Alchemical Baroque

24 Pages·2009·1.34 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson Games

Alchemical Baroque
TM
Written by PHIL MASTERS
Edited by JASON “PK” LEVINE and NIKOLA VRTIS
Illustrated by GREG HYLAND
Cartography by ALLYN BOWKER
An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
®
Stock#37-0607 Version1.0–October2009
C
ONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ARCANEANDNATURESPIRITS ......................18
PublicationHistory...................................3 DEVILS........................................18
AbouttheAuthor.....................................3
AboutGURPS .......................................3 4. CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ADVANTAGESANDDISADVANTAGES ...................19
1. THE WORLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Languages .........................................19
OVERVIEW ......................................4 CulturalFamiliarities................................19
Technology..........................................4
MedicineandPhysicianSkill............................5
TheSupernatural ....................................5
Fairy: . . . I do wander every
Cosmology..........................................5
MundaneWildlife....................................5
where,
BRIEFHISTORY ..................................5
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
GAZETTEER .....................................6
TheGreenArchipelago................................6 And I serve the Fairy Queen,
NapoleonicOverlap...................................6
TheSolarEmpire ....................................7 To dew her orbs upon the green.
TheCitiesoftheSouthernPlains ........................7
– William Shakespeare,
TheGoldenArchipelago...............................8
TheWoodlandDukedoms .............................8 A Midsummer
TheWhiteArchipelago................................8
TheGogianWall......................................8 Night’s Dream
BeyondtheKnownLands .............................9
Swashbuckling?......................................9
2. MAGIC AND FAITH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 COMMONCHARACTERTYPES.......................20
FORMALMAGIC.................................10 Aristocrat..........................................20
RitualMagic .......................................10 NaturalPhilosopherorMasterWarlock.................20
MagicItems ........................................11 PeasantLad........................................20
AlchemyandHerbLore..............................12 Peddler............................................20
OtherOptionalAlchemyRules .........................12 Sailor .............................................20
FlyingVehicles ......................................13 Servant............................................20
Soldier ............................................20
RELIGION......................................14
Student............................................21
ThePowerofFaith..................................14
WitchorCunning-Man...............................21
ThePriesthood......................................14
WEAPONSANDEQUIPMENT ........................21
3. SPIRITS AND OTHER BEINGS. . . . . . . . . . 15 STATUS........................................21
GHOSTS.......................................15
5. CAMPAIGNING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
FAIRIES .......................................15
CampaignTypes ....................................22
ExampleIntangibleFairies ...........................16
ScenarioSeeds......................................22
Ogres..............................................17
InfiniteBaroque.....................................22
SapientCats........................................17
SupernaturalAnimals................................18 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
GURPSSystemDesign(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand MarketingDirector(cid:2)PAULCHAPMAN
GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH JUSTINDEWITT DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON
ManagingEditor(cid:2)PHILIPREED ArtDirector(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER GURPSFAQMaintainer(cid:2)–––––––
e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH ProductionArtist&Indexer(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS VICKY“MOLOKH”KOLENKO
PrepressChecker(cid:2)WILLSCHOONOVER
Playtesters:FredBrackin,ScottHarris,LeonardodeMoraesHolschuh,andEmileSmirle
GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Thaumatology,AlchemicalBaroque,Pyramid,e23,andthe
namesofallproductspublishedbySteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated,orusedunderlicense.
GURPSThaumatology:AlchemicalBaroqueiscopyright©2009bySteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Someart©2009JupiterImagesCorporation.Allrightsreserved.
Thescanning,uploading,anddistributionofthismaterialviatheInternetorviaanyothermeanswithoutthepermissionofthepublisherisillegal,
andpunishablebylaw.Pleasepurchaseonlyauthorizedelectroniceditions,anddonotparticipateinorencourage
theelectronicpiracyofcopyrightedmaterials.Yoursupportoftheauthor’srightsisappreciated.
C 2
ONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
Welcome to a fairy-tale world of muskets, ghosts, and should have a sense of style drawing from history’s Baroque
strangemagics.GURPSThaumatology:AlchemicalBaroque period–afeverdreamoftheworldasoftheearly18thcentury.
describes a fantasy setting with a difference. It avoids the In addition to the GURPS Basic Set, GMs looking to run
medieval technology and orcs-and-elves stereotypes of most games in this setting will usually need GURPS Magic for its
fantasygamesinfavorofsomethingalittlemoretechnologi- Alchemy rules (pp. 210-222 of that book), and GURPS
callyadvancedandyetdrivenbyasenseofwonder.It’salchem- Thaumatology, primarily for Path/Book magic (see pp. 121-
ical because the magic of the setting has a formal, 165 of that volume). It’s possible to run quite a lot of
quasi-scientific flavor, and Baroque because stories set here Alchemical Baroque games without those systems coming
into play, but they do define significant parts of the world.
SomerulesreferenceGURPSPowers,butmostgamesshould
beabletogetbywithoutthatsupplement.
When evil stalks upon the land
P H
UBLICATION ISTORY
I’ll nyther hold nor stay me hand
Alchemical Baroque originally formed one chapter of
But fight to win a better day
GURPSAll-StarJam2004,whereitwaspresentedinGURPS
Over the hills and far away! Third Edition terms. This treatment has been updated for
Fourth Edition and slightly expanded in the process. Aside
So fall in lads behind the drum from the details of characters and technology, the magic has
beenbroughtintolinewithGURPSThaumatology.
With colors blazing like the sun
Along the road to come-what-may A A
BOUT THE UTHOR
Over the hills and far away!
Phil Masters is the author-compiler of GURPS
Thaumatologyandadmitsresponsibilityforacertainamount
– John Tams/traditional,
of other GURPS stuff, such as GURPS Dragons and parts of
“Over the Hills GURPSBanestormandGURPSPowers.He’salsoworkedon
other roleplaying lines and products, including material for
and Far Away”
AtlasGames’ArsMagicaproductlineandachapterinDreaming
Cities from Guardians of Order. He lives close to where two
ancientroadscrossandwhereakingoncebuiltahuntinglodge.
About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of more. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fellow
GURPSplayers.OuraddressisSJGames,P.O.Box18957, gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The
Austin,TX78760.Pleaseincludeaself-addressed,stamped GURPS Thaumatology: Alchemical Baroque web page
envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can also be iswww.sjgames.com/gurps/books/alchemicalbaroque.
reachedbye-mail:[email protected]: Bibliographies.Manyofourbookshaveextensivebib-
liographies,andwe’reputtingthemonline–withlinksto
Newsupplementsandadventures.GURPScontinuesto
let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each
grow–seewhat’snewatwww.sjgames.com/gurps.
book’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibliography”link.
e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adven-
Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwe
tures,playaids,andsupportinPDFform...digitalcopies
doourbesttofixourerrors.Up-to-dateerratapagesforall
ofourbooks,plusexclusivematerialavailableonlyone23!
GURPSreleases,includingthisbook,areavailableonour
Justheadovertoe23.sjgames.com.
website–seeabove.
Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our monthly
PDFmagazineincludesnewrulesandarticlesforGURPS, Rulesandstatisticsinthisbookarespecificallyforthe
systemlesslocations,adventures,andmuchmore.Lookfor GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
eachthemedissuefrome23! beginwithBrefertothatbook,notthisone.
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much
I 3
NTRODUCTION
C O
HAPTER NE
T W
HE ORLD
Onceuponatime,therewasatroll.Hespentmostofhistime “Iwasintheartillery”saidthefarmer’sboy,andhetappeda
sittingonabridgethatheconsideredhisown,likeafatkingsit- hot spark from his pipe into the touch-hole of the cannon that
tingonhisthrone.Hehadbeensittingtherealongtime,occa- wasloadedonthecart.
sionallystandinguptofightanyonewhowantedtocross.Today, Thecannongaveamightyroar,andthefarmer’sboysmiled.
though,thefellowwhoappeareddrivingacartdidnotseemto Thetrollhadnothingtosaytoanyofthat.
wanttocross.
Although this setting is conceived as an entire world, this
“Ohhoho”saidthetroll,“IthinkthatIhaveseenyoubefore!”
treatmentfocusesononeregion,basedonEuropeanditscul-
“Yes,”saidthefarmer’sboy,“yousawmefiveyearsago.”And
ture, climate, and society. Other regions are described from
heturnedhiscartaroundasiftogostraightawayagain.
thatperspective;themoredistanttheyare,themorevaguethe
“Ohhoho”saidthetroll,“andwhathaveyoubeena-doingin
impression.Likewise,althoughthesettingandthisparticular
thosefiveyears?”
regionhaveasubstantialhistoricalpast,thedescriptioniskept
“Iwentforasoldier,”saidthefarmer’sboy.Hegotdownoff
loose in this text. “Common folk” know that a wider world
thecart,unhitchedthehorse,anddrewadeepbreaththroughhis
exists,andthathistorygoesbackcenturies,buttheyarevague
pipe.
aboutthedetails.Otherpartsoftheworldanditspastcouldbe
“Ohhoho”saidthetroll,“Didyoutakeupthespear?Didyou
developed,butthatisn’tdonehere.
shootthebow?Didyouridewiththecavalry?”
Also, mostPCs are assumedto originate fromthis region.
“I did none of those things” said the farmer’s boy, and he
Interesting characters certainly could come from elsewhere,
begantopullthecanvascoveroffthebackofthecart.
andthegameworldhashugescopeforexpansion–it’saworld,
“Ohhoho”saidthetroll,“thenwhatsortofsoldierwereyou?”
afterall–butfornow,thissupplementkeepsanarrowfocus.
O
VERVIEW
ThissupplementconcentratesontheKnownLands,about T
ECHNOLOGY
which PCs can be expected to know a reasonable amount.
Plenty of other inhabited regions exist, and explorers from ThissettingisverylateTL4,teeteringonthebrinkofTL5,
theKnownLandshavevisitedmanyofthem,buttheyremain with less-advanced communities on the fringes. As a conse-
rathermysterious.TheKnownLandsaredividedintonumer- quence,heroesofmosttalesandcampaignswillnotbesword-
ousstatesandonefairlysubstantialempire.Most,butnotall, brandishingbarbariansbutsturdypeasantlads;soldierswith
governments are monarchies, some of which are downright musketsandbayonets;andtheoccasionalyoungersonofthe
feudal (although those are considered rather backward). nobilitywithanoldsword–ormaybevillagewitch-girls,’pren-
Aristocraciesstillwieldconsiderableinfluence,butmonarchs ticewarlocks,andventuresomestudentsofphilosophy.
are claiming ever-more-absolute power, and revolutionary Astechnologydevelops,it’sverylikelythatthesettingwill
movementsaren’tunknown. actuallygotoTL(4+1)ratherthan“conventional”TL5.There’s
Most of the population lives in villages or small towns. alotofalchemyaround,itworksverywell,andit’squitescien-
Countrydwellersareoftenfreepeasants,althoughtheyusually tific,soit’smorethanlikelythattechnologywillcometoincor-
rentratherthanowntheirland,andthereareafewoutright porate a certain amount of arcane weirdness. Nonetheless,
downtrodden serfs. Every village worthy of the name has a thingshaven’tgotthatfaryet.
blacksmith(invariablyabig,amiablefellow)andaninn. Mostnationshavesmallstandingarmies,hastilyenlargedin
Towns are centers of trade, commerce, and small-scale time of war. They consist of reasonably well-drilled infantry
manufacturing, governed by mayors wielding musket and bayonet (plus a few
orcouncilsofburghers.Largertowns grenadiers), dashing cavalry armed with sword
and cities center around palaces and orlance,andsmallartillerytrains.Generalslike
other government buildings, or great to give the impression that tactics is a sophisti-
universities. Most crafts are domi- catedandsubtleart,butonlyafewtalentedcom-
natedbyurbanguilds;apoorladwho mandersgobeyondrotemethods.
wants to make something of himself Civilian technology is very much at the
usually has to persuade a guild-mas- handicrafts level; wealthier towns have large
tertotakehimonasa’prentice. workshops,butnorealmassproductionexists.
T W 4
HE ORLD
The best craftsmen do very fine work indeed; jewelers,
watchmakers,andthemostskilledartillerymenaretheset-
Medicine and
ting’s leading technologists. Every substantial town has at
leastoneprintingpress,andmostpeoplecanreadalittle. Physician Skill
However,printingremainsquiteslow,andbooksareexpen-
sive.Still,manyfarmershaveoneortwoaroundthehouse,
WhilemedicineintheKnownLandsisliterallypainfully
for show, and villages of average size or larger may boast
crude by the standards of higher-TL worlds, it is making
one-teacherschools.
significantprogress,atleastintheory.Physicianskilldoes
exist at TL4 in this setting. Still, anesthesia is limited to
THE SUPERNATURAL strongalcoholicdrinksinmosthospitals,andsurgeonsare
trained to work fast. Also, many diseases are blamed on
Supernaturalpowersdefinitelyexistinthissetting,and demons or evil spirits – but this is often correct! Fortu-
everyoneknowsit.Mostvillageshaveawitchorcunning- nately, alchemy and herbalism can cure many problems,
man, although he usually has only weak, subtle powers, thankstotheirmagicalaspect.
andsometimesisdownrightfraudulent.Religiousbelief–
in a single, transcendent, vaguely imagined God – is uni-
versal;everyvillagehasitschurchanditspriest.However,
thosewithappropriateadvantages.Fairiesaresometimessaid
priestsdon’tnecessarilypossessanysortofovertsupernatu-
tooperateinadifferent“spiritworld,”butthishasnodistinct
ral powers. Some philosophers have such strange ideas that
characteristics of its own; for practical purposes, fairies in
they’reconsideredatheists.
spiritformareinthematerialworld,butinvisibleandintangi-
Magicalbeings–ghosts,fairies,anddevils–areregarded
ble. There are, however, numerous fairy realms and “hidden
withextremenervousness,asthosethataren’tactivelymalev-
lands”;theseappeartobecompletelyseparaterealitieswithno
olentarestillextremelywhimsicalorsimplydisturbing.(This
direct relationship with the human world. Whether these are
makeslifehardforthesignificantminorityoffairyfolkwho
all linked or related, forming a single great fairyland, or
are compulsively benevolent.) One thing that makes people
whethereachisadistinct“pocketdimension,”isunclear,but
not only believe in the power of religion, but be devoutly
theirinhabitantsaremostlyunabletomovequicklyfromone
gratefulforit,isthatthesebeingstendtoavoidholyground
fairypalaceorgladetoanother.It’sgenerallyeasiesttoregard
andreligioussymbols.
themasonebigparalleluniversebutwithverystrangegeogra-
Magic is, to some extent, a science. Natural philosophers,
phyandmajorinternalbarrierstomovement.Insomecases,
alchemists,andsomephysiciansstudythesemattersmethodi-
thepassageoftimeinfairyrealmsdiffersmarkedlyfromthat
callyandanalytically.Theresultstheyachievearesometimes
inthehumanworld;anightinfairylandmayequatetoayear,
impressive,sometimescatastrophic.Afewofthemhaveeven
adecade,orevenacenturyinhumantime.
constructedmagicalclockworkdevices.
Likewise, there appear to be other separate spirit worlds
where human souls go after death. The Heavens accessible to
C
OSMOLOGY virtuoussoulsremainahighmystery,spokenofinmetaphorsby
theologians; it’s impossible for magic to contact one who has
Theworldisroundandrevolvesaroundthesun;everypeas-
gonethere.However,thereiscertainlyaHell,aplaceofpunish-
ant knows and accepts this. Beyond that, however, ideas get
mentforthewickedandthehomeofcountlessdevils.
fuzzy,evenamongscholars.Theologiansspeakoftheuniverse
asagiantclockworkoragreatworkofarchitecture,shapedby
God – and these aren’t necessarily metaphors. Many philoso- MUNDANE WILDLIFE
phersalsospeakof“thecrystalspheresoftheheavens.”While
The flora and fauna of the Known Lands are much like
theymaynotbelieveinliteralphysicalspheres,theymayimag-
those of Europe in the real world, except that large animals
ineasystemofmagicalforcesandmanifestsymbolsthatcome
tendtobeslightlymorecommonandbolder.Themostformi-
down to much the same thing. Mostly, all this is a matter of
dablenaturalcreaturesarewolves,wildboar,andsomelarge
abstruse theory with no impact on people’s routine lives, but
wild cattle. However, because some fairies take the form of
somehubristicvisionariesaretalkingaboutgoingofftoinves-
mundane animals, and ordinary creatures are occasionally
tigateinperson.
possessedbyminorspiritsor“augmented”physicallyormen-
Ghostsexistinashadowyrealm“overlaying”or“interpen-
tally by contact with supernatural forces, few people are too
etrating” the material world. This isn’t really a parallel uni-
surprisedtoencountermagicalortalkinganimals.
verse,justanintangibleoverlayonphysicalreality.Ghostscan
Catsaresometimesparticularlyunusual;seep.17.
perceive physical reality without being perceived, except by
B H
RIEF ISTORY
TheagesafterGodcreatedtheworldwereatimeofmythand contradictory. Actual history begins with the classical Golden
legend,whenprophetsandsuperhumanheroeswerecommon- Empires,whichspreadacrossmuchoftheKnownLandsand
place,andGodspokedirectlytohumanity.However,accounts Sutherlands,foughtgreatwarswitheachother,laiddownthe
of these eras are scarce and, it is observed by cynics, often principlesofphilosophy,andbuilttheGogianWall(p.8).
T W 5
HE ORLD
Wearinessanddecadenceultimatelyerodedeventhegreat- theories from the cities and islands of the south enabled the
est of the Golden Empires, which fell to civil wars and inva- creation of the Solar Empire, so named because it revolves
sionsovertheWall.AfterwhatarenowknownastheCenturies arounditsemperorastheplanetsrevolvearoundthesun.
ofDarkness,manyfeudalkingdomsarose.Thiswasanageof TheSolarEmpireexpandedrapidlyforawhile,untilitran
knights and wizards, when swords and plate armor were the into determined resistance. It was forced to adopt more cau-
keytopoliticalpower. tiouspolicieswhenthenationsonitsbordersenteredintothe
Eventually, an unknown alchemist-philosopher developed Great Pact: Any invasion of one of their territories by the
gunpowder, which could bring down the proudest knight or Empirewouldcausetheotherstolaunchraidsandincursions
the strongest castle. Other philosophers began propounding on the Empire’s other borders. In truth, all these powers
strangeideasaboutlawandgovernment,ultimatelyleadingto togetherarenotstrongenoughtostoptheEmpirefromcon-
the fall of kings in some lands. Meanwhile, cunning political queringanyotherlandifitreallywantsto–buttheycanmake
such wars intolerably expensive. Furthermore, the Solar
Emperordarenotstrengthenhisarmyasmuchashe’dlike,
asitscommanderswouldthenbecomedangerouslypower-
Napoleonic Overlap
ful–andwhilethey’reinthefield,theyaren’tsafelyunder
GURPS Age of Napoleon covers the very end of the hiseyeinthePalaceoftheSun.
real-world historical period that inspired this setting. Today, the Known Lands are in a delicate and unstable
Much of the general information it contains can be used balance,withspiesandagitatorslurkingeverywhere,anda
for games set in the Known Lands. For that matter, détentethatoccasionallyflaresintoborderwars.Anageof
declinefollowedbyrevolutionintheSolarEmpirecould globalexplorationisunderway,andthewealthbeginningto
easily lead to an era of great wars, complete with (magi- flow back from colonies and trading posts is causing
cal)espionageandsecret(alchemical)weapons... upheaval. Life for the peasants in the fields is not much
affectedbythisyet,intruth–butitmaybe,intime.
G
AZETTEER
ThemainregionsoftheKnownLandsandwhatliesbeyond aristocracyweakenedandfacingmanynew“upstarthouses.”
themaredescribedinthisabridgedgazetteer. Theoldlordsmusteredaroundtheking,andacivilwarensued
–whichtheupstartswon.Theydeposedthekinganddrewup
T G A newlawsthatseemed(intentionally)tobeararesemblanceto
HE REEN RCHIPELAGO
theoldlaws,butthatwereactuallyquitedifferent.Nowadays,
The westernmost of the Known Lands, the Green anyonewiththewealthtobuildagreathouseandmusterfol-
Archipelagoconsistsofafewlargeislands(upto150milesin lowers(andservants)fromthesurroundingdistrictcanclaim
length), dozens more that are smaller but still substantial thestatusofalord,becomingpartofthelooseconfederation
enough,andhundredsoftinyrocksandoutcrops.Thelargest whichrulestheArchipelagofromthedisorganizedParliament
islandslienearesttothecontinent,andtheirinhabitantssome- intheoldroyalpalace.
timesdon’tthinkofthemselvesaslivingonislandsatall(after “Domiciliaries”areproudoftheir“traditional”(decades-old)
all,manyofthemcangoforyearswithoutevenseeingthesea). freedoms – even though most of them are firmly under the
The term “Islanders” actually indicates the inhabitants of thumb of great-householders – and are happy to make war
remoteoutlyingparts,whoareseenasrude,ratherprimitive, againstanyforeignerswhocriticizethesystem.Onereasonwhy
violent,rebellious,andunconventionalinreligion. “Islanders”aresodespisedbyotherDomiciliariesisthatmostof
TheGreenArchipelagoproducesthefinestsailorsandnavi- thesmallerislandsaretoopoortosupportagreathouse,and
gatorsoftheKnownLands.Itpossessesalargeandsuccessful hencehavenorepresentationinParliament.Islanders,inturn,
merchantfleetandasmallerbutformidablemilitarynavy.Both seethemselvesasfreeof“greatlords,”givingloyaltyinsteadto
merchantmenandmilitaryshipsareusedforglobalexploration. anincomprehensiblesystemofclansandfamilies(andinafew
Thegovernmentisknownasthe casestopowerfulandproudlocalfairies).Theyalso
Domiciliary Republic. Once, the positively revel in fighting, making life difficult for
islands were ruled by a weak Parliamentarytax-gatheringships.
monarchy.Thenobility,wellableto
defend their individual holdings International Relations
againstroyalpower,treatedtheking
Although the Green Archipelago is threatened
orqueenasanequal,notasuperior.
by the Solar Empire, which lusts for its trading
Hence, the legal maxim grew up
wealthanddespisesitslackofaking,itsfleetkeeps
that“alord’shouseisalwaysacas-
it relatively safe. Hence, the Domiciliaries some-
tle,andacastleisalwaysapalace.”
timesseemsmug.However,theyarecrucialtothe
However, social unrest and the
pact that keeps the Empire in check; any time it
growth of a merchant class in
goestowar,Domiciliaryshipsenthusiasticallyturn
the last two centuries left the old
privateer,playinghavocwithImperialtrade.
T W 6
HE ORLD
T S E so,whilethecommandersknowthestandardtacticalmanuals
HE OLAR MPIRE
fromcovertocover,fewofthemhavetheexperienceorsense
TheGreatMajesticSolarEmpireisanationwithpreten- ofindependencetotryanythinginnovative.TheSolarNavyis
sionstoimperialstatus.ItisruledfromthePalaceoftheSun, poorlyfundedandlacksstatusinthisstatus-obsessedsociety.
anawe-inspiringbuildingthat,withitsoutbuildingsandsta-
bles,holdsthepopulationofafull-sizedtown.Althoughthe International Relations
Palace is the scene of seemingly unending balls, masques,
The Empire desires power above all and reveres its tradi-
and entertainments, the government that operates from the
tions of conquest and diplomacy. Rendered cautious by the
same location is far from frivolous. Courtiers compete for
GreatPact,itpreservesafaçadeofpolitenessandsweetreason
influenceandtheearoftheking,andcultivatesubtlety,devi-
whilerunningcountlessdeviousplots.
ousness,andamorality.
Most of the rest of the Empire consists of rich farmlands,
dominatedbylordswhosepowerisonlymitigatedbythefact
that most of them spend the majority of their time at the
The Cities of the Southern Plains
Palace.Unfortunatelyfortheirtenants,theytraditionallyleave
their estates in the hands of mean-spirited, paranoid bailiffs, On the southern edge of the Empire, on the dusty
whoexcuseallsortsofilltreatmentofthepeasantrybysaying plains facing the sea and the Golden Archipelago, a
thatthey’re“merelyservingtheirlords.”Thereisalsoadegree numberofcity-statespreserveaprecariousindepend-
of prejudice against conqueredpeoples,althoughthe Empire ence,asmuchbecausetheyaren’tworththeeffortof
imposesauniformcultureacrossitslands. conquestasanythingelse.They’reoldandrun-down,
TheEmpire’sinfantrymenarethebest-drilledintheKnown full of large, shabby houses, but they preserve grand
Lands,anditscavalryaredashingandbrave,ifundisciplined. traditions of philosophy and scholarship dating back
However,theSolarEmperorfearsambitionamonghisgenerals tothedaysoftheGoldenEmpires.
and rotates command of every part of the army regularly –
T W 7
HE ORLD
T G A havesignedtheGreatPacthaveonlydonesofortheexcuseto
HE OLDEN RCHIPELAGO
raidSolarterritory.Somepettystateletsdeepwithintheforests
South of the mainland, sun-drenched islands lie scattered barely acknowledge that a wider world exists, let alone have
across a shallow sea. They are ruled by a number of old, dealingswithit.
slightlybackwardstates,whichdreamoftheirGoldenEra.
Most of the people survive by fishing or agriculture; their
farmsgetby,despitethinsoils.Afairamountoflocaltrade
The Gogian Wall
alsooccurs,conductedbysmallshipsusingacombination
of sail and oars. Government, such as it is, is mostly the
To the east, the woodlands and hills of the dukedoms
workofalargeclassofimpoverishedknights,fiercelypro-
flattenoutintotheTransgogianPlains(seep.9).Thedivi-
tectiveoftheirhonorandgiventodueling.
sionbetweenthetworegionshasamarker:thevaststone
The Solar Empire makes occasional attempts at con-
GogianWall,thegreatestcreationoftheGoldenEmpires.
quest,andithasabsorbedafewislands.Themorepowerful
Between 30’ and 50’ high and 40’ thick, the Wall runs for
Golden Dukes are now part of the Great Pact, and their
thousands of miles and is punctuated only by occasional
ships, few and small as they may be, are a match for the
gatehouses. The Wall is said to have been built when the
SolarNavy,withpilotswhoknowthetrickylocalreefsand
Empiresrealizedthattheycouldneverconquerthetumul-
currents.TheSolarespionageservicedesperatelywantsbet-
tuousTransgogians.Itshouldhaveservedtoprotecttheset-
terchartsofthisregion.
tledlandsforever.
Golden Archipelago fairies seem especially curious and
Unfortunately, the Golden Empires no longer exist to
trickytovisitors.Infact,theyaresimplydifferent,including
maintainit.Thenomadsstillhavedifficultycrossingit,but
alargenumberofchimeras,goat-legged“fauns,”fish-tailed
insomeplaces,powerfulchiefsoflocaltribeshavedestroyed
mermaids, and so on. Many claim to have dwelled on the
sectionsorthrownearthenrampsupandoverit.Thegate-
same spot for centuries. Some have friendly relationships
housesareusuallyoccupiedbystrongWoodlandernoblesor
with neighboring humans, while others are arrogant and
tax-farming lordlings, who use them as customs posts and
dangerous.
bar invasion forces as bad for business, but such lords are
oftencorruptible.Sometimesthegatehouseshavebeencap-
International Relations
tured or left unoccupied until some Woodlander duke has
RecognizingtheSolarthreat,thewisestGoldenDukes seentheadvantagetoretakingandrestoringthem.
try to cultivate Domiciliary allies and even friendships in
the Sutherlands. However, many are complacent and
introspective. They ought to ally with the cities of the
Southern Plains (p. 7). Unfortunately, ancient rivalries and T W A
HE HITE RCHIPELAGO
enmitiesmakethisdifficult.
The northernmost human-inhabited realms are a long
T W D chain of islands, stretching from the coast of the continent
HE OODLAND UKEDOMS
towardthepole.Theyareinhabitedbyhardy,dourfolk,who
The eastern edge of the Known Lands fades into sinister farmtherockylandorgooutinsmallboatstofishthedanger-
forests, broken only by high mountain ranges. The forests in oussubarcticseas.Inthesmallporttowns,houseshavetriply
the north and east suffer long, snowy winters; those in the thickwoodenwallstokeepoutthecold.
southaresimplydarkandtangled. ThearchipelagoisruledbyamonarchknownastheWhite
Human communities scratch out livings in clearings and King.However,northernfolkareindependentbynature,and
valleys.Wheregreatriverscarvethroughthelands,thenarrow cannotaffordmuchinthewayoftaxes–eventheWhiteKing’s
alluvial plains can be quite fertile. However, this terrain does palace is simply an especially large wooden house. Most
not promote the growth of mighty kingdoms; the region is a islandsaregovernedbybaronswhoarebarelydistinguishable
patchwork of baronies and dukedoms.Each town, even each fromtheirsubjects.Still,thepovertyofthisrealmshouldnot
village, seems to be dominated by a glowering castle – and a beoverstated;hardworkandcarefulbuildingkeepitspeople
significantproportionareinthehandsoffairyfolk,whoeither comfortableintheirfurs.
ruleopenlyormanipulatemattersfrombehindthescenes.The Several smaller islands are ruled either by powerful,
nobleswhosecastlesstandonthegreatriversarewealthierand cold-natured fairies, or by witches or warlocks with great
more cosmopolitan, but, perhaps as a result, greedier. They powersovertheclimate.Wisenorthernersavoidthem.
charge heavy tolls and are often little more than river pirates.
The forests and riverside rocks are also the haunts of dark- International Relations
naturedfairies,addingtotheregion’sbadreputation.Eventhe
Northerners can seem introverted, although they aren’t
kinderfairyfolktendtobemelancholyandmelodramatic.
actuallyxenophobic;theyappreciatethebenefitsoftradeand
are friendly once a visitor gets to know them. All this is
International Relations
reflected in their diplomacy. The White King has signed the
Caught between the Solar Empire and the Transgogian GreatPact,althoughwhetherhecouldraisemuchofamilitary
nomads,thinking(anachronistically)thattheseastosouthand force is doubtful – as is the question of whether the Solar
northareswarmingwithpirates,theWoodlandersaredeeply Empire would even be interested in extending its conquests
suspicious of foreigners. It’s said that even those dukes who intothisregion.
T W 8
HE ORLD
B K L thattheirnewmusketsandcannonswouldwardoffsuchan
EYOND THE NOWN ANDS
invasion;thenomadscan’teasilyadoptmoderntechnology.
While the people of the Known Lands are unclear about TransgogianfolkshouldbeveryrareintheKnownLands;
regionsbeyondtheirown,theirideasaren’ttotallyinaccurate... any who do appear in games set in that area should have
Unnatural Features 3 (Green skin and pointed ears), Social
The Sutherlands Stigma (Minority Group), and, in most cases, a level of Low
TL.MostTransgogiansencounteredintheirhomelandswould
SouthoftheGoldenArchipelagoliesalandofdesertsand
have some level of Claustrophobia; they find buildings other
oases,occupiedbydusky-skinnedpeoplewhomostlyseemto
thanflimsytentsintolerable.Theydespisesettledfolk,calling
be desert nomads or merchants. (In truth, the majority are
them“burrowers”and“less-men.”However, thosewho travel
peasants, much as elsewhere.) They are ruled by sultans and
abroad may well lack this phobia, or at least only have it at
sheiks. The strongest states sometimes fight wars with the
quirklevel.Nomadcharactersshouldalsohavegoodlevelsof
Known Lands; although their military technology is rather
Riding(Horse)andcombatandweaponskills.
behind the times, determination, magic, and strategic skill
makethemformidable.
The Pole
TheirreligionisawildlydivergentformofArchitecturalism
(p.14);ratherthanbuildingspirestowardsHeaven,theirtem- Beyond the White Archipelago lies a blasted land of ice,
ples have great domes, in respectful emulation of the sky. snow, and glassy black rocks – which was all that anybody
However,theyregardbothKnownLandsArchitecturalistsand needed to know for a long time. A few years ago, however, a
Horologicalists(p.14)asequallymisguided(anddonotrecog- partyofexplorersventuredintothisterritoryandbroughtback
nizetheauthorityoftheArchitecturalistHierophant).Thedom- astrangetale.Althoughtheycamenowherenearthepole,they
inantmagicalcreaturesoftheregionaregenies,akintothefairy camecloseenoughtoseewhatwaslocatedthere:agreatand
folk but almost all with great physical and magical power; if perfectlyregulartower,risinguparound200miles.Thetower
GMneedsdetailsforsuchacreature,giveittheIntangibleFairy had a dazzling light on the top, casting permanent illumina-
meta-trait(p.16),highST,respectableDXandHT,Flight,and tion, and possibly some warmth, on the regions nearby.
whateverothermagicalabilitiesfittheneedsofthegameplot. Examinationbytelescopeshowedthatthetowerhadthelook
(Many appear to have the Snatcher advantage, often with the ofgraystone,butnomore.
Permanent enhancement, and quite a few have some kind of ThenaturalphilosophersoftheKnownLandshavescores
shapeshiftingabilities.)However,geniesarerelativelyrarecom- of competing theories as to how this tower came to be, and
paredtothefairiesoftheKnownLands.Theyseemespecially what purpose it serves for men or God. Some are arranging
pronetobeingmagicallytrappedandcontrolled,whichmaybe expeditionstoinvestigateitmoreclosely,whileothersfearthat
reflectedbyappropriatedisadvantages. theveryideaisblasphemous.
The Transgogian Plains Far Beyond the Seas
BeyondtheGogianWallarevaststeppes,hometoarace Elsewhere on the globe, it is said, are some very strange
ofnomadswithgreenskinsandsharplypointedears.These lands. Many are apparently inhabited and ruled by fairy
peoplearefullyhuman,however;thedifferencesareliterally beings.Reportsspeakofkingdomsofgiants,oftinyfolk,and
onlyskindeep.Theyarehorsemenandwarriors,wholiketo of talking animals; flying islands; empires ruled by insane
raid their neighbors. The worst problems for the rest of immortals;junglesanddesertsoccupiedbytribalpeopleswho
humanity come when some great chief unites the worship strange gods and wield strange magics; and places
Transgogian tribes, declares himself Emperor of the World, wheretheverylawsofnatureseemtobedifferent.IfPCsgo
andsetsoutonacampaignofconquest.Thishasn’thappened rovingfar,GMsshouldfeelnotonlyentitled,butduty-bound,
forawhile,though,andthepeopleoftheKnownLandsthink tothrowalmostanythingatthem.
Swashbuckling?
TheKnownLandsareinsomesensesaswashbuckling frombeingbasedonahistoricalperiodwhenfirearmswere
setting,andthe“swashbucklingera”isoftenconsideredto supplanting swords. Combat should be quick and simple,
runuptothe18thcentury.However,it’snotaparticularly leavingmoretimeformagicalwondersorsocialclimbing.
good idea to bring much swashbuckling detail – such as Still, slender swords are part of the milieu; GMs who
useoffencingcombatrulesoutofGURPSMartialArts– wanttomixfencingwithfairystoriescandoso.Forthose
into an Alchemical Baroque game, unless you want to using Martial Arts, the most appropriate style, especially
changetheflavorsignificantly. for the Solar Empire, would be French Smallsword; old-
Afocusonintricatemeleecombatimpliesthatthetypi- fashioned fighters might use the Transitional French
cal hero of the campaign should be a master swordsman. School.“Italian”or“Spanish”stylesmightbeknowninthe
The “default” hero of the Known Lands, meanwhile, is a Golden Archipelago; indeed, the knights of those islands
luckypeasantlad,aquick-wittedsoldierwithamusket,ora might have a near-monopoly on advanced fencing tech-
ritualisticmagician.Muchoftheflavorofthesettingcomes niques,oratleastthecinematicversions.
T W 9
HE ORLD
C T
HAPTER WO
MAGIC AND
FAITH
Onceuponatime,awitchlivedinacottageinthewoods, guidethevisitorbacktothevillage.Ashewaited,thewitch’scat
with only her cat for company. There was nothing unusual strolleduptohim,satdown,andbegantowashitself.
aboutanyofthat,youunderstand;witchesoftenlivedinsuch “Do you know if they’ll be long?” asked the boy, who was
places, and cats liked to live with them, for the conversation. growingalittlebored.
But this witch was different. She was neither terribly wicked “Hardtosay,”saidthecat.“Doyouknowwhothisthinfel-
nor terribly good, and she was neither especially beautiful nor lowmightbe?”
hideouslyugly.Thissuitedherfine,asitmeantthatfewofher “Well, some say that he’s a priest in disguise” said the boy,
neighbors thought that she was much of a witch, and so they “andhedoestalklikeapriest,onlywithlongerwords.”
rarelybotheredhermuch. “Ah,” said the cat, “in that case, you should have brought a
Onceaweek,though,aboyfromthenearbyvillagecamepast book. When herself talks about religion, it takes forever. Why,
todeliverherletters,andtocollectanythatshewantedsent.She sometimes,whenshe’stalkingtothehigherpowers,sheforgetsto
paid him with potions and lotions that helped heal the bruises sleepandstaysupallnight.”
andscrapesandcoldsthatactiveboystendtocollect,andwith
The metaphysics of the Known Lands places significant
theexcusetotellterrifyingtalestohisfriends.
supernatural power in the hands of certain mortals. How
Oneday,theboybroughtanothervisitor–atall,thin,scholarly
closelythedifferentmanifestationsofthispowerarerelatedis
fellow,withspectaclesperchedonhispointednose.Thewitchand
a matter of debate among philosophers, but not everyone
thenewcomerfellintodeepconversation,whiletheboywaitedto
cares;thereisalottobesaidforjustusingwhateverworks.
F M
ORMAL AGIC
Magic, as worked by humans, is built around two aspects: pairedspecializationsofRitualMagicandAlchemyorHerb
matter and spirit. Matter magic is expressed in the form of Lore, setting limitations and prerequisites comparable to
herbalandalchemicalconcoctions(andtheveryoccasionalarti- thoseapplyingtowitchesandnaturalphilosophers.
fact), while spirit magic is worked through lengthy rituals.
However,thetwo,whileseeminglyverydistinct,areentwinedin R M
ITUAL AGIC
a way that puzzles even their practitioners; a person cannot
advance in one without advancing in the other. It seems that ThisusesthePath/BookmagicsystemdescribedinGURPS
effective magic demands a detailed and practiced insight into Thaumatology (pp. 121-165). Specifically, this is Effect
boththingsofthespiritandthesubtletiesofthephysicaluni- Shapingmagic,usingPathsratherthanBooks.Thefollowing
verse.Thispatternisrepeatedinallschoolsandstylesofmagic. optionsandspecialconditionsapply.
The two general types of magic-workers
Magical Advantages: Magery (Path/Book) is
encounteredintheKnownLandsare,first,
mandatoryandaddstorituals,asdiscussedon
witches and cunning-men, who brew
p. 123 of Thaumatology. Hence, this is obvi-
herbal potions and have dealings with
ously the key advantage for witches, magic-
minor nature spirits; second, natural
working natural philosophers, and the like.
philosophers and master warlocks, who
Path/BookAdept(Thaumatology,pp.123-124)
studythehighartsofalchemyandperform
isalsoknown,butitcannottakeenhancements
ritualmagictocommunewitharcaneenti-
orlimitations,andithasaspecialprerequisite:
ties. The difference between the two styles
RitualMagicskillat18+foronelevel,at24+for
issubstantial;theunderlyingprinciplesare
two levels, and at 30+ for three. It may, how-
apparentlyidentical.
ever,bepurchasedwithbonuscharacterpoints
If uncanny foreign wizards appear in
aftertherequisitelevelisachieved.
games,theGMshouldgivethemtheirown
M F 10
AGIC AND AITH