CHAPTER TITLE

CONTENTS (CONT)
VII THE TRAPPINGS OF HEROES 35
Starting gear 35
Weapons 36
Armour 39

VIII MAGICIANS, PRIESTS & ALCHEMISTS 41

Overview 41
Magicians 41
Priests & Druids 46
Alchemists 48

IX A GAZETTEER OF LEMURIA 53
Overview 53
The Geography of Lemuria 54
Map of Lemuria 59
The Races of Lemuria 60
Flora & Fauna of Lemuria 64
The Gods of Lemuria 72
The Twenty Gods 72
The Dark Gods 73
A Glossary of Lemurian Terms 73

X THE SAGAS 76
Overview 76
Sample Adventurers 76
Krongar the Mighty 77
Argol Arran 78
Molina Goth 79
Pellem Pharn 80
Sharangara of Oomis 81
Jandar Joth 82
Rork Kozaar 83
(Krongar) The Gladiator 84
(Krongar) and the Island of Doom 87

Character Sheet
Master list of traits & flaws
 INTRODUCTION
“It is an age of warriors, when strong men and been building his power in the Void, biding his
beautiful women, soldiers and savants, magi- time for this moment.
cians and gladiators battle to carve a bloody
path to lead to the Throne of the Lemuria. It is Hadron was loosed to wreak havoc across the
an age of legends and valiant sagas too. And Earth; and he did so with great fury! He top-
this is one of them”
pled the mightiest cities of the Sorcerer-Kings;
The Crimson Edda
he caused the sea to boil and rage, reclaiming
land that it once owned; whole mountain
THE AGE OF THE ranges were levelled just as new ones had been
SORCERER-KINGS thrust violently from the earth. There was noth-
ing the Sorcerer-Kings could do – their magic

H
alf a million years ago, mankind arose
from the depths of barbarism to the had lost its power and the evil might of Hadron
heights of civilization. Theirs was a was too great.
time of great strife in which wars were fought
across the entire world with sorcery and magic; THE AGE OF DARKNESS
where great machines could unleash devasta- There followed the Age of Darkness; the Earth
tion across entire continents. But these still trembled and bucked against Hadron’s
“Sorcerer-Kings” were not satisfied; once they power; fires still came spouting from the land
had mastered their own world, they wanted to pouring blackness into the heavens; forests still
master the entire universe and so become withered and died and there was a great cold-
Gods. ness across the lands.

But men were not supposed to be Gods; the From the dark places came new threats; lurking
Sorcerer-Kings could not control the forces horrors, carnivorous beasts, ferocious monsters
they thought they had mastered and in their and cruel twisted half-men. Some of these were
arrogance and ignorance set free the Dark undoubtedly minions of the Dark Lord; others
Lord, Hadron who for untold millennia had were the results of the vile necromancy of the

1
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Sorcerer-Kings, who had been forced into hid- doms, at first friends, soon discovered wealth
ing. This was a barbaric time, where the blade and power and greed and envy. They fought
of a warrior ruled and where terror and death and fell and rebuilt and fought again. But with
were constant companions. Yet somehow enormous slowness civilization began to grow.
mankind found a way to survive and then to
fight back against the Dark Lord. THE RETURN OF
It began with the Hero Hrangarth, the First THE SORCERER-KINGS
Blade-Bearer. From their secret places the Sorcerer-Kings
had watched the rise of man and they were
THE FORGING jealous of what he had achieved whilst they
had been hidden in darkness. The Sorcerer-
OF THE ORB-BLADE Kings had become almost reptilian with pale,
Whilst the Dark Lord ruled the land, man skeletal and hairless bodies. They had also be-
would continue to struggle to rebuild. Despis- come warped and cruel. They had maintained
ing the Sorcerer King’s great evil, the Gods of the ancient secrets of their forefathers and
Lemuria devised a plan that lead to the creation delved deeper into the lore of the Void. The
of the Orb-Blade; forged by Yrzlak from the Sorcerer-Kings believed they could cause Had-
Star-Orb that Sa’tel sent crashing to the earth ron to rise again, so they set forth into the
as a portent of change. The Gods gave the world to take back what they believed was
blade to Hrangarth (called the Blade-Bearer), theirs.
creating the first Hero of Lemuria.
Kylarth was the Blade-Bearer at the time that
With the celebrated blade, Hrangarth fought the Sorcerer-Kings began their assault on Qid-
his way into legend, slaying foul beasts, desh, Qar and Ygddar. First of all, Kylarth and
nightmare creatures and the minions of the his army easily defeated these warped magi-
Dark Lord himself. He led brave warriors cians and their slaves but they were clever and
across the mountains and into Lemuria to build their magics took a toll. Each time they re-
the first great city of Ygddar. Hadron was sent turned with stronger beasts and in greater
back to the Void and so the light came back to numbers until the defenders became hard-
the Land. pressed to hold onto their cities.

THE AGE OF MAN Events began to turn against the race of men
when Morgazzon tricked the Blade-Bearer to
So began the Age of Man. The continents had
do battle in the Swamps of Festrel. Lord Ky-
settled, but they had changed. The once mighty
larth was driven mad and the Orb-Blade was
cities of the Sorcerer-Kings had fallen to rub-
lost. Over the next hundred years, the Sorcerer-
ble and dust and were no more. So warriors
Kings slowly pushed their way back over the
came to Lemuria and fought back against the
land, forcing mankind back to the sea and be-
horrors that stalked the land. And when those
hind the walls of their puny cities of Ygddar,
warriors died, more came because the land was
Oosal and Qeb.
rich. Over the centuries, those first warriors
and those that followed spread slowly through-
One-by-one those cities fell to the power of the
out the vast untamed jungle-lands and across
Sorcerer-Kings and their Dark Gods until only
the great mountain ranges of Lemuria and
Oosal remained. The price was high; the Sor-
magnificent kingdoms were founded; Ygddar,
cerer-King’s magic had devastated the lands
Qeb, Oosal, Qar and Qiddesh. These king-

2
 INTRODUCTION

around, leaving a barren wasteland where once SWORDS & SORCERY

tall trees and lush crops grew in abundance.
The Barbarians of Lemuria is a heroic role
playing game (RPG) set firmly in the swords &
THE FALL OF sorcery genre. Lemuria is a post-apocalyptic
THE SORCERER-KINGS world of half a million years into the future and
unrecognizable to anyone today. It has returned
Thangard, who was Lord of Oosal at the time,
to an almost prehistoric state; a land of humid
cried out to the Gods to deliver his people from
steaming jungles, vast untamed wildernesses,
their deaths at the hands of these reptiloid ma-
horror-filled swamplands and hot dry deserts.
gicians. Then one night during a ferocious
Massive man-eating beasts roam the unex-
storm, Father Hurm appeared to Thangard
plored regions of Lemuria and beyond, from
above the towers of Oosal and told him where
islet-sized sea serpents capable of sinking war-
he could find the Orb-Blade that Kylarth had
galleys to the huge jungle-dwelling dinosaurs
lost in the Festrel Swamp. Thangard ventured
that can swallow a man whole merely as an
to the swamp and there slew a great swamp-
appetizer for bigger game.
beast, the Zathog and recovered the blade.
In this harsh world are sprawling cities, teem-
The final battle was fought at Hyrdral Chasm
ing with merchants, tradesmen, farmers and
and the Sorcerer-Kings were defeated, shat-
hunters all plying their trades in the squares,
tered by the power of the Orb-Blade. However,
plazas, bazaars and wharf sides under the
the life of Lord Thangard and the breaking of
shadow of the city walls and great palaces,
the Orb-Blade was the price. A small number
temples and towers that have been built to
of the Sorcerer-Kings escaped destruction on
house the nobles, soldiers, priests and wizards
the point of that ‘sword of the gods’ and now
of the lands and to safeguard those within from
lurk in darkness, awaiting the chance to sum-
the dangers without.
mon their demonic masters back to earth once
more.
Dotted around the untamed regions are the an-
cient ruins of temples, cities, tombs and
THE NEW AGE OF MAN palaces toppled and cracked, choked with
The lands were devastated and the old cities of weeds and undergrowth, lying untouched and
Ygddar, Oosal, Qeb, Qar and Qiddesh were no awaiting discovery for the vast treasures that
more. remain within their shadowed halls and empty
corridors.
The survivors from those great cities left the
Plains of Klaar behind them and founded new It is a place of sagas and legends, epic and
cities hacked from the steaming jungles to the myth. Hrangarth the Blade-Bearer and his de-
west. Oomis was the first, then Urceb, Satarla, scendents created many of these sagas by their
Parsool, Lysor, Tyrus, M’lor, Halakh, Malakut, deeds and adventures. However, Lemuria is a
Zalut and last of all, Shamballah. mighty continent and there are plenty more ad-
ventures to be had and legends to be created!
It is an age of warriors, when strong men and
beautiful women, soldiers and savants, magi- The sword & sorcery genre is a very specific
cians and gladiators battle to carve a bloody one - characters are much more stereotypical
path to lead to the Throne of the Lemuria. It is than in other fantasy settings - heroes are all
an age of legends and valiant sagas too. And muscle-bound barbarians from the “Frozen
this is one of them...… Wastes”, mighty gladiators who fight for the

3
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

thrill of the crowds or bawdy pirates with an their hands to other, less honest, work. They
eye for treasure and a yearning for adventure. will often be found turning to a life of thievery
Women are voluptuous scantily clad beauties or piracy to make a few coins although they do
to be rescued from evil priests or lithe adven- tend to prefer honest work when they can get
turers as capable in a fight as most ordinary it. However Heroes can only stand their jobs
men and just as ready to crack a barbarian’s for so long and sooner or later the yearning for
skull as bed him if spoken to lewdly. The bad adventure will come over them. Luckily it is
guys are invariably evil necromancers, sorcer- never far away...
ers, priests and druids. Sometimes
they are lily-livered nobles or cun-
ning assassins, but even they often
have a magician behind their nefari-
ous plots.

The main characters are never out to

save the world from the minions of
evil, they simply look out for them-
selves although this usually means in
their own simple way they ‘do the
right thing’ in the end in any event.
They are not heartless; they tend to
stand up for those weaker than them-
selves and put down those who push
others around. They are never inher-
ently evil - that is the role of the
villains or NPCs.

Heroes are always eager for adven-

ture, which comes their way often,
especially if there is a fortune to be
made. Fortunes often fall into their
hands, but the wealth is quickly lost
again through gambling, drinking,
wenching, theft, stupidity or any
number of other ways. Heroes never
dwell on their misfortunes for long
though. As long as they have a good sword in
their fists, food in their bellies and a few coins
in their pouches they are generally satisfied
and ready for action.

Heroes are first and foremost warriors and

when times are hard will seek employment as
soldiers, mercenaries, sailors or caravan guards
to get by, often rising rapidly to higher posi-
tions as a result of their prowess. When
nothing else is available they will often turn

4
 ROLE PLAYING
“Oomis was the first city of the New Age of
Man, following the fall of the Sorcerer-Kings
THE PLAYERS
but Satarla is the greatest. The Priests foretell In the Barbarians of Lemuria the players will
that in the fullness of time eight proud cities create characters (used interchangeably with
will come to stand under the black and gold Heroes throughout these rules), who like the
banners of Satarla, ruled by a rude Barbarian characters in a sword & sorcery novel, will
from Valgard in the frozen northlands. Krongar travel around the land breaking into ancient
the Mighty is this warrior’s name; but for now crypts, fighting monsters, finding great hoards
he is but a flame-haired youth shivering in a of treasure (and losing it again) and generally
snowstorm in the Mountains of Axos. Little living the life of an adventurer.
does he know, that the cave he is venturing
into for shelter is the lair of a great Snow-
The character is a player’s alter ego in the
Worm and, even now, those visions of the fu-
ture may be thwarted before they have ever game. He can be a brawny barbarian or a deft
begun! Such is the whim of the Gods.” thief. She can be a dispossessed noble or a
Krongor’s Saga swashbuckling pirate. The players decide these
things when they create their characters.
OVERVIEW The players will create characters that, for

R
ole playing means different things to whatever reason, will team up together to make
different people - some see it as little their fortunes. Each player will decide the ac-
more than a tactical wargame, with the tions of his own character during the adventure
backdrop being perhaps a fantasy dungeon to and will roll dice to determine the outcome of
be looted, whereas others see it as more of a events, where there is some doubt about
freeform or improvisational storytelling exer- whether the character could succeed or not.
cise. The Barbarians of Lemuria is somewhere
between the two, tending towards the latter.

5
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

THE GAME MASTER The Barbarians of Lemuria uses this concept

and all players get to choose four careers for
One player does not create a character - he cre-
their characters, at which they have a little abil-
ates everything else though. He is the Game
ity (rank 0), great ability (up to rank 5,
Master (GM). Luckily, there is a wealth of in-
although this would only be after they have
formation about the land of Lemuria here in
gained great acclaim from their adventures) or
these rules. Whilst there are some adventures
somewhere in between (ranks 1 to 4). These
set out at the end of this book, the GM still has
careers are the key to what the Hero knows and
work to do in presenting the world to the other
can do.
players and describing events for them. He also
has to play the roles of all the other characters
There are no individual skills in the Barbarians
that the Heroes interact with in the course of
of Lemuria; there are simply these careers. A
their adventures – called non-player characters
career gives an immediate overview of a char-
(NPCs).
acter’s capabilities - if she is a thief, you know
the character should be able to sneak around,
As I said earlier, these rules tend more towards
break into buildings and pick locks on chests.
telling a good story than towards a wargame,
If the character is a pirate, you know he should
with all the minutiae of detail that wargames
be able to handle a ship or small boat, climb up
often entail. So there will not be rules for eve-
the rigging and know something about naviga-
rything. If a player wants his character to do
tion by the stars and so on. Sometimes Heroes
something for which there is no rule, the GM
are known for what they do, rather than for
makes a judgement. He will use the Task Reso-
anything else: Krongar the Barbarian, Jesharek
lution table if needed. Very often you will not
the Alchemist and so on.
want to stop the action to look up a rule - there
is no problem with this. The game is about he-
With these careers there are four attributes,
roic action, not stodgy detail. You could quite
which are natural or born traits of a character.
easily play the Barbarians of Lemuria without
Sometimes Heroes are more notable for their
ever needing to roll the dice, or at least very
attributes: Jandar the Agile or Krongar the
rarely.
Mighty.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW As the game is mainly about Heroes, there are

The Barbarians of Lemuria should be fast and also four combat abilities, which will be used
heroic - full of action, sorcery and swordplay. to determine how well a character can use his
To emulate this a simple set of rules is needed, fists, a sword or bow, or get out the way of at-
so that the game does not get bogged down in tacks aimed at him. Heroes are often notable
unnecessary detail. for their combat skills: Ballik the Brawler or
Vangrith the Red Archer.
Essentially the system is based around the idea
of careers. A Hero may have many careers Your character’s birthplace (Origins) also
throughout his life. He may have started out as helps to further define your character. Many
a brash young barbarian from the cold north- Heroes are known simply because of where
lands; then he could have done some thieving they come from: Krongar of Valgard or Sha-
in Malakut, followed by a short spell as a mer- rangara of Oomis.
cenary captain and then on to command a
pirate ship out of the Port of the Sea-Lords. These attributes, combat abilities, careers and
origins will paint a very broad picture of your
character which suits the sword & sorcery

6
 ROLE PLAYING

genre completely, as people are generally what

they appear to be in this setting.

Although the player can attempt to persuade

the GM that a certain career will aid a task at-
tempt, the GM is the final arbiter. For example
a Hero with rank 1 as an assassin is likely to
know something about poisons so the GM
would allow the player to add his rank as an
assassin to the die roll (based on his mind rat-
ing) to recognize a poison in a drink. However
being an assassin would not help the Hero to
track a deodarg through the Jungles of Qush;
you need to be a hunter to do that.

THE CORE MECHANIC

Whenever you attempt an action that has some
chance of failure, you roll two six-sided die
(2d6). To determine if your character succeeds
at a task you do this:
• Roll 2d6
• Add the relevant attribute
• Add any relevant combat abilities (if fight-
ing)
• Add any relevant career (if not fighting)
• Add any modifiers
If the result equals or exceeds 9, your character
succeeds. If the result is lower than 9, you fail.
• A natural 12 (i.e. two sixes) on the dice is
always a success
• A natural 2 (i.e. two ones) on the dice is
always a failure

7
 CREATING A HERO
“Into this brutal age of war and necromancy, of You might simply like the look of several of
the warrior’s blade and the assassin’s dagger the careers and base your character concept
come eager young men (women too) to step around a mixture of those.
out on the path to glory and riches, the throne
of Lemuria as the ultimate prize. But for every Once you have your idea, you need to deter-
adventurous soul that wins fame and fortune
mine your attributes. These attributes are
there are thousands more that fall by the way-
side; bloodied, penniless or dead. A grim important in defining your characters physical
reminder that life is cheap, in the Jungles of and mental make up - his strengths, weak-
Qush, the Deserts of Beshaar and even on the nesses and outlook. Naturally, it makes sense
civilized streets of Parsool.” to place the numbers in a manner that reflects
The Parsool Records your character concept.

OVERVIEW ATTRIBUTES

E
ach player in the Barbarians of Lemuria Each character in the Barbarians of Lemuria is
needs to create a character to use during initially defined by four attributes. These are
the game. The GM doesn’t need just mainly physical things and on the whole can be
one, he needs several or more, but we’ll come used as a general gauge of the characters
on to that later in these rules. To start with, you physical make up. For example, a character
need to think about the type of character you with a few points in strength will have a tough
want to play. You may want to base your char- looking body and will tend towards the tall and
acter on a favorite character from a comic muscular look.
book, novel or movie or you may already have
a picture in your head of the type of Hero you To determine your characters attribute levels,
want to play. divide four points between the four attributes
as desired. You may put at most three points
into one attribute or spread them around as you

8
 CREATING A HERO

wish. A zero in any attribute represents an av- Use agility when the character is attempting
erage rating. Attributes can go to higher levels physical endeavours that require speed or co-
than 3, but these would be truly legendary in- ordination, like tumbling, swinging on
dividuals. You cannot start the game with an chandeliers, picking a lock or cutting a purse
attribute higher than 3. If you really want to, off a merchant’s belt. Sometimes the GM
you can buy down one of your attributes to might prefer you to use strength for some of
spend the point elsewhere. Only one attribute these things, but if you have an agile character,
may be reduced to -1 in this way. you should be able to use your agility where
nimbleness and speed are key. In combat it is
The attributes are as follows: used to determine your initiative and whether
you hit your target when firing a bow or swing-
Strength ing a sword. Finally, it is used to get out of the
This represents raw physical power, toughness, way of hidden traps and snares and to dodge
muscle and so on. It is useful for Heroes who landslides and other effects where reflexes are
like to bash down doors rather than use the vital.
handle or smash open chests rather than pick
the lock. Soldiers, barbarians and gladiators Mind
often have a high strength. Intellect, willpower, knowledge and psyche are
aspects of the mind. This is not big amongst
Use strength when the character is lifting, pull- barbarians but it is useful for magicians, al-
ing, bending or breaking things. It is also the chemists, priests and scribes.
attribute to use for a number of other physical
endeavours, like swimming, jumping, climbing Use mind when the character is trying to re-
and arm-wrestling. Sometimes the GM might member a fact or some piece of information. It
prefer you to use agility for some of these is used where awareness and perception are
things but if you have a strong character you important; to spot things that are distant or
should be allowed to use his concealed or to hear a thief
strength where pure athleticism is sneaking up on you. Mind is of
concerned. Strength determines particular importance for spell
how much Lifeblood a character casting and defending against
has and how much damage the illusions and enchantments.
character delivers when he hits
his enemy with a weapon or his Appeal
fists. Finally, strength is all- This attribute represents the
important in determining whether looks, charm, persuasiveness and
a character can resist the effects overall likeability of the Hero.
of venomous bites or the poisons Merchants, minstrels, nobles,
of assassins. dancers and serving wenches will
often be strong in appeal.
Agility
This attribute covers general Use appeal in any situation where
speed, dexterity, coordination the character is trying to talk
and so on. It is a useful attribute anybody into doing something
for the more subtle type of char- for him. It is the attribute for any
acter. Many thieves, tumblers, attempts to seduce, haggle or bar-
pirates and archers will have ter the price of goods or get
higher than average agility. people to look upon him fa-

9
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

vourably. Appeal can be used to sway the opin- enemy from a distance. However, considering
ion of individuals, crowds or even entire cities! the beasts that roam the Lemurian jungles and
deserts, most adventurers would consider it
COMBAT ABILITIES wise to have a means of keeping them at bay.
Ranged combat is used together with agility.
Once attributes have been determined then the
When all else fails, there is of course the next
Heroes combat abilities need to be determined.
combat ability to consider.
Again you have four points to allocate amongst
four areas with a maximum of 3 in any one of
Defence
those areas. If you really want to, you can buy
Call it dodging, ducking or sidestepping, de-
down one of your abilities to spend the point
fence is the skill at being able to avoid attacks.
elsewhere. You may reduce one combat ability
Most Heroes believe it is better to kill your en-
only, to -1 in this way.
emy before they have a chance to hit back, but
other adventurers are a little more cautious and
The combat abilities are as follows:
may live a little longer, even if the sagas don’t
mention them so often.
Brawl
Hitting people with fists, feet, head as well as
throttling, holding and throwing people around. CHARACTERISTICS
Includes the use of improvised weapons, Depending on your character’s origins, you
chairs, bottles, tables and so on. Usually used may receive certain characteristics. Traits pro-
in combination with agility, the GM might al- vide benefits and flaws are disadvantageous
low you to use your strength instead. Tavern when your character is taking actions associ-
brawls are common in Lemuria and heroic ated with those characteristics.
characters often have some brawling ability.
Having said that, a brawl in a Lemurian tavern LIFEBLOOD
will often lead to the flash of blades and this is
Lifeblood represents how much punishment
where the next combat ability becomes useful.
and wounding a Heroes body may absorb be-
fore he keels over. It is based on a value of 10
Melee
plus the strength attribute of the character.
This is the skill with hand-held weapons;
When a Hero is struck in combat, his body suf-
swords, knives, clubs, axes and spears are all
fers wounds. The extent of the wounds
covered under this heading. Adventurers usu-
suffered depends upon how powerful the blow
ally need to be able to defend themselves;
was and is expressed as a number of points.
Heroes always need to. This ability is used in
This comes off the Hero’s Lifeblood total.
conjunction with your character’s agility. The
• If, as a result of wounds received the
skill is normally used to attack opponents, but
value falls to 0, the Hero falls uncon-
can also be used to parry blows aimed at you.
scious.
When your enemy is far away however, the
following combat ability might be worth hav- • If, as a result of wounds received, Life-
ing. blood falls below –5, the character has
died. Nothing short of godly interven-
Ranged tion (in the form of the expenditure of a
Hitting targets with bows, crossbows, slings as Hero Point) will save him.
well as throwing weapons like spears and • If Lifeblood falls below zero the Hero
knives. Many heroes neglect this skill because is unconscious and dying. He will lose
it could be considered un-heroic to kill one’s 1 more Lifeblood each round until he
dies (see above), receives medical at-

10
 CREATING A HERO

tention or the gods intervene (by the is feeling much better now, having recovered
expenditure of a Hero Point). four of his lost Lifeblood.
• NPC rabble have only 3 Lifeblood.
They are killed or rendered uncon- The pair press on for a day and do not encoun-
scious (the player’s choice) when they ter any more trouble. Krongar regains a
reach 0 Lifeblood or less. At below –5 further Lifeblood and Sharangara gets to make
they are most definitely dead, in a most a roll to double this. The player rolls 8, which
gruesome way. adding her physician rank of 1 and mind of 1,
• Important NPCs are generated by the gives her 10, which is higher then she needed
GM in the same way that Heroes are (requiring 9 or higher). Krongar is now fully
and will generally have 10 or more fit and ready for more action.
Lifeblood, depending upon their
strength attribute (Lifeblood could be 9, Stabilizing the dying
if strength is -1). A character who has received enough damage
to reduce Lifeblood to a minus number is down
Recovering lost Lifeblood and dying. He will suffer loss of 1 Lifeblood
As long as the character is still at zero or posi- every round until he reaches -6 and dies.
tive Lifeblood and provided he gets a chance to
rest and take a gulp of water and so on, for Before he reaches -6, he can be stabilized by
about 10 or 15 minutes immediately after a bat- another character reaching him and making a
tle, he will recover up to half his lost Lifeblood moderate task resolution roll, using mind and
straight away. This represents recovery from any appropriate career. The difficulty is one
fatigue, bashes and minor cuts/bruises. level tougher for every negative Lifeblood suf-
fered.
After that, he recovers one Lifeblood per day
provided the day is taken up with only light Once stabilized, the injured character is still
activity. Careers that enable a character to heal out cold but recovers one Lifeblood per day
(physician, perhaps alchemist if he has a potion until he reaches a positive total.
or access to certain plants/herbs) are able to
immediately heal 1 Lifeblood per rank in the Example: Sharangara has been attacked in the
appropriate career. jungle by a ravenous beast and suffers 12
points of damage in the onslaught. She falls
After that they can make a moderate Task over, bloody and torn, falling to –2 Lifeblood.
Resolution (see the Game Rules section) roll Krongar and Argol Arran continue to battle
each day to double a characters healing rate. the creature and the barbarian runs his Val-
gardian blade through the creature’s heart. It
Example: Krongar, who has 13 Lifeblood, is falls to Krongar’s feet. Sharangara meanwhile,
wounded in a battle suffering 6 points of dam- drops to -3 Lifeblood. Argol then rushes to the
age, meaning his Lifeblood is now down to 7. aid of his companion and as an alchemist per-
After the battle he has a quick rest and downs suades the GM that he has a few powders that
a few swigs from his wine flask. He regains 3 will help. He makes a Tough resolution roll (-3
Lifeblood (half of the damage he suffered). His for -3 Lifeblood), but with his mind 1 and al-
current companion, Sharangara of Oomis is a chemist rank 1 the modifier is only –1 and
physician of rank 1, which means when she has therefore he needs to roll 10 or more. He gets
a chance to work on his wounds, she can re- 10, and has saved Sharangara. Now she needs
store another Lifeblood immediately. Krongar to sleep, but with constant attention she could
be on her feet in a couple of days.

11
 HEROIC CAREERS
“Some men carve out a career with a sword in You have four ranks to arrange your careers as
their hand, others with a dagger in the dark or you wish. You cannot buy down a career to
even a drop of poison in a cup. Other men are gain another point elsewhere. You can get fur-
not slayers or blood-letters but men of words ther careers at a later date using Advancement
be they written down or spoken. Some have Points (see Chapter 6)
greatness thrust upon them; others have to
fight with grim determination for every little
sliver of glory that comes their way. The path The main characters in many sword & sorcery
you take to riches is your own but for some, stories follow many different paths during their
fame was never their own destiny but the des- lives of adventure; both Conan and Thongor
tiny of others.” started as barbarians and at one time or another
The Crimson Edda became thieves, pirates, gladiators, soldiers and
even, at the end, nobles.
OVERVIEW
Many of their travelling companions have sev-

A
s mentioned earlier, careers are the key
eral aspects to their character. Jesharek,
to playing the Barbarians of Lemuria.
Krongar’s friend is a wizard, alchemist, scribe
The career path of a Hero represents all
and physician (and probably other things too).
of his upbringing and experience and therefore
can be used to help determine everything he
knows; his skills, his knowledge, his expertise CHOOSING YOUR CAREERS
and his influence. Choosing the four careers gives a player an
immediate handle on his character. A high rank
You need to choose four careers for your Hero. in a career would probably mean that the Hero
A minimum rank of 0 may be placed against a spent a long period of time following that path;
selected career and the maximum starting rank a rank of 0 could mean only a short spell or
is 3. even just a natural affinity for the career.

12
 HEROIC CAREERS

The careers give a general knowledge of any- BARBARIAN/SAVAGE

thing to do with the career, such as who hold These characters are not from the cities of Le-
high positions within the profession, where to muria, but from the Valgardian Northlands, the
find the guilds and who heads them, skills and Beshaar Deserts or other wildernesses of the
abilities that members of the profession should continent. They have natural skills in wilder-
have as well as helping the Hero obtain em- ness lore, living rough, berserk rage, riding,
ployment in the career. intimidation, natural instincts and so on. Bar-
barians are generally noted for their strength,
It is important to note that the skills and abili- but a good agility is also useful.
ties set out for each career isn’t exhaustive.
There are no individual skills as such in this
BEGGAR/VAGABOND
game. It is intended only to be a guide as to the
type of things that career should help you with. Characters that have fallen on hard times can
Some careers provide abilities that might also sell themselves into slavery, turn to thievery or
be found in other careers in which case it is up beg for a few coins to pay for their supper.
to the GM whether to allow both career ranks This career isn’t a choice for most adventurers;
to be added in to the task at hand, or whether to nevertheless you can pick up some skills by
simply take the higher of the two ranks. If you living on the street in this way – things like
can convince the GM that your career could be city lore, going unnoticed, appraisal, gossip
helpful in other areas explain why or how and and so forth. There are no particular attributes
the GM may agree and give you a bonus. that beggars are noted for, although it helps to
have a deformity, missing body part or an un-
The career choices are from the following: social disease.

ALCHEMIST/ARTIFICER BLACKSMITH/METALSMITH
The scientists and inventors of Lemuria, these Often found helping alchemists build their in-
characters need to be literate. Alchemists are ventions, these characters are skilled at weapon
often mistaken for wizards by those who do and armour making and repair, metallurgy,
not understand science. Skills covered are weapon lore, and have skill in bartering and
things like making potions & perfumes, plant haggling the price of weapons and armour.
lore, poisons, medicines, metallurgy, distilling Blacksmiths are generally noted for their
allanium (lighter-than-air-metal) for flying strength.
boats etc. This is not a terribly common career
for adventuring Heroes, as it requires too much DANCER/TUMBLER
patience. Mind is normally the most important Exotic female entertainers, these ladies are al-
attribute for an alchemist. For each rank above ways young, nubile, graceful and energetic.
2 in this career, the character must take a flaw The types of skills that a dancer might have are
(see Chapter 5: Origins) tumbling and acrobatics, escaping from bonds
and seductiveness. Dancers rely mostly on
ASSASSIN/SLAYER their appeal and their agility.
These covert killers are adept at sneak attacks,
killing, information gathering, city lore, per- FARMER/PEASANT
suasion, poisons and lock picking. They tend to A farmer character lives outside the city, but
have fast reflexes. The best assassins are from often within a days travel, so that they are able
Halakh. Most of the attributes are important for to get their produce to the city to feed the
assassin characters. populace. They are skilled in basic plant and

13
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

animal lore, animal handling, cooking, baking MERCHANT/TRADER

and brewing, trading for basic goods and such These are not shopkeepers, these are wide trav-
like. Farmers do not rely on any one attribute elled adventurers, who seek new exotic goods
over any other. to sell and as such pick up a range of useful
skills like trading, appraisal, obtaining rare or
GLADIATOR/CHAMPION unusual goods, persuasion, city lore, knowl-
Often forced into life of professional arena edge of distant places, guild membership.
fighters, the gladiator is skilled in one-on-one Merchants need quick minds and a degree of
tactics, exotic weapons, weapon lore, initiative appeal.
and weapon training. They are especially good
at fighting in a style ‘to please the crowd’ and MERCENARY/WARRIOR
so they might get a combat bonus on certain These are warriors who work for anyone who
flashy moves, if not overused and at the GM’s will pay for their services. They tend to have
discretion. Gladiators should be strong and ag- skill in living rough, kroark riding, intimida-
ile but the most popular ones also have plenty tion, carousing, and even weapon and armour
of appeal. upkeep and repair. Mercenaries should be
strong and agile.
HUNTER/TRACKER
Rugged outdoor types skilled in wilderness MINSTREL/BARD
lore, living rough, trapping, tracking, stealth Wandering entertainers, these characters are
and other similar pursuits. Agility is important proficient in pleasing crowds of people and
to a hunter, as are strength and mind to a earning a few coins from their singing, instru-
slightly lesser degree. ments, performing. Because they travel and are
great gossips, they learn ancient legends, are
MAGICIAN/SORCERER good orators, have some knowledge of city and
Often a little strange, these characters are world lore. Minstrels require appeal as well as
knowledgeable of esoteric matters to do with agility and quick minds.
astrology, astronomy and ancient lore. They
also have skill in sorcery, which is detailed in a NOBLE/COURTIER
later chapter. Magicians steeped in the Lore of Often holding homes in the city and estates or
the Void are from Zalut, although there are villas outside the city, these characters are ti-
magicians in just about every city of Lemuria. tled and have some authority over commoner
They are outlawed in the city of Tyrus. Magi- people. They are often able to obtain credit,
cians need powerful minds both for their have high-ranking contacts and are skilled in
studies and for the will to create and cast such things as bribery, dress sense and eti-
mighty spells. Sorcery is a fast track to power quette. Nobles need plenty of appeal as well as
but it also brings its own price. For each rank clever minds.
taken as a magician, you must take one flaw
(see Chapter 5: Origins). PHYSICIAN/HEALER
Physicians are dispensers of potions and medi-
MARINER/SEAMAN cines and have practical skills in bonesetting,
Mariners are sea adventurers; skilled in sea surgery and childbirth. They are knowledge-
lore, navigation by stars, and boat handling able of plant lore, first aid and diseases. They
with a good knowledge of local ports and need to be literate. Mind is the most important
nearby coastlines and islands. Mariners need to attribute for a physician character.
be strong and some agility is useful too.

14
 HEROIC CAREERS

PIRATE/BUCCANNEER SLAVE/THRALL
Rogues of the sea, Pirates are skilled in climb- Slavery is not exactly a career of choice. Nev-
ing, sea lore, navigation by stars, and boat ertheless, it does provide the opportunity to
handling with a good knowledge of far ports pick up a few skills and techniques that other
and islands. Pirates speak their own version of careers do not give and can be useful in round-
Lemurian, known as Sea-Tongue. Pirates need ing out a character concept. The career gives
to be agile and some strength is always handy. skill in things like humility, going unnoticed,
listening and sneaking. Slaves that are used for
PRIEST/DRUID labour need good strength; female slaves nor-
Priests reside in their temples in the major cit- mally find things better (or worse!) if they are
ies of Lemuria; they are knowledgeable in appealing. Slaves used to run errands often
ancient lore, sorcery, astrology, astronomy and need high agility. Clever slaves are normally
literacy. Their position gives them a certain considered troublemakers. In Zalut, if you are
degree of authority. They need to have clever not a priest, alchemist or a magician, you are a
minds and the best ones have plenty of appeal slave.
to be able to sway their followers.
SOLDIER/GUARD
SERVING WENCH/COURTESAN Soldiers are the paid guards in a city or in the
No tavern is complete without its serving standing armies of rich nobles. They will have
wenches. Their closeness with their customers some city lore, perhaps skills in intimidation
gives them good skills in seduction, city lore and riding as well as a limited amount of au-
and carousing. Some are even good at taking thority - especially the officers. Strength is
things from customers without them noticing. normally most important for soldiers although
It is stating the obvious, but only female char- archers and cavalrymen could do with a bit of
acters can choose this as a career. Appeal is the agility. Officers need to have plenty of appeal
most important attribute for a serving wench. to lead their men and quick minds to make
sound battle plans.
SCRIBE/SCHOLAR
Scribes are characters who are interested in THIEF/ROGUE
ancient lore, ancient languages and map mak- Those who live by less-than-honest means in
ing. Obviously this leads to a certain degree of the streets of the towns and cities. They will
knowledge in these areas too. Scribes need have skill in such things as city lore, burglary,
clear minds to do their laborious work and sneaking, picking pockets and are likely to
need to be literate. have guild membership. The best thieves are
from Malakut. Thieves require agility for their
trade, but a quick mind also helps.
SKY PILOT/AIRMAN
Pilots are trained to fly the Sky-Boats of the
Satarlan Sky Navy. They are usually ex- TORTURER/GAOLER
soldiers and often nobles too. They are skilled A not terribly pleasant career that provides
at navigation, boat handling, observation and skill in getting information, intimidation,
are leaders of men. Mind, agility and to a lesser medicines and killing blows with 2-handed
extent appeal and strength are all handy. axes. Torturers are jailers and executioners for
the cities of Lemuria. They are not often
blessed with a great deal of appeal, but strength
is handy for beheadings and both mind and
agility for torturing.

15
 HEROIC BEGINNINGS
“Across the land bearing the dust of eons are second trait. You can choose a third trait for
the grim crypts, the mouldering ziggurats and two more Hero Points. (Hero Points are de-
the crumbling citadels of those that are now scribed in the next chapter).
just memories and bones. But their glorious
riches remain; guarded by dark sorceries yet Where the trait states that you get an extra die,
undefeated by time to weave a deadly lure to
this means that instead of rolling two dice to
those with the courage and the skill to bring
them back into the world again”. resolve a task, you roll three and drop the low-
The Crimson Edda est die.

Where a flaw states that you roll an extra die,

ORIGINS this means that instead of rolling two dice to

W
here you are born will provide cer- resolve a task, you roll three but you drop the
tain features or characteristics that highest die.
are common for citizens of that city
and will help others determine your city of
AXOS MOUNTAINS
birth and something about you. A great many
people and Heroes go through their entire lives The people that live in the Axos Mountain
being remembered simply because of their range are the Haklaton (see Chapter 9: Gazet-
original birthplace – as in “Sharangara of Oo- teer of Lemuria for details) or several tribes of
mis”. rangy fair-skinned barbarians. If you are from
one of these tribes, your first career will be
Choose a birthplace from those below and se- barbarian. You are also likely to be a hunter.
lect one trait from those listed. You can choose
a second trait if you also choose a flaw from Traits
those listed. If there are no flaws for you origin Hard-To-Kill: You are particularly solidly
(or if you would rather not take a flaw), then built. Add +2 Lifeblood to your total.
you may use two of your Hero Points to get the Quick Recovery: Living in the mountains
gives you better endurance than many. When

16
 HEROIC SAGAS

recovering after a combat, you regain an addi- Flaws

tional Lifeblood, on top of the half you recover Delicate: You are as slender as a wand. Deduct
normally. two from your Lifeblood total.
Rock Tracker: You are skilled in hunting Feels the Cold: You are unable to cope well in
creatures that live in the mountains. When very cold conditions. Roll an extra die for any
tracking, trapping, or hunting creatures in this tasks undertaken in a cold environment.
environment, you may use an extra die. Landlubber: You are unused to traveling by
Sling: The tribes of the Axos range are noted sea. Roll an extra die for all activities whilst at
for their use of the sling to bring down game. sea.
Roll an extra die when firing a sling.
EMPTY LANDS
Flaws No one knows what exists in and beyond the
Distrust of Sorcery: You will not knowingly Empty Lands. Therefore if you can come up
use sorcerous powers or items. When dealing with something that you and the GM can work
with wizards and alchemists, roll an extra die. with, in keeping with the rest of the origins,
Illiterate: You cannot read or write and you then you are free to go with whatever you
cannot choose a career with literacy as a re- want.
quirement.
Landlubber: You are unused to traveling by
FIRE COAST
sea. Roll an extra die for all activities under-
taken whilst at sea. The Fire Coast is home to the Witch Queen
and her Kalukan Sentinels (see Chapter 9:
Gazetteer of Lemuria). If you are from the Fire
BESHAAR DESERT Coast (and you may need to check with your
The Beshaari are short, slim nomadic people, GM first), you will be a Kalukan. Your first
who ride the Desert-Runners, flightless ostrich- two careers will be slave and soldier.
like creatures. They tend to have dark, very
wrinkled skins as they get older and black or
HALAKH
dark brown, green, purple and crimson eyes. It
is not uncommon for them to have one eye of The Halakhi are a slim, swarthy, dark-skinned
different colour to the other. All Beshaar will people with dark hair and eye colouring. They
have barbarian as their first career. are noted for their wavy-bladed fighting
knives, called Kir. If you want to hire an assas-
sin, the best are from the Mountain City of
Traits
Beast Friend: Easily domesticated creatures Halakh.
are not afraid of you and you are able to train
them more easily. Ferocious animals are less Traits
likely to attack you. Whenever dealing with Fighting Knife: You are trained in the tradi-
animals, roll an extra die. tional weapon of the city. If you are using a
Keen Eyesight: You have improved vision. genuine Halakhi Kir, you may roll one extra
Whenever you make a mind check to perceive die.
something using your eyesight, you may roll Poison Immunity: Either because you use poi-
one extra die. sons in your work or because you have had
Sand Tracker: You are skilled in hunting drugs and toxins tested upon you, you have
creatures that live in the desert lands. When built up immunity to their effects. Roll an extra
tracking, trapping, or hunting creatures in this die whenever you are resisting the effects of
environment, you may use an extra die. drugs, venoms, toxins and even alcohol.
Rock Tracker: You are skilled in hunting

17
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

creatures that live in the mountains. When surface though and rumours abound that Mor-
tracking, trapping, or hunting creatures in this gazzon, Demon of Madness has a cult within
environment, you may use an extra die. the city and the Yellow Druids have returned.
Sneaky: You are particularly quiet. Roll an
extra die where stealth is important. Traits
Quick Recovery: Living in the mountains Attractive: You are particularly handsome or
gives you better endurance than many. When beautiful. Roll an extra die in situations where
recovering after a combat, you regain an addi- good looks might be important.
tional Lifeblood, on top of the half you recover Great Wealth: Through inheritance, trade or
normally. (not very likely for a Lysorian) force of arms
you are incredibly wealthy. You own lands
Flaws around the Lysor, a house in the City and a gal-
Cravings: You are addicted to something and ley in the port. Roll an extra die on any attempt
require it every day to function fully. It might to obtain any goods, services or items you need
be a particular substance; like blood or a rare whilst in Lysor.
plant extract or even something physically Learned: You have studied at the Great Li-
gratifying like self-flagellation or sex. brary. Choose any specialty from Star Lore,
Landlubber: You are unused to traveling by Flora & Fauna, Geography, Law or Legends.
sea. Roll an extra die for all activities whilst at When recalling a fact from your area of spe-
sea. cialty, you use an extra die.
Untrustworthy: You cannot be trusted. Roll
an extra die when the situation calls for some- Flaws
one to believe or trust you. City dweller: You are not very savvy when in
the wilderness. Roll an extra die in situations to
KLAAR do with outdoor survival.
The Klaar Plains are home to the Ceruleans, a Combat paralysis: You are not really sure
race of blue-skinned nomadic giants, also what to do when the fighting starts. Roll a d3.
known as Blue Nomads. Whilst they are fear- This is the number of rounds that you freeze
some-looking, Ceruleans are not an especially and during which, you can only take defensive
aggressive race. They are actually great traders. actions.
If you are a Cerulean character, your first ca- Delicate: You are as slender as a wand. Deduct
reer must be barbarian and second should be two from your Lifeblood total.
merchant (although not mandatory). You can- Morgazzon’s Curse: You are touched by the
not be an alchemist, physician, scribe or Demon of Madness. Work with the GM to de-
sorcerer at all. Their priests are called shamans. termine how this manifests itself.
Refer to Chapter 9: A Gazetteer of Lemuria for
Cerulean traits & flaws. MALAKUT
The people of this city tend to be slimly built.
LYSOR Malakuti commonly have olive skins, dark
Lysorians are a quiet and slender people. They brown or black hair, thin lips, narrow eyes and
are generally fair or brown-haired and blue or hook noses. This lends a slightly sinister air to
green-eyed, but other colourings are not too the Malakuti. The Thieves Guild of Malkut is
uncommon. Although the inhabitants of Satarla the most powerful of all the cities in Lemuria.
might have something to say about this, Lysor Malakut is known for its leaf-bladed fighting
boasts the best healers and physicians in Le- spears, used by its city guards and soldiers.
muria. All is not as well as it seems on the

18
 HEROIC SAGAS

Traits Traits
Fighting-Spear: You are trained in the tradi- Giant-Friend: You get on particularly well
tional weapon of the city. If you are using a with Ceruleans. Use an extra die when dealing
genuine Malakut Fighting Spear, you may roll with the Blue Nomads.
one extra die. Great Wealth: Through inheritance, trade or
Sneaky: You are a par- force of arms you are
ticularly quiet mover. incredibly wealthy. You
Roll an extra die in own lands around the
situations where stealth Oomis, a house in the
is important. City and a galley at the
Thieves tools: you own river-docks. Roll an
a well-crafted set of extra die on any attempt
specialized lock-picks to obtain any goods,
and therefore use an services or items you
extra die when attempt- need whilst in Oomis.
ing to open locked Hard-To-Kill: You are
doors or remove me- particularly solidly
chanical traps. built. Add +2 Lifeblood
to your total.
Flaws Swamp Tracker: You
Delicate: You are as are skilled in hunting
slender as a wand. De- creatures that live in the
duct two from your Festrel Swamp. When
Lifeblood total. tracking, trapping or
Untrustworthy: You cannot be trusted. Roll hunting creatures in this or similar environ-
an extra die when the situation calls for some- ments, use an extra die.
one to believe or trust you.
Landlubber: You are unused to traveling by Flaws
sea. Roll an extra die for all activities under- Morgazzon’s Curse: You are touched by the
taken whilst at sea. Demon of Madness. Work with the GM to de-
termine how this manifests itself.
OOMIS Poor Hearing: You have worse than normal
Oomisians are generally tall, solidly built and hearing. Whenever you make a mind check to
often have a blue-tinge to their skins (there is perceive something using your hearing, you
speculation about just how deep their friend- roll one extra die.
ship with Ceruleans runs). Their eyes are
usually various shades of blue. They have very PARSOOL
small ears. They often have silvery-white hair. The people of Parsool are a mixed bag of all
They are a people of fine merchants. Rumours types, shapes and hair and skin colouring. Par-
abound that Morgazzon, Demon of Madness sool is trying to be more like Satarla, but is
has a cult within the city and the Yellow Dru- constantly engaged in sea battles with pirates,
ids have returned. which is ruining many of the merchants of that
otherwise bustling and diverse city. The very
best mariners are from Parsool.

19
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Traits Traits
Born sailor: You are a seaman through and Born sailor: You are a seaman through and
through. When dealing with ships or carrying through. When dealing with ships or carrying
out physical activities on board ship (other than out physical activities on board ship (other than
fighting), you may roll an extra die. fighting), you may roll an extra die.
Carouser: You are the life and soul of any Carouser: You are the life and soul of any
party or tavern. Use an extra die to gain infor- party or tavern. Use an extra die to gain infor-
mation, make contacts or acquire goods and mation, make contacts or acquire goods and
services whilst in a tavern. services whilst in a tavern.
Pirate killer: You have a particular hatred for Quick Recovery: You have better endurance
pirates. You can use an extra die whenever in than many. When recovering after a combat,
combat with pirates. you regain an additional Lifeblood, on top of
Swamp Tracker: You are skilled in hunting the half you recover normally.
creatures that live in the Kasht Swamp. When
tracking, trapping or hunting creatures in this Flaws
or similar environments, use an extra die. Drunkard: You cannot help but get drunk
whenever in port or whenever you can get hold
Flaws of a bottle or two. Roll a die when you are re-
City dweller: You are not very savvy when in quired to do something important for the rest
the wilderness. Roll an extra die in situations to of your companions. If a ‘1’ comes up, you are
do with outdoor survival. drunk and unable to do anything until sobered
Drunkard: You cannot help but get drunk up.
whenever in port or whenever you can get hold Illiterate: You cannot read or write and you
of a bottle or two. Roll a die when you are re- cannot choose a career with literacy as a re-
quired to do something important for the rest quirement.
of your companions. If a ‘1’ comes up, you are Missing Eye or Ear: You lost your eye or ear
drunk and unable to do anything until sobered in a fight. Roll an extra die whenever the GM
up. feels it is appropriate to the situation.
Missing Eye or Ear: You lost your eye or ear Missing Limb: You are missing a hand, arm
in a fight. Roll an extra die whenever the GM or a leg. You have a metal hook or a wooden
feels it is appropriate to the situation. replacement. Roll an extra die whenever the
Missing Limb: You are missing a hand, arm GM feels the situation is appropriate.
or a leg. You have a metal hook or a wooden Untrustworthy: You cannot be trusted. Roll
replacement. Roll an extra die whenever the an extra die when the situation calls for some-
GM feels the situation is appropriate. one to believe or trust you.

PORT OF THE SEA LORDS QO AND QUSH JUNGLES

People originally from just about any city can If you come from either of these jungle lands,
be found on the Pirate Isles. They are a course, you will most likely be a Grooth (see Chapter
lewd, rough and ready bunch of misfits and sea 9: A Gazetteer of Lemuria). You may need to
dogs. Men far outweigh women here and fe- check with your GM first. There are a few
male characters are most likely to be serving tribes of barbarians on the fringes of the jun-
wenches, although a few female pirates are gles – if you are one of these tribesmen, use the
known. There are two things that bring almost traits and flaws of Shamballah.
everyone here - the call of the sea and the
promise of gold.

20
 HEROIC SAGAS

SATARLA Traits
Satarla, (known as the Jewel of Lemuria) is a Beast Friend: Easily domesticated creatures
city of high culture and sophistication. The are not afraid of you and you are able to train
people are a mixture of all colours, sizes and them more easily. Ferocious animals are less
types. Beggars are outlawed, so no character likely to attack you. Whenever dealing with
can begin with that career. You may only take animals, roll an extra die.
a career of Sky Pilot if you are a Satarlan. Jungle Tracker: You are skilled in hunting
creatures that live in the Qo and Qush Jungle.
Traits When tracking creatures here, use an extra die.
Artistic: You have a skill in creating works of Keen Eyesight: You have improved vision.
art. Roll an extra die when appraising or creat- Whenever you make a mind check to perceive
ing such items. something using your eyesight, you may roll
Etiquette: You are an expert in the social one extra die.
graces. You gain an extra die on any task Keen Hearing: You have better than normal
where good form is important. hearing. Whenever you make a mind check to
Learned: You have studied at the Great Li- perceive something using your hearing, you
brary. Choose any specialty from Star Lore, may roll one extra die.
Flora & Fauna, Geography, Law or Legends. Keen Scent: You have a better than normal
When recalling a fact from your area of spe- sense of smell. Whenever you make a mind
cialty, you use an extra die. check to perceive something using your sense
Great Wealth: Through inheritance, trade or of smell, you may roll one extra die.
force of arms you are incredibly wealthy. You
own lands around Satarla, a house in the city Flaws
and a galley in the port. Roll an extra die on Distrust of Sorcery: You will not knowingly
any attempt to obtain any goods, services or use sorcerous powers or items. When dealing
items you need whilst in Satarla. with wizards and alchemists, roll an extra die.
Marked by the Gods: The gods favour you. Feels the Cold: You are unable to cope in very
You have an extra Hero Point. cold conditions. Roll an extra die for any tasks
undertaken in a cold environment.
Flaws Illiterate: You cannot read or write and you
Arrogant: You believe the hype that your city cannot choose a career with literacy as a re-
is the jewel of Lemuria, but you also let others quirement.
know it. Roll an extra die when dealing with Landlubber: You are unused to travelling by
people of other cities, where your arrogance sea. Roll an extra die for all activities under-
might annoy or offend them. taken whilst at sea.
City dweller: You are not very savvy when in
the wilderness. Roll an extra die in situations to TYRUS
do with outdoor survival. A bustling river city; the people tend towards
dark complexions and hair, with green eyes.
SHAMBALLAH Tyrus soldiers are noted for their skill at arch-
Shamballahn’s are generally a dark-skinned ery. Sorcerers are outlawed in Tyrus.
and dark-haired people with purple, mauve,
scarlet and indigo eye colouring. They are very Traits
aware of their surroundings and make good Detect Magic: You are attuned to sorceries
Hunters. and spells. Roll an extra die when trying to
dealing with wizards or their magics.

21
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Jungle Tracker: You are skilled in hunting VALGARD

creatures that live in the Qush Jungle. When Valgardians are a tall, muscular red or fair-
tracking, trapping, or hunting creatures in a haired race of warlike tribesman. If you come
jungle environment, use an extra die. from Valgard, one of your careers is barbarian.
Magic Resistance: You have trained your You are unlikely to be a sorcerer or alchemist,
mind and body to resist all kinds of sorcery. If but they are not unknown in Valgard.
a spell is cast at you, roll a d6. On a roll of 6 it
simply does not work on you. Traits
Keen Scent: You have a better than normal
Tyr Longbow: You are trained in the tradi- sense of smell. Whenever you make a mind
tional weapon of the City of Tyrus. If you are check to perceive something using your sense
using a genuine Tyr Longbow, you may roll of smell, you may roll one extra die.
one extra die. Marked by the Gods: The gods favour you.
You have an extra Hero Point.
Flaws Snow Tracker: You are skilled in hunting
Distrust of Sorcery: You will not knowingly creatures that live in the snow and ice. When
use sorcerous powers or items. When dealing tracking creatures in this environment, use an
with wizards and alchemists, roll an extra die. extra die.
Illiterate: You cannot read or write and you Quick Recovery: Living in the mountains
cannot choose a career with literacy as a re- gives you better endurance than many. When
quirement. recovering after a combat, you regain an addi-
tional Lifeblood, on top of the half you recover
URCEB normally.
Urceb (known as the Forgotten City) is not Valgardian Blade: You are skilled in the
particularly noteworthy, compared with most broadsword of the Valgardian warrior. Use an
of the others. However, it is built on the ruins extra die whenever you are fighting with a
of another ancient city, whose name is lost in genuine Valgardian Blade.
the dim reaches of time. Some adventurers
come here seeking an entrance to those lost Flaws
halls and tunnels but so far, little has been dis- Distrust of Sorcery: You will not knowingly
covered. use sorcerous powers or items. When dealing
with Wizards and Alchemists, roll an extra die.
Traits Feels the Heat: You are unable to cope in very
Urcebites have no particular traits that they are hot conditions. Roll an extra die for any tasks
known for. If you are from Urceb, you can undertaken in a hot desert environment.
have a special weapon with which you use an Illiterate: You cannot read or write and cannot
extra die, or you can work with the GM to choose a career with literacy as a requirement.
come up with an item, treasure map or artifact Landlubber: You are unused to traveling by
that would be useful or appropriate to your sea. Roll an extra die for all activities under-
character. Alternatively, you may choose a trait taken whilst at sea.
from one of the other nearby cities.
ZALUT
Flaws Also known as the City of Magicians; Zalut is
City dweller: You are not very savvy when in ruled by magicians, priests and alchemists.
the wilderness. Roll an extra die in situations to Characters are either from one of these three
do with outdoor survival. careers or they are slaves (even though they

22
 HEROIC SAGAS

may have other careers too). Zaluti are usually be a particular substance; like blood or a rare
bald, have very pale skins and albinos are not plant extract or even something like self-
uncommon. They are very insular. It is thought flagellation or sex.
that they are the last remaining descendants of Morgazzon’s Curse: You are touched by the
the Sorcerer-Kings. Demon of Madness. Work with the GM to de-
termine how this manifests itself.
Traits Poor recovery: You do not recover from your
Learned: You have studied the ancient tomes injuries as swiftly as other characters. You re-
and grimoires of the Sorcerer-Kings. Choose quire medical attention to restore lost
any specialty from Star Lore, Flora & Fauna, Lifeblood and recover nothing from normal
Geography, Law, or Legend. When recalling a rest.
fact from your area of specialty, you use an Unsettling: Your looks or something else
extra die. about you is disturbing to anyone in your pres-
Magic Resistance: Your closeness to sorcery ence. Even beasts are edgy around you. Roll an
has built up your resistance to magic. If a spell extra die in social situations.
is cast at you, roll a d6. On a roll of 6 it simply Untrustworthy: You cannot be trusted. Roll
does not work on you. an extra die when the situation calls for some-
Magic of the Sorcerer-Kings: You have one to believe or trust you.
learned some of the arts used by those who
ruled before man. You can roll an extra die LANGUAGES
when casting spells although you must take an
Every character can speak his native tongue.
extra flaw too.
For most, that is Lemurian. They can also
Night Sight: Zalut is a nocturnal city. Because
speak additional languages equal to their mind
of this you have developed exceptional night-
value. If they have a relevant career, they can
time perception. Roll an extra die when
learn further languages equal to their career
darkness causes negative modifiers to see
rank. Instead of choosing a language, they can
things.
choose literacy. A character that is literate can
Poison Immunity: Either because you use poi-
read and write any language they can speak. A
sons in your work or because you have had
character who has the flaw “illiterate” can
drugs and toxins tested upon you, you have
never learn to read or write.
built up immunity to these poisons. Roll an ex-
tra die whenever you are resisting the effects of
Careers that are noted for being literate
drugs, venoms, toxins and even alcohol.
(scribes, physicians, alchemists, priests etc)
Power of the Void: You have tapped into the
allow a character to roll to work out the gist or
Hadron’s source of power. You have two extra
essence of a text even where the writing is of a
points of Arcane Power.
language unknown to them. This requires a
task resolution roll, the difficulty for which
Flaws
depends on the nature of the text itself.
Combat paralysis: You are not really sure
what to do when the fighting starts. Roll a d3.
Where a career is noted as being one that re-
This is the number of rounds that you freeze
quires skills in the spoken word or characters
and during which, you can only take defensive
of that career are likely to be well traveled
actions.
(minstrels, merchants etc), allow a character to
Delicate: You are as slender as a wand. Deduct
roll to work out the gist or essence of a lan-
two from your Lifeblood total.
guage and make basic conversation even if the
Cravings: You are addicted to something and
tongue is unknown to them.
require it every day to function fully. It might

23
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Beshaari painfully difficult and requires both spoken

The desert nomads of the Beshaar speak and and written forms to be taken separately. The
write in their own language. Many of the peo- Magicians of Zalut converse strictly in Sor-
ple of Halakh speak Beshaari in addition to ceric, unless dealing with outsiders.
Lemurian.
Valgardish
Cerulean The people of Valgard speak and write in their
The Blue Nomads speak their own language. It own language.
has no written form. Many merchants in Oomis
learn Cerulean as their second language. Ygddari
The ancient language of man is called Ygddari
Grooth (or Old Tongue). Not many speak it and even
This is not really a fully developed language – fewer can read it. However, old texts are occa-
more a collection of grunts as well as a lot of sionally recovered from the ruins of Ygddar,
body language and ape-like waving of arms. Qiddesh, Qeb, Qar and Oosal and some skilled
There is no written form. It is uncommon out- scribes are needed to translate their writings.
side of the tribes of the Grooth.
HERO POINTS
Haklatii
The Barbarians of Lemuria is a game of heroic
The singsong language of the Haklaton. It is
sagas. Player characters are the Heroes of these
not at all well known beyond the Axos Moun-
sagas. Thongor and Conan always looked like
tains although there are believed to be some
they were down and out but they always came
ancient texts written in Haklatii that have be-
back, whatever the odds. Heroic actions are an
come lost in ancient caves hidden deep in the
integral part of the game. This is where Hero
Axos Mountains.
Points come in.
Lemurian
Characters have 5 Hero points to start the game
Most people in Lemuria speak Lemurian.
with. If you chose an additional origin trait,
However, every city speaks a different version
then you may only have 3 Hero Points. If you
of Lemurian and that means sometimes the
chose two additional traits, you may only have
traveller has difficulties understanding the lo-
1 Hero Point.
cals. Sometimes you might be required to
make a mind roll to understand people from
Hero Points are used during the course of ad-
other cities.
ventures to ‘dig deep’ and do heroic (or lucky)
things. This is described in greater detail in the
Sea Tongue
next chapter.
The pirates of The Pirate Isles speak their own
version of Lemurian that is so altered as to be
Regaining used Hero Points
its own language. There is no written form.
Any used Hero Points are recovered, in full, at
the end of a Saga. If you had 5 Hero Points to
Sorceric
start the Saga and used 3 of them during the
This is the ancient language of the Sorcerer-
adventure, you start your next Saga on 5
Kings. All their texts and manuals are written
points. If you had 3 to begin with, you have 3
in this script. Magicians, alchemists, druids,
at the start of the next Saga. You cannot go
and priests need to learn Sorceric if they wish
above your starting allocation of Hero Points.
to use the powerful magics and alchemies of
this ancient race. Learning this language is

24
 PLAYING THE GAME
“And lo! Lord Hurm looked down upon the city The GM will then tell you if there is a modifier
of Oosal to where Thangard had climbed the to your total. For easier tasks, you may get to
highest tower to make his desperate appeal. add to your total. For tougher tasks, you may
Not normally given to interceding in the affairs have to deduct from your total.
of man, Lord Hurm nevertheless felt a little of
the passion of this Hero; so much so indeed
If the final number is 9 or higher, you succeed
that he was moved to act. Calling Karyzon the
Messenger, he bade him to carry his words to at what you are trying to do. If the final num-
Thangard” ber is lower than 9 you do not succeed.
The Crimson Edda
Rolling two one’s or two sixes
A natural roll of 12 is always a success. In ad-
PERFORMING ACTIONS dition, it could be a Mighty Success or even a

T
o perform an action, you simply roll two Legendary Success. A natural roll of 2 is al-
dice (2d6). To the result you add your ways a failure and it could be a Calamitous
character’s most appropriate attribute. If Failure.
your character is fighting, you then also add
the combat ability for the type of attack being Task resolution
made. If your character is not fighting, you The following table sets out the difficulty of a
then add any appropriate career rank. task, the equivalent range for missile fire and
the modifier that should be applied to tasks of
You might have a trait from your character’s that difficulty. There may be further modifiers
origins that enable you to roll three dice instead applied based on other circumstances.
of two dice. But you still take the result of only
two of those dice. If it is a trait that allows you
to roll an extra dice, you drop the lowest die. If
it is a flaw, then you drop the highest die.

25
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Task resolution table COMBAT

Action Missile fire Modifier to Combat is dealt with in rounds of a few sec-
difficulty range dice result onds or so in length. In that time a character
Easy - +1 can fire a bow, strike or parry with a weapon,
throw an axe and so on.
Moderate Close 0
Tricky Medium -1 Who acts first
Hard Long -2 The character involved in the combat with the
highest agility attribute goes first. In the case
Tough Distant -3 of a tie, the highest combat ability for the op-
Demanding Extreme -4 tion being used gets to go first. In the event of
a tie, the one with the highest and most appro-
priate career goes first.
Example 1: Krongar the Mighty, a Northern
Barbarian with a strength attribute of 3 is at- If one group can surprise the other, the group
tempting to break down a door, which he is with the advantage of surprise can act first and
sure blocks his way to a vast hoard of treasure. have one ‘free’ round. Their opponents can
The GM decides that Krongar has no careers only act defensively in that round.
that would be helpful to the task in hand and
has already predetermined that the solid door Movement & distance
will be a difficulty of hard, or -2. The player It is not intended that you use a tactical grid
rolls 10 on 2d6, adds 3 for Krongar’s strength, and figures when playing the Barbarians of
making 13. He then subtracts 2 for the hard Lemuria; combat and movement is handled in
difficulty, meaning that the overall total is 11, an abstract way. Much relies on the GM in set-
which is more than enough. The door bursts ting the scene and the players’ interpreting that
open. and, within reason, describing their character’s
moves and actions.
Example 2: Assuming our Hero gets through
the door, rather than finding hidden wealth he You can make an agility roll if it becomes im-
finds a great pit and, having smashed through portant to see who gets somewhere first or if
the door, he finds he is hurtling towards it. At- someone can escape a character chasing him. A
tempting to leap the pit is an agility task, and career might help; for example if a chase oc-
Krongar has a 1 in this attribute. Luckily the curs in the jungle, the hunter or barbarian
GM is in a good mood and decides that his careers might be appropriate.
natural barbarian instincts will come into play
and allows the player to add Krongar’s bar- If you really do want to use figures and a tacti-
barian rank of 2 to the dice roll. The dice come cal board, you can assume that a character can
up 6 and with the +3 gives a total of 9, mean- move 25’ per round modified by 5’ per point of
ing that Krongar is across the pit and heading agility. A running character moves at twice this
for even greater adventure. speed. A sprinting character moves at four
times normal speed (twice running speed).

RESOLVING COMBAT
Combat resolution is similar to Task resolu-
tion. Rather than adding a career to the

26
 PLAYING THE GAME

appropriate attribute level though, the most ap- Dodging & parrying
propriate combat ability level is added. Characters may elect to dodge or parry. If you
do this you get no attack for the round but,
The required roll is still 9 or more, but this when dodging, get +2 to your effective defence
time in addition to any GM determined modifi- for all attacks directed at you whilst you are
ers (which could be due to range for thrown or dodging.
fired weapons, or for hitting an enemy from an
advantageous position and so on) the oppo- Example: Krongar elects to dodge and there-
nents’ defence rating also becomes a modifier fore his effective defence will be 3, meaning the
to the roll needed to hit. guard now needs 12 to hit him. However,
Krongar can do nothing else in the combat
The GM could allow, in some rare circum- round because he is currently concentrating on
stances, a career to pro- not being hit and any-
vide an additional way, was surprised.
bonus. For example,
assassins may be al- When parrying, you get
lowed an additional to roll using your charac-
bonus when striking ter’s agility plus melee
unaware enemies, or combat. The modifier is
gladiators may be al- based upon your oppo-
lowed to make special nent’s melee combat
manoeuvres that could ability. As usual a final
give them a slight edge total of 9 or more is
over an opponent. But needed to block the blow.
such a manoevre would
most definitely not Resolving hits
work twice on the same When a hit has been done
opponent. on your target, the result
will probably be that you
Weapon ranges are cause damage to your
given in the weapon opponent. The bigger the
descriptions in Chapter weapon the nastier the
7: The Trappings of He- wound is likely to be.
roes. The ranges set out Luckily there is also ar-
are base ranges at point blank. Each additional mour available to absorb some or all of the ef-
increment is one difficulty level harder on the fect of such blows. Shields exist in Lemuria,
Task Resolution table. but they are uncommon and particularly so
amongst Heroes, more often being reserved for
Example: Krongar is standing on the far side ordinary soldiers.
of the pit, when through the door he has just
destroyed comes a guard with a crossbow. This The Weapon table in the Chapter 7: The Trap-
surprises Krongar and so the guard fires at the pings of Heroes sets out how much damage a
barbarian. The guard is classed as rabble and weapon causes. This is in terms of a dice roll
so has a ranged combat ability and agility of 0. and is scored directly against the Lifeblood of
The GM decides the shot is at close range for a an opponent. In addition to the damage shown,
difficulty of 0. Krongar has a defence of 1 and you add the strength of the attacker as strength
so the guard requires10 or more to hit. helps the blow do more severe harm.

27
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

The Armour table shows how much of the Example: Jandar somehow survives the deo-
blow is deflected and/or absorbed. This is the darg’s first attack and gets to higher ground,
protection of the armour and takes into account (the GM is kind and gives a +1 modifier). The
the material used as well as body coverage. player rolls the dice again; this time he needs
12. Luck is still with him and he gets the re-
Example: The guard was very lucky and got quired 12! Since 12 would have been a success
the 12 he needed to hit Krongar. Krongar is anyway, it is converted into a Mighty Success.
wearing his battle harness (1 point of protec-
tion), boots (1 point) and bracers (1 point) for Automatic Failure
a total of 3. A crossbow bolt does d6+1 points Rolling a 2 on any task roll is an automatic
of damage and the GM rolls 3 and adds 1 for a failure. This means there is always a chance
total of 4 for the guard’s shot. Of the 4 points, that even the best characters will have a mo-
3 are absorbed by Krongar’s armour and so mentary lapse.
Krongar receives 1 wound against his Life-
blood total of 13, reducing him now to 12. If rolling a 2 would have been a failure in any
event, you have instead achieved a Calamitous
Krongar, in anger throws his own spear at the Failure.
guard, requiring a total of 6 to hit (Krongar
has a ranged combat rating of 2 and 1 agility USING HERO POINTS
and there are no range modifiers) and he gets You can use Hero Points to affect the outcome
7 on the dice for a total of 10. Damage is d6 of a battle or situation and swing the odds to
for the spear, but +3 for Krongar’s strength your favour. The following options are avail-
and the dice comes up 5 for a total of 8. The able to you:
guard’s armour (leather coat) stops 2 points
but the 6 wounds received still does enough to • A Twist of Fate
reduce his Lifeblood level to -3 and kill him. • The Luck of the Gods
• Mighty Success
Automatic Success
• Legendary Success
Rolling a 12 on any Task roll is an automatic
success. This means there is always a chance • Defy death
that you might be able to achieve the seem-
ingly impossible. A Twist of Fate
Where the narrative of a scene has not clearly
Example: Jandar Joth is fighting a losing bat- defined a certain piece of information the
tle against a deodarg that is guarding a temple player might suggest something that sounds
Jandar broke into. The deodarg has a very reasonable and make that suggestion become
good defence, meaning that Jandar needs 13 to fact. Use of a Hero Point in this manner should
hit the beast. The player rolls the dice anyway be at the discretion of the GM and shouldn’t be
and 12 comes up! Jandar somehow succeeded to effect major changes in a scene and can’t be
in hitting the beast with his spear even though used to change something that has already been
his position looked impossible (it still does, by established as a fact. For example, if the char-
the way, deodargs are virtually unkillable!). acters are locked in a dungeon cell, one of
them could use a Hero Point to find a loose
If rolling a 12 would have been a success in stone in the wall, that he can prize away,
any event, you have instead achieved a Mighty maybe to use to bash the guard over the head
Success. when he comes in to serve their slops. Or a
character that has failed his task resolution roll

28
 PLAYING THE GAME

to swim after his ship has sunk in a storm below zero Lifeblood but above -6, you may
could use a Hero Point to describe how, luck- spend a point to put your Lifeblood to zero:
ily, a wooden spar from the ship’s mast floats alive but unconscious.
by, allowing him to stay afloat by clinging to
it. If you have received sufficient damage to put
you below –5 Lifeblood, you may spend a
The Luck of the Gods Hero Point to stabilize and remain alive. You
You can spend a point to roll the dice again are still unconscious but will recover with sev-
whenever you make a task resolution roll (even eral days rest.
if you roll a 2, which would otherwise be an
automatic failure). If you do this you must use MIGHTY SUCCESS
the result of your second roll. If you have a If fighting rabble or creatures of up to small
trait that allows you to use three dice instead of size, you roll damage as usual but the result of
two, you use all three dice the second time as the roll is the number of rabble (or small crea-
well. tures) that you defeat in that action or combat
round. The way they are defeated is entirely up
Turn a success into a Mighty Success to you – you don’t have to kill them; they are
Whenever a player succeeds in combat (or out of action and will not be coming back for
even in non-combat situations), he can turn the more.
success into a Mighty Success at the expendi-
ture of a Hero Point. The results of a Mighty Example: Four thugs attack Sharangara in an
Success depend on what the character is doing. alleyway. Sharangara is not surprised (she was
expecting trouble) and she has the highest agil-
Note: This is effectively the same as rolling 12 ity, so acts first. The player rolls 8 and adds 1
on your Task roll, where 12 would normally for her agility for a total of 9, which is a suc-
have been a success. You can do this even if cess. She decides to spend a Hero Point,
you spent a Hero Point rolling the dice again. turning the success into a Mighty Success. She
then rolls a d3 for her dagger and gets a 3.
Turn a Mighty Success into a Legendary This means that three of the thugs are defeated.
Success The player decides that in one great slashing
If you roll a natural 12 when making your task move, she slices through the first thug’s belly
roll that would have been a success in any with her dagger and rips him open. The second
event (a Mighty Success), at the expenditure of thug takes a nasty thigh cut and falls over,
a Hero Point, you can turn that into a Legen- dropping his cudgel. The third takes a slight
dary Success. You can do this even if you nick, but drops his cudgel and runs. This sim-
spent a Hero Point rolling the dice again (as ply leaves thug number four, who can now take
long as you got 12 on the second roll). How- his go.
ever, you cannot make a Legendary Success
unless you roll 12 on the dice. (In other words If fighting major NPC villains, or medium
you cannot bump up a normal success into a sized or larger creatures, a Mighty Success re-
Mighty Success and then spend another Hero sults in an extra die of damage (d6), due to
Point to make it a Legendary Success). hitting the vitals or other tender or unprotected
areas.
Defy death
Hero Points can always be used to keep a Hero
alive where he would otherwise be killed. If
you have taken sufficient damage to put you

29
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

LEGENDARY SUCCESS could drop or break your sword or stumble

If fighting rabble or creatures of up to small over a fallen body; you could slip on a pool of
size, you roll damage as usual but you roll your blood and land in a heap at your enemies’ feet.
weapon damage die again. The total number is What actually happens depends on the situa-
the number of rabble (or small creatures) you tion and the whim of the gods (represented by
defeat in that action or combat round. The way the GM).
they are defeated is entirely up to you – you
don’t have to kill them; they are out of action REWARDS
and will not be coming back for more. See When the Heroes have reached their destina-
Mighty Success, above. tion and met the final challenge, they should be
richly rewarded for their endeavours. Adven-
If fighting major NPC villains, or medium turers don’t put themselves into danger for
sized or larger creatures, a Legendary Success nothing!
results in an extra two dice of damage (2d6),
due to hitting the vitals or other tender or un- VAST HOARDS OF TREASURE
protected areas.
Do not be stingy – describe the mountains of
gold and baskets full of gems, the silver chal-
Example: The final thug was actually Zaq
ices and tiaras, the jewel-encrusted scepters
Tormis, a NPC villain. He is not defeated so
and gold-chased bracelets, the chests overflow-
easily and advances on Sharangara, missing
ing with silver and the crowns that once
her with the wild swing of his club. Sharangara
belonged to lords, princes and kings. Tell them
thrusts back and rolls 2. Automatc failure! Her
it is wealth beyond their imaginings; if they
player decides to spend another Hero Point
suggest counting up the value, just laugh at
and rolls the dice again, this time getting 12!
them! Have they turned into accountants all of
This is a Mighty Success (because she only
a sudden? The thing is, they can’t take it all
needed 10 or more), but she decides the situa-
with them so they can only pick the choicest
tion calls for a Legendary Success and uses
items. They can always come back for more!
another Hero Point. This time she rolls a 1 for
her dagger and gets a 6 and a 2 with the extra
two dice, making 9 damage in total. Zaq ADVANCEMENT POINTS
Tormis is wounded very badly and decides he Characters get better at doing things as they
is not paid enough for this hassle; he turns and complete their adventures and their fame
makes his escape. spreads. However, they have to earn their im-
provements. They do this at the end of the saga
CALAMITOUS FAILURE they just completed or before the beginning of
the next one.
If you roll a 2, you fail to do whatever it is you
were trying to do, even if 2 would normally be
Remember all that loot they picked up? Well,
enough to succeed.
they have the chance to describe exactly what
they did with it. They might live the high life
If you roll a 2 and that would normally be a
for a few months, drinking or gambling it
failure, it becomes a Calamitous Failure.
away. They might buy new weapons and ar-
mour (or get their old stuff repaired) or buy
If you have no Hero Points left or you choose
kroarks, or throw expensive parties, or spend it
not to roll again you have made a Calamitous
all on women. They might send expensive gifts
Failure. Unfortunately, this is a chance for the
to their friends. They might use it to buy a new
GM to have some fun with your character. You
galley, new land or pay off debts. This is the

30
 PLAYING THE GAME

stuff of legends – it ensures that they are no- Attributes

ticed and helps their fame to spread. I mean, no Attributes may be increased above their start-
one was with them when they killed that great ing values. The cost in points is equal to the
Xolth in the dark pits beneath Urceb, so how new value of attribute. So, to increase strength
else are people going to know about it? from 1 to 2 costs two points. Attributes can
only advance to the next higher value in one
Once the characters have described how they go, i.e. you can’t jump from strength 1 to
lost or spent all their fortunes, they can gain strength 3. Humans have maximum attribute
Advancement Points. How many you give out scores of 5.
depends on how they spent their loot to the
best effect. Normally, you would give out 2 Combat abilities
points. However, if their story is particularly Combat abilities can be increased in the same
good, amusing or inventive, you can give out way as attributes. Humans have maximum
an extra point; especially if the way they con- combat ability values of 5.
struct their story gives you a lead-in to the next
adventure. On the other hand, if the character Careers
keeps back some of the money or is miserly Career ranks can also be improved in the same
with it, he gets only one Advancement Point. way as increasing attributes. Humans have
maximum career ranks of 5.
Example: Jandar Joth has just returned to Sa-
tarla from a ruined temple discovered in the However, a character can take a new career
Jungle of Qush. His player describes how he path too, if he has been doing stuff in the ad-
gambled, wenched and caroused away the haul venture that would make this new career
of gold coins that he brought back, until he had appropriate. It costs one point to get a new ca-
just a handful left. That earns him two Ad- reer at rank 0.
vancement Points. However, he then describes
how, he is on his way to the tavern with his last Buy off flaws
few coins when he spots an interesting looking You can use 2 points to remove a flaw.
map on the stall of a silver-haired merchant
from Oomis. The map looks ancient and, the Buy a new trait
merchant assures him, depicts the old city that You can use 2 points to buy a trait that is ap-
now lies beneath Urceb. Jandar soon parts propriate to your origins (or race) or 3 points to
with the remainder of his cash to purchase the buy a trait that is from elsewhere.
map. He is now skint but can sense the possi-
bility of another great adventure ahead. This is NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
definitely worth the extra Advancement Point. NPCs are the citizens, rogues, workers, inn-
keepers, traders, seamen, warriors, acolytes,
Advancement points can be saved for later. viziers, dukes and so forth that the characters
When spent you can spend them on the follow- interact with every day in the course of their
ing: adventures. Most are not even named and their
attributes and careers are largely unimportant.
• Attributes If NPCs abilities become important, you define
• Combat Abilities them by describing them either as ‘rabble’ or
• Careers as ‘villains’.
• Buy off flaws
• Buy a new trait

31
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Rabble thing helpful for your Barbarians of Lemuria

Rabble are basic run-of-the-mill mooks. Their campaign.
attributes, combat abilities and one career are
all at 0. They could have something at –1 to get Applying the rules
a 1 somewhere else. They have 3 Lifeblood The Barbarians of Lemuria is not primarily
and they do not have Hero Points or Villain about rules. It is about drama and telling a
Points. If they are wizards, they are called ad- good story. The rules are there to provide a
epts, students or acolytes and they have 3 structure to your game sessions and to provide
Arcane Power. some of the answers to what will happen when
characters do things. The rules cannot possibly
Villains contain all of the answers though.
Villains are the archenemies of the Heroes. Try to get into the habit of choosing the times
They will be created just like creating a Hero. when to apply the rules strictly and when to
They are the ones behind the nefarious plots ignore them for the benefit of the story. The
that the character’s become involved in. Vil- dice, for example, are good to build an element
lains often have huge numbers of rabble at of surprise into the actions of the players, but
their disposal. sometimes, when your scenario demands that
the characters succeed, asking the players to
Villains have Villain Points, which are used by roll dice can be a disaster if they fail.
the GM in the same way the players use their
Hero Points. Villain Points can also be used for A good rule of thumb is often not to let the roll
the villain to effect his timely escape from the of a dice determine whether a character suc-
clutches of the Heroes; just as they are about to ceeds or fails in a task, but to determine the
advance on the evil necromancer he smiles and level of success or failure. So, say a character
turns, opening a secret panel in the wall by is seeking information vital to the next part of
which he makes his escape, to begin some the scenario but fails the roll, you could decide
other nefarious plot. that he picks up a few hints or finds out that
some other person can help him, but he doesn't
MASTERING THE GAME discover everything he wanted to know. Thus
The GM has a big job on his hands. He has to the game doesn't stumble to a complete halt,
know the rules pretty well, has to design the the players still have some leads and openings
scenarios and has to be ready to react to the to continue the adventure.
actions of the players and apply common sense
when the rules don't provide an answer. It isn't GM characters
just his job to make a fun game - that is a re- There is sometimes the temptation to create a
sponsibility shared by both the GM and the NPC to go along with the player characters.
players. This is sometimes necessary, especially if the
players are short of a player for some reason,
If you’ve run games before, then you probably especially if they are lacking a character of a
know many of the tricks that you can use to particular career between them. However, you
keep a game going and to keep the players in- must always remember that the player charac-
terested. However, if you are new to running a ters are the Heroes. The scenarios should focus
game session, then the following paragraphs upon them and their exploits, not on the char-
will help you. Even if you have been a game acters that you create. Keep your characters in
master in other games, you might find some- the background, unless the players bring them
to the fore or ask about them. Don’t spend long

32
 PLAYING THE GAME

parts of the game session describing what your If one of the characters is a priest, you could
characters are doing. say he receives some sort of vision from Hurm
or some other god. This vision could be in the
Adventures form of a riddle or a just a faraway place or
The Barbarians of Lemuria is a game all about event. A hunter could come across something
adventures and quests. Adventures can be one- out in the wilderness or jungle, - strange tracks,
off scenarios that begin and end after an eve- an unknown creature or a dead body. A min-
nings play. They can be designed like short strel from some distant part of Lemuria could
stories, each of which starring the same cast of come to Satarla, or wherever the characters are
characters (maybe with a slightly changed cast, based, with a tale of ancient ruins and buried
if players can’t make it, or new players come treasure and that could lead to new adventures.
along). Best of all though, is when adventures Be creative. Once you begin differing the way
are linked in some way and so that what went to introduce scenarios to the players, you will
in the last adventure has a bearing on the next start to develop a campaign structure to your
one. These are called sagas. games.

Designing adven- Sagas

tures can be a bit Sagas are a series of
daunting. The adventures that usu-
thing is, you ally have a common
shouldn't bust a thread or greater
gut over it. The goal that strings the
more it is planned adventures together.
out, the less easy Sagas tend to have
it will be to play. familiar elements
There are some throughout the ad-
sample adventures ventures. These
near the end of elements may be
this book, to give that there is an ulti-
you a feel for the mate aim for the
type of thing that players - maybe they
makes a good are trying to track
Barbarians of Le- down one very pow-
muria adventure. erful foe and each
The beginning adventure brings
adventures can be them clues that bring
simple tasks given them closer to their
by a powerful enemy.
mentor like a NPC
magician or noble. Maybe the charac-
However, after a ters have their own
while this ap- personal agendas - a
proach will get a noble might want to
bit stale, so you become the king of a
may need to vary city or the Emperor
it. There are many of Lemuria; a pirate
ways to do this. might want his own

33
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

galley and an alchemist might want to find The other thing to bear in mind is that the
some great secret formula. These are the char- players may be acting this way simply because
acter’s long-term goals and so they should be what you had in mind for them does not actu-
working towards these goals anyway. They ally interest them. They generally give away
make a fantastic way for GMs to come up with pointers about what their characters are inter-
adventures that the players would be really ested in doing and you should always be ready
keen to take part in. to pick up on these clues and create adventures
to suit them. You could always ask them too. A
Players might have other ideas for their charac- great way for players to introduce adventures is
ters and often these are a great source of to include plot hooks when it is time to gain
material for GMs struggling to come up with their Advancement Points.
adventures of their own. Don’t be afraid to
plunder the players ideas for campaigns and Another option is not to be too rigid in your
adventures. It means they have a lot more per- adventure design. Let the players go where
sonal stake in your game. Sagas work best they will and do what they want. You can
when the player characters have lives of their tweak your scenario to suit, especially as you
own too and where you play out sessions that gain experience in running adventures. If the
have a real meaning for their characters. players didn’t know what was in your scenario
in the first place, it can’t hurt to change it. You
Be aware of railroading can cut out the less important parts of your ad-
Railroading is where you try to impose your venture if you need to, or return to them later.
scenario on the players, rather than letting the
players interact with your scenario. In other Ultimately, role-playing is a game about
words, in your scenario they should go to choices. The players are free to go beyond the
Malakut to continue to the next part of the boundaries that would otherwise be imposed
saga. However, they decide instead to steal a by other types of game, like board games. So
galley and go to the Pirate Isles. Because this you do have to be prepared to improvise from
isn’t what you wanted them to do, you make it time to time.
virtually impossible, to the point of frustrating,
for them to steal the ship and then more or less
force them to journey to Malakut instead. This
is railroading.

The point is players have their own desires and

sometimes what they want to do doesn’t mesh
with what you had planned for them. The thing
not to do here is to try to force them back on
track by making it impossible for them to go
any further. Once you realize what railroading
is, you can actually use it in a more subtle way
that makes it seem like you are not railroading
at all. This is much more acceptable to players;
it is giving the players the feeling that they are
in charge of their character’s destinies rather
than you.

34
 THE TRAPPINGS OF HEROES
“And lo! The brave warriors of the city ride out
on their Kroarks to face their enemy. They are
proud in their gleaming mail, their long spears
in their right hands and shields in their left.
And the Archers of Tyrus stand grim-faced and
ready, longbows in hand. It is Tyrus Longbow
versus Satarla blade and in the cold light of
dawn, there is no certainty which would win
the day”
The Satarla Volumes

STARTING GEAR

T
he basic rule about character equipment
is to give the players what they want!
Conan, Brak and Thongor never went
shopping; neither should characters in the Bar-
barians of Lemuria. If a player wants his
character to have something that would be ap-
propriate to his career, let him have it. If he
wants something less appropriate you can still
let him have it. You can always take it away
from him!

He is a soldier – let him have armour and a

couple of weapons. He is a barbarian - let him
have a necklace of bear’s teeth, some javelins,
a wineskin and a sword. She is a serving

35
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

wench – let her have a knife, several sets of WEAPONS

fancy clothes, jewellery and make-up. He is a
There is a wide range and variety of weapons
magician - let him have some rings and amu-
used throughout Lemuria but most of them
lets, a star-patterned robe and a skull-topped
conform essentially to a few basic designs with
staff. He is a noble - let him have a palace in
minor differences.
Satarla and a galley in the port.
When you hit with a melee weapon or a thrown
I have not included any costs for the simple
weapon, add your strength to get the total dam-
reason that characters can have what they want
age.
and what would be reasonable for their career.
Think of it this way; of what use is a palace in
When you hit with a missile weapon add half
Satarla, when you are lost and alone in the
your strength (round down) to get the total
Jungles of Qush armed with only a sword in
damage.
your tired fist?
If you want your character to have a two-
By the same token, I have not included any
handed version of a one-handed weapon (say a
rules for encumbrance. Heroes only go around
“great” mace) simply add +2 to the damage it
with what they can reasonably carry. They live
does.
for the day. You never know what you will
need on adventure and you can’t take every-
Ceruleans with the appropriate trait can use
thing, so why bother? Use your Hero Points
two-handed weapons in one hand. They also
instead. That’s what they are for.
make giant versions of two-handed weapons.
These cause an additional d3 points of damage.
If you want backpacks full of and adventuring
gear, a weapon for every occasion, three spare
Axe
suits of armour and a pack animal to carry it all
around on then play another game. If all you
want is a breechclout and a sturdy blade, play
on!

Characters start with whatever gear is appro-

priate to their career(s) and whatever other
stuff is agreed between the GM and player. These are usually made with bronze, iron or
After that, if a character needs other items, he steel heads on a wooden haft. They can be
or she can make rolls against appropriate ca- called war-axes, battle-axes, long-axes or
reers, to find, buy, steal, beg or borrow stuff. hand-axes. They are one or two-bladed and
one-handed versions can be thrown at 10’
Difficulty modifiers might be appropriate if the range increments.
character is in the middle of nowhere, if the
item is scarce or expensive and so on. Mer- Bow
chants and thieves are particularly adept at
getting hold of stuff and nobles always have
more money available.

This represents a wide variety of weapons,

which are used to fire arrows by drawing back

36
 THE TRAPPINGS OF HEROES

the bowstring, which is strung between the two edges that can be thrown with a range of 10’
ends of a curving length of wood. All bows are increments or used in close quarters. Highly
used two-handed. Bows fire at 60’ range in- concealable it is a favourite of rogues and as-
crements. Great bows fire arrows at 100’ range sassins. You do not get two-handed versions of
increments. daggers.

Club Fist
This is used to punch people. It also represents
the use of elbows, feet, head and so on.

Flail

The simplest of all weapons, this is a stout

length of wood, used in one hand to bludgeon
and batter your opponent. They can be called
cudgels, war-clubs, mauls or shillelaghs. One-
handed versions can be thrown with 10’ range
increments. Flails are made with a shaft of wood, mounted
by a length of chain with a spike-ball head.
Crossbow They are not to common in general use in Le-
muria, but can sometimes be found in
gladiatorial arenas. They are unwieldy and
therefore incur a modifier of -1 to hit.

Mace

A crossbow is a simple device for firing a short

quarrel with some force and little training. A mace is similar to a club, but with a metal
They take two rounds to load. They are all two- head, often with spikes or flanges. One-
handed weapons and have a range increment of handed maces can be thrown at increments of
80’. Great crossbows take three rounds to load, 10’, but are not very effective so incur a -1
but have a range increment of 100’. modifier to hit if used this way.

Dagger Sling

This covers all forms of short stabbing, thrust-

ing or slashing weapon, either with one or two

37
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

A simple leather thong whirled around the Weapon table

head to cast small stones with some force at
30’ range increments. Two-handed versions are Great or two-
fitted onto a staff and are called staff-slings. Weapon Damage Notes handed version
This imparts greater range, making the incre- Axe d6 Can be thrown d6+2
ments 60’. Bow d6 Range 60’ d6+2

Spear Club d6-1 Can be thrown d6+1

Crossbow d6+1 2 rounds to load, d6+3
range 80’
Dagger d3 Can be thrown -
A 5 to 6 foot length of wood with a pointed tip,
designed for throwing at 20’ range increments, Fist d2 d3 with brass -
or for using against mounted opponents in par- knuckles
ticular. In a charge or receiving a charge, add Flail d6+1 -1 to hit d6+3
+d3 to the damage. Great spears cannot be Mace d6 Can be thrown d6+2
thrown effectively (except by Ceruleans). but at –1 to hit
Sling d3 Range 30’ d6-1
Staff:
Spear d6 Can be thrown d6+2
Staff d6-1 2 handed d6+1
Sword d6 Popular for d6+2
A simple stout pole of around 6’ in length,
adventurers
used as an aid to walking and an effective
weapon. A great-staff is a staff shod with metal
ends, for greater effectiveness.

Sword

This weapon is a favourite amongst Heroes.

This is the catch all description for all manner
of long-bladed, one-handed weapons used all
over Lemuria, such as cutlasses, tulwars,
scimitars, rapiers, broadswords and
longswords. Call it what you want on your
character sheet, because that will add flavour to
your character, but at the end of the day it is a
long blade used for killing. Two-handed ver-
sions are called bastard swords, great swords,
claymores, war blades and battle blades.

38
 THE TRAPPINGS OF HEROES

ARMOUR Coif
A coif is a hood of metal links. It can be
Heroes tend to wear little in the way of
worn under other helmets but gets very
armour, often not for practical reasons
hot.
but out of vanity (armour covers too
much of their bronzed bodies). As it
Full Helm
happens Lemuria can be very hot, and
This is a heavy metal helmet with nose,
so that is another good reason not to
ear and cheek guards. It is cumbersome
wear too much armour. If more than
and restrictive. Often kept strictly for
one type of armour is worn, simply
use in battle or in gladiatorial arenas. If
add the protection values of all the ar-
you are wearing a full helm, you sub-
mour together.
tract 1 from mind for any tasks where
you are trying to spot or listen.
Battle Harness
A broad leather crossbelt buckled across
Gauntlets
the chest and used to attach weapon scab-
Heavy leather gloves, perhaps with metal
bards, arrow quivers and so on. As a
studs or strips. May not be worn with
result of the amount of leather, metal
bracers. Whilst wearing these, you sub-
buckles and so on, the battle harness
tract 1 from any agility tasks where fine
makes for decent protection and many
manipulation is important although you
heroes will simply wear one of these. A
do d3 damage with your fist.
battle harness may be worn over other
types of armour, though this would be
Greaves
excessively cumbersome and hot.
These are hardened leather or metallic
shin guards. They may not be worn with
Bracers
boots.
Hardened leather or metallic forearm
protection. Bracers may not be worn
Helm
with gauntlets.
A helm is a simple helmet of hard
leather with or without metal strength-
Boots
ening.
Heavy leather boots providing protection
up to the knees. Not a common item on
Leather Coat:
Lemuria, though the sailors and pirates
This is a coat of thick leather or thinner
wear them more often. Boots are not
leather with metal studs or similar. It
worn with greaves.
may be worn under a plate cuirass,
though Heroes would rarely do so and
Chainmail Bikini
besides a person in all of this garb
To the female Hero what the battle
would sweat like a bouphon in the
harness is to the male. It is exactly as
heat of the Lemurian sun. Whilst
it sounds - a collection of mail links
wearing a leather coat, you sub-
covering only the barest minimum of
tract 1 from your agility value.
the body, allowing a feast for the
eyes of any Hero in the vicinity. Not
Mail Shirt
normally worn with other body ar-
Heroes sometimes wear these in
mour although greaves and bracers
battle. They are simply metal links
can be worn with one.
pieced together to form a shirt or

39
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

tunic. It offers light flexible protection. A mail Armour table

shirt is not usually worn with other body ar- Armour type Protection Notes
mour. Whilst wearing a mail shirt, your
defence has a maximum value of 3 and you Battle Harness 1 Used to hang
subtract 1 from your agility. weapons from
Boots 1 Foot wear
Plate Cuirass Bracers 1 Arm guards
Chainmail Bikini 1 Nice!
Full Helm 2 -1 to perception
Gauntlets 1 -1 to manipulation
d3 brawl damage
Greaves 1 Leg guards
Helm or coif 1 Head protection
Leather Coat 2 -1 agility
Mail Shirt 3 -1 agility
This is a breastplate and backplate of shaped
metal. It is quite restrictive and can get very Plate Cuirass 4 -2 agility
hot. Heroes tend to avoid these when adventur- Shield, large 2
ing although they might wear one in a battle. If
wearing this armour, you subtract 2 from your Shield, small 1
agility value. In addition, your defence is a
maximum of 3 whilst wearing this type of ar- Notes on combining armour
mour. • A combination of armour types provid-
ing 3 points of protection or more also
Shield slows a character down. Reduce the
Shields are not wearer’s maximum defence to 3.
that common • A combination of armour types provid-
in Lemuria. ing 5 points of protection or more also
Gladiators will slows a character down. Reduce the
use them and wearer’s maximum defence to 2.
sometimes
• A combination of armour types provid-
they are issued
ing 7 points of protection or more also
to soldiers.
slows a character down. Reduce the
Heroes tend
wearer’s maximum defence to 1.
only to use
• A combination of armour types provid-
them for going
ing 9 points of protection or more also
into battle. Usually made of wood, with per-
slows a character down. Reduce the
haps a hide covering and metal boss, they strap
wearer’s maximum defence to 0.
to the forearm and have a handle for manoeu-
vrability. Size wise they are about 18” in
diameter for small shields and maybe 2’ or
more in diameter for larger ones.

40
 MAGICIANS,
PRIESTS & ALCHEMISTS
“Krongar had never met a Wizard before and In game terms, the most powerful of the spells
although this man before him was old and his and alchemies that these characters can per-
robe sagged on his bony frame, there was a form take a great deal of time and research –
power surrounding him that made Krongar something that there is not a lot of during the
pause for a moment. That pause was just course of a normal adventure.
enough time for Jesharek to mutter a spell of
binding – thick ropes coiled around the Barbar-
ian so that he could not easily reach for his However, there are examples of less evil magi-
blood-thirsty Valgardian blade.” cians and priests in sword & sorcery fiction, so
Krongor’s Saga these careers can make viable options for play-
ers as long as they understand the possible
OVERVIEW restrictions they might face. Inventive players
can always come up with something!

M
agicians, priests and alchemists fig-
ure highly in swords & sorcery
fiction. That said, these mysterious MAGICIANS
types do not generally make for good player Characters with points in the magician career
characters. As a rule, they tend not to be ad- begin play with Arcane Power equal to 10 plus
venturous, preferring instead to engross their magician rank. NPC rabble magicians
themselves in their mystical studies. Another (adepts, students and apprentices) start with
factor is that many of them tend to be the vil- only 3 Arcane Power.
lains; often twisted and deranged by their foul
necromancies and the dark gods that they wor- All spells fall into one of four
ship. classes: Cantrips and spells of
First, Second or Third Magni-
tude.

41
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

Magicians (who are also called sorcerers, nec- slither up a castle wall or distracting a guard
romancers, wizards and witches) always have with an imagined sound. Such spells rarely
rune-inscribed rings, amulets, talismans and cost more than 1 Arcane Power and only re-
trinkets and so forth about their bodies through quire a skill roll when directly affecting a
which they can cast very minor and simple sentient target or perhaps if the magician has
tricks and cantrips. If they are stripped of these been deprived of his trinkets and fetishes
items, they have difficulty even with these can- (when the Arcane Power cost would be higher
trips. too).

Spells of increasing magnitude have a greater More powerful spells are trickier though and
cost in Arcane Power and increasing difficulty are really the stuff of heroic magicians and vil-
levels to successfully cast. The table below lainous sorcerers.
shows these costs and difficulties:
Cantrips
Spell power cost & difficulties Cost: 1 or 2 Arcane Power
Difficulty: Easy or Moderate (-1 or 0)
Spell
Magnitude Difficulty Arcane Power Cost
Cantrip Auto/Easy 1 or 2 SPELLS OF THE
FIRST MAGNITUDE
First Moderate/ Tricky 5 (2)
These tend to be spells that the magician can
Second Hard/Tough 10 (6) cast during the course of an adventure. They
Third Demanding 15 (11) are utility spells; they allow the sorcerer to per-
form activities that anyone with the right
training and equipment could manage. Such
Mind-affecting spells sorcery might allow the caster to glide up the
Spells that directly interfere with a person’s side of a cliff – since a normal person with
psyche or his perceptions, such as mind control rope and pitons could achieve the same result
and mind reading have an additional modifier (eventually). Damaging spells of this type
based on the mind rating of the victim of the would typically cause 1d6 Lifeblood of dam-
spell. age to the target. These spells cost 5 Arcane
Power and have a price too. For every one of
Healing with Arcane Power the following casting requirements that the
Arcane Power does not lend itself to healing magician can meet, in full, reduce the power
injuries of any sort. Accordingly magicians cost by one point. The minimum Arcane Power
cannot cast spells that repair damage to living cost of a First Magnitude spell is always 2.
things, although they can repair inanimate ob-
jects or items using magic. Spells of the First Magnitude are usually either
moderate or tricky task resolution rolls.
CANTRIPS
These are very basic spells allowing the caster Spells of the First Magnitude
to conjure a brief pool of light, the distant Cost: 5 Arcane Power
sound of laughter, or a spark to light a fire. Requirements: -1 per requirement taken
Cantrips can be used to repair a common ob- Minimum: 2 Arcane Power
ject, sour a jug of ale or make the brief illusion Difficulty: Moderate or Tricky (0 or –1)
of a common object. Other examples might
include making a coin vanish, causing a rope to

42
 MAGICIANS, PRIESTS & ALCHEMISTS

First Magnitude Casting Requirements venture if appropriate research and

• Special Item: An ancient tome, heavy preparations are made between adventures (see
tablet or delicate scroll is required but Chapter 6: Advancement points). Minds can be
is relatively easy to come by (some bar- controlled, buildings levelled and mighty war-
tering, a short journey or a minor riors transformed into squeaking uzegs. These
expenditure) spells are defined as activities that would be
• Line of Sight: The caster must be able impossible for a single person. Destroying a
to clearly see his or her intended target door would be a spell of the First Magnitude,
• Casting Time: The spell will take at destroying the wall is definitely Second Mag-
least 1d6 x 30 minutes of meditation, nitude. These spells cost 10 Arcane Power. For
chanting, dancing etc. to correctly exe- every casting requirement that the magician
cute can comply with or chooses, you can reduce
• Intimate Materials: A personal item the cost by 1 point, down to a minimum of 6
of the intended target (or a tile from the Arcane Power.
target building, for example) is required
• Special Knowledge: The caster must Spells of the Second Magnitude are either hard
conduct lengthy research before he or or tough task resolution rolls.
she has the necessary information to
cast the spell Spells of the Second Magnitude
• Obvious Technique: The caster must Cost: 10 Arcane Power
gesture, chant, dance or make strange Requirements: -1 per requirement taken
sounds during the brief casting process Minimum: 6 Arcane Power
Difficulty: Hard or Tough (-2 or -3)
• Hour Power: The spell may only be
cast at a specific hour of the day
Second Magnitude Casting Requirements
• Ritual Cleansing: The caster must
bathe in clean water and essential oils • Special Item: An ancient tome, heavy
tablet or delicate scroll is required and
and shave all bodily hair from his or
the item will prove difficult to obtain. It
her body
is rare or held in a distant land or at the
• Wounds: The magician suffers d3
top of a dark wizard’s tower, guarded
Lifeblood of damage when the spell is
by vicious winged apes!
cast
• Rare Ingredients: An expedition is re-
quired to locate the necessary items to
Example: Methyn Sarr (Witch Queen of the
perform the magic. It will take 1d6
Fire Coast) unleashes a javelin-like bolt of
weeks and at least a purse of gold to
flame at Krongar. The GM considers this a
obtain the necessary items (of course
First Magnitude spell for the Witch Queen and
any magician worth his salt would have
she has line of sight (appropriate for a bolt of
a stable of willing barbarians to track
fire) and Obvious Technique (she’s always put-
down those special herbs for him)!
ting on a show). The cost is reduced to 3
Arcane Power and the GM thinks the flame is • Permanent Focus: The caster must
worth 1d6 damage for Krongar. undertake ritual tattooing to perma-
nently inscribe the details of the spell
on his or her person
SPELLS OF THE
• Casting Time: The spell will take at
SECOND MAGNITUDE least 2d6 hours of meditation, chanting,
These are powerful sorceries indeed and are dancing etc. to correctly execute
often only possible during the course of an ad-

43
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

• Ritual Sacrifice: An animal (of at least Spells of the Third Magnitude

the size of a lamb) must be sacrificed Cost: 15 Arcane Power
prior to casting Requirements: -1 per requirement taken
• Lunar: The spell may only be cast dur- Minimum: 11 Arcane Power
ing a specific phase of the moon Difficulty: Demanding (-4)
• Personal Ordeal: The caster must fast
for 2d6 days Third Magnitude Casting Requirements
• Wounds: The magician suffers d6+1 • Personal Ordeal: The caster must un-
Lifeblood of damage when the spell is dertake ritual scarring and/or mutilation
cast and bloodletting to achieve the right
frame of mind for casting.
Example: Methyn Sarr has managed to capture • Ritual Sacrifice: A sentient being must
Krongar. It would please her to make the big be slaughtered to empower the spell (a
barbarian into her lapdog, to pay him back for beautiful wench would be most suitable
having the temerity to dare come to her for- but they tend to have hairy barbarians
tress to steal from her. Whilst he is languishing trailing behind them that frequently
in the Witch Queen’s cells, she researches a take issue with the whole sacrificing
spell. It would normally cost 10 Arcane Power, deal)
but she sends some of her Kalukan Sentinels • The Stars ARE Right: The spell may
out to an old tomb to fetch a grimoire that she only be cast when the necessary stars
has heard about. Whilst they are gone, she and planets are correctly aligned
fasts for a week (rolls 2d6, gets 7) and studies • Place of Power: There is only one
the stars for the best time to perform the spell place known to man where this spell
(making a knowledge roll, using her career of may be cast and guess what? It’s not
magician). When she has all of these things close!
together, Methyn has Krongar brought to her • Demonic Transformation: Casting the
in chains and she sacrifices a small beast. She spell will permanently (maybe) trans-
has now met four of the spell requirements, form the caster into some horrible
reducing the Power Point cost to 6. The GM demonic form with an even more cli-
determines it is a hard task. She still needs to chéd maniacal laugh
make a task resolution roll to defeat Krongar’s • Wounds: The magician suffers 2d6+1
mind (which is zero, so no worries there!). Lifeblood of damage when the spell is
cast
SPELLS OF THE
THIRD MAGNITUDE Example: Vulkfind the Black is planning to
raise a volcano in the middle of the Heroes’
These are incredibly rare in any game. These
hometown. The GM rightly assesses this spell
spells bring about natural disasters and terrible
as being of the Third Magnitude and (as Vulk-
curses spanning generations. Such spells cost
find is an NPC) selects ‘The Stars ARE Right’
15 Arcane Power. For every casting require-
as the first casting requirement and ‘Ritual
ment that the caster complies with, reduce the
Sacrifice’ as the second one (he has arranged
Arcane Power cost by 1. The minimum cost for
for Princess Somua to be kidnapped from her
spells of the Third Magnitude is 11 Arcane
palace in Satarla), reducing the Power Point
Power. Spells of the Third Magnitude are al-
cost to13. The PCs only have 30 days to stop
ways demanding task resolution rolls.
the evil sorcerer and rescue princess Somua
before the coming eclipse spells their doom!

44
 MAGICIANS, PRIESTS & ALCHEMISTS

RECOVERING ARCANE POWER

The caster recovers 4 Arcane Power spent to
create First Magnitude spells at noon or mid-
night (the sorcerer makes the choice but must
live with the choice for the duration of his or
her casting life) every day.

Arcane Power spent in the creation of Second

and Third Magnitude spells are recovered at
the rate of 4 points per lunar month (usually
the first night of the full moon but the sorcerer
may choose his or her phase). Additionally,
whenever the sorcerer casts Third Magnitude
magic, a point of Arcane Power is perma-
nently lost. This loss of Arcane Power can be
exchanged for the loss of an attribute point in-
stead – it could represent aging and so reduce
the magicians appeal by 1, for example (down
to negative numbers if necessary).

45
 THE BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA

“The Sorcerer-Kings sought to become gods CHANNELLING SPELLS

but it was not within their power to be gods.
A priest (or druid) can channel the godly pow-
Instead Hadron came to them and ran amok.
By the time the Sorcerer-Kings had learned
ers granted to him by the Twenty Gods (or the
their mistake, the damage was done and the Dark Gods). He can do this a number of times
cataclysm had been wrought. It would take the equal to his rank as a priest, +1, before he has
great passage of time for the Sorcerer-Kings to return to a temple to perform rituals, sacri-
to rise again. In the meanwhile man ruled in fice, meditations, fasting and prayer. So a
their place, watched over by the Twenty Gods” priest of rank 3 can channel 4 spells before he
The Crimson Edda has to go back and perform devotions to the
gods again.
PRIESTS & DRUIDS
The player describes what he wants the spell

P
riests are the earthly agents of the
Twenty Gods of Lemuria. They bring effects to be. Use the magician spells as a
the word of the gods to their worshippers guide to the relative power of the spell required
on the earth. Each god has his own followers and the difficulties to be assigned. However,
and their temples are numerous across the con- you do not have to worry about Arcane Power
tinent. or spell requirements as the god itself has the
requisite power; he is just using his earthly tool
Druids are the earthly agents of the demonic (in the shape of the priest) to channel it.
Dark Gods - the Gods of The Void. Their
numbers are fewer and their followers more The only difficulty for the priest is whether he
widely scattered. However, their numbers can handle the energies that are coursing
swell each day, as Hadron tests his powers and through his body as he channels the spell ef-
seeks to restore himself in the world. They fects. This is tested in the form of a task
have hidden temples in remote places and in resolution roll in the same way as magicians.
the hidden parts of several cities. Simply check the equivalent magnitude of the
spell the priest is attempting to channel and
make a task resolution roll, using mind + priest
DEVOTION (or druid) rank. A positive modifier (+1)
Priests follow and worship all Twenty Gods, should be awarded to priests casting spells
but those priests of rank 1 or higher must within their own temples.
choose one above all others (see Chapter 9 for
the options available). Druids worship all Dark If the roll is successful (i.e. the player gets 9 or
Gods but, at rank 1 or higher, must choose one better) the spell works in the way expected. If
above all the rest. Sometimes their god actually the roll fails the spell doesn’t work; the charac-
chooses them. At rank 0, priests and druids are ter failed to control the energies.
still in training and do not devote themselves to
any one god in particular.
DOMAINS
Priests and druids receive their powers from Each of the gods has a domain over which he
the gods; particularly from the one the priest or presides (Dyr is the God of Storms, Tharungo-
druid is devoted to. Any spells cast by the zoth is the Slaughterer and so on) and, if the
priest are simply a channelling of the god’s priest is channelling a spell that is deemed to
powers. In effect, the priest or druid is simply a be of the domain of the god to which he is de-
tool to be used by the gods. voted, he may roll 3 dice instead of 2, taking
away the lowest die.

46