Synopsis of Chapter One: The Plate

I put it into more of a bullet form this week because there was a lot to cover.
FYI each Palladium month has 28 days, or four weeks. at the end of the year they have a special "half-week" to keep the calendar aligned.

Þriðjudagur (thrĭth-yĭ-da-ger) Maí 25, 3839 A.P.
Silus left to meet with Ankar about what kind of deal could be offered to you.
Grant, a friend of Oki's, stopped by to let you know that you were all in danger and being watched constantly. Oki and Grant work out travel arrangements the group to ride the Veloz out of town. He'll take his payment later and tells you keep your money for now. Grant plans to bring friends by for a party to create cover for your escape.

The plan of escape to leave through the root cellar, which leads into the catacombs under Ricmorn.
Silus returns with an offer from Ankar which includes loads of money, protection, and the right to have the plate back after his research is done. The offer for free passage, or passage of any kind, to the Eastern Territories (Gevril, to be exact), has been withdrawn as you are being followed by too many interests at this time.

The guests start arriving, and so do the wolfen, knocking at your back door. You tell them that you are not going to take their deal and they tell you that this is most regrettable. Shortly afterward, city guards come knocking at the door. This is your cue to leave.

You all escape into the catacombs and are happily making your way now into the sewers when pfft! Agar disappears!

Agar was summoned using the hair and blood by someone who is most likely Churokand a lady friend named Asuka. Asuka blows Churok's head off using a Skedic pistol and demands that Agar tell her who he is and where the plate is. Fortunately Agar was not transported too far away as he is somewhere near Zog's lair. Zog the za. Asuka escorts Agar back out towards the rest of the group.

The rest of the party backtracks and meets up in Zog's lair. There they meet the za, a demonic winged doglike creature. The fight many expected never comes and it seems as though powerful (demonic?) force has possessed poor old Zog. The entity warns the group that it is in way over its head and that it knows what they have and who they are. Oh well, time to leave as the great vaulted room begins to collapse.. Oki provides a convenient dimensional teleport that gets you all to the docks and on board the Veloz.

miðvikudagur Maí 26, 3839 A.P.– You spend Wednesday on board the Veloz, screaming along the open sea at 30kts. During this time you get to know a little about Asuka (aka Songia) Hasder's daughter, although she is not the most talkative of people. She dresses as though she were from the East and wears a little choker with a small “X” pendant. She is pissed at you all and expects you to repay your debt to her father for your complete idiocy, but at least she understands that you were duped by “that @#$! Elf” as she calls Silus. Right now she is interested in getting the plate to a safe haven.

fimmtudagur Maí 27, 3839 A.P.– You arrive in Wertouth. Nobody wants to stay in Wertouth, a small city in the very south of the elven territory of Ellendel. The captain, Bhurgen, will take you to Elgretisland for 1200 apiece. Since you have Hasder's money you agree.

föstudagur Maí 28, 3839 A.P.– Elgretisland welcomes you like a swarm of angry bees as the Misarlon ambush you in the busy main street market. One of the seven, a dwarve, steals the backpack from Landros and hell breaks loose. People running, screaming. A horse that the dwarve tries to use to get away is first knocked down by the sekai, then pulverized into ground meat by a Riga. But, somehow you manage to get the backpack with the plate in it and jump through another rift, courtesy of Oki, and land outside of Bathfells. There you split up and try a safe way to Aja, a place where you hope you will find some relief from this chase. Oh, yes! And Oki got a brief view of the mind of a Misarlon and may have some useful gold nuggets of information. Of course, the member of the seven also saw everything that Oki knows.

Outlook – You have found a smugglers path that runs down to Slódaulur, although you will have to watch out for dragons and drug runners. The path is 300 miles to Aja from here, or given the slow nature of mountain trails, 20 days. Ah, the classic fortnight trek, right? In that amount of time the Misarlon will certainly have reached Bathfells and be back on your trail. Obviously they have informants everywhere, so maybe they'll know you have been here sooner than later.

News in Ricmorn

Time scale: You all left for Hasder's Föstudagur morning. On Laugurdagur morning, before sunrise, you split ways, some going to Ricmorn, others to the estate. Sunnudagur evening Hasder passed away. Manudagur morning (Chris) returned to Ricmorn to join the rest of the party. Today is Þriðjudagur.

The Farlax has delayed leaving port; reports are that they are waiting for some cargo on the road from Niverhall to arrive. A second Uarnesian ship, the Veloz, has arrived in harbor.

News of Lord Hasder's death is circulating around the city and some wonder whether his daughter, Songia, from his most recent marriage will return to manage the estate. The rumor is that they were estranged and she was living as a missionary in some remote corner of the world.

The Wolfen legions are preparing to to cross to the northern shores of the Western Empire where they will board ships bound for their home.

Some socialites are talking about some sort of hubbub that occured in the middle of the evening at the Omunis party. Some blame a small group of Wolfen who were attending while others note that Omunis seemed peeved for a while that evening, not something you see often in that man.

The homeless population has dropped dramatically in recent months and the governor's pointing to a boom in trade from the south for the economic good fortune. The number of arrests for disorderly behavior have gone up, however, as has the murder rate, which is not something the authorities are talking much about.

Synopsis of Chapter One: The Plate

Here's is what has happened so far:

The gracious Lord Hasder invites you to his estate because he has a business proposal. The estate is indeed filled with artifacts and ancient relics from around the world, and this includes his staff and his pets, among them the stone statue of King Tiu-Tiu of some kingdom in the Yin-Sloth jungles.

The job was supposed to be simple (aren't they always?). Retrieve a stolen artifact from the store rooms beneath the Omunis estate and return to Hasder. Jiunko, Hasder's scholar/curator with his curious assortment of powders was to help you find the item in question, a simple earthenware plate. You leave immediately and hope that many of the servants are busy with the guests at one of Omunis' soirees. And indeed there are, as it turns out.

After a seven mile jaunt down an old service path, Jiunko lead you to a narrow cave that was supposed to gain entrance to the wine cellars beneath the Omunis estate house; it turns out that it lead into some deeper dungeon in which terrible human sacrifice was taking place. It is dangerous thing to drink too much at the Omunis party.

You sneak past a sleep ogre. You investigate some human screams and rescue a woman from two evil kobolds looking to have some fun. You see some strange sand pit filled with bones and souls. and then, the room with the plate. No sooner have you found the object than a loogaroo corners you. She is apparently a servant of Churok's, and, perhaps because of her distaste for her master, she agrees to let you "protect" the plate in exchange for a lock of hair and a few drops of blood.

The sekai volunteers and you make your way out, dropping the women just outside the cave. You are on the path only a short while before an attack comes from both sides. A poison dart fells Jiunko and a band of angry ogres comes crashing down through the woods at the party.

You all try to run or hide, but before the ogres can get to you Silus, a character you briefly passed when entering the Hasder Estate, comes to your rescue and leads you through a back way to return to the Hasder residence. Unfortunately, you all get caught in the Issian Fields outside of the Issia Monastery area and almost succumb to the sopporific powers of the nightflowering plant.

Ogres try to follow you into the fields, but they fall prey to the flower's power and you think you might just get out okay...but then the fog.mist rolls in and seven riders in grey cloaks on silver white horses stop you and demand that you hand over the artifact.

Oddly, they don't put up too much of a fight and leave, promising that they will get the artifact (plate) from you in the near future.

You split up: the riga goes to Hasder with a fake plate and the rest of you return to Oki's place in Ricmorn. Hasder dies of old age within 36 hours of the riga's return, and so he, too, returns to Ricmorn.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... things are tense but not much happens. There are rumors that the Farlax, the Uarnesian ship, has decided to delay leaving port. Of course, this is the ship associated with Omunis' company; and the plate had been packed in a Nehranes Sea Co. Shipping crate. It seems, like...what?

Shortly after you are all reunited, a wolfen general comes knocking on the door of Oki's house, offering to take the plate back to the Northern Empire; his interest is in preventing the kingdoms in the Eastern Territories from having a fearsome artifact at their disposal. So he claims to know who the original buyers are, perhaps? Yes, as Silus tells you, it is Ankar who had been on of the two or three people to place a bid on Hasder's plate before it was stolen. And it is an interesting coincidence, at least, that Ankar is planning to travel back to the east on the Farlax. Silus says he can offer you safe passage on the Farlax, although not without its risks.

Some of you want to hold on to the plate for research. Others want to sell it for a hefty chunk of change.

And then there was Zog. Poor, forgotten Zog, the odd ruler of the Ricmorn underground and either a servant of Churok's or Omunis'. This plate might hold the key to long life, but it is certainly threatening to shorten yours. Who knows when Zog's minions might come calling...

The Campaign Starts!

Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00pm the game starts! Our fabulous hosts will be Chris and Tamiko at their place (I'll do a private email about address because the rest of the world doesn't have to know where that is).

If you drink, bring your own favorite. If you have a favorite gaming snack or munchie, bring some to share. And, of course, bring your completed character!

For those of you who need to get me info on your character's background, email me when you can.

An offer you can't refuse...

I suppose that we could find some way to torture the beginning into some sort of forced explanation as to how the whole party of you has come together, but I'd rather leave your backstories and motivations up to you as players. So instead, I am going to give you the prologue and you can each figure out for yourselves exactly why you are going to accept the “offer”.

The Offer

You are each in Ricmorn for some reason. Perhaps you live here, or maybe you are passing through (where did you come from and where were you going to?). You might even have relatives or friends in town (what do they do?).

You have each been approached by an agent of Lord Hasder's, a world renown collector of antiquities whose name is familiar with merchants in the most remote of ports. Mercenaries and adventurous people of all sorts seek the opportunity to work for Lord Hasder for the prestige and pay. The collection at the Hasder Estate is unique in the world and scholars from every corner of civilization seek the opportunity to study artifacts in this collection. His agent has asked if you would be interested in meeting with the Lord at the estate, just a few miles outside of Ricmorn, to discuss a possible business opportunity. There are few who not consider this an honor, for Hasder's agents generally only seek the most qualified personel to do work in the name of the estate. Why Hasder's agent would think you are right for the job is up to you to decide.

You might also be intrigued to know that there have been several buyer inquiries on items in the Hasder collection, some from the Wolfen, others from the Emissaries from the Eastern Territorities. But it is widely known that Hasder has never and will never sell anything in his collection. Of course, there are rumors of everything from a possible Wolfen seige to theft by agents of darkness, but mostly it is wild speculation.

And so you each, for whatever reason fits your background and personal goals, have decided to accept the offer to meet with Lord Hasder at his estate. Maybe you just want the money, or perhaps you seek a glimpse of some famous artifact; maybe you fear the vile Wolfen will attack the estate house and you want to be there for the carnage; who knows, could it be that Hasder is an old family friend you haven't seen in years? Whatever the reason ,it is yours.

And you don't have to be strangers, either. There is a Skedic and a Sekai in the party, so maybe you already know each other. Perhaps everyone else has been wandering the country side together for a few weeks now. Or you might decide that you have never met the others in the party before now.

If you have any answers to the questions posed here, and you should, email me so I can incorporate it into the story!

A Combat Primer

With our first meeting coming up and the extreme likelihood of combat in the near future, I thought I would take this opportunity to go over how combat works. I'll point out now that there is no such thing as a perfect or realistic combat system. Every system has its strengths and weaknesses. In general, the Palladium/Rifts system, although somewhat modified as presented here, is less forgiving than some: on average, 5 or 6 solid hits by any opponent with a long sword would kill most human characters even with armor on, but you really only need one critical strike.

There is a basic over all flow that looks something like this:

1. Determine Initiative

2. Attacker rolls for Strike

3. Defender rolls for Parry/Dodge/Entangle

4. If Defender fails, Attacker rolls for damage

5. Repeat Step 2 thru 5 until combat is over.

Now let's break it down.

Step 1 – Determine Initiative

Many times it will be clear from the context of the confrontation who has the initiative, or upper hand. Sneak attacks and ambushes obviously afford the attackers the initiative, but attackers whose experience is vastly greater will also have the advantage. When two combatants of roughly equal ability meet under normal conditions, each combatant will roll a 20-sided die; the higher roll always wins and ties must be re-rolled until there is a clear winner. Whoever wins initiative retains it for the duration of the battle.

The combatant with the initiative rolls first as the attacker. To be more precise, the person with initiative gets to decide what to do, but there is very little reason not to strike first. The order of combat then follows the Timing Chart, with each combatant taking turns as the attacker according to the number of attacks they may use each Melee Round (MR).

The Timing Chart shows at what point during each 15 second MR a combatant is allowed to strike. You will notice that someone who has three attacks per MR will strike at different times from someone who has two attacks per MR.

Step 2 – Attacker rolls for Strike

The attacker rolls a 20-sided die for the strike roll, adding any strike bonuses from combat skill, stats or magic. Any adjusted value above a four will hit unless the original or natural roll of the die was a 1. In this case, it is a Critical Miss and will not hit no matter what the adjusted value is. On the other hand, if a natural 20 is rolled, it is a Critical Hit and will do at least double* damage unless the defender can make a miraculous save. Sometimes a person's Hand-to-Hand combat skill will allow Critical Hits to occur from sneak attacks or on natural die rolls of 18, 19, or 20!

Step 3 – Defender Rolls for Parry/Dodge/Entangle

Before the defender rolls, they must decide what their course of action is going to be: they can either Parry (block the strike), Dodge (move out of the way of the strike), or Entangle (attempt to snag the opponents weapon, or grapple and pin a limb). Although a dodge will always grant you a better chance of avoiding an attack, and is the only way to avoid something like a dragon's breath attack, there is a time penalty for dodging which may cause a low level character to lose his next attack. Entangling is difficult and dangerous, but if successful might disarm or pin an opponent. Parrying is the safe, middle of the road defense that costs you no penalty. In any case the defender rolls a 20-sided die and must, with all modifiers and bonuses for the chosen type of defense, at least equal the attacker's adjusted strike roll in order to successfully defend against that attack.

Step 4 – Roll for Damage

If the defender failed to somehow avoid the attack, then the attacker rolls for damage according to weapon type, PS bonuses, weapon bonuses, and magic bonuses or damage. If the adjusted original Strike Roll was greater than the defender's AR (armor rating), then the damage is applied directly to SDC, or HP if SDC are gone. However, an adjusted Strike Roll lower than the AR results in damage being done to ASDC. The defender has one last chance to attempt to roll with impact to reduce the damage taken. This only applies to physical attacks, of course. Again the defender must equal or better the strike roll on a 20-sided die. You cannot roll with impact when cornered or in tight quarters.

Step 5 – Rinse and Repeat

Combat continues until one side is dead or has run away.

Critical Rolls - Critical Strikes, Critical Misses and Critical Saves

A natural roll of 20 is always a Critical Strike and will do extra damage. It also bypasses any armor the defender may have. “Double” is defined like this: if you get a Critical Strike using a long sword that normally does 3d6 damage, you will do 3d6+18 points of damage. I felt that this was better than simply doubling 3d6, which could result in your spectacular hit doing a whole 6 points of damage on the low end. Some highly advanced hand-to-hand combatants get a Critical strike on rolls lower than a natural 20, but the roll must always be natural.

Critical Saves – When your attacker has just rolled a critical strike against you, you must match that roll with a natural 20 or feel the full force of the attack. Even if you do roll a natural 20, you must then match or better the attacker's adjusted roll with your adjusted roll or you will take full normal damage (not double) from the attacker on your ASDC.

Critical Miss – If you roll a natural 1 on your attack, then this is a Critical Miss and you will not hit your opponent regardless of your adjusted roll. You also lose seconds in your MR, just as if you had dodged, and may as a result lose your next attack. This is because a Critical Miss indicates that you have over extended yourself and are off-balance for a certain period of time, equal to your dodge time.

Calling an Attack

You are allowed to “call” an attack before you roll if you wish to target a specific part of your foe. Broad targets, like swinging for the legs of a humanoid opponent, are relatively easy to hit and only require that your adjusted roll is successful in order to hit the desired target. On the other hand, trying to jab a dragon in the eye with your spear or shoot an arrow into its mouth are very difficult targets to hit, not only because of relative size, but also because they are moving targets. As such, you must roll a Critical Strike to hit the intended target, and failure to do so will result in a miss, no matter what the adjusted roll may be. There is an exception to this when you are trying to hit a small target within a larger field, for example you wish to fire an arrow into the center of a an emblem in the middle of a chest plate. In this instance a Critical Strike roll will hit exactly where intended, but any adjusted roll that is not defended against will at least hit the opponent somewhere.

Character Sess

It is official...

There will be a character building session on Tuesday, Nov 25 at 7pm. Our gracious hosts will be the folks at 10 Islington St. in Allston. I realize that many of you cannot be there, and I am still available to anyone who wants a hand in creating your character -- you just have to let me know how to get together wth you.

First Official Meet-Up

So, I am hoping that our first official meet-up can be on Tuesday, December 9th. The exact time and place are up in the air, but maybe something around 7pm or so, maybe somewhere among the Boston based portion of this crowd would be good. Let me know with a yea or nay...

I am making myself available to anyone who would like to meet to work on their character creation on Tuesday, November 25th, so let me know about that as well so that we can pick a time and a place.

Overheard....

I thought I would catch you all up on current events around the Palladium world. From time to time, I'll keep you posted on larger events that might effect your overall campaign, or maybe just round-out the backdrop.

WE calendar Mai 27, 3276
Ricmorn Rumours
Imperial authorities found a large shipment of the illegal narcotic Hennis, known on the streets as "red tar", on board a Nehranes-Sea Shipping Company vessel near Norben. Unable to stop the vessel from leaving the area, the Uarnesian ship, the Farlax, came to assist authorites and easily overtook the fleeing ship. Witnesses say "A fire started on the Enessessy, smoke just pouring out. The Farlax aimed right for her before she dissappeared in her own smoke...we heard that other boat split in two and the Farlax came sailing out, not a mark on her." The Farlax pulls into Ricmorn this week.

Wolfen Legion: A Wolfen Legion has just finished recieving special training from the Imperial Guard this week and will be spending some much deserved R&R time in Morel and Ricmorn before the return to the north.

Diplomats from the Eastern Territories are in town this week to meet authorities and business leaders, and will be journeying to Niverhall for a meeting with Emperor Caritas early next week. Some fear an assassination attempt by the wolfen; others say this is just an example of racism, pure and simple, and that the honorable wolfen would never attack diplomats (despite the constant, bloody battle for territory that occurs in the Eastern Territories between humans and wolfen). It will be interesting to see what Emperor Caritas does, since open support for the military of the Eastern Territories would severely harm the productive and happy relationship the Empire has had with their northern allies, the wolfen.

Idle Threats on Idelstone? Ulves Falkon, that renown human leader of the so-called "Reclamation Project" might be threatening an attack an Idelstone, some sources say. It has been heard that "Capturing Idelstone would give the Reclamation an iron-clad hold on the western slopes of the Old Kingdom, and might cripple our eastern trade routes, if not threaten the security of the Western Empire as a whole." The "Reclamation Project" is a bloody military movement to wrest control of human villages and towns along the western edge of the Old Kingdom, and return them to the Orcs, Ogres, Kobolds, Trolls, and Goblins. Falkon's success motivating these races to achieve a goal as a unit is unparalleled in recent history, and the fact that he is human is amazing. Ulves, a former Imperial General, insists however that he has no designs to attack the Western Empire proper, only those territories "illegally taken from their rightful owners" in the cycle of Blood-Moon Wars. Critics point out that, technically, the disputed lands predominantly belonged to the Elves and Dwarves back in the days of The Great War, and that monster claims to these areas is relatively recent. Most residents of Idelstone seem to think that this is all propoganda, and don't seem afraid of an attack. Nevertheless, an extra legion of troops is expected to arrive there very soon to bolster that city's defense.

Ogres

Again, directly from the books, so all rights reserved Palladium Books and Kevin Siembieda...

Ogres resemble giant, neanderthal cousins to humans. In fact, some scholars believe ogres do share the same ancestral lineage as humans and may be mutants. This belief is given credence by the fact that ogres can, and do, successfully mate with humans producing healthy off- spring (such offspring are always considered ogres). While humans and ogres may share a common ancestry the similarity ends there. Ogres are giant-sized compared to most humanoids, powerful in limb, and wicked in temperament. These misanthropes distrust all humanoid life, even the other sub-human races, including trolls, goblins, and kobolds. They loathe the more handsome races, such as humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and faerie folk. Of course, these races all hold a special place on the ogre's menu, as these vicious predators love raw humanoid flesh.
Ogres are quite primal, driven by passion, love, anger, and hate. They delight in hand to hand combat to prove their superiority, and sel- dom refuse such a challenge even under the least favorable conditions. They always fight to win, battling without mercy or honor and usually till death - even if an opponent begs for mercy, an ogre is likely to slay him. Whether armed with the large blade weapons that ogres love or simply fang and claw, they are deadly foes.
Ogre tribes are quite small, rarely exceeding one hundred members, although they are likely to have other non-human lackeys like goblins and orcs, who will outnumber the ogres two to one. An ogre tribe is usually established at or near some form of natural fortification or sturdy ancient ruin. Ogres are also known to take over castles and vil- lages of those they conquer, as well as build large, simple stone huts. A typical tribe will contain a ratio of 40% female (one-half human cap- tives), 45% male, and 15% young. Many female ogres are sterile (possi- bly the result of mutant genes), prompting the males to kidnap and hold captive human females for breeding purposes. A coward or weakling has no place among ogres and will be driven from the tribe or killed.
Orcs, being slow-witted and impressed by the size, strength, and stamina of ogres, are often found living with or near an ogre tribe. They present no threat to the ogre's fragile ego and paranoia, so they are the most common minions and are always subservient to their ogre betters.
Unlike some of the other monster races, ogres have developed skills other than fighting and bickering. They are excellent hunters of game and superb trainers of animals. Consequently, there are few lairs which do not have an array of trained animals. Most are animals used for hunt- ing and protection, such as wolves, coyotes, bears, hawks, and falcons. At the domestic spectrum: goats, wild boars, pigs, stolen cattle and some fowl are stocked.
The ogre as a player character. An ogre can be any alignment as a player character, however, most humans and their allies regard ogres as dangerous monsters not to be trusted. Although scholars point to a he- reditary link between humans and ogres, most humans deny any rela- tion to these horrible giants and many hate them with a vengeance. Likewise, ogres have no love for little, humans or their elven buddies. This means drunken warriors, bullies @nd the racially prejudiced will frequently harass, challenge and attack ogres with little or no provoca- tion. Likewise, many human, elven and dwarven towns and people won't serve ogres (or other monster races). On the other hand, goblins, orcs, kobolds and other non-humans like ogres and treat them well (while humans and elves are treated like dirt).
Another problem will be the character's immense size. Ogres are typically 50%-100% bigger than an average human, so finding giant- sized accommodations, other than a bam or the back porch, can be a problem. Ogres also consume about three times the food of a typical, healthy, husky human warrior, which means higher expenses than a hu- man-sized character. Likewise, finding ogre-sized clothing, weapons and equipment can also be a problem, requiring double to quadruple the normal human cost and may require custom-made items - ogres are in an awkward position in that they are considerably larger than humans but smaller than most true giants. As giants with a reputation, as a race, for being ferocious, powerful warriors, the ogre is likely to be targeted by attackers as the first guy to be brought down. Ogres who associate with humans stand head and shoulders above, and like the saying goes, "he who sticks his head above the crowd is likely to get a brick thrown at it."
Ogres
Alignment: Typically anarchist or evil, but most player characters are likely to be unprincipled, anarchist, aberrant or even good.
Attributes: The number of six-sided dice to be rolled is as designated. I.Q. 3D6, M.E. 3D6, M.A. 2D6, P.S. 4D6+4, P.P. 3D6, P.E. 3D6+6, P.B. 2D6, Spd 3D6
Hit Points: P.E. +I D6 per level of experience.
S.D.C.: 20 plus those gained from O.C.C.s and physical skills. Average P.P.E.: 3D6 for the typical ogre.
O.C.C.s Available to Ogres: Any, without restriction.
O.C.C. Skill Notes: In addition to other O.C.C. and related skills, the character automatically gets the following skills: recognize weapon quality (+ 15 %), falconry (+ 10%) and animal husbandry (+ 10%).
Horror Factor: 10
Phvsical ADDearance: Huee. hairv. muscular humanoids soortina

O.C.C. Skill Notes: In addition to other O.C.C. and related skills, the character automatically gets the following skills: recognize weapon quality (+15%), falconry (+10%) and animal husbandry (+10%).
Horror Factor: 10
Physical Appearance: Huge, hairy, muscular humanoids sporting wicked canine teeth and sharp claws. Their complexion is a warm grey to tan color; thick hide, sometimes scaling or flaking. Small round ears, dark eyes, dark hair.
Size: 7-12 feet tall (2.1 to 3.6 m); 6 feet plus I D6 additional feet. Weight: 250 to 500 pounds (112.5 to 226 kg).
Average Life Span: 90+ years; some have lived up to 130.
Natural Abilities: In addition to the ogre's great strength and size, the character also has nightvision 40 ft (12.2 m) and excellent day vision (equal to a human).
Bonuses: +2 to save vs horror factor. Clawed hands inflict 2134 damage +P.S. bonus, kick 3136 +P.S. bonus, and bite 2134 damage but no P.S. bonus is applicable.
Magic: By O.C.C. only (any) Psionics: None.
Enemies: Hate humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, changelings and faerie folk. However, an ogre will occasionally serve a powerful warlord or mage of these races.
Allies: Regularly befriends, works and lives with orcs. Dislikes goblins, hob-goblins, kobolds, wolfen, trolls, giants and most other races, but will consider working with them if the ogre is the leader and/or the reward is great enough. Indifferent towards troglodytes.
Habitat: Ogres are found in small clans and clusters throughout the world, except the Western Empire (unless a slave or gladiator). The largest known communities are found in the Old Kingdom and southwestern Yin-Sloth Jungles.
Favorite Weapons: Any. Although terrible craftsmen, ogres recognize and appreciate well-crafted weapons and armor. Among their favor- ite are large swords, axes, and blunt weapons (mace, morning star, cudgel). Many also seem adept with the sling and ball and chain. Items created from precious metals, gem encrusted, or endowed with magic properties are also coveted by ogres.
Other Notes:
1. Worship evil gods, devils, and demons.
2. Often sell their services as mercenaries, thugs and assassins.
3. Can wear any type of armor, but most prefer splint, scale and plate armor, or nothing more than a loincloth; usually one extreme or the other.
4. These creatures can leam and master any skill a human can, but most prefer to fight and conquer others rather than leam a trade.
5. Tends to view all races other than the orc with suspicion and con- tempt.
6. Don't work well in large groups; very competitive.

Kobolds

Per player request, more info on this race. This is taken directluy from Palladium Books and Kevin Sembieda, so all their right reserved, etc.

Kobolds are the handsomer cousins to goblins and orcs. Like gob- lins, they are a subterranean race of mischievous, troublesome, and mean-spirited creatures. Kobolds are meaner and more dangerous than their goblin kin, because they are smarter, more cunning, organized, and cruel. Not only do they hate and despise the larger, more attractive hu- manoids, but they delight in torturing and killing these creatures just for fun; usually very, very slowly.
Unlike goblins or hob-goblins, kobolds usually stick to their own kind, pursuing an active life of mining, weapons manufacturing (sup- plying the monster races), and building strong, regimented underground towns and cities. Territorial in the extreme, any unfortunate wanderer who unwittingly enters a kobold domain is doomed. The lucky ones are beaten, robbed and left in a heap. The not so lucky ones are beaten, robbed and enslaved. The least fortunate are slain and/or eaten! Kobolds are predators who hunt and eat animals and fellow humanoids; about 40% are also cannibalistic (they eat their own kind). It is common for kobolds to eat the remains of their enemies or to capture a number of the enemy and keep them in pens like livestock until they are needed as food - ogres, orcs and trolls do the same thing. On the other hand, this territorial attitude works to the advantage of other races, because except for kobold scouting and raiding parties, bandits, and adventurers, they seldom travel above the surface or beyond their own realm.
A kobold domain usually consists of several small tribes or bands scattered throughout the area, centering around one or two large subter- ranean complexes (kobold cities). The small tribes often dwell on the surface or in a shallow network of crude tunnels close to the surface. These tribes may contain as few as a dozen members or as many as sev- eral hundred. Such tribes are often composed of thieves, assassins and brigands of all sorts.
The heart of a kobold domain is always built upon rich mineral de- posits, ranging from iron to precious metals and gems. A labyrinth of rough-hewn tunnels lead to the more finished chambers and tunnels that form the typical kobold city tunnel complex. Such cities can be simple or elaborate, large or small, but seldom cover more than a (32 km) square mile radius, although dozens of tunnels may extend for hundreds of miles and connect to a dozen other kobold cities, towns or villages. Unlike the villages which are typically 50-200 feet underground, kobold towns, cities and connecting tunnels are always at least 2000 feet (610 m) below the surface; some as far down as one or two miles (1.6 to 3.2 km).

These complexes are typically sprawling cities comprised of tunnels and chambers with low ceilings; nothing like the grand chambers and cathedrals of the dwarven cities. Ceilings in most kobold cities seldom exceed eight feet (2A m) tall and tunnels rarely have a ceiling higher than five or six feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) and are of equal width. These sprawl- ing cities of tunnels and small chambers are typically maze-like, which makes it difficult for surface dwellers to keep their sense of direction - there are so many similar looking tunnels and identical rooms that one quickly gets disoriented (-20% on all navigation skills). Furthermore, kobold cities and tunnel networks don't usually seem to have been con- structed with any rhyme or reason, and large sections of tunnels or areas of the city are often abandoned for no apparent reason. Consequently, deceptively large cities and towns will often be populated by surpris- ingly few kobolds. Note: A common kobold city will consist of a maze of tunnels and chambers running in a loose checker board pattern with 4D4 levels, covering a 50-100 mile (80-160 km) diameter and is 1-2 miles (1.6 to 6.4 km) deep. Some of the levels will be mines or garbage dumps (often inhabited by subterranean predators and scavengers). The typical population ranges from 600 to 2400. The inhabitants are scat- tered in small pockets throughout the tunnel-city complex, with concen-
trations of hundreds or thousands in certain areas; often near active mining operations. However, the most densely populated cities such as those located in and around the Old Kingdom Mountains will be 6,000 to 36,000 strong. Kobolds prefer to inhabit cool, hilly, rocky or moun- tainous regions.
Kobolds. themselves are nocturnal creatures, seeing clearly in the dark for 400 feet (122 in). Consequently, they shun bright light and are seldom seen above the surface during the day. This means they do their prowling, hunting and raids on the surface at night, adding to their repu- tation for treachery and viciousness. Light so impairs their vision that even after their eyes become adjusted they cannot see clearly beyond 40 feet (12 in). A simple fire from a torch or campfire will not appreciably affect a kobold's vision. However, intense light will blind them (-9 to strike, parry or dodge).
Kobolds are fine craftsmen, artisans, weaponsmiths, and annorers. They make some of the finest jewelry and silverware in the world, and only dwarven arms and armor are superior; the Jotan is roughly equal to kobold quality. Thus, a kobold-crafted weapon or armor is highly val- ued and coveted by men at arms. Since most kobolds hate the prettier races, they are courted by the monster races to be their arms manufac- turers, a position these misanthropes welcome. This gamers the kobolds a high position within most nonhuman societies. Kobold craftsmen are highly regarded by the Wolfen, with approximately 60% of all Wolfen arms and armor manufactured by them. Kobolds are also frequently members of ogre and troll clans, bands and mixed armies of nonhu- mans, as well as selling or trading weapons and armor with any nonhu- mans who approach them in peace, but with hate for humans and their allies. In most cases, the vile and self-serving creatures will sell their wares to anybody who can afford them, and are infamous for selling arms to both sides of a conflict. Kobolds dislike their stupid and annoy- ing goblin cousins, so they typically sell them inferior human quality weapons and armor at only moderately lower prices - they have noth- ing to worry about because unless goblins and orcs are allied to smarter creatures, most can't tell the difference. Even many human communi- ties will tolerate the presence of law abiding kobolds working as smiths, armorers, jewelers, artisans and metal workers.
A Kobold player character is likely to be a mercenary, thief, assas- sin or young adventurer out to find his place in the world. Selfish and evil characters are likely to view humans and most good characters as chumps and suckers to be used. Actually, to have any other attitude and associate with humans and their allies is to be branded a traitor to his race - and traitors are often hunted, captured, tortured and killed. However, kobolds respect strength and courage, so even a selfish or evil character may find himself respecting or even befriending a human or elf with these qualities if he's not careful.
A kobold of a good alignment, or who openly befriends (and stays loyal to) a human, elf or gnome, is a renegade and a traitor to his peo- ple. These characters will be despised by his fellow kobolds, so he should watch his back for assassins and outraged kobold loyalists. The character's problems are compounded further by the fact that most hu- mans and their allies will view a kobold with the utmost suspicion, ra- cial prejudice and possibly, hatred.
Kobolds
Alignment: Typically anarchist or evil, but most player characters are likely to be unprincipled, anarchist, aberrant or even good.
Attributes: The number of six-sided dice to be rolled is as designated. I.Q. 3D6, M.E. 2D6, M.A. 3D6, P.S. 3D6+3, P.P. 3D6, P.E. 3D6, P.B. I D6+6, Spd 3D6 running - I D6 digging.
Hit Points: P.E. +I D6 per level of experience.
S.D.C.: 5 plus those gained from O.C.C.s and physical skills. Average P.P.E.: 4136
O.C.C.s Available to Kobolds: Any except long bowman, knight, or palladin.
O.C.C. Skill Notes: Not applicable. Horror Factor: Not applicable.
Physical Appearance: Short, thin but muscular creatures with a pale waxen complexion, no facial hair, black, silver or white hair, high hairline (hairline typically starts on the top of the head), large ears that come to a rounded point, thick leathery skin, yellow and/or red eyes, and small pointed teeth.
Size: 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m)
Weight: 70 to 120 pounds (31.5 to 54 kg).
Average Life Span: 160+ years; some have lived up to 250.
Natural Abilities: In addition to the character's high physical attrib- utes, kobolds also have nightvision 400 ft (122 m), day vision 40 feet (12 m), plus an aptitude for digging and living in tunnels.
Underground Tunneling (Special): Exactly the same as dwarves. Underground Architecture: Same as dwarves.
Underground Sense of Direction: Same as dwarves. Metalworking (Special): All kobolds have a basic understanding
of working with metal, particularly in the area of making weapons and jewelry. Equal to the field armorer skill with a +10% bonus, plus +10 on recognize weapon quality, art (limited to jewelry) and gemology skills.
Bonuses: +1 on initiative and +2 to save vs horror factor. Magic: By O.C.C. only. Psionics: Standard.
Enemies: Humans, elves, gnomes, and changelings. Kobolds find gob- lins and orcs to be pathetic, ignorant barbarians worthy of contempt. They enjoy using, abusing, and tormenting them. Kobolds sometime invade troglodyte communities at locations where valuable mineral resources are discovered.
Allies: Trolls, ogres, giants and Wolfen. They consider dwarves to be foolish for their allegiance to humans, but respect them as warriors and for their superior skills as armorers, stone workers and builders, as well as for the Elf-Dwarf war; the average kobold absolutely loathes elves.
Habitat: Kobolds can be found throughout the world but are most com- mon in the Old Kingdom, Eastern Territory, and Great Northern Wilderness. The largest known subterranean communities are found in the Old Kingdom, Old Kingdom Mountains and the Algor moun- tains.
Favorite Weapons: Can use any, but favorites include axes, picks, hammers, knives, and swords. They adore magic weapons.
Other Notes:
1. Worship demons and evil gods; occasionally powerful dragons. 2. Sometimes sell their services as mercenaries to nonhumans. 3. Prefer studded, chain, scale, and plate armor.
4. Particularly fond of gold, silver, and precious stones; the treasure vaults of a prosperous kobold merchant, nobleman or king is a sight to behold.
5. Tend to be selfish, cruel, vindictive and arrogant.
6. Kobolds are predators who hunt and feed on animals and fellow hu- manoids; gnomes, humans and elves are among their favorites. About 40% are also cannibalistic.

Hit Points: P.E. +I D6 per level of experience.

Average P.P.E.: 4136
O.C.C.s Available to Kobolds: Any except long bom palladin.
O.C.C. Skill Notes: Not applicable. Horror Factor: Not applicable.
Physical Appearance: Short, thin but muscular creat waxen complexion, no facial hair, black, silver or

eyes, and small pointed teeth. Size: 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m)
Weight: 70 to 120 pounds (31.5 to 54 kg).
Average Life Span: 160+ years; some have lived up to 250. Natural Abilities: In addition to the character's high phy!

Underground Architecture: Same as dwarves. Underground Sense of Direction: Same as dwarves. Metalworking (Special): All kobolds have a basic under.
of working with metal, particularly in the area of making i and jewelry. Equal to the field armorer skill with a +10OX plus +10 on recognize weapon quality, art (limited to jewe gemology skills.
Bonuses: +1 on initiative and +2 to save vs horror factor. Magic: By O.C.C. only. Psionics: Standard.
Enemies: Humans, elves, gnomes, and changelings. Kobolds f

invade troglodyte communities at location resources are discovered.
Allies: Trolls, ogres, giants and Wolfen. The: foolish for their allegiance to humans, but

as well as for the Elf-Dwarf war; the average loathes elves.

mon in the Old Kingdom, Eastern Territory, Wilderness. The largest known subterranean c(

tains.
Favorite Weapons: Can use any, but favorites include axes, I hammers, knives, and swords. They adore magic weapons.
Other Notes:
1. Worship demons and evil gods; occasionally powerful dragons. 2. Sometimes sell their services as mercenaries to nonhumans. 3. Prefer studded, chain, scale, and plate armor.
4. Particularly fond of gold, silver, and precious stones; the treasure store of a prosperous kobold is a sight to behold.
5. Tend to be selfish, cruel, vindictive and arrogant.

They are predators who hunt and feed and animals and humanoids; gnomes, humans and elves are among their About 40% are also cannibalistic.

Androsien

Androsien

People are growing more and more uneasy about this strange, waifish humanoid race. They act as if they have always been here, but there are no historical records to confirm this. People call them the “dream beings” partly because of how they make you feel, and partly because they look like a dangerous, beautiful faerie from a dream. The oddest thing about them is their solid black or dark blue eyes. Some say they have the eyes of an insect, other say they look like Nightstalkers. Their skin is usually a pale, whitish blue with an underlying pearlescence.

Androsien do not seem to have a society of their own, and they don't seem to care much for company of their own kind. There are no towns or villages of them anywhere, just a handle of them living among us, usually in urban centers.

Though physically weak, they are extraordinarily intelligent and make wicked psionic characters. This doesn't help with their reputation.

HP = PE + 4 pts per lvl.
SDC = 5 + OCC bonuses
PPE = 3d6

OCC available: any magic or psionic. You could be a thief, I suppose.

Size: 4'6”-6'6”
Weight: 80 – 140lbs

Natural Abilities:
-Speaks all languages
-Nightvision 120ft
-Sense Magnetic direction
-Resist magic 30%
-(Special secret power only for those who one)
-(2nd Special secret power)
-allergic to non-precious metal

Psionics: Yes

Enemies: None per se, but they do not generally trust elves, the subterranean dwellers, and giants.

Allies: No one they would count on, but they are friendly with humans, lizard men, and many creatures of magic.

Habitat: Their natural home is unknown, but they be found in large cities almost anywhere in the world. They are never found alone in rural places.

Sekai

Sekai

Finely crafted cyborgs meant to replace humans in various service and diplomatic situations, they can easily pass as humans when clothed. They are cyborgs designed for human, machine, intelligence interface protocol. Why they were given human brains is a mystery only deepened by the fact that no sekai has any memory of having been human. Oddly, all sekai seem to believe in a god of sorts that they call The One, or The Persistence, or The Truth. What makes this strange is that the Skedic as a people do not believe in gods as such, so why their helpers would is interesting.

Sekai are very strong and agile, although they do not possess the super-speed of some well known droids like Bishop. They make good fighting characters, preferring hand-to-hand combat and lighter swords or paired weapons. They rarely wear armor, and when they do, only very light armor. Although they sometimes were trained to serve as body guards back in their world of origin, it must be remembered that they were not designed as combat robots, but as protocol droids that could blend in seamlessly with society.

Sekai favor hand-to-hand martial arts, swords, staffs, and paired weapons. They are always humble, yet never allow themselves to be swayed from their path, particularly if they know they are right. They value truth and fact above all else, although this does not mean they are without feeling or emotion.

Sekai have a wopping 500 S.D.C. , but Sekai cannot heal themselves, and can only be repaired by another Sekai with the aid a very specific machine which is only available in the Skedic cities. Natural forms of fire only do 1/4 damage, and natural sources of electricity have zero effect on them 70% of the time ( the rest of the time they are stunned for 1d4 rounds, but take no damage unless a second attack is made while they are stunned). Magic fire does full damage as does magic electricity. Most acid does double damage. Sekai do not need to breathe as mammals do, but they do need a source of oxygen in order to "metabolize" energy in their power cells. A Sekai can hang out indefinitely in water (that has free oxygen in it i.e. not distilled), but could not operate at full power for very long in a vacuum.

HP = PE + 2 pts per lvl.
SDC = 500
PPE = 3d6

OCC available: merc, soldier, spy, warrior monk, skedic/riga, thief*

Physical Appearance: The head and hands are covered in very life-like synthetic materials, but they are fragile like flesh, and do not heal on their own. The rest of the body is for the most part shaped like a lean, muscular human, although it is composed of matte aluminum metal, black carbon-nanofiber-muscle and chrome-plated joint guards.

Size: 5'1” - 5'10”
Weight: 300 – 700 lbs


Natural abilities:
-choose any hand to hand skill
-Speaks, reads, writes all languages
-Resist fire 75%
-Resist Electricity 70%*
-Acid does double damage.
-They have an active form of infrared vision that works like Nightvision 40ft except that any other creature with Nightvision sees something like two flashlight beams shooting from the sekai's eyes.
-The hearing of a sekai is tuned in such a way that they can for a short time (45 seconds/ 3 melee rounds) use it as a sort of sonar that allows them to “see” a 10ft radius 360 degrees around them. This is NOT automatic and a sekai must actually concentrate to use this. These guys could actually fight off a group of attackers blind-folded.
-Their daylight vision is acute: they can read newspaper print clearly from 50ft.
-They can record and play back 30 seconds of any sound they can hear.
-They cannot swim at all...they are too dense.
-They have zero sense of smell.

Psionics: normal roll

Enemies: Their unique religion views the world in such a way that they do not have any enemies until they have “found” them. Apparently, The Truth informs them as to who the bad guys are.

Allies: Skedic. They are open and do not prejudge any other native race as good or evil. Only individuals can be allies or enemies.

Habitat: Aja, Eta, Amma only.

Bonuses: +1 parry/strike, +1 roll w/ impact: if using sonar, +3 parry, +4 dodge +2 strike.

Orcs

So, there have inquiries about a few races, so I thought I would post more detailed info so that all may use it.

Orcs

They are indeed big brutes, but their reputation for being dull-witted is not fully deserved. They can be fierce combatants and loving parents. An orc who has sworn his allegiance to you is as valuable as any Palladin from the perspective of honor and tenacity. On the other hand, the memory of an orc is indelible, and if you wrong them, they will eventually exact justice from you.

They do tend to like having the advantage of numbers or power in combat, and will quickly become uneasy if they feel that they do not have the upper hand. Orcs are skittish around large displays of magic or the supernatural, and this is part of the reason they are considered simpletons. It is relatively easy to bluff an orc into thinking he is out”gunned” in a fight so that he will back off.

HP = PE + 4 pts per lvl.
SDC = 10 + bonuses from OCC
PPE = 2d6

OCC available: merc, soldier, Assassin, thief, priest, witch, peasant

Physical Appearance: Husky, muscular humanoids, about as tall as humans, but much broader with more developed muscles. The nose is large, flat, and gorilla or hog like. Ears are pointy like an elf's. They have large, toothy mouths with large canines. The hair is black and coarse.

Size: 5' - 6'8”
Weight: 160-250lbs

Natural Abilities:
Nightvision 40 ft.

Track Blood Scent - Can follow the scent of blood up to 1000ft away 25% + 5%/lvl

Recognize Scent of Others – Can recognize and follow a FAMILIAR scent up to 50ft away. 15% + 5%/lvl

Bonuses: +1 roll w/ impact, +3 vs. horror factor, clawed hands do 1d6 + PS bonus, bite attack 1d6 but no PS bonus.

No Psionics allowed.

Enemies: humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, changelings...however will work with them if impressed by their strength, combat skill, or magic power.

Allies: goblins, ogres; respects wolfen, trolls, and giant races. Indifferent to kobolds, trogs, and most magic creatures.

Habitat: Found everywhere. They most often live in ruins, but sometimes build huts or set up tents. Many who are found in the Western Empire are slaves.

Notes: To an orc, true power is the ability to do whatever you want to whomever you want. Thus they obey the powerful and seek treasure and personal glory. They love smashing things and creating mayhem. They are poor craftsmen, but hard workers who do not flinch from repugnant work. They are short-tempered and easily startled.

Steps to Create Your Character

I have created a character sheet/spreadsheet that will help you create you characters by filling in some of the information for you. You may also choose to use the "Official" character sheets that you can download here.

Step 1:

Select a race and "roll" your attribute stats. Most of you have done this sort of thing before. You will need to reference this race attribute chart in order to find at how many dice you roll for each attribute. Also look there for info on what each attribute means (the page has been updated to include this). You can also use the "Spend" points and assign points to your attributes so long as the total of all of your attribute stats does not exceed the Spend point budget. On my handy character sheet, there is a faint gray number above the attribute stats which shows a running total of att stats to make it easier to stay within the Spend budget.

Step 2:

Now you have to pick an OCC (Occupational Character Class). Each OCC you can choose gives you some skills and bonuses, and you get to choose some of your own skills. Check at the recently posted OCC page and let me know which ones you are considering so that I can forward to you specific information about that class. Go ahead and select an alignment, but don't fret over it too much; in the end I am more interested in being organic about the choices for good or evil that your character makes. To keep it simple to start with, choose just the category of alignment for now: Good, Selfish, Evil. (Well, I said no evil to start, so...)

Step 3:

You now need to round out your character with additional skills. Each OCC allows you a certain number of extra skills from certain skill sets. This link here will take you to a list of all Palladium and Rifts skills. You can choose from any that are either "A" for all or "F" for Fantasy, unless you are a Skedic, in which case you can choose almost anything at all. Please note that I have simplified the skills in the game: all skills start at 30% and increase at 5% per level, except secondary skills, which start at 25% and increase at 3% per level. You may also "invent" a skill if you feel you have come up with something that is not on the list, just let me know what you think that skill is/does.

Step 4:

Outfit your character with the things you think you will need: weapons, armor, rope, food, small knifes, candles--whatever you think you will actually use. You will each get individual guidelines on what to have as far as weapons and armor go once you reach this stage.

Step 5:

You need a background for your character that includes information on where you are from (farmhouse, village, city, as well as country of origin) and who you family was or is. This is one of the more important parts of creating your character, and the answers you come up with for these questions can influence a great deal of what happens at points in the game.The map here shows you the basic outline of the known world. You tell me what area you would like to be from, and I will give you the real maps for your home area, as well as territorially specific information about your homeland that nobody else would know. Likewise, tell me your family background and I will tell you what sort of connections you have to people throughout the world. Who knows, you might even get bonus skills depending on your family's line of work.

Step 6:

Double check your character sheet to make sure all your stats and bonuses are accounted for, then give me a copy ( or I will make one) of your character sheet.

Occupational Character Classes

Clergy
Druid – Druids draw their power from nature itself and are very earth-centric, grounded people. They abide by a small set of strict principles, and strive to do no harm to nature.

Monk – (see Warrior Monk)

Priest of Light/Dark -Priests pray and honor their god and in return are granted certain powers from their deity. While some powers are common to most all priests, other powers are specific to the deity worshipped. Adventuring Priest are usually out to either: a) atone for some sin b) perform a special service for the gods c) spread the good word d) quietly do their god's work.

Warrior Monk – Although devote followers of a church, they draw no magic [per se] from their deity. They most closely resemble the Shaolin Monks; humble warriors, servants of their cause who travel the world doing “good” deeds for their deity.

Men-at-Arms
Assassin/Spy – Skilled in espionage, deceit, and the neutralization of key figures, the true identity and occupation of an assassin/spy is always a well guarded secret. You don't have to be a Spy to be spy, though, if you kwim?

Knight – Very skilled and educated soldiers (sort of the Officers of the army), they are either of noble or wealthy birth. They are also trained in horsemanship and some facets of high society, like dancing, or playing lute. Adventuring Knights are out in the world to make a name for themselves and provide a little positive PR for their rich, noble family.

Long Bowman – Hunters and snipers, these long range combat individuals are good to have in the mix. Why get too close to that deadly beast when you can kill it from way back there?

Mercenary – Soldiers without a king, a bit more savvy and streetwise. Often work as bounty hunters when war is slow. Sometimes mercs will enlist with local forces as overhire.

Palladin - The Palladin are the very best of the knights. They are trained to be deadly weapons, and are very well educated. The are like the Templars, or, if you want a modern equivalent, the Navy SEALS. The big catch is that they have a very strict code of chivalric honor. Palladins don't journey the world for their own aggrandizement, but rather to do good deeds, and right wrongs.

Ranger – The original outdoorsman, great as a scout or front line spy, these guys are experts at wilderness survival. Their excellent tracking skills also make the good bounty hunters.

Soldier – For the purposes of this game, any soldier will have just been released from service. Or, you can decide that maybe you got a promotion and are now trying to work as a spy for you liege. Soldiers are prepare for the grizzly realities of combat and war and all have some tactical combat experience.

Thief – The occupation of con-men and cat-burglars alike, depending on whether stealth is your style, or you are a people person.

Skedic -The Skedic are a cross over occupation; they are all proficient at some combat, are very well educated, and tend to have studied a smattering of magic here and there from the various disciplines. They are the only OCC that can use modern weapons.

Men of Magic
Alchemist – These are not the men of powders and potions you might expect, but the smiths of non-rune magic weapons. They don't have much for combat skill and their magic is useless for combat as well, so they are a really poor choice for an adventurer.

Diabolist – Wards and symbols are the subject of a Diabolist's study. Ever wanted to booby-trap a door with magic? Use magic to “bug” someone's house? These are the folks who can do that. This is a very extensive OCC and is very cool, but requires a lot of work and commitment from the player to make it work well. Lots of room to create your own wards and symbols.

Summoner – Call forth the powers and beings from other dimensions to do your bidding! Like the Diabolist, there is a lot to learn in order to play a summoner, but it can be a very rewarding choice if you're willing to put in the work. Lots of room to create your own summoning circles.

Warlock – Warlocks are NOT male witches, but rather commanders of the elemental forces. Wipe out your foes with a hurricane! This OCC works best if you feel sort of earthy and druid-like, but don't want the pesky restrictions that druids have.

Witch – Male or female, sign a pact with the devil and be rewarded with power at the price of your soul. Really, no one in the party should be choosing this since you would have to be evil to be a witch.

Wizard – Wizards are pretty standard fair magic users. Most magic guilds are dominated by wizards.

Psionics
A couple of notes about Psi-Classes: aside from Mind Mage, none of them are really complete OCCs, but rather are additional powers or skills that you can have no matter what your full-time OCC is. In other words, if you choose to be a Long Bowman, and you successfully roll for having psionic powers, you can add any psionic class except Mind Mage onto your character. How would Psi-Mystic Long Bowman sound?

Mind-Mage – Melt your foe's mind from within! Mind Mages have powers similar to wizards in some cases, but they do not draw power from the same source. They are among the most feared and respected of all mystical/supernatural force users in the world.

Psi-Healer – Draw upon your mind's power to heal your friends and inflict damage on your enemies.

Psi-Mystic – Commune with spirits and forces natural and supernatural.

Psychic Sensitive – Clairvoyance, second sight, astral projection, sense evil, this sort of cannon of skills. Most modern day psychics would fit into this category.

Other
Merchant – Rich, worldly type of person.
Noble – Well-educated, possibly well traveled. Political clout.
Peasant – A nobody with nowhere but “up” to go. This is the only worthy “other” class to play.

What are the races like?

Below is a list of available races, so take a look and email me with a couple of choices you are considering. I will get back to you with detailed information and pics. If you are totally stumped and just can't decide, answer the following questions in an email and I will suggest some good matches for you.

Q's -
1. How would you like to deal with conflict? Brute force, Talk it out, Finesse
2. Do you want to be the underdog, or the obvious hero?
3. Are you an outsider, or part of the "in" group?
4. Are you pretty or pretty ugly?
5. Do you like weapons and armor, or do you want to BE the weapon?

Human - No real surprises here, what you know is what you get. Humans are currently the dominant race in the Palladium world and many arer worried they will go down the same path of arrogance and dominance as the Elves. Pros: You know what you getting. Cons: A safe choice.

Elves - Most of you are familiar with these tall, handsome "cousins" of man. They thought they used to rule the known world, but their arrogance lead to their downfall. True elven culture only exists in a handful of places these days. Pros: An easy to play non-human race. Cons:Tend to be viewed as arrogant pretty boys.

Dwarves - A stalwart folk, mostly subterranean, who are probably everything you imagine them to be. Little known fact: they used to be the most powerful wielders of magic in the world. Pros: Likeable curmudgeons. Cons: Can't be ANY magic OCC at all.

Gnome - Sort of like smaller dwarves except they never made up with the Elves who killed almost all of their kind. Yes, they are kind of like fiesty garden gnomes. Pros: Unusual little race to play. Cons: Tiny and not suited for direct combat situations(?).

Troglodyte - Homely, pale, flabby underground dwellers who don't visit topside much or really wear much in the way of clothing. Although they aren't particularly bright, they are surprisingly quick and agile. Pros: Great night vision. Cons: Not even a cool kind of ugly.

Kobold - The handsomer cousins of Orc and Goblins, Kobolds are also part of the subterranean crew of races and are thus nocturnal by nature. Their cities are often connected to Dwarven ruins. They are craftsmen whose work is second only to Dwarves. Pros: Great smiths and an interesting choice. Cons: They are usually enemies with Humans, Elves, Gnomes and Changelings, and a good natured one will be considered an outcast or traitor by its own kind.

Goblins - Malicious little underground dwellers (not too little) who keep company with Kobolds, Orcs and Hob-Goblins. Pros: You could play a traitor to your own race and help the overworld races. Cons: Uglier version of Kobolds.

Hob-Goblins - These are genetic mutants of Goblins; they are tall and lanky and very similar to Goblins escept that their race suffered more than their cousins in the Great War, and their society never recovered fully. Pros: Good if you want to play a goblin that doesn't need a booster seat. Cons: Big chip on their shoulder which is likey to cause a lot of fights.

Goblin Cobbler - A Goblin in every way with the additional of natural magical ability: metamorphosis, and faerie magic. Pros: Be ugly AND have magic. Cons: You're still ugly.

Orc - The most common of the so-called sub-human races, the have a rep for being dim-witted , muscle bound freaks who like to beat things to a pulp for fun, or something. No one disagrees. Among their own kind, they are actually caring, nurturing people. And they actually aren't as dumb as rocks. Pros: Cool choice, they often work with humans and can smash real good. Cons: People are prejudice and think you are all stupid.

Ogres - Closely enough related to humans to breed with them, they resemble giant, neanderthal cousins to humans. Pros: Giant race, very strong. Cons: Can't squeeze into tight places and are feared by most reasonable humans and smaller creatures.

Troll - Another giant race who has little respect for any other race. Generally pretty foul tempered by nature, they like toying with their victims and enemies. Pros: Giant race with a rep. Con: Rep as trouble starters: always blamed whenever anything bad happens.

Changelings - How would you know if you met one? You wouldn't. They can change form to look like anyone of almost any race. They are hated and feared by almost everyone, but not because they are evil, just because they creep the hell out of everyone. Pros: The ultimate in espionage! Impersonate anyone... Cons: If anyone finds out what you are, they will burn you like a witch!.

Wolfen - Everyone's fav, the canine humanoids and the next most powerful race these days after humans. Strong, agile, and disciplined...and did I mention feared by humans of the Eastern Territories? They are often victims of racism because of their unwarranted rep as baby eaters and savages. Pros: Proud, powerful race Cons: Humans may not like you, and other races worry about your intentions as an empire.

Coyles - A canine race similar to Wolfen, they are the origin of much of the rumor about the savagery of Wolfen. Pros: An underdog canine race to play. Cons: Humans AND Wolfen have it in for you.

Kankoran - This is the earthy and recluse canine race that prefers to live in small tribes in harmony with nature. They are like the Native-Amercians to the Wolfen's British empire. Pros: In touch with nature and canine-humanoid Cons: Humans don't trust you anymore than your cousins, and your cousins don't have the time of day for you.

Centaur - Just like you think, human torso, horse body...even good archers to boot. The stereotypes are true. Pros: You don't need a horse, you ARE the horse Cons: Just try walking into a rough seaman's bar in Morel...

Bearmen - Big bear humanoids with a foul temper, a dislike for company (anybody's, usually), and generally a hatred for all life. You don't have to play them that harshly, though, but they are sort of chronic depressed drunks who believe life is a pointless charade of misery. They are believed to be the product of a magic experiment gone terribly wrong. Pros: Play a bear-humanoid and eviscerate the weak. Cons: An unhappy race that is often enslaved and sold into gladiatorial combat. Sort of like having a negative downer wookie on your team.

Drakin - Only for the more daring player, this is a featherless birdlike creature that can fly. The look more like an animal, but they are intelligent and often associated with luck and good things. Pros: Play a bird Cons: No opposable thumbs, and you must be of a good alignment.

Dragon Wolf - These are not dragons at all, but wolves with big, leathery wings and serpent tails. Natural magic abilities: limited metamorphosis, and some spells. Understands ALL languages. Pros: Very cool, powerful creature, and you can fly. Cons: Considered untrustworthy by most, can't wear armor, and you mostly walk on all fours.

Eandroth - Just check out the Eandroth Rogue.

Eandroth Rogue - Kind of like a reptile headed humanoid, but the skin is all smooth, no scales. Matriarchal society. Desert dwellers, but wander the world in their "rogue" years in search of adventure. Pros: Neat monster-esque race that is totally different from Kobolds and their ilk. Cons: Rarely use armor; don't survive well in the cold.

Emerin - Giant psionic cats that look kind of like a lynx. They are always and only Mind Mages, so their OCC is restricted. Pros: Great psionic powers. Cons: Well, you are a cat. No armor, no weapons...

Gromek - Minotaur, dinosaur, humanoid thing, their society is like the Klingons or Spartans- oriented entirely around war. They have wings and can fly. Pros: Unique warring race Cons: Most people of all races don't trust them, as they have waged war at one time or another on every race.

Hytril - So-called "monkey men" they look like large lemures. They love humans and shiny objects. They are actually pretty smart and very clever, but they don't make great melee fighters. They are not allowed to have many OCCs, although I allow a few. They are natural thieves and con-men, although they are almost never evil, just selfish. Pros: Fun, tree climbing race that can scurry around where most can't go. Cons: Deadly weakness for shiny objects and not good for direct, brute combat.

Lizard Men - Really, it is what is seems. They are swamp dwellers, and hate the desert and cold. They seek to control the world's waterways someday. Pros: Great jungle trekkers. Cons: There are more interesting monster races to play.

Dragons - There are many kinds that run the spectrum of your imagination. Let me know if you'd like to know more. Pros: Powerful. Cons: Difficult to play.

Androsien - Waifishly thin humanoids that remain remarkably attractive despite seeming so "off". Skin can be of many colors, but always has an underlying pearlescence. Their eyes are all solid black or deep blue, and so are more than a little freaky to look at. What is most interesting is that there are no historical records of this race in Palladium, but the Androsien insist that they have always been around. Suspicious, hmm? Pros: Very intelligent, they make great magic users and the like. Cons: They are kind of freaky, mistrusted, and physically weak.

Sekai- Like the Androsien, this is a race of my own creation, so I am very fond of it, and likely to make it a fun race to play. Sekai are cyborgs; robots with a human brain and nervous system. Sekai have no knowledge or memory of ever having had a flesh and bone body. All Sekai worhsip The Truth, The Persistence, and The One Mind...all terms which refer to the same singular thing. Many Sekai are warrior monks for The Persistence. In general Sekai make awesome martial arts and melee combat characters. The major drawback is that they never use magic, although, neither do Dwarves. Pros: Super-strong, great in combat. Cons: There are only three known places in the world where you can get repaired (recover SDC or HP).

Where the adventure begins

The Golden Triangle

Ricmorn, Niverhall, & Idelstone

This region on the eastern edge of the Western Empire which includes the capital, Niverhall, represents the greatest concentration of wealth and power in the west, and some say of the entire world at this point in history. Although mostly human, this region is very cosmopolitan and almost every human-friendly race (and some who are not) can be found wandering the streets of these cities and villages. The cities, towns, and farming hamlets are all ancient, and most farms and estates have been in the same family for hundreds of years. Cobblestone roads connect the strongly fortified cities, a necessity given their proximity to and ancient conflict with the Old Kingdom (though it should be pointed out that this conflict is not with the Elven government of the Old Kingdom).

Ricmorn (pop. 37600)

This is the city where you will all begin. Ricmorn is a busy port city that has attracted merchants and nobles who prefer the easy-going port authority and relaxed oversight of the customs officials here as opposed to Morel. It is an ancient city, and like much of the construction of the Western Empire, layer upon layer has been built up over many hundreds of years, creating an underworld of catacombs and labyrinths beneath the streets which provide home to all manner of cults and organized crime syndicates. Nevertheless, Ricmorn remains a clean and well mantained city, especially in comparison to the larger cities of Morel and Norben, and thus is considered a fine second choice place to live if you love the ultra-cleanliness of Niverhall and its pastoral location but crave the activity of a trading center.

The city is heavily fortified and surrounded by low (3 meter, ~9 foot) granite walls on all sides except for those areas directly on the river. The architectural style is typical of the Devonian era of the Western Empire and integrates stalwart stone foundations and supports with ornamented structural wood work. It is a style so unmistakably human that it is considered synonymous with human architectural aesthetic: strong, purposeful structure executed with a craftsman's touch. The city's port is large, heavily fortified, and faces the river Iskur, which opens onto Arbomar Bay. The city is clean but crowded, so many nobles and merchants have built their estates in the beautiful hilly forest west of the city. Two such estates of note are the home Lord Hasder and the merchant noble, Omunis.

Morel (pop..674000) approximately 85 miles north of Ricmorn

“The gateway to Niverhall”, Morel sits at the mouth of the Tabor river which leads to the capital. In architectural style it very similar to Ricmorn, although it lacks much of the charm of its smaller sister. Morel is a very busy port and is crawling with Imperial guards and also soldiers awaiting deployment. Every ship that wishes to travel up the Tabor to Niverhall must have its cargo carefully inspected and the ship's crew must pass inspection and be given special papers. Although the system is remarkably efficient, there is such a volume of traffic through here that ships are often waiting 5 or 6 days before being allowed to move on. The effect is that a large portion of the city is actually made up of transients, who effectively increase the population by nearly 10%.

Idelstone (pop. 553000)

For a brief time after the “Blood Moon War”, Idelstone became the seat of the Western Empire. However, at the end of Gheran's reign, the capital was moved backed to Niverhall where it remains today. Geographically it sits on the line between the Old Kingdom and the Western Empire and has at times been claimed by Orc and Ogre tribes that inhabit the western slopes of the Talton Range of mountains in the surrounding areas of the Old Kingdom. It is a melting pot of human and elven architectural style and would be stunning if it were not for extensive damage that has occurred from years of on and off war.

Milltall (pop. 181000)

This Tabor river city has more the feel of an overgrown agricultural village on the water rather than a city. In truth, if it were not for Niverhall a village is all this quiet town would have been. Although well fortified, the town is comprised mostly of modest houses and lacks the infrastructure of the other cities in the area.

Norben (pop. 256000)

Norben is like Idelstone's smaller coastal cousin, only slightly less damaged from conflict. Most consider this to be the dirtiest, most dangerous city in the Golden Triangle.

Niverhall (pop. 477000) Capital of Western Empire

Man endeavored to create a city as beautiful and majestic as any of Elven renown, and most would say he succeeded. It is a grand city of earthy granite and strong timber that sits between the ancient inland forests and pasture lands. The city is very clean and has more the feel of a park or well-groomed garden than a buzzing cosmopolitan center; but representatives of almost every race that can tolerate humans can be found living and working here. Part of the strategy for preventing crime involves a strict 9pm curfew that has a massive quantity of guards combing the streets and removing any vagrants or curfew violators. As such Niverhall proper is probably the safest place a person could be in the entire empire. The safety of the forests just outside the walls are another matter entirely. Some posit that the capital city's safety is guaranteed by the wild forces that inhabit the forest, while others theorize that those who live in the dark woods pose the greatest threat to capital and the emperor.

The Table of Attributes

Here is a matrix of the attribute stats for a number of races in the game. The Dragon is blank because it varies with specific species.

The numbers work like this: If you look at PS (Physical Strength) for a Dwarve, it gives you 4d6 + 1. What this means is you get to roll 4 six-sided die to determine the strength, and then add 1 to that number.

To give some tools for comparison, I've provided a few extra columns of info. The Spend column shows you how many points you can use if you choose not to roll dice to create your character, but would rather assign points to attributes.

IQ - How intelligent you are.

ME - Mental Endurance is how much will-power you have to push yourself to the limit, or resist torture, that sort of thing. It also effects how well you perform under pressure.

MA - Mental Affinity measures your ability to intimidate people, or get them to trust you. Con-men have high MA as well as natural leaders.

PS - Physical strength is rather straight forward

PE - Physical Endurance is a measure of things like how long you can run for before collapsing from exhaustion.

PB - Physical Beauty is what it sounds like. It is that physical side of Mental Affinity.

Spd - Speed is a direct measure of how fast you can run. Your Spd and PE put together would determine whether or not you could run a marathon, and how long it would take you.

Total # of Dice tells you how many six-sided die get rolled to create a character of that race.

Race	IQ				ME				MA				PS				PP				PE				PB				Spd				Total	TPP	Spend	Notes
																																	# of Dice
Human	3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			24	144	92
Elf	3	d6	+	1	3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			4	d6			3	d6			5	d6			3	d6			26	157	100
Dwarve	3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			4	d6	+	1	3	d6			4	d6			2	d6	+	2	2	d6			23	141	90
Gnome	3	d6			1	d6	+	6	3	d6	+	4	1	d6	+	4	4	d6			3	d6	+	6	4	d6			2	d6			21	146	93
Troglodyte	2	d6			2	d6			3	d6			4	d6	+	4	3	d6	+	6	3	d6			2	d6			6	d6			25	160	102
Kobold	3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			3	d6	+	3	3	d6			3	d6			1	d6	+	6	3	d6			21	135	86
Goblin	2	d6			3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			3	d6	+	6	3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			21	132	84
Goblin Cobbler	2	d6			3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			3	d6	+	6	3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			21	132	84
Hob-Goblin	2	d6			3	d6	+	6	2	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			21	132	84
Orc	2	d6			2	d6			3	d6			3	d6	+	8	3	d6			3	d6	+	2	2	d6			3	d6			21	136	87
Ogre	3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			4	d6	+	4	3	d6			3	d6	+	6	2	d6			3	d6			23	148	94
Troll	3	d6			2	d6			2	d6			4	d6	+	10	4	d6			3	d6	+	6	1	d6	+	4	2	d6			21	146	93
Changeling	3	d6			4	d6	+	6	4	d6			3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			2	d6			2	d6			23	144	92
Wolfen	3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			4	d6	+	1	3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			4	d6			25	151	96
Coyle	3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			3	d6	+	1	4	d6	+	1	3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			24	146	93
Kankoran	3	d6			2	d6			2	d6			3	d6			4	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			25	150	96
Centaur	3	d6			2	d6			2	d6			4	d6			4	d6			5	d6			3	d6			8	d6			31	186	119
Bearman	2	d6			2	d6			2	d6			5	d6			4	d6			6	d6			3	d6			3	d6			27	162	103
Drakin	2	d6			3	d6			5	d6			4	d6			4	d6			4	d6			2	d6			3	d6			27	162	103	Spd x 5 for flight
Dragon Wolf	3	d6			3	d6			2	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			26	156	100	Spd x 4 for flight
Eandroth	2	d6			2	d6			2	d6			3	d6			4	d6			3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			21	126	80
Eandroth Rogue	4	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			5	d6			5	d6			2	d6			4	d6			31	186	119
Emirin	3	d6			4	d6			3	d6			3	d6			4	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			28	168	107
Gromek	2	d6			3	d6			2	d6			4	d6			3	d6			4	d6			2	d6			2	d6			22	132	84
Hytril	2	d6			2	d6			4	d6			2	d6			5	d6			2	d6			4	d6			4	d6			25	150	96
Lizard Man	3	d6			2	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			3	d6			23	138	88
Dragon		d6				d6				d6				d6				d6				d6				d6				d6			0	0	0	Attributes vary according to Dragon type
Androsien	6	d6			6	d6			3	d6			1	d6	+	2	3	d6			1	d6	+	4	3	d6			3	d6			26	162	103	new race!
Sekai	3	d6			1	d6	+	4	1	d6	+	4	3	d6	+	12	2	d6	+	12	3	d6	+	12	1	d6	+	12	3	d6	+	12	17	170	108	PB quickly deteriorates if hands or face are damaged