Character Creation
Humans
Skills: Common Knowledge (the Empire) (Int), Gossip (Fel), Speak Language (Reikspiel) (Int)
Talents: 2 random talents
Starting Stevedores: add Consume Alcohol, add Sec Language (Guild Tongue) and add Performance (Sing), May buy Scale Sheer Surface and Sturdy for 100 exp each.
Dwarves
Skills: Common Knowledge (Dwarves) (Int), Speak Language (Dwarvish) (Int), Speak Language (CommonReikspiel) (Int), Trade (Miner, Smith, Stoneworker) (Var)
Talents: Dwarfcraft, Dwarven Build, Grudge Born Fury, Night Vision, Resistance to Magic, Stout Hearted, 2 Random Talents
Elves
Skills: Common Knowledge (Elves) (Int), Speak Language (Elven) (Int), Speak Language (Common) (Int)
Talents: Aetheric Attunement or Specialist Weapon Group (Longbow), Cool Headed or Savvy, Excellent Vision, Night Vision, 2 Random Talents
Kender/Halflings
Skills: Common Knowledge (Int) (any two), Concealment (Agil), Pick Lock (Agil), Pick Pocket (Agil), Silent Move (Agil)
Talents: Fearless, Night Vision, Resistance to Chaos, Rover, Seasoned Traveler, Specialist Weapon Group (Hopec), 2 Random Talents
Currency:
Birthplace:
Marks: Do not roll this just make one up. Something distinctive you cant change.
Current Career: Pick any Career you want.
Skills and Talents:
Humans get two random talents.
Elves and Dwarves get one random talent. Roll on the Halfling table.
Description:
What do other people see when they first meet you?
Personal Strictures:
Determine three personal policies that are dear to your heart such as "no women no kids". These are intended to be restrictive roleplay elements of your character. Things your character cannot or must do.
Background:
A brief background regarding your family and childhood. Orphans get no extra experience points, those with family get additional experience points. They also suffer more insanity lose if something happens to them.
Thoughts:
What are the characters thoughts on society, the nobility, the guilds, law and order, good and evil, law and chaos. You dont have to write a huge background just some basic feelings about his little world. In this game you are pawns on the big chess board of the gods. Make the best of it.
GENERAL TOMHAMMER RPOL RULES
Time Management
Combat Rounds (CR) = 3 seconds (1 Full Combat Action)
Narrative Round (NR) = 10 seconds (using a skill, First Aid, Bleeding, equals 3 CR)
Turn (TN) = 6 narrative rounds (Treat Wounds)
Narrative rounds are basically more flexible and allow for more dialogue but they are mostly about time. Combat rounds are very structured (Free, Half and Full Actions).
Narrative rounds are 10 seconds long and are used mostly during times when I am counting time in a particular scene. The point of them would be that something is going to or might happen in a certain amount of time. Like say for example the players needing to quickly search a room before someone returns. So, if the NPC would return in 5 minutes (30 narrative rounds) the players could search the room and talk etc. If the players stand there talking about the weather for several long posts I use this tool to manage the time left to search the room once they finish talking and begin searching. Likewise, if one player is taking for 30 seconds and a second character talks for 30 seconds then 1 minute has been used up. The advantage of narrative rounds is that the players could also say, they are talking while they are searching and even still call a delay to pounce on anyone who comes into the room by simply stating they are watching the door while they are searching. Its important to know that the players in the room might not know when the NPC is going to return so the time they spend talking costs them time to search etc. I know this is not something most GMs actually do because its not really all that important but in RPoL it is sometimes. They are flexible and the characters can talk, search, call delays, draw weapons etc.
Combat Rounds are 3 seconds long and are used only once actual combat has begun. Characters can move which requires a half of full action but characters only get two half actions or one full action in a given combat round. Speaking can be either a few words for a Free Action or it can be a sentence for a Half Action. Time is not the crutcial element in combat, instead it is movement, attacks, casting spells, parrying etc. Any number of reasonable Free Actions can be taken because they are Free - speak a word (few words "Get her!! Dont let her go Kargen!!", "Run!"). certain Talents allow talented characters to reduce Half Actions to Free Actions (such as Quick Draw) or to take what is effectively reduce a Full Action to a Half Action (Master Gunner).
Strength and Toughness Bonuses
Round Strength and Toughness up when determining SB and TB. A Strength of 36 to 39 is a SB of 4.
Fortune Points
Characters have a number of Fortune Points equal to their Fate Points. They can get another Fortune Point from the Luck talent or the Confidence talent (see Leadership above). Fortune Points refresh every morning at sun up. Fortune Points can be used to reroll almost any roll including damage, casting rolls, and Tzeenche's Curse and Wrath of the Gods. The only restriction is it must be used immediately after the roll to be rerolled. Fortune Points can be used at the players discretion to gain a better possible result as in the case of Opposed Rolls or Damage Rolls. However, the player does not get to know the initial outcome of the first roll before they determine to roll a reroll. For example: if you dont like the particular effects of Tzeenche’s Curse you cannot go back and reroll the casting roll.
Fortune Points can only be used for rerolls. You cannot gain initiative, or extra half actions or additional dodges or parries. They can only be used for rerolls.
Exceptions: You cannot use Fortune Points to reroll an Int test when learning a new skill or talent outside of your career scheme. The reason for this is simple. It completely defeats the purpose of requiring a skill roll to learn a new skill if you can reroll until you make it.
Fate Points and Critical Wounds
Fate Points allow the character to escape the consequences of a wound which would cripple or kill them. When a character suffers wounds in excess of their Wounds Characteristic they go into critical wounds. +1 is a critical wound with about a 10% chance of at least being removed from the fight and likely dying from their wounds. The maximum critical a character can suffer is a +10 Crit. A +10 crit can only be survived about 10% of the time. In TomHammer critical wounds stack. So if you take a hit which takes you to a +3 crit and then you take another hit which after Toughness and Armor would the character would suffer 2 more Wounds - the character is at a +5 crit. Before the dice roll is made to determine the effects of a critical hit the player may expend a Fate Point to ignore the effects of the wound. The character is removed from the battle as unconscious and at 0 Wounds. The nature of using a Fate Point is so powerful that the character will survive the conflict.
Hidden Ability Rolls
I roll all Charm, Concealment, Disguise, Evaluate, Gossip, Intimidate, Perception, Search and Silent Move tests for you. So whenever you want to use one of these skills just say so in your post by describing your actions and I will make the rolls for you. You will see the results in the outcome of the following actions. I do this because it makes the game more of a mystery in the sense that if you look around a room and dont see anything you dont know if you failed a test or there simply isnt anything. If there is something to see and you dont actually say you are looking around the room I will likely still roll for you but will only tell you if you see/hear something if you actually do see or hear something. The same is true for Intimidate, Charm, Concealment and Silent Move etc.
Additionally, there are a few Advanced Abilities I may roll for you such as Blather, Follow Trail, Hypnotism, Magic Sense and Shadowing. If you fail and have Fortune Points I may ask you if you would use a Fortune if you failed a test. Sometimes I just roll for you when I know you would want to succeed. In which case I will just tell you that you used a Fortune Point.
So just focus on the roleplay and let me worry about these invisible dice rolls. Feel free to ask for these rolls at any time of course.
Abilities and Talents
Abilities and Talents can be learned outside of being in a career scheme that offers it. The character must either find a tutor or find a text of some kind dealing with the subject. New Abilities and Talents cost 100 xp and require a roll against the related Statistic. If you fail the Test the character must keep practicing (about 1 week of in-game time) to get another test. That means the character must actually make a few tests against the Ability or Talent at the unlearned percentage. (1/2) i.e. fight unarmed (Street Fighting) without actually having the Talent.
I do not normally require a player to buy a new statistic advance before they can roll again but expect the player to spend some roleplay time in diligent study of the new Skill. Usually about a week to two weeks of down time or using the skill in the game a few times with the "unlearning" percentage (1/2%). So you have to wait but you do get something while you are waiting to reroll.
Learning to Read and Write and Speak other Languages
Read/Write will be a language specific skill which will cost 100 to learn by yourself and 1 month of in-game time immersed in the language. If you have a teacher it will only cost 50. Learning to speak a language will be 100 and also require a month. So for 200 experience points you can learn to read and write and speak a language in 1 month by yourself or 150 with a teacher. You can do nothing else during this time. You cannot work, brew potions, sail a ship etc. But I will allow you to spend the same amount of experience points and learn in 3 months if you are doing other things while trying to learn a new language.
Languages - Accents and Dialects
Regional dialects are easily detectable even by those of the same language group. Sea elves speak a different version of Eltharine than do High Elves and Druchii. It is possible to learn to copy another accent or dialect at the expense of 25 experience points and 1 month spent learn the accent or dialect with a speaker of that accent or dialect. A Druchii could learn to copy sufficiently a Sea Elfs accent with a month spent trying to learn it. A Rieklander couold learn to copy a Wastelanders accent in a months time spent doing so. Accents cannot be learned from books, only through dedicated practice.
Based on the extended life spans and the more developed cultures of Elves and Dwarves they will begin the game with Read/Write/Speak in their native languages.
Characters starting with both R/W and multiple languages will be able to R/W/Speak their starting languages.
Rules Changes to Abilities and Talents
Arcane Parry - Allows the user to parry aside a magic missile completely. Even if the spell has multiple strikes like Fireball or Shadow Knives. The Talant allows the user to parry aside all of the effects of a single Magic Missile attack in a round. But effects must be directed at them or the character must be directly between the caster of the Magic Missile spell and the target. It is a free action.
Command - No longer a separate skill. Command is a talent which confers a +10% to Charm or Intimidate with subordinates.
Deceiver - +10% Charm when lying. Deceiver is available to the following careers - Envoy, Grave Robber, Hedge Wizard, Rogue, Smuggler, Thief, Tomb Robber, Assassin, Cat Bugler, Charlatan, Crime Lord, Fence, Highwayman, Master Thief, Outlaw Chief, Pirate, Pirate Captain, Politician, Racketeer, Spy
Disarm – opponent must make a WS or Agility test with an equal degree of success or be disarmed
Dodge – Dodge is now a basic ability.
Dwarven Build – carry Strength x 20 encumbrance without Movement penalties
Lip Reading - The lip reading skill requires unobstructed view of the conversation and all participants must be visible to get the entire conversation. If only some of the participant’s lips are visible they are the only ones who can be read. Lip Reading does not require complete concentration but the act is observable with a Perception test that the reader is paying attention to the conversation from a distance. In order to avoid detection Performance (Acting) Skill is an opposed roll against the others Perception Skill providing they are actively trying to avoid the conversation being overheard or watched. Acting (hiding in plain sight) is opposed by Perception. Concealment/Shadowing is opposed by both Perception and 6th Sense.
Resistance to Poison - also applies to Consume Alcohol tests. +10%
Ride - A successful Ride roll allows a character to Move or Charge while mounted move as a Free Action while mounted.
Swim - based on either Strength or Agility whichever is higher.
Scale Sheer Surface - based on either Strength or Agility whichever is higher.
Secret Languages - Secret Languages are not actual languages and should not be used as such. Rather, these special skills are a secret form of very subtle communication using hand signals, body language or buzz words to communicate in public without others, who do not have the needed skill, knowing what is being said. Many of the characters have Guilder and Thieves Cant so when using these languages it is necessary to say something in or at least in an intelligible language and then include a secret message line in the Secret Language. Battle Tongue is a skill used among military units typically and includes hand signals and buzz words to make communication during battle quicker among units who develop their own internal "language" so that other enemy units can not anticipate an enemies formations or tactics during a battle. When using these languages it is important to show and allow the other characters to see and hear something at least so that the skill is used correctly. Because not all Secret Languages are the same the world over it is necessary to roll against the skill when coming into contact with others who possess the Secret Language until the character spends sufficient time in the new group to learn the nuances of the locals.
Secret Signs - These skills are a combination of symbols and trade craft used among very specific groups to communicate among those who are likewise trained to look for and understand these signs and symbols. Because not all groups of Rangers, Scouts and Thieves use exactly the same signs and symbols it is normally necessary to roll against this skill unless told specifically what the regional or local area groups may be. But usually, they can have a pretty good guess of what an unknown sign or symbol means in a new area.
Specialist Weapon Group (Engineering) - is required to direct and call for the fire of the cannons using the shooters Ballistic skill. But is the person calling the commands has Sharpshooter this modifier can be applied to the other character Ballistic Skill Test.
Street Fighting - allows a character to perform a free action Dirty Trick attack at the end of the round. +10% WS when unarmed and +1 damage.
Strike to Injure – adjust hit location by 10% up or down. This can be combined with weapons which have the Precise Ability for a + or – 20% to the Hit Location.
Strike to Stun – all successful hits are to the head, damage x5%+10% to stun opponent, ½ of the damage is actual damage, recover from stun with Toughness test on Initiative. This Talent can be combined with bonus from Pummeling weapons.
Sturdy – carry Strength x 15 in encumbrance without Movement penalties
Swashbuckler - Adds +10% WS with Feint, Jumps are Half Action, +1 yard on Leaps
Wrestling - Characters with the Wrestler Talent can use either Strength or Weapon Skill to hold onto or break free from grapples. The additional bonus of +10% to Grapple attacks and +10% to Strength still apply.
Concealment, Shadowing and Silent Move Rules
Darkness and rain do not give bonuses to trying to use Concealment and Silent Move. Darkness and rain impose Perception penalties for others trying to detect them.
If a character has the skill Concealment and takes time to camouflage their trappings or wear special clothing this may impose a -10% to the Perception tests of those who might see them. The same is true if a character has the skill Silent Move. If the character takes time to muffle their trappings this can also impose a -10% to those who might hear them. A character with these skills can also apply the same techniques to others trappings and clothing to provide the untrained with the advantage of their knowledge.
Swimming Rules
Swimming movement is increased by +1 for each degree of success on the Swim Test.
No Swim Test is required for those with Swim to move 1/2 Movement.
Those without Swim have a Movement of 0.
Those without Swim must make a test just to stay afloat.
Characters with Swim automatically take a deep breath before going under.
Those without Swim must make a Strength Test to take a deep breath before going under.
WS, BS and Agility are halved while swimming.
Combat Actions with successful Swim Test
Aim, Cast (+1 1/2 Action), Delay, Disengage, Move, Ready (Full Action), Reload, Standard Attack, Use a Skill Discard equipment (Full Action), remove clothing or Armor (Full Action, See below).
Actions with unsuccessful Swim Test
Go to Surface (Full Acton), Discard equipment (Full Action), remove clothing or Armor (Full Action, See below).
Swimming with Armor and other Trappings
May carry 50% of allowable capacity without penalty.
Over 50% and all Swim Tests are automatically failed.
Clothing and Leather Armor can be discarded with an Agility Test.
Mail and Plate Armor cannot be removed under water. (GM discretion)
Holding Breath and Drowning
Hold breath for TB in rounds after which each round requires a Toughness Test with a cumulative -10% each round or go unconscious. Death in TB in rounds from drowning unless saved. If saved loss 1 Wound per round without a Very Hard (-30%) Heal test.
Swimming Test Modifiers
Dwarves -10%
Failed Last Swim Test -10%
Using a Float +10%
Still Water +30%
Calm Water +20%
Average Current (in the canals) +0%
Swift Current (in the Manaansport) -20%
Unclothed (underwear) 0%
Wearing Some -10%
Fully Clothed -20%
Wearing Leather/Cloak -20%
Wearing Mail -30%
Wearing Plate auto fail
Carrying over 50% enc auto fail
Healing
Natural Healing
1 wound recovered per day
+1 wound recovered per day with a successful Toughness test
+TB wounds per day of complete rest with a successful Heal Test (if light wds 4+ wds)
+½ TB in wounds per day of complete rest with a successful Heal Test (heavy wds <4 wds)
maximum 1 wound per day without a successful Surgery if Critically wounded and really nasty scars
First Aid
First Aid (1 Narrative Round, 3 Combat Rounds) - successful Heal Test
stops bleeding on any single set of injuries
Treat Wounds (5 Turns, 30 Narrative Rounds, 90 Combat Rounds) - successful Heal Test
Requires at least a needle and thread and a bandage of some kind.
Bandages are required to apply a Heal test. Good and Best quality bandages add it the skill test (+10% for Good, +20% for Best).
+1-5 Wounds for lightly wounded
+1 Wound for heavily wounded (revive a character who is at 0 from Fate Point expenditure)
Surgery Talent increases wounds treated by +1 per degree of success.
(no longer an automatic +1)
Surgery Talent (on critically wounded)
+10% Heal tests, 1 hour,
Character will be extremely weak for 7 - TB in days,
+20% to saving a limb (Toughness Test)
Patient will be at 0 Wds 24 hours after the surgery is complete.
Normal healing afterwards.
Draughts and Poultices
Healing Draughts - Heal 1-5 Wds immediately but only on Lightly Injured
Healing Poultice - Heals 1-5 Wds with a Heal Test and 8-10 hours rest
Fear, Terror and Insanity
Failed Fear - frozen and can defend with parry and dodge but not attack.
Failed Terror - Run for your life. Gain +1 IP when you fail a terror Test.
Automatic Insanity Gain
Its not stipulated in the rules in the Insanity section but it is mentioned as part of Strong Minded Talent. Characters automatically gain an Insanity at 12 IP without Strong Minded and at 14 with Strong Minded. When a character gains an Insanity all IP drop to 0 and start again.
Illumination and Lighting
Normal Vision in good light
Normal Vision 30(15) +0% Perception
Maximum Vision 60(30) -10% Perception
Spotting Distance 90(45) -30% Perception
Normal Vision in Moonlite Alley or Overcast and Raining
Normal Vision 6(3) +0% BS
Maximum Vision 16(8) -10% BS
Spotting Distance 26(13) -30% BS (movement detected with Perception tests)
Night Vision with some ambient light
Normal Vision 30(15) +0% BS
Maximum Vision 60(30) -10% BS
Spotting Distance 90(45) -30% BS (movement detected with Perception tests)
Night Vision with almost no light, Overcast or Raining
Normal Vision 12(6) +0% BS
Maximum Vision 32(16) -10% BS
Spotting Distance 52(26) -30% BS (movement detected with Perception tests)
Talents Affecting Perception Tests
Excellent Vision adds a +10% to vision related Perception Tests.
Acute Hearing adds a +20% to hearing related Perception Tests.
Encumbrance and Movement
Characters suffer a -1 Movement penalty for every 100 enc or fraction thereof over their allowable carrying capacity.
Area Effect Rules
Small Area of Effect - 3 inch diameter circle
Large Area of Effect - 6 inch diameter circle
Cone - starting from origin and extending for 8 inches, 2 inches across at max range
Character Creation Rules
Race: Pick any race but know in advance that Elves are not accepted in all circles and an Elf who hangs with Humans and Dwarves is probably an outcast from his own people. He must either hide it well or be able to defend himself and the other players will also be made to determine their feelings about the tree huggers.
Make sure when using the Dice Roller you identify each roll. You can role your stats up before you determine what your career will be.
Skill rolls are all d100 against the skills which are based on the characters stats.
WS = Weapon Skill (all hand to hand attacks)
BS = Ballistic Skill (all ranged weapon attacks except breath weapon)
S = Strength
T = Toughness
Ag = Agility (this is also the character Initiative score)
Int = Intelligence
WP = Willpower
Fel = Fellowship
A = Attacks (# of attacks each round)
W = Wounds (amount of damage the character can take before suffering critical injuries)
SB = Strength Bonus (hand to hand damage bonus, derived from Str/10 round up)
TB = Toughness Bonus (natural armor, derived from Tou/10 rounded up)
M = Movement (base ground movement, x2 for charge, x3 for run) (also fly)
Mag = Magic (ignore this)
IP = Insanity Points (these accumulate over time)
FP = Fate Points (these are like "lives", even a minor critical wound can kill a PC in warhammer and so they have Fate Points, each day a character can reroll a number of failed tests equal to Fate Points. These rerolls are called Fortune Rerolls.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:57, Fri 19 Feb 2021.
