This is a recruitment for OSR PF1e adventures in a 3pp. world called 'Elemental Cross'. Here's a blurb:
Long ago the gods of this world created the races from the four classical elements of air, earth, fire, and water. However, they were cut off from their creation through the actions of the demon lords. In order to aid their children they sacrificed themselves to the cosmos in order to bring their wisdom to those wise enough to find it. After years of war the children of the elder gods finally drove the demon lords back. After centuries of relative peace the demon lords are ready to begin a new conquest. The question is will they succeed this time? Or will brave heroes again rise to the occasion and set things right?
Principle points of interest:
*Elves are the dominant race, with humans a small minority*Elves are strong, orcs are wise, and dwarves don't live underground
*The main races are elementally and seasonally aligned
*There are no gods, clerics instead follow philosophical schools
*The afterlife is a megadungeon
I'm intending to adapt some old Dungeon Magazine adventures, beginning with 'The Roarwater Caves' from issue #15. I am going to use the kernel of the adventure and expand it with the wonderful handdrawn maps of Dyson Logos. Here's the map I'm going to use for this scenario Roarwater Caves
I'll get up some full build rules in a future revision of this post, but the allowable races will be human, elf, dwarf, orc, and gathor. You'll have some extra rp to customize something that's in line with the fluff below. The allowable classes will be Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Paladin, Cavalier, Cleric, Druid, Witch, Sorcerer, Monk, Rogue, and Bard (it's deceptive, because I'm going to use a version of these classes that combine the abilities of the Genius Guide to the Talented-X and the Legendary Games version of these classes, and throw in some free archetypes).
I'm reproducing the race and class information from the campaign setting in the next post (apparently this one is too long), which is systemless, but has mechanical suggestions that can be implemented in Pathfinder.
Races
There are five races available to player characters: elf, dwarf, orc, gathor, and human. The five races are genetically incompatible so there are no half- elves, half-orcs, or other crossbreed races on Mabori. These five races make up the bulk of the humanoid races on the planet. Including the three offshoot races (goblins, giants, and ogres) the population breaks down as follows:
Race Current population
Dwarf 300 million
Elf 700 million
Gathor 100 million
Giant 10 million
Goblin 500 million
Human 5 million
Ogre 25 million
Orc 200 million
Each racial description will contain the following entries. In addition each entry will detail the average height and weight of the race, miscellaneous notes, and general personality traits.
Ability Score Modifiers
In many role playing games the various player character races have modifiers to their ability scores. For ex-ample, elves usually have higher than average dexterity but suffer from __ frail constitutions. This entry will describe which ability scores the race receives a positive and negative adjustment to. The amount of the adjustment will depend on the game system you are using. As a general rule of thumb every +1 bonus should be balanced by a -1 penalty. This is only a guideline and the game master may modify racial adjustments as he sees fit.
Occupations
This entry will cover the skills and/or character classes that are common to members of this race (though Elemental Cross does not put any restrictions on what skills or classes a character can take based on a character’s race). If the game system you are using incorporates a “favored class” option than this entry can be used to determine what a Maborian’s favored classes will be.
Weapons and Armor
This entry will cover the weapons and armor members of the race tend to favor. It will also describe any weapons developed specifically by the race. Although they are labeled as “racial weapons” anyone can learn to use them.
Strengths and Weaknesses
These sections will cover the race’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. Since many fantasy systems use a +1 to +5 scale for giving out bonuses or penalties that is the scale that will be used here. If your system uses percentage rolls then multiply the bonus or penalty by 5 to determine the modifier (+1 equals +5%, +2 equals +10%, -4 equals -20%, and so on).
Each entry will also include how each race is influenced by the ebb and flow of the seasons. As with each race’s ability score modifiers the effects of each race’s strengths and weaknesses are open to game master interpretation and discretion. Since Elemental Cross is not written with any one system in mind what works for one game might not work as well with another. In any case the game master has the right to modify the given abilities as needed to best work with his system of choice. The listed strengths and weaknesses disappear when the season changes.
Dwarves
Dwarves are the shortest of the five player character races on Mabori. They stand between 4 and five feet tall with the average being 4.8” and weigh between 100 and 135 pounds. Male dwarves are known to grow long beards that they often braid and decorate with beads and other trinkets. Dwarven skin is tan and hair color is generally red, black, or dark blonde. The average dwarf can live to be 150 years old.
Personality-wise, dwarves are some of the most likeable people on the planet. They are very down to earth and most dwarves will tell you this is because they stand so close to the earth (well, the average dwarf thinks that joke is funny). Dwarves love comedy and have a special appreciation for puns and bad jokes. Unfortunately, a dwarf comedian may have a hard time making a living outside of his community. Dwarven humor tends to draw on themes and motifs common to their own culture. Thus, a non-dwarf in the audience might find himself sitting clueless while dozens of dwarves around him burst out in laughter.
Dwarves were given the element of fire. In days long past they used their gift to unlock the secrets of blacksmithing. Many dwarves have a great love of beauty and in their communities’ artists and craftsmen are held in high regards. The streets in a dwarven city are usually lined with sculptures and murals commissioned by the local government. Their appreciation for art extends beyond their own race and dwarven patrons have been
known to sponsor non-dwarven artists as well. The most sought after dwarven craftsmen are the blacksmiths and metal workers. Most dwarf smiths will decorate even mundane items with geometric patterns and knotwork. Dwarven weapons are especially prized due to their perfect marriage of form and function. Such arms are highly decorative but yet are properly balanced and tough enough to stand up to the rigors of com-bat. Dwarven goods of any kind tend to fetch a high price on the open market due to their high quality and intricate detail.
Dwarves on Mabori do not live underground like most dwarves of fantasy literature. They prefer to live on the open plains along well used trade routes. Such locations given them plenty of opportunities to sell their goods, meet new people, perform their songs, and collect information from the outside world.
Ability score modifiers
Dwarves are highly intellectual and very outgoing, and as such should receive a bonus to their intelligence and charisma abilities. The major obstacle facing dwarves is their muscular makeup. Dwarves have less “fast twitch” muscle fibers than the other races. Fast twitch muscle fibers are more efficient at generating short bursts of power. While dwarves can be as healthy as the other races they have a hard time matching their physical strength.
Occupations
Dwarves love nothing more than traveling to exotic lands and meeting new people. Combined with their charming nature dwarves make excellent bards and diplomats. Their natural curiosity often leads them to engage in intellectual pursuits as well. This may lead a dwarf to seek a career as a sage, scientist, or perhaps even a wizard. Craft skills and performance skills are common to dwarves of all types. Most dwarves are either competent craftsmen or at the very least capable of telling a good story.
Weapons and armor
Dwarven warriors rarely have a favored weapon. They realize each weapon has its own strengths and weak-nesses and would rather be proficient in a dozen weapons than be an expert in one weapon. The average dwarf warrior carries three weapons with him while on adventure: a blunt weapon, and edged weapon, and missile weapon of some kind (usually a short bow). Most dwarf adventurers carry a knife as well because of its functional purposes and its usefulness as a backup weapon.
Sap chain (racial weapon)
Despite their skill as weapon makers dwarves have developed only one weapon unique to their race. This weapon, called the sap chain, is a chain or rope 5-7 feet in length. One end has a loop that is Slipped over the wrist while the other ends in a leather pouch filled with sand and a rock (or sometimes a lump of metal). The sap chain can easily be worn like a belt or sash by slipping the weighted end through the wrist loop. Sap chains are used two handed: one hand to hold the wrist loop and one hand to spin the chain and launch the attack.
During combat the dwarf will use the sap chain to aim for the side of the opponent’s head. These weapons inflict very little damage (1 or 2 points base, not factoring in any bonuses for strength or weapon skill) but have a base 10% chance to knock the opponent out cold for 1d6+4 minutes. The chance to stun is increased by 5% for every point of damage inflicted. If the opponent is wearing a metal helmet he takes no damage and has only a 10% chance of being stunned for 1 round. Sap chains can also be used to entangle an opponent’s leg or arm. If the dwarf manages to jump an opponent from behind he can even attempt to use the chain like a garrote. Many of the attacks made with a sap chain require called shots, making it a difficult weapon to use properly (but an effective one in the hands of a master). Sap chains are relatively easy to make and are inex-pensive. One made with a rope or cord should only cost a few coins. Higher quality sap chains made with a chain instead of a rope will rarely cost more than a dagger or other small melee weapon.
Strengths
*Art, crafts, and music are very important in dwarven culture. All dwarves begin with one free skill chosen from the following list: art (painting or sculpture), blacksmithing, weapon smithing, armorer, singing, storytelling, joke telling, or musical instrument.
*Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to defend against fire based magical attacks.
*Dwarves enjoy a +2 bonus to any skill or ability check that involves influencing reactions. *Dwarves are strongest during the summer. During this season they receive a +1 bonus to their strength score. Healing magic is more effective on a dwarf during the summer months. The effectiveness of such spells are increased by 50%. These benefits disappear when autumn arrives.
Weaknesses
*Dwarves suffer a -2 penalty to defend against ice based attacks.
*Dwarves are also weak against paralyzation and suffer a -2 penalty to resist attacks that cause such an effect whether they come from spell or a monster’s natural attack.
*Dwarves are weakest during the winter. During this season they take and small amount of extra damage from any attack-magical or physical. The amount of damage is up to the GM, but it should not be a great amount (for example, 1d4 points or an extra 10%).
Elves
The pointy-eared elves are the tallest and strongest of the five character races. An adult elf is rarely shorter than 6 feet tall and often closer to 7 feet. The tallest known elf in history reached 8’2” in height. Weight is proportional to height. Their skin varies depending on where they live. Most elves have fair skin but northern elves can be light blue and southern elves sometimes have a faint green tint to their skin. Hair color is generally light brown, grey, or white. Males can grow facial hair but it takes a while to do so and in most individuals their beards tend to be scraggly and uneven. Most men choose to remain clean shaven but goatees are popular for those who take the time to grow their hair. Elves remain physically fit until around 90 years of age but after that point their health tends to decline rapidly. It is rare for an elf to live past 100 years.
Elven personality runs the spectrum from kind to cruel. Since they are the most widespread people on Ma-bori many elves have a bit of a superiority complex. They feel elves were put on the world to be role models for the other races. The other people of Mabori have their strong qualities: they appreciate the craftsman-ship of the dwarves, the wisdom of the orcs, and the skill of the gathor. They are still suspicious of humans and find making friendships with that race difficult but grudgingly respect their tenacity. But of all the people of the world it is the duty of the elves to lead and inspire! This doesn’t mean the average elf dreams of conquering the world in the name of elvenkind, but wherever possible elves tend to gravitate towards leader-ship roles. They tend to have a “we know best” outlook on life.
Elves were given the element of water. Their gift led them to become the first healers as they learned how to treat disease and injury. They realize water is unique in that it has the power to both give life and take it away. When a living thing is deprived of water it dies.
Thus without the elves the world too would weaken. Such a revelation does little to keep the elves’ egos in check.
Elves have a highly structured culture. Most elven lands are ruled by a king who in turn appoints a series of barons to act as his administrators (and generals in times of war). Of all the cultures on Mabori the elves most strongly resemble medieval Europe. Each baron employs farmers and tradesmen from the peasant stock and knights from the noble houses. The barons provide the serfs land to farm and in return the knights protect them. Not all serfs are content with this system and many a great elf adventurer started out as a humble farmer who grew tired of life on the farm.
Although they are very adaptable and can thrive in any environment elves prefer the coasts of the ocean. Sailing and boating are popular past times among the elves and many nobles like to show off their wealth by constructing large ocean going vessels of extreme opulence. Nobles use these floating palaces to impress their king and his barons.
Often these ships contain works of art from all across the world. Sometimes a noble will even reward loyal serfs by taking them on a short pleasure cruise.
[I]Ability score modifiers[/I]
Elves are the strongest and hardiest of Mabori’s races. They should receive a bonus to their strength and constitution scores. On the downside their muscle mass makes them a bit slow and uncoordinated. Elves should have a penalty to their agility score.
Occupations
Elves prefer warrior classes above all others and those who meet the qualifications strive to be elite warriors like knights, cavaliers, warlords, and paladins. The only major exception is the ranger class. While elf rangers do exist most “civilized” elves keep their distance from them. They don’t hate their kin; they just find their reclusive nature and desire to shun civilization contrary to the elf’s duty to lead others. Thus shunned by their kin elf rangers often find acceptance among humans.
Weapons and armor
Elves prefer polearms of all kinds. Their great height and strength makes these weapons especially deadly in their hands. Other favored weapons include great axes and two handed swords. In addition most elves have no avoidance of armor and in fact find its weight strangely comforting. Many elf warriors dream of someday owning a finely crafted suit of full plate mail.
Elven sword (racial weapon)
This weapon is the same size and cost as a normal two handed sword except it is a little heavier due to the wedge shaped blade. It shares the same weapon proficiency. However, only one side of the sword is sharpened. The elven sword inflicts the same amount of damage as its double edged cousin except the wielder has the option of inflicting blunt damage by striking with the unsharpened edge. Undead hunters favor these weapons because some types of undead take less damage from slashing attacks and the elven sword allows the hunter to deal with such foes without having to carry a second weapon. When using this weapon the player needs to inform the game master what type of damage he is inflicting. Elven swords are not very well balanced and force the wielder to take a -2 attack roll penalty.
Hooked spear (racial weapon)
This weapon looks similar to most spears except it has a hook on the head that bends backwards to point to the wielder. Originally the hooked spear was used for hauling large fish aboard boats. One elf would spear it while two or three other elves would use the hooks to pull the fish from the water. While the hooked spear is still used for that purpose it can have other uses as well. In combat the hook can be used to catch and pull down shields and weapons. A_ character using this weapon gains a +2 to any disarm attempts. Hooked spears can be thrown but the weapon’s extra weight imposes a -2 attack roll penalty. This weapon inflicts the same amount of damage as a normal spear and costs a little bit more (about 10% more).
Quick loading crossbow (racial weapon)
One of the few ranged weapons elves regularly use, the quick loading crossbow is one of the most advanced personal weapons of the day. The crossbow has an interior compartment that can hold up to five bolts. After it is fired a special mechanism inside the body partly draws back the string and pops the next bolt up so it will be within easy reach. The weapon functions the same as a heavy crossbow in terms of damage, range, and weapon proficiency. The main difference is an improved rate of fire. The exact effect is up to the GM but as an example if a heavy crossbow in your game system can only be fired once every other round then the quick loader can be fired once per round. Alternately, the GM can grant a character using one of these weapons an minor bonus to his attack roll since it is easier to load (such as +1 or +2). Once the crossbow is empty it takes one round to fully reload the weapon. Quick loading crossbows are quite expensive and cost double the price of a normal heavy crossbow. Only the elite units of elven armies make regular use of them.
Strengths
*Elves are drawn to water and learn much about season elf characters receive a +2 combat aquatic skills when they are youth. Elf characters start with one of the following skills upon creation: fishing, swimming, boating, navigation, or sailing.
*Elves receive a +2 bonus to defend against water and ice based attacks.
*As youth elves train extensively in the use of long weapons and receive a +1 to attack and next morning. This bonus goes away when damage rolls with spears, polearms, and quarterstaves.
*Elves are natural healers. Any spell cast by an elf that is designed to heal injuries restores an extra 25% hit points/body points/vitality, etc. The GM may modify the exact amount healed depending on how healing spells work in the game system. The GM may decide the spell heals an additional die worth of damage (an extra 1d6 or 1d8, for example).
*Elves are strongest in the spring. During this season elves receive +2 combat bonus. This bonus may be applied to attack rolls or damage. The player has the option of breaking this bonus down to a +1 to attack and +1 to damage. How the bonus will be distributed must be selected at the start of the game day and may not be changed until the next morning. The bonus goes away when summer comes.
Weaknesses
*Elves are weak against fire and suffer a -2 penalty to defend against such attacks.
*Excessive muscle mass isn’t always a good thing. All elves suffer a -2 to any dexterity based checks and skills (agility based attacks are exempt from this penalty).
*Elves require larger than normal amounts of food and water to sustain their muscle mass and require 50% more food and drink than other races. Their digestive system makes them more susceptible to potion effects. Elves suffer a -2 penalty to resist ingested poison and to resist potion effects.
*Elves are weakest in the season of autumn. During this time of year elves become more susceptible to magic and suffer a -2 penalty to resist any magical attack.
Gathor
The cat-like gathor are one of the most reclusive races on Mabori. Gathor stand anywhere from 5-6 feet in height with the average being 5’4”. Their bodies are covered with fur that has the same range of color and thickness as domesticated cats. Gathor native to colder regions have thicker fur while their brothers from warmer climes have shorter fur. Their hands and feet have sharp, retractable claws. Gathor can live to be 80 years old.
Gathor dislike crowds and large groups. An urban gathor is a rare thing indeed. Most members of this race prefer to live in quiet villages in the mountains or forests. They dislike coastal regions because they find the smell coming off the ocean a bit nauseating. With regards to other races gathor usually get along with humans but prefer to keep their distance from elves, dwarves, and orcs. Perhaps this is because the other three native races of Mabori fell victim to The Corruption while they resisted it. For this reason gathor harbor a great deal of hostility towards ogres, goblins, and giants.
Gathorian culture is clan based. The gathor tend to live in remote settlements consisting of 2-4 clans and 100-300 members. Competition between non- allied clans is fierce but rarely comes to violence. Most gathor prefer to settle disputes through one- on-one challenges though in special circumstances the entire clan might participate. These challenges often consist of races, unarmed combat, and feats of strength. The winner of the challenge has the right to make reasonable demands of the loser, such as the return of a stolen item or a month’s worth of service. The loser has the right to dispute the winner’s demands if he feels they are unreasonable by petitioning to the elders of the clans involved. A loser who fails to comply with terms that are deemed reasonable risks exile. Such individuals have the fur on their heads treated with a special mixture of herbs and berry juices. This mixture permanently changes the color of the fur making dark colors light and light colors dark, creating the “Rune of Exile.” Other gathor are expected to avoid contact with an exile, though other races may interact with them as they wish.
Gathor tend to mate for life and are matrilineal. Unlike most races females propose to the males. Upon marriage the male takes the last name of his wife’s clan. Divorce is unknown to the gathor but if a marital arrangement doesn’t work out the wife is allowed to select another husband. The former husband is reduced to little more than a servant. Gathor who seek to break away from the clan are marked and exiled. It is rare for a widowed gathor to re-marry.
Gathor were given the element of air. They used their gift to learn the arts of hunting and tracking as well as the skill of being aware of one’s surroundings. Due to their swiftness gathor prefer to hunt by chasing down fleeing game and ending it with their claws. This method works great for deer, moose, elk, and animals that are generally not aggressive. For more dangerous game the gathor will employ bows and spears. To this day hunting plays an important role in gathorian culture. Young gathor start out hunting rabbits and wild pigs. Up-on reaching adolescence they move onto deer. In order to be recognized as an adult the gathor must bring down a large animal like a boar or bear. Gathor of both sexes must face this challenge before being allowed to marry. Their contemplation of the element of air led them to develop coordinated strategies that are ef-fective for both hunting and war. When forced into battle a small group of gathor will work together to bring down weaker foes first then team up on stronger opponents. Gathorian settlements don’t keep a standing army but they are quick to unite and mobilize when a significant threat approaches. Occasionally gathor will enlist in the armies of other nations as spies, scouts, and skirmishers. Those who would hire such units only do so when they are certain their opponents will not be using gathor as well. Armies employing gathor learned long ago the cat-men place more importance on racial unity then they do on money. Most gathor will refuse to fight their own kind in these situations.
Ability score modifiers
Gathor are quick and agile and thus should receive a bonus to their dexterity. Their general aloofness and natural tendency to avoid other races makes them poor diplomats. In addition, they tend to rely more on gut instinct than learned knowledge. Gathor should receive a penalty to their charisma and intelligence scores.
Occupations
Skills and character classes of all kinds are found among the ranks of the gathor. Gathorian wizards are rare but other than that they do not favor any one profession over another. The only occupation rarer than a ga-thorian wizard is a gathorian bard. In part this is due to their general avoidance of other races. The other rea-son is because the gathor have poor singing ability when compared to other races. Gathor who choose to be-come bards generally focus on instrumental music or acrobatics.
Weapons and armor
The gathor will use any weapon appropriate to the situation with a preference for spears and bows, since these weapons are useful for hunting as well as battle. Gathorian bone is lightweight, like that of birds. For this reason they find heavy armor uncomfortable and too restrictive. Gathor suffer penalties when wearing metal armor (see weaknesses). The gathor have not developed any significant racial weapons.
Strengths
*All gathor know how to track and hunt and receive these skills for free. This is as much from instinct as it is from learning. Gathor receive a +2 to defend against air and lightning based magical attacks. The gathor’s re-tractable claws provide them with several benefits. First, they may use them in unarmed combat. Doing so allows the gathor to inflict slashing and thus potentially lethal) damage as opposed to blunt damage. However, these claws are not strong enough to shred metal. The amount of damage inflicted with the attack re-mains unchanged. The gathor’s claws also grant him a bonus to skill checks that involve climbing wood or oth-er soft surfaces. The gathor will receive a +1 bonus to his check if he is just using the claws on his hands. If the gathor’s feet are bare the bonus increases to +3. The gathor have been rewarded for resisting The Corrup-tion. They receive a +2 bonus to their attack and damage rolls against goblins, ogres, and giants.
*The swiftness of the gathor is legendary. They receive a +1 to +5 bonus to running skill checks. If the gathor is unarmored and lightly encumbered he receives a +5 bonus. If lightly armored or encumbered he receives a +3 bonus. If the gathor is wearing medium weight armor or is moderately encumbered he only receives a +1 bonus. Gathor are strongest in the winter. During this time they take half damage from cold based attacks. Their bodies heal at a greatly accelerated rate; the character will recover a small amount of life every ten minutes. This ability will not function when the gathor is reduced to O or less hit points. Finally, the gathor’s bonus against goblins, ogres, and giants increases to +4.
Weaknesses
*Due to their light bone structure gathor do not fare well when in heavy armor or while carrying a lot of weight. When heavily encumbered the gathor suffers a -2 penalty to any running skill checks and has his base movement score lowered as well (GM’s discretion). Heavy armor causes another problem for them as well. How this will play out depends on how armor works in the game system you are using. If armor grants the character a defensive bonus then the gathor suffers a small amount of damage from any successful non-magical attack (such as an extra 1d6 damage). This is be-cause the added weight makes it harder for the gathor to adequately defend himself. If armor reduces damage then the character suffers a defense penalty (2 — 4 points is a good range). The gathor finds the armor so uncomfortable it makes it harder for him to avoid attacks.
*Dragons love the taste of gathorian flesh. Evil dragons are known to hunt gathor and will attack them in preference to other opponents. Once an evil drag-on has slain a gathor he will attempt to carry him off to be devoured. Non- evil dragons usually have more self control and will act as the situation dictates.
*Gathor are weak against earth-based magic and attacks that turn the target to stone. They suffer a -4 penalty to resist such attacks whether they are from a magic spell or a monster’s special attack.
*The animosity gathor feel towards ogres, goblins, and giants is mutual. Gathor suffer a -3 penalty to any sort of reaction roll or charisma based skill check against these races. Goblins, ogres, and giants will attack gathor in preference to other targets.
*Gathor are weakest during the summer. During this season they become susceptible to sleep, charm, and mind control. The gathor suffers a - 2 penalty to defend against such attacks. Healing magic becomes less effective on them during this time as well. Such spells restore less life to the character. The exact effects are up to the GM but for example a spell that heals 1d8 points of damage might only restore 1d4 points.
Although they are the youngest race on Mabori humans have caused quite a stir and have already made a huge impact on the world. They were created by demons for the sole purpose of bringing chaos and disorder but in the end turned upon their masters and helped the four native races turn the tide against their infernal creators. Humans posses the same range of hair, eye, and skin color as humans in your game system. Height can range from 5’4” to 6’5” with the average human standing 5’10”. Humans can live to be 120 years old.
Humans
After humans were created they were placed in the most remote regions of each continent and left to their own devices. As their numbers grew they spread across the land and were greeted with suspicion by the other races. Suspicion became fear and fear became hate. Just like the demon lords planned humans rose against their oppressors. If it were not for the intervention of the wise old dragon Andorth humans would not be in the position they are today. Humans are no longer hunted down to be enslaved or killed but that doesn’t mean prejudice doesn’t exist. There are still significant numbers of people that still view humans with contempt.
Humans have no widespread, unifying culture. The other races of Mabori started in the same region and spread out from there. Humans on the other hand were scattered from the start. Most of the time their culture is influenced by the races they are closest too; a human settlement on the edge of gathor territory will most likely develop a clan-like matriarchal structure. Humans who chose to integrate into another culture will usually adapt those beliefs and outlooks.
Ability score modifiers
Humans were blessed with better than average endurance by their demonic creators and should have a bonus to their constitution score. They were also de-signed to be easy to control, and as a result their willpower tends to be weaker than that of other races.
Occupations
Humans on Mabori had to learn to live by their wits. For this reason thieves and other scoundrels are more common among the ranks of humans than any other race. This is not because they are more greedy or dishonest than the other races.
There was a great deal of distrust and outright hostility between humans and the natives of Mabori in the early years. Humans had to learn how to move quietly, avoid detection, escape their enemies, and be alert in order to survive. Skills such as these are common to humans still, though not all humans use these talents to steal from others. Humans are prolific explorers and adventurers and many skills used by rogues are helpful to this end. The ability to live off the land was important for the early humans as well. Both orc and human rangers are common but they tend to have a slightly different outlook on the natural world.
Orc rangers see nature as something that needs to be nurtured and protected. Therefore, orcs tend to be-come rangers out of a desire to put that belief into practice. Humans often become rangers out of necessity. Surviving in the wilderness became an essential skill among the early humans, thus nature is a means to an end (survival in this case). Many human rangers are more likely to fall along the lines of Robin Hood (using the wilderness as a base of operations to fight an oppressive government) or Orion the Hunter (hunting game for food and pleasure). Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case-a human ranger certainly can see nature in the same way as an orc ranger does. Barbarians on Mabori are rare but most of them are humans. As humanity’s population grew not all humans chose to integrate into the societies of the other races. Those who refused to be-come civilized fled to the wilderness to lead a more pure and primitive life.
Weapons and armor
Humans to have less wealth than the other races of Mabori so they prefer weapons that are easy to make or replace. The most common weapons carried by humans include hammers, axes, knives, clubs, and staves. For missile weapons they prefer slings and short bows. Humans tend to wear armor that is easy to make or simple to repair. Most humans wear ring mail or brigandine armor and carry small shields.
Skull smasher (racial weapon)
This simple to make bludgeoning weapon consists of a hand sized rock lashed onto an 18 inch stick that has been split on one end. Although creating a skull smasher seems simple enough it is actually quite an involved process. A smasher is designed to be highly per-sonal weapon balanced just right for the person who created it. The process of creating a skull smasher takes 1d6x10 minutes. The process involves finding the appropriate rock, splitting one end of it, then placing the rock and lashing it tightly. The character needs to make a roll against his intelligence (or weapon making skill -whichever is more appropriate). If the check fails the weapon is poorly balanced and functions like a simple club. If successful the weapon inflicts as much damage as a mace. In addition, if the character did an exceptionally good job creating the weapon it will grant him an attack roll bonus due to the perfect balance. The bonus granted can be from +1 to +3 depending on GM discretion and how much the character made his skill check by. The more difficult the skill check the character made the better the bonus should be. No matter what the quality of the weapon a skull splitter is treated as a lightweight club in the hands of anyone else. People other than the weapon’s creator suffer a -2 attack roll penalty because they will find the weapon’s balance awkward. On the downside, skull smashers do not stand up to the rigors of combat as readily as most other weapons and are more prone to breakage. How this will be implemented is up to the GM. Skull smashers are never found for sale because they are simple to make and the individualized balance makes them ineffective weapons in the hand of anyone else.
Strengths
*Humans are magically resistant and receive a +2 bonus to defend against most magical attacks with one exception (see weaknesses). Once per day a human may chose to take half damage from a magical attack or, if defending against a spell that doesn’t cause damage, he may increase his defense bonus by +2.
*Humans are accustomed to being distrusted and attacked without warning. They have subconsciously developed a “danger sense” that helps them react to hostile actions. All humans receive a +2 bonus to any attempt to avoid being surprised and a +2 to any rolls to determine the order characters will act in combat.
Weaknesses
*Humans were designed to be easy to manipulate and suffer a -2 penalty to any mind control spell or spell like ability. The human’s normal +2 bonus to resist magic does not count against these spells.
*While a human’s innate magic resistance is helpful it does cause one problem. If the character is a spell caster he advances slower than normal. He re-quires an additional 10% experience points to advance if he knows any spells (non-spell casters advance normally). For example, if the character normally needs 1000 experience points to advance to his next level than he will need to earn 1100 instead. The GM may modify this as he sees fit depending on how character advancement is handled in your game system.
Many members of the non-human races of Mabori still view humans with distrust. Some individuals will even go out of their way to attack humans or strike to kill when their intention is to subdue. Humans almost always suffer a penalty to reaction checks and charisma related skills when dealing with non- humans. The GM may determine the penalty depending on how much animosity the NPC holds towards humans.
Orcs
Despite their fearsome appearance orcs are among the wisest and most compassionate beings on Mabori. They have pointed ears similar to elves but their faces are flatter and small tusks jut out from their lower jaws. Orc skin color ranges all shades of green but individuals who spend a lot of time in the sun tend to take on a blue tone (the orcish equivalent of a sun tan, sun burned orcs take on a purplish hue). Their eye color ranges from solid white to a pale yellow. Only rarely are the pupils visible. Such individuals have no better or worse eyesight than their brothers and sisters, nor are they treated any differently among their peers (though oth-er races might treat the orc like a freak). Hair color is generally black, brown, or dark green. Orcs range any-where from 5’5” to 6’2” in height with 5’10” being average. Orcs can live to be 110 years old.
Orcs were given the element of earth. They used their gift to develop agriculture and they taught the other races of Mabori how to farm crops and live in harmony with the land. Of all the races orcs live closest to na-ture. They build their major cities deep in the woods or jungle though they usually establish trading posts on the edge of the forest. These posts trade lumber, furs, herbs, and fruit with other races. The only thing they won’t trade in large quantity is meat because to do so could potentially lead to over-hunting of an area. This does not mean they are opposed to hunting or trade of animal products, though. Orcs recognize the importance of hunting but also realize the importance of conservation. Many orc communities will regularly employ rangers and druids to monitor the local wildlife population. Sometimes a neighboring kingdom will employ a group of orcs for this purpose as well.
For the most part orcs have peaceful relationships with other races. They sometimes run into conflicts with elves due to that race’s tendency to expand their kingdoms.
There have been numerous elf-orc conflicts but nothing resembling an all out war. They are almost always on good terms with gathor that share their domain and in rare situations are called upon as a neutral third party in clan conflicts. Humans and dwarves are judged based on their actions.
Orcs have the sharpest senses of any race on Mabori. Thanks to their excellent sense of taste orcs can be-come superb cooks with the right training, though their cuisine tends to be a bit too spicy for most non-orcs. In part this is because their knowledge of herbs and keen taste buds allow them to come up with the perfect combination of seasonings, resulting in flavor combinations that can be overwhelming for those who are not prepared for it.
Orc culture places an emphasis on_ practicality. Most orcs will dress for comfort over fashion any day. An orc will gladly wear a set of mismatched garments if they are comfortable. Since many orcs spend a great deal of time outdoors they prefer earth tones-partly for camouflage but also because they tend to do a better job of hiding grass, mud, and dirt stains. Orc cities seldom have many large buildings as their goal is to build in harmony with nature instead of dominance of it. Many orc homes are built on in trees or into the side of hills. Most orc cities have a central plaza dedicated to public entertainment, especially music and storytelling. Orc bards tend to favor drums and woodwind instruments; strings are rare but those who do learn them prefer smaller instruments like lutes and mandolins.
Ability score modifiers
Orcs are very wise and insightful and should receive a bonus to their wisdom score. On the downside they tend to rely more on instinct than intellect. Orcs suffer a penalty to their intelligence score,
Occupations
Due to their closeness to nature survival skills are common among orcs, as are professions related to the outdoors. Druids and rangers are more common among the orcs than any other race. The members of such occupations are held in high esteem as well. Orc druids are concerned with the balance of nature but this does not mean they blindly follow the “switch sides when one side gets too powerful” stereotype associated with unaligned characters. They believe in thinking in the long term. For example, if in the long run it is more beneficial for all the giants to be driven out of their protected land they will not stop until every last one has been slain or exiled. Orcish druids are especially watchful of woodcutters and hunters. Such folk will likely attract the attention of the local druid if their activi-ties threaten to disrupt the natural order. Orc rangers are similar to the classic rangers of fantasy literature: protectors of nature and opponents of evil. They scout their territory for danger, guide lost travelers, capture highwaymen, and have no qualms about slaying evil monsters that threaten their communities.
Orc rangers are usually on good terms with druids and they are quick to work together when the need arises.
Orc knife (racial weapon)
This weapon is about the size of a short sword and was developed in an attempt to create an all-in- one sur-vival weapon. The blade has two edges: a slashing edge and a saw-like edge. The pommel is flat and heavily weighted, allowing it to be used as a hammer. This allows the orc to perform three common survival func-tions (clearing brush, sawing wood, and pounding in stakes) without having to carry three separate tools. Orc knives are heavy and weight about as much as the average long sword. In combat orc knives function as short swords but inflict slightly more damage due to the added weight (1 or 2 points). Even though it is about the size of a short sword the orc knife requires its own weapon proficiency and costs the same as a long sword.
Orc mail (racial armor)
Decades ago orcs developed their own special armor. Orc mail consists of strips of wood riveted between two layers of leather and padding. The wood used in orc mail has been treated with special oils to make it strong as steel. Orc mail provides slightly better protection than chain mail (one or two points would be appropriate) but weighs only half as much. Ore mail is expensive and costs 50% more than chain mail. This is due to the difficulty in preparing the wood and the rarity of the mate-rials involved. On the downside the oil used to treat the wood makes orc mail more flammable. This armor suffers a -3 penalty to resist fire damage, should such rules exist in your game system.
Strengths
*Orcs live close to nature and receive one of the following skills for free upon creation: survival (forest or jungle), tracking, plant lore, animal lore, forestry, hunting, fishing, or animal handling. Orcs’ acute senses give them a few advantages. First, they receive a +2 bonus to any skill check that involves observation (like trying to spot a trap or hear a noise). Their sensitive taste buds also grant them a +2 to resist poison or harmful po-tions because they have a chance to detect the poison before swallowing it. Finally, their sharp eyesight gives them a +2 to attack rolls (but not damage) with ranged weapons. Orcs receive a +2 bonus to defend against earth based attacks and petrifaction, whether it comes from a spell or a monster’s special attack (like the gaze of a Medusa). Orcs have the ability to give off a subtle pheromone that normal animals find relaxing. This gives the orc a +2 to any skill checks that involve handling or befriending animals.
*Orcs are strongest during the autumn. When the leaves start to fall from the trees and the weather begins to cool orcs become more spiritually aware of their surroundings. Their wisdom score increases by one point. Orcs in the autumn also enjoy a +2 bonus to defend against most magic attacks (with the exception of the magical effects listed under weaknesses).
*Finally, orcs gain some toughness from the earth and take a little less damage from any attack (such as 1d4 points or a set number). The GM has the freedom to determine how much based on how damage is handled in his game system. This damage reduction applies to situations as well, like falling damage or damage from a trap.
Weaknesses
*Orcs are weak against air and lightning based attacks and suffer a -2 penalty to resist them. This penalty also applies to spells that hinder movement but do not prevent it all together (it would apply to a spell that makes the target move slower but not against a spell that paralyzes the target). In addition, spells, potions, or items that increase the target’s movement rate and/or grant extra attacks do not work on orcs. If the item has other properties they will work normally. For example, let’s say an orc finds a pair of boots that protects the wearer from cold and allows him to move normally over ice and snow. The orc will still gain the protection from cold benefit but he will suffer the normal penalties when trying to move through snow or over ice. While orcs can become quite strong and healthy they have a hard time exerting themselves over long periods of time.
*Orcs suffer a -2 penalty to any roll or skill check that involves endurance or extended periods of physical activity (such as long distance running or swimming).
*Due to their closeness to nature orcs have a hard time remaining calm when they see it desecrated. Should the orc come across others despoiling nature (polluting, excessive hunting, slash and burn agriculture, etc) he must make a check against his willpower (or the closest ability score). Failure means the orc flies into a blind killing rage. Druids, rangers, and other characters involved in the protection of nature have a harder time resisting this rage and suffer a -2 penalty to resist it. The orc will stay enraged until those responsible for the desecration have been killed or driven off.
*Orcs are weakest during the spring. During this season they suffer a -2 penalty to all attack and damage rolls. Their reaction time also decreases and they suffer a -2 penalty to their physical defense and rolls to determine initiative.
Classes
This section will cover various character classes common to fantasy role playing games and how they fit into Elemental Cross. The races of Mabori have no character class restrictions, even if such restrictions exist in the game system you are using. Most character classes are permissible, but there are a few exceptions.
Barred Classes
Classes based on personalities unique to a specific “real world” culture are not found on Mabori. For example, as mentioned previously there are no cultures on Mabori based on Japan, China, or any other Oriental culture. Thus ninjas, samurai, and martial arts practicing monks are not recommended for an Elemental Cross cam-paign.
Barbarians
Barbarian characters are allowed but most should be human. When humans were introduced to Mabori they were placed in settlements far from the races native to the world.
The first humans quickly learned to live off the land but most eventually adopted the technology and cus-toms of Mabori’s natives. However, not all humans chose to integrate themselves into society. Some were content to live in the wilderness free from the shackles of civilization. These humans became the first barbar-ians. There is nothing wrong with allowing elf, dwarf, orc, and gathor to be barbarians but such characters should not be commonplace. At this point in Mabori’s history the four native races have already established their respective civilizations so it unlikely they would decide to abandon their way of life to live a primitive existence far from the comforts of the civilized world.
Priests
Divine spell casters exist on Mabori but in a slightly different form than they do in the average fantasy role playing game. Priests on Mabori are called gnostics, though from a game mechanic standpoint they function as clerics for determining experience point advancement, combative ability, spell selection, hit points, and so forth.
However, there is one important difference between a gnostic and a traditional cleric. A cleric worships a god or goddess and gets his powers and spells directly from that deity. However, the gods of Mabori sacrificed themselves long ago and don’t exist in the normal sense the deities of other game worlds do. Their divine essence has become integrated into the cosmos, so rather than gaining spells through prayer a gnostic’s spells come from his understanding of the Elder Gods’ teachings. He literally “draws” his spells from the fabric of the universe. The gnostic can’t do this indefinitely. Like a traditional cleric the gnostic has a limited number of spells he can cast per day. As the gnostic advances in experience he will be able to draw upon the knowledge of the Elder Gods more times per day.
Druids exist on Mabori as well. They are essentially a specialized form of gnostic that focuses on the natural world. Other than that they follow the same guidelines as druids in your game system.
In some game systems there may be means to travel to alternate planes of existence.
It is permissible to allow characters in an Elemental Cross campaign to travel to other game worlds and vice versa. Depending on the game system you are using clerics from other game worlds might not be able to access higher level spells because deities are unable to grant these spells when their priests are removed from their home plane. Mabori is no exception. However, gnostics who find themselves taken off Mabori must follow this restriction as well. Even though the gnostic’s spells aren’t granted by a deity the character will have a hard time drawing upon the source of his power when he is far away from it.
But what about characters who aren’t priests but are able to cast divine magic? These classes are permissible but in order to cast divine “clerical” magic the character needs to be initiated into a gnostic order. More in-formation on these orders will be given in the next chapter.
Rogues
Thieves, bards, and other assorted scoundrels exist on Mabori. Members of these classes should require no adjustments to be incorporated into an Elemental Cross campaign. If the character class has access to divine magic then he follows the restrictions gnostics do.
Warriors
There are many different types of warriors in role playing games. As stated previously there are no Oriental cultures on Mabori which rules out warriors like ninja, fighting monks and samurai. This does not mean martial arts aren’t practiced on Mabori. A character can still learn and Specialize in unarmed combat but organized monasteries devoted to specific combative traditions have not arisen here. Other characters that are absent from Mabori include those that might be based on a specialized fighter from an ancient Earth culture like the Aztec eagle knight or a Native American warrior.
Your basic fighter, a common character class found in’ many role playing games, needs no modification. Specialized warriors such as swashbucklers, cavaliers, and street fighters are permissible as long as their abilities or backgrounds aren’t tied to a specific Earth culture.
Rangers and paladins pose a unique situation. Both these character classes are allowed in the world of Elemental Cross. In some role playing games these characters receive divine abilities. Rangers often worship a deity associated with nature while paladins often follow deities of law or justice. A Maborian ranger or paladin must be initiated into a gnostic order to receive divine abilities and follows the same restrictions gnostics do in regards to spell casting.
Wizards
Those who study arcane magic are allowed to operate freely on Mabori. Specialist mages like illusionists and necromancers are allowed as well. For the most part wizards face no specific restrictions, but due to arcane magic’s demonic origin some people might view wizards with suspicion (especially if the mage favors necromancy and other dark arts).
Other classes
This has been a gross oversimplification; the classes covered here are common to most fantasy role playing games. It is entirely possible the system you use might include classes not listed here. In that case it is up to the game master whether that particular class will be playable or not. For the most part classes not modeled after personalities specific to Earth based civilizations should be ok.