Additional Rules & New Options for Revised MAZES & MINOTAURS

Legendary Games Studio

2012 Silver Jubilee Edition – Updated & Augmented!

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MAZES & minotaurs
THE ROLEPLAYING GAME OF HEROIC ADVENTURE IN THE MYTHIC AGE

Foreword Table of Contents

The book you are about to read could be described
as “the fourth book of the trilogy”. Whereas the three I: CHARACTER OPTIONS
Revised Mazes & Minotaurs rulebooks previously
Background Talents 3
published by Legendary Games Studio (the Players
Manual, the Maze Masters Guide and the Creature Alternate Soldier Classes 5
Compendium), gave you all the rules needed to play Alternate Amazon Class 6
countless perilous expeditions and heroic quests,
the Mazes & Minotaurs Companion is a collection of II: DIVINE AGENTS
optional rules on a wide variety of topics.
Divine Favor 8
‘Optional’ is the key word here: each Maze Master is Becoming an Agent 8
free to decide which of these rules they want to use
in their M&M games; like all other books and Divine Boons 8
modules published by Legendary Games Studio, Obedience & Reprisals 9
the Companion is a fully official M&M product, but Divine Agent Profiles 9
‘fully official’ does not mean ‘mandatory’.

In keeping with the spirit of the Revised edition,

III: COMBAT OPTIONS
most of these optional rules are streamlined or New Tactics & Techniques 14
(sometimes heavily) reworked versions of rules that Unarmed Combat Options 16
first appeared in original, pre-Revision supplements
(like the venerable Men & Monsters and Myth & Homeric Combat 17
Magic or the more recent Unveiled Addenda) or in Armor & Weapon Options 18
the columns of Griffin but this book also includes Chariots 20
100% new, never-before published material.

Many of these options take the Mazes & Minotaurs IV: MAGIC OPTIONS
rules “beyond the labyrinth”, expanding the horizon Beastmasters 21
of the game into new directions and territories, such Shapeshifters 24
as military campaigning, divine power plays, court
intrigue or even romantic interludes, illustrating the Light & Darkness 27
endless possibilities offered by roleplaying games in
general and Mazes & Minotaurs in particular. V: RELIGIOUS OPTIONS
Acolytes 29
Let the Odysseys begin – over and over again!
Ritual Sacrifices 29
Olivier Legrand, Winter 1987 Cult of Cybele 30
Credits Cult of Dionysos 31
Cult of Mithras 31
Editor / Reviser: Olivier Legrand Druidic Faith 32
Contributors: Luigi Castellani, Paul Elliott, Olivier
Legrand, John Marron, Erik Sieurin. VI: MISCELLANEOUS RULES
Proofreading: Matthew Rees, Herman Schleck. Traps 34
Cover Art: © Luigi Castellani (d’après J.A. Lee) Curing Poison 36

Interior Art: Diverse Hands, including the ancient Influencing NPCs 37

master John Flaxman (1755-1826) and the talented Taming Beasts & Monsters 39
Squire & Mars feminine duo. Expert NPCs 41
Some illustrations © copyright Clipart.com Philosophers 42
Special Thanks to Joseph C. Wolf & David Jenkins
and, of course, Luke G. Reynard. Additional (and Appendix: WARFARE RULES
anachronistic) thanks to the Faithful Hoplites of the A Mass Combat System for M&M! 43
M&M Yahoo newsgroup (too many to list here, sorry
guys!) for their ideas, dedication and loyal support
when things got tough. Minotaurian salute to all!

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I: CHARACTER OPTIONS
Background Talents
In addition to their attributes and class abilities,
M&M characters may be given background talents
to reflect their upbringing and prior experience.

Background talents add an extra touch of life to a

character’s personal history as well as an element
of diversity to the composition of any adventuring
group, since two characters with the same class
may have very different background talents.

Since they represent a character’s education and

pre-adventuring life, background talents can only be Many Centaurs have the Musician background talent
chosen at character creation. With the exception of
Nymphs (see below), each character receives two Sorcerer: All Sorcerers automatically have the
background talents, which must be chosen by the Scholar talent, plus a second talent chosen among
player according to the character’s class: Actor, Healer, Musician and Orator.

Amazon: Choose two talents among Armorer, Spearman: Choose two talents among Armorer,
Beastmaster, Equestrian, Healer, Mountaineer and Equestrian, Healer, Musician, Orator, Sailor,
Wrestler. Tactician and Wrestler.

Barbarian: Choose two talents among Armorer, Thief: Choose two talents among Acrobat, Actor,
Beastmaster, Equestrian, Mountaineer, Woodsman Healer, Musician and Orator.
and Wrestler.

Centaur: Choose two talents among Bowyer,

Healer, Musician, Orator and Wrestler. Example of Talent Selection
Elementalist: Choose two talents among Orator Remember our old friend Pyros the Spearman?
(any), Scholar (any), Armorer (fire), Healer (earth or
water), Mountaineer (earth) and Sailor (water or air). As a trained professional soldier from the Land of
the Three Cities, Pyros has a very broad choice for
his two background talents. His player selects the
Hunter: Choose two talents among Beastmaster,
Tactician and Wrestler talents, making Pyros a
Bowyer, Healer, Mountaineer and Woodsman. decidedly athletic and martial fellow.

Lyrist: All Lyrists automatically have the Musician As a further illustration of how background talents
and Orator talents. may help define a character’s education and prior
experience, we shall also determine the talents of
Noble: Choose two among Equestrian, Musician, Pyros’ companions of adventure, as shown on p 5
Orator, Sailor, Scholar, Tactician and Wrestler. of the Players Manual:

Nymph: All Nymphs have the Musician talent but no Lythia the Huntress is a strong-willed, self-reliant
forester, making Woodsman a mandatory choice.
other talent, since they never received anything
Lythia’s player selects Healing as a second talent,
resembling an education or apprenticeship. This is
making her a very valuable asset for the party.
counterbalanced by their affinity with their natural
milieu (see Players Manual). Also remember that Faros the Noble is a heroic (but somewhat
Nymphs never get old, so please stop complaining. overconfident) Noble from the city of Thena. His
player selects the Orator and Tactician talents to
Priest: A Priest’s choice of talents varies according reflect Faros’ typical aristocratic education.
to his deity. Choose two talents among Armorer
(Hephaestus), Beastmaster (Artemis), Bowyer Xenon the Elementalist likes to play the part of
(Apollo, Artemis), Healer (Apollo, Hermes and all the mysterious and charismatic magician: the
Goddesses), Musician (Apollo and all Goddesses), Orator and Scholar talents seem natural choices
Navigator (Poseidon), Orator (all deities), Scholar for such a character.
(Apollo, Zeus, Athena) and Tactician (Ares, Athena).

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Talents in Play Mountaineer: Characters with this talent are
advantaged on all their climbing rolls as well as on
Most talents are directly tied to a specific type of Danger Evasion rolls made to avoid or detect
D20 roll commonly used in M&M adventures. When natural perils of the mountainous milieu
a character is advantaged on a D20 roll by one of (treacherous paths, avalanches etc).
his talents, two D20s are rolled instead of one and
the higher roll is kept as the result. Musician: Characters with this talent know how to
play an instrument (usually the lyre or flute); they
Some talents may also give a character extensive are also able to compose tunes and to sing in an
knowledge in one or even several fields of study. attractive manner.
The precise benefits of this knowledge in game
terms are left to the Maze Master’s discretion and Orator: Characters with this talent are advantaged
will have to be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. on all their persuasion rolls (see chapter VI) when
making public speeches, using rhetorics etc.
As a general rule, such knowledge talents should
seldom be used in conjunction with dice rolls. The Sailor: Characters with this talent are advantaged
easiest way to use them during the game is simply on all their Danger Evasion rolls made while sailing
to give additional (or more accurate) information to as well as on all their swimming rolls.
the player, reflecting his character’s knowledge.
Scholar: Characters with this talent have extensive
knowledge in many fields of study - flora, fauna,
List of Talents history, geography, astronomy, philosophy etc. They
also know two extra languages.
Acrobat Equestrian Sailor
Actor Healer Scholar Tactician: Characters with this talent are trained in
strategy, battle tactics, siegecraft and other military
Armorer Mountaineer Tactician arts. This will advantage them in various ways when
Beastmaster Musician Woodsman preparing military operations; it may also be used
with the mass combat rules given in chapter III.
Bowyer Orator Wrestler
Woodsman: Characters with this background talent
are advantaged on all their Danger Evasion rolls
Description of Talents (including all detection and stealth rolls) made while
operating in woodland or forest environment.
Acrobat: Characters with the Acrobat talent are
advantaged on all their climbing rolls and other feats Wrestler: Characters with this background talent
of balance or agility requiring Athletic Prowess rolls. are advantaged on all their wrestling attacks made
against humans and other medium-sized opponents
Actor: Characters with this talent are skilled at as well as on their rolls to break free from such
feigning emotions and impersonating others. In opponents’ grappling holds.
game terms, they are advantaged on all their
deception rolls (see Influencing NPCs, chapter VI).

Armorer: Characters with this talent know how to

make and repair metal weapons, shields, helmets
and breastplates.

Beastmaster: Characters with this talent are

advantaged when rolling to tame an animal by craft
(see Taming Beasts & Monsters, chapter VI).

Bowyer: Characters with this talent know how to

make and repair bows (as well as arrows).

Equestrian: Characters with this talent are

advantaged on all their Danger Evasion rolls while
riding or driving a chariot. This also applies to their
horses’ own Danger Evasion rolls.

Healer: Characters with this talent have knowledge

of basic medical techniques and remedies which
allow them to perform simple surgery, deliver babies
and (occasionally) speed a patient’s recovery.
Wounded individuals who recover under the
attention of a character with this talent are
advantaged on their weekly Physical Vigor roll. Practicing the Wrestler background talent

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Alternate Soldier Classes
This section presents two optional new military
classes: Cavalrymen and Archers. Both are more
specialized (and thus less versatile) than the
standard M&M classes and will probably be more at
home in a military-oriented campaign than in a
series of epic quests and adventurous odysseys.

ARCHERS
Archers are elite, military-trained bowmen.

Category: Specialists.

Primary Attributes: Skill and Wits

Gender: Male only.

Basic Hits = 10

Marksmanship: Archers add their Skill bonus to A proud Cavalryman and his equally proud battle horse
their damage roll when using bows.

Quick Aim: Archers add their Wits bonus to their CAVALRYMEN

Initiative when using their bow.
Cavalrymen are elite equestrian fighters, with expert
Weapon of Choice: All Archers must (obviously) training in mounted combat and horsemanship.
take the bow as their weapon of choice.
Category: Warriors.
Level Benefits: Each level beyond the first gives an
Archer +2 Hits, +1 to Luck and +2 to Will, Wits or Primary Attributes: Skill and Will
Skill (player’s choice).
Gender: Male only.
Possessions: Bow, quiver of 24 arrows, dagger,
Basic Hits = 12
sword, helmet and breastplate. Their starting wealth
is equal to 3D6 x 5 silver pieces. Mounted Combat: A Cavalryman adds his Skill
Background Talents: All Archers have the Bowyer bonus to his Initiative and to his melee Defense
Class when fighting on horseback.
talent, plus a second talent chosen from Equestrian,
Mountaineer, Woodsman, Sailor or Tactician. Horsemanship: Cavalrymen add their Will bonus to
Patron Deities: Most Archers follow Apollo. all the Danger Evasion rolls they make while riding
as well as to their mount’s own Evasion rolls.
Advancement: Archers gain Experience by killing
Weapon of Choice: Cavalrymen usually select the
enemies and creatures with their bow; these awards
sword or the spear as their weapon of choice.
are calculated as per the usual Glory awards but are
doubled for Archers. Killing opponents in melee Level Benefits: Each level beyond the first gives a
combat does not bring any Experience to an Archer. Cavalryman +4 Hits, +1 to Luck and +2 to Might,
Reputation Effect: None. Will or Skill (player’s choice).

Possessions: Sword, spear, dagger, breastplate,

shield and helmet, a good battle-trained horse. Their
starting wealth is equal to 3D6 x 10 silver pieces.

Background Talents: All Cavalrymen have the

Equestrian talent, plus a second talent chosen from
Armorer, Healer or Tactician.

Patron Deities: Most Cavalrymen follow Ares.

Advancement: As other warriors.

Reputation Effect: Military Comradeship.

Battle Horse: All player-characters Cavalrymen are

allowed to start the game with a battle horse of
exceptional quality, with the usual characteristics of
Horses (see Creature Compendium, p 58), plus the
Archer in action! Uncanny Agility special ability.

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Alternate Amazon Class
This section details an alternate version of the
Amazon class, originally published in the Minotaur
webzine. This variant may be used either in place of
or in addition to the standard version of the class
detailed in the Players Manual, which (to quote the
original article) “modern-day female gamers may
find a bit too reminiscent of the sexist clichés often
associated with warrior women in fantasy”.

The standard version of the class has Grace and

Skill as its primary attributes and gives the character
a Skill-based damage bonus when using bows and
a Grace-based damage bonus in melee – which
cannot be combined with the protective bonus of a
breastplate. This alternate version uses Skill and
Will (instead of Grace) as its primary attributes and
allows the character to apply her special abilities
either to melee or missile combat (depending on her
weapon of choice), making the class more flexible
and giving Amazons who do not want to be elite
archers the possibility to be as deadly in melee as
Barbarians or Spearmen. These alternate Amazons,
however, do not benefit from any special defensive
bonus and are thus have no reason to disdain the
extra protection granted by breastplates.

As mentioned above, this alternate class may be

used either as a replacement for the standard class A proud, fearless, liberated Amazon warrior
or as a “new breed” of Amazon warriors. In this
case, the two different versions of the class should
be interpreted as representative of the two patron Variant Class Profile
goddesses of Amazons, Artemis and Athena. The
classic Amazon, with her focus on archery and
willowy Grace, is clearly reminiscent of the goddess AMAZONS
of the hunt and should thus be equated with the
traditionalist “Artemisian” faction of Amazon society, Amazons are female warriors, known for their
while the defining traits of the alternate Amazon (an fearlessness and deadly skill in battle.
emphasis on self-discipline as reflected by Will, a
wider choice of combat skills and no special armor Primary Attributes: Skill and Will
restriction) make it far closer to the archetype of
Athena and should logically represent the more Gender: All Amazons are female.
modern “Athenian” faction of Amazon society.
Basic Hits: 12

Deadly Skill: An Amazon adds her Skill mod to

damage rolls when using her weapon of choice.

Quick Strike: An Amazon adds her Will mod to

her Initiative when using their weapon of choice.

Weapon of Choice: Amazons may favor either

a melee weapon (sword or spear) or a missile
weapon (bow or javelin).

Level Benefits: Each level beyond the first

gives an Amazon +4 Hits, +1 to Luck and +2 to
another attribute score, chosen by the player.

Possessions: Amazons start with a dagger, a

sword or spear, a shield, a bow and 12 arrows,
and a starting wealth of 3D6 x 5 silver pieces.
One of the first things they do when they get
rich enough is to buy a breastplate and helmet.
The New Amazon: a true warrior woman

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 2007 Edition Notes & Comments

It’s All Optional

It was a way of telling players and Maze Masters:
th
Welcome to the 20 anniversary facsimile edition of Hey, this is only a game and these rules are only
the Mazes & Minotaurs Companion, often referred tools for you to use, not the bloody Constitution,
to as “the fourth book of the trilogy”. Bible, Qûran or Little Red Book. Feel free to
interpret them, modify them, expand them as you
Unlike the three core books of the Revised rules like. Have fun (and get a life, too).
(the Players Manual, the Maze Masters Guide and
the Creature Compendium), the Companion was Sure, this declaration might seem pretty timid by
ENTIRELY composed of optional rules. today’s standards (and I’ll say nothing about
Gaming Theory here) but back in those days, it
The persistence with which the authors of this really struck a blow for tabletop freedom. Now you
venerable tome constantly remind their readers that know what those weird older gamers refer to when
“all of this is strictly optional” might appear a bit they talk about the “spirit of 87”.
surprising by today’s standards: in our enlightened
st
21 century, Maze Masters (or game masters in First Reactions
general for that matter) have long taken the healthy
habit of tweaking and customizing game mechanics But let’s get back to the book itself - and let’s start
according to their own gaming tastes… with the beautiful, full-color cover art by Luigi
Castellani. Like pretty much everything related to
But back in 1987, terms like “strictly official”, Mazes & Minotaurs, this picture had its fervent
“completely noncanon” and “house rules” (not to supporters and its detractors.
mention the ubiquitous “simple question of common
sense” or the dreaded “semi-official clarification”) I will always remember the reaction of M&M guru
could easily turn what had begun as a friendly Luke G. Reynards (yes, the Twists in the Maze guy)
evening of heroic gaming into a four-hour long when he first saw the Companion cover: “Wow.
session of heated squabbling about Maze Master’s Feels like the Virgin Mary is sooo going to kick your
fairness, game balance, mythic realism and various ass.” He was, of course, referring to the blue-robed
other cryptic concepts. priestess of Athena.
Back in those days, the Letters page of Griffin Most of the various Character Options presented in
magazine was regularly invaded by recurring and the first chapter proved very popular with players
passionate controversies about fascinating topics and Maze Masters alike – especially Background
such as the real effects of combat fatigue, the time it Talents, which added variety to characters “without
actually takes to draw a sword from its scabbard grafting a Glyphquest-like fully-fledged skill system
with an arrow in your arm, how magic was really on good old M&M”. Of course, you could always find
supposed to work and, of course, cubic feet. people who were completely unhappy with
everything (“And you call THIS a skill system?”).
By the middle of the 80s, the term “rule lawyer”
began to appear; conventions, magazines and even As for the Alternate Amazon, she was cheered by
local gaming shops were regularly plagued by self- many female gamers (and a few progressive male
proclaimed M&M experts who had apparently more ones) as “a welcome and long-overdue break from
fun lecturing other people on How the Game Should tired fantasy clichés” – see the original article in
be Played than actually playing it. Minotaur n°3 for the full rhetorical treatment.

The Gaming Inquisition Revised or Recycled?

These people became quickly known as “the As noted in the Introduction, a good proportion of
Gaming Inquisition” and the words “Ah ah! Nobody the material included in the Companion had already
expects the gaming inquisition!” became a popular been published in supplements for the original M&M
catchphrase around gaming tables. rules (such as the memorable Unveiled Addenda) or
in the pages of the Griffin magazine;
Worst of all, the Gaming Inquisition had its own
arch-enemies, who were easily as fanatical and This is why some detractors of Mazes & Minotaurs
boring: the so-called “Revisionists” whose only goal (most of whom were ex-Wargamist contributors)
in life was to inflict on anyone even remotely used to talk about Recycled (and not Revised)
interested in M&M lengthy diatribes about Why and M&M. But such crude sarcasms were a bit unfair,
How This Particular Rule Should be Changed. since most of this previously-published material had
been thoroughly Revised (and not simply Recycled).
Within such a heated context, the whole “strictly
optional” mantra of the M&M Companion resounded And now it’s time to Go Mythical…
as a declaration of gaming freedom.

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II: DIVINE AGENTS
Divine Favor
All M&M player-characters are assumed to enjoy
some degree of favor from the gods in general and
from their patron deity in particular.

In game terms, this form of divine attention is

reflected by the character’s Luck and by the fact that
all characters increase their Luck as they gain new
levels: thus, the more Glory, Wisdom or Experience
a character accumulates, the more attention and
protection he will receive from their patron deity.

Deities may grant even more spectacular privileges

to a chosen few among their many devotees and
protégés. These very rare individuals, who act as
their patron deity’s champions and troubleshooters
in the mortal world, may be called by a variety of
titles, such Herald of Apollo, Champion of Athena,
Warlord of Ares or Chosen of Aphrodite; in game
terms, they are collectively known as Divine Agents.

The following rules detail the various requirements,

special benefits and obligations associated with the
status of Divine Agent.

Like everything else in the M&M Companion, these

rules are entirely optional and should probably not
be used in M&M campaigns which do not place a
major emphasis on the various conflicts and power
plays of the Olympian deities.

Hello, I’m looking for a brave and noble champion…

Becoming an Agent
A player-character can only become a divine agent Divine Boons
if the player and the Maze Master (who rules over
all divine decisions) agree on this choice. The special benefits granted by a god to his agents
are called divine boons. A character receives three
The character must also have a score of at least 18 such divine boons as soon as he becomes a Divine
in Luck AND in another attribute, which varies Agent. In addition, he will also receive one extra
according to each deity’s personality and sphere of divine boon at each new level he gains thereafter.
influence (see below).
Thus, a character who is made an Agent at level 4
These very strict requirements mean that only a few will receive three boons at level 4, another one at
exceptionally gifted characters may start the game level 5 and a last one at level 6.
as divine agents; most adventurers will have to
reach higher levels before they can bring their Although they are granted by the deity, divine boons
scores to 18 and attract their deity’s closer attention. are chosen by the agent’s player. There are three
different types of divine boons: Mythic Attributes,
If all these conditions are met, the deity will appear Divine Calls and Mythic Items.
to the character at a suitable time and let him know
he has been chosen as a new divine agent. This
usually occurs when the character reaches the level Mythic Attributes
which allows him to meet the attribute requirements.
This boon allows the agent to add 2 to one of the
Once the divine agent status has been conferred to attributes favored by his patron deity, up to the
a character, there is no turning back: this is a life- supreme score of 21 - even if it is NOT one of the
long commitment and agents who abandon their primary attributes of the character’s class. This boon
sacred duties are sure to provoke their patron’s can only be taken once for each attribute favored by
divine anger – but more on this later. the deity (see below).

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Divine Call
This divine boon allows him to call a single Divine
Intervention as per the level 6 Divine Prodigy,
except that it costs no Power points to use and
works automatically.

This boon can be chosen several times, since each

Divine Call only guarantees ONE answer.

Unlike the Divine Intervention prodigy, Divine Calls

can even be sent by unconscious or dying Agents,
in which case the help received will often take the
form of a life-saving deus ex machina.

Remember that gods do not always intervene in

person; they often prefer to act in disguise or
through spectacular manifestations of their power
over nature, which might also be interpreted as
natural phenomenons (especially in the case of
gods such as Zeus or Poseidon).

Mythic Items Agents should always think twice before

provoking their patron’s divine anger
The deity gives a mythic item to the character. The
item will be chosen by the Maze Master among the
items associated with the deity, as detailed below. Obedience & Reprisals
This boon can be taken multiple times, granting the
character a different item each time. As can be seen, being a divine agent confers many
powerful benefits - but as one great sage once said:
Deities can only give mythic items which are with great power comes great responsibility… and
associated with their name or sphere of influence. divine agents have the greatest responsibilities of
Each deity is given a list of typical mythic items (see all. In game terms, these great responsibilities are
below) but this list is by no means limitative ; the reflected by the agent’s sacred mission (see below).
Maze Master remains the final arbiter on this matter.
Even more than other characters, divine agents are
As a general rule, two types of mythic items are expected to show an irreproachable degree of zeal
never granted as divine boons: items with a limited and obedience in the service of their patron deity.
number of uses such as potions (which are too
ephemeral to qualify as proper boons) and, of Whenever an agent causes the wrath of his deity by
course, Unique Artifacts, which can only be gained his decisions or actions, he permanently loses one
as the result of epic quests and odysseys. of his boons – be it a Mythic Attribute, a Mythic Item
or unused Divine Calls. This choice is made by the
Maze Master, playing the role of the deity.
Conditional Boons
If the character has already lost all his boons, he
In some situations, deities may send characters who suffers a permanent divine curse which reduces his
are not (or not yet) their appointed Agents on quests Luck score by 2D6 (down to a minimum of 1).
or other perilous missions, even if the characters do
not meet the requirements of Divine Agent status. On the other hand, an ex-agent is freed from all his
This often occurs in desperate times, when the obligations toward his ex-patron deity. If he ever
player-characters happen to be the only or the most does anything that should cause the deity’s anger,
suitable champions available on short notice. however, he will immediately suffer XD6 of damage,
where X equals his own level. That’s what you get
In such cases, each character chosen by the deity for being an ungrateful and stubborn mortal.
will be granted a single Mythic Item (selected by the
Maze Master rather than by the player). If the quest
or task is fulfilled, the character will be allowed to Divine Agent Profiles
keep the boon; if, on the other hand, the character
fails, the deity will take back its gift. This section gives a general profile for the agents of
the 12 major deities, using the following format:
This particular approach might even be used in
campaigns which do not feature full-time Divine Preferred Classes: The characters most likely to
Agents, allowing characters to become “occasional be chosen as agents by the deity. As implied by the
agents” of the gods without attaching their entire life term “preferred”, exceptions are always possible, as
and destiny to the service of a deity. long as the attribute requirements are met. “Priest”
or “Priestess” always refers to the deity’s own.

9
Requirements: This gives the minimum attribute Agents of Apollo
scores required to become the deity’s agent.
Preferred Classes: Centaur, Hunter, Lyrist, Noble,
Sacred Mission: The character’s general duties Nymph, Priest, Light Elementalist (see chapter III).
and responsibilities as a divine agent.
Requirements: 18+ in Luck and in one other score
Favored Attributes: The attributes which can chosen among Skill, Wits and Grace.
benefit from a Mythic Attribute boon (see above).
Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Apollo must
Mythic Items: Examples of items which may be protect and defend his sacred sites, his priests, his
given by the deity as divine boons. These lists are devotees and his various protégés, which include
by no means exhaustive and may be expanded by most lyrists and oracles. They must also help to
Maze Masters to include additional items. spread the worship of their divine patron (even in a
Special Restrictions: Each god or goddess has a purely solar, abstract form) throughout the world.
special restriction regarding the divine boons it may Favored Attributes: Grace, Skill and Wits.
grant to its agents. This restriction usually reflects
the deity’s personality and attitudes toward mortals. Mythic Items: Bow of Apollo, Breastplate of Apollo,
Spear of Defense, Spear of Striking, Staff of Light,
Harp of Poetic Insight.
Agents of Aphrodite
Special Restrictions: Apollo prefers his agents to
Preferred Classes: Noble, Lyrist, Priestess.
be truly exceptional individuals. For this reason, the
Requirements: 18+ in Luck and Grace. first three divine boons granted to an agent of Apollo
must include at least one Mythic Attribute.
Sacred Mission: Agents of Aphrodite must protect
and defend her priestesses, devotees and sacred Agents of Ares
sites. Aphrodite also has a tendency to embroil her
agents in her games of divine intrigue, especially if Preferred Classes: Barbarian, Noble, Spearman.
agents of other deities are also involved.
Requirements: 18+ in Luck and Might.
Favored Attributes: Grace, Luck and Wits.
Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Ares must
Mythic Items: Aegis, Dagger of Aphrodite, Amulet protect and defend his sacred sites, his priests and
of Aphrodite, Tunic of Fortune. his devotees. From time to time, Ares may also
command them to actively participate in wars – or
Special Restrictions: Aphrodite loves to intervene
even to contribute to their outbreak.
in the affairs of mortals. For this reason, the first
three divine boons granted to an agent of Aphrodite Favored Attributes: Might, Skill and Will.
must include at least one Divine Call.
Mythic Items: Breastplate of Ares, Helmet of Ares,
Spear of Striking, Sword of Ares.

Special Restrictions: Ares despises those who call

for help. For this reason, the god of war never
grants Divine Calls to his divine agents.

Agents of Artemis
Preferred Classes: Amazon, Centaur, Hunter,
Noble, Nymph (Dryad), Priestess.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and in one other score

chosen among Skill, Wits or Grace

Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Artemis must

protect and defend their goddess’ sacred sites, her
priestesses, devotees and various protégés, which
include most dryads, wild beasts and various forest
Folks such as Acteons, Sylvans and Bee-Folk.

Favored Attributes: Grace, Skill and Wits.

Mythic Items: Bow of Artemis, Quiver of Artemis,

Amulet of Artemis, Girdle of Protection, Tunic of
Fortune, Bridle of Taming, Flute of the Shepherd.

Special Restrictions: The first three divine boons

granted to an agent of Artemis must include at least
A Huntress Agent of Artemis with her loyal companion one Mythic Item and one Mythic Attribute.

10
 Agents of Demeter
Preferred Classes: Nymph (Napaea or Helead),
Priestess. Agents of Demeter are always females.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and Will.

Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Demeter must

protect her sacred sites, priestesses and devotees
(which include many peasants and country folks).

Favored Attributes: Wits and Will.

Mythic Items: Caduceus, Staff of Earth, Amulet of

Health, Amulet of Protection, Ring of Good Fortune,
Tunic of Fortune, Flute of the Shepherd.

Special Restrictions: Demeter rarely intervenes in

mortal affairs. The first three boons she grants
cannot include more than one Divine Call.

Agents of Hephaestus
Preferred Classes: Barbarian, Priest. Male
Elementalists specialized in Earth and Fire may also
be considered if nobody else is available.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and either Might or Will.

Sacred Mission: Agents of Hephaestus must

protect and defend his sacred sites, his priests and
his devotees (which include most blacksmiths) ; he
must also help the various races placed under the
smith-god’s protection (such as Lesser Cyclops).

Favored Attributes: Might and Will.

Mythic Items: Aegis, Weapons of Hephaestus.

Special Restrictions: Hephaestus does not usually

meddle in the affairs of mortals. For this reason, he
never grants Divine Calls to his divine agents. In
addition, the agent’s first three divine boons must
A valorous and charismatic Agent of Athena
include at least one Mythic Item.

Agents of Hera
Agents of Athena
Preferred Classes: Noble, Priestess.
Preferred Classes: Amazon, Noble, Priestess,
Spearman. Requirements: 18+ in Luck and in one other score
chosen among Wits, Will and Grace.
Requirements: 18+ in Luck and in one other score
chosen among Skill, Wits and Will. Sacred Mission: Agents of Hera must protect and
defend her sacred sites, her priestesses and her
Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Athena must devotees. Their patron goddess will also regularly
protect and defend her sacred sites, her priestesses command them to interfere with her husband’s own
and her devotees. They must also help to spread affairs and intrigues in the mortal world…
civilization, peace and wisdom throughout the world.
Favored Attributes: Will, Wits, Luck and Grace.
Favored Attributes: Skill, Will and Wits.
Mythic Items: Aegis, Sword of Ruse, Amulet or
Mythic Items: Aegis, Helmet of Athena, Spear of Girdle of Protection, Ring of Invisibility, Cloak of
Athena, Spear of Defense. Concealment, Tunic of Fortune.
Special Restrictions: Athena is a goddess of Special Restrictions: Hera loves to intervene in
protection and personal excellence: the first three mortal affairs and watch her protégés closely. For
boons she grants to an agent must always include this reason, the first three divine boons given to an
at least one Mythic Attribute or one Mythic Item. agent of Hera must include at least one Divine Call.

11
 Agents of Poseidon
Preferred Classes: Noble, Nymph (Nereid), Priest.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and either Might or Will.

Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Poseidon must

protect and defend his sacred sites, his priests and
his devotees (which include various undersea folks
such as Dolphins, Tritons, Mermaids, Nereids etc).

Favored Attributes: Might and Will.

Mythic Items: Trident of Fury (same properties as a

Spear of Striking), Amulet of the Merfolk, Amulet of
the Nereids.

Special Restrictions: Poseidon does not like to be

disturbed from his undersea realm but has been
known to intervene at the request of his champions ;
Sandals of Speed and Caduceus for this reason, the first three boons granted to his
A typical mythic panoply for Agents of Hermes agents cannot include more than one Divine Call.

Agents of Hermes Agents of Zeus

Preferred Classes: Priest, Sorcerer, Thief. Preferred Classes: Noble, Nymph (Oread), Priest.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and Wits. Requirements: 18+ in Luck and in any other
attribute (Zeus has eclectic tastes).
Sacred Mission: Agents of Hermes must protect
and defend his sacred sites, his priests and his Sacred Mission: Agents of Zeus must protect and
numerous devotees (which include many traders, defend his sacred sites, priests and many devotees.
merchants and travellers) ; they must also help to They must also do everything in their power to battle
expand and develop the practice of peaceful trade creatures of Chaos and other enemies of Olympus.
between cities and nations. From time to time, Zeus will also command them to
intervene in the affairs of kings and other powerful
Favored Attributes: Wits, Luck and Grace. mortals or in his own games of intrigue against the
agents of his spouse Hera.
Mythic Items: Ring of Good Fortune, Sandals of
Hermes (especially that), Caduceus. Favored Attributes: Might, Will, Luck and Wits.
Special Restrictions: Hermes loves his agents to Mythic Items: Aegis, Lightning Bolt, Sword of Ruse,
have visible tokens of their divine responsibilities; Staff of Light, Wand of Air, Amulet of Protection,
for this reason, the first three boons granted to an Ring of Fortune, Ring of Invisibility.
agent of Hermes always include at least one Mythic
Item (especially a Caduceus or Sandals of Hermes). Special Restrictions: As the supreme ruler of all
gods, Zeus places no special restriction on the
boons he grants to his agents.
Agents of Hestia
Preferred Classes: Priestess. Hestia never uses
any other character class as her divine agents.

Requirements: 18+ in Luck and Will.

Sacred Mission: Divine agents of Hestia must

protect and defend her sacred sites, her priesteses
and her numerous devotees.

Favored Attributes: Will and Grace.

Mythic Items: Caduceus, Amulet of Health, Amulet

of Protection, Ring of Fortune, Tunic of Fortune.

Special Restrictions: A goddess of modesty and

domestic life, Hestia only selects her divine agents
from the ranks of her own Priestesses.
What? Another call for divine assistance? Again?

12
 2007 Edition Comments

From Four Styles to Three Schools

By the end of the 80s, these various combinations
laid the foundations for the three “schools of
thought” that would dominate much of the 1990s:

Mazists (who mainly saw M&M as a game of good

old cavern-crawling and monster-slaying) tended to
favor Standard or Heroic campaigns,

Mythists (who wanted to “go back to the

mythological roots of the game”) were clearly in
favor of the Mythic approach (or “mythic paradigm”
to use typical Mythist jargon)

…and Modernists (who were aplty described by a

Californian friend of mine as “the cosmic children of
Ray Harryhausen and that British guy who wrote
this War of the Kings trilogy” – he was, of course,
referring to the world-famous J.R.R Tarquin, but Jim
had a bad memory when it came to literature) were
strong proponents of the Full Monty / Mytho-Heroic /
Anything Goes philosophy.

The Coming of Mithras

The Divine Agents rules also played a major role in
Here Come the Agents! the birth of the notorious “Mithraic Heresy”, which
created yet another take on the M&M universe (and
Remember the great Mazist / Mythist / Modernist caused yet more uproar, dissent and division among
schism of the 90s? Well, it’s an uncontested fact the M&M community (not to mention terrible
among hobby historians that it all started with the moments of metaphysical doubts).
Companion – and their Divine Agents rules.
But that little piece of gaming history is a whole
The concept of “divine boons” was first introduced in story in itself – see p 28 for more details…
the 1973 Myth & Magic supplement but many of its
specific features had been made obsolete by the
new Revised rules, which no longer used Faith as
an attribute and allowed characters to improve their
attribute scores as the regular form of personal
advancement, something which could only be done
with divine boons in the Original M&M rules.

All this to say that the Divine Agents rules had been
much awaited and were generally welcomed by the
M&M community at large.

From Two Options to Four Styles

One interesting aspect of these rules is the way they
interacted with the Homeric Combat options (see
next chapter) to create four different combinations
which eventually evolved into four styles of play,
each with its own jargon nomenclature: Standard
campaigns used neither option, while campaigns
which used either Homeric Combat or Divine Agents
(but not both) were respectively called Heroic and
Mythic. Campaigns which combined both options
(by far the most frequent choice) were known by a
variety of weird appellations, such as Hero-Mythic,
Mytho-Heroic or Full Monty.

13
III: COMBAT OPTIONS
Double Attack
Characters are normally limited to a single melee
attack per battle round but warriors (and only them)
may try to ‘split’ their attacks between two different
opponents engaged in melee during the same battle
round. This requires a Melee modifier of at least +4.

These attacks will both take place at the character’s

regular Initiative score, with a separate attack roll for
each, with a Melee attack mod equal to one-half the
character’s usual Melee mod (rounded down).

This special tactic cannot be used to attack the

same opponent twice in the same round. It cannot
be combined with any other special melee tactic,
except Charge into Battle (in which case the Charge
A prone noble warrior suffering a -4 penalty to his EDC.
bonus applies to both attack rolls) or Shield Bashing
(in which case the Bashing effects only apply to one
New Tactics & Techniques of the character’s two attack rolls).

Bashing Knife Throwing

Only knives which have been specifically balanced
This special attack can only be attempted by a for throwing can be used as missile weapons. If you
character armed with a battle weapon. It cannot be try this with your usual, standard dagger, then the
used against Large or Gigantic opponents. It may
attack will simply fail. Knives specifically balanced
be combined with a Charge into Battle.
for throwing should cost 20 silver pieces (as
opposed to 15 sp for a standard dagger).
The character may elect to make a bashing attack
instead of his usual melee attack, using his Throwing a knife requires a lot of Skill. In game
armament to push back (or even knock down) his terms, only characters with a Skill of 13 or more (ie
opponent – rather than to wound him. A character with a Skill modifier of at least +1) will be able to use
who attempts a bashing attack gains a special +2 such a weapon. Thieves with a Skill of 13+ who
attack bonus if he has a shield. select the thrown knife as their Weapon of Choice
will benefit from the usual advantage of rolling two
If the attack roll succeeds, the defender takes no D20s when attacking and keeping the highest roll.
damage but is knocked down. He will then have to
spend an entire battle round getting up, suffering a A well-aimed thrown knife can be as deadly as any
penalty of -4 to his melee EDC while prone. javelin; damage from a thrown knife should be 1D6
(not 1D3). The biggest disadvantage of the thrown
Disarming knife (in addition to being a “one-shot” weapon) is its
limited range. A thrown knife has an effective range
This special attack can only be used by a character of 20’. Unlike other missile weapons, it does not
with a Skill of 13+ armed with a sword. It cannot be receive any short range attack bonus but can be
used against opponents wth a larger Size category. used at long range as per the usual rules (with a -2
attack penalty and a maximum range of 40’).
Instead of attacking his opponent to injure him, the
attacker tries to disarm him. This requires a Melee
attack roll against a special target number equal to
20 + the defender’s own Melee modifier. This makes
disarming an extremely difficult maneuver, unless
your Melee mod is significantly higher than your
opponent’s. In a game like M&M, this maneuver is
more a showy display of swordsmanship rather than
a sensible option in a real, full-blooded fight.

If the attack succeeds, the target takes no damage

but loses his weapon. Picking up a dropped weapon
during melee takes a full battle round, during which
the character can perform no action other than Hey, Andros, maybe it’s time to use this
defense (with a -4 penalty to his EDC, as if prone). Double Attack tactic you told me about…

14
Staff Fighting
A quarterstaff used as a weapon inflicts 1D6 Hits of
subdual damage (as per pugilism) rather than real
combat damage; unlike pugilistic damage, however,
this damage is not affected by the attacker’s Might.

Characters fighting with a staff can also use the

following special tactics, provided they meet their
specific requirements: Weapon Parry (requires a
Skill 13+), Disarming (requires a Skill of 13+) and
Double Attack (requires a Melee bonus of at least
See what I told you? You can’t beat this combo!
+4). They can also use a special Trip maneuver,
which works exactly like a Bashing attack, except
that it also requires a Skill of 13+. Net Fighting
For all their advantages, staves as weapons also Characters with a Skill of 13+ may use a net as an
have quite a few serious limitations. First, they are off-hand weapon. This net may be used to deliver a
only effective against Medium-sized (or smaller) special entangling attack instead of the character’s
opponents; striking a Large creature (or a Gigantic regular melee or missile attack in any battle round.
one, for that matter) with a staff will simply have no
effect and attempting to parry a Cyclops’ enormous When used as a missile weapon, the net has a
club with a staff will simply result in its breakage, range equal to the character’s Might in feet but can
which leads us to the next big drawback of staves – only be used once per combat, just like any other
they are far easier to break than real weapons. thrown weapon. When used as a melee weapon,
the net can be used for multiple attack attempts.
Whenever a staff is successfully used to parry an
attack made by a battle weapon, roll a damage die In all situations, attacking with a net requires a
as if the attack had struck home (adding any successful Missile attack roll against the target’s
damage bonus for class, mythic items etc); if the Basic Defense Class (no armor or shield bonuses).
final damage roll is 5 or more, the staff is shattered
and can no longer be used as a weapon. Lastly, the Also note that the usual modifiers for target size do
Weapon Parry and Disarming special maneuvers not apply to this roll. On the contrary, the larger a
are completely ineffective against opponents armed creature, the harder it will be to catch or ensnare.
with spears (remember that, in M&M, spears rule !). Simply reverse the usual target modifiers (ie Tiny
+4, Small +2, Large -2, Gigantic -4).
Only a Thief may select the staff as his Weapon of
Choice (but this is quite unlikely among adventurers, If the attack succeeds, the target takes no damage
considering the existence of daggers and slings). but must make a Danger Evasion roll to avoid
becoming entangled in the net. If this roll fails, the
target cannot move but may continue to fight with an
Mounted Archery attack and Initiative penalty of -4. This penalty also
applies to any subsequent Danger Evasion rolls the
It is normally impossible to shoot a bow while riding character may have to make. The entangled
a horse… except for Amazons with the Equestrian character may try to break free as per the wrestling
talent. Even for such characters, however, shooting rules, rolling against a hypothetical Might of 16.
a bow while riding will incur a -2 attack penalty (or -4
if the horse is galloping). In melee, the net wielder may also attempt to pull an
ensnared target down to the ground. To do this, he
must roll a successful wrestling attack against the
ensnared individual’s Might score. Prone characters
suffer -4 to their melee EDC.

A combat net costs 20 sp and has an encumbrance

value of 1 (because of its bulk).

Creatures quite likely to use nets in combat include

Bronze Colossi (with a Might of 20 due to their
Large size), Ichtyocentaurs, Sons of Dagon, Swamp
Folk and Tritons. In this case, this special weapon
should add +5 to the creature’s basic Glory award,
since it represents a weaker version of the Entangle
special ability. Lastly, only creatures which also
have the Missile Weapons special ability will be able
to use their net outside melee combat. In all cases,
the creature will use its net with an attack mod equal
to the sum of its Ferocity and Cunning (with a +2
The ancient Amazon art of equestrian archery bonus for Large creatures, who use larger nets).

15
Unarmed Combat

Restrictions & Clarifications

Pugilism can be used against Folks, as long as they are
humanoids of Medium or Small size. All other types of
creatures are impervious to its effects.

Characters with the Wrestler talent (see p 4) do not

benefit from any special advantage when trying to break
free from the Grapple or Entangle attacks of Monsters,
Animates, Beasts or non-humanoid Folks.

Special tactics like Charge Into Battle, Subterfuge or the - Ayaaah! It’s Homeric Combat time!!!
various new melee maneuvers detailed in the first
chapter of this supplement (such as Double Attack or
Disarming) cannot be used by pugilists or wrestlers. Homeric Combat
Humans using unarmed combat against multiple Small The following optional rules may be used to add an
opponents benefit from the usual extra melee attack: in extra element of epic heroism, spectacular violence
other words, a human wrestler can attempt to grapple and dramatic unpredictability to combats.
two Small opponents during the same round, applying
his full Might to each of his grappling attacks. Critical Hits
Wrestling Damage Whenever a player-character’s Melee or Missile roll
exceeds the target’s EDC by 10 or more, the attack
A wrestler with superior physical strength may cause is a critical hit. Critical hits represent exceptionally
serious physical damage to an immobilized opponent if well-aimed (or incredibly lucky) blows or shots.
he so wishes. This represents ‘wrestling for blood’, Whenever a critical hit occurs, a new D20 roll must
crushing holds, choking a victim to death and other dirty be made on the appropriate table (see next page).
tricks (which are of course strictly forbidden during
honorable wrestling matches). This rule only applies to player-characters’ attacks;
creatures and NPCs (no matter how powerful) can
Only a wrestler with an above-average Might (13+) can never inflict critical hits. This restriction reflects the
use this option, causing a number of Hits of damage fact that player-characters are the heroes of the
equal to his Might bonus to his immobilized victim at the story and thus enjoy a greater degree of combat
end of each battle round. This requires no Melee roll but fortune and dramatic stature.
prevents the wrestler from making any other type of
attack. Thus, a wrestler with a Might of 15 (Might bonus Fumbles
+2) may inflict 2 Hits of damage per round to an
immobilized victim. This damage is taken after the victim Whenever an attack roll results in a natural roll of 1
has failed its attempt to break free (i.e. no damage is (regardless of modifiers), the attack is not only a
taken if the victim manages to break free). failure, but a fumble. A new D20 roll must then be
made on the appropriate table (see next page).
This tactic cannot be used against Animates, who either
do not need to breathe (and thus cannot be choked to This risk theoretically applies to all attackers, except
death) or are immune to things like broken bones, for player-characters (and major NPCs) with a Luck
dislocated joints etc. of 13+, who are lucky enough to be immune to such
embarrassing failures. Thus, most high-level PCs
and NPCs will be immune to fumble results. Lastly,
creatures using their natural weapons (claws, fangs
etc) are also immune to fumbles.

- Don’t move! I’ve got some new wrestling rules for you! Fumbles: How to Make a Fool of Yourself In Melee

16
 Melee Critical Hits Melee Fumbles
1-4 = Stunned! 1 = Clumsy Move.
Opponent takes normal damage and is -2 to Embarrassing, but no extra effect.
attack and EDC next round. 2-5 = Weapon Arm Numb / Pull Muscle!
Attacker is at -2 to attack and EDC next round.
5-8 = Dazed!
Opponent takes normal damage and is -4 to 6-10 = Lose Balance!
attack and EDC next round. Attacker is at -4 to attack and EDC next round.

9-12 = Knocked Down! 11-13 = Trip/Fall!

Opponent takes normal damage and is knocked Attacker falls to the ground and must spend a
down and must spend a round getting back up. round getting back up. Prone characters suffer a
Prone characters suffer a -4 penalty to EDC. penalty of -4 to their EDC in melee.
14-15 = Armor Strap Breaks!
13-14 = Armor Strap Cut! Attacker loses a randomly chosen piece of armor.
Opponent takes normal damage and loses a If this is impossible, treat as Trip/Fall.
randomly chosen piece of armor. If the opponent
wears no armor, roll an extra D6 for damage. 16-17 = Drop Weapon!
Attacker’s weapon flies 2D6 feet in a random
15-16 = Weapon/Shield Broken! direction. If unarmed, treat as Trip/Fall.
Opponent’s weapon is broken – unless he has a
shield, in which case the shield is rendered 18 = Weapon Broken!
useless. Opponent also takes normal damage. If Attacker’s weapon shatters. Magical weapons
the opponent has no weapon (other than its are automatically immune to this effect. If the
natural ones), roll an extra D6 for damage. attacker has no weapon, treat as Trip/Fall.
19 = Hit Friend!
17-18 = Grievous Wound! If the attacker has an ally within melee reach, he
Roll an extra D6 for damage. accidentally hurts him for 1D6 damage. If no ally
is within reach, the attacker hits himself as below.
19 = Maimed!
Opponent takes 2 extra dice of damage and 20 = Hurt Self!
loses a randomly chosen limb. Attacker hits himself with his weapon (1D6 Hits).

20 = Instant Kill!
Attacker beheads (or otherwise instantly kills) his
opponent (even if multiple-headed). Missile Fumbles
1 = Clumsy Move.
Embarrassing, but no extra effect.
Missile Critical Hits 2-4 = Vision Impaired!
Attacker is at -2 to Missile attack next round.
1-5 = Stunned!
Opponent takes normal damage and is -2 to 5-8 = Vision Blocked!
attack and EDC next round. Attacker is at -4 to Missile attack next round.

6-10 = Dazed! 9-10 = Weapon Arm Numb / Pull Muscle!

Opponent takes normal damage and is -4 to Attacker is at -2 to attack and EDC next round.
attack and EDC next round.
11-12 = Lose Balance!
Attacker is at -4 to attack and EDC next round.
11-16 = Knocked Down!
Opponent takes normal damage and is knocked 13 = Armor Strap Breaks!
down and must spend a round getting back up. Attacker loses a randomly chosen piece of armor.
Prone characters are at -4 EDC in melee. If this is impossible, treat as Lose Balance.

17-18 = Grievous Wound! 14 = Weapon Broken!

Roll an extra D6 for damage. Attacker’s weapon breaks or becomes useless.
Magical weapons are immune to this effect.
19 = Hit Vital Spot!
15-19 = Hit Friend!
Opponent takes 2 extra dice of damage and
If the attacker has an ally within weapon range,
loses a randomly chosen limb.
he accidentally hits him for 1D6 damage.
Otherwise, the attacker hits himself as below.
20 = Instant Kill!
Target shot between the eyes, through the heart 20 = Hurt Self!
or other instantly fatal wound. Attacker hits himself for 1D6 damage.

17
 Yes, that’s a Boeotian helmet (sort of)

Armor & Weapon Options

Boeotian Helmets
The standard M&M helmet is actually a full,
Corinthian-style helmet, offering cranial as well as
facial protection, unlike other types of helmets
commonly worn by Greek soldiers (such as the
Boeotian helmet), which offered little facial
protection (see illustration above). Spearman wearing a linothorax

In game terms, such « partial » helmets would only

grant a +1 bonus to Defense Class (instead of the
Linothorax
usual +2) but would have the same Encumbrance
The linothorax is a lighter form of breastplate made
value of 1 as standard (ie Corinthian) helmets.
of multiple layers of linen (sometimes reinforced
with leather). In game terms, a linothorax offers less
So what advantage is there, you ask, to wear a
protection than a standard (ie bronze) breastplate
Boeotian helmet instead of a standard, Corinthian
(+1 to EDC instead of +2) but is slightly less
helmet ? The answer is: none. But such helmets
cumbersome (Encumbrance 2 instead of the usual
are somewhat cheaper, as shown below.
3), making the linothorax a favorite of Archers,
skirmishers and other light infantry troops.
Peltast Shields
What might make the linothorax of special interest
The standard M&M shield corresponds to the to M&M adventurers, however, is the way it interacts
circular, metallic shield often seen in art and peplum with abilities such as an Amazon’s Battle Grace, a
movies. Light infantry troops in Ancient Greece were Barbarian’s Battle Fury or a Thief’s Evasion. While
actually equipped with crescent-shaped shields the +1 EDC bonus of the linothorax does NOT stack
made of wicker (and often covered in goat or sheep with the special melee defensive bonus granted by
skin) – these shields were called pelte and the these abilities, wearing a linothorax does NOT, in
troops which carried them were known as peltasts. itself, prevent a character from using such an ability
but reduces such characters’ special defense bonus
In game terms, a peltatst shield would grant a by 1 point – a penalty which is offset by the +1
defensive bonus of +1 (instead of the usual +2) but defense bonus granted by the linothorax itself,
would have an Encumbrance of 1 (instead of the resulting in a final modifier of 0.
usual 2). It would also be considerably cheaper than
the standard bronze shield, as shown below. Thus, an Amazon wearing a linothorax would still
benefit from her Grace-based defense bonus in
melee, with no bonus from her linothorax, but would
benefit from the +1 bonus granted by her linothorax
against all attacks not covered by her special
defense bonus, such as missile weapons or surprise
attacks. The same applies to Thieves, Barbarians
and other classes with a special melee defense
bonus. Thus, if Grondar the Barbarian (Basic
Defense Class 13, Will mod +2) wears a linothorax,
his melee EDC will still be 15 (his basic 13, plus his
+2 Will-based Battle Fury bonus) but his Defense
Class against missile or surprise attacks would be
A typical, crescent-shaped peltast shield 14 (his basic 13, +1 for the linothorax).

18
 Last but not least, this rule adjustment also gives an
excellent reason to invest in greaves, a type of leg
armor which was often worn by Greek hoplites. Until
now, greaves had no real raison d’être in M&M but
with this rule adjustment, greaves suddenly become
extremely useful additions to a character’s armor.

Wearing a pair of greaves will give you a +2 bonus

to EDC against the melee attacks of Small creatures
and a +4 bonus against the melee attacks of Tiny
creatures, offsetting the attack advantages of such
beings against armored man-sized opponents.

In other words, a fully armor--clad character wearing

a helmet, a breastplate and a pair of greaves will
have his normal EDC against all opponents,
regardless of their Size.

A pair of greaves cost 50 silver pieces and has an

Encumbrance of 2 (1 for each greave).
- Who said that size did not matter?
Spears vs. Javelins
Armor Protection & Relative Size As far as the basic M&M rules are concerned,
javelins are simply thrown spears. That’s why both
In the basic M&M rules, wearing a helmet gives you weapons have the same price (30 silver pieces) and
a flat +2 bonus to Defense Class – but some Maze the same Encumbrance value (2)… but historically,
Masters may find this effect a little over-simplified spears and javelins were different weapons: javelins
when dealing with Small opponents, since there is were shorter, lighter and used exclusively as missile
no reason why a character’s helmet should protect weapons. Warriors often carried three javelins in
him against the melee attacks of opponents who are addition to their other (ie melee) weapons.
too small to reach his head. The same reasoning
can be extended to breastplates and Tiny attackers, Maze Masters who wish to treat spears and javelins
who are unlikely to hit anything above a man-sized as different weapons in game terms should use the
opponent’s legs. Maze Masters who wish to reflect following optional rules:
these aspects of size and armor in game terms
should use the following simple optional rules: Keep the spears as they are in the rules (Enc 2, 30
silver pieces etc) with the exception of their throwing
Helmets do not offer any protection against the range, which should be reduced by half (Might x 5’,
melee attacks of Small or Tiny creatures. instead of Might x 10’). Give javelins the usual
throwing range of Might x 10’ but with half the usual
Breastplates do not offer any protection against the Encumbrance value (1 instead of 2).
melee attacks of Tiny creatures.
In times of emergency, such weapons can be used
Note that this only applies to melee attacks. in melee in lieu of proper spears but without any of
the various benefits granted to spear-users by the
If this rule is used, armor (even if magical) is no M&M combat system: no Holding Back opponents,
longer the universal defense it tends to be in M&M, no Initiative or Defense bonus for Spearmen etc. In
unless the character invests in a pair of greaves other words, javelins used as spears in melee have
(see below). This adjustment also makes miniature the same characteristics as swords, without the
opponents like Myrmidons or Bee-folk more possibilities of Weapon Parry or Disarming. In
challenging (and even quite dangerous if their Tiny addition, a damage roll of 6 means that the javelin
weapons are coated with poison !) and has several remains stuck into the defender’s body and can no
other important consequences in game terms: longer be used to attack.
This restriction establishes a neat distinction
between the partial protection granted by helmets
and breastplate and the total protection granted by
Alternate Armament
Tough Skin, Natural Armor or Invulnerability, which
Item Enc Cost
is completely unaffected by the Size of the attacker.
Linothorax 2 75 sp
This adjustment can also work in the characters’
favor when fighting Large or Gigantic creatures. A Boeotian Helmet 1 40 sp
Gigantic Giant wearing a suitably Gigantic helmet Peltast Shield 1 35 sp
and a Gigantic breastplate (assuming such things
do exist) should not get any special protection Short Javelin 1 15 sp
against the melee attacks of adventurers.

19
 It is this danger of being brought to a halt that has
made archery and javelin-throwing a more popular
form of chariot-warfare, coupled with drive-by spear
or sword attacks when opportunity arises.

A charioteer who is Knocked Down (by a Critical Hit)

will be knocked out of the chariot and suffer 1D6
damage; a Danger Evasion roll is allowed.

Chariot Feats
Spectacular chariot feats are possible! Drivers can
attempt jumping over obstacles (logs, bodies, low
walls, irrigation ditches, boulders, shield walls!),
galloping down steep slopes, racing on a single
wheel, side-swiping other chariots, carrying out 180°
A proud Noble posing with his chariots and horses turns and so on...

The player makes a single Danger Evasion roll for

Chariots the horses. If it fails the maneuver does not succeed
and hurts one or both of the horses (take 1D6
A chariot is pulled by two horses. If this is a racing damage), and damages the chariot. A chariot
or travelling chariot these will be normal horses; if damaged twice is destroyed ; its crew will also take
the chariot is used in war, they will be fully trained 2D6 Hits unless they make a Danger Evasion roll.
for battle. Chariots are deadly on the battlefield,
providing cover for the crew, mobility (moving at the Characters with the Equestrian are advantaged on
speed of a horse), a high advantageous position, all their Danger Evasion rolls while driving a chariot.
and also a devastating charge attack. This advantage also applies to their horses’ own
Danger Evasion rolls.
In combat the chariot can hold the driver and one
warrior. Otherwise up to three passengers can
squash into a typical chariot. Magical Chariots
Of course a chariot, its horses and a well-trained Various types of magical chariots may exist, as
driver, do not come cheaply. Each horse costs 6 shown by the following two examples.
GC, and a good chariot will cost 30 GC. The driver
is often a typical Minor NPC Follower. Chariot of Turning

Chariot Combat This baby can wheel on a dime, and negotiate even
the most cluttered battlefields. In game terms, a
Characters fighting from a chariot gain a +2 melee Chariot of Turning adds a +4 bonus to all Danger
attack bonus against opponents on foot if these Evasion rolls made by its driver and its horses.
opponents are of Medium size. Against Large or
Gigantic creatures, fighting from a chariot brings no War Chariot of Ares
bonus. Against smaller opponents chariot-fighters
are actually disadvantaged by their higher position (- This chariot adds an extra +2 to the EDC of its crew
2 versus Small opponents and -4 versus Tiny ones). members and must be damaged thrice (instead of
only twice) to be destroyed. An even more powerful
Characters in a chariot also benefit from a +2 bonus version (the Armored War Chariot of Ares) exists,
to their EDC (against all opponents) as the chariot which adds an extra +4 to EDC and is destroyed
provides a little cover and protection. when damaged for the fourth time.

When Charging into Battle, a driver adds both

horses' Charge bonuses to his own Initiative score
and Melee attack roll (for a total bonus of +4), in
addition to his own Might-based Charge bonus.

Although these charges can be deadly (a chariot

can run down two adjacent targets, while the
chariot-warrior strikes at a third!) the enemy might
choose to attack the chariot-horses rather than the
crew. In this case, any single injury that causes 4
Hits or more to the horse requires a Danger Evasion
roll from the beast or it stumbles and falls, and the
chariot comes to a halt. Test-driving the new War Chariot of Ares

20
 2007 Edition Notes & Comments

Chariots & Charioteers

“You’re perfectly right when you say that a good
According to most reliable sources, the chariot proportion of player-characters (especially at
rules (which had first been introduced in the old high levels) will be immune to fumbles... but that
Men & Monsters supplement) were the work of IS precisely the idea behind the whole thing. Do
Paul Elliott, the very progenitor of the Mazes & you really want your heroic Noble or your level
Minotaurs game concept. 5 Spearman to make a fool of himself in combat
because of a bad die roll?”.
As a result, chariots had quickly become a
recurrent cliché in fantasy roleplaying games – Not to be outdone, Donald Peterson retorted in
they were even the central theme of a whole the Letters page of the following issue:
RPG, Pagan Chariot Racer, set in a fantasy
version of Dark Ages Britain (Brythanika). “This is all very well, but then what is the point
of having rules for fumbles if they are almost
never used?”
Critical Hits & Fumbles
For reasons that remain a mystery even to this
As you all know, these tables provided their day, the anonymous (and probably a bit over-
share of spectacular scenes, weird results as obssesive) designer once again felt compelled
well as memorable moments of unexpected to reply. His answer shed a fascinating light on
comedy. And they changed the way M&M the creative reasoning behind the Revision of
combats were played, forever. the fumble rules – but it was actually quite long,
so we will only quote the interesting bits:
Like the charioteering rules, these tables had
first appeared in the original Men & Monsters “First, remember that everybody does not have
supplement. Many veterans considered them to a Luck of 13+.
be a classical element of the game and were a
little disappointed not to find them in the Players Secondly, don’t forget that fumbles can happen
Manual, as many other concepts originating to creatures, too (well, at least to those which
from Men & Monsters (such as Centaur player- use weapons).
characters, Thieves, Hunters etc).
Thirdly, how many times have you seen Jason
But then the M&M Companion came out, or Herakles drop his weapon or trip over during
allowing everybody to “go Homeric” once again. an epic combat scene? (...)
As the old Monty Python & the Golden Fleece
saying goes: “And there was much rejoicing”. Eighthly, remember that even the luckiest
characters can sometimes suffer a permanent
Compared to their Men & Monsters ancestors, loss of Luck points (because of divine curses
these tables had been slightly altered – but the and other manifestations of divine anger) that
spirit was the same. What puzzled quite a few will take their Luck below 13: and what better
Maze Masters, however, was the immunity to illustrations of such characters’ misfortune, I ask
fumbles granted to characters with a Luck of you, than the risk of fumble in combat?”
13+ - which leads us to our next topic.
In the following issue, Donald Peterson tried to
counter-attack under the somewhat transparent
The Fumble Controversy pseudonym of Peter Donaldson. This time, the
designer’s answer took only three words:
This infamous controversy raged in the Letters
column of Griffin magazines for no less than “Go fumble yourself.”
five issues. It all started with a lengthy diatribe
by one Donald Peterson from Grosse Pointe Still reading? Okay, so you might wonder why I
(Mich.), which ended with the following words: actually spent half-a-page on a long-forgotten
(and moderately interesting) anecdote – but
“ This is nonsense! It means that no high-level then nobody said those 2007 Edition Comments
character – and the vast majority of low-level had to be top-notch, groundbreaking stuff.
ones as well, since almost everybody has at
least a decent Luck score – will EVER have a What?
chance to fumble! ”.
Okay, okay, I confess: I was the “anonymous
This could have ended here – but Peterson had designer”. And I simply couldn’t miss such an
apparently struck a nerve. Quite surprisingly, opportunity to set things right and justify my
the anonymous designer who was responsible design choices once and for all. Because you
for the whole “fumble immunity” concept see, even after all these years, the pain is still
entered the discussion the following month: there. Burn in hell, Donald Peterson.

21
IV: MAGIC OPTIONS

BEASTMASTER
Primary Attributes: Will and Grace

Gender Restrictions: None

Basic Hits: 8

Animal Affinity: In addition to their magical

powers, Beastmasters can speak with animals
and try to Tame them by Charm, as detailed in
the general text of this article.

Beastmastery: Beastmasters practice their

own special form of feral, primitive magic. Their
magical talent is known as Animal Empathy.

Animal Empathy = Will mod + Grace mod

Mystic Strength = 12 + Animal Empathy
Starting Power = (4 + Will mod)

Power Recovery: A Beastmaster recovers his

Power points by wandering alone in the wilds
and communing with primitive nature. Each two
full hours of such activity will restore a number
of Power points equal to the character’s level.
Behold the powers of Beastmastery !
Level Benefits: Each level beyond the first
gives a Beastmaster +2 Hits, +4 Power points,
Beastmasters +1 to Luck and +2 to Will, Wits or Grace.

Beastmasters are magicians who hold mysterious Possessions: Knife, minimal clothing and
power over the animal kingdom. On the world of various animal fetishes (necklace of fangs etc).
Mythika, they are most often encountered in the wild Beastmasters receive no starting wealth.
jungles of Charybdis, where the local savages hold
them in deep respect. Some Beastmasters were Restrictions: Beastmasters can never wear
chosen and tutored as apprentices by an older any form of metal armor (including shields or
Beastmaster, but most of them have actually been helmets), since this would disrupt their mystical
reared by wild beasts and grew up among them. connection with the Powers of the Wild.

Their brand of magic, known as Beastmastery, is Patron Deity: Beastmasters do not have any
innate in a manner similar to a Nymph's Gifts; identifiable patron deity – instead, they show
Beastmasters do not need to perform any ritual or devotion to the primal powers of the Wild.
chant any words to use their magic.
Background Talents: All Beastmasters have
In addition to the usual repertoire of six magical the Beastmaster and Woodsman talents. Maze
powers, all Beastmasters have an innate, natural Masters who wish to avoid all risk of confusion
affinity with animals. This affinity allows them to between the class and the background talent of
speak with Beasts as if they were human beings the same name might consider changing the
(which does not mean the Beasts will have anything name of the class to Beastlord.
interesting to say or will be willing to communicate)
as well as the power to Tame Beasts by Charm, Reputation Effect: Beastmasters receive their
using the rules given for Nymphs (see chapter VI) ; reputation bonus when dealing with primitive
unlike Nymphs, Beastmasters are able to use this tribesmen from their homeland.
ability on any Beast, but NOT on Monsters. These
abilities are not magical in nature and do not require
any Power expenditure.

22
 2d10 Waiting Time
2-3 1d10 minutes
4-7 1d6 x 10 minutes
8-14 1d6 hours
15-18 1d6 x 10 hours
19-20 1d10 days

The Beastmaster will know the dice rolled but not

the exact time. The Beasts will not necessarily obey
him when they arrive: to determine their initial
reaction, make a Reaction roll as is the Beasts were
NPCs, using the Beastmaster’s Animal Empathy in
lieu of his Personal Charisma.
Make friends with Beast Soothing !
Magnitude 3: Beast Command
Beastmastery Powers This power causes a Beast to obey the Beastmaster
for a number of hours equal to his Animal Empathy.
Magnitude 1: Beast Soothing It may be used on multiple targets at no additional
Power cost, up to a number of individual Beasts
This power allows a Beastmaster to influence the equal to the Beastmaster’s Animal Empathy; this is
natural reactions of Beasts. This power can be used only possible if the Beasts belong to the same herd,
on multiple targets, at a cost of 1 Power point for pack or group. The magician must be within (Animal
each Beast, up to a maximum number of Beasts Empathy x 10’) of the beasts; he must also be able
equal to the magician’s Animal Empathy. To use to see them and be heard by them.
this power, the magician must be within (Animal
Empathy x 10’) of the beasts; he must also be able Each Beast targeted by this power can resist its
to see them and be heard by them. effects with a successful Mystic Fortitude saving roll
against the Beastmaster’s Mystic Strength. When
It causes the Beasts to become Friendly for a the effect ends, the Beasts may flee, ignore or
number of minutes equal to the character's Animal attack the Beastmaster: make a Reaction roll as for
Empathy. Any hostile action will of course break this Beast Calling above.
effect. If the Beasts are already Hostile, they may
resist with a Mystic Fortitude roll against a target Magnitude 4: Monster Soothing
number equal to the Beastmaster’s Mystic Strength.
This power has the same effect as Beast Soothing,
This power can cause horse riders or charioteers to but affects Monsters. Unlike Beast Soothing, it can
become helpless, by targeting their horses. only be targeted at a single creature. Also note that
Monsters will tend to attack the Beastmaster once
Magnitude 2: Beast Calling the effects of this power wear off.

This power affects either the closest group of Magnitude 5: Monster Calling
Beasts of one particular species. The number of
Beasts summoned in this manner depends on the This power has the same effect as Beast Calling,
Size of the species: Tiny 3d6, Small 2d6, Medium but affects Monsters. Like Monster Soothing above,
1d6, Large 1d3, Gigantic 1. Alternatively, this power it can only be used to summon a single creature.
may also be used to summon a single individual
Beast which the magician is familiar with. Since Monsters are decidedly rarer than Beasts, a
different roll is made to see how long it takes for the
This power sends out a call that the Beasts in creature to reach the Beastmaster:
question must follow unless it makes a Mystic
Fortitude roll against a target number equal to the 2d10 Waiting Time
Beastmaster’s Mystic Strength. The Beasts travel at 2 d10 minutes
top speed towards the Beastmaster until they reach
3-4 1d6 x 10 minutes
him. The Beastmaster cannot move from the spot or
the Beasts will lose interest and stop. 5-8 1d6 hours
9-16 1d6 x 10 hours
The Beasts summoned must be native to the area: 17-20 1d10 days
you cannot, for instance, summon Hyperborean
Beasts in the jungles of Charybdis. The Maze
Master must guesstimate the time it will take a Magnitude 6: Monster Command
specific individual to reach the Beastmaster. When
calling the closest group of Beasts of a particular This supreme power has the same effects as Beast
species, use the following table: Command, but affects Monsters instead and can
only target a single creature.

23
SHAPESHIFTER
Shapeshifters are humans blessed with the innate
magical ability to transform their body into a variety
of forms, including animal ones. This wondrous
magical gift appears to be partly genetic in nature,
coming from the father or mother of the character
and being transmitted to his children.

Category: Magician

Primary Attributes: Wits and Luck.

Gender: Shapeshifters can be male or female. In

addition, the character’s powers allow him / her to
alter his sex (and even become hermaphrodite if
desired – see following pages for more details).

Basic Hits = 8

Metamorphosis: Shapeshifters’ magical powers

are described in detail in the following pages.

Protean Repertoire: This is the name of the

Shapeshifter’s magical talent. It is equal to the sum
of his Wits and Luck modifiers and affects the Shapeshifter turning into a Stag (or into an Acteon?)
number of different animal and fantastic forms the
character may take, as detailed below. Unlike all
other magicians, Shapeshifters do not have (or Shapeshifters
need) a Mystic Strength score, since they can only
use their powers on themselves. Metamorphosis is the gift of shapechanging. Those
who possess it are called Shapeshifters ; most of
Power: Shapeshifters start with (4 + Luck mod) them are tricksters and imposters, accustomed to
Power points at first level and increase this total at alter their form to deceive others… and to escape
the usual rate of +4 per level. Shapeshifters do not the consequences of their actions afterwards.
recover Power points in the manner or at the same
rate as other magicians (see following pages). Contrarily to popular belief, Shapeshifters cannot
transform others – the notorious Circe was a
Level Benefits: Each level beyond the first gives a Sorceress (or was she an Elementalist?) with
Shapeshifter +2 Hits, +4 Power points, +1 to Luck special powers, not a Shapeshifter herself.
and +2 to Will, Wits or Grace.

Possessions: Dagger, 3D6 x 5 silver pieces. Shapeshifting Basics

Background Talents: The two background talents Shapeshifters can adopt a variety of different human
of a Shapeshifter almost always have something to forms ; depending on their magical talent, they may
do with the natural world or with trickery. Favorite also transform themselves into a limited number of
talent choices include Acrobat, Actor, Beastmaster, Beasts or nonhuman Folks – but unlike what some
Healer, Mountaineer, Sailor and Woodsman. rumors and wild tales (surely created and spread by
Shapeshifters themselves) would have us believe,
Patron Deities: Shapeshifters who have a divine they are absolutely unable to turn themselves into
patron usually select Hermes or Artemis. Monsters (not to mention Spirits or Animates).

Advancement: As other magicians. Thus, a Shapeshifter may be able to alter his human
form at will, mimic someone else’s appearance or
Reputation Effect: Because they can change their change into an eagle or fox, but will never have the
face and appearance at will, Shapeshifters never power to take the form of a Chimera or Minotaur.
benefit from any form of Reputation.
This reflects the fact that Monsters are essentially
Restrictions: The powers of Shapeshifter do not unnatural creatures, whose unnatural appearance
mix very well with armor, shields and cumbersome and constitution cannot be duplicated by the natural
weapons, as detailed in the description of the magic of Shapeshifters. Similar reasons explain why
Metamorphosis realm of magic (see chapter IV). Shapeshifters cannot change into Spirits (which
have no natural, organic body) or Animates (which
are at least as unnatural as Monsters).

24
Shapeshifters & Power
Shapeshifters also differ from other magicians in
that they do not have a Mystic Strength score (since
they never use their magical powers against others).

Furthermore, they do not regain lost Power points in

the same way or at the same rate as other adepts of
the magical arts ; because of the very nature of their
abilities, their Power recovery is more erratic and is
heavily tied to the everlasting cycle of day and night.

While all other magician classes recover Power

points according to their level, Shapeshifters regain
1D6 Power points per day (at sunset) if they are in
their true form when the sun sets – or only 1 point if
they are in any other form.

Furthermore, Shapeshifters who are not in their true

form when the sun rises lose 1D6 Power points. If
this reduces their Power to zero, the Shapeshifter
will obviously be unable to use his powers until the
next sunset. Thus, Shapeshifters may sometimes be
« trapped by dawn » in a transformed shape.
Transformation completed!

Protean Repertoire
At the Maze Master’s discretion, a Shapeshifter’s
A Shapeshifter’s magical talent is known as his Protean Repertoire may also include Beasts whose
Protean Repertoire. It is equal to the sum of his Wits characteristics are not specifically detailed in the
and Luck modifiers. Creature Compendium but which can easily be
defined using the rules from the Creatures chapter
A Shapeshifter’s Protean Repertoire score indicates of the Maze Master’s Guide, such as ravens, cats,
the number of different nonhuman forms (Beasts or otters or even pikes, as long as they respect the
Folks) he can take. These nonhuman forms must be various restrictions detailed above.
selected when the character is created and a new
form will be added to the Repertoire every time the Shapeshifting Effects
character increases his talent by one point.
Each transformation takes a full battle round of total
Thus, a Shapeshifter who starts with a Protean concentration, during which the Shapeshifter cannot
Repertoire of 4 will have four different nonhuman do anything else, and costs a number of Power
forms (such as Eagle, Fox, Stag and Acteon or points equal to its Magnitude, as detailed below.
Wolf, Bear, Bearman and Boar) and will add a fifth
one when his magical talent is increased to 5. Regardless of his current form or appearance, a
Shapeshifter always retains his own current Hits
The nonhuman forms of the Shapeshifter’s Protean total, even in Small or Large forms.
Repertoire can be chosen by the player from the
various Beasts and Folks described in the Creature He also retains his attribute scores and modifiers ;
Compendium, with the following restrictions: the creature’s Ferocity, Cunning and Mystique do
not modify his characteristics in any way.
Only creatures of Medium, Small or Large Size may
be chosen. Creatures of Tiny or Gigantic Size are The creature’s Size, however, will affect his Melee
beyond the powers of a Shapeshifter. mod and his natural damage, as per the usual rules
(but not his Hits total). The Shapeshifter will also
Flying variants of Beasts or Folks (Pegasus, gain the movement rate of his new form.
Pegataur, Flying Unicorn etc) can only be chosen as
forms by Shapeshifters whose Protean Repertoire Thus, a Shapeshifter who turns into a Large Bear
already includes the non-flying version of the will keep his Hits total and his modifiers but will
creature (Horse, Centaur, Unicorn etc). This rule receive a +2 bonus to Melee for his Large Size and
also applies to superior versions of a specific will inflict 2D6 damage with his natural attacks.
species (such as Sagittarians for Centaurs).
The Shapeshifter also gains the special abilities of
Lastly, adopting the form of a creatures does not his new form (which may give him various bonuses),
necessarily grant you all of its abilities: see except special abilities which are clearly magical,
Shapeshifting Effects below for more details. supernatural or psychic in nature.

25
 Metamorphosis Powers

Magnitude 1: True Form

This power allows the Shapeshifter to revert to his
true, original human form.

Magnitude 2: Alter Appearance

This power allows the Shapeshifter to change
various features of his appearance (hair, eyes, body
frame, facial features, voice, apparent age etc) while
retaining a human form. The only exception is
gender (but see Gender Change below).

This power be used as a magical form of disguise,

either to make oneself incognito or to adopt the
appearance of a specific individual (provided the
Shapeshifter has had the opportunity to observe
and study the person he wishes to mimic for a
sufficient period of time). Characters (and animals)
who are familiar with the individual being mimicked
will sense ‘something wrong’ with a successful
Damn! I almost forgot the stupid horns! detection roll against a target number of 20.

This alteration will not affect the character’s attribute

Insubstantial, Invulnerability, Life Energy Drain, scores, except for Grace, which may be temporarily
Magic Resistance, Psychic Powers, Sixth Sense, modified by up to 4 points, up to a maximum of 18
Supernatural Vigor and Vocal Entrancement cannot or down to a minimum of 3. Increasing Grace costs
be duplicated by Metamorphosis. 1 extra Power point per point added ; decreasing
Grace does not entail any extra Power cost.
Thus, a Shapeshifter who turns into a Mermaid will
be able to breathe underwater (Aquatic) but not to
sing like a true Mermaid (Vocal Entrancement). Magnitude 3: Gender Change
This restriction also applies to unique magical This power allows the Shapeshifter to change sex or
abilities (such as the Unicorn’s power of healing or even to become hermaphrodite, turning into a
the Icarian’s mastery of winds) or to abilities which masculine, feminine or androgynic version of their
are specifically presented as ‘magical’ for a given current form. This power may be combined with
creature type (such as the Camouflage-granting Alter Appearance, at a cumulative Power cost.
magical garments of Sylvans).
Magnitude 4: Shapechange
Also note that special abilities like Breath Weapon,
Mindless or Petrification cannot be duplicated by
This power allows the Shapeshifter to take one of
Shapeshifters, since these powers are the privileges
the nonhuman, Medium-sized forms from his
of Monsters, Animates or Spirits. Protean Repertoire (see above for more details). It
may be combined with Gender Change or with Alter
Metamorphosis cannot change your clothes nor can Appearance (to mimic a specific individual member
it create weapons, armor or other items. When a
of the chosen species) at a cumulative Power cost.
Shapeshifter takes a nonhumanoid form, he may be
forced to abandon his clothing and possessions.
Magnitude 5: Reduction
For this reason, many Shapeshifters prefer to hide
their garments and belongings in a safe place This power works exactly like Shapechange, except
before taking a Small or Large form. that it allows the Shapeshifter to turn into a Small
creature, provided this form is part of his Protean
This habit has given birth to various folk tales about Repertoire. Like Shapechange, it may be combined
shapeshifters who could not revert to their original with Alter Appearance and/or Gender Change.
form because their clothes had been taken away –
which is, of course, just another fallacy.
Magnitude 6: Enlargement
Lastly, Shapeshifters who change into Beasts lose
the abiliy to speak (but retain all their Wits as well as This power works like Shapechange or Reduction
the ability to understand the languages they know). above, except that it applies to Large creatures.

26
Light & Darkness
As mentioned in the description of Elemental Magic
in the Players Manual, some Elementalists are able
to manipulate the pre-elemental forces of light and
darkness. Elementalists may only select Light or
Darkness as their second element, but never as
their primary element, which must always be one of
the four classic elements (Air, Earth, Fire or Water).

In addition, the Powers of Light can only be chosen

by Elementalists who follow Apollo as their patron
deity. Powers of Darkness, on the other hand
should only be made available to Elementalists who
follow a dark deity such as Hades or Persephone, a
choice that should be restricted to NPCs.

Powers of Light

Magnitude 1: Arcane Lanthorn

An item touched by the Elementalist grows brightly A gracious Light Elementalist
and illuminates everything within (Mastery x 10’). If
the spell is cast upon a weapon, shield, or piece of
armor, the Elementalist's Mastery bonus is added to Powers of Darkness
the EDC of whomever uses it against melee attacks;
the bright glare makes it hard to focus on the
wielder. This effect lasts for a number of hours Magnitude 1: Cloak of Shadows
equal to the Elementalist's Mastery.
The Elementalist is enveloped in flickering shadows.
This allows him to add twice his Mastery to all his
Magnitude 2: Aura of Helios stealth rolls as well as to the target number of all
detection rolls made against him AND to his EDC
The Elementalist's body momentarily grows so against all missile attacks, since he is hard to focus
bright it is painful to look at him. Everyone within on; the shadows also provide a more limited amount
(Mastery x 10’) of the magician (including his allies) of defensive cover against melee attacks (+1 to
must make a Danger Evasion roll (against the EDC). This power will not work if the magician is
magician’s Mystic Strength) or be blinded for a standing in bright daylight. It lasts for a number of
number of rounds equal to the Elementalist’s minutes equal to the magician’s Mastery.
Mastery (doubled if they were in darkness).

A blinded being suffers a -4 penalty on Melee Magnitude 2: Eldritch Eclipse

Attack, EDC and Danger Evasion, and cannot make
missile attacks. If he moves faster than at half An area within (Mastery x 20’) of the Elementalist of
speed, he must make a Danger Evasion roll each up to (Mastery x 10’) in radius becomes completely
round or fall over and be prone. Beings that are dark. No light can pass in or out and all light sources
vulnerable to sunlight (such as Empusae) will suffer are temporarily darkened. This lasts for a number of
the effects of one round of full daylight exposure. minutes equal to the Elementalist's Mastery.

Magnitude 3: Arrows of Apollo

Magnitude 3: Wandering Shadow
Rays of searing light strike from the Elementalist's
fingers. This attack requires no roll and has a The Elementalist transforms his shadow into a
maximum range equal to (Mastery x 10’). The rays Shadow (see the Creature Compendium) under his
may hit a number of different targets equal to the complete command for a number of minutes equal
Elementalist’s Mastery. Each target automatically to (Mastery x 10).
takes 1d6 damage unless a Danger Evasion roll is
made, against the Elementalist’s Mystic Strength. If the Shadow is killed, the Elementalist now lacks a
shadow and cannot cast this spell; he will be treated
This attack can damage Insubstantial beings – who with superstitious fear by anyone who notices this
actually take double damage from it (2D6). disturbing absence (-4 to NPC Reaction rolls). Only
Divine Interventions may restore a lost shadow.

27
 2007 Edition Notes & Comments

An Important Note the Elementalist. Many M&M veterans were

surprised by the return of the Shapeshifter in
Before we start delving into the secret history of the pages of the Companion – and even more
the Magic Options chapter, we’d like to inform to see that the completely unbalanced, totally
our esteemed readers that the Anonymous over-the-top Metamorphosis powers from Myth
Contributor responsible for that stupid rant in & Magic (which, among other things, allowed
the Comments of the last chapter has been high-level Shapeshifters to turn into Dragons...)
swiftly disposed of. The following Comments had been turned into a fairly coherent set of
(and those of the next chapters) are brought to rules which actually made the Shapeshifter a
you by another, far more reliable Anonymous viable (if a bit unusual) character choice.
Contributor (but you can call me Dave).
The attention given to Shapeshifters (three
whole pages!) and the fact that Metamorphosis
The Sieurin Legacy powers really ‘felt different’, made a famous
game critic write that “the Shapeshifter class
The rules on Beastmasters, Light and Darkness itself feels like a whole new game”. This was
powers for Elementalists were originally written actually quite prophetic, as these Revised
by Erik Sieurin, one of M&M’s long-time Shapeshifting rules eventually gave birth to one
contributors (and the original creator of the well- of the weirdest M&M variants ever to grace a
known MinotaurLabrys alternate universe), well tabletop: often referred to as “Changequest”, it
before the Revised edition; they were initially focused exclusively on ageless Shapeshifters
intended for an OM&M (Original Mazes & wandering the Ancient World in a mystical quest
Minotaurs) supplement on alternate realms of of self-discovery – all this with a distinctive New
magic, which was to be called Mages & Mystics Age, all-roads-lead-to-Avalon feel.
but was never published due to arcane editorial
reasons. Fragments of its first draft survived, Over the years, Changequest evolved into a
however, and can be found buried in the wholly different game (even though it was never
Messages list of the official Mazes & Minotaurs published as such, at least officially), with a
Internet newsgroup. much simplified set of mechanics (only three
attributes and nothing else, if I recall correctly).
If some rumors are to be believed, the decision In more traditionalist M&M circles, it was also
not to publish Mages & Mystics was made after known as “the Manimal variant” and the “No
Legendary Games Studio had discovered that Shifters Allowed” motto quickly found its way
Erik Sieurin was actually the author of the into the ever-expanding M&M jargon.
unofficial, apocryphal and much controversial
supplement Misdeeds & Madness (published by
the now defunct Justicars College), which dealt Wizards & What-Have-Yous
with what someone at Legendary Games Studio
called “very unsavory themes” (more on this in Speaking of jargon, some gamers also
the Notes & Comments of the Religious Options complained about the scarcity of new “magical
chapter). crunch” in the Companion (“Half-a-realm of
magic, a single new class... and that’s it??? I
Shortly after the publication of the three can’t believe this!”). It was well-known that the
Revised core books (which included some of folks at LGS tried to avoid the proliferation of
his material), Erik Sieurin publicly expressed his new magician classes – something which was
dislike of the new version and quickly became typical of unofficial M&M supplements such as
one of the most active proponents of the the aforementioned Misdeeds & Madness.
GROOOMMR movement (Grognards for the
Resurrection of the One and Only Original As an elegant way of filling this last paragraph,
Mazes & Minotaurs Rules). He then went on to we give you a partial, alphabetical list of various
work on DADA (Dark Ages Daring Adventures), alternate magician classes taken from unofficial
a RPG which used M&M-based rules with some supplements, magazines and fanzines (and
notable differences (such as the treatment of yes, some names were used more than once):
weapons and armor) in an early medieval Alchemist, Arcanist, Artificer, Beastlord, Blue
setting - now, THAT was a weird idea... Adept, Cabalist, Conjurer, Demonist, Diabolist,
Diviner, Druid (at least five of them), Enchanter,
Evoker, Exorcist, Gymnosophist, Hexmaster,
Shapeshifting Redux Hierokeryx, Illusionnist, Invoker, Kabbalist,
Mage, Magist (don’t ask), Magus, Mystagogue,
Some of you might recall that the Shapeshifter Mystic, Necromancer, Oracle, Runemaster, Sea
class first appeared in the old Myth & Magic Witch, Seer, Shaman, Spiritualist, Stellar Mage,
supplement, alongside the now long-forgotten Summoner, Thaumaturge, Thessalian Witch,
Oracle and two of the most popular magician True Druid, Warlock, Witch, Wizard...
classes ever designed for M&M - the Lyrist and

28
V: RELIGIOUS OPTIONS

Yes, this is a Divine Prodigy: a single illustration that perfectly reflects the two topics covered on this page.

Acolytes Ritual Sacrifices

Acolytes are Minor NPCs who assist Priests in the According to the M&M rules, Priests recover a
service of their deity as officiants and celebrants. As number of lost Power points equal to their level for
far as social hierarchy is concerned, Acolytes are each hour of ritual ceremony they perform. These
considered as auxiliary Priests ; in fact, most of the ceremonies may be ended by the sacrificial killing of
resident « priests » serving in a temple will actually a single Beast by the Priest or his Acolytes (see
be Acolytes in the service of the local Priest(s). above). This will allow the Priest to recover a
number of extra Power points (up to his maximum)
Acolytes have the usual characteristics of Non- depending on the Size of the sacrificed Beast: 1 if
combatant Minor NPCs (4 Hits, no attack etc) and Small, 2 if Medium and 3 if Large (which explains
can also be used as special followers by Priests. A why Bulls are so often chosen for sacrifices).
Priest cannot have more Acolytes in his service than
his level and these will be counted in the character’s Thus, a level 2 Priest who has expended 5 Power
regular maximum number of followers. points could recover them all by performing a one-
hour long ceremony (2 Power points) concluded by
Acolytes do not have the mystical powers of true the sacrifice of a Bull (3 Power points) ; without this
Priests and cannot call on the Divine Prodigies of sacrifice, it would take our Priest 3 long hours of
their patron deity. Nevertheless, their faith and ritual ceremony to recover his 5 Power points.
devotion can help the Priest they serve to recover
his expended Power points by assisting him in the Note that Beasts are the only type of creature which
necessary rituals and ceremonies. When a Priest may be offered in sacrifice to an Olympian deity.
performs such ceremonies with the assistance of his Only dark, evil or barbaric deities (such as Cybele,
Acolyte(s), roll 1D6 at the end of each hour. If the Hecate or the weird gods of the Hyperborean
result is lower than or equal to the number of active barbarians) will accept Folks as sacrificial victims –
Acolytes, the Priest recovers one extra point of and NO deity would ever accept a Monster, Animate
Power (up to his maximum, as usual). or Spirit as a proper sacrifice. Also note that Beasts
killed in combat cannot count as sacrificial victims.
Lastly, the faith and devotion of Acolytes also make
them somewhat more resistant to mystical forces In rare occasions, Olympian deities may ask for the
than other Non-combatants, who are normally never sacrifice of a human being, but such extremities are
allowed saving rolls. Acolytes are a partial exception always the consequences of a severe Divine Anger
to this rule and can make Mystic Fortitude rolls, case and have nothing to do with the regular
using 1D20 and no personal modifier. recovery of priestly Power.

29
Non-Olympian Cults Cult of Cybele
Olympian gods and goddesses are, by far, the most Cybele is an earth mother goddess whose cult
widely worshipped deities, but a typical Mazes & comes from the Land of the Sun. Some scholars
Minotaurs world may also have room for a few think she is simply Demeter under another name but
other, non-Olympian deities (such as Dionysos, the the eastern “Dark Mother” (as she is often called by
underworld king Hades, his spouse Persephone or her followers) also shares some resemblance with
even gods of foreign, non-Hellenistic cultures), with Persephone, the queen of the underworld.
their own cults, followers and Priests.
The worship of Cybele involves secret gatherings,
While all player-character Priests are assumed to human sacrifices and wild orgies, under the tutelage
serve Olympian deities, Maze Masters may want to of Priestesses and (castrated) Priests collectively
use Priests of non-Olympian deities as NPCs. known as her “Daughters”.

In game terms, such characters function exactly as Because of its gruesome and morbid aspects, the
Priests of Olympian deities, except that some of Cult of Cybele has long been outlawed in the Land
their powers work differently, as detailed below. of the Three Cities and is actively fought by
Priestesses of Demeter who see it as a barbaric
In particular, such characters can never benefit from degradation of their own faith.
true Divine Interventions. This restriction reflects the
fact that Olympian gods are the dominant divine Magnitude 1: Divine Blessing
powers in the universe (or perhaps the other gods
just prefer to let them think so). This current state of
In the case of Cybele, the name of this Prodigy is
the cosmic balance also prevents non-Olympian
both misleading and ironic, since the “blessings” of
deities from using Divine Agents in the mortal world.
Cybele actually weaken its victims.
Unless otherwise stated, non-Olympian Priests have
They work exactly as Divine Blessings for duration
the same primary attributes as other Priests (Luck
and Power expenditure, but instead of bestowing a
and Will) and receive the following attribute gains for
+2 bonus, they inflict a temporary -2 penalty to one
each level beyond the first: +1 to Luck and +2 to
of the following scores: Melee, Defense Class,
either Will or Wits. Exceptions are always possible,
Mystic Fortitude and Physical Vigor.
as in the case of Druids (see below).
Victims are allowed a Mystic Fortitude saving roll to
Here are a four examples of non-Olympian cults that
avoid this effect. Lastly, this power only works on
exist in the fantasy world of Mythika, along with their
male characters or creatures, making Amazons,
variant Divine Prodigies. These changes only affect
Nymphs and other female characters completely
the Divine Blessing (magnitude 1), Divine Gift
immune to its effects.
(magnitude 4) and Divine Intervention (magnitude
6). All other Divine Prodigies (magnitude 2, 3 and 5)
work exactly as per the standard rules. Magnitude 4: Divine Gift

The following section details four non-Olympian Like Priestesses of Demeter, Daughters of Cybele
cults: the Cult of Cybele, the Cult of Dionysos, the can bestow the Gift of Endurance.
Cult of Mithras and Druidic Faith.
Magnitude 6: Divine Emasculation

The supreme power of the Daughters of Cybele

takes the form of a terrible, permanent curse, which
can only be lifted by Divine Intervention.

This power requires eye-to-eye contact and can

only be used within 10’ of the victim, who is allowed
a Mystic Fortitude saving roll.

This terrible curse can only be bestowed on a male

character or creature, changing the victim’s gender
to female. Except for obvious anatomical changes
and pilosity, the victim’s physical appearance is
unaffected (thus, a big, burly Barbarian will become
a big, burly female Barbarian).

In game terms, none of the victim’s attributes, mods

or other scores are affected but the victim can no
longer benefit from his/her Reputation effect bonus.
A Daughter of Cybele, Servant of the Dark Mother

30
Cult of Dionysos
Dionysos, the mad god of wine, insanity and dark
passions, is served by unusual Priests known as
Hierokeryxes (“sacred heralds”).

Carrying the Thyrsos, a club or staff twined with vine

leaves, as their sacred symbol of power, these
Hierokeryxes wander the land in search of new
initiates for their cult (which involes quite a lot of
drinking, dancing and carnal debauchery). They are
known to get on well with Satyrs.

Magnitude 1: Divine Blessing

Scores which can be Blessed by Hierokeryxes

(Priests of Dionysos) are Physical Vigor, Mystic
Fortitude and Danger Evasion.

Magnitude 4: Divine Madness

A Hierokeryx with his Dionysiac Thyrsos
Hierokeryxes can temporarily bestow the Gift of (a.k.a « weird guy with a beard and a weird staff »)
Madness on a chosen subject (with the same
restrictions, duration etc as for other Divine Gifts). Hierokeryxes and devotees of Dionysos (who are all
already crazy anyway) are immune to these effects.
While affected by Dionysiac Madness, a character
throws off all his clothing (including armor) and will This form of insanity is permanent and can only be
behave in a generally insane, grotesque manner. cured by Divine Intervention; its specific effects are
While he is in this state, all physical and magical left to the discretion and the imagination of the Maze
attacks (including Divine Wrath etc) made against Master and can vary from one individual to another.
him will automatically fail but the character cannot
make attacks (including magical ones) himself. Player-characters who have been driven insane by
Dionysos cannot participate in quests, odysseys
Hierokeryxes may, of course, bestow this Gift on and other adventurous pursuits; they become NPCs
themselves (which they often do). whose fate is entirely within the hands of the Maze
Master, until they are cured by Divine Intervention.
Magnitude 6: Divine Intervention

This works as the usual Divine Intervention power,

Cult of Mithras
except that Dionysos does nothing when he
intervenes, aside from appearing in a terrible, Mithras is a solar god from the eastern Land of the
unspeakable form which drives insane all those who Sun. As far as scholars from the Land of the Three
behold it (no saving roll allowed – even averting or Cities are concerned, this god is simply Apollo
closing your eyes won’t work since the Madness of under another name or a long lost son of Apollo,
Dionysos affects and transcends all senses). “gone east” for some mysterious reasons.

Priests of Mithras (who are sometimes known as

Heliodromes, which apparently means something
like “heralds of the sun”) have an entirely different
opinion on that matter, since they see their deity as
the only god in existence – a rather weird concept
(“monotheism”), which has recently become a
subject of heated debate among Philosophers.

Aside from being a god of the sun (or the son of

such a god), Mithras also seems to be a god of
soldiers (at least in the Land of the Sun) and is often
known as “the bullslayer” – a nickname which refers
to his worshippers’ habit of sacrificing bulls but also
seems to be connected with Minotaurs in some way.
Perhaps the devotees of Mithras were the first men
brave enough to fight the Gorgotaurs, eastern
bovine monsters thought by some scholars to be the
progenitors of the various Minotaur races (see the
Cultists of Dionysos sure know how to party! Creature Compendium for more details).

31
Magnitude 1: Divine Blessing Magnitude 1: Druidic Blessing

Scores which can be Blessed by Priests of Mithras This works exactly like Divine Blessing, with a
are Defense Class, Melee and Mystic Fortitude. duration based on the Druid’s Druidic Lore talent.
The four scores Druids may bless are Melee, Mystic
Magnitude 4: Divine Gift Fortitude, Physical Vigor and Danger Evasion.

Priests of Mithras can temporarily bestow the Gift of Magnitude 4: Druidic Compelling
Victory on a chosen subject (with all the usual
restrictions, duration etc). This power works exactly like the Sorcery power of
Compelling, except that the Druid’s Druidic Lore
Magnitude 6: Divine Resurrection bonus is used instead of Psychic Gift.

This spectacular Prodigy gives Priests of Mithras Magnitude 6: Druidic Curse

the power to resurrect fallen warriors – something
that even the Olympians are unable (or unwilling?) This power works exactly like the Affliction power of
to do. This requires no roll; the Priest must simply Heleads and Napaea (Nature’s Gifts, Magnitude 5),
touch the dead individual, who is then filled with a except for the following differences. Druidic Curses
burst of luminous energy and comes back to life. are not delivered through a kiss: the Druid must
simply be within 10 feet of his chosen victim and
The chosen individual must not have been dead for utter the curse verbally (usually in a sinister voice).
a number of battle rounds greater than the Priest’s In addition, a Druidic Curse also affects the victim’s
Spiritul Aura bonus. For reasons known only to very fate, reducing his Luck by 1 in addition to the
Mithras himself, this power only works on warriors 1D6 loss in Might, Wits, Will or Grace.
(and not on magicians or specialists).
Thus, the same individual may lose up to 4 points of
In addition, anybody resurrected by this power has Luck if Cursed by a Druid - or even more if several
‘seen the light’ and is automatically converted to Druids unite their efforts. This effect is one of the
Mithraic faith upon coming back to life. reasons why Druids often refer to themselves as
“masters of Fate” and are feared by even the
mightiest kings and heroes of Hyperborea.
Druidic Faith
In the fantasy world of Mythika, the word “Druid”
refers to the Priests of the Hyperborean Barbarians.

In addition to their various ceremonial duties, Druids

also act as seers and advisors for the local kings
and chieftians. They have long beards, wear white
robes and use golden sickles to collect various
plants for their rituals.

The identity of the gods served by Druids is unclear;

they seem to be weird barbarian versions of Apollo,
Ares, Zeus, Artemis and Demeter. Unlike other
Priests, Druids do not serve a specific deity but act
as mediators with the divine world as a whole.

This absence of a clearly defined patron deity

affects the nature of the Druids’ powers, which can
be defined in game terms as a weird mix of Divine
Prodigies, Sorcery and Nature’s Gifts.

The Druid’s strange approach to religion is also

reflected by their systematic use of the adjective
‘Druidic’ instead of the usual term ‘Divine’ when they
refer to their powers (eg Druidic Prodigies, Druidic
Blessing, Druidic Vitality, Druidic Wrath etc).

Druids even have different primary attributes (Wits

and Will, which are also the only attributes they can
improve with level (in addition to the usual Luck
increase) as well as a different name for their
magical talent, which works like Spiritual Aura but is
called Druidic Lore. At least they recover Power A Druid performing some kind of mumbo-jumbo
ceremony amid a crowd of superstitious, uneducated
points in the same way as other Priests.
and thus easily-awed Barbarians.

32
 2007 Edition Notes & Comments

Acolytes & Sacrifices detractors – the latter complaining about how

these two divergent religions spoiled the “elegant
These rules were generally welcomed by the Olympian feel” of True M&M (hence the term
members of the Mythist faction, but were not so “heresy”). On closer examination, though, the Two
popular with the Mazists, who felt they Heresies are actually two very different stories.
“endangered game balance” by giving “excessive
advantages” to Priests. Unlike that of Mithras, the existence of Dionysos
in the M&M universe was never put into question:
The designers of these rules obviously wanted to he was a fully legitimate, fully official part of Greek
give Priests an edge over other magicians, on the mythology... but he was also the object of a
grounds that Divine Power should legitimately strange, unhealthy fascination from some gamers,
surpass all other forms of magic – especially who saw the Mad God as the embodiment of their
since Priests had to respect a far stricter code of secret desires to play bad, dark, crazy, oversexed
behaviour than Sorcerers or Elementalists. And to characters (such as Satyrs or even the infamous,
be fair, these “excessive advantages” were not cannibalistic Maenads).
THAT excessive – and seem even less so in our
age of crunchy bits and power combos. These self-proclaimed “Dionysiac Heretics” had
their own Bible, the unofficial and notorious
Misdeeds & Madness supplement, which covered
The Call of Cybele All Things Dark and Dionysiac (you can still find a
PDF facsimile of it in the Files section of the
Religion has always been a touchy subject in official M&M newsgroup). For the true Dionysiac
M&M history. In 1987, the entire hobby was still in Heretic, the section on the Cult of Dionysos in the
the fires of the Big Anti-RPG Crusade launched Companion was just “vanilla Dionysos”: a
by the fanatics of WAMM (Worried About Mazes watered-down, emasculated (their words, not
& Minotaurs) and other similar groups of religious mine) imitation of “the real thing”. And no, WAMM
fundamentallists – yeah, these guys wanted to never found out about them either.
ban everything M&M-related on the grounds that
(a) the game promoted pagan polytheism, (b) one The Mithraic Heresy was taken far more seriously
of its early supplement included a few lines about by M&M traditionalists, because it introduced a
decresating temples, (c) they were a bunch of “completely anachronistic concept” that had
stupid, dangerous, book-burning bigots. “nothing to do in the mythical fantasy world of
M&M” and that could “endanger the whole
But let’s get back to the Companion. Within such metaphysical fabric of the game we all love”. They
a heated context, publishing the gruesome were, of course, talking about monotheism.
section about the Cult of Cybele was quite a
courageous move from LGS – and one which But the Cult of Mithras also had its fervent
spawned yet another type of M&M variants. defenders. For those “Mithraic Heretics”, the new,
Known as “Call of Cybele” (or CoC) campaigns, monotheistic solar faith was far more than an
these games focused exclusively on the darkest interesting game option ; it reflected the necessity
and most horrific aspects of the M&M universe, of spiritual rebirth in the M&M world.
with the Cult of Cybele acting as an ubiquitous
secret menace constantly plotting to bring the It was as if these guys had been touched by
mythic world to an apocalyptic end. Mithras himself. They began to run entire
campaigns based on the triumphal advent of the
In CoC games, Olympian gods took a backseat One True God in Mythika and its struggle against
and Cybele herself was pictured as a gigantic, the “decadent semi-deities” (yes, the Olympians),
tentacled monstrosity reminiscent of (and with player-characters acting as champions and
sometimes identified with) HP Lovecraft’s Shub- missionaries of the great Mithraic Crusade.
Niggurath, the Dark Goat of the Wood with a
Thousand Young. Such campaigns also featured The only part of the Companion which really
detailed rules on madness, ancient scrolls that bothered the Mithraic Heretics was the little
could drive you insane and, of course, all sorts of sentence in the section on Non-Olympian Cults,
horrendous rituals and orgies. Luckily for us all, which stated that Non-Olympian deities could not
WAMM never found out about CoC. have Divine Agents. This “arbitrary and unfair”
prohibition was quickly disposed of in Mithraic
circles and within a few months, articles on
The Two Heresies Mithraic Agents and even fully-fledged classes
(such as the Mithraic Champion, the Mithraic
This chapter also presents the “Two Heresies” of Initiate and the Mithraic Paladin) began to appear
M&M – the Dionysiac Heresy and the Mithraic in various unofficial supplements and fanzines,
Heresy. Both faiths were regularly the subject of such as The Mithraeum, which acted as the voice
heated debate within the M&M community, each of the Mithraic community until its demise in 1994.
with its staunch defenders and its relentless

33
VI: MISCELLANEOUS RULES
Traps
Monsters are not everything in a hero’s life. During
their adventurous expeditions, characters may also
run into traps – especially when exploring lost tombs
and underground mazes…

Trap Characteristics
Type: A trap may be an indoor trap or an outdoor
trap. This distinction is especially important as far as
Thieves and Hunters are concerned (see below).

Effect: Each trap has a specific effect: the victim

Will Krondar the Barbarian make his detection roll?
may fall into a pit, get pricked by a poisoned needle,
end up buried under an avalanche of stone boulders
etc. There are five basic trap effects: direct damage, Detecting a trap requires a successful detection roll
falling, crushing, poison and entrapment. See below made against a target number equal to the
for more details about these effects. Concealment rating of the trap.

Ratings: A trap has two ratings: a Concealment Thieves and Hunters normally add their special
rating, which reflects how hard it is to detect, and a Thievery or Hunting bonus to all their detection rolls.
Danger rating, which reflects how hard it is to avoid. As far as traps are concerned, Maze Masters may
Both are rated from 15 to 20 and act as target wish to restrict the Thieves’ bonus to indoor traps
numbers, as detailed below. and the Hunters’ bonus to outdoor traps, to reflect
the specialized skills of each class.
To randomly determine the various characteristics
of a given trap, first roll 1D6+14 twice to determine If a trap is successfully detected, the character will
its Concealment and Danger ratings, then roll 1D6 be aware of its presence and general mode of
on the table below to determine its effects: operation, which will usually allow him to avoid
taking the action that would trigger the trap.
D6 Indoor Traps Outdoor Traps
1 Direct Damage Direct Damage
Avoiding Traps
2 Falling Direct Damage Traps which have not been successfully detected
will be triggered by the first applicable victim.
3 Crushing Crushing
This victim is allowed a last chance Danger Evasion
4 Entrapment Crushing roll made against a target number equal to the
Danger rating of the trap.
5 Poison Entrapment

6 Combination* Entrapment Thieves and Hunters do not add their Thievery or

Hunting bonus to Danger Evasion rolls made to
avoid undetected traps.
* Roll again on the following sub-table:
1-2 = Falling + Direct Damage A successful roll means the character managed to
avoid the trap at the last second. A failed roll means
3-4 = Falling + Entrapment the character was not alert or fast enough to avoid
the trap: see Effects of Traps below.
5 = Direct Damage + Poison
6 = Crushing + Entrapment Depending on the size and working of the trap, its
effects may apply to a single victim or to anyone
within a certain area etc. Such specifics depend on
Detecting Traps the physical characteristics of the environment and
are left to the discretion of the Maze Master.
Traps can only be detected by characters who are
actively searching for them. Inattentive characters Most traps are single-use devices: in other words,
will automatically trigger the trap as soon as they they only work once and have to be reset or re-
take the required move or action. armed in order to function again.

34
 To disarm a trap, the Thief or Hunter must attempt a
Danger Evasion roll against a target number equal
to the Danger rating of the trap, as per the rules for
Avoiding Traps (see above). A failure has the usual
consequences (the trap goes off) but if the roll
succeeds, the trap will be successfully disarmed.

If the roll fails, the trap is triggered but the Thief or

Hunter is allowed a Danger Evasion roll against the
Danger rating of the trap, as per the usual rules.
This last chance roll is not increased by the
character’s Thievery or Hunting bonus, since the
character failed to disarm the trap in the first place.

Given the appropriate time and equipment, Thieves

Mmmh… I wonder how that works… (famous last words) and Hunters may also be able to build or install the
same type of traps they can disarm (ie indoor traps
Effects of Traps for Thieves and outdoor traps for Hunters). These
« homemade » traps normally have Concealment
and Danger ratings equal to (14 + character’s level).
Traps may have various effects when triggered:

Direct Damage: The victim suffers 1D6 Hits of Special Traps

damage, caused by stakes, blades, javelins etc.
Maze Masters may wish to pit their players against
Falling: The victim falls 10 feet or so and suffers magical or extremely advanced mechanical traps.
1D6 Hits of damage. This effect may be combined
with Direct Damage above (for 2D6 Hits) if the In a typical M&M Bronze Age game world, such
victim falls on stakes, spearheads etc. marvelous contraptions should remain extremely
rare and should always be the works of Derro
Crushing: The victim is buried under falling engineers or long-dead Daeadalus-like inventors.
boulders, crushed by a massive stone, hingeless
door etc for 2D6 Hits of damage. Such devices always qualify as Indoor Traps. They
have the same Concealment and Danger ratings as
Entrapment: The victim is trapped into an enclosed more common traps but will always be far more
space, with no apparent natural exit… This may be difficult to disarm. The target number required to
combined with Crushing or Falling. disarm such a trap will be raised by 5. Thus, a
mechanically advanced trap with a Danger rating of
Poison: The victim is pricked by a poisoned needle, 16 will have a disarm target number of 21.
blade etc. The effects of this poison can be defined
as per the Poison ability of some creatures (see Here are a few examples of special effects magical
Maze Masters Guide p 20). This effect may be or advanced mechanical traps may have:
combined to Direct Damage, taking the form of
poison-coated stakes, spearheads, blades etc. Self-Reload: The trap has a normal Crushing,
Direct Damage or Poison effect (or a combination of
Disarming Traps these effects) but the device automatically reloads
or rearms itself after each use.
Once a trap has been detected, characters will be
Fire Trap: The victim(s) of the trap is hit by a burst
able to tell which actions or movements may trigger
of flame. Treat as a 2D6 Breath Weapon, which can
it (and thus avoid making such actions).
be avoided with a successful Danger Evasion roll.
This may be combined with Self-Reload.
In most cases, this means that the characters will
not be able to take a certain course of action (such
Explosion: KA-BOOM! The trap explodes when
as opening a treasure chest or passing through a
triggered . In game terms, the effects are the same
doorway) unless the trap is disarmed.
as Fire Trap above, except that everyone in a 2D6
feet radius may be affected. This special effect
Thieves and Hunters are the only characters who
cannot be combined with Self-Reload.
may attempt to disarm traps. Thieves can only
attempt to disarm indoor traps, while Hunters can
Gas Trap: The trap lets out a cloud of poisonous
only attempt to disarm outdoor traps.
gas. In game terms, this has the same effects as
Poison, except that everybody in a 1D6 foot radius
In the context of these rules, « disarming a trap »
may be affected by the cloud. In addition, if this
means neutralizing or removing it, depending on
effect is combined with Entrapment, every victim will
how the trap actually works. Warning: attempting to
be affected and will have to make a new Physical
disarm a trap is a very hazardous activity, even for
Vigor saving roll every round against an increasing
experienced Thieves or Hunters.
target number, as per the Drowning rules.

35
 Such an emergency treatment is only possible with
magical powers that can operate faster than the
poison itself, such as Divine Healing or Nature’s
Comfort, which require one round to use – but a
Lyrist’s Song of Comfort won’t work, since it would
take one minute to perform.

If this saving roll fails, each additional use of a

magical healing power will allow the victim a new
saving roll, with the same bonus and target number,
as long as the victim is still alive.

If the victim dies, then the only solutions left are the
ones mentioned under Instant Death above.

Paralysis
The chances of neutralizing the poison are the
same as for Quick Death poisons above but since
paralysis lasts for 1-6 minutes, multiple attempts are
not as limited as with lethal poison (as long as the
healer agrees to spend his Power points, that it).

Natural Medicine
- We need some additional rules here! If the rules on background talents are used,
characters with the Healer talent may be able to
counter the effects of a quick death poison, provided
Curing Poison they act before the poison takes effect.

The following rules detail the various natural and Such an emergency treatment (which represents
magical ways of curing poison in M&M. things like sucking venom out of a wound etc) takes
1d6 rounds to administer and will only have a
Poison as defined by the Poison special ability can chance to work if this duration does not exceed the
have three effects: instant death, quick death (in number of rounds left to the victim.
1d6 rounds) or paralysis (for 1d6 minutes).
Even in this case, the victim will not be automatically
Each of these effects requires a specific type of saved but will be allowed a last chance Physical
treatment, as detailed below. Vigor saving roll against a target number of 20
(rather than the usual 15) to survive, thanks to the
Healer’s diligent efforts. Note that this can only work
Instant Death against poison delivered by a Poison attack, but not
against swallowed or inhaled poison.
The only possible “cure” in such cases is a
Napaea’s Kiss of Life or any similar power (such as
the Priest of Mithras’ Divine Resurrection – see p Antidotes
32) – as long, of course, as the power is used within
the proper time limit (which is usually equal to the Each type of poison is a specific substance and
magician’s magical talent in rounds). there’s no such thing as a universal antidote.

An effective antidote against the venom of a specific

Quick Death species of Giant Snake, for instance, would be
completely useless against the venom of a Cave
If the victim receives magical healing before the Spider (or even against other species of Giant
fatal 1-6 rounds have passed, this healing may also Snakes, for that matter). This is an additional proof
prevent the poison from taking effect (in addition to of the inherent superiority of magical healing over
its usual healing virtues) but only if the victim of the any form of natural pharmacy.
poison succeeds at a Physical Vigor saving roll
(versus a target number 15) with an extra bonus At the Maze Master’s discretion, the use of a proper
equal to the healer’s magical talent. specific antidote could lower the target number of
the victim’s last chance saving roll to 10 or even
Thus, a victim with a Physical Vigor mod of +3 make it automatically successful, as long as it is
healed by a Priest with a Spiritual Aura of +4 would taken before the poison takes its full, terminal effect.
roll 1d20+7 on this roll.

36
 Influence Modifiers
Intimidation = (Will mod x 2) + Luck mod
Persuasion = (Wits mod x 2) + Luck mod
Seduction = (Grace mod x 2) + Luck mod

Intimidation involves bullying, browbeating and

coercing NPCs into cooperation, passivity or
submission. In this specific case, Trustful or Friendly
reactions should be interpreted as cooperative and
submissive attitudes. A character’s Intimidation mod
is equal to his Luck mod plus twice his Will mod.

Persuasion involves using rhetoric, logical

arguments and oratory techniques to gain the
NPC’s favor or attention. The Maze Master may ask
the player to deliver a convincing speech (or, at
least, to paraphrase it) before making the roll. A
character’s Persuasion modifier is equal to his Luck
modifier plus twice his Wits modifier.

Seduction involves flirting and using various forms

of facial and somatic communication to attract the
NPC’s attention or interest. Seduction only works if
the character and the target have compatible sexual
Elethos the Eloquent gets ready for a difficult Influence roll affinities (a topic which goes beyond the scope of
these rules). A character’s Seduction mod is equal
to his Luck mod plus twice his Grace mod.
Influencing NPCs
A character’s influence rolls may also benefit from
his reputation effect (see Players Manual); thus,
Influence & Roleplaying Centaurs will get an influence bonus equal to their
level when trying to influence other Centaurs, while
The Mazes & Minotaurs rules are extremely concise
Nobles will get an equivalent bonus when trying to
when it comes to dealing with NPCs in a non-violent
influence people from their homeland.
manner. In fact, the Reaction table is the only game
system related to this topic: everything else is left to
the discretion of the individual Maze Master.

While this lack of actual rules might be seen as an

incentive for players to roleplay their characters, it
also has a few unfortunate side-effects. Good
players are not always good actors and most will
probably feel more embarrassed than amused by
the prospect of roleplaying a seduction attempt or
an inspiring public speech, preferring to avoid such
opportunities altogether – which is a pity as far as
roleplaying is concerned. The purpose of the
following optional rules is to resolve such situations
using a set of simple game mechanics.

Influence Modifiers
A character’s Personal Charisma represents his
presence and power of command ; as such, it has a
significant impact on first impressions (Reaction
rolls) and an even greater impact on the loyalty and
morale of the character’s followers (Leadership).

But showing presence and authority is not the only

way to interact with NPCs – especially if one wishes
to go beyond first impressions. Characters who wish
to influence NPCs in a significant manner may use
three different methods: Intimidation, Persuasion
and Seduction, each with its own modifier. - Excuse me, are you trying to intimidate me?

37
Target Numbers Effects of Influence
The target number of an Influence roll is normally To make an Influence roll, roll 1D20 and add the
equal to 15 but may be modified by various factors player-character’s relevant Influence modifier. The
which are summarized below. roll succeeds if the final total is equal to or higher
than the required target number (see above).
Loyalty: If the NPC is a follower or servant of
another character, this loyalty may, in some cases, Influence can only be used on Trustful, Neutral or
make him harder to influence. In such cases, the Wary individuals; it has absolutely no effect on
Leadership of the commanding character is added Hostile characters and is simply superfluous with
to the target number. Thus, trying to influence the already Friendly characters.
guards of Skelos the Tyrant (Leadership +8) will
require an Influence roll of 23 or more (provided A successful Influence roll shifts the NPC’s initial
those guards aren’t already Hostile). reaction by one category (ie from Hostile to Wary,
from Wary to Neutral etc) in favor of the character.
Resolve: Strong-willed individuals are harder to
influence than average persons. NPCs with a Will A failed roll will actually shift NPC’s Reaction one
score add their Will modifier to the target number of category down (ie turn a Neutral attitude into a Wary
Influence rolls made against them. Thus, influencing one or a Wary attitude into a Hostile one).
a character with a Will of 15 (+2) will require a roll of
17+. Conversely, NPCs with a particularly low Will
(8 or less) will be easier to Influence, subtracting Limits of Influence
their Will penalty from the target number.
Depending on the situation, an influence roll might
Deception: Influence may also be used to deceive, apply to a single individual or to a whole group of
or trick NPCs: this usually applies to Persuasion NPCs or to any fraction of the group specifically
(lying, fast talking, telling tall tales etc) but may also designated by the character. In the latter case
be used with Intimidation (false threats, poker-style (group Influence), a single Influence roll is made for
bluffs etc) or Seduction (using charm or sex appeal the whole audience but some of its members may
to distract, trick or manipulate someone). In such have higher target numbers than others (because of
cases, the target number will also be modified by their higher Will, Wits etc): thus, Maze Masters will
the NPC’s Wits modifier: the more clever the NPC, be able to determine which individuals are affected
the more difficult he will be to fool. Like Resolve by a character’s Influence roll.
above, this only applies to Major NPCs, since Minor
NPCs do not have attribute modifiers. In most situations, the effects of an influence roll will
affect its target NPCs as long as they remain in the
character’s presence – or until a specific event
causes them to reconsider their attitude.

As shown by the various modifiers detailed above,

most Influence rolls will have high to very high target
numbers, making success quite unlikely, except for
adventurers with high Influence bonuses.

Remember that the main purpose of these optional

rules is NOT to turn every conversation between
player-characters and NPCs into a series of dice
rolls, but to make things easier for players and Maze
Masters when dealing with decisive interactions.

Maze Masters should refrain from calling for

Influence rolls every time characters wish to request
something from NPCs. First reactions should always
be taken into account and Influence rolls should
only be called for when characters are really trying
to Intimidate, Persuade or Seduce NPCs into doing,
telling or accepting things that go beyond the normal
manifestations of their attitude: Trustful (or even
Neutral) NPCs, for instance, won’t have to be
Persuaded or Intimidated to reveal information they
have no particular reason to conceal.

Also remember that influence is not mind control

and NPCs are not puppets with no will of their own.
Also remember that influence rolls can never be
used against Beasts, Monsters, Animates or Spirits,
other player-characters, deities or Maze Masters.
- I’m sorry, but THIS won’t get you an Influence bonus!

38
 Taming 101 MCQ: This fearless adventurer is trying to Tame a Bulll (a) by Force (b) by Craft (c) by Charm.

Thus, taming a Lion (Defiance 2, Medium-sized) by

Taming Beasts & Monsters Craft will take at least 1D6 weeks and will require a
Taming roll total of 16 or more ; furthermore, if the
In most Mazes & Minotaurs adventures, the only
D20 roll is 1 or 2, the Lion will prove impossible to
form of interaction between adventurers and Beasts
tame and will run away.
or Monsters is combat.
During this process, the Beast must somehow be
Yet, many legendary tales feature heroes who have
kept in captivity. A character can never have more
loyal animal companions or who are required to
animals Tamed by Craft than his level.
tame a fantastic creature as some sort of heroic
task. This section presents optional rules to deal
with such situations between game sessions. Taming by Force
There are three ways of taming a Beast or Monster Anyone with a Might of 13+ can tame a captured
that has been caught alive: by Craft , by Force or by Beast or Monster by Force. Since it relies on
Charm. Each of these three methods is described in physical strength, Taming by Force is the favorite
detail in the following sections. taming method of most Barbarians and Centaurs.

Only Medium-sized or Large creatures may be

Taming by Craft tamed in this way.
Only Hunters, Barbarians and Amazons can tame Creatures have a Force rating which measures their
Beasts (but not Monsters) by Craft.
resistance to this form of taming. This rating is
simply equal to 2 plus the creature’s Melee modifier
At the discretion of the Maze Master, this ability
(which is a direct reflection of its Size and Ferocity).
might be extended to Shapeshifters (see chapter
IV), who have a natural affinity with animals.
Thus, a Bull (Melee +4) has a Force of 6, while a
Giant Boar (Melee +6) has a Force of 8.
To do so, the character must make a Danger
Evasion roll versus a target number of 14 plus the
To tame a Beast or Monster by force, the character
creature’s Defiance rating. Hunters also add their
must wrestle the creature, according to the standard
Hunting bonus to this roll.
wrestling rules, and pin the creature down for a
number of consecutive rounds equal to its Force.
A Beast’s Defiance rating is equal to the sum of its
Ferocity and Mystique modifiers.
This operation must be repeated for a number of
consecutive days equal to the creature’s Force
Each attempt takes as many weeks as a damage
rating. Between these shows of force, the Beast or
roll for the creature’s Size (ie 1d3 for Small animals,
Monster must be held captive somehow.
1D6 for Medium-sized ones, 2D6 for Large ones).
Note that most Beasts and Monsters will attack the
If the natural result of the D20 roll (not counting
tamer if the grapple fails or if they manage to break
modifiers) is less than or equal to the Beast’s
free before the required number of battle rounds has
Defiance rating, it can never be tamed (at least by
passed, making this method quite hazardous.
craft) and runs away.

39
Taming by Charm
Lastly, Nymphs (and only them) can try to tame
Beasts and Monsters by Charm, using the powers
of their preternatural charisma.

This can only be attempted with creatures from the

Nymph's natural environment - sea creatures for
Nereids, woodland beasts for Dryads etc.

This process starts with a Reaction roll, using the

Nymph’s Personal Charisma as a bonus and the
creature’s Ferocity as a penalty (-1 if Aggressive, -2
if Dangerous and -3 if Deadly).

The taming process may only continue if this roll

results in a Friendly reaction.

If this is the case, the Nymph must then spend a

number of days in the company of the creature to
create and reinforce this new bond of friendship.
This number of days is equal to the creature’s
damage roll (1D6 days for a Medium creature or
1d3 for a Small one, for instance).

When this period is over, make a second Reaction

roll with the same bonuses and penalties as above.

Friendly: The creature is Tamed.

Trustful: Try again, with a +2 bonus.
Neutral: Try again.
Wary: Creature runs away, presumably forever. The Nereid and the Sea Serpent (see example above)
Hostile: Creature attacks (with surprise).
A creature’s Bond will have to be tested whenever
While trying to tame a creature, the Nymph must the creature meets a Fearsome foe or something it
live in the wilds near it. The maximum number of is afraid of. Most Beasts (but few Monsters) fear fire
creatures Tamed in this manner a Nymph may have and very loud noises as well, so encountering these
at her command is equal to her Personal Charisma. things can also call for a Bond check.
Large creatures count as 2 and Gigantic ones as 4.
A tamed creature that fails a Bond check will flee for
Thus, a Nereid who meets a Sea Serpent and gets 1D6 hours. At the end of this period, a new check
a Friendly reaction (despite the -2 Ferocity penalty) must be made. If it fails, the creature will simply not
may try to become its friend. This will take her 3D6 return to its master from its own initiative.
days (since the Sea Serpent is Gigantic). She will
then have to make a new reaction roll (with the If the character manages to find the creature by
same -2 penalty for Ferocity) ; if she gets another himself, a third check will be made.
Friendly result, the Sea Serpent will be Tamed.
If it succeeds, the creature will come back to its
master as soon as it can detect his proximity. If this
Loyalty of Tamed Creatures third Bond check fails, the creature will no longer
obey and will have to be Tamed again.
After being tamed, a creature will be obedient
enough to follow its master around, as long as it is As the tamer’s Will and Luck increase, so will the
given enough food. Its loyalty and morale may be Bond of his Tamed companions. Those with a Bond
tested like those of a human follower, using the of 10 or more are completely loyal to their master
same die (D10) and the same procedure ; the score and will never have to test their Bond.
being tested, however, is not the tamer’s Leadership
but a special Bond rating. Lastly, it should be noted that cities, citadels,
temples and noble domains will not let characters
A tamed creature’s Bond rating is equal to the sum enter if they have a Monster with them, unless they
of the tamer’s Will and Luck mods and must also get a Trustful or Friendly reaction. In such cases,
be modified according to the taming method used: - each Tamed Monster following a character will give
2 for Force, 0 for Charm and +2 for Craft. Tthis him a Reaction penalty equal to the creature’s
rating is also reduced by 1 for all Monsters. Melee modifier (which reflects its Size and Ferocity).

40
 Expert NPCs
Experts are Minor NPCs with a superior degree of
expertise or mastery in a specific field. In game
terms, all Experts are treated as Non-combatants:
they only have 4 Hits, cannot attack and are not
entitled to saving rolls but all of them have a special
ability reflecting their expertise, as detailed below.

Navigators
These NPCs are expert, well, navigators and ship
pilots. Unlike most sailors, they do not qualify as
fighters but have a special expertise bonus ranging
from +2 to +4 (roll 1D3+1) that is added to all
Danger Evasion rolls made to protect a ship from
storms and other natural sea hazards (such as
dangerous reefs etc). A ship may only benefit from
the skills of one Navigator at the same time.
A graceful Huntress with her majestic companion
In addition, a Navigator will be able to predict the
Training Tamed Creatures weather of the day with a % accuracy equal to 25
times his expertise bonus (eg 75% for a bonus of
Tamed creatures can be taught Tricks. This takes +3): roll 1d100 and give a wrong prediction in case
1D6 months per Trick and requires a roll to see if of failure. A Navigator can usually be hired at a daily
the creature accepts the training. Roll 1D6 and add fee equal to (9 + expertise bonus) silver pieces.
its Cunning modifier, with an extra bonus of +1 for
each Bond point over 10. The creature learns the
Trick if the total is equal to or greater than the Physicians
Difficulty of the Trick. Otherwise, the creature does
not learn the Trick and will be forever unable to do Physicians are doctors, surgeons and healers. In
so. Here are the most common Tricks, with their game terms, their skills have the same applications
Difficulty ratings. and effects as the Healer background talent (see
chapter I). Most of them are sedentary individuals
Attack (4): Order to attack a designated target. and will not accept to follow adventurers on quests
or expeditions. The cost of their services usually
Draft Beast (5): The creature can now pull a suitable varies according to the nature of the said services.
vehicle. A Loyalty check is made when it is yoked, and Those who are hired on a weekly basis (to aid the
whenever he attempts a Perilous Feat. convalescence of a wounded character etc) usually
Guard (5): The creature calls out when a place it is take a weekly fee of around 20 silver pieces.
guarding is disturbed (make Detection rolls if
necessary). The owner must either be present or the
creature must have been taught to Stay.
Sages
Heel (5): Order not to attack a designated target. Sages have an extensive knowledge similar to the
Scholar background talent (see chapter I). Maze
Message (7): The creature can carry a message to its Masters are free to decide that some questions are
home or any person it accepts as its owner. simply beyond a sage’s vast knowledge or can only
Mount (4): The creature can now be ridden. A Loyalty be answered by a specific sage. Sages tend to be
check is made when the owner mounts, and whenever very sedentary individuals and will usually refuse to
he attempts a Perilous Feat. go on quests and expeditions (even for knowledge’s
sake) – but they are often willing to freely share their
Other Owner (5): The creature accepts another person knowledge with those who come to them.
as its owner as well. It will always have a -1 penalty on
all Bond checks, though. Note that anyone can acquire
a tamed Beast in this way.
Protect (7): The creature will automatically Guard (it
must know that trick) its owner when he falls asleep,
loses consciousness etc.
Save (7): The creature must be able to swim; on
orders, it will attempt to rescue a drowning person.
Search (5): The creature actively helps searching for
something (making detection rolls).
Stay (6): The creature stays in one place for up to a
day. Each hour after that calls for a Bond check. Where is the Navigator? asks the Sage to the Physician

41
 2007 Edition Comments
Miscellanea Unbound!

As its title implies, this chapter collected various

bits and pieces that could not be put elsewhere.
As such, it had that particular hodge-podge quality
typical of so many old-school supplements.

The rules for Influencing NPCs (which spawned

the diplomacy-heavy Palaces & Politics variant of
M&M) and Taming Creatures (which were
especially popular with players of Hunters and
Amazons) were taken from the OM&M Unveiled
Two Philosophers debating about Magic and Logic Addenda supplement, but were also carefully
Revised before being included in the Companion.
Philosophers The rules on Traps were a revised and expanded
version of an old Griffin article. Many Maze
Philosophers are intellectually-focused NPCs who
Masters felt that these should have been included
study, teach and profess complex doctrines about
in the Maze Masters Guide – but they were
Free Will, True Reason, Universal Logic and other
probably left out for space reasons (“Nah, come
concepts which tend to make them quite unpopular
on...”). The section on Expert NPCs also came
with Priests (and deities).
from the pages of Griffin but this one was actually
shortened (the original article detailed dozens of
Philosophers are quite rare and can usually only be
specialized hirelings of dubious utility, such as
found at the courts of the more enlightened kings
professional flute players, masseurs and lawyers).
(acting as teachers, scholars or even mentors) or in
the largest cities, although some of them chose to
live as in the wilds as Hermits. With the exception of
Revenge of the Philosopher
Hermits (and the rare, misanthropic Cynic), most
Philosophers will usually be surrounded by a more- And then there was the Philosopher. What had
or-less numerous circle of disciples, who study started as a joke in an April Fool’s issue of the
under their tutelage but do not have the special Griffin was now an official (if optional) element of
abilities described below (until they are enlightened the M&M universe – which caused quite a bit of
and mature enough to become true Philosophers uproar and incomprehension among the most
themselves, which is actually extremely rare). “serious” members of the M&M community (“Why
on Mythika did you do such a thing? Have you
In game terms, all Philosophers have the same gone insane?”, “Oh no! Not that stupid
characteristics as Non-combatant Minor NPCs (4 Philosopher again! “, “What’s next? Rules for
Hits, no attack)… but they also have a single, jesters?” etc etc), despite a few (okay, just one)
unique ability which seems to defy the laws of enthusiastic reaction(s) (“At last! The Minotaurian
mythical reality: they are completely immune to all Weltanschauung is now complete!”).
forms of magic targeted against them, regardless of
the magician’s Mystic Strength or powers. Even though the class had been stripped of most
his original silliness and was now strictly limited to
For Philosophers, Logic is the cosmic opposite force NPC-dom, I must admit I was very skeptical at
of Magic. Their belief in Free Will gives them an first... until one of my Maze Master friends created
unfailing Mystic Fortitude against Sorcery, Nature’s a scenario that took advantage of the
Gifts, Poetic Magic and other mind-affecting or Philosophers’ immunity to magic: it was about an
emotion-based forms of magic, while their belief in evil Sorcerer who, under a false identity, had
True Reason makes them immune to the Divine managed to Enslave a powerful king and all the
Prodigies of Priests. And since they also believe in closest members of his entourage – except one,
Mind over Matter, Philosophers are also immune to the local court Philosopher, whose last resort was
all forms of Elemental Magic. This imperviousness to recruit a band of valiant adventurers (including
to magic, however, also has a big downside, since it a Priestess of Athena!) to free the kingdom from
makes Philosophers immune to all friendly forms of the Sorcerer’s domination. And I must say it was
magic as well (such as divine blessings or the one of the most memorable sessions I’ve ever
various types of magical healing). played – there was court intrigue, sorcerous
machinations, sword-and-spear fights in the
The only forms of magic that are unaffected by the corridors of the royal palace, betrayal, tragedy
Philosophers’ immunity are the powers of the Gods and a fascinating final conversation (once the
themselves (so beware Divine Interventions…) and, kingdom has been saved, the Sorcerer defeated
for some strange arcane reason, the Petrification and the order restored) between the Philosopher
ability of creatures such as Gorgons, Basilisks and and our Priestess about Men, Gods, the Universe
Cockatrices (so much for Mind over Matter). and Life in General. And not a single Monster.

42
Appendix: WARFARE RULES

Ah ah! Rejoice, companions! At last, rules for the ancient art of warfare and massive mayhem !

Regiments are usually composed of troops with

Epic Battles similar characteristics and equipment (ie archers,
hoplites, cavalrymen, centaurs etc) but this is by no
Large-scale battles often occur in the mythic tales,
means mandatory. Every type of Folk described in
novels and movies from which M&M draws its
the Creature Compendium may be used as troops.
inspiration – just think of Homer’s Iliad or J. R.R.
Turquine’s War of the Kings celebrated trilogy; yet,
Monsters may be integrated into an army, but only
such epic battles (or even large skirmishes) can as Unique Opponents, as detailed in the section of
hardly be simulated using the standard M&M
the same name. Humanoid Animates like Skeletons
combat rules – just imagine rolling 1000 attack rolls
or Automatons may be used as troops but are often
to resolve a single round of battle!
subject to special rules, as detailed in the following
sections. Spirits can never be used as troops.
The following section presents a very simple system
that can be used to resolve such grand-scale events
as a part of a Mazes & Minotaurs scenario without Combat Factor
getting lost in technicalities or complex tactical
considerations – remember that M&M is not, has Each type of troop has a different Combat Factor
never been and never will be a wargame. (CF), which represents its overall martial prowess,
independently of its numerical size. Combat Factor
takes into account the troops’ natural or trained
Armies & Troops fighting ability, their equipment as well as various
other factors detailed below.
Troops & Regiments
The Combat Factor of a specific troop type can be
An army is composed of troops. These troops may calculated from its characteristics as given in the
be divided into smaller regiments. In the context of Creature Compendium, using the following formula:
these rules, the word “regiment” simply refers to any
number of men (or other beings) fighting together. CF = ( 2Fer + Eq + SA ) x Size Factor

43
2Fer refers to twice the being’s Ferocity mod.

Eq refers to Equipment Bonus: each piece of

protective equipment (shield, helmet, breastplate)
adds a +1 bonus to a creature’s CF. Troops who
fight with two-handed weapons also get a +1 bonus.

SA refers to Special Abilities. Each Special Ability

which directly enhances the troops’ physical or
martial capabilities adds a bonus equal to one-fifth
of its Glory award. This only applies to the abilities
listed below (with their corresponding CF bonus): Special Troops
Breath Weapon (+4) Multiple Heads (+2)** Archers are the only types of troops which can
Charge into Battle (+1) Natural Armor (+2) benefit from the Missile Weapons or Marksmanship
Crushing Missiles (+2) Regeneration (+2) special abilities in a large-scale battle. The effects of
javelins and other missiles are simply integrated into
Fearsome (+2) Supernatural Vigor (+2) the normal resolution system of the battle round,
Invulnerability (+4) Tough Skin (+1) just like melee weapons.
Lightning Fast (+2) Trample (+1)
Cavalrymen have a Combat Factor equal to their
Marksmanship (+1)* Uncanny Agility (+2) own CF plus the CF of their mount. Standard horses
Mindless (+1) Winged (+1) have a CF of 4: +2 for Aggressive Ferocity, +1 for
Missile Weapons (+1)* Charge into Battle, +1 for Trample. Thus, a heavy,
fully-armored cavalry unit will have a Combat Factor
* These bonuses should be only counted for troops armed of 10 (6 for the rider and 4 for the horse).
with bows. The effects of single-use missiles like javelins
are simply ignored in large-scale battles. Chariots follow the same principle: add the CF of
** per extra head. the two horses to the CF of the warrior in the
chariot, with an extra +1 bonus for the protection
Lastly, the final Combat Factor of a troop type must and cover provided by the chariot. The driver does
be multiplied by its Size Factor, which is the same not add anything to this total. Thus, a chariot drawn
as the one used to calculate Glory awards: Tiny = by two horses (CF 8) and carrying a fully armored
1/10, Small = 1/5, Medium = 1, Large = x2, Gigantic fighter (CF 6) will have a total CF of 15.
= x5). Do not round fractions at this stage.
Regimental Strength
As an illustration of how this system works, let us
calculate the Combat Factor of four Folks described Each regiment has a Strength total which is equal to
in the Creature Compendium: its numerical size multiplied by its Combat Factor.
Human Soldiers: Their Aggressive Ferocity gives Thus, a regiment of 100 soldiers with a Combat
them a CF of 2; full military equipment (shield, Factor of 6 will have a Strength total of 600.
helmet and breastplate) adds +3 and their only
special ability is Charge into Battle (+1). This gives The distribution of available troops into different
them a final Combat Factor of 6. regiments is entirely left to the decisions of the
commanding general. Our regiment of 100 soldiers,
Centaurs: Aggressive (+2), no shield or armor (0) for instance, could be split into two regiments of 50
but a lot of special abilities: Charge (+1), Missile men (each of which would have a Strength of 300).
Weapons (+1), Supernatural Vigor (+2), Trample
(+1) and Uncanny Agility (+2), for a final CF of 9. A single regiment may even include troops with
This assumes that these Centaurs are armed with different characteristics and equipment: thus, a joint-
bows; if they only had melee weapons (or javelins), force of 100 human soldiers (Combat Factor 6) and
the Missile Weapons ability would not be counted, 50 Centaurs (Combat Factor 8) would have a
reducing their CF to 8. Lastly, if these Centaurs combined Strength total of 1000 (600 for the human
fought with shields, helmets and breastplates, their soldiers, plus 400 for the Centaurs).
Combat Factor would be raised by +3.
This system also allows Maze Masters to take into
Myrmidons: Dangerous (+4), shield, breastplate & account the superior quality of small bands of elite
helmet (+3), Supernatural Vigor (+2) and Uncanny fighters within larger regiments (such as a handful of
Agility (+2); this would give them a formidable CF of Sagittarians among a regiment of Centaurs).
11 if they had human size, but their Tiny size divides
this by 10, for a final result of 1,1 (which is not bad The Strength of an army is equal to the sum of all its
for 1’ tall soldiers). troops Strength. Thus, a joint force of 100 human
soldiers (Strength 600), 100 myrmidons (Strength
Tragos Marauders: Aggressive (+2), shield (+1) 110) and 50 Centaurs with bows (Strength 400) will
but no helm or breastplate, Charge into Battle (+1). have an overall Strength of 1110.
This gives them a final Combat Factor of 4.

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Unique Opponents
Monsters, major NPCs and player-characters may
also be included in regiments but qualify as unique
opponents. As such, they are subject to special
rules and restrictions.

Such opponents do not form regiments of their own

kind (forget about entire regiments of Giants or
Chimeras…) but can be integrated into an existing
regiment, either as leaders, champions or brothers-
in-arms (for player-characters and major NPCs) or
as special support (for Monsters).

For Monsters, simply calculate the creature’s CF

using the method given above for creatures and add
it to the overall Strength of the regiment.

Player-characters and major NPCs who take part in

a large-scale battle can also be given an individual
CF to be added to their regiment’s overall Strength.

This individual Combat Factor is simply equal to the Time for an inspiring speech…
character’s Melee mod with the usual equipment
bonus of +1 for each piece of protective equipment Before the Battle
(helmet, shield or breastplate), with an additional
bonus for warriors: +2 for Spearmen and Centaurs,
+1 for Nobles, Barbarians and Amazons. Omens
Thus, our old friend Pyros the Spearman, with his Before battle, a General can prepare a ritual to ask
Melee mod of +5 (at level 1), his class bonus (+2) the favour of the gods. Roll 2D6, add the General’s
and his complete spearman equipment (+3) would Luck mod and check the table below. If a Priest is
have an individual CF of 10. present, add the Priest’s level to the result as well.

At the Maze Master’s discretion, some mythic items The final result may affect the troops’ Morale (which
may grant an additional +1 to a character’s CF. is based on their General’s Leadership, as noted
above) for the battle to come:
Regardless of their category, unique opponents will
never be subject to group Morale effects or troop 2 or less = Very bad omens (-2 Morale)
losses. Even on a battlefield, Monsters can only be
dealt with in classic combat, using the standard 3-5 = Bad omens (-1 Morale)
M&M combat rules. 6-8 = No answer or uncertain omens
For the fate of major NPCs and player-characters 9-11 = Good omens (+1 Morale)
taking part to a large-scale battle, see the Heroic
Phase section later in this chapter. 12 or more = Very good omens (+2 Morale)

Morale cannot be reduced below 1 by bad omens.

Morale & Command
Oratory
An army’s Morale rating is normally equal to the
Leadership score (see Players Manual, p 47) of its Before the battle (and after these auguries), the
General but this may be modified before the battle, General (or, if applicable, any player-character with
as detailed in Before the Battle below. a reasonable Leadership score) may also try to
make an inspiring speech to boost (or revive) the
The two major exceptions to the Morale rules are troops’ Morale. This is not necessary if the omens
Hordes and Animates. are already Good or Very good.
Hordes are armies which are composed of savage, Such a speech is resolved as a Reaction roll on the
fanatical fighters. Most Beastmen (Tragos, Boarmen NPCs Reaction table, using the usual 2D10 and
etc) will fight as Hordes. Hordes do not need a adding the speaker’s Personal Charisma (and his
General, do not have a Morale score and thus do reputation effect, if applicable) to the roll.
not need to make Morale checks – see the Morale
Phase section below for more details. The speaker will be able to inspire his troops on a
Trustful (+1 Morale) or Friendly (+2 Morale) result.
Animates (and other Mindless creatures) do not Thus, a charismatic leader may be able to offset the
have morale and always fight to the “death”. effects of uncertain, bad or very bad omens.

45
 Strength Ratio Bonus

Less than 1.5 to 1 0

At least 1.5 to 1 +1

At least 2 to 1 +2

At least 3 to 1 +3

At least 4 to 1 +4

At least 5 to 1 +5
Round Sequence
At least 6 to 1 +6
Battles are resolved in one-hour rounds. Each round
of mass combat is resolved as follows: At least 7 to 1 +7

1. Strategic Phase: Commit troops and calculate At least 8 to 1 +8

the Strength and battle modifier of each force.
At least 9 to 1 +9
2. Tactical Phase: Each side selects its degree of
Tactical Risk (see below). The sum of these two 10 to 1 or more +10
ratings is called the Massacre Factor and will be
used to compute casualties during the next phase. Thus, a force of 200 human soldiers (Strength 1200)
against 50 centaurs (Strength 400) would receive a
3. Resolution Phase: Each side rolls 1D20 + battle +3 Superiority bonus.
modifier. Compare the results, apply the appropriate
effects and calculate the losses suffered by each The Superiority bonus will have to be recalculated at
side according to the current Massacre Factor (MF). the start of each round, since the losses suffered by
both sides may change the Strength ratio.
4. Heroic Phase: Determine the individual fate of
participating player-characters and major NPCs. Morale
5. Morale Phase (if needed): Make Morale checks.
Force has higher Morale score +1
6. Retreat Phase (if needed).
Force is defending its own ground, city etc +1
Each of these phases is detailed below. Force has already beaten this foe before +1

These modifiers never apply to Hordes or Animates.

Strategical Phase
At the start of each round, the general of each army Position
decides which regiments he wishes to commit to
battle during the round. Depending on his overall Each side may receive various position modifiers,
strategy, he may commit all his available troops or reflecting terrain and other circumstances:
keep some regiments behind the lines of battle to
use them as reinforcements in later rounds. Fighting on higher ground +4

The regiments committed to battle are collectively Defending a narrow pass or a river bank +4
known as the force, while the troops left behind the
lines are called the reserve. This distinction does Attacking by ambush +2
not apply to Hordes, which always fight with all their
available troops. Defending in mountains, hills or behind walls +2

The battle modifier of each force must then be Fighting in the snow or on sand -2 *
calculated. This modifier encompasses the following
factors: Superiority, Position, Morale and Fatigue. Fighting in swamp, marsh etc -4 *

Superiority Army with cavalry in mountains, hills etc -4

Superiority represents the advantage provided by * Troops that act in their natural environments (ie
bigger numbers and/or better troops. This modifier Swamp Folk in swamps etc) do not suffer this
is determined on the table below by comparing the penalty. At the Maze Master’s discretion, such
Strength totals of each side. The force with the troops may even receive a +2 bonus when fighting
greater Strength total receives the indicated bonus. in their natural milieu.

46
 Tactical Phase

Tactical Risk
Each round, the General of the army decides the
degree of Tactical Risk he imposes on his troops. In
game terms, Tactical Risk is rated from 0 to 3,
according to the following scale:

0 = Minimum Risk. The troops concentrate

exclusively on defensive maneuvers and positions ;
the main goal of the General is to suffer as few
casualties as possible.
Come on, lads! I want you all on Tactical Risk 3!
1 = Average Risk. This is the default choice, mixing
a more-or-less balanced choice of offensive and
Fatigue defensive tactics.

Force is moderately fatigued -2 2 = High Risk. The troops privilege attack over
defense, trying to inflict as much damage as
Force is seriously fatigued -4 possible to the enemy, even if this puts themselves
in serious danger.
Fatigue is an optional factor and is left at the Maze
Master’s discretion. As a rule of thumb, a regiment 3 = Maximum Risk. This extreme choice usually
may be treated as moderately fatigued if it has reflects a desperate or fanatical attitude and usually
fought for a number of consecutive battle rounds results in maximum bloodshed on both sides.
greater than its Combat Factor and seriously
fatigued if it has fought for a number of consecutive Tactical Risk is chosen by the General of the army.
rounds greater than twice its CF. Creatures with Forces which have lost their General and are left
Supernatural Vigor and all Animates are completely without a leader (see Losing the General below)
immune to the effects of fatigue. automatically fight at Maximum Risk.

For Hordes, the Tactical Risk must be rolled

Calculating Battle Modifiers randomly each round on 1D3. Thus, Hordes never
fight at minimum risk.
Let’s suppose a force of 50 human soldiers are
defending a small town against a horde of 200 Massacre Factor
Tragos raiders. The human soldiers (CF 6)
represent a Strength total of 300, while the 200
Once each side has chosen its degree of Tactical
Tragos (CF 4) have a Strength total of 800.
Risk, the two ratings are added together to give the
Superiority: The Strength ratio clearly Massacre Factor (MF) of the current round: the
advantages the Tragos raiders, who outnumber higher the MF, the bloodier the fight (see Resolution
the humans by more than 2 to 1 (but less than 3 Phase, below).
to 1). This gives them a +2 Superiority bonus.
Thus, if one army selects Maximum Risk (3) and its
Morale: The human soldiers are led by a enemy Average Risk (1), the battle round will have a
valorous Noble with a very high Leadership, but total Massacre Factor of 4.
this has no effect since the Tragos fight as a
Horde. Still, the soldiers are defending their own
land, which gives them a Morale bonus of +1. Resolution Phase
Position: The humans are defending behind
walls, which gives them a +2 bonus. Basic System
Fatigue: Neither of the two forces suffer from Roll 1D20 for each army, adding its current battle
fatigue at the start of the battle. modifier. If the army’s General has the Tactician
talent, roll two D20s and use the highest one. The
So, in the end, this gives the human soldiers a army with the higher total wins the battle round.
battle modifier of +3 (for defending their own
city behind walls), while the Tragos marauders The direct consequences of this are detailed under
get a battle modifier of +2 due to their greater Losses below. If the winner beats the loser by 10 or
numbers. Thus, the human defenders start with more, he will receive an extra benefit (see below).
a slight advantage – but this situation might
change quite easily during the battle, especially If both battle rolls are exactly equal, simply re-roll to
if they suffer heavy losses… break the status quo.

47
 Followers & Major NPCs
As Minor NPCs, personal followers and
retainers should be included in the % losses
determined in the Resolution Phase, according
to the usual rules of loss distributions. Thus, if a
player character fights with his followers and
their side suffers 20% losses, these losses will
The Hoplites of Heraklia charging: this is Herakliaaaaa!!!
also include 20% of the character’s followers
(which will have no effect if his followers are
Losses less than five, since all fractions are dropped
when calculating losses).
The losses suffered by each side are calculated
according to the current Massacre Factor (MF): At the Maze Master’s discretion, the Battle
Wounds rule from the Heroic Phase may also
Losing Side’s Losses = MF x 10% be used to determine the fate of major NPC
allies or foes (including Generals who have
Winning Side’s Losses = MF x 5% survived the previous phase).

If the winner’s battle roll beat the loser’s roll by 10 or

more, the army’s General may decide to either
increase his enemy’s losses by one-half (making
Heroic Phase
them equal to MF x 15%) or to decrease his own
This phase determines the fate of player-characters
losses to a negligible (0%) level. A difference of
participating in the battle.
10+ between the two battle rolls will also place the
General of the losing army in danger (see below).
Battle Wounds
Losses are expressed in percentile proportions ;
thus, losses of 20% mean that the army loses 20% Regardless of the outcome of a round, a character
(one-fifth) of its current troops. Drop all fractions who actively participates in a mass battle may be
when calculating losses. injured. Simply compare the enemy army’s battle
roll to the character’s melee EDC, as if the battle roll
For simplicity’s sake, these losses are equally was an attack roll. If the roll is equal to or higher
distributed between all the regiments of the current than the character’s EDC, the character will lose
force (the reserve being unaffected). One-half are 1D6 Hits. If the roll beats the character’s EDC by 10
dead, the other half are seriously wounded and or more, this battle damage is raised to 2D6 Hits.
incapacitated for the rest of the current battle.
Feats of Arms
The only exceptions to this rule are unique
opponents (such as Monsters and player-
As long as a player-character can fight, he may
characters) who are never counted among the
accomplish feats of valor which may bring him Glory
general losses suffered by their force.
(if he is a warrior) and which may even affect the
fate of the battle itself.
Losing the General
After the injuries have been recorded, roll 1D20 +
Whenever a force loses a battle round and its roll is the character’s Melee modifier. If the total is equal to
beaten by 10 or more, its General is in danger. This or higher than the enemy army’s battle roll, the
character must then make a Danger Evasion roll character gains a number of Glory points equal to
(target number 15) to avoid being captured by the 20% (one-fifth) of the enemy army’s current
enemy. Captured generals may be either held Strength. If the total beats the enemy army’s battle
captive or put to death, depending on the goals of roll by 10 or more, this Glory award is doubled and
the enemy. These rules only apply to NPC the valorous deeds of the character even inspire his
Generals. PC Generals follow the usual rules given side’s troops, boosting their Morale by +1.
in the Heroic Phase section below.

In all cases, a captured or incapacitated General Morale Phase

can no longer lead the force, which will have
disastrous effects on its Morale (see below), unless This phase only occurs if Morale checks need to be
a second-in-command takes the lead. Having no made. Forces who have lost their General have an
General, Hordes are immune to this kind of disaster. effective Morale of 1.

Any warrior player-character or major NPC with a A force which has lost more than 50% of its original
Leadership score of 2 or above can qualify as a numbers (not Strength) must check Morale at the
General or second-in-command. end of every battle round.

48
Roll 1D10. If the result is equal to or less than the
force’s Morale score, the army holds fast; if the 2007 Edition Comments
result is higher than the force’s Morale, the force
routs and leaves the battlefield, suffering an extra
loss of 20% of its remaining troops in the process.
The Warfare Rules

According to most reliable accounts, these mass

Having no Morale score, Hordes never need to
combat rules were added to the Companion in the
make Morale checks – but they will automatically
final stages of its development – which explains
disband and rout if reduced to 20% (one-fifth) of
why they are presented as an Appendix rather
their original numbers. Animates never need to
than as a normal, regular chapter. They are
make Morale checks and always fight to the “death”.
actually a heavily-revised and greatly simplified
version of a system written by Luke G. Reynards
for his famous Twists in the Maze column in the
Retreat Phase Griffin. Here are the opening words of the original
article, in Luke’s own, inimitable voice:
At the end of a battle round, the General of an army
may decide to Retreat. This requires an extra “So, you are tired of mazes. As a kid, you kept
Morale check, resolved according to the usual rules dreaming of honor on the battlefield while reading
(see Morale Phase above). the Iliad and you just finished watching Bakshi’s
animated version of “Lords of Troy”. However
A successful check allows the force to withdraw Bakshi’s version sucked (we can only hope for
from the field without suffering significant extra something better in the future) LOTR really struck
losses, while a failed check means the troops rout, a chord and you are just dying to bring the clash
leaving the battlefield in complete panic, suffering of battle to your M&M games.”
20% extra losses in the process.
And indeed, these rules were welcomed by the
In both cases, troops which have retreated or routed
M&M community... but they also gave all those
are out of the battle and may not be reassigned to ex-Wargamist columnists and critics, who had
the reserve: if no reserve troops are available, the always hated M&M, a new reason to rant and
army is defeated and the battle is over.
rave at conventions or even in the Letters column
of Griffin about How & Why M&M Was a Disgrace
to Simulation Gaming. Here is a small florilegium:
Sieges
“You call this a mass combat system? Well, we
Sieges are resolved in a slightly different way: each all know that, to quote your own words, “M&M is
battle round represents one day (instead of one not a wargame” so you should really have spared
hour) and all losses are divided by 5. yourselves the ridicule from publishing THIS.”
The defenders receive a +2 position bonus (for “Where are the rules for formation changes?
defending behind walls); this bonus may be raised Facing? Siege engines? Slingers?”
to +3 or even +4 if the fortifications are especially
impregnable. The attackers may receive a similar +2 “The degree of randomness and simplification
to +4 tactical bonus if they are using siege engines found in these rules simply makes them irrelevant
(ballistae, catapults etc) but it should be noted that as tactical simulation rules – and is that not what
such machines are a rarity in most M&M worlds. mass combat systems are all about?”
When a besieged army has used all its food and “It would have been a far better idea to design a
water provisions, it becomes Seriously Fatigued and conversion system allowing gamers to use M&M
loses a cumulative 5% of its troops for each day creatures and characters with a real, serious
gone by without food and water after the first (5%, wargame about ancient warfare, such as ‘Hoplite
then 10%, then 15% etc). Lastly, defenders in a Phalanx’, ‘Battles of Alexander’ or ‘Trojan War’.
siege cannot try to retreat and “rout” results must Don’t you people ever play wargames?”
be interpreted as surrendering the city to the enemy.
“Lastly: where are the bloody NAVAL COMBAT
rules? As if your ludicrous sailing rules were not
enough! What do you folks have against ships?”

Editor’s Closing Words

Uh, last page, already? Well, that’s all, folks... for

now! Stay tuned for more free M&M goodness
coming very soon from Legendary Games Studio,
including some never-published-before material!

A hearty Minotaurian salute to you all!

49
MAZES & minotaurs
THE ROLEPLAYING GAME OF HEROIC ADVENTURE IN THE MYTHIC AGE

2012 SILVER JUBILEE EDITION

SAME GAME. SAME RULES. SAME SPIRIT. JUST BETTER.

50