The
dice may all be used or used in part and saved for additional spells.
Destruction
A character who is ritually murdered rnay not be trt>atcd for his injuries
and may not make a recovery test. He or she is dead.
Perhaps the corpse will be put to some darker use-or his spirit
sum1none<l to g ive testan1ent to his fate.
The Blood of Innocents

Certain qualities enhance the effectiveness of Blood Magic. Traits of
purity, holi ness or power lend the ritual more power, which is then
transferred to the. sorcere1·. Bad news for the victims.
The Arcane Library
+1D Victilns
Child Prodigy. Auru or Innocence, Faith[ ul, Fey Blood, Gifted,
lnunortal (in any capacity) or Tainted Legacy traits add +1D to the
:;orcerer's bonus for 1nurder or torture.
~tart}rs and the Holy

Victims wi1h 1hc Chosen One, Aura of Martyrdom or Aura of l·Jolincss
trait, double any die benefits conferred fron1 torturing or murdering
1hem.
Bad Victims
Charal·llll'S with Eldri1ch Sink , Atravicso or Entropic traits arc useless
for blood sacri ficc. They provide no bonus for 111urdcr or tort urc. In foci ,
invoh-i11g them in the riu uil fl1 nil incrcnses t h e obstacles for t he speU
10 I.Jc cast by +2.
C
This is an optional add-on for standard Sorcery as described iu tl1e

Burning \Vheel. According to this n1etbod. spells are supernatural
creatures fighting for space in the wizard's consciousness. A wizard
· · only has so inul'h room to work with before the spells just blot eaeh
other out and he can't rcmco1bPr anything.
Memories
A wizard 1nuy hold in his 1ni ad a number of spells equal to his
Perception minus one. He may cast them according to the standard
rules for lltu·ning \V he.el Sorcery.
II the wizard's Perception is reduced to injury or impairment, he

forgets a number of spells equal to the difference. The player may
choose which are no longer available.
Spell Books
If a wizru·d character possesses more spells than he can hold in his
crowded memory at one tune, he keeps the extra spells written in
his precious, really-too-big-to-carry-around speU book or similar,
campaign-appropriate edifice.
My spell book contains Eldritclt Shield, Philosopher's Perch,

Mlljesense, wyrdLijht, Sltards, Bindin!J and Blessed Hands.
Starli11g Spell Book
The ,vizard purchases a starting selection of spells according to
the standard rules as described in the Character Bwner.
Idiomatic Spt!ll Books

The spell book rule is not designed to cut a n1age off from thr.
source of his power. It exists only to lirnit what he has access
to right now. Feel free to change the speU book to s001e other
372
The Arcane Library
campaign-appropriate format-a ten1ple,

a grove or trees, tattoos, a gaggle of imps,
the spirit o( your dead father. Tiu• rules
for accessing it re1nain the same as those
described below under the Changing SpeUs
rules.
Changing Spells
A wizard rnay trade out spells Cron, his
c 111-r1•111 liucup for ones in his reserve during downtin1e-while other
diaractt'rs arc healing, working or practicing, for example.
MJ wizard has a Perception of86,- I can keep five spells in his head at
once. t\!,Y must-haves are-Eltlritch Shiel/ and Mlljtstnse. They always
tome with me. We'll be du11jtoneerin3, so I also choose WJrd Lijht,
Shartl.s anti Blessel Hands. I want to /Je able /Q lijht the w'9" heal my
friends and hurt my enemies. I leave Pht'losopher's Perch and BindinJ
in the book for now. Its a di(ficult choice, buau.se I see how u.se(ul those
spells can he in a dun!Jeon, too.
Spell Cha11gi11g OptiOllS
Jf you' d like, yon muy also Jirnit the number of speUs that can be
changed at one time. I suggest limiting the wizard to one spell changed
per night of study. Set this limit· ,vith your group before starting play.
The Universal Library Option

Instead of lctu·ning spells individually, you n1ay decide that, since spells
are creepy, living things, a.II wizards have access to them. They simply
need to call the1n to 1nind.
Pick any spell fron1 the spell Hst and say, "'I sum1non thee! " Using this
optional rule, a wizard adds to his ar5enal by 1naki.ng a Sorcery test
cq ual to the spell 's obstacle. Add +1 Ob if the spell has a ". Use Ob 5
if the spell uses a target's stat. If the spell uses stat plus obstacle, use 5
plus the obstacle.
If he passes, he n1ny add the spell to his spell book. lf he fails, he mar
never learn that spell. \Vizards can learn spells during downtime or at
the start of a session. Only one spell may be. added per session.
....
- .,
I I
- . ----
~}1~
Magical Artifacts
This section describes 27 111agical arcifacts for use in your .Burning
\Vheel game. T he list contains iten1s of varying power, from small
items like the Colden Tooth to powerful artifacts like the Burning
\Vhcel itself.
Each item is described in terms o( a hook, the item's powers, the

limits on the iten1's powers and the antecedent used to create the
encha ntment.
The hook recounts a bit of the item's history and offers suggestions
for placing it in your game. The powers and limits were all built
using the Enchanting rules provided in this book. The antecedent
described is not a speciJic. t rait but a suggestive piece of a monster or
character. ' rhe a ntecedent entry is meant lo spark tJ1e imagination
with ideas about the labors and quests necessary to create such
an item.
Acquiring Artifacts
A list of magical artifacts in a fantasy roleplaying game is a license
for gleeful gift giving. Don't do that in Burning \Vheel. Magic is
more powerful and more constant in this game than most others.
Game masters must restrain their generous i1npulses. In fact, they
must be downright stingy.
There are a number of ways to acquire n1agical bits in the game.

I' ll walk you through the top four: the Family Heirloom trait,
spending Resource Points, Resources tests and finding one lying
around in play.
Fwnily Heirloorn
The Family Heirloom trait is an excellent way to begin the go.me
with a nice juicy magical artifact. Cc11ain items are appropriate
for the trait; certain others arc not. Belt of Flying, Boots of the
Hunter, Circle of\Visdom, the Dropping Ring, the Giant's Tunic,
the Colden Tooth, the Helm of Protection, the Ivory Shield,
Band of Fortitude, Red Spectacles, Ring of Dexterity, Ring of
the Prophet, Rod of Iron, Serpent's Spear, Staff of Light ancl the
\Vand of Ages are appropriate.
375
: .
The other ite,ns from tJ1is list are either not powerful enough for
the rra i1 , or much too powerful. For example, Distonjon Dust is
expendable and therefore nol a good candida te for a g enerational
hciJ·loon1. And d on't even think of taking the Bun1ing \Vheel or the
Riner
0
o f Power a s )' Otu· faniiJy
•
heirloom.
Resource Poi11ls i11 Character B11rui11g

You cun purchase son1e iterns during character burning: Distortion
Dust (20 rps). Colden Tooth (20 rps), Ebon Shunt (10 rps), Eldritch
Channeler (15 rps), .lade Ainulet (10 rps), Silk Armor (60 rps) and a
\Vizru·d's Staff (10 rps). Truism.an of the Orders: 1Ox the order ol>stacle.
Tulisman of Protection: 5 rps for+ 1 Ob, 10 rps for +2 Ob or 15 rps for
+3 Ob, multiplied by the order· obstacle fron1 the Summoning chapter.
If you've n1a<le enchanted iterns and want to rnake them availal>le for
purchase in your game, the simplest way to price tJ1em is to compare
their abilities with one of our magic iten1s. Find a comparal>le item
and use its price. In general, iten1s that provide a rninor effect like
a +1D or + 1 Ob should be priced from 10 to 20 resou rce points,
depending on how expansive the ability is. The rnore broad it is,
rhc mor<· expensive. For weapons a11d armor. pricing should start al
40 rps 011d cli,nb from there. Any potent item , like the Belt of flying
or the Giant's Tunic, should be 1niccd at 100 rps and up. More truly
powerful items sunply shouldn't be available through resow·ce points
in character burning.
Resource 1'ests iu Ganie

Certain itcrns could conceivably be purchased on the opeu market
using Resources during the gatne: Distortion Dust (Ob 6 ), Ebon Shunt
(Ob 4) , Eldritch Chm1neler (Ob 5), Jade An1ulet (Ob 5), Serpent's
Spear (Ob 7), SilkAnnor (Ob 7) and a \Vizard's Staff (Ob 6).
This is not a shopping list. It's a list of suggested prices to use should
one of the items be available in your game.
Fou11cl D11ri11g Play

All of these items can be found worn by NPCs and in monsters'
hoards. They're always 1nore precious if won in a hard-fought battle
or clever grunhit.
It is acceptable to provide artifacts to the players' adversaries and

allies. But note well that any item you give to an NPC is going to
end up in the players' possession at sorne point. It's a law of fantasy
garning: All magic items flow playerward.
Magical Artifacts
Band of Fortitude
Hook
The Band of Forl it ude is said to
huvc been forn1cd by a fair young
woman whose husband had been
-
falsely accused of u crin1c. He wus
to be forced to fight for his life in
1he ghtdiu1orial pits. Knowing
s he could not ni<l hiln witli a
weapon or a rmor, she fashioned
this beautiful piece of jewelry to
s us tain him through his brutal
labors.
Po,vers
\v'he11 worn on 1hc arm , the Band of Fortitude grant s +1D to Forte for
any and all lcsls. If the Forte inc rease burnps up the average of Power
a nd Forte, increase the Mortal \Vound tolerance. The band also increases
Health by + 1 D for tests resisting fatigue, weaknc;s or disorientation.
Antecedent
The hea rt of a red ox.
Belt of Flying
Hook
This, broad, ornate bell tightens in
the front through a beautiful, siJver
hoop. Its maker is unknown, but
rumors speak of a mad wizard who
raised an island out at sea to acr as
his laboratory. He used this belt to
shuttle hack and forth between his
refuge and the mainland.
.:.,. . ;."i ,. J ;(f. ,•·"' ··~ .'
Pon ers
1
The Belt of Flying grants the wearer Ihe power to fly on co1nmand.
~lechanically, this grants a Stride 13 and all of the abilities that flight
implies-being able to traverse obstacles, for exan1ple.
Li11lit...
The belt is act.ivoted and used by verbal comrna11d-up, down,
forward, back, Jeft, right, circle. left, circle rigl11.
The belt has the Multiple Uses inten1al dum1ion. It rnay be recharged
after it fails by receiving a blessing frorn tJie Cod of Wind.
Antecedent
The pinion of a grear eagle.
Boots of the Hunter

Hook
The Doors of the Hunter were the
product of a losing bet made after
a long night of gan1hling between
nu c11clmntcr and a ~avvy strider.
Unfortunately for the strider, his
windfall that night clidn't cw·b his
appetite: for future bets. The boots
have since made their way from
owner to owuer, used in bock room
wagers all across the land.
Po,vers
These beautiful, high soft leather boots grant +1D 10 Speed and increase
the Stride of the character by 1 when chasing, stalking or pursuing
another character or monsteJ'.
Lirnits
Multiple Uses drn11tion: The power lasts so long as the soles of the
boots aJ'e intact. Each pursuit after the first, roll a die of fate. On n l,
the boots' soles arc worn through and the power vanishes. They may
be restored by an Ob 3 Cobbler test.
Antecedent
The hide of a martikhora.
Magical Artifacts
....
>
.........
'"1
S"
n....
Ul
The Burning Wheel

Hook
Th~ R11rni11g \Vheel or, rnore formally, the \Vheel of Fire, is one of a set
of four god wheels. These wheels were given to the high priests of the
great religions by their patron deities to ensure their faiths' primacy.
Across the ages, t he wheels were lost or locked away, their powers
forgotten or feared .
Prophecy states clearly that the.\Vheel of Fire will come forth once more
du.ring a time of epocha l change. It will be the light that gu.ides us into
the darkness. \Vhen the Lord of Fire sleeps, the \Vheel will gutter low,
ebbing in power- ready to be sun1moned forth to ignite the he~rts of
its followers.
Powers
The Burning \Vheel is a wood and metal wheel, approximately two
hands in diameter. Ct bas five irregular spokes emanating from a central
hub out into a hard rim. Blue-orange flames dance across its surface.
Tht• \Vhcel n1ay douse any burning fu·e short of the sun, the stars and
eunh 's blood. No te:;t is required. The fire rushes in a gout back into
thr wheel. If there's t•ver a question, this counts as a physical action.
The \Vheel may he useJ to ignite 6res, from candles to campfires,

anywhere• in the bearer's presence. This requires only a thought and
counts as a tandem speech aclion in Fighr.
In add it ion, tlw \Vheel contributes +5D to anr Failh test or Sorcery speJI
wlwn conjuring or manipulating fire. 11 a lso adds +50 to any Faith test
or spell that affects human blood.
\v' hc11 held aloft, the \Vhcel grants +20 10 Conspicuous tests.
Li111it.s
In order to use the \Vheel, the bearer must be in contact with the
artifact. It must burn him. The \Vhecl causes a 85 injw-y every time it
is touched, tu1lcss 1.he supplicant pm;sesscs the Resistant to Fire trait
or is protected by a minor miracle 01· similar speU. If the \Vheel is held
by one who is not immune to its bu.ming, the pain and heat increases
periodicallr by one damage pip until it is released (applied at intervals
as the CM sees fit)-B5, then B6, then B7, etc.
\Vhen gripped, the supplicant feels not only his 0"11 flesh burning but
the pain of all the souls tormented in heil. As sucl1, holding the " 'heel,
whether or not you arc injured, causes a +1 Ob penulty to aU actions
requfri.ng calm .md concentration-like spell casting and prayer. This
penalty can be permanently negated by passing lll Ob 5 Meditation
test wh.ile holdiug the wheel-the +1 Ob penalty has been factored
into that number.
The \Vbeel was set alight by cl1e god of fire, touched off w:icl1 a sliver
of the still. So long as I.he god of fire is ascendent., the \Vheel thrives
and is power£ul beyond compare. If the g9d of fire has been slain or
forced from power, using the \Vheel brings a great cost. Invok.ing the
advantage dice to Fa.ith and Sorcery causes a tax test. For Fa.ith, the
tax is Ob 5. For Sorcery, t11c tax obstncle is increased by 5.
The Wheel burns. Anyone bearing this burning symbol suffers a

+2 Ob penalty to Inconspicuous, Disguise, Stealthy or similar tests.
lt's fucking on fire.
Antecedent
A piece of the heart of the god of the sun.
Magical Artifacts
Circle of Wisdom
Hook
The story of the Circle or \Visdom states that an eldr.r ndvisor to a young
king knew tha1 he would not live long into the boy's reign . Therefore,
->
he collected all of his wisdmn and that of the sages of the land. He
imbued 1his golricn circlet with that understanding and bequeathed it
..........pT·
>-t
to his young charge. Now

n
......
(/)
the Circle of \Visdom is
passed fron1 ruler to ruler,
a sign of the ruling line's
dedication to discernment.
Po,vers
\Vheu worn, this golden
circlet opens the bearer's
mind to the wise 1eachings
of a thousand scholars and
fiagP-~. h grant.'- + 11) to all
\Viii tests. It- increases the
body of argutnent for a
Duel of \Vies by one.
Antecedent
The beard of the great.est
scholar of the age.
Distortion Dust
Hook
Distortion Dust is a co1nn1on accoutrement of sorcerers who must cast
I heir spells far and wide. It's a deadly favorite of wizards of war, and
a quintessential element of those who cornmunicate with whispers on
the wind.
Powers
Distortion Dust is a sorcerous powder that acts as an area of effect
multiplier for a spell. \Vhen spread before a spell is cast, the dust
increases thr. 11 rea of effect or brP.adt\1 of the spell by one incre1nent as
per the multiplier effect described in the Enchanting chapter.
Li111its
The clusl must be tossed above Ulc sorcerer as he casts the spell. This
acids two actions to the casting tintc. There is a finite amounc of dust.
Use the Multiple Uses inlerool duration.
Antecedent
The eyes of an ca~le, dried and ground into u fine powder.
Dragon Slaying Sword

Hook
It boggles the rnind how easy it is for a young boy to wander into a field,
a pond or a cave and find one of these things lying a round . \Vhcn a
skilled warrior needs one to take on a rampaging dragon, the only one
that can be found is, of course, in the dragon's hoard.
Po,vers
T his is a sinlple, elegant and effective weapon, wielded by generations
of heroes: Power 3, Add 2, VA 1, Long, \VS 3, l-Ieroic '.gray) shade. It
is acceptable to use a n alternate weapon form for th is item. Use the
weapon's superior quality stats and rnake it gray shade.
Antecedent
The blood of a god,
tooth of a dragon or
the heart of a dremon.
\
-- Magical Artifacts
The Dropping Ring

Hook
Owarvt•n artificers cast the Dropping Ring in a wager with the trickster
god. The artiJicers wou the wager. Since ti1en, due to its odd limitations,
i1 lws been pas~ed rrom owner to owner dowu the ages. It has been
-
seen on tll(' arm of a wealthy king, and once it was found by lucky
aclventurers in the riches of a lost tomb.
Po,vers
\X1 l1en worn, this golden arm ring produces eight gold replicas of itself
e\'ery nine days. This grants the wea1·er a 20 fund for his Resources.
The fund is perotanent and 1uay not be taxed or lost until the Dropping
Ring it self is lost.
Linlits
II the owner of this wondJ·ous ann ring ever loses a son, he must lay
the ring on his progeny's death bed orfllileral pyre. II he does not, the
riug los~:; its n1agic. If he does, the ring retains it:; magic, but it may
never be owned by that character again. Another character may take -
up the ring and benefit frotn it.
Antecedent
A drop of blood from a greedy Dwarf.
.. . .: ' • I ! \ : ,,, f
--
Ebon Shunt
Hook
An Ebon Shunt is a piece of jewelry for sorcerers. ll is not difficult to
make and is useful-a shunt can mean the difference between life and
death if :soincthing shouJd go nwry with n spell.
Po,vers
Thr Ebon Shunt is an irregular chunk of ebony, hung on a rough leather
cord. \~1hen worn a1·ound the neck, the shuni adds +1D to a sorcerer's
Forte when resisting tax.
Li111its
Should the sorcerer ever be taxed to 1mconsciousness, the ebony shard
bltl-sls from the sn-aiu, and its power is lost.
Antecedent
The tongue of a black troll.
Eldritch Channeler
Hook
Eldritch Channelers are effective accessories for wealthy wizards. They
a-re simple, useful devices, and pretty, too.
Po,vers
This silver bracer is engraved with arcane sy1nbols. \Vhcn worn on
t he left forearm, it grants +1D to Sorcery (or another appropriate spell
casting skill). The silver bracer also acts as heavy mail armor (40) for
the left arm.
Lirnits
If any of the armor dice fail-come up a 1-then the power of the
Eldritch Channeler is broken and lost.
Antecedent
The scale of an Ophidian witch.
Magical Artifacts
Giant's Tunic
Hook
Once. the land was plagued
with tyra nnica l giants. A
great hero went forth to the
-
giant 's hall and, through guile
and bravery, s lew the giant
king. The hero's fri end and
companion, au enchanter of
some merit. skinned the fallen
king nud rrmde this tunic. The
hero in turn becn1n.e lord of
his domain and, legend says,
never refused hos pitality
to anyone who crossed his
threshold.
Po,vers
The Giant's Tunic grants ifs
wearer strength and tough-
1wss hr.yoncl r.ornpare! \Vhile
worn, it addi; +2D to the user's
Power. This is fa ctored into the wearer's weapon damages and J\-lortaJ
\Vound. It also counts as leather armor for the chest and arn1s.
Li,nits
Should the owner ever fail to show hospitaJity when asked, the power
of the Giant's Tunic fades.
Antecedent
The skin of a giant.
f __;
.
.' ) .: ;. ,. ' ,· • ' . . ·.,. .
Golden Tooth
Hook
Back alley enchanters in grimy
citadels churn out trinkets and
baubles sur.h ns these so that
they can pay their rent and
soothe their failing minds with
rotgut.
Powers
Once installed 1n the
character's mouth , the Colden
Tooth opens previously closed
doors! The tooth increases
the characl'er's Circles by
+1D. This does not count as a
reputation or affiliation.
Linzits
The tooth must be implanted in the character's mouth by a sw·geon or
barber (Ob 2) for its powers to take root.
Antecedent
The tooth of a man with a familiar face.
Helm of Protection
Hook
A powerful warlord commissioned his enchanter to forge hirn a 01ighty
helm to aid him in battle. The .farsighted enchanter thought carefully
about what would preserve his lord. In the end, he created what he
calJed a Helm of Protection. The warlord asked, "What are its powers?"
"Should you be wounded while wearing it, you will recover quickly."
"Fool! This is useless. No man is a match for me in battle. I have only

ever been wounded once, by my fencing master. It was the last lesson
he ever gave me!" \Vith that, he tossed the helm back at the enchanter
and stormed away.
.
.
Magical Artifacts
\Vheu the battle was fina lly joined, the warlord was
indeed triun1phan1, but he was not unwounded.
• ..
His ow11 gP.neraJs turned on him at the moment of

victory. He bled to death fro1n the injuries inflicted
by their knives. ->
Powers
....
1-t
......
S"'
(')
The Helm of Protection adds +2D to the warrior's ......
Ul
Health when recovering fr01n or shrugging off a
wound he received in battle (while wearin g the
hdmct). The heln1et counts as n snpP.rior quality bascinct (40 ) and
imposes a reduced +1 Ob clumsy weight penalty to Obser vation and
Pr.rception tests.
limits
Should the helu1et be destroyed by annor faihu-e, the powers are lost.
Also, should the watTior ever show cowardice in batt le-fleeing due
to a failed Steel test result-the helmet's protection is lost to hi1n.
Another character may ta.kc up the helm and be granted its benefits,
though.
Antecedent
The bone of a scarred, long-lived hero (with the I·Iealthy trait) .
Ivory Shield
Hook
Despernte in the buildup
before a great war, a young
captain went on his knees
to his estranged mother,
b egging for aid in the
coining battles. She was
a great enchantress. She
agreed t o help him and sent
him on a quest to retrieve an
elephant's bones. Upon his
successful return, she carved
him this beautiful shield. As
she presented it to him, she
inveighed her cu rse, "Never again will you disobey me. If you do, the
power of this n,ighty shield will be lost!"
Powers
T his great shield is made of ivory, imported from lands inhabited
by massive lumbering creature, carved with scenes of victory, and
enchanted by impossible magics. \Vhen worn, the shield grants+1D 10
Command, Oratory and Steel. It grants +10 to Push actions in Fight.
It counts as a Power :3, Add 2, VA-, \VS: 1, Short weapon when used
to shield bash. The shield itself is a great shield (5D) and counts as
superior quality.
Lill1ils
ShouJd the owner of this nlighty device ever fail to obey his parents'
wishes, the shield beco,nes too heavy for hin1 to bear. Another, more
filial son or dnughLer may come and carry it to battle.
Antecedent
The bones of an elephant.
Jade Amulet
- Hook
Jade A1nulets are prized artifacts.
Found in Lombs and graves in cerLain
c ulcures, t hese innocuous devices
ward off the effects of hurtful magics.
Po,v~rs
This g raven amulet is worn a round the neck. It protects the user
against destruction by sorcery. Add +1 Ob lo any da1naging, harming
or hurting spl'lls cast at the character. It docs not affect the obstacle of
influencing-, controlling- or Nthnncing-type spells. The Jade Amulet
docs not affect spirits.
Lill1its
The amulet protects the character so long us he never cats animal
flesh. I-le ,nay eat fish and honey, but not meat, milk, eggs or cheese.
Antecedent
The fingernail of a saint.
- Magical Artifacts
Ring of Dexterity
l(ook
Swordsmen. archers. crafts1neo and pickpockets alike all covet this
,recious ring. It is said it will make a n1aster of any man who wears it,
:iuldull it will also rob him of his friends.
-
Po\\'ers
\Vhen wor11 011 che index finger of the right hand, this ring grants the
bearer amazing Agility. Add +20 to any Agility test taken. This bonus
affects skill roots for skills learned when wearing the ring; aptitude for
,\ailitv-based
!:' •
skills; and Refle:<es.
li111its
If the character clasps right hands with another character, the ring
loses ics power.
Antecedent
The finger of a master juggler rnissing his right hand.
Ring of Power
Hook
Asimple band of gold that contains a reservoir of power, it is seductively
potent, but also cursed and corrupt.
The Ring of Power is the final piece in a set of 20. The other rings each
contain portions of this ring's power, but none of them contain all of
its might.
Powers
The Ring of Power has many, varied abilities. \Vhen worn, it grants:
• +3D 10 Health tests

• The Second Sight trait
• +1D to Resources tests
• +1D to Persuasion, Oratory, Falsehood, Seduction and Ugly Truth
when used against another character with a lower Will exponent
• +2D to aU Sorcery and Enchanting tests
• Access to rhe thoughts of those who wear other dogs of power
creatP.d hy the same eviJ that created this ring
j
I
.... : .'' .'
• +i sucCC$St'S ro the l,curc1·'s body of m·gmucnt in a Duel of \Vits

agaiust a chm·acter who bears another, lesser ring of power
Lastly, the ring contains a spell 1natrix for the Elven spell song Threne
of the Chameleon. \Vhen the ring is worn, the spell is cast with 5
successes over the obstacle.
Otherwise indestructible, the 1·ing can only be unmade in the fires of

the forge in which it was created.
Li111ifs
The Ring of Power is a cursed item, as described in the Enchanting ntles.
Also, a ny use of the iLCm requires a \Viii test of an obstacle equal

to the bearer's own \VilJ. If the test is failed, the character earns the
C01Tupted trait and Corruption emotional attribute. Each subsequent
\Vill test counts as a test for advancement of the Corruption attribute.
The n1aker of tJ1e ring knows when it is used. \Vhen it is used, he may
make an Aura Rea cling test at Obstacle 10 11ii11us tJ1e use.r's Corruption
e:1.-ponent to locate the user.
Antecedent
The soul of a dark god.
Ring of the Prophet

Hook
Nothing amazes the locals like the ability to walk on water.
Powers
\Vhea worn this ring grants its wearer the miraculous ability to walk on
water as if it were solid. The ring bearer will not sink, and if submerged,
he'IJ bulJ tu the surfncc liken cork.
\1'ater, even when solid, is for from stable. Consider smooth water like
ice. Rough or wavy water is uneven and difficult ground. Speed tests
under these conditions suffer a + 1 Ob 01· greater disadvantage.
Antecedent
The bladder of a Deep One.
d
Magical Artifacts
Rod of Iron
Hook
This enrhantt·d piece of 1uctal was imbued with power to protect its
wizardly c-rcutor from ntffians. ->
-·.....S""'
.....
I;
Po,fers
Tiu' Hod of Iron grants its bearer the power and force to strike down n
Ul
his t·ncmie:,. It bt•stow 0 a 8 5 Brawling s kill. It counts as a weapon-
Power :!, Add 2, VA 1, \VS 3., Short-and as a +1D shield if used with
Shield Training.
Antecedent
A Hake of B' hc1nah flesh.
Serpent's Spear
Rook
This ancient spear was buiJt by tlte warrior-smiths of an extinct race of
Ophidian men. It is bronze in hue and carved with sinewy symbols. The
spear is made of a n1etal that no metallurgist is able to replicate. It is
said to bend and warp in combat, but it always relurns to its true shape.
PO\\'CfS
The Serpent's Spear l1as the following stats: Power 2, Add 2, VA 2,
WS :3, Longer. It grants+1D to Strike against Block or Counterstrike. lt
contains a concealed hook-a viper's tooth, if you will-that grants+1D
to Push. h also contains a concealed whip-chain that may be used to
Lock another character whco engaged to the spear-bearer's advantage
at spear-fighting distance at no penalty and without changing weapon
lengths. Lostly, the Serpent's Spear may be thrown as a javelin.
Antecedent
The spine of a snake-man.
Silk Armor
Hook
Silk nrmor appears to br. run
of the mill heavy mnil, but
upon closer exan1inatio11, one
can sec t hat all of the links arc
forged of lighter gauge 1virc
and in1 e.rwovcn with thick
threads of scarlet silk.
Po,vers
The silk a rmo1· coun ts as
s uperior qualit y lwavy mail
for all loi:at ions except the
head. Clu111sy weight pc11ahics
for StC'ahhy and Sw imming
arc negated. Throwing and
missile weapon skill pe11al1i,•s
arc reduced to +1 Ob for full
sleeves. There's no pcrialt1· for
hulf sleeve:,. The Speed pcnall y for leggings is reduced to+1 Ob for full
leggings nnd reduc<!d 10 no1hing for half leggings.
Antecedent
The silk frmn u giant spider.
Spirit Weapons
Hook
The demon h11nte1·'s sword was a deceptively simple device. h looked
l.ike a blade of plnin manufacture, but for the single: rune carved into
the blade. Yet when wielded against a demon, no n1ag ic could deflccl
its stroke.
Powers
A spirit weapon is u n1aterial weapon of any type- knife, sword, axe-
chat has been imhuc<I with special power so that it 1101 only affects flesh
and hone, but spiri1s and magical creatures .as well.
Magical Artifacts
~pt·l'ilirully, :,piril weapons ean hann creatures with the Spirit Nature
,r11it. und l hey un· 110 1 dctlcctcJ liy the Turn Aside the Blade spell or any
otlll'r :-pt·II t hut controls or de rice ts 1netal. Spirit weapons are considered
10 lw urcunl' or ~pirit devices, not 1naterial ones.
Thl' :,piril weapon dot·sn't do C'Xt ra da1nuge or provide bonus dice. Aside
-
from its spirit-harining l'apnbility, it counts as a normal weapon.
,.\ spirit weapon c·a n be made using Enchanting, Art Magic's sorcerous
wt•aptm rffert. u minor miracle. in Faith or the Elven spell song 8011g
of rhc $ word.
Antecedent
£11chu11wr:; need the hloo<l, bone or scales of a creature who possesses
the Spirit Nature trait in ordet to create spirit weapons.
Staff of Light
Hook
The Staff of Light is an otht>rwisl-. norrnal cedar swff. lt may be used as ··
an aid to walking or ns a cudgel, if a weapon is neecfo.d. The first Staff
of Li~ht was r eputedly 1nadc by an old magc who was rir.cd of casting
Mage Light at the bchesr of his less 1nagically inclined friends.
Po,vers
This powcrf ul staff contains the }.1ag~ Light spell (which will dispel
moonlit darkness). The light is triggered by striking the butt of the staff
un the groun<l. Once struck, it slowly wells up to full brightness, so as
not lo blind the bearer.
The powers of the staff ru·c inexhaustible, so long as it ren1ains

unbrokr.n. The light itself will glow brightly, provided that the bearer
grusps the staff in his hand.
/.,ill1it11
Only churar.tr.r$ with the Gifted trait may use chis item. lf the bearer
loses his grip on che staff, the Light winks out. If the stoff is broken,
tlie magic b lost.
Antecedent
Thi' tail of 11 firefly.
•
. :. . ..
Talismans
Hook
The old man spent his life collecting trinkets, baubles and curios. He
wore I hem around his neck on c hains. And though he walked alone
througli the haunted forest', and dwelt in the ghost-plagued ruins, he
was never molested by the spirits.
Po\\ ers
1
There are two types of talismans used by summoners: Talismans ofthe

Orders and Talismans of Prolectio11.
Ttdis11u111s of lite Orders

Talismm1s of the Orders grant+ 1D to surnn1on an enti ty of 11 specific
spirit order. Each talisrnan is specific to one type of spirit order (sec
the S ununoning chapter for spirit orders).
Talis,11<1111; of Protecliou
Talismans of Protection arc also specific to an order of spirits. These
devices increase the obstacle of tests 1nade by spirits of that order
against the smn1noner. In a Duel of \Vits, this onJy applies to the body
of argument roll.
Talismans of Protection are rated from + 1 Ob to +3 Ob.
Antecedent
Talismanic antecedents must corne from a being of the approxi mate
power of the spirit in question. A querub's tongue can protect against
anything weaker than or equal to it in power. Odin's eye is sufficient to
compel even other chief deities.
Thor's Hammer
Hook
Thor's ha1nmer, Mjolnir, is a fabled work of great power. Every so often,
ii goes missing or is stolen by the giants. Once Thor sobers up, he goes
and fetches it and the thieves gel a good thrashing.
It is also provided in this list as an example of a powerful, legendary

artifact. The only entity Thor can't reliably take on with Mjoloir is a
god. Dragons, giants and demons are merely nails to be hammered
down.
Magical Artifacts
Po,vers
Power 1-'i, Add 2. VA 2 . W'S 2, Short. Grants +3D advantage for
1-lnnuu<'r und Throwing skills. Mjolnir is a heroic (gray shade) weapon, -·n
but the bearer of this awcso1ne power 1nay opt to do mundane (black
shade) damage i £ he so chooses. The wielde1· may also choose the
-
Ill
wt•opon pow<'r for the weapon before he strikes. This requires no time
or action on the part of the character. The player may simply state the
power and 1he shade of his strike.
Also, Mjolnir 1uny be thrown. It counts as n greut bow for roogc and
positioning. It does da1nage as a thrown weapon. Once thrown, Mjolnir
only requires Olll~ action lo recover in Fight, no matter the distance it
was thrown. The wielder simply reaches down to pick up the weapon
and it 11ppenrs in his hand.
L astly, the hammer 1nay b e slipped in,idc the ben.rcr's jookct and be
concealed. \Vhen held inside a jacket, against the chest, the hammer is
110 bigger than a pendant placed in a pocket. But why would you hide
such a 1nngnificent thing?
Lirnif.<i
There is u Ouw in Lhe design, however. Mjolnir 1nay not be used to
Great So·ilce. h is a one-handed weapon. The short, angular haft is
too s1nnll for both hands.
Antecedent
Blood, sweat and breath fro1n a Master of Forges.
Wand of Ages
Hook
The \Vand of Ages is an irrcguJnrly shaped, polished switch of yew.
Rumors say it was created by an enchanter who was envious of the
Elves' ability to commu11e with trees.
Powers
This wand, ·when placed against the trunk or branch of a tree, allows
the hearer to speak 10 the ancient spirit and gather its wisdom. \Vhen
so used, the bearer gains a G5 Forest-wise.
Antecedent
Ancient Seneschal's sap.
i
r
I·
•• :
Wizard's Staff
Hook
ln some cultures, a young neophyte must make bis own staff before
he is officially given the mamle of wizard. A wizard's staff is no mean
thing. It is a 1nagical device that aids in concentration. Making one
requires a sturdy sample of good wood, and a curious donation from
the young apprentice's master.
Po,vers
This rugged oak staff acts as a sustainer for one spell of the owner's
choic<'. Once a spell is sustained in the staff, the device may only sustain
tha t particular spell.
Antecedent
The blood of a patient wizard.
----
Using the Lifepaths
Each lifcpath ages the character and grants ltirn time, trait p~ints,
resotu-ce points, s1a1 points, leads, skiUs and skill points. These arc
the building blocks of every c~aractcr.
Character Stock
Herein a1·c the tcn1plates for five fantasy cliaroctcr stocks to choose
from: \Viznrds, Dlu·k Elves, Hoden, Trolls and Great Wolves.
Each character stock has n unique cultur e, complete witJ1 several

settings and dozens of lifepath~. A player may never choose lifcpaths
outside of ltis chosen character stock.
The vm·ious character stocks also g1·ru11 access to particular traits,

ccr1au1 skills and culntral rutifacts. Ench stock has its own list of
matcriaJ possessions nnd spells, but all charac(ers use the core rules
for Resources, Circles, rclatio11sltips, affiliations and reputations.
Time
The Time colmnn rndicates how long in years i1 takes to walk this
particular patJ1. Years are totalled after all lifepaths are chosen to
•• . ;
1
determine the age of the character.
Resources (Res)
Players use reso1u-ce points (rps) to purchase material possessions,
land and spells, and to build relationships and acquire aCtiliations
and reputations.
Statistics (Stat)
Stat points are garnered from two sou.recs: lifcpaths and age. Once
all of a character's lifepaths have been chosen, his age is dctennined
and used to find his Starting Stat Pool. Also, many lifcpaths give
the character a bonus pomt toward either a mental or physical stat.
Leads
A lead indicates a sctling that the player may jun1p to fron1 his
cw·rcnt lifepa1h. If, for example, the current lifep!).th lists Exile and
Society under leads, the player may choose his nc.xt lifcpatl1 from
398
Ex.iii• or Society settings. or he may remain in his current. setting.
tltl'
For t'uch lead d1ost'11, add oue year to the character's age-unless you
urt' a Great \Vulf.
Skill
Each ljfepath presents a set of skiJls that may be learned. The player
may only choost· skills from the lifepaths his character has walked. Jf a
player wants dilfercnt s kills for his character, he has to choose lifepaths
1h01 offer thosr skills.
Skills not described i.n 1.h.is book may be found in the Character Burner
in the Burning \Vheel rulebook.
Trait
Traits an: details that differentiate characters-quirks, affectations and
odd nhilitiP.<;. Rnrning \VhP.el is <IPsignP.rl so thni- pl.11yr.rs <::111 t11kr. on heroic
personae-a·aits help to give them depth and life.
Dask Elves, Roden, Trolls and Great \Volves have certain traits that all
mentbers of their race must take. They are free and mandatory. They are
listed in the Comn10u Traits sr.ction of each lifepath set.
Traits will affect game play. S01nc will do so often and drastically; these
cost the most points. Others ,,~II affect grune play infrequently or in subtle
ways; these are less expensive.
All traits listed o.n a lifepath cost one point. The first trait listed with each
path is mandatory. Additional traits on the path n1ay be purchased (for
one point each) by the player during character burning.
If a trait is not described i.n the relevant chapter, Zealot, for example,
check the Cha111cter Burner for tbe listing.
I
I
' .... .
..:" :·· '
...
/
-- -~r
..,_...
... '
-
·- '
,.
.
The Weather Witch ,1
rH/R/ HT£T, 27year-olJ, weather witch
t;i(tdclt11J(Servitde}, Bondswoman (Youn!Juu/J) />irate, Weather Witch
srATS
wi/184 Perception 84- Power BJ
ForitB4 Speed 84 AJility 84
ATTRl8l/TES
Health 84 Steel BS Morla/ Wound B'I Hesi'tation 6
Reflexes 84 Circles B2 Re.sources BT Stride 7
SKILLS
AstrolQJJ B3, Field Dressi"n!J 83, Pirate Cove-wise B2, Knives BJ, Sea-wise
83, Superstitim1-wise 82, SuntmQntn!J 83, Spi'rit Bi11dt'l1!J 84, FolklQre BJ
TRAITS
Misunderstood, tii(tetl, Spirit Fam,1iar {Cat, Na!JRYr), L~ky, Problem with
Autl1Qrity, Weather Sense, Nose R1n!J
t;EAR
Chthes, Finery, Travelin!J 4ear, Knifo
CIRCLES
Pirate tial1!J {TD Alf}, Sp1'rit-talker (TD Rep w/pirate!Jlll1!J}, Sao rhiha {pirate
l7(}ss, minor}, May Myat Koh (nohle lady, mmor, forhu!Jcn}
SVMMONINt; ORDERS
Restless Dead (JQunteyma11}
DOMAIN BIND/Nt;S
Shrines, River, Sea
BELIEFS
One Jay, I shallbe capta,n ofthi.s fleet anti we shall be the!Jreatest '(lotilla
ever known.
011 our next raid, I shall capture a fineyoun!J man anti make him serve me.
Imu.st e11r11 the trust ofspirits before I tlemand their favor.

INSTINCTS
Alw'!Ys prated Nlljarr.
Keep IHJ finery dean anti dry. f
Alw'?'., wateh the horizon for weather.

Wizard Burner
Thr \Vizard Burner conta ins new Ii fcpalhs, traits and skills for
wizards and other magically inclined characters. You do not have
to include ever ything you sec here in your ga1ne. Pick and choose
what is appropriate and effective. For exa1nple, you could choose to
include the College of Magic and not the Death Cull. Or you might
~'-,~ decide to only add the Gifted Child lifepath and exclude all others.
Special Gifted Lifepaths

The Gifted Child and Apt Pupil lifepaths are designed to open up
n1ore options for. nrngical characters. Gifted Child can replace the
Born lifepath in the Peasant, Village, City, Sea aI1d Servil11de settings
(but not Born Noble). Apt Pupil can be added as an option to the
Noble Court, Tlcligiou~, Soldier and Outcast subsettings.
Name Time Res scat I.earls

9yrs 4 Outcast, Court, Religious
Skills: 2 pts: General
Traits: 1 pt: Misunderstood, Gifted, Abused, Spirit Familiar
S·yrs 8 Outcast, Soldier, Seroitude-
Skills: 3 pts: Obscure History, Ugly Truth, lntintidation
Trctits: 1 pt: Believer, Gifted, Tainted Legacy
Restrictions: Must be character's second or third lifepalh. It may not
be taken twice.
Special: For rhc purposes of other requirements, this lifepnth counts
as Neophyte Sorcerer.
Peasant Setting
Name Ti1ne Res Stal l,eads
:fJt~l(~tN~mes 7 yrs 20 +1 M Outcast, Peasant, flillage
Skills: 6 pts: Spirit Binding, Circi nation. Paths-wise. Spirit-wise.
Domain-wise
Trails: 2 pts: Well Traveled, Brook No· Fools. Fey Blood
RPq11ire11: Augur, Crazy Witch, Neophyte Sorcerer or Elder
4.02
p
Lifepaths
Villager Setting
~amc Tirne Res Stat I.cad
Wila,rd's Apprentice 7 yrs 10 +1 M -Peasant, City, Outcast, Seru.itude
Skill.~: o pt:<: .Rc~,diug. Fornging, Synibology, Circi11a1ioD, Pig-wise,
Uom· l·kadrd-wisc
Trflits: 2 pts: Alwilys in the \Vay, Atravieso, Gifted. Assistant Pig-Keeper
Sprrial: For 1he purposes of other rcqufremcuts, this Jifcpalh counts as
Nt·ophy1c Son·crnr.
Hedge Wizard 8 yrs 24 +1 M, P Peasant, City Dweller, Outcast

Ski/1.'I: ? pts: Sorcery, Enchanting, Alchemy, Obscure History. Pes1-wise,
Fool-wisl'
Traits: 2 pis: Low Born, Impressive Hat, Never u Moment of Peare
Rrquire,'I: Wizard's Apprentice, Neophyte Sorcerer, Apt Pupil or Junior
St udent. This character may not have the Mark of Privilege.
City Dweller Setting

Name Time Res Stat l,eacls
: ~vang~llst 3 yrs 6 +1 M/P Outcast, Court, Religious
Skills: 5 pts: Empyrealia, Demonology, Oratory, Cultist-wise
Trails: 2 pts: Believer, Fiery
Re1jt1irei;: Dilettante, or any sununoner or religious lifcpatb
Court Setting
Name Timc Res l,eads
~O!Jti,Eneh~nler 8 yrs 20 +1M Outcast, City Dweller
Skill.<J: 5 pts: Etiquette, Astrology, Alchen1y, Enchanting, Excuses-wise
Traits: 2 pls: Late, Harried
Requires: Senior Student, Neophyte Sorcerer, Apt Pupil or \Vizard's
Apprcnrice
~fS.unummer i3 yts 30 +t M/P Outcast, Peasant, Villager

Skills: 6 pts: Etiquelle, Astrology, Summoning, Circination, Bar1,raining,
Inane Request-wise, Promise-wise
Truit11: 2 pis: Dismissive, Polite, A1·rogant, Frustrated, Faust
Requires: Scuior Student, Mad Summoner, Apt" Pupil 01· \Vizard's
Apprcmin:
" .. .•' \ I '
"'
Outcast Setting
Nan1e Time Res Stat I.cads
~ ~ ( o r 7 yrs 15 +1 M Peasant, Pillager
S kills: b pts: Mad Invention-wise, Mending, Enchanting, Blacksmith,
\Vhi1cs111ith
Traits: 2 pis: Demented, Tinkerer
R<'quire.~: Hogue \Vizard, Apt Pupil or \Vizard's Apprentice
,.~ ·ft.ettomancer10yrs 20 +t M, P
S kills: -i pts: Death Ari. Anuto1ny, Graveyard-wise
Tr"its: 2 pts: Corrupted, E"il
Require.~: Coroner. Death Cultist, Cultist or Apt Pupil
College of Magic
S01ne cultures arc so rife with magic, schools have grown to cull and
refine all of the wayward magelings running about. Inevitably, these
schools grow into powerful institutions, staffed by a cadre of tJ1e most
potent men nnd women in the la nd.
1f nsing the standard Sorcery rules, pick one element a nd one impetus
that the school does not teach. Spells containing either may not be taken
in cha racter burning.
Schools of ~lagic
For games using Art Magic or Practica l Magic, t he College of Magic
should have a set repertoire of two or three schools it teaches its students.
Players mny only choose from those options when purchasing schools
during character burning.
In order to make this easy, and to avoid rewriting the entirety of the
Lifepaths of Man, use the requirements of each College of Magic
lifcpath as the indication of leads to this setting. For example, Senior
Student requites Junior Student or Sorcerer. Therefore, Sorcerer can
lead to College of Magic.
Born Peasant, Villager Born, City Born, Born Noble and Son of a Gun
can all have leads to the College of Magic. You may limit this list based
on what is appropriate to your campaign. For example, the nobility
might not practice magic in your setti ng, in which case Born Noble
would 1101 lend to this setting.
Liftpaths
~ame Time Bes Sta• I,eads
-~ { I , ~ , t yr 3 Peasant, Soldier, Servitude
Skills: 2 pts: A11in1al Husbandry. Firebuilding
Trails: 2 pts: Broken In, Gifted, Second Sight, Fey Blood
Re,~tric-tion: Musl be second lifcpatb. May 1101 be taken twice
·3.ii:ruor~fu.dent 2 yrs 5 +1P Court, C~ Dweller, Outcast
Skills: 8 pts: Read, \Vrite, Ancient History, Circination, Illuminations,
Astrology. Sy1nbology
Trails: I pt: Hazed
Require.~: Supplicant, Arcane Devotee, Apt Pupil or Neophyte Sorcerer.
Restrictions: May not be taken twice.
Special: Couuts as Arcane Devotee and Neophyte Sorcerer for the
purposes of oth('r requfrenu;nts
Senl1>rStudenl 2 yrs 10 +tM Court, Cily Dweller, Outca1t
Skills: 7 pts: Calligraphy, Rhetoric, Aura Heading, Empyrealia,
Demonology, Doctrine, School of Magi.c-wise, Junior Student-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Graduate, Bully
Re1111irc.~: Junior Student or Sorc('rer. May not be taken twice
~jund 6yrs 10 +1 M Religious, Outcast, City Dweller
Skills: 6 pis: Research, Folklore, Alcbc1iiy, 'faxidctmy, Library-wise
Trails: 1 pt: Overworked, Familiar .Face
Requires: Senior Student
~rSorcerer 8 yrs 30 +1 M, P Court, City Dweller, Outcast, Sea
Skills: 5 pts: Sorcery, Instructor, Facet-wise, Aura-wise
'I'rc,its: 1 pt: Versatile, Sixth Sense
Rcq11ires: Adjunct or Courl Sorcerer
MasterEnchanter 8 yrs 20 +1 M, P Court, City DweUer, Outcast
S kills: 6 pts: Enchanting, instructor, Carving, Etching, HerbaJism,
Jeweler, Vessel-wise
1'rltits: 1 pt: Nimble, Practiced Precision
Re(Juires: Adj11nc1 or Court Enchanter
Master Summoner 8 yrs 20 +1 M, P Court, City Dweller, Outcast
/:,'kills: 8 pts: Summoning, Instructor, Bargaining, Ugly Truth, Soothing
Pla1i1udcs, Ruic of Lllw, Philosophy. Sdiemc-wise
Trllits: 1 pt: Extroverl , Fearless, Obscure Aura
Requires: Adjunc·I or Court Summoner
4
---
• I .. • I
Researcher 10 yrs 15 Court, R<?ligious, Outcast

S kills: 12 pt~: Resea rch, Composition. Cartography, Cryptography,
Doc-trinc. Aporhccury, Ri1uol. Death A1·1. Foreign Longuages, Dork
Arts-wise. El\'1.'n Songs-wise, Ore Rituals-wise, Dwarven Art-wise
Traits; 2 pts: Myopic, Bookworm, Speaker of the Secret Language
Requir,w: Adju nct or Scholar. May only be ta ken once
Councillor 5 yrs 40 +1 M Court, City Dweller
Skills: I> pl,: Adminis1ration. Rhetoric, Wine T11st ing, Troubled Student-wise
Traits: I pt: Council of Mages. Imperious Demeanor
lll'fJllires; :\laster Sorcerer, Masu~r Enchanter or Moster Summoner
B~dmastcr 12 yrs 50 Court, Religious

Skills: 7 pis: Orutory. Etif(IICttc, Poetr y, Strategy Comes, \linrner,
Dark Scr.ret-wise. 1 pt: Gcnl'ral
Traits: 3 pts: Scoic. Master of Muges, Domineering Presence
Requires: Councillor
Death Cult Setting

In the forlorn reaches of the world, r.astoffs, wastrels, \'Crmin and
renegades flock to dark callings tbat promise the downfall of all wbo
have spur ned them.
l,eads To
Use t be requirements on the l)euth Cull lifepaths as Lite indication
of leads to this setting. For exulnple, Spy requires Cultist; therefore,
Cultisl can lead to the Death Cult.
Also, Harem Slave, Captive of \Var, Gaol, Grave Digger, Pillager,

Cripple, Deranged, Leper and Insurrectionist all lead to this setting.
Name Time Res Sfat I.cads

"Syrs 3 Outcast, Seroitude
Ski/111: 4 pts: Creepy Priest-wise, Disgusting Necromancer-wise,
Death Cult-wise, Escape Artist
Truits: 2 pts: Numb
2.yrs 5 Outcast, Soldier, Seroitude
Ski/111: 3 pts: Death-wise, Hiot-wisc, Secret Cult \Vorship-wisc
--~
Tr(lil11: 2 pts: Zealot, Suicidal
~ 1 ..... ·3yrs 7 Outcast, Soldier, Seroitude
Skills: 4 pt~: Ditch Digging, Graveyard-wise, Night Watch-wise, Shovel-wise
Trail11: 2 pts: Lunatic
Lifepaths
, Spy 4 yrs 10 +1 M Outcast, Soldier, City Dweller
$kills: 7 pts: Inconspicuous, Stealthy, Falsehood, Forgery. Observntion,
ili"lueous
i:,
Pries t-wise
Traits: 1 pl: Furtive, Manhunter
fiequire1;: Cttl tist or Insurrectionist
11actotum 7 yrs 15 +1 M/P Outcast, Soldier, Servitude. City
Skill,;: 7 pls: Haggling, Persuasion, l·luuling, Appraisal, Taxidermy.
Local Law-wise
'frflitll: 1 pl : Pol ill', Efficient, Stoic
lle'{uire.~: Spy, Tomb Guard, Deranged, Evangdist or Insurrectionist
Tomb Guard 4 yrs 10 +1 p Outcast, Soldier, Servitude
Ski{/11: 5 pls: Spear. Knives. Brawling, \\;alking Corpse-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Disfigm·ed , Loyul
Requires: Cuhist, Crave Digger. Freebooter or any soldier lifcpath
Death Priest 6yrs 25 +1M Outcast, Soldier, Religious
Skil/11: 6 pis: Command, Hitunl, Cod of Death-wise. Dcmh Cult-wise
Trctits: 2 pts: Creepy. Invocations of the Damned, Iron \Viii. Cult Lender
Requires: Venal Priest or Heretic Priest
Death Artist 10 yrs 20 +1 M/P Outcast, Servitude
Ski/I,;: 8 pts: Death Art, Tomb-wise, Ore Servant-wise.
Evil Necromancer-wise. Death Cult-wise
Trails: 3 pts: Cyn ical, Mind over Maller, Missing Limb, Paranoid Ear.
Me1ic11lous, Corrupted
Re'111ircs: Evil Necromancer, Apt Pupil or Rogue \'\lizard
Servant of the Dark Blood Setting

Master of the \Veak is n new lifcpath for Ore Servants. It is the gateway
to all those Orcish necromancers you 'vc always craved.
Name Time Res Sta( l,eads

~~toJfhe Weak 7 yrs 8 +1 M/P
Skills: 5 pts: Death Art, Apocalypsc~wisc.\ Graveyard-wise. Murder-wisr
Traits: 1 pts: Feared
Requires: Knower of Secrets
408
,t~.
t~~L.
--
Lifepaths
Wizard Traits
Abused Char Corrupted Dt 3 pis
This chnractcr has opened h is body
Always in the Way Char and soul to the dark powers. H e
must open the Corrupted ewot ion al
Arrogant Char attribute. Increase his s1arting rank
bronc.
Assistant Pig-Keeper Char
Council of Mages D1 6 pis
Atravieso The Council of Mages is u small,
Charncter Burner pnge 313. :;ecrclivc, yet powerful entit y.
This trait grants a 1 D reputation
Reliever and a 1D nffililltion with this
Character Bur11cr page :315.
organization. This combines with
B.ookworm other appropriute reputations and
Charnc1er llurncr page 316. a ffiliations.
Broken Jo Creepy Chor

Charncte1· llurncr pngc 317.
Cult l.e.ader Dt s pis
...B~ro...,o...k......_N.,o~Eao
......J...s______,D""t.___.7'-lp!""Ls._ Cult Leaders are charismatk aucl
The spirit binder's art is 1101 eccentric. This trait grams a 1D
some11liug to be trifled ,vith! rep uttllion and 1D affiliation \\'ilh
His secrets arc well kept because the Death Cult. This combine!' wilh
meddling fools will only cause other appropriare reputations nud
irreparable harm to 1hernseh•cs affiliations.
and the domains wit11 wJ1ich 1hey
tamper. A summoner with this trait Cynical Char
receives a fnte point every I ime
he rebuffs an offer of help from a Demented Chor
potential student (so that cha meter
does not earn a test 1owarcl learning
Dt 3pls
This characler has led a life of
the skill). He receives a persona
hardship and pain. He's been cul up,
point when he actively thwarts
broken and beaten down. This trait
another character from learning
grants+1D to shrug off or grit teeth
the secrets of Spirit Binding,
for any injLLry.
Summoning or Circination.
Bully Dismissive Char

Char
Domineering Presence
Character Burner page 322.
Evil Char
•• ; t
f.xtro.v......,__________ Imperious Demeanor

Character Bm·ncr pnge 324. Character Burner page 330.
Familiar Face Impressive Hat Dt 3 pis

Character Burner page 325. Th.is character's hat is mightily
impressive. It can be seen for miles!
Faust Dt 3 pis It's so iu1prcssive that people often
" ' hen barguining with the higher remember the hat more than the
powers for something pure and person. This gives a 1D Reputation
innocr.111 like love, gain a bonus among cl1c people of a given locale as
per~un11 point for each agreement the wearer of the really impressive
you strike on the behalf of the one hat, so long as the hat is being worn,
you scr.k 10 pru1ect or affect. of coursr.. \Veering the hat also
Eeax:e..,d..._______ ~D~t~ ~5<-tpl-s~
gives n +2 Ob to any Disguise or
Jncouspicuous test.
r-or good reason or 1101 , this
character is feared by alJ who know Invocations
him. +1D ro Intimidation. Choose n of the Damned CO 5 pts
1D infnmous reputation. The Dark Priest swears his soul
to fell powers. Like other priests,
Fearlcs lu.> must have a Belief thnt ties to
his FaitJ1 in order to maintain the
eyBJood emotional attribute. If the player
Char11ctcr Burner page 326. writes a second Belief tied to his
faith in the dark gods and his
Fiery Char service to them, he may use this
trait as a call-on for Faith when that
Frustrated Char Belief comes into question.
Furtive Char- ImnWill

Gili......__________
Character Burner page 327. Late Char
Vt 3 pt.s I.ow Barn Dt 2 pt.s

This trait grants.a 1D affiliation Low Born characters are born of
with a College of Magic. This unremarkable.parents. They cannot
r.omhincs with other appropriate trace their lineage to any nobility
and applicable affiliations. or to any historic or notable figures.
They have a 1D infamous reputation
Harried Char in noble or elite circles due to their
obvious lack of heritage. h also
Hazed Vt 2 pis
adds a +1 Ob disadvantage to any
This character may to.kc a free
lnconspicuous tests in noble or
inimical relationship with another
courtly settings.
character who was his senior in the
College of Magic. Loyal
410
Lifepaths
I ooatic Nimble
Churactrr Burner pngl' 334. Character Burner page 337.
Manb11oter Numb
Charal·tcr Burner page 335. Character Burner J>nge 337.
Master of Mages Dt Obscure Aura

The I ll'ndmastcr of a College of Character Burner page 338.
Magi<- otlaincd his position by
ri~orous pursuit of execllcnrc and Overworked Char
expertise in sorcery and mag ic. This
1rai1 i;rants u 20 reputation among Paranoid F.ar
m11g1:s llml the halls of power as a Character Burner page 340.
~laster of i\'l ages.
Polite Char
MeticuJmtS.._ _____ ____
Practiced Precision
Mind over Matter
Second Sight
Character Burner page 344-345.
MissingUmb
Cl.ial"acter Burner page :336.
Sixth Sense
Chnracter Burner page 346.
Misunderstood DI 2 pts
Choose a JD infamous reputation. Speaker of
ffie Secret Language Char
And sn ffer -1 to your body of
argument whenever you're trying Spirit Familiar Dt s pts
10 explain your nature, position,
This character has a familiar whose
meaning or special insight. spirit is linked to his own. He can
see through the familinr's eyes
Myopic
Character Burner page 336. using the familiar's Perception stat.
However, when using his familinr's
Never eyes, 11 character with this trait
a Moment of Peace Dt 3 pis cannot look through his own though
This trait grants the character a 5 other senses may still be employed.
rps relationship. This relationship It takes two actions of concentration
0111s1 be with a character who is to engage his familiar's eyes, and
always bothering or interrupting two rnore actions to return his sight
him. If that character is forced out 10 his own eyes. This trait docs
of his life, someone ocw will come not grant Low Speech. However,
along. This character just attracts the creature does understand its
t lte!!c sort of people I companion's wishes and will go
You may invest additional resource where ics master directs it to go, look
points nnd increase rhc value of this at what its master directs it to look
relationship. at, etc.
•
I ...
, , • : r\ •
.
f ) . ( :' i
A drnructcr with this trait foels the Versatile Dt ¼pt•

pain of his fumilinr. If the Camiliar The Master Sorcerer places bis
s uHcri- u light or greater wound, confidence in the art of sorcery. It
the must<'f suffers n light wound. is a versatile and potent art, and
If the familiar is ever killed, the he knows it intimately. lf using Art
muster surfers II traumutic wound. Magic, reduce by one the number
In the game, the character is of tests r equired for \Venving Magic
physically unharmed, but mentally into l11e Fiber of my Being. If using
t1·ou111u1iicd. Recovery and the standard Sorcery rules, reduce
Treatment are as per a stuudnrd his practicals aptitude by one. If
traumatic wound. This wound docs using Practical Magic, he may take
not bleed out. an additional category of magic. In
A fnmi linr uses the following stnls: addition, the player earns a persona
\Vi C2, Pc C3, Ag B4, Sp B5, Po 83, poi,it for pushing his character's
Fo 83, Hca B4, Ref B4, Ste B5, magic in a dangerous or untried
M\V 89 direction.
Choose its form: cot, dog, snake, Well Traveled DI l pis

bird, pig, rabbit, fox or similnr. No The Speaker of Names wanders
large predators or beasts of burden. the lands and seas, communing
The nnirnul must show i,;omc mark with the spirits. This trait a llows
or quality that indicates it is not the player to take a new domain
entirely of this world. For example, when his chnracter travels to a
it 11111s1 bc l111irlcs~, u11c·cyc<l. two· new locale in play. The player may
toiled, of large size or even just have describe a memory his character
a <lisn1rbing aura. has of this place or a place like it.
He may describe when he traveled
Staie here before. T he player then adds a
Character Burner pngP. 347.
new domain to his spirit binder at
Su icidaI Dt
5 pts. its base level (0). Once used, this
This character (instantly) earns a nail becomes a character trait.
persona point every time he takes a To be clear, the dome.in is added
mortal wound. during play al n time of the player's
choosing, not ch1ri11g character
Tainted legacy burning.
Zealot
Tinkerer Churacter Burner page 355.
Lifepaths
Magical Skills
This section presents the new skills offered in this book and revisions
of the sorccrous skills in the Character Burner. Skills not listed here are
citl1er wises or are described in the Character Burner.
Revised Starting Sorcery Skill Exponents

Sorcerous skill exponents may not stnrt the game with an exponent
greater than 5 unless all members of the ,g roup are playing sorcerer-type
characters or you all agree otherwise.
Alchemy Pcrccplioo of "Wits with an otherworldly entity

This entry is an u pdate of Alchemy or .another summoner concerning
that incorporates all of the new the price or nature of II pact.
applications presented in this
Ohstarles, Bargaining uses the rule.s
Look. Akhemy is 1he distillation of
described iu the Summoning and
m111crials in or<ler to divine their
the Duel of \Vi1s chapters.
essence. Alchemists may also create
FoRKs: Rhetoric, Ugly Truth,
mix111res of arcane substances to
Folklore.
generate a specific effect.
Skill Type, Special
Obstaclc."S: Distilling components of Tools: No.
earth, Ob 1. Components of water
or licp1icl, Oh 2 . C:ompon~nt~ of Grcinatiao Per/Ag
mecal, Ob 3. Components of blood, Circination is tlic art of drawing
Ob 4. Identifying traits from circles and sigils chat aid the spirit
organic samples: Character traits, binder and summoner. There arc
Ob I. Call-ons, OL 2. Die trait:i, tb:rce types of circlt:s that may be
dr-awn: the summoning circle or
Ob 3.
ga.te, the fortress circle and the
FoRKs: Enchanting, Hcrbulisin,
prison circle. The summoniug
Apothecary, Munitions, Poisons.
Skill Type: Sorccrous circle aids in conjuring and binding
spirits. The fortress protects
Tools: Yes.
the summoner from spirits. The
Bargaining Wilf/Pcc prison circle tr&ps unruly spirics.
Immortal spirits know the value Circination is tested like a regular
of ephemeral things Like life and skill: It is not open-ended and dues
a soul. They bring this knowledge not get combined with anything
to bear against those who wish to special (except help or FoRKs) when
strike bargains with them 11nd form tll-sted. Circinution is used to aid
pacts. The Bargaining skill is a Spirit Binding and Summoning.
special social skill designed solely to Please consult t hose chapters for
negotiate pacts between summoner further nuances of the skill.
11nd summoned. It may be used for 1f a circle is physically damaged-
the bargaining steps described in erased, marred, smudged-theu it
the Summoning chapter or in a Duel loses its powers.
I \ • I • .,~J. ,•
' : '
Obstacles: S ummoning Circle or Obstacles: See the Enchanting

Gate: The plnycr sets his obstncle chapter.
accordina :, to how muuy
. advantage FoRKs: A craft skill appropriate to
dice he hopes to earn. If succcssfol, what's being created. Linked tests
the test grants ndvantagc dice arc appropriate.
for Spirit Binding or Sununoning Skill Type: Sorcerous
equal to the obstacle. Fortress: Tools: Yes and no. See the chapter.
For Spirit Binding, the obstacle
So.rcecy Pcrccptino
is equal to the spirit Strength lo
This is not a revision of Sorcery
be deflected. For Summoning,
but an e;,; pansion. lu ~·our game,
the obstacle is 1 1>lus the obscacle
the Sorcery skill can count for the
pen a Ity the sorcerer wishes to
standard versio11 of the Sorcery skill
imposes on chc spirit. Prison:
described in the Burning \Vhcel or
For Spirit Binding, the obstacle
connt for Art Magic or Practical
is twice the spirit's Strength. For
Magic dcscrib~d in this book. Pick
Summoniug, the obstacle is equal
one form that the skill represents
to the Will exponent of the creat11re
in your game. AU iterations of
to be imprisoucd (pins any
the Sorcery skill, no mauer wbut
penaltic.s for shade diffen,nces).
lifcpath t:hcy are earned from, count
FoRKs: llluminutious, Cartogrnphr,
as this form.
Symbology, Ritual and appropriate
Obstacles: See the Art Magic or
wises.
Skill Type: Sorccrous Practical Magic chapters in this
book or the Sorcery chapter in the
Tools: No.
Burning Wheel.
Death Art Will/Fode FoRKs: Aura Reading, Astrology,
Deatb Art is a black prneticc chat Empyrcalia, Demonology and
teaches the sorcerer how to aniJnalc uppropriate wises.
corpses and tur11 them into ,va_lking Skill Type: Soreerous
abominations. Tools: No.
Obstacles: See die Death Art chapter.
Spirit Binding WiJI
FoRKs: Summoning, Folklore and
Spirits abound. They infuse the
approprfotc wises.
world around us, and those who
Skill Type: Sorcerous
know their secrets may coll them
Tools: Yes and no. Sec tbc chapter.
forth and bind tbem into service.
Enchanting Pee/Ag Usiug tbis skill, a summoner may
Enchanting is a school of sorcery cnJI forth a spirit and ser it to a task.
that focuses oo imparting magic To summon and bind, the player
to inert, physical things. There are totals his dice from Spirit Binding,
Lwo sides to Enchanting: imbuing a domain binding, a spirit mark,
and full-blown enchanting. lmbui11g summoning circles and any
allows the mage to temporarily offerings. He tests those dice
infuse an item with a small amounL against an obstacle that combines
of power. Enchanting allows the the spirit's Strength, the task, the
magc 10 create powerful, enduring summoner's own lmmancuee, the
artifacts.
Lifepaths ~
irumcdi11tc need for the spirit and Summoning PccceptiwL
the scope of the don111in affected. If The Summoning skill allows the
successful, the summoner can name character to call spirits of the dead,
his task and reduce Lhe amount of demons. angels and gods to discuss
rel ribution the spirit will visit upon matters of faith. life and philosophy,
him. If foiled, the summoner has aud perhaps to reach a bargain for
nngcrcd the spirit and will suffer the service. This skill uses tJ1e rules
con~cqucnces in citl11.w retribution found in du:: Summoning chapter of
or enmity. th.is l>ook.
Obstacles: Sec the Spirit Binding Obstacles: Set> the Summoning
chapter. chapter.
FoRKs: Ash·ology. Linke<l tcsts arc foRKs: Astrology. Folk Jori'.
nppropriatc. Empyrealia, Demonology and
Skill Type: 8orcerous appropriate wises.
Tools: No. Skill Type: Sorccrous
Tools: No.
.,-' / ~ ,.
_,,. ,/
·, ......
'-. ·,
-- -----
The Bladesmith ,I
Dt!VAINEL, T751ear-olJ DaYk Elven Blatlesmith
BQrn Citadel, Nm'u, Shttper, BlaJe.5mitl,, ~riever, Liar
STATS
WillB6 PeYcepti'on 85 Ajilt°t;' 86
SpeeJ84 Power84 Forle86
ATTR.IBllTES
Health 88 Steel 86 Morla/ Wound 811 HesitAfiQn 4
Reflexes BS Resour-ces 83 CiYcles 84 StriJe 8
Spite BS
SKILLS
Elven Stript 82, Etch,"nj 83, MenJiHj 82, Elven Artifact-wise 82,
CYaft-wi.se 82, WQo,ltraft 85, Smitherttft 135, RiJJle "fSteel 85; SllrYPW
()/Truth BS, FalsehQoJ 84, Sooth,"nj Platitudes 84, Persuasion 83,
The Twisted Ton!Jue 84, Son3 ofthe Sword 84, Antiphon llni'on TYaiHm!J
TRAITS
Born lint/er the Stiver StaYs, Bsence ofthe Earth, Fair anti 5-tatue.s'fHe, First
Born, 4rief, Keen Sijht, l~at Lon3 Ft'njeYef/, At~e, Spite, Dark anJIMfQSmJ,
Compulsive liar, 4/ih
~EAR
Elven Smithy, Elven Clothes, Elven Shoes
RELATIONSHIPS
rl1an:1uYon (R"manHc, 1-/au(ul}, M"r(in11Pr (Fami'J, Hateful}
BELIEFS
Imust create a weapon for ThanJuYon to use aJRt'nst mJ father, Mor(innor.
I wt11 bu,1J'o/ rq,utAtion 11.s the finest weaponsmith ,'n the citAJel-eno"jh
so that every etltaYelt wt11 JesiYe >nJ hlaJes.
~ weapon will teach >nJ client the truth: A blade's sole purp()se is to hriHj
mtSery to. its wielder and all those around h,m.
INSTINCTS
Alwo/s -take >HJ tzme when craftittJ· I
Alwo/s treate items ofthe hijhest 'fUau·ty. t '
•4.
SittJ the Sorrow of Truth into all hlaJes tlrat I(orye. ·••
0
The Path of Spite

Dark Elves
The. Path of Spite is waJked by chose Elves who have turned their
Grief and sorrow into Spite and bitterness. These dark souls see
the world as coming to nothing but nun and wreckage. There is no
good lc{t in it for them, nor wiJl there be for anyone else in the end.
Dark Elves are a subset of Elves. ln order to create one, you must
stan ,vith the Elven li.fepaths . \Vho was your character before he
or she turned? Choose n few lifepatJ1s from the Elven settings and
then make the jwnp into the Dark Elven paths.
Leads to Spite
To make things fun, any Elf lifepath may take a lead into the Paths
of Spite, provided the Elf have at least an exponent 3 Grief at the
time of d ie switch. Once on the patJ1 though, you may never go back .
Playing a Dark Elf requires sanction from the GM and the other
players.
Path of Spite Subsetting

l,ifepatb Time Res Stat I.cad
":"~m 3yr.s
Skills: 3 pts: Sorrow of Truth§, Dark EU-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Spite
~5yrs 3
S kills: 6 pts: Scavenging. Brawling, Forest-wise, Wasteland-wise.
Animal-wise
Traits: 2 pts: Filthy, Feral
Requires: Griever
\-8-y.ra· 6 +1 M/P
Skills: 6 pts: Lock Pick. Stealthy, Climbing, Sleight ofHand,DirgeofNighr-\
Trails: 1 pt: Thief
Requires: Griever
418
Lifepaths
~·"
-~~-
'.~
~ - ~-~
)-~~~~
.usassiu 15 yrs 6 +1 p I-¾
Skill.~:: pt:,.: l111.i111iclu1io11, Poison:-. Esrupc· r\r1is1. Ki1iYcs. Garrote. Kc!'n of :::r-
(b
Terror~
Trait,;: I pl : :'\l11rikro11s. Cnl1011:,.. Cold Bloodrcl
~
.....
:::r-
R fq11ires: Crit'nr
Stalker 20 yrs 8
Skills: 8 pt~: Hunting. Elf-wi,,·, Trnrki11g. Truppl'r. Ohservntion. Stcnhhy.
-...
0
C/l
'"'d .
.....
Thro\\i ll~. hn t"'liu. Suppli,·acion to Sliadnws~ (b
7'rail.~: I pl : S,Hui-11i111·
Requires: Crit•wr
DecciVl't 35yrs 10 +1 M
Skills:: pb~Sl~ight of I lullll. Oi,,gui,1·. lrn:uuspicunu,. Rhymr of tlic Li11ruYclltr~
Traits: 1 pl: DcccpdYc
Uequirl'.~: Cri1' ,1:r
Liar 25yrs 8+IM
Skills: <> pts: Fal,i•hnod. Southing Pl111in11ks, Pcrs11a,ion. Twisttd Ton:,'llr~
Traits: 1 pl: Compulsive Liar
Requires: Griever
.Sii:en 55 yrs 20 +l M/P
Skill.~: 9 pl,: Seduttion, Etiquette, Persuasion. Soothing Platirudes.
Gossip-wis1\ Fugue of Di:scord§. Litany of Fools~
Trait.~: 2 pts: Charismatic, Femme Fatale/I l01111111! Fatal
Requires: Assassin, Deceiver 01· Liar
.Eremite 150yrs 15 +1 M Sen1a11l lo the Dark
Skills: 12 ptS: Philosophy, Ugly Tr11t11. Obscurr History, Symbology.
Strategy, Elf-wise, Orc-wi..;e, Dw11rf-wisc. r.-tan-\\is<'. Pat'an 10 t.he Dark Fire~
Traits: 2 pts: Remote. Cole!
Requires: Sircu. \Vastrcl or Stnlkt,r
:,'.fteelqse 225yrs 25 +1 p
Skills: 2 pts; Ancient History, Owarf-wisl·. Elven Politics-\\ise. Cut of the
Quickened Mind§; 5 pts General
Trails: 1 pt: Vengeful
Requires: Eremite or any three Dark Elf lifepntlis
Notes from the Dark

§: Indicates a Dark Elven srrll or skill song. These ,;pcciol skills rost 2 pt.s to open 111Jd are
advanced as nonnnl.
Dark Elf Age Chart

Use the Age Chart for Elves on page 138 of the Burning Wheel.
---
Dark Elf Common Traits

Dark Elvt'S share co1111non t1·aits wi tb Elves w ith the fo llowing
modificu1ions: Change Grief to Spite and you 1nay, if you so choose.
,-hange dir Fair UJtcl Stal ucsque u·ai1 10 tJ1r Dark and Imposing cbarac1cr
tl'ni1.
Dark Elf Lifepath Traits

Callous Char <lo. The Femi rrnil reduc,:s ovcrnll
hesitation by one. !mt adds+1 Ob
Charismatic tu a ll sol'ial skill tests. Also. feral
Burn ing WLn·I pagt, :i t8.
11eg11tt·s the> bonus to Cirdcs from
Cold Dt anr Elvc-n lifr.path Lrait such as
111 u Dul'! of Wils wher<' kind111>ss, Etl.tarcl.tul, Lord of Age$, etc.
c:-ompassiou. Grief or passion II re
Filthy Char
i1wolved. till' Ercmitl' may douLlc
his Will for the: pu rposes of 1111: huuy
Murderous Char
of a rg11mc11t. Th is cffl'cl c:an he
rrigg1>rnrl mid-con flic.1, i nncasing
Remote Char
the Eremite's Lody of :ngument
immediately. Saturnine
If any other player attempts to
Cold Blooded influence u character with the
Burujug Wheel puge 319.
Saturnine tra it with passion.
Compulsive Liar Char mo1ivo1.ion, joy or lo\'C. t he
Saturainc Dork Elf player gets a
Deceptive C-OIDJ +1 D ndvamngl' to a ll tests for one
The Deceptive t ruit acts ns u cnll-on scene when ronfronting. huming or
for Slr.ighl of Hnnd and Falsehood. poisouiag that· character.
However t his trair so infuses the
l.iar, he has a hard time telling the
Spite Vt
Da rk £1\'eS trade their Grief for
truth. Deceptive also incurs a +1 Oh
a burning Spite. Something has
pennh y to all Oratory, Com mand
suapped inside tJ1e Dark Elf's soul-
tes1.s a nd +2 Ob to Ugly Trnth or
Grief seems folly to him. Whntc,·er
Litany of Fools.
the truth of an immortal life is,
Femme Fatale/Homme Fatal C-0 Dark Elves know that it does a ot
Cull-ou for Seduction. lay silently grieving with his Elven
brothers. See the Spi te section of this
Feral Vt chnpter for more details on the ru les.
WasLrcls lose themselves to their
animal instincts, li ving for decodes
at n time wit.hoot contact with
civili:,..ation-living as animals
420
C-Q enemy. Humiliating or murdering
!.bief-, •, - trml. rcqu11· ·.cs t I1a1 th e the enem y-getting rc\·cngc upon
Thr 1 1uc1 .
·, 11 111undawry I uelt- 1hcn1-imrucdiatdy earns t.he player
\Ole
1lorcr I •
1 • I ln~tim·t: " \Vhcn \'is itiag a bonus persona point, for a total of
re1UICI '
ulwar, ~11:111 Motl11•r s two: ODI' for a personal goal and one
home, .
,,, unu . .. for t'xa m1)lt•. So long as
I
i·tc, • for Vengeful.
,hni lnstinl'I is in play. it ur ts n cu ll- The Vengeful trair a lso req uires
on for Ski••ht
~ r of Hund. that the Dark Elf hav(' a clost• .........
rclationsh_ip wi1h n non-spiteful (D
~engefnl Dt Elf or a morrnl humun . It <:a n be
If ,he Durk Elf cha rm.:1er is clcfrated
fami lial, romantic or fraternal in
in O One! of Wit, or u Fi~ht u nd
nat ure-but it must be do~c. h m11s1
li\'cSto t('ll the rnlr, lw may FoRK
rankle the Dark Elf that ther st ill
his Spite into a ll rolls b1•11t on
live that way.
a\'cuging hi mself agai nst his
Dark Elf Skill Songs

l.itaDy of Fools \v'.ill
The ,ong Litnuy of Fools speaks gently of the terrible fate of those who don' t
sec the truth in wbat the Dark E lf is saying. This song counts as Ugly T ruth
or lmimidation-choo,c which before testing the skill. The Dark EIJ player
musr- incorporate a barbed rhyme of verse into his rolcplay.
FoR.Ks: Fulsehood
Skill Type: Social Tools: No.
Dark Elven Spell Songs

Unless otJ1crwise noted , Dark E lf sp e ll songs {oUow the rules for E lven
spell songs .
Choosing Dark Elf Songs Versus Elven Songs

\Vhcn picking spell songs, if the player is presented with hvo similru·
songs-one Elven, one Dark Elven-the player must pick the Dark
Elven song.
For example, Thre11e of the Chameleon i's .similar to Supplication of

Shat/ow.s. Ifapltljt:Y htl$ both .SOl1j.S 011 hi.s list he may not choose ThYene.
Or Twi.stei Tu11jue weijheJ a1ai11.st "111ce ofAje.s-Twi.steJ To111ue
would be tl,e preforyeJ sonj,
Song Roots
Dnrk Elf songs are rooted in \Vill li.ke Elven songs with a fe,v exceptions.
0
~ ':0 w of Truth, Paean to th<' Dark Fire, Fugue of Discord and the
fw1s1cd 'T'1 • •
ongue are rooted 10 Spite.
> .' :'Il 1' •• •
Ort of the Oui<:keoed Mind Ob sC\' llclaw

It is all but impossible to argue 1vitb a Dark Elf. They turn cnch argumcm
against their interlocutor, provin,g 1heir point with each denial and reproach.
This song allows the Dark Elf to switch the func1ion of social skills. He con
switch from n skill he hns to one he doesn't: Falsehood becomes Persuasion.
Ugly 'l'rulh becomes Oratory, e tc.
Obstacles: To turn o skill 10 Falsehood, Soothing Platitudes or Ugly TrutJ1,
Ob 2. To turn n skill to lntimida1ion or Scduclion, Ob 3. To turn a skill to
Pcrsuasio11 or Oratory, Ob 4. To lllrn o skill to Rhetoric, Ob 5. This effect
lasts for one sce ne.
Special: The C111 co n also be used to 1emporarily cpiphaay any one social
skill. The obs1nclc is 10 minus Spite, The epiphany loses fo1· one scene. This
effect con only be used once against a si ngle particular opposing character.
h muy 1101 be used with the switched skill nbili1y above. h is only used 011
skills you possess.
Actions: Obstacle x IO
Dirge of Nigh
Shudows leng1hen and deepen to 1111 impossible shade of darkness. This
spell coumcracts any sight-boosting trait or spell like Keen Sight or Eye of
the Engle. In nddi1ion. anyone searching tJ1e shadows or darkness suffers
a +1 Ob pconlt y. Dirge of Night ca n only be sung 01 night or a pince or
shadows-an oncient fores1 , indoors, etc.
Duration: The Dirge or Night fades. come morning or if bright light floods the
area it affects.
Actions: 8
Eugue of Discord Obs
\Vhcn sung this song interrupts spells and songs being cast. It acts as n
distraction to any song or spell currently being s11s1ained. The area of effect
is the Dark Elf's presence. If a character attempts 10 sing or cast while a
Fugue of Discord is in effect, they must add the Dark Elf's extra successes
from the Fugue of Discord lo their obstacle.
· Duration: The effect lasts while the song is sung. The Dark Elf may comioue
to sing for as long as he or she likes and may act but may not otherwise
spea k (or sleep, cat or drink).
Actions: 12
Keen of Terror Qh3

When this dirge is sung, any character witJ1out the Spite or Hatred attribute
within the prc5cncc of the caster am~t test his Steel. Extra song successes
increase the obstacle for the Steel test. Use the hesitation options as
described under Intense Sorrow.
Actions: 3
Lifepaths
Paean to the Dack Eire Ob 10 rolmrs s ·

When sung properly I his 1errible song show.s the singer's true form-a
sh ifting and distorrcd visage 1hnt none cnn look upon wi1ho11t growi.ng
dizzy or fai111. At its base level, the spell gives all who look upon the Dark
Elf +1 Ob to any acl directed against him-attacking him, intimidating
him. convincing him, etc. Extra successe~ over the spell obstacle add to the
obstacle pcnnhy.
Duration: Effce1 lasrs while sung. Dark Elf ,nay continue to sing for as long as
he or she likes, and may acl, but may not 01hcrwisc speak.
Actions: 4
Rhyme of the llnrave)er Ob Sec Below
Thi~ devilish so n~ t·auscs huvo{: nroun<l thc singer: Knots untie, wax cracks,
morta r loosen~. thread unw ind s and seams unravel.
Obstacles: Kn ots or behs. 01, l. Rope, Ob 2. 111 addilion, you can t1se the
cq11i\'alen1 obstude of the Raw Power Obstadcs Against Materials table on
Burning Whl·t·l page 5 -¼2 to cause fences, doors. walls or even slrucrurcs to
full apurt.
Actions: Ohi;tndl' x2
Sm:ro~ nf Truth Ob IQ mious..J.ugcl'.s_.v.a·ICL.- - - -- - - -- -

Th i~ mournful song spcnk.~ of leaving sorrow bchin<l. putting it 10 slcrp a ud
wak ing u new Cin• 1\ iilii11-u flnmr of spite.
0
F.hrs who n rr cn nfrometl wirh 1liis snnt (i f ii is succrssfully s ung). moy

ehoo~l' to cl11111gc tht"ir (.;ricf 10 Spite. Tht ir eyes urc open to this new truth.
Actions: :3000 (ubout 30 lllinutcs)
Supplication to Shadows Ob 4
The.' slrndows hold 110 secrl'ls or sorrows from us. This s upplicution udds +10
to Stl'uhhy. SnlTt·ss1·s over tJ1e ohs1uclr cou111 us addi1io11al nd,•antage dice. It
cnn only be sung and used in 011 a rea of shadow or darkness.
Duration: llmil rh<' d1nruc1 cr srcps imo dircc1 ~u11lig l11..
Actions:-¼
Twisted Tongue Ob Sec lklow

Wh~n singing into the car of an u11wi1ting victim. the Durk Elf bends him to
his 1vill. This song is used 10 en hance the Dark Elf's social proWl'5S.
Obstacles: Using thr. following obsrncles to moke a wciaJ skill open-ended
for the d uration of 1hc scemi: Falsehood and Intimidation . Ob 1. Soothing
Platitudes ond Ugly Truth. Ob 2 . Pcrsua,;ion, Ob 3. Oratory. Ob -l.
Rhcroric, Ob 5.
Special: In addition, the Twisted lbngue can be sung 10 grnnt the Dark
Elf a reputation for use in Circles tests. Usr the following obs racles: 1 D
reputntion. Ob 2. 20 reputarion. Ob 4. 30 reputation. Ob 6. M11k1! 1hc rnll
before you .
. test Circles. Failu re indicates the Dark Elf hns an enemv in these
circles, regardless if you pass thr Circles 1cs1 or not.
Duration: One test or scrici test.
Actions: 6
Rules of Spite
Spite is complex. ft is n dangerous mix-ture of indignation, self-
righteousness and fury. \~1hether right or wrong, the spiteful prove
themselves with a point: They are not above revenge, deceit or even
murder to ensure that they get what they believe is their's hy right.
Lifepaths :~~-
-~ (~'~
~
i:r--
(1)
~
,.....
::s-'
0
.......
CJ)
-·
'"O
.....
(b
Starting Spite
In order Lo cu.kc tlm Grit·vt~,· lifcpoth and. t'nrn the Spik trait, the EII u1usl
firs/ lruvc at lcasl u 83 Grief nttTibute. Defore taking the lead to tho Path
of Spice, foci or all of the criteria for starting Grief us per the uonual rulC's
for Elv<'s. l.f rJ1c dm.ruclcr quulific:. for a B3 Crill, he mny witlk the pad1.
--
Once i.J1c Elf character takes the Griever lifcpath, Grief is transmuted
to Spite.
Add ooe to starti.1.1g Spi1r for each of the following traits: Slayer, Exile,
Feral. ~·Jurderous, Saturnine, Fcm1nc/Hoo1IJ1c Fatal, Cold and Bitter.
If tJ1e chw·acfer has fake11 Birt er He1uinders, each 10 rps spent adds one
to starling Spif e.
Also. read and rwswcr Lhc following questions:
- Has the character been bcLTaycd by his friends? If so. add one to
the star! ing Spite exponeru.
- Is the character lovesick or broken hearted? If so, add one.
-Has the character been abaodonecl by those I.Jc hcJd dear? lf so, add one.
- Has the character been abused or to11ured ? If so, add one.
- Docs the character still reapccr: or admire someone ou the other
side? ff so, subtract one fro,n the starting exponent.
- Docs tJic charac1er stiJI love sorneooe on the other side? If so.
subtract two from the starling exponent.
Spite may not start above exponent 9. Th.is emotionaJ attribute obeys all
of the limitations described in the Setting Your Game's Starting Power
Level on page 104 of Bw-ni.ng \Vl1eel.
Five points of Spite may be spent to shade shif1 from black to gray shade
during character burning. This may only be done at the G~1's discretion.
Limits of Spite
At exponent 10 Spite, the Dark Elf comm.its suicide.
Sever All Ties

When n player choo.se.s lhe Griever lifcputl1 und acquires the Spite lifepac.h
trait, he n1ay choose 10 sever his ties and obligations to his old life. Tbr
player ,nay ren1ove any required lifepath trait i.o this vein: Fealty to the
Fen, Servant of the Citadel, Sworn to Protect and Sworn to the Lord
Protcc..1:or.
He may also choose to toke any reputation gained via his lifepath traits
as n.n infamous one or he can choose to keep these traits and reputatious
as they arc. There are a lot of options for playing Dark Elves who still live
among their brethren and ru·c therefore still bound to all their obligations.
Lifepaths -~~
, -, ~ -
-~
Intense Sorro,f ,-...J
::r
.\::: El\'l'n :::011gs causr \Vondenuent, Durk Elve11 dirges cause Intense ~
::-iurru1c in th,• listener·s IH'arl. lnte11se Sorrow only affects chru·acrcrs ~

.....
who understand high !>J.)t-ech 1u1d who do not have the Spite or Hatred ::r
,1nrihn11·~-
Character~ wirhin till' pre,;t•nce of u Dark Elf singing mus( pass a Steel
k:,1. If in Fight. 1hr effrct takes hold after a number of exchanges equnJ
-0
Vl
'"O
.....
.....
~
,heir \~ ill ,·.xpou,·nl. In H1111gc and Cover or Duel of \Vits. the effect is
n·ig)!•' rcd ur 1.hr :-1ru·t of the scr;ond \'olley of singing. 0111:::ide of co11flict,
1lw d'frc1 grip~ it:; liMeners after a fl'w momcnts. If the list<'ner !'ails the
~1t·rl te,;1. ht· he~itah's. as prr the snmdard rules. but with sonw interesting
,·hoil'I:~: Stancl und Drool. Enu·t Re11e11ge or ffleep Bitter~)' .
Ste<'I Tcwt Result Optiou: E:l'<tcl RelJeuge

.Vt>fl.'
If you l'lioosl' to t•.xnt·t revenge whil1· hesitating. you lash our at 011<·
of rour compan ions who you believe has sljghted or ben·ayed you.
You IPop upon your br.n·uyer with a scream and attempt lo kill hi.m.
Tht· target of the attack must Le a friend or an enemy whose death
will haskn the character's 0'\\-11 clf'ath (it cannot he tl1e Dark Elf who
i ndurec.J 1 he trsl').
:\'NtJ Steel 1'e.o;t

Hcwult Option: H'eep Bitter(1·
Rather than Fall Pron(' nncJ B<'g for M<'rcy. you may have your
cha1·acter fall Lo his kn<.'C$ ancJ begin to weep and sob-remorseful
for all his past actions, because they haY(' oll come ro nought and will
Nernally come to noching.
In Spite of Grief
Dark Elves mny use tradhionnl Elven spell songs and skill songs that
they lcan)('d in their previous life. 1-lowever. the_)' may never use any
son[{ rooted in Grief These characters no longer possess that ntr1ibute ..~··
•
and d1ereforc• can no longer use abilities based on it . Aud. of course. th<'y
rnay 110 lon~Pr :sing lamrnts ( except under one specific condition~ se1• .•
rlw Spit,~to Grief heading). T hose who han• died received the payment
flwy d<•bf'f\'Cd!
Deeds of Spite
Lik1· f.lv1'1:,., Durk Elves may 11s<· deeds points to chm111el their cmorion
into lhl'ir ac1ion:s. A tle1•ds poinl can bl· used to add the Spite exponent
<fir,, to a roll. Thi-; ,·onnts ns a difficult test for advancement for Spite.
Situational Spite Obstacles
Likl· Cri,·f a11d I lnrrccl Spite is gt•ncrully not rollt•ll. Howt'v<·1-, conditions
a.ri~,· i11 pluy Lhat nl'I u:, 1t·sts and cou111 as a test for uc.Jvmu:ing tire attribute.
Ob.-1/(I('/(' I ,','pit,•
8t'i11:r li1•d IO. Bl'trnyi11g un l11sti1wt. 13l'i11g interrupted while ut work.
Obslarl<• 2 Spifr
13,·iug robl,,,J . Coinµ aguin~I a 13clit•f. Suffering inco1npNcncr..
Ht•ll·rting on tl1t· bi1t1•r n·mindc:rs of your old life.
Obsturl<' .J Spill'
131·i11g 1u·c11~l·J of a crim<· y<~11 did 1101 l'Ommit. Being mnliciously
a11uckNI or wo1111d1·cl (midi wound or IC'~s). Nuvignting bun:aucrncy.
Obsla<'I<' +Spilt•
Having your honw dc·stroyc·d or ruinc·d. BPing personally betrayed.
Su ff,·rin~ a scvl'rc wound.
Ob.,;tacl,• ;'j Spilt•

Figh1·i11g in n bloody butt I<'. Being L'H()lurcd by your cne1n.ies. Suffering
n IJ'f111nullit wou nd .
Ob.~tac/p 6 Spill'
Being imprisonl'd for n crime you did not conuniL Losing a bloody
batt lt'. Being 1nortally wounded.
Obslac/£' 7 Spite
Bt'ing forced to flee yow· hon,eland by incursions of interlopers and
idjots. Havi ng to kiU your fri end whose mi11d has failed 10 sec the
lruth.
Obstacl<' S Spite
Being torrurcd. Being beo·aycd by your family. Forced to ally with the
ent•n1y in order to gel one da,nned thing done.
Ob.<1tacle 9 Spite
\Vurching a friend succurnb to Crief. Attempting a great endeavor nnd
failing. At1c1np1ing lo give in to 1-lntrcd und fniling.
ObHtuclc• 10 Spill'
R1.iali,dng that· the Path of Spite breeds 11othi11g but hatTed and division,
und tJ1ul. th.is <livcrgent puth will be th<' end of Elvcndon1-bu/ u•alki11g
it anJ7JJ({}'. Betraying friend, family. kith nnd kin-precipitating their
dcstn1ction and end-because they fnilecl lo sec mutters yo1u· way.
Lifepaths .~~-
~~ ~.~
1-~\(~
1---i
::r-
(D
~
.-+-
::r-
0
H-,
v:i
-·
"'"d
,...
(D
occ:upi<·s a ~liorl sn·nt~on irs own.
You may sprn<l u11ha. hul FoRKs an• nor· available. Other Huteful
crcan1rrs prese111 and alluned to tlw f.l['s anguish can help.
If succt':.~ful. Spite becon1e~ Han·ed. T he Fair and Sturuesquc or the
Durk and lmpusi.ug Lrait is instantly lost and replaced with T,.,isted an<l
Lourh::-01111' . Tht' player may als.o choose one additional Ore Common
u·ait to rt"plact' one of his rrn1aining Elven Corn1non o·aits.
Any Elrl!n i;u11gs possessed b,1·· the character are now forgot/en. Dark
EIYen f.011gs tLI'l' kept uud un, uuw routed in Hau·c<l or \~1i]I (rather d1an
Spite· or \\'ill ). The Dru·k Elf muy learn Hatred-based skills. He uses
the rule!- for advancing 1-larrecl on pagr 240 of the Character Btu-ner. If
1he eharaetcr shoulu rvcr CaJ'n tJ1c Void Enilirace o·ait.. he may turn his
l·lntrt'd to Blasphemous Hnu·ed.
Spite to Grief
l11 play. Spite may be rw11cd back to Grief. To do so, the Dark Elf player
rnu:;1 learn a lanwnt from another Elf charac:rer wbom he has hurt in the
eom·st· of p lay. He must tht'll puss a test for tJ1e Lament of Mow·ning at
an obstacle rq11al LO hi:, Spite plus one. He may spend artha as per the
stan<lo.rd rules. but he also must have at least one helping die from an
Elven charaeter wliom he has hu,·t in the com·se of play. If the Lament is
::.uccessfu l. the Spite exponrrll is transformed to Clief. Mark a challenging
tc:-;t for Grief. If tbe ll'SI is fu ilc•cl. mark a challenging test for Spite.
Spite and Antiphon Union

A sword c:rafte<l bv• a Dark Elf will have an evil leaac:v
l:> • and lead to death
and loss. A Dark Elven south can use Antiphon llnion to i.Jnbur items
with the Sorrow of Truth, so chat those who use u1en1 eventually faU
from Grief to Spite.
Even worse, these enchanted iten1s tend to bear ill ,viii to their masters.
GMs shouJd embrace this and ensure that failure results invoh·ing thr
items an.' the most n·agic. most sorrowful outco1nes possible.
Dark Elf Resources

Dark Elvrs may purchase one or t"''O heirloon1s of their past (11s prr Bitter
Rliminders). EvC'rything d se has bre11 thrown into the SN\ or a chasm in
spitr of it s worth .
Lifepaths
~~~~
~
Resources Bp Cast ::s-'
(D
Bittt•r Rl•minclcr ......... sec below
Bitter ........... ......... .............. 1O ~
.....
Spiu:ful Poison .... .... .... ........ 20 ;:l'"
Loek Picks ............... ........... 10
Long Kilife ............................ 5
Barbed Javelins ..................... ;3
-
0
Vl
""O
.....
.....
Garrote........................ ..... ..... 3 (I)
Cnlrrop,; ..................... ........... 3
Tools of the Trade .................. 9
Cl,,uk of Darkness ............... :W
Climbing Claws ... ..... ..... ........ 5
R1·mote Refo~e .................... l 0
1\Jor/1r1 A.rrnor .. ..... ..... ... SpcciaJ
1\Jorlin Weapons .................. 15
Bitter Reminder- Dark Elf characters nl8y purchase items frmn the Elven
Resources list on page 156 of die Bm1.J.i.ng \Vhccl. Each 10 rps spe nt
ou these items adds+ 1 D to starting Spite.
.Bitter Poison- One. dose o( this ingested poison c.:1uses the victim to lose
1D of Health per day for fh·e days. H Health drops to zero, the victiin
dies. lf not, the victim recovers Ii.is l-lealth al 1D per week.
Spiteful Poison- One small cut from a needle or blade so poisoned is
enough to kiU. u· an Lncidental bit is de.Livered from a blade or barb
with this poison, roU a die of fate. On a 1-2, the victim is poisoned. lf
a Mark hit is delivered, the victitn ts poisoned on a 1 ~4. Superb hits
always deliver the poison. U poisoned, the victim must pass an Ob 5
Heal th test. If failed, the vicriin-unaware that he or she has been
poisoned-will exhibit no sy,npton1s for eight hours or more. after
which time he or she will fall into a swoon and die. If sornebow detected
in Llw interim.. the poisou can be colu1tered using the Song oJ Soothing.
If the victim passes the Health test, the victi,n 's Forte is taxed by four. •
H1:cover as per the Sickness rules, but in dnys instead of hours.
Loek Pitks- Thci,c tools ru·c re411ired to use tltt•. Lock Pick skill.
Long Knh·cs- These• insidiom, wcap,111s 1~ount as da~ers and are designed
to cu 11,;1· maximum haTm to their t.iu-gNs. Pow 2 , Add 1, VA-, WS 3,
Short. Can b,~co11ccalcd like a clagp;<H" or knife.
431 ~
.4
Barbed Javelins- Barbed Javelins are designed to cause their victims
grievous ban11 even after impact. JJ a Superb hi1 is scored, the javelin
Lia~ cn1b edd"d its"lf in the vic1in1. All medicinal skill roUs to stop
bl"e<liug or begi11 recovery suffer +2 Ob penalty due to tJic javelin's
ugly barbs tJ1at must be exlTactNJ before the victim can heal
Garroll' -A garrote is u two- to t lu·cc-foot length of cord strung bet"•eeo
two small wooden luu1dJ<'s. It is used to th rottle victims 10 deat11. To
use this \\' l'1tpo11 . a character rnust \\;11 positioning al hands fightu 1g
ui::i1u11n·. O 11t·1· d1en•, 11 2D or grrutrr Lock 111us1 be esrnblished w·o1md
1hr lll'l'k with 1hr garrote. If such a Lock is achieved. the victirn losi:s
10 Fonc l~,·ery \'olky 1hereuf1cr. If Forrr rcadws zero, 1hr vict irr1 falls
l Ull'OIISC'IOll:i,
Callrops-CiulTO(JS arl' ~harv L1uhs srol'ter r d on the ground to interfere

wil h a cn•at urr's mov1·01e11t. If approad1cd while n1oving quickly or
ifsin1ply waJki.11g into the trap u1wwa1·es, make tu1 Ob :3 Speed test to
U\'Oid. rail11re io<licul t'!i cluniage. Roll Ull' Die of Fate: 1: 87: 2-4: BS;
5-6: Il-1.
Tools of lhc 'lradc- S kill k its l'or D i::igui:,i:, P ub olli, 0 1· u11y utht·r ki1 thr
DnJ'k EU' may 11ced.
Cloak of0urknrss- Adds +40 of opeu-1~11<lc<l helping dice 10 Lhc StcaltJ1y

skill. II you hovr no Strnlthy skill. roll the doaJ.. 's ow1.1 four clic1• to create
the Observation obs1aclc.
Climbing Claws- These odd devices help the Dark Elf tJ1i<'ves ir1 their
second-story operations. Add+ 1D lo 1hr Clliubiug Skill, bur +1 Ob ro
all orhcr Agility based skills while wearing them (cxccpr when usi.11g
Climbing Claws \\·ith Brawlirig). They can also al't us u weapon: Pow 1,
Add 2, VA-, \XIS 2, Shortest.
Rcmolc Refuge- Dark Elves often fi11d rt•motc refuges wher<' they caJJ li"r
in isoJation: deep in aJJcienl woods, lost in wastr lan<ls or rven 11I1dt·r tlw
earth ir1 vast caves. Use tlrn Elv"'n LtLnd list for priers n11d tn mslat<' the
acrual pw·dmscs into sometJ1ing suitably d1U'k und forlorn.
Alorli11 Annor-The firsr Dark Elf, in 1hc centtu·ies of his isolation and
contemplation, developed u special black 111('1 al tJ1a1 was light and
supple· bu1 as strong as steel. Wfhcn be \'('nhu·eJ forth from his refuge.
he was always clad in this haroess. Dark Elven bla<:k metaJ annor
i:1 :;upcrior qua lit y urmor and in('urs n o clumsy wci~ht pe nalties.
Blnck ml'lal ligh1· mail cosu, 30 rps, heavy 111ail 40 rps and plated 01ail
100 rps.
432
Lifapaths ~"
~~
('~~~
1-j
::r'
(b
~
....::r'
0
""'"'
en
""o
.....
.-..
(b
~1llrli11 Wra1,ons- \Veapons ,nade of the Dark Elven black n1ernl cou111
u,; ,;uperior qualiry. You 111uy. 111uJify 1hc weapon thusly:
•Foran additio11nl +15 rps, you may ad<l an addi1ionnl point of

weapon speed or VA to the weapon's stat s.
• For +30 rps, you may acid+1 Power to Lhe weapon .
Howevt·r.. to qualify for this bonus, you rnu sl nun1c the weapon and it
mus1 he unique i11 your ca01pai~11. For exu1nple, if you take a black
metal dagger with VA 2, it can be the only one of its type..
Dark Elves in Play
Our Durk Elves don't follow extnut nrchetypes of dark elves iu
gan1ing. They are neither thost> who are intrinsically evil, nor are they
underground-dwelling, spider-worshipping sorcerers.
The~ individuals hnv<'. 1nade o choice and believe in it with the utmost
conviction. Having turned away from mourning and sadness, they have
focu , ed on rage, hatred iu1d rnalice. To them such a transformation
rtpresents a natural evolution of an eterna l life lived in an endlessly
del."ayiug world.
Dark Elves work well as NPC viUa.i.ns aud as ai1 ele1ncnt in an Ore or Troll
cohort. However, playi11g a Dark Elf in a group of otherwise innocent
player characters can be very risky. l reconunend outing the Dark Elf
dw·i.ng character bw11ing. You cau incorporate them into Elven society:
having just gone over to Spite, how do they cul their ties? Or rnake them
a disguised element in an udvennuing group who is destined to betray ,
his friends-out only so long as everyone is in on and agrees with the
1r.ltin1ate reveal.
\Vhen playing with Spite, try to walk the line berween the Grief of the
Elves and the outright Hatred of the Ores. Jt's not easy, but the best path
that I have seen is a kind of seething, righteous anger. Dark Elves aren't
like the Ores yet. They stiJJ care. They s till wnnt the world to be right.
Yet it drives them mad to watch. the fools nti.n it-over .md over again.
Oh, ru1d it's not just Elves whom they despise; it's everyone. Including you.
- -- '
'
' '\
,,
' ""
' '
'
--
I
,
/
-- -
- -
-- --
-- -
·~-
- -
-~-
-- .
•
·~
- -- - . '
....
-~ '
,....-- ""·- .
"' :
' . ., ' l
~
.'i- :i...i
...
•
The Missionary
Pl!t/Yi ofthe TijheaY>1ach nes~ 23-year-oltl Rotle>1 Missiona,y
Born to the Fields, Siste,; Hermi4 Missionary
STATS
Will BS l>erteption BS (86)' A!Jility 84
Speed 84 Power BJ Forle 84
A7TRIBVTES
Health 84 Steel 86 Mortal Wound 8'1 Hesitation S
Reflexe.s 84 Resource.s Bo Circles 82 Stricle 8
Faith 8S{Harvest Vow)
SKILLS
PhilosophJ 82, Suasion lf~ Dotlrine Bl, Read 82, Write 82, Mu/i'fntion 82,
Shrine-Wise 82, Prllfer-Wise 82, Preachin!J 134, Forei!Jn ltm!JUll!JCS 82,
Below-wise 82, 8raw/4'n!J 82, Man-wise 82, Astrolo.!Jy B2, Rhetoric 82,
Oratory 82, Fortl.!J'"J 84~ Books-wise 82, Lost Secrds-WiseB2, Fielrl
Dresst'nJ 84: Her6alism BJ: Field Dressil1.!J 83"
TRAITS
Aecers Likeness, Coat of Fu,; Co1t1munn£ Enlaqerl Incisors, Tiui Laqe Ears,
Skittish, Thou1ht(u£ Zealot Vtjdarian, Ortla,'necl, Faithfu£ &rin!J, t;raceful
t;EAR
TravelinJ ~ear, Ro6es ofthe Ordained or Cluthes, Honeyed Oatcakes,
Bloud 8lussum
RELATIONSHIPS
Tijhearnaeh (Puwerful Father, Hateful}
REPVTATIONS
Wound Mender TD
BELIEFS
My father is keepinJ me frPm my callinJ; I w,11&hRn!Je his mind
I w,11spruulthe wPnl ofAeeer to thuse Beluw,· they shallhear or 6e destr")'d.
I will learM the lan!fUll!Je u/the people to whom I'm prt1Uhin!J,
I mu.stprotect Aeurs fields antiforests from the en&roadtin!J human settle111enl.5.
INSTINCTS
t When preadtt'nj, always repeat mypoints unt,1they!Jd it.
Always retU/ any new reliji'ous texts !find
Never leave an tnjurul ereature without tare.
----
Roden Lifepaths
Field Setting
Lifepath Time R(•.s.__...S....h...,at..___.....l,LLJea....,_. _I________
Born to the Fields 6 yrs Society
Ski/I.,;: 3 ptg: Cenrral
Tr(li/.,;: Hodt·11 C:0111111011 1mils plus 2 pts: Vegetarian
Hand 3 yrs 3 +1 p Exile
S kill1J:-+ pis: tiinging, \Vork-wisc, Ditch Dig!:!ing
Truils: 1 pt: Baek-Breo kin~ Labor
Woodsen bvrs 6 +IP E:rile
S ki//;;: -+ pts: Tree C1111 iui,:, Trer-wise. Mending. Orieutccring
Trttil11: 1 pt: l11d1•pc11dc•nt
Apprentice 4 r rs C) +IP Exile, Society
Ski/1.y: 3 pts: i\fondi11µ, HaAgling. Matcriuls-wi!ic
Traifs: I pt: Cophl'r
Gatherer 10 - /:,:rile
Skill:,: 3 pts: f oraging. 1-lcrbolism . Nut nnJ Berry-wise
1'r11its 1 pt: -
Farmer 8 yrs 10 +1 p
Skllls: :1 pis: f-armi11g, ]\fonding, Seed-wise
Trails: 1 pt: Hoarder
B,eekeeper ? yrs 9
Skills: 5 pts: Bee I lusbandry, firebuihling, Bee-wise, Flower-wise.
Honey-wise
Trails: 1 pt: Thick S kin, Bccsp.enker
Requires: \Vooclscn, Cntht!rcr, Farmer, Apprentice or Haud
Miller 9yrs 15 +1M/P
SkillH: 5 pts: Millrr, Grain-wise, Haggling
'I'rails: 1 pl: lnduslrio.us
llequireN: Woo,lscn, Gathcre,·, Former, Appmntict> or .tland
MeaUmaker 9yrs l't
Ski/111: 5 pts: Drewer, Mcud-wise, Haggling, Cooper
TruilN: 1 pt: -
RequirC'R: Mcud makcr requires Bcektil•per
431
7 yrs 12
S kills: .. pis: Bakiu~. firt•LuilJing, 8rcnd-wis1•. Cooking
Tr(lits: I pl: Fragrum. Sweet Tooth
li1•q11irrs: Hull(I, Milh•r or Bl'ckcept·r
Weaver 8 yrs 15
Skills: o pr~: \h:1wi11g, S1·wi11g. E mbroidery, S001l1i11g Pl111 i1 11tk~. Singin~
Trails: I pl : Ca llousl'd
llC''lllires: App r ent k c·
Crafter 10 yrs 20 +JM/P

Skills: 5 pis: Jnrf!Oll. lni,1 rm:1ion. Apprcn1ice-\\·ist·. 131m·ksmith. C:arpcnll'r.
Poi ll'r, Ma~on
Trait.~: I pt: Diligt·111
flequin•s: Apprelllirc
Healer 8yrs 10 +1 M
Skill.~: IJ pis: Herbalism, Field Drcssi11g. ,\ polht·eury, Ugly Truth, H11rt-wi:,1·
Trail;,: L pl : Compa;.~ionutc, Bedside M111111er
R11q11ir<•.,·, Pl,ilosophc1·. Albino. Snwbum•s. H und. Wo1>dsc11 . f-n nner or
Brc kcepcr
'T.radcr 8yrs 16 Exile
Skill.~: 6 p1.s: l·ltiggling, Ap praisa l. Acrounting, Conspiruou,. Vi llnge-wisr
1'r11ils: I pt: Opportuni,t
Rcquire.'i: Tradcr may not he you1· second lif'cpn th.
Depuly 4 yrs 6 +1 P Ei·ile, Sotie~,-
S kills: 6 pts: Cons picuous, Spear, Bow. Brawling. Shil'ld Training:.
Troublc-wi:.c
Truit.~: 1 pt: Alarmist
lleq11ir1•N: Ocpu1 y mny unt he your ~cl'ond lif<'puth.
Sheriff 8yrs 8 +1M/P

Skills: 6 pis: C:0111monrl. lnti111ida1ion, ln1c1-ro.;:utio11, $wor<J
TrflilN: 1 pt: -
RN/llirM: Dcp111y, Rundit King. Bruis<'!' or :-.1o ~h!r111iml
Mayor 10 yrs 20
Skl/111: 7 pl~: Oratory. Pcrsuni.ion, Luw. E1ic111cllc. HngE(li111-(. Pr 1itio111·r-wist'
Truits: 1 pt: Prni:lk<'d Smile
Requires: Sheriff. I k1alcr. Buker, \lcnd111nkcr. Nt•gotiator 01· Philosopher
fll'11lrfrriu1111: Chnracfrr 11111s1 lw 17 yrnn, or older Ill lukt:' 1hi~ lift:'poth.
Lifepaths
1Jr-0tber/Slstcr 5 yrs li +lM
Exile, Society
S ki//.,: b pis: OocLrinc, Read, Write, Mc<litation. Shrine-wise, Prayer-wise
'fruits: :l pts: O nlnincd. Faithful
Missionary 5yrs 5 +1 M, P Exile, Society

S kills: S pt~: ~uasion. Preaching, Foreign Languages, lntimidation,
Bclow-wisr. Bruwling. l\·lon-wisc
Trait.~: :l pis: Zralo t, Hightcou~
Re1f11irc1>: Bro1hcr/Sis11·r
Fathcr/fttother 7 y1':l 15 +1 M
S ki/I.~: b pts: Ac,·rr-wi:;e. Onuory. llluminaLions. Calligraphy. Singing.
History. Rescnrd,, Cartography, Poe1ry
Traits: 2 pis: Portly. Pat ic111
Re1f11irc.,·: llrotlwr/Sistc:r
Abbot/Abbess 10 yrs 30 +1 M
S kills: 5 pt~: Administration. Accounting, Co11spicuou~. E1iqur 11e
'fruits: 1 pt: R<'ve rc<l
Requires: Fat her/Mother
t 111b ,kill is o 1riunin1! skill. h cosls 2 poinrs 10 oprn und muy 1101 he nd\·uncrd.
Below Setting
Life11ath Tirnc Res Stat I.rad
1Jorn Below 6yrs Society
Skill.~: 3 pts: Cr.ncrn l
Tr<1it.~: Hod~n Common trn its plus 2 pts: 1'111111,· I \'i~i,)11
P.inky 2yrs 2 -1 M
Skills: 3 pts: Soorhing Plnt itud(·S, Bdow-wi~r
Trait.-.: 2 pls : Confusing Rnn1, Dist raetrd. Ch1ms). Lucky
-8,eav~ger 4 yrs 3 fu:ile, Society
Ski/I.,;: 5 pt:;: lueonspicnou~. Srn\"enging, Sur\'i\ al. Appraisal. Junk-wise
Trt1i/,1: 1 pl: Aequbitivt·
S«ir11tclu:r 6yrs 4 +1 p
Skilll1: -f pts: Ditch Digging. Tunnd-wisc-. Mending
Trait.,;: 1 pl: Harking Cough. 0;:ep Sense
~.njtch 4 yrs 3 Exile, Society
SkiUH: i pts: lnconspiruous. Falsehood. Haggling. Sr(·rec-wis<.-
Trt1ilH: 1 pt: Cowardly
--....
The-Gauntlet 1 yrs 4 +1P Society

Skill.~: 5 pt:,: Bruwliug. Soothing Platitudes, Hazing-wise, Peck.ing Order-wise
']'rails: I pt: \'iet i111
Apprentice 6yrs 5 +1 p Exile, Society

Skills: 3 pt ,: Mcudiug. Blucksmith. Bribe-wise
Trails: 1 pt: Copher
Require.,·: Thl' Gu11111 let
ii~nappcr 7 yrs 10 +1 M E:r:ilP, Society
,'i'kills: 7 pls: Inconspicuous. Knots. Hag,~li ng. Cudgel. Int imiclntion, Child-\\·isc
1'rails: I pt: Ruthless
Rcq11ir<1.~: Tlw Cn11nll<>I
Fingers 6 yrs 5 +1 p Exile, Socie11,
Skiff..;: 4 pis: Sleight or Ham!. h1coospicuous. Kni w:s. Stn'ctwise
Traits: I Light Touch, Cocky
pt:
R equir,w: The Cuumkt
Sneak Titler 7 yrs 6
S kill.~·: 5 pls: Stcuh hy, Lock Pick, Knivc~, Hoof-wise, \Vindow-wisc
Trail!;: 1 pl: Cool Hl·udr<l, Soft St "P
Rt•quircs: The Gauntlet
BladesmUb 8 yrs 20 +lM/P Society
Skills: 7 pts: Haggling, lnstruc1i.on, \Vcaponsmith. Knifo-wise. S word-wise
Trails: 1 pl: Scrrc1ivc
Requires : Apprcnrice
8}lrg)ar 8 yrs 10 +1 M/P
Skills: 7 pts: Observation. Climbing, Throwing, Lo(."ksmith. Lool-wis<-
Trails: 1 pt: Quiet, Confi<lcn1
fle'luir<'s: Fingers, Sncuk Thief. Shadow, Corsnir or Bushwhal·kl'r
Bruiser 6 yrs 8 +t p E.t:ile, Society

SkillH: 7 pl.,-: App.-oprit1tl' \Vcnpo11s, l11timida-1ion, Extort ion,
Shidel Truiuingt
Truih,: 1 pl: Mnui, Dulllb
Requires: The Caun11,\1
?yrs 20 +t M
Skills: 7 pts: Apprnisul, Haggling, Fub1·bood. Antique -wist', fnk,·-wis<'
1'rllilH: 1 r>l: Pokr.r Fnec
Reqttirt>H: 8ruvcng1i1-, 8uitch OI' Sneak-Thief
Lifepaths
Sawbones 8yrs 15 Exile
$kills: :; pr~: Fidd Drt>:-siug, Apotheca r y, Poisons. Haggling
z
(b
VI
Trait.,·: I p, : Pntl'lienl. lmpr. rsnnal ......
Ill
Jl1•q11ir1•.,;: Poi$cnwr. Albino. Healer or Pinky

Negotiator 8yrs 15 +lM Society
Skills: o pt~: P,•rsuasion, Dl,al-wisc, Hnggling, Intimidation, Ugly Trutb
Trails: I p1: Calm Demeanor. Good Listener
RNJllires: l(idnapper. Dtputy. Corsair, Missionary, Fence or Pcrvcrll~r
The Brain 9 yrs 13 +1 M Society

Skills: 1:, pts: Soothing Plu1it11dcs, Head, \Vrite, Research.
,\~trnlogy. S1rntegy. Logistics, Falsehood, History, Obscure History,
\~ oriel Dominntiou-wisc
Traits: 2 pts: Genius, Condescending. Frus1rnted
Requires: Hermit. Mayor or Scratcher
llt•;;trirtiun.-;: The Brain can not take the Pinky lifcpath.
10 yrs 30 +1 M. P
Skill.~: 11 pts: Intimidation, Persuasion. Oratory. Falsehood, Command,
Below-wisl,, Sword, Clique-wise, Nest-wise, Traitor-wise
Traits: 3 pts: Ambitious. Ruthless
Requires: .\Jcgotint01·, The Brain, Bandit King or Abbot/Ahbess
11 yrs 75 +1 M, P
Skills: 9 pls: Extortion, Intimidation, Read, \Vrite, Composition,
Church-wise. Papal Bull-wise. Pope Joke-wise
Trait.v: 1 pt: Most Holy, Faithful
Require.v: Fatlrnr/Mothcr or Visionary
t 'n1i~ is u trn.iniug skill. h costs two poinrs to open 11o<l moy not he u<lvunc~<l.
Exile Subsetting
Lifepalh Time Res Stat I.cad
Cuoivore 4yre 5 +1 P Below, Society
Skillti: ;j pts: I hmting, Tracking, Trapper, Bow. Forest-wise
TrailH: 1 pl: Gnawing Hunger, Blood Thirsty
Hr.quires: Born Lo du: Fil'lrls
3 yrs 3 -1 M, P Field, Society
SkillH: ;j p ll>: l1wc111spicuous, Soothing Plutil uclcs, Kkk Me-wise,
Bully-wi~r. Nr•s1-wisc. Brlow-wi~e. Village-wise. Cat-wist'
Tr"ils: :1 pts: Al., us1.•t.l, Par.k Rut
RequireK: Boru Below
10yrs 2 Field, Society
._','kills: 8 pt~: Philosophy. Astrology. Rhetoric. Orntory. Foruging.
Buoks-wisr, Lose Srnc1-wisc
Tr<1ils: 3 pts: Tliought ful. Puck Rat, Boring, Farts
Busbwhackcr 5 yrs 5 +1 P Field, Be/011•, Society
S ki/I.,;: 4 pts: Appropriate Weapons, latirnidut ion, Stealthy, Ambush-wise
Trail.-;: I pr: Desperate
Corsair 7 yrs 15 +1M/P Fi<'ld, Belou•, Socie(J'

Ski/I.,;: 8 pts: Pilor , Rigi:ing, Knots, Navigation. Mending, Ship-wisr, Buy-wise
Trait..;;: I pt : Ru thless. Sea Legs
Rr q11ire..;;: Bushwhacker. Shrriff. lla111lit King. Trader. Ncgotinror or Bruiser
Bendit King 7 yrs 15 +m M/P Field, Be/0111, Society

S kills: CJ pts: lntimi<lation. Com111un<l. Sword. Bundit-wisl.". Curnvau-wisc
Trails: 2 pts: Scheming. Daring
Req11fr,•s: Bushwha,:kl• r. Sheriff or Bruiser
A,lbino 10 yrs 25 +11\'I

Skills: ? pis: Astrology. Ugly Truih, Head. Wri u·~ eid1er Sorcery or
Spirit Binding
Traih;: 2 pts: Albino, Gifted. M isundrrstood
i' llu,; skill is u 1mini11g skill. It l 'OSl5 2 poinb 10 open uml inur 1101 br uch-w1ccd.
Society Subsetting
fi.1,Cµp&1.a1u.h.___ ......JTiu.u.rou.C.__..u.Res
...,1,lli Staf 1.ead
_JJJJ(i;Jtc 3 yrs 2 E:r:ile
Skills: 3 pts: Doctrine, Society-wise
Trllif,v: 2 pts: Broken
Ctiltist yrs 4 +lM
,',kills: 5 pts: Hhctoric. Suasion, Cudg(.'I. Conversion-wise
Trails: 1 pt: Zealot, Defensive
Rcquirrs: ln itiaw
6yrs 6 +1 p
Ski/IN: 6 pis: Stealthy, Observation. Inconspicuous. Climbing. Tail-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Cautious
Re1fuires: Initiate
6yre 6
Skills: 6 pts: Arson, li'ircbuilding, lm:onspieuous, Firebombs, Arson-wisr
Trails: 1 pt: Pyrom11.ninc
Requires: Initiate
442
Lifepaths
Murderer byrs 7 +lP
Skills: '.; p b: l(nivt·~. Stl·ohhy. lutimida tion. Inconspicuous, Curmtc
Trait,;: I pt: \·l11rdl'ro11s. Singlc-Mindc<l
l1t•1111ir<•s: lnitiutc
5 yr:i 5
Skill,,:-+ pts: An imnl Husbundr)'. lm:011spk11011s, Bariquctrc
Truils: ~ pts: Hut Spcuk, Biller. Weird
HNJllir<·.~: lnitiut~
Perverter 8yrs 10 +1 M Field, Below, Exile

S kills: C, pts: Disgui~e. PrN1chiug, Inconspicuous. Falsehood, Dupe-wise
Traits: 1 pt: Sdt<>ming
flequires: T it<' Brain. Cu hist or Missionary
Poisoner 6 yrs 7
Skills: 5 pt,: Poison:;. lnco11spic11ous, Apothecarr, Toxin-wise
Truit.~: I pt: Nauseous
Ht'q11ire.~: lnil iutc
Guardian 6 yrs 9 +1 p
S kills: 8 pts: Approprinn• W<:11po11s. 13r.uwling. Armor Trniningt.
Shield Trai11ingt, lntimi<lotion
Truit.~t 2 pts: Merciless, Loyal
Require.~: Murderer. Willard or Pl•rvertcr
P.reacber 8yrs 15 +lM
S kills: 6 pts: Preaching, Conspicuous. Symbology. Obscure History
Traits: 2 pis: Obsessed, Righteous
Requires: Cultist. Missionary or Philosopher
10 yrs 30 +lM Exile, Below
Skills: 11 pis: Oratory, Commnud, Astrology, Research, Interrogation,
Torture. Observation, Poetry, Cult-wbe, Inner Workings-wise,
Uu<lerm ini11g-wise
Trllits: 4 pis: Megalomaniac, imperious Demeanor, Visionnry Faith. Dreamer •
RC!tJllirl's: Albino, Preacher, Abbot/Abbess or Mastermind
t lndic41rs 1ltc skill i~ n 1minint,: ~kill. h cosu two points to oprn ond may nor b~ mh·ru1ccd.
sq
Stat Points for Roden b A e

Starting.LIA't:lg,. .e__~M....c.....o~ta...,ILPLo...,owl. __ _.._p.u,hy,...s].lJicwaul...1P...1.owo!LL
1-5 years 6 pts 10 pls
~~&years ,.,,'--• _-,~ - ~ ~-·- ~iffe!s_.=- ,"iJ,
10-15 year s 7 (lts 14 pts
l~-24 years 8 pts 15 pts
25-30 yc•ars 8 pt s 1-t pls
31-36 years 7 pts 13 pts
:3?--½0 yl:'ars 7 pts 12 pis
-+b--½9 yefu·s 6 pis 10 pts
Roden in Brief
• Enlarged Incisors: Pow 1. Add 2, VA-, \~1S 2, Shorlcst.
• Large Ears: + 1D 1u Pcn;cption 11•s1,;. Add th.is when dc1cnnini11g
Reflexes.
• Skittish: +1 to hesitation. Must nee if hesitating for rnore tban

011c action.
• Accer's 1.ikcness: Saide 8.
• Coat of Fur: Call-on o·ait for I-lcalth and Forte in wearJll!r anrl wet.
• Communal: 1 D uffilintion with home or born nest.
-
-
Nests of Roden
Common Traits
.Aerec's I ikeoess Dt
Hode11 daim they Wl're c reated u1 the imugr of their god, Accer. Covered
i11 ; horl fur. lhl'~' brur lill'gc ears und long tails. Their elongated feet are
d1i.:kl y pnddl·d. making shoes unnecessary. Pronounced incisors curve
down from thrir r xtended snouts.
Hodl·n have fast nwtabolisms that 1ake o toll on rhem over time. Roden
liw shorter liw:., than humans, reaching old age by 40. They have a
~tridr of 8.
f.oatof Fur c.o

All Ruden ha\'c a short coat of fur. \Vhile Field Roden coloration ranges
from sawdust to chocolate, those Below teud to be dark brown. gray or
black. Roden fur offers them protection from the clements. They can
withstand rain and cold with li11lr worry. This trait acts as a call-on for
HeulLl1 or Forte tes1s related to weather or wet.
C..ommunal Dt
Roden prefer 1he company of others and safety io numbers. They Hve in
dose-knit villages mude up of large extended families and refer to their
homes as '"nests."' It is quite rare to find one alone, and usually such
loners arc exiles. All Roden srarc with a 1D affiliation with their family
nest. Name the nest and its location.
Enlarged Incisors Dt
Roden incisors grow continually th.rough life and need to be filed
regularly. These incisors arc quite sharp and can be used to bite
opponents if the siruution becomes desperate. Pow 1, Add 2, VA-.
WS 2, Shorte.t.
Tail Char
Roden tails range from 1/2 co 1 pace long. Field Born often have furry
tails, while those Below often have baJd ones.
Large.Ea.....cs.___ __ _J,Da.1_ _ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ __
R<Jdcn huvc large, sensitive cars that sit atop their heads. Thc.se give
licnring: +1 D 10 Perception rolls involving hearing.
Ll11:m c xr1:llcnt
Furtur this lllmus into Roflcxes.
Skittish Dt
Rode11 insl inrlivdy fcor !marl noises und surprisrs. /11creosc> hesitation
by one for Stt"l'i ic~ts caused by fl·ur or surprise. Hesitation for more
thun our act ion indiratcs t hr Rorf<·n must flee..
445
Lifepath Traits
Abused Char Back-Bre.aking Labor
Burniug Wheel page 314.
Acquisitive Char
Bedside Manner O,ar
Ambitious Char
&esµeaker
Atannist Dt Burning \Vheel page 315.
Deputies aren't necessarily cowards,
but they know tJ1e best way to Bitter Char
deal witJ1 trouble is to bring in
reinforcements-fast! "Shout when Blood Thirsty c:o
surprised or hesitating" must he A Cni:nivore's blood runs hot, and
added as on additional fourr.h he is quick IO anger. He relies on
Instinct. confrontation to deal with most
problems. Call-on for Intimidation.
Albino Dt He must enter combat in aggressive
This Roden has white fur, pink stance.
eyes and is sensitive to sunlight.
The Albino suffers +2 Ob to nil Broken
Inconspicuous tests and carries an Burning \Vhcel page 316.
infamous reputation among Hoden.
Combine this infumous reputation
Calloused Char
with other appropriate similn.r
Otlro Demeanor
reputations.
Burning Wheel page 317.
Lifepaths
Cautious Char Preamer

Burning \Vhecl pngc 322.
z
~
t/l
Clumsy ......
-
Vl
Burninl! Whcd page :-l 11}. Faithful 0
Burning \Vheel pagr 325.
Cocky Char
Feared Dt
Compassionate Char For good rcas1m or not. this
chnrnctcr is feared by all who know
Condescending Char him. +10 1.0 lmimidution. Choose a
ID infamous reputation.
Confident Char
Fragrant Char
(pn{using .Rant__ _ _.Q.._1.___ __
Pinkil·~ arc a bit -orf~ in their Frustrated Char
1hinki11i:. and 1c11d lo be sociully.
.,.G...,e..,n~iu..,s,_______ _...C.ci-0'-L.-- - -
awkwa rd. Pl•ople who ~pcnk 10
Your eve ry idea i~ unique ancl
om· ofrcn .:omc awuy cla~cd by
brilliaat-l'vP.ry plnn surc-fi re an<l
o bombanlm1:11t or rr ivia. nm;
flowles;;. h is only a mat I er of 1iml'
;cq11i111rs nnd bacl jokrs. During a
bcfor1.- such h1,illiancc is propl'rly
Dud of Wits. th is trail grunts the
fl'C-ognizl'd and rewarded. Cl'nins
d ,aractrr +:-JD to lm:i1e. Thi• only
i~ a call-on for one non-martial or
hesitation option is tO "Stand anc..l
u1hl<>tic skill of !he player's choosing.
lllink.~ All Utt<'mp1s to lntimidutc
o.- Command a chnrnc1cr witl1
Gnawing Hunger Cliar
Confusing Hant nre al +~ Ob. Also.
Rn111er,; nre nt 11 +2 Ob to all Oratory Good I istener C-0
and Rhetoric tests. The Nego1iator 5eerus 10 pay
attention to nod undl.'rstand what
C.Ool Headed
people say. This cm:our&ges others
Burning \~' heel page 320.
to continue speaking and open up
Cowardly to him. This trait may be used as
Burning \~1hcel pagt' 320. a call-on for Haggling, Pt>rsuasion
aorl Seduction.
Daring Char
Gopher Char
Deep Sense
Burning Wheel page 321. Hacking Cough Char
Defensive Char Hoarder Chor
Desperate Char Humble

All arr equal before Accer, and the
Diligent Char wi·se cominually remind themselves
of this fact. 1D reputation among
Distracted Char the faithful as exceptionally humble.
Dumb Char
Impersonal Chor arguing with him about earthly
matters, philosophy, ,vomen or
Imperious Demeanor money benefi1:1 from tlu; Eumity
Burning Wheel page 330. Clause: +4s to his body of orgumt,nt
against Most Holy.
Industrious C/,ar
Murderous Chor
Independent Char
Nauseous Char
LighLTo.,,u....,c....,h.___ _ ___,_C=-0..___
Tlw J,a,y too smTt>ssful " lif1" is in Obsessed Chor
the fingers. Mny be used us a cu ll-on
for Sleight of Hand. Opportunist Chor
Loyal Ordained Dt
Burning \Vhet>I page 33-l. This Roden is one of Aecer's
Or<lnined. He is responsible for
I uck
currying out the rituals and rites.
Burning Wheel page 33-¼.
Orduined chnrneters ore alway;
Mean Char 1rented with respect by I he Fit>ld
Roden. 1D affiliation with the
Meek Char Hoden faithful.
Megalomaniac Dt Pack Rat Chor

The Visionary is n gift from Acccr
to the mortol world. It is his dcstin}' Patient Char
10 lend and shape tbc future in
his image. +2D to Conspicuous
Poker Face
nnd always odd an extra die
when helping or FoRKing with
Portly Char
Conspicuous.
Practical Char
Char
Dt Practiced Smile Chor

Choose a 1D infomnns rr.1mtatio11.
Pyromaniac Chor
In addition, suffer -1 to your body
of argument whenever you're trying
Quiet
to explain your nature, position,
Burning Wheel pngt> 342.
meaning or special insight.
Rat Speak D
Most Hnfy Qt
This chnrader can talk to and
This char11c1er is the living
understand rals and mice.
embodiment of the power divine. He
gain~ +3s to his body of argument Revered c.o
in 11 Duel of Wi1s involving maucrs The Abbot or Abbess is a pillar of
spirit uni. l·lowcvor, ho has no piety in the ~'.ommunity. Mo.y be used
temporal pow,~r. Any other character
~ . as a call-on for Oratory or Suasion.
Lifepaths
Righteous Char looking directly iato tlH.,·,c• <>yes will

sco glowing green orbs staring hack.
z
(1)
t/1
Ruthless Cl,ar Reduce:, pc1111ltics for dim light by ......
t/1
one step. 0
S.chemin~- - - -- - - .......
llurning \Vhccl pagt· :3-ti. Vegetarian Char ?O
0
5.eaLc'"leg;.:is_ __ _ _ __ _ 0...
(1)
Victim Dt
Burning \Vhecl page :34-¼. :::3
This charar..tcr hus suffered
sustained abuse dcsignrd to gt·1
Secretive Char
I hem ro ronform 10 a code of
behavior. CbooRe a rdutionsh ip with
Serious Char
one of your abusers. Thut churnr11·r
Single-Minded C-Q has+1D 10 a II sociul skill!> used
Om:o:.- n ~lurdc ri;'r ~l.'ts hh: 111i111l, tlu·rr: ag11ins1 1he de1i111.
is very liulc 1ha1 con 1\•dircrL him.
Weird Char
Call-on for Strei when "'on tla· job.''
Soft.Step C-Q
Zealot
Burning \~1 hccl page :J55.
The Sneak Thiel' wulks in u
pnriicular fu shion. feeling each
step befon· pulling his wrigh1 on
it. ~lay be used ns a call-on for
Clinrhing and Stea lthy.
Sweet Tooth Char
TbickSkio
Burning Wheel pugc 350.
Thoughtful Chor
Toiling GQ
Laborers arr. used Lo working
long hours doing 1hc same
mindless. repetitive tasks. Call-
on for ,m y skill when doing
mindll'ss. repetitive tasks.
Tough
Durning \Vhcd pa~c 351.
luooel Vision Dt
The Below is a dru-k plarc
aud •hose who live there have
nclapr<-d. Your charac ter cun scr
us normal jn I01\'-lit areas but
nu1 in compl<'tc darkrwss. Those
Special Traits
Clawed 3 pts Vt Night.Eyed Dt -'pts
The Clnwcd I rnit prodm·c:; hord, \~1ith this ti-nit. o Roden is able to see
elongated £in~crnail s that· cnn br. even in complete darkntss. However.

used as tools or weapons. Pow 1, day) ighL causes n +1 Ob to nl l 1ests.
Acid 2. VA -. \VS X. ShortesL
Pouched Cheeks Dt 2pts
Club Jail D1 2 pts Thr;sr, r her,k); nrc wondcrfolly
Thi~tuil i5 thicker nnd stiffer thnn elastic and can be used to curry a
It can he a surprising weapon
nH);, 1. surprising umount of fruilS. nuts
during a melee. Pm" 2. Add 2. VA - ond vegetables. Consider it feasible
\VS 2. Long. Mny 1101 be combined LO pince up Lo six apples in each
with \Vhip Toil. check. Knives and other shnrp
objects ore curried at the bea.rer's
Co.atofDarkness Qt 5;pls own risk!
Sonw of I hose Below huvc adapted
almost supernaturally to the dark. Sharpened Incisors n, , JllL
\Vhcn a1tcmp1ing to move. unseen in This Boden's tcctl1 arc ex tra sharp.
areas of darkness ond shadow. thi:s Pow 1. Add 2, VA 1. \VS X, Shortest.
fur adds +2D to the roll. Muy not be
combined with Fur of the fields.
Y-;sionary Faith Dt s pis
Visionaries draw their power from
Extra-Long Fur Char their followers. not divine favor. This
trail grants a B3 Faith attribute. The
...F.. ,u.,. r...,o,._f.,.th. . .,_e..,F. ,ie~l...d..,s_____-J,D'-'-1_ ___54'p1< _ attribute may not be increased with
Roden witl1 this trait have a the Fai1h questions: instead, it is
wondrous coat of fur that allows increased by purchasing a Visionary
them to blend into any field or Cult. Any miracles performed with
woodland terrain. When attempting Visionary Faith only affect the
to Stealth in such areas, this fur beliet•crs and nothing else.
adds +2D 10 the roll. May not be
combined with Coat of Darkness. Whip Toil n, =' pts
These 1ails are typically one or two
Cbac paces longer thnn most 01hers aud
Roden with this trail have no fur, tend to be slender. Pow 0, Add 1,
and their pink skin is laid bare, VA-, Longer. \VS 3 .. Moy no1 be
though whiskers still poke out from combined with Club Tail.
their muzzles. Sunburn is common
and clothing is required.
--
Lifepaths
Roden Skills z
0
fir_e.b.orobs Pccception/AgiHL-7-_____ _ _ ______

.....
l/l
l/l
Th,· .\r,011b1 l1'ur11~ how to mix ingredil·nb 10 c.:n·uw incendiary l>ombs. The 0
........
\l11rk r,•,u h d1111w/!1' is li,,h:d wich t•11d11ypt•. If thc cxplosiou hi;s a d111rnr1cr. :;;o
roll rl11• dil- c)r fo1t· to oll'll'1"111illl' l t\lS (likr H ~prll) This skill dor·s 1101 ('O\"(.'I" 0
0..
d11· di,1 rih111 iun of ~111'11 hum Ls. Thu1 would <'omr rrom Agility. Throwing, 0
\riilll'ry nr , i111pl~ i11co11:,pi,·u011s pl11r1:111c111. Wlwn igniling sud1111.fovicr. 0
roll tl11· ,Ii,• uf l'atc. On a L the- Liomh 11111lf11nnio11s. Roll ngnin immediately:
Orld. 11 d,·11111ut,·,: ,•n·n. ii ·:; u tlu<l.
Obstacles: ::;1111111. l,l)11lt:-:.izctl inccndinril'S (1\lark ll<>). OL 1. Irn:cn<liur y Lomb
(~lark BS). Oh-+. Fnt Boy (Murk BtO). OL 6.
FoRKs: ,·\ldwm), I lerbuli,111. t\lunitions. Arson
Skill Type: C:rur1,111uu Tools: Ye,5.
Preaching Will
Prcochinl! r,,tic,- upon rrligious <lor.1ri11t:. rcul-lift· 1111c,, d1)1l'S u11<l folk wi~cfom.
Obstacles: Most rummun \Viii among the: umlienec: mcmlicrs. Pr!'uching can
also bC' u~c<l iu th<' Duel or \Vits for lnci1c an<l Dismiss uctions.
FoRKs: lntimidution, Fnlschood. Doctrine. Soothing Plo1i111dcs
Skill Type: Sudul Tools: Nu.
Garrote Agilil:. ,__ ________________
A gorro1r bu cwo- 10 1hrec--foo1 kugL11 of ror<l srrung bel\\'N'II 1wo small
wooden l1n11<llt·s or ll·utht·r loops. Rod<'n use i1 10 rliro11lc ,·ic1i111$ 10 death. To
use thh skill. d1(• would-l>r-murdcr<.'r must auack from stcnhh or surprisC'
(or nguius1 u victim alrc)ady in a Lock). Test Garrote ,·crs us Powcr or Agility
(,·i,;1i111'$ choiec. l>ut nt double obstncl<.>). If the nlfa<'k<.'r lands n 21) or grC'utcr
Loc-k. 1hr ,·icti.01 loses 1D forte ('\'<.'I')' cxdrn ngc thereafter. If Fort<.' rraches
zi:n,, rhe \'ictim fall s unco11scious.
FoRKs: Brawling
Skill Type: Martial Tools: Yes.
Fields of Faith
Tiu: Grcu1 Gatberrr, Aecc-1; is the benevolent deity of tht' Field Roden.
Through her gracr a11d love.., 1J1c fields are fertile, the cl1ildren are st1·011g
and Uv<·s an· rwar:cful. Accrr is the Lady of the 1-Iarvest and the Seasons.
Siu· mai111 aim, 1lw propel' cycles of day and night, planting and gathering,
1111<1 bir1h und cl1·a1h.
All Field Rod('11 w·e hrought up witl1 a grrat respect for Aecer. Piety is
rlw gn·atest virlue, followed by hwniJity and patience. Services ru·e held
weekly, and it is very embarrassing to miss one..
--
Guicling aud go"crni ug t.he Field Roden according lo Accer's will are the
orJained: Ahho1 s and Abbesses, Fathers and Mothers, and Brot.hers and
Si:;.tl'rs. These arc holy vessels blessed directly by Ule paw of Aecer. To be
so honored is a wondrous gi.ft. but with ii con1.es a heavy responsibility
for thr wclfan· of all those an,ong the Fidcls.
Fiuully. al.I of 1ht~ ordained am·c taught 10 look forward l.o the 1·etun1
of the Lt•avcrs to Aecer's Nest. Such is t.hcfr duty 10 their lost kin that
nussiomu·i(',; rebrttlnrly depnrt for tJ111 luuuru, lnnds, hoping to find nnd
return with those from thf: Below.
Vo,vs of Aecer
During character Luruing, any onlainr.cl Fidd Roden ,nay choose onr.
of the following Sacred Vows for free i.f he has t.he Faithful trait. Only
1hc mos1 zealous and devout should consider this optio n. A vow must be
wriur.n as one of the character's Beliefs. One cannot ta.kc another \"OW
of Aecc·r if he Juts previously broken a vow. Broken vows result in an
i1runediate Joss of a ny blessings, plus further punisluneut. See below for
the specifics of each Vow:
Vow of tl,e Pacifist

In exchange for tJ1e Vow of the P,\cifisl, Aecer will bles:i the ordained
with +2D to one of the following skills: Persuasion, Suasion or Orato1y.
However, should the priest participate in violence or knowingly cause
fr1jtu)' to others, he will Jose t.his blessing and one point from his Faith
attribute.
Vow of tl,e Four Seasons

In exchange for the Vow of t he Four Seasons, Aecer wiU bless the
ordained with +2D to 0111~ of the fol.lowing skills: Law, Doctrine or
Meditation. Failure to live up to the tenets of Acccr-piety, humility
and patience-will result in disgrace for tlie ordained. Failw~s include
neglecting to pray every morning, noon, and night; putting oneseU
above Accer; acting in rashness; or disregarding the welfare of the
Roden. The result 'of any failure is an imm.edintc loss of tJ1e Faith
attribute until such a time as the character atones to Aeccr.
llurvest Vow
111e Fields are an essential pa.rt of the Roden's Faith. By taking th.is
Vow, Aecer shares with the ordained secrets of life and death, Her
blessing results in + 1D to the following skills: Fanning, Foraging.
Herbalism, and Field Dressing. Breaking the cycles of Accer by either
Lifepaths
wantonly d1•stroying fi elds. forests, or C'rops; or failing to heal the
or
injtu·ed " 'ill break this Vow. Plutislu11enl includes loss benefit s as
z
~
wdl us loss of oue point of faith. .....

VI
VI
0
ft,u: of Pol'er{J' .......
~
Poverry instiUs humility, onr of the p.illnrs of Aecer. Ju exchn.uge for 0
the Vow of Poverty, the ordained guins + 1D to aJI Suasion and Oratory a..
(l)
tests. Howcvt•i-, if U'lc ordained shows signs of greed or avarice, he will ::3
fi nd lti.tnsdf shwu1cd by Aecer. The Vow is broken, and he receives
both tlw Suspiciou~iu1d Greedy chnrocter traits .
.lfissio1uu:1··'.., Votv
Tlit· role 0f the missiounry is tu return the Leavers to Aecer's Nest.
r\ccrr supports those who take the Missionary's Vow by blessing
them with au Aura of Holiness trail. In rct1u·n, the missionnry 1nust
successfully convert at least two Lc~,·crs per season. Should he fail
to live up to his end. Ult~ 1nissionary ,vill losc thjs tJ·ait and instead be
granted the Llnt.l'ustworlhy and Guilty Conscience character traits. 1n
ndtli1ion, reduce t.he Fruth ex po nent by 0 11c.
The Bitterness Below

Posset1 was one of the ordained. He preached the wiJJ of Aecer and led
the Leavers Lo tl1e Fields of Paradise. All who followed him believed his
words to be t,-ue lUld l10ly, and they foll pity for those who stayed behind.
\Vhilc the Roden of lhe Fields recall stories of Possett's betrayal, those
Below ren1emher and suffer from it each dny.
Thus, when U'le Leavers found the1nsclves forced into ilie Below, they
believed iL to be the fault of Accor. She betrayed and abandoned them
for reasons no one ever was able to explain. She sent the1n a prophet to
p11rtish them for n sin they never 1mde rs,ood.
Long years in Lhe dark allowed much tinie for thought. Minds rw·ned in
011 th,:msdves as those in the Below sough1 nnswers to 1wisted riddles.
Yet they only ca1nc up with l,vistcd fUlS'\\'Crs. 'fhei..r faiLh warped along
with their cultun:..
'll1n~r- Hdow no l0 11gt1r lwvc faith. \Vhut remain urc bitterness, conspiracy
and doubt, along with mnpty souls. They blame Aecer for their 1ruse11· .
and w1·1:tched condition. Contrm·y to the. beliefs of the Society. those :~. ~
Bflow blnme. her for corr1mit1iJ11r them ro a visio11 thal they never had a \~ .... • ·
" 1.-. ' ~- .
l'hancc uf eornpler ing. (J;.
~\
The Cult of the Visional)': The Sotiety
Tlwn· nn· 1.hosr that !>liU believe fervrntJy in the prontisr of Aecer. the
, i,.io11 of Pos:;t·t t and thl' Fields of Paradise. ll is talked of constantlv
.u11011µ the cu lti:;i~ a11d leaders of tht' Societ)'. Guiding them alJ in 1hc~-
dn'a111:: un• the \':sio,uu·it-.s.
The \ "isionarit•s promise tha1 when rhe Boden recover what was losl 10
h11111u11:;. !h'rc:r will wrko,ne them hac-k in10 h1~r nest nnd fi.11 thcm with
h,•r lo,·l· 0111·1· agoiu .
Thu,,. tht- Sol'i1•t-y works to\\'ar<l the downfall of hUJnnn.kind. They toil
in :il't:n·ry. fuel ed by tlol'll'inc perpetua.lly spouted by thr Preachers. A
111urd,,r,•d mcrcLa.nl here. a tor,1.·lu:d village thcn,' -thc Society pulls one
brick a t a ti.tne nway from thr fonn<lu1io11 s of lnun1.111 civilizaLion .
Society members an' found

1hro11~hou1 tlll' nest:, of the
f{ od en . \Vhilt' the re c1re
exdusi\'e sct1lemr111s. most
of the Society liv1· ,U1cl work
.:uuoncr
,:, <heir kindred in 1.he
Fields and t\spcd aUy Below.
Tiu· Visionaric~ gain power

with l'nch uew inili atc.>.
Though lhl' )" cannot ca ll
upon Aecer directly ror
blessings and miracles. Lhcy
have learned u <la.rk secret
from Lheir ancient leader,
Posset1.: "Br.lier is Power:,·
Vows of the Society

During charuciei· burning,
wsy Society member with
1hr. Faithful t l'ait rnay
dtoO'-C rrom Olll' of ('he
follo,vin~ sncred ,,ows. The
onl)' n •yuirc fll ('ll t is thal
, ... must follow U Visiona1·r
(even if it"s himsrlf!) wiiJ1
at lcusl 11 84 f ailh . Only 1111.•
most iealous und cltwout
!>hould 1:on:,;id1·r I his option.
~
- Lifepaths
.\ \'OW n111st b<· \\Tittl'll as one o f the character's Beliefs. One cannot
takl' a.1ll)d1er Yow o f rhe 1,ocicty if he has previously broken a vow.
z
0
,..,.
Ill
IJnikl'.'n ,·ow,- n•,.1Jt in nn inunedillt<.' loss of any blessings, plus furth er
-
UI
puni,-ltnwnt. Se,• lwlow for the specifics of each vow: 0
Tlw I ou· of Dark11e.o;s

In t·xchn n~e for plucking ou1 one's eye and promising a life of
~e 1...-i1uJt' tu the c ult, the devotee i:; ~ru11Lc<l Ilic SccuuJ Sigl11 trait
(in 1•xrha11gt' for the ~lissing Eye trait). Such servants suffer+ 1 Ob
w all tt'!> IS involving depth perception due to their missing eye. The
dt',·( 1111 must do as the Visionary dr.man<ls anrl fulCilJ his commands
,,id10111 he,.itation. Failure to serve the Visionruy with absolute loyalty

"-ill re:inlt in the loss of the Second Sight trait. The Missing Eye trait
re ma ms.
The Jr1w of SecreCJ'

The con1pletion of Possett 's vision requires utmost secrecy. To reveal
anot.hcr Sor.icty rnembcr Lo the outside would mean the loss of years
of work. To fortify hin1self ugainst inten·oga1ions and suasion, the
member rna y take the Vow of Secrcey. This will add +4 points to
che body of argu1ne11t in a Dur.I of \Vits to interrogate, persuade or
orherwisc question the n1r.niber in regards co the Society. \Villingly
revealing sucli infonnation will break the Vow, aod re.suit in a curse.
His tongue ·will rot and dissolve in a matter of hours, rendering the
former devotee mute--take the~1ute or Tongueless n·ait .im1ne<liately.
77,e 1lvi:,tetl 1"0lv

Recruiting ne.w members into the Society is essential to the completion
of its goals. Thus, the Visionary 1uay bless those wbo take the Twisted
Vow by granting them+1D to any Falsehoocl or Persuasion tests when
trying to recruil new initiaLes. Should the cultist fail to convert his
target, punishment comes swihJy. I-le with wracked a constant pain for .::.:•.
an ttmount of days equal to his masgin of. failure from the Persuasion
tc~<;t. This pain equates to n +1 Ob to all tests for the duration of th£> •
curse.
A Change of Faith
D1tring character hunting, 1hcrc is the possibility that a devotee of one
Fuith convi:rts to another Faith . This is certainly a possible outcome
a111ong the Roden, ei;pecially considering the amount of zealous
Misi;ionari,:s an<l twht<~cJ Ptirverters who travel abroad.
Shou ld thi:; l,e part of your character concept, factor the character's
:,tarting Fail h attribute based on his current belief, no n1atter how
:;trong his previous Faitl1 n1ight have been. ff he was once a Preacher,
for i11srance. who found redemption in the eyes of Aecer, his Faith is
<le1t·rn1ined by 1hr three questions found on page 206 in the Character
B11n1er ( + 1D of Failh for each correct answer). If he was a ~1issionary who
fow1d his ow11 answers and forsook Aecer in fovor of his own "vision,"
then hi:. Faith is cleterrnined by the number of Cultists that he pm·chascd
\\ith resource points.
..\ Hode n character may change faiths in play as well. Rewrite the
ncce~sary Beliefs. Of cow·se, once the anchor Belief for Faith or Visionary
Faith is rrwdt1e11, the n·ait is lost. Faith or Visionary Faith may be ea111ed
or IT.:1.11:,formeJ in play via n trai.t vote. Also, beware the penalty of any
\'OWS you' ve taken!
Magic and the Roden

Albinos adapted their magica1 forn1s from those of humankind. Gifted
Hoden who have taken 1hr. Albino lifcpaiJ1 may open Sorcery and other
magical skills as per the stru1dar<I rules in tl1e Burning \Vhed.
Roden Resources
Resources Br Casi Traveling Gear ....... .............. ..... 1
Arms ............... .......................... 5 Shoes ......... ................................ 3
Roden Throwing Blades ........... 15 Tool Kit ... ......................... .. ,.. ..... 9
Wou<lcn Shield ..... ,............ .. ...... 2 FiJ-cbomhs ......................... ....... 20
Lcatl1cr ,\.nrwr ........................ f0 Rohes of tJ1c Ordained ............... 1
Plated Lent her Armor .. ........ .... l 5 Honeyed Oatcakt's ..................... 5
Chain ,\m1or ........ ................... 2.0 Dnndcwine ....... ......... .......... ...... 5
\Vork~bop ......... ............. .......... 20 Blood Blossom ......... ......... ......... 5
Animal hr.ril .............. .. .,..... .. .... 10 Boden Propc·ny ..... See Description
Clorhes ................... ................... I Visionary Cu.h ...... Sec• Description
Roden Throwing Blades- This cutc:gory i11cl11des o number of weapons

dC."Sil-(n<'d for throwing., induding knives, darts ru1d disc.s. The blllance of
thes1! hlacles is supc:rb anrl adds +1D Lo t-he Throwing skill when used.
Pluyt·1-s may 1ak" two k11ives. Th~e arr 111ra11t to br rare and expensive.
Pow 1, VAL DOF 1-2/;3-~/5-6, Ru11~c: Op1imal 10, Extreme 1D.
Lifepaths
Woodrn Shidd- \X'hilc m·n1or might l..w. very nu·c for Ho<len, tlw.y often
u$i' ~hi,·lds 111 proll·ct thc,nsclves in battle. These shields are ,na<lt~ fro,n
::.troll/! wood iu1d offPr 2D of protection as target shidds.
Roden ProprrtJ·- A cll·n for a single.> Roden. 2 rps: a nest for a smaU family
of Rod1•11. 7 rps: n nest for a large group of Ro<lcn, 10 rp~. Apiary for
the bePkcq)l'r:;, 1 U 1vs. Fields for hru·vcstcrs, 15 rps.
\isionary Cult-The devotees of the. Visionary, they follow his guidance and
do his bidding. ~1ost arc clever and work inconspicuously among the
Fidtl 1u1d Bdow, bein~ very eare.ful to avoid suspicion. Only a Visionary
may purchase u Cult. A Cull cow1ts· as an affiliation. Each die spent in
tl1t• :1.fl'iliation also grants +1D to Ihe Visionury Faith truit. lf the cult is
lost. Ul'SIToyed or abandoned, tJ1e Visiouary loses access to these dice.
Fircbombs-1.n order to plll·chasc firebombs, the character's last lifepath
must be i.n the. Society. Players may piw·chasc si.x bo1tlc-5izcd bo1nhs
or one rnc<litm1-sized incendiary bont.b. If n player's last lifcpath was
Arsonist, hl• Lnay purch11se the firebombs fo1· 6 11Js. See the Firebombs
skill desc1iption fur more infonnation.
Robes orthe Ordained-Thesli are th<' hnn1l,lt> wool robes worn by Acccr's
Ordai.ne<l. Brothers and Sisters wear brown; Fathers and ~'lathers wear
green; and Abbots aud Abb,~ssc~ wear pmnpk.in.
Honeyed Oatcakes- These are a dcliglll for any traveler! Sweet and
enu1chy, fill i.ng und healthy, they don't spoil and 1nake for good meals
while Oil the road. They add +1D to ru1y l~orte or Health te.sts made
,YitJ1in 1 clay of consuinption.
Dande\\inc- Made frorn dandelions and infused with other secret liquids
un<l spices, <landcwine is feantred at every Fie.Id Roden social event.
Stuprisingly, it's nonalcoholic, but if has wondrous effects. Re<luc(~ .
hesitation by one and also decrease by on<· all social skill tests obstacles .-.:·
madt.' against those drunk on the wine.
Blood Blossom- Known in the Fields and Below for its greut ht'aJing •
pow<'rs, blood blossoms hav,\ hcr.n the sraple of Rodl'n healers for ages.
Harvcstr.d 011ly at the slu11n1cr cquino::t, they arc prepared unmcdiately
u11d stuy ui;uhll' for up to a f11II yf'ar. These Dowers wiU add+1 D to any
Mtrbulism or Field Drc:ssing tests.
Animal Herd- Although the Fidd Roden do not keep o.nhnals, I.heir kin
or
Brlow have long known thl' tust<'. flesh. A herd lllll)' include goats,
pigs or chickc·ns. TI,is counts as proprrty for tJw p,u·posr.s of factoring
Resources.
--
' ' '\
Roden in Play
Faith 11Jakcs a good centruJ tlietne for a Roden can1paign. TI1cir !ustory .i.-;
based upon the tragedy of uusplacecl belief nud a vow d1a1 couJd never he
fulfilled. Their various cull w·cs stradcUt• the fTacnu-r th.is deluded prom.isr
created. The Field Roden desin.~ to 1-ct1u-n the wavward and re1wite tl1e
race; the Society will never look back and won't res t until their prophecy
of their savior cmues true: those Uelow have lost all faith and mock ti.Jose
who rely on ruiy power aside fron1 their own.
Use this connict to fuel yolU· can1prugn. A theme as stTong as fttith

provides fertile groiu1d for conflict and roleplaying. Of course you cru1
also look to otu- own hist011· for inspiration: crusades. genocides and
te rrori:.t acts. Look nJso to tl11! e:xamplcs of ,uissionnrics und podftst"s.
Incorporating Boden widt other races to create a campaign can be great f1u1
as well. A Missionary can join Dwarves in an atten1pl to reclaim lost n1incs
and conve11 those Ddow. ,\ Prc~cher can recruit liun11u1s to help topple an
ene,ny city. A Burglar cnn join a band of outlaws in an effort to expand
their te1Titory. An AJJJmo can quest with a worlcUy party t.lu-oughout
1he lands. looking for ru1 answer to the Rodeo's dilemma. These w·e
basic ca,npaign goals, and there are sw·ely many more you can imagine.
Lifepaths
Thl· n:u11ifit·a1 iou of t lw Rod,:.11 is. of course. tht? grund~st campaign

:i n,,dl'tl ,·ould pnrticipul<' in. To reduim two-thirds of a pop11latio11
z
(!)
, l'tll'h'rt·cl ar1.·o~i- the lanJs is m1 epic in the niaking. \Vb.i<'h faction will
.....
VI
VI
0
,ucn·rd-if .~utc:t'S~ i!) P\'t'II possible-is up to you. -.
~
tn 1111 ..a:-es. Rodr11 lifopath,; urf' d.-sign1\d 10 produce- strong starting 0
0..
du.1.rncter., ill t hn·t' or four lifopa1 hs. (!)
::s
\ ,. v].
~/111
..
.:.-,
·.·
\,. ' , . ',',
,,.
'' '
•'
. •. °'
'
.· ' .
....
1 ~
., 1
•• r •
C
,·.-'),t I
...
I'
\
..f.J.... • '°..
.;~...
\ ''
••
t
. .
, l
.._
!
. .J •
I
V
i:'- . \
\
,. J •• J
,r ~J
'·
,..
~---
The Brood Mother ,I

HilLDRA, 60-Jeay-o/J Troll 8Yood Mother
s,rn wild, Manhunter, 8Yute, BYood Mothey
STATS
wil/82 l>eYception 84 A3ilt'ty 84
s1eetl 84 Powey 87 Forte 86
ATTRl8VTES
Health 84 Steel 86 Moria/ Wound 813 Hesitation 8
Reflexes 84 Circles BT StyiJe 7
SK!LlS
Man-wise 83, /ntimiJation 83, BYawhn!J Bl/-, Nurs,'nj 83, Vj/y Truth 82
TRAITS
Massive Stature, Claws, Fan!Js, N'!lht Blooded, NiJht £yeti, Tou!Jh, TrollSkin,
Voracious Carnivore, Brute, Misshapen, Witch Flesh, Hammer Hands
4EAR
Sack, R43s
R.ELAT/ONSI-IIP
Sinton, human father of>H)' th,1d {minor, romantic, (oYbit/den}
PROPERTY
Cave hole
!?.EPl/TATIONS
Cruel She-Troll {TD infamou.s Yeputation)
BELIEFS
Iw,1/bear this child to term and deliver it to Sineon on his wedrlm!J niJhf.
Iw,1/ not su/foY the presence ofanJ fro./ls xear m_y n1la!Je,
When in the v,1/llje, / am Solve'!/ the FaiY and no one can resist my d,arms.
INSTINCTS
Alw'9's approach sfraff!JeYs while weartif!J mJ Witch Flesh.
Take reven,e on those who .spurn me.
t
.•. $
~
Keep >nJ .sack close at hand
... f
I C
I
·..j
Troll Lifepaths
Wild Setting
Lifc>path 'l'inu~ Res Stat l.eads
:B11r11 Wild 5yn 2 Pit
S kills: 2 pts: Ccncrul
Trails: Trull Common tra its plus 1 pl
Bogey 7yrs 1 +1 p Cave
S kill.,·: 3 pt~: Brawliug, f'orcs1-wisc, Stealthy
Trails : 2 pt s
-} 3J'i.dgehaunl 10 yrs 2 +1 p
Ski/18: 2 pis: Bridge-wise. Intimidation
Truit,v: 1 pt: Stu bborn
7yrs 2 +1 M/P Pit
Skills: 2 pts: Mnn-wisc, Villagc-wisr
Traits: 1 pt
8fijl6ffi6li-• l'S. y;rs 1 +1 M -
Skills: 1 pt: General
Trails: 2 pis: Solitary, Addled, Slo\\'
15..yts 2 +2P Pit
Skills: 2 pts: Intimidation, Brawling
Trails: 1 pt: Brute
Requires: Bridge Haunt, Mine Haunt, Manhunter, Dwarf Hunter,
Battering Ram or Mattock
~ --~ ft~ 10 +1 M~P Cave, Pit
Skills: 3 pts: Nursing, Ugly Truth
Traits: 2 pts: Misshapen. Grotesque, Witch Flesh
Requires: Brute, Dread Stone or Bellower
~- -
lmlllllfL:. - 45-y.ra, :5 +1 M, P Pit
Ski/111: 3 pts: Torture. Extortion
Traits: 2 pts: Boor
Req11irea: Brute or lronshield
462
. ,
Lifepaths --:
~ )-
s::
0
i=
::3
.....
.....
l)J
::3
-
Vl
0
~
-
0
Vl
Cavedweller Setting
Lifc.µalb Thne B••s Slat 1.r.ads
Born to Dark Cares 5 yrs 2 Pit
Ski/11>: 2 pi,: G,•ncrnl
Trait.~: Troll Common rraits plus 2 pts
Dweller 4yrs 1 +1 p 1flild
Skills: 2 pis: Climbing, Rock-wist-, Brawling
Truits: 2 p1:1
Mine Haunt 12yrs 1 +1 M/P Pit. IVild
SkiUs: 2 pr~: Mine-wise. Brawling
Trait.,;: I pr
Dwarf Hunter 6 yrs 3 +1 M, P PiL
Ski/I.,;: 3 pt~; Dwurf-wise, Throwing
Traitil: 1 pr: Slubhol"n
.Dread Stone 30 yrs 4 +:! P
8kilb,: :J pts: Camouflage, Srcnlthy
Trai/11: ;1 pts
llcquircH: Mior I lnunr or Dwnrf Hunter
a:q
Pit Setting
l.ifepaths ]'inu• Res Stat leads
Born to the- Pit 4yrs 1 Ca,•e, Pit
Skills: I pl: Grnera I
Traits: Troll ('Ontmon trait!< plus Vile Luugungc ancl 2 pts
Tortured 3 yrs
Skills: I pl: (l\'o ski ll ~: bkill poi111 11111:;t be spe111 on other lifopttth skills)
TraifN: :-3 pis: Tas1ing the Lash . NumL
Ox 9 yrs 1 +1 p
Ski//.,;: 1 pt!.: Ditd1 DigginA, l·hrnling, Mining
TrailR: I p t: Burk-Breaking Labor. Tasting 1hr Lush
Batter ing Ram 6 yrs 1 +1 p Wild

Ski/fa: Z pis: Brawlin ~. Throwing
Traits: ·t pl : )·I a rdl'ncd
Mattock 7yrs 7 +1 p /Vi/d
Skills: 3 pis: 1-)umm,•r. Formation Fightin gt
Trails: 1 pt: Brutal
fl{'(]ltire.~: Ox. ButH•rini-: Ham . D wa rf 1-lunll'r. i\la11l111n1t:r or Bnttl'
lronshield .8 yrs o +1 M/P lf'ild

Skill.~: 3 pis: Shidel Training!, lntimjdntion
Traits: 1 pl: llnflinc.hing
ll<'fJt1ires: l\lu1tock or Brute
16 yrs 4 +1 M. P
Ski/1,'i: :3 pi s: Torture. Lash (as weapon skill)
1'rails: 1 pl: \Vhcrc There's a \V hip. There's a \\1uy; Tough ns Nails;
Ilellowiug
llequircw: 131111 or lronsltielJ
56 )'r8 10 +l M, P
.Ski/Ix: 3 pis : Comrna ncl. S1rnle{!y: 1 pl: Gl'ncral
Trflil>1: 2 pts: lnsirJinus C: r 1why. \vickcdly Clever
Requirn;: Bcllowcr
t '11,i~ i> u 1miui11g ~kill. 'll1t'>r skill,,..,,, 2. poi111 s lo open 111111 111oy 1101 l,~ n,ln111l'r1I.
Lifepaths .•
~·
_,
Stat Pools for Trolls b ~

0
~
Starting Age Mental Pool Physical Pool ::s
~
~
,-.
1-5 years 3 pts 11 ptE ::sUl
6-12 years -¼ P.'ta 14i!).ts
1:{- 1q yt•an, 0
4 pts 17 p ts >-h
20-27 years 4 pts 19 pts ~
•) ._, - 1"")"7
,..{) •
58-80 years
8 1- 1~-t
\
\ l''ll''-'
C. -~
)l' W'~
-t p ts
4 pts
4 pts
20 pts
19 pts
18 pts
-
0
Ul
125-213 years S·p.t.s 11 p:ts

21 -t-:390 years 5 pts 16 p ts
391-712 years 6 pt.s 15 pts
Brawn not Brains

Considrring how mentally and p hysir.aJly han<licappcd TroUs are in th eir
nuLx.imum a nd rni1tinnrn1 sta t rC(Jlr.il'emcnts. t11cse cha racters may ignore
tlic starting characcer <:xponc1H 6 li1ni1 for Power and For1c.1f desired. a
player may :5tar t his Troll with its 1nax.imums in Power and Forte.
Troll Round Up
• Massi\'CSlalurc: Slat ma,\.iruw n ex-ponents: \Vill 6, Per 6. Agi 5, Spd 5,
Pow 9. For 9. 1"li11in1um Power ru1d forte of 4
• Claws: Pow 1 for damaging L ocks
• Fangs: Pow 1 bite at1ack a t S hortes1 fig htin g distance

• Night Rlooded: T urneJ to ston,~ by llui sm,
• Night Eyed: No vision p r nnltic:s for d im light or dru·k11e$:-. + 1 Ob iu

bright ligh1
• Tou~h: Round up fo r Morral \Vouncl
• Troll Skin providr~, protc.•ction 1:quivulcnt lo full body leat..ht!r onnor

--
Mountains of Trolls
Born of stone and sorcery in the dark ages at the dawn of time,
tJ1eSl' fell creatures now roam tJ1e earth deso·oying and devouring
anything that crosses then1. They arc simple of mjnd, have no craft
savt> a1w·dcr, warfare and sd11:m.ing, and are in1possibly tough.
In tliis age, Trolls ar e generally found in one of three places: in t.hc

lost uud far-flun g wilds hunting the unfortunate, in cJ1e caves and
mines s unk deep into ilie earth or in terrible armies allied with
aU t-hat is corrupt and wicked -set upon the destruction of al.I
civilization.
Trolls in tlH~ wild will occasionally form gangs. T hese serve the
dual purpose of efficiently ravaging outlying countryside while
intimidating other Trolls into joining the pack. Inevitably, these
gangs are loose confederations of a handful of lazy and difficult
to ,notivate indhridunfa, so thcr dissolve ao quickly as they form.
\Vben dwelling undcrgrow1d, TI-oUs are exclusively solitary. Perhaps

• it is the scarcity of food that drives them to cJtls behavior. \Vhatever
.~ the reason, Dwarven miners rarely report sighting more than one
of the beasts at a time.
T here is a certain breed of Trolls that will form a twisted society.

These beasts are born and bred in great, dark pits where they are
tortured until broken into obedience to their n1asters. From these
violent ranks, a real leader arises-a warlord-who galvanizes his
\ host and drives them on to conquer the mortal lands. Fortunately,
s uch fonnidahle leaders are extrc1ncly rare among Troll kind. Often
an entire age passes with no word at all from these creatw·es.
466
Lifepaths
Common Traits
Black Nails Dt
Trolls iypically have massivc:, craggy cluws nsccl for cliggin~ and tearing.
Th,•\•
. -. do n,Iof tc:n use their clows as n weapon, favoring
. the use of their stony
fi&ts 1'' subtluc prey. However if a Troll hos anod1cr charac1cr in a LoC'k and
cli,luScs to do damugc (rnt hcr than inr.rease the Lock), odd+1 Powc.-r to the
<lama"r.
e ·0
ft I1c uttoC'k· due to th(· claws gou~mg
. .m10 t I1e v1cl11n.
. .
fang,_ _ __ _ ..Jl.L_ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __
,\ Troll '~ mout h is a moss o f mis$hnpcn tcc1h and fangs. I-le may biw. Pow 1.
Atld 2· VA-, \VS: 2, Shortcs1.
.. .
Night Blooded D
Noe:1 11rnal by unturc. Trolls typically shun thr su nlight. for it will undo 1he
~on,cry wl.iie:h guv(· ihcir night-stalkiug ancestors life. Exposure 10 the sun
t·u11 ~l's the Troll':; sto11) roots to e:onsurnl' him and crush him from wi thin.
Night Eyed Dt
Born of the ~tuff of night, Troll~ ('U n scr prrfcrtly well iu the durkness and
suffer nu pcnu hi<'-S for ni~lnlimc conrJilions. Howel'cr. ruin and haze <lo
uffl't:t thl'rn likl· other rhaructt•rs. and brigl11 light imposes a +1 Ob penalt y.
Massi~e_SJutant~u~ce~- - -- ~ - -- - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - -
Trolls url' llw definition of ~lussi,·c S tature: bnrrcl-r hested, hulking beasts
"ith long thick limb, und shoulder~ like towering diffs. The lurg1;st of their
number gro\\ twin: us toll us h11111a11s, but c,·en the smuflest uduhs ore. rorely
k·s~ than ~c,·t'II fret in hl·igl11.
lnrrl'usc ull wcopon ll'ng 1h~ by onl' for 1he. Troll.
Tlws1· grrut lu111lwri ng Leusts must lm,·r 111i11im11111 Power and Foric
of-+. Tiu• nrnximum t·xponents for Power and Fort e arc 9. The maxi mu m
exponrnts for Agilit y 1111d Speed arc 5. Stride is?.
Stone's Age Dt
Trolls were horn of :-tonr uml sorcery 1111rl to rhrsr roo1 ~ 1hey rC'muin closely
I icd. Though 110 1 immortal. t hc~c , ·r ea l II n·s ag.r ,·<·ry slnwl)' and arr 1;apuLle
of li ving for long crr1111rics-if thry ,c nn sun·ivc thrir o"·n violl'n t tendencies.
However, the wcigl11 of granite in t:hcir l,lood hus dctriml'ucal r ffcrts.
Thdr ,•icw of the wodd is dim and ponderous auJ their abi lity to inrnit or
empathize is minimal. A Troll may n ot hu'"c II Pcrct·ption or \ViU exponeni
higher than 6.
Tough D
Trolls urc the embod i1m·111 of rough. Round up wbc11 fuc1ori11p: Mortal
Wound.
D
Troll S kin is resilient und lcuthrry. It provides 1D of armor to thl' Hrnbs nnd
hcod, 20 to 1.hc chest.
As he gets older. a Trotrs flesh often hunlcns into u stony moss. Thus. the
Troll Skin trait maybe upgraded 10 Srnly Skin or Ston,~Skin for just a few
trait points. See the Troll Special Trails list. This skin cunuot " fail~ and
beroml' damaged like urmor: ls ore discoumed in this cusc. VA works n~
normal agninst this nrmor.
Voracious Carnivore Char

.
Lifepaths
a
•f
.'
Li£epath Traits
Addled Char
lo I h<· wulb of llll' cituclds of 1.hcir
l' llclllics Hild C\'CII ll$(\ LhC'ir 01\"0
Bellm.'ling_- _.,C
..;.,-O..,___
hotlic1, to bnttc:r down wolls. lise this
Th,· , .,1111d 11f 1hi, Trull·, n1i,·1· i,;
1rui1 us u 1:11ll-011 for Power wlwn
. 11•,1r,, 111'' 11,h. 11111d. l si• 11s u coll-011
111111 1ryi11~ lo hrl'nk, smusl, or kno,:k over
fnr lui i,uiilu1i1111 m11i <:111111111111<I.
,;0111c1 hi nµ .
Bo0L - - - - __[/11u~---- Insidious Cruelty Char

!lull Trull, lia\l' furl'1' ful
11,,r,t1imliii n . 1wrhup~ ,erg i11~ <m 1he Mind Numbing Work Chnr
l,an·,i 11f ll'wl1-r, l11p 'l"uli1 il'"· 1>111
uaii i;.:u tt·d h~ ill 111rn,<l, . hru.l jukes
Misshapen Cliar
11111 111 pn·dil1·r 1i1111 f11r ll\'l'l'lll'ari 11;.:
\'iult·1w1·. Numb
B11r11i11i; \Vlll'd pa{,(l' :ti7.
Brutal Chnr
Slow
Brute:_ __ _ _ __,_"'--- - ll11r11i11i; " ' hc(·l paµ,• :3-t7.
Thi~Trull b ,;u 11111;.d• (or uh1·nan1t-ly.
.stupid) !11111 Ill' d ol·t-11'1 know Solitary Char
wlll'n 10 g i,·c up. \X-111·11 111ki11!,,! di,,
l·"·11uhi1·, fr,1111 ,,·0111ul ~. 111,·111al ., 1111 ~
Stuhbonc11..1_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _
,lo 11n1 en11111 for 1111· purp11s1·s of Burniug Whcl'I pa~e ::J·Ht
i11r a11aci1 HI ion .
Jasting the Lash
Grole£que C-Q Burn in:,: Wheel puf,:l' 3-t(J-350.
Cull-on for lmirnidation :ind
Tough as Nails
Cu11,pi1·11011s when di!\pln yi ng r ou r
Burning \fhcd page :351.
dc·forr1111 y.
Unflinching Dt
Hardened lron; hirlds Ul'C' the bo<lyguurrh nucl
Burni ng ''' hrcl pn~e ::l29.
n •iiuucs or Lh(· Troll lc~ions. They
Hauling C:0 ure trnincd to staml guord u11d luy
0:-. Trolls ore 1111: lwu,t s of h11nlc·11 down 1.lwir liVl'5 for lht.>ir \Vnrlon.l
in 1111· Troll l<·;;iuns. Tlicy lin11 I muSIC'a·. This iruil rcclu rcs l11:silalio11
impn~~ih(,, londs l'or i11tl·r111innhlr hy ·l for fonr nnr.l p11i11.
j1111rn,·y.~. l lsr 1liis 1rnit a~ o cull-011 Vile I anguag:i:._______ _
for Pow,•r wlw11 p11slii11g, pulling or
Bu r11i 11:,: \Vhccl pUf!<' 237.
hunlinl( 1111111,.,
WickedlyJ:teyer GO
Heaving_ _ c:o Wurlorrls quiekly f!row lo
Tl11• lm1 ,.,, r111111 for Troll ,ol,li,•rs
und,,r,.tand 1h01 the world ~l'C$
i11 lll<'ir l(n·111 lr.l(in11~ j ,. 1hul of lhl'
Trull~ ns 111 in1ilc1<s hrutcs. good
liu11,:r ing Bi11n. Thf'~c mu~~i\'t'
o1tly for uhsorliinf! u11d dl'nling
lar111,,,, hntil for1h ,:, orrcat w11r c11ginrs
.
<
dt·'-l~tation. 0 111:,idrrs forget that her d1uractt'r rrni1s a re replaced

Trolls can e\'iUCl' intdlige11rr. Troll with Benntifttl. \Vholrsomc. Appll'-
\farlord~ U:.,t' 1hi6 prejudirr to their Chctke<l, etc. :\nv other trait s
udvn111age-playi11g Llw par, or th~ requiring physical expression (like
dumb uutomuton while sd1t•minl-! Horns or Claws) ar<• 1e111purorily
and plo11i11~ l.il'ltind their 1hid-: lost 10 du, human form . No tes1
masks. Call-011 for St ral r/! y and is ,·,·quired to 1m11sform. h111 the
T1wtil's wlu:11 1111vrili11;:: a :,urprising drnu/!r ret111in·s a full sePnc. du ring
~• nu ngi:m or ploy. whil'h I h,• 111ngii.; slowly rakes effor1
Witch fl~es:wh.____ Onn· the Brood ~Int her rt,·cnb

DI
her tr ue nulurc 10 hl·r \'ietim (or
The Brood Muther knows u bit
is 1wrhup~ urciclentally ~potted
of magic. rnmorNI to have been
trn11sforming) .. the victim " ·ill ne\'tr
hundrd do\\·11 from an old giantess
,;1·1· lwr rh r ,ru11e wa~· U/!ain-and
in ages past. This ma~ic, r.1 lll'cl
can nrver h" l'ool,~d by the Witrh
Witch Flc-$h. gninunhe ahilil) l o
Fl1•,:;h of rhi:, Brood Motl1rr ngain.
1rn11sfor111 into a hu11dso111c young
man or wu11rnn. The disguisr is Where There'~.
imprnctrablc. The Lroo<l 11101.hcr 811n1i11g \Vhec-1pugt' :15-:+.
retains lier stars a u<l al tributes. but
Special Traits
Trolls Luv~ a bust of special truirs exclusively available 10 them. They
may also choose from the General Trait list, but they 1uay nor take: Aura
of Jnnoccnce, Cadaverous, Clu·onologu1>, Din1inutivc Stanire. Fairhful.
Fan1ily J-Iei.rloo1n, Fleet of Foot , Gifted, Joan of A.re.. Quick-\Vit1<'rl. Sighr
of cbe Bat or Street Smart.
Berzerker Dt 3 pis lfthr u1ons1cr is HI ready in

\Vbcn this Troll fails u Steel tr!-t uggressin• srnm·r when tlw abm·r
01· suffe rs
o wound (that hr can t'.onditions arc met, lie :.p1•nds two
feel-Numb and Deod to Pain work acr ions roaring and L>ellowin~
agoinsl this 1.rai1·). the monster (which coum a s an Intimidation (('S I
in1mcdiatcly and a utomatirally against his opponents).
shifts into aggressive stance. Tht!rc
is no hesitation. \Vhile enraged he Brute DI 4pts..
will (and must) uttnck any living This I roll is so tough (or ultcruately,
(or seemingly living) thing around stupid) that hr cloesn't know
him-sto.rting with that which just when to give up. When taking die
hurt/enraged him. He then mm't!S on pcnalt ics from wo1111ds, mental s111ts
to the next closest target, friend or do not count fort he purposes of
fo!'. The Troll remains in aggressive incapacil'ation.
stance even if he sprints. The rage
lasts for exchanges ec1ual to 10
minus the character's Will exponent.
..........
Lifepaths
B.ull:legged Vt 4 pis D~e..,,yCJ.,Ou,Uu[i;;eLr_ _ __ _ _JPllt_ -33 p.ts...
III plnn· of hi:- 1'111wt·J fn·1 , 1h i:s Troll This Troll cots anything-soil,
$'.
0
po,:-1•.;,;1•; a p11ir of bony hoon•s that stone. wood, metal au<l flesh. Ht• is i=
gh·,• him II kieking weapon (Pow I. ::1
......
indisrriminmc in his choices and
\'A I. WS I). Tlw Troll also wulks in fan 1·0111101 hrlp himself from ....
D.>
l::3
wi1h 11 rli~ti11din· ;.:ail and makr,, ~ampliug his s urroundinr:.rs. Add +1 t/l
qui11• a rui:k1•1 wh1• 11 t rnulin;.: uu VA to hitc a11m:ks. 0
..+-,
hnril ;.11rfut1·,. An~ Spl'C'd or S11•uhhy
~
1<·,1~ 111:1dl' while 1111 ~10m·. it1' or
n·nll~ hnrJ. ,11100111 wood art nl u
+I ()h. (~lnr 1101 lw ('O lllli111ed with
Earth.Blood D1
Nu nuu te.r ho\\' hn<lly wounded, 1hjs
Trull \\'ill ulways heal. Cuts will
3 P'~
-
0
t /l
W'dilw,I Fi11gi:r,; HUi i TuP,;.) d ose.. Lones wi II knit un<l l'vcn losr
liml,s will rc;;row. This Troll can
Ccystalline Spines_ -~Du..t_-J..3wp~.:,_s 11e1•er fail u Health tc.::.1 for Hccovery
spi111•,
,\ ~rO\\ th n[ t'l')"Stllll i111• (t houf!II hr can roll poorly. in whici1
;pro111,- from dw hu,·k 111111 should1·rs l'USI' maximum healing time i,;
of 1his Troll. Thi· spi1ws ure :;li,Hp ri'quin·d fnr 1h1' wo1111d to do~c).
(C, 1hr 1n11ch n11d urrak off 1\11(.1 Thl· orrly wuy lo dl'slroy 1his h,~as1 is
lorl~<· 1hem,1·ln·, in thl' flc-,h of 1he IU p111 hilJI lO the fire.
1111\\·an·. ra11,i11g grc-ut discomfort.
A11y o.:rcai urr Ih11t grapplt's or Enemy of the.Sun Dt 4pls
01hcrwis1· ('OIIICS into l'Olltl\CI ,,·ith Tl11· grl'Cll('-St. mo~t fearsome of

the Troll"~ , pim·:ca suffl'rs a+ 1 Oh Trol I~ have L,it>n ur1-d to re.5is1 tl1"
10 all tc,1, uutil dw spim:s nre burning ray!l . of the sun. They. ma,·.
remo"cc.l. This taki's effort if the 1ra,·d uy day and not he turned to
Troll grapples yon. 100. Tht· prnalty stone ns with the Night Blooded
l rai t. Enemies of 1hr Sun do not
1, cu11111lative for each contact.
s uffer penalties for dim or twilit
Spine~ can be plucked out in about
ligh1 . hut ll1i'y ran no longer sec in
a half hour. If the Sur«~n·
t, • or Field
complctf' <lnrkul'ss (+-t Oli in pitch
Dressing skill is used, they ran be
dark). This tl'llil rl'plun•s the Night
trc111cd in the timf' it takes 10 tend 10
Bloudrd 1rni1.
a Superficial wound.
If tl1e troll is forced omo his hat·k-if Hammer Hands D1 2 pis
he foll~ or is pushed-it is possihll· \Vith hands like great m11ttocks. this
1h01 the spines arc crushed and Troll is best ,mitl'd to brawling and
fla111:11cd. Holl the die of futt'. 011 p11uu11eling. Add +1D lo the Troll's
o 1 the spines arc rrushccl and Brawling skill for purposes of bore-
uuu~uhlr:. h tukes ahonl n mo111 h for fisted Block, Strike. Beat and Push
the r:rys1nls to re~row. (They always actions. The Troll suffers a +1 Ob 10
regrow.) nny other skill that requires manual
dcxterit)' (including Throwing and
weapons skills).
Hook Hand Dt 4:pls und causes g rea1 discomfon and
One of 1his Troll'~ lwnds has forn1cd uauscn. Any creature 1ha1 bites th('
into 11 mas~ivr boll) hook. This hook Troll, penetrates his armor and
ran lw u~cd 11:< a w<>apnn : Pow 2. achieves u Mark result must make
VA 1. \VS :2.. Shorl; 11wy Gren I an Ob 4 Forre tesl. Any successes
Strik1·. In fort, it is really too liig :u1d missed eq ual an ubs1aclc pcnnltv
dumsy to be us,•d for anything d::;r. thal las rs for 1hrcc cxchangrs. ·
Horns D1 5 pts Ridged Brow o,

3 p1s...
Great st1my hurns protnu.lr from chc Pro1 r11ding out over this Troll's eyes
Troll's skull. 111 addition to hr.ing is a s to11y• brow like unlo u era,,,")'
b~
1erribly i11tiniicla1i11g. 1hey nl~o ,·liff. This pro\'idrs + 1D of armor to

,;crn• a :som,•whar prael iea l purpose. 1hc Troll's hcnd.
\Vhen tlu.> Troll. cl.iargrs a11other
creature of relati,•e(r similar size,
Scaly Skin DJ 4 pts
Sculy Skin pro\'ides 2D of armor 10
he may choose to atld + lD IQ his
the limbs and head, and 3D to tJw
Charge Power or to do damage
ch('sl. This skiu rannot "fail- and
on rbe Charge as if he had been
l>ecollle damagc:d like normal armor:
simultaneously StTiking. Damage
ls are ignored in u1is case. VA works
is Pow 2 , VA 2 , WS 1. Thr firsl I wo
as normal ugai11s1 this armor.
successes o f the Charge al laf'k count
a,; a superficial wound to the vieti..rn. to....,nwe..._....Snk.uinCL,__ _ _ ____,_,D:,_I_....;5y,p~
...S....
Four successes over equals a Mark The hide ort11is creature is
hit. Sh on:r is a Superb hit. impossibly tough and unyielding.
Stone Skin provides 3D of armor
Iron Hide Vt 6 pis
protection to rhe hl:ad and limbs,
This skin is as tough as iron and
and 4D to the chest. This skin
scaled like a shark. All incoming
cannot "fail" aod become damage1I
damage is rP-rluced by -1 pip on tb,:
PTGS: 88 damage would he reduced like normal armor: l s are ignored.
to J37, etc. VA works as normal against 1'11is
armor.
Char
...00...,t~b.,,.y. . M.r.illa..,w'
Ti.... . --- - - ~o:a. . 1_ _..3pis_,
Moss_y Coat C-0 2.pts._ This Troll's jaws nrc massive,

Covr.red in u coat of moss and slintc, dislcndcd and tcrril,lc. The Tolllby
1his Troll hlcnds in quill\ well to Mnw counts as: Pow :3. Add 2, VA
forest or earthy surrouudingi;. Call- 1. \VS 1. Shortest. 11 replaces tht>
011 for Steuhhy or Camouflage in Fanged trait.
forcsl or mines.
Troll Savant Chm:
Oafishly Charming Char Th.is Troll has I he uncanny ability to
form l'omplete scntcnt·es, undcr:irnnd
Repulsive Blood Dt 2 µ1.s... what i.., snid to him anrl possibly
This Troll's blood is noxious nnd even eomprchcnd what a written
caustic. If the Troll should be bitten language, map or glyph could
for effect, the horrid liquid runs into rcprcscnt-if it were possible in 1hc
•c mourh of tlw utuu:king cren ure first place for Sl'ratchings on stone
<ilf"::--UIU_''lil v
Lifepaths ··;
~J
. , 111•1. 10
1)f I,~,,
fll('Ull 1111\'t He is u
• hi11!!. :½!stigial Wings Cba_ __
ii .,iuul u111ong his pn•r,,
(111'II 1I C' •
and is Two smull, bat-like wings protrude ~
0
appl.o111•·1'•11 dv. !iu1,·d a 11d li>urcd. front the Troll 's shoulders. Flap. s::
:;:3
flap. ..-+-
]Tlw1sil<k.55.___ ____ _ __DJ_ __.z""lp....ts,._
Thi;; Troll's luw('r ru11i1II' l.l'tlh
....
Sl)
:;:3
:Webbed Fingers and Toes Dt l pl Vl
prol nuk i 1110 fur111 idalilc t 11s ks. Stt·ipc 5 when swimming. 0
Thi• lwn,,:t 111ny 11~1· tl1t·sc slrnrpc11<'d Ho\
~
wc·apun,; 10 gun:- I he 1111,,·n ry. Add + 1
Powt•r to tlw Troll's l,i1 c allul'k wltt·n
iii~ a l hamls fi;!l1ting dis1a11rc. This
-
0
Vl
tniit mil\ Lu· co111bi11l•d with Fangs or

• I:
~
'I
.
'
.
Choosing Skills
In general, Trolls create nothing except rnisery and woe. This is reflected
in thc.i.r lifepath lists. Ho,vever, they are sentient creatures and not
inexorably bound to this fate. They may, if given the opportunity, break
away fro1n this. Therefore, General skill points may be used to purchase
any skills frmn the skill List except: Enchanting, Sorcery or SlllDlnoning.
Troll Skills
Camouflage Pcrcep1motAg1fity
Usiug cl1is skill. a Troll may take on the appearance of his surroundings and
remain hidden. Tiu~ Dread S1011e love to build up false stone walls around
themselves am! then wait for an unsuspecting passerby to wander into reach.
Using this skill effcc1ivcly requires that tlm Troll remain motionless wltil1~
camouflaged. Test rhis skill as a StealLhy skill.
Obstacles: Camouflage is used in ver»us tests against Observation.
FoRKs: Stealthy
Skill Type: Forester Tools: No.
Extortion \Yllf/Pcccepua
Bull Trolls sometimes learn that it is more fruitful to let their ,·ictirus live to
extort food und shiny bits from them over the years. This way they can get
more than a single meal out of them!
Obstacles: Obstacles arc equal to the W1ill of d1e victim.
FoRKs: Intimidation, Interrogation., Haggling
.Lash A ..
Bcllowers bear a massive lash with which they d1·ive on their lesscrs. So
terrible and huge is rhis whip that it may be used as a weapon.
Obstacles: As a mclee weapon. See the Resources section for stats.
Skill Type: Martini Tools: Lnsb.
Mine-wise
474
.........
Lifepaths fa:
-~ .
~
0
s::
~
.....
....
Ill
::,
Ill
0
I-+>
::;1
-
0
I ll
....---..... -
Troll Resources
Troll Gear__ __ Bp Cost
Rngs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 1
Troll Shuci;. .. . .... . .. . ... . . . .. ... 1
Sack . ..... . . .. .... ........ ..... 1
Chcs1 or Footlor.kcr . .. .... .. .. .... . 3
Tropltic~ ... ... ..... . ...... . . ... . 3
Shiny TropWc-ll.... . . ... , .. , · · · · · · ·?
Pile orHockg .. ... . . .. • . ........ . . 2
Troll Lnsh . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
M11llul:k . . . . . . .. . . . • . . .. . • ... . .. to
lllai:k Iron Slucld . . . .. . ..... , · · , · · · ~
C,w1• Hole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Troll Resources
Troll chru·ucters may ptu-chase a s n1aU range of s undry goods. There's
really not 1n11ch.
Trophies- Trolls lovti to keep skulls or ot her keepsakes from their fovorite
n1eals. These arc then draped across tJ1e s houlders or so·ung from the
wrists 10 lei other Trolls know how well he has eaten.
ShinyTrophirs-Somewhrn· along the way, one of the Troll's meals came

with some very lovely s hiuy bits. These m·c us ually worn prominently
about the 11rck or waist.
Troll Lash- T h is drc:ad,,rl weapon is used by BeUowers to keep their
Sllbordinatt>s in line. Not onJy t.locs it allow the Troll to use its ll'hcre
Ther<>'s a IV/up. 1'/wri•~· a lfay trait, but the TI-oll whip is powerful
enough to bt\ used as an nr:tua! weapon.
I.ash: Bnsc Power :::o lush skill l'J.pnn<>rtl. \Veapon is Pow 2, \i,\ - ,
Add 2 , \VS 1, Longest. The la sh can on ly be used by creatures of
Massive Stature.
lroll MaUock- A fearson1e weapon: Two-handed: Pow 4, VA 2. Add 2.

\VS 2, Long, nrny Great StrikC'. 011e-handcd: Pow 3 . \"A 2. Add 2.
'\VS 1, Long. Th.is weapon is built to s uit the size of a Troll and cannot
he wielded by creatures smaller than Massive Stnntre. Even forTroUs.
it is heavy. Characters must bave at least a B6 Power to use it properly.
Black Iron Shield- This massive shield provides 3D of protection. Its sharp
edge caJJ aJso be used as a weapon: Pow 2. VA 1 , Add :l, \VS 2, Sh011.
Cave Hole- Even a Troll s hould have a little home somewhere-a nice.
romantic. st.inking hole in the ground to caJI its own. This counts as
property.
Troll Relationships
Trolls use the standard 111lcs for relationships, reputations and affiliations.
I recommend Trolls only have three possible affiliations: the black lrgion.
t11e troll legions or a bull gang. The first two are military affiliations. uJld
tJ1e last is an outcast group.
Trolls In Play
Trolls urc, 011 the s urfuce, straightforward to play: The characters 1U-t'
tough, strong and usually slow. A fow·-lifepath Troll typicu.lly nets enough
physical ~tut points to suck up quite a lot of punisluncnt. But the grN1t
thin~ about llurniug Wlu:d TrolJs is thnr tl1t·y UH" 1101 t·onJincd 10 thi!.
Lifepaths
...,,~.
'.
'&
,
....
'.....'I.A
.
, •
~-~
si,•n·otyp1·. 111 rharUl'lrr burniu~. llw options an~ li.t1likd bu1 once in play,
thi·n· i~ 110 ph1n· for u Troll to go but up. Tlw lmrdest cl1allcn~r falls in
,Ju· rt•itl111 11f sol'i1LI aud un1d1•111ir skills-but with enough pntiencf', Trolls
run lt·iu-11 1\1I) thing.
Tn1lb an· 1101 i11d1·~1rul'tibl1•. Tlwy are tough, out I'v,:. Sl•en drtcrrnined
11r 1,, 1·11 ju::-.1 w1·ll-1•quipp1•d three- and four-lifopoth characters bring
thi·111 to dll'ir kntt·s. Withoul tl1t• Brute 1rnit, Trolls are vulnerable 10
u11:af.1uri111tion. \·h•ntul stat.s of 2 1nnk1· getting knocked out a real danger.
~o. if~ 1lll 11111st L,· till' indt·structible kill 1uuchi.uc, either take die Brute
1n1it or 1·hous1• lifq.mths thu1 give uwutnl and physical points.
It ·~ 1·,1~~ 1•11011~h to i111l·grat1•. these chru·acters into ru1 Ore-based game,

l,u1 thl'~ ran fit t·qunlly well in any grune that has a need for nine-foot-
iaU. n111hropo111orpltic battering nuns. The real challenge when plO)'ing a
Troll b ltl :;111~ involved in UH• game. It's too easy to say, « r n1 stupid and
,u·l11ti;. S(l I ju~t wnit." This is an excuse. I encourage players to develop
!!l'1o tl Bdil'fS and Instincts tJiat lie tlrnir TroU charuclcrs into Ute core of
'
tl11· ~i111a1ion at hantl. If a player take,; the "I'm jusl waiting for conibat"
approach. tl1l'll ,heir Troll character will never improve or go beyond the
bound, of ii.-; ~1ar1ing contcpt. Breaking dow11 such bo1mdaries is possible
::u1J t:\' t'U ~·ncounigcd in this oyoh'm !
-
---
----
Dominant Mother
MAYSA MAT/4 4.S-;ear-ultl Wilt,{ Paek l>omiHanf
Born to tire Paek, YeaY!t"nj, lone Wolf, La.st W"lf, Dominant
STATS
w,1184 PeY&epfion 86 (88) • A!Ji/4'ty BS
Speu/85 PowerB4 ForleBS
ATTRIBllTES
Health 85 Steel 86 Morla/ Wound 810 Hesitaft'on 6
Reflexes 86 Resources Bo Ct"rdes Bl Stni-le 11
SKILLS
Howli"nj 84, Pack Eiu,uette BJ, Ten-itory-wise BJ, BtjjiHJ 82, lnfimu!atUJn BJ,
Steaftl,y 84, Pack Huntin!J BJ {BS)~ Stent Trackin_'I 83 {Bs): FuraJil1J BJ, Braw!t~'f
83, Pack-wise 83, S&aven!JiHJ BJ, Command 82, N"Yst"nj BJ, Na/uye t1fAll Tlti'n!J5 82
TRAITS
CrushinJ}aws, Deep FuY, 4reat lupine Form, Lupine Intellect, Wulf Eyes, WolfSnout,
Woodland Ear, WaneleYlust, Submissive, Dominant, B!tntl Eje, Spirit Markel, Raven-
FYiend
TERRITORY
Marjinal hunt,"nj jl'Ounds
RELATIONSHIPS
Vkin {pup, J pts, minor, immeduite (ami!J}, Nasam-it {p11p, 3 pts, minoY, iinmetluite
familj}, AliitJaa.s {Jom,itant Spin't-Hunfer ofthe Dlljti Pack, free tl,,e to Subl!li.ssive h-ait}
AFFILIATIONS
TD (Baldt Pa&, free, Dominant tYait}, ID (Da!Jti Pa&, Spirit HunkYs, free, Spint MarkeJ
trait}, TD {Owak Conspi"ra&J, Yavens, free, R.aven-Fn'entltn~it}
REPVTATION
TD, Dominant oftl,e Baltft Pack
BELIEFS
Vktn anti Na.sam-if mean everythin!J to me,· I w,1/ raise them well antisfroHJ, The two-
ltJs en&Yoatlt upon ouY huntiHJ jYounds,- Baldt must show its tlom,'nan&e or we will he
forcetl into tire wastes. Alin!Jaas frijhtens me, hut she knows >H4HJ seerd.s,· I w,11 &Pnvinee
heY to share heY wiJtlom with me.
~~~
AlwaJs know where IHJ pups aYe. Alw~s Jefo11tl Baldt's tern'tory. Always inove siealtltilj
t
.
-.,;
•
1
when theYe are two-ltjs about.
.....
Great Wolf Lifepaths

Wild Pack Setting
l.ifcpath Tirne Res Stat l.eads
Boro to the Pack 1 yr Captive
Skills: 2 pts: General; 2 pts: Howling
Traits: Crcnt \Volf common trails plus 2 pts
"Year.ling 1 yr 1 +1 P Captive, Outcast
Ski/1,1: 8 pt 5: Pack Etiquette, Stealthy, Pack Hunting. Sr.cnt
Trncking, Foraging, Bruwling
Trait.-.: 1 pl
Re.striclio11: Must be second lifl.'puth. Mur not I.le t11k e11 twice.
:Hunter
-· ' 1 yr 2 +1 P Captioe, Outcast
Skiflx: 7 pls: Pack Hunting, Hoof-wist', Intimidation. Brawling,
Begging. Scent-wise
Traits: 1 pl: Submissive
·1fominant 1 yr 3 +tM,P Captive, Outcast
Skills: 5 pts: lnlimidution, Command. (Nursing). Brawling
Traits: 1 pt: Dominant
R equires: Yearling, Aum1 Uncle or La,t \~1olf. Dominant wolves arc
Lhc pack leaders.
Note: Dornio11111s may be male or female. FemaJc Dominant$ nf three
years or older mar take t he Nursing skill. Males may not take this
skill at all.
Ao..nt '/, yr 2 +1 WP Captille, Outcast
Skills: 4 pts: Nursing, Pup-wise, Scavr.nging, Begging
Traits: 1 p l: Submissi\'C
·ilfude
•• ¼yr 2 + 1 M/P Captive, Outcast
Skills: 4 plS: Reo.ring. Pup-wise, Scavenging. Bt!gging
TraitN: 1 pl: Submissive ·
2yr 1 +1 M Outcast
Skil/11: 7 pis: Begging, Man-wise, Ore-wise, Forest-wise; 1 pt General
Trails: 1 pt: Submissive
Rexlrir.lio1111: Must be 7 yrs or older lo !like this lifepath.
~~: '~:YT 1 ·+1 M Captive, 0utcast
Skills: 2 pls: Begging. Pack E1iquettc
Traits: 2 pts: Submis1ivc, Stained
Noter Any wolf entering the Wild Pack setting from another setting
480 must take Lasl Wolf us their first lifopath iu the WiJd l'at·k.
Lifepaths
Slave to the Legion Setting 1-i

::s-
(D
. . alb Time Res Stat 1.eads
I,i{eplo the Lcgien 1 yr
1ltr"
- -
.. Skills: 2 pts: General: 2 pts: Howling
Captive
~
'-<
Tr(lif.~: Gn:at \Volf common traits plus 1 pt: Vile Language, Demented 0
I-+\
,...
:~and Beaten ¼yr 1 - Captive ::s-
(D
Skills: 3 pts: Pack Etiquette, Begging. Cage-wise
C)
Truit.~: 2 pts: Sul.,missivc, Tasting the Lash, Deranged '"'I
(D
ii,
Note: \Volvcs entering the legion from other settings must take Caged and ,...
Beaten ns rhcir first lifcpath in this settin~.
. ~,b:~dow Chaser 1 yr 2 +1 p
Skills: 8 pr;: Stealthy, Scent Tracking, Trail-wise, Ore-wise. Scavenging,
lnlimidation. Rider Trainingt. Begging
J'r(lits: l pt : Submissive, Tasting the Lash
'/4 yr 2 +1 M Outcast
SkiU.1: 6 pts: Pa<'k Hunting. Foraging, Brawling, Steahhy. Howling. Esi:apc
Artist
Trails: 1 pt
Requires: Shadow Clrnser or Caged 11nd Beaten
. Bjteh 1 yr 4
Skills: 5 pis: Nursing, Rearing, Pup-wise, Scavenging, Begging
Trt,its: 1 pt: Submissive
Redriclions: Chn ractcrs ta king this liJcpatla must be at lea!'t two y..-ar,; <)Id.
:Bo'!t'ling Beast 1 yr 1 +1 p
Skills: 7 pts: Hider Trainingt, Combat Mow1tt. Savage An11ck. Intimidation
Truil.~: 1 pt: Howl of Doom
Requires: Shadow Chnsl!r
··Black Destroyer 2 yrs 2 +1 M, P
Skills: 4 pts: Ri<l<:r Trniningt. Combar Mountt, S11vagc:- Attack
Traits: 2 pts: Fearsome Beast, Intense Hatred, Fearless. Dominant.
Submissive
He1111ires: Howling Beast or Ebon Tyrant
·:~Jl ..., ~.t
- .. 'II,, 2yrs 5 +1 M, p
Skills: 5 pts: Conspicuous, Command, Skirmish Tarriest, Strategy
Traits: 1 pl: Dominant, Great Cunning
Requir~11: Shadow Chaser or Black Destroyer
3 yt·s 3 +lM Outcast
Skills: ;; pi ~: S11·ulthr. S\:1•111 Trncki ng. Bruwli11;, Hi111uls-wisc. Poisons-wise;
t pt c.•,wral
Tr11its: I pt: 0bt'diru1, Loyal, Fc.lrll·ss
ll,•quir,w: Ca!!t·d n11d Hcnll'n
t Tbi, i, u 1rui11in~ ,kill. It ros1s 2 poi111s 10 oprn aml muy 1101 lir atlvru1tl'tl.
Outcast Wolf Subsetting

T.101e Bes Stal
Lone Wolf 1 yr 'J +1 M
Skills:-+ p1 ::-: Terrirnry-wisc, Pack-wise, Scavenging
Traits: I p1 : Wnnclerlust . Spirit Ma rked
Rf!quirf!,'>: Ycarli11g, Lust \VolJ, Cuptivt, \Vundcring Lost, Ancient
Journeyt•r. \ra) ward or Durk Friend
Sca\·enger ·1 yr Legion, 1/lild Pack, Captive

S kills: 3 p1s: Sct~nt-wisr. Villugc-wisc. Dog-wise. Scavenging
Trail.,;: 1 pt: Scavenger
R eq11ir1w: Lo11c \Volf. Capt ive or Caged and 81.:atcn
Captive Subsetting
Lifepalb Tin1c Res Slal I.cads
·Captive 'I: yr 1 Legion, Outcast
Skills: 3 pts: Begging, Cngc-wisc, Man-wise
Trllits: 3 pts: Broken, Submissive
Spirit Hunter Subsetting

l.iCe11afh Time Res Stal I.cads
Spirit Chaser 1 yr 1 +1 P Outcast, Captille
S kills: 5 pts: Primal Bark§, Pack Hunting, The \Vay of the first Hunter
Trails: 1 pl
Requires: Lone Wolf and the Spirit Marked trail
:Splrli Howler 1 yr 2 +1 M/P
S ki/11,: :3 pts: Ancestral Jaw~
Traits: 1 pl: Aocestral Taint, Spirit Ears
Requircx: Spiri1 Chaser
2yrs 3 +1 M, P Ghost ofthe Deeping Wood
Skills: 3 pts: Grandfather's Song~
Trails: 1 pt: Spirit Nose
Ref/uircs: Spirit Howler
oslij 2 points to open up.
Lifepaths
Ghost of the Deeping Wood ~

::r-
~
Subsetting
U(cpa!b Thoe Res Slal l,eads ~
'-<
:,~ 4e{ing Lost '/, yr
' Skills: z pts: Nnt II re or ,\ II Things
frails: I pt
+1 M Spirit l·Iunter, Outcast
-
0
...,.
::r-
~
Rrquires: Lost \Votr nnd Lone \Volf 0

>-;
~
~ -~unl 1 yr 10 +1 M,P n,
Skills: 3 pts: Tongue ol' 1hc Ancient One
t-
-
Traits: 2 pt
Req11irN111•11I: " 'undrring Losl
:~~.!Journeyer 'I, yr +1 M Spirit H1111tc1; Outcast
Skills: 2 pt:!: Old \Vorld-wi~c
Traits: I pt
Rrq11irr111e11I: \\lnndrrinµ Lost
Fell Ancient 2yrs 15 +1 ~l,P
Skills: 3 pts: Anci(•nt \Vnys
Traits: 2 pts: Reclusive. Paranoid, Odor of Spirits
fltq11ire1111m/: Anl'icnt Journeyer
~ff,storthe Wood 2 yrs 10 +2M
Ski((s, 6 pts: \Volf-wisc. S pirit-Hunter-wise, Legion-wise, PntJ1-wisc.
lliver-wisc, Pack-wise: 1 pt: Ceneral
1'r11its: 3 pis: Prctcrnut nrnlly Cahn, \Vatch£ul, Piercing Gaze,
Stink of th<' Ancient
lltq11ires: Dire Haunt and Fell Ancient
Stat Pools for Wolves b

Siarfi ng Age;_ ~Mlllell.ntua:iu..1..l..P.u
OO l .._
wll.-..JPL.JbU;yf-"'sCU.ic-a..... Po
....,o....l_
1 year 6 pts 12 pts
2-3: years _ 7 pts_ --~·6 p~
·6-' ~....,.. :
. "'CZ: 'ri-~$.· ~-,., !IP.~
.·~. ~e.\ •-. ..- -• ie ~
.• • .t.:.-· .. '
8-9 vears ·
1J0l?
_: t.U1i
12-15 vears
'J, !-
_·· i ;u_&'b,;,1f_
~, •'
6 \)ts
~&.:-~~'~:~-:.
5 pts
14 pts
.-~ ~ ~-- : ~-"-:
l!l~dj!',
10 pts
;u ,:
' :,. ,; .. ~I I .. , -
.., .
'
' '
• I •
., • • : . 1 I
--
Wolf Trait Round Up
• Crushing Jaws: Pow 3, VA 1, Adel 2, \VS 3, Short. May Lock and StrikP-
on the same action using the Savage Attack skill
• Great Lupine Form: +2D to the Charge action. Sn·icle 11

• Deep Fur. No penal Lies for i:old ur Heah.11 Lcs Ls for cold. +1 Ob for hot
• Lupine Intellect: You ' re a very big, very swart wolf

• Wolr Snout: + 1D to Perception tests (counts toward Reflexes), +1D
Lo Pack 1-lunting and Scent T1-acking. Can also detecL emotion and
determine identitv via scent
• Woodland Ear: + 10 to Perception tests (cotmts toward Reflexes), + 1 D to

Pack 1-hull'ing and Scent Tracking, cowlts as Observarion and allows
the wolf to determine a type of anunal by its call
• \Volf Eyes: Reduce durkness penalties by one

Way of theQreat Wolf
Wolf Life
In the dcr.p wilderness, far beyond where tbe lesser wolf packs roam,
Inuit the Creal Wolves. These massive ct·eatures arc the descendants
of 1.he first wolf, 1he 1nos1 Ancient Great Grandfather.
The Grear \Volvcs · voracious appetites drive the1n to the fringes of

the world. Even just a handful of Great \Volvc.s require vast bUJ1ting
ranges spanning huncli·cds of 1niles to feed their collective appetite.
Such territoriality pr<.'dudcs being close neighbors with other large
prcda\Ors, namely humankind.
Great \Volvcs are not natw·ally hostile to humans or other crealures,

but they arc fierce competitors in the race for sw-vival. In the ,vilds
of the deep tundra and dark forests, life is always a struggle. The
wolves will always do wJsac they feel is ncce.4-sary to ovP.rr.ornP..
\Volf Packs
Just like lesser wolves, Creat Wolves have a complex social structure
built arom1d the family. A wolf pack consists of a family lead by a
Dominant male and female pair, with thefr offspring from the past
few years. Rarely do they allow outsiders into the par.k.
Great \Volf packs are smaller than lesser wolf packs, containing
perhaps three to six wolves. The Do1ninant wolves are g~nerally the 1../--<A'
sn·ongest and largest in the pock, but this is not always the case.
Smaller, wiser wolves have been known to lead very successfully. )'-l...-.r
Dominants rule by intimidation, fear and physical punishn1ent.

Rarely will they kill a member of their own pack; often they will
simply wrestle their kin to the ground and force them to submit to
th eu-
. will .
Submitting to the will of the Dominants is a o-ait that other wolves

lean1 through cx-pcrience. To attribute human pride to this behavior
is to misunderstand. This is never seen as debasement in the pack's
eyes; it is a natural thing. Submission is necessary to survive.
485
q
' .
Below tl1e Dominants, the pack consists of second-tier wolves who help
hunt and raise the pups. Larger packs will also have a " last woU," an
Luiforh1nate beast who is singled out as the scapegoat for the pack's
frustration and anger. Also, any '' foreign " wolf entering a pack must
prove himself as a last wolf before even huvi11g the opportunity to aid in
other roles in the pack.
Pups
Since life .is so precarious in the deep wilds, raising pups is one of
the paramount activities i.n the pack's life-second only to hunting.
Dominants mate in tl1c laLe winter, and the pups are born in the eru·ly
spring. Usually, the litter of Great Wolves is very small-only one or two
pups. Once born, the whole pack then pru·ticipates in rearing the pups,
not just the parents. All contribute to bringing food, minding and playing
with the young wolves. Occasionally, a member of the pack will step
forward as an aunt or uncle, taking special interest in a pup's upbringing
and doing what he or she can to help the ,nother so that she may better
recover from the arduous birth process.
Wolf Leads
Wolves do not add to their age when taking leads from one setting to
anothe,:
Lifepaths
Common Traits
Ca •sbing laws Dt . .
Great Wolves have powerful Jnws honed mto deadly hunting wenpous.
Crushing .laws: Pow 3. Add 2. YA 1. \VS 3, Short. \Vhen using the Suvng<;
Auack skill, the wolf cun choose the Lock and Strike action.
]kep Fur Dt
1-lc:ivy and thick fur protects Great \Volvcs agaiust the cold of their lwrsh
environment. They ran tolerate extremely cold temperatures, whereas
extended times of hot weather rend to agitate them. This trait allows the wolf
10 ignore penahie.s and tests relating to cold weather. However. extended
1ime in hot wrut her causes +1 Ob 10 nll tcstS.
The color of a wolf's pelt can range from pure white to black, from 11101 tied
arnv• t0 brown, from sandy to even reddish und ochre.

t,
Great Lupine Form Dt

Great Wolvc:; possess the bask form common to wolves. Thry havl· a rangy.
muscular body sol on high und powerful legs wit.h large, well-padded feet.
Tboy hare long snouts and mnssive, protruding jaws. Their fur is a l'rown of
coarse guord hairs supported by a nigh -impermeable layer of soft und<'rfur.
Their most prominent fenturc is, of course, their mossive size. Great wolves
ston<l thrc(' to five feet at the shoulder, and con weigh 200-600 lbs.
Grea1 \Volvcs have a maximum exponent of 6 for Agility (from weir lack of
hands). while other stat maximums arc 8. Their Stride is 11.
Wolves perform the Charge/Tackle action in Fight with a +2D bonus rather
than the standard +1D.
Lupine Intellect Dt
Without a doubt, Great \Volvcs arc intelligent creatures. They possess o
personalit y and intellect equivalent to thntof humans and Ores. Never
assume that just bccousc they don't live in cities, write with pens or cat ,vith
knives, wolves arc dumb brutes.
Evr.n i.o, Creal Wolves a1·e not tool-nsing r. rr.Rt11rcs. Though !hoy understand
a great many matters, they geuernlly don't use (or c,•ru need) tools to
accomplish the tasks in their daily lives. Any wolf attempting to use tools
like hammers, swords or scissors suffers quadruple obstacle penalties.
Wolfcyes Dt
Wolves possess the advantage of being able to see well in low light. Wolves
reduce obstacle penalties for dim light, dorkocss and haze by one step.
.....
; .'
Wolf Snout Vt
\Vol\'cs l,c nc fil from 0 11 l'-xccpt ionnl sense of smell. Wolf Snou1 grants+ 1 D 10
P<.'rceptiou for a ssesses, and +·JD to Scent Tracking and Pack Huming skill
tr.s is. This bonus is also added to Perception for determining Reflexes. This
tra it counts as 01.>serva tion when combined with \Voodlaod Ear.
Woodland Ear D
\Volves have <.':<traorcli11ary hearing. The \Voocllnnd Ea r allows wolves to
distinguish between <liffer<.'nt a nimal <:nils and add +1D lO Perception tests
for assesses, Scent Trackiug and P ac:k Hunting. This bonus is a lso added to
P erception for d etermining Reflexes. This trait counts a s 01.>scr\'ation when
combined with \Volf Snout.
Lifepath Traits
Submissive Dominants
The lifcpaths can produce a Great \Volf with both the Dominant and
Submissive rraits. Tltis indicates that you are (or were) dominant in your
pack, but you 're now submissive to another wolf, or vice versa.
h's also possible to earn the Sub1nissive or Dominant 1rait hvice. Take
each trait once; the points earned on subsequent paths can be spent on
additional lifcpath !Tail~ or special traits.
Lifepaths
Aocestcal Taint Dt Ho\\•] of Doom Dt ~

Before the charge, these beasts 0--
Spirit Hunters arc said to be (b
,he chosen ones of the. Great boU1bard their opponents with cold
Gra ndfathcr-selcclCd to take up his fear. This wolf can howl and add
+4D to Intimidation. This howl
~
'-<
eternal :;truggle against the spirits,
0
speech-twisters and demons that requires two actions to perform and .......
srek to overcome wolf-kind. Once a cannot be done on the charge-it .-+
::r-'
wolf begins to sing the howls of the must be done beforehand. Jn Hauge (b
Spirit Hunters, be grows closer to tbe and Cover, it positions with 2D. Cl
.--i
Great Grandfather; in fact he begins In fight, it counts as the Longest (b
io take on a bit of the ancient wolf's weapon. ll.l
.-+
essc11cc. The more t he Spirit Howler
sings the anciem songs, the more Intense Hatred Char
the Taim grows within him. See the
Anrcstral Taint rules in the Spirit
l.oyal
Burning \Vheel page 334.
Hunter section for more on this.
Broken
Obedient Cbnr
Wolves who are chosen to become
DSJk Friends tend to be particularly
Demented Char obedient. While their masters can
be extremely generous-feeding
Dominant Dt their wolves much fresh meat-they
TI1erc are only ever two Dominants are also extremely violent and
in a pack: a rnale and female pair. punishing. Rarely do they hesitate
These lwo serve os the mother and to .kill a disobedient wolf. Lastly,
father of the group, guiding them to a Dark Friend has an intuitive
new hunting grounds and producing understanding of the powers the
more offspring to strengthen aud Blood Summoners wield-lie
expand the pack. This trait grants knows the might of success and the
a 1D affiliation with a pack and a calamity of failure. It is far better to
1D reputation within that pack as aid the former and prevent the latter.
a Dominant. This trait compound:-
with other similar, appropriate
Odor of $pi cits Dt ·o
• •
This wolf stinks of spirits. The packs ·:
affiliations and reputations.
shun him, and the Spirit Hunters
Fendess harry him. 10 infamous reputation
Burning Wheel page 326. and +1 Ob Inconspicuous among
the wild packs and legion. Only the
Great Cunning CO Hauo1s and Cl1osts accept him.
Ebou Tyrants are the Dominants of
the vast Black Destroyer packs. More Paranoid Char
than just savagery and brutality are
reqnirrd to attain this rank. Creal
Cu1111ing is a necessity. ThiE trait
acts as a call-on for Strategy, Tactics
and any wise tested for insight.
Piercing Gaze C,-0/DJ Spirit Marked DI 3 pis
Tl,e eyes of n Chosr of t he Dccping On cerrain nights in the dead of
Wood burn like glittering coals. This winter, the Spirit Hunters "·ill
trail is a call-on for Intimidation. come to the territories and 5eek out
Alsu, rha roc1e1-s allcmpting 10 lone wolves. Those who ore chosen
dci:civc.· 1he wolf (using Falsehood, rccl'ivc u special s(·cnt and ore
Prrsuusion or S001hi11g Platitudes) n1orkc<l 10 bt'come Spirit Humcrs.
suffcra+I Ob penalty. Burn ing This 1111i1· is required to h e ublc
flnmcs fln~h implacably behind his to ruke the Spirit Chaser lifcpnth.
cyl's nnd hint 0 1 the terrible ru,(' of It grams n 1D affiliation wirh the
lia rs. Spirit H11111ers. Jr also g rants a 1D
spirit mark as per 1·he Spirit Binding
Preternaturall}L.Ca~lm....__ _.n.,,1,._ _ __
rul es.
Ghosts of the Dceping Wood possess
a 1·alm11css thnt rivnls 1hc mos1 Spirit.Nose Dt
serene g lnclc on n starry summer The Tainr suffuses the Spirit Huuter.
nig ht. R('dnce hC'silntion uy IWO. Using his Spirit Nose. he may add
his Wolf Snout to detect spirits (as
Reclusive Cl,or Spirit Enrs above). Also, Spirit
Nose allows Spirit Hunters 10 track
Scaveng spirits, even I hose who lca\'e no
Burning Wheel pug(' ;J'ii.
marks or do 1101 touch the ground.
Slave No More Dt Use the obstacles listed with 1.he
After lifo in the cage. you ca11'1 help Scent '!'racking skill and be creati ve.
uut act out against the world I hnt
Stained Vt
has hurt you. Instincts that get you
The Last Wolf is the scapegoat of
imo weird or deep tToublc cam n
the pock. All of the pack's anger
persona point instead of a ra,e poifll.
and frustration is taken out on his
Sp.wt Faes Di hide. No matter how he elevates
Spirit Howlers become attuned t.o himself throughout his life, the Lost·
1he spirit world as their Tni111 grows. Wolf always bears this stain on his
A wolf with this trnit has the ability very heart. This trnit grants a 1D
10 hear those of the spirit nature.
reputation as a Last \Volf.
Counts as Observation for detecting
Stink of the Ancient Dt
1he movements of spirits, demons
Crcot \l'olvcs con smell o Ghos1 of
und other c reatures of spirit nat urc.
the \Vood wben he is near. His scent
Obstacle to detect spirits is 10 minus
is distinc t, a mh of Ancient Ways
1hci r Strength. ,volvcs muy use their
and twisted speech that covers his
Woodland Ear in combination with
coat like the blnorl of the hunted.
thi, trait but not I heir Wolf Snout.
This slink causes fear, trepidlltion
and even hatred in Great \Volves.
They do not look kindly upon one
who so tampers with the will of the
Grandfather. This trait grants a 1D
infumous reputation as a Ghost of
Lifepaths
th•· Dcliping Wood umong the pncks. Dominant, rolling over and exposing
Combim• I his with other repurntions tJ1e belly lo the Dominant and
0 5 approprintc. nibbling or licking the Dominant's
chin.
Submissive D1
Wolvrs learn to submi1 ro a Lastly, wolves may possess both
Dominant wolf ot I\ ,·cry young the Dominant and Submissive
11gr. Any wolf in the pack wuo is traits. These wolves will rule their
1101 part of the Do111im1nt pair is pack as they rightly should, but
Submi5si"''· Tht•sc wolvei; follow the they might also submjt to stronger
lend of thrir superiors and often beg D0111inanls-bc 1hcy wolf, human
01· Ore.
for 1·1·rtni11 permission$, including
pcrmissio11 10 cat from a kill. Being
~
--
Tasting the 1.ash
S11b111is:-i\'e in the pack connotes Burning Wheel page 349-350.
no wenk11css. h merely shows Lhat
the wolf understnnds the not urn I Vile 1.anguage
order of thi11gs. This trait grnnts a Btunjng \Vhecl page 237.
free rclntionship ,vith a master or
do111i11ont churactcr. Wanderlust Char
Prominent Submissive bd1aviors
Watchful Char
include: looking away from the
Dominant's gaze, crouching with
bead to thr ground before the
Special Wolf Traits

Great \Volves may choose any of the traits listed in the Trail List that are
not otherwise restricted except Ainhidexn·ous, Aura of T-Ioliness, Aura of
Martyrdom, Dexterity of the Cat, Dog-Ji'aced Boy, Joan of Arc, Skin of
an Apple and Street Smart.
They may also choose from the.folJo,ving special wolf-only traits. When
choosing a trait for the wolf's fur, remember that: only one trait may be .00' '
used to describe this feature. For example, Frost Coat and Changeling -:·
Coat cannot be taken together.
A...n....c..,jen......,t~l!ue.J.rr.JJOuJ[L..-_ __ ....Dal_ _u6,pts.. Eearsome Reast

.. GQ 2 pis
Ancic,u fcur rolls off this wolf in There is an odd and uusettling air
wuvc~. Add +20 to l111imidutio11 about this wolf-something very old
kM:;. and frightening. Use this truit as a
call-on for Intimidation.
Changeling Coat 01 3 pts
This wolf wus born to be a trickster. Frost C.nat c:o 2 pt<
Hi~cout shifts ptll tern)! nncl 1·olors The pelt of 1 his wolf is glittering
at will. Add +10 to Stealthy and ice. Use this trait us a call-on for
l11com1picuous tcst.s. S1l'altJ1y when stolking the tundra
. 1 . . ...
' .
Ghnst Coat GO 4 pis Raven Friend Vt 1 P'

This wolf's cont shifts s ubtly from Wol ves 011d ravens have a specia l
dark to light. from mottled to plnin, relutionship. Not only do they aid
depending on whut lond he stolks one uuother on the hum- ravens
and haunts. Use this for o call-on for will circle a herd to mark it for
Stealthy in any 1crrai11. wolvc.s, and wolves will allow
roveus 10 feed al their kills-tl1ey
Mangy Coat Char are also grca1 friends. Woh·es a nd
ravens enjoy t11umi11g each other
Mark of the Ancient D.J 'i pts..
a11d ploying endless ond dangerous
Some pups arc born with lhl' look
ga mtis of 111g. T his trait grants either
of the Great Ancic,11 a bout ,hem.
n free rcla1ions hip with a raven or o
Suc h rare wolves are dcsccndo111 s
1D nffiliolion ,vith a conspiracy of
from the Anciem, the firsl wolf who
ravens.
crcnicd the world. The packs believe
TILis lroit , ig nifies a wolf who is
suc h wolves arc cursed a nd dcscincd
cspcdolly fond of ravens and well
for a life of mayhem. Th is 1ro i1 is
required for using the skills Tong ue
1hough1 of uy the birds. While the
whole pock. mor piny, he is tlic onl y
of the Ancient 011e and Ancient
pock member who co u undcrslll ud
Way$.
tlro quocks and squa\\'ks- of raven
Foanidable Bark co 2¢'1 speech.
The voice of this wolf is strong ond
clear. h cosily pierces tlic Jcnoc Shadow Coat C-Q 2 pts
Tb(' fur of this " ·olf is pc rfcc1 ly
woods ood cuts through dornpeui11g
s uited to stalki ng in the shadows of
fog. Use thi s trait as n coll-on for
chc wooris. li,;c this trait as a call-
1-lowliug ond Comrna11d.
on for Stealthy when stalking the
forests and volleys.
Choosing Skills
Wolves abide by the st1111dard t·LLles for choosing skills. They can only
acquire skills found on their lifepntl1s unless they use General points.
General points may be spent on skills ju tl1is chapter lllld die following:
Alrnanac, Ancient Languages, Aniinal Husbandry, Aura Reading,
Brawling, Climbing, Co1nmand, Conspicuous, Doctrine, Etiquette,
Extortion, Falsehood, Folklore, Foragu1g, Hauling, lllconspicuous,
Intimidation, Interrogation, Orienteering, Phjlosophy, Ratiquette,
S cavenging, Seduction, Soothing Platitudes, Stealthy, Survival,
Symhology, Waiting Tables and Ugly Truth. They may also spend General
point on wises specific to your game, especially ones not Hsted in these
rules.
Wolves may 110/ purchase craftsman skills, sorcerous skills, weapon skills
or anything Lhnt requires o tJ1untb to use.
Lifepaths
Wolf Skills
.Ancient Ways WHl{Pcccepliao
IL is snid that the Creal Ancient spoke the true names cl the water. loam.
wind om.I prairie fire. Closely guarder!, these powerful nanu:s have hcl'n
1
,nsscd from g!'neration to ,zcneration of Great Wolvc~ descendc•d from the
lost wolf of the nnccstrol pack-Frll Andcnt:s who bear the Mark .
This skill is the wolf equivalent of the Spiri1 Binding skill. \Volnis 01us1 have
,he 11-farf.: of the A11cie111 1roit to u::.c this skill.
Skill Type: Son:crous Tools: No.
Regg:u·LX-- ----X1Wl-- - - - - - - - -- - -
Beggiog is the Wolf'~ version of the l'ers ua;ion skill. Thi,, ~kill may bl' used
as Pcrsua~ion in u Dud of Wits be1wecn Grcu1 Wolves or tlwir f ricnd:.. \\' hen
11 submissive wolf wants something, whrther it be fuorl or pcrmi-sion. lu.-
--
must brg the dominant for it.13cggin~ is not humiliating to a wolf: it i, p11rt
of their nnLun•. Sometimes the female dominun1 will even 111:cd to beg wl.Jtn
shr is nursing b!'r pups-she begs the pac~ to bring them food .
Obstacles: Beg~ing food for pups, Ob 1. Otl1n obstacll·~ are bu~e,J on the ~ill
of the target wolf.
FoRKs: Pack Etiquette
Skill Type: Socio) Tools: No.
Cage-wise
Crunbat Mount WilltPawcc
Cnr r ying n rider on n journey and bearing him into combat arl' 1wc.> v.•q
different skills. A wolf must be trained to modify hi:- fi~htin~ s1yll' iu urdt•r to
coordinate with his rider and not roll him or , hro\\' him.
Skill Type: Martini Training Tools: No.
Dog-wise
Elf-wise
Escape Artist Pccc.epliootAgJlil.)C-- -- -- - - - -- - --
Wolvcs cnn leurn nearly anything. \Vhrn trapped or cng!'d, they quirkly
learn the rnechnnks of their captivity and drvis!' n med10d of rsrape.
Obstacles: Collars, Ob 1. Leashes, Ob 2. Traps. Ob 3. Cage~. Ob -l and up.
FoRKs: Cage-wise, Trap-wise
Skill Type: Spedal Tools: No.
Forest-wise
.,
Hoof-wise Perce ·
Wolves lc:-o rn 1h1' hubi1s nnd nature of their prey.
Obstacles: ldcut ifying spcl'ies (horse, deer or elk), Ob 1. Judging the health of
i111cnded pn.'y, Ob 2. Age and gender of prey. Ob :J. Predicting herd location,
Ob-t.
Skill Type: Wisc Tools: No.
Bowling \Vi
\Volvl•s-lovc to howl, nnd they do so for muny reasons. It is the combinariou
of I he Singing, Oratory aud Conspicuous skills.
Obstacles: Sing discordnmly, Ob 1. Sing for joy, Ob 2. Howl for warning, Ob
:~. Howl for I he lost. Oh -t.
Skill Type: ool'iaJ Tools: No.
legion-wise
Man-wise
Nature of AH Things Pcrccplioo/W;H
This wolf knows tbe history of cl1e lrccs, the stren.ms, tbc rocks nod brush.
He knows why the suow falls and why the sun rises. I le unders tands that
the shnrp tooth of the wolf lengthens the stride of the hoofed ones. t-ic-
comprehends, vaguely. 1he intercmmcctedness of all things. This skill can be
nsed us a Foru< for nearly any other skill (cxc:epr martial skills), inn similar
fashion to the Asrrology skill.
Obstacles: Naming a nmural feature. Ob 1. Naming 11 liviag crcatnrc. Ob 2.
Giving cryptic advice, Ob 3. Discerning truth from lies, Ob -l. lnrcrpreting
natural omens, Ob 5.
foRKs: Appropriate wises. May l•oRK into any other skill Crom Wolf skiU list.
Skill Type: Academic Tools: No.
Nursing Perccpliaotwill
This is the delicate process of wr.aningpups off the teal and slowly
introducing them to mcnt and forage. Also, this skill is used like Field
Dressing.
Obstacles: as Field .Uressing. Or as the WiJI of tl1e pup, if appropriate
FoRKs: Rearing
Skill Type: Special Tools: No.
Old World-wise
Ore-wise
Park Hunting PccccpliaoiSpced
Wolves hunr for their prey in a different manner thnn those on two legs. Use
the ohstudcs below 10 determine how much prey n pack can bring down over
1hc course of n week. The dominant is always the pdmury for this test. Last
wolves, pups, cl<lcrs 11nd uursing dominnuts may not help in this test-only
Hunters, Aunts, llucles nncl Ycarliugs.
Lifepaths
Obstacles: Arlcq1wtc kills 10 feed u puck of up to three. Ob 4. Adi·quutt• kill~ 111
feed of pack of four or five Creat \Volvcs, Ob 5. AdC'quatc kills for II por k of
si~ 10 5 cv<•n. Oh 7. Not<• the houuscs and penalties for 1hc hunting i::n•uut.J~
us described in 1hc Territories section of tliis chupt<'r.
FoRKs: S!'cnt Tracking. Scent-wist'. Territory-wise, Forest-wise
Skill Type: Fore~tt·r Tools: No.
fBck Etiquette Pecceptioa
This is crucial knowl<'Jgc of 1l1c !awl\ of the puck am:I whut Ld111vit1r is
uppropriut(' ul whut juncture.
Obstacles: Fccdordt•r u, n kill, Ob 2 . Approaching tlll' pack«~ u fon•igiwr. Uh -t.
FoRKs: lk~f{i ng
Skill Type: Soria! Tools: No.
Pack-wise
Path-wise
--
Poisons-wise
Pup-wise
Rearing FrrccpliaoL\'11'111
This is the w11lf's instru1:tionul skill. Good U11rll's uncl Aunis pu,,., 011 tlll'
knowledge of tl1t· hunt nnd the traditions of the park lO th,, younE! pups. l ,t •
1his skill as Instruction for tcud1ing wolves$ youni;l'r than you.
FoRKs: \Vay of the Firsr Hunter
Rider Iraioiog wm
Tbis training Leacbc:i o wolf how to subordinutc- i1sc-lf unJ '"·.-cpt n,111111111ul~
from u rider.
Skill Type: Physirnl Trnining Tools: No.
Rituals-wise
River-wise
Savage Attack AgilitytSpcr
Ores train wolves to fight s11vagcly nnd wildly. Woln•s wi1h Sa\'agc Annrk
have access to all of th<.' mnrtiul muneuvcr,., ind11di11g Lock und Strike when
using their Crushing Jaws.
FoRKs: Brawling
Skill Type: Martial Tools: No.
Scent Tracldng Pccccptiaa
\Valves tl'nck in a sliahtly
o . different mannl'r than humans. El\'es aud Orrs.-
they rely on scent and sound in addition to sight.
Obstacles: Tracking fn·sh scent 011 dry earth. Ob 1. Recognizing a known
l'rcutun· l>y sce111 trnil. Ob 2. Picking up day-old scent , Ob 3. Following
frt>sh Sl'C nt from nearby prey on the wind. Ob 4. Tracki11g fresh seem in
new. light ra in. Ob 5. Trucking quarry that has crossed chrough n stream,
Ol, 6. Trat·ki11g uftcr rain. Ob 7.
FoRKs: Sl'ent-wisc
Skill Type: forester Tools: No.
Scent-wise
Spirit Hunter-wise
Village-wise
Tongue of the Ancient Oot>....,.P....ccc....c'-}pwli""nnLL-_ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ __
It is sa id that clic C n•111 Ancient whispered his St't'l'ets 10 his Inst pup before
hl• pnsscd on from this world. He taught his outcast a nd hutcd child how
ro speak 1hr true speech. how to make his words have power beyond
understa nding.
This skill is tl,c equivule111 of Sorcer )', Crcut \Volvcs with the Murk of the
,\ncienr trait may use this skill to cast spells.
Skill Type: Sorccrous Tools: No.
:Wa)! of the First Hunter Will!Pccccptio
This is the Spirit Hunter's history of the world. This skill 11c1s as Ancic111
History.
FoRKs: Old World-wise. Nature of All Things
Skill Type: Academic Tools: No.
Wolf-wise
The Great Divide

Alnong the wolves who walk the ancient and forbidden paths, there are
two different packs: the Spirit l-lunters and the Ghosts of the Deeping
\Vood. As their name unplies, Spirit Hunters guard the forests from
wayward and malignant spirits, both named and nruneless. In fact, they
believe it is tJ1eir sacred du1·y to do so. This dut)', and the fonnidable
magic that accompanies it, was taught to them by the first wolf, Great
Grandfather, who hunted and guarded the first forest· of the world.
Spirit Hunters despise the Ghosts of the Deeping Wood. They nrune them
traitors and polluters. They believe the Fell Ancient's nrt of sununoning
can bring no good, for it torments spirits and drives then1 to acts of
madness. It is ploinly against the 11atun· of both the wolf and the world
at large to speak in ~o foul a language and disregard the natural law.
Liftpaths
Ghosts of the Dceping \Vood, on the other hand, were taught the true
lauguage of creation by the first wolf, whom they call Great Ancient.
The Ghosts believe Great Ancient was not merely tile first hunter but
the creator of the world-forest. Before be disappeared into the mists,
Great Ancient took his youngest son, the n1ost despised of the pack,
on n winding jow·ney across the face of the earth. On the walk, Great
Ancient instructed his soil on the na1ne of every rock, tree, cloud. river and
lightning-sparked fire. Once he had imparted his secrets, Great Ancieot
cold his despised son, the last wolf, to rule and keep the world welJ, for
he would rctLLrn one day to judge hiu1 runl all his uffspriug. ....
Ghosts, Dire Haunts and Fell Ancients consider clw Spirit Hunters blind
in their devotion to a nusunderstood anccsn-y. They rightly fear rht· \\Tath
of tl1c Spit·it Hunters and avoid tl1cm at aU cost, but uJrimatdy they hold
-.....
them in disdain.
Spirit Hunters
Lone wolves who wander certain paths-lonely ,vindiag paths th.rough
impeneo·ahlc bramblt>.s and across cutting shale--mi1,?ht find them~elvt>:)
one night confronted by a wolf of eerie, shining fur. TI1is wolf \\;JI nod
and lock eyes once '\\rith tbe lone one, yet the "isitor nl'ither sub11Lib. nor
llontinates. After ltis assessment, the glittering wolf tu111~ and nut~ ful,I
bore, hurtling along the hidden paths of the forest. If tht> lone one ~in_·!,
chase, and if he can keep pace-perhaps l'Vl'll eat eh hi1n Lefore the gruy
dawn sweeps the night fron1 the sky-then lw is deenu•d d10:-l·n aud
inducted into the Spirit Huntl'r pack.
Once chosen, he is brought before tilt' gre111 Spirit I l1111ten- liJlU taught
to sing d1e Song of C!'cat Crlllldfatlwr. \\'hkh i:; tl1t• lListory of the wolf.
the world and the spirits. Once he has mastert>d tlw ~ong. he herotne:-
a Spirit-Chaser and hunts ror the spirit -pack . Hf' anJ the other chasr-r-.
patrol the woods seeking out waY"•ard spirits or those n1alignant wolvc:!>
who torment spirits. On the hunt, his fellow chasers teach the new wolf •·
Grandfather's firs t bark-a bark so powerf·ul that e,·en spirit:) ft'ar it.
Ir he can n1aster this spirit bark, he is further ernbraced by the pack
and taught more con1plex howl-songs so that be n1ight directly combat
spirits himself.
Ancestral Taint
Spirit Hnnters gain thei.J· power from the k11owledge passed down from
Great Grandfather through the generations. The duty to serve Great
Grandfather is an honor und the power grunted is 1nighty, but its end
is tragic: No wolf who uccepts the power will have a natu.rnJ death-he
t;hall either he. kiUed by violence or he shall pass on into the spirit realms.
The grentcr the Spirit Hunter, the closer he comes co succumbing to

che great spirit. Once the Ancestral Taint reaches ex-poncnl 10, the wolf
passes on.
8t11rtiug A11cestral Taint

Anc(•scral Tuint is an emotional attribute like Faith or Grief. \Volves
wirh the SpiriL Marked trait b(!Or the Taint. 'i'he shade of the. Taint
is the same as the Wolf's Will. "fhc following conditions crcatt- 1hr
Lifepaths
-If a wolf has the Ancestral Taint trait, add one.
-If a wolf knows the Pruna! Bark, add one.
-lf a wolf has Spirit Nose, add one.
- If a wolf has learned Ancestral Jaw, add one.
-If a wolf ha, lcru·ned Gnu1<lfathcr's Song, add one.
-If a wolf has 1 he S1 ink of tJ1c Ancients trait, add one.
Advancing Aflcestral Tai11t

\Vhenever d1e wolf i.n question meets one of the criteria Listed below,
he earns a lest toward advance111ent. A11ccstral Tain1 is never rolled.
\Vbcn a Spirit l·lunter finaJly gives in to the Spirit Nature (advances
the attribute to exponent 10), he is no longer 1•lnyabll' as a character-
he has gone on 10 join Grandfather.
Note that the ac1unl in-game obstacles of GrandfatJ1er\ Song an~

irrelevant for Anccsu·al Taint tests. Use of the.se abilities has a fi.xed
--
obstacle on the scaJe.
lf a player wishes to halt the advancement of his Ancestral Taint,

he alust make different choices for the character. The conditions are
cleru·ly set; can the wolf avoid fuU'illing his n&hu·e?
Obst<1cle 1
Howling for Spirit. Jaws (see Ancestral .law). Confronting a lesser
(Sn·ength 1-5) nameless spirit.
Obstacle 2
Howling for Preternatural Jaws (sec Ancestral Jaw). Confronting a
Dire Haunt or lesser na,ncd spirit. Receiving n s uperficial or light
wound frorr1 a nruneless spirir.
Ob.'Jtacle 3
Howling for Fox-Luck (sec Ancesu·aJ Jaw). Howling for Silent f'oice _.: 00 •
(see Grandfather's Song below). Confronting a greater nameless spirit •
(Sti-ength 6 -10). Confronting a Fell Ancient. Receiving a superficial
or light wow1d from a lesser na1ned spirit.
Obstacle4
Howling for Jaws of Lightning (see Ancestral Jaw). Confronting a
greater named spirit. Receiving a midi, seven'\ or traumatic wound
from a nruneless spirit.
Obstacle.,;
l-IowJing for Avalanche (see Ancestral Jaw). Receiving a superficial or
light wound from a greater named spirit.
IQ
Obstacle 6
Howling for Spirit Unst•en (see Grandfather's Song). Consuming the
~-orpsr of a creature with thl' Ancesn·al Taint trait. Slaying a lesser
nwued spirit using Ancesn·al Jaw.
Obstacle 7
Slaying a greater named spirit with the Ancestral Jaw. Receiving
a midi, severe or traumatic wound from a greater named spirit.
Conswning a lesser named spirit.
Obstacle 8
Howling for Celestial Sight (sec GrandfatJ1er's Song).
Obstacle 9
Co11s1uni.ng tl1e corpse of a greater demon or angel.
Obstacle ro
Howli ng for Spirit Nature (see Grandfather's Song).
Earning Spirit Ears and S1:)irit Nose Traits

U a character doesn't stru·t the game with Spirit Ears or Spirit Nose,
these traits may bP. " learned" in play. \Vhen a wolf character learns the
Ancestral Jaw song, she may add Spirii Ears i.o her trait list. \Vhen a
wolf character learns Grandfatl1cr's Song, she may add Spirit Nose to
her trait list.
Remember, learning these skWs and gaining Lhcse traits can add to the
Spirit Hunter's A.nceso·aJ Taint. See above for the mechanics.
Spirit Hunter Songs

Spil'it Hunter Songs are skiUs, and they are rated, roUcd and advanced
like a skill. However, each one has a magical effecl tied to it, and a ll
howl-song tests are open-ended.
Ancestral Jaw wm
II is a mal lcr of dchntc nmong the Spirit Hunters and thl' Elven Wnndrrcrs
u&111 who tauglJL whom fO sing. The Creal Wolves attest that the Elves
leurncd 10 sing from listening lo Grear Grandfather howl. Tiu• \Vnndcrcrs
sar otherwise-it wns their erl'ntOr who tn11sh1 Grandfather how 10 howl in
c-hord and vury his pitch.
Hc•gurdlrss of who is correct, this song is very similar to the Song of the
Swore!. ft allows the Spirit Howler to summon ancient power into bis jaws,
transforming them into u spirit Wl·opon, or worse.
Lifepaths
Obstacles: Ob 1: Spirit Jaws, jaws become a spirit weapon. (This is the
most basic form of this bowl. All subsequent forms couot as Spirit ;!
(I)
Jaws in addition lo the howled for power.) Ob 2: Preternatural Jams,
,·~tra ~111·1·,• sst'S add dice to the wolf's Brawling or Savage Attnck 11kiJls.
Ob 3: Fo.1:-Luck. all Brawling, Savage Attack and Speed dice become
~
'-<
open-ended. Ob 4 : Jaws ofLightning, +1 to Reflexes for the duration of the 0
combat. Ob 5: A11alanche, the wolf may double his dice on the Charge.
Duration: Exchanges equal to \VilJ rxpouent --
'""'"'
::r
(I)
Actions: 1x obstade
C)
l"1
Grandfather's Song Aocestr.il Taint (I)
--
l)J
This powerful and daugerous song allows the wolf to take on the trajcs of the
very spirits he hunts. The danger in this howl is that ii. brings the wolf closer
to joining Great Grandfather in the spirit realms. Grandfalher's Song causes
rhr. Ancestral Taint to sprr.SHI more quid:.ly.
This is the most difficult song, and within it there nre four separate tones: Silent
Voice. Spirit Unseen, Celestial Sight and Spirit Nuture.
Howl for Silent Voice

Obstacle: 2 Actions: 1 Duration: Hou.rs r.qual to Will
Effect: While under the spell's power, the wolf may speak directly to the minds
of those within his presence.
Howlfor Spirit Unseen

Obstacle: 3 or 5 Actions: 3. Duration: Hours equal to Speed
Effect: The Spirit Hunter disappears from mortaJ sight. This Ob 3 ability
grants+1D to Stealthy plus additional advantage dice for each success
over the obstacle. The Ob 5 version of Spidt. Unseen allows Stealthy to
work on normal and magical sight and negates all forms of Obsrrvation,
imposing unskilled penalties on observers.
Howlfor Celestial Sight

Obstacle: 4 Actions: 4 Duration: Hours equal !O Perception
Effect: The Spirit Hunter sees as the spirits do. Combined with his Spirit Ears
and Spirit Nose traits, this puts the Spirit Hunter's senses entirely within tht: _.:~·-
realm of the spirits. See the Celestial Sig.ht trait in the Monstrous Trait list. '
Howl for Spirit Nature

Obstacle: 7 Actions: 5 Duration: Hom·s cquaJ to Forte
Effect: The wolf may walk as the spirits do. Time does not affect him so
greatly, nor does gravity or other earthly bonds. Shade shif1 the wolf's
Speed one step to the righ1. Also, the wolf cannot be burned by mortal fire
or cold, and mortal weapons do not harm him.
Primal Back w;n

This ferocious and formidable bark comes from deep within the wolf.
Channeling the rsseuce of his snarls and barks, the wolf speaks as Great
Grandfather once did. Roll the wolf's skill vt~rsus tl1e Spirit's Strength. If
the wolf wins the tesl, the spirit is abjured and driven off. It will not rrtul'n
whill' Lhl' wolf remain$ io its domain. Jf used against a named spirit, the
obsHtdl· is eq ual to the victim's \ViJI. Success means tl1e creature must pass
u S teel rest.
If uH·tl aga i.ust a ercalurc of 11011-S1,irit Nuturc. Prima l Dork causes u Steel
rest. Trst <he $kill a gainst an ohstacle equal to the victim's Will. Successes
over 1 he obstarlc incn·nsc hesitati011 by one each. Any animal forced to
hcsitut(' from this bark will break a nd "Run Screaming." Characters may
d wosl' 1heir ow11 fate us p~r the standa rd S1eel test results.
The Primul Bark is impossibly loud anti pe1w1rnti ng. It can be heard over
o grC'al rlis1ann,' -for dozens of mile.son n quicr night. The sound of it will
summon forth any Spirit Hunters in rhe vicini1y. who will come to t he a id of
tltl'ir brethren.
Duration: lnstant1111eous
Actions: 2
Ghosts of the Deeping Wood

Ghosts know the a ·uth. \Vhat the Spirit I lunters fa iJ to acknowledge
is 1he superiority of their great h eritage over all others-humans and
Elves included. Greal Grandfath ~r was not 1nerely the first hunter to
prowl the first fores1; il was be wl10 crealed tJ1e world and all its forests,
l'ivers n.nd valleys. He is much older tbnn the benighted Spirit Hunters
drearn-not 1nerely Grandfather, bu1. th e one true ancie nt creator.
The G1cat Ancieuf took his moM wayward son ru1ll g« ve Lu l wu these ,uost
precious gift.s, which have bee n passed down from last wolf to last wolf
since the dawn of tin1e. ll isn't n1crdy a privilege to speak this magic, it
is a wolfs right.
In order to become a Ghost of the Deepi..ng \Voods, a wolf must forsake

the pack an<l all that it entails. I-Ie must go alone into the world and
seek not a mate, hut empty and forlorn places. H e must wander lost
and hopeless, listening to the speech oft.he brook a nd the song of the
wind-the nature of the world and its gJ'cat history ,vhispcred across the
backs of snowy pint's.
Once he has given hirnself ove r to the truth of d1e world, a shadeling
voice comes to him and brings light to his gloaming eyes. Some say it is
the Great Ancient himself who comes and teaches bis pups. Others say
it is the forest and ravens commanded thusly by the Ancient. Still others
believe in the power of the unseen Di.re Haunt choosing his pupil and
imparting hi1n with fcvcre<l knowledgc.
Lifepaths
Dire Haunts ~
~
wol\'t's. Din• Hatull s arC' sl'\en as tricksters and troublemakers.
-\ lllllll!! (I)
t
'
.\,11011~ h1111uu1s. 1ht•y arr eonsidered terrible and frightening creatures
who lurk i11 1ht> dl't>p woods and lUJ·e the lost to their graves.
'-<
0
A Din• Haunt learns 1lte skill kno\,'11 us the Tongue of the Ancient One. .......
Thi!' is dw equi"att.>nt of Sorc;l"ry and is governed by the srune 111les.
.....
::::r
(I)
\rolve~ wltu :.1ar1 with the Tongue of the Ancieut One skill rnay choose C)
>-t
from rlw following spells: Ancient Gdp (10 rps), Blue-Blooded l-Ierui. (I)
Ill
(8 rps). Chameleon ( 16 rps), Dark of Night (12 rps), The Fear (6 rps), .....
Crt·y Cloak (8 rp:;), High Speech (as Lo\V Speech, replace "Dogs" with
humm1:;. Ores and Eh-es; 8 rps), Howl Caster (as Voice Caster, 8 1ps),
Trackless Path (12 rps). \Va1.er \Valker (10 rps) and \Vitch Fligbt (6 rps).
New Dire Haunt Spells

Ancient Grip Ob 2-5 Ob xl Acliaos
The Chose of che Woods calls upon the strength of roots, branches, blades
and vines to rl'i1ch forth and pull down chc unwary and weak. EnsorceUiug
grass and brush, Ob 2; \"incs und hangers, Ob 3; small branches and
.saplings, Ob 4 ; lu.rgt' t.hick brund1c:;. Ob 5.
If the spell is succtssfully rnst, the flora wilJ do d1e bidding of the wolf as
best as they are able. They will carr)' or retrieve objects, close off paths or
e\'en subdue au opponent. Test the \'ictim 's Power \'Crsus that of the spell.
The Power of the spell is equal lo the caster's \Viii exponent modified Jike so:
-1 D for grass; 110 bonus/penalty for vines; +lD for brnnches; +2D for large or
thick branches. The weapon length for each type of flora is as follows: Grass
is shortest. vines arc short, small branches are long, nurl large branches are
longer.
The spell can affect all those in the wolf's presence, should he so desire. Roll
separate Power tc~ts for each victim.
Origin: Caster Area of Effect: Presence
Element: Earth Impetus: Coarrol
Duration: Sustained Resource Points: 10
Trackless Path Ob 3" 4 Actions

\Vhcn cnsorc:cllcd wilh this spell, the trovclei- leaves no trace of his passage.
S11r1·ess adds o + 1 Oh penal Iy to nnyone attempting to track or stalk d1i s
w,,tr. Each s ur.ces~ QV~r the obstaek• increusl!S chc penalty by 011e.
Origin: l'rc!sence Area of Effect: Caster or Single Target
Element: E11rth Impetus: Influence
Duration: Sustained Resource Points: 12
' .
Fell Ancients
Fell Ancients know the Great Ancient's deepest secrets. They speak
directly .
. to the land and skv, and co1nmand it to their will. FeU Ancients
are taught the Ancient \Vays. This is the equivalent gf the Spirit Binding
skill in every respect.
Fdl Ancients consider themselves the gmirdjans of the packs. Though

viewed quite s uperstitiously by their benighted brethren , they believe it
is tJ1ei.r duty to aid the packs as the Great Ancient would have. Thus, in
this capacity, they calm storms, abate the snow and wind, clear patlis
and even curb the wildfires that erupt in dry summers-all so that the
packs ,night flowish and another one who bears d1e mark might jouniey
ford1 into tl1e deeping wood and take up his ancestral role.
Packs and Pups

\Vith their limited 1·csources, players may purchase pups., pack mates and
friends for their wolf characters. These wolves hunt and travel with the
player-character wolf. Additional contacts from outside of the pack 1nay
be pw·drnsed. \Vol£ relationships 1nay be powerful, important or minor,
us per the rules in the 'Burning \Vhecl.
Pack Affiliations
Wolves think in packs. Beyond any other division, th.is is the most
important. \Volves from very different backgrow1ds can come together
in one pack and they'll treat each other as family. On the other hand,
wolves from different packs ure subject to suspicion, IJUStrust or even
violence. The value of affiliations is s lightly different than that of the
civilized world. Use the foilowing as a guide:
Cost Pack Wolves

' 5·rp9 Wild 3-5 wolves
7rps L,-g;,,,, 4-6 wol\'cs
,15~rps Spirit 2-4 "'olvcs

20 rps Glwsl 2-3 wol\'es
You may only pul'chase an affi.liation if you took a lifepath fron1 that
setting during character burning. Purchased affiliations start al 1D, and
can only be increased before play through traits like DoIJUnant. In play,
they are increased per the nonnul rules. Higher levd afftJiations indicate
your power within the pack, not necessarily the size or power of the pack.
Lifepaths
Th.is is cliffe:rent than the standard affiliation ruJes, as wolf cuJture is not
analogous to human culrure.
Pack l\'lates
A wild pack cons ists of an Aunt or Uncle, one or two Dominants, a
Hwncr. a Yeading or two if the pack is healthy and a Last \Volf if the
pack is lai·gc. But the most important members of the pack are tl1e pups.
Pups
The most precious resource of any pac k is d1e pup. \~'ithoul pups, the
pack cannot survive. \Vhen the pups are bmn in the spring. tJ1e entire .....
pack devotes its energies to h1tnting for them and nursing them to
maturity. A Great \Volf pup does not reach full marw·il)• until he is two
yeiu-s old, but by the en<l or 1J1e first year, he is usually strong enough
to fond for hi.mseU'.
A pup is two t·o eight mond1s old and cannot travel far or hunt for
itself. You must take care of it until it reaches adulthood. 1f it does so.
it can become a new pack memhe1; a possible mate or a deaclly enemy.
\Volf Friends
R"ven
\Volves may purchase a raven as a traveling companion. This i~ a
single raven who travels with the wolf.
Dog or Lesser Wolf

Occasionally a dog or lesser wolf will be inducted into a pack and
allowed to hunt witl1 them awhile. Even more rarely. a lone Great \~'olf
will adopt a lesser wolf or dog to acco1npany him on his long treks.
Reputation
Certain wolves are known amongst cJ1e packs, ravens and herds as ·o
••
prodigious hunlers and masters of their realm. Some wolves are so weU ·: ·
known that their frune spills even fron1 the lips of humans and Ores.
Certain wolves arc utterly infamous among their own kind-Ghosts and
Spirit Hunters are especially reviled.
Territory
Great wolves do not own territory in tht> way that humans, Elves, Ores,
etc. view it. For wolf packs, they occutJy territory and luult on iL They
defend good lnwting ground from intel'lopers, but they'll also move on
if hunting goes bud or i.f a bigger, Lnore powerful pack moves in.
·10 d1•11:11ui11c yo1U· starting territory, roll on tJ1c following table, modified
uy your chosen lifl.'paths.
Roll llunting Ground Penalty/Bonus
:! ll'ast,• +2 01.J Purk lfouring
:1-6 lfor_umu/ lt1111rinF,grt11111d., + I Oh/+ 11>.p,·l'in I
>r-9 1ypical /11111ti11g wounds -
Ill- It l'J,•111,J"I h1111l111/! µrounds + 1D 1'11,;k l-111111 ing
12 l'11to11rhed Old World Sec below
last Lil'cr>ath Selfing Penally/Bonus

~gion, CapliL'e, 011tccul • 1 cotei;ory
ll ilrl -
lf·i/d Domuinnt +1 to roU
Spint I h1111,•r ,.. .
+ I l'IIIC"Orl'
:Gho$l of tlte Deeping Wood +2 c111cgorie$
Fro1n the Margins

\Vaste hw1ting grounds indicatt• ill forcc has befouled die land: a passing
army, a polluting city or an ancient curse•. There's little to be found there.
Marginal hwuing grounds means that yow· pack hunts on the margins of
another culture. Perhaps tJ1e Ore Legions arc encamped nearby or you 're
hunting through the farms and forests surrotmding a hwnan city. If you
respect the bottndruie5 of the other culture, Pack Hunting is doue at a + 1
Ob penalty. £f you do not and yon hunt those who share your grounds,
take a+1D bonus to Pack Hunting. You do not decide during character
bu.r-,1.iJ1g; you may decide on a cnsc-by-case basis when hunting in piny.
In addition, Foraging tests suffer Lhe +1 Ob penalty but Scavenging gains
the +1 D hon us. But be warned, hunting your neighbors is a way to make
enemies and corn reprisals.
The untouched Old \Vorld is a rare und precious hunting ground. ln the
Old World, meal pracrically walks into yow· mouth. Once per season, the
pack need not hun1 at aU, as they 1nuke an easy kill or gorge on forage .
Howcv,:r. the> Old \Vorld must remain in balance. As the result of a failed
lest, the CM may introduce a creature of the Old \Vorld (a dxagon, a
demon, a Fell Ancit>nt, etc.) lhat occupies the. pack's territory and sc.ares
away 1.111 prl'y until ii is either driven ofJ or negotiated with.
... ,.
Lifepaths
~
0-
~
~
'-<
0
>-+-,
.....
0-
~
Cl
1-'1
~
.....
JlJ
--~
Hunt the World

Cl'eat \Volf territories tend to range for hundreds, if not thousands, of
square miles. Obviously, the pack does not occupy that whole territory at
all times. They'II ra nge fro1n deu to den, 1naking kills and raising pups.
Should 1.hey find evidence of ti-espasscs-carcasses, spoor, etc.-t.hey'll
hunt down the interlopers and see them off.
Sketch the pack's territory onto your world map. \Vhere are its dens?
\Vhat docs it hunt?
The territory rules work best in an aJI-Grcat \Volf game, or at least one
predominated by wolves. If you're playing wolves frmn otore tban one
background, roll up the various territories and tl,en choose the one that
best suits your situation, can1paign and world.
! '
' /. I • ~ I ; J
' ' .
Barding, Collars and Spikes

\Volves or Ores whose last lifepath is in Lhe Black Legion aJ'e allowed to
purchase wolf armor and weapons, if they so choose.
Wolf Barding Locations Dice Cost

.,
,..Leather ohanfton Heacl and Face 1D 3 rp,
Mcial chanfron 1-lcncl 1utd Fnce 21) 15 rps
Stiff leather collar Neck 1D 2 rps
Hcinforct•tl lealhcr body armor Brcus1, Bocly. Hump 20 6 rps
Light mail body armor Breast, Body, Rump 30 2-¼ rps
Lrallu•r srca,·cs and cuissnrlS Fore or Hind Lcgs 1D 2 rps
Metal greaves and cuissarts Fore or Hind L<·g:. 2D 15 rps
Clumsy \Veight for \\lolf Armor

Arn1or 'fype Penalty
Leather chanfron +1 Ob Perception
/'\fotnl drnnfron +1 Ob Pcr('eplion, huntinl!, trad-in:t
'-!$tiff leather collar
•
Reinforced leather hody nrmor +1 Ob Hcnhh. Fo11c and Stenh.hy
liight mail body armor +2 Ob Health, forte and Stealthy
L ciuhcr grenvcs and cuissnrls -lD Speed
i~~!4greaves and cui.ssnrts -1D Speed and Agility
Bludcs and Clnws +1 Ob Speed and Agility
Not-So-Defensive \Veapons
These weapons a re built into wolf arn1or. Your wolf must wear the
appropriate armor to be fitted with the weapon . The cost of the armor
and weapon modification are listed \\ith each entry below.
Spiked Colltlrs
Spiked collars protect the wolfs neck from being grabbed. Increase all
obstacles to Lock a wolf wearing a spiked collar by + 1 Ob.
Spiked collars are an upgrade to stiff leather collars. They cost 3 rps.
Spiked and Studde,l Arnzor

You can fit your wolf barding with spikes and studs. Spiked and
studded armor causes a +1 Ob penalty to any bite. claw or bare-fisted
attack made against the wolf.
Liftpaths
Spiki-::- nnd ,;t u,b ulso ,nak~ great hnnd holds. Anyone attempting to 1--:1
Lol'I,. Pw,h or Throw a beast so adorned gains a +1D advantage.
::r
0
Spik~·cl IN\ther ,u·,nor costs 8 rps. Spiked mail costs 30 rps.

~
'-<
Blades a11d Clau:s 0
You can fit yom· greavcs and cuissarts with special steel blades. Doing ....
I+\
::r
.,;o i-11uhk·s you to slash and cut with your limbs whea pressed: Pow 1, 0
Add 1, VA -. \Vt, 1, Shorrcst weapon. +1 D when attaclcing a Locked C)
oppont'nl or when Locked yourself. H
0
L1·atht'r greuvrs fitted with blades and. claws cost 4 rps. Metal greaves
....
Ill
mo11u1cd with blades and claws costs 20 rps.
Wolf Tactics
\'illt'ther they are bringing down hoofed prey, subduing a wayward
pack member or killing a stray wolf of nn opposing pack, fighting is
commonplace in any " 'olrs life. Great Wolves have a particular way
they engage i.n co1nbat.
They prefer to fight in pucks but do not have to do so. If at all possible,
a wolf will attempt to gain on his opponent with stealth and attack from
surprise. If spotted, the wolf will lock eres with his enemy and attempt
10 intunidatc him into running. lf the quarry does break, tl1e prowling
wolf ,viii instantly leap to the pursuit, taking his opponent down with a
savage bite to the midriff or head, if possible.
If quarry does not break from intimidation, a puck of wolves will attempt
to encircle it and harry its flanks. If it doesn't run, tl1en they are usually at
& standoff. Great \Volves hunt massive prey-huge caribou and moose that
could easily s,nash t hem with their sharp hoove; and deadly horns. It is .
0
imperative that tl1e wolves catch them on the run, when they are vulnerable. ·> •.
When fighting against long weapons, a wolf must close quickly and knock
its 'tuarry down, preventing use of the blnde and shaft. \~'hen confronting
Llie how (or worse, cros!;uow, gtu1 ur i;pell), u woU must use cunning and ~
~,en.Ith to bring dow11 its opponent. \'X1ithout armor or range, a wolf is
<J11it1; vulnerable Lo the conc.crted efforts of those loosing shaft and spell.
Br.fom 1iski11~ all on a rush, consider othe r options. ls this the day for this
fight? Cru1 it be conducted at a better tin1e and place of your choosing?
Perhaps putiunce will win the c.luy when su·ength and speed caru1ot.
--
. I,
Wolves in Play
\Vhen envisioning these wolves, think The Jungle Book, Ani11u1l Fann
a11d Princess 11,fononoke.
The easiest use of a Creal \Volf in play is as a n1ount for an Ore. One
player can undt:rtukc Llw rule uf bud, dmruGters, or 011e cm1 pluy the
Ore and the other can play the wolf. It's unportant to remember that
rhes<· wolves are not nuu1dane animals. These mounts argue with their
masLcrs. offer advice and even kill their riders should tl1ey grow em·agcd
or frustrated. So, cornproinisc or a whip is reconuncnded.
Dark Friend; also make great additions to an Ore Servant of the Dark
Blood cnn1pa.ign. Also, adding a Great \Volf Shadow Chaser to an Ore
band can add depth to the group.
On the non-Ore side of the coin, wolves make fulJ and rich characters.
They usually enter pluy with a goodly amount of skiJI and scat points,
though limited in c>xperienr.r.. This strong base allows for fast expn11sion
,lnrl development.
Though not as tough as a heavily anned and armored warrior, a Creat

\Volf is a teni.fying opponent in cornbat. However, some caution should
be taken w this arena. \Volf characters arc vulnerable-one good shot
usually takes one down. Tl:tus, stealth mid cwuting are n1ore in order
th8Jl brute sn·ength.
Lone \Volves and Scavengers make interesting additions to any party

and they come replete with dark secrets and back-story-elements that
fuel interesting play! The above suggestions usually play out best with
a fow· or five lifepath chru·acter.
Spirit Hunter, und Ghosts are potent individuals but notably more limited
in scope tha11 a Sorcerer or Sword Singer. \Vith five lifepaths, tJ1esr.
characters are just beginners-most skilJs, spells and songs will be learned
in play. Six or seven lifeputbs gives them a solid foru1dation of skills, but
the stats do start to suffer at that point.
It should be noted, though, that the Fell Ancient's ability to swnmon and
bind nameless spirits is not to be underestimated. A clever player can
make much of such power.I Lastly the Spirit Hunter howl, Grandfather's
Song, is possibly the most powerful character-affecting spell in the game.
cf
.
,-::, ;
'!
Monstrous Trait List
This chapter contains a collection of new tTaits from the lifepatl1s
in 1his book. This list docs not contain traits in Burning \Vheel
Cold (neither docs it contain the references to those traits). If you
cannot find a u·tut, look in Burning \Vheel Gold before writing me
1111 uugry lt~llcr.
Char=Character Trait
Cliaractrr traits arc quirks or appearance-based traits. They are
selC-rxpla11a101y-the nrune usually says it all. Therefore descriptions
tu\' 110 1 included. All character n·aits cost one point.
C-O=Call-On
The C-0 abbreviation is short for «caU-on." Call-ons allow for reroUs
or they can break ties. Call-ons cost two points and up.
Dt=Die Trait
DI is short for die u·ait. Die traits 1nodify stats, skills, attributes.
limitations, rcstTictions and even other traits. They can also grant.,......,_,,,
spcciaJ abilities. They cost one point or n1ore.
Common Traits
Dark Elves, Roden, Trolls and Great \Volves all come with a suite of
coruinon traits. These traits arc free an.d obligatOl')' for characters
of the respective stock. Connnon tTaits may not be purchased. They "-f-<'-'
mny be voted off in play. ~~
Restrictions
In general, t he traits in tltis list are available for purchase by any
character-Dwarf, Elf, Great \Volf, human, Ore, Roden or Troll. If
you want your human urchin to have two tentacles, pay the four
points nnd enjoy. S001e lifepath traits ore made available here for
general consumption, but note that these can't be purchased by
characters of that stock. Those chru·acters need to get them through
lbe appropriate lifepath. Conunon traits cannot be purchased.
Certain special traits ,vill be restricted ro a specific stock, and may

only be purchased if your character is of the correct origin.
Others traits arc restricted to their source lifepath only. These traits
will list no price and state "X lifepatl1 trait."
511
J .- J ~ • •
' : • • :~ - Ir •
A
Acquisitive Char Amulet Bound Dt s pts
This creature's spirit resides trapped
Aecer's I ikeness D, in an amule1. Jf its body is destroyed
Roden claim they were created in the its spirit returns safely to the amulet.
image of their god. Accer. Covered in
The amulet-bound can inhabit a new
short fur, they bcnr large con; and long
body if one is provided. Transferring
tails. Their elongated feet are thickly
the spirit requires o Minor Miracle
padded. making shoes unnecessary.
or a body separated from it's soul
Pronounced incisors curve dow11 from
through rhc Living Death ritual.
their extended suouts.
Ob,•iouslv. , this m ny requiro rhe
Restrictions: Roden common trait
assistnnce of your factotum.
Addled Char If the amulet is worn while
inhabited by the spirit. the spirit
Alarmist D1 2 pis moy romm uuicate with the bearer.
Deputies aren't necessarily cowards,
If the a mulet is destroyed while
but they know L11e best way to
the spirit is inhabiting ir. the
deal with trouble is to bring in
spirit is olso destroyed-unless rbe
reinforccmems-fo st! "Shout when
amulet-bound possesses the Spirit
sw·priscd 0 1· hesitating" must be
Nature trail.. In that case, the spirit
added as nn ndditionol fourll1 IJ1scinc1.
is released from the amuJct and
Albino D1 1 ptL becomes o spooky ghost.
This Roden hus white fur, pink
Ancestral Taint D1
eves and is sensitive to sunlight.
Spirit Hunters arc said to be
1:hc Albino suffers +2 Ob to all
rite chosen ones of the Great
Inconspicuous tests and cnrries an
Gmudfathcr-selecred to toke up his
infamous reputation among Roden.
eternal struggle against the spirits,
Combine rhis infamous reputation
speech-twisters and demons thar
with other approprinrc similar ones.
seek to overcome wolf-kind. Once a
Restrictions: Roden only
wolf begins to sing the howls of the
Always in the Way Char Spirit Hunters, be grows closer to the
Great Grandfather; in fact he begins
Amoeboid 121 5pts to take on a bit of the ancient wolf's
You.- body has been transformed essence. The more the Spirit Ho\\'lcr
into a roiiing mass of translucent sings the ancient songs, the more
r.ytoplosm. You no longer have limbs the Taint grows within him. See the
or II mouth. Instead you propel Aucesu·al Taint rules in the Spirit
yourself and feed with pseudopods Hunter section for more on this.
projectPd from your body. To feed, Restrictions: Great Wolfs only
you surround something with yow·
Ancient Terror Dt 6 pis
psi:udopods and then liquefy it with
Ancient fear rolls off this wolf in
fluid-fill<"d vesir.lcs in the walls of
waves. Add +2D to lntimidorion tests.
your membrane. Your stride is 1.
Assistant Pig-Keeper Ouzr
Lists
B
Bellowing GO 4 pts Blood Lust Dt 3 pts
'fhe sounrl of this Troll's voice is This creature cannot refrain from
unimaginably loud. Use ns a call-on feeding when it hungers. It simply
for Intimidation and Command. must have blood. Blood Lust is
transferred to its victims, who will
Reczeclcer D1 3 ps
crave blood-in the form of meat-
When this Troll fails a Steel test wh'ile they live. So powerful is this
or suffers a wound (that he cnn lust that, when they die, they rise
feel-Numb aud Dead to Pain work from the grave and walk tbe earth .-
....
against this trait), che monsccr
immediately and aucomutically
shifts into aggressive stance. There
as revenants in search of blood.
Blood Thirsty C-0 Zpts

-
ti)
is no he~itnl ion. \V h ile on raged he A Carnivore's blood runs hot, and

will (and must) attack any living he is quick to anger. He relies on
(or seemingly living) thing around confrontation to deal with most
him-starting with that which just problems. Call-on for Intimidation.
hurt/enraged him. He then moves on He must enter combat in aggressive
LO I he next closest target. friend or stance.
fo e. The Troll remains in aggressi\'e
stnnc1• even if he sprints. The rage
Boor Choe
Bull Trolls have forceful
lasts for exchanges equal to 10
personalities, perhaps verging on the
minus the character's \Viii exponent.
barest of leadership qualities, but
If I he monster is a Iready in mitigated by ill moods, bad jokes
aggressive stance when the above and a predilection for overbearing
conditions arc met, he spends two
violence.
actions roaring and bclJowing
(which count as an Intimidation test Brass Skin [)t 9p!<
against his opponcncs). Brass Skin is equivalent to plated
mail armor covering the ~-holP. hod>··
Black Nails Dt
Trolls typically have massive, cra@gy Brook No Fools Dt Zpls
claws used for digging and tearing. The spirit binder's art is not
They don't ofccn use their claws as something to be trifled with I
a weapon, favoring the use of their His secrets are well kept because
~tony fi ~t:, to :,ubduc p1·cy. Howc\•cr meddling fools will only cause
if a Troll has another character in irr-eparable harm to themselves
a Lock and chooses to do damage and the domains with which they
(rmher than increase the Lock), tamper. A spirit binder with this
add+1 Power to the damage of the trait receives n fate point every time
attack due to the claws gouging into he rebuffs an offer of help from a
the victim. potential student (so that character
Restrictions: Troll common trait docs not earn a test toward learning
the skill). He receives a persona
point when he actively thwarts
·:.
1 ... . .. i h : . . 'J . I, ~- ~ '. '
nno1hcr chnr11rll\l' rrom learning Bull-I.egged Dt .t pts

the secrets of Spiri1 Binding, In place of his clawed feet, this Troll
Summoning or Circinotiou. possesses o pair of bony hooves that
Bul:J01wl1.1:e_ __ _ _ __ _,.,_,_1_~4 pis... give him a kicking weapon (Pow 1,
VA 1, \VS 1). The Troll also wolks
This troll is so cough (or nhcrnotely,
with u distinctive gait ond makes
slllpid) that he doesn't know
quiie a racket when treading 011
when to givt up. \Vhen taking die
hard ~urfuccs. Any Speed or Stcuhl1 y
penalties from wounds, mental sluts
tests made while on stone, ice or
do not t'OU nt for I he purposes of
really hard, smooth wood ore at a
inc11pncit11tion.
+1 Ob. (May 001 he combined with
Restrictions: Trolls 011 ly
Webbed Fingers and Toe,.)
Bully Char
C
Cautious Char Changeling Coat Dt 3 pts
This wolf was born to be a trickster.
Celestial Sight Vt s p1s... His coat Ehifts paucrns end colors
Those with Celestin! Siglu do not uc will. Add+10 to Stealthy and
sec us mortals do. No visible light lnconspic11011s tests.
affects their eyes. Instead, tlltlir Restrictions: Characters with fur
vision is confined to the realm
of auras. They sec the pure auric Cilia OC-0 5pts
emanations given off hy life, arcann You are covered in a mass of
and ephemera. flowing, waving, hair like
appendages. These cilia keep you
Celestial Sight is an improved
free of debris, moYe food from one
version of Second Sight or the
part or your body to your mouth
spell Magescnse. These abilities
and even aid in swimming. Cilia
s how a cloudy, distorted wi11dow
arr used as a call-on for Speed
to the other side, whereas Celestio ll
tests when swimming. They are
Sight sees clearly and without
olso disgusting and disturbing to
impediment.
onyooe. without tbem and cause the
With this trait, one con sec the owner to always suffer penalties to
auras of spellcraft. The obstacle to Inconspicuous and+1 Ob to other
detect a spcU cast is 6 minus the social skill tes ts (except Intimidation
spell obstacle. Jf the Ob is zero, the and Ugly Truth).
speU is sr.cn outright. Cr.lP.Gtia 1Sight
g rants the ability to use the Aura Cawed Dt 3 pt.s
Reading skill. Lastly, Celestia] Sight The C]awcd trait produces bard,
counts as Observation and suffers no elongated fingernails that can be
obstacles for darkness. \Veathcr con used as tools or weapons. Pow 1,
affect Celestial Sight, though. Add 2 , VA -, WS X, Shortest.
Restrictions: Roden and Trolls only
Lists
C111b Tail Dt 2pts Communal Dt

Thi:; tail is thicker and stiffer than Roden prefer the company of others
most. It can be a surprising weapon and safety in numbers. They live
during a mclee. Pow 2, Add 2, VA. - in close-knit villages made up of
WS 2, Long. May not be combined large extended families and refer
with \Vhip Tail. to their homes as " nests." It is quite
Restrictions: Characters with tails only ra.r e to find one alone, and usually
such loners are e:<iles. All Roden
Clumsy Walker Char start with a 1D affilia~ion with their
family nest. Name the nest and its
(.oat of Darkness Dt 5 pts
location.
Some oft hose Below have adapted Restrictions: Rodeo common trait
almosr supernatm·ally to the dark.
When attempting to move unseen in Compassionate Char
areas of darkness and shadow, this
fur a<lds +2D to the roll. M11y not h~ (.on fusing Rant DI opt
combined with Fur of the Fields. Pinkies are a bit "off" in their
Restrictions: Characters with fur thinking and tend to be socially
awkward. People who speak to
CuatofFnr C-Q one often come away dazed by
AU Roden have a short coal of fLtr. a bombardment of trivia, non
While Field Roden coloration ranges sequiturs and bad jokes. During a
from sawdust to chocolate, those Duel of Wits, this trait grants the
Below tend to be dark brown, gray character +3D to Incite. The only
or black. Roden fur offers them hesitation option is to "Stand and
protection from the elements. They Blink." All attempts to Intimidate
can withstand rain and cold with or Command a character with
litLlc worry. This trait acts as a call- Confusing Rant are at +2 Ob. Also,
on for Health or Forte tests related to Ranters arc at a +2 Ob to all Oratory
weathe1· or wel. and Rhetoric tests.
Corpse Bm 10d Dt a pis...
Coclcy Char This creature is a restless ghost who
stalks the lands of the living. It is
Cold Dt
anchored to this world by its former
In a Duel of \Vits where kindne3s,
body. Use the creature's stats as they
compassion, Grief or passion are
were in life.
involved, the Eremite may double
his Will for the purposes of the body The spirit can be banished, driven
off or even wounded but cannot
of argument. This effect can be
be completely destro.yed until its
triggered mid-conflict, increasing
the Eremite's body of argument corpse is. ff forced to take refuge in
immediately.
its corpse, the spirit will re-emerge
in days equal to 10 minus Will
aestrictions: Dark Elf lifepath trait
exponent.
C
.
l ,;, :r ,. ,. , ,,i· ~: lf I,.,. -' 1 ! ,.1; ; ,· !
Destroying the corpse requires Crystalline Spines Dt 3p'L

eiLher o Minor Miracle or a remedy A growth of crystalline spines
discovered throug h Folklore. lf tbe sprouts from the back and shoulders
corpsl~ is destroyed the spirit is also of dtis Troll. The spines arc sharp
destroyed. to the touch and break off and
lodge themselves in the flesh of the
Corrupted Dt 3 pis
unwaq,l causing g reat discomfor t.
Thi;; ,·hnrnctP.r hos opened his body
Any creature that grapples or
and soul 10 the dark powers. He
otherwise comes into contact with
must open the Corrupted emotional the Troll's spines suffers+1 Ob to all
attribute. lncreasr his stnrtiug rauk
tests until the spines urc removed.
by one. This takes effect if the Troll grapples
Cnuocil o(Mages Dt 6 pis you. too. The penalty is c umulative
The Council of Mages is a small, for each con tact.
sccrccive, yet powerful cutity. Spines r.nn be plucked out in a bout
This trait gra nts a 10 rcputacion a half hour. If the Surgery or Field
and a 1 D affiliation wid1 t his Dressing skill is used, they can be
organi.mtion. This combines with treated iu the time it takes to tend to
other appropriate reputations and 11 Superficial wound.
affiliat ions. If the troll is forced onto his back-if

he falls or is pushed-it is possible
Creepy Char that the spines a rc crushed and
fla ueued. Roll the die of fate. Ou
Co,sbiog laws Di
a 1 the spines arc crushed and
Crcat \Volvcs have powerful jaws
unusable. It takes about a month for
honed into deadly hunting weapons.
the crystals to regrow. (They always
Crushiug Jaws: Pow 3, Add 2. VA 1,
regrow.)
\VS 3, Short. \Vhen using the Savage
Attac k skill, the wolf can choose the Cult Leader n, apts
Lock and Strike action. Cult Leaders are charismatic and
Restrictions: Great W'olf common trait eccentric. This trait grants a 1D
reputation and 1 D affiliation with
the Death Cult . This combines with
other appropriate reputations and
affiliations.
D-E
Dead to Pain DI 6 pl Death Addicted Dt 3 pt:;
Ignore the effects of Superficial This character is addicted to a
and Light wounds. Reduce Midi, substance. If presented with the
Severe and Traumatic wound subst1rnce, ilic character will
penalties by -1D to -1D, -2D and -30 automatically consume it unless he
respect ively. Increase all touch- und or she passes a Steel test. If denied
emputl1y-bascd obstacles by +2. the substance for more than a few
hours, the character suffers a +1
Lists
Ob penalty until reacquainted with Disfigured Dt 3 pts

thl' source of his or her addiction. If This character has led a life of
denied for a longer period of ti1ne, hardship and pain. He's been cut up,
take a -1 D blanket penalty to all broken and beaten down. This trait
stats and skills. grants +1D to shrug off or grit teeth
for any injury.
Deceptive C-Q!Dt
The Deceptive trail acts as a call-on Dissent Parasite Dt 5pts
for Sleight of Hand and Falsehood. This trait allows its owner to earn
However this trait so infuses the one persona point for every conflict
liar. he h11s a hard titne telling the that he instigates between ostensible
tr11tl1. DeceptiVl! a lso inc urs a+1 Ob allies.
penalty to all Oratory, Command
tests and +2 Ob to Ugly Truth or Drnuiuaut DI
Litany of Fools. There are only ever two Dominants
in a pack: a male and female pair.
Restrictions: Dark Elf common trait
These two serve as lhe mother aod
12ef.p Fur D1 father of tl1e group, guiding them to
Heavy oud thick fur protects Great new hunting grounds and producing
Wolves against the cold of their ha-rsh more offspriog to strengthen and
environment. They can tolerate expand the pack. This trait grants
extremely colrl temperatures, whereas a 1D affiliation with a pack and a
extended times of hot weather tend l D. reputation within t11at pack as
to agitate them. This trail allows a Domino.nt. This trait compounds
the wolf to ignore penalties and \ests with other similar, appropriate
relating IO cold weather. However, affiliations and reputations.
extended Lime in hot weather causes Restrictions: Great '.'(1olf lifcpath trait
+I Ob to all tests.
Dumb Chnr
The color of a wolfs pelt can range
from pure wbjtc to black , from f.arth Blood Vt 3 pts
mot tied gray to brown, from sanely No n1atter how badlv, wounded, this
10 r.veu redclish and ochre. Troll will al-vays heal. Cuts will
Restrictions: Great Wolf common trait close. hones will knit and even lost
limbs will regrow. This Troll can
Defensive Char
ruwer fail a Health tcsl for Recovery
(though he cun roll poorly, in which
Demented Char
case maximu,n healing time is
Dev.ou rec D1 3 pt; required fnl' thr wound to close).
This Troll ca1·s any1hing-sojl, The only way to destroy t·his beast is
s1011e, wood. mrtal und flesh. He is to put him to the fire.
i11discrimin111c in his choices und
Enemy of the Sun D1 4 pts
in fact cannot help himself from
The great.est, most fearsome of
sonipling Iii~ :;ur-rounlling:;. Add +1
Trolls have been bred to resist the
VA to bite nllacks.
burning rays of the sun. They may
travel by day and not be turned to
.'
l
.•t ' • .;
stone as with tlic Night Blooded opponents if the situation becomes

cniit. Encniirs of the Sun do not desperate. Pow 1, Add 2, VA-,
s uffor pcuahirs for d im or twilit WS 2, Shortest.
light. but they can no longer sec in Restrictions: Roden common trait
i:omplcte darkness (+4 Ob iu pitch
Enlarged Venom Sacs Dt zpt.s
dark). This trait replacrs the Night
This creature carries tbree doses of
Bloodrd 1rni1.
poison in its venom sacs. TJ1e poison
Enlarged Incisors D1 refills at the rote of one dose per two
Rodeo incisors grow coutiuually days.
through life and uccd 10 be filcc1
Evil 0 1ar
rr.gu lurly. These incisors arc quite
sharp uud can be used to bite
Extra-Long Fur Char
F-G
Fangs D1 Femme FataJe/
A Troll's mout h is a mass of Homme Fata( C-0 Zpls
misshapen teeth a nd fangs. He may Call-on for Seduction.
bite. Pow 1. Add 2, VA -. \VS: 2.
....cfe...i:...a...t ________....D'4-1_ __._1 pL
Shortest.
Wastrels lose themselves to their
Restrictions: Troll common trait
sininrnl inst inr.1,, living for decades
Fast Reflexes D1 6 pts al a time without contact with
Increase Reflexes hy one over cl1e civili:mtion-living as animals
normal fac toring from stats. do. The Feral trait r e<luces overall
hc~itation by one, hut adds +·1 Ob
faui:;t DI 3 pis to all social skill tests. Also, Feral
\Vlte11 burgaining witb the higher negates the bonus to Circles from
powers for something pure and any Elven lifcpath trait such as
innocent like love, gain a bonus Etharchal, Lord of Ages, etc.
pcrsunu pui11L for each agrcclllent Restrictions: Elves only
you strike on the behalf of the one
you seek to protect or affccL Fiery Char
Feared Dt 5pts Filthy Cha,

For good rcnson or nor, this
ch11roc1er is foorcd by all who know Force of Nature DI Zp!s..
him.+1 D to Intimidation. Choose n This entity is ticcl into the verr
10 infamous reputation. fabric of time and tidr. His will is o
force of nature. If this entity should
fearsome Be;ist GO 2 pl!; ever lose a Duel of Wits against a
There ill oo odd nnd unsettling uir being of equal or lesser stature,
abou1 Lhis wolf-something very old he receives a minor compromise
nod frightening. Use 1his Lrait ns a in addition to the compromise
coll-on for ln1imid111ion.
determined by the state of his
opponent's body of argument.
Lists
formidable Back C-O 2 pis C'.ood I istener GO 5pts

The voice of this wolf is strong and This churnctcr seems to pay
dear. It easily pierces the dense nuention co and understand what
woods nncl cuts through dampening people say. This encourages others
fog. Use this trait as a call-on for to continue speaking and open up
Howling and Command. to him. This t.rait may be used as
a call-on for Haggling, Persuasion
Fragrant Char nod Seduction.
Frost Coat c:o 2 pts Gopher Char

Tiu.' pd1 of thi~ wolf is glittering
ice. Lise this I rail as a call-on for Graduate D1 3 pts ....
t"--1
S1rnhhy when stalking the tundr-a This troit grants a 1D affiliation .....
Vl
nnd arnk wa ~1cs. with n College of Magic. Thi!'I

Restrictions: Cha ractcn; with fur combines with otlier appropriate
aud applicublc offilintion,;.
Fur Choe
,\ fini:, soft fur cont covers the skin. Great Cunning c.o
5 pis
Ebon Tyrants arc the Dominants of
frustrated Char
the vast Black Destroyer packs. More
tha n just savagery and brutalit y ore
fuLoithe Fields DI 5 pts
Haden witb tl.iis trait have a required co attain this rank. Great
Cunning is a necessity. This trait
wondrous cont of fur that allows
nets as a ca II-on for Strategy, Tactics
them IO blend into any field or
and any wise tested for insight.
woodlnncl terrain. \Vhen attempting
Restrictions: Great \Volf ouly
to Stealth in such areas, chis fur
adds +20 to 1he roll. May not be Great 1,upine Form Dr
combined with Coat of Darlo1css. Great \~1olves possrss thc bask form
Restrictions: Roden only common to wolvc:.-s. They hove a
rangy, musl'Ular body set on high
Furtive Char
and powerful legs with large, well-
Genius C:Q 3 pis padded foet. They ha\'e long snouts
Your every idea is unique nud and massive, protruding jaws. Their
brilliant-every plan sure-fire and fur is a crown of coarse guard hairs
flawless. It is only a matter of time supported hy n nigh-impermeable
before sucl:i brilliance is properly Inver
•
of soft underfur. Their most
recognized and rewarded. Genius prominent feat m·e is, of course. their
is a call-on for one non-martial or massive size. Great wolves stand
athletic skill of 1hc player's c:hoosing. three to five feet nt the shoulder, and
can weigh 200-600 lbs.
Ghost Coat C-Q 4 pis Creal \Volves have a maximum
This wolf's t·oat shifts subtly from exponent of 6 for Agility (from their
dark to light, from monled to plain, lack of hands), while otbrr stat
depending on what la nd he stalks maximums arc 8. Their Stride is 11.
and haunts. Use this for a t•all-on for
Stealthy in any terrnin.
Restrictions: Characters with fur
..
J ' ''
Wol\'cs perform tJ1c Charge/Tackle Grotesque r.o i pis

11criou in Fig ht wi th n +2D bonus CnJl-on for lntimitlntion nn<I
ru1hcr 1han t.hc standard +1D. Conspicuous ,vhen displaying your
Restrictions: Great Wolf common u·ai1 deformity.
H
Hammer Hands D1 2 pl<_ Heaving C-Q
\Vith hunds lik,• grea1 mattocks, this The lowest rung for Troll soldiers
Troll i,- h ,-.51 sui11,d 10 Lrnwling nnd
in their g1·ca1 legions is tha1 of the
pummeling. AdJ + 1 D to the Troll's Battering Ham. These massive
Bmwling skill for purposes of bare · brutes haul forth great war engines
fisted Block , Strike, Bent and Push to the walls of the citadels of their
a<'lions. The Troll suffers a+ 1 Ob to enemies and even use their own
uuy other skill tha1 requires mununl bodies to batter down walls. Use this
drxtr.ri1y (incl uding Throwing and trait ns a call-on for Power when
weapons skills). lr)•iog to brca.l:, smash or knock over
s0111e1hi11g.
l·land-Sbaker GO ,l.p15- Restrictions: Troll lifepath tcait
The tools of the poli1 icinn's 1rndc.
May be usl\d ns a call-on for Oratory Hermaphrodite Char
or Persuasion when he's shuking
bonds. Hideous! Dt 2 pts
Add + 1 hesitation to all Ster! checks
Harried Char caused by 1.his cre11t ure.
Hauling r:o 2 pis Higher Power DI 9 p1s

Ol: Trolls are the beasts of burden Tl1is Jcil y governs over spheres of
in the Troll legions. They haul natu1·e, society and humanity. He
impossible loads for intcrmiuahlc is potent and revered. ff this entity
jou rneys. Use this trait as a cnll-on should ever los~ a Duel of \Vits
for Power when pushing, pulling or against a being of cqunl or lessllr
huuliug loud~. stature, he receives a compromise
Restrictions: Trolls and Creal Wolves in addition to the comprontise
only determined by the state of his
opponent's hody of argument.
[)/ 2pls Restrictions: Deity only
Thii. 1:huracll\r may tuke. a free
i11irni1·ul n·lo1io11ship wi1h unothcr Hoarder
i:harur1<·r who w11~ his senior in the
<:ol lcw· of Mn~io:. Honk Hand Dt 4 pis
Om· of this Troll's hunds l1as formed
Heartless. V, 6p1s i1110 a massive bony hook. This hook
Rcd1w1·s h<·~i1111ion by 1hrec for puin, can be used as II weapon: Pow 2,
murder, fear (If violent('. VA 1, WS 2, Short; may Great
Strike. In fact, it is really too big and
clumsy to be used for anything else.
Restrictions: Trolls only
"'- ··~~.:.;
Lists
Haros D1 5 pts How!ofDoom DI

Great stony horns protrude from the Before the charge, these beasts
Troll's :;kull. In addition to being bombard rhr.ir opponents with cold
terribly intimidating, tliey also fear. This wolf cau howl and add
serve a somewhat practical purpose. +4D to Intimidation. This howl
\Vhen the Troll charges another requires two actions to perform and
creature of relatively similar size, cannot be done on the charge-it
he may choose to add +1D to his 1nust be done beforehand. In Range
Charge Power or to do dumage and Cover, it positions with 2D.
on the Charge as if he had been In Fight , it counts as the Longest
simultaneously Striking. Damage weapon.
is Pow 2, VA 2, \VS 1. The first two Restrictions: Great Wolf lifepath trait
successes of tlic Charge attack count
as a superficial wound to the victim.
Humble D1 2 pts
AU arc equul before Aecer, and the
Four successes over equals a Mark
wise con1inunlly remind themselves
hit. Six over is a Superb hit.
of this fact. 1D reputation among
Horrific Aura Pt a pis the faithful ns exceptionaJly humble.
Horrifir Aura causes all I hose within
the creatt1n; s prese11ce to take a Hungry Dead Char
Steel test with an obstacle pcualt y
equal to rhe creature's \Viii.
1-L
(Am God D1 12pts pe rson. Tltis gives a 1D Reputation
Chief Deities rulr over gocls, men among the people of a gh·en locale as
and all the creatures of their the wearer of the reaUr impressive:
rnauy spheres. Powerfu l beyond hat, so long as the hat is being worn,
understanding, they arc not to be o( course. \Vcnring chc ha1 also
trifled witl1. If 1his entity should gives a +2 Ob to any Disguise or
ever lose a Duel of Wits against a lncouspicuous test.
being of equal or lesser stature, Restrictions: Humans only
he receives a major compromise
in 11ddi1ion to the compromise Independent Char
determined by rl1e s tate of his
opponent's body of argument. Industrious Char
Restrictions: Deity only
Insidious Cruelty
Impersonal G1ar
Intense Hatred Char
Impressive Hat D1 3 pis
This cha meter's hat is mightily
impressive:. It can be seen for miles!
It's so impressive thar people often
remember d.1e hat more than the
.; . , .
'
lnvocations The effects of Lawbreaker extend to

oithe Damned GO s pts the limits of the Presence for black
The Dark Priest swears his soul shade \Vill and 10x Presence for gray
10 fdl powers. Like other priests, s hade \ViJI.
hl• uiu,-1 haVl' u Oclicf tlrnt tics Lo
his f uirh in order 10 m11iutni11 the Light Touch GO 2 pis
emotional attribute. If the player The key to a successful "lift " is in
writt·s a second Belief tied to his the fingers. May he used as a call-on
foith iu tlw dark gods uud his for Sleight of Hand.
sC'rvire to them, he may use t his
Low Rorn Dt 2 pts
trait as a call-on for fouith when that
Low Boru charac ters are born of
Belief comes into question.
unremnrkoble parents. They cannot
Iron Hide Dt 6pts trace their lineage ro nny nobility
Tliis skin is us rough as iron and or to any historic or notable figures.
scaled like a shark. AU incoming They have a 1D infamous reputation
damage i&reduced by -1 pip on the iu noble or elite circles due 10 their
PTGS: ll8 damage would be reduced obvious lack of heritage. It also
to B7. etc. adds n +1 Ob disadvantage to any
Inconspicuous tests in noble or
I.a cge Ears D1 courtly settings.
nodcu have large, scnsitiv<'. cars that
sit atop their heads. These give them lJ ,minesceot Dt 2 pts
excellent heariug: + 1D to Perception This ere.ow re glows with an eerie.

rolls invoh•ing hearing. Factor this otherworldly light. It gives off
bonus into Reflexes. illumination equivalent to a candle.
Lupine Intellect DJ
Late a,ar Without a doubt, Great \'folves arc
intelligent creatures. They possess a
Lawbreaker D1 apts personaUty and intellect equivalent
There arc strict celestial laws that to tJiut of humans and Ores. Never
govern the presence of otherworldly assume that just because they don't
crennires in the mortal realm. When live in cities, write with pens or
a Spirit-Natured crcntu re crosses eat with knives, wolves are dumb
over, be is bemling those very lnws- hrutes.
warping Ll1l· nut urn I order of things. Even so, Great \Valves are not
Thus the crcot ures ore accompanied Looi-using creatures. T11ougb
by all munner of bi:,mrre phenomenu they understand a greal many
as the mortal fubric reach; 10 their mailers, the)' generally don't use
prc11e11re: Birds sing lmckwarcl, (or even need) tools to accomplish
windows crack in strange patterns, the tasks in their daily livts. Any
dor.ks cease tu tick. waler failt< wolr uttcmptiog to use tools like
to hoil, stningc smells rise from hammers, swords or sdssors suffers
nowhere, noises and knocks ure quadruple obstaclo penalties.
hl.'nrd in the dark uod so on. Restrictions: Great Wolf common trait
Lists
M-0
Malformed Char trait grants u 2D reputation among
mogcs and the halls of power as a
Mangy Coat Char Master of Mages.
Restrictions: Human lifcpath tioit
Made of the Aocient Dt 5pt<..
Some pups are born with the look Meek Char
of till' Crcut Ancient nboul them.
Such rnrr wolves arc desrendnnts Megalomaniac Dt
from the Ancient. 1he first wolf who The Visionaty is II gift from Accer
l°rl'atcd I he world. Tiu.' packs believe to thr mortol world. It is his desLiny
; udt wolves nrl' cu rsed and destined to lead nnd shape the future in
for u !if<' of ntuyl11:ru. This trait is his image. +20 to Conspieuons
rrtptin:d for usin~ dtt· skills Tongue and always add an extra die
of th,· Anrir.m One and Ancient when helping or FoRKing with
Wavs. Com1picuous.
Restrictions: Greut \Volf only Restrictions: Hotlen lifepath trait
Massive Stature Dt Mesmerizing Gaze n, 6 pt<

Trolls nre Lit<' <lrfinitiun of Mussivc Merely glancing at this creature
S111111rc: hurr<-1-ch<>sted , hulking triggers a Steel rest. Fools who lock
hcas1s with long th ick limb~ and eyes with the creature must make u
; hou l1lc•rs like towering cliffs. The V<'rsns \Viii test. If the creature winti,
1nro0 c·st of their numbtir n"row twice the victim cit her becomes struck
as rnll ns human s, but even the dumb 11111il tbc gaze turns away oc
s mnlli:st uduhs nrc rurely lr.ss tliau performs one acl ion at the behesr of
SC\'en feet i 11 hr.ight. its mc~merizer.
Increase all weapon lengths by one

Misshapen Char
for I he Trol I.
Tlws1· gn·at l111nberi11g beasts must Misunderstood Dt2p15
l.tav<' minimum Power nnd Forte Choose a 1)) infamous repuratiou.
of 4 . The maximum exponents And suffer · I to your body of
for Puwrr and Form m·c 9. The argument whenrver you' re trying
maximum c·x1111111;nts for Agility u11d to cxpla in your uotun:, position.
Spri·rl arr ~- St riclc is 7. meaning or special insight.
Restrictions: Troll common Irail
Mossy Coat C-0 2 p1s
Master of.Mages_ v, Covered in u t'On l of moss aud slime,
Tlw I IP111lm11sll.'r of u College of this Troll blrnds in quite well to
Mugi,· ullairn·d l1is p11,i1 ion by forest or earthy surroundings. Call·
rigorou ~ p11rsui1 of 1·xccllenel· nud on for S tealthy or Cnmoufloge in
e.~p,·rli~r.- in s•Jfl'er)' uml mugi<-. This fon.-s1· or mine~.
Restrictions: Trolls and \Volves ouly
,; 'I ... . • i r,
•' '
,
0
.! I
o' I!
Most Holy Vt s pts of his life, someone new will come

This diaracter is th(' living along. This chara<~tcr just aurocts
cmbodiml'nt of th(' power divine. He these , ort of people!
gains +:h to hi~ body of urgument You may invest additional resource
in a Duel of Wits involving matters points and increase the value of th is
spiritual. However, he hos 110 relationship.
trmpora l power. Any other chornrter
arguing with him about ronhly ~igbt Blooded Dt
mn11crs. philosophy. relationships Noc rurnnl by nnt urc, Trolls
or money llcn('fit s from the Enmity typically shun rhe sunlight, for it
Cluuse: +-Is 10 his body of argument will undo the sorcerr which gave
11goinst l\lost Holy. their night-s talking ancestors life.
Exposure 10 the sun causes Lhe
Naked Chae Troll's stony roots to consume him
Roclrn with 1his trait hove 110 fur, trnd crush hjm from within.
one! their 1>ink skin is laid bare, Restrictions: Troll common trair
rhough whiskers srill poke out from
thei r muzzles. Sunburn is common ~igbt Eyed D1 :4 pts
and clothing is required. Born of 1he stuff of nighr. these
creatures mu see perfectly well in
Named Vt s pis the darkness and suffer no penalties
This crcorure possesses and knows for nig!irtime conditions. However,
its true name. When its name is min nnd haze do affccr them like
spoken, it knows who t11e spcnkcr is other clu1raclcts, and bright ligh1
und where he is. imposes a +1 Ob penalty.
Knowledge of II true name grants Restrictions: Troll common trail
the summoner +30 to summon that
Oafishly Channing Chor
specifk spirit and +3D Burgaining
tes ts or IO the body of argument enut.....__ ___ _ rho,~--
...O.,,bed....,,.,.i...
roll for any Duels of \Vits conducted Wolves who arc chosen to become
against 1hc crcawrc. Dark Friends tend to be pnrticulorly
obedient. While their mostcra can
Char
be cxrrcrnely generous-feeding
rheir wolves much fresh meat-they
Necrophagic Cho.-
arc also extremely ,·iolent nnd
Necropho.bic Chor punishing. Rarely do they hesitate
Can't control tlw pnranoia. Scored lo kill u dh,ol>cdicnt wolf. Lastly,
In die.
a Durk Friend hos 1m intuitive
understanding of the powers the
Never Blood Summoners wield-he
a Moment of Peace Dt 3 pl-;_ knows rhc might of success and the
Thi~ 1rai1 ~rants the chorncter 115 col1101i1 y of foilurr.. Ir is for better to
rp~ r1•latio11ship. This relationship nid the former and prevent the latter.
must bl• with a d111rorier who is
ulways hothcring or intcrrupring
him. If thar ehura<·te1· is forcetl out
Lists
Qdor a{ Spirits Qt 2 pis Ordained Qt 2pls
This wolf stinks of spirits. The packs Thjs Rodcn is one of Aecer's
shun him, and the Spirit Hunters Ordained. He is responsible for
harry him. 10 infamous reputation carrying our the rituals and rites.
and +1 Ob lnconspicuous among Ordained characters a re always
the wild pac ks and legion. Only the treated with respect by the Field
Haums and Ghosts accept him. Roden. 1D affiliation with the
Restrictions: Great \~1olves only Roden faithful.
Opportunist Char
P-R .....
r4
....
ti)
Pack Rat Char Portly Char
Piercing Gaze C-O[Dt 5 pis Pouched Cheeks TU 2 pts

The cyr.s of a Ghost of the Dccping These checks arc wonderfully
Wood burn like g littering coals. This clastk and can be used 10 carry a
trait is n call-on for Intimidation. surprising amount of fruits. nurs
Also. characters attempting to mad vegetables. Consider it feasiblt>
,lcccive 1he wolf (usini; Falsehood, to place up to six apples in each
Pc;rsuasion or Soothing Platitudes) check. Knives and ocher sharp
suffer a +1 Ob penalty. Burning objects are carried at the bcarer·s
fhun,·s flasla iuaph1c11Lly Lclaiml lab own risk!
eyes and hint ar the terrible face of Restrictions: Roden only
liars.
Practiced Smile
Polite Char
Preternab,cailf Calm n, 3 pis
Poltergeist .-DJ 3 pts.. Glaosts of the Drcping \rood possess
This creature is ethereal und may n cnlmn<·ss that rival~ thr mosr
only affect the physical world scrt>ne glade on II starry summer
Lhrough an ace of \Viii. If the night. Rcdm·e hesitation by two.
ercntm·e wishes to toucla, push,
pull, slap. etc., test \~1ill against
Pyromaniac Char
the obstacle rather than Power or
Radula D1 3 pis
Agility. tr a test is failed, \Vill is The radula is a primitive hybrid
reduced by 1he margin of failure. of the teeth and tongue. h is a
The creature's physical skills may muscular, barbed, toothy ton~ue
also be channeled througb its \Viii. thar is used to g rind up food for
Tesr for the skill as normal. After the ingestion. It can be used as a weapon
test, test the c reature's \Viii againsr only on Locked orponcnts: Pmv 1.
the obstacle. \Viii is reduced by
margin of failure. If \'\1ill is rP.duced
Add 2. VA 1, ,,·s 1, Shortest.
Lo zero, Lhc creature <lissipates and Rat~peak Dt 3 pis

may not reform or he :;ummoned for This characrer can talk to nnd
ruomhs equal to its \Viii exponent. understand rats and mkt>.
Restrictions: Spooky ghosts only
.....
C
• !
. .
.
I ' ' '• • • ..
•. i i•
f '
Raven Friend Dt I pi " ' hen one corpse helps another, it

\rolve,; and ravens haven special adds helping dice as per usual, but it
rdationship. Not only do they aid may not then act on his own.
one anothrr on the hunt-rnveus Restrictions: Corpses only
will circle u herd to murk it for
Reclusive Char
wolves. a nd wolves will a llow
ravrus to feed at their kills-they Repulsive Blood Dt 2 pts
nrl.' also great friends. \Volvrs and This Troll's blood is noxious and
ravens enjoy taunting each other caustic. If the Troll should be bitten
and playing endless and dangerous for effect, 1hc honid liquid runs into
gumes of tug. This trait grants either the mouth of the attacking creature
u fn•e rclmionship with a raven or a and cau.cs great discomfort and
1D nffiliution with o conspiracy of na usea. Any creat ure thot bites the
ravens. Troll, penclrates his armor and
This trait signifies a wolf who is achieves a Mark result, must make
especially fond of ravens and well an Ob 4 Forlc test. Any successes
thought of by the bird,. While the missed equal an obstacle penalty
whole puck may play, he is the only that lasts for three exchanges.
pack member who can understa nd Restrictions: Trolls only
the quacks and :iquowks of raven
speech.
Rest io Peace Of
Spirits who have gone peacefully
Restrictions: Great \Volves only
to death and whose bodies were
properly sanctified have great
This trait grants the reanimated difficulty returning to and
corpse the \Vi 89, Pe ]1. Ag B:3, communicating with the world of
Sp 83, Po 85, Fo 85 siat line and the living. They cannot use any
eliminates the Health, Resources physical nbilit y or skill to affect
and Circles attributes. These the material world. Those abilities
creatures may not recover from are lost to them. Also, while they
injury. However, neither do they will do whatever is in their power
hleed to death or suffer from any to oid tl1e Hving, they arc reluctant
type of disease or poison. Also, these to undertake any act that will
ercatures may advance extant skills, disturh thei r peaceful rest or gr.t
but they may not learn new skills them kicked out of heaven. \Vhcn
in play. bargaining with a summoner, spirits
The Reanimated Corpse trait also of the sanctified dead may add +2D
gives the creature the mindless to a social skill. When in a Duel
ability to acl in a mob. Up LO five of \Vits, add +2s to their body of
walking corpses rnoy help each other argument if their opponent's request
al once with any task, including goes uguimst t.hcir better judgment.
dragging down their vict·ims Restrictions: Spooky ghosts only
and eating them (in other words,
positioning and Lock actions).
Lists
Revered C-0 +pis Ridged Bmw DI 3pls

Thr Ahbo1 or Abbess is a pillar or Protruding out over this Troll's eyes
~
piccy in chr commu11iLy. May be used is a stony brow like unto a craggy
as a cull-U11 for Oratory or Suasion. cliff. This provides+1 D of armor to 0
the Troll's head. ::s
.....
{/)
8
Ruthless Char s::
{/)
~
s -·
Ill
......
Sadistic _ _ _ _ _...,C..:.-.uOc.....
Causing pui111111d :mffcring in

2pts it ca111101 be pcrma11cntly destroyed.
If dealt o MorraJ Wound or if
-·
j-"i
Ul
......
ocher., is u highly enwnuining uncl inrnpacitutcd, 1he shadow dissipates.
t,njoyaule pastime. :\·lay be used as n h reform s 111:ur its ,luM holf in doys
~:ull-on for Tor1ure. t·qna l 10 10 minus Health .
Saturnine ....D""'1.____ The other aspccL of 1hr creat ure is

If uny othr.r player ntlcmpt,:; to the d11s1: a corpse, 1t \'CSsel of ashes,
inflm·ucr a character with the n skull or some other rdic of a life
Saiurnine 1r11ic with passion, pnst. In or<ler co completely destroy
111nti\"11tion. joy or lo\'C, rhc this creature. the dusr must be
Saturnine Dark Elf player gets a dragged into 1he morning sun and a
+lD 11J\":.a111ugc 10 all tc~IS for 0111! Minor Mir.ndr. pP.rform~,I nn it.
scent' wh<>n confromi111,. hunting or
Shadow Coat GQ 2pts
poisoning that characrer. The fur of thi,; wolr is perfocrly
Reslrictions: Dark Elf lifopath trait
suited to stalking int he shudows of
S.csly Skin D1 4 pis the wootls. Use rhis trait as a call-
Scaly Skin provides 2D of arruor co on for Stt'althy when stalking the
1he limbs and head, nnd 3D 10 the forests and valleys.
ches1. This skin can not " fail- Hnd Restrictions: Chornc-cers with fur
become damaged like normal armor:
Sharpened Incisors Dt +pis
l s arc ig11ored in this cuse. VA works This Rodcn·s teeth arc ex tra sharp.
as normal agninst 1his armor. Pow 1. Add 2 , VA 1, WS X. Shorrrst.
Restrictions: Trolls only Restrictions: Rode n only
Serious Clu,r Silent c:o 2 pts
Call-on for StealrJ1y. Silent creatures
Shadow and Dust DI 9pts
may not speak above a whisper.
Cremm·es of Shadow and Dust
have two disri11c1 aspects-a spirit Single-Minded C-O 3 pts
shudow and some mnceriul vesrige Once a Murderer sets his mind, there
or their former life. The shadow is is vcrv, little chat can redirect him.
its act ive and " living" half. It is a Call-on for Strei when ..on the job."
physical mauifostalion and can be
harmed by steel ond fire. However,
,' ·'' ~. • I • I ,' -: •• I
Skittish DI Speaker of
Rodcu iustinctiv('l y fear loud noises tfie Secret Language Char
and s urprist·s. Increase hesitation by
one for Steel tests caused by fear or
Spines Dt +pts
Certuin huirs uu this creature have
surprise. 1-lcsitution for more than
developed into nettling spines. They
ouc action indicate$ the Roden must
are sharp to the touch and can
flet'.
lodge themselves in the flesh of the
Restrictions: Roden common truit
unwary, causing g reat discomfort.
Slave No More D1 -t pts Any cr,-nture that grabs, touches or
After lifo iu tb(' cage. you can't help otherwise comes into bodily contact
b111 net 0111 uguinst thl' world thar with the spincd creature suffers a
has hurr you. Instinct~ thnt get you +1 Ob to all rests as the spines lodge
inro weird or deep trouble earn a in its flesh. Armor does not protect
p ersona point instead of a fate poini. again st this tra it. A character
Restrictions, Forml'r slaves or captives must be covered from head to toe,
only including eyes and mouth to be
protected.
Slave to the
Power of Death Dt
5 pis Spinl'S t·an he plucked out with an
This crcuturc is nowt he servant of Ob I Field Dressing or Surgery test.
thi: sorcerer who evoked his soul. Restrictions: Trolls only
I k is no longer alive, but neither is
Spirit Ea rs Dt 3 pts
he dead. He will 1101 ugc, ~row sick,
Spirit Howlers become attuned to
hunger or sleep. Use tht'. sL:ills t.he
llic spirit wurld as theirTainr grows.
victim had in life. Die and call-on
A wolf wir h this I ruit has the ability
tra its are lost and replaced with
to hear those of the spirit nature.
t hose imparted by the Death of
Counts a s Observation for detecting
the Spirit process (except as uotr.d
the movements of spirits, demons
under Evocation). Character traits
and other creatures of spirit nature.
arc retained. The slave's stats are
Obstacle to detect spirits is 10 minus
equal to his stats in life, minus any
their Strcng1h. Wolves may use their
dice from injuries sustamcd at the
\Voodland Ear in combination with
time of this death. This condition
this trait but not their \Volf Snout.
overrides condi tions from other
Restrictions: Great \Volves only
traits like Corpse Bound.
Restrictions: You must be an undead Spirit Familiar Dt 5 pts
slave to I\ ne,-romn ncer Thi~ chnrncter hos a familiar whose
spirit is linked to his own. He can
Soft Step C-0 +pls
see through the familiar's eyes
The Sneak Thief walks in a
using the familiar's Perception stat.
particular fashion. feeling each step
lio"'ever, when usiug his familiar's
before pulling his weigh1 on ii. May
eyes, a character with this trait
be 11~cd us 11 coll-on for Climbing
cannot look through his own though
a nd S1cahhy.
other senses may still b e employed.
Solitary Char ft takes two actions of concentration
to engage his familior's eyes, and
--
Lists
l\\'Omore actions to return his sight
Spirit Hunters. It also grants a 1D
to his own eyes. This trait does
spirit mark as p er the Spirit Binding
11 ot gnuu Low Speech. 1-lowever, rules.
the creat ure does understand its
compuniou 's wishes and will go Spirit Nabue 0t 1zpis
where its n10ster directs it to go, look Creat u res wit h spirit nature are not
at what its m aster directs it to look of our world and n ot bound by the
RI, Cl<: . laws of our realm.
Achuracter with this trait feels the Time, space and the elements affect
pai n of his familiar. If the familiar those will1 Spirit Nature differently
suffers II light or greater wo und, than chcy do those of mortal natu re.
the master suffers a light wound. All surfaces a re stable-they may
If the fa milia r is ever killed, the walk on earth, mud, water or ice
master su ffers a t raumatic wou nd. wit:hout difficulty. Gravity lays a
In 1hr game, the chararter is lighter liuuc.l 011 chem. uud clicy
physically unharmed, bur mentally are a ble to easi ly climb (and fly,
1ra11111u1 izcd. Recovery a nd for tbose wit11 wings). Give +2D to
Trea1n1cm nrc ns per a s tanda rd appropria te skills and s tats whcu the
1rn11111mic wound. This wound docs S r iri1 Natured creocure needs them.
1101 bleed out. The harmful clements of this realm
A famil iar uses ll1e following stats: have no effect on them-fire does
Wi C2, Pe G3, Ag 84, Sp 85, Po B3, no t burn, cold docs not chill. rope
Fo 83, Heu Bi , Jtcf 84, Ste B5, docs not bind and mctol does not
M\V 139 ha rm.
Choose its form : cat , dog, suake, In order to a ffect. harm or bind a
l>ird, pig, rabbit, fox or s imila r. No creature of Spirit Nature. one must
hnvc tools inscribed with ,;pecioJ
large predators or beasts of bttrden.
spirit runes. Ouly Sorcery, Faith,
The animal must show some mark
other spirits a nd these "spirit
or qualit)' that indicates it is not
wrapons., can hnrm those of Spirit
elllirely of this world. Fo r exa mple,
Nature.
ir must be hairless, one-eyed, t wo-
tailccl, of large size or even just have Spirit Nose Qt 3 pis
a disturbing aura. The Taint suffuses the Spirit Hunter.
Restrictions: Humans only Usi ng his Spirit Nose, he may add
Spicif Marked Dt 3 pts his Wolf Snout 10 detect spirirs {as
0 11 certain nights in the dead of Spirit Ears above). Also, Spirit
winter, the Spirit Hunters will Nose allows Spirit Hunters to trock
come to the territories a nd seek out spirits, even those who leave no
lone wolves. Those who arc chosen ma rks or do not touch t he ground.
receive o special scent and are Use the obstacles listed with the
marked t·o become Spirit Hunters. Scent Tracking skill and be creative.
This trait is requi red to be able Restrictions: Great \Volvcs only
lo take the Spiril Clm:u:i- Jifcpn1h.
It grants a 1D affiliation wid1 t he
Spite D1 Stone's Age D1
Durk Elvrs trudl• tbcir Grief for Trolls were born of stone and sorcery
a burning Spite. Something has aucl to these roots they remain
s11app1·d i11sid1• IUl' Dark Elf's soul- closely tied. T hough not immortal.
Cril'I' :-,•rms folly to him. \Vhat<',·rr these creatures age very slowly
ti.ti• truth of an immortal lifr is. and ru·e capable of living for long
Dark El\'r:- know that it docs 1101 centuries-if they can survive their
l11y silc11tly grievinir with his E lven own violent tendencies.
brot lwrs. Se,· t hr ~pit c sc1·tion of th is However. the weight of granite in
chnpt!!r for morr dl'tails 011 the rules:. their blood has detrimental effects.
Restrictions: Dark Elf Lifcpntll trait Their view of t he world is dim and
Stained_ D1 - _ ponderous and their ability to intuit
The Last \Volf is the St'npcgout· of or empathize is minimal. A Troll
the pnrk. All of the pock's anger may not have a Perceprion or Will
und frustration is taken out on his exponent higher than 6.
hidl•. No mutter how he elevates Restrictions: Troll common trnit
himself throughout his life, the Lust Stone Skin Dt 5 pts
Wolf a lways bcnrs this stain on his The hide of this creature is
very heart. This trair grnms a 1D impossibly tough and unyielding.
reputation ns n Lust Wolf. Stone Skin provides 3D of armor
Restrictions: Great \Volf lifcpoth trait protection to the head ond limbs,
and 40 to tJ1e chest. This skin cannot
Stillness C-0 3pts.
" fail" and become damaged like
This creature can remain motionless
normal urmor: l s arc ignored. VA
for unnatural lengtJ1s of time.
works as normal against this armor.
Call-on for any test requiring or
Restrictions: TroJJs only
hencfitting from absolute stillness
for long periods of time. Submissive DI
\Volves learn to submit to a
Stink of the Ancient DI Dominant wolf at a very young
Great Wolves can smell a Ghost of age. Any wolf in the pack who is
the Wood when he is near. His scent not part of the Dominant pair is
is distinct, o mix of Ancient Ways Submissive. These wolves follow the
and twisted speech that covers his lead of their superiors and often beg
coal like the blood of the hunted. for certain permissions, including
This stink causes fear, trepidation permission to cat from a kill. Being
and even hatred in Great Wolves. Submissive in tJ1c pack connotes
They do not look kindly upon one no weakness. lt merely shows that
who so tampers with the will of the the woU understands the natural
Grandfather. This trait grants a 1D order of tJ1ings. This trait grants a
infamous reputation as a Ghost of free relationship with a master or
the Deeping Wood among tJ1e pocks. dominant character.
Combine this with other reputations
Prominent Submissive behaviors
as appropriate.
include: looking away from the
Restrictions: Great Wolf lifcpntJ1 trail
Dominant's ga:-..e, cmuching with head
Lists
to thti ground before the Dominant, Suicidal Dt s pis

rolling over and e:1:posing the belly to This character (instantly) earns a
the Dorninnnt and nibbling or licking persona point every time he takes a
the Dominant's cbin. mortal wound.
Luscly, wolves may possess both the
Dominant and Submissive traits. Sweet Tooth Char
These wolves will rule their puck as
th<.> y rightly shou lei, but they might
ulso submit co stronger Dominuncs-
b<.> they wolf, human or Ore.
Restrictions: Great \Vol( lifopacb trail
T-U
Iail Chae ToiUng c:o 2 pts
Rn<l,m rails mu:ie from 1/2 Lo 1 puce Laborers are used to working long
long. f'icld Born often h11v1• furry hours doi11g th<.> same mindless,
tn ils, while those. Below often have repel itive tasks. Call-on for IUl}' sl.:iJI
bu)d Oll!·S. when doing mindless, rcpctiti\'e
tasks.
Tentacles DI MZpl!i..
Tt·ntadcs are supple, stl'ong, sticky Ioothy Maw D1 4 pcs
und agile additional limbs. This ThL~ Troll's jaws arc massive.
1ruit comes in two grud<.>s: Two distended and terrible. The Toothy
tentacles cost 4 pts and give a + t D Maw counts as: Pow 3 . Add 2. \ 'A 1,
udnlllrnge to nll Lock, Push and \VS 1, Shor1esL. Jt replaces the
grabbing related tests. More than Fanged trait.
two tcnmcles cost 7 pts and grunt Reslriclions: Trolls only
+2D advantage LO all Lock, Push
Troll Savant Char
nnd gruhbing rclat ecl tcstR. This Troll ha~ the unranny ability to
These extra limbs cause a+1 Ob form complete. sentenrrs. understand
and a +2 Ob to Inconspicuous tests wl111t is soid to him and possibly
respectively. e\!tn compr<.>hend what a written
language, map or glyph could
Thief GQ 2 pts
represent--if it were possible in the
The Thief trait requires that the
first place for scratchings on stone
player note n mandatory theft-
or leather to mean anything. He is a
related Lusrinct: "\Vlum visiting
mental giant among his peers and is
home, always steal Motbr.r's
appropriately bated and feared.
valuables," for example. So long as
that Instinct is in play, it acts a call-
on for Sleight of Hand. TroU Skin Dt
Troll Skin is resilient and leathery.
Thoughtful Chor It provide.5 1D of armor to the limbs
and head, 2D to the chest.
\, h,· ~ t' b uld,·r. 11 Trull\ fl,·::h often li......11.,sk....,_s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __D~t_ __.2....p....ts._
lmrd,·11, into 11 i-toll) 11111,-, . Thu~. 1h1• This Troll'~ lower canine lccth
rrull S k111 I run 111uyb,• 11p~rudnl tu protrude into formi<luble tusks.
~.-111~ ::-l..111 ,1r :--wm• ~k111 fur ju:.t 11 The bru"t mny usr tlwse sha rpened
f,•" 1ruit pnilll"· ~,.,. 1Ii,· Troll Sp,•1·iul w1•11pons to ~ure thr unwary. Add +1
Truit, li,1. Tl,i,, skin ,·11111101 -£nil" Powl'r 10 till' Troll's bite 011nck when
1111<l lw.-0 1111• d1111111~t·<l lik1• urmor: it i, Ill ha nds fighting dis111ncc. This
bun• di, n 'l nnlt'<l in thi ~ 1·11 s 1·. VA 1rui1 111uy be 1:ombined with Fnngs or
,,urk, u; nonnul llf!Ui11 ~1 tl1i ~ unnor. Toothy Muw.
Restrictions: Troll 1·0111111011 1rui1 Restrictions: Trolls only
Tunnel Vision Dt 3 pts Unferling Vt a pis

Tiu• B,•low i, u <lnrk pion und This cn•u1urc dors 1101 take S1cel
1ho,c who li v,· then· have udoptc-d. H·sts ft-0111 i11j11ry ur puin-or fea r of
)uur dmrnc1cr can Sl'l' u~ normal suffering hnrm.
in low-Iii ureas bu1 1101 in complete
durknl's~. Tl10s1· looking directly llnOinching Vt 6 pls
into thc,c eye, will sec i:lowing lronsbiclds nrc the bodyguards nnd
gncn orb, , 1ori11i,: bm:k . HcJurc, rl'ti1111r.s oft hr Troll leg inns. Thl'y
prnuhir~ for dim light by om· ~tep. on· trained to stund gunrd and lay
do1vn I hdr lives for their \Vurlord
11111s1t•r. This trail reduces licsitotion
by i for fear und pnin.
V
Vegetarian Char noture-bu1 ii must be close. It must
rankle 1he Dork Elf that they still
Vengeful D,
live thnt way.
If the Dork Elf chnrnctcr is defeated
Restrictions: Dark Elflifcpath trait
in o Du<'I of Wi1s or o Fighl ond
live,. to t<-11 1 he tule. lie mny FoRK Versatile Dt " pis
his Spitr: into oil rolls benl on The Master Sorcerer places his
u,·rng ing lrim~df uguinst his confidence in the nrt of sorCl'f}'· It
1:ni·m) . I l11miliu1i11g or murdering is ll versatile nnd potent urt, and
tlw r-ru-my-r;1·1ting rr:vcngr: upon he knows it intimately. If using Art
1h,·m-irn11w.Jiu11:ly curns the pluycr Mogic, reduce by om· 1he number
u l,,,1111, rwr~unu )11Ji111. for u IOlnl nf of 11,sts r<-quircd for Weaving Mngil"
1 .. 11; 0111· for n 1rrr,1111ul ~uul 111111 om, info f hr. FilJ1•r of My Being. If 11:<ing
f11r V1·11i,:d11I. I he ..111nrlurd Sorrcry ru lt•s, rc<luc.e
Tiu- V,·uw·fnl I ru ii ulNII r1·1111irrH hiN prndic-nls ap1i1udc hy 01w. If
111111 tlu- Durk Elf hm·r u 1"111~1· 11:1i11g Pmc1i1·11I Magir. he muy take
r1·l111 i1111~hip wirl, 11 111111-,.1,iirful 1111111lrli1 iorrnl cUl\•gory of mn~ir. In
l·.lf ur 1111111rtul 11111111111. Ir 1·1111 lw m.Mit iou. ! he pluyur enrmc II persona
fo111ili11L rr,1111111111' 11r fruu·rnul i11
532
Lists
point for pushing his character's one of your abusers. That character
magic in a dangerous or untried has +1D to all social skills used
direction. against the victim.
Restrictions: Humans only
Visionary Faith DI 5 pis
Ye-5ligial Wings Char Visionarir.,; draw their power from
Two small, bat-like wings protrude their followers, not divine favor. This
from the Troll's shoulders. Flap, flap. trait grants u B3 Faith attribute. The
Restrictions: Trolls only attribute may not be increased with
Yictim
This character has suffered
Dt 2 pis the Faith questions; instead, it is
increased by purchasing a Visionary
-
.-·
....-
susrnined ubusc tlcsigncd 10 get
them to conform ton code of
bcluwior. Choose u relationship with
Cult. Any mirndes performed with
Visionary Faith only affect the
believers and nothing else.
-
VI
Voracious Carnivore Char
W-Z
Wanderlust Char Whip Tail Vt :4 pts
These tails are typically one or two
Webbed fingers and Toes Vt 1 pl paces longer than most others and
Stride 5 when swimming. tend to be slender. Pow 0. Add t.
VA -, Longer. WS 3,. May not be
Well Traveled D1 4 pis
combined with Club Tail.
The Speaker of Names wanders
the lands and seas, communing
with the spirits. This trait a llows Wickedly Oever e-o
the player to take a new domain \l'arlords quickly grow to
when Iii:; cl11u·actc1--travcb to a 11ndc1·stnnd tbn1 the world ~~e,;
new locale in piny. The player may Trolls as mindless brutes. good
describe a memory his character only for absorbing and dealing
has oft his pince or a pince like it. devastation. Outsiders forget that
He may describe when he traveled Trolls can evince intelligence. Troll
here before. The player then adds a \Vnrlords use tltis prejudice to their
new domain to his spirit binder at ndvontag<>-playing the part of the
its base level (0). Once used, this dumb automaton while scheming
trait becomes a character trait. and plotting behind their thick
To be clear, the domnin is added masks. Call-on for Strategy and
during piny at u time of the player's Tactics when unveiling a surprising
choosing, not during character stratagcn1 or ploy.
burning. Restrictions: Troll lifopatb trait
t • • ,I : • . '. . '••. 1 ' .,
Witch Flesh Dt _6_p.ts_ Wolf.E.y.es _ __ _ _u _ _

The Brood Mother knows a bit \Volves possess the advantage of
of magic. rumored to have been being able to see well in low light.
handed down from an old gianrcss \Volves reduce obstacle penalties for
in ages past. This magic, called dim light, darkness and bazehy one
\'\'itch Flesh. grants the uhility to step.
trnnsform into a hnndsome young Restrictions: Wolf common trai r
man or woman. The disguise is
:Wolf Snout Dt
impcn<'trnblc. The brood mother
\Volves benefit from an exceptional
retains her "tats an<l uttribntc5, but
sense of smell. \Volf Snout grants
her cha meter 1ruits arc replaced
+1D to Percept ion for assesses,
with Beautiful, Wholesome, Apple-
and +1D to Scent Tracking and
Chcekcd, 1·tc. Any other trnits
Pack l·htnting skill tests. This
rc<Juiring physical expression (like
bonus is also added to Perception
Horns or Claws) arc temporarily
for determining Reflexes. This
lost to the bumun form. No test
trait counts as Observation when
is required to 1ran$form, but the
combined with Woodland Ear.
chnuge requires a f11II scene, during
Restrictions: WoU commou trait
wliid1 1hc magil: slowly takes effect.
Once the Brood Mother reveals :Woodfandl:ar Dt
her true nature to her victim (or \Volves have extraordinary hearing.
is perhaps accidentally spotted Tbc Woodland Ear allows wolYcs
transforming), the victim will never to distinguish between different
sec her t.he same way again-and animal calls and add +1D to
can never be fooled by t he \Vil.ch Perception tests for assesses, Scent
Flesh of this Brood Mother again. Tracking and Pack Hunting. This
bonus is also added to Perceptiou
for dctcrminlllg Reflexes. This
trait counts tls Obse-rvation when
coml>ined with \Volf Snout.
Restrictions: Wolf common trait
Zoophagia Char
Monstrous Skill List
This list is a compilation of the. skills presented in the lifepntb
chupt1:rs of this book. These skills are compiled hrre for case of
rl'fere11cc and so that they may be better incorporated into monsters
n11d chiu·nc.ters Lll~yond their original i.Juent.
Hoots arr listrd in italics next to tJ1c skill's nrune on the first line.
111 au efforl to conserve space, dual roots Lave been abbreviated.
Si11cc rna.ny skiUs are part of u pru·tic ular monster's niche, specifics
and individualization have been 11:ft in. I hope this doesn't prove too
co11f11si11g. Any skill not. listed hen.• cun be found in the Character
1311r11er in Burning \Vhcel Gold.
\Vises
\Vises ,ue not included ir1 tl1is skill list. Tbc obstacles for wises ru·e
fowuJ in the Bu1·ning \Vb.eel on page 309. The purpose of a wise
should be self-evident, as demonstrated in its nmne.
A
Alchemy Per
This entr y is an 11pd11tc of Alchemy that incorporatl'S nil of ,In• new
a pplications prcsc111c<I in this book. Alchemy is the <fis1ill111ion Qf
mater ials in ordc:1· ro divint> their ,~sencc. Akheniists tnl\)' also create
niixtures of arcane substuuces to gcmiratt, 11 spcl'iric cffeel.
Obstacles: Distilling components of earth. Ob I. Components of water or
liquid, Ob 2. Components of metal, Oh 3. Components of blood, Ob 4.
Identifying traits from org11nic snmplcs: Chnractcr traits, Ob 1. Call·
ous, Ob 2. Die traits, Ou
3.
FoRKs: Enchanting, Herbalism, Apothecary, Munitious. Poisons.
Skill Type: Sorccrous , Tools: Yes.
Ancient Ways Will/Per

It is said that tbe Great Andcnt spoke the true names of the water,
loam, wind and prairie fire. Closely guarded, these powerful names
have been passed from generation to generation of Great Wolves
descended from the last wolf of the. aneestTal pack-Fell Ancients \\'ho
bear the Mark.
This skill is the wolf equivalent of the Spirit Binding skill. Wolves must
hove the ,l1ark of the Ancienl trait to use this skill.
Skill Type: Sorecrous Tools: Yci,.
535
,
-......
'
i · •. ~'·:,,:·1,
. , ; , ~- !' .I _.:
I
,1~ •
,' l •:·.,,,• ,.,
B-C Camouflage Pcr{Ag

Using this skill, a Troll may take on
Bargaining Will/Pee the appearance of his surroundings
Immortal spi1·its kno\\· the value and remain h idden. The Dread
of ephemeral things like life and Stone love to build up false scone
n soul. They bring this knowledge walls around themselves and then
10 hear against those who wish 10 wait for a n unsuspecting passerby to
strike bargains with them and form wander into reach .
puers. The Bargaining skill is a Using this skill effectively requires
spcciul socio I :ik ill designed solely to f hot the 'froll rcmuin motionless
negotiate poets br.tweru summoner wh ile camouflaged. Test this skill as
and suuunoncrl. h mny be used for a Stealthy skill.
the bargaining steps dcscrihed in Obstacles: Camouflage is used in
the Summoniug chapter or in u Duel versus tests against Observntioo.
of Wits with an othcnvorldly r ntit)' FoRKs: Stealthy
or l\uother summoner concerning Skill Type: foorester
the price or nnturc of o pacr. Tools: No.
Obstacles: 13arga iniug uses the rules
Ciccinatioo PcrU,g
described in the S ummoning and
Circination is the art of drawing
the Duel of Wits chapters.
circles and sigils that aid the spirit
FoRKs: Hbctoric, Ugly Truth,
binder and summoner. There are
Folklore.
three typt's of circles tliat may be
Skill Type: S pecial
drnwn: the summoning circle or
Tools: No.
gate. the fortress circle and the
Begging wm prison circle. The summoning
Begging is thr Wolf's version of rho circle aids in conjuring and binding
Persuasion skill. This skill may spirits. The fonrcss protecrs
be used as Persuasion iu a Duel the summouer from spirits. The
of Wits between Gren1 Wolves 1>r prison circle traps unruly spiri ts.
their friends. When a submissive Circint1tion is tested like a regular
wo.lf wa nts something. whether it skill: It is not open-ended and does
be food or permission, he must IH:g not get combined with anything
rhe dominant for it. Beggin~ is not special (except help or FoRKs) when
humiliating to a wolf; ii is part of tested. Circination is used to aid
1'1eir nature. Sometimes the female Spirit Bindiug and Summoning.
dominant will even need to beg Plen~c cousult those chapters for
when she is nursing her pups-she further nuances of the skill.
begs the puck to bring them food. Jf o circle is ph)•sically darueged-
Obstacles: Begging food for pups, Ob l'rasecl, mnrrecl, smudged-then it
1. Other obstacles 11re bai;rcl on the loses its powers.
Will of the rarget wolf. Obstacles: Summoning Circle or
FoRKs: Pack Etiquette Gate: The player sets his obstacle
Skill Type: Socio I according to how many advantagt>
Tools: No. dice he hop~ to curr1. II succcsbful,
Lists
thti test grants advamagr dice Eocbaotiog PcrfAg

for Spirit Binding or Summoning Enchunting is a school of sorcery
equal to the obstnde. Fortress: that focuses 011 importing magic
For Spirit Binding, tlu.> obstnde to inert, physical things. There are
3::
0
is t•qunl to the spirit Strength to two sides to Enchanting: imbuing ::s
VI
be deflected. For Summoning, and full-blown enchanting. Imbuing .-
t hl· obstaclr is 1 plus the obstacle allows the mage to temporarily
""'
0
~
penalty 1111.• sorerrer wishes to infuse an item with n sm11ll amount (/)
imposes on the spirit. Prisun: V2
-
of power. Enchanting allows the
For S pirit Binclin~, rhc obstuclc mage to create powerful, enduring
....
~
is twil:c the spirit"s Strength. For

Su111mo11i11g, the obstuclc is equal
artifacts.
Obstacles: See the Enchanting
....r-4
w the Will rxponcnt of the creature ......
(/)
chapter.
to be imprisoned (plus any FoRKs: A craft skill appropriate to
penalties for shade differences). what's being created. Linked tests
FoRKs: Illuminations, Curtography, are appropriate.
Symbology, Ritual and appropriute Skill Type: Sorccrous
wises. Tools: Yes and no. Sec the chapter.
Skill Type: Sorcerous
Tools: No. Escape Artist PrrLAg
\Volves can learn nearly anything.
Combat Mount WilJ/Pow.. When trapped or caged, they
Carrying II rider on a journey and quickly learn the mechanics of their
bearing him into corubn1 arc two captivity and devise a method of
very different skills. A wolf must be escape.
truincd to modify his fighting style
Obstacles: Collars. Ob 1. Leashes,
in order to coordinate with his rider
Oh 2. Traps, Ob 3. Cages, Oh 4
and not roll him or throw him.
and up.
Skill Type: Martial Training FoRKs: Cage-wise, Trap-wise
Tools: No. Skill Type: Special
Tools: No.
D-E Extortion Will/Pee
Death Art Willlforlc Bull Trulli; sometimes learn that it is
Death Art is a black prncrice that more fruitful to let their victims live
10 extort food and shiny bits from
leaches the sorcerer how to a nimate
corpses and turn chem into walking them over the years. This way they
ubominations. can get more chno a single meal out
of them!
Obstacles: Sec the Death Art chapter.
FoRKs: S ummoning. Folklore and Obstacles: Obstacles are equal to the
appropriate wises. Will of the victim.
Skill Type: Sorcerous FoRKs: Intimidation, Interrogation,
Tools: Yes and no. Sr.c the chapter. Haggling
Skill Type: Social
Tools: No.
F-H Hoof-wise Prn:c:ption_
\Volv<'S learn Lbe habits ond nature
Firebombs Pee/Ag _ of the ir prey.
Thr Arsonis .-leo rns how to mix Obstacles: Identifying species (horse,
ing rl.'diculs to C'n:nll.' inccndiurv, deer or elk), Ob I. Judging the
homhs. Th~ Mnrk rcsuh rlnm:ign hen Ith of intended prey, Ob 2. Age
is listed with rad1 type. If the and gender of pre)•, Ob 3. Pn.'dieting
explosion hits II churuc tcr, roll the herd location. Oh 4.
Jil' of fat.e to dctc·rminc IMS (like o Skill Type: Wise
spdl). This skill does 1101 cover 1he Tools: No.
disn·ilmtion or such bombs. Thur
would come from Agil it y, Throwing,
How.ling wm
Wolves lovC'. to howl, 0111.l they
Artillery or simply inronspieuous
rlo so for many reasons. ii is the
pluccm ent. Whe11 igniting such a
combination of the Singing, Oratory
device, roll the die of fate. On a 1,
a nd Conspicuous skills.
the bomb malrunct ions. Roll again
immediately: Odd, it detonates: Obstacles: Sing discordantly, Ob 1.
even , it's a duel. Sing for joy, Ob 2 . Howl for
warning, Oh 3. Howl for the lost.
Obstacles: Small, bottl<'·Sized
Ob 4.
iacend ia rics (Mark B6), Ob 1.
Skill Type: Social
Incendiary homb (Murk 88), Ob 4 ..
Tools: No.
Fut Boy (Mark 810), Ob 6.
FoRKs: Alc hemy, 1-lerhalism ,
Munilions, Arson L-P
Skill Type: Craftsman
Lash Agility
Tools: Yes. Dcllowcr:; bl'ur a umssive lash with
Garrote Agility_ which rhcy drin• on their lcssers. So
A gunotc is a two- to three-foot terrible and huge is this whip that it
length of cord stnmg between two mny be used as a weapon.
small wooden handles or leather Obstacles: As a melee weapon. Sec the
loops. Rode11 use it t.o th rottlc Resources section for stats.
victims to <lca1h. To use this skill, Skill Type: Martiul
the would-be-murderer must attm:k Tools: Lash.
from stealth or surprise (or nguiusl
Litany of Fools Will
a victim already in a Lock). Test
This speaks gently of tbe terrible
Garrote. versus Power or Agility
fate of those who don't sec the truth
(victim's choice, but at double
in what the Dark EJf is saying.
obstacle). Jf the attacker lands n 2D
This song counts n,; Ugly Truth or
or greater Lock, tbe victim loses 10
lntimidation- cbuosc which before
Forte every exchunge thereafter. .If
Lesting the skill. The Dark Elf player
Forte reaches zero. the victim foils
must incorporate a barbed rhyme of
unconscious.
vtirse into his roleplay.
FoRKs: Brawling
FoRKs: Fa.lsehood
Skill Type: Martini
Skill Type: Social
Tools: Yes.
Tools: No.
Lists
Nature of At\ Things Will/Per Pack Hunting PcctSpd

Th.is woli knows the history of the Wolves hunt for their prey in a
1rrcs. the srrcarns, the rocks and different manner than those on
brush. He knows why the snow two legs. Use. the obstacles below to
fo ils and why the sun rises. He determine how much prey a pack
understa nds that the sharp tooth can bring down over the course 0£
(1f die wolf lenglhcns the stride. of a week. The dominant is always
1hc hoofed ones. He comprehends, the primary for this test. Last
vugucly. the iuterconncctcdnnsi; of wolves, pups, elders and nursing
all 1hi11gs. This :;kill cau b e used as dominunls may not help in diis
a FoHK for nearly any other skill test-only Hunters. Aunts, Uncles
(t•xcept martial skills), in a similar and Yearlings.
(ash ion 10 the Ast rnlogy skill. Obstacles: Adequate-kills to feed
Obstacles: Naming 11. 11utural feature , a pack of up lo three. Obi.
Ob l. Numiug u living creature, Adequate kills to feed of pack of
Ob 2 . Giving cryptic advice, Ob 3. four or five Great Wolve-S, Oh 5.
Discerning truth £ron1 lies, Ob 4. Adequate kills for a pack of six to
h11crprc1iug natu ral orne:ns, Ob 5. seven, Ob 7. Nolt: llit: l,uuust:s uud
FoRKs: Appropriate wises. May FoHK penalties for the hunting grounds
into any other skill from \Volf skill as dt!scriLed in t.he Territories
list. section of this chaprer.
Skill Type: Academic FoRKs: Scent Tracking. Scent-wise.
Tools: No. Territory-wise, Forest-wise
Skill Type: Forester
Nursing \'Viii/Pee
Tools: No.
This is the delicate process of
weaning pups off the tent and slowly Preaching wm
imroducing I hem to meat and P1·cuching relic:; upon religious
forage. Also, this skill is used like dortrim'. real-life onccdoces nud folk
Field Dressing. wisdom.
Obstacles: us Field Dressing. Or as tbe Obstacles: l\fost common Will among
Will of the pup, if uppropriate 1he audience members. Preaching
FoRKs: Reariug can also be used in tl1c Duel of \Vits
Skill Type: Spccinl for Jncicc and Dismiss actions.
Tools: No. FoR.Ks: lntimidat.ion, Falsehood,
Doctrine. Soothing Platitudes
Pack Etiquette Pc,-rccptioa
Skill Type: Social
This is crucinl knowledge of the lows
Tools: Nu.
of the pack and what behavior is
appropriate at what juncture.
Obstacles: Feed order at a lull, 01.,
2. Approaching the puck as a
foreigner, Ob 4.
FoRKs: Begging
Skill Type: Sol·ial
Tooli:: No.
. '.
Tracking quarry that h as crossed

R through o stream, Ob o. Trarking
afrer ruin, Ob 7.
Rearing \XMVPcr
FoRKs: Srcnt-wist·
Thb is 1l!c wulf':- i11:.1rm·tio1111! skill.
Cood Uncles and Aunts po;:: on
Skill Type: Forr:-tcr
Tools: No.
llll' knowlC'tlgl' of rhr bunt und tlw
traditions of the purk to tbl' yo1111g Sorcery Pccccp!.ion_
pup~. l ;,t tl1i~ ::-kill m, ln~1ruc1io11 for This is 1101 u rt:\'ision of ~orcl'ry
lt·ndting wolvt':- YllllOl,!t' r thnn you. but an cxpunsion. In your gamr.
FoRK.s: ,, av of the First I l11111cr 1hr Surr1•ry skill c:un count for the
Skill Type: Social :,tanda rd vrrsion of the Sorrer\' :;kill
Tools: i\o. desrriLcd in the Burni.ng \Vhcf'I or
rou nt for Art ~lagic or Prnct ical
Rider Training wm ~lu0<ir drscribed in dns book. Pick
T h is 1roi11i11g 1rnrhcs a wolf how
one form that 1he skill represents
w :,ubonlin utr i15cl[ aud ac·(·<·pt. iu yo1U' garnr. All itcrat ions of
comnutud::. frum n rider.
t111~Sorcery skilL no mat tcr \\'hat
Skill Type: J>hy:.ic-ul Training lifl'puth t hry on· earned from. count
Tools: :-lo. us this forrn.
s Obstacles: Sre the Art ~logic or

Practica l ~lngir cbaptrrs in this
book or tlH· Sorcery drnpter in the·
~ge Attack AySpd.-
Burnins \Vhrel.
Orcs train wolvrs to fight suvugely
FoRKs: Aura Reading. Astrology,
a nd wildly. \Volves with Savuge
Empyrculiu, Dcruouolo~y and
Attack hove urcess 10 all of the
appropriate wises.
martial maneuvers. includiu~
Skill Type: Sorccrous
Lock oo,I S11·il,e wb1m u~ir;.i:..!_l~eir
Tools: No.
Crushing Jaws.
FoRKs:Brawling Spirit Binding wm
Skill Type: Mart iul Spirits nbo1111d. They infu&<' rhl'
Tools: No. world around us. a nd those who
know their ~crrNs cull t h l'm fort h
Scent Tracking Pccccplioo nnd bind tJ1rm into service. l:sin1,:
Wolves track i 11 11 slightly different this skill, a sumrnon('r binds a spirit
monncr thuu humans, Eh·es and and Sl\ts it to a task.
Orc·s-t hcy rel)· on scent un,J sound
To summon and bind, the player
in uclclition to sight. totuh hi~ d ice from Spirit Bindiug.
Obstacles: Trnr.kiug frc~h srent on u domain hinding, n spirit mark.
dry t:.urth. Ob 1. Recognizing u ~umruoniog circles and a11r
known creature by sccnr troil, Oh off<'rmgs. He lc!,IS those <lice
2 . PickiJ1g up day-old s<·l'nl, Ob 3. against an obstarlc 1hat t·ombi1ll'~
Following frrsh s<;c•ot from nearhr th.. ::1pirit 'i. S1rc-ngtlt, clie rnsk. th\"
prey on th<.' wind, Ob-¼. Trneking sumruoncr·s own Jmmonr:nce. the
fresh ~etnl in m•w, light roin, Oh 5. immrdiatc nercl for the spirit and
the scope of the domain affected. If
Lists
~m·rc:-~ful. the summoner ran uome

his tusk and rrdul'c the amount of T-Z
n·1rib111ion the , pirit will vi sit upon
Tongue nf lbe Ancient One Pcrccplioa
him. If foill'd. the s ummonl•r h M
It is said thot the Great Ancient
ungerrd the spirit m1d will suffrr thr
whisprrc<l his secrets to his las t pup
nmst'l1'1c nrcs in eit her rc.'lribution
before he passed on from this world.
or 1•11111i1y.
He taught his outcast and ho1ed
Obstacles: SN, rh,• Spiri1 Binding child l1ow to opeok the true ~peed,.
Ob,;1udc:. 1111d Spirit Serv it'es in l1ow 10 ruak1, his words hnvr powfr
Ihi.,
1·J1apt1•r. b t1yond undc rstnuding.
FoRKs: :\s1rology. Linked
appropria1c.
Skill Type: Sorl'<'ruu~
l<'Sl s an~ This skill is till' cquivuk·nt of
Sorce ry. Gr('al \Vok es with the Mark -·
,...
VI
of the .~n<'ic111 1ru11 ntny use this sk ill

Tools: No. 10 ca:;r. spells.
Summoning Pctcrrtion.... Skill Type: Son ·rro us
Tl.ic Sumnwniug skill allows ihe Tools: 1\o.
l'haruc lt·r 10 l'll li spirits of the dead,
Way of tbe Erst Hunter wm,ec,
<l<-mons. ang<·I, and gods lo dbcuss
Thi. is 1hr Spirit HunH.-1-'s bis1ory o f
mo!iers of fa ith. life an<l philosophy,
the world. Thi~ s kill ac1;; as Anl'ient
and perhaps to n·uch ,, bargain for
History.
servin:. T his .:;k iJI llSl'S the rull's
found in Lhl' Summoning ehuptrr o f foRKs: Old \Vorld-" 1se. '-'u1 urt> of AII
this book . Thill"S
0
Skill Type: Anid,-mic
Obstacles: Sec the Sum moning
Tools, No.
cha pter.
foRKs: Astrology. f o lklore.
Empyren liu. Dr monology nnd
a ppropriate wises.
Skill Type: Sorc:erous
Tools: No.
•
- .,
__, __ __
Index of Headings
Index Key 1l11g,y Spirit,(
Chapter Am1011nl·iI1i; Hi,k of fuilnrr.
Heading B,•fori- the R<ill 116
i\n1ui:1111iot llr lirf, 1:1
S11Lht1ulinl;(
811/1ltt•11di11,: 01'/ml Antagonists 69
Antecedents 291
A11tcl'rde111 Troit 294
+ 1D \'i.-1i111, :11 1 Appl) Truth 1:.?i
/ , ,•11r tl,·ml. -I Ob ,"14:! An'OUl' ,\t-t1fl11 2ii:1
;J tfr,y< ,/,•r,(/, 110 f)l'tltlf~\• ,'J-1/ Arru11r Knowl,·cl,:i- 21!1
f() rft,y$ ,/i•111f, +I Ol, :1-1 1 The: Arcane Library 247
:!fJ cluy,, rf,,rul, +:! Ob Arrl1rtyp1·~ i11 \li,giral Firtfo11 :!2$
.'W 1/,,p dl'tld, +.~ Ob Aro· S1urt111;; Cruy, t vc:r Ar.co:l'lublr? 1:;:!
A J\.r,0 1110:: With ,\lo,11,1c·r,. 217
AL1hric, Muoi lk- in tlw i;u1111' R1·nl111 li I Amu,r I <I:!
Acccpling Help 145 An11or Tn11· ~Oil
AcriJr111-Pronr Ari oml 1Uu,1m11011, 1
Antuinng Artifnrts Artha Bloal to~
Ac tion :N Artha Cycle 9S
,ktio11 ( 'ombi11111io11,( -·
/ ;:, Artha for NPCs
Addiug Skills .'J.i.7 Artifacts
Th,• Atlrp1 227 Art Magic
,\tlup1ing Sc:hr,ol-, nf ~loi:i1· in Piny 266 The Arsenal Method
,ldoptw11 1i1Nt· 267 i\\'nir.l
Advancement 125 Awarding Artha in General
Advancement for Helpers 145 Awful R~"rl11t i1111
, ldm11ri11g A•1rl'strol Taitt/ 41)1) B
Advancing Corruption 257 811J \'i,·11111-
Allvuntug•·· I:!O, :!80. :1<14 Balancing Success
Adventure Burner 23 Against Advancement 127
AJl'o:111urcr's l11rn111l' Band of Fortitude 3n
Affiliated Orders and Reputations 332 Barding, Collars and Spikes 508
Affiliations 165 Busie Enrhontm,•nr Effr,·t, 2114
Aggrc>sor ur Drfonrlt•r 141 Buol,· Sit,•.< 35.\
.·l1111111g I J,,:J, 175 Th,· Bu11I~ Spu,·c 187
Alchrmy urnl Tu..·udrnnr :! 11
1 lknt 191>
All (;ootl C:liilclrm Go Ill Mrt1v1·11 :H :l llll' Rcullll!!> ;j<,ll
Aili,·11 NPC:, 11111 .\rthn IO!'; Beginner's luck 127
Al1<tr of Sucrili,,,. 370 Rr:iinncr·~ L111·k. l·Mpin!!
Alwuy... \Vin 92 uuJ A,lvunrrmrnt 128
Aml,u,.h 1()0 Behavior of Challenging Tesls 126
Am I a Big Deal? 174 Behavior of Difficult Tests 126
An Anlagonlst Is an Empty Vessel 72 The Behavior of Routine Tests 125
Anrc•irul Tnlr11 ;()8 Being Taught the Right Way 267
1lu111·r of tltr ,l11rirflls .1 I ;J B,•fitf Bookk,•q1111g 36n
543
---
! I I I~
Belief-Bu1ldmg Tips 83 Challenging Mages 219

Bdwf~. l11, 1im·l3 unJ Truil \'111111~ I 07 A Change of Faith 455
Be/id versus Situalton 80 1ltu11gr 1/11· Names Fin11 :J,1
Below Setting 439 Chw1b'i11g Belier, Du nn!:! n C'.ompoign 8(>
Belt of Flying 377 Changing lnslincls 94
Bide \'our Tim~ 1% Cl11u,;;i11!:! Spdls ;37:3
T he Bi)! Pk111r,· 71 Clmrm·11·r <:o,u-cplS :_13
The Big Wheel 15 Charactcriz.ation Instincts 90
/J111d1111,: £.rn'l'fl< Ubsrurl.- .u:1 Chnrurtrn. 23
Bi11di11!£ .1/,·,·IJ/ Ob.<(0.-/1· .11:! Ch uructa S1111·k :3()ll
B11uli11g 011,·,,·lf 111 u l),1uiu111 :ll<J Ch11r=Cl1ttrn,·1cr Trw1 51 1
Birulin;: Trait> :J:!0 Churgdfo,·k le 197
The Bitterness Below 453 Chonns ;J(>;J
[/lad,·.<a nd rtam, SIJIJ Chicken or Egg 24
The Bladcsmilh 417 Chirf Dr ifil', 27:!
BIO<.'k J()7 C.l 11M1:--iug A.-tiuu~ 17,5
llfood ."/0-1 Clt1>0SIII!:! 1'111 o,·croll Si1u0Lio11 h:!
Blood Magic 367 Chuo,11,g Durk Elf Song,
The Blood of Innocents 370 \'cr, u, Elwn Soni,:, -1:! I
Ul11111lr Som''). 2fl'J Choosing Skills ~74, -492
Boots of the Hunter 378 Circmation 321, 335
Brawn nol Br,uns -4 65 Circle of W'1sdom 381
Breadth 28-4 C~~ 1U
Brcaki11g II Paci :1.w Circles Obstacle Modifiers 16-4
Tlw Bringer or D;,rkm·><S :!i 0 City Dweller Selling 403
Thr Bring~r or Fir..- ~:10 Clu-«'r 10 God 2T'
The Brood Mother 461 (:lum,y Wcii:lu for Wolf ,\ rmor SOX
Building Beliefs 80 C-O=Cull -On 511
Build Tension 63 Codex lgnis 10
Burn ing Action 36 Collaboration and Sportsmanship 18
Burning Beliefs and Relationships 37 College of Magic 404
Burning Characters 33 Colophon 552
Burning Currr ncy C)·cle 1(, ColoriJ,µ Hdp HS
Burning Mechanical Details 37 Commenting on Commentary 43
Burning Philosophy 15 Common Traits 445. 467, 487, 511
Burning Selling 30 Cumplcn>crtfnl')· K.uowl, dg,· 2<>0
Burning Situation 27 Compromise 176
811mi11g Sp,•ar of Arm111• Fury :!SI Con,·r nlruLiun 2:;:1
Burning S111 r1i11~ ,\rthn :ix Condit1n11nl Hdp HS
The Burning Wheel 379 Conllirt< Soul. Arthn 10-1
llu1 Wr.u.-wls.. I I:.! Consequences 288
Dn\·-ln 12 Corrupted 1111d ~fnrhd hrm, :m;;
Buying Into a Sihulion 62 Corrupted Body and Soul 26o
C Corrupted Life 261
<:all-On Trait~ l o Brruk ·r.c~ J.13 Corruption 255
Captive Subsetung 482 Corrupt.ion Uring• StTl'ngth 257
Cash Money 159 Corruption Truit~ 260
Casting Time 286 ( :011111cr.,1rike 197
Casting Under Pressure 286 Couutcrsoikc Vurinnls 39
Cavcdwcller Selling, 463 Court!)· lnromc 158
Lists
Court Setting
I·,.,,", /l,11111/
I ·r,·u1111:.: r.lmmh. \\'unJ,
403
:tot
Di,un)1
Distortion Dust
Dive into a Demo
197
381
22
-
::s
0-
(D
,11111 n.-111,·di.-, with Fulklorr 36-t Di•tine Afflictions 273 ><
Th,· Cn·,·1•~ Cluu,,· :!bl Dog or lrss1•1· /li,lf 505
flu- ( .r11,..l>11w u11tl lhl· (.;u11 191 0,,111ui11 ond Mt,liuru 307
Crossculting 200 D,11num Bi11d111g- Levtls :-119
Th,· Cuh of 1)10 \"i;i.,11orv, Domain Bindings 317
TI11· ~"'"''Y '15-1 Domains, +3 Ob J()'J
l:11l111rul Tri111, :J:;, b5 iJ0111wi1 1'mits :-J/7
Culture 65 Dcminant Mother 479
C11rn• of ,;,., fJa11111,•d 370 0011·1 Ile II Wc1 13hwkct 19
Cul'Scs 274,304 l>on ·1 Bc a Wrt llltutkl'l, \ Ir. (;.\( 11-1
D Dnn'I n~ 'fou Smurt 201
Dun1u;.:111g UJI AHilinllun I:.!:J D11wn,idcs "' Rii. Deal, 17-1
D:u11.,gin;.: Lod~~ -10 Dragon Slaying Sword 382
Da nger 248 The Dropping Ring 383
Tiu- Durk D1;«'ipli· 23r» D1=Di1· Tri.lit 511
Dade Elf Age Chart 4 19 Duel of Wits 173
Dark Elf Common Trails 420 Dud of \\'i1,; llesuh,
Da1k Elf Lifepath Trails 420 ,.\n• ill,•"' Oh~u,rlr, 177
Dark Ell Resources 430 Duralion of Service 332
Dade Elf Skill Songs 421 Dw.:illon of Spell 285
Dark Elven Spell Songs 421 E
Dark Elves 418 E4n1111g u11d lnat-Ji,iil,: lle1iututi1>n., ,J:15
Dark Elves in Play 434 Eunung Ch11IIM1µ:m~ Ti.·',I-,
The Dar.< Side 235 Throu;.:h U,·lp 12"'
Dead Flesh 341 f'.itr1w1g Difficuh T,-sts
Dto<llulk~ 1-12 Through I ldp 1:.!.6
Dealing with Deities 277 ~ ing Em.ho,11111\'UI Q(J
Death Art 340 Earning Fate 96

De.-ith /\rt Process 341 F.urnin;.: Fntc fut Behr!, Q(>
De.-.Lh Cult Setting 406 Enniing fat,• for Iluoiut (J!I
Death of the Spirit 351 [•::Umiul! 1:·,ur fut ln,hnrr, Ill!

o~u,I,:, 1l.rr 2'il Eumiu~ Futr fnt Skill, ()I)
Dm//, 'fo.rius :;51 ICl1min;.: futr fut Tr11n ~ 911

Th~ Dt'l·c1,·r r 231:1 1:::1mi11i: :\luldhrrokrr ()Q
Dtc.·1,111 po-,1ti, JI 1 :Mt Earning Persona 99

l>cc<l,, uf Spilt• -+:.!.7 Earuiui: ~pin1 Enr-
The Deeds Point 103 1111(1 Sl'iril Nu,i• Tr1111., 500
Definition of Terms 23 Ebon Shunt 384
Dl'i1i1•,- :.!.72 E'cnnom,r :1:1.s
Demon, I Abjure Theel 336 Effects 280
Describe Your Actions 182 Eldritch Channeler 384
l),.,1t.,)i1111 u lll-pn1u111111 1:13 £111helli~hi11g Sue:<'<'-"' 119
D,-,.r"') woth S11ri-trou, Fin· I 28 1 Emergent Properties 21
D1::--tn1,·tum :170 f.111po11•rr111c111 326
Devil in the Dcl<lils 64 Em1tt1wrr Thin~ Ennnic,I 273
0 11.:t· 5U8 Er.chaolcd F.-.llun:s:
Direction 83 Saaillcc. Curses and Perversion 303
Dirr I la1111h :;u:1 Enchanting 290
..
Ench.inlins 293 F,·11 ;\,wi1·111., i'.iOi
E rll'IU111l111:.! ll1' q11ir1·111t•111, Fi,•ld Life uf II Corp><· :lb I
Hllll 1l1•... 1ri1-lllllb :.!11:3 Field Setting 437
Ench.rnhng Time 305 Fields of Faith 451
Ending ii Fight 202 Fight 189
l'Jd11111r111;:. //,,• IJod1 ,1.J ': Fi!(hl. + ,'J Ub ,'J 10
b 11ni1, :!7-t Fight Actions Advice 196
F1111111~ u111 I 1111'111111 :.!118 Fight Action Variants 39
Enmity Clause 69, 166, 313 Fight as Clirnax 189
F.pi,· E11,•111i1·, lhR Fight as Opening Action Scquen:e 190
Establishing Selling as a P!Jyer 208 Fight for \X'hat You Believe 15
Ethical or PhilosophiCdl Slilnccs St F;~J.1 i11g ~l,m::-t1·r:-- 21h
Etiquette or Wises 2 lt F,,. h1m,•,.. !Ionµ,·,
0
186
Everybody Help Every Time 174 Fighting Smart 190
Everyone Can Fight 19.3 Fight Is Compliec1ted 201
E,·,w·ut iu11 :1:;:1 Find 1h.- llrir<' Thin;.: :10(1
f l'm' u/11JJ1 '/'i111r .~5-, Fm isl1 i11~ u llrtld 87
E"•k,· :.!Ill Folklore 363
111c Evolution of an Antagonist 75 h,11.:lorir Rr,1rk tiu11, :jt,(I
Ernh•i11g Tr11 ii- 10/i TIii' Forb1cldr11 Pinn• 22!;
E.rnrl llc1•1·11g,• _,
4 •1"1 Foreword 7
Exile Subscthng «~ For1,jirnltu11s Skill
Expanding Circles 168 m /((111/.!<' 11ml Cul'cr l'i:!
F:.cpumwt: ,l/rrli11111 :l(J 1J Tl,., Furtrt .,-,, Cird ,, .3:!2. :.no
Ex1rn111I IJ11m1 io11- Effl·1·1 Dnr111 i1111 '.!IJII rr,11ml /J11rill/.! / 1/tiy :176
Ex1ru,·1lng A111c,·c1lc111$ Fu11 nch11g u l>I<'\\' Srhool of '.\ lu~ll' 28?
F:.r1mcli11g <'0111111u11 Tmil.< 29:! The Fourth Belief 81
The Eye of the Storm 196 Fn:rtlom :J6(}
F Free Shots 41
The Face of Antagonism 72 From 1111· Mnrµ111 ~ 50(1
Fm·111ri11g 0cgiruu,r\ Luck OL, 1ndc, With F111/-Bfo11•11 Co1!fhr1 I:! I
Di$Udvonlugc 1111J loub I :.!8 (i
Fuil~.J Bi nJinc: :J 13 Gain Advantage 194
Fail,•cl F.i·orntio11 :/,5.; Gaming the Resources System 157
Foil,•,I S1u11111on111µ ,12'i Gathering the Materials 355
Foiler/ Ti.·sl :!99 Gear 66
fui1111µ uml H1·tl11crd '" nr.i Ollrl'(·, 0 I oO C<·or 1.o•s l::!1
Failure 115 Gras 33.,
F111lurr 111111 ~lui nt1•n111wr Cyrlc~ 1(1:.! Ghosts of the Decping Wood 483,502
Foilnrr Ti111i111f I 111 Chuul~ :l5:J
Fnilh I lindru111·1· Aµui11,1 !-i111111rc ~I Giant's Tunic 385
faith in Dead Gods 276 Gibb,•ts 3S7
Fuillr in D,·u,I CuJ, in Piny :!.77 11,~ Cifl 11f Corrup1fon 262
F11i1h in Fiµh l :.!2:l: {iifted 250,279
Fui1l1 in Liµl,1, Lifr. llcuhh 111111 Pnritflb l Cirlcd 279
Foith in tllt' N11111rl' of ( i111l 27:J: Gifted al Death 340
f11itl1 \ '('r.,11, ,1,.,
S,11111110111·11 :tl<, Gifted or Notl 324
Fumily I lrirluurn 375 Give and Take 82
Frttf' ,1/irws 97 GM-Ct-cated Items 305
frinl GMlng Fights 201
p
Lists
GMing Summoned Creatures

1:,, r, B,;: P11·111n·
Gc,.ll·Oncntcd Beliefs
339
25
84
I <'cm ll,·111,·mb,•r A~,- Wifi•:
li.111 A',/1,·tl lier. lu11 llculurrl!
Mmtifpup, Trui/G
,'J60
2<J1
-
::1
0..
(n
1; 11 J .,,,1, ''"'' Stulk 1/11• N1:;h1. ldw11wtic Spdl llook.t .1,2 X

"' ( /11/Jr,•11 :J5'J lllusi1111 282
(;olden Tooth 386 lmLueJ Oun,1ju11 21)1
t.ruh1 1111i! 1111' Ui~ Cuys 40 Imbuing 290
(:,w,, ."iktll :!CJ!i hnl,uin!! Erfr," 291
Ut11111 .~/ft/ :.!'JS 11111111111,-: l'mr,•,, :!.IJO
t:rol'r· 1-•,1,· -~:i ,-; Jc111nm11•11,·1· :108
t ,'rt11•, ·rr,rds :J56 /1111111111c111. +I /J :109
Gn<) h111h. S11n-,·1;· l1111,n,11111·,I ~p1nr- :l:!:I
11111I Otlt,·r :-.;,i::h111111n·, 1!",4 lncanldlion 287
The Great D1v1dc 496 /11rn·n.<111~ r,,.J,,,.,, /,1 · Gnu .J;J5
t: r, 111 !;1ril,· 1''7 h1<·wu,111i,: llu· 111111k of mt Or,l~r :tH
(ireal Wolf Lifepalhs 480 1111111,tl')· lhl
l_;roup U11nti11g 3:J The lncvildble, Immortal Army 359
Cu1Um:,! I .i}!lll Orlirf-, 811 Tlw l11fumum Lm·, of D,·11111 Arlt•I• .lhl
H lnfutnr :!'-4
I l1u·k 111;: l.1frp:01h , :t{ l11foruuuim1 u:- S..·11111µ 208
I lnpp\ H, Ipin;: Fui1I, :!.:!. I lnlten•n, Dru»1111 ic lrom I')
fl11rt11 :n:!, :J ,., lnjurccl 11111I Poor loO
/l,m·,•# ,JQq Injury 122, 203
Il,m ,,•.st I""' -15:1 Injury as Advancement 203
Helrn of Protection 386 In Moru u,.I \ irn ·1-111
Help 144 lnnH Confilct 8;j
l·ldp .112 In Spuc uf ( :ri,•f i:.?-
1-ldp ,I/,, lu11 Fuul! .%0 Instincts 90
Heroic and Supernatural Gear 303 ln.,ti11rl.< Jl.,of;k,·,~1111,: .J(;I/
Hi»,l~r :!llO. 3 1-1 l1t,1i11,·1, IU Uu,·1 or\\;,,
l·lin<l rnucr 2fl8, :1I I Han;:,· nm! Cm,•r ,1110 hi:ht 1 •> I
H,1nor Sure.-,~. Chall,·ni;c ,h :111mp1tons I I IJ Instinct Tiintng 41
I low 1),)(.,, One <.:r(•n1~ 11 l11t rt!rutin~ l\nuµc- :11t1I ( .11, t-r rn:1
Well \\'11,ught Si111u1iu<1 ? :.!A fUI ~·lli;!t.•111·1• 1•111
llo,v Du I I< 110\\' 0
( I 'II, lnt...~11 ... .-- Sorro\\ i :!IJ
How l>o Yuu Cltullc·ngr u 8.-Ud? '.!,7 Intent 109
I-loll'/ for C,,J,·,1111/ S1;:,lit .'i(/1 Intent and Task 109
Jh,,,.J Jot .'ii/cut I11ir,· 501 l111<-n111I 01111,110»-
I lr,11•/ fur S1,mt N11t11rr 5()/ E111'111111t111r111 D11rnt m11 :!•l!l
Nrul'/ for .-;,,m1 t,'m,•1•11 :HJ/ lnlraparty &hefs 80
How Long Does It Take? 13 lntn~1u- (1 I
How Many Links? 148 1,..,lalm11 :!:-1

Tlw I lurmm l,u111li1io11 :rn ll's Nol Over Until 11's Over 199
l-111111 tit,· W,Jrl,I ~U7 Ivory Shield 387
J-/11m,·1/1 + I 0/J .'1/0 J
.,......,
I (17niuti~1t1 (0/, "' I 1rli111 's II ti/) -·. Jade Amulet 388
I Juiuing 1'-1'\\ OrJ,·r,- 3:H
I Am In Command 355 Joinin,: S1·h0<1l• or \1111.,'lt' i11 Pl&) 286
I ,\111 N,~l11 :HII L
Lo<ti11i: Err~,,; 285
(
u1,1 'l1111r !;i Magic 1ln11or :!96

l..~11,•r j(J Magic for lhc Masses 250
Liws of Sc:rv ice 315 Mni11111i11 i11g Y1111r Il11r<lr :J!j()
lay Your Fears to Rest 361 Muk,· ,1/a/!W :2().J.
l..t·ml:- :i 1l8 Tlw Mukrr 232
Lt•mt., 'Ii, ·I0-1. -106 '1111· Molrlbrm k<'r Bc·luf ( 'hflllg•· Wumml{
l.,•ml, 111 !-ipi1t· 418 /00
l..1·un1111~ 254 Making Offerings 322
le.iming \'v'iscs 214 The Many-Headed Beast 146
Lei fl Ride 150 ,\/1111,r ,n•ars [!one .142
let It Ride Conditions 150 Murk :132
lei It Ride Duralion 150 1'l1U1} r., nrul 1111· I foly 37 1
Th,· Li.-11 :J:i:; Mu...1<·r Your llolr H
l lw I.if,· o1f du· C 11r1'$1· :H 3 Mu1,•1rn/ l11.</111cl 9.1
Lifepaths 397 Murcnnl W,,rtcl 3:i
l.1fqm1h, 1111d Trau, 2 M1·m1" lajh, .. !;5
Lifepalh Traits 44-0, 469. 488 Mccharncal Instincts 90
Lifestyle Maintenance 159 i\ledi11111 1111d Do111ai11 301)
L1f,-.1 yf,. Mui11rr1111111·,· Fuil11n· 1<>0 Mrn1uri,•-. :n2
The: Light Side 227 Mi,1,11,· of 1hr llonJ -10
Th,· Ugh1 1,,ud, \er.;11, Mind Gam,s 199
1hr 11,·cl\1' "lou.-1, 118 Mi111/ Mc-/,/ nr 111011/!!,r ( '011/ro / :wo
Uk,· an o~· .1// Minor D,·1Ul'> 272
Lu11i1~ ur Spit,· -121.l Missiles and Spells 199
Tlw Li11111n11011> uf Fuill, i11 Drn ,I C"'b2"7 The Missionary 436
linked RC$0urccs or Rcsuum.~ f-lclp 1.59 .lffs11i,1111rr:, I ou• ,15:J
Linked Tests 148 Th,· ,l/1.,1ak,• :!:!.5
Linlrd 1hr, for S11111111uni11;; 32-t Mu1l11lnnry ~01
Linking tu Dunman Bi11,li111( ;320 Molrll ,m,kcr 87
Unk Intent and Task 14-8 Monutl1ris1 270
Link versus Help 149 Monsters 66, 216
Live in Infamy 361 Mn11s1rr:- ond Mugir 218
Tiu· Ll\'lng Dcn1h :l52 A/or,strom Corpso· 'fruits 34i
Living Traits 342 Monstrous Skill List 535
Lu<"atto11, !;08 Monstrous Trait List 511
l..(lrk 198 More Bloody Rules 39
logsir1g T<::SIS and A,tl,d 45 Tht i\lonul Entmy Clnust· 202
long Campa;gn 50 Mortal Soul 340
l.11ng·Tn111 Mcdannirs Moti\'01t11,g A11tngu,1 it-t,; 73
for Sh11rt-Trn11 Pl11y :iO Mountains of Trolls 466
Looking from on High 12 ,1/ullipl,· l ··"'·' :!I)'}
Lo<N· Chunu-t•·r (;011,·cpt,, 2b il/1111t/(1111• m11/ Mor/al. +:! 01, ;j(}C)
Loot aod Fence 159 .llurtfprs :J56
M Mm/ JJ,• Tt,11rhi11,: /J,,.,n•r ,'JOI
Magic 219 MVP 102
Mngw Ai:ui11,1 Ol1>1111·le. 219 My Fu,•orilc Ob, 1m•lt· J:H
Magical Artifacts 375 N
Magic.11 Magic 224 Nurm,lr1'.< Spiri1, 307
Magical Slulls 413 Names 66
Magic and the Roden 456 Nuturc 27 1
Lists
,,.... J
\ ,~<11,· P,·1111fly
Nests of Roden
3 10
295
445
The Path of Spite
Path of Spite Subsctting
Paying lhe Price of an Order
418
418
334
-
~
a..
(1)
New Dire Haunt Spells 503 Peasant Setting 402
><
'\r" I.1(,•pnth, 3~,) Prnnlty 508
'\,•o. T,-,.1 l:!O Pcuplt' and Possessions :no
'\,,bl,· h11·,1111<' 138 Pt·rforrnin~ the Rituul 348
'\,, Fi,hing 11 ;3 Pcrson11I Goals 101
Nooks and Crannies 214 Personal lnstincl 93
\,, Rt'•ourw, for Prn r.rsion 305
LJ(1"-t\ I,• \l,tilllt"lll\ll('C' 160 Physical :J:!5
'\ot<', lro111 tlw llnrk 41Q l'h) ~icnl Prirr 33 1
Note Taking 46 l't<"k n LifrpatlL Any Lifopnth )(>Q
\ t1 1'ng._f!,·r :wo l'1rlang l brc~ Good ln.,tinN,- 93

'\01-Su-l),•(rn,hr \\'t'apt•tb :5011 Pit Setting 464
No Turning Back 268 Plun· 165
'\,1 \\ ,•asd s 11:! PLtyiog Burning Whed
"-'PC Help 146 m an Established Settmg 67
'\}'C, Cw, F.aru .\rtho 1o:; Playing the Circles 163
0 Ployi11µ t11r Dark ~id,· ;!4;{
ObJects in Motion 193 Pin~ 111g th-, U~ln Su k 214
Ob,mrt· .J ,.., Plo) t~,w,g :!.
Obstarlc (Er1rhnnlt11{! £jfrrl} !'JS Pnlrtliri.t :!.70
Ob.,tadr Pt'nuhi,-,. I:.! I PMitronmg )Q I
Obstacles 132 Po;....,-,ion :H I

Obstacl.:s and Ad,•anccment 133 Poverty 156
Obstacles and Arlha 134 iltt" Powt"r FaJ~- :ro
Occupacin11 IC>-4 The Power of Gods 272
OF \le11 u11d Mon~cn. 3:, Thr l'O"-t'r fi.:-111,uu, l 11111 l :,1•,I :Joi)
On.- i\ omt" of '.\Inn) :!2~ PradJCAJ Action 53
Ooc-Olf '48 Pnirn,·:11 ,\,hi<",. uu f holl,·11e""~ tkl.irf-8/1
One-Qn-Onc Games 52 Pracl.lCAl Afnliations 171
On,~on-Ont' Ganr,·, 81 Pr,,ctical Bclrcfs 85
Onr·S~·111c11,·r S..niug '.!t> Practical Failure 120
o.,1 iun, und Qur~1111, :,;{ PradJCAI lnsttncts 92
111c: Orne!,· :.!;I:\ Practical Instruction 131
Orcl,·r.1 :l27 Pract11:al Lim.its of Practice· 131
Tbr Utlrrr :.?:!.'i PractJCAlly Girted 268
Our lnm·pi,I ,\(iwuturr" Practical Magic 263
Rffrnth 01« "0\C'rrJ .. 5-l Practical Obstacles 134
Outcast Setting 404 PractiCAI Process 263
Outcast Wolf Subsctlmg 482 Practic-al Relationships 169
p Prad1cal Rcputallons 171
Pm·k ,\flilio1i1111• ~0-t PractiCAI Resources 160
P:cd: ~tote,., :;o::; Practical Schools of Magic 265
Packs and Pups 504 Practical Situation 53
1111" Po,·1 J:!I) Practical Situation
Partial nomam 309 in Continuing Games 54
Passing the Spotlight "6 Practical Success 119
Pass the Diec 147 Practice 129
Practice .ind P.,SSJgl.' of T,me 131 ll,•,<u11rr1· Puinl.~ iu f'lwm,·/N /J11111111p,1';'r,
Pract1Cl' and Rec,wcrv 130 Resources 156

l'rn,·111 ,. 111,1111, ' " I:m Resources and Recovery 20;
l'rtll'llt ,. I O,:.! I:111 /(,w1111rr1•.< l·,1i/11n· ;lf, 7
l' nl\ ,•r 111 Dm•I 11( \\ '" '.!:2:! lk,1111n·1·~ Htwb :18
l'n· /11111111111·111 :rt)'.) Hl·~1111rrrs (H1·1) :Jt..111
l'n·,t'n('t' :!O I ll1•s1111n-,• 'Ii-.</.( 111 (,'am,• .'176
l'r,·-.·n "'/! 11 I rntt fr.,111 I.if,· :1-Hl n,.,r1,... D,·,ul : i:n
I, rt·,t·["\ tl l;! l I,.. c'"'l"'' .·1-1•_>
,. H,·,I ncrmn~ 5 I1
Pl\...~1m: !·29 ll<·tr,•111 I Q2
l'n,·,· ,uul /)11r111te111 .'i,·11/,· .'t!\ RelnbulJCln 312
7'1,,· I'm·,· •!( th,· <Jn/, •r :1:1-1 Hrrr1h111i1111. Nor Tilx 307
Pncl.' "f S~rvicc 331 llerril,111i1111 S11i111lil1· 111 1h<· '11,sk :H:3
Hrn,111 ;310
Procedure 173 ll1•r1·al i,,ft,rn,a/icm :JO~
Farl11r,· ll,.._ulh
l'r111t•,11.111! 117 lil'lwal U111u ilf,, '/'Im Foct ,U I
Punishment! 133 /(,•1·1·/aliu11 ,126
Pup, ·¼116. SO:, lln•,•11w· I.< a Vitlltlf<· 34.~
1'11,h 191:1 H1•vi,,·,J Sturciu;.: Sorcery
~)11,·,1 (10 ~kill E:cp1111t'III$ 413
Questions. Questions 245 Ring of Dexlerity 389
R Ring of Power 389
Range and Cover 181 Ring of U1e Prophet 390
Him)!<: 111111 C:,,"'r 111 I· i~lit lll:I Risel 343
The Rate of Advancl!mcnl 125 lliruall~ H1•m1imu1erl
/(u,.m 5(15 Corps1· 81111 Bl()rks :H9
Raw Talenl 251 Ritual Reanimation 344
Ht:<:huri:r! :m1 Tl,c lli11111l of lknnimoti1111 ;345
Reconciling Two-Part Beliefs 85 Riluals 276
llc•f11r.fit·1_• ('11r.<t• 2'10 Hotll'n C.:onnpl uml Dc:!-i~n
Rl·<I Flug, 8:1 Roden in Brief 44-4
Reference 551 Roden in Play 458
Referencing the Rules 44 Roden Lifepaths 437
Rcmcorpora\c 63 Roden Resources 456
H1·luci11n~l,ip, 69 Roden Skills 451
Relationships. Affihallons. Property and Rod of Iron 391
Situation 63 The Roles of Magic 223
ll1·l111J1111,l1ip, fur 11 ( :'.\·I 170 RoU the Dice or Say Yes 113
llrluri1111,l11p, for II l'lu)•·r 170 Rufo-. for ll1d1 5ol
Relationships wilh the Supccna(ur,ll 339 Hui,·~ \1ni111·ry
Religion 270 Rules of Spite 424
Hrlii:11111, lrw1111w 1.31', Running a Game 48
Hr1111•1ltr, :1;,:1 s
Repaiting the Mortal Coll 3;1 Sacrifice 303, 370
ll1•p11t11111111 :l:tl Snrrilin· lt,•s1111rr1.:11 Oli,1111'11•, 319
ll1·p111 ut iw, 811111'1 ilictl Druci 337
Repulations 166 Schools of Magic 286
Reputation Votes 108 R,·11111,le of Mu~i,· 404
Rcputot.ior, Vntl', 17'1 &opr 11f Rl'trib111ion 3M
Re-Reanimation 350 The Scope of Violence 189
...,
.-&."
,.
'·...
Lists
St'u1111drd·, l11n1111,·
S.-t·n·,·y lmp11b,·
Sccrct Sauce
159
21
180
Srnoll. Bill-·Sizr<l C.lnmb
Social
S.x·iul Skills Agnin, 1 Will
:i<,8
:J;!fj
135
-
::3
0..
(1)
S,·111tm1t• 11111·111 111111 'l:L, k 117 Social Versus Tests 139 ><
Serpent's Spear 391 Socic•ry 271
Servant of the Dark Blood Setting 407 Society Subsetting 442
Service 311, 325 Some Advice for the GM 20
S,·r,•wt': /-l,,n11/f-l,,fp/H1i1th•r :JOS Some Advice for the Players 18
Set It Up 181 Son~ Routs -¼21
Set My Obstacle 141 Sorcerer and the Community 225
Setting 24, 64, 70 Sorcerers Use Sorcery 279
~,~tt11,c! i u u.l Curr...-•111•y 160 Son:emus Skill Pracltcal Magic 26a
Setting Over Time 64 Sorcerous Skills 249
;o;r 11i.11g L p Wcth "liw ri~,, Surc~rons Wcul""' :?Ill
F11ruli,·111i1111' 1111rl Wisc·, 181 S<.trn·n-. 1101 S.tr~W) :??•>
S,·1u11g Your St111,·11w111 ,,r l'uqw><· l?S S1111/ 'l)1·uti11i; :J5:!
!--,•,·er All ·n,,, -+:!6 The Source of Antagonism 69
Shades 152 Special Gifted lifepaths 402
Sl11 r1 Fr11111 Trait,•
~l1111h· 15:i Special Traits 450,470
Shade Shifting in Pl,ty 153 Special Wolf Trails 491
Sharing the Spotlight with Help 145 Specifically Gifted 254
:-ihuoti11g al \ lon!-11:r:-. :.!Ill ~pc.-11i, A111t·,·,·,!.·111
Short Campaign 49 rur EHl'II Sp,·,·clir Nc,•J 211:i
Sip11!firr111 1 •t11imuls or l'a,ts '/111•,w,f .16.5 Sp,•,·!/ir ,IIN/inm, No 1/orlifit>r ;J(Jl.j
Sil:{111ji,·r111/ :lrchit,·cturr .16.'i ::ipfcijir fl(1<w11( rrmrlll!(!/1 ;,,!'i'I

,.:;1p.111Jir1111/ /)11/1•s .'165 Spdl llfHok, :172
S1111ifiro11/ Oay-111-/Jay llilntds :J66 8p ,•II Chu11p.111f! Op1t<111.< .-r:.1
::ii1r111fira11t F1 flltul'S
1 .'J65 Sp,,11di11p ,\lr,rpj11 uf Sucn-s,<
Sif:!,111Jico11/ Oc•u111clry .'/6.5 for . ld1·r111/11f!,. :J;l\
S1[!.11iJir<J11I G'c·~
"lflrt'$ ur :\Ja1111N'S :J66 Spr11d111!! ,llt,rp11 of -""fr<',<.< 111 B,,~am:12.\
S1p.11ijiru11/ 1-lcrhs or Pla11/.< :J65 The Spheres of Gods 271
S1p.11ifir1111t 11l,•111lf :i65 ::,f.,il,:ed ,,11d .St111lt/,,,I ·ln,1or _:;(},)
/,'ig11ific(l11/ ,l/111t•r<1li -165 Sµik,·tl C'ul/11r.< 50.,

S1°!(11ijin111/ N11111b1·rs :u,;; Spirit Binding 306
Silk Armor 392 Spirit Binding Obstacle 308
Sirnpli· Enc.111ir, Joh Spirit Binding Process 3o6
Si111pl,· M111irnti111c, !):1 Spiril Binding Terminology 307
Sin2l,·-S,-,,,i,111 Goal, -+<> Spirit Encounters 323
S1111uti1m :.!-t. 70 Spirit Hunters 497
Situational Instincts 92 Spiril Hunter Songs 500
S1111oti111111I Sp11,, O1,., tud,·, i:!7 Spirit Hunter Subselting -482
Situational Tests 259 Spirit Marks 320
Situation Commentary 59 8pirrts Ar,· II is1• :uo
Sketching and Brainstorming 24 S(JiriL< Don·, Tulk or Bori:11111 323
Skill ;j()I) Spirits or the Dead 337
Skill and Faith 340 :Spiri1 Stn•ni:th 307
Skill-B11.«•d lmtim·/ 'J'I Spint Tuint 321
Skirmishes 187 Spirit Task Duration 316
Slave to the Legion Setting 481 Spiri I Tasks 310
Slowest and Loudest 39 Spiril 1·,•r,W1$ Magic .111
Spirit Weapc,os 392 S11prr1 hf'1,1 271
~p11t· un,.1 \1111ph1111 I •111011 -1:111 Supportin~ Olhcr Players 45
-1:111 S111T1·ntl,•r IQ2
~ fHlt' "' L:ru·f
Spi1,· ,., l lutn•,I -1:!K System Review 2-49
.'11vol.:.., .'°fl~/l :JI/ T
SqU1."e.Zlng in Practice 129 Table Behavior 44
Sqwshy faith 221 Tactics 175, 18-4
Staff of Ught 393 'fort ies Skill
Stances 200 111 S, •111111!, I I' Ru11µc· mu/ Cot·r·r / .'{/
!'i1urcin;: ·\flilu11t·d Onl,·r, :n1 Take u P"'i1i1111 lllo
Starltllf! l11n•Mrol 'fowl -1')\ Tuk<' Tl1,·111 Awur l7()
Starting Corruption 255 Talismans 394

S1ttrn11;.t ( :,,rrupuon in Plu) •)I"!: 1
..,.)t) 'lct!r.m11111,; of Prot,'l'lio11 :J9+
~1uni11;: ( :om1pu1111 Tm.ii> :.?5h 'lali.<1111111.<of 1/11· Ord,•t:< :J9-1
Stu.rlin~ D11111a111 Bi11t!i1J[!> :JJ7 TUiic(CI 298
S111tting Fui1h in D,·u,J Got.I, 27ft Task 110
S111r1fo,: Sc-l101JI, 11( l\lui,:it· 26~ Task of Help 144
Startmg Shades 152 Tax 267. 288
,-.,'tar/111~ Sp ell Book .17J 'fox.11lem11~1 2
Sturti.11;: Spill· -12.J Tax Thinl' Allies 21:1
S1otifln )(Ii l ~l,:i:ruph 201
Stali,1k~ (~1111 ) :t 118 Thl, Tl'tuplutirm 256
Stat Poinls for Roden by Age 444 Territory 505
Sidi Pools for Trolls by Age 465 'fi,st 7il'<·uk, :296
Sidi Pools for Wolves by Ase: 483 Theism 270
Stature 40 Tl11• I0111 of Sr·r:rt>ry' 'l,'i.'j
Steal .'t/-1 Tbm's Hammer 394

S1~ngLh :\08 Three General Situations 60
SlJ'~:,.S :.?51 llm,w l'Jli
SLrik~ 1<>8 Ties 141
St:ruggl,· 60 Tighlmin/! tl11· Grip :J5C)
Sublime Tra11sformllfio11 (Of, f;) :177 Time ((;in·b,) H,S
Submi:..,ivc Oominru1t:, 488 111l1t' (Liftpodis) 39H
Success 114 Timr of Oca1lr, J>rrkrrw l C,,rpsr. .'.H6
Success and fajlUJc Jn Summoning 327 Tim<' n.f Po.17111•11/ :J,'J:!
Suc<:t's~ful Bi111lin;; 3 1:.? 1'imf' Sp,·11( ,,, /}0111ai11 3/9
Surre.rsful &.•ucatio11 :J5-I Tinung 195
Succ<:;,~ful H11minc111i111,: ;{:.?7 Timi1111 uf Rl'tril,ution ~ 15
Succc.,;s in II Durl of Wits 120 Tu Jlum nr Nol tu Burn 1C,()
Suc,·or ;j 11 Tnn<> 25
Summunrr 1\111~1 Rr Tools 264
llouml lo u 1)1111111i11 .'.Jt7 Too Many Cooks 39
Th<· S111111111111rJ :tn Torture 367
T lw S11111111u1ier'~ C,uh' :ti:> 'foxilirotiou :"151
'-iun1nu,rwr"r, St,ul :1:11 Tmi 1 (Arl 1\101-ti~) :!8:3
Summoning 324 Truil (Types) ;3119
S11111rno11ini: Al;(uin,t Oc,nlli :i(12 'lruit 'l'ra11ef,·fl'11r.<• 295
Tl..- S111nn1uni11g Cir1·lc ;t.!2 Trait Vote 106
Summoning Obslacles 326 Trail Vole Procedure 106
Summoning Process 324 Tromfi•n-11c-1• 326
Lists @
Tnui-fonlt
f nu1,11ul;..rntif·ut i,111
Trup, 'l' Ob,tud,.,.
:!84
:i-n
135
Virtim, MuM llccMer
\'lUni:•· of I-IO<'hcn-wi:<('
Villager Selling
;168
2H
403
-
::::s
a..
~
l'nl,1111· :t lJ Vi1111g1•-wise Exomplc Ob~1urlc5 213 ><
Trinn,·r
<"r :-lOO Violence in the \'ersus Test 140
Trnll Llfr -166 Tl,,. l'o1r of Da,knc·ss 45S
Troll Lifepalhs 462 l'a11• of the Faur Sl'asons 452
Troll lldm 1011.:,hip, i7h /1011• of th~ l'nr.ifist 452
Troll Resources 475 1'ii11° of Poi:rrly 45,1
Troll ll,·~,111n·<",, 47<, \'11ws of Ac,·~r 452
Troll Round Up 465 Vow6 of the S01'1r1y -154
Trolls In Play 476 w
Troll Slo lls 47-ol \'(lalking Away 178
Troul,1,· \~ ririn~ IMi,·f, 85 \Vulking Awny from rJre Croup 179
True Names 336 \'(/and of Ages 395
l'nn1111i: u Hclur iun,lup I :!.3 WanJ,. 3(,:i
Two l11ings 12 Way of the (ire.it Wolf 485
1~l)n ,,r &•n·i,·,· 325 ll~·ultl, .'I0-1
i/11• 'l i,·1strd I 011· -1s.; ll'<'npo11 £,,l,,111cr111r11t.s :!96
Tl,.- T",,1.S of F,urh 277 \Vrupon S~c·d l'JJ
V \Vcnrl,cr 137
linr\1·11 lmportuncc. 17-! Wr.111her nnd \Vildcmc•~ a•
l1n~~P''"kd Encouni.-r 121 Qli,1ndl" Morlili,r, 138
l n,·.t p1·("tcd Ent'111jc> 168 The Weather Wilch 401
l'11('!Cpcc1cJ Surpn><'> 170 Weaving Cham1s 263
l. 11l111mtrl .1 /{) WcavJng Magic
l111it11<'ndecl Effrcl :?89 mto the Fiber of My Being 289
t ..i1i11t<'mit·d S11n1111011tflf :12'1 We Hnv<' f.1,-mi1y to K110"'' Your Flc:.h:!!;7
The Un iversal Library Option 373 We- Tl,iuk Lif<' ShoulJ &· H,ud 16
llnu,i 11h•il 1'lonnl Soul :-l31 m,,.P Bitt<'r(I· -·
.J•l"'f
TI1t• U11111nkcr 261:l What Can I Do While: I Recover/ 20+

l', e Foilure lu Tn~er l11~ti11cts 12-1 Wlio1 Du My Frirnd, Do
l'.u:f11I ,\lngicul Det•t('C$ :}')'; Whilr I Rrcowr? :!O:i
l I" , 1hc EnV1ronm<'nt !9 t Who1's nn Appmpri111c Coul? 84
l l,r Yonr Hund, J():? Wlrnt Skills or Al,iUty for tll<' Ttt,k 111
Using Corruption 256 \Vhat Versus Wr.atl 141
Using Monsters 216 When Do \'uu R11tk Off w1d L,·1 the l'la~.-n.
Vsins the Lifepaths 398 Tokl' 1hr Reins~ :,7
V \"(' hru lo CloS(' 186
I i•r/111I, Sumutir or Cumlitiuflal '/'n(J._l!;«'r:JOO \~hen to Engage in a Dud of Wits 173
Versus Sorcery 289 Whr11 lu Hold 186
Versus Tests 139 Wl1c11 10 Mui111oi11 185
Versus Tests for Cvmpc:tit,on a nd W/,..,, 111 S"." No tc, Clw11gi11f{ o B,•li<'fo 7
Physical Altercations uo When to Trail Votel 106
Versus Tests with Help 140 When to Use Help U4
\ ,.-,-.,,L, mul ~a1111" 21l3 When lo Use Range and Coverl 183
Tlw \'1r.1i1111l!«·1l Mu1,:1· :!:.!O When 10 ll,l' V,•r.11~ 'fo~L> fur Sucinl
1111• Vw1i111 Mu-ii ln11•ror1i1111s 139
ll,•11111111 (A111..,.1uu, 111111 Aliw :1118 Whru lu WiiJulrnw 186
\,r l..irn• nud <.11rp>(', :155 Why C.m't I Just Shoot Himl 184
\Vh>• ld It Ridel 150 \\'111f ll:11'1l111;: 501!
\\ II• h·n ,,..., ,:n Wolf FrirnJ, 505
\'V1ld P~ck Sell in~ 480 \Voll Lends 486
\V1ld Sellin~ 462 \'(lolf l.ift> 485
\t,l.t "pinh :l:.!. l \\'11lf l'nd,, -185
Ii i /I f t1il11r,· :!67' \'(lolf Skills • 93
\Vises 206, 535 \Voll Tactics 509
\\ , .. ,... u11il O, •;..: mm·r·, Lud, :.! I!j Wol!Trail Round Up •a..
\Xl1scs Jnd Failure 211 \'i/olvcs in Play 510
\'l;/1scs .md Let It Ride 210 \\'orld111l'r 10'1
\Xlisl.'S Arc Contextual 212 II urkmti Tult'unl.. 1)6
\'(liscs as Information 206 Wurk,l111p• :15:,
II u. • 111 S,·11111/! I/' "',,un«I.: iu \·t·r.r-u, Tl'>l'l 1-10
Ji,111,:.r um/ ( 'mrl H:! Wr~pp,ng Up 18
\\,-,., 1111.-111 111111 T11,l :.!U<J \Vn1m,: fld1rf.., rur u Cn 111pui~u 81>
JI i<,·s ll,•slm·1,·,/ ;!(,<, XYZ
Wizard Burner 402 You Have Mc al a DisildvanLlgc 194
\V1z.ard's Staff 396 l1111 S/11,11/,/ lle D.J1t1f: 35:!
\'<-'11..t1rd Traits 409
"
554
Index of Traits
A Chw1gc,1l11i; (:()ul D1 ;,I pi,; ·I'll. 51-1
,\\u, .. l·•I C:lmr -IU'l. Hll Clu1ri,111u1ic -120
C-0
\1·,1m ..11a,,• l'lmr Hll. 5 I:! Ciha ~SpL, 51-1
\d,11, .1 Cl111r -111•1. 5 \:! Cluwcd Dl ;\ f1L< -150
\,-.~, r :- L,knu-!'-, D1 +-15. !'il:.? Clu,.·cd D1 ;1 ,,,. SH
\lum11-.1 01 :! fJI:-- -HO. 51:.? Cini, Tuil D1 :! pl< -150
\IL111v n, .,\ 1•t!'> Hll. 5 1:! Clul, Tuil 1)1 :! pr.s 51:)
\1\\U\ :- Ill 1111• \\ a \ Chor -IOIJ, 512 Clum., 1)1 H7
\111l.1t11uu .. t ho, -I-Ill Clum.•~· \\'nll:,·r Chor 515
\111,,.•J11111 I D1 5 ph 512 Coot oJ Durlme,, D1 5 pL< -150.515
\111ul,•1 0.,111111 D1 ll pt, 51:.! Cool ,,f Fut (;.Q -1¼5. 515
\ nt,·, rnJ Tul111 Dr ill1I. !i I:.? Cocky Chut -1-17.515
\11ch•11t Trrrnr D1 IJ i•L' -I'll. 5 1:.? C<><:ky Chnr 515
\rrut:um Cluir -109 Cold Blootl« .I D1 -1:.w
"-''-'lUIII P,i;-l.;rrpor Clour -IO<J. :; 12 t :(1!..I 01 -120, 515
.\1nw1t·.r. o -10<1 Gornmuuul 1)1 -li5. 515
B ( .runpzL.....SIIJJtU(,· Chor H 7. 515
Ond.:-Brcok111i; l.ubor (..Q HO ( ,hlllJU 1l,1,·1.· Laur Clmr 420
R,,L,,d,· ~lnuner Chur Hb C:0 11Jr.M.~·11lli11,:. Chor -1-17
Brc••pful.:rr 01 -Hh ( :ortfi,l.<"nl Chur
lklirv.r iOCl Confo~ini,: Rant D1 !l pl
Rdlo..·ini: t:-0 -10(). ;,l:l Cool Mr11JcJ 01 +17
-I " "'
RrrarJ.:,·r 01 :i pi> -170. 5 13 Corp="' Bouru.l 01 8 pb
Rinn Chnr H6 Corrupted o, !3 pts ;()Q, 51<.,
llluck :\:nil., Dt -lll7, 513 Cow1ciil or Mttgc5- D1 ll fJL< -I09. 5 16
81.,..xl Lu<t Ot !',13 C:o"•urdl)' D1 H7
:l "'~
Ulw,J Tlur•ty G-0 2 JtU HIJ, 513 Creep)• Chor -109
&.,k..·,:,nn -109 Cr«p>· C.1wr 516
Um,r Chor -169. 51:1 Crushing Jnw, 01
Uru,, !,kiu D1 () pt,; 513 Cl)'Mo lllrir Sphuc, D1 3 pl> ;71. 516
Brnkrn D1 -1 -16, -189 Cuh Lender o, 8 pl, 4()Q. 51(.1
llmhu In ;C)() G)•1icol Chor -IO!l
llrool: •'I,, Foul, D1 7 pl!, -10'l. s 1;1 D
llnuul Chur ;1,9 011Ci11g Clrnr i-17
llnuc 1)1 .. ,...
-16(). -170 Drud l u Puirt D1 I> pl 1>16
llnllr 01 -1 pl• SH Drlllh Addictrrl D1 :1 pis :,16
IJ11ll-l..c·J:1tr,J 1)1 .. pl• 471 . :;1-1 Dro·pt ivc C.:-0/01 +20, 517
.llull> Clmr -10<1 Dcrp l'ur D1 -187. 5 17
llully Chut :,Ii O«·p S.·1»r D1 H7
C Drrrrt,i-. Chnr H7, 517
Cal!,,u, r.luir 4:.!11 Dr111rn1rJ Chur -10 1. +89. 517
1
l:uU<>n~d (:lmr HI> D,-•pcirut,, C:hut H7

Culm Drmrouor C-0 -141, Drw,un:r 01 :I pts 47 1. 517
C.uuuou~ Chur ·H7, 51-¼ DiligcUI Chur H7
C...-l,·•111,I S,(:hl D1 II p1, 5 1-1 Di, ligurr.J 1)1 3 pi.,, 4(11), 5 17
555
.
I .' . .
.,
I • · r?1 ,. , ' ! /'/ t . ',
I ,< ;'
,' : } ~ •
'
Di,rrtL'-l'ivc Chnr 409 H

Di.sNJt Parn.<11t- 01 5 pl$ 517 Hocking Cough Chor '1-\7
Di$lmcu:d Chor H7 Hammer Hnnds 01 2 pts 471, 520
Dominant Dt 489 Hood-Shaker C-0 4 pts 520
Domi11n111 Dt 517 1-lurdcncd Dt 46()
Dominc<'rini; Pr~~ m:e 409 Hurried Chor -110, 520
Drewner Dt 447 l·lnulins C-0 2 pts 469,520
011ml, Char H 7. 517 Hnird Dt 2 pts 410, 520
E Hrnrt.lcss D1 6 pis 520
Eurtl, lllooti D1 J p!S 471. 5 17 l·k .w u,g C-0 469, 520
Encm\" of the Sun Dt -I pis 471. 517 H,•nnoplnodile Chor 520
Eulnri;.-d Incisors Dt ·145, 518 l-lid1:ous! Dt 2 pis 520
E.11L~rd Vci~m Sacs D1 2 pts 518 I lii:hcr Powrr 01 9 pl, 278. 520
F.vil C:hur -109. 5 18 l·lo~r<ler Chnr 447, 520
Ex1ro-Long Fur Char 450, 518 Hook Hund 01 4 pts 472, 520
&~tronrr 410 Hum, 01 5 pts -172, 521
F Horrific ,\ urn Dt 8 pts 521
Fnithful Dt +17 Howl of Doom 1)1 489, 521
Fnmilia.r Foe,· ·HO Huml,l,· 1)1 2 pt5 447, 521
Fungb Dt -167. !)18 l-lw,grr Oeud Chor ::iH, 521
Fu,1 Rdlc;1:,~ 1)1 f, p•~ ;iJ8
Foust 01 3 pL, -110 .. 518 I Am Co,1 D1 12 pts278. 521
Feared 01 H7 lmperiou~ Dtmennor C-0 410, H8
Fcllred DI 5 pis 410. 5 18 lmper.-onul CLnr 448, 521
Fcorlt'ss D1 -110, -lll9 lmprc,sivl' Hur 01 :\ pt, 410. 521
F cor,;oml' Beast C-0 2 pr.s 49·1_ 518 Independent Char 448. 5'.!1
Ft·rmne Fotalc/ lnduslriotll- Cl.tor HS. 521
Homme Fnt.ol C-0 2 plS 420. 518 lnsidiou, Crudty C:hnr 4t>9, !\21
Feral Dt 1 pl 420, 518 lntcnsi, Ho1.t(J Char 489. 521
Fey Blood ·¼10 lm'O~J11io11~
Fiery Chor 410. 518 of the Dumned C:-0 5 pts ·¼10. 522
Filthy Char 420. !)18 lron Hid,· Dt o pt, 472 ' ;,"•)')
__
Fore<' of Numrc D1 i pis 278, 518 l.ron Will ·110
Formidobll' Bork C-0 2 pts 492, 519 L
Fragrant Clmr 447. 519 Lurg,· Ears Dt +t5. 522
Fro5t Coor C-0 :! pis -101. 51() l~te Char ·HO, :;22
Frustrutcd
Fur
Chur -110. ·H7. 519
Clutr 51<>
l...uwbn'akcr
Lij!hl Touch
01 8 pts
C-0 2 pLS -1-18. 522
--
5·n
Fnr of the Fidd, Dt 5 pl~ 450,5 19 Low Born Dt 2 pts 410,522

Funiv,• Chor -110. :,19 Loyal D1 410. +rn. 489
Ci Lurk)" Dt 448
Ccniu1> C-0 :.! pis 447. !519 I .11mi11rscrnt o, 2 pis 522
Ghost Coot C:-0 4 pis o\92. 519 Lunntic 411
Gif1c<l 410 L1111i11e lutclil'<.·1 01 487,522
Gno"'~"g I lunger Chor 447 M
Cood Lis1e11rr C-O 5 pis 447, 519 Mulfonned Char 472,523
Copher Chor 447, 519 Mougy Coal Char -t<>2. 523
Groduotc Dt 3 plS 410. 519 Monhw11cr 411
Creal Cnrming C-0 5 pl.5 489, 519 Mork of the Ancient Dt 5 pu 492, 52.~
Grc-ol Lupine Fol1ll D1 487, 519 Massive $tutu.r e Dt 468, 523
Grotc~qu~ C-O Master of Mages Dt 411,523
--
Lists @
~f\,m
~hk
1'.ft·,.:11loruu111ur
C:l111r
Cnur
Dr
H8. 523
Hll
•I-Ill. 52.'l
Pruclicrd Smilr
l'rN<"muturully C11l111
Pyrom1111io,·
1:hur
DI
C.:hur
3 ''"'
-liK. 5:.!.5
i 1JO. :;25
4-111. !i2.'i
-
::s
a..
<P
~kn:ib, G!lnr HII Q ><
Mr,.111t.·rbj11lt t;ux1· 1)1 (> pt,, 52:1 Quiri C-0 -H8
\ft.u,·ulou~ ill R
\liuJ N11111liini.: W11rk Ciiur -lb'l RuJulu DI :1 ,,t, :;25
MmJ t,vrr Ma11rr •111 Roi SJ1rllk 01 ;j (JI• +111. 525
~1L,;.-.J1u1,,.., ( l mr ·11,9. 52:1 lluvr:1 Friend D1 1 pl -1112. :;:.i,,
\ IJ..,-;ing Limh -111 llr•Jnimoh·J C:orpsi· 01 :1-1-1. !i'.l()
Mi>11 11ol1·r.<IOl)tl 01 +Ill llr.dc,h·c Chur -1 110. !i2b
~li,undtr.<1110<1 D1 -t 11 . .'):tl Renu11t· Chur -t'.lO
:! "''
~!('''} c;,,ut (:.Q :l ,,ti:- 472. !;2.'J lli:pul•n·c lllr.,01) 1)1 2 pl• -17:!. :;:.i11
\ lo,r I lul) D1 !i pl, HII, 5:!-1 llrsl 111 1'1·11,·1· D, :1:r:. :;211
~lu rJ,·ruu, Chor -1~0. ·H8 Jlr,·en·d (..() -I (ll• HI!. 'j27
M~ o(HC ·111 11;,111,o n,,,,. Dr :1 pr- ·t"'2 ..527
N lligh, 1·1111,< Clrur +1 11
l>iukr,J tliur -iJO, :;~.- ll111hl1·..,. Chu, __
·1-1" •)"'
.,-
Nomed IJ1 !i ,,r~ :1:ir,. 5:!-1 s
~.,.,
Nnu)t'OU."'
~ct roplcugic·
Clmr
Clrur
-HII, !i:N
.·,2-1
SuJi.,tir
Sawrnint
I,.()
l)r
:! (Jt,
-1:!0. :;:p
·-
N1..·lT<•pl10Lic f.hur ,..>:!-t Srol)" Skin D1 ~ pl, 411',) :;:,?7
Nt-Vl'r o Monu:nl of l'thf'l" 01 .3 pr, -111 • .S'.!-1 .Scu1,·.,.11F•·r (;. () -1•1(1
~;igl11 llloo,lrrl 1)1 -!<ill. 52+ Srhrmin,; Dr ·H'I
l\ii;lu Eyrtl I),
.. I'"' 4;,U, ill!! Seu Lt-i.:s C-0 HQ
:\:ig!i1 E.r~J Dr ; pt;~ !i,H !:frcoml Siglu Dr -I ,,r, 111
Niml,\~ -111 St·C'rtlin• Unu -H"
Nu111L 1)1 -111, -169 SC'rio:u:1 C.:hur Hll ,i..,
0 Shut.low unJ 1)11,1 Dr C, )'r• j;l7
Onfi,hly Chnnning <:hor -17:!.. 5'.!4 Shndow Coor C.:-0 .l Jlh -t<J;! . )'.,!7
OL<:Jil'III Chor ·Ill(). 524 !';hur,>rnr<l lnro.,un, Ur .. ,....
-1,0 .,_
.. ,.,
Oh«ur<' Auro -111 Sllrn, c.u :! ,,,... .'j}.7
OL.!oot·.;\,~Cd Chor ·HI! 5 111gk-- \lint.led C-l> ;} pl• -i-tll ;";:!""!

Odor of Spirit, Dr 2 P'"- i8Q\ ~~ f;iu.h, ~,·n••· Dr I pl• -111
OIJJ>OrtUlli•t Clrnr +ill. r,25 Skim,h Dr Hi . .i'.!ll
OrJuincd Dr ~ ptb -I-Ill. !i::!:i Sluw No /'.lqr\· 01 -l pl• -l'lU 528
O,·,rworkctl Char -111 Sinn· th llue
p l'ov.:rr uf D,·utl, D1 ;; p t.i..
Puck Hui C.hur HS. :;25 :;t.,w Or -lll<J

l'uronoiJ Chur -1a<J Sufi ':ilrp C:-0 -t pr• -ti 1, !;'.!II
1
l'urZJnoid Eur -111 !ioli1ury Chor -tt,<I. ;5;!8

l1n1ie111 Clmr -HH SJ1ralc,•r 11r
Pi,·rdng Cu1.,· C-O/Dt5 111~ -1<10. r,2;; dw Srcrnr I .un1-.,,ui;r Chor -111. 528
1'1Jker Fnrt" <:-0 H/1 Spin, , Dt i pl• 5:lll
l'oh1.. Chor -111. :;25 Sl'irir E:ur.. Dt 3 P'-' -1QO. 528
Pohcrg<·i>< n, ;} t>I• :U7. .<;:!.:, S1i1n• Fonuliur Pr :; pl> ill. 528
l'oMI) Choo· H8. 5:!5 ~1>1ri1 MW'krd Dt :i i,t,, -1<>0. 521)
Poudocd Chcrks Or 2 pl:- 450,525 51-'iril NotllJ'<' Dt 17 p•~ 52?
Pramrul Chor -1-18 Sp11i1 NO$c Ot 3 pl.S i90, 52<1
Pru,·ricrrl Prrr1>i(!11 i 11 Spitr Dt
4
Dt -1<)0. ;;:10 V
:-1:1111.-.I
('. .() .1 pt, .;;l(J ll11fcd i11g o,
i.;111111,-- 8 pt~ ;;.32
:,uul of tlw \.11,·,..ut 1)1 -t<IO• .530 11nn111dt i11g Ot (J pt• i69. 532
~ h lh"
i J2 V
•\ gt• Dt -168. r,;:30 \'c-~cluriun Char
~tUl h " ..
H". s:i2
~1111w .t-ikln 01 ,) pb 47')
C - , .). e•rn Vcui::rful 01 -+21. s:i 2
.:-;t11hl111n1 D1 4c,() V,·r~u1il .. D1 4 pis ·ll :l, 532
Dr -i<n • .;;;o Vrstigial Wing• Chnr
5 11\,Jllh!-I\ I ' -173. ;;:i3
S11:cnlul Dr ;, 111, -t 12. S;.{ 1 \'ir111n Dt 2 pis H9. s:i~
~" rrr Tuo1h Chu r H<J. :i:H Vil,• Luugungr Clinr i (19, -191
T \'i~1rmnry Fuid1 Dt 5 prs 450, !i.13
Tu.I Cliur H!) .. ;,:ii \im,dou~ Corui\'ort· Chur .+11a. s:33
TC1:111<·d Lcgoq· ·H2 w
Tu.;1111.; 1J,.. Ln ,h 1)1 -tu9 \l'arnkrlu~, Chor -!91. 53:i
Tn,tiug rlt.- UJ , h D1 -t9! W1J1rhf11l Cliur -191
'lt•n1urlc-:- D1 -If? pt, 5:ll \Vd,1111'(1Fi11grr,,. 1111«1 rr;~ Dr 1 J)I -17.1. ~'i.1
Titi<·k Sldu Ot HIJ Wcir<l Chor H9
11,irf C-0 2 pt, 4:!1. 53 1 \Vrll Tro\'d r d Dt -1 pt, -112. s:n
·111u11gl11 ful C:hur '!-19. 53 1 Wll('rc ll1crc·, n Wl1ip ... D1 -170
Tinkcrrr 412 Whip Toil n, -I JM -150. ,5:l;J
'li~img C-0 :! pt, -t-19. !;;j I Wickedly (;lt-,...r C-U -lb'I. S.'U
Too, hy Mn"· u, -1 PL~ 11~. sa 1 Witch Fie.la 01 c, pL• -1 i O. 53-1
Tough us Noib 1>1 -16(} Wolf Ey,·~ 1)1 -t8., S:H
Tough 1>1 -1-19. -168 Wolf Snou1 o, -188 . .5;3-1
Trull S11vunt (;l,"r -t 72, !):} I \\'ondlon<l Enr DI il)R.53-+
Troll Skin Dt 'lo8. 53 1 XYZ
T1m11d \'i~iuu DL 3 pt.s H9. 53i Zralot DL i i :?. H Q
Tu~h Ur 2 JIIS 473. 5:12 Zoophogia Char s:H
-
--
Reference
Music
Dork1hro11e. Dnn1-ig. Enri h. l·lii;I, cm Fi,.,. 0 111. llnsnuc, T h,· Wrridir,1 Eml. Hr\\ ho:ir (h b
Currd. l-l cl111~ Ale,·. Fu f!u7.i. Co<I Oe,h. 3 lnrlir., uf Bl,ood. Iron Mu,d,n. Cu h of l.nnn. Disf,;ur.
\',11,. Kyn,is. ML"l,·111s. l'rirni1h·.-~ \Vc,puus. Au,1,·rhy Progrum . Nid, Cnw, Frnuk Znppu . Joseph
1;0 110 ..-, (Live nu thr Green), ll11111~_..sc,, Suhlloso. l lfou1a1111uut. lJncurthh Tru ner. Wutuiu.
Zyklon. M;:ln. l'onopticou. Clu-beo Wulfr, Minsk. Su1111hc1, Murder hy Dcuth ~n,J Ro,cttu
Non-Fiction
'n,r l'Mtu:· F.dda: '/'l,r Mytlwloy.icnl Po,•ms. by ·Stur Tn·k II : T ht Wroth of Khuu· (Re,•i•'" ).
I lc11 ry. A,lu111, Dellow, (Trnu,lutor) Lr llui:cr Eb,·rt. Clurui:u 81111 Tirnr~. Jonunn
/'rimi t11•,• ,1/ytlwlogy, b )' Jo,q1h Co mpbcll . 1. 1!182
l'c11gui11 Arkunu Forbi,ldt'II na..,. Ridrnrd Ktcckh~fer. P,•1111
Ori.·1110 / 11(1·1/,ofoy.y, I,~ Joseph Cnmphcll. St:ut" Pro,-_,
Penguin Arkuun Tlu-Ma1p11. Frour,- Burr,1. Sn11111el \l ci>,•r. 1111·
Ocritlc•11tal Mythology. hy Jo,cph Co111phcll. Th,• .llug1cw11's Co,npor11011. Bill \rhi1ro111I,
Penguin Arkonn Ucwdlyn Publtrot:on ,
Thc- Norse Myths. br Ke vin Crosslcr-Holluml . UitJrdtwo llrtmo m,J th,• /lu mr'ltr Trod,11011,
Puuthcou I,~· Dnmc Fronce~ \'o i.,
Tiu, no,icr11c,011 E11/1ghtr111t1t!III. '" Da mr

Fronce~ Yut<'S
Gameography
'l'ord,beurer, Luke Crone ond Thor Olovsrutl ,ld1·a11rc•d 01111(!.l.'OJU a11d Drairo11s. Ga,,
Mouse C11ard 11,e Rolepfoyi11g Came, Lukr GJgox, On,·.- ,\rnc,on TSR
Grune oncl Dnvtcl Petersen, Ard11in St utlios Ilea/ms o/Cl1nos (S/111·~s to Dark1t,•s, und Thr
Press Lost nm/ 1/1r Dnmr.rd). llkk rrir$.tlc\'. Bryun
Sorrerrr. Ron Edw1mls, Aclcpt Pn:s.s A uscll. Mtkr Brumon ond Simon Forro·,. ct al.
Cnmrs \\'orl.shop
Fiction
Ttirn11 Jlla11d,•ri>r, Ly LloyJ Al,•xundr r, Hrnr)· Tiu: Jlearth liar, br Stepltrn R. Donaldson.
Hoh onJCo Del Hry
'/'hr Higl, Ki11g, h)• Llo)·d Alexundrr. 1-lr nry Tiu: Pott•,•r Thal Pusarl'S, h) S11·pbcn R.
Hoh un<l Co. DonolJ.on, Del Rey
Sevt11 agamst Tl,ebrs, hy Aeschylu1 7'/rr: Wim11d~d Ln11d, Ly Stephrn R. Donold.,011.
Tl,r Hal/0111ce11 Trt!t', hr Ru)· Rrodbory, Knopf Del Rey
Ramaym1<1, by William Duck (Tronslutor). Tl,.c 011.- Ttt<', liy Stcph,11 It DonulJ,1011. Del
University of Culi forniu Prrss- Rey
Hirnc of1/u: A11dt'11/ Maruwr. by Somurl Taylor 11'/,it<' Co/cl W,tldr'r, by Stephen R. Donol,hon.
Colcridgr, Cn1111rrq Del Rey
rite Dark Is Risi11g, h)· 511~011 Cooper, The Charll'o1t1a11's Sl,ado11·, by Loni Dunsany,
A1l1r ncum Bullnnunr
Crt:1.'IIU'i/r/,, hy Sn,;on Cooper, Atltcncum Tiu Barrl,ae, by EuripidH. l'engum Clu,~ics
T/1<• Cn-.r King, L)· :5usan Cooper, Atltcnrum /t/,:dro. Ly Euripid.-,. Pcnituin Cl,u~ic:<
Si/1•uo11 //,~Tree. by SuN111 Cooper, A1henenm .ltRf!trinm App~nticr, b)· Ruymoud E . Fti,t.
/,ore/ J',ml'.< Bn11c, l,y Stcphrn R. Donnltl~on. Bomo111 Sptrtro
Ori 11,•y Ma1,tir1a11 : .lfa~l<'r, b} ltt1ymo11J E ht~t .
8 11111nm Sptetra 559
.~ r.'.
..,
l iwst. lo, J,,h.11111 \\ 11lfi:ttn)! \ LIii G11rihc. 81111111111 Tlw S tl11111r1//ro11 . by J.11.ll. Tolkiru. lfoui;lnnu
1 111»11, M1f11111
r,,.. 11,(, ~..., I,, I h1111rr. l',·11,:11111 t:lu,~i,·~ 7lil,·s 0/1/,r /J.1·111/( EurtI,. by J,,..k Vunc.-. Ori, Book.
f/1,· ,-,.,,,.,, ( 'hmr11,·I,·,. I 1Jl11m,· I : '/'I,.. J',,opl,• uf1111· I frllblu:er. Vt·rtigo/OC Comir,. b)· varwn~
Hl,wA ( 11'1,·. ln llul,nt I.:. H11,.orcl . M1lk1111iu111 llloodslum', br Knrl Ed,.·nrd Wni;11<r. WnrrwrBooh
r,,.. t ""'"' t ·hro,1111·/,•., . I ul111rr,· :!: 1'111: l-lo11r of ll1t· Tiu· llool, of Wi:ards: Slurit•.r of f:11cl1anlmt11I
nm,,:0 11. 111 ll11l,rrt E I lm\liri.l. Millrnn1u111 from Nc·t1r "'"/ F11r. ed ited Ii)' Jrnnifu Sl'li,rn,nm
I II ,:,,rd 11f Eurtl, 1,,1. h) 1'r, uln K. L,· G,1111 . Willi~ (A11tholoi:y). Du C111w1 Prr~ Books
Uantum Jm,m ry to tit,• I/h t, l,r Ae1tho11y C:. Yu, l lui ver,.itr
Th, T.,m/1< uf I/um, . hy l •r, ulu K L1· ( ;uiu. U0i111 0111 Of Chirlli:o Pre~s
Th,• T11r//w,,1Slrun:. l,~ llr,uln I.: I.,• Cuiu, Bu.11111111 Lloyd ;\ lcx uml<•r: llook of Tltrre. 1'/,r lllork
T.·11<11111 · T/11· I .flt/ llu11k uf £11rtlw·11. L) Ur~u lu K (1111Mro11, Casi/,, L(i·r
I.,· 1:11111. llu1110111 EJgnr fl ier UurronJll, , ,1 Priurcss of Mars. The
1,,/.,sjrom l.'urthua. b1 l 1r,ulu K L,• Cuiu , A«· Cod, ofMars, Tltt• ll't,r/or,/ of:1/nrs.
1'11t• Uth a11·111rf, bi llr.ulu K Le Guin . Orion Lo111> Cho: HI'"''''" Sll'tm! & Omgo11 Saber.
ChilJr,·11·, Boub
Glen Cook: Tl11• lllark Co1111m11y. Shu,luu,s Li11grr.
-~11·1,rd1 n11d D,•rillry . Ly Fritz L~rhtr. ,\~c Books
Tit,• Wl111,• l/nsr
311·,ml,· af{<111ul lh·arh. hr Frirz Lcihcr. ,\rr Book•
,\lexmulrr Dumn~: 71trc't! Musketeers, 1ltJl!11ly J-i:ars
Su·urrl, 111 th.- ,I/isl. by Fritz Leibrr. Ac<' B,>nk~
,lft,•r. ·,;.,, 1<-ars Lar,•r-, 71,e Co111110/.llm,1,• Crulo.
Swnrds "1:ta i11s1 l/'1:11rdrJ: hr Fritz Leiber. ,\re
Book, Lord Oun., u1111).. T/11• ('l,oru•u1111w:r Slmdow. The
A'i11,:: ofElfla11d's Da11glr1er
Thr Tomb uud Otlru Tu/es. I,)' M.I' Lovcr.ruh. Dd
Rei E 11. Etldi~nn- Tire 11'<,rm ()11roborus.
Tlrr rl11110/ult!d I-I.I'. /,m•r,·rt1/1 . hr M.P. Lo,cr roft. \\'illinm Cold,11011: Tl,r Pri11uss llrid.-.
•ditcd Lr S.T Jo,lti. DT I' Lucrntur,• <:rci:orr Kryr,· Thr fl'nr.-rbt,m.
Tl,, Trogical l/i11ory ufDorlor l i11111111, hr
Muro!,! Lomh: ll'olfofthe St<'ppr.<.
Chri;toplicr Mnrlowi:, Oxford llniwr, it} P r<'»
Fr11 1. Lt·iLc-r. Swutch owl o,-n 'lt,J.S11'01d:1 1S,;u;11i t
Pnrndur /,otl. hy John ~.lilto11 . .-J i1c·rl by M1·rrj11 )'
'I . ll'i:ardry, '/'111, S11•t>rrls of Lu11kl11nur, Swords aud
HUS:Ill':i.. \\ OC'UU11UII ,
,r.- Mal:(ic
Elricuf,l/d111bn11r. hy Mk lrnd Moorcor.k , Blue Stnr
-rr ' · I o.r1I,c II",u·, t' II'a'I,
, ,,~ /',·~,re, /tr b). n, 1.IC"Ime l 1,, 1oorcock , Johnston MrCullc)'. Thr Alnrk nfZtJrrn.
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Cunce1,t and Design Rules for Rich

Cruwford, Mel Stephenson, Thank You

Bumr-r th. \!,,pc Bumtr and th. Mo.,.ttr

• Way of the (ireat Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . 485

So whul good is ii ? \Vh y not wrifc u 11cw s up plcmc11t? \X1 hy u~e

F11ir quc.stions. Allow us 10 unswcr:

In th<- Codex, we chos r to i11 r. lurle the Adveuturc Burner,

Tltrough our efforts, we have crr.atccl r·he perfccr companion to

111 thl' eponymous Adventu.rer Burner, we provide a framework for

Som,· folks grok Burning \Vhcr.l at a gloncc-it is tJ1e ga1nl' they

bt·~t d11,11ce o[ l'onvineiug skeptical or wary players to give it a shot, we ::t'

How Long Does It Take?

An ad,·cntw·e is a term we use for o cycle of piny lasting two to sL,

A cruupuign is o series of i11tercoru1cctc<l advcnt1ires.

Fight for What You Believe

The Big Wheel

We Think Life Should Be Hard

Burning Currency Cycle

1311rni11g \Vheel has a long, complex and downright baroque currency

Successf11I tests lead to fulfilled Beliefs-accomplishing goals and

Collaboration and Sportsmanship

Some Advice for the Players

Don't Be a ,vet Blanket

Inherent Dran1atic Irony

Convcrsl, ly, Bw·11.i11g \~' heel acknowledges an i1runu1aJJlc divide between

The system provides n safe environntent and many opportunities for

Burning \Vheel is a character-driven game. When we set out on the wrong

Directing your character toward this kind of transfonnation needi; u

Some Advice for the GM

The Adventure Burner

Thus, what sce1ns strnightforwar<l al the start-player priorities, skill

Dive into a Demo

:\1 Burnin~ \~1 hcc l Headquarters, we're fans of sketching and

Sketching and Brainstorming

\Ve usually spend a sti!<sion to set up n gan·1c and create cl1uracrers.

Draw on nny sourr.f of inspiration at your disposal. If you recently read

GM's Big Picture

However, as you brainsto1m, remcntber this clicmm: Limitations make

adventurous in the vei.n of clussic

Loose Character Concepts

AH dH&ir.11t ki11Jdom iH wlt,di d propltr.si'et/k,n!J Ytcledj'ust!y, letiVIH!J it

The Adventure Burner

A tap_estry of Dwarven princes ?''"'J for fame andJlory from their

Ro,v Do You Challenge a Belief?

Blootlshe.fin the name ofviolence is iYYe!tjious,- I shallnot raise myhanJ

You need to create a situation in whicl1 t he player can make a choice

These choices lead to actions. Actions are tcl;tS of a character's abilities.

Building a situation is tricky business. Note its many qualifications:

• A well-wrought situation is interesting to everyone at the table.

• It gives players room for input and interpretation through their

• And perhaps ntost important, a situation is not easily resolved, uor

Ho,v Does One Create a Well \\'rought Situation?

• Brai11stor111. Everyone hns an idea they' re excited about. Ger it all

• Be merciles.~. The ocher s ide of this fr:endly collaboration is to be

• Co111promise. Aft.er you've all brains1on11ed about ideas that e.tcite

- 11'/,o opposes the goals of the characters? Who arc the

- /11hat are the a11lagonists' goals? \Vhy,arc t.hc characters in

• /111agi11e a scene in which all of the characters are standing i11 a

• Alternately, imagine the characters standing at. the scene of some

From the Qut.sd, Iplannedt" have tlte 4«/ofColdpursu,itJ them, tun,UfJ

Burning \Vheel doesn't provide you wirh u map, geography or other

Tcchnologicnlly, Burning \Vheel favors fourteenth-cenhrry France and