Archetypes - Cypher

Archetypes represent an optional feature aimed at expediting character creation, offering predefined attributes, skills, perks, equipment, and more. Each archetype is delineated by a fundamental character type, which then branches into three distinct specializations, each bearing its own unique focus and characteristics, thus providing players with a varied selection of thematic options to choose from when shaping their characters.

Overview

Group	Archetype Body	Archetype Mind	Archetype Soul
Cleric	Paladin	Sage	Priest
Creative	Crafter	Illusionist	Performer
Engineer	Battlesmith	Inventor	Tinkerer
Enquirer	Private Eye	Researcher	Diviner
Fighter	Berserker	Soldier	Swashbuckler
Healer	Medic	Physician	Warchef
Monk	Monk of the Fist	Shadow Monk	Monk of the Elements
Mystic	Enchanter	Wizard	Sorcerer
Noble	Royal	Clerk	Diplomat
Outlaw	Pirate	Assassin	Thief
Gunpowder	Sharpshooter	Bombardier	Gunslinger
Spirit Caller	Infernal Conjurer	Necromancer	Elementalist
Trader	Shopkeep	Merchant	Peddler
Warden (of the Wild)	Druid	Ranger	Shaman
Wayfarer	Dungeon Delver	Cartographer	Archaeologist
Witch	Alchemist	Warlock	Oracle

Symbol	Type	Description
	Artifice	Building, engineering, and crafting: characters who solve problems by making things.
	Commerce	Trade, negotiation, and the flow of goods and coin: characters who move through markets and networks.
	Expression	Performance, illusion, and creative craft: characters who work through art, spectacle, and presence.
	Faith	Divine service, sacred rites, and ordained power: characters whose strength flows from devotion.
	Forbidden	Transgressive and proscribed arts: characters who wield power that others fear, outlaw, or refuse to name.
	Lore	Scholarship, research, and accumulated knowledge: characters who treat information as their primary tool.
	Mending	Healing, restoration, and sustaining others: characters who keep people on their feet.
	Warfare	Combat training and martial discipline: characters defined by how they fight.
	Wyrdcraft	Magic, sorcery, and the shaping of hidden forces: characters who bend the fabric of the world.

Notes

Party Roles describe the default function a character fills in the group. Each Play Kit lists a Default lane and a Fallback - the role the archetype is built for, and the secondary role it can cover when needed. These are helpful to have a somewhat balanced party. If all characters are frontline fighters, then some players might want to think changing their chosen archetypes. The more of these party covers, the more likely someone can help in a certain situation. The defined roles are:

Combat

Frontline (absorbs hits, holds melee, protects allies)

• Paladin
• Berserker
• Soldier
• Monk of the Fist
• Shadow Monk
• also: Battlesmith, Royal, Ranger

Skirmisher (mobile melee, flanking, dueling, burst damage)

• Swashbuckler
• Pirate
• Assassin
• also: Berserker, Monk of the Fist, Monk of the Elements, Shadow Monk, Thief, Gunslinger, Dungeon Delver

Ranged (archery, firearms, overwatch, siege bombardment)

• Gunslinger
• Bombardier
• Sharpshooter
• Inventor

Controller (crowd control, debuffs, battlefield shaping)

• Illusionist
• Necromancer
• Infernal Conjurer
• Druid
• also: Diviner, Enchanter, Warlock, Alchemist

Support & Craft

Healer (medical, restoration, stabilization)

• Medic
• Physician
• Priest

Buffer (morale, blessings, temporary boosts)

• Warchef
• Medic
• Elementalist

Maker (crafting, engineering, field repair)

• Crafter
• Battlesmith
• Inventor
• Tinkerer
• Enchanter
• Warlock
• Bombardier

Logistics (supply, quartermastering, camp management)

• Clerk
• Shopkeep
• Merchant
• Peddler
• also: Crafter, Warchef

Social & Utility

Face (party speaker, diplomat, social lead)

• Performer
• Diplomat
• Royal
• also: Paladin, Soldier, Swashbuckler, Sorcerer, Infernal Conjurer, Shopkeep, Merchant, Peddler, Researcher, Oracle

Advisor (counsel, warnings, reading people and situations)

• Shaman
• Oracle
• Sage

Scout (stealth, trapwork, navigation, infiltration)

• Monk of the Elements
• Thief
• Ranger
• Dungeon Delver
• Cartographer
• also: Illusionist, Performer, Tinkerer, Private Eye, Pirate, Assassin, Sharpshooter, Druid, Archaeologist

Scholar (research, lore, investigation, knowledge)

• Sage
• Private Eye
• Researcher
• Diviner
• Archaeologist
• also: Physician, Wizard, Clerk, Diplomat, Necromancer, Cartographer

Caster (arcane or divine blaster, support spells, rituals)

• Priest
• Wizard
• Sorcerer
• Elementalist
• Alchemist
• also: Shaman

Signature Actions are common things this archetype does. The listed entries are not specific spells or skills but generic descriptions.

Cypher Type : Suggested Type and Focus direction for this archetype. Types are Warrior, Explorer, Adept, and Speaker. The focus direction is a brief guide to suitable Foci when building this character in Cypher System.

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Cleric

Clerics are religious figures who serve their deities and communities. Priests are ordained ministers of their faith and perform religious ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, while sages are scholars who use their knowledge of their religion to counsel others. Paladins are holy warriors who fight against evil and protect their communities with divine magic. All of these clerics uphold the teachings and values of their faith and work to guide and protect those under their care.

Paladin

Paladins are holy warriors who serve a deity or cause. They are skilled combatants who also possess divine magical abilities, allowing them to heal wounds, protect themselves and others, and smite their enemies. Paladins are bound by a strict code of honour and conduct, which demands that they always act with integrity and courage. They often undertake quests to protect the innocent, defeat evil, and promote the values of their faith or order.

"Stiffer than a castle gate, but when devils roam at night, we're all thankful that shiny armor is on our side."

Paladin by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Paladin

• A sacred calling through omen and vows.
• Redemption: a structured path to atone.
• Battle blessings and sanctified techniques.
• Status: authority in temple and court.

• Brotherhood: chapels, mentors, healers.
• Champion a cause - guard roads and shrines.
• Relics and disciplined training.
• Sanctuary for your own, orders deter foes.

Cleric - Paladin: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: divine combat and personal protection

Build Compass

Attributes: Might (Edge), Intellect, Speed
Key Skills to train: melee attacks, Might defense, theology knowledge, leading others, resisting fear, perception

Signature Actions

• Call to Prayer
• Stand Fast
• Smite

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Frontline.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A knight of a rival holy order who challenges your interpretation of doctrine and competes for the same divine mandate.
Patron: A senior temple quartermaster who issues field supplies, mission writs, and tactical blessings.

Equipment

• Blessed symbol
• Mail shirt
• Shield
• Warhammer
• Holy water
• Riding horse (if possible)

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Radiant Challenge: Once per encounter, call out one foe; on a failed Intellect defense roll, they feel compelled to attack you over allies until they land a hit on you or flee.
• Guarded Devotion: As a free action, interpose yourself to take one melee or ranged hit meant for an adjacent ally.
• Litany of Fortitude: Utter a swift prayer to free a nearby ally from one minor debility (e.g. impaired vision, restricted movement, or a fear penalty).

Adept

• Sword of Conviction: Imbue a melee weapon with holy power for a short duration, allowing it to strike ethereal or magic-protected targets as if mundane defenses didn't apply.
• Shield of Mercy: Once per Round, protect one ally within reach, negating the first Critical they would suffer that turn.
• Shining Beacon: Radiate soft divine light that forces demons, undead, and chaos-tainted creatures within close range to succeed on an Intellect defense roll or be unable to approach you until the light fades.

Master

• Wrathful Judgement: Once per combat, double your damage against any demon or undead foe on a successful hit.
• Blessed Rally: Instantly remove an ally's Stunned or Dazed condition with a shouted command and brief prayer.
• Unbreakable Faith: Gain permanent immunity to lesser curses, petty illusions, and minor corrupting whispers (GM's discretion for what qualifies as "lesser").

Legend

• Miracle of Reprieve: Once per adventure, call upon your deity to halt a catastrophic threat or revive an ally who has just died (within a round).
• Sanctify Battlefield: Consecrate the ground within a large radius: undead, demons, or chaos creatures entering must succeed on an Intellect defense roll or suffer ongoing damage ( 1d6 ).
• Divine Champion: Temporarily become an avatar of your god, ignoring normal mortal limits (movement, exhaustion, certain spells) for a single heroic deed.

Sage

Unlike other clergy who focus on rites or direct healing, the Sage pursues enlightenment through relentless study - even if it means risking censure by reading proscribed tomes. They see each volume, scroll, or archived fragment as a step closer to divine truth. Whether consulting a hidden collection of heretical texts or an ancient library of sacred manuscripts, the Sage can unearth critical information on nearly any topic. Their faith teaches that knowledge itself can be a holy instrument for guiding and protecting communities.

"Always got his nose stuck in some dusty old scroll. Suppose if we need obscure answers, we know who to bother."

Sage by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Sage

• Restricted archives and relic-libraries few ever see.
• Patron stipends for research others deem impossible.
• Authority to advise nobles, temples, and courts.
• Publish treatises, your name cited for generations.

• Exchange letters with scholars across the world.
• Sabbaticals to chase obscure clues and rumours.
• Handle fragile artefacts under official sanction.
• Turn truth into influence without drawing a sword.

Cleric - Sage: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: divine scholarship and sacred lore

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: theology knowledge, classical languages, historical lore, research, detecting deception, appraising

Signature Actions

• Footnote Recall
• Cross-Refer
• Quiet Authority

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scholar.
Fallback: Advisor.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival theologian at a competing institution who denounces your research as heretical and lobbies to have your archive access revoked.
Patron: A cathedral librarian who holds keys to restricted vaults and quietly routes forbidden manuscripts your way.

Equipment

• Annotated Codex: A hefty, personally compiled tome filled with sacred passages, scholarly commentary, and fragments of forbidden texts. Over the years, the Sage has carefully added marginal notes and cross-references, turning this volume into an invaluable trove of hidden lore.
• Scriptorium Key: A simple yet symbolically weighty key granting access to restricted libraries and locked archives. It's recognized by clerical authorities as proof of the Sage's right to consult even the most secretive collections.
• Blessed Quill: A meticulously crafted pen, sanctified through ceremonial rites, that allows the Sage to inscribe both mundane and mystical scriptures without risking corruption. Whether drafting new commentaries or copying delicate manuscripts, this quill is central to the Sage's mission of preserving knowledge.
• Inks
• Magnifier
• Scholarly robes
• Book satchel

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Lorekeeper's Glimpse: By briefly concentrating on an old tome or artifact, gain a sudden flash of hidden knowledge or context about it. Once per scene.
• Eldritch Ward: Set a small warding circle in your study or campsite that harmlessly repels minor summoned creatures (Imps, Lesser Spirits) while you research. Lasts until dawn or until you move the circle.
• Spiritual Insight: Once per day, enter prayerful meditation to glean a subtle clue or vision about your current scholarly pursuit.

Adept

• Arcane Annotation: Magically "bookmark" a passage in any text; anyone you choose can read that note telepathically just by touching the same volume. Once per day per text.
• Forbidden Lexicon: Safely consult one cursed or heretical text without risking immediate corruption, extracting key insights in half the usual time. Once per session.
• Hidden Margins: Cross-reference multiple sources in your mind with uncanny speed, spotting contradictions or deliberate omissions in written data. Once per document review.

Master

• Revelation Circle: Perform a brief ritual to reveal illusions or shapechangers within a small circle, forcing them back to their true forms if they fail an Intellect defense roll. Once per scene.
• Scriptural Exorcism: Recite holy or scholarly passages that hamper (or outright banish) a lesser spirit or haunting entity. Once per encounter.
• Truth Unbound: Speak a powerful verse that dispels illusions of mortal origin in close range and forces hidden creatures out of stealth. Once per scene.

Legend

• Cosmic Thesis: Pen a monumental treatise that taps into half-forgotten lore, granting you (and those who study it) access to a special school of magic or secret knowledge.
• The Definitive Commentary: Once per adventure, invoke the authority of your accumulated scholarship to have a single claim, ruling, or interpretation accepted without further debate by any institution, court, or council that respects learning - silencing dispute, ending an inquiry, or establishing a precedent that holds for the remainder of the adventure.
• Word of Radiance: Utter a phrase so infused with divine scholarship that it can quell even powerful curses, illusions, or mind controls in one stroke.

Priest

Priests are religious figures who specialize in divine magic. They draw their power from a deity or faith. They offer spiritual guidance and conduct religious ceremonies.

"She comforted my dying grandpa and named our newborn the same day - holy folk live close to both ends of life."

Priest by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Priest

• A pulpit to shape hearts and policy.
• Tithes, alms, and steady temple support.
• Sanctuary laws protect you and your flock.
• Conduct marriages, funerals, and great festivals.

• Daily purpose grounded in creed and service.
• Parish networks that open doors everywhere.
• Moral authority even warlords hesitate to cross.
• Training in rites, debate, and community care.

Cleric - Priest: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: divine rites, pastoral guidance, and communal healing

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: theology knowledge, persuasion, healing, leading others, ritual prayer, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Sanctify
• Intercede
• Litany of Courage

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Caster.
Fallback: Healer.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A schismatic deacon from within your own congregation who disputes your authority and siphons followers.
Patron: A diocesan chancellor who assigns parishes, missions, and ceremonial duties - and chooses who gets the plum postings.

Equipment

• Holy symbol
• Prayer book
• Incense
• Travel vestments
• Alms purse

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Beacon of Hope: A short prayer that negates a minor negative mental effect (e.g. a mild Fear) on one ally.
• Bless Water: Consecrate a small vial or basin of water, useful for repelling weak undead or cleansing minor spiritual taint.
• Comfort the Flock: Calm a gathering of up to a dozen frightened townsfolk or agitated peasants, preventing a riot or panic. Once per scene.

Adept

• Shared Burden: Transfer a small portion of an ally's current damage or exhaustion onto yourself, easing their suffering.
• Spiritual Counsel: Commune with a minor saint or revered spirit once per day for cryptic advice or warnings about a local problem.
• Hymn of Healing: During a rest, perform a gentle chant that speeds recovery from light injuries for all who listen. Once per rest period.

Master

• Sanctuary Ward: Erect a holy barrier on a location (a small building or campsite) that lesser demons or undead cannot enter unless they succeed on an Intellect defense roll.
• Miracle Cure: By prayer, neutralize a deadly poison or advanced disease in one individual, though it leaves you briefly Exhausted.
• Soul Retrieval: If an ally dies in your presence, hold their soul at the threshold for a few rounds, giving a brief chance for magical restoration.

Legend

• Divine Intercession: Once per adventure, call upon your deity's direct aid in a moment of genuine dire need - summon a brief angelic presence, negate a powerful evil entity's magic, or ask for one miracle within your faith's domain. The deity decides the precise form.
• Immovable Faith: Once per session, radiate a protective aura that halts large-scale panic or chaotic influence across a crowd or settlement - the effect holds for the remainder of the scene before it fades.
• The Great Benediction: Bestow a tremendous blessing upon a community or army; for a short time, they resist curses, despair, and misfortune on a grand scale.

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CREATIVE

Creatives, including performers, crafters, and illusionists, use their creativity and skill to entertain and delight their audiences or to create outstanding goods and wares. Whether through song, dance, juggling, pottering, weaving, or painting, they bring beauty and wonder to the world around them. Using their artistry, they tell stories, evoke emotions, and capture the imagination of those who witness their performances or admire their creations.

Crafter

Crafters create various items using their specialized skills and knowledge. They work with different materials such as wood, leather, metal, and fabric to make a wide range of objects, from practical tools and weapons to decorative items and works of art. They may also repair or modify existing items. Crafters must possess a keen eye for detail and be willing to invest time and effort into their creations to produce high-quality, durable goods that meet their clients' needs and expectations.

"He can fix any pot, shoe, or contraption in a jiffy - long as you can pay his fee in coin or good ale."

Crafter by Tillerz using MJ

Examples:

• Apothecary: Prepares and sells medicines, herbs, and potions.
• Armourer: Crafts armour for knights and soldiers.
• Baker: Prepares bread and baked goods, often working in regulated guilds.
• Blacksmith: Forges metal items such as horseshoes, tools, and weapons.
• Bowyer: Crafts bows and crossbows, often working closely with fletchers.
• Butcher: Processes meat from livestock for consumption.
• Carpenter: Builds and repairs wooden structures, furniture, and tools.
• Chandler: Makes candles from wax or tallow.
• Cobbler: Repairs and makes shoes, focusing on leather craftsmanship.
• Cordwainer: Specialises in making shoes and leather goods.
• Dyer: Colours fabrics using various dyeing techniques.
• Fletcher: Makes arrows for archers, often working closely with bowyers.
• Furrier: Crafts garments from fur, specialising in warm clothing.
• Glassblower: Crafts glass items through blowing techniques.
• Goldsmith: Crafts jewellery and other items from gold and precious metals.
• Locksmith: Creates locks and keys for security purposes.
• Mason: Works with stone to construct buildings, walls, and monuments.
• Potter: Creates ceramic pots, dishes, and other clay items.
• Saddler: Makes saddles and other horse-related gear.
• Seamstress/Tailor: Designs and makes clothing; seamstresses typically focus on women's garments while tailors work on men's clothing.
• Shipwright: Builds and repairs ships and boats.
• Tanner: Processes animal hides to create leather products.
• Weaver: Operates looms to produce textiles from threads.

Why you might become a Crafter

• Guild protection, commissions, and fair prices.
• Fame for masterworks that outlive their maker.
• Apprentices to pass on secrets and style.
• First pick of rare materials through contacts.

• Custom gear for yourself and companions.
• Shopfront respect in any civilised town.
• Festival prizes and royal warrants of craft.
• Leave a tangible legacy in steel and stone.

Creative - Crafter: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: artisanal craft and material creation

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (artisan goods), crafting (mechanisms), appraising, endurance, perception, classical languages

Signature Actions

• Field Repair
• Custom Fit
• Appraise

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Logistics.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A guild master whose established workshops feel threatened by your unconventional commissions and growing reputation.
Patron: A wealthy collector who finances your finest pieces and provides access to exotic materials in exchange for first refusal on your work.

Equipment

• Tool kit (craft)
• Bench permits
• Apron & gloves
• Measuring calipers
• Whetstone

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Resourceful Scavenger: Improvise a useful small item from scraps on hand - a makeshift tool, patch, or fastening. The item lasts one scene before falling apart. Once per scene.
• Perfect Stitch: Instantly mend minor tears or structural damage in gear - armor, cloaks, etc. - so it functions normally again. Once per scene per item.
• Keen Eye for Quality: With a glance, discern subtle flaws or hidden strengths in a crafted item (could detect counterfeits).

Adept

• Rapid Prototype: In a hurry, assemble a functional (though temporary) contraption or improvised weapon from raw materials. Takes one round; the item functions for the scene then breaks.
• Masterful Upgrade: Grant one crafted item a short-lived special property (e.g. silent, flameproof) for a single adventure scene.
• Artisan's Bond: Sense if an important item you crafted is being destroyed or corrupted, no matter the distance. Applies only to items crafted during this session or adventure.

Master

• Reinforce Masterpiece: Create a signature piece (weapon, armor, tool) that channels a minor magical effect (e.g. glowing edge, minor warmth). The effect lasts one scene per activation.
• Crafting Renaissance: Simultaneously produce multiple small items from a shared base material (like forging multiple arrowheads or rivets at once). Once per day.
• Perfect Replica: Duplicate a small item with uncanny accuracy, including magic resonance if you succeed on a relevant roll.

Legend

• Artisan's Legacy: Once in your life, craft a truly legendary item with one specific, named power - a blade that never rusts and always finds its mark, a cloak that renders its wearer undetectable to undead, a lock that only one person alive can open. The item exists in the world from this moment forward.
• Living Creation: Animate one constructed figure - a small golem, a carved homunculus - that obeys simple commands for a week before its animating force dissipates and it must be re-crafted. Only one such creation can exist at a time.
• Eternal Craft: Items you create resist aging, corruption, or decay, persisting for centuries in pristine condition.

Illusionist

Illusionists use sleight of hand, trickery, and illusions to create the appearance of magic and awe-inspiring feats. They entertain audiences with their performances, using various props and tools to create their illusions. They often travel from town to town, performing in marketplaces, inns, and other public places. Despite their seemingly magical abilities, illusionists rely on their dexterity and quick thinking to create their captivating performances.

"I saw her make a dozen dancing lights swirl round the square... or maybe I was just seeing things. Hard to say!"

Illusionist by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Illusionist

• Theatre stages and courtly spectacles pay well.
• Legal licence to bend sight and sound.
• Espionage gigs where lies become tools.
• Security testing for vaults and noble manors.

• Patrons who crave wonder and subtlety.
• Avoid fights by misdirection and mirage.
• Crowd control without bloodshed or scars.
• Reinvent yourself nightly - mask upon mask.

Creative - Illusionist: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: illusion and social deception

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (illusion), arcane language, sleight of hand, persuasion, deception, gathering information

Signature Actions

• Mirror Step
• Crowd Misdirect
• Veiled Message

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Controller.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A skeptical magistrate who classifies your performances as unlicensed sorcery and keeps opening inquiries into your methods.
Patron: A theatre owner who stages your most spectacular illusions and handles the city permits - for a generous cut.

Equipment

• Focus (cards/coin)
• Stage clothes
• Smoke pellets
• Mirror shard
• Magick journal

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Phantom Whispers: Project faint disembodied voices into a target's ear to distract or mislead. Once per scene.
• Illusory Disguise: Briefly cloak yourself in a misleading image; casual onlookers must succeed on a perception roll to see through it. Lasts one scene.
• Stage Trickery: Make a small object vanish or become invisible for a short time. Lasts until the object is touched or closely inspected.

Adept

• Twisted Path: Create illusory terrain hazards that slow or confuse pursuing foes. Lasts one scene.
• Mirror Ally: Project a moving double of an ally, forcing enemies to guess which is real. Lasts until the double is struck or you dismiss it.
• Deceptive Ward: Place the illusion of a fierce guardian or magical trap that requires an Intellect defense roll to disbelieve.

Master

• Phantasmal Horde: Summon illusions of multiple warriors or beasts, enough to terrify a group if they fail an Intellect defense roll. The illusions disperse if any are touched. Once per scene.
• Touch of the Unreal: Briefly give an illusion partial tangibility, letting it interact physically (shove, block) before vanishing. Once per scene.
• Dreamweave: Infiltrate a sleeping target's dreams with elaborate illusions, planting suggestions that linger until their next sleep or for one day, whichever is shorter.

Legend

• Reality Twist: Once per session, invert perceptions in a wide area for one scene: illusions appear real while real objects seem illusory. When the scene ends, the effect collapses and observers may be briefly disoriented.
• Shared Delusion: Link up to six minds into one grand illusion so they collectively see, hear, and feel the same false reality - useful for coordinated deception, interrogation, or training. Ends when you break concentration.
• Grand Mirage: Conceal one building, or your party while moving, behind a seamless illusion for up to an hour. Close inspection or physical contact can break it, but casual observers will see nothing unusual.

Performer

Performers entertain audiences with music, dance, and theatrical performances. They often travel from town to town, setting up in marketplaces and public squares to draw a crowd. With their instruments and costumes, they weave stories and melodies that captivate the imagination and bring joy to the people. Whether they are troubadours, jesters, or wandering minstrels, performers use their talents to bring merriment and delight to all who watch and listen.

"She fills the tavern each night with laughter and song. Sure cheers up the place - unless you cross her, they say."

Performer by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Performer

• Instant social access from dockside to palace.
• Tour the world with paid travel and lodging.
• Patrons, admirers, and lucrative private shows.
• Sway morale on marches and sieges.

• Fame that opens guarded doors and hearts.
• Learn rumours first in green rooms and taverns.
• Turn art into political persuasion safely.
• Live by applause, not by the sword.

Creative - Performer: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: performance and social influence

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: performance, persuasion, sleight of hand, Speed defense, gathering information, deception

Signature Actions

• Raise Spirits
• Green Room Rumours
• Encore

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Face.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival troupe that consistently undercuts your bookings, steals your material, and turns your venues against you.
Patron: A touring impresario who manages your bookings, travel arrangements, and introductions to noble audiences.

Equipment

• Instrument/props
• Fine clothes
• Troupe pass
• Makeup kit
• Script folio

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Entrancing Opener: Start a performance that draws a small crowd; watchers must succeed on an Intellect defense roll to look away early. Lasts while you continue performing.
• Emotional Tune: Shift onlookers' mood (from anger to calm, from fear to hope) with a quick refrain or stanza. Once per scene.
• Improvised Act: Stall guards or pass a hidden message mid-performance; on a successful persuasion or performance roll, they lose track of time briefly.

Adept

• Crowd Choreography: Lead a throng of enthralled spectators in simple, unified actions (like forming a human chain to block a doorway). The crowd must have already been drawn in by your performance. Once per scene.
• Heartfelt Duet: Team up with an ally's skill (magical incantation, martial flourish) to amplify its effect as a dramatic combo. Once per scene.
• Encore Demand: When about to be interrupted or attacked mid-performance, force would-be aggressors to succeed on an Intellect defense roll or hesitate - buying you extra time. Once per combat.

Master

• Restorative Performance: Through a stirring show, lightly soothe stress or fatigue for audience members present. Once per rest period; heals light mental stress only, not physical wounds.
• Crowd Conductor: At the peak of a performance, direct the emotional state of your entire audience as if conducting an orchestra - shifting a mob from rage to grief, or strangers to unity, with a single sustained sequence. Once per scene.
• Spellbinding Tale: Recite a story so riveting that a powerful foe or NPC may pause aggression to listen (if they fail an Intellect defense roll). Once per scene.

Legend

• Soul Resonance: Once per session, deliver a performance so charged with genuine feeling that it breaks one active curse or banishes one lesser haunting spirit from the area - the art itself functioning as a form of exorcism.
• Transcendent Masque: Lead a performance that shifts the emotional state of a crowd present in the same space - up to a hundred people - lifting fear, despair, or hostility for the remainder of the scene. Those who leave the performance are no longer affected.
• Heroic Ballad: Compose and deliver a piece about a specific person or deed that significantly shifts local public opinion for a season. This is not permanent - the story must be true enough to survive scrutiny, and rivals can compose counter-narratives.

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Engineer

Engineer are skilled craftsmen who specialize in designing and creating complex machinery and contraptions using gears, levers, and other mechanical components. They use their knowledge of physics and mechanics to create useful devices, such as siege engines, windmills, clock towers, pets, and even armor or weapons. These engineers are highly valued for their ability to create practical solutions to a wide range of problems. They also often build solutions no one asked for.

Battlesmith

Battlesmiths use their knowledge of engineering and magic to create unique and powerful weapons and armor. They carefully craft each piece, imbuing them with intricate enchantments and steam-powered mechanisms to enhance their effectiveness in battle. These battlesmiths are highly sought after by knights, mercenaries, and other warriors looking for an edge in combat.

"Strange runes on shields, swords that glow... blasts of steam all hours of the night - makes a racket, but it sure keeps trolls at bay!"

Battlesmith by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Battlesmith

• Army contracts and siege foundry privileges.
• Field-test inventions where they matter most.
• Personal arsenal no quartermaster can match.
• Warriors respect the one who keeps them alive.

• Salvage rights on battlefields rich in parts.
• Access to forges, coal, and apprentices.
• Licence to build engines that change wars.
• Reputation as the problem-solver under fire.

Engineer - Battlesmith: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: combat engineering and battlefield crafting

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (weapons and armour), melee attacks, appraising, endurance, classical languages, Speed defense

Signature Actions

• Tune Edge
• Brace Lines
• Jury-Rig

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Frontline.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A guild factor who withholds premium materials and certification stamps over contested dues and jurisdictional disputes.
Patron: A military quartermaster who funds your battlefield commissions and grants access to salvage rights after engagements.

Equipment

• Tools (smith/engineer)
• Steel blanks
• Rivets & resin
• Mail coif
• Sledge

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Arc-Spark Repair: Rapidly fix a damaged weapon or piece of armor mid-battle so it functions at basic capacity again. Once per combat; restores function but not full structural integrity.
• Battlefield Workshop: Erect a mini-forge or anvil setup in minutes, letting you do rudimentary smithing out in the field.
• Rattlebreaker Blow: Strike a clockwork or mechanical foe (including golems) in just the right spot to jam or slow it for 1 Round.

Adept

• Armor Integration: Install a hidden compartment or retractable blade into armor or a shield. Takes one hour of work; the hidden feature can only surprise once before it becomes known.
• Siege Tinkerer: Make on-the-spot adjustments to a siege engine, increasing range or reload speed for the remainder of the engagement. Once per engagement per engine.
• Enhanced Alloy: Once per day, reinforce an ally's melee weapon to cut through lesser magical or heavily armored foes more easily for one fight.

Master

• Golem Frame: Build a clockwork exoskeleton that grants short bursts of superhuman Might or physical resilience. Takes one hour to construct; lasts one scene per activation.
• Resonant Hammer: Forge a specialized hammer whose impact can shatter low-level wards or enchantments with a direct hit. Once per combat.
• Defensive Bulwark: Swiftly assemble a durable metal barricade from scrap, protecting allies behind it. Once per combat.

Legend

• Epic War Engine: Given several days of work and significant materials, construct a colossal steam- or rune-driven warmachine. It is a decisive asset in a single major engagement before requiring extensive repair or resupply.
• Soulbound Armament: Forge one weapon or armor piece bound to your own essence. You can summon it to your hand from anywhere nearby and sense when it is touched. Only one such item can exist; the binding ends only if the item is destroyed.
• Techno-Divine Merge: Fuse a holy relic with advanced engineering, creating an artifact whose power stands among the greatest wonders in the setting.

Inventor

Inventors create machines powered by clockwork or magic that can perform a wide variety of functions. They use their knowledge of mechanics and materials to design and construct intricate devices that can fly, crawl, swim, and even talk. They work tirelessly to perfect their creations, always striving to make them more lifelike and intuitive to operate.

"Let me tell you, if there's a weird noise at dawn and smoke by noon, that's probably her new ‘breakthrough.'"

Inventor by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Inventor

• Grants, labs, and daring patronage for prototypes.
• Profit shares and patents on breakthroughs.
• Teams of assistants to realise wild ideas.
• Nobles court you to tilt the balance.

• Public exhibitions, medals, and fair acclaim.
• Fix impossible problems others won't touch.
• Leave the world different than you found it.
• Curiosity as vocation, not a distraction.

Engineer - Inventor: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: mechanical invention and theoretical engineering

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (mechanisms), research, appraising, classical languages, perception, crafting (clockwork devices)

Signature Actions

• Prototype Deploy
• Exploded View
• Debrief

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Ranged.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An academic rival who published a near-identical theory first and now disputes your patent claims at every turn.
Patron: An eccentric noble who funds your most dangerous experiments in exchange for exclusive rights to any breakthrough.

Equipment

• Drafting set
• Prototype gizmo
• Goggles
• Oil & wire
• Lab notes

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Clockwork Familiar: Assemble a tiny mechanical pet or drone that can scout short distances or deliver messages. The familiar breaks after one scene of active use or one serious impact.
• Gearshift Trick: Quickly invert or change the function of a simple machine, like reversing a mill's rotation to solve a puzzle.
• Spark-Shield Gadget: Jury-rig a device that negates one small projectile or blow once per combat by emitting a flash or spark.

Adept

• Arc-Lantern Drone: Create a floating lantern that can light an area or emit a brief dazzling pulse to blind nearby foes.
• Portable Workshop: Deploy a fold-out station for advanced crafting or magical-mechanical assembly even in the wilderness.
• Rapid Rewire: Temporarily override or "hack" a golem or clockwork guard, forcing it to obey one simple command. Once per encounter; the override lasts one round.

Master

• Impossible Contraption: Build a device that briefly defies normal physics (e.g., a short-range teleporter or reversed gravity zone). Takes one day of work; functions for one scene.
• Spell-Eater Engine: Invent a mechanism that can absorb a single incoming hostile spell, storing or nullifying its energy. Once per scene; the stored energy dissipates by end of day.
• Automated Ally: Construct a sturdy mechanical companion that assists with tasks or combat semi-independently. Takes several hours to build; requires resupply after each adventure.

Legend

• Perpetual Engine: Build a device that sustains its own motion indefinitely - or close enough that no one can prove otherwise. Powering a mill, a forge, a pumping station, or a whole workshop without fuel or labour, it should be impossible. You built it anyway. (Revisit at campaign end - what does it actually cost to run?)
• Masterwork Automaton: Create a near-sentient mechanical being capable of learning from experience, adapting to novel problems, and operating independently for extended periods.
• World-Shaper Blueprint: Draft and partially realise plans for a city-scale invention - a mechanical aqueduct network, a powered gate system for an entire fortress, a steam-driven transport line - whose completion would permanently alter how people live and fight.

Tinkerer

Unlike inventors, tinkerers are not big on extensive planning. They excel at scavenging and transforming leftover materials into practical contraptions. They wander through the land, scavenging valuable resources and crafting impromptu traps, defensive mechanisms, and various gizmos as the need arises. With their resourcefulness and cleverness, tinkerers prove to be formidable adversaries for anyone who dares to challenge them.

"He cobbled my wagon's broken axle with nails, springs, and a metal gear. I'm grateful... but it squeaks in three different keys!"

Tinkerer by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Tinkerer

• Freedom to roam and fix the unfixable.
• Quick coin repairing gadgets no one understands.
• Barter tools for passage, lodging, and favours.
• Workshop benches always waiting in friendly guilds.

• Gadgets that save parties at the last moment.
• Salvage hunts that pay and entertain.
• Community goodwill wherever things keep breaking.
• Learn a little about absolutely everything.

Engineer - Tinkerer: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: improvised repair and field resourcefulness

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (repair and improvised devices), appraising, perception, stealth, sleight of hand, Intellect defense

Signature Actions

• Patch It
• Pocket Tool
• Makeshift Trap

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A guild enforcer who classifies your unlicensed repairs as trade violations and occasionally confiscates your tools.
Patron: A traveling merchant caravan that keeps you stocked with parts and moving between jobs in exchange for keeping their wagons rolling.

Equipment

• Spare parts
• Multitool
• Picks & screws
• Solder & flux
• Pouch of springs

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Pocket Contraption: Keep spare cogs and wires handy, letting you rig a quick mechanical fix or small gadget on the spot. The gadget lasts one scene before wearing out.
• Jury-Rig Trap: Improvise a simple trap from everyday bits and bobs in only a few minutes.
• Gadget Intuition: Spend one Round tinkering with an unknown device to discern its function or a weak spot.

Adept

• Reconfigurable Gizmo: Own one multi-purpose device that can shift between two modes (e.g. collapsible crossbow ↔ lantern) once per day.
• Crash-Proof Tinkering: Even if your device malfunctions, it never catastrophically harms you or allies (no explosions in your face).
• Trick Tools: Conceal advanced picks or mini-bombs inside harmless-looking items (e.g. a walking cane).

Master

• Field Overhaul: Significantly enhance an existing machine, vehicle, or siege engine under time pressure, granting it an additional function (hover, amphibious, etc.). Once per vehicle per adventure.
• Tinkerer's Spiderweb: In minutes, set up a network of wire and small noisemakers that alert you if intruders pass through.
• Rapid Patch-Job: Fix a catastrophic mechanical failure (like a blown engine) in record time, staving off disaster.

Legend

• Wunderkammer: Your traveling workshop is now a self-contained marvel - given raw materials and time, you can build nearly any mechanical device on the road: siege attachments, amphibious vehicle conversions, working locks and gates, functioning automata. Other engineers would need a foundry and a fortnight.
• The Grand Snare: Set a network of interconnected traps across a large area - halls, courtyards, an entire floor - that triggers in a choreographed cascade, funneling, separating, or decisively stopping even a prepared enemy force.
• Tinkerer's Masterpiece: Build one extraordinary device that does something no standard tool can: a self-reloading ballista, a pressure-sensitive vault lock that resets itself, a cart that steers itself on a set route. Absurd to look at, unreliable after heavy use - but undeniably, stubbornly real.

---

Enquirer

Enquirers use a combination of research, deduction, and divination to uncover hidden truths and solve mysteries. Researchers scour archives and libraries for clues, private eyes question witnesses and suspects, and diviners use magic to gain insight into the past, present, and future. They all work together to uncover secrets and bring justice to those who seek it.

Private Eye

Private eyes are skilled detectives who investigate crimes and other mysterious events. They gather clues and information by interviewing witnesses, searching for evidence, and following leads. They use their intelligence, intuition, and resourcefulness to solve complex cases and bring justice to their clients.

"If there's a secret in this town, that nosy devil's likely to sniff it out. Best keep your skeletons buried deep."

Private Eye by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Private Eye

• Paid to uncover truths the powerful hide.
• Semi-official leeway with magistrates and watch.
• Informant webs that trade gossip for coin.
• The thrill of puzzles with real stakes.

• Exposure of corruption earns lasting allies.
• Expenses covered to travel and snoop.
• Grateful clients who owe serious favours.
• A personal code sharper than any blade.

Enquirer - Private Eye: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: investigation and urban fieldwork

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: perception, gathering information, detecting deception, persuasion, tracking, stealth

Signature Actions

• Canvas
• Read the Room
• Shadow

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scholar.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A guild fixer who takes a cut of every case in the district and makes your life difficult when you refuse to pay.
Patron: A watch sergeant who trades you access and protection in exchange for intelligence you pick up on the job.

Equipment

• Notebook
• Disguise scarf
• Lockpicks
• Spyglass
• Warrant token (sometimes)

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Street Ally: Maintain contacts with urchins/beggars who can run messages, stand watch, or gather local gossip.
• Case Files: Keep detailed notes on recurring criminals or mysteries, letting you recall key details at will.
• Quick Undercover: Don a basic disguise or assume a plausible alias on short notice, fooling casual inspection.

Adept

• Pressure Point: While conversing, spot a target's emotional weak spot; once per scene, force a persuasion or intimidation bonus or cause them to slip revealing info.
• Hidden Evidence Sense: Sift a crime scene in minutes, locating one overlooked clue others would miss. Once per scene.
• Cold Read: On first meeting someone, glean a significant personal detail (fear, hidden motive) by subtle observation. Once per new individual encountered.

Master

• Roundabout Pursuit: Follow a suspect through decoys and false leads, as you expertly anticipate their attempt at misdirection. Once per scene.
• Ghost Infiltration: In a guarded building, use cunning pretexts and psychological ploys to slip through detection. Once per location per session.
• Mind Maze: Confuse a suspect or witness with clever, winding questions, causing them to inadvertently confess key information. Once per scene.

Legend

• Sherlock's Vision: Once per investigation, piece together a near-instant solution from seemingly trivial clues, astonishing onlookers.
• Network of Eyes: Establish a citywide ring of watchers (kids, informants) who feed you sightings or rumours almost in real time.
• Truth Scent: For a short duration, automatically see through illusions, shapeshifting, or blatant lies if you concentrate.

Researcher

While the Private Eye relies on questioning witnesses and fieldwork, and the Diviner taps into mystical insight, the Researcher uncovers hidden truths by meticulously studying documents, journals, and ledgers. Whether sifting through bureaucratic records or personal correspondence, they excel at finding clues others miss - spotting forged signatures, inconsistent timelines, or subtle allusions to betrayal. Their investigative prowess can expose conspiracies or unravel criminal networks, all from the quiet hush of an archive or library.

"She'll dig through a thousand dusty ledgers just to prove you nicked one copper coin. Honestly, it's a bit unnerving."

Researcher by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Researcher

• Quiet grants and time to think deeply.
• Original discoveries that change investigations.
• Cross-institution access others only dream of.
• Publish papers, prestige without parading steel.

• Shape policy with calm, evidenced reports.
• Archive privileges in multiple languages.
• Joy in meticulous puzzles and footnotes.
• Safer than field work - most of the time.

Enquirer - Researcher: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: archival research and forensic document analysis

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: research, classical languages, legal lore, appraising, deception, perception

Signature Actions

• Stack Dive
• Methodical Review
• Footnote Network

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scholar.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An archive custodian who disputes your access privileges and keeps flagging your requests for senior review.
Patron: A magistrate who quietly commissions sensitive document searches - and expects discretion about what you find.

Equipment

• Archive pass
• Folios & tabs
• Ink set
• Reference text
• Reading lens

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Rapid Note-Taking: Skim large texts quickly, producing concise summaries in minutes.
• Catalog Mind: Mentally cross-reference newly encountered info with everything you've read, finding links or contradictions.
• Source Tracker: Instantly sense if a document has been recently altered, forged, or tampered with.

Adept

• Secret Cipher: Encode or decode text at high speed, defeating all but the most arcane encryptions. Once per session per text.
• Keyword Summoning: Speak a vital clue out loud, triggering a faint recollection of any text you've studied that relates to it. Once per session per text.
• Apocryphal Comparison: Compare contradictory manuscripts side by side in your head, deducing the probable truth behind them. Once per session.

Master

• Fact Reconstruction: From mere scraps or references, reconstruct partial documents or lost passages. Once per document.
• Arcane Proofreading: Sense if a scroll or text has hidden magical wards or curses before you read it fully. Once per scroll.
• Scholarly Summons: Call forth a minor "research spirit" to advise you on obscure references for a short time. Once per session; the spirit can answer three questions before fading.

Legend

• Librarian's Revelation: Gain a momentary mental glimpse of any book or record that contains the answer to your current question, no matter how well hidden.
• Master Index: Perfectly recall the complete contents of any library or archive you have personally visited, reciting specific passages, cross-referencing entries, or reconstructing lost sections from memory as if the texts were open before you.
• Ultimate Treatise: Once per adventure, present an argument or analysis so thoroughly evidenced that it settles one disputed question of fact - accepted by all parties present in a current conflict or negotiation as the definitive answer, removing it as a point of contention.

Diviner

Diviners use their mystical abilities to uncover hidden information and reveal secrets about people, objects or events. They may use methods such as magic, astrology, tarot, scrying or other forms of divination to gain insight into the past, present or future. Their skills are often sought by those seeking answers or guidance, but they may also use their abilities to aid in investigations or to expose hidden truths.

"Said I'd trip on a rock before sundown. Sure enough, I went face-first into the gutter. Creepy how right she was."

Diviner by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Diviner

• Clients come when all mundane leads die.
• Foresight turns risk into manageable odds.
• Access to occult libraries and grimoires.
• Influence through hints rather than threats.

• Apprenticeships in rare, careful traditions.
• Tools - cards, bowls, bones - become trusted allies.
• Solve mysteries elegantly, leaving few scars.
• Be the one people consult before disaster.

Enquirer - Diviner: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: psychometric investigation and present-sight

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (divination), arcane language, detecting deception, perception, occult lore, persuasion

Signature Actions

• Scry Glimpse
• Augury
• Unweave

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scholar.
Fallback: Controller.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival seer whose contradictory readings have created dangerous confusion at court and made your reputation collateral damage.
Patron: An anxious merchant house that pays generously for advance warnings and wants exclusivity on your forecasts.

Equipment

• Scrying focus
• Bone/lot stick
• Star almanac
• Incense
• Magick chalk

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Psychometric Touch: Handle an object or touch a surface to receive a brief sensory impression of its last significant use or owner.
• Scene Reading: Spend a round surveying a location to sense the emotional residue of any strong event that occurred there within the past day. Once per scene.
• Danger Sense: Feel the direction and rough nature of the most immediate physical threat within close range, even through walls or darkness.

Adept

• Astral Window: Focus on a known place or person you have previously visited, briefly perceiving its present state in real time. Lasts one round of observation. Once per scene.
• Deep Psychometry: Extend your object-reading to retrieve a complete scene from months or years past - images, voices, emotional context. Requires one minute of concentration. Once per object.
• Truth Brand: During questioning, sense whether a statement is a deliberate lie; you cannot extract the truth, only confirm the deception. Once per scene per target.

Master

• Place Memory: Immerse yourself in a location's history, replaying significant past events in sequence - useful for reconstructing crimes or uncovering hidden histories. Once per location visited.
• Veil Piercer: Sense and locate hidden supernatural entities - demons, ghosts, active magical effects - through second sight extending to medium range. Once per scene.
• Distant Witness: Scry any location you have a personal link to (a belonging, a name, a detailed description), observing it in real time for a scene. Once per session.

Legend

• Echo of Eternity: Summon vivid ghostly replays of the past century in the immediate area, watching every significant event that unfolded there unfold again.
• Blood Memory: By touching a person, walk through the most pivotal moments of their entire life - joys, crimes, secrets - at the cost of significant personal strain.
• The Unbroken Thread: Follow the psychic trail of any object, person, or event within one city or region and within living memory, piecing together a complete and accurate history that no mundane investigation could reconstruct.

---

Fighter

Warriors are skilled combatants who protect their land and people. Berserkers are known for their uncontrollable rage in battle, soldiers follow orders from their commanders to defend their kingdom, and swashbucklers use a combination of swordsmanship and charm to defeat their enemies.

Berserker

Berserkers are fierce warriors who fight with intense savagery and reckless abandon. They are known for their ferocity and are often driven into a trance-like state before battle. In battle, they fight with a single-minded focus on defeating their opponents, often ignoring their own wounds in the process.

"Never seen such a whirlwind of steel and yelling. Don't stand in his way - he'll charge through a brick wall if need be."

Berserker by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Berserker

• Battlefield glory sung by skalds and drummers.
• Fearsome reputation that makes foes hesitate.
• Cathartic release with a righteous target.
• Warband camaraderie and blood-oath loyalty.

• Loot shares and first pick of trophies.
• Simple purpose: break the line, save friends.
• Challenge champions and win renown quickly.
• Live intensely, be remembered loudly.

Fighter - Berserker: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: rage-fuelled melee and raw physical dominance

Build Compass

Attributes: Might (Edge), Speed, Intellect
Key Skills to train: melee attacks, Might defense, endurance, intimidation, Speed defense, jumping and climbing

Signature Actions

• Rage Step
• Break Line
• Terrify

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Frontline.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A veteran soldier who views your lack of discipline as a liability and works to have you removed from the company.
Patron: A warchief or warband captain who values your ferocity above all else and keeps you pointed at the right enemies.

Equipment

• Great axe
• War paint
• Hide cloak
• Drinking horn
• Trophies

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Adrenaline Spike: Ignore your penalty from critical damage or being at 0 health for one round once per combat.
• Berserk Leap: Launch yourself into melee, forcing foes in your path to succeed on a Speed defense roll or be caught off guard for the first exchange.
• Furious Momentum: If you incapacitate an enemy, immediately move and engage another foe without spending an extra Action.

Adept

• Roaring Charge: Once per fight, charge extra distance; enemies in your path must succeed on an Intellect defense roll or scatter aside.
• Blood Frenzy: Each time you deal a significant wound, gain a stacking +1 bonus to melee damage for the next strike. Maximum +3; resets between combats.
• Savage Grapple: Use sheer rage to attempt grapples on foes even larger than you, ignoring size-based penalties.

Master

• Titanic Blow: Deliver one melee strike that can break shields or partially destroy an enemy's weapon on a successful hit. Once per combat.
• Battle Rush: Temporarily become immune to fear and intimidation effects while raging.
• Howling Rally: Whenever you slay a formidable foe, allies in earshot gain a surge of courage (removing one mental debility). Once per combat.

Legend

• Limitless Rage: Once per session, enter a berserk fury that does not end until all visible enemies are down or you are forcibly knocked unconscious - you cannot choose to stop. While raging you ignore all pain penalties, but cannot distinguish friend from foe if they strike you.
• Unstoppable Onslaught: Your attacks can smash down barricades or even damage monstrous enemies usually immune to mundane blows.
• War God's Glare: Your furious presence alone makes entire lesser warbands make a morale roll or break and flee.

Soldier

Soldiers are trained and skilled in various forms of combat, including swordsmanship, shield usage, and specialized weapons like pikes, javelins and flails. They are often enlisted in an army or hired by a lord to protect a territory or wage war against an enemy. Soldiers are expected to follow orders and obey their commanding officers, and are trained in tactics and strategy to achieve victory on the battlefield.

"He's by the gate at dawn, still there at dusk. Doesn't smile much, but I trust him to keep trouble outside our walls."

Soldier by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Soldier

• Steady pay, rations, and decent kit.
• Training that lasts a lifetime.
• Career ladder from levy to captain.
• Comradeship few other paths can match.

• Legal authority under colours and codes.
• Veterans' benefits and settlement rights.
• Barracks housing in many garrisons.
• Honour on the roll of your regiment.

Fighter - Soldier: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: disciplined arms and battlefield tactics

Build Compass

Attributes: Might (Edge), Speed, Intellect
Key Skills to train: melee attacks, ranged attacks, Speed defense, endurance, perception, leading others

Signature Actions

• Brace Shield
• Volley/Advance
• Hold the Gate

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Frontline.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A senior officer who resents your growing influence over the troops and looks for any reason to reassign you to the worst postings.
Patron: A regimental adjutant who controls supply allocation, promotion records, and the ear of the commanding officer.

Equipment

• Uniform
• Spear or sword
• Shield
• Rations
• Bedroll

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Stand Firm: Once per encounter, adopt a brace that stops you from being pushed or knocked prone by normal means.
• Drill Instructor: Rapidly teach basic combat stances to untrained allies, improving a militia's discipline for a short engagement.
• Shift Formation: Swiftly trade places with an adjacent ally in melee without either of you losing your action.

Adept

• Phalanx Tactics: When you and an adjacent ally both have shields, you form a mini-shield wall that impedes enemy charges.
• Swift Maneuver: Reposition your squad quickly on the battlefield, allowing a surprise flank or strategic retreat in half the usual time.
• Victory Condition: Identify the single biggest weak point of the opposing force or monster (e.g., a brittle gate, a leader's morale). Once per encounter.

Master

• Battle Veteran's Rally: Restore discipline to a squad on the verge of breaking; they may rejoin the fight immediately. Once per combat.
• Counter-Strategy: Observe an enemy unit for a round, then adapt your own formation to negate their main advantage (e.g., cavalry charge).
• Forced March: Lead allies through grueling travel at increased speed with reduced exhaustion, outpacing pursuers.

Legend

• Grand Tactician: Command entire armies with near-flawless strategy, predicting enemy maneuvers if they fail a contested Intellect roll.
• Legendary Last Stand: Once per session, your leadership allows outnumbered allies to hold a position against a far larger force for an improbably long time - long enough for reinforcements, an evacuation, or a critical action to succeed.
• Conqueror's Presence: Your renown unites fractious mercenaries or warbands under your temporary command for a grand campaign.

Swashbuckler

Swashbucklers use the blade as a social instrument. A duel won in public is a reputation built; a duel lost is a position surrendered. They move through salons, gambling dens, and noble courts as easily as through back alleys, always calculating how a fight can be won in a way that also wins an audience. The sword is the means, but the real prize is always the room - its admiration, its fear, or its open door.

"He'll rob you with a wink then buy you a round with your own coin. Daring rascal, but charming as a fox."

Swashbuckler by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Swashbuckler

• Fame in duelling circles and salons.
• Freedom to win fortune with flair.
• Wealthy patrons for private lessons.
• Romantic allure that opens doors.

• Prize purses from tourneys and wagers.
• Climb society by blade and wit.
• Teach fencing, students pay handsomely.
• A reputation that answers challenges for you.

Fighter - Swashbuckler: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: dueling and social advancement by blade

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: melee attacks (fencing), Speed defense, climbing and acrobatics, persuasion, performance, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Feint
• Riposte
• Dazzle

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Skirmisher.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A disgraced duelist who blames you for their ruined reputation and makes a public spectacle of calling you out whenever paths cross.
Patron: A salon host who stages your exhibitions, covers your debts, and introduces you to the right wealthy enemies to antagonize.

Equipment

• Rapier
• Dagger
• Fine cloak
• Chalk rosin
• Practice mask

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Fancy Disarm: Once per combat, attempt a flamboyant disarm that also distracts watchers. The target must succeed on a Speed defense roll or drop their weapon.
• Dramatic Leap: Swing from a rope, chandelier, or banister to reposition mid-fight or cross a gap with flair.
• Razor Wit: Hurl a scathing one-liner that forces an opponent to succeed on an Intellect defense roll or suffer a brief penalty from embarrassment or rage.

Adept

• Riposte Flurry: After successfully parrying, make a swift follow-up strike without using your next Action. Once per round.
• Graceful Tumble: Negate fall damage from short heights or tumble through an enemy's space if you succeed on a Speed-based roll, surprising them.
• En Garde Gambit: Lure a foe into attacking an "opening," forcing them to roll at a penalty while you prepare a guaranteed counter.

Master

• Duelist's Dance: Engage multiple opponents at once, weaving among them so their attempts to flank you are nullified until the end of the round.
• Signature Flourish: Execute a showy blade maneuver that enthralls or intimidates onlookers; lesser foes may pause or step back. Once per combat.
• Swashbuckler's Gambol: Dash across precarious surfaces (ropes, narrow ledges) at full speed without falling.

Legend

• Mystic Saberplay: Perform near-impossible feats in a single flourish - deflect arrows, cut through manacles, vault across a gap - astonishing all who see.
• Impossible Lunge: Close a large distance in one gravity-defying leap, delivering a decisive strike in the same motion.
• The Final Riposte: If dealt a fatal blow, you get one final unstoppable counterattack before succumbing, potentially taking your killer with you.

---

Healer

These archetypes are dedicated to supporting allies by preserving health and fortifying well-being. Medic and Physician focus on direct medical and surgical care - one in the field, one in the clinic. The Warchef takes a different path, restoring body and spirit through hearty, empowering meals: where the others mend what is broken, the Warchef ensures it never breaks in the first place.

Medic

Medics are front-line lifesavers, darting into danger to stabilize injuries. Their swift, efficient care often decides who lives or dies in the heat of battle.

"She patched me up under a hail of arrows - didn't even flinch. I owe her my life and then some."

Medic by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Medic

• Save lives daily, see gratitude firsthand.
• Protected status even among enemies.
• Practical skills valued in any company.
• Commanders shield the healer who delivers.

• Field cases that sharpen every instinct.
• Barter dressings for supplies and shelter.
• Debts of life owed by grateful survivors.
• Atonement for past sins through service.

Healer - Medic: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: battlefield medicine and emergency stabilisation

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: healing, crafting (medicines), endurance, perception, resisting fear, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Stop the Bleed
• Triage
• Field Brew

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Healer.
Fallback: Buffer.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A chirurgeon's guild member who questions your unorthodox field methods in official reports and lobbies to have you certified - or barred.
Patron: A field commander who relies on you to keep the company combat-ready and shields you from bureaucratic interference.

Equipment

• Bandages
• Antiseptic spirits
• Bonesaw
• Needle & thread
• Splints

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Swift Aid: Stabilize a dying ally in one Action, preventing immediate death.
• Pain Dampener: Temporarily negate an ally's penalty from a serious injury for three rounds.
• Blood Stop: Quickly halt a Bleeding condition or keep an open wound from worsening in the field. Once per wound source.

Adept

• Emergency Surgery: Attempt a major lifesaving procedure despite battlefield chaos; if successful, the patient recovers significantly. Takes one full round. Once per patient per scene.
• Adrenaline Syringe: Jolt an unconscious ally awake at minimal health for a short burst of activity.
• Chemical Burn Salve: Rapidly treat acid or severe burn injuries, preventing them from spreading or intensifying. Once per wound source.

Master

• Field Resurrection: If used immediately when a comrade "dies," return them to fragile consciousness, buying time for further healing. Once per session.
• Toxin Purge: Flush a dangerous poison from someone's system with advanced methods, though it leaves them drained.
• Critical Trauma Fix: Perform near-miraculous healing on catastrophic wounds, restoring function to limbs or major organs if done swiftly. Once per patient per scene.

Legend

• Combat Lifesaver's Aura: Anyone you stabilize or heal in combat is temporarily protected from further Bleeding or critical escalation for a few minutes.
• Mass Triage: In a single sustained effort after a major engagement, assess and stabilize every wounded ally in sight - stopping cascading critical failures across an entire group simultaneously, where any other healer would be choosing who lives and who bleeds out.
• Death's Denial: Once per session, if an ally would die within arm's reach, you can sacrifice a portion of your own health pool to pull them back to fragile consciousness - they survive but remain critically injured and cannot act until stabilized.

Physician

Physicians combine academic training and careful practice to treat patients in structured environments. They excel at careful diagnoses, surgeries, and long-term care.

"He's got a cure for every malady, or so folks say. Appears calm as a still pond, even when the plague's knocking."

Physician by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Physician

• Clinic income and civic prestige.
• Apprentices to shape the next generation.
• Hospital privileges and rare instruments.
• Debate with scholars, not just soldiers.

• Write texts that define best practice.
• Noble patrons and well-appointed surgeries.
• Hunt cures for rare, storied ailments.
• Respect that travels with your good name.

Healer - Physician: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: clinical medicine and long-term care

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: healing, crafting (medicines and tonics), classical languages, research, perception, appraising

Signature Actions

• Diagnose
• Operate
• Lecture

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Healer.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An established colleague who disputes your diagnoses publicly and courts your wealthiest patients behind your back.
Patron: A wealthy noble family who retain you as household physician and open doors that would otherwise stay firmly shut.

Equipment

• Physician's kit
• Anatomy texts
• Surgical tools
• Clean coat
• Ledger

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Diagnostic Glance: Determine a common ailment or injury by quick visual inspection, rarely requiring elaborate tests.
• Pain Numbing Tonic: Brew or apply a swift-acting salve that suppresses pain for a patient for one scene.
• Ward Against Sickness: Provide prophylactics for your party, reducing chances of catching local diseases for one expedition (up to one week).

Adept

• Surgical Mastery: Perform complex procedures (amputations, organ repairs) with higher success rates and fewer complications.
• Rest Cure Specialist: Oversee a patient's convalescence so effectively that their recovery time from moderate injuries is halved.
• Herbal Vaccine: Formulate an antidote or protective measure against a particular local illness or venom. Protects the recipient for the current expedition. One illness type at a time.

Master

• Regenerative Draft: Invent a potent remedy that significantly speeds healing of broken bones or missing tissue. Once per patient per adventure.
• Emotional Mender: Provide counseling or mild techniques that ease madness or curse-induced mental afflictions. Once per patient per week.
• Miracle Graft: Reattach or regrow a severed limb over time, combining surgery with specialized treatment. Takes one week; once per patient.

Legend

• Panacea Research: Given time and access to patients, develop a working cure for one specific disease currently affecting the region. Distributing it widely requires a separate effort, but the cure itself is real and reliable.
• Rites of Renewal: Perform an intensive daylong ritual that can cleanse an entire village of illness.
• Flesh Sanctification: Achieve a near-holy level of healing that halts necromantic rot or advanced curses in living bodies.

Warchef

Warchefs nourish the body and spirit with hearty, inspiring cuisine. By carefully selecting ingredients and perfecting recipes, they provide buffs that elevate morale, endurance, and overall performance for those who partake of their meals.

"One taste of her stew, and you feel ready to wrestle an ogre. If that's not magic, I don't know what is."

Warchef by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Warchef

• Feed armies, morale rises at your fire.
• Authority over stores and supply wagons.
• Favours earned from every satisfied stomach.
• Travel safely with caravans and hosts.

• Signature recipes that become legends.
• Trade routes for spices and staples.
• Healing broths and fortifying rations matter.
• Comfort people when steel can't.

Healer - Warchef: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: nourishment, field logistics, and morale through food

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (cooking), crafting (tonics and restorative provisions), appraising, gathering information, persuasion, Might defense

Signature Actions

• Fortify Stew
• Supply Line
• Comfort Food

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Buffer.
Fallback: Logistics.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A quartermaster who resents your authority over the supply wagons and views your recipes as an inefficient use of rations.
Patron: A campaign commander who credits your cooking for troop morale and grants you unusual latitude over the stores.

Equipment

• Cookfire kit
• Spice pouch
• Big pot
• Mess ladle
• Ration ledger

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Quick Ration Reinvention: Transform bland rations into a palatable, nutritious meal that helps stave off exhaustion longer. Once per rest period.
• Stress-Busting Snack: Hand an ally a special treat that removes one minor mental ailment (like a -1 penalty from stress). Once per scene per recipient.
• Signature Seasoning: Make even poor-quality ingredients taste decent, slightly boosting morale. Once per meal; removes the Starving condition from those who eat.

Adept

• Energy Feast: Prepare a hearty stew that gives the party a short-term burst of endurance or better travel stamina. Once per rest.
• Culinary Diversion: Cook something so fragrant that nearby foes or creatures become curious or distracted, making stealth or escape easier for allies. Once per scene.
• Banquet of Unity: Serve a shared meal that quells petty arguments among the diners, granting a teamwork bonus for one scene. Takes 30 minutes to prepare.

Master

• Legendary Flavor Surge: Bake or cook a dish that purges lesser curses or mild hypnotic effects upon consumption. Once per session.
• Spirit Cookery: Invoke local nature or ancestor spirits to bless a meal, granting one chosen buff (night vision, minor water breathing, etc.) to those who eat it. Once per day.
• Gourmand's Recovery: By preparing an elaborate multi-course feast, significantly accelerate the healing rate and morale of the party. Takes two hours; covers the whole party.

Legend

• Epic Culinary Rite: Host a grand feast that compels even warring factions to a temporary truce while eating; no violence occurs at your table.
• Mystic Provision: Once per day, prepare a meal that fully sustains your party without further need for food or water for the next day's travel - and removes one level of exhaustion from each person who eats it.
• Legendary Spread: Host a feast so extraordinary that all present - including reluctant guests - are compelled to lower their guard for its duration. Hostilities, negotiations, and interrogations held over this meal are conducted at one step easier difficulty.

---

Monk

Monks are skilled fighters who combine martial arts with spiritual practices. Monks of the fist use their physical abilities to overcome their opponents, while shadow monks rely on stealth and deception to gain the upper hand. Monks of the elements can harness the power of the natural world to enhance their fighting abilities. All combat monks use their skills to protect their allies and fight for justice.

Monk of the Fist

Monks of the fist are martial artists who focus on using their fists and feet as weapons. They are trained in hand-to-hand combat and use their agility and speed to strike their opponents with precision. They often practice meditation and other spiritual disciplines to develop their mental and physical strength.

"I once saw him crack a thick board just by tapping it - didn't even muss his robes. That's skill, friend."

Monk of the Fist by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Monk of the Fist

• Mastery of body, breath, and balance.
• Tournament purses and public respect.
• Open a school, teach the creed.
• Discipline that steadies minds under fire.

• Non-lethal options when killing is wrong.
• Monastery shelter across distant roads.
• Local legends grow with every victory.
• Simplicity: clear vows, clear training, clear life.

Monk - Monk of the Fist: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: unarmed discipline and physical mastery

Build Compass

Attributes: Might (Edge), Speed, Intellect
Key Skills to train: unarmed attacks, Speed defense, climbing and jumping, endurance, resisting fear, perception

Signature Actions

• Grapple Flow
• Centering Breath
• Palm Strike

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Frontline.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival school master who publicly challenges your techniques and sends students to disrupt your practice sessions.
Patron: A monastery elder who sponsors your travels as a test of mastery and occasionally delivers cryptic guidance.

Equipment

• Handwraps
• Simple robes
• Prayer beads
• Sand weights
• Mat

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Focused Punch: Smash wooden doors or barriers with a single concentrated blow if you succeed on a Might roll.
• Unarmed Catch: Attempt to catch a small thrown weapon (arrow, dagger) if you succeed on a Speed-based roll, negating the hit. Once per round.
• Centered Posture: Adopt a stance that halves knockback or knockdown effects for a short time.

Adept

• Body Over Mind: Temporarily ignore the effects of hunger, thirst, or moderate exhaustion for several minutes by channeling inner energy.
• Deflect Force: When targeted by a Shove or Takedown, if you succeed on a contested roll, you redirect the attacker's momentum back at them.
• Strike the Vein: A precise unarmed strike that, on a hit, reduces the target's movement or Speed for one round.

Master

• Pressure Point Master: Briefly paralyze or numb a single limb of a foe on a successful unarmed attack if they fail a Might defense roll. Once per combat.
• Kinetic Transfer: Soak part of a melee hit's damage, then unleash that stored force as a shockwave on your next strike. Once per combat.
• Whirlwind Fists: Make multiple unarmed attacks in a single action against opponents encircling you. Once per combat.

Legend

• Dragon Fist: Deliver a blow so powerful it can crack stone or pierce supernatural hides, once per combat.
• Untouchable Movement: Slide effortlessly through a hail of arrows or sprint across water for a brief period, ignoring normal terrain constraints.
• Perfect Body: Your unarmed strikes count as magical; you can even break steel shackles or bars with enough concentration.

Monk of the Elements

The Monk of the Elements does not summon elemental forces - they channel them from within. Through years of meditative discipline, they have learned to align their own body's energy with the deep patterns of earth, air, fire, and water, expressing elemental power as an extension of their physical form. A strike becomes a shockwave; a breath becomes a gust; stillness becomes stone. Where the Elementalist commands the elements like a general commanding troops, the Monk of the Elements has made peace with them - and that peace is the source of their power.

"She whispers, and suddenly wind howls or flames leap. Me? I'll keep my distance, thanks."

Monk of the Elements by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Monk of the Elements

• Learn katas few mortals will witness.
• Mediate storms, quakes, and droughts.
• Guardian of shrines and holy peaks.
• Esoteric status among priests and mages.

• Pilgrim offerings fill your travel purse.
• Techniques as beautiful as they're devastating.
• Harmony with the land you protect.
• Custodian of sacred sites and stories.

Monk - Monk of the Elements: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: ki-based elemental martial arts

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: unarmed attacks, Speed defense, climbing and acrobatics, endurance, perception, esoteries (elemental ki)

Signature Actions

• Stone Stance
• Tempest Step
• Channel Surge

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scout.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A former sparring brother who suspects you of leaking the order's secrets and has quietly begun gathering evidence.
Patron: A shadowy intermediary who assigns discreet interventions and ensures you stay supplied - and hidden.

Equipment

• Elemental focus
• Ritual cords
• Practice stones
• Incense
• Robes

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Elemental Jolt: Channel a spark of your chosen element (e.g. flame, breeze) into an unarmed strike, adding a minor special effect (like setting tinder alight).
• Minor Surge: Shift a small patch of your element: blow away dust, freeze a cup of water, move a small stone. Once per scene per effect type.
• Elemental Sense: Detect your chosen element in the area (e.g., sense water sources behind a wall).

Adept

• Inner Element: Briefly cloak yourself in your element (e.g., wreathed in flame), intimidating foes or negating minor hazards of that type.
• Harmony Step: Traverse your element in a seemingly impossible way (run across water, step on swirling air) for one round. Once per scene.
• Surge Leap: Use a burst of elemental force to leap an impressive distance or dash at high speed in one direction. Once per round.

Master

• Wrathful Torrent: Expel a wave/gust/quake of elemental power in a cone, potentially knocking down multiple targets. Once per combat.
• Elemental Infusion: Temporarily grant an ally's weapon the powers of your element (e.g., flaming blade, earthen maul) for one combat. Once per combat.
• Convergence Strike: Swiftly cycle multiple elemental stances to deliver a devastating blow that also inflicts a lingering elemental effect (burning, slowed, etc.). Once per combat.

Legend

• Fourfold Convergence: Flow through all four elemental stances in a single sustained sequence - a complete expression of mastery that hits with compounding force and leaves foes unable to anticipate the next form.
• Siphon Essence: Absorb the energy of a large elemental hazard (a bonfire, a flash flood, a collapsing wall) directly into your body, nullifying the danger and storing that force for your next strike or movement.
• Perfect Form: Attain such complete alignment between body, breath, and element that for a short time physical attacks simply pass through you as if deflected by the element itself - a fist through smoke, a blade through running water.

Shadow Monk

Shadow monks are masters of stealth and deception. They use their training in martial arts to move swiftly and silently, striking their enemies with deadly precision. They have honed their senses and can see in the dark, blend into shadows and manipulate darkness to their advantage. In addition to their combat skills, they have learned to use their minds to deceive their enemies and gain the upper hand in any situation.

"Try to keep an eye on him - poof, he's gone like the night itself. If that ain't unnerving, I don't know what is."

Shadowmonk by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Shadow Monk

• Clandestine missions with clean exits.
• A feared mystique that deters conflict.
• Lucrative contracts for delicate problems.
• Border-crossing ease under veils and vows.

• Access to secret lore and bolt-holes.
• Precision - violence only when necessary.
• Deniable operations for trembling patrons.
• Purpose built on restraint and control.

Monk - Shadow Monk: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: shadow disciplines and covert martial arts

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: stealth, Speed defense, unarmed attacks, esoteries (shadow), climbing, perception

Signature Actions

• Vanish
• Nerve Strike
• Shadow Scout

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Frontline.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A formal elementalist who considers your ki-based channeling dangerous dilettantism and petitions academies to classify it as unlicensed magic.
Patron: A reclusive hermit sage who awakened your elemental awareness and still sends tasks that are never quite what they appear.

Equipment

• Dark wraps
• Soft boots
• Climbing line
• Chalk
• Mask

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Dark Slip: Instantly blend into any natural shadow nearby, requiring a hard perception roll to detect you. Lasts until you move into light or make an attack.
• Shade Strike: If attacking from darkness, ignore an enemy's Speed defense once per combat.
• Quiet Footfalls: Even on debris or crunchy leaves, move silently so long as you advance at half speed.

Adept

• Shadow Bind: Cause a foe's shadow to cling to the ground for 1–2 rounds, halving their movement if they fail a contested Intellect roll.
• Ebon Clone: Form a smoky duplicate that mimics your movements, confusing enemies about which target is real. Lasts until the double is struck or you dismiss it.
• Flicker Behind: Step from one shadow to another within close range, appearing behind an unwary foe. Once per scene.

Master

• Night Terrors: Surround enemies with writhing umbral illusions that force an Intellect defense roll or cause fear in lesser foes. Once per scene.
• Siphon Light: Extinguish nearby light sources, cloaking an area in deeper darkness that you can see through normally. Lasts until dawn or until you dismiss it.
• Shadow Blade: Materialize a blade of solidified darkness that can harm ghosts, demons, or intangible threats. Once per combat.

Legend

• Umbral Dominion: Expand your personal shadow into a broad zone of magical darkness you alone can perceive in.
• Eclipse Body: Become half-shadow for a brief time, taking reduced damage from non-magical attacks.
• Death's Shadow: Mark a foe's shadow with a creeping doom. If they have not removed it through magic or ritual within three days, it resolves - dragging their strength into fatal darkness. The mark is visible to those who know what to look for.

---

Mystic

Mystics, who are experts in manipulating and channeling arcane energies, harness their abilities to cast spells and create magical items. Wizards are known for their vast knowledge of spells, while sorcerers tap into their innate magical abilities. Enchanters use their craft to imbue magical properties into objects, such as weapons or jewelry, and create potent magical artifacts.

Enchanter

Enchanters use their magic to imbue objects with magical properties, such as enhancing their durability, imbuing them with elemental powers, or even granting them temporary sentience. They often work closely with craftsmen to create powerful and unique enchanted items that are highly sought after by adventurers and nobles alike.

"He sold me a trinket that glowed in the dark. Don't know if it's witchcraft or genius, but it sure works."

Enchanter by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Enchanter

• Lucrative commissions from nobles and heroes.
• Permanent legacies forged into steel and oak.
• Workshops funded with tools of excellence.
• Rare materials reserved for your bench.

• Elite clientele who guard your reputation.
• Guild protections and charters of craft.
• Train apprentices, multiply your impact.
• Test enchantments in the wild, not theory.

Mystic - Enchanter: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: magical item crafting and enchantment

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (enchanting), arcane language, crafting (jewellery and sigils), appraising, research, Speed defense

Signature Actions

• Imbue
• Anchor
• Disenchant

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Controller.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An established rune-smith whose trade you are undercutting with faster, cheaper enchantments - and who has guild backing to retaliate.
Patron: A noble house commissioning heirloom enchantments across generations, with deep pockets and high expectations.

Equipment

• Runic graver
• Reagents
• Gem loupe
• Blank talismans
• Safety tongs

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Minor Bond: Temporarily enchant a trinket so it returns to your hand if dropped or stolen, once per day.
• Living Threads: Cause clothing or small straps to move or tighten on their own, useful for minor distractions or securing items. Once per scene; lasts one round.
• Soothing Enchantment: Imbue a ring or amulet with calm energy, helping the wearer resist mild fear or panic once per encounter.

Adept

• Adaptive Armament: Enchant an ally's weapon or armor with a chosen elemental property (e.g., flame, frost) for a few rounds.
• Animate Tool: Animate a small utensil (hammer, quill) to perform simple tasks or float at your command. Lasts one scene; the tool can only perform simple, repetitive actions.
• Spellbound Ward: Place a short-lived magical lock on a chest or door, requiring an Intellect defense roll to force open.

Master

• Object Sentience: Grant a crafted item limited intelligence and the ability to telepathically advise its wielder. The item retains sentience only while near you. One item at a time.
• Fickle Curse: Enchant an enemy's gear so it occasionally malfunctions at crucial moments (on a failed roll they suffer a negative effect). Lasts one scene.
• Grand Enchantment: Permanently imbue a moderate magical property in an item - like a ring granting Levitate or a sword that glows when undead are near. One item at a time; applying to a new item removes the previous enchantment.

Legend

• World-Singer's Forge: Enchant one building - a tower, a keep, a hall - so that intruders face illusions, wards, and minor elemental defenses. The enchantment lasts until dawn of the following day, then must be renewed.
• Living Artifact: Create an item so powerfully enchanted it develops a personality and can learn or grow over time.
• Eternal Enchantment: Once per character - only ever once - imbue one signature item with a legendary, story-defining power. The item becomes a named artifact. Choose the power carefully: this cannot be undone or transferred.

Wizard

Wizards are experts in the magical arts and use their knowledge to cast spells and perform rituals. They study ancient tomes and the natural world in order to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that govern the universe. Wizards can specialize in specific schools of magic, such as divination, necromancy, or elemental magic, and can use their powers for both good and evil purposes.

"All them tomes and potions? He's either the smartest man in town or the one most likely to blow us all sky-high."

Wizard by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Wizard

• Academy backing and legal sanction.
• Libraries deeper than castles are tall.
• Recognised ranks, robes, and responsibilities.
• Peers to duel, debate, and depend on.

• Safe laboratories and licensed reagents.
• Research grants for risky questions.
• Structured progress from novice to master.
• Cast with authority, not apology.

Mystic - Wizard: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: ordered arcane study and spell mastery

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (order magic), arcane language, research, perception, endurance, resisting fear

Signature Actions

• Cast Order Spell
• Counterspell
• Research Circle

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Caster.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An arcane proctor who is personally auditing your methods and suspects you are straying outside your licensed lore.
Patron: A collegium librarian who grants access to restricted stacks and looks the other way when your research gets unconventional.

Equipment

• Grimoire
• Order pin
• Component pouch
• Robes
• Staff

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Cantrip Mastery: Freely shape small magical tricks (cleaning, lighting a candle, minor illusions) without normal casting checks.
• Scroll Eater: Memorize a spell from a scroll without using it up, for one day, though a miscast risk remains.
• Spell Dampener: Slightly weaken an enemy caster's next spell if you identify it in time (contested arcane knowledge roll). Once per caster per scene.

Adept

• Ritual Savant: Halve the casting time of a known ritual once per day.
• Arcane Lockpick: Form intangible picks of pure magic to bypass a locked or warded chest/door if it's not too powerful.
• Spell Synergy: Combine two of your known spells into one cast, if you succeed on a harder Intellect-based casting roll; partial effects of both apply. Once per casting session.

Master

• Pocket Sanctuary: Create a small, extra-dimensional space where you or allies can hide or rest for a short period. Lasts up to one hour. Once per day.
• Threads of Fate: Weave your magical aura into an ally's action, granting it unusual side effects (e.g. turning a sword slash into a fiery arc). Once per scene.
• Arcanum Shift: Instantly alter an active spell's elemental or conceptual nature (turning a Fireball into a swarm of magical darts, etc.) on the fly. Once per scene.

Legend

• Tower of the Mind: Conjure a grand, warded tower of illusions and real barriers that stands as a safe haven for you and invited guests.
• World Runes: Inscribe potent trigger-glyphs across one prepared location - a room, a courtyard, a mountain pass. When activated, they produce dramatic localized effects (reversed gravity in a corridor, a frozen threshold, a blinding flash). The runes are powerful but strictly local.
• Godspell: Once in your life, cast a spell that accomplishes the seemingly impossible within mortal scale: banish a demon prince, restore life to one person dead less than a day, unmake a powerful ongoing curse, open a sealed gate no other magic can touch. Not: rebuild cities or reshape geography.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are magic users who wield powerful and dark magic. They have a deep understanding of the forces of the universe and can tap into that energy to cast spells and manipulate the elements. They often use their powers for personal gain or to control others, and their use of magic can be unpredictable and dangerous. They are feared and respected for their abilities, but also shunned and persecuted by society.

"Folks say she was born under a cursed star - her magic crackles like thunder. I lock my shutters when she's about."

Sorcerer by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Sorcerer

• Power without decades chained to desks.
• Meteoric rise that turns heads quickly.
• Awe and fear bend politics your way.
• Patrons court innate talent aggressively.

• Unique bloodline tricks no school teaches.
• Intuitive casting that breaks stale rules.
• Shape destiny rather than inherit it.
• Live loud: the world notices.

Mystic - Sorcerer: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: innate bloodline power and raw arcane expression

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (innate magic), arcane language, intimidation, detecting deception, persuasion, endurance

Signature Actions

• Wild Boon
• Presence
• Impulse

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Caster.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An order wizard who reports your unlicensed casting to the college and lobbies for mandatory registration of bloodline users.
Patron: An underground collector of rare bloodline phenomena who funds your freedom and asks occasional unsettling favours in return.

Equipment

• Charm focus
• Traveling coat
• Token of lineage
• Arcane trinkets
• Journal

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Chaotic Spark: Summon a small sphere of raw magic that crackles unpredictably, usable as a short-range attack.
• Ill-Omened Gift: Weave a subtle jinx onto a target, causing minor misfortunes. Lasts until the target's next significant success.
• Surge Shield: Cloak yourself in unstable arcane static that shocks melee attackers if they fail a Might defense roll.

Adept

• Wild Infusion: Amplify an ally's spell momentarily, causing a bigger effect but also risking a small magical mishap. Once per scene.
• Curse Eater: Absorb a lesser curse afflicting another; you store that raw power for your next spell, though it may backfire.
• Spell Rebound: When targeted by a spell, attempt a contested Intellect roll to reflect part of it back at the caster.

Master

• Arcane Tempest: Unleash a storm of chaotic energies that randomly strike foes in a wide radius, ignoring some typical magical defenses. Once per scene; affects friend and foe equally if they are in range.
• Chaotic Evolution: Temporarily mutate your body (extra limbs, claws, gills) for an advantage relevant to the situation. Once per scene; the mutation fades when the scene ends.
• Rift Rend: Tear open a minor breach to the Aethyr, letting out horrors or damaging the local fabric of reality. Once per session; the breach closes after one round unless fed more power.

Legend

• Apocalyptic Cascade: Unleash a wave of raw chaotic magic across the immediate battlefield - one building, one street, a clearing. The surge warps and scorches everything within it, devastating friend and foe alike if you are not careful where you stand.
• Fusion of Power: Merge arcane energies with a willing fellow caster, allowing you to cast near-legendary spells beyond normal limits.
• Bloodline Unleashed: Once per adventure, strip every restraint and let your bloodline pour through you unchecked. For one scene you exceed every normal limit of mortal magic - but the surge is uncontrollable, and when it ends you suffer a permanent change (roll on a mutation table or agree with the GM what is lost or altered).

---

Noble

Nobles perform a variety of duties in the halls of power. Royals bear the weight of dynasty and command - they ride at the head of armies and make the decisions that move nations. Clerks keep track of important documents, manage financial affairs, and learn the ways of bureaucracy and government. Diplomats negotiate with other nations on behalf of their ruler and smooth the paths that war would otherwise tear open.

Clerk

Clerks keep records, prepare legal documents, assist judges and other officials in legal proceedings and learn the ways of bureaucracy and government. They also serve as advisors to their lords and ladies and help to manage the administrative affairs of the court.

"You need a document stamped or a permit granted? Butter him up with pastries and watch him shuffle papers in your favor."

Clerk by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Clerk

• Steady salary and predictable hours.
• Influence through ledgers and seals.
• Access to records others would kill for.
• Quiet job security in turbulent times.

• Respectable social tier without duels.
• Paper power that moves real coin.
• Bribe-resistant reputation valuable to rulers.
• Predict trends before markets notice.

Noble - Clerk: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: bureaucratic administration and legal record-keeping

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: appraising, classical languages, gathering information, negotiation, legal lore, research

Signature Actions

• Stamp & Seal
• Audit
• Paper Trail

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Logistics.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A senior administrator who resents your growing paper authority and routes complaints about your decisions directly to the chancellor.
Patron: A chancellor who routes sensitive correspondence through your desk and depends on your discretion far more than they admit.

Equipment

• Seal & wax
• Ledger
• Quills
• Office writs
• Abacus

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Paper Shield: Stall a foe or official by overwhelming them with sudden paperwork or forms they must "process," buying you time. Once per encounter.
• Lex Legalese: Recite obscure statutes or bylaws to force a city guard or bureaucrat to hesitate before acting. Once per encounter with a given authority figure.
• Filing Genius: When given a messy archive, locate crucial documents or ledgers in half the usual time.

Adept

• Stamp of Authority: Use an official seal to gain short-term compliance from lesser civil servants or guards. Once per scene per official.
• Contract Trap: Draft an agreement with hidden binding clauses, magically or legally compelling the signatory. Takes ten minutes to draft; one active contract at a time.
• Desk Warrior: Improvise objects from your office (quills, ledgers) as distractions or light weapons in a pinch.

Master

• Hidden Clause: Insert a secret addendum into a major treaty or law, granting you (or your patron) a key advantage later. Once per document.
• Swift Requisition: Instantly secure needed papers, minor resources, or extra clerical staff from local administration. Once per session.
• Scribe's Declaration: Post or circulate an official notice so convincingly worded it can quell public unrest or rally popular support. Once per scene; effective only as long as the notice is believed genuine.

Legend

• Bureaucratic Coup: Seize hidden leverage over one specific organization - a guild, a city department, a court office - by accumulating records of their debts, crimes, and dependencies. They answer to you as long as you hold the documents.
• Unbreakable Edict: Draft a formal decree with such weight that even powerful nobles, wizards, or lesser lords fear to violate it.
• The Grand Archive: Assemble a comprehensive dossier on one subject - a family, an organization, a location - that surfaces every significant secret it holds. The research takes time, but the result is thorough enough to be used as evidence, leverage, or a guide.

Diplomat

Diplomats serve as representatives of their country, kingdom or city-state in foreign relations. They negotiate with other nations to resolve disputes, establish alliances, and promote trade. Diplomats must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and a thorough understanding of international law and politics.

"She's got a tongue so smooth she can make a troll and a knight see eye to eye - for a day or two, at least."

Diplomat by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Diplomat

• Immunities and courtesies across borders.
• Travel comfortably on official business.
• Shape treaties that end wars cleanly.
• Cultivate contacts from princes to pirates.

• Multilingual prestige opens every salon.
• Gifts, tributes, and safe-conduct writs.
• Quell crises with words, not walls.
• Rescue citizens and earn nations' thanks.

Noble - Diplomat: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: negotiation and cross-cultural representation

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: persuasion, detecting deception, languages (any), political lore, leading others, gathering information

Signature Actions

• Parley
• Backchannel
• Protocol

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Face.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A foreign attaché who consistently outmaneuvers you at the negotiating table and has the ear of both courts.
Patron: A foreign minister who deploys you on missions that officially never happened and needs your particular talent for finesse.

Equipment

• Court clothes
• Signet writ
• Travel papers
• Gift box
• Phrasebook

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Neutral Ground: Establish a temporary "zone of peace" in a tense location; hostile parties must succeed on an Intellect defense roll or hold off fighting. Lasts until someone fails the roll or the situation changes dramatically.
• Subtle Cues: Give discreet signals to allies, coordinating them in negotiations without tipping off the opposition.
• White Lie: Calmly frame a serious transgression as a minor misunderstanding, buying time to defuse hostility. Once per encounter.

Adept

• Word Treaty: Force two opposing sides to accept a short-term truce while you mediate; if they refuse, they risk social or political backlash.
• Diplomatic Shuffle: Reassign individuals or rearrange a gathering with polite authority, placing allies advantageously.
• Royal Gift: Present a symbolic offering so skillfully that a hostile party's attitude shifts from openly hostile to at least neutral. Once per NPC per session.

Master

• Ironclad Accord: Forge a robust treaty that confers tangible benefits (safe passage, new trade rights) and is recognized by local rulers.
• Diplomatic Immunity: Gain temporary safe passage through an enemy kingdom or warzone based on recognized treaties or cunning oratory.
• Clause Redeemer: If negotiations fail, evoke a fallback clause that reopens talks or compels a new arrangement on different terms. Once per failed negotiation.

Legend

• Binding Accord: Forge a genuine, lasting agreement between two previously hostile factions, with real and immediate consequences for either breaking it. Both sides leave the table having conceded something real.
• Word of Cessation: In a large-scale conflict, speak with such authority that both sides pause hostilities for at least a few hours.
• Forced Reset: Once per session, even after violence has begun or negotiations have collapsed, invoke your standing and reputation to force a hostile encounter to pause and restart from a neutral position. All parties must stand down long enough to hear you.

Royal

Royals are the martial face of noble power - the ones who ride at the head of armies, settle disputes by force of presence, and carry the weight of dynastic authority in their bearing. Where Clerks wield paper and Diplomats wield words, Royals wield command. They are trained from birth to inspire obedience, lead troops in the field, and make decisions that move armies and alter borders. A Royal may never sit the throne themselves, but when they walk into a room, every soldier straightens and every rival recalculates their position.

"Flash of jewels, big entourage... Let's hope his noble blood is kinder than the last lord we had."

Royal by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Royal

• Wealth, retinue, and ancestral estates.
• Command authority without renting it.
• Forge dynastic alliances that redraw maps.
• Change laws with a signet and sentence.

• Sponsor national works - roads, schools, fleets.
• Ceremonial splendour and sacred rites.
• Guarded day and night by professionals.
• A legacy that history must record.

Noble - Royal: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: dynastic authority and martial command presence

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Might, Speed
Key Skills to train: leading others, persuasion, intimidation, heraldry and noble lore, detecting deception, riding

Signature Actions

• Command
• Royal Decree
• Ceremonial Boon

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Face.
Fallback: Frontline.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival claimant whose competing legitimacy - real or manufactured - shadows every command you issue.
Patron: A veteran court marshal who trained you, guards your back, and has more loyalty from the household guard than anyone suspects.

Equipment

• Signet ring
• Court outfit
• Retainer marker
• House colours
• Ceremonial blade

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Courtly Grace: Even in poor attire, you radiate regal poise, compelling courtesy from most commoners or lesser nobles.
• Ancestral Memory: Channel a past ruler's knowledge, gleaning historical insight about your land or lineage. Once per session.
• Heraldic Command: Display your crest or seal to rally guards or peasants; they hesitate to disobey a direct royal order. Once per scene.

Adept

• Royal Pardon: Once per adventure, free a prisoner or absolve a minor crime in territories loyal to your family.
• Aristocratic Favor: Call in a favor from a connected noble house, acquiring manpower or political cover. Once per session.
• Grand Entrance: Arrive at any gathering with such pomp that everyone present halts to acknowledge you. Once per new location or gathering.

Master

• Bloodline Oath: Conduct a solemn ceremony binding allies to your cause; they gain a boon when fighting to uphold that oath. One oath active at a time.
• Noble Summons: Command lesser nobles or knights to muster troops for a short campaign or quest on your behalf. Once per adventure; they arrive within one day.
• Sway the Court: Tilt a major trial or council's outcome by leveraging your family's historical clout and alliances. Once per trial or council.

Legend

• Blood Right: Once per adventure, invoke your bloodline's authority to compel obedience from any individual or group that recognises your lineage - even those who would not normally bow. The compulsion holds for the scene; open defiance becomes a public political act with consequences.
• Sovereign Decree: Proclaim a new law or policy that instantly takes effect across your domain, shocking foes who rely on old statutes.
• House Bond: Permanently bind one noble house or significant faction to your cause through ceremony and sworn oath. They become a reliable ally for the remainder of the campaign, contributing resources, intelligence, or troops as the situation demands.

---

Outlaw

Outlaws are individuals who engage in illegal and often violent activities such as assassinations, robbery, theft, and piracy. They use their skills in stealth, deception, and combat to take advantage of unsuspecting victims to acquire wealth or resources. These bandits often operate outside the law and may have their own code of honor or loyalty to a particular group or leader. They are seen as a threat to the stability and safety of the society they operate in, and are actively hunted by law enforcement or bounty hunters.

Pirate

Pirates live where the law runs out - past the harbor mouth, beyond the jurisdiction of any writ. They are sailors first and fighters second, and the sea is both their weapon and their escape. A ship under a black flag is not merely a threat; it is a statement about who holds power when there are no walls. Pirates may have codes among themselves, but those codes exist to keep the crew functional, not to protect anyone else.

"She'll drink you under the table and steal your purse for good measure - but if you need a sea route, she's your lass."

Pirate by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Pirate

• Freedom at sea under your own colours.
• Prize shares that dwarf farm wages.
• Crew as family, not chain of command.
• Hidden coves and friendly black markets.

• A feared flag that wins without fighting.
• Seize cargo, not pay tax on it.
• Treasure maps and legends to chase.
• Burn the name that wronged you; write another.

Outlaw - Pirate: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: maritime combat and seafaring outlawry

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Might, Intellect
Key Skills to train: sailing, melee attacks, ranged attacks (firearms), climbing, perception, gathering information

Signature Actions

• Boarding Leap
• Broadside
• Sea Legs

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Skirmisher.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival captain competing for the same shipping lanes and not above sabotage, false rumours, or bribing your crew.
Patron: A port fence who moves your plunder, keeps you in powder and provisions, and knows every harbormaster's price.

Equipment

• Cutlass
• Pistol (if any)
• Coil of rope
• Sailor's kit
• Black flag patch

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Salty Swagger: Charm or intimidate seafarers, dockworkers, and tavern patrons by flaunting your roguish ways.
• Stormscent: Sense an oncoming storm hours before typical signs appear, letting you prepare or avoid trouble.
• Anchor Swing: Swing dramatically aboard a ship or across a gap on a rope/chain, ignoring normal movement penalties.

Adept

• Broadside Barrage: Coordinate a volley of ship cannons or ranged attacks with lethal precision, surprising foes. Once per naval engagement.
• Sea Wolf's Nose: Detect if someone is lying about cargo, shipping routes, or maritime knowledge.
• Hidden Cache: Conceal or retrieve contraband in a specially built nook on your vessel that's nearly impossible to find.

Master

• Pirate's Gambit: Fake a retreat or surrender at sea, then spring a brutal counterattack.
• Voice of the Captain: Command rowdy sailors or minor pirates to obey a direct order instantly if they fail an Intellect defense roll. Once per encounter.
• Tide Tamer: Briefly influence local ocean currents around your ship for daring maneuvers or faster travel. Once per scene; lasts one round of maneuvers.

Legend

• Song of the Siren: A mesmerizing shanty so captivating that even hostile crews might become neutral or enthralled if they fail an Intellect defense roll.
• Nautical Legend: For the duration of a voyage, the sea favours you: storms ease, sea monsters give your vessel a wide berth, and harbour officials look the other way. The favour does not extend to port once you have docked.
• Pirate King's Horde: Acquire (or know the location of) a legendary hidden treasure that can change your fortunes or buy entire fleets.

Thief

Thieves are skilled at stealing valuable items without getting caught. They use their nimble fingers and quick reflexes to pick locks, pickpocket unsuspecting victims, and sneak into forbidden places. They are often part of a larger group, using their teamwork and communication skills to plan and execute heists. However, they are also constantly on the run from the law, avoiding capture and staying one step ahead of the authorities.

"Lock your doors and hide your silver. He's got a knack for slipping in and out like a breeze on a hot night."

Thief by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Thief

• Lucrative heists that outpay honest labour.
• The thrill of locks, ledges, and lanterns.
• Guild protection and reliable fences.
• Secrets traded as currency and shield.

• Specialist crews for impossible jobs.
• Outwit the powerful at their own game.
• Choose targets: greedy lords or wicked priests.
• Walk away unseen, pockets heavier.

Outlaw - Thief: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: urban theft, stealth, and infiltration

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: stealth, sleight of hand, lockpicking, Speed defense, climbing, perception

Signature Actions

• Case Joint
• Pick & Pass
• Ghost

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scout.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A watch detective who has made catching you a personal obsession and knows your methods better than most.
Patron: An underworld fence who provides safehouses, buyers, and the kind of local knowledge that keeps amateurs locked up.

Equipment

• Lockpicks
• Dark cloak
• Chalk
• Glass cutter
• Grapnel

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Sleight Mastery: Perform standard pickpocketing almost automatically unless a victim is on high alert.
• Silent Takedown: If you strike from stealth, you may choose to knock out rather than kill if the foe fails a Might defense roll.
• Opportunistic Snatch: While engaged in melee, grab a small item off a foe or table if you succeed on a Speed-based roll without penalty.

Adept

• Redirect Pursuit: When chased, leave a subtle false trail or decoy, causing pursuers to make a navigation roll or lose your track.
• Locksmith's Intuition: Glance at a lock and sense how complex it is, speeding your pick attempts.
• Weighted Throw: Toss a small object to create a noise or distraction, imposing a penalty on watchers' perception rolls.

Master

• Perfect Pocketing: Hide or retrieve a palm-sized item instantly, unseen, even if being watched (contested only by a very hard perception roll).
• Trap Sense Overdrive: Automatically sense a mechanical trap's presence in a room or chest after a brief inspection, though disarming it is another matter.
• Grand Heist Planning: During a brief stakeout, uncover a location's vulnerabilities, letting you orchestrate a near-flawless infiltration plan. Takes 30 minutes of observation. Once per location.

Legend

• The Phantom's Touch: Steal something legendary or seemingly impossible to snatch (a king's crown mid-ceremony) if you succeed an extreme test.
• Shadow Community: Rally thieves and rogues across a city to coordinate a massive, complex operation under your leadership.
• Hoodwink Destiny: "Steal" an ill omen or curse intended for you or an ally, redirecting it onto a chosen foe (or simply negating it).

Assassin

Assassins are highly skilled killers who specialize in taking out specific targets. They operate in the shadows, moving quickly and quietly to get close to their prey before striking. They often use a variety of weapons, from daggers and poisoned blades to crossbows and throwing knives. Assassins are known for their ability to blend in with crowds and go unnoticed, and they are often hired by powerful individuals to eliminate their enemies or rivals.

"Don't ask me how she does it - quiet as the grave, and when she's done, no one's the wiser... except the undertaker."

Assassin by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Assassin

• Premium pay for precision and silence.
• Leverage that topples tyrants with whispers.
• Mastery of poisons, shadows, and patience.
• Choose contracts - or refuse them - by creed.

• Guild sanctuary and impeccable logistics.
• Few witnesses, fewer loose ends.
• Political impacts felt far beyond one blade.
• Clean missions with clear measures of success.

Outlaw - Assassin: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: calculated elimination and covert operations

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: stealth, melee attacks, ranged attacks (thrown and firearms), Speed defense, perception, poisons knowledge

Signature Actions

• Poison Prep
• Shadow Entry
• One Stroke

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Skirmisher.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A competing contract killer who takes your marks before you reach them - possibly using your own intelligence against you.
Patron: A shadowy guild handler who assigns contracts, supplies specialized tools, and keeps your name off any official record.

Equipment

• Kris/knife
• Poison vials
• Soft shoes
• Garrote
• Climbing kit

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Pinpoint Vulnerability: Study a target for one round; your next strike can cause a debilitating wound if they fail a Might defense roll.
• Poison Brew: Improvise a mild toxin from local plants or substances if you have a few minutes and minimal materials.
• Silent Step: In dim light or shadows, move at normal speed without making noise.

Adept

• Double Feint: Make two rapid strikes in succession; the second is harder to defend against. Once per combat.
• Venom Library: Learn to craft or identify many poisons, customizing their onset or symptoms.
• Heartstopper: If you catch a target unaware, force them to make a Might defense roll or drop unconscious immediately.

Master

• Death Shroud: Immediately vanish into the environment after a successful kill, leaving witnesses unsure of your position. Lasts until end of scene.
• Marked for Death: Place a subtle brand on a target, letting you sense their direction and general condition as long as they live. One mark at a time.
• Vanish in the Crowd: Evade pursuit in broad daylight by merging seamlessly into a busy street, requiring extraordinary rolls to follow you. Once per scene.

Legend

• Legendary Kill: Even a heavily guarded or monstrous foe can be slain in one decisive strike if you ambush them successfully.
• Cloak of Night: Become intangible under moonlight or in deep shadows for short bursts, bypassing locks or walls.
• Inherited Misfortune: When you assassinate a key figure, their immediate successor inherits a significant debility or persistent misfortune - one generation of consequence, not a dynasty-ending curse. The successor knows, on some level, that something has been laid upon them.

---

Gunpowder

Gunpowder specialists harness the raw power of blackpowder and advanced ranged weaponry to dominate the battlefield. Whether armed with pistols, muskets, or specially crafted explosives, they blend precision marksmanship with engineering prowess. Gunslingers thrive on fast draws and lethal accuracy, Bombardiers shape the fight with thunderous blasts and controlled demolitions, and Sharpshooters eliminate threats from incredible distances.

Gunslinger

Gunslingers are skilled marksmen who use firearms as their primary weapons. They carry a variety of guns, from pistols to muskets, or light crossbows, and can shoot accurately even while on the move. They often work as mercenaries, bounty hunters, or bodyguards, and are highly valued for their deadly accuracy in combat. When not engaged in battle, they spend their time practicing their aim and maintaining their weapons.

"I blinked, and that pistol was already pointed square at my chest. He's got reflexes like lightning."

Gunslinger by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Gunslinger

• Duelling fame and festival purses.
• Caravan and escort work pays fast.
• Respect and fear in equal measure.
• Bespoke pistols tuned to your hand.

• Solve problems before blades are drawn.
• Travel light, defend heavy.
• Teach marksmanship for steady income.
• Your draw becomes a local legend.

Gunpowder - Gunslinger: Play Kit

Cypher Warrior: fast-draw firearms and close-range gunfighting

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: ranged attacks (firearms), Speed defense, perception, resisting fear, detecting deception, melee attacks

Signature Actions

• Quickdraw
• Called Shot
• Smoke Step

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Ranged.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A bounty hunter under standing orders to bring you in - alive if possible, but the contract doesn't specify.
Patron: A smuggler's consortium that keeps you in powder, shot, and coin in exchange for occasional escort work and no awkward questions.

Equipment

• Pair of pistols
• Powder horn
• Shot bag
• Ear tamp
• Gun toolkit

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Trick Reload: Reload a pistol or musket in half the normal time, once per combat.
• Powder Sense: Smell blackpowder or explosives within a short distance, detecting hidden charges.
• Gun Kata Basics: Combine a melee strike with a single firearm shot in the same action, if you succeed on a Speed-based roll.

Adept

• Ricochet Shot: Bounce a bullet off a wall or object to hit a target behind partial cover, if you succeed on a ranged attack roll at increased difficulty.
• Guns Blazing: Fire two single-shot pistols simultaneously at close range.
• Smoke Screen Shot: Launch a special round that engulfs an area in dense smoke, granting you or allies a stealth advantage. Once per combat.

Master

• Bullet Storm: Fire multiple shots at different targets if you have enough loaded firearms or fast reload, in a single flurry. Once per combat.
• Dazing Shot: Aim at a target's helmet or head, forcing them to succeed on a Might defense roll or be Stunned.
• Gun Counter: Parry a melee strike with a point-blank firearm blast, forcing the attacker to succeed on a Speed defense roll or suffer a counter-hit.

Legend

• Instant Reload: Once per combat, reload all your firearms instantly, unleashing a devastating volley in the same turn.
• Impossible Ballistics: Curve bullets around corners or over obstacles with uncanny aim.
• Bullet Time: Perceive a few rounds in slow motion, letting you dodge projectiles or make improbable trick shots with ease.

Bombardier

A Bombardier is a demolition expert who uses explosives to shape the battlefield on their own terms. They meticulously prepare charges, analyze structural weak points, and time fuses for devastating precision. Whether crumbling fortress walls or routing enemy formations, their specialized knowledge of blast effects is second to none.

"Every few nights, we hear a boom from his workshop. Town's never been safer from raiders, but my nerves are shot!"

Bombardier by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Bombardier

• Make walls fall, decide sieges swiftly.
• Hazard pay and engineer prestige.
• Sapper rites and secret tunnels.
• Explosives as elegant mathematics.

• Alliances with smiths, miners, and sappers.
• Commanders listen when you say “run”.
• Rewrite maps with powder and plumb-lines.
• History remembers the breaches you made.

Gunpowder - Bombardier: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: demolitions, explosives, and siege engineering

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (explosives), ranged attacks (thrown explosives), appraising, endurance, perception, navigation

Signature Actions

• Fuse Cut
• Wall Appraisal
• Sapper Run

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Ranged.
Fallback: Maker.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival sapper whose competing tunnel is threatening to collapse yours - whether by accident or design.
Patron: A siege commander who gives you unusual freedom to work in exchange for results that end sieges before armies run out of food.

Equipment

• Fuse cord
• Powder measure
• Tamping rod
• Earplugs
• Engineer's kit

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Fuse Trick: Ignite or snuff a bomb's fuse at will from close range, letting you control detonation timing precisely.
• Powder Pouch: Carry a specialized container that greatly reduces your bombs' chance of accidental misfire.
• Crude Shrapnel: Improvise a bomb stuffed with nails or scrap metal for extra fragmentation.

Adept

• Delayed Charge: Plant an explosive that detonates on a condition (a door opening, a tripwire, etc.).
• Shaped Blast: Focus a bomb's explosion in a forward cone, reducing friendly-fire behind it.
• Cluster Grenade: Throw an explosive that breaks into several smaller charges mid-air, saturating a wider area.

Master

• Bomb Drone: Rig a small mechanical carrier to deliver an explosive precisely where you command. One drone at a time; building takes one hour.
• Explosive Alchemy: Create bombs that deal not just concussive damage but also elemental or chemical effects (e.g., acid, frost).
• Breaching Charge: Special shaped charge that breaks fortified doors or walls, even those warded by moderate magic.

Legend

• City Shaker: Design an enormous bomb capable of collapsing massive gates or city walls in a single thunderous blast.
• Chain Reaction: Ignite multiple bombs set across a battlefield or fort in a choreographed sequence, inflicting mass devastation.
• Bombardier's Artillery: Construct a personal, collapsible mortar or cannon you can fire with uncanny accuracy at extreme range.

Sharpshooter

Sharpshooters are skilled archers who specialize in hitting targets from a long range. They use longbows, rifles or heavy crossbows to take down their enemies, and they have excellent accuracy and aim. They often work in groups, supporting their allies with ranged attacks from afar. Sharpshooters require great patience and a steady hand, as they need to wait for the perfect moment to take their shot.

"She can pluck the tail feathers off a crow three fields away. Pray you're not on her bad side."

Sharpshooter by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Sharpshooter

• End fights before they properly start.
• Bounty work from a safe distance.
• Scout-sniper respect across armies.
• Patience and focus richly rewarded.

• Custom rifles and tuned powder charges.
• Overwatch that saves friends repeatedly.
• Minimal collateral when accuracy matters.
• Monsters die far from your boots.

Gunpowder - Sharpshooter: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: long-range precision shooting and patient overwatch

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: ranged attacks (firearms and crossbows), perception, stealth, Speed defense, climbing, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Steady Aim
• Breath Control
• Overwatch

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Ranged.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A competing marksman whose growing reputation is built on taking credit for shots that weren't clean and targets that weren't confirmed.
Patron: A military intelligence officer who needs quiet, precise solutions and pays well for outcomes with no witnesses.

Equipment

• Long gun
• Rangefinder stick
• Tarp
• Lens cloth
• Cleaning kit

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Trick Arrow/Bolt: Use a specialized arrow (rope arrow, whistler, smoke arrow) for utility or distraction.
• Pin Shot: If you hit a target's limb near a wall or floor, they must succeed on a Might defense roll or be pinned in place.
• Distracting Shot: Fire an arrow near a foe's head or feet to impose a penalty on their next action if they fail an Intellect defense roll.

Adept

• Rapid Nock: Loose two arrows in quick succession at separate targets if you succeed on a ranged attack roll.
• Mark Target: Spend an Action focusing on one foe, ignoring up to one step of cover penalty on your next shot. The mark lasts until you take another action.
• Spot Weakness: Observe a monster or war machine for a turn, letting you target a chink in armor or structural flaw next shot.

Master

• Impossible Aim: Ignore extreme range penalties or shoot a coin-sized spot if you succeed on a challenging ranged attack roll.
• Feint Shot: Fake an initial shot, tricking the enemy into dodging or parrying the wrong moment, then fire the real arrow.
• Arrowstorm: Unleash a barrage of arrows that saturates a medium area, forcing multiple enemies to dive for cover. Once per combat; costs at least three arrows.

Legend

• Legendary Bullseye: Perform a nearly miraculous shot (cut a rope to drop a chandelier, hit a foe far beyond normal vision).
• Momentum Piercer: Fire a shot so powerful it penetrates multiple foes standing in a line.
• Grand Volley: In one legendary action, shoot multiple arrows that each find different targets with near-flawless accuracy.

---

Spirit Caller

Sspirit callers are able to summon and control various beings and forces, depending on their specialization. Elementalists summon and manipulate the elements, while infernal conjurers summon and command demons and devils. Necromancers raise the dead and control them as undead servants. All spirit callers must be cautious, as summoning and controlling these forces comes with risks and can have dangerous consequences.

Necromancer

Necromancers are practitioners of magic that focuses on communicating with and controlling the dead. They seek knowledge and power by summoning and commanding spirits, and often use dark rituals to achieve their goals. Their practices are often viewed with suspicion and fear, as they are believed to be capable of unleashing dangerous supernatural forces.

"Graveyard's been restless since he arrived. Folk swear they see shadows moving past midnight."

Necromancer by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Necromancer

• Tireless labour when living hands fail.
• Battlefield control with obedient ranks.
• Taboo leverage nobody wants to challenge.
• Forbidden libraries open when you knock.

• Speak with the dead, answers matter.
• Personal legacy that outlasts breath.
• Enemies flee what they don't understand.
• Secret societies that guard your back.

Spirit Caller - Necromancer: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: death magic and undead mastery

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (necromancy), arcane language, death and undead lore, intimidation, research, endurance

Signature Actions

• Raise
• Compel
• Speak with Dead

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Controller.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A temple warden who monitors the local burial grounds for disturbance and has started keeping a log of your movements.
Patron: A reclusive scholar of death who funds your research into the boundary between worlds - and occasionally needs a favour that requires a shovel.

Equipment

• Black candles
• Bone dust
• Chalk circle kit
• Amethyst token
• Notes

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Speak with Bones: Interrogate a corpse's skeleton to glean brief impressions of how it died or a lingering memory.
• Flicker of Unlife: Animate a small pile of bones (a hand, skull) to do simple tasks or distract foes. Lasts one scene. One fragment at a time.
• Chill of the Grave: Emit a deathly chill that saps minor vigor from living creatures near you if they fail a Might defense roll.

Adept

• Unholy Mend: Reassemble a damaged undead minion on the spot, instantly restoring it to minimal functionality. Once per minion per scene.
• Bone Shackles: Summon skeletal arms from the ground to grapple or restrain a foe if they fail a contested Might roll.
• Spirit Drain: Absorb the residual life force from a fresh corpse, recovering some lost energy or resilience yourself.

Master

• Festering Hordes: Rapidly animate multiple corpses for a short burst - enough to overwhelm a position - though controlling them is risky. Once per scene; the wave collapses after one round.
• Grasp of the Damned: Conjure a giant spectral claw that can crush or hold a target in place. Once per scene.
• Death's Caress: Attempt a necrotic touch on a non-heroic foe that drastically lowers their health if they fail a Might defense roll. Once per combat.

Legend

• Mausoleum Dominion: Seize near-total control of a large graveyard or crypt, commanding skeletons or ghosts within.
• Soul Rend: Target a being's spirit directly, bypassing typical armor or wards to inflict grave damage.
• Undying Will: If your body is destroyed, you can anchor your soul to a prepared phylactery or undead host, returning at a steep cost.

Elementalist

Elementalists are summoners who specialize in controlling the elements of nature. They can summon and control the elements of earth, air, fire, and water, and use them to their advantage. They can create powerful storms, raise walls of stone, create fireballs, and manipulate water to flood or freeze their enemies. Elementalists are highly attuned to the natural world and can draw upon its power to control the elements.

"She raised a swirl of dust into a mini-tornado - just to chase off some bandits! I'll stay on her good side, thanks."

Elementalist by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Elementalist

• Command weather, flood, fire, and stone.
• Civic contracts for canals and quarries.
• Awe from villagers and princes alike.
• Shape terrain to favour your people.

• Disaster relief that truly saves lives.
• Communion with the raw world itself.
• Temple lodging and ritual honours.
• Be the storm that others predict.

Spirit Caller - Elementalist: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: summoning and commanding elemental forces

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (elemental), arcane language, perception, climbing and athletics, endurance, research

Signature Actions

• Weave Element
• Shape Terrain
• Dampen/Quell

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Caster.
Fallback: Buffer.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival elementalist whose patron overlaps with yours and who considers shared territory a direct insult.
Patron: A civic authority that commissions your power for infrastructure projects - canals, firebreaks, clearing rockslides - and provides legal cover.

Equipment

• Elemental focus
• Compass
• Hammer & chisel
• Travel robes
• Charm cords

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Minor Summon: Call forth a tiny elemental wisp (flame sprite, dust mote, water droplet) to scout or deliver a short message. The wisp lasts one scene.
• Elemental Boon: Briefly gain a small benefit of your chosen element (e.g., a slight fiery aura, watery fluidity).
• Ground Spark: Make a small elemental burst from the ground (fire spout, mini quake) that startles foes or lights flammables.

Adept

• Elemental Bind: Trap a lesser elemental in a focus gem for later release or study if it fails a contested Intellect roll.
• Rapid Shift: Swap between two known elemental spells/effects on the fly without fully re-casting.
• Elemental Ward: Conjure a short-lived barrier keyed to your element (fire shield, swirling wind) to block or reduce specific damage. Lasts one scene.

Master

• Merge Form: Partially transform into your element, letting you bypass certain terrain hazards (e.g. walk through flames if Fire).
• Twin Summons: Call two lesser elementals at once (e.g. a wind spirit and a rock elemental) for a single scene.
• Storm Convergence: Create a localized elemental storm (sandstorm, thunderstorm, etc.) that shapes the entire battlefield. Once per scene; affects both sides if they are within range.

Legend

• Primordial Avatar: Once per session, for one scene become a living manifestation of your chosen element - your movement, strikes, and presence all carry its full destructive or shaping force. When the scene ends you return to normal, briefly exhausted.
• Elemental Swarm: Summon numerous small elementals to overwhelm or harass an enemy force.
• Plane Bridge: Tear open a controlled rift to an elemental realm large enough for your party to pass through. The portal holds for a few minutes; closing it requires your full concentration. What waits on the other side is not always friendly.

Infernal Conjurer

Infernal conjurers are casters who specialize in summoning and controlling demons and other evil creatures. They use their dark powers to gain knowledge and power, as well as to carry out their own twisted agendas. Through their mastery of infernal magic, they are able to bring forth demons from the underworld and compel them to do their bidding. They are often feared and reviled by others, and their actions can have disastrous consequences.

"Demons and devils at his beck and call? That's a fine reason to keep my shutters barred tight at night."

Summoner of Demons by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Infernal Conjurer

• Rapid power via perilous bargains.
• Knowledge of Hell as leverage on cults.
• Fear deters trouble before it starts.
• Patrons offer terrible, tempting gifts.

• Subvert fiends rather than serve them.
• Edge in negotiations no mortal matches.
• High-risk, high-reward operations pay.
• Rewrite contracts - on your terms.

Spirit Caller - Infernal Conjurer: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: infernal summoning and binding

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (conjuring), arcane language, intimidation, persuasion, detecting deception, chaos lore

Signature Actions

• Circle Draw
• Bargain
• Bind

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Controller.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An inquisitor who has catalogued your summoning circles and is building a case that would see you burn before winter.
Patron: A desperate noble who needs demonic leverage against a powerful enemy and is willing to look the other way at your methods.

Equipment

• Contract scrolls
• Binding chalk
• Iron nails
• Ward pendant
• Incense

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Contract of Sparks: Rapidly forge a one-off pact with a minor imp for a single small favor (scouting, delivering a curse). Once per day; the imp's favour expires by end of scene.
• Searing Brand: Mark a foe with a small, burning sigil that prevents them from hiding or blending in socially (it glows faintly).
• Tainted Whispers: Create subtle dread in an enemy's mind, forcing them to make an Intellect defense roll or become more fearful. Once per target per scene.

Adept

• Demonic Envoy: Summon a lesser demon for negotiations or intimidation, though it may demand a price. Once per session; the demon departs after its task is complete.
• Flaming Chains: Conjure ethereal hellfire chains to bind one target who fails a contested Might or Intellect roll. Lasts until the target escapes or you release them.
• Infernal Beacon: Erect a blazing pillar of black flame that can either guide your fiendish allies or cloak the area in oppressive gloom.

Master

• Abyssal Exchange: Sacrifice a fragment of your soul for a brief but massive boost to spellcasting or summoning. Once per session; the soul fragment is permanently lost.
• Hellmouth Rift: Open a swirling portal that attempts to devour weaker foes or spit out demonic arms to grapple them. Once per scene.
• Demon Crown: Temporarily enslave a lesser demon lord (if it fails a contested Intellect roll), commanding its might with dire backlash if you fail.

Legend

• Legion's Call: Summon a squad of fiends under tenuous control, enough to besiege a fortress for a short time.
• Blighted Ground: Corrupt one specific location - a building, a crossroads, a well, a cellar - twisting it into a minor hellish pocket. The blight persists until physically cleansed by ritual, and spawns one or two lesser demons over the following days.
• Demonic Apotheosis: Once per adventure, partially transform into a powerful demon for one scene, unleashing colossal destructive force. When the scene ends, the transformation recedes - but you permanently lose one point of Intellect pool, and something in your bearing has visibly changed.

---

Trader

Traders engage in the exchange of goods and services for profit. Merchants buy and sell goods on a larger scale, while peddlers sell their goods on a smaller scale by traveling from place to place. Shopkeepers operate businesses where customers can buy goods in a fixed location. Traders often engage in negotiation, market research, and risk management to maximize profits.

Shopkeep

Shopkeeps operate shops that sell a variety of goods such as food, clothing, weapons, and more. They are responsible for managing the inventory, setting prices, and negotiating with customers. They must also ensure the safety of their goods and keep the shop clean and presentable.

"She greets me with a smile every morning, always knows what I need before I do - like she's reading my mind."

Shopkeep by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Shopkeep

• Steady coin and predictable seasons.
• Your counter is the village news-hub.
• Supplier leverage and bulk discounts.
• Community respect as a fixture.

• Information flows with every sale.
• Stock curios and minor magics.
• Train apprentices, build a family trade.
• A serene routine - until adventure calls.

Trader - Shopkeep: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: retail commerce and community trade networks

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: negotiation, appraising, gathering information, perception, Intellect defense, crafting (minor goods)

Signature Actions

• Float Credit
• Network
• Inventory

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Logistics.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival shopkeeper undercutting your prices with inferior goods and spreading rumors about the quality of your stock.
Patron: A regional supplier who extends generous credit in exchange for exclusivity arrangements and early notice of what's selling.

Equipment

• Counter ledger
• Scales
• Key ring
• Pigeon post slips
• Spare crate

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Shelf Surprise: Once per session, "discover" a small but relevant item in your store's backroom or among your traveling wares.
• Friendly Regular: A loyal customer who routinely visits and can share local rumours or help you with menial tasks.
• Storefront Charm: Cultivate such goodwill that petty thieves or vandals think twice before harming your shop.

Adept

• Emergency Stock: Draw on a hidden stash of crucial supplies (ammo, medical gear) that you can access instantly in a crisis. Once per adventure; the stash must be restocked afterward.
• Credit Extension: Offer an irresistible payment plan that convinces even skeptical buyers to accept your deal. Once per customer per session.
• Sales Pitch Maneuver: In tense social scenarios, distract or defuse hostility by shifting the focus onto your fine merchandise.

Master

• Commerce Web: Draw on a trade network with other merchants, ensuring you can restock rare goods quickly. Restocking unusual items takes one day.
• Layaway of Fate: Let an ally "buy" an expensive item on credit, establishing a narrative debt they are obligated to repay. Once per session; this is a social obligation, not a magical compulsion.
• Opportunistic Renaming: Rapidly rebrand your shop's presentation to suit local demand or evade troublesome authorities. Once per session.

Legend

• Franchise Dominion: Expand into a recognized chain of shops across the land, ensuring you have supply caches wherever you go.
• Universal Merchant Token: Wield a sigil recognized by major guilds and even supernatural beings, guaranteeing safe trade passage in most domains.
• Exactly What's Needed: Once per adventure, you happen to stock exactly the mundane or minor magical item the party needs most right now. No explanation required - it was in the back, someone traded it in last week, you had a feeling.

Merchant

Merchants buy and sell goods, negotiating prices and trading routes to maximize profits. They travel long distances to find the best deals and establish trade relationships with other merchants. They also need to keep track of their accounts and financial transactions to ensure they are making a profit.

"He could sell boots to a fish if he thought there was profit in it. Must have silver for a tongue."

Merchant by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Merchant

• Scale wealth with caravans and fleets.
• Letters of credit move like magic.
• Political clout through supply chains.
• First pick of exotic, coveted goods.

• Hire guards and experts as needed.
• Map routes, shorten wars and journeys.
• Retire fabulously - or buy a title.
• Turn risk into rolling prosperity.

Trader - Merchant: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: large-scale trade and commercial logistics

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: negotiation, appraising, trade and commerce lore, gathering information, navigation, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Convoy
• Broker
• Risk Map

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Logistics.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A trade guild factor who sees your independent operation as a direct threat to the cartel and applies pressure through inspections and fees.
Patron: A banking house that finances your caravans in exchange for a share of profits and first refusal on any emerging route.

Equipment

• Seal & writs
• Strongbox
• Ledger
• Letters of credit
• Sample goods

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Trade Instinct: Instantly sense if an offered deal is fair or if an item is grossly over- or undervalued. Asset on appraisal and valuation rolls.
• Contract Hound: Spot promising or shady business deals from subtle hints or rumours. Requires at least a brief conversation. Once per scene.
• Charm of Sale: Temporarily turn a reluctant buyer into a willing customer with a strong pitch.

Adept

• Shipping Routes: Know the fastest or safest route between trade hubs and easily plan caravans.
• Cart Fleet: Maintain a small but reliable caravan (extra wagons or animals) that can handle tough terrain with fewer penalties.
• Price Freeze: Negotiate a locked-in price for a commodity with a local guild or noble, preventing them from hiking the cost. Lasts one season. One commodity at a time.

Master

• Market Insider: Spread rumours or small manipulations that shift local demand or supply to your advantage. Once per session; effect lasts one week.
• Diplomatic Trader: Negotiate pacts or trade truces with warring factions, giving your caravan safe conduct. Once per faction per adventure.
• Resource Magnet: Attract traveling vendors from afar to your outpost, obtaining exotic goods or rare items. Vendors arrive within one day. Once per location.

Legend

• Market Command: Establish a dominant commercial position in one city, allowing you to set the price of one commodity there for a season. Others can challenge this, but not without effort and cost.
• Royal Commission: Earn personal endorsement from a monarch or deity, granting you exclusive rights to certain goods.
• The Only Offer: Once per session, name your terms for something the other party genuinely needs. They cannot simply refuse - they must counter-offer or walk away from something that matters to them. No violence ends this negotiation cleanly.

Peddler

Peddlers are itinerant sellers who travel from place to place selling their wares, often carrying their goods on their backs. They offer a variety of goods such as food, clothing, and small household items. Peddlers are known for their sales skills, often using persuasive techniques to sell their merchandise.

"He rolls in with a cart of trinkets and yarns about far-off lands - by dawn, he's off again, chasing the next village."

Peddler by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Peddler

• Freedom of the open road.
• First with news in every hamlet.
• Low overhead, nimble stock.
• Niche markets others ignore.

• Barter mastery beats coin shortages.
• Friends in every wayside inn.
• Discreet smuggler paths if necessary.
• Seasonal profits that follow festivals.

Trader - Peddler: Play Kit

Cypher Speaker: traveling trade and road-wise resourcefulness

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: negotiation, gathering information, outdoor survival, perception, riding, persuasion

Signature Actions

• Pop-up Stall
• Rumour Run
• Quick Exit

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Logistics.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A local guild enforcer who classifies your unlicensed roadside trading as a violation and has the authority to confiscate your cart.
Patron: A regional fair organiser who provides prime pitch placement and advance notice of market dates - for a reasonable cut and first look at unusual goods.

Equipment

• Pack-frame
• Assorted wares
• Tin whistle
• Weather cloak
• Bedroll

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Silver-Tongued Pitch: Sell even common trinkets as if they're special, easily impressing everyday folk.
• Pocket Stall: Unfold a portable display of wares almost anywhere, drawing curious onlookers. Takes five minutes to set up.
• Vagabond's Maps: Keep a mental note of lesser-known side roads or shortcuts gleaned from your travels.

Adept

• Magical Trinket Hustle: Spot small enchanted items sold cheaply and resell them later at profit, or gain a minor magical advantage. Once per session.
• Rest Stop Attraction: Set up a roadside mini-market that compels passing travelers to stop, letting you gather news or trades. Once per day; travelers arrive within an hour.
• Discreet Buyer: Acquire stolen or contraband goods quietly, though discovery could land you in trouble.

Master

• Flash Sale Frenzy: Whip up a crowd's excitement to quickly offload surplus stock in moments. Once per session.
• Crossroads Rendezvous: You always know when a major gathering, market, or crossroads event is upcoming in the region, and can arrive at exactly the right moment to trade.
• Hard Bargain Breaker: Intervene in someone else's contract or vow, cunningly voiding or rewriting it if you can subvert both parties' trust simultaneously. Once per session.

Legend

• Whispering Wares: Learn about legendary or otherworldly objects rumored across realms, offering them in your next stall.
• Miracle on Wheels: Your traveling cart can traverse hazardous terrains (swamps, deserts, haunted roads) almost unimpeded, as if fate guides you.
• The Road Knows You: You always know a viable route to anywhere you have been before, and always seem to arrive at exactly the right moment. Treat any overland journey to a known destination as taking half the expected time.

---

Warden (of the Wild)

Wardens draw their power from the wild world and the forces that move through it. The Ranger is the most martial of the three - a tracker and wilderness fighter who reads the land as others read a map. The Shaman bridges the mortal community and the spirit world, serving as healer, diviner, and keeper of ancestral bonds. The Druid occupies a unique position at the intersection of all three: a physical combatant who also wields primal magic, their power rooted in the living earth itself rather than in study or in faith. Where Ranger and Shaman specialize, the Druid is defined by wholeness - and by how far they are willing to go to protect what they love.

Druid

Druids are attuned to the natural world and can control the elements of nature. They can shape the weather, cause plants to grow or wither, and communicate with animals. They also have the ability to transform into animals themselves, becoming one with nature and using their powers to protect it.

"Saw her calm a rabid wolf by just holding out her hand. If that's not nature's blessing, I don't know what is."

Druid by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Druid

• Sacred mandate to heal land and life.
• Animal allies and grove shelters.
• Villagers trust your word instinctively.
• Balance warring powers without crowns.

• Seasonal rites that mark the year.
• Speak for rivers, forests, and stones.
• Pilgrims bring gifts and stories.
• Be peace in places steel cannot reach.

Warden - Druid: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: primal nature magic and wild guardianship

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Might, Speed
Key Skills to train: esoteries (nature), nature prayer, outdoor survival, handling animals, perception, healing

Signature Actions

• Calm Beast
• Entangling Growth
• Bless Grove

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Controller.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A logging foreman whose operations are encroaching on your sacred grove and who has the backing of a merchant lord.
Patron: An ancient grove council of elder druids who dispatch you on assignments to protect boundaries - and rarely explain why.

Equipment

• Oaken staff
• Herb satchel
• Grove token
• Salves
• Beast-call whistle

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Seedling Growth: Rapidly sprout edible or shelter-providing plants in barren soil, aiding survival. Takes ten minutes; the plants survive naturally thereafter.
• Beast Soothing: Calm an aggressive animal unless it's extremely enraged or warped by chaos.
• Root Snare: Cause vines or roots to erupt under a foe's feet, forcing a Speed or Might defense roll to break free.

Adept

• Barkskin Mantle: Briefly coat your skin in bark-like protection, reducing damage from minor attacks. Lasts one scene.
• Vine Traverse: Animate vines to swing or climb in dense foliage, ignoring typical climbing hazards. Lasts one scene.
• Tidal Bloom: Summon aquatic plants or algae to hamper swimming enemies or purify a water source. Once per scene.

Master

• Treeform: Merge with a tree to hide or travel short distances between connected root systems. You must touch the tree; movement is slow and deliberate.
• Forest Guardian Summons: Call a local treant or awakened beast to aid in defending your area. Once per session; the guardian departs at dawn.
• Purifying Gale: Command breezes to disperse toxic gas or chase away lesser undead around you. Once per scene.

Legend

• Ancient Grove: Permanently create a lush grove that heals the weary and wards off darkness.
• Worldwood Gate: Open a mystical passage between two distant ancient forests, allowing quick travel.
• Calamitous Wrath: Call down a severe localised storm or cause a sharp earth tremor affecting one battlefield, building, or narrow valley. The effect is dramatic and destructive - but contained. Innocent bystanders will be caught in it if they are in the area.

Ranger

Rangers are experts in navigating terrain and finding their way through unfamiliar landscapes. They use their tracking and observation skills to gather information on potential dangers and resources, and they report back to their group with their findings. Scouts are also proficient in stealth, allowing them to move silently and avoid detection when necessary.

"She prowls the woods like she was born there, silent as a fox. Keeps the worst beasts away from our fields."

Ranger by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Ranger

• Bounties for beasts that menace roads.
• Guide fees across wild, unknown country.
• Autonomy far from meddling captains.
• Mastery of terrain and tracks.

• Ambush superiority when it counts.
• Loyal companions - hawk, hound, or horse.
• Border-warden respect in lawless places.
• Settlers sleep easier when you pass.

Warden - Ranger: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: wilderness tracking and natural survival

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: tracking, outdoor survival, perception, stealth, ranged attacks (bows and crossbows), navigation

Signature Actions

• Ambush
• Track & Scout
• Guide

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scout.
Fallback: Frontline.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A poacher who knows the land as well as you do, profits from its ruin, and has a bounty price on your interference.
Patron: A border warden commander who grants you territory, authority, and backup - and expects results that keep the frontier quiet.

Equipment

• Bow or crossbow
• Cloak
• Snares
• Whetstone
• Bedroll

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Quiet Step: Move stealthily through natural terrain at normal speed without penalty.
• Wild Compass: Instantly sense north or the path back to your last campsite.
• Warning Shot: Fire an arrow near a hostile beast or person, forcing them to succeed on an Intellect defense roll or flee/hesitate.

Adept

• Camouflage Cloak: In your favored environment (forest, tundra, desert, etc.), become nearly invisible if you stay still or move slowly.
• Terrain Bond: Ignore difficult ground or normal movement penalties in your favored terrain.
• Vital Track: While tracking a wounded target, you sense how close it is to collapsing or dying, letting you plan a final strike or capture.

Master

• Whispering Winds: Send short verbal messages across moderate distances on the breeze, heard only by those you name. Once per scene.
• Pack Tactics: When fighting alongside animals or allied hunters, coordinate attacks with shared tactical awareness. The animals must be present. Lasts one scene.
• Hunter's Pin: Fire a special arrow/bolt that momentarily roots a foe if they fail a Speed defense roll, interrupting escapes.

Legend

• Guardian of the Wilds: Rally local fauna (wolves, birds, etc.) to defend your position in times of dire threat.
• Terrain Mastery: Adapt instantly to any natural environment, ignoring its normal hazards (quicksand, extreme cold, etc.).
• Legendary Shot: Snipe a distant target across extreme ranges or through dense cover with an impossible arrow flight.

Shaman

The archetype of the Shaman represents a mystical and spiritual figure deeply attuned to the natural world and the spirits that inhabit it. Drawing upon ancient traditions and rituals, Shamans commune with nature spirits, ancestors, and otherworldly beings to gain insight, wisdom, and power. They often serve as healers, diviners and guides within their communities, using their connection to the spirit realm to protect and empower themselves and others.

"He drums and chants, and storms roll in overhead. Spirits or luck? Either way, I'm not mocking him."

Shaman by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Shaman

• Counsel tribes with the voices of spirits.
• Protect the camp with warded circles.
• Ritual authority in feast and funeral.
• Trance journeys that recover lost wisdom.

• Propitiate dangers before they awaken.
• Medicine, omens, and communal resilience.
• Ancestors as allies, not memories.
• Totems that outlast chiefs and seasons.

Warden - Shaman: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: spirit communion and ancestral guidance

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (spirit), arcane language, handling animals, detecting deception, perception, spirit lore

Signature Actions

• Ward Circle
• Spirit Bargain
• Omen Read

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Advisor.
Fallback: Caster.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A spirit-speaker from a competing clan who disputes your authority and has been whispering to the local spirits to work against you.
Patron: A tribal elder who sends you on spirit-world errands, vouches for your deeds, and holds considerable sway over the community's trust in you.

Equipment

• Spirit mask
• Rattle/drum
• Charcoal
• Totem bundle
• Salves

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Commune with Ancestors: Briefly speak to forebears for advice or cryptic warnings about local issues. Once per day; the answer is brief and not always literal.
• Ritual Drums: Beat a rhythmic pattern that attracts or placates nearby minor spirits, securing relative peace. Once per scene.
• Ghost Ward: Place a protective totem that wards off lesser haunts or wandering shades within a small zone. Lasts until dawn or until you move the totem.

Adept

• Spirit Channel: Merge with a lesser spirit, gaining its ephemeral senses or knowledge for a few minutes.
• Totem Guardian: Animate a carved wooden totem to serve as a small guardian or lookout. Lasts until the totem is destroyed. One active totem at a time.
• Vision Quest: Enter a trance to gain deeper spiritual insight into a regional mystery or hidden resource. Once per day; requires ten minutes of uninterrupted trance.

Master

• Ancestral Host: Summon multiple helpful ancestor spirits to swirl around you, guiding allies or harassing foes. Once per scene.
• Spiritmeld: Phase partly into the spirit realm, letting you slip through some physical barriers or avoid mundane attacks. Lasts one round per use. Once per scene.
• Soul Binding: Imprison a wandering ghost or lesser spirit in a talisman for future interrogation or forced aid. One spirit per talisman; a talisman can only hold one at a time.

Legend

• Great Spirit Council: Call upon powerful nature spirits or ancestor champions, forging major pacts or alliances.
• Ethereal Storm: Whip up a wild spiritual tempest that confuses the living and banishes lesser undead.
• Shamanic Ascension: Once per session, for one scene speak and act as a direct vessel of the spirit world. Your words carry the weight of ancestral decree, spirits manifest visibly around you to reinforce your will, and even hostile spirits hesitate before acting against you.

---

Wayfarer

Wayfarers are individuals who travel to unknown or remote areas to discover, document, and learn about new lands, cultures, and phenomena. They often undertake perilous journeys to uncover hidden treasures, map uncharted territories, or search for new resources, all while facing the dangers and challenges of the unknown. Wayfarers can be adventurers, scientists, geographers, or anyone with a passion for discovering the mysteries of the world.

Dungeon Delver

Dungeon delvers are adventurers who brave the depths of dangerous and often trap-filled dungeons in search of treasure, magical artifacts, and other valuable items. They must be skilled in combat and strategy, as well as have a keen eye for traps and hidden secrets. Dungeon delvers face many dangers, including monsters, collapsing structures, and deadly environmental hazards, but the rewards they seek make it all worthwhile.

"He crawls into holes I wouldn't poke my nose into if you paid me. Always returns with a new scar and a bizarre tale."

Dungeon Delver by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Dungeon Delver

• Shares of ancient loot and secrets.
• Solve deadly puzzles few survive.
• Make your legend under the earth.
• Map the unknown and sell the routes.

• Noble patrons pay for brave hands.
• Relic-handling rights and museum ties.
• Camaraderie of those who go below.
• Test yourself where the brave go quiet.

Wayfarer - Dungeon Delver: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: dungeon exploration and trap navigation

Build Compass

Attributes: Speed (Edge), Intellect, Might
Key Skills to train: stealth, perception, climbing, navigation, swimming, lockpicking

Signature Actions

• Trap Sense
• Breaching
• Quiet Move

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scout.
Fallback: Skirmisher.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A competing delver team racing you to the same ruin - and willing to collapse a passage behind them if it slows you down.
Patron: An antiquities dealer who finances expeditions in exchange for first pick of finds at a fixed (very favorable to them) price.

Equipment

• 10m rope
• Piton set
• Chalk
• Crowbar
• Oil flasks

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Danger Sniff: Sense if a chamber or corridor holds immediate lethal traps or monstrous threats.
• Torch Tactics: Use shifting light and shadow to confuse certain dungeon creatures or highlight hidden inscriptions. Once per room.
• Cache Spotter: Identify likely hidden compartments or stashes in ruined halls once per expedition.

Adept

• Collapsing Escape: Time your run so you slip through a collapsing tunnel or triggered trap just before it seals.
• Tunnel Vision: Navigate labyrinthine corridors without losing your bearings, even in near darkness.
• Flicker Strategy: Extinguish or relight torches in a pattern that baffles foes relying on darkvision or normal sight.

Master

• Survival Pocket: Stash crucial supplies in a hidden nook for retrieval later, letting you outlast disasters deep underground.
• Nullify Rune: If you detect a magical trap glyph, quickly disrupt it with a specialized technique. Once per glyph; requires detecting it first.
• Gauntlet Runner: Perform a swift dash through a sequence of mechanical traps with improbable grace, emerging unscathed if you succeed on a Speed-based roll.

Legend

• Ancient Key: Acquire or craft a skeleton key rumored to open almost any arcane or mechanical lock.
• Maze Master: Mentally map multi-level dungeons to guide your entire party, rarely backtracking.
• Vault Vanquisher: Defeat or disable the deadliest puzzle-locks or wards that once kept entire armies at bay.

Cartographer

Cartographers are professionals who create maps and charts that accurately depict geographical features of a particular area. They use various tools, such as compasses, scales, and surveying equipment to measure distances, and they use this information to create detailed maps that can be used for navigation, exploration, and other purposes.

"She'll climb the highest peak or wade the deepest bog, just to draw a perfect map. Calls it progress; I call it crazy."

Cartographer by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Cartographer

• Paid expeditions to the edges of maps.
• Your name inked where none was before.
• Navigators and generals rely on you.
• Surveyor authority in disputes and borders.

• Sell charts widely, royalties arrive for years.
• Court stipends for accurate atlases.
• Discover passes that change trade and war.
• Libraries honour your notebooks and journals.

Wayfarer - Cartographer: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: mapmaking and geographic mastery

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: navigation, appraising, classical languages, research, perception, crafting (maps and charts)

Signature Actions

• Survey
• Triangulate
• Map Check

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scout.
Fallback: Scholar.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival surveyor whose inaccurate charts keep undercutting yours with authorities - and who has political connections you lack.
Patron: A maritime guild that commissions exclusive charts of dangerous routes and ensures your name appears on the right official maps.

Equipment

• Surveying tools
• Ink & vellum
• Compass
• Measuring chain
• Seal case

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Quick Sketch: Draw a small but accurate map of any area just traversed from memory.
• Geographic Lore: Instantly recall known hazards or notable landmarks in a region you've studied or traveled.
• Landmark Eye: Detect subtle signs of old borders or hidden marker stones that reveal historical or political boundaries.

Adept

• Secret Trail: Plot an off-road path to bypass major threats or tolls, saving time or avoiding patrols. Takes ten minutes to plot. Once per region.
• Magnetic Sense: Rarely lose direction, even underground or amidst magical distortions, as if you feel an internal compass.
• Map Projection: Conjure a faint illusory map in the air from your sketches, helping allies plan routes or spot vantage points. Lasts one scene; requires your actual map.

Master

• Atlas of Myths: Compare real maps with legendary ones, unveiling hidden ruins or paths that official charts omit or deliberately misrepresent. Once per session.
• Remote Survey: By deeply focusing on known geography and triangulating from landmarks, deduce the approximate layout of the next valley or subterranean level. Gives approximate, not precise, results. Once per scene.
• Fault Finder: Examine any map or survey - yours or another's - and immediately identify errors, deliberate omissions, and structural inconsistencies. Once per map reviewed.

Legend

• The Living Chart: Maintain a master map so meticulously cross-referenced and continuously updated that it functions as a strategic intelligence asset - commanders who consult it gain a decisive advantage in any campaign fought across terrain you have charted.
• Hidden Geography: Locate secret passes, forgotten roads, submerged fords, and concealed approaches that have been erased from all other records - routes that can bypass fortifications, avoid armies, or open trade connections others thought impossible.
• Ultima Map: Compose a definitive map of a large region - a kingdom, a mountain range, a coastline - so thoroughly surveyed and cross-referenced that it becomes the authoritative reference for everyone operating in that territory. Navigators, commanders, and traders will pay handsomely for a copy.

Archaeologist

Archaeologists study history and prehistory by analyzing artifacts, architecture, and other physical remains. They excavate and carefully examine sites where historical or cultural objects may be located, and use this information to piece together an understanding of how people lived and interacted in the past. They may also collaborate with other experts in fields such as anthropology and geology to gain a more complete picture of ancient civilizations.

"Digging up dusty bones and relics all day? Weird hobby, but we'd never know our own history without folks like her."

Archaeologist by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Archaeologist

• Rewrite history with a brush and lantern.
• Museum funding and careful crews.
• First pick of relics (ethically catalogued).
• Academic prestige and lecture tours.

• Decipher scripts, give voices to silence.
• Uncover cities swallowed by time.
• Choose stewardship over plunder - temptation and all.
• Hold the past while shaping the future.

Wayfarer - Archaeologist: Play Kit

Cypher Explorer: ancient history and ruin investigation

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: historical lore, appraising, research, perception, antiquarian trade, classical languages

Signature Actions

• Careful Dig
• Context Read
• Label & Store

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Scholar.
Fallback: Scout.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A treasure hunter who follows your published research and loots sites before your team arrives, then sells what you catalogued.
Patron: A museum curator who funds careful excavations, handles export licences, and provides academic legitimacy - and occasionally wants something kept off the record.

Equipment

• Brush set
• Trowel
• Tags
• Lantern
• Canvas bags

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Stratigraphic Eye: By examining walls or floors, approximate the site's era or layered history.
• Dig Tactician: Quickly organize a small team or party to excavate safely, avoiding collapses or typical dig hazards.
• Artifact Resonance: When you tap an ancient relic, sense if it holds latent magic or curses before fully examining it.

Adept

• Guardian Glyph Reading: Recognize typical warding runes or protective scripts in tombs, enabling you to caution allies.
• Hidden Chamber Instinct: Notice subtle architectural tells for concealed rooms, passages, or secret vaults. Requires a moment of study. Once per room.
• Historical Insight: Summarize a ruin's likely culture and purpose from minimal clues (carvings, design motifs).

Master

• Haunting Echo: Briefly see or hear a psychic imprint of past inhabitants in a tomb, gleaning key historical or plot details.
• Relic Emulation: Handle a powerful artifact carefully to temporarily harness a fraction of its magic. The fraction is minor and unpredictable. Once per relic per scene.
• Arcane Sealbreaker: Unravel advanced magical locks or wards given the relevant knowledge or a key artifact. Once per seal.

Legend

• Time-Lost Find: Uncover a relic of epoch-shifting importance (e.g., a staff that controls dragons or a lost civilization's crown).
• Reconstruct the Past: Summon illusions depicting how this ancient site looked or functioned centuries ago, revealing secrets.
• Lost City Revelation: Pinpoint the location of a legendary lost city, ruin, or buried empire that others have only theorised about. You can guide your party there. What they find when they arrive is another matter entirely.

---

Witch

Witches harness their magical expertise and abilities to perform spells, create potions, and connect with supernatural entities. They might provide divination services, heal the ill, cast hexes, or even place curses on adversaries, depending on their unique skills and interests. Witchcraft is fundamentally a magic of reciprocity; any attempt to inflict harm on others will ultimately lead to suffering for the perpetrator as well. Therefore, while witch magic is potent, it must be wielded with care.

Warlock

Warlocks are practitioners of dark magic and are often associated with making deals with demons or other supernatural entities for power. They use spells and potions to cast curses or to summon spirits and other entities. They are often feared and mistrusted by society and can be powerful adversaries to those who oppose them.

"They say he cut a deal with something not of this world. I'd rather not ask the price he paid."

Warlock by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become a Warlock

• Swift ascent through doors others can't open.
• Patron secrets that skip tedious steps.
• Forbidden pathways for bold questions.
• Fear buys a wide berth cheaply.

• Cut through bureaucracy with eldritch backing.
• Unique boons tailored to your hungers.
• Leverage infernal politics against oppressors.
• Rewrite contracts - even your own fate.

Witch - Warlock: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: pact magic and infernal bargaining

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (pact magic), arcane language, persuasion, intimidation, endurance, detecting deception

Signature Actions

• Invoke Boon
• Veil
• Word of Power

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Maker.
Fallback: Controller.

Rival & Patron

Rival: An apothecary guild inspector who considers your laboratory unlicensed and your compounds in violation of several ordinances.
Patron: A collector of rare reagents who trades exotic ingredients for finished compounds and asks no questions about the stranger recipes.

Equipment

• Pact token
• Ritual knife
• Incense
• Ward salts
• Travel cloak

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Hex Tether: Form a slight link to a foe, letting you send mild nightmares or illusions into their mind if they fail an Intellect defense roll. Once per target per scene.
• Eldritch Presence: Create a low-level aura of dread around you, unsettling small animals or lesser foes. Lasts while you concentrate, up to one scene.
• Pact Sense: Sense the presence of other Warlocks or cursed individuals within a medium radius.

Adept

• Eldritch Brand: Inscribe a glowing sigil on a target (ally or enemy) that your Patron can observe or manipulate. One brand at a time; lasts until you remove it.
• Fell Bargain: Borrow a lesser magical effect from your Patron at the cost of minor corruption or a future favor. Once per session; the cost is always real.
• Shadow Servitor: Conjure a small intangible familiar from your Patron's domain to scout or deliver messages. Lasts one scene.

Master

• Devouring Curse: Place a slow-acting curse on an enemy that saps their luck or vitality over several days unless cleansed. Once per target; the curse can be removed by ritual.
• Pact Surge: Channel raw power from your Patron to negate one incoming spell or supernatural effect. Once per scene.
• Forbidden Revelation: Glimpse a cosmic secret that dispels illusions or deception-based magic but afflicts you with short-term disorientation. Once per session.

Legend

• True Pact Ascension: Once per adventure, merge briefly with your Patron's essence, gaining access to a tier of power beyond your normal reach for one scene. When it ends, you owe your Patron a favour whose nature they will name - later.
• Hellish Edict: Once per session, issue a command that lesser fiends or cursed beings cannot disobey unless they succeed on a formidable Intellect defense roll. The command must be specific and achievable within the current scene.
• Stolen Domain: Usurp one of your Patron's active effects in the area - redirect a curse already in motion, claim a bound entity your Patron controls, or seize control of a ritual already in progress and bend it to your own ends.

Alchemist

Alchemists are experts in natural sciences and mystical arts. They use their knowledge of chemistry and metallurgy to create elixirs, tinctures, and other potions with various properties, ranging from healing to poisonous effects. They also believe in the transmutation of the human soul, and thus, they are seeking the Pearl of the Gods, which is said to provide immortality and ultimate knowledge.

"The concoctions she brews smell like something died in there, but they'll cure a fever faster than any doc."

Alchemist by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Alchemist

• Profitable brews and reliable repeat customers.
• Guild labs and safe apparatus.
• Chemical solutions to impossible problems.
• Merchants court your bottled miracles.

• Secret recipes worth guarding with life.
• Legal side-hustles in tonics and inks.
• Experiments that scratch every curiosity.
• Turn base matter - and careers - into gold.

Witch - Alchemist: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: alchemical brewing and transmutation

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: crafting (alchemical compounds), appraising, classical languages, research, esoteries (transmutation), healing

Signature Actions

• Brew
• Stabilise
• Catalyst

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Caster.
Fallback: Controller.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A witch-finder who has assembled a dossier on your pact and its patron and is only waiting for the right moment to act.
Patron: Your pact entity, who assigns tasks and occasionally intercedes on your behalf - always at a price you don't find out about until later.

Equipment

• Alembic kit
• Mortar & pestle
• Stoppered vials
• Gloves
• Mask

Tiers and Abilities

Novice

• Potion Distiller: Brew standard curative or enhancing potions in half the usual time, provided you have basic ingredients.
• Alchemical Trick Bomb: Combine mundane chemicals into a flashbang or smoke bomb for a quick escape or distraction. Once per scene; requires materials on hand.
• Ingredient Infusion: Slightly enhance a simple meal's nutritional or minor healing properties by adding special herbs. Once per meal.

Adept

• Adaptive Mixture: Modify an existing potion on the fly to shift its effect (e.g., from healing to stamina) with a quick skill roll. Once per potion.
• Catalytic Reaction: Trigger a chain reaction in carefully placed chemicals, creating unusual effects (like a sticky web or foul stench cloud). Once per scene; requires prepared chemicals.
• Alchemical Coating: Coat a weapon or armor piece with a short-lived special property (e.g. acid edge, frictionless surface). Lasts one scene.

Master

• Reactive Panacea: Brew a single dose that automatically adapts to cure poisons, curses, or diseases once swallowed. One dose per day.
• Essentia Drain: Extract a magical creature or plant's essence to create a unique, one-off potion with an unusual effect (invisibility, giant strength, etc.). Once per creature or plant; the essence is consumed on use.
• Controlled Transmutation: Temporarily turn a small amount of one substance into another (wood to steel, lead to silver) for a scene.

Legend

• Philosopher's Stone Shard: Craft a lesser fragment of the famed Stone, letting you do partial transmutations or significantly extend a life.
• Elixir of Miracles: Create a single-dose potion with one dramatic but bounded effect - temporary flight, a few hours of shapeshifting, immunity to fire for a scene. Rare ingredients are required, and the effect ends when the dose wears off.
• Grand Synthesis: Conduct an intensive brewing ritual that cures one specific disease or poison currently afflicting a group - up to a settlement's worth of people - given sufficient time and materials. This is the work of days, not moments.

Oracle

Oracles carry a second sight like a candle cupped against the wind. They are sought out when choices grow murky, for their glimpses of what was, what is, or what may yet be. The player chooses the Oracles's conduit - cards laid in a cross, tea leaves swirling in a chipped cup, knuckle bones rattled on worn leather, the slow reading of stars, dream-walks and trances, or rites that court ancestors, spirits, the divine, or whatever else whispers from the veil. The messages may come as symbols, snatches of verse, or a prickle along the skin, and the Oracle need not know their true source - only that something speaks, and they have learned to listen.

"She can see tomorrow's troubles as if they were yesterday's news. Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse."

Oracle by Tillerz using MJ

Why you might become an Oracle

• Deference from rulers who fear blindness.
• Gifts and protections for true insight.
• Steer history with a whisper, not war.
• Cultic shelters and guarded sanctums.

• A network of supplicants and sponsors.
• Safe spaces to trance and scry.
• Visions traded as precious currency.
• Spiritual fulfilment in service to truth.

Witch - Oracle: Play Kit

Cypher Adept: prophecy and foresight counsel

Build Compass

Attributes: Intellect (Edge), Speed, Might
Key Skills to train: esoteries (foresight), arcane language, detecting deception, persuasion, perception, historical lore

Signature Actions

• Augury
• Vision Trance
• Warning

Party Role & Swaps

Default lane: Advisor.
Fallback: Face.

Rival & Patron

Rival: A rival oracle whose contradictory prophecy has sown dangerous confusion at court and made your competing visions a political liability.
Patron: A noble house that retains you as their private seer and protects you from inquisitors - as long as your visions remain useful to them.

Equipment

• Veil or hood
• Divining bowl
• Star charts
• Bell/chime
• Charm cord

Tiers and Abilities

I have seen things: "I HAVE SEEN THINGS! But it's not happening now." - You can delay one bad outcome to some point later in time. You don't know what's coming and when it's coming, but your are safe from it right now. Cannot be used again until the delayed event has been resolved.

Novice

• Destiny Flicker: Glimpse an ally's next serious obstacle, letting you warn them or grant a small boon to avoid it. Once per ally per session.
• Omen Surge: In a tense moment, utter a cryptic prophecy that unnerves enemies (forcing them to make an Intellect defense roll) or inspires allies. Once per encounter.
• Foretelling Glimpse: Peek at a trivial future outcome (like which door leads to a dead end) to make the best small choice. Once per scene.

Adept

• Future Bond: Create a fleeting prophetic link with one ally, granting them a single automatic success on a future action of your choosing - but the window closes at the end of the session.
• Omen of Doom: Lay a spoken curse of ill omen on a target; until your next scene they suffer a penalty on one type of action you specify when you speak the omen.
• Timeless Voice: Reach out to a possible future version of yourself for hints, though the advice is always cryptic and the future it describes may not be the one that comes to pass.

Master

• Fate Lock: Temporarily fix a major event in place so lesser magics or illusions cannot alter it (e.g., preventing illusions from faking someone's death). Once per session. Lasts one scene.
• Prophetic Barrier: Summon ephemeral wards shaped by glimpses of multiple possible futures, negating or redirecting one massive blow or spell directed at you or an ally. Once per session.
• Cascade Warning: Trace a chain of future consequences from a single decision, giving your party a clear picture of likely outcomes before they act - once per session.

Legend

• Reroute: You have seen a specific event coming - a death, a betrayal, a catastrophe - and now you intervene at the precise moment of its unfolding. Once, redirect one foreseen event onto a different path: the blade finds a different target, the fire takes a different building, the words are spoken to a different ear. The future still demands a price for the change, but you choose where that debt falls.
• Blind God's Whisper: Once per session, access an otherworldly entity's knowledge that can reveal cataclysmic truths or a hidden path relevant to current events. The information comes in the form of a vision.
• The Grand Prophecy: Pronounce a specific prophecy about one person or event that becomes self-fulfilling - the named fate locks in, for good or ill, and cannot be easily deflected. Choose carefully: the target will know a prophecy has been laid, even if they do not know its content. The prophecy can fulfil itself in unexpected ways.