Swords of The Serpentine
Swords of The Serpentine
Credits
Publishers: Simon Rogers and Cathriona Tobin
Setting Design and Development: Emily Dresner and Kevin Kulp
System Design and Development: Kevin Kulp and Matthew Breen
Based on GUMSHOE rules design by Robin D. Laws and Kenneth Hite
Editing: Tim Gray, Kevin Kulp, Cathriona Tobin
Creative Direction: Kevin Kulp
Sensitivity Editing: Misha Bushyager
Art Direction: Kevin Kulp, Cathriona Tobin
Cover Artist: Jérôme Huguenin
Interior Artists: Simone Bannach, Mary Corballis, Siba Gasser, Olivia Hintz, Jérôme Huguenin, Pat Loboyko, Rich
Longmore, Jen McCleary, Gill Pearce, Hannah Seakins, Phil Stone, Madison VanDoren, Piya Wannachaiwong
Layout: Jen McCleary
Dedications
Emily: To my husband, Eric, who is always a font of the very best and craziest ideas.
Kevin: To Peggy, now and always. Pins, Abigail.
©2021 Pelgrane Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Swords of the Serpentine is a trademark of Pelgrane Press Ltd.
Pelgrane Press is co-owned by Simon Rogers and Cathriona Tobin.
Swords of the Serpentine iii
Andrew Lister Michele Mishko Leonard Pimentel James Schoonmaker Hector Trelane
Noah Lloyd Avi Molder Tom Pleasant Dennis Schroeder Blake Tullo
Mike Longfritz James Moody Vic Polites Derek Schubert Aaron Valentine
Igor Losev Scott Moore Jenna Povey René Schultze Jochem Van ‘t Hull
Lothwin George Moralidis Tracy Pressé Nikita Shalin Hayley Garcia Van
Stephen Loveless Max Morrice Nikica Puksic Daniel Sheldon Dinther
Jeanna “Iekika” Alison Morris Mark Quinto Sam Sherry Rogier Garcia Van
Lundgren Adam Morse Troy Raines Ekaterina Shmaylova Dinther
Robert “The Khanda” Denise Moxon Marco Ranieri Cris Shuldiner Paul Venner
Lundgren Belton Myers Oscar Ratcliffe David Shuldiner Viktor Vereb
Pepote Luvazza Simon (That’s Sacha Ratcliffe Steve Sigety Joost Vermeulen
H. M. ‘Dain’ Lybarger Outrageous) Myers Epidiah Ravachol Oscar Simmons Clay Vernon
Jill Lybarger Ricardo Nacarini Maddie Reynolds Aaron Size Roe Vernon
Edward MacGregor Alex Negelein Raena Reynolds- Kristin Size Avi Vogel
Paul St John Christopher Robin Jackson Scott Slater Artemy Volopyansky
Mackintosh Negelein Stephen Rider Rebecca Slitt Mert Vuraldi
Kristen MacLean Gabe Nichols Dennis Ringewaldt Matt Slucas Ralf Wagner
Dávid Magyari James Nicoll Andres Rivera Christopher Small Jennifer Walker
Cindy Maka Nimbian Norman Riveros Marina Smirnova Mitchell Wallace
Lesley Malfavon Christopher Noble Kirin Robinson Jonathan Smith Todd Ward
Andrea “Panda” Dave Nolin Wade Rockett Erik Smith Clara Warford
Mandalari Ivan Novosel Andrew Roddy Alkesandr Smykin Noel Warford
Volker Mantel Michael Nutt Brian Rogers Jay Song Nicco Wargon
Lauren Marino Eugenio Nuzzo Elizabeth Rogers Thomas Sonneberg Dave Weinstein
Marisa Marcus Nyahoe John Rogers David South Ben Wellner
Victoria Marrero Thurstan (Give it a Rachel Rogers Dave Speredelozzi Leonardo Weyand
Matthew R. Martinez Go) Nyg Simon Rogers Elliot Spin Alex White
John WS Marvin Patti O’Connell Chris Roosenraad Joshua Spin Collin White
Ronaldo Mascarenhas Peggy O’Connell Jodi Roosenraad Lonnie Spin James White
Mike Maughmer Paige O’Connell-Bach Kathryn Rose Rebecca Spin Mel White
Jacob McArdle Christopher O’Neill Betsy Rosenblatt Steve Stanzani Tim Wilde
Kris McCosh Robin Oakley Greg Rothauser Lucky Starflower William
Cameron McCurry Erik Oberlin Greg Roy Paul Stefko Charles Williamson
Owen McIntosh Joshua O'Connor Jennifer Roy Liam Stevens Dale Williamson
Ian McLean Dimitrios Oikonomou Steven Roy Derek Stoelting Toby Williamson
John McMullen Olkon Zach Ruiz Elisabeth Strayer Daniel Withrow
Julie McNeil David Olsen Adi Rule James Sura Luke Withrow
Márcio Melo Ben Osborne Gareth Ryder- Ben Swinehart witpun
Members of the Ian Osborne Hanrahan Kathryn Swiss Oliver Wolf
Pseudopolis Yard Osvaldo Oyola Max Saltonstall Lawrence Szmulowicz Jeremy Wong
Dawn Patrol Lisa Padol Brenda Samler Gaylord Tang Chihiro Yamada
Jacques Menasche Eric M. Paquette Paul San Clemente Neal Tanner Jeff Yaus
Frank Merten Jonathan ‘Evil Laugh Kristin Sands Tartra Kit Yona
Sarah Messer Guy’ Parsons Levin Scassellati Paul Teece Zach
Dawn Metcalf Carlos Passos Mirin Scassellati Matt Thompson Patrick Zammit
Marina Michelini Brian Paul Rowan Scassellati Rodney Thompson Ksenya Zheltova
Michelle Greg Pearson Ralf Schemmann Ruth Tillman Zackery Zobrist
Tracey Michienzi Mike Pereira Pete “Ethain” Farkas Tivadar Zolzos
Mike Miller Connor Peterson Schlough Grgo Toplak …and people in any
Rich Miller Lucija Petricioli Mary Schmitt Jenry Towle playtests whose
Nancy Milligan Giulia Peverini Andy Schmoll Michael Towle names accidentally
Lara Milton Sam Phinizy Saul Schnitman Thomas Toynton weren’t recorded.
Daniël Mioque Sylvestre Picard Heiko Scholz Alan Traylor Thank you.
Special bonus thanks to Peggy O’Connell, Storn A. Cook, Matthew Breen, M. H. Grzesiak, and to everyone in our
home playtesting groups. May your canals never flood, even in rainy season, and may you always turn a profit.
Swords of the Serpentine v
Table of C ontents
Character Growth................................................. 98
Chapter Six: Gear, Both
Ability Advancement After Each Game............. 98
Spending Advancement Points......................... 98 Sorcerous and Mundane
Allies and Enemies........................................... 99
Gear................................................................ 99 How Much Can You Carry?.................................. 131
Wealth and Lifestyle......................................... 99 The Cost of Goods and Services............................ 131
Changing Your Abilities................................... 99 Weaponry............................................................. 132
Putting It All Together......................................... 100 Weapon Modifiers............................................ 132
Melee and Ranged Weapons Table........................ 133
Firearms............................................................... 134
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption Mundane and Alchemical Gear............................. 134
Miscellaneous Gear.......................................... 134
Sorcery Quick Reference....................................... 101 Alchemist’s Fire .......................................... 134
Sorcery 101: The Essentials................................... 102 Badge of Office .......................................... 134
Health or Morale Damage?.............................. 102 Cestino’s Cameos ....................................... 135
Learning Sorcery.............................................. 102 Denari’s Book of Truths and Tax Code....... 135
Sorcerous Spheres............................................ 103 Dogbane..................................................... 135
How Sorcery Works.............................................. 112 Nightstones................................................ 135
How Corruption Works........................................ 113 Theatrical Disguises..................................... 135
Exceptional Damage........................................ 113 Mundane Protective Gear................................ 136
Unique Spells................................................... 115 Buckler....................................................... 136
What Happens When You Chainmail................................................... 136
Spend Corruption?........................................... 117 Leather Armor............................................ 136
Advanced Sorcery................................................. 120 Plate Armor................................................ 136
Rituals: Time, Assistants, Astrology, Sacrifices, Scorpion Shield........................................... 137
and Sorcery...................................................... 120 Shield.......................................................... 137
True Names..................................................... 121 Snake’s Eye................................................. 137
Curses.............................................................. 122 Watch Whistle............................................. 137
Sorcerous Glyphs and Traps............................. 124 Poisons, Toxins and Venoms............................ 138
Cadia Juice.................................................. 138
Fallow Weed............................................... 138
Chapter Five: Wealth and Lifestyle Feasting...................................................... 138
Floodlung................................................... 139
Wealth.................................................................. 125 Gluggut...................................................... 139
Lifestyle................................................................ 127 Gutsplash.................................................... 139
Low Repute..................................................... 127 Hollowing.................................................. 139
No Repute....................................................... 127 Sea King’s Blessing...................................... 140
High Repute.................................................... 127 Snapback..................................................... 140
Repute Spend Table.............................................. 128 Trembleroot............................................... 140
Describing Your Lifestyle................................. 128 Sorcerous Gear..................................................... 141
Minimum Lifestyle........................................... 129 Grimoires ........................................................ 141
Assigning Treasure................................................ 130 Grimoire: The Calcifex Manuscript.............. 141
Grimoire: The Ophidius Parables................ 141
Grimoire: Zelgrieb’s Notebook of
Dissection................................................... 142
Miscellaneous.................................................. 142
Beggar’s Rags.............................................. 142
Earring of Truth.......................................... 143
viii Swords of the Serpentine
Mysteries and Leads.............................................. 212 The Menagerie: Wild Animals in Eversink........ 236
Core Clues....................................................... 212 Divinity and Divine Power............................... 237
Defining Clues................................................. 213 Sumptuary Laws (and Other Unusual Edicts)... 237
Using Multiple Clues....................................... 213 Eversink’s History................................................. 238
Clues on the Fly............................................... 213 A Thousand Years of Adventure....................... 238
Listen to Your Players...................................... 214 Before Eversink................................................ 239
Write and Summarize Clues............................. 214 The Founding of Eversink................................ 239
Location and “Wild Card” Abilities.................. 214 City Districts........................................................ 241
Start Adventures as Late as Possible.................. 214 Temple Market................................................ 244
Adventure Construction........................................ 215 Ironcross.......................................................... 252
Types of Scenes................................................ 215 Alderhall ......................................................... 259
Lead-Ins and Lead-Outs (and why Sag Harbor...................................................... 263
they’re essential).............................................. 215 Harbor Approach............................................. 268
Plot Maps........................................................ 215 The Tangle...................................................... 274
Jumping Around in History............................. 217 Other Major Features in Eversink..................... 279
The Challenge Montage: Speeding and Eversink’s Government.................................... 282
Summarizing Travel......................................... 217 Eversink’s Powerful Committees ..................... 283
One-Shot Construction.................................... 217 ‘Sinkish Law.................................................... 285
Customizing Swords of the Serpentine.................. 219 Allegiances: Who Matters in Eversink?................... 288
More Narrative Play/Less Randomness............ 219 The Ancient Nobility....................................... 288
No Melee Combat........................................... 219 The Church of Denari...................................... 290
Change the Setting.......................................... 220 The City Watch............................................... 291
Customizing Allegiances.................................. 220 The Commoners.............................................. 291
Customizing Sorcery........................................ 220 The Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers.... 292
Customizing Abilities....................................... 223 The Mercanti................................................... 293
Customizing Foes............................................ 224 The Mercenaries.............................................. 295
One-on-One Play............................................. 224 The Monstrosities............................................ 295
Fledgling and Sovereign Heroes....................... 225 The Outlanders................................................ 297
Playing a Ghost................................................ 226 The Sorcerous Cabals....................................... 298
The Thieves’ Guilds......................................... 299
The Triskadane................................................ 301
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink Economics and Trade........................................... 302
What Is For Sale? ............................................ 302
Eversink in a Nutshell........................................... 227 The Balance of Trade Guilds, Mercanti
The Buildings are Always Sinking..................... 227 and Ancient Nobility........................................ 303
The City and the Goddess are One................... 227 Banks and Coinage.......................................... 304
Statues Are Everywhere, Because Statues Foreign Trading Partners................................. 304
Represent Souls............................................... 229 Trade as Invasion............................................. 305
About Eversink..................................................... 229 Trade as Intelligence........................................ 305
The People...................................................... 229 Internal and External Threats to Eversink.............. 306
Location.......................................................... 229 The Chuggut................................................... 306
Climate............................................................ 230 Class Warfare................................................... 306
Architecture..................................................... 230 Corruption...................................................... 306
Roads, Canals and Bridges............................... 232 Disease and Plague........................................... 306
Death, Burial, and Funerary Statues................. 233 Fire.................................................................. 307
Sports.............................................................. 234 Flooding and Weather...................................... 307
Languages....................................................... 235 Non-human Threats........................................ 307
Eversink’s Food............................................... 235 Refugees and Immigration............................... 307
Swords of the Serpentine xi
Chapter One
The B asics
Introduction
When it’s summer, you smell her before you see her. crystal turrets reflect down into a shimmering bay full of
The guilds won’t have flushed the canals out yet like hundreds of brightly colored boats. Architecture from
they do on Scouring Day, so the smell hits you like a a dozen eras towers above a tangle of grand plazas and
slap in the face. You sail up the delta of the Serpentine narrow canals. Temples to her goddess rise above the
River and the scent of the open sea drifts away to be mansions and tenements, calling her people to prayer.
replaced by the stench of low tide, of boat tar, of rare She may be ancient and corrupt, slowly and inexorably
spices spilled from a smuggler’s ship, of cooking smoke swallowed by an endless bog, but she’s alive in a way
and human waste. most cities aren’t. She’s a melding of faith and stone
You can hear her, too. Bells ring out across the water and wood and water — and mud — that’s unique in all
and echo like the song of ghosts, loud enough to almost the world.
drown out your sailors’ chanted prayers. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve come to kill a rival,
Finally, you see her. You round the bend past the earn a fortune, learn a secret or hire an army. You’re
salt flats and the lower fort and she’s sprawled out on home now, and the Sinking City will embrace you. All
scores of islands across the sheltered water, and you you need to do is survive.
gasp, and everything else falls away. Her jeweled and Welcome to Eversink.
Concept
Swords of the Serpentine is a tabletop roleplaying game This is a game of investigation, heroism, sly politics,
(RPG). It supports 1-7 players (with a sweet spot of and bloody savagery, set in a fantasy city rife with
4-5) playing fantasy heroes inspired by sword & sorcery skulduggery and death. These rules adapt Pelgrane
fiction, and one Game Master (GM) who keeps the Press’ GUMSHOE system into a fantasy game with
adventure moving and plays the foes and supporting a relatively loose class structure and high-action
cast, also known as Supporting Characters. roleplaying. These rules work fine even without the
included setting of Eversink, and shine more brightly
when political allegiances are closely tied to the heroes.
2 Swords of the Serpentine
The Basics
Designer Notes:
Investigative Abilities Creating House Rules
GUMSHOE is all about acquiring and using One of the advantages of a long design process
information, and Investigative abilities let you find is that we have the chance to select and include
that information by giving you key (or “core”) clues if rules we consider the most fun. That said, this
you have the right ability for that situation. Say you’re is now your game, and you get to customize
looking around a library. If you point out to the GM it however you like. Play it in a way that is fun
that you’re using your Research ability, you’ll find any for you, and if the GM or players don’t like any
Research-related information automatically. You don’t of these rules, change them or leave them out.
need to roll for these abilities, or spend any points to You’ll find more thoughts on customization in
get them — you just need to ask the right questions and Chapter Eight: GM Advice.
roleplay the right actions.
Chapter 1: The Basics 3
The Basics
Welcom e t o Eversink
4 Swords of the Serpentine
The Basics
The Basics
� An intricately carved stone bridge arches over a � A mighty-thewed northern warrior saunters
wide canal. At dawn, lovers pause at the edge and through the Sunrise Gates, looking around in
throw flower petals into the water below, pledging wonder at the city before her. Her pocket is picked
their love. before she makes the first tavern. She vents her
� The City Watch tramps out their route, half-asleep, anger on the first local foolish enough to pick a
knowing local politics will probably prevent them fight.
from solving the murders they’re bound to discover � Late at night, a tipsy noble finds himself lost without
— and they’ll have to try regardless, or face the his guard in the wrong part of town — and from
Watch Commander’s wrath. the shadows, bitter commoners close in around
� Laughing with unbridled joy, an outlander thief him on every side. In the morning the Watch will
scales a crystal spire, empty sacks slung across her find his corpse hung from a butcher’s hook, with a
back. If she survives this, she’ll eat well for a year. sarcastic sign dangling from what’s left of his hand.
� In the vast courtyard of a noble estate, a mercenary
army refuses to attack a neighbor and social rival So welcome to Swords of the Serpentine. If you want to
unless they’re paid in advance — with a bonus, track down foul sorcerers in a corrupt and decadent
thank you very much, or they’ll just see how much city, clamber through underground ruins to sneak into
that neighbor is willing to pay instead, won’t they? an enemy’s home and rob them blind, or wage a secret
� In the darkness of a slowly flooding tunnel, a war against a rival political faction, you’re in the right
hissing voice reveals ancient secrets to a clever place.
young commoner.
� An elderly woman strolls the bazaar, casually Designer Notes:
mentioning a rumor here and a rumor there, setting
wheels in motion to discredit and ruin her family’s
Stream Your Game Online
political rival.
Emily and Kevin here. We’ll have designer
� A gaudily dressed and portly merchant looks up
notes throughout this book to explain designer
from her ledgers to learn yet ANOTHER shipment
intent, point out rules subtleties, and mention
has been hijacked, and what is she paying her guards
fun plot hooks.
for, anyway?
With lots of player world-building, cinematic
� A sorcerer stares into the spilled intestines of his foe
combat, and no battlemap required, Swords of the
and sees the future within them.
Serpentine (#SerpentineRPG) works well for
� Cloaked men and women pilot a shallow-draft
online play and live-play podcasts. If you want to
barge through the reeking swamp, hoping this
broadcast your game, thank you! Pelgrane Press
shipment of smuggled goods will successfully
is committed to supporting online streaming of
bypass Eversink’s greedy and grasping reach.
play; see the Swords of the Serpentine Resources
� Thirteen anonymous shapes meet in a shimmering
page at PelgranePress.com for guidelines and
room of illusion and lies. Districts and guilds rise
advice for online streaming.
and fall on a single word.
6 Swords of the Serpentine
The Basics
Chapter 2: Your Hero 7
Chapter Two
Your Hero
Your H ero
Before you make your characters, your group needs to To quickly choose your group’s origin and the tone
decide what kind of game it’ll be so you’re all pulling of the campaign, pick one of the following:
in the same direction. Your GM probably has an idea
of the kind of story she wants to explore, and what the
tone and themes are. Discuss as a group what it will Big Damn Adventurers
feel like, and what will it be about, and check whether
anyone has issues or concerns with the themes. You’re old friends, you don’t work for anyone but
yourselves, and your adventures might take you
anywhere in the city or across the world. People look
GM Advice: at you warily because you’re an unknown quantity;
Jumping Around in Time with no specialization and few loyalties beyond your
own self-interest, trust from others might be more
Classic sword & sorcery stories often skip between of a challenge. Classic literary heroes from Robert E.
the hero as a young fledgling adventurer, as an Howard, Mercedes Lackey, or Fritz Leiber fall into this
aging ruler, and as a hero at the peak of their category.
career. You can do this in your Swords of the
Serpentine game, even turning it into a trilogy of
adventures that skip around in time. See p. 225 Bookhounds of Eversink
for details.
You work for, or run, a bookshop that specializes in
ancient tomes of history, prophecy, and sorcery. The
Talk to the other players about how your characters
Heroes act as muscle, thieves, and sages, and many of
know each other. Is it through allegiances, occupations,
your adventures focus on finding, retrieving, or stealing
shared history, common goals, or something else? See
important tomes.
“How Did Your Heroes Meet” below for quick ideas.
Alternatively, you may be the professors, staff and
Your character may not be particularly heroic,
students of one of Eversink’s universities, researching
or they might have secrets they keep from the other
and exploring the city’s secrets and vast and wondrous
Heroes, and that’s fine. Who you and the other players
mysteries — even as you try to procure funding for
choose to play will influence the type of adventures you
next year. A game where the professors were from a
go on, the type of enemies you fight, and the type of
sorcerous university would echo some of author Terry
mysteries you solve.
Pratchett’s fiction.
Your Hero
You are working-class officers in Eversink’s City Watch,
headquartered in a selected district and focusing on If you want a fast and fun origin for your
crime both there and across the city. Drawing inspiration group of Heroes, have them act as independent
from novels by Terry Pratchett, this type of adventure problem-solvers for a noble family (for politics),
focuses on mysteries, solving crimes, and negotiating a Mercanti guild (for wealth), a thieves’ guild
complex politics while you try to keep the city safe. (for illegality), law enforcement like the City
Watch (for justice and legality), or a paid team
of independent investigators working on special
Do-Gooders assignment for the Church.. That makes your
Heroes the people others come to when they
You’re making the world a better place. Whether you’re need something done that can’t be accomplished
ensuring beleaguered commoners are fed and housed, through “polite” channels, and it keeps your
scouring self-interested politicians and officials from Heroes independent enough that they can easily
the government, or brokering peace between warring strike out on adventures of their own.
cabals of sorcerers and their mercenaries, you specialize
in doing what’s right. When true evil rears its head, you
may well be the only people worthy to fight it.
Government Agents
Family Business You’re elite government problem-solvers who chase
down mysterious prophecies from state-sanctioned
You may be a prestigious member of the Ancient
seers. You work alongside members of the Black Swans,
Nobility, the merchant princes behind a major Mercanti
Eversink’s secret police, and you often work directly for
guild, or even a close-knit family of commoners who have
the secret rulers of the city themselves. Making sense of
taken up a life of crime. For you, family is everything —
divinations helps you untangle any number of different
and when family and friends get threatened by personal
problems and mysteries in the city. In this type of game,
or political enemies, you turn to heroics to get your
you act with governmental authority; use it wisely!
own back. This style of game deals with family politics
Other forms of governmental teams are also possible.
and social pressure as much as external threats; you may
If you’ve ever wanted to play a combat accountant,
have just slipped into a rival’s office to poison their wine,
leading a group of elite tax collectors who get assigned
but is that going to make your mother proud of you?
challenging scofflaws to track down for smuggling and
tax evasion, this is the game for it.
Freelance Slinks
Infidels
You solve other people’s problems... assuming they can
pay. You’re investigators (sometimes called “slinks”),
Like religion but hate Denari, Goddess of Eversink?
and you’re beholden to no one but yourselves. Some
Make your adventuring team all worshippers or initiates
difficult security work, more than a little theft, a
of a tiny cult to a forgotten small god. Or hey, declare
smattering of blackmail, occasional exploration of very
that your Hero is an avatar of the god made flesh. The
dangerous places, and a lot of investigations — you
god (more of a spirit right now, really) can be a deity
handle it all. This type of game treats the Heroes like
of literally anything you want. It probably dwells inside
noir detectives, fighting darkness and corruption deep
your sorcerer to give them power, and will give you
in the heart of the city.
blessings as long as you venerate it. Grow their worship
— and take Denari down a peg or two in the process.
10 Swords of the Serpentine
You belong to the Church of Denari and act as Her Information is power, power means wealth, and in
inquisitors, church militant, prophets, diplomats, and Eversink it’s the information brokers and spies who
agents in the world. You sniff out heresy and corruption, know that best of all. Either you all work for an
you expose traitors in the city, you kill monstrosities, and information broker, gathering rumors and blackmail
you bring the word (and coin) of Denari to whomever material, or one of you is the broker and has to navigate
needs it most. If you want a game focused on religious a minefield of political challenges and threats. If you
mysteries, demon-hunting, and villainous sorcerers, this think Littlefinger or Lord Varys in Game of Thrones has
is a fun way to arrange it. an interesting job, this is a great choice for a campaign
framework.
Misbegotten Soldiers
Thick as Thieves
You all belong to a mercenary company, your own or
one you’ve signed up with. You get sent on dangerous You belong to a thieves’ guild, either your own private
assignments for little pay, usually to kill someone who’s guild that you run or a much larger guild you’ve
getting the same raw deal from their end. Even when sworn allegiance to. You’ll spend your time dodging
missions seem suicidal, it’s up to you to carry them out. the City Watch, running cons, stealing wealth, spying,
This style of play lets you echo author Glen Cook’s The and getting into some fascinating trouble. This style of
Black Company. game draws inspiration from Scott Lynch’s The Lies of
Locke Lamora.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 11
Creating a Character
Quick Reference
Your Hero
Once you’ve set the tone and theme for your group’s game, follow these steps for making a character in
Swords of the Serpentine.
2. Note a few Adjectives to describe your Hero and write down your Drives, which are your three
favorite things in life (p. 17).
3. Assign Investigative Build Points according to the number of players and choose Investigative
Abilities (p. 19).
4. Decide your Allegiances (p. 288) – assign 2 Build Points to Allies (both to the same Ally, or one
each to two Allies) and 1 Build Point to an Enemy. Your Ally and Enemy can be the same faction!
1. 6. Assign Health and Morale (p. 77), splitting 18 Build Points between the two, with a minimum
of 3 in each.
7. Give yourself Health and Morale Thresholds of 3; if your Health or Morale is 10 or higher, that
threshold will be a 4.
8. If you have any ranks of Corruption, decide whether your Sorcery targets your enemies’ Health
or Morale. Pick one Sorcerous Sphere (the theme and appearance of your spells) for every rank of
Corruption you possess. See p. 103.
9. Write down 5 or more pieces of minor, iconic gear that help define who you are (p. 42).
10. Give yourself 1 point of Grit (p. 75). Grit helps reduce Morale damage.
11. You start with no Wealth (p. 125) and you’ll start with No Repute (see p. 128) for the first
adventure.
12. Name yourself. Most people in Eversink have fantasy names based on medieval Italian names (there
are plenty of lists online), but there’s nothing magical about that naming scheme, so name your
Hero something you love.
Sample Character
Your Hero
Pallia Vitturi
(sometimes called “Murk”)
OO
O
O
O
O
OO
O
OO
8 OOOOOOOO Mercanti +1
Mercenaries +1
Ancient Nobility -1
5 OOOOO
1 O
8 OOOOOOOO
3 OOO
5 OOOOO
4 1
O
O 3 1
Character Professions
Your Hero
Four professions are common: sentinel, sorcerer, thief, and warrior. Professions are defined by the role you feel your
Hero plays, not by the point distribution on your character sheet. These are part of your character concept and
guide your choice of abilities later on.
Sentinel
Sorcerer
Your Hero
Player Advice:
When is a Sorcerer
Not a Sorcerer?
Thief
Your Hero
You specialize in secrets. Thieves may attack with word
or blade, and they’re equally treacherous with either.
You probably know the alleys and canals of Eversink
better than anyone else. You may be incredibly lucky,
you’re likely skilled at gathering information through
illegal means, and you are tied into the web of gossip
and scurrilous rumor that circulates throughout the
city.
16 Swords of the Serpentine
Warrior
Your Hero
Your Hero
Adjectives Designer Notes: Drives
Jot down some adjectives on the character sheet that The game is designed so that you can pick up
encapsulate your Hero’s personality. This provides a new character sheet and know everything
a fast reference for how you act when you face a you need to know about the Hero from their
difficult decision. It’s particularly useful when building Adjectives, their Drives, and their Gear (which
characters for one-shot games. sounds odd, but it’ll make sense, we promise).
As a result, Drives are a really handy way to
You want to play a young woman recruited summarize the things your Hero holds most
by the Guild of Architects and Canal- dear. They’re fun to create, and ideally capture
Watchers, one of the most prestigious guilds the most important reasons you willingly throw
in the city — and one with a secret. You yourself into a life of adventure.
write down:
Young, fiery, opinionated, loyal, never
forgives a betrayal
Drives
You can change these later, but it’s a
fast way to remember how she reacts, and Once you know more about your character’s personality,
knowing her personality will help guide your answer this question from the 1982 Conan movie: what
choices when roleplaying or when picking three things are best in life?
abilities during character creation. These are your Drives. Write down the three answers
to this question on the top of your character sheet.
You can invoke each of these Drives once per
adventure to gain +1 on a single die roll, or to try and
use a General ability you have zero ranks in, but the
situation needs to relate to the Drive you’re invoking.
You can only invoke one Drive per test, but can invoke it
after you already roll. Invoke your Drives to emphasize
your personality and to gain a small bonus when it really
matters.
Your Drives will change over the course of your
adventuring career because your experiences will
change who you are and what makes you happy. Adjust
your Drives whenever you need to, and let your GM
know you have.
18 Swords of the Serpentine
Swords of the Serpentine pays attention to the mechanical results of your abilities, leaving it up to you to
describe how they work and what they look like. You may decide your Hero is a Marketpriest who is an
extremely charming individual, and people just like her whenever they meet her. Alternatively, you may
decide your Marketpriest has the power of the goddess Denari flowing through her, and that this divine
charisma wins over anyone she meets. In both cases, you’d represent this by starting with 1 or more ranks of
the Investigative ability Charm. The mechanical result is the same — people like your Hero enough to tell
them secrets — but the two characters feel very different because of how they’re described.
Similarly, the first character may practice their Bind Wounds ability with leeches, poultices and plenty of
bandages to keep someone up and running in the middle of a fight. The second character might describe their
Bind Wounds ability as divine healing from the Goddess. There is no mechanical difference between the two,
but the ignorant or deeply faithful you meet in Eversink may have more respect for the latter.
When you’re building your Hero, think about what you want them to look and sound like, and then
describe their abilities accordingly.
Investigative Abilities
Investigative abilities define what you know and how
you interact with other people in the world. These Scale for Investigative Abilities
abilities always work; without ever having to roll a die,
they let you discover leads and clues that push you � Rank 0 in an Investigative ability means you cannot
farther into the adventure. use it to gather leads
� Rank 1 in the ability makes you proficient at it
Your Hero has 1 rank of the Investigative � Rank 2 makes you an expert
ability Leechcraft, giving you extensive � Rank 3 indicates remarkable knowledge or aptitude
medical knowledge. When investigating the in that area
corpse of your poisoned friend, tell the GM � Rank 4 suggests you’re one of the best in the city in
you’re using Leechcraft, and if there are any this area
Leechcraft-related clues on the body, the GM � Rank 5 indicates you are one of the best in that
will give you those clues. It’s then up to you to ability that most people will ever meet
interpret them. Without GM approval, you may not exceed rank 5 in
Even one rank in an Investigative ability means you’re any Investigative ability.
proficient in that field of knowledge. It’s rare to
see anyone with more than three ranks in any given
Investigative ability.
You can spend points from your Investigative ability
pools to gain special abilities and do remarkable things.
Details on these special benefits is on p. 51. Spent
Investigative points can’t be refreshed until the next
adventure, but you don’t stop being knowledgeable in
a subject just because you spent one or more points.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 19
Your Hero
abilities and 1 rank each of Profession
We like the idea of splitting up Investigative abilities City’s Secrets, Ridiculous Luck,
abilities into Social abilities, Profession abilities, Scurrilous Rumors, and Skulduggery. All
and Allegiances, even though they all work the of your profession-specific abilities are in the
same way. It gives you a fast place to look when
thief profession, so you gain a bonus Build
you just want to remind yourself what your
Point.
personality is; it lets you design an incredibly
social Hero who seems to know everyone but
Build Points don’t all need to be spent before play
who has zero profession abilities; and it makes
begins. Leaving a few points unallocated can give you
homebrewing new professions a whole lot easier.
flexibility when you really need a particular ability
during an adventure. You don’t even need to spend any
Build Points on Profession abilities at all if you want a
Initial Build Points Hero who focuses only on Social Investigative abilities
for Investigative Abilities and Allegiances; such a Hero still gains the bonus Build
Point.
The Investigative ability Build Points you can spend
during character creation varies based on the number of Player Advice: How to Distribute
Heroes. If there’s a Hero whose player you don’t expect
your Investigative Build Points
to attend regularly, disregard them for the purposes of
determining the number of players.
When assigning Investigative Build Points, you
can pick a balance between raw power, influence,
Investigative and flexibility.
# of players
Build Points � If you spread your Build Points out between
1 14 (see p. 224) lots of abilities, not initially putting more
than 1 or 2 points into any one ability, you’ll
2 13 gain tremendous flexibility. In exchange
3 12 you’ll limit how much damage you can do
in any one attack, and you probably aren’t
4 11
renowned for being astonishing at any one
5+ 10 thing.
� If you focus your Build Points into fewer
As well as these, new characters also receive 3 additional abilities, each with more ranks, you’ll gain
Investigative Build Points which must be spent on quite a bit of power in that area and be able
Allegiances — 2 for Allies and 1 for Enemies. to inflict considerably more damage when
Assigning Allegiance points is discussed on p. 34. you’re pulling out all the stops during a
When creating a character, you gain 1 bonus climactic fight. You’ll also develop something
Investigative Build Point if you choose all your initial of a reputation. In exchange, you’re going
profession-specific abilities from the same type. You can to lack flexibility while adventuring and have
spend this bonus point on any Social ability, Allegiance, fewer opportunities to find leads and clues.
or for one more rank of one of your Profession abilities.
It’s the classic trade-off with specialization: is it
more fun to be really good at fewer things, or
solid at a lot of things? The answer to that will
change from Hero to Hero.
20 Swords of the Serpentine
Page
Ability Name Type Description
Your Hero
Number
Charm Social People like you, or find you attractive 21
Page
Ability Name Type Description
Number
You can read fight scenes and understand
Your Hero
Tactics of Death Profession/Warrior 32
military tactics
You can make people angry enough to
Taunt Social 23
monologue at you
People want to trust you unless you give them
Trustworthy Social 23
a reason not to
You notice tiny details others might miss,
Vigilance Profession/Sentinel 25
making you seldom surprised
The first thing everyone asks is “If I spend my point of Charm, do I get less charming?” Nope. Spending these
doesn’t make you any worse at Charm. You get leads because you have ranks of Investigative abilities. But
once per adventure for every rank you have, you can spend a pool point of Charm to accomplish something
particularly cool. Don’t be shy about spending those pool points, either; every remaining point unspent at the
end of an adventure is a lost opportunity to do extra damage or do something cool.
Intimidation
Your Hero
You can terrify others into doing what you want or into
telling you what they know. Make no mistake: they
aren’t going to be happy about helping you, because
you’re intimidating them into it, but they’ll tell you
regardless.
Sample Spend: Bully a Supporting Character into
obeying you even after you’ve left the area.
Liar’s Tell
You can usually tell when you’re being deliberately lied
to, and when people are trying to distract you from the
truth. You may also be able to tell when someone is
being sorcerously mind controlled.
Nearly everyone lies, and there are a lot of reasons
someone might not be telling the truth. Liar’s Tell won’t
tell you what that truth is or why they’re obscuring it,
but it will indicate when a deliberate lie is being told.
Certain individuals may be so skilled at lying that they
never set off your Liar’s Tell. Some people believe their
GM Advice: Best in the World own falsehoods. While Liar’s Tell will not function on
everyone, it will never give you a false positive or false
During playtesting someone made their Hero negative.
with 5 ranks of Command, something that Sample Spend: Gain great insight into why a person
wouldn’t normally have occurred to us. I mean, may be lying, even if it doesn’t tell you what the truth
sure, you can theoretically make a specialized actually is. The knowledge of the lie may allow you to
Hero who only has two Investigative abilities of manipulate them or pry out the truth.
5 ranks each, but is that fun? Need to lie to someone and have it believed?
It sure was in this case. When a player does Spending a point of Liar’s Tell makes it less likely other
this, they’re saying “I want to be the best in the people question your lie, because your body language
world at this thing.” So let them! Five ranks of and delivery are flawless. Unlikely information may
Command meant that people looked to him still be questioned, but others won’t believe you’re
to be in charge. When he gave a command no deliberately telling a falsehood.
one dared refuse. People kept hounding him
to act as their general, their leader, and their
spokesperson. Strangers would gossip about his Nobility
personal magnetism — was it natural? Was it
from a god? Was it sorcerous? — and you can bet You fit in with the nobility and other rich and powerful
that his reputation preceded him. His enemies people of social prominence, and you can easily make
were terrified of this inexplicable command and small talk with them. They likely accept you as one of
wanted him recruited or dead. their own. You can dress fashionably for any occasion (if
You won’t see them very often, but a Hero like you can afford or steal the clothes), recite your lineage,
this is handing you a year’s worth of plot hooks, make your way past gatekeepers determined to keep out
and the game hasn’t even started yet. Embrace it. the riff-raff, learn specific or relevant gossip about a rich
Chapter 2: Your Hero 23
or important person, follow proper social conventions, Sample Spend: Goad an enemy or enemies into
and identify the best wine, liquor, and art. People won’t attacking you or paying attention to you, instead of an
always like you, but they see you as socially important. ally who would rather stay unnoticed. Incite a crowd
Your Hero
The more ranks of Nobility you have, the more into jeering insults or actual mob violence against a
important people think you are. person or organization you wish targeted; the larger the
Sample Spend: Manipulate others through your crowd, the more points you’ll need to spend. You can
social status, convincing them they will be socially also spend pool points of Taunt to trick two Supporting
humiliated if they don’t do as you suggest. Establish Characters or adversaries into arguing with each other.
you’re skilled at unusual hobbies favored by the nobility,
whether hunting a commoner through a nature reserve
(for fun, of course, those old illegal hunts died out Trustworthy
many generations ago) or singing complex hymns once
taught only to the nobility. You can make people trust you, and you can reassure
people even in the most terrible of circumstances. When
things go poorly, others turn to you for help. People
Servility tell you secrets and give you information because they
trust you not to misuse it. (Whether you do misuse it,
People tend to forget your name. An expert at cringing, of course, is entirely up to you. Trustworthy is a must-
bootlicking and truckling to those of higher station, you have ability for any con artist.)
appear so socially inconsequential that others ignore you Sample Spend: Pass a bald-faced lie off as the truth
or disregard you as a potential threat. You hear secrets without anyone immediately questioning you.
that people don’t think you’re important enough to People look to you for inspiration and support. A
understand, and you’re overlooked when enemies 1-point spend of Trustworthy can restore 6 points of
consider their security risks, sometimes allowing you to Morale to an ally, as long as you have at least 1 rank
hide in plain sight by taking on the role of a beggar or of the General ability Sway. If you don’t, or if you’re
servant. The more ranks of Servility you possess, the less trying to restore your own low Morale, a 1-point spend
important you appear. restores 3 points of Morale.
Sample Spend: Manipulate an attacker into attacking You and your friends tend to trust your judgment
someone else instead, since you seem so servile and over that of others. A 1-point spend can give you or
inconsequential. If knocked unconscious, a 1-point an ally Grit 4 for one round or Grit 2 for a scene. (Grit
spend will cause your enemy to disregard you and spare works like Armor against Morale Damage – for more
your life. details, see p. 75.)
A 1-point spend in the middle of a fight may get
your foe to stop and talk to you for at least a moment
Taunt instead of continuing to attack. This conversation
lasts until anyone attacks the reassured enemy, or
You are an expert at infuriating others, making them so until it’s dramatically appropriate for the conversation
angry that they let their secrets slip while berating you to conclude. This use of Trustworthy is handy for
and monologuing. You can goad them through insults, buying time when it’s needed the most and for solving
sarcasm, disdain, or public humiliation. You know misunderstandings that lead to combat. If your GM
when a threat against you is sincere, and you know how decides that the foe isn’t going to stop and listen at all,
to drive your foes into a furious need to explain how you don’t lose the points you tried to spend.
clever they truly are.
24 Swords of the Serpentine
Each profession has four unique abilities specific to A 1-point spend of Felonious Intent will allow you
them. These cost 1 Investigative Build Point per rank. to act as a bodyguard for one attack, taking the place
Starting your character with profession-specific abilities of another person in Point-Blank range who is the
from only one profession gives you a bonus Build Point. subject of a Health attack or Maneuver. The attack or
Maneuver is instead resolved as if you were the target.
Your Health Threshold and Armor applies, instead of
Player Advice: theirs. You may make this spend and act as a bodyguard
Trying the Wrong Ability even if you have already taken your turn that round.
Your Hero
The Church of Denari considers those blessed with
remarkable eye for detail and notice small and unusual
(as they call it) Inquisitor’s Gaze to be hand-picked by
details around you, seeing clues or leads that others
the Goddess, and by ecclesiastical law such people are
might miss. You spot subtleties and inconsistencies
remanded to the church for training as Inquisitors. It
someone else might gloss over. You’re more likely to
isn’t uncommon for people who prefer to avoid a life of
spot hidden passages, traps, disguised imposters, and
faith to keep their Spirit Sight secret.
unexpected secrets.
Sample Spend: Spend 1 pool point to gain both
Sample Spend: Gain an additional +3 Alertness
Armor and Grit for the scene equal to your Spirit Sight
Modifier to notice someone or something hidden. A
rank, effective only against sorcery attacks and attacks
spend (usually prompted by the GM) will let you notice
from adversaries with the Insubstantial special ability.
signs of an ambush before it has been sprung. Spend a
Spirit Sight can be spent to heal the psychic pollution
point to go first in the initiative order at the start of a
left by sorcerous Corruption; by reaching into the spirit
fight, or to seize the initiative order from a foe.
world you literally start to knit reality back together in
that spot, although it’s not always a simple process. See
p. 120 for details.
Spend 1 point to remove the
Insubstantial special ability from a
creature for a scene, but for interaction
or combat with you alone; your attacks
reach into the spirit world to affect
it. Spend 2 points to entirely remove
the Insubstantial special ability from
a creature for a scene. It will appear
ghostly but will be solid to the touch
and vulnerable to normal attacks, fully
dragged into your world.
There are ever-shifting spaces in
Eversink where the barrier into the
spirit world is particularly thin and
you can step across, usually where
Corruption has occurred. Only if your
GM allows, spend a point to fully enter
the spirit world for one scene, and two
points to bring your party with you.
This may cause damage to body and
mind, but you’ll feel the effects with
enough time to escape back to the real
world before the experience kills you.
For more about the spirit world and the
dangers therein, see p. 281.
26 Swords of the Serpentine
Forgotten Lore
You’re a repository of legends and superstitions, as
well as political, historical, and general lore. You learn
languages quickly and you know historical trivia,
forgotten stories, old truths, and half-remembered
rhymes about the near-mythical past. This is your catch-
all ability for remembering, or being able to track down,
essential information that most people just wouldn’t
remember.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 27
In addition to the normal fluency in a mother tongue Spend points to give someone a disease or to poison
that everyone has, every rank of Forgotten Lore allows them. In combat this poison can be as simple as inflicting
you to be fluent in two additional known languages, an extra die of damage per pool point spent, or be more
Your Hero
decided whenever it would be useful to declare your complex, as described on p. 90.
fluency. See p. 235 for more about languages. If you are treating disease or poison, every pool point
Sample Spend: You know ancient secrets that make of Leechcraft you spend can give the victim a cumulative
your sorcerous knowledge more dangerous; every pool +3 on their next Health or Morale test to resist the
point you spend adds an additional die of damage to affliction, and will often give them an immediate test to
a successful Sorcery attack. Spend one or more points lessen their symptoms. Describe your cure however you
to create a protective ward (see p. 75) that briefly wish, even if it has no basis as a cure in the real world.
reduces damage to you or your allies. So long as your patient makes their next Health test
Use Forgotten Lore to help world-build. You can against the ailment, the cure you prescribe will work.
spend 1 pool point to establish a new fact about the
world. If your new fact conflicts with a truth that the Your ally seems to be suffering from a virulent
GM has already established, usually she’ll either accept foreign plague. You prescribe a poultice of
your truth instead or she’ll give you your pool point dung and chicken blood, moistened by a
back. widow’s tears and held to the neck for 12
“There doesn’t seem to be an heir? My hours by a silk cloth. You spend 2 points of
Forgotten Lore tells me that the family line Leechcraft. Your ally gets +6 on their next
might not really be dead, and they supposedly Health test against the disease, succeeds, and
changed their name and moved across the begins to recover due to your help.
city. Let’s go see if we can track them down!” Alternatively, your Hero is very faithful
to Denari, and you decide to describe your
Note that with your GM’s permission, any player can
Leechcraft as divine inspiration that triggers
help world-build at any time. Forgotten Lore spends
magical healing. When you see a plague
just let you do so at a time when it’s immediately
advantageous to you. victim, you place a coin on their tongue and
pray to the goddess. You spend 1 point of
Leechcraft Leechcraft, you describe golden light flowing
from your fingers, and your patient gets +3
With 1 rank of Leechcraft you have enough experience
in folk medicine to diagnose poisons and diseases,
on their next Health test against the disease.
treat illnesses (usually with disgusting poultices), and
determine cause of death. When someone suffers from Prophecy
an injury, disease, or poison, you can tell how sick You can prophesy (or interpret others’ prophecy); see
they are and their chances of recovering. You learn any glimpses of the past, present, or future; and even use your
injury-related or health-related leads from corpses you oracular knowledge to influence future events. Whether
examine. you’re reading dreams, studying the murmuration of
With 2 or more ranks of Leechcraft, you likely 50,000 seagulls, or poking through the intestines of a
have formal training as a physician, and rely more on gutted foe, knowledge of Prophecy means that you can
known facts than on old superstitions. It’s just about sense the location of unknown leads.
as effective, but you sound much more authoritative This is a handy Investigative ability in that it can
about your knowledge. provide a path forward when all else is lost. Your
Sample Spend: Spend 1 pool point to wake up GM may use it to steer you towards leads you might
someone who is unconscious. otherwise miss. Prophecy can also be used in a more
If you have at least 1 rank of Bind Wounds, a 1-point focused manner, deliberately looking for signs so
Leechcraft spend will restore 6 Health for an ally. If you learn where to look for more information about
you don’t have any ranks of Bind Wounds, or if you’re a specific lead. Some leads might only be obtainable
trying to heal yourself, the spend heals 3 Health instead.
28 Swords of the Serpentine
through Prophecy, making someone else’s carefully your flashback work. You can also spend 1 point
kept secret available to only you. of Prophecy to know exactly where to look for a
Prophecy seldom gives you out-and-out answers: it discarded but useful tool, which will allow you to
Your Hero
supplies leads, not solutions. Much more often it gives succeed automatically at a difficulty 4 Preparedness
you a glimpse of a location or a person and you won’t test or gain +3 to a more difficult test.
yet know why. You’ll just know they’re important.
You’ll need to head to that location, or speak to that Combat: There are multiple futures, and you get to
person, to understand how they’re connected to your pick the one you like. Spend 2 points of Prophecy
adventure. and choose any General ability. For the rest of the
Less often, you may also see a complete scene taking scene, whenever you need to make a test with that
place in the past or possibly the present; such dream- ability, roll two dice and choose the result you
like images play out as if you’re standing in the scene, prefer.
but no one else can see or hear you.
Rarely, you’ll receive a poem, a riddle, or a bit of Designer Notes: Niche Protection
doggerel that can be interpreted to help you find out
what you wish to know. This is entirely dependent upon You’ll notice that this game has fewer abilities
your GM. If you use Prophecy and the GM doesn’t than many other GUMSHOE games. That’s
wish to give you additional leads (or there aren’t any deliberate; our game design philosophy is to have
available), you’ll either receive a vision of something you broader and more-frequently-useful abilities, and
already know that you need to pay particular attention then let players describe those abilities however
to; you’ll experience a prophecy of something unrelated they choose.
(that may be foreshadowing for a future adventure); or Playtesters initially expressed some concern
you’ll receive no vision at all. about niche protection. Would characters seem
Sample Spend: Your ability to foretell the future can too similar to one another? We haven’t seen that
gain you benefits including the following: problem in practice. A barbarian, a hardened
mercenary, a shadowy assassin, and a noble
Wealth: You see the location of minor treasures,
duelist all feel very different in play even when
from coin-bags dropped in a sewer to lost and
their capabilities overlap.
hidden art. Spend 1 point to foresee the location
If you want to guarantee some niche protection
of forgotten wealth worth Wealth 3 or (sometimes
regardless, talk to the other players when you’re
quite substantially) more. Mind you, success isn’t
making your Heroes so that everyone knows they
automatic: you may know where it is, but you still
have something they’re best at.
have to get to it...
If you let it be known that you have the gift of
prophecy, strangers may approach you with both
wealth and questions. Not only might these be fun
plot hooks, but you’re likely to get paid as much
or more than you’d earn from prophesying the
location of lost treasure.
Your Hero
City’s Secrets
The architectural and geographical secrets of Eversink The thing about Ridiculous Luck is that it
and other cities are yours to discover, and you can isn’t always good luck. If you and the player are
uncover other secrets (such as political machinations) amenable, every few adventures a particularly
with relative ease. You more-or-less understand how lucky Hero’s fortune might go ridiculously badly
a city’s bureaucracy functions, you know the many for a single scene: one coincidence after another
districts and neighborhoods of Eversink, and with some goes against them, old enemies show up at the
work you can find a particular location above or below worst possible time, the plan doesn’t work the way
ground when you need to. they expected, they fall into a wagon of nightsoil,
Sample Spend: Spend 1 point to determine entry and suddenly they’re framed for something they
points into sealed portions of the undercity, or to travel didn’t actually have anything to do with! During
across the city through shortcuts at roughly double this scene full of bad luck, the Hero may not
normal speed. You may take allies with you if you wish. spend any pool points of Ridiculous Luck.
If in a building or urban environment, you may also At the end of this scene the afflicted Hero
spend a point during a fight to move twice as quickly as gains a bonus pool point of Ridiculous Luck as
normal for one round. compensation — a point that they can use to dig
themselves out of what just occurred. Just don’t
Ridiculous Luck engineer this on a night when the actual player
has had a bad day.
Remarkable coincidences happen around you on a
regular basis, and a million-to-one chance is a thing to
bet on. Gain leads by simply stumbling across them —
if you’re wise enough to notice the coincidence when Designer Notes:
it occurs. The Quintessential Ridiculous Luck
Like Prophecy, Ridiculous Luck is a great catch-
all ability that picks up on leads other people haven’t There’s a scene in the very first Conan story,
thought to look for. Strange coincidences, useful Robert E. Howard’s novelette “The Phoenix
happenstance, and unexpected good or bad luck help on the Sword”, where the enslaved and servile
you notice important details you might otherwise miss. sorcerer Thoth-Amon tells a cowardly baron that
In fact, some leads might only be noticed by Ridiculous he only became a slave because a thief stole the
Luck — if you don’t stumble on it accidentally, no one magical serpent ring that once gave him great
will. power. Unfortunately for the snobbish baron
Don’t assume that Ridiculous Luck can replace every who was studiously ignoring Thoth-Amon,
other Investigative ability. Luck isn’t always pleasant, the word “ring” makes him declare (and we
heroic, or convenient; being arrested and thrown into paraphrase), “Hey! I forgot all about my magical
jail may have gotten you that clue, but now you still serpent ring which I bought off a thief! Let me
have to break out of prison to pursue it. just pull that out!”
Sample Spend: Spend 1 pool point to generate a It is of course the same ring, Thoth-Amon
non-lead-related lucky coincidence when you need one pulls out a dagger and gets particularly stabby, the
most, such as an unexpected escape opportunity or a baron dies messily, and our demon-summoning
handy unlocked armory door. bad guy is back in the game.
Moral of the story? Servility is a great way
to not get noticed by nobles, and it’s seldom a
bad idea to invest in at least 1 rank of Ridiculous
Luck.
30 Swords of the Serpentine
Scurrilous Rumors Sample Spend: Use pool points to affect public opinion
about a person, faction, idea or event. The more points
You have your ear to the ground. Not only can you learn
you spend, the farther your rumor spreads and the more
rumors both fair and foul; with a little work you can start
Your Hero
Your Hero
Know Monstrosities Morale. When fighting a heavily armored
You have knowledge of monstrous foes and can predict mercenary warlord, you spend a point so that
their traditional weaknesses (if any). You can identify one of your allies also ignores 3 points of the
monstrosities when you interact with them (even ones warlord’s Armor and Grit for the duration
that appear human), and you understand their typical of the battle.
tactics and hunting strategies.
Sample Spend: Use pool points to manipulate such Spend 1 or more points to heroically smash, break or
foes in combat, goading them into an action or position destroy something non-magical: an enemy’s shield, a
you desire in order to set a trap; if you need that swamp locked door, a stout chain, sturdy manacles, a pillar
giant to be standing right next to the quicksand, holding up the temple ceiling. Ask your GM: the more
spending a point can make sure that occurs. narratively important the object, the more pool points
Spending points allows you to increase your damage are required to smash it.
against a monstrous foe by 1 damage die per point
spent. You can also gain this bonus damage against
non-monstrous foes if, when making the spend, you Designer Notes:
describe how fighting some monster in the past might
Spot Frailty and Bilbo Baggins
give you an advantage in this combat.
“Good thing I saved some of the venom when The ability to see the weaknesses in things doesn’t
I disemboweled that giant snake!” at first seem like a traditional talent in sword &
sorcery novels, although there’s definitely space
for a warrior who’s superb at smashing pillars,
Spot Frailty shattering swords, and finding the weak spot in
You notice the weaknesses in objects around you, from an opponent’s armor. The inspiration for Spot
the corroded hinge on a dungeon cell door to the small Frailty comes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
chink in your opponent’s armor. You automatically
ignore an enemy’s armor by 1 point per rank of Spot The dragon rolled over. “Look!” he
Frailty when you damage their Health. said. “What do you say to that?” “Daz-
If you prefer, you can decide when creating your zlingly marvelous! Perfect! Flawless!
character that Spot Frailty instead applies to Grit. Staggering!” exclaimed Bilbo aloud,
You instinctively sense and exploit people’s emotional but what he thought inside was: “Old
vulnerabilities, and you ignore an enemy’s Grit by 1 fool! Why, there is a large patch in the
point per rank of Spot Frailty when you damage their hollow of his left breast as bare as a
Morale. snail out of its shell!”
When you add your first rank of this ability, decide
Bilbo now has the information he needs to
whether your Spot Frailty applies to your foes’ Armor
ignore Smaug’s armor. He can’t use it himself,
or to their Grit. Once you reach 2 or more ranks of
though, so later he spends his pool point of Spot
Spot Frailty, the benefit applies to both Armor and
Frailty so that Bard of Laketown can use this
Grit, allowing you to automatically ignore 1 point per
same vulnerability against a single foe (Smaug)
rank of each.
for a single scene.
Sample Spend: Spend 1 point to give this ability’s
It’s not exact, of course. But we love it enough
benefit to an ally for use against a single, designated foe
to want it in our game.
for one scene.
32 Swords of the Serpentine
Tactics of Death
Designer Notes:
You understand ambushes, combat tactics, particularly
lethal weapon maneuvers, and the most efficient The Clash of Armies
Your Hero
Player Advice:
Call of the Wild
Your Hero
Wilderness Mastery is probably
the least-selected ability for the
predominantly urban Heroes who
are based in Eversink — why in the
world would anyone ever want to
come face-to-face with dangerous
nature? — but it’s essential if you
go on an expedition outside of the
city walls or choose to explore the
world. Remember that you can
spend pool points of Allies to hire
a reputable guide for the duration
of an adventure.
Even if you never leave the
city, Wilderness Mastery is a must
for anyone who loved the old
movie Beastmaster, or who wants
huge flocks of aggressive seagulls
to harass their enemies. See p.
153 for more details on animal
companions.
Allegiances
Allegiances allow you to wield political power in the � Ancient Nobility (p. 288): dissolute but infinitely
same way a warrior might wield a sword. They help you proud, clinging to their social graces and ancestral
manipulate politics and call in powerful favors in a way superiority within their crumbling mansions.
you might not see in a typical fantasy game. � Church of Denari, goddess of Commerce and
Allegiances are Investigative abilities tied to rival Civilization (p. 290): every exchange of money
political factions in your game. Allies and Enemies is a prayer to her sly wisdom and obsession with
are permanent Allegiances, have ranks, and act as trade that defines the city itself. Her priests are
standard Investigative abilities. Favors and Grudges moneylenders who hunt down Sorcerers and carry
are temporary Allegiances, never have ranks, and have out her will.
pools of influence that disappear once they’re used. � City Watch (p. 291): these poor bastards are
Pick your Allies and Enemies from the following under-funded, under-respected, and the hardest
political factions, as well as others the GM creates. working employees in Eversink. They’re responsible
34 Swords of the Serpentine
for enforcing order, solving murders, and bringing � The Triskadane (p. 301): anonymous rulers
the guilty to the gallows. of Eversink, their secret police, and the vast
� Commoners (p. 291): no one remembers the government bureaucracy of committees that keeps
Your Hero
underclass, but the commoners look out for their the city functioning as well as it does.
own, and there’s a lot more poor in Eversink than
there are nobles. A terrifying force when roused.
� The Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers (p. Assigning Allegiances
292): despite rumors that guildmembers often die
young from disease and injury, this powerful guild Assign 2 Investigative Build Points to any political
ensures Eversink’s architectural stability, and thus faction as Allies, and one point to any faction as an
enjoys significant political sway within the city. Enemy. You can also assign any leftover Build Points
� Mercanti (p. 293): the new-money nobility of from character creation into Allies.
Eversink, church-blessed families whose iron grip Your GM may want all the Heroes to be associated
on specific guilds brings in the trade that powers with the same faction, and so will assign your Enemy
the city. rank or one of your Allies ranks for you. The second
� Mercenaries (including House Armies) (p. rank of Allies is always yours to assign freely.
295): hard-living professional warriors who stay
loyal as long as their pay doesn’t run out. Your GM wants all the player characters to
� Monstrosities (p. 295): most people have be working for one of the Guildhalls of the
never seen one, but there are rumors that a
Mercanti. You mark down “Mercanti 1”
loose community of non-humans live within (or
under Allies. You decide you were raised in
underneath) Eversink. They’re unlikely to have
Denari’s best interests at heart.
the poor part of the city and you still have a
� Outlanders (p. 297): an unorganized and lot of friends there, so you spend your second
unpredictable group of barbarians, travelers, Ally Build Point to take “Commoners 1”. As
tourists, professional adventurers and piratical a commoner, you probably don’t have a lot
scoundrels seeking some quick coin. of affection for the Ancient Nobility, and
� The Sorcerous Cabals (p. 298): Sorcery is you decide a noble house (to be decided later)
considered inhuman, unnatural, and antithetical to had your grandmother falsely executed for
the grace of the goddess Denari. If one or more sorcery and still has it out for your family.
sorcerous cabals exist, they’re a threat to everything You spend your Enemy point to mark one
right-thinking people love. A sorcerous cabal is rank of “Ancient Nobility”.
typically headquartered and run from outside of
Eversink, and its agents typically represent sorcerers’ If you ever have an Allegiance rank of 2 or more with a
interests in the city. political faction, you gain a reputation with them, and
� Thieves’ Guilds (p. 299): avoiding taxes is members of that group are likely to recognize and know
a mortal sin in the eyes of the goddess Denari, about you. As your fame (or infamy) grows, so does
but making money is a blessing, so it’s fair to say your reputation.
the dozens of smugglers’ and thieves’ guilds are
conflicted at best. They’re a shadowy power in the
city, and they manipulate power most people don’t
even suspect exists.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 35
General Abilities
Your Hero
General abilities represent taking actions in the game.
When your character wants to do something, your GM Initial Build Points
will indicate what General ability you need to roll. You for General Abilities
can spend one or more of your General ability pool
points and add them to your roll, typically trying to When creating your Hero, split 30 General Build
hit a target Difficulty of 4. That means by spending 3 points between General abilities, excluding Health
points from your ability, you’ll automatically succeed in and Morale. There’s no minimum spend; the maximum
most situations. you can spend on your highest ability is twice the rank
Each rank in an ability gives you one pool point, so of the next highest ability. Each rank in a General ability
Warfare 4 gives you 4 pool points to spend. Your pool costs 1 Build point.
in an ability may rise and fall as you refresh and then Next, split an additional 18 points between Health
spend points, but the rating (number of ranks in that and Morale, spending a minimum of 3 in each ability.
ability) remains the same. Larger pools give you more 10 points or more in Health or Morale increases that
options and effectiveness in an action scene. ability’s Health or Morale Threshold (see p. 77)
You can refresh spent General ability points from 3 to 4.
throughout the game, as described on p. 97.
You use 14 Build points to buy Sorcery 14, a
high rank. To do so you must have another
Scale for General Abilities ability at 7 points. This leaves you only 9
points to split between other General abilities.
� Rank 0 in a General ability means that unless you That’s not much, so you decide to spend 10
are attacking, you may not roll the die to attempt points on Sorcery instead. That leaves 15
success unless the GM gives you specific permission more Build points to distribute freely, once
to do so
you buy at least one ability at rank 5.
� Rank 1-3 indicates that you are a dabbler
� Rank 4-7 means you’re trained and are quite
competent
Player Advice:
� Rank 8-15 indicates that you are an expert in that
ability, and qualify for the special bonuses called Stock Up on a Combat Ability
Talents.
You’ll be most effective in combat if you have
at least one combat ability (Sorcery, Sway, or
Talents: Warfare) at 5 or higher, and you’re unlikely to
regret raising one of these abilities to at least 8
Rewarding Specialization ranks. Taking down many Mooks at once with
your ability’s Talent isn’t just good tactics, it’s
Every General ability except for Health and Morale has
darned fun.
a Talent, a feature that kicks in when the character has a
If you want to play a non-combatant but still
rank of 8 or higher in the ability. Talents exist to reward
be effective in a fight, choose Sway. You’ll have
specialization, to mark the point where “competent”
a chance to turn the tide of battles without ever
becomes “expert”, and to make sure you get more bang
picking up a weapon or shedding blood.
for your buck when you focus on a limited number of
General abilities. Most Talents function constantly; you
can always use a Talent’s special benefit, even if that
ability’s pool has dropped to 0.
36 Swords of the Serpentine
The two ability sets are handled differently because they have different jobs during an adventure. The goal
of most adventures in Swords of the Serpentine is to solve a problem — stop (or commit!) a crime, unravel a
mystery, identify a sorcerer — and then confront or manipulate the forces behind it. That confrontation must
be suspenseful, which is why General abilities have a possibility of failure. But the confrontation has to occur
in order for your players to feel satisfied, which is why investigating the problem — in order to get to the
confrontation — must succeed. A well-designed scenario rewards players for cleverly or stylishly solving the
problem by making the confrontation more exciting, more survivable, or flat-out more fun.
For more on scenario design, see GM Advice starting on p. 201.
Covers physical activities such as You have the opportunity to dodge or parry
Athletics 37
running, jumping, and climbing. Warfare attacks.
Roll to have what you need, Set up Flashbacks where, on the fly, you
Preparedness 38
when you need it. establish your schemes and plans.
Use fear or persuasion to attack You may injure more than one target on a
Sway 41
someone’s Morale. high attack roll.
Use a weapon to attack You may injure more than one target on a
Warfare 42
someone’s Health. high attack roll.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 37
Your Hero
Athletics Designer Notes:
The Awkward Dodge
Athletics allows you to perform general acts of physical
derring-do, from running and jumping, to climbing a We thought long and hard before adding Dodge
wall. Any physical action not covered by another ability to the game. Thematically we love it — it echoes
probably falls under the rubric of Athletics. With a classic swordfights and battles where a hero
successful Athletics test, you can: simply avoids an attack that should have skewered
[ throw a bottle of alchemist’s fire her, it chews away steadily at your Athletics pool,
[ race after someone and it pairs nicely with shields and bucklers —
[ climb walls but it uses a mechanic that we don’t use much
[ swim out from underneath a collapsing building elsewhere, and it has the potential of slowing
[ dive for cover without using an action down the game until the player gets the hang
[ ride a horse of a fast opposed roll. Yet it’s the kind of ability
[ pole a gondola. that can really save your butt at the last moment,
especially if an evil sorcerer has just flung a brutal
Talent: Dodge
spell at you and maybe, just maybe, you can
You can try to dodge or parry attacks against your dodge out of the way…? Playtesters found it fun,
Health. After you’ve successfully been attacked, but we agreed, and so in it stays.
before your foe rolls damage, spend at least 1 point of That said, we haven’t added the equivalent of
Athletics and roll an Athletics test. You must exceed Dodge for avoiding Morale attacks. There wasn’t
the attacker’s successful result; if their result was a 5 to a General ability that “Laugh It Off” (the name
attack you, for instance, your result must be 6 or higher being an excellent playtester suggestion) seemed
to successfully Dodge. If you’re using a buckler or to fit, and it felt like a solution in search of a
shield, you must only meet (not exceed) the attacker’s problem, especially since by design it’s far more
result to successfully Dodge. efficient in the game to heal Morale damage
with Sway than it is to heal Health damage with
Bind Wounds. We like the classic feel of Morale
Bind Wounds getting battered down during a fight by insulting
or terrifying foes, and then getting encouraged
You can spend your action restoring Health points to
at a key moment by a well-timed inspirational
yourself or others. Unlike other General abilities, you
pep talk. Laugh It Off doesn’t quite capture that
do not roll a die when spending pool points of Bind
tone, so out it goes.
Wounds. Instead, every point you spend from your
Bind Wounds pool restores 2 Health points to someone
else who has lost Health points, or 1 Health point to
you. This is capped at their Health rank.
Healing becomes less effective once your patient points to try to hit a Difficulty number. Such spends do
becomes Seriously Wounded, at or below -6 Health. not simultaneously restore Health points.
See Healing Injuries on p. 80 for additional details. You can describe your healing methods however you
Rarely, Bind Wounds tests are used for actions other wish, whether you use leeches (as most physicians do),
than healing; for instance, a Difficulty 4 Bind Wounds poultices, or rare herbs. For instance, it’s common for
test can stabilize someone who is Seriously Wounded. those faithful to Denari to be granted magical healing,
In such cases, roll a die normally and add Bind Wounds and Sorcerers who specialize in flesh might be able to
38 Swords of the Serpentine
knit together wounds. You both use the same Bind action, or when you do — your choice. You can use Fast
Wounds rules, but choose to describe it as miraculous Hands to either remove something or add something
or magical. to their pockets.
Your Hero
Burglary
Morale
Burglary is the nuts and bolts of being a skilled thief.
It’s different from Stealth, which is all about not being Your Morale measures how close you are to fleeing
noticed. Using Burglary you can go where you’re not when foes attempt to demoralize you, or otherwise
wanted and steal what’s there. oppose you. It is also used to gauge stubbornness,
With a successful Burglary test, you can: measure willpower, and resist sorcerous mind control.
[ pick pockets without being noticed
[ plant small objects on people
[ pick locks Preparedness
[ deactivate or evade mechanical traps (and even
Sorcerous traps, if you have at least 1 rank in You never know what you’re going to need on an
Corruption) adventure, and Swords of the Serpentine assumes you’re
[ find suitable places for breaking and entering, and packing some nonstandard gear above and beyond
use them what you have written down on your character sheet.
[ find relatively safe routes through dangerous but Assuming you have access to your gear, you can produce
navigable portions of the undercity. whatever object you or your allies need to overcome an
obstacle.
Some locks require specialized tools that can be Make a Preparedness test at a Difficulty specified
produced with a Preparedness test. Complex or tricky by the GM, usually 4; if you succeed, you have the
locks and traps may have a higher than usual Difficulty item you want. You don’t need to do this in advance
to open them speedily, to avoid noise or damage, or of the adventure: you can simply sort through your
to relock or reset afterward. Some traps require ranks nonstandard gear as the need arises. The rarer the item,
of specific Investigative abilities to bypass; the most the higher the Difficulty, although you can typically
common of these are magical traps, wards or glyphs purchase them using both your Preparedness and your
requiring 1 or more ranks of Corruption to successfully Wealth (see p. 131) if you’re in a location where such
bypass with Burglary. items are for sale.
You don’t need to use Preparedness to produce
Talent: Fast Hands minor and inconsequential items appropriate to your
Once per round, you can try to pick someone’s pocket lifestyle (such as typical dress, a knife, or a standard
without taking an action to do so, even if you’re sword for someone focused on Warfare), or basic tools
in combat at the time. This Burglary test is usually that allow your abilities to function (such as lockpicks
Difficulty 4 but may be higher or lower depending if you have Burglary). You have to roll Preparedness
on what you’re trying to steal. If you don’t mind if you’re trying to produce a non-basic weapon, for
your target noticing you just picked their pocket, the instance, chain mail, or oddball items that suddenly
Difficulty is 1 point lower. come in handy in the course of the adventure.
Your target must be at Point-Blank range, and you The sorts of items you can produce at a moment’s
can try to pick their pocket either when they take an notice depend on narrative credibility. If the GM
Chapter 2: Your Hero 39
Your Hero
One early playtest started with the Heroes on a small canal boat facing down three other boats full of angry
opponents. One Hero leapt between boats and attacked with Warfare; one Hero used Sway to intimidate
enemies on a second boat into backing down; and one Hero used Preparedness to attack.
Wait, what?
“I have the Flashback talent from a high Preparedness, and I knew this might happen. I’m going to say
we’re right next to a huge facility that processes the pig feces from the slaughterhouse. I’m going to whistle,
and my friends up there are going to open the valve to the high pressure outlet pipe… the pipe that’s right
next to the people we’re about to fight. Can I use Preparedness as a combat ability?”
Yes, you gloriously inventive pig-foulness-spraying tactician. Yes, you can. Just make a successful roll for
your Flashback first.
The point of this? Whether it’s using Burglary to drop a venomous snake down someone’s neck, or
Athletics to throw alchemist’s fire, allow players to use non-combat abilities as combat abilities when it makes
sense. It rewards creativity.
determines that your possession of an item (especially Preparedness test to succeed, and you must still convince
a sorcerous item) would seem ludicrous and/or out of the GM that your precaution is credible. If the action
genre for her game, you don’t get to roll for it. You required a test (of Burglary, Stealth, etc.) you or your
simply don’t have it. Any item that elicits a mocking collaborators must make it successfully. Depending on
laugh from the group when suggested is probably out the result, the GM might introduce a complication to
of bounds. make life interesting…
Gear you acquire with Preparedness doesn’t stay on The difference between a Flashback and a standard
your character sheet. Investigative or General point spend is twofold.
[ Your plan can involve other Heroes and their
Talent: Flashback abilities.
If your Preparedness rating is 8 or more you can narrate
[ You can present your plan to the GM as a fait
accompli; you don’t need to go back and roleplay
a flashback where your group prepared a secret plan in
your fellow Heroes hiding blackmail material in
the past, even if no one had been aware of it until now.
an easy-to-find location. You just grab narrative
Examples include:
control, state what occurs, roll your Preparedness
[ declare that a foe’s breakfast that morning was
test, and then each Hero involved spends whatever
poisoned
points are needed, and succeeds with their rolls, to
[ a portal normally kept locked and barred is left ajar
make it happen.
[ a dagger smuggled in earlier is hidden beneath your
chair A suspect is fleeing from you across the densely
[ a stolen satchel of treasure turns out to be previously packed rooftops of one of Eversink’s poorer
switched for an identical one with different contents
districts. It’s common to have planks of wood
[ you’ve previously bribed one of the two armed
mercenaries threatening you to be your ally. between buildings to act as impromptu
You must have had opportunity and the means to bridges for the locals. Using Flashback, you
set up the action, which can include the help of fellow announce that Prophecy warned you about
Heroes even if you haven’t filled their players in on this, so you previously had an ally partially
the Flashback plan until this very moment. (This, by saw through one of the wooden planks that
the way, is an excellent reason to keep pre-adventure hangs above a pig pen 10 meters below. This
planning as loose as possible: you’ll have more “blank is a complete surprise to your fellow player
space” available for preparation.) You must still make a Karla, but she’s enthusiastic about the plan.
40 Swords of the Serpentine
You make a Preparedness test, Karla makes [ Minimum guaranteed damage from Sorcery points
a Burglary test for her Hero (since it involves only applies to your initial target.
Your Hero
Talent: Blast
If you have Sorcery of 8 or more,
you can use powerful Sorcery to
automatically attack multiple foes, or
blast through many mooks at once.
[ After rolling a successful Sorcery
attack, your final attack result
determines how many additional
foes you hit. Each three points
over the target number, rounded
down, allows you to hit one
additional foe. If your original
target was Health or Morale
Threshold 4, you need a result of
7 to hit one extra foe, 10 to hit 2
extra foes, etc.
[ Health or Morale damage against
additional foes has Damage
Modifier +1. Want to save time?
Instead of rolling a die, assign 4
damage (a low average) against
each additional foe.
[ Attacks using Blast never score a
Critical Hit.
[ Additional foes must be in Close
range of your original target.
[ Additional foes must have a
Health or Morale Threshold
equal to or less than that of your
original target.
Chapter 2: Your Hero 41
Your Hero
lower the Difficulty of Stealth tests.
It’s good to remember that players describe
their General ability use in whatever way Talent: Where’d She Go?
is coolest or most fun, but should still use When you succeed at a Stealth test, disappear from a
whichever General ability best applies to the location and reappear later in a physically accessible
action they’re attempting. This comes up most location at a convenient time during the same scene,
commonly when they describe using Sorcery to without worrying about how you got there.
do something normally resolved with Athletics. This means you can slide behind a pillar mid-combat
They should absolutely describe climbing onto a and a moment later rise up behind the evil high priest
roof by simply animating the rock beneath their up on his pulpit. It’s okay that no one saw how you
feet to fling them upwards, because that’s a lot sneaked behind him; you’re that good.
more fun and cinematic. Just remember that
having Sorcery is what enables them to do it this
way, and it might be the fast route — but flying Sway
through the air and landing safely still requires an
Athletics test. Sway is a combat ability. It allows you to attack a foe’s
Morale, demoralizing or terrifying them into surrender
or flight even if you never engage in physical warfare.
Your words and non-verbal behavior can end a fight
without a single blow being struck. You can also use
Stealth
Sway as an action to restore your own or someone else’s
lost Morale (p. 83), even impacting more than one
Sometimes it’s better not to be seen or noticed. You’re
person at once.
good at noticing other people trying to be unobtrusive,
and you’re skilled at not being noticed yourself. With a
successful Stealth test, you can:
Talent: Play to the Crowd
[ hide in plain sight within a crowd Your words can sway multiple people when attacking,
[ blend into the shadows to hide most useful against many Mooks at once. After rolling
[ escape from someone following you a successful Sway attack, your final attack result
[ spot someone trying to hide or be sneaky determines how many additional foes you hit. Each
[ avoid being Surprised in combat three points over the target number, rounded down,
[ Surprise others in combat allows you to sway one additional foe. If your original
[ follow someone without being noticed. target was Morale Threshold 4, you need a result of 7
to hit one extra foe, 10 to hit 2 extra foes, etc.
The riddle contest between Bilbo and Gollum, deep beneath the Misty Mountains? Smaug atop his dragon
hoard, using his voice to lure out an invisible Bilbo? Éomer, Gandalf, and the Rohirrim terrifying the orcs as
they charge down the hill towards Helm’s Deep… or for that matter, the terrifying scream of the Nazgûl?
Wormtongue whispering to King Théoden, and Gandalf breaking the spell? Saruman speaking from the
balcony of Orthanc in Isengard? The one ring itself, corrupting anyone who claims it?
All Sway.
42 Swords of the Serpentine
Your Hero
44 Swords of the Serpentine
Your Hero
Want to get started quickly? Grab one of these templates and then tweak it after your first game.
Each template is written assuming that you have 5 or more Heroes in your party, so each starts with 10
Investigative Build points. If you have fewer than 5 Heroes in your group, add a number of additional points per
the table on p. 19.
Assassin
Killing with poison or with a knife in the back, you possess
enough broad knowledge to be terrifyingly effective.
Health 11, Morale 7
Allegiances:
Ally: Thieves’ Guilds 1, Ally: Ancient Nobility 1,
Enemy: City Watch 1
Social Abilities: Charm 1, Intimidation 1, Liar’s Tell
1, Servility 1
Sentinel Abilities: Vigilance 1
Sorcerer Abilities: Leechcraft 1
Thief Abilities: Ridiculous Luck 1, Skulduggery 2
Warrior Abilities: Spot Frailty 1 (vs. Health)
General Abilities: Athletics 8, Burglary 3, Preparedness
2, Stealth 8, Sway 1, Warfare 8
Barbarian
With little or no knowledge of the city and a deadly mastery
of warfare, visiting barbarians are typically placated (or
manipulated) by nearby locals.
Beggar
Don’t let the rags or odor fool you; when information or
Your Hero
Health 7, Morale 11
Allegiances: Ally: Commoners 1, Ally: Thieves’ Guild
1, Enemy: Ancient Nobility 1
Social Abilities: Liar’s Tell 1, Servility 3, Taunt 1,
Trustworthy 1
Thief Abilities: City’s Secrets 1, Scurrilous Rumors 2,
Skulduggery 2
General Abilities: Athletics 4, Burglary 8, Preparedness
4, Stealth 4, Sway 8, Warfare 2
Brute
Big, strong, and brutally effective.
Burglar
Take what you want, get out safely, and never let them
know you were there.
Health 9, Morale 9
Allegiances: Ally: Thieves’ Guild 2, Enemy: City Watch
1
Social Abilities: Charm 1, Intimidation 1, Liar’s Tell
1, Servility 1, Trustworthy 1
Thief Abilities: City’s Secrets 1, Ridiculous Luck 2,
Scurrilous Rumors 1, Skulduggery 2
General Abilities: Athletics 5, Burglary 8, Preparedness
2, Stealth 8, Sway 2, Warfare 5
Chapter 2: Your Hero 47
Your Hero
the temporal will of the Goddess and the Church. loathe to draw upon the power you possess.
Marketpriest
Duelist
You are the friend of common people, and the bane of
Stylish, urbane, and witty, with a blade even deadlier thieves.
than your insults.
Health 8, Morale 10
Health 10, Morale 8 Allegiances: Ally: Church of Denari 1, Ally: Commoners
Allegiances: Ally: Ancient Nobility 2, Enemy: Mercanti 1 1, Enemy: Thieves’ Guilds 1
Social Abilities: Charm 1, Command 1, Nobility 2, Social Abilities: Charm 1, Liar’s Tell 1, Servility 1,
Taunt 1 Trustworthy 2
Thief Abilities: Ridiculous Luck 1, Scurrilous Rumors 1 Sentinel Abilities: Felonious Intent 2, Laws and
Warrior Abilities: Spot Frailty 1 (vs. Health), Tactics Traditions 2, Vigilance 2
of Death 2 General Abilities: Athletics 5, Preparedness 8, Stealth
General Abilities: Athletics 10, Preparedness 4, Stealth 3, Sway 8, Warfare 6
2, Sway 4, Warfare 10
48 Swords of the Serpentine
who pay for the privilege. What did she give me?”
Prophet Sorcerer
You see into other realms, and pray that the things in other Whether it comes from a possessing demon or ancient
realms don’t see you as well. tablets, your knowledge of Corruption can change reality
itself.
Health 6, Morale 12
Allegiances: Ally: Church of Denari 1, Ally: City Watch Health 7, Morale 11
1, Enemy: Sorcerous Cabals 1 Allegiances: Ally: Sorcerous Cabals 2, Enemy: Church
Social Abilities: Liar’s Tell 1, Trustworthy 1 of Denari 1
Sentinel Abilities: Spirit Sight 2, Vigilance 1 Social Abilities: Charm 1, Intimidation 1, Liar’s Tell
Sorcerer Abilities: Forgotten Lore 1, Prophecy 2 1, Nobility 1
Thief Abilities: City’s Secrets 1, Scurrilous Rumors 1 Sorcerer Abilities: Corruption 3, Forgotten Lore 2,
General Abilities: Athletics 5, Bind Wounds 5, Prophecy 2
Preparedness 8, Stealth 1, Sway 10, Warfare 1 General Abilities: Athletics 3, Preparedness 8, Sorcery
10, Stealth 3, Sway 6
Chapter 3: Rules 49
Chapter Three
Chapter Three
R u les
Rules
Swords of the Serpentine 101:
How to Play
Already created your Hero? Here are the basics on how to play, along with page numbers to look up more details.
attacking. (p. 70) people: the target takes damage if they don’t allow
� If your attack exceeds the target number by 5 or your Maneuver to affect them. (p. 72)
more, you score a Critical Hit and do an extra die
of damage. (p. 68)
Rules
about occasionally summarizing known clues.
� Create one of the special effects noted under the Using General Abilities
ability’s description.
Investigatively
� Create a unique special effect that you and the GM
agree is balanced with others on this table. In a pinch most General abilities can also function
as Investigative abilities when they’re clearly the best
choice for gathering a lead. Stealth, for example, might
Designer Notes: The Most be used as an Investigative ability to cleanly infiltrate the
temple of a heretical cult without being seen (although
Important Part of the Game!
Rules
Rules
Player Advice: single Ally to gain a reputation and indicate a stronger
Encouraging Creative Solutions bond. In fact, the same political faction can include
both Ally and Enemy ranks, indicating that the Hero is
You’ll notice we use the phrase “if you can a member or friend of that faction, but also has enemies
rationalize it” a lot when describing what you can in it, secretly (or maybe not so secretly) working against
accomplish by spending an Investigative point. them.
There’s a reason for that. This game works best
Your Hero is an idealistic teenager from
when you come up with creative solutions for
a prominent but corrupt noble family.
using your abilities. No GM is going to give you a
During character creation you assign your
damage bonus if you ask “Can I do extra damage
by spending a point of Nobility?”, but they will 2 Ally points, AND your 1 Enemy point,
if you explain: “As a child I was trained each year into Ancient Nobility. That indicates you
by a different fencing tutor, and I learned eight have loyal allies within high society (probably
different fighting styles in eight years. I’d like to drawing on your family’s centuries-old clout
spend a point of Nobility to remember one that and influence), but other members of the
does particularly painful damage. Then I want to nobility secretly wish to see you thwarted or
stab this guy in the throat.” dead. You and the GM decide on something
Why the difference? The latter description heroic or memorable you did to make those
helps build the world, expands your Hero’s people hate you.
background, and makes the game more fun for
everyone. You deserve to be rewarded for that. When you draw on your Ancient Nobility’s
For her part, your GM will try to be open- influence, you’ll have to watch your back to
minded and default to “Yes, and…” when you avoid betrayal. You have a reputation with
make your case. other nobles, who will usually recognize you
Once you’re familiar with the rules, you’ll end by sight.
up creating unique special effects and creative
solutions almost every adventure.
GM Advice: Simplifying the
Game – Politics, Schmolitics
Allies Favors
These are political factions you — big surprise — are These signify that the faction owes you favors, but once
permanently allied with. If you have 1 or more ranks in you call those in, you’re considered even. These have
an Ally, at least one person in that faction will gladly assist a rank of 0, and are temporary pool points in a given
you whenever you need them to, including providing faction. When you say “I’m going to have to cash in
details that would otherwise be hidden from outsiders. a few favors for this,” you’re spending pool points of
Rules
When you say something like, “Don’t worry, I know Favors to get what you want. You never gain free leads
someone who’ll be willing to help,” you’re drawing on or clues from an unspent Favor, but you can spend pool
your Allies. The faction descriptions starting on p. 288 points of Favors for faction information or assistance.
suggest ways that your Allies might be able to aid you. Unspent Favors last between adventures, but once you
You can spend Ally pool points during an adventure spend a Favor point, it is gone and does not refresh.
to use the faction’s clout or resources to help you. New pool points of Favors are typically earned by
Mercenaries might supply you with troops (or helping a faction during an adventure.
withdraw their troops from one of their clients at a
crucial moment), the Mercanti might give you a ride You have Favors: Monstrosities 1, gained
on a fast ship when you need it the most, the Thieves’ after you spared a rat-thing’s life. You and
Guilds might steal crucial evidence for you, the Church the monstrosity have a grudging respect for
of Denari may give you access to their prophets, the each other at best, but if you ask it, it’ll go
Triskadane may bend the law for you, the City Watch out of its way to give you information about
may briefly arrest someone you want out of the picture, monstrosities or to do you a favor. Once it
and so on. Just ask (and spend enough pool points), does, the 1 point of Favor is spent, and the
and they’re happy to help. Don’t be surprised if they two of you no longer have a continuing
occasionally ask you for help in return. That’s what obligation.
allies are for.
As with all Investigative ranks, spent pool points
from Allies refresh at the start of every adventure. Enemies
New ranks of Allies are typically earned by spending
Advancement points (see p. 98). If you’ve repeatedly If you have 1 or more ranks in an Enemy faction, at
proven your worth to a faction over time, your GM least one person in that faction hates you. When you say
may, rarely, reward you with a rank of Allies with that something like, “We’ll be fine as long as no one from
faction. the Thieves’ Guilds sees us,” you’re probably referring
to an Enemy. Like any Investigative rank, you can use
You assigned your Hero Allies: Thieves’
your Enemy ranks to find leads and clues about that
Guilds 2, so you have two ranks of friendship
faction. However, your enemies (not you!) can spend
with Eversink’s underworld. You know the
the same number of pool points to complicate your life
movers and shakers of the criminal world, in a number of ways discussed on p. 210. As with all
and a lot of them know you. You can freely Investigative ranks, spent pool points from Enemies
go to them for leads and clues, and if you refresh at the start of every adventure, even when you
need a favor, your two ranks give you 2 wish they wouldn’t.
pool points that you can spend if you need Talk with the GM and decide why your enemy hates
to have a rival’s pocket picked or acquire a you. Make it personal, make it interesting, and make it
particularly rare poison, for instance. dramatic.
Chapter 3: Rules 55
Rules
Your Allegiance Investigative ranks represent this
threatens you in public.
influence, and you shouldn’t be shy about using
it to gain leads or spending it to gain favors.
New ranks of Enemies are assigned by the GM and
The idea of Allegiances came when we asked,
are typically earned by thwarting a faction’s goals in a
“How might you handle something like 13th Age
memorable way. If you thwart a faction in a way that
RPG’s icons in a GUMSHOE game?” We think
only leaves important members of the faction briefly
that game does a brilliant job of tying heroes
angry, you’ll receive a Grudge (below).
to vast powers. In this game we’ve lowered
the default political power down from 13th Age
RPG’s continent-spanning level to our city level,
Grudges but the theory still holds. Ally yourself with the
powerful, and you can rely on them to aid you
These signify your obligation to someone or hostility
when you need it most.
against you, but not a long-lasting vendetta. These have
Even more interesting to us are Heroes who
a rank of 0 and are temporary pool points in a given
spend their initial Investigative Build Points
faction. If you say something like, “We may not want
to increase their Allegiances instead of their
to go to Ironcross, I’m not really popular there right
Profession abilities. You can legitimately play
now,” you’re walking around with at least one point
a new Hero with 5 ranks of Allies in a single
of Grudges from the Triskadane. Once the faction (not
faction, letting you start off as one of the most
you!) uses the Grudge against you to call in a favor or
politically powerful and influential people in all
to thwart you somehow, that point is spent, and the
of Eversink — with combat power identical to
grudge is gone forever. No hard feelings, right? The
that of other Heroes. Just check with your GM
GM may award you Grudge points in any adventure
first, because you want to make sure they and the
where you thwart a faction’s plans.
other players think this is as much fun as you do.
You have Grudges: Sorcerous Cabals 1,
gained when you refused to help a Cabal
sorcerer animate a surprisingly large number
of corpses. The Cabal will do something nasty
to complicate your life, but once they do the
Grudge is spent; survive their complication
and they’re off your back until the next time
you cross them.
Tests
If you aren’t looking for a clue or lead, success is tied to rolling the die, you may choose to spend any number of
your General abilities, and isn’t automatic. This is often points from a relevant General ability pool, adding +1
the case when you already know where to go for your for each point spent to the final die result. If you forget
next lead, but there’s some sort of barrier or obstacle to specify the number of points you want to spend
Rules
between you and your goal that doesn’t provide you before rolling, you’re stuck with the unmodified result.
with any new information: a vigilant guard, a locked That’s okay. It happens.
door, a devious trap, or a hungry monster. You can keep using a General ability even when your
pool drops to 0, so long as your rank in that ability
You’ve followed a clue to discover some is 1 or higher. You just don’t add any pool points to
missing jewels, but they’re protected by a your die roll, because you don’t currently have any pool
sorcerous glyph, a bound guardian spirit, points to spend.
and a locked chest. You’ll need to deal with Spending points indicates special effort and
those before you can grab the evidence. concentration by your Hero. Spend enough points and
you can guarantee success, although this may leave you
You still need to get out, and you’re no
temporarily depleted in that ability. For normal tests of
longer hunting for a clue when you do so. Your
Difficulty 4, you have a 50% chance of success without
group must make Stealth and Burglary tests
spending any General ability points, and a 100% chance
to get out successfully, and your roleplaying of success if you spend 3 points. For a nearly impossible
makes a big difference as to whether you can test, you’d need to spend 8 points for a 50% chance of
successfully fool any servants or guards who success, and 11 points to guarantee success.
spot you. Later, after the alarm is sounded
and the house guard rushes in pursuit, you Revealing Difficulty Numbers
make Athletics tests to flee across the rooftops. The GM should usually not reveal exact Difficulty
Numbers, but when the information would be evident
Tests apply to General abilities only, and the GM should to you the GM should indicate whether they are easier,
call for tests only when their failure is consequential. You harder, or much harder than normal.
don’t need to roll an Athletics test to climb up onto the
rooftops when you just happen to be wandering around “Can I use Sway from here to talk him into
the city. If you’re involved in a chase, however, or trying surrendering?”
to avoid a raging flood, that Athletics test matters.
There are two common types of test: simple tests “He’s on the other side of the loud street
and full contests (including chases). on a roof, just barely in Medium range, and
you’d have to really shout. It’s possible, but
much harder than normal.”
Simple Tests
On occasions where spending more than needed is
A simple test occurs when you attempt an action frustrating instead of fun, such as the Dodge Talent
without active resistance from another person or entity. from a high Athletics or on Health and Morale tests
Swimming a canal, jumping across roofs, shooting a (see p. 77), your GM will tell you the target number.
target, and sneaking into an unguarded building are all
examples. “He’s trying to skewer you but you have
The GM determines how hard any given action is by Dodge. His attack result to stab you was a 5.
assigning it a Difficulty number ranging from 3 to 12. You need to roll a 6 or higher on an Athletics
You roll a single d6: if your result is equal to or test in order to Dodge entirely. Want to
higher than the Difficulty Number, you succeed. Before spend any points?”
Chapter 3: Rules 57
Rules
Sneaking past a well-lit watch-post full of alert guards,
10 Exceptionally Hard
watch dogs, and vigilant geese1
1
Throughout actual history, geese turn out to make superb guards, and that’s true in Eversink as well. No, seriously! Go Google
it, and see p. 173.
Alertness Modifiers
GM Advice: When to
Your Alertness Modifier affects whether you’ll spot
Reveal Difficulty Numbers hidden people and objects. You gain that modifier on
your General ability tests to notice something that isn’t
If your players are loss-averse and feel frustrated supposed to be noticed, like a lurking assassin or a secret
because they don’t know exact Difficulty passage. Every rank of Vigilance you have gives you a
numbers, get in the habit of telling them the exact constant +1 bonus, and spending a point of Vigilance
numbers by default. Secrecy is less important than gives you an additional +3 Alertness Modifier on your
your friends having fun, and revealing Difficulty next test. This usually lets you notice hidden things
numbers to your players sure won’t break the automatically, even when they aren’t leads or clues.
game.
You have 3 ranks in Vigilance, giving you a
+3 Alertness Modifier. You’d normally have
General Spends to roll a Difficulty 4 Burglary test to notice
Occasionally there’s a task at which there is no that your wine at dinner has been poisoned.
reasonable chance of failure, but which should cost Your Alertness modifier means that you
the Heroes a degree of effort. To do this, the GM notice it automatically.
will simply charge your Heroes a number of points
A foe’s Alertness Modifier represents their ability to
from relevant General ability pools; 1 or 2 points per
notice your activities when you’re the one trying to be
character is a reasonable General spend for most tasks.
stealthy. Your foe’s Alertness Modifier affects the base
Where tasks can be performed by a team effort, multiple
Difficulty of your Stealth test.
Heroes may contribute points to the total.
The guard dog has a +3 Alertness Modifier
“You want to enter the tower by the roof,
due to keen hearing and a heightened sense of
and you’re willing to take your time helping
smell. Your Stealth Difficulty to sneak across
each other get up there? Sure. Spending 10
the courtyard rises from 4 to 7. There’s also a
Athletics points gets everyone up there safely,
guard, but she’s drowsy and has an Alertness
and I don’t care who or how many people
Modifier of −1; the Stealth Difficulty to sneak
they come from.”
58 Swords of the Serpentine
past her is only 3. You roll a single Stealth either because they lack pool points or do not have the
test at Difficulty 7 to see if the dog notices ability at all, the Difficulty of the attempt increases by 2.
you.
You and four of your allies use Stealth
to sneak into the guildhall of a notorious
Stealth Modifiers
thieves’ guild. You take lead. Everyone else
Your Stealth Modifier affects whether other people will
in your group should pay 1 point of Stealth
spot you when you’re trying to be Stealthy. Spending
so they can piggyback with you. Problem is,
a point of Skulduggery or (when appropriate) Servility
Rules
gives you a +3 Stealth modifier on a Stealth test to hide. two of your allies have no points left in their
Stealth pool. Your Difficulty rises by 4 points,
You’re hoping to avoid that guard dog. You 2 for each of those two allies, to 8. Spend
spend a point of Skulduggery for a +3 Stealth accordingly!
Modifier, conveniently cancelling out the
dog’s Alertness Modifier. The Stealth test to In most instances your group can’t logically act in
successfully sneak drops back to 4. concert. Two Heroes with Preparedness check for an
item one at a time instead of checking at the same time,
A foe’s Stealth Modifier represents their ability to be unless they’re combining their Wealth to buy it in a
stealthy when you’re the one trying to notice them. shop. Only one character at a time can pick a normal-
Your foe’s Stealth Modifier affects the base Difficulty sized lock.
of the Stealth test you make to try and spot them; a foe
with a positive Stealth Modifier is harder to spot, and Cooperation
a foe with a negative Stealth Modifier is easier to spot. When two characters cooperate toward a single goal,
they agree which of them is undertaking the task
A shadow demon with a +4 Stealth Modifier directly, and which is assisting. The leader may spend
drifts closer to you, hoping to ambush you. any number of points from their pool, adding them to
The Difficulty of a Stealth test to spot it rises the die roll. The assistant may pay any number of points
from Difficulty 4 to Difficulty 8. from their pool. All but one of these is applied to the
die roll.
Retrying a Failed Test You and your ally are trying to lift a very,
Other than combat attacks, the test represents your very heavy portcullis enough to slip under.
best chance to succeed. Once you fail, you’ve done She takes lead. You both spend 6 Athletics;
your best and cannot retry unless you take some other
your bonus on the test is +11.
supporting action that would credibly increase your
odds of success. If allowed to do this, you must spend
more pool points than you did on the previous attempt.
If you can’t afford it, you can’t retry. Full Contests
Rules
through a market stall full of chickens,
A drunken argument with a noble has led hoping the loose birds will confuse you. The
to an archery competition… with the target rat-thing makes a Warfare test at Difficulty
being a piece of fruit set atop the head of a 4 to smash open the cages while it runs past.
commoner. You’re going first. If you miss, This increases the Difficulty of the rat-
you possibly aren’t the only person who loses. thing’s chase test by +2 this round, making
it Difficulty 6.
Typically each character attempts to beat a Difficulty of If the chicken diversion is successful, the
4. A notable advantage or disadvantage can lower the Difficulty of your (and your allies’) next
Difficulty to 3 or raise it to 5 or higher for one or both chase tests rises by an amount chosen by your
of the characters.
GM, usually +2. If any of you then fail your
Using the Talent from a high Preparedness chase test, the diversion will have worked and
ability, one of your friends establishes with that person will have to drop out of the chase.
Flashback that your opponent in the archery It’s up to the loser of the chase how they respond upon
contest has been poisoned with a drug that being caught or losing the chase. They may surrender,
leaves their hands shaking badly. Their they may fight, they may try to hide, or they may try
Difficulty rises from 4 to 6, while your to talk their way out of trouble. Either way, they’re
Difficulty stays at 4. probably trying it while panting from exertion.
If a fight erupts during or at the end of a chase,
move into normal Initiative (see p. 64), with one of
Chases
the victors going first in combat.
In Swords of the Serpentine the most common full Refresh tokens (see p. 97) are held back until
contest is the chase. A chase occurs when one character the end of the chase. The goal of a chase is flight, not
(or group of characters) is trying to catch up to another combat, and slowing down to defeat enemies along
character or group, or when multiple groups are taking the route shouldn’t allow Heroes to then refresh their
separate routes to race to a single spot. Athletics pool to run even faster.
Characters roll a Difficulty 4 chase test against a
key ability that varies based on the nature of the chase,
and any character who fails a roll is out of the chase. Racing to a Location
If a quarry fails, pursuers catch up with them and they Some races don’t have a pursuer and quarry, and
must surrender or fight. If a pursuer fails they may not instead are multiple individuals or groups racing for
continue the chase, and they rejoin the group after the a finite duration or to a specific location. Examples
chase’s conclusion. The chase ends when all pursuers might include a ten-person footrace, sprinting through
have dropped out of the chase, or when all quarries a flooding sewer for the exit, or a regatta through
have been caught up with. Eversink’s canals from one side of the city to the other.
During a chase, attempting any non-chase action When groups are racing to a single location, the
that helps you or hinders your opponents (such as GM establishes the number of rounds that the chase
attacking with Warfare, changing the rower on your will last. Every round, each contestant (or group of
boat, and so on) raises the Difficulty of your chase test contestants) must succeed at their chase test to stay in
60 Swords of the Serpentine
escape), and that anything else you or your allies before you do, so that they can steal the bomb.
decide may distract from that. Athletics is the chase ability, and the GM sets
Running away from someone? At first glance this as a 4-round race.
it doesn’t seem like a good idea to distract your
Because your whole team is in a single
pursuer, because every attempt raises your chase
boat, you only make one Athletics test each
test Difficulty by 2 and makes you more likely to
be caught. round (with everyone else piggybacking off
The non-obvious trade-off is that if you’re your hard work rowing, and so paying 1
successful, you raise the Difficulty of the chase Athletics point each). Your chase Difficulty
test by 2 or more for everyone following you is 4, and so is your opponent’s.
— and if they fail that, they’re out of the chase 1st round: You spend 6 Athletics and
entirely. Is it worth risking your own failure if roll a 6. Your result is 12. Your foes spend
it means that one or more pursuers must drop
5 Athletics and roll a 3, for a result of 8.
out of the chase? Maybe! And frankly, it’s just
Once you subtract the Difficulty, your lead is
fun to tip over a marketplace booth selling live
scorpions if it means your pursuers will then have
8, theirs is 4. You’re in the lead!
to navigate the resulting chaos. 2nd round: You spend 4 Athletics but roll
a 1. Your Result is 5, while your foes’ is 9:
subtract the Difficulty from each and your
the race. Where the odds of success are skewed in favor lead is now 9 (8+1), theirs is 9 (4+5). You’re
of one contestant, the GM may assign different chase tied.
Difficulties to each side. The GM calculates the lead 3rd round: You’re almost out of Athletics
by subtracting each party’s chase Difficulty from their
so you change boat pilots to someone else,
result.
increasing your Difficulty this round by +2.
The GM keeps track of the cumulative lead for each
Your side spends 6 but rolls another 1, for a
individual or group in the race, and the contestant with
the highest cumulative lead at the end is the winner. result of 7. Your foes get 9. Your lead is now
The group with the highest lead at the end of any given 10, theirs is 14. They’re in the lead.
round is ahead. 4th round: You spend a point of City’s
Throughout the chase, everyone at the gaming Secrets to take a shortcut, adding +3 to your
table should collaborate to add flavor to each result, Athletics test this round. Your side spends 5
explaining what you did to remain in the race. Describe Athletics, adds +3, and rolls a 6, for a result
slippery cobblestones, mud, inconvenient canals,
of 14. Your foes are almost out of Athletics
handy shortcuts, annoyed pigs, rickety rooftop bridges,
and get a result of 7. You add 10 to your
surprised churchgoers, and crowded markets. That way,
instead of dropping out of the narration to talk about
Lead, and your opponents add 3 to theirs.
Difficulty numbers and Athletics spends, you keep the Your total lead at the end is 20, and your
fictional world verbally alive in a way that everyone foes’ total lead is 17. You win and arrive
around the table can picture. before they do.
Chapter 3: Rules 61
Rules
62 Swords of the Serpentine
Combat
Fights are full contests that use one of the General You’re farther away from a foe than you
abilities Sorcery, Sway, or Warfare. want to be. On your turn you close from Long
At the start of a combat, establish where the range to Medium range and fire a crossbow.
characters are in the scene, which will enable you to
Rules
Next round you close from Medium range
assign range (below) as needed. to Close range and attempt a Sway attack
Combat happens in rounds. In a round, all the
against your foe’s Morale. If that doesn’t
characters involved take a turn to do something. The
seem like a good tactic, the following round
order they act is set by initiative (p. 64).
When called upon to act, you may strike at any foe you can close to Point-Blank range, draw
within range of your weapons or abilities, hide using your blade, and try to stab your foe.
Stealth, or take a different non-combat action. You
may also move up to one range increment — running Point-Blank Range
towards a fight from Medium to Close range, for You are literally face-to-face with your foe, within easy
instance, or backing away from Point-Blank to Close arm’s reach.
range. � All brawls and knife fights occur at this range.
You attack someone (see p. 65) using Sorcery, � Trying to use ranged Warfare attacks at this range
Sway, or Warfare. A successful attack typically inflicts raises the target’s Health Threshold by +2, making
damage. Combat damage subtracts from your target’s them more difficult to hit.
Health or Morale pool, whichever is appropriate for the � Moving from Close range to Point-Blank range
type of attack you made. against someone with a drawn and ready ranged
The fight continues until all combatants on one weapon such as a crossbow is risky; your foe with
side have fallen, surrendered or fled. Remember that the ranged weapon gets an immediate free attack
you can have a combat using only Sway that takes place on you. This bonus attack occurs outside of normal
while seated politely around a table, and the results are initiative order. Charging a wall of mercenaries
just as definitive as if the opponents were using daggers. all aiming crossbows is a very brief, very painful
experience.
Swords of the Serpentine is usually played in your imagination: you and the GM describe the scene together,
you describe your actions, and the GM describes who’s where throughout a fight. It’s why the rules use range
zones from a target instead of specifying how many feet you can move each round. This isn’t a simulation: like
a sword & sorcery novel, combat is more interesting when you don’t worry too much about exact distances.
If you want to use a gridded battlemap and miniature figurines, however, that’s easy and fun to do instead,
and very useful for complicated battlefields. Use the description of the combat range zones to estimate how
far you move, the range of your attacks, and where you are compared to everyone else. Use any marker or
figurine you like to represent your Hero, as long as it’s distinctive.
Chapter 3: Rules 65
Rules
the tactical flexibility of choosing who goes next To attack:
at the end of a player’s turn instead. Ask your � Select a target within range.
players which they prefer and use that method. � Describe your attack.
� Spend points from the relevant General ability (if
desired).
multiple Adversaries on the same initiative attack a � Roll a d6, and attempt to meet or exceed your target’s
single Hero, the GM determines their order of action Health (p. 77) or Morale Threshold (p. 81).
in whatever manner she finds convenient — usually the � If successful, calculate damage (p. 70).
order in which she’s tracking them in her rough notes.
When you successfully attack, your total damage is:
The damage you inflict is reduced by your foe’s the attack. This maxes out at 6 points of guaranteed
Armor if you target Health, and by your foe’s Grit if damage; you can spend more than 6 Sway points
you target Morale. in an attack (perhaps to get a Critical Hit or to use
the Talent Play to the Crowd), but your minimum
You spend 4 points of Sorcery when attacking
guaranteed damage doesn’t rise above 6. If you get to
your foe, and Sorcery normally has a
roll additional damage dice on your Sway attack, these
Damage Modifier of +1. You roll a 1 on the are rolled normally.
damage die. Because you spent 4 points on
Rules
your attack, the 1 is treated as a 4, and you You spend 6 points of Sway when threatening
inflict 5 points of damage on your foe. your foe and successfully hit. You don’t need
to roll a damage die because your minimum
You’re encouraged to describe and narrate your actions. die result is 6. Sway has a Damage Modifier
It’s more entertaining to say “Whatever vegetation he of +1, so you inflict 7 points of Morale
ate for lunch sprouts, writhing up his throat and out damage on your foe.
his nose as it grows thorns and rips apart his flesh” than
it is to say “I hit him with Sorcery,” even though the You’re encouraged to roleplay your attack. It’s much
amount of damage your foe suffers is the same. more fun and entertaining to explain exactly why
You can’t attack with Sorcery unless you possess at your pathetic foe would be a fool not to surrender
least one rank of the Investigative ability Corruption. immediately, or to diplomatically insult them, than it is
to say “I Sway him”. Another reason to describe your
attack is that some foes are more or less vulnerable to
Player Advice: Use Two fear, and many undead are particularly vulnerable to
Different Colored Dice Sway attacks described as prayer. Loud noise in the
environment may make a spoken attack less effective.
It’s useful to have your attack’s base damage die
be a different color than your other dice. That’s
because the number of points you spend when Player Advice:
attacking sets the minimum base damage you The Three Uses of Sway
inflict. If you have a different colored die for
rolling base damage, you can roll all your dice at Sway allows you to bolster and effectively heal
once and just adjust damage on the fly. the Morale of your allies (p. 83), so think twice
before spending your Sway pool down to 0 while
attacking an opponent’s Morale in combat. You
Attacking with Sway could be caught unable to rescue a demoralized
When you make a Sway attack, you’re using words, ally after spending all your resources to attack.
actions or body language to undermine your foe’s In addition to combat and bolstering an
confidence, bravery and willpower, demoralizing them ally’s Morale, you’re most likely to use Sway
into surrender or flight even if you never engage in on Morale-based Maneuvers (see page 72)
physical warfare. where someone either must do what you ask or
Sway attacks can occur at any range where the take Morale damage. They’re an elegant way to
combatants can see or hear each other, although nudge a Supporting Character’s decision towards
circumstances such as distance and competing noise the choice you want them to make.
may raise the Difficulty and lower the damage.
A Sway attack targets a foe’s Morale, and the damage
you inflict is reduced by your foe’s Grit. Sway’s base
damage is a die plus a +1 Damage Modifier. Attacking with Warfare
Your minimum damage die result (before any Whether fighting with ranged weapons such as a
modifiers) is the number of Sway points you spend on crossbow, melee weapons like a sword, or bare-fisted,
Chapter 3: Rules 67
Rules
68 Swords of the Serpentine
the Warfare ability determines whether you strike your you choose. A giant axe is going to do more damage
foe. than a sword, a sword is going to do more damage than
Ranged Warfare attacks generally occur at Close a dagger, and a dagger is going to do more damage
range or farther away. Melee Warfare attacks occur at than a pointy rock.
Point-Blank range, with combatants ducking in and out Small weapons have a Damage Modifier of +0;
of Close range as they maneuver. medium weapons have a Damage Modifier of +1;
Weapon attacks target your foe’s Health, and the and large weapons have a Damage Modifier of +2.
damage you inflict is reduced by your foe’s Armor. Adjust these numbers and add Weapon Modifiers as
Rules
Warfare’s base damage is one d6, with a Damage appropriate. A full list of weapons is on p. 133.
Modifier that is based on your weapon (see p. 133). Weapons that are easy to find can be acquired for
Even impromptu weapons will likely hurt your foe more free; you can find a makeshift club almost anywhere.
than unarmed punches or kicks will. Better crafted weapons, such as a sword, cost Wealth
You’re encouraged to describe and narrate your 2 or higher if they aren’t already part of your minor
actions. It’s much more fun and entertaining to say iconic gear.
“I knock off his hat with the tip of my sword before Whether ranged or melee, almost all weapons attack
stabbing him in the belly” than it is to say “I hit him,” a target’s Health and are wielded with the Warfare
even though the amount of damage your foe suffers is ability.
the same.
Putting effort into greater accuracy is rewarded. Your
minimum damage die result (before any modifiers) is Advanced Attacks
the number of Warfare points you spend on the attack.
This maxes out at 6 points of guaranteed damage; you Critical Hits
can spend more than 6 Warfare points in an attack
(perhaps to get a Critical Hit or to use the Cleave You can score a Critical Hit when attacking with Sorcery,
Talent (p. 42) on some Mooks), but your minimum Sway, or Warfare if you exceed the target’s Health or
guaranteed damage doesn’t rise above 6. If you get to Morale Threshold by 5 or more. This inflicts an extra
roll additional damage dice on your attack, these are 1d6 of damage to Health or Morale (as appropriate),
rolled normally. and an additional die of damage for every 5 points
beyond that.
You spend 3 points of Warfare when
Your attack will usually hit a foe if you
attacking your foe, and roll a 3 for a total
succeed at Difficulty 4, so you get a Critical
attack result of 6. Your target had a Health
Hit for +1 die of damage if you reach attack
Threshold of 4, so you missed triggering
result 9, and your Critical Hit rises to +2
the Cleave Talent by 1 point. Luckily,
dice of damage if your attack reaches attack
“Disemboweling your foes” is one of your
result 14.
Drives, so you invoke it to push your result
up to 7. This lets you damage a second foe Your minimum damage from spending pool points (see
within range with no additional attack p. 65) only applies to your initial damage die, not
required. Describe what happened and roll to additional damage dice gained through your Critical
damage separately against each victim, or Hit.
just assign 4 damage to your second foe. If you roll a high enough attack, you choose whether
to inflict a Critical Hit or attack multiple foes (but not
both on the same attack), depending on whether you
Weaponry want to focus your damage or spread it about.
Weapon statistics in GUMSHOE are simplified;
differentiating most weapons is usually a matter of Attacking Multiple Foes
narrative description, not game mechanics. Your Surrounded by Mooks? The Talents for Sorcery (Blast),
Damage Modifier for Warfare comes from the weapon Sway (Play to the Crowd), and Warfare (Cleave) allow
Chapter 3: Rules 69
Rules
additional foes always starts with base damage (usually could use both on the same attack, you would
1d6+1, or 4 points if you prefer to take the average), target your primary enemy, spend all your pool
regardless of how much damage was inflicted on the points at once, score a massive Critical Hit, and
primary target. then trigger your Talent to also deal damage
to every foe nearby. That would be awfully
Your minimum damage from spending pool points impressive, but it wouldn’t be much fun for
(see p. 65) only applies to your initial damage die anyone but you because fights would be over
and to your initial target, not to damage inflicted on long before every player had a chance to act. By
additional targets. You can only target additional foes restricting your options on powerful attacks, you
who have a Health or Morale Threshold equal to or less have to choose between taking down multiple
than the original target’s. Mooks with a Talent or badly hurting one person
with a Critical Hit.
You charge forward and attack your foes,
choosing one as a target. That foe’s Health
Threshold is 4, and you spend 5 points of
Warfare before you roll to hit. You roll a 6, To make a teamwork attack, select an ally, then make a
add the 5 Warfare you spent, and reach an Sorcery, Sway or Warfare attack against a foe’s normal
attack result of 11. You decide it will be more Health or Morale Threshold. If successful, add 1d6
fun to Cleave than it would be to inflict a (with no Damage Modifier) to the damage of your
Critical Hit. ally’s next attack against that Adversary. If your attack
is a Critical Hit, or if you spend Investigative points to
So you hit your original target and add dice of damage to your attack, these bonus dice
Cleave two other foes (the original target of damage are also handed to your ally. Your ally’s
at 4, a second foe at 7, and one final foe at successful attack must occur before the end of the next
10). Round down to determine the number round. If their attack misses or doesn’t happen, your
of successful targets. If any of those foes had a bonus damage is discarded.
Health Threshold of 5 or higher, you’d have You should describe how you’re helping your ally
skipped over them when determining possible do more damage. Teamwork attacks are only possible
targets. when the GM considers your description of aid to
be reasonable. “I’m distracting it so it’s paying less
attention to other people” is a perfectly fine description.
Teamwork Attacks “It’s clumsy and it trips” isn’t because it doesn’t reflect
Feeling generous? You can boost an ally’s damage your action, unless you also describe pulling it off-
instead of inflicting damage yourself. balance so that your ally has an advantage.
Use teamwork attacks when: Your teamwork attack doesn’t need to target the
� Both are trying to inflict the same damage type same Health or Morale ability that your ally is attacking.
(Health or Morale) on a foe. Your Sway attack could distract a foe enough that your
� Working to punch through high Armor or Grit. ally gets in a really good Warfare attack, for instance, or
� You aren’t close enough to attack an enemy directly. your Warfare attack could make your ally’s Sway attack
� There’s a reason you don’t wish to directly attack. be that much more convincing.
70 Swords of the Serpentine
Your Sorcery targets Morale. You announce of anything, but can still try. Note that having a rank
that your magic will alter the foe’s of 0 is very different from a Hero with ranks but no
perception of pain, and you successfully remaining pool points; that Hero suffers none of these
make a Difficulty 4 teamwork attack using penalties.
Sorcery. You spend a point of Intimidation Using Warfare (including fists or feet) or Sway
when you have 0 ranks in the ability has the following
to add an additional die of Morale damage.
drawbacks.
Then you assign both dice of shared damage
� You gain a −2 Damage Modifier.
to your friend Karla’s warrior; if Karla’s
Rules
Rules
Sorcery, Sway
Allegiances they do what you wish. Alternatively, you use poison or martial
or Warfare
resources (such as describing a hidden crossbow-wielding soldier)
obtained from your Allies to damage their Health.
Command You order your foe to surrender or drop their mental defenses. Sorcery or Sway
Every dirty trick your enemy is about to try is one you’ve seen
Felonious Intent many, many times before — and you have a deadly technique in Sway or Warfare
reserve that they probably haven’t run into.
You know ancient tactics, charms and incantations to make your Sorcery, Sway
Forgotten Lore
attacks more powerful. or Warfare
Sorcery, Sway
Intimidation You muscle in to terrify your foe.
or Warfare
You know poison and disease, and how to jab people where it will Sorcery, Sway
Leechcraft
hurt the most. or Warfare
As a child, you had a superb fencing tutor, and you know the most
Nobility Sway or Warfare
damning family gossip.
You’ve foreseen truths about what’s going to be truly effective, Sorcery, Sway
Prophecy
and what won’t. or Warfare
72 Swords of the Serpentine
The fates work in your favor, making your attack particularly Sorcery, Sway or
Ridiculous Luck
effective. Warfare
Scurrilous Rumors You let your enemy know that you could shred their reputation. Sway
Rules
You know exactly where to sink your blade, or exactly what secret
Skulduggery Sway or Warfare
to reveal, to bring your foe to their knees.
You can channel ghosts into and through your enemy, Sorcery, Sway or
Spirit Sight
demoralizing or injuring them. Warfare
Sorcery, Sway or
Taunt You make your foe so furious they let their defenses slip.
Warfare
Trustworthy Your enemy foolishly allows you to get within their guard. Warfare
You see exactly the right time to attack, presumably when your foe Sorcery, Sway or
Vigilance
is distracted. Warfare
You’re fighting atop the Opera House and GMs decide how long a Maneuver’s effect lasts: most
your sorcerous foe tries to use a Maneuver — physical effects last at least until the end of your next
an illusion, in this case — to trick you into round, and most mental effects last for the scene. GMs
walking off the edge of the very high roof. The may raise or lower a Maneuver’s Difficulty if they think
Difficulty of their Sorcery attack is 10, so you the test is likely or unlikely to succeed. For instance,
it’s much easier to slip if you’re already standing on ice.
have a choice of either walking off the roof or
Sorcerous items such as Tokens may raise the Difficulty
taking 8 points of Morale damage. You tell
(and thus the damage) on Maneuvers, making defenders
the GM you’re spending a point of Vigilance
Rules
more likely to choose the effect instead of the damage.
(because you are so observant), reduce the
Morale damage from 8 to 5, further reduce Examples of Maneuvers
it by your 1 point of Grit, and take 4 points � Temporarily blind a foe with Sorcery or Warfare
of Morale damage instead of plummetting. (they take Health damage or are blinded, increasing
It’s a good choice, as the fall would probably the Difficulty of actions where visual acuity matters;
kill you. see p. 57).
� Use a headshot or sheer terror to daze someone
Note that Morale-based Maneuvers aren’t mind control; with Sorcery, Sway, or Warfare (they take Health or
you can’t make someone love you or be infatuated with Morale damage, depending on the type of attack,
you, although you may convince them to help you for or have all test Difficulties rise by +2).
a time. Your GM may disallow any Maneuver if she � Disarm a foe with a Sorcery or Warfare attack (they
thinks the effect you want is too powerful. take Health damage or whatever they’re holding is
knocked out of their hands, requiring an action to
pick up).
74 Swords of the Serpentine
Full Cover
You’re hunkered down and hard to hit, and the barrier
Player Advice: Why No
you’re behind is largely protecting you from incoming
Unconsciousness Maneuver? fire. Your Health Threshold increases by +1, +2, or +3,
at the GM’s discretion, although you’re penalized the
You could reasonably expect “knock same amount if you try to target or attack someone on
someone unconscious” to show up on a list of the other side of the Full Cover.
Maneuvers, but it’s been deliberately excluded. Shields can provide Full Cover when used, at the cost
Inconsequential Supporting Characters already of penalizing your combat tests by the same amount.
have 1 Health, so you can declare them
unconscious as soon as you damage them at
Cover Against Sway Attacks
all, and the only time villains get knocked
unconscious in classic sword & sorcery novels is You can similarly take full cover from Morale attacks
when they’ve been thrashed into submission first. by limiting your ability to see and hear your foe. Cover
If you want to ring someone’s bells by swinging against Morale-targeted attacks uses the system above,
a sock full of coins at their head, use the Daze but the nature of Cover changes dramatically when
Maneuver instead. you’re facing fear or a convincing argument.
Chapter 3: Rules 75
Rules
opponent, but are not particularly vulnerable to their you from attacks against your Morale. Each 1 point of
blandishments. Your Morale Threshold remains Grit reduces damage inflicted on you by 1 point. People
unchanged. with Grit often appear emotionally detached, distant, or
fanatical. Note that some foes can ignore all or part of
Full Cover your Grit.
Your foe’s Sway attack is somehow obscured, whether Heroes who have at least five pieces of gear that
by darkness (for body language), by loud noise, by define their personality (see p. 42) have Grit 1.
extreme distraction, or by distance. Your Morale Grit derived from different sources isn’t cumulative;
Threshold increases by +1, +2, or +3, at the GM’s use the best single source of Grit when reducing Morale
discretion, and any Sway attacks you make are penalized damage.
by the same amount. If a Protective Ward is in place (see below), subtract
Grit before halving damage.
Shields
Shields take up one hand and act as Full Cover when you Protective Wards
choose to use them, increasing your Health Threshold Ancient half-forgotten chants sometimes have value;
by +1, +2, or +3 (depending on how defensive you are pool points of Forgotten Lore can be spent to weave
being). Your Warfare, Sway and Sorcery attacks are lucky, religious, or magical Protective Wards that
penalized an equal amount, although only when you protect Health or Morale. Anyone with ranks of
are gaining the Full Cover benefit of the shield. You Forgotten Lore can accomplish this, not just Sorcerers.
decide whether you default to using your shield when Describe what the effect of your Protective Ward looks
combat occurs, and you can freely change this decision like when you create it.
on your turn.
Rules
one tries an ambush in the middle of a conversation, abilities. If there are special circumstances in which the
Surprise is less likely to be a concern. GM dictates that doesn’t apply, such as your enemy
having a particularly high Stealth Modifier, spending a
How Surprise Works Vigilance point still gives you a +3 Alertness Modifier
You are Surprised when you suddenly find yourself on your Stealth roll to spot the ambush.
in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. Avoid being You can Surprise your foes by sneaking up on them
Surprised with a successful Stealth test to notice the with a successful Stealth test. The basic Difficulty is 4,
hidden ambush. The basic Difficulty is 4, adjusted by adjusted by the foe’s Alertness Modifier and your Stealth
your Alertness modifier (see p. 57) and the foe’s modifier (if any). Spending 1 point of Skulduggery
Stealth Modifier. gives you a +3 Stealth Modifier on this roll.
Health
Health represents how hard you are to physically defeat. test, the GM will tell you what happens: you may fall
Your maximum Health is determined by your Health unconscious, take more Health damage (denoted
rank. Although your Health pool may rise and fall as by the term Loss, such as “Difficulty 4/Loss 4”), or
you get injured and heal, your Health rank doesn’t something else depending on the circumstances.
usually change unless you deliberately improve it with If spending points on a Health test drives your
Advancement points. Health to -6 or below, you still only make one Health
Starting Heroes have a Health rank between 3 and test. If you go to Hurt and then to Seriously Wounded
15 (see p. 35). A Health rank of 10 or higher raises as a result of two separate attacks, you make two separate
your Health Threshold from 3 to 4. Health tests.
Health Thresholds can be raised or lowered by
You’ve dropped to –1 Health and want to
conditions such as shields or cover.
stay conscious. The GM asks you to make a
Difficulty 4/Unconsciousness Health test
Health Tests to do so. You decide to spend 2 Health on
the roll, giving you a +2 bonus on the die.
Some attacks and situations, including but not limited You reduce your Health pool from –1 to –3,
to dropping below 0 Health, require you to make a then roll a die and add 2. As long as you
Health test. Do so by rolling a die and trying to reach don’t roll a 1, you’ll hit or exceed the target
or exceed the target Difficulty, which is usually 4. Difficulty of 4 and will stay on your feet. If
Before you roll, you can choose to strain yourself and
you roll a 1, you fail the Health test and pass
spend points from your Health to boost your die roll.
out from pain.
You can do this when your health is below 0, though
obviously it’s risky. If you succeed at your Health test, Any penalties from being below 0 Health don’t apply to
you will usually take no additional damage other than Health tests. Armor doesn’t apply to Health tests, and
what you choose to spend. If you fail your Health never reduces the amount of Health spent or lost.
78 Swords of the Serpentine
and aren’t physically injured in any meaningful or lasting 1 Health point for every Bind Wounds point spent. If
way. You may look bruised or battered, however. you have the Bind Wounds Talent, Plenty of Leeches,
If your Health pool is anywhere from –1 to you may restore Health to yourself as if you were
–5, you are physically Hurt but have suffered no tending another character.
permanent injury beyond a few superficial cuts and If your Health pool is between –6 and –10, you
bruises. Immediately make a Health test at Difficulty have been Seriously Wounded and healing is only half
4 when you first drop below 0 Health. If you succeed, as effective on you until you reach Health 0 or higher.
you stay conscious despite your injuries and don’t need Each point of Bind Wounds spent on you heals 1
to make another test until additional injuries drop you Health, not 2, and trying to bind your own wounds is
below –5 Health. If you fail, you drop unconscious: see equally half as effective as normal. This penalty can be
Health Tests, below, for more information. ignored for one round if the person tending you spends
When Hurt, the pain of your injuries increases the a point of Leechcraft.
Difficulty of all General ability tests by 1 (excluding
Rules
from accruing damage until additional injuries kill you.
That’s particularly useful if you want to try to crawl you’re not sure if its haunted, but you do
away, or see who finishes you off. know that something very terrible happened
If you are able to remain conscious when Seriously here. If you want to enter, take 3 damage to
Wounded, the pain of your injuries increases the your Morale, less your Grit.”
Difficulty of all General ability tests (excluding Health “The fire begins to spread. Everyone will
tests and Morale tests) by 2. In combat, this penalty
take 1 Health damage this round. If you
effectively raises foes’ Health or Morale Thresholds by
stay in the burning room and no one deals
2. This penalty isn’t cumulative with that from a low
with the fire, that will rise to 3 Health
Morale; only apply the stricter of the two penalties.
If you’re Seriously Wounded and unconscious, you damage next round. Armor won’t reduce
will lose an additional Health point every half hour the damage.”
until you receive first aid. A character with the Bind
Wounds ability can stabilize your condition by making a
Difficulty 4 Bind Wounds test. This test doesn’t restore GM Advice: Fixed Damage
any lost Health, it just stops you from continuing to
bleed out. Use fixed damage to quickly establish tone. If you
Your allies can get you back on your feet, but it takes tell players they suffer 5 points of Morale damage
some time to fully recover. If you become Seriously because “ripe fungal growths are rapidly bursting
Wounded, the Difficulty of all General ability tests you up through the old lady’s skin as she moves to
make stays at 1 point higher than normal for the rest of attack you,” they’ll instantly understand how
the adventure (or for one week, whichever elapses first). horrible she is.
When your Health pool dips below –10, you Fixed damage is also a great way to remind
are Defeated. It’s up to the person who defeated you players that externalized Corruption remains
whether you are dead, unconscious, maimed, conscious toxic long, long after the sorcerer departs (see p.
but captured, or otherwise defeated. If left conscious, 118).
you may no longer take any actions during this scene
(you can still roleplay, but not make attacks), and you
will typically start the next scene regaining consciousness Regaining Health
but still Seriously Wounded.
The only Investigative spends you can make are from
You can regain lost Health points slowly over time, or
your Allegiances or Social abilities, made to convince
they can be restored through the Bind Wounds General
your foe not to slay you.
ability, see p. 37. A spent point of the Investigative
If slain, take this time to mourn your Hero and create
ability Leechcraft can also restore Health.
a replacement character. See p. 233 for important
Characters generally recover 2 points of Health per
details on funerary customs and the afterlife. Rarely,
day of restful, relaxed activity.
your GM will allow you to play your own ghost for a
short time; see below.
80 Swords of the Serpentine
Healing Injuries
You will shake off any lingering penalty
from being Seriously Wounded after
7 days of rest. You heal fully between
adventures.
During an adventure, you’re much
Rules
Defeat, Death,
and its Aftermath
You have a few options when you’ve been
defeated.
The sword & sorcery approach to character death is that a Hero shouldn’t ever actually die without their
player’s express permission, although the Hero may be defeated and captured many times. That’s how classic
fantasy stories handle it, right? It’s primarily about the story, and you can lose badly without losing your life.
In comparison, the “gaming approach” to character death is that enemies are hostile, chance is random,
and once in a while Heroes get slain. This approach focuses more on risk and danger; some players enjoy a
Rules
game more when the spectre of death is always a possibility.
These rules assume the latter, but you should talk to your players about how you want to handle death.
Either method works well, so pick the approach you and your players prefer.
Morale
Morale measures willpower and represents how strong- If spending points on a Morale test drives your
willed and brave you are. Your maximum Morale is Morale to -6 or below, you still only make one Morale
determined by your Morale rank. Starting Heroes have test. If you go to Unstable and then to Panicked as a
a Morale rank between 3 and 15 (see p. 35). A Morale result of two separate attacks, you make two separate
rank of 10 or higher raises your Morale Threshold from Morale tests.
3 to 4.
Only sentient creatures and objects have Morale. A You’ve dropped to –1 Morale (Unstable) and
human foe would have Morale (and so you could talk want to stay active in the scene. The GM asks
them into surrendering), but a reinforced doorway you you to make a Difficulty 4 Morale test to do
want to get through would not. Don’t expect much so. You decide to spend 2 Morale on the roll,
progress if you try to use Sway to talk your way through giving you a +2 bonus on the die. You reduce
a closed and locked door. your Morale pool from –1 to –3, then roll a
die and add 2. As long as you don’t roll a
1, you’ll hit or exceed the Target Difficulty
Morale Tests of 4 and can continue to act in the scene. If
you roll a 1, you fail the Morale test and tell
Some attacks and situations, including but not limited
the GM why your Hero is no longer active
to dropping below 0 Morale or resisting mind control,
require you to make a Morale test. Do so by rolling a (due to fear, distraction, unconsciousness, or
die and trying to reach or exceed the target Difficulty, something else you choose).
which is usually 4.
Before you roll, you can choose to strain yourself Any penalties from being below 0 Morale don’t apply
and spend points from your Morale to boost your die to Morale tests. Grit doesn’t apply to Morale tests, and
roll. You can do this when your Morale is below zero, never reduces the amount of Morale spent or lost.
though obviously it’s risky. If you succeed at your
Morale test, you will usually take no additional Morale Becoming Demoralized
damage other than what you chose to spend. If you fail
your Morale test, the GM will tell you what happens: When your Morale is successfully attacked by Sway or
you may get to choose for yourself why you’re out of Sorcery, or when something demoralizes you without
combat, but under other circumstances you may panic, an attack (such as fear emanating from a cursed altar),
take even more Morale damage (denoted by the term you’ll take damage to your Morale pool. See below for
Loss, such as “Difficulty 4/Loss 4”), or something else. how you can recover that damage.
82 Swords of the Serpentine
If your Morale pool is 0 or above, you are you A character with the Sway ability can help bolster
are Resilient and aren’t demoralized or cowering your Morale. For every Sway point they spend, you
in any meaningful or lasting way. Even if something regain 2 Morale points — unless you’re trying to talk
makes you feel afraid or discouraged, you possess the yourself into being brave, in which case you gain only 1
willpower to persevere. Morale point for every Sway point spent.
If your Morale pool is anywhere from –1 to –5, If your Morale pool is between –6 and –10, you
you are Unstable. Immediately make a Morale test at are Panicked, and bolstering your Morale is only half as
Difficulty 4 when you first drop below 0 Morale. If you effective as normal until you reach Morale 0 or higher.
succeed you stay active despite your low morale and Each point of Sway spent on you restores 1 Morale, not
don’t need to make another test until additional Morale 2, and trying to bolster your own Morale is equally half
damage drops you below –5 Morale. If you fail, tell the as effective as normal. This penalty can be ignored for
GM why you are no longer active during this scene one round if the person tending you spends a point of
(you may fall unconscious, flee, surrender, be captured, Trustworthy.
or something else). You must make another Morale test at Difficulty 4
When Unstable, your rising panic increases the when you first become Panicked. (If you went directly
Difficulty of all General ability tests (excluding Health to Panicked without ever becoming Unstable, make
tests and Morale tests). In combat, this penalty only this one Morale test.) If you succeed, you can
effectively raises foes’ Health or Morale Thresholds by continue to act. If you fail, as above, tell the GM why
1. This penalty isn’t cumulative with that from a low you are no longer active during this scene.
Health; only apply the stricter of the two penalties.
Chapter 3: Rules 83
When Panicked, the Difficulty of all General ability Becoming Broken permanently cracks and scars your
tests (excluding Health tests and Morale tests) is psyche in a way that some sorcerers and all hostile spirits
increased by 2. In combat, this penalty effectively raises can take advantage of. Attackers using the Possession
foes’ Health or Morale Thresholds by 2. This penalty Maneuver against you (see p. 163) gain +1 for every
isn’t cumulative with that from a low Health; only apply time in your adventuring career that you’ve been Broken.
the stricter of the two penalties.
Your allies can restore your confidence, but it takes Your Morale has been Broken three times
some time to fully regain your composure. If you in your adventures, and now a hostile ghost
Rules
become Panicked and then subsequently you’re brought tries to possess you. They roll a Sway attack
above 0 Morale, the Difficulty of all General ability tests with a result of 7, add +3 because you’ve
stays at 1 point higher than normal for the rest of the been Broken three times before, and end up
adventure (or for one week, whichever elapses first). with a final result of 10. You choose between
taking 8 points of Morale damage (result –
2) or being possessed. If you had never been
GM Advice: Broken, you’d choose between taking 5 points
Panic and Participation of Morale damage or being possessed.
Hazards
There are all sorts of ways to get hurt that don’t involve still and silent, and their location cannot reasonably be
being stabbed. This section covers many of them, guessed). The GM adjudicates the modifier based on
including disease and the all-important (in Eversink, at circumstances and your senses.
least) poison.
Blindness Diseases
Partial blindness (such as losing one eye or degenerating Swords of the Serpentine isn’t a game about disease —
eyesight) doesn’t affect your Hero mechanically, at least, not usually — but disease may be a significant
although under certain circumstances (usually dim story element in an adventure or a campaign. As you’d
light or long distances) the GM may slightly penalize expect, disease can be a problem in a crowded city that’s
your Alertness Modifier or the Difficulty to use ranged surrounded by stagnant swamps.
weapons accurately. Sudden outbreaks of disease terrify people. If you
Temporary full blindness (such as a sack over your ever need to get a city district blocked off so that no
head, which you’ll need to spend an action to remove) one can get in or out, spreading the rumor of a terrible
and permanent full blindness (such as losing your sight disease is an awfully effective method of getting others
to a curse) raise the Difficulty on tests where visual to do your dirty work for you. The Triskadane isn’t
acuity matters. The size of the Difficulty change varies shy about quarantining entire districts of Eversink in
from +1 (attacking a foe who is touching you) to +3 order to control the spread of contagious diseases and,
(trying to pick a lock by touch alone) to +5 (your foe is historically, districts have been burned down to the
Chapter 3: Rules 85
Rules
with a sword, and a blind elemental Sorcerer Additionally, be respectful when designing
with the Earth sphere who sees the world diseases with symptoms similar to real-world
through vibrations in her bare feet (like Toph conditions.
in Avatar: The Last Airbender) is a distinct and
novel concept. How they perceive the world may
give them both advantages and disadvantages. another is up to the GM; diseases move at the speed of
For instance, a deaf thief might have a very high plot. The GM may ask you to make a Health or Morale
Grit against Sway attacks (since they can’t hear an test to recover from a disease, or to avoid passing from
enemy’s voice), but no Grit at all against Morale one stage into another. The Difficulty of that test might
attacks using sorcery, body language, and fear. rise significantly (to Difficulty 8 or higher) for easy-to-
Find a fair, interesting balance with the player. catch or hard-to-cure diseases.
A disease is first noticeable in either the first or
second stage, depending on its severity and initial
symptoms. You can’t resist or treat a disease until you
waterline with the inhabitants still in them to stop the suspect you have it, or someone else does.
spread of a plague. The fact that these districts are almost Leechcraft will allow you to identify a disease, and
always the poor sections of the city is surely coincidental. for each point of Leechcraft you spend, a disease victim
In real world history, the spread and severity of will gain a +3 bonus on their next Health or Morale test
disease has shaped the course of empires. A GM who to resist or recover from the disease.
wants to shake up a campaign can introduce a plague
that kills both allies and enemies alike, and an adventure Known Diseases in Eversink
that prevents (or spreads) a virulent illness can have With outlanders arriving daily, and long-forgotten
huge stakes for millions of people that the heroes have crypts accidentally being stumbled into by explorers,
never met. new (or ancient) diseases can crop up at any time.
Create additional illnesses, but you only need to create
Disease Mechanics game stats for diseases that have a meaningful impact on
Diseases are physical, mental, parasitic, or spiritual heroes. Anyone might get a cold or the flu, for instance,
maladies that may be contagious. They aren’t limited but you’d only need to create game mechanics for a
to diseases that exist in the real world, and might be severe flu that kills people or guts a mercenary company
fantastical (with magical symptoms) or transformative on the eve of battle.
(turning the victim from a human into something
else). The onset time, symptoms, communicability, and Scabral
virulence vary by disease. A disease’s symptoms can be Scabral is a rare magical disease of the soul that slowly
wide-ranging, and may be noticeable and inconvenient turns you into a rat monstrosity known as a rattakan
without necessarily becoming crippling or deadly. A (see p. 193). Since most people don’t know that
paralytic disease may affect Athletics; a disease that steals the rattakan even exist, it is typically overlooked or
the ability to speak might lower Sway as it progresses. misidentified as bad luck or a curse. This disease is
Diseases are organized into stages. Although each automatically contracted from the bite of a rattakan,
disease has suggestions for a typical case, the speed and and ties directly into Denari’s Blessing (see p. 227).
conditions for any disease to move from one stage into Many rattakan suffer from scabral at Stage 5.
86 Swords of the Serpentine
Scabral worsens or heals slowly, usually advancing or � Stage 3: The flesh of your feet begins to dissolve
recovering by one stage per adventure. It is virulent and and turn to swamp mud and slime. Walking
difficult to resist, typically with a Difficulty 8 Morale without crutches triggers a Health 4 test from the
test required. pain: if you fail, become Dazed. Athletics tests to
� Stage 1: You look different under Spirit Sight, run, climb and chase are at Difficulty +4.
mottled and sickly. � Stage 4: One or both feet rots away entirely below
� Stage 2: Any business deals you try to make go the shin, leaving raw stumps.
sour on you. � Stage 5: You begin to dream of throwing yourself
Rules
� Stage 3: You begin to affect your environment into the swamp and sinking out of sight.
with sorcerous Corruption, weakening Denari’s
Blessing in your vicinity and Corrupting the area Special: If you survive Stage 5, the disease automatically
around you (see p. 118) when you stay in one passes. Victims pass from Stage 5 directly to cured —
location for more than one scene. although you’re still missing your feet, of course.
� Stage 4: Your flesh starts to slowly dissolve into Soaking your feet in swamp mud at least once a day
black vapor whenever you are in an area of Denari’s gives you a +2 bonus on your next test to resist the
Blessing (i.e. most of Eversink). Lose 1 die of disease.
damage from your Health pool at the start of every
Scene that takes place within Denari’s Blessing. Throat Leeches
This damage can be healed normally. Amongst the more disgusting of conditions, throat
� Stage 5: If you enter a temple, shrine, marketplace, leeches are picked up when drinking infected water.
or any area particularly sacred to Denari, you die Don’t go gargling swamp water if you can avoid it.
and dissolve into black greasy vapor. You sense this They’re a truly horrible way to die.
before you step into danger. Throat leeches worsen or improve by one stage per
day, and are resisted by Health, usually with a Difficulty
Special: It’s common for people infected with scabral 6 Health test.
to not notice until in Stage 3 or 4. Rarely, virulent and � Stage 1: You have a slight tickle in your throat, and
fast-moving strains of this disease worsen or improve your voice is hoarse.
every scene instead of every adventure. � Stage 2: You have trouble swallowing and you
crave swamp water to drink. Your throat begins to
Swamp Rot bulge.
Swamp rot is a common ailment that often afflicts the � Stage 3: You suffer from coughing fits. Once per
poor (or those afraid of leechcraft). A fair number of the scene, usually at the least convenient time, you
beggars in Eversink have lost their feet to swamp rot. It cough live leeches out of your mouth.
worsens or improves by one stage per adventure and has � Stage 4: Along with the symptoms of previous
clear symptoms, so most people afflicted have time to stages, you begin actively planning how to infect
seek treatment. Swamp rot is resisted by Health, usually others with throat leeches (usually by getting them
with a Difficulty 6 Health test. to drink liquid you have spit in). This desire isn’t
Swamp rot usually follows people who have had rational, and can be resisted with a Difficulty 4
to trek through mud and muck, and it’s believed that Morale test.
swamp spirits are claiming payment for their kindness � Stage 5: A truly revolting number of throat leeches
in not drowning you. Before you ever catch swamp bursts out of your neck, killing you.
rot, propitiate the spirits by tossing Wealth 2 into the
depths of the swamp. They say that if you do so, you’ll Tidal Plague
never need to fear swamp rot again. This lethal, fast-moving plague comes in from the sea
� Stage 1: Your feet begin to smell like low tide on a during a storm surge. It can leave the canals choked
hot day. with corpses in a matter of days.
� Stage 2: The flesh on your feet aches and begins to Tidal plague worsens or improves quickly, advancing
bruise easily. Athletics tests to run, climb and chase or recovering a stage at each high tide. Tidal plague is
are at Difficulty +2. resisted by Health; the Difficulty of the test is normally
Chapter 3: Rules 87
8, but rises to 10 when high tide coincides with dawn there via a Difficulty 3 Persuade Maneuver (so
or dusk. obey Colony or suffer 1 Morale damage). You
� Stage 1: A fever that waxes and wanes with the are not aware that you’re being manipulated. You
tide; when the tide is high, the fever is worst. The occasionally cough wetly.
skin between your fingers and toes itches. � Stage 3: The fungal infection grows in your lungs,
� Stage 2: Bulges appear on your neck beneath the and you cough often. The Difficulty for holding
jawline. You hallucinate that you’re underwater. your breath or to resist any respiratory infection is
You may walk into canals because you erroneously 2 higher than normal. If Colony wishes, you are
Rules
believe you can breathe water. Hint: you can’t. connected to its hivemind. You don’t find this odd
� Stage 3: Your body erupts with boils and blains, at all.
seeping with clear fluid that smells like saltwater. You � Stage 4: Your body has adjusted and you seldom
start suffering hallucinations, often accompanied by cough. You have become one of the Drowned,
confused ranting and violent behavior. You’ll need connected to Colony’s hivemind whenever it
to make Morale 5 tests to tell friends from foes. wishes, and this seems normal and natural to you.
� Stage 4: You suffer an irresistible compulsion to be Colony can attempt to take you over entirely for
underwater. You’ll harm others, even loved ones, a scene through a Difficulty 8 Persuade Maneuver
to achieve this goal. (obey Colony or take 6 points of Morale damage).
� Stage 5: You die by drowning as your lungs fill up It prefers not to do so, as most people suffering
with internal fluids. from wetlung are more useful as pawns and spies,
and the consequence of successfully resisting it is
Special: The priests of Denari deny that tidal plague not in Colony’s best interests (see below). See p.
is the curse of an ancient ocean god who craves blood 186 for combat stats or the Drowned.
sacrifice. In fact, they deny it fairly emphatically. The
only god who holds sway in Eversink is Denari, even at Special: The most likely vector for infection is through
high tide. spore-infested water entering the lungs directly. Anyone
who suffers a near-drowning in any of Eversink’s
Wetlung waterways runs the risk that the water was contaminated
Wetlung is a parasitic fungal infection that connects (Difficulty 4 Health test to avoid being infected). Most
victims to a secret colony of psychic fungus growing of Colony’s victims are the result of a person being
in a near-flooded underground chamber beneath forced to aspirate deliberately infected water (Difficulty
Eversink. The huge inhuman entity, which weighs over 10 Health test to resist).
50 tons and thinks of itself as “Colony”, can influence Wetlung’s victims aren’t zombies; they’re simply
people via the parasitic spore colonies growing in their susceptible to subliminal nudges towards outcomes
lungs. The true nature of wetlung isn’t understood by the hivemind desires. They won’t retain the memory
Eversink’s physicians. of their abduction and infection, nor will they realize
Wetlung is resisted by a Difficulty 10 Health test that some of their decisions are coming from an outside
once you’re infected, but isn’t traditionally contagious; agency. If they notice at all, it will seem completely
the disease is only spread by infected water unless the normal to them that their internal organs are slowly
spores somehow become airborne. Wetlung worsens being suffused with fungus.
or improves slowly, usually advancing or recovering by
one stage per adventure. The Consequences of Resistance: Colony is the
� Stage 1: You may show pale skin and bluish lips, human equivalent of the Cordyceps fungus (do a
faint symptoms of having been recently drowned. quick web search if you aren’t familiar with it). You
You suffer pleasantly hallucinogenic visions will take Morale damage if you resist a command or a
for several hours, as if drugged, and you can’t suggestion from Colony. If this Morale damage defeats
remember the incident that infected you. you, you will experience an irresistible urge to head to
� Stage 2: You are subject to subliminal psychic the highest location you can easily access (usually a tall
suggestions from Colony if you have no Grit: not building’s roof). You will violently resist anyone who
anything dramatic, just small nudges here and tries to detain you.
88 Swords of the Serpentine
Once in this high location, you will spend all your When suffocating, roll a Health test every round.
Athletics pool grasping onto a railing or similar object Your first failure means you become Dazed (the
so that you are difficult to move. You will remain there Difficulty of all tests rises by +2); your second failure
for the remainder of the scene while Colony’s fungus means you fall Unconscious. The Difficulty of this test
grows uncontrollably within your body. It will grow starts at Difficulty 2 in the first round of Suffocation,
a unicorn-horn-like fungal rhizome out the top of and rises by 1 each subsequent round you cannot
your skull at the end of this scene, killing you. Next breathe. Any round in which you’re active (struggling,
scene the rhizome will spread airborne spores (similar fighting, swimming), the Difficulty of the Health test
Rules
to how a dandelion spreads its seeds) on the wind, rises by an additional +2. If you somehow gain a gasp of
infecting nearby humans as if they had a near-drowning air and then start suffocating again, the base Difficulty
(Difficulty 4 Health test to resist). Other infected hosts resets to 2 and begins to rise each round as normal.
will soon arrive to remove and destroy your now- Once you fall Unconscious, you are defeated and
crumbling body. start dying. Lose 1 die of Health every round until you
Identification of an infected host can be tricky can breathe again.
without at least 1 rank of Leechcraft. Wet coughing can Lost Health points can be restored normally with
be an identifier, as can extraordinary strength. If their Bind Wounds if you’re rescued and resuscitated before
induction event was recent (Stage 1), they may exhibit you die. You cannot resuscitate yourself with Bind
some symptoms of near-drowning, such as pale skin Wounds or Leechcraft while suffocating.
and bluish lips. Most infected at Stage 3 and higher are Some weapons (such as a monster’s strangling
also particularly susceptible to respiratory ailments like tentacle) may inflict Health damage in addition to
pneumonia as a result of fungal growth in the lungs. suffocation damage.
Alternatively, a pattern of inexplicable behavior might
point towards Colony’s mental influence at work.
Colony asks its hosts to blackmail and murder in Falling
order to maintain tight secrecy, but the few folk who
have become aware of the mold and its infected hosts If you’re falling in Eversink, it’s usually from a
refer to them collectively as “The Drowned”. It’s building. Falling inflicts 5 Health damage per building
dangerous to let it be known that you know anything story (roughly every 3 meters) you plummet onto
about what’s going on; that tends to make one a cobblestones. If you were prepared to fall, a successful
target for infestation. With many hosts in positions of Athletics test reduces damage by 5 points. Falling into
substantial power within the assorted political factions, water or something reasonably soft that breaks your
Colony also has other ways to make life uncomfortable fall (mud, hay, or a cart full of night soil) also reduces
for those getting too close to the truth. damage by 5 points. Falling onto spikes raises damage
by an additional 5 points or more.
The GM can give you the opportunity to have
Drowning and Suffocation Success at a Cost (see p. 206) if a fall would otherwise
kill you.
In Eversink, there’s nearly endless opportunities to
suffocate and die. Swamp mud, quicksand, murky Fire
canals, smoke-filled tunnels, an assassin’s garrote…
think about the possibilities! Damage from exposure to fire varies according to how
You can hold your breath if you have advance much of your body is exposed to flame, and repeats for
warning before being denied breathable air. Holding each round (or, outside of combat, every few seconds)
your breath gets you three rounds (or one minute if you remain exposed to it.
not in combat or a chase) before you start suffocating. Minor exposure, most often to an extremity like a
If you can’t hold your breath, you start suffocating hand or foot, carries a Damage Modifier of −2, with a
immediately. minimum damage of 1. Armor can reduce damage to 0.
Chapter 3: Rules 89
Rules
Athletics test as an action, or dive into water; fire out more challenging.
in 1 round) than if you are covered in alchemist’s fire Poisons and venoms are one of two types: an effect
(Difficulty 5 Athletics test as an action; fire burns for 2-7 created by your Investigative spend and then described
(1 die +1) rounds unless it is smothered or sorcerously as a venom or poison; or an object such as a poison vial,
suppressed). found during play or purchased independently. These
Characters in a burning building or a heavily burning latter are typically rarer and more powerful.
forest also run the risk of smoke asphyxiation, which
uses the drowning and suffocation rules above.
Lava isn’t something you’ll typically find in Eversink, Designer Notes:
but sooner or later in your adventures you’re going to So Much Poison, So Little Time
end up dueling on the rim of an active volcano. That’s
just the way adventuring works. Your GM may give We like to think the game of competitive poi-
you the opportunity to try to cling to safety with an soning is practically a sport amongst certain An-
appropriately difficult Athletics test, but if you fall in cient Nobility. Imagine a Hero with Leechcraft
lava you die spectacularly. Lesser exposure to lava, such (to create poisons), Burglary (to slip those poi-
as to a limb, inflicts Extensive fire damage and acts as sons into food and drink), and a high Prepared-
alchemist’s fire. ness (to use Flashback and just declare that the
Supporting Character was poisoned two hours
ago).
Heat and Cold But it’s tricky. We want Swords of the
Serpentine to include expensive, deadly, obscure,
It can be difficult to move or think in extreme heat or rare poisons with strange effects that Heroes
cold. If you’re suffering from either, you’re treated as must struggle to cure at the last minute, but
Hurt (see p. 78) regardless of your current Health. we don’t want Heroes to automatically have
Your GM may also assign a small amount of fixed easy access to these. We also want Heroes with
damage every scene, or more frequently, depending on Leechcraft (or the Poison sorcerous sphere) to
the severity of the heat or cold. be able to produce their own less esoteric poisons
Spending 1 point of Wilderness Mastery will stave and antidotes on the fly, without needing to plan
off this penalty for one scene for the Hero who spends ahead or spend Wealth.
the point. Spending 2 points (which can come from That’s why we divide poisons up between the
different Heroes) will stave off the penalty for at least rare weird effects, which you typically need to
one scene for the entire team and their companions, up plan ahead for and spend Wealth to buy, and less
to 20 or so people. That’s enough to keep your crew virulent poisons that a Hero can whip out on the
safe when your ship sinks and everyone plunges into spot just by spending points of Leechcraft. It’s an
cold water, but not enough to survive a full trek into artificial divide, sure, but it helps you understand
the frozen North to battle giants without bringing any what you can reasonably create on the fly.
warm clothing. And hey, if you want a multi-point Leechcraft
expenditure to produce really rare poisons, that
seems like a perfect balance.
90 Swords of the Serpentine
Rules
Flashback (the Preparedness Talent) can establish that guidelines used when poison is treated as an effect. A
an individual is already poisoned. If you prefer, you can powerful sleeping draught may only trigger a series of
announce that you’re using slow-acting poison that can three successive Health tests to stay conscious, while
take effect in future scenes instead. a truly deadly venom from a rare snake might have a
Damage Modifier ranging from +6 to +12. Damage or
Poison as Object effect might be parceled out in increments, such as 4
Not all toxins are created through Leechcraft spends, Health lost a round for four rounds, and it isn’t unusual
and these more powerful poisons (while illegal) can for poison to reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of
Rules
typically be purchased if you know where to look. See Bind Wounds while the poison is active.
p. 138 for a sample list of what’s commonly available: The GM will ideally give you a chance to avoid
the more virulent or effective the poison, the higher exposure, likely via Leechcraft, Vigilance, Skulduggery,
the cost. When your GM wants to introduce unique or Burglary (if the ability was used to hide the toxin).
poisons that can’t casually be duplicated by Heroes, Once you have been exposed, some poisons allow
expect to buy them instead of creating them yourself. a Health test (listed as Test in the examples) for half
Your GM will raise or lower the suggested Wealth cost damage or some other lesser effect (under Minor in
of purchased poisons based on supply and demand (and the examples). If you fail the test, the Severe result
by how much fun they think it will be for you to use it). occurs. The Investigative ability Leechcraft can be used
Purchased toxins and poisons can vary widely in to create antidotes.
lethality and nature, and don’t need to adhere to the
Traps
Traps are common when adventuring in forgotten Traps That Warn STAY OUT
tombs or robbing well-secured vaults. They may be
natural (such as an unstable stone bridge perilously close These traps often use Maneuvers and non-deadly
to collapse) or deliberate (such as pit traps, scything techniques to channel or trap intruders. They may be
blades, sorcerous glyphs, or hidden poison). Use your designed to delay you. Warning traps often scream
Investigative abilities to identify the existence of a trap. “This is a trap!” to anyone paying attention, under the
Once you do, it’s up to you to figure out how you’re theory that you’ll decide proceeding just isn’t worth
going to avoid or disarm it with your General abilities. the bother. When your trap involves deafeningly loud
A trap is nothing more than an attack, a spell, or a scything blades or a glowing, pulsing sorcerous glyph,
Maneuver that someone left behind. When you think your trap is telling people to go away. Such traps may
of them in this way, you realize how incredibly creative also inflict a small amount of fixed Morale damage by
you can be when designing new traps. inspiring hopelessness and discouragement, enough
In Swords of the Serpentine, traps aren’t usually a that Supporting Characters never choose to approach.
casual distraction. They either provide important leads
in themselves (such as a sorcerous glyph that reveals � Typically simple to spot, and as intimidating or
information about the sorcerer who cast it), act as an terrifying as possible.
action set-piece (such as a rolling ball trap you must � Often designed to delay, re-channel, embarrass, or
outrun), or reveal that something very important discourage.
indeed is being hidden. Traps are intended to trap you, � Often rolls an attack against anyone coming within
discourage you, or kill you, and there are some key range, instead of requiring a Hero to dodge with
differences between them. Athletics.
� May use Maneuvers (or a similar simplified
mechanic), giving you a choice whether you take
damage from the trap or retreat back to safety.
92 Swords of the Serpentine
Rules
� May have hidden access tunnels that bypass the trap your way.” So ask yourself what makes a better
for repair, resetting, cleaning, and maintenance; adventure. If you and your group think that
these may lead deeper into the complex, giving traps are fun, partially ignore the GUMSHOE
Heroes a chance to bypass the deadly trap entirely. philosophy when facing down a trap: your
� Lean more towards the brutally effective than the Investigative abilities can tell you how a trap
frivolous in terms of effect. works, no roll required, but it’s still up to you
� More likely to target Health than Morale. and your General abilities to get past the darn
thing (and, like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the
Deadly traps lean towards the following effects, Lost Ark, back past it on your way out).
although this list is far from comprehensive.
� Sharp blades or spikes: these might swing, pop up,
scythe, impale, or spin.
small god of disease. Find one or two themes, and
� Heavy weights: these might swing to knock you
stick to them.
backwards (using a Maneuver), crush you, trap
you, or immovably block your path for a time.
� What’s the Trap’s Purpose? As noted above, is
this trap meant to warn “Stay out!” or is it meant to
� Poison gas: most often used in small spaces with
say “Die!”? The appearance and effect of traps will
limited air flow, acting as any other poison of your
be strongly shaped by this choice. You may even
choice. Holding your breath may be an effective
want to point this out to the Heroes, so they know
defense until you begin to suffocate.
how cautious to be.
� Sorcerous glyphs: see p. 124. These can hold any
Sorcery attack, Maneuver, or unique spell effect.
� What Does the Trap Target? As with the purpose,
does the trap focus on harming Health or Morale?
� Magical fire: the trap tries to incinerate you using
Does it roll an attack, or does it automatically hit
unnatural fire or another exceptionally deadly
unless the Hero avoids it with Athletics? You can
hazard.
assign small amounts of fixed damage just from
� Guardians: hostile animals, people, monsters, or
being within close range of a trap: an ancient
non-living creatures (such as animated statues)
altar saps your Morale by 2 points per round, or
attack you with an intent to kill.
the blistering heat of magical fire burns you for
3 Health every time you approach. Such fixed
damage underscores the trap’s purpose in a really
Guidelines of Trap Design
immediate way.
When you’re designing traps, consider a few basics.
� Does the Trap Have Style? Make traps that
your players will remember. You can combine
� What’s the Theme? Describe traps in a way that
mechanical traps with sorcerous glyphs to create
emphasizes and hints at the structure they’re located
almost any unusual effect you can imagine within
in, or the person who paid for them. In the same
a theme. Then assign it an attack bonus to see if it
way that Sorcery must stay within specific Spheres,
hits (or to calculate the Maneuver Difficulty) and
the traps in an ancient jungle pyramid may feel quite
think about ways to make it interesting enough
different than traps in an Eversink moneylender’s
to be worth spending fifteen minutes of precious
basement, and a high society poisoner’s traps will
game-time on.
be quite different than the trapped temple of a
94 Swords of the Serpentine
You won’t find too many traps in Eversink itself outside of Mercanti treasure vaults, but they litter every
haunted jungle tomb or forgotten Serpentine burial mound you run across. We struggled a bit to make traps
fun until we nailed down the Maneuver mechanic. Being able to say “The swinging blade is coming right for
you, and hits! You have a choice: take 10 Health damage or leap backwards to where you started” is exactly
the right feel for traps that protect an area by actually keeping people out. Those are different from death traps
Rules
that are only designed to kill intruders, sure, but remembering that a trap is nothing more than an attack or
effect someone left behind makes the mechanics much easier.
We have particular fun designing themed traps. Think of the temples of heretical small gods: an ocean
temple might use mechanical and sorcerous traps that all involve salt and water, for instance, and a god of the
hunt might use traps that involve archery, running, and vigilance. You can use themed traps anywhere; the
traps guarding the Butchers’ Guild treasure vaults must be freakin’ terrifying.
� Is the Trap Boring? If it is, don’t spend a lot of brave and penalize the cautious: in the same way
time on it. You don’t want to get bogged down that the crumbling stone stairway in Peter Jackson’s
in micro-management unless everyone at the table Fellowship of the Ring started disintegrating when
finds that fun! You’re better off saying “You find a the Balrog approached, every Hero who bypasses a
series of three pit traps with strange grooved pillars trap might raise the Difficulty by +1 for the Heroes
under a series of murderholes, but if you’re willing who come afterwards.
to take your time, you can bypass all three with a � What’s the Solution? If a trap is just an attack
General Spend of 8 Athletics for the whole group.” or effect someone else left behind, defeating a
Then, of course, you hit them with the excitingly trap means getting past it without getting hit by
guarded pit traps and lightning pillars on their way that attack. Think through how the original trap
out. designers (or current inhabitants!) got around the
� How Deadly is the Trap? Avoid insta-kill; trap, then encourage players to do the same. They
they aren’t fun for anyone but the GM. Instead, can then use their Heroes’ abilities to find or use
use Maneuvers so that the Heroes can make a that solution, or just brute force their way past it.
difficult choice between taking damage or finding � What’s the Reward? Traps let the thief shine,
themselves flung, off-balance, rerouted, or trapped. especially if they don’t use their Burglary very much
� Does the Trap Make Sense? Briefly think otherwise. Just as if they defeated an Adversary,
about where and how the trap was built. An successfully bypassing or disarming traps earns
architect without much money is going to have Refresh tokens. The harder the trap or more elegant
embarrassingly basic traps (unless she constructed the Heroes’ solution, the more tokens, from 1 to 7.
them herself as a labor of love), while the Guild That will let the thief refresh their Burglary pool, so
of Architects and Canal-Watchers is going to have they can tackle more traps to come.
traps of breathtaking subtlety and sophistication.
A sorcerer will rely mostly on magical runes. Use
traps that make sense for the building they’re in, Traps and
and remember that it’s just as valid for Heroes to Investigative Abilities
bypass or deactivate a trap as it is for them to fall
prey to it. Most profession Investigative abilities (and a few Social
� Does Strategy Help? Do you want a trap solved ones) can be useful when adventuring and looking for
in a particular way, or with particular speed? If so, traps. Suggestions are below, but this list is certainly not
reward that. You can used timed traps that get exclusive. Be creative when hunting for, and disarming,
harder the longer you wait. You can reward the traps.
Chapter 3: Rules 95
Social Investigative Abilities Forgotten Lore: You know obscure details about
trap-making and the sorcerous wards used in traps,
Command: Some guardians may be susceptible to
including possible procedures and techniques for
forcefully presented orders, especially if they think
disarming them (if possible).
you’re their master.
Leechcraft: You can analyze and identify poisons,
Liar’s Tell: If you’re in the presence of people who
venoms, and diseases delivered by traps. When someone
know about existing traps, their nervousness may warn
is poisoned, you can gauge the severity and onset time
you of upcoming danger.
of the poison.
Nobility: You’re familiar with the general types of
Rules
Prophecy: It isn’t unusual for you to gain a vague
traps that were once fashionable for nobles to install.
premonition of disaster before you blunder into a trap
Servility: When traps require access to hidden
that might kill you or your friends; your Alertness
alcoves and back rooms to reset, you’re familiar with
Modifier rises by +1 per Prophecy rank when you’re
the types of hidden doorways used by servants and
searching for traps.
trapsmiths.
Description: This is likely to catch most Heroes Description: Heroes must get past three consecutive
unaware, although once set off once it can easily blades whirling in an unpredictable pattern. Each
be avoided. If the falling block successfully defeats blade attacks when a Hero attempts to pass it. The
someone, the Morale of their fellow adventurers Hero may only move forward to the next whirling
suffers from the experience. blade if the blade’s Warfare attack is unsuccessful, or
Similarly, the following sophisticated “Stay out!” if the Hero voluntarily accepts the Health damage
trap might fill a hallway with whirling blades. from the successful Warfare attack. Any successful
Warfare attack also inflicts 3 Morale damage, whether
Rules
or not the Hero takes Health damage.
Whirling Blades of Denial
Increasing your Health Threshold (see p. 77) is
Spinning, moving blades that demoralize Heroes and an efficient way to pass with little damage.
force them backwards to safety
Obvious Mechanical Trap Designer Notes:
Deactivation: Hidden mechanical key shutoff; Whirling Blades of Death!
Difficulty 8 Burglary test to jam each blade
Offense — Warfare: +2 per blade; Damage Modifier This sample trap models the classic complicated
+3, or Hero flinches backwards to safety and must try spinning blade trap that forces a Hero to edge
to pass that blade again forward, duck down to avoid a huge blade, and
then leap forward once the timing is exactly
Offense — Sway: Fixed Morale damage 3 to the Hero
right… getting more and more nervous with
any time a Warfare attack succeeds, whether or not
every near-miss. It’s not particularly realistic, but
the Hero takes Health damage from the attack
it is a huge amount of fun.
Misc: Stealth Modifier –3
Refresh Tokens: 5
Refreshes
Refreshing Investigative Refreshing General
Ability Points Ability Points
Unless the GM specifically indicates otherwise You can refresh your General ability pool points after
(sometimes as a story reward, or when a single adventure you’ve spent them by using refresh tokens. These are
stretches out for more than two sessions of play), spent dropped into a bowl in the middle of the table when
Investigative pool points only refresh at the start of the you do certain things. You could use counters, poker
next adventure. They cannot be refreshed in any other chips, pebbles, boardgame pieces or something else that
way, including by Refresh tokens. seems appropriate.
Refresh tokens may be drawn from the bowl and
used by any player at any time, other than when you’re
in the middle of a General ability spend. It’s generally
polite to ask the group— they’ll let you know if it seems
like the tokens need sharing more evenly.
98 Swords of the Serpentine
Each token refreshes 1 General ability pool point of rest; a week spent carousing, for instance, adds 5
(except for Health or Morale) for the player who uses refresh tokens per Hero and not 35.
it, and a used token is discarded after use. � End of Adventure: Unless there are special
Unused refresh tokens are discarded at the end of a circumstances (such as an ability-sapping disease or
scene. Use them while they’re there! curse), all General Abilities are refreshed at the end
There are several methods of gaining more refresh of an adventure. Note that an adventure may span
tokens. more than one session of play.
� Defeating foes. Dropping a Mook immediately
Rules
Character Growth
There are lots of ways your character can grow, both in long campaigns when Heroes reach significant
mechanically (as your character’s abilities change amounts of power.
over time) and narratively (as you’re affected by what When you get an advancement point, write it down
happens in your adventures). on your character sheet so you don’t forget it. You can
spend these at any time, including mid-adventure.
Ability Advancement
Spending Advancement Points
After Each Game
� 1 point — increase a General ability by 1 rank. If
At the end of every completed adventure, each player
this increases a General ability rank from 7 to 8,
gets 1 advancement point. The GM might award an
gain the appropriate Talent.
additional advancement point at the end of particularly
� 1 point — increase Health or Morale by 1. If this
momentous and exciting adventures, or every few
increases your Health or Morale from 9 to 10, gain
sessions if an adventure lasts for 3 or more play sessions,
the appropriate Threshold increase from 3 to 4.
or during a long campaign instead of a series, to slow
the progression down. They may also cap advancement
Chapter 3: Rules 99
Rules
ability at 1 (though you may need to check with the adventures. Just as many heroes in sword & sorcery
GM that this makes sense). novels go from great riches to abject poverty between
stories, these rules encourage you to have fun blowing
You’ve saved up your Advancement points your treasure on an opulent lifestyle and the prestige of
and have 3 that you still haven’t spent. You high repute, so that you have a good reason to go out
use all 3 to increase the Investigative ability and adventure for even more wealth.
Ridiculous Luck by 1 rank, just as you’re
falling off the roof of a tall building. Good
timing. Changing Your Abilities
You can freely tweak your ability distribution between
Allies and Enemies your first and second games. If you put 8 points in
Burglary but never had the occasion to rob anyone, you
The GM may add permanent ranks to your Allegiances
may wish to start the second game with some or all of
(see p. 54) as you make friends and enemies in
those points invested elsewhere, if your GM approves
Eversink, but is more likely to assign temporary pool
and it doesn’t change your core character concept.
points of Favors and Grudges instead. These scores
If you’re past your second game and want to move
reflect obligations, favors owed, friendships, foul
your points around, you may do so only with GM
enemies, and debts not yet repaid – or getting caught
permission, and by sacrificing 1 Advancement point.
betraying the interests of a faction you have as an Ally.
It’s a small price to pay for getting the Hero you want
to play. Don’t redo your entire character concept when
adjusting your points.
Gear If you’re changing your abilities every game to try to
gain some sort of unfair advantage, your GM will laugh
Regularly update your character-defining gear to reflect
at you and tell you to stop.
your current personality. Your gear may affect your
Hero, especially magical items. Gear purchased with
Wealth or found as treasure gets written down on your
character sheet and sticks around between adventures
until you no longer want it.
100 Swords of the Serpentine
Chapter Four
Chapter Three
Don’t make the mistake of assuming magic in Swords � how you learned Sorcery,
of the Serpentine is usable for good as well as evil. Good � what your Sorcerous Spheres are.
people may (and do) call upon Sorcery, but they do
so with the knowledge that this act eats away at reality
and slowly boils away the essence of what makes them Health or Morale Damage?
human.
The first time you purchase a rank
of Corruption, choose whether your
Sorcery damages a foe’s Health
(implying a physical or energy Sphere)
or their Morale (implying a mental,
spiritual, or fear-based Sphere). That
decision is permanent — but during
an adventure, spending a point of
Corruption allows you to choose
freely between affecting Health and
Morale for the duration of that scene.
Learning Sorcery
Sorcerers in Eversink learn their power
from one of two sources: ancient
secrets of the long-dead Serpentine
empire, or by having their body and
soul inhabited by a demon, small god,
or spirit. There are no other known
sources for learning how to manipulate
Corruption.
Serpentine
You heard hissing whispers in the
dark of a sunken basement, and you
chose to take on a sorcerous mentor
who would never show its face; or
you read ancient snakelike scribblings
on a decayed stone tablet that have
wormed their way into your brain and
refuse to depart.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 103
Either way, the lines of power in your head walk near them, and cooking fires turning
writhe and coil, demanding they be set free to look at you almost as if they were alive.
by you invoking Corruption. Whenever you inflict damage with Sorcery
you describe it as being somehow fire-related,
Demon, Small God, or Spirit such as burning your enemies alive or setting
their tongues on fire. You’ll need to spend
You have bargained with, or fallen victim to, a fell and
foreign intelligence that now inhabits you. It may be a Corruption point for unique Sorcerous
a small god, an ambitious nature spirit, a ghost, or a tactical effects that do more than just cause
conniving demon. It has no true power while it is inside damage, such as quickly setting an entire
of you, other than to give you (often biased) advice and house on fire or allowing your group to walk
Page Aging
Sphere Affects
number
Demonology Health, Morale 106 Affects: Health, Morale
The passage of time spins forwards and backwards, and
Disease Health, Morale 106
you are sought by those who think you hold the secret
Earth Health 107 to eternal youth. You cripple your foes with arthritis and
frailty, and you can turn defeated enemies into squalling
Fear Morale 107
babies instead of killing them. The dust of ages rises and
Fire Health 107 falls around you as you walk through the world.
Spending Corruption might permanently increase
Sorcery and Corruption
Flesh Health 107 or decrease a person’s or object’s age. If news gets out
Ghosts and Spirits Morale 107 that you can help old people become younger, expect a
lot of bribes and kidnap attempts.
Ice Health 107
Chaos Decay/Entropy
Affects: Health, Morale Affects: Health
You are the rock thrown into the placid pool, and the Everything falls apart, and you can hasten the process.
spanner tossed into the gears: where you go, systems You make metal rust, stone flake, flesh decay, and wood
break down and rules fall apart. You incite riot and rot. The Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers will
disloyalty, and your Sorcery brings about the utterly likely put a contract out for your assassination if they
unexpected. Chaos Sorcerers may wish to invest in learn of your power — either that, or hire you to help
one or more ranks of Ridiculous Luck, so that when with urban renovations.
everything goes to hell in a handbasket around them, Spending Corruption can collapse buildings and
Sorcery and Corruption
they still end up on top. bridges, often onto the heads of your foes, or can make
Spending Corruption might make enemies begin to weapons disintegrate into dust.
in-fight, make a nearby building collapse, or have an
implausible and unlucky chain of causal events lead to
disaster for your foes. Demonology
Affects: Health, Morale
Curses The swamp is riddled with stone altars to forgotten
demons and lost gods. You call them, beseech them,
Affects: Health, Morale learn their names, and bind them to your will. Demons
Any sorcerer can cast a curse (see p. 122), but your likely fear and resent you, as does any right-thinking
curses are more flexible and you can use Maneuvers to citizen who learns of your power.
simulate minor curses. If you want to make your foe Spending Corruption might allow you to summon
unlucky in love, or curse a master burglar into becoming or banish supernatural entities and small gods, gain
the clumsiest criminal in Eversink, this Sphere is for you. hidden knowledge and true names, send a demon to kill
Spending Corruption allows you to curse your foes a distant foe, and even place a demon inside of someone
without using all your Corruption points at once. — briefly giving them an unwanted rank of Corruption.
Death Disease
Affects: Health Affects: Health, Morale
You have sway over death. You can hasten it, delay it, You can inflict or cure diseases, either mental or
control the recently dead, and create the symptoms of physical; and you can speed up or slow down the effects
impending mortality. People sense the pall that hangs of diseases that already exist. Just don’t be surprised if
around you, an aura that many will instinctively flee. you aren’t particularly popular at parties. Most plague
Others, especially the dying, will flock to you in the sorcerers are shunned or summarily executed by scared
hope that you can stave off their death for one more locals who are afraid for their health.
day. Spending Corruption might allow you to duplicate
Spending Corruption might bring the dead back to the effect of Leechcraft for diseases, to significantly
life, even for a short time — or make it seem like you speed up the course of a disease, or to create your own
have. diseases as a weapon.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 107
Earth Flesh
Affects: Health Affects: Health
Dirt and rock (and perhaps even the slurry of the For most people, “my skin is crawling” is just an
swamp) respond to your will. You can use the earth as expression. Not for you; you instinctively sense and
a weapon, bludgeoning your foes or trapping them in control flesh both living and dead. You can strangle
stone. You can turn swampland into a walkable path, foes with their own intestines, steal a foe’s face (quite
and navigating the under-city is easier for you than literally), and animate dead tissue.
for most others. Many an earth Sorcerer has been Spending Corruption might allow you to wrap a
blackmailed into helping thieves reach hidden vaults of corpse around your own body and use it as armor, or
Fire Ice
Affects: Health Affects: Health
Exceptionally well-suited as a combat Sorcerer, your If this whole adventuring career goes sour, you can
soul burns within and without. Flames dance at your always find a fortune making ice for the rich of Eversink
command, you can turn burns into a mere nuisance, and who want cold drinks. Your Sorcery centers around
you have to consciously remember not to burn down cold, chilling your enemies’ life-blood and freezing
nearby houses when blasting your foes. One thing is for water around them. People shiver when they are near
sure, though: your Sorcery is anything but subtle. you, and the temperature drops when you smile.
Spending Corruption might allow you to blast a Spending Corruption might allow you to freeze part
truly horrendous number of people at once, or to draw of a canal solid, possibly with people still trapped in the
an out-of-control city fire into captivity within a small water; or form a temporarily sentient snow-creature out
bottle. of ice and your distilled hatred.
108 Swords of the Serpentine
wanted by the Watch just on general principle… but this as a Sorcerous Sphere.
they’d have to identify you first.
Maneuvers (see p. 72) are useful when you
have this Sphere, as they can help adjudicate whether
someone is fooled by your casual illusions.
Spending Corruption might allow you to craft an Luck
entirely fake reality that others believe to be real, or Affects: Health, Morale
allow you to impersonate someone specific for an entire
scene. While Luck is normally the domain of the Ridiculous
Luck ability, picking Luck as a Sorcerous Sphere
means that your magical effects appear as incredible
Lightning happenstance, and you can manipulate odds with your
Sorcery. Inflicting damage often expresses itself in the
Affects: Health form of bad luck for your target.
Also known as a Storm Sphere, electricity crackles Spending Corruption might allow you to create
around you and may even provide a ward that injures particularly lethal (or fortuitous) coincidences. Note
anyone who touches you. It is easy to Daze others with that while many such coincidences could be duplicated
your attacks, and you fear no storm. with a Ridiculous Luck spend, spending Corruption on
Spending Corruption might allow you to summon this Sphere gives you access to exceptional damage (see
massive storms, call down lightning, or charge the p. 113) and more pronounced and powerful effects.
ancient arcane pumps that help drain portions of
Eversink’s undercity.
Memory
Affects: Morale
Love
Even when you can’t read the memories of others, you
Affects: Morale can blindly dredge up their secrets or traumas and use
You specialize in mending (and breaking) hearts, those to batter your enemy’s Morale. You can implant
manipulating when and how someone falls in love. false memories, sharpen or cloud memory, and even
You may or may not be lovable yourself, but expect help relieve those who are tortured by their past.
strangers to fall in love with you and take risks for you Learning memories or implanting memories isn’t
they’d never otherwise consider. mind reading. You must talk to your target to learn
Spending Corruption might allow you to manipulate leads, compelling them to tell you about the memories
the heartstrings of two other people, or stop an enemy you are stirring up in their mind’s eye. In this regard, it
dead in their tracks when they realize you’re the person isn’t functionally different from using Social abilities to
they’ve spent their entire life waiting for. learn clues and information.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 109
Music
Necromancy Plants
Affects: Health Affects: Health
For you, the unbreachable gulf between life and death Flora bends to your will — literally. Whether they talk
is more of an inconvenient roadblock. You can animate to you or kill a foe by sprouting inside her stomach
dead flesh and have the dead attack for you. You can and growing out of her throat, you can speed up, slow
often pluck secrets from the memories of the dead. down and control plants. Your attacks manifest as
Even if your smell is seldom pleasant, others come to plant growth, and you may gain advantages in heavily
you when they need services that only you can supply. overgrown areas.
Spending Corruption might allow you to raise the Spending Corruption might allow you to reanimate
dead into unlife, pluck memories from a corpse’s brain, a wooden building and let it walk off its foundations, or
or prevent dead flesh from ever rotting. cause sudden sprouting vines to grow and catch your
foes. You can spend points of Corruption to create
some fairly remarkable plant-based poisons.
110 Swords of the Serpentine
Possession Shadow
Affects: Health, Morale Affects: Health
Your spirit can exit your own body and assault others, Darkness is your ally. You can slide between shadows,
briefly taking over their flesh to do things they form shadows into allies (or weapons), and even trap
otherwise wouldn’t wish to occur. You can guide spirits your enemies in darkness. Shadows near you animate at
and demons into the bodies of hosts, leave your body your whim, moving as if alive. Perhaps they are.
briefly to travel in spirit form, and see through the eyes Spending Corruption might allow you to walk
of people or animals you possess. through shadows from one place to another, to
Spending Corruption might allow you to possess attack someone from afar by animating their shadow,
Sorcery and Corruption
someone for a lengthy time, to remove the memory of or to rip away an enemy’s shadow as you hurt them
possession from a victim’s mind, or to drive a demon tremendously.
out of its unwilling host.
Statuary
Secrets
Affects: Health
Affects: Morale Eversink is full of funerary statues, monuments to the
Even when you can’t pull secrets from the thoughts of dead. You can animate statues, speak with them, merge
those nearby, you can make your foes think you already into them, and ask them to fight for you.
have, shattering your enemy’s morale by threatening to Spending Corruption might allow you to steal a
expose the secrets and the shames they keep locked away. statue by making it stand up and walk off with you.
You may find that strangers approach you to confess With this Sphere you could turn a living person into a
their deepest secrets, or to brag about achievements statue temporarily, step inside of a statue, or animate a
that they can’t tell anyone else. statue from afar to use as an assassin.
Spending Corruption might allow you to steal
secrets from a foe against their will, learn someone’s
true name, or broadcast someone’s secret into the Swamp
dreams of hundreds of sleeping people at once.
Affects: Health
The swamp is your ally, and it will work to shelter you
Serpents or keep you safe. You might walk across the swamp
as if on a cobblestone road, and your enemies might
Affects: Health find their lungs unaccountably filled up with mud and
Really falling under the category of Animals (above), marshland creatures. People smell the rich, peaty scent
the Serpentine Empire has left behind enough writings of the bog when they are near you.
that the Serpent Sphere seems more common than Spending Corruption might make the swamp close
most; perhaps Sorcerers just like conjuring serpents in around the ankles or boats of multiple enemies, or
in people’s bellies and watching the snake slithering suddenly dissolve part of a stone building into cascading
upwards and out of their mouths. See Animals for mud and water.
further details.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 111
a heavy, shadowed hood (possibly a dangerous look climb a wall, but you can describe it as if you were
in a city where sorcery makes people suspicious, but using Sorcery, such as levitating or making your
you’re sticking with tradition). This has no game fingers sticky.
effect, so you can describe your Hero like this � Non-sorcerous thieves pick pockets using Burglary.
freely. You must also roll a Burglary test to pick a pocket,
� Most people can open and close an unlocked door, but if you succeed, you can describe it as literally
carry a serving tray, or light a torch. If it’s coherent teleporting their purse from their belt to your
with your Sorcerous Spheres, you can open and hand. If you fail, they notice the magical attempt.
close doors or light torches with a wave of your Use Sorcery as a combat ability to attack someone,
hand, or have serving trays float around a room. as described on p. 65.
� Most people in Eversink have no way to make ice. � You use your Ice Sphere to attack an enemy’s
You can’t create ice with Sorcery either unless it fits Health. You describe their blood and eyeballs
within your Sorcerous Spheres, at which point you freezing, and they take Health damage.
can make minor amounts of ice as a special effect. � You use your Memory Sphere to attack an enemy’s
Use any Investigative ability, or spend any Morale. You describe flipping through her
Investigative pool point, and describe the standard memories and making the worst ones more vivid.
effect as coming from Sorcery. This does not She falters as she takes Morale damage.
include the Corruption ability, and it does not create Use Sorcery to create standard Maneuvers (p.
Corruption. 72), tactical effects that inflict damage or change the
� Charismatic people can use Charm to make a situation.
Supporting Character like them, or spend a point of � You can use Sorcery to attack Health with a
Charm to make that Supporting Character become Maneuver, and trip a foe in combat with your
enamored with them. You can do the same but Sorcerous Sphere of Earth, raising the ground level
describe it using one of your Sorcerous Spheres, just enough to unbalance your enemy.
such as magically increasing your personal charm, � You can use Sorcery to attack Morale with a
or as casting a love spell. Maneuver, tricking a foe into running down the
� Characters can gather gossip with Scurrilous wrong alley with your Sorcerous Sphere of Illusion.
Rumors, and spread gossip by spending a point.
With 1 rank in Scurrilous Rumors, you could
describe magic as carrying a hundred rumors to
your ears; if you spend a point, you can describe
as the wind picking up your whispered insinuation
and carrying it to the dreams of everyone in the city
who is asleep.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 113
Sorcery is flexible for a General ability. It’s meant to be fun and showy, with great personal danger accompanying
dramatic power. In part, this is compensation for the penalties accompanying Corruption. A Sorcerer in
Eversink is always at risk of being spotted and stalked by suspicious inquisitors; internalized Corruption
changes your appearance (and maybe the nature of what you truly are); and externalized Corruption is illegal
because it creates pools of foulness that can damage both the Goddess and Eversink’s economy.
Outside of Eversink, Corruption is still dangerous but is less of a concern. Sorcerers in other lands tend
to have a place of greater prominence and respect… or they’re surreptitiously ganked by threatened Thieves,
+1 die +3
1 3 damage — — —
damage
+2 dice +3
Sorcery and Corruption
+3 dice +3 2 dice +3
3 1 die +3 damage 3 damage —
damage damage
Designer Notes:
Evolution of a Corruption Spend
Affecting an Adversary The one restriction is that the partial effect can’t
take the target out of the rest of the fight, or have the
Unique spells that target Adversaries are framed as
same functional impact as the full effect. For instance,
Maneuvers, with a full effect (what you ideally want
there’s no functional difference between a full effect
to happen when you’re successful) and a partial effect
that knocks your target 100 meters off a roof, and a
(what should happen along with damage if they resist
partial effect that knocks them 3 meters off the roof.
the spell).
Pick a different partial effect in such cases.
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 117
36 (special, min
This sanity-blasting rift in reality pierces the world and 6 at a time); may
Never heals, and slowly
can theoretically corrupt an entire nation if allowed be less if sealed
6+ spreads unless sealed
to spread long enough. Effects are as Stage 5, but the from the far side
from the other side
affected area spreads. as part of a unique
adventure
120 Swords of the Serpentine
Fixed Morale damage from externalized Corruption forgotten sorcery has forever scarred the spiritual
doesn’t hurt you more than once per scene. Your landscape. Some of these have been healed by Church
Morale won’t keep eroding if you run into and out of Inquisitors. Some locations have just been walled off,
an affected room multiple times, but depart and come and the Church hopes for the best. Many they haven’t
back later in a different scene and you’ll suffer the fixed yet found.
Morale damage once again. People who can see the spiritual rift can help fix it.
Your Sorcery leaves a unique and hard-to-describe Corruption is healed by spending pool points of the
signature when you Corrupt a location. There’s no Investigative ability Spirit Sight, and it takes an amount
way to immediately tie this signature back to you, but specified in the chart above to instantaneously heal a
anyone with ranks of Spirit Sight (such as a Church Corrupted spot one level. Spirit Sight spends made to
Inquisitor) will recognize your unique signature if they heal the Corruption can come from multiple people
Sorcery and Corruption
encounter it more than once. working together. The Inquisitors of Denari work
Multiple acts of Corruption in a single location tirelessly to heal or seal corrupted areas in Eversink;
aren’t cumulative. The single largest Corruption spend they consider any corrupted area to be an open wound
in a location sets the Stage, although smaller spends in in the Goddess.
the area might reset the time before Corruption heals Corruption heals faster in flowing water than it does
itself. This means that if your enemy lets loose with a on land, disappearing as if it were two stages less than its
3-point Corruption spend and pollutes the area nearby, actual stage. Stage 1 Corruption in flowing water heals
you can also externalize Corruption without making by itself in approximately a week. Although Corruption
the effect worse. (Mind you, doing so is still illegal in heals more quickly in running water, the number of
Eversink.) points of Spirit Sight needed to reduce Corruption does
not change from the above chart.
Curing Corrupted Locations
Eversink is dotted with cursed corners, areas where
Advanced Sorcery
GM Advice: Rituals: Time, Assistants,
Starting the Game? Read This! Astrology, Sacrifices,
and Sorcery
The Sorcery rules from this point until the end
of Chapter 4 —Rituals, True Names, Curses, and Unless noted otherwise, invoking Corruption and
Glyphs —are all key components of Sorcery in attacks using Sorcery takes only one action, just like
Swords of the Serpentine, especially true names any other attack. There are occasions when that isn’t
and curses, but aren’t necessary to know when appropriate for Corruption spends, however. As a GM,
you’re starting the game. Your players will have you may want villains to need long (even multi-day)
enough to keep straight the first few games rituals to complete a particularly terrible spell, a spell
without worrying about these as well. Integrate that’s only possible when the stars or tides are right, or
these rules gradually as plot hooks from one a spell that can only occur if you have enough chanting
adventure to the next. cultists assistants. Similarly, you may decide that an
If this is your first read-through, feel free to effect is only possible when one or more sacrifices occur
skip this part and come back to it later. first, either simultaneously or over time.
In these cases, use time, assistants, astrology, and
sacrifices as a mitigating factor. Given a foul tome,
Chapter Four: Sorcery and Corruption 121
enough cultists, stars in the correct configuration, Once you know your true name it resonates through
the right incense, and sufficient time, an otherwise your soul, reminding you of who you truly are. This
unimpressive Adversary may be able to trigger a fairly self-knowledge provides strength in times of need.
horrible effect from spending Corruption. There’s no
conversion table showing the relationship between Benefits of True Names
Corruption spends, chanting assistants and time: GMs Once per adventure, you or an ally who knows your
should allow or disallow such adjustments on a case by true name (and who speaks it loudly enough for you to
case basis, primarily based on what will be most fun for hear) can audibly call on it to grant you extra resources.
the game. Doing so doesn’t take an action but must be done as
Such tactics are usually the province of villains rather part of a turn.
than Heroes, but there may be times when you want
Learning Another’s True Name Some enemies are too puissant to oppose normally;
they may be nearly invincible or far too important.
Learning the true name of another person, living
Learning their true name helps even the odds, even if
or dead, is exceptionally difficult. You may be lucky
it means that you become their most important enemy.
enough to be told a person’s true name, either because
they trust you or you’ve extorted it out of them. If
not, bargaining with fell powers is generally your only
recourse.
Curses
The currency of true names is secrets, both those
Curses are usually cast by Sorcerers releasing all of their
you give up yourself and those you learn about others.
Corruption potential in one fell swoop, although curses
If you learn some hidden shame that your victim keeps
can also come from objects, places, and supernatural
Sorcery and Corruption
Curses are usually narrative instead of mechanical, in for a hundred years, or make someone’s nose grow every
that they create horrible story penalties for the victim, time they lie. A curse may instead be subtle; “May your
instead of killing them or hampering their abilities. family never know wealth” might reduce the cursed
You should tell your GM what you say when you utter Hero’s treasure or raise their lifestyle expenses, and take
your curse, but remember that curses are notoriously a few adventures to even be noticed.
shifty and untrustworthy forms of revenge, and the The point of curses is usually to teach someone a
curse vary in power or have a different effect than the lesson, not to kill them outright, and the curse recedes
one you intended. Your curses usually, but not always, or abates when that lesson is shown to be learned.
manifest in a manner congruent to one or more of your Players and GM should work together to fashion
sorcerous Spheres. interesting, effective curses. It’s in no one’s best interest
if a combative GM deliberately minimizes the effect of a
normally again (though admitting to being the culprit You’ve created a glyph to trap your enemy,
may have other consequences). an assassin named Celestina Avanti. You
Heroes can discover a curse’s escape clause by want her to fall into a deep sleep when she
speaking with someone who has 1 or more ranks of sets off the glyph, with a full effect of “sound
Prophecy. An escape clause may be simple (such as asleep for 24 hours” and a partial effect of
apologizing to the Sorcerer who cast it), or may seem
“groggy and Dazed for the scene”. You make
impossible or nonsensical when first heard (such as
a Sorcery attack when you create the glyph,
swimming in dry air when low and high tide occur at
once), but it must be possible to achieve — whether
spending and dealing with 2 Corruption;
literally, symbolically, or through a clever technicality. only one of those Corruption spends will apply
+3 when calculating the Target Number
Sorcery and Corruption
Chapter Five
Chapter
Chapter Three
Five
Wealth a n d Lifestyle
Sword & sorcery novels are full of heroes who find Your Wealth includes the number of coins and
vast treasure in one story and are penniless again in the valuable items you possess, along with less physical
next, because they’ve squandered all their money on assets: debts others owe you, the influence you can
magnificent creature comforts. Swords of the Serpentine wield to acquire something you desire, even secrets you
is aiming for the same feel. can trade on. None of these are tracked separately.
As a result, this isn’t a game about buying and Each Wealth point can be turned in for a pool of 3
selling gear, or about saving your loot to buy legendary General ability points usable when you’re in a situation
weapons that increase your personal power in a fight. It where it might matter (such as a Preparedness test in a
is a game about increasing and leveraging your influence marketplace or bribing someone during a Sway test),
with other people. In a city like Eversink, spending
your wealth opens doors. You can use that influence to
further your own aims during adventures.
Wealth
When you adventure, you’ll gain Wealth. You’ll spend
Wealth on your Lifestyle every adventure, as noted
below. Unspent Wealth carries over from adventure to
adventure.
Wealth isn’t measured in coins. Instead, when you
find treasure or gain a reward you’ll track pool points
of Wealth from 1 (a piddling reward) to 5 (enough
wealth to live a luxurious lifestyle for an adventure) to
10 or higher (truly wealthy, able to live at the highest
level of society for two adventures or more). An average
adventure gives you 2-5 Wealth per Hero, although
rewards are most fun when they fluctuate dramatically.
You can’t squander all your riches on unneeded luxuries
unless you first have riches to squander!
You have 0 Wealth when you start your first
adventure, as it’s assumed you’ve spent it all wisely or
squandered it carousing, as Heroes do.
126 Swords of the Serpentine
Obviously, this conversion chart is unworkably complicated — and that’s by design. One of the reasons is
that this coin chart delights us. But the real reason is that the mechanical systems in Swords of the Serpentine,
from Preparedness to Lifestyle to Repute, run on Wealth and not coins. Wealth isn’t a linear progression
(spending 5 Wealth is much, much more expensive than spending five instances of 1 Wealth) so we want you
to think twice before handing out specific quantities of treasure. This matches classic fiction, where heroes
find overflowing treasure chests of coins and jewels but never bother to count the damn things.
In any case, Eversink natives turn out to like “unworkably complicated”. Unscrupulous moneychangers
take advantage of the ridiculous complexity to skim a few coins for themselves every time they make change.
If this doesn’t work for you, just simplify or streamline the coinage to something that is easily memorable
without unbalancing the game. Just remember that by awarding treasure in Wealth you’ll seldom if ever need
to hand out exact coinage. If you hand out Wealth to Heroes and accidentally describe the coinage in a way
that doesn’t match this chart, the total amount of Wealth you specified is what’s important. Discrepancies can
be caused by clipped coins, counterfeits, ancient and valuable coinage, and the like.
Eversink has a ridiculously complicated system of In the Night Markets beneath Sag
currency, with coins in circulation from dozens of Harbor, you finally find a sorcerous
kingdoms. As a result, merchants typically weigh or
charm you’ve been hunting for — one
alchemically assay coins to determine their value
guaranteed to turn any curse back
in gold. Here are the standard coins minted by the
at the caster, and who cares if it’s
Triskadane.
3 bits = 1 iron tripenny made with a hanged man’s tongue,
anyway? Problem is, it’s so rare that
3 tripennies = 1 iron penny
the Preparedness test to acquire it is
13 pennies = 1 copper halfeel (Wealth 1; enough to
Difficulty 16. You have Preparedness
live a life of Squalor between adventures)
8, so the best result you could normally
2 halfeels = 1 copper eel
achieve is 14. Instead, you turn
13 eels = 1 silver fish (Wealth 2; enough to live a
in 2 Wealth for 6 pool points of
Struggling lifestyle between adventures)
Preparedness. Now you have 14 points
3.5 fish = 1 silver cygnet
of Preparedness to spend, so you hope
7 cygnets = 1 silver bridge (Wealth 3; enough to live a
you roll a 2 or higher on the die.
Comfortable lifestyle between adventures)
8 bridges = 1 gold halfswan Although accumulated Wealth isn’t usually
2 halfswans = 1 gold swan (Wealth 4; enough to live a tracked on a per-treasure basis, there may be
Wealthy lifestyle between adventures) times you wish to make an exception. Memorable
9 swans = 1 quill (handcrafted by artisans as items and glorious art objects might be useful to
standardized works of art) list separately.
4 quills = 1 bell (handcrafted by artisans as unique You stole a legendary ruby the size
works of art, each coin made singly and studded of a baby’s fist from the eye socket of
with gems) (Wealth 5; enough to live an Opulent
a massive demon statue. The ruby is
lifestyle between adventures)
worth 75 Wealth, a king’s ransom,
Bank script = variable (custom written by each banking
but you can’t use that Wealth until
house in town, representing the total of stored
you sell it — and selling it will be an
funds for a customer)
adventure in itself.
Chapter Five: Wealth and Lifestyle 127
Lifestyle
Have you blown all your money and you’re living in Low Repute
squalor, or are you incredibly rich and spending coins
like water? Low Repute represents the social challenge faced by
There are five different levels of Lifestyle you can those who can’t or won’t spend money on their lifestyle.
choose at the start of each adventure, and the one you Squalid or struggling Heroes may be discriminated
choose affects how the world sees you. Wallow in your against by the upper classes and social elite.
Weath and gain High Repute to impress the people
around you; spend little Wealth and your Low Repute You’re living a squalid lifestyle when you
will be used against you by the GM. use Skulduggery to shadow someone into a
New Heroes have No Repute for their first adventure. restaurant. “You can’t come in here!” says
At the start of each adventure after the first, choose the the restaurant owner loudly, using one
Lifestyle you’ve lived since your last adventure, and of your 2 Low Repute points to make sure
mark down your Repute. The Low or High Repute you
the person you’re following notices you. The
Prophecy shows you that your enemy is about Designer Notes: Literary Loot,
to escape from Eversink in a sailing ship
and The Lies of Locke Lamora
and you won’t be able to get there in time
to stop them. You spend both of your High
Wealth and Lifestyle
If you think that a Hero’s family or business contracts would support them at a given lifestyle level — no sure
thing when they’re Heroes instead of full-time Mercanti or bankers! — you may allow them one or more free
Lifestyle pool points each adventure, starting them off at squalid, struggling or comfortable before they ever
spend Wealth points on Lifestyle. This is for Heroes with significant business concerns or hidden resources
that help to handle Lifestyle expenses even when the Hero is adventuring. It’s rare, however, and players
(except perhaps for Mercanti and members of some Sorcerous Cabals) usually have to earn this benefit as a
roleplaying reward during your campaign.
Alchemists also have a method for obtaining a minimum lifestyle. See p. 223 for details.
Assigning Treasure
Wealth and Lifestyle
If Heroes are going to put their lives on the line, they adjusts it slightly upwards to 23. She splits
deserve rewards! Occasionally having them wallow in up these rewards into different opportunities
wealth is one way to make them feel like big damn throughout the adventure, dividing it
heroes, especially if the Wealth drifts away as quickly as between coins, jewelry, expensive goods, and
it is discovered. To make treasure interesting, make it promised favors from a major mercantile
memorable. Describing a shattered funerary statue with
guild.
jeweled eyes and teeth, lying on a bed of ancient coins
and religious offerings from 600 years past, is much
The value of any goods, jewelry, gems and the like is
more interesting than simply saying “You find Wealth
included in the total Wealth. If the GM chooses to
30.”
assign 15 Wealth to the Heroes as treasure, they might
When assigning treasure from an adventure, GMs
describe that as barrels of rare wine and crates of exotic
should think about how they want the Heroes to live
spices. The value of these goods is based on the fair
until the start of their next adventure, per the table on
and realistic price that the Heroes can get for them.
p. 128. Rich as Mercanti, swimming in loot? Desperate
If Heroes come up with a particularly clever plan for
and on the streets, scrabbling for coin? Dole out total
selling items in a way that should make them more
wealth accordingly. Your Heroes might not choose a
money, the GM is justified in increasing the total value
Wealthy lifestyle, and that’s fine; next adventure, they’ll
of Wealth gained by an amount that seems fair.
roleplay the results of whatever lifestyle they did choose.
Unique gear, such as magical weapons that can’t
The GM thinks the Heroes deserve to feel easily be bought or sold, should be excluded from these
triumphant, and so should earn enough loot totals.
Heroes (particularly those allied with the Mercanti)
during this adventure to remain Wealthy
may work hard to establish ongoing sources of Wealth,
through to the end of their next adventure.
such as trading agreements, business concerns or even
There are five Heroes. She sets the vast lucrative blackmail. Encourage this if it makes your
amount of treasure available this adventure game more fun, and use Minimum Lifestyle to represent
to 20 (cost 4 x five Heroes = 20), and then it instead of just granting extra Wealth.
Chapter Six: Gear, Both Sorcerous and Mundane 131
Chapter Six
While this isn’t a game about buying and selling gear, it’s useful to know what sort of equipment you can buy or
produce with Preparedness and Wealth.
Armor-piercing
Weapons that are easy to find can be acquired for free; This weapon ignores the stated amount of Armor,
you can find a makeshift club almost anywhere. Better adding to ranks of Spot Frailty (if any) when determining
crafted weapons, such as a sword, cost Wealth 2 or its effectiveness.
higher if they aren’t already part of your minor iconic
gear. Loud
The range is determined by the weapon type. Melee Using this weapon creates significant amounts of noise
weapons can only be used on a foe within Point-Blank (apart from the screams of the person you’ve just
range. Ranged weapons cannot be used on a foe within injured).
Point-Blank range (unless stated otherwise in the
table on p. 133), and their accuracy diminishes with
Obvious
distance.
The following list of weapons isn’t exhaustive, and This weapon is difficult or impossible to conceal,
you’re encouraged to describe your weapons creatively. requiring a difficult Stealth test to do so, and usually
When you add your own weapons, small weapons has a Damage Modifier of +2. It’s tricky to hide a
have a Damage Modifier of +0; medium weapons have greatsword in the back of your ballgown.
a Damage Modifier of +1; and large weapons have a
Damage Modifier of +2. The GM may adjust these Reload
numbers and add Weapon Modifiers as appropriate. Once this weapon is used, an action must be spent
reloading it before it can be used again. Such weapons
are often used once and then tossed aside as enemies
close into range.
Stun
Gear
GM Advice:
Lethality and Firearms
Armor-piercing
Crossbow Large Long Difficulty +2 +2 1; Obvious;
Reload
Gear
Longbow Large Long +1 Obvious
Point-Blank/ Armor-piercing 1;
Spear Large +1
Medium Obvious
Firearms
Eversink doesn’t have firearms, but that’s a stylistic choice, not one based on mechanical balance. If you prefer, add
firearms to the game using the following rules.
Damage
Name Size Range Cost Other Modifier
Modifier
Cost: Wealth 1 The more organized factions of the city — the City
Alchemical Watch, the Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers, the
Triskadane, the Church of Denari, and the like — have
Clinging fire in a bottle, alchemical fire official sanctioned badges that they sometimes lend to
burns briefly even underwater and requires those on their missions. These badges carry the weight
smothering to be extinguished. Throw it of the organization behind them, so others usually defer
with an Athletics test; a successful hit inflicts to people who wear them.
a die of damage each round for 2-7 (1 die Badges of Office hold 1 or more pool points of Favor
+1) rounds or until extinguished. Putting with the organization that created them; the Favor
alchemist’s fire out requires a Difficulty points can be spent normally. Heroes who hold such
5 Athletics test as an action. Rumors a badge can temporarily wield influence in the name of
persist of alchemist’s fire that lasts an organization they might not normally be allied with.
longer, is much harder to extinguish, Using one of these without the faction’s authority gains
or burns hotter; if such variants exist you multiple Grudge points as soon as that faction finds
they would be notably more difficult to out.
obtain.
Chapter Six: Gear, Both Sorcerous and Mundane 135
These are a
collection of several Dogbane
dozen antique cameos
whose display conveys Cost: Wealth 1
sentiments ranging from bland disinterest to mild Alchemical
contempt to scathing insult (but only to those who can This is only useful when being hunted by dogs, but
interpret the cultural code). Used properly, Cestino’s if you are, it’s really useful. Sprinkle it behind you
cameos can create the effect of a Taunt or Intimidate when making a Stealth test. Any dogs that try to track
spend. you past that location will suffer a –3 penalty to their
An artist of middling talent named Cestino turned Alertness Modifier for the rest of the Scene, making it
out hundreds of these a few centuries ago as collectible much easier for you to hide.
sets for preteen girls of the noble houses. The joke
insults associated with each design were just naughty
enough to appeal to the children, and it became a short- Nightstones
lived fad.
Ten generations later, the insults are treated as Cost: Wealth 1 per five stones
deadly serious by noblewomen and conveyed by the Alchemical
original jewelry passed down from mother to daughter These rocks are alchemically coated to extinguish small
over several hundred years. One can only signal using
Gear
flames such as torches or lanterns, making them handy
the designs in one’s possession — complete sets are rare for sneaking through darkness without being identified.
and highly valued, and it’s considered extremely gauche Throw one into a torch or lantern and you’ll douse the
to use anything but an original Cestino. The code is light, causing it to need relighting. Toss one into a
completely opaque to anyone outside of the aristocracy. bonfire and you’ll reduce its size, reducing its Damage
Ranks in the Investigative ability Nobility or Allies: Modifier by -2 for the scene. Multiple nightstones
Ancient Nobility are required to recognize and translate aren’t cumulative on the same fire.
the cameos, and a Nobility spend is required to utilize
the code for a specific effect.
Theatrical Disguises
Denari’s Book of Truths Cost: Wealth 1
and Tax Code Alchemical
These dyes, glues, fake beards, and other tools help you
Cost: Free - Wealth 5, depending on how beautiful the
disguise yourself. When using the kit, make a Stealth
book is Mundane
test; if successful, increase your Stealth Modifier by +2
This holy text is a highly annotated and abridged version when others are trying to recognize you. The effect lasts
of the equally common but lengthier Book of Truths. for one scene.
It recounts the holy word of Denari through parables
136 Swords of the Serpentine
Gear
defensively you are using the shield. Your attacks are Cost: Wealth 1
penalized an equal amount, although only when you Mundane
are gaining the Full Cover benefit of the shield. You Location: Off Hand
decide how you are using your shield when combat Watch whistles are shrill, piercing, and they carry across
occurs, or if you’re using it at all, and you can freely water and through twisting alleys. Blowing a watch
change this decision on your turn. If a weapon or action whistle will summon a member of the City Watch in
requires the use of both hands, you can’t use it while 1-6 minutes, sometimes sooner. If the whistle was
your shield is equipped. blown but there’s no emergency at hand, expect some
When using a shield and using the Dodge Talent annoyance.
from Athletics to avoid an attack, you must only meet Before whistles came into vogue, the City Watch
the attacker’s success instead of exceeding it. used loud rattles. You may still stumble over these now
and then, but the sound didn’t carry as far and they
have fallen out of use.
138 Swords of the Serpentine
Floodlung Gutsplash
Cost: Wealth 2 (illegal) Cost: Wealth 2
Onset: Immediate Onset: 3–6 hours
Test: Difficulty 6 Health (Difficulty 3 if holding breath to Test: Difficulty 5 Health
avoid inhaling mist) Minor: No damage, moderate intestinal distress
Minor: Suffocate for 3 rounds Severe: Extreme intestinal distress for 24 hours
Severe: Suffocate for 6 rounds When you want to make sure someone stays home and
This illegal mist, usually kept in sealed ceramic in bed — or near the chamberpot — there’s no better
containers that are thrown and shattered, is derived poison than the boiled swamp herb known as gutsplash.
from alchemically modified swamp water. Floodlung If you’re planning on stealing a noble’s identity, this
magically drowns its victims by transmuting air to water can help ensure you don’t accidentally bump into them
within their lungs. It affects everyone in Close range to at the worst possible time.
where it is released, dissipating in three rounds (or faster
if there is strong ventilation). Victims use the Drowning
rules on p. 88. Hollowing
Cost: Wealth 5 (illegal)
Gluggut Onset: 30 seconds
Test: Difficulty 10 Morale
Cost: Wealth 2 Minor: No apparent effect; if given a second dose within
Onset: approximately 15 minutes, lasting more than an the next hour, the test Difficulty rises by +2
hour Severe: Your soul is separated from your body for a period
Test: Difficulty 10 Morale of time chosen by the GM
Minor: Compulsive urge to drink any potable liquids
nearby, and will seek out other potable liquids when This injected poison is formulated from the crushed
those are gone and alchemically treated bones of freshly-killed corpses.
Gear
Severe: Compulsive urge to drink any potable or non- It ejects your soul from your body for one or more
potable liquids nearby, and will seek out other non- scenes and prepares your body for easy possession by
potable liquids (no matter how foul) when those are ghosts and other spirits. When your soul is separated
gone; Health drops to Seriously Wounded from your body, the GM may allow you to play your
own disembodied ghost (possibly restricting you to the
This alchemical poison slowly makes the imbiber thirsty, spirit realm that overlays Eversink), or play the ghost
and drinking liquid does not abate their thirst. While it that is now steering your body. If the former, you have
causes no damage itself, people poisoned with gluggut no knowledge or control over what your possessed
may die from alcohol poisoning or from drinking other body does; if the latter, your GM may hand you revised
liquids that poison them. abilities for your new ghostly personality.
When returning automatically to your body after
a period of time chosen by the GM, you must make
a Difficulty 8 Morale test to remember your time as
a ghost (although during future adventures you may
recall small horrific flashes of your experiences, if the
GM allows). If your body is possessed by a ghost when
the drug’s effect ends, you automatically expel it. It is
likely to resent this.
140 Swords of the Serpentine
Snapback
Cost: Wealth 5 (illegal)
Onset: 3 rounds
Test: Difficulty 6 Health
Minor: Muscle contractions causing 2 points of Health
damage per round for 6 rounds
Severe: Massive muscle contractions that leave the victim
nearly helpless while they die, inflicting 1 die of damage
Gear
Sorcerous Gear
It’s rare, but not unheard of, for sorcerous items to be
available for sale. Sometimes you just need to be at the Grimoire: The Calcifex Manuscript
right Night Market or find the correct little market stall
Cost: Unique
that you’d somehow never noticed before. Sorcerous
Sorcerous
items aren’t often seen in Eversink, and more powerful
Location: Primary and Off Hand
items have a tendency to disappear on their own after
a time serving their master. They’re rarely dependable. The Calcifex Manuscript is a surprisingly heavy, large
tome with covers made from sheets of petrified wood.
Its unwieldiness requires you to hold it in both hands
Grimoires or (more commonly) place it upon a lectern. The
Manuscript grants you 2 bonus Corruption points,
Most sorcerous grimoires are written in the ancient usable only with the bonus Sorcerous Spheres of Stone
Serpentine tongue. Sorcery doesn’t like being written and Statuary. It is evil and antithetical to flesh, desiring
down, and the writing has a bad habit of becoming to turn all living creatures near it into statues that
sentient. Grimoires are books of magical theory and then praise it and offer it obeisance. It communicates
knowledge that are only usable by someone with 1 with the sorcerer by speaking through the mouths of
or more ranks of Corruption. Grimoires grant bonus all nearby funerary statues. If no statues are nearby, it
Corruption points that can usually only be used with cannot communicate.
specific Spheres or spells; these Spheres either attack When first opened each adventure, the Calcifex
Health or Morale, but never both, and can only be used Manuscript attempts to possess you with a Difficulty
with the Corruption points granted by the grimoire. 8 Maneuver; take 6 points of Morale damage or
The books also have a tendency to try to possess the become temporarily possessed. If you are possessed, the
sorcerer when they are used, something that should be grimoire will temporarily turn you into a living statue,
Gear
avoided when possible. piloting you and drawing on your Sorcery to do its own
To establish a grimoire for their own game, GMs bidding (which usually involves settling scores against
should select the following: the families of long-dead enemies). You lose control of
� The amount of bonus Corruption pool points the your actions and gain the Adversary special ability Stony
book grants (see p. 164) during the possession.
� The Sorcerous Spheres associated with the book You may make a Difficulty 8 Morale test to throw off
(typically one per point of Corruption) the possession every time you take Health damage. You
� The book’s personality and method for interacting may spend your Morale to do so even when possessed.
with the Sorcerer Afterward, you retain no memory of your actions.
� Whether or not the book contains any true names
or special abilities
� The Difficulty for resisting its Possession Maneuver Grimoire: The Ophidius Parables
(see p. 163) the first time you try to use it each
Cost: Unique
adventure.
Sorcerous
Location: Off Hand
This slim volume is a scroll written on shimmering,
nearly indestructible snakeskin. The writing in the
Ophidius Parables seems to coil and squirm when read.
The scroll recounts a pre-human legend of sacrifices
made to a primeval serpent-god, including methods
142 Swords of the Serpentine
for summoning it (something the book advises you not externalizing the bonus Corruption, and then using
do unless you have an abundance of sacrifices handy to a human sacrifice to channel the Corruption into the
appease it). flesh-tangle, will animate it and give it terrible purpose.
The scroll grants you 1 bonus Corruption point, The fleshtangle thus created gains (usually) 1 Health
usable only with the bonus Sorcerous Sphere of Serpents. per corpse used. See p. 333 for details.
It seems to have a predilection for conjuring snakes in The notebook doesn’t communicate directly, but its
the stomachs of enemies, snakes that then damage foes owner will experience terrible epiphanies and insights
as they crawl up their esophagus and out their mouths. that actually come from the grimoire. When first opened
It cannot communicate but has a tendency to wrap each adventure, Zelgrieb’s Notebook attempts to
itself around your arm, much like a coiling snake. possess you with a Difficulty 10 Maneuver; take 8 points
When first opened each adventure, the Ophidius of Morale damage or become temporarily possessed. If
Parables attempts to possess you with a Difficulty 6 possessed you will be obsessed with gathering corpses
Maneuver; take 4 points of Morale damage or become from whatever source you can find and leaving them
temporarily possessed. If you are possessed, you will near the notebook (or leaving them in a heap for
attempt to summon the primeval serpent-god and beg later exposure to the notebook). This overwhelming
it to devour you. Make a Difficulty 6 Morale test to urge lasts for the length of the adventure, or until the
throw off the possession every time you take Health notebook has possessed someone else. While possessed
damage. you gain temporary Grit of 1 to 6, in proportion to the
strength of the urge.
Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection is fickle, and
Grimoire: Zelgrieb’s Notebook of seldom stays with a single individual for more than one
Dissection adventure.
Cost: Unique
Sorcerous Miscellaneous
Location: Off Hand
This slim, leather-covered book contains far more Plenty of Sorcerous items aren’t easily categorized.
Gear
sketched illustrations and diagrams than words. In These are usually unique, with only one existing at a
fact, at first glance it appears that there are no words time unless a Hero makes their own. This list is for the
at all; but further examination shows text hidden in sake of example and is far from exhaustive.
the illustrations of flayed corpses, anatomical drawings,
and ritual circles. The book is a meditation on death, Beggar’s Rags
corpses, afterlife, and how Corruption seems to have a
predilection for entering and animating dead flesh. Cost: unique (cannot be purchased)
The notebook has one truly useful function: Sorcerous
studying the text can teach you how to eradicate even Location: Body
the most powerful and ancient patches of externalized
These filthy and shredded clothes were once taken
Corruption, causing them to vanish through simple
from a beggar’s corpse as an object lesson in turning
(if horrific) human sacrifice. The notebook doesn’t
haughtiness into humility. While you wear them, any
explicitly say that Corruption is channeled into nearby
ranks of Nobility you possess are treated as if they
corpses, creating unusually powerful undead, but that
were ranks of Servility instead. At the GM’s discretion,
can be reasonably assumed.
getting recognized while wearing these may affect what
This grimoire is unspeakably powerful and grants
people think of you (positively if noticed by commoners,
you 3 bonus Corruption points that target Health,
negatively if recognized by nobles or Mercanti.)
usable only with the bonus Sorcerous Spheres of Death,
Regardless of your actual Lifestyle this adventure,
Decay, and Flesh. Over several weeks, dead flesh placed
people treat you as if you have Low Repute 2.
near the notebook slowly merges into one horrific flesh-
Deliberately washing Beggar’s Rags with soap
tangle of merged skin, hair and bone. Spending and
destroys their magic.
Chapter Six: Gear, Both Sorcerous and Mundane 143
Gear
Cost: unique (cannot be purchased; illegal)
to abandon their duty post, and to terribly embarrass
Sorcerous
nobles about to fight a duel. The ring is engraved with
Location: Off Hand
images of various swamp plants; anyone with 1 or more
ranks of Wilderness Mastery will notice that each plant Goffredo Zetticci was a notorious sorcerer who
is used in folk medicine as an emetic or a laxative. As operated in Eversink over two hundred years ago until
an action, the wearer may use the ring to undetectably Inquisitors caught and executed him. His skull was
trigger a Difficulty 5 Health test in one person per removed from the crow’s cage after his
adventure. Spending a Wilderness Mastery point allows body rotted and was promptly stolen
a simultaneous second target. If the targets fail their by his apprentice. Zetticci now
Health test they start to feel their guts roiling, as if from remains as a spirit inhabiting
food poisoning, and will immediately abandon their his elaborately carved skull.
current location in favor of finding a toilet. The GM For a sorcerer in
may assign the target penalties to other actions (such as possession of the skull,
resisting Persuade tests) due to the distraction caused Zetticci can act as an
by such urgency. advisor and mentor (though
he’s inclined to sulk if his
advice is ignored). For a
1-point Charm, Command or
Intimidation spend, the skull
will permit access to the Curses
or Disease Spheres for the rest of
the adventure, targeting Health.
144 Swords of the Serpentine
Gear
Thieves’ Guilds or Favors: Thieves’ Guilds. For the rest Sorcerous
of the scene, the boots allow you and your companions Location: Off-hand
to move across Eversink in less than half the time it This ancient rune is shaped like a humanoid snake and
usually takes. While you don’t seem to teleport, city makes your words particularly sinuous and believable.
landmarks flow oddly around you: a door to a hall may Once per scene after triggering the rune with a successful
lead to a rooftop instead, and a trapdoor in the roof Sway attack, you can tell a lie to the person you just
then leads to the sewers. If you keep your destination in successfully attacked. No matter how outrageous the
mind, you’ll end up there quickly. These won’t let you lie, your target will firmly believe that you believe the lie
walk to an end destination you haven’t seen, but they’ll to be true — and they may believe it as well, depending
usually get you close. on the circumstances. Other people within earshot are
under no compunction to believe the lie, but they will
be unable to convince your target that you’re lying.
Your target will tend to obsess over your lie. Over
the course of several days it will gradually consume them
as they dream of it and go over and over it. They will
take 2 Morale damage per day; if this loss drives them
below 0, they may break and come to you begging to
be shown that what you said was true. Either way, the
certainty (and any obsession) ends at the end of your
adventure.
146 Swords of the Serpentine
Gear
Depending on speed, a GM may ask for Athletics tests
you learn what the normal damage would be. The from people on board to keep their feet.
Warding Charm is destroyed once used, and you may An anchor knife doesn’t suspend people or objects
only trigger one Warding Charm per adventure. in mid-air. If used on something falling (which
usually requires you to fall as well), it
will continue to fall and then be unable
to move from its landing spot as long as
you’re in Close range and paying the cost
each round. If this is underwater, the results
can be unfortunate.
to the sword: it then drinks an equal amount of Health You roll a 2-die Critical Hit from a
from the foe being stabbed. very high attack roll (you spent more than 6
Once Leech has drunk 10 points of Health total Warfare when attacking, so the minimum
during a day, it becomes even hungrier and the wielder damage on your first damage die is 6), and
no longer has the option to decline sacrificing at least you also have +1 die from a teamwork attack.
one point of their own Health per hit.
Your damage is 3 dice +6 +2. You roll 5, 3,
1 — you deal 26 damage, and take 9 points
Lifedrinker (Mace) of Morale damage.
Cost: unique (cannot be purchased) If your Morale hits zero, you continue to fight but you
Sorcerous no longer get to select your targets rationally, and you
Location: Primary hand won’t stop until you’re put down or everyone else in
Every time you slay a foe with this mace (Damage sight is.
Modifier +1), heal one point of Health. The corpses If you wish to leave your berserk state early, you
you leave behind appear twisted and withered, and may do so by succeeding at a Difficulty 6 Morale test
continue to groan or scream for the rest of the scene (at least until you’re damaged again and
despite being dead. once more need to resist berserking).
Gear
or Investigative spends. It has the potential
There’s a demonic rage spirit captured within the blade,
to defeat most Heroes in one or two shots if
and it glories in the actions of weak-willed humans.
they get too close, and that’s not necessarily
Even if left behind or locked away, it will somehow
a desirable tactic for a fun fight.
follow its chosen wielder, appearing conveniently
nearby when a fight breaks out.
This greatsword forces you to go berserk for
the remainder of the fight if you fail a Difficulty 4
Morale test any time you are injured. You may Swordbreaker (Rapier)
also go berserk voluntarily.
While berserk, roll damage for your Warfare Cost: unique (cannot be purchased)
attacks as normal. Now deal damage as Sorcerous
though every die were a 6, and take the Location: Primary Hand
difference as Morale damage. Nothing This thin sword (Damage Modifier +1) is supple
can stop or reduce this loss, although it and flexible. It is engraved with one prayer to Denari
can be healed normally. etched over and over again in tiny, precise letters:
Your normal damage is 1 die “Taxes and faith are stronger than steel.” Holding the
+2. You roll a 4 on the die. You sword makes you easier to strike in combat, lowering
deal 8 damage (6 + 2), but your Health Threshold by 1.
take 2 points of Morale Holding Swordbreaker grants you mystical sight,
showing your enemies limned in golden light except for
damage (8 – 6).
150 Swords of the Serpentine
Gear
needing a physical manifestation of the
ability. In these cases, such a Token is
usually the temporary gift of a small Token of Grease
god or some other power.
Unless of unusual power, Tokens Cost: Wealth 2
can be used once per scene and stop Sorcerous
working for a few years after being used Location: Any
five times. Particularly weak Tokens only A Token of Grease makes it easier to trip someone or
work three times or fewer. shove them from place to place. If you use a Maneuver
that moves someone or knocks them off their feet,
the Maneuver’s Difficulty is raised by +2. If someone
Token of Blackjacks tries to trip or shove you, the Maneuver’s Difficulty is
Cost: Wealth 2 reduced by –2.
Sorcerous
Location: Any
A Token of Blackjacks makes it easier to Daze someone
with a blow to the head or with shocking or terrifying
news. If you use a Maneuver to Daze a foe, the
Maneuver’s Difficulty is raised by +2. If someone tries
to Daze you, the Maneuver’s Difficulty is reduced by –2.
152 Swords of the Serpentine
Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Adv e r s aries
Character Nomenclature
Different characters in the game world are referred to Companions
by different names to help you keep their capabilities
straight. A Companion is a highly specialized Supporting
Character who accompanies your Heroes on an
adventure. They may be a torchbearer, a faithful family
Heroes servant, a paid henchman, or a semi-tame bonded animal
companion. Give Companions a fun or interesting
A player character is referred to in the rules as a Hero. personality. Companions are usually only good at one
This is true even if they don’t necessarily act heroically; or two things, so you should introduce a Companion
you can easily have Heroes who are only looking out to make up for an important ability that the Heroes
for themselves. If you think about your adventures as otherwise lack. Specialties such as guiding, healing,
sword & sorcery stories, they’d be on the cover of the prophecy, protocol, wilderness survival, cooking, or
novel or collection of short stories. even fighting are all fair game for a Companion.
GM Advice: Mooks
Building a Companion
Mooks are Adversaries who are particularly easy to
defeat. Narratively unimportant and intended as
Bonded animal and human Companions are
cannon fodder in a big fight, Mooks have 1 Health and
staples of sword & sorcery novels. Whether
1 Morale. They can’t resist Maneuvers without being
they’re only around for a single adventure or
defeated, and in combat they are defeated after being
they have a recurring role, Companions use
hit with a single successful attack unless their Armor
their limited and specialized abilities in the best
or Grit protects them. What defines a Mook isn’t their
interest of the Heroes until they’re betrayed,
strength or hardiness (or the lack thereof), but rather
treated badly, or there’s a very good reason for
their importance to the plot. If they’d be played by an
them not to stay loyal.
extra in the movie of your game, and they don’t have a
Companions don’t have full character
name, they’re probably a Mook.
sheets like a normal Hero; that’s more record-
While they may not matter narratively, Mooks aren’t
keeping than anyone needs. Instead, construct
necessarily a pushover in combat. Sure, they go down
a Companion with a normal stat block like an
in a single hit, but they can be quite lethal before that
Adversary (see p. 155) giving them enough
happens. Heroes shouldn’t ever take them for granted
Health and Morale to survive a fight, a fixed attack
in a fight, and it’s usually good tactical sense in a
bonus (often +0 or +1), 10-15 points of Malus,
confrontation to take out as many Mooks as possible as
and specific Special Abilities as appropriate.
quickly as possible.
Companions may also get up to 3 Investigative
ranks in the abilities they specialize in. If they
choose, they can spend these pool points to assist GM Advice:
Heroes.
Making Mooks Matter
A Hero can often turn a Supporting Character
into a Companion for one or more adventures by
Every once in a while you want your adventure’s
spending a point of High Repute or an appropriate
final confrontation to have the feel of an epic
Social Investigative point. A Hero can sometimes
screen battle where the heroes defeat all the
turn a hostile animal into a Companion for
minions before coming for the primary villain.
Adversaries
Adversaries
Template for 1 Health might be very fast and thus have a Health
Threshold of 4, 5 or 6; a relentless swamp giant with
Building Adversaries high Morale might be very superstitious or gullible,
with a Morale Threshold of only 3.
Every non-player character, whether bystander, Mook,
monstrosity, or Adversary, uses the same basic stat
block. Categories that aren’t needed are omitted from
Adversary Survivability and
the stat block. Effectiveness
Use the guidelines below to adjust the length and
Name danger of a battle. As the GM, you should alter and
tweak Adversary stats as you see fit; they are benchmarks
Roleplaying adjectives and guidelines, not hard-and-fast absolutes. You have
Defense – Health: Health Threshold, Armor, Health four main methods of adjusting an Adversary: their
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold, Grit, Morale survivability (by changing their defenses), their combat
Offense – Warfare: +X; Damage Modifier +Y effectiveness (by changing their likelihood of hitting
Offense – Sorcery: +X; Damage Modifier +Y and doing extra damage), their unique abilities (by
Offense – Sway: +X; Damage Modifier +Y adding to or removing their special abilities), and the
Abilities: Investigative abilities (if any); General combat balance (by determining how many and what
abilities; Malus kind of foes threaten your Heroes).
Special Abilities: special ability (cost, if any)
Misc: Alertness Modifier if not 0, Stealth Modifier if Combat Survivability
not 0; any unique advice needed to run the creature Unlike Heroes, all foes are defeated when their Health
Refresh Tokens: 1, 3, 5 or 7 or Morale reaches 0 — it’s just simpler to keep track of.
Description: Who they are and what they look like Narratively important foes who are losing a fight often
Variations: Very similar variants that don’t need their try to escape if they believe they’ll be defeated.
Adversaries
own stat block � Easy foe (mook): Health 1 and Morale 1; usually
no Armor or Grit.
� Moderate foe (named adversary): Health and
Adversary Health Morale up to 12; Armor and Grit up to 2.
and Morale Thresholds � Hard foe: Health and Morale 12 or higher, or (for
fights that last multiple rounds) can be calculated
For most Adversaries, Health and Morale Thresholds at 10 per hero; Armor and Grit 2 or higher, may
are calculated the same way they are for Heroes: 10 or possess the special abilities Warded (Malus cost 6)
more ranks of Health or Morale gives a Threshold of 4 and/or Defense Boost (cost 6).
instead of 3. � Deadly foe: Health and Morale calculated at 15
You are always encouraged to tweak and customize to 30 or more per Hero; Armor or Grit may be
an Adversary’s game statistics if an Adversary is more or 3 or higher (usually not both); likely possesses the
less vulnerable than their Health or Morale ranks might special abilities Warded (Malus cost 6) and/or
suggest, or to make a fight more fun, interesting, or Defense Boost (cost 6).
challenging. An easy-to-kill insect monster with only
156 Swords of the Serpentine
Combat Effectiveness � Hard foe: Use any of the foe’s Special Abilities,
If you find that fights initially seem easier than they and look up the less common ones before the fight.
should be, be sure that you’re using Malus to trigger Remove or add Special Abilities to match the foe’s
crits, Maneuvers, and special abilities when it’s fun or personality.
exciting to do so. This can make a large difference in � Deadly foe: Feature the most impressive Special
the amount of threat the Heroes perceive. Abilities early in the combat, leading with
Adversaries
� Easy foe: Set attack bonuses to -1, 0, or +1; never memorable strategies that might scare the Heroes
add any Malus to attack rolls. (and which will remind them that they might want
� Moderate foe: Set attack bonuses to +1 or +2; add to use defensive tactics to stay alive and triumph).
up to +1 Malus on important attack rolls, or more Look up Special Abilities before the fight and
on Maneuvers. customize them as needed to make this enemy feel
� Hard foe: Set attack bonuses to +2; add up to +2 unique.
Malus on attack rolls (makes a hit very likely, makes
a critical hit possible), or more on Maneuvers. Combat Balance
� Deadly foe: Set attack bonuses to +3; add up to +4 � A small number of Mooks will likely fall to a single
Malus on attack rolls (makes a hit certain, makes a hero’s attack.
critical hit very likely), or more on Maneuvers. � A crowd of Mooks (3 or more per Hero) will be
diminished quickly if the Heroes have initiative, but
Unique Abilities might inflict surprising amounts of damage if the
� Easy foe: Remove all but the most basic of Special Mooks go first in the fight.
Abilities, with enough Malus to trigger it once. � Waves of Mooks (2 to 4 per Hero, per wave)
� Moderate foe: Use any of the foe’s Special Abilities provide a satisfying multi-round fight, but can get
whose effect you can remember without looking it out of hand quickly if the Mooks are Moderately
up. Effective or better in combat.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 157
� Several foes with Moderate to Hard Survivability, Your job as GM is to make the game fun and
accompanied by several waves of Mooks, provides a challenging, so you may vary these numbers mid-fight
very satisfying fight. if you wish. Always let Heroes be defeated by bad luck
� A single massive foe, with no Mooks to distract the or bad tactics, but if you significantly under- or over-
heroes, needs Deadly Survivability to last more than estimated how difficult a monster would be to fight,
a round or two of combat. Create single massive make that correction on the fly to make the game more
foes with the ability to attack more than one Hero fun for everyone. You also have control of deciding
per round. when in a fight a villain triggers the Defense Boost or
Warded special abilities, which may buy your Adversary
an additional round or two for trying to escape.
Scaling Health and Morale Finally, don’t panic if you made your Adversary too
for Climactic Battles strong and the Heroes are defeated. Defeat doesn’t
usually mean death in this game, but rather capture,
and that just gives the Heroes a later opportunity for a
The final fight of an adventure tends to have very high
heroic escape.
damage output from Heroes because there’s no reason
for them not to spend their remaining Investigative
points as bonus damage with each successful hit. Adversary Armor and Grit
That’s a good thing; it helps the players feel heroic and Armor and Grit vary tremendously from one Adversary
effective, it encourages cinematic Maneuvers, and it to another. A knight might be incredibly well armored
steers combat towards ending an adventure with a bang and have a shield, making them hard to hit and hard to
instead of a whimper. hurt, but will drop quickly once injured because they
This can be a problem, however, when combats only have 5 Health. When you want to customize an
end too quickly or without enough threat because you opponent, increase or reduce their Armor and Grit
haven’t scaled the climactic encounter to the size of to make them an interesting and fun challenge for
your group. With Mooks, you can easily use waves of the Heroes. This also provides a satisfying victory for
them each round to continue challenging a larger group Heroes who have invested points in Spot Frailty.
of Heroes. With named Adversaries and monsters, The Armor and Grit of some Adversaries will vary
though, a six-player gaming group is going to end a depending on how players describe their attack. For
fight against a single terrifying Adversary much more instance, many undead lose their Grit when players
Adversaries
quickly and efficiently than a three-player group might. describe their Sway attacks as being a prayer, and
The solution is linking a climactic Adversary’s Health vampires lose their Armor and Grit when confronted by
and Morale to the number of Heroes in that fight. If a bane. This technique can be fun and highly flavorful,
you want a fight to last three rounds, for instance, and allowing Heroes to bypass significant defenses, and
the average Health or Morale damage per round when Heroes with ranks in Know Monstrosities should be
Heroes pull out all the stops is 10 points per Hero, given this information whenever it might be useful.
you might set a single climactic Adversary’s Health or
Morale at 30 points per Hero. You might go higher in
either ability if the Adversary is notoriously healthy or Alertness and Stealth Modifiers
strong-willed, or lower if they’re particularly sickly or
fearful. Some Adversaries may be unusually wary or may be
This isn’t an exact equation. Defense Boost, Armor particularly adept at noticing movement, heat, faint
and Grit make an Adversary harder to defeat, as does sound, life signs, or any other appropriate sensory data.
Healing and the Warded special ability, as does the Give them a higher than usual Alertness Modifier.
breakdown of how many Heroes primarily attack Every point of bonus increases the target number that
Health or Morale (or use Teamwork); and any other a Hero must reach when being stealthy. Lowering an
targets on the battlefield siphon off attacks against the Adversary’s Alertness Modifier makes it easier for a
primary foe, usually allowing it to survive for longer. Hero to be stealthy.
158 Swords of the Serpentine
Adversaries
When building an Adversary from scratch, simplicity
works in your favor. Resist the urge to add so many
special abilities that you can’t remember what they do.
Do not build Adversaries by starting with a point-buy
budget and selecting abilities: this list isn’t balanced in
such a way, and doing so will create an overpowered,
confusing villain.
Adversaries should be built on a theme, and should
underscore what makes that foe unusual, memorable,
or effective. Instead of going through the list below and
saying, “Oh, this looks cool, as does this, as does this…”
it’s most effective to give some thought to what your
Adversary might be capable of without any game rules
in mind. A conniving noble might use Venom and be
a Mastermind, while a murderous barbarian lord might
have Strength and move incredibly quickly in a fight.
A foul sorcerer, unsurprisingly, will have
the ability to manipulate Corruption and do
extra damage, but individual sorcerer’s spells
160 Swords of the Serpentine
In the interest of good GMing, no Special Ability Scott Lynch’s novel The Lies of Locke Lamora
should ever be instantly lethal to the Heroes features the Bondsmages of Karthain, a mage’s
it affects. guild with an unbreakable promise to the world:
Teleportation is rare even in sorcerers and kill one of our wizards, and we will systematically
monstrous opponents, as it doesn’t occur destroy everything you love before we destroy
often in classic sword & sorcery stories. As you. Everyone lives in fear of crossing their
a result, it has a high cost. If you decide it members for very good reasons. It’s an excellent
should be more common, or even rarer, adjust example of how a guild of close allies can drive
the cost accordingly. future adventure.
Special Abilities
Name Malus Cost Description
The Adversary has powerful allies who they can call on for help. If the Adversary
Allies 3 is killed or seriously injured, the Allies will try to get revenge. Such Allies are
Adversaries
Armor-
3 Attacks against an enemy’s Health ignore 3 points of Armor for 1 round.
Piercing
2 per 1 Spend Malus to restore Morale to an ally, similar to the General ability Sway.
Bolster
Morale Usually found in servitors and lackeys whose job is to encourage the main
Morale
restored Antagonist.
This triggers automatically upon the death of a sorcerer, targeting their killer
Remainder with a Curse equivalent to the sorcerer’s remaining Malus. It cannot be used
Death Curse
of Malus at any other time. The Curse typically takes several adventures to manifest. In a
one-shot adventure, ignore this ability.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 161
At any time, the adversary fights defensively for the round, raising Health and
Defense Boost 6 Morale Thresholds by +3. Health and Morale Thresholds return to normal at the
end of the round unless triggered again.
The Adversary can change their appearance to look like someone else, either
through illusion, mundane makeup or shape-shifting. Some highly talented
1 for dis-
Adversaries can accurately impersonate a particular person; doing so costs 3
guise or 3
Disguise Malus instead of 1.
for imper-
If a Hero deliberately tries to penetrate the disguise, treat it as a Stealth “Spotting
sonation
Hidden Things” test on p. 52. The Malus spend acts as a bonus to the
Adversary’s Stealth modifier when avoiding detection.
Move quickly enough to gain an extra action in one round, which may be spent
attacking. Most Adversaries can only use this once a round, and choose whether
Extra Action 3
to take both attacks at once, or (more powerfully) gain a second place in the
initiative order. The Adversary can target the same enemy more than once.
After successfully hitting, spend 3 Malus to gain a bonus die of Health or Morale
3 per die
damage, describing the action cinematically. Particularly dangerous Adversaries
Extra Damage of bonus
can spend 6 Malus for 2, or 9 Malus for 3, extra dice of damage. Most
damage
Adversaries can only use this once a round.
3 against
one foe, or In addition to your normal action, automatically inflict 3 points of Morale
Fear 6 against damage (or higher) without rolling by doing something terrifying. A single target
many, in costs 3 Malus; multiple targets costs 6.
Close range
Adversaries
As one action, perform a Sway attack at the same time as a Warfare attack. Apply
3 per
Fearsome Health and Morale damage separately, as appropriate to the attacks used. For
combined
Blow instance, this could be a large monstrosity with a particular attack that looks
attack
devastating.
Like Preparedness, the Adversary has retroactively arranged a plan. The cost for
5 per activating this includes any Malus cost for Preparedness the Adversary would
Flashback
Flashback normally have to make to put their plan in place. Feel free to describe the
Adversary’s Flashback for your players.
Using wings or sorcery, the Adversary can levitate or fly. This requiries a 3-point
0, or 3 for Malus cost if flying is an unusual activity for the Adversary. The speed of flight
Flight occasional depends on the means used. Less mobile Adversaries may only be able to levitate,
fliers hovering unerringly at any height. Constant flight, such as a bird’s, does not
require a cost in Malus.
162 Swords of the Serpentine
2 per 1 Similar to Bind Wounds, the Adversary can spend Malus to restore Health to an
Healing Health ally who has taken Health damage. It’s most often found in servitors whose job is
healed to keep the main Antagonist alive.
Whether made of smoke or sentient thought, the Adversary is out of phase and
can only touch other insubstantial things, passing through solid objects as if they
Insubstantial 0, or 6 were not there, and taking no Health damage from material sources, including
sorcery. If the Adversary isn’t innately insubstantial, they must pay 6 Malus to
activate it.
Restores another’s Malus pool by 1 point for every point of Malus put in up to a
1 for 1 maximum of the ability’s rating, effectively transferring Malus from one creature
Invigorate
Adversaries
transfer to another. This is usually used by servants of a primary Adversary, minions who
willingly drain their own power to maintain their master’s.
The Adversary is incredibly quick, increasing their movement (but not their
attack rate — for that, see Extra Action) to 2 range increments instead of 1 and
Lightning
3 per round still attack, or they can move 3 range increments without attacking. Their Health
Speed
and Morale Thresholds rise by +1 for the round. When used during a foot chase,
Lightning Speed adds +2 to the Adversary’s die roll on a Chase test.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 163
The Adversary is only defeated when both their Health and Morale drop to 0
(or for more powerful Adversaries, -10). This is particularly common in undead,
Linger 0
which require a prayer (Morale damage) to unbind the spirit once the corpse has
been destroyed with Health damage.
If a target fails a Difficulty 5 Morale test, the Adversary convinces them that they
are confidants, making the target do anything they’d do for a trusted friend.
Magical Upon waking every day, or if the target is damaged or given self-destructive
3
Charm orders, they can try a Difficulty 4 Morale test; success frees them from the
Charm. Charmed subjects may not even realize that they are charmed until after
it wears off, although they typically suffer from terrible nightmares.
The Adversary can read someone’s mind against their will. If the victim fails their
Morale test, the Adversary can rifle through their recent memories and read their
Mind Reading 3
surface thoughts for the scene. The victim is usually unaware that the Adversary is
doing so.
Adversaries
The Adversary has visions of the past, present, and future. Many oracles are
Oracle 3 “recruited” (because institutional kidnapping is such an ugly word) by the
Church or by Sorcerous Cabals as soon as their prophetic power reveals itself.
The Adversary can possess a living creature’s body. They must pay 3 Malus and
roll a successful Sorcery or Sway attack, which sets the Difficulty. The defender
must either allow the Adversary to possess them, or suffer Morale damage equal
to the Difficulty –2. The target’s Grit reduces this damage if they opt not to
Possession 3
accept being possessed. The Difficulty is raised by +1 for every time in their
heroic adventures the defender’s Morale has dropped to –10 (Broken). In cases
where possession is a strain to maintain, the Malus cost may need to be paid
every round, minute or scene to keep the possession active.
164 Swords of the Serpentine
Seize The Adversary can jump into the initiative order wherever desired, often
3
Initiative thwarting a player’s best-laid plans.
The Adversary can reshape their body into a non-humanoid form, such as a chair
or a carpet, or to form rough weapons from body parts. Shape-Shift is most
Shape-Shift 3
effective when used with Disguise, assuming the Adversary doesn’t want their
“carpet” to look like a flattened Adversary.
The Adversary can trigger a magical effect within one or more Sorcerous
Spheres. Spellcasting abilities are comparable to what a Hero could achieve with
a Corruption spend, or can be combined into more dangerous or impressive
Spellcasting 3 per effect effects. The GM should decide ahead of time how many times this ability can be
used; an Adversary with 12 Malus and the Spellcasting ability shouldn’t turn all
their Malus at once into 4 Corruption effects unless they’re already established as
Adversaries
a great sorcerer.
Spider Climb 0 The Adversary can clamber effortlessly up walls and across ceilings.
The Adversary is made of stone or some similarly hard matter. They gain Armor
4, and are immune to normal fire, but possibly vulnerable to acids or other
alchemical attacks. Falls that inflict damage might shatter, crack or chip the
Stony 0, or 6
Adversary. They sink in water and can’t swim, but likely do not require breath. If
the Adversary isn’t innately made out of stone (as a possessed statue would be),
pay a cost of 6 to activate it.
Summoning allows the Adversary to summon help — armed guards, attack dogs,
the City Watch, a team of highly officious and bureaucratic scribes, and the like.
Summoning 3
This can typically be used only once per encounter, unless the fight is particularly
climactic.
The Adversary can swim effortlessly and move as well (or better) in water as they
Swimming 0
do on land, and may be able to breathe underwater.
The Adversary can communicate silently, mind to mind, with creatures they can
Telepathy 0, or 3 see for zero cost, or creatures they know but can’t see for a Malus cost of 3. To
read someone’s mind against their will, see Mind Reading above.
Instantaneously move from one location to another, either within Long range
(cost 3) or outside of Long range (cost 6). Most teleportation prevents the
Adversary from accidentally materializing in a solid object. Whether turning into
Teleport 3, or 6 a horde of scattering rats or sublimating into mist, teleportation takes a Sphere.
It is up to the GM whether other people can be teleported as well, if it can be
tracked using Investigative abilities, and what limits, if any, the Sphere imposes
on the teleportation.
Through blazing speed or an area effect, the Adversary can attack everyone they
Universal
6 want within range during one round, making separate Sorcery, Sway or Warfare
Attack
attack rolls for each.
Monstrous Adversaries may be venomous, and the ‘Sinkish often use poisons to
Venom 3 thwart their foes. See pp. 89 and 138 for sample ways in which poison and
venom might affect a victim.
Adversaries
Narratively important Adversaries may rely on sorcerous charms, well-made
shields, tremendous agility, or some other means of protection, but they take
only half damage from all Health or Morale damage for one complete combat
round. This protection, as well as whether it’s protecting Health or Morale, is
usually obvious to any attackers.
If they have armor, it reduces incoming damage first, and then any remaining
damage is halved by the ward. The Warded special ability starts at the beginning
of a combat round and ends at the end of the round, and does not use up an
Warded 6
action to initiate. Warded might also be activated at the very beginning of a
fight if the Adversary is expecting trouble or has Flashback. If they have enough
Malus, they can use Warded for more than one round in a row.
Note that this is deliberately more powerful than the Protective Ward (see p.
75) available to Heroes; it’s meant to keep an important Adversary active in a
fight for a bit longer without artificially inflating their Health or Morale ranks. If
you want to give your Adversaries a similar ability that isn’t nearly as powerful,
give them a Protective Ward (protecting against one attack) instead.
166 Swords of the Serpentine
Ancient Nobility
The Ancient Nobility
Sample Human Adversaries have manipulative
elders, loyal servants,
The following Adversaries are sorted into factions for and paid house
easy reference, but feel free to select and customize the guards.
most relevant archetype from any faction.
In classic sword & sorcery tales, non-humans (such
as elves or mer-people) who aren’t monsters are rare.
That shouldn’t stop you for adding them into your
Adversaries
Adversaries
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 1
(extreme self-confidence), Morale 10 Superfluous Scion
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (rapier)
Abilities: Malus 15 Condescending, dangerous when bored
Special Abilities: Defense Boost (cost 6), Extra Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Armor 2
Action (cost 3), Extra Damage (cost 3) (chain shirt that was tremendously stylish 120 years
Refresh Tokens: 3 ago), Health 6
Description: When you’re over-privileged and under- Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 6
worked, there’s little to do but drink and duel. Offense – Warfare: +0; Damage Modifier +1 (great-
Dissolute young nobles can be incredibly dangerous grandmother’s rapier)
to insult. Offense – Sway: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (snide
remarks)
House Guard Abilities: Malus 10
Refresh Tokens: 3
Bored, competent, paid to be loyal Description: With little interest in anything but high
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4 or 5 (shield), society, rumor, and politics, this wastrel typically spends
Armor 2 (chain mail), Health 10 their day hunting, eating, courting, condescending to
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Grit 1 (family commoners, and waiting for their parents to die.
loyalty), Morale 6
168 Swords of the Serpentine
Adversaries
(obsession), Morale 12
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (flail
Tormented, knowledgeable, disliked
made from sharpened coins)
Offense – Sway: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (church Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Armor 2
doctrine) (leather lined with coins), Health 8
Abilities: Malus 15 Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2
Special Abilities: Allies (cost 3 — Church of Denari), (obsessive faith), Morale 16
Healing (cost varies), Warded (cost 6) Offense – Sorcery: +2; Damage Modifier +1 (attacks
Refresh Tokens: 3 either Health or Morale)
Description: A typical Inquisitor is dedicated to Abilities: Malus 20
rooting out heresy by hunting down demons and Special Abilities: Death Curse (cost: all remaining
rogue sorcerers across the city. They use divinely Malus), Extra Damage (cost 3), Spellcasting (cost 3
granted senses like Spirit Sight to identify and track — 2 uses), Universal Attack (cost 6), Warding (cost
sources of Corruption. While they are advised by the 6)
Church not to harass sorcerers who haven’t broken Misc: Sphere tends to be either Coins or Fear
the law, Inquisitors tend to be strict and inflexible, Refresh Tokens: 3
and showing mercy to a suspect sorcerer doesn’t
come naturally.
170 Swords of the Serpentine
Adversaries
remedies and healing. If you aren’t, your
Description: The typical Watch corpse gets slid into the swamp or into a
Officer is well-meaning but canal when no one is looking.
demoralized from the
enormity of their job.
They aren’t all corrupt
Bartender
enough to take bribes Dependable, trustworthy, gossipy
(especially when anyone
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4,
is watching), and good
Armor 1, Health 10
leadership can make a huge difference
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3,
in the quality of a Watch Station’s
Grit 2 (practices indifference), Morale 8
personnel. Watch Officers retain the
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier
authority to arrest anyone who has
+1 (convenient club)
committed a crime, from a high
Abilities: Malus 10
priestess to a lowly beggar, and they
Refresh Tokens: 3
retaliate harshly against anyone who
Description: Someone needs to pour drinks,
attacks them.
spread rumors, and provide somewhere
safe to hide out between adventures. Tip
your bartenders, folks. They deserve it.
172 Swords of the Serpentine
Adversaries
Both in commoner homes and
mercenary camps, you’ll they’re also secretly sor-
hear hissing and honking cerers who have Spheres of
watch-geese more often Air, Stone, Water, or sometimes
than barking watchdogs. something esoteric like Construc-
tion or Architecture. Special-
ly schooled in construction
techniques, they have official
(if secret) legal dispensation
to practice sorcery in the inter-
est of their profession, and are
forced to swear that they will al-
ways internalize Corruption. Engi-
neers are often assigned their own per-
sonal Inquisitor to watch and manage
them. The best Engineers also have
a background in art and an apprecia-
tion for geometry and beauty.
The disfigurement that comes from
internalizing Corruption is usually
174 Swords of the Serpentine
(elemental sorcery)
Corrupt, hardworking, patient
Offense – Sway: +0; Damage Modifier +1 (sorcerous
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 1 croakings)
(leather armor you can swim in), Health 10 Abilities: Malus 30
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 8 Special Abilities: Death Curse (cost: all remaining
Offense – Warfare: +0; Damage Modifier +1 Malus), Extra Damage (cost 3), Spellcasting (cost 3 —
(sharpened grappling hook on light rope) 5 uses), Warded (cost 6)
Offense – Sway: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (self- Refresh Tokens: 5
assurance) Description: The hidden undercity refuge of retired
Abilities: Malus 5 Engineers is perhaps the most beautiful architecture in
Eversink — not that it’s permissible for most people
Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
to even learn of its existence without being killed for
Refresh Tokens: 3
possessing that knowledge. The Guild guards its secrets
Description: Canal Watchers keep the canals flowing.
carefully, and a village full of deformed and immensely
They manage locks and pumps, fish out refuse and powerful sorcerers who specialize in stone and water
dead bodies, repair damage to canals, and manage (along with air and obscure construction Spheres) is
boat traffic. It’s not the world’s most interesting a secret worth keeping. The Guild works hard to get
or creative job, but it pays well: Mercanti want to retired engineers anything they wish in order to keep
get their goods to Temple Market as quickly and them happy and complacent. No one wants the old
efficiently as possible, and that means bribing Canal engineers to rise up in open rebellion against Guild
Watchers constantly. rules.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 175
trained, dangerous
sword)
Abilities: Malus 20 Defense – Health:
Special Abilities: Bolster Morale Health Threshold 4 or 5
(cost varies), Flashback (cost (shield), Armor 2 (chain mail),
5), Summoning (cost 3 — Health 12
soldiers) Defense – Morale: Morale
Refresh Tokens: 5 Threshold 3, Grit 1,
Description: A Mercenary Officer Morale 8
commands any number of troops,
Offense – Warfare: +1;
from a handful to hundreds. If they
Damage Modifier +1
don’t come home from battle, it’s
(longsword)
the officer who’s at fault; they’re
expected to use their tactical Abilities: Malus 15
knowledge and strategy to win the Special Abilities: Extra
combat and bring their soldiers Damage (cost 3)
back. As a result, they demand Refresh Tokens: 3
high prices for their troops and Description: The typical warrior is competent
deliver (or claim to deliver) but not exceptional in battle, chopping their
the best. way through foes with brute force.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 177
Foreign Spy
Suave, unflappable, conniving
Adversaries
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Armor 1
(leather), Health 9
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2,
Morale 16
Offense – Warfare: +0; Damage Modifier +0 (subtle
dagger)
Offense – Sway: +2; Damage Modifier +1 (practiced
arguments)
Abilities: Malus 20
Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1 or 3), Venom (cost
3)
Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1
Refresh Tokens: 3
Description: Easy to trust and as dishonest as the tide
is high, a spy is usually in Eversink to engineer an
assassination or steal information they can’t obtain
any other way. They use their Malus to gain whatever
Social ability they need to pass in society.
178 Swords of the Serpentine
writings).
Elementalists have Sorcerous Spheres of Air,
Fire, Earth, or Water.
Necromancers have Spheres of Aging, Blood,
Death, Decay, Disease, Fear, Flesh, Ghosts
and Spirits, or Necromancy.
Eversink’s Mercanti Ship-Sorcerers have Spheres
of Air, Illusion, Transportation, Water, or
Weather.
Mind controllers have Spheres of Illusion, Love,
Memory, Possession, Secrets, or Worship.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 179
Adversaries
Disdainful, stylish, even crueller used sacrificial dagger)
Offense – Sorcery: +3; Damage
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 1
Modifier +1 (pick Spheres below)
(scintillating power), Health 15
Offense – Sway: +2; Damage
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2
Modifier +1 (honeyed voice)
(unworldly focus), Morale 15
Abilities: Malus 40
Offense – Warfare: +0; Damage Modifier +0
Special Abilities: Allies (cost 3),
(spare sacrificial dagger)
Death Curse (cost: all remaining
Offense – Sorcery: +2; Damage
Malus), Extra Damage (cost 3),
Modifier +1 (pick Spheres
below)
Offense – Sway: +1;
Damage Modifier +1
(obsessive monologuing)
Abilities: Malus 25
Special Abilities:
Allies (cost 3 —
Sorcerous Cabals),
Death Curse (cost:
180 Swords of the Serpentine
They have a wide range of offensive and defensive Description: Smarter than most brutes, the lieutenant
powers but lack the stamina to use them for long. is adept at tactics and knows how to best position
Eversink’s assassins have a reputation for being their people for deadly combat.
particularly courteous to their victims on the rare
occasion that conversation occurs.
Gang Boss
Brute Clever, intimidating, heartless, greedy
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 2,
Unimaginative, violent Health 5 per Hero
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Health 6 Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Grit 1
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 6 (stubborness), Morale 10
Offense – Warfare: +1, Fixed Damage 4 (club) Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +2
Abilities: Malus 10 (wickedly sharp sword)
Refresh Tokens: 3 Abilities: Malus 15
Description: Ill-smelling and far from clever, this brute Special Abilities: Extra Damage (cost 3), Summoning
will never pass for nobility, but they’re handy when (cost 3 — thieves)
you need a violent goon who doesn’t think too hard. Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +2
Refresh Tokens: 3
Description: Typically found running a gang of thieves,
Common Footpad the gang boss is a dangerous leader who keeps them
Fast, hungry, foolhardy organized, intimidated, and efficient.
Adversaries
Misc: Stealth Modifier +2 Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2
Refresh Tokens: 1 (confidence), Morale 20
Description: Cowardly but dangerous, footpads make Offense – Warfare: +2; Damage Modifier +1
their living by taking your things away from you. (poisoned dagger) + poison
They’re fairly indifferent as to whether they have to Offense – Sway: +2; Damage Modifier +1 (confident
hurt you in the process. swagger)
Abilities: Malus 35
Special Abilities: Allies (cost 3 — Thieves’ Guilds),
Brutish Lieutenant Disguise (cost 1 or 3), Flashback (cost 5), Venom
Mean, smart, brutish (cost 3 — any rare and unusual poison)
Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +2
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Health 10 Refresh Tokens: 5
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 6 Description: A survivor and master of flexibility,
Offense – Warfare: +1, Damage Modifier +1 (club) the guildmaster’s high Malus score lets them use
Offense – Sway: +1, Damage Modifier +1 (threats) whichever Investigative ability they need on the fly.
Abilities: Malus 15 They are masters of their neighborhoods, with scores
Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 of thieves at their command and most officials in their
Refresh Tokens: 3 pocket.
182 Swords of the Serpentine
Triskadane
The Triskadane are the thirteen secret rulers
of Eversink, but the name also refers to their
servants, enforcers, and governmental bureaucracy.
Adversaries
Adversaries
night markets where a disguised intelligent monster can
get a drink and quietly confer with other non-human
creatures. Humans who enter these places by mistake
are quickly ushered away if at all possible instead of
being killed.
Indoors, underground, or in the wilderness outside
of the city, monsters are a very different story. They’ll
have territory that they defend viciously, and they’ll
use this territory to their advantage when stalking and
killing prey.
184 Swords of the Serpentine
Refresh Tokens: 3
Chuggut Hunter Description: People live out in those swamps and
Subtle, savage, superstitious probably have for a thousand years or more, displaced
when Denari pushed back the marshes and drew the
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Health 10 islands from the riverbed itself. They hate Eversink
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 8 and just about everyone in it. People think the
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +2 (festering different tribes of Chuggut have a somewhat toadlike
spear) cast about them. They are fiercely territorial and
Offense – Sorcery: +0 vs Health; Damage Modifier +1 almost universally hostile. Their hunters seem to
(Sphere of Swamp) blend into the swamp, attacking with Surprise as they
Abilities: Malus 18 leap toad-like into battle.
Special Abilities: Spellcasting (cost 3 — Swamp Sphere
only, one use)
Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +2 Chuggut Swamp Shaman
Nimble, predatory, spiritual
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Health 16
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Morale 20
Offense – Sorcery: +2; Damage Modifier +1 (Spheres
of Darkness, Insects, Plants, or Swamp that attack
Health)
Abilities: Malus 24
Special Abilities: Extra Damage (cost 3), Monstrous
Ability (cost 3), Spellcasting (cost 3 — 4 uses)
Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1
Refresh Tokens: 5
Description: Not all of the semi-human Chuggut
swamp dwellers are fierce warriors. They breed their
own type of sorcerer out there in the reeds and
brine, a shaman who specializes in swamps,
Adversaries
plants, insects, and darkness. They’re
terrifying to face and used by parents
as bogeymen to scare young, entitled
Eversink children.
Demonic Counsel
Persuasive, needy, malicious
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 3
(also, see Insubstantial), Health 20
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2 (infernal
anger), Morale 25
Offense – Warfare: +2 (only when possessing a victim),
Damage Modifier +3 (bare hands and supernatural
strength)
Offense – Sway: +2, Damage Modifier +2
(supernaturally convincing)
Abilities: Malus 26
186 Swords of the Serpentine
Special Abilities: Insubstantial, Invisibility (cost 3 — and sing it constantly, or leave Denari’s Blessing
possibly visible to Spirit Sight), Possession (cost 3), (such as in a Corruption scar). While the hymn is
Strength (cost 0 — only when possessing a victim); being sung, all the singers share the same emotional
can grant humans forbidden knowledge and the state, which is usually euphoric, and can share surface
ability to access Corruption in exchange for a bargain thoughts.
Refresh Tokens: 5 Those who survive knowing the hymn whisper that
Description: As insubstantial and mostly spiritual a day will come when enough people in Eversink will
creatures, demonic counsels (often just called sing the hymn at once, and the world will change.
demons) are much easier to drive away temporarily Considering that the hymn is intimately but
than they are to kill. Each is unique, with its own name mysteriously tied to Denari, it’s surprising that the
and own Spheres of power. These spirits are typically Church of Denari is utterly opposed to the hymn and
summoned by those seeking personal power, such as to those who sing it. They will take extreme sanction
access to Sorcery. Until a deal is made the demons on areas that are compromised by singers, attempting
come across as incredibly calm, misunderstood, and to isolate the singers or to
helpful beings. Their true nature isn’t evident until stop the spread of the
after a deal (such as exchanging your soul for access hymn in whatever way
to Sorcery or other power) has been struck. Demons is kindest. The hymn,
may be able to use the senses of any sorcerer beholden meanwhile, tries to get itself
to them, which makes them excellent sources of secret sung by the priests who sing
information… if you’re willing to pay the price. prayer across the city.
Faceless
Mutable, empathic, sociopathic
Adversaries
Defense – Health: Health Threshold
4, Armor 1 (mutable body), Health
20
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold
4, Grit 2 (dual personalities), Morale
20
Offense – Warfare: +1, Damage Modifier +1
(whatever the assumed form would use as a weapon)
Offense – Sorcery: +1 vs Health, Damage Modifier
+1 (sliding flesh)
Offense – Sway: +2, Damage Modifier +1
(supernaturally convincing)
Abilities: Malus 21
Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 3), Mind Reading
(cost 3), Monstrous Ability (cost 3), Shape-Shift
(cost 3)
Misc: Stealth Modifier +3
Refresh Tokens: 5
188 Swords of the Serpentine
a Sorcerer or a Warrior who can speak the language It’s easier for ghosts to possess you if you’ve
of birds. Either way, being attacked by a flock of previously cracked under severe emotional stress;
carnivorous gulls is an experience few forget. They’re the Difficulty of the Morale test to resist Possession
almost impossible to injure with normal weapons due rises by 1 for every time you have dropped below –10
to their numbers, and shouting at them does nothing. Morale during your adventuring career. This means
Intense fear can chase them away or scatter them that ghosts are more likely to be successful when
after enough repetition, and sorcery or fire is usually possessing the survivors of severe mental trauma,
effective in getting their attention…Then again, you such as war or natural disasters.
may not want their attention. Note that not all ghosts are human. It’s believed
that ghosts of long-dead Serpentine Sorcerers (and
worse) are largely responsible for passing on the
secrets of forbidden Sorcery. Such entities never have
humanity’s best interests in mind, and use living
humans as pawns in bringing about their obscure and
perilous schemes.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 189
Adversaries
scare them enough and they’ll typically retreat. Their
Only two groups of people are reputed to have
thick carapace can be turned into an impressive shield
affected a golem’s Morale. One was a group of priests
with some skilled craftsmanship.
who combined all their Sway attacks by singing prayers
(see p. 66), with one member then unleashing that
Giant Snake powerful faith like a mental bludgeon. The other was
an artist so overcome by the golem’s sheer artistic
Hypnotic, hungry, coiled beauty that she praised it instead of attacking. At least
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 2 one of these reports is highly unlikely.
(hardened scales), Health 25
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 4 (cold-
blooded indifference), Morale 15 (takes no damage
from language-based Morale attacks)
Offense – Warfare: +1; the Restrain Maneuver (coils),
or Damage Modifier +2 plus venom (fangs)
Abilities: Malus 15
Special Abilities: Extra Damage (cost 3), Fearsome
Blow (cost 3), Spider Climb, Strength, Venom (cost
3 — Daze)
190 Swords of the Serpentine
Lich Lycanthrope
Plans within plans within plans, the most dangerous Howling, agile, and hungry for fresh and panicked meat
monster you’ll briefly meet Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 5
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 5, Armor 3 (Armor 0 vs silver weapons), Health 20
(undead vitality) + Warding, Health 15 points per Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 3 (feral
Hero focus), Morale 12
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 5, Grit 3 (iron Offense – Warfare: +2; Damage Modifier +3
willpower) + Warding, Morale 15 points per Hero (sharpened claws)
Offense – Sorcery: +3 vs. Morale, Damage Modifier Abilities: Malus 20
+3 (Obedience, Illusions) Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 3), Fear (cost
Offense – Sway: +1, Damage Modifier +1 (whispering 3 or 6), Monstrous Ability (cost 3), Shape-Shift
certainty) (human to animal or half-form — cost 3)
Abilities: Malus 30 Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +3
Special Abilities: Extra Damage (cost 3), Fear (cost Refresh Tokens: 5
3 or 6), Mastermind, Regeneration (cost 0 — Description: When a human becomes possessed by an
regenerates entirely at the end of an adventure if animal-related small god or demon, they occasionally
the hiding place for the lich’s soul has not been become a lycanthrope. The type of animal may vary
destroyed), Spellcasting (cost 3 — 5 uses total; add from rat to wolf to even a meat-eating seabird, but all
up to 3 additional Spheres); add up to two other lycanthropes are extraordinarily dangerous and take
Special Abilities to make each lich unique great joy in the bloodlust of a hunt. Quite often the
Refresh Tokens: 7 human doesn’t realize that they are cursed, and so
Description: Liches were powerful sorcerers in life. continues to live their normal life as well. Lycanthropy
They continue into undeath by hiding their soul in sometimes occurs from Corruption linked to an
the funerary statue of someone who was important Animal Sorcerous Sphere.
to them in life. A bitter rival, a dead lover, a trusted Some lycanthropes are triggered by the moon.
mentor, or a late parent — as long as the person Other, more dangerous lycanthropes are triggered
inspired exceptionally strong emotions in the sorcerer, by the tides. Lycanthropes only pass on their curse
their statue is fair game as a soul repository. Defeating if they also have the Infection Special Ability, at
Adversaries
a lich permanently usually requires the Heroes to the GM’s discretion. Some lycanthropes also have
investigate who the lich was in life. That can be tricky; Summoning, allowing them to summon and control
liches definitely bear grudges. animals matching their nature.
After a lich has been slain but before it has reformed,
there is usually some sort of guardian monstrosity
protecting the area around its soul-repository statue. Obsessed Cultist
These seldom give away the statue’s location, but Crazed, faithful, unstable
act as a last-ditch attempt to keep it safe. Subtle and
deadly traps are common. Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Health 1
Liches are politically active in Eversink, hiding Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 8
behind human catspaws to manipulate and control Offense – Warfare: +0; Fixed Damage 4 (sacrificial
huge amounts of influence and wealth. They often dagger)
skulk in sunken basements, rising to offer advice to Offense – Sway: +1; Fixed Damage 5
their descendants or to their allies. A Hero might Abilities: Malus 5
finish numerous investigations before they begin to Special Abilities: Bodyguard (cost 3 per attack),
realize that there’s a single mastermind manipulating Magical Charm (cost special; requires 7 cultists
events. working simultaneously, each paying 1 Malus)
Refresh Tokens: 1
192 Swords of the Serpentine
Description: Driven into madness by exposure to Upon returning to her home, she must soak her
entities whispering out of a scar of Corruption, organs in vinegar to let them shrink enough to fit back
obsessed cultists labor ceaselessly to carry out their into her body. In human form, most penanggalans
patron’s wishes within the true world. They may carry a faint scent of vinegar. The Church of Denari
magically convert others to their cause, give their stringently denies that any of their Inquisitors work
life away to protect a more important personage, or with penanggalans in the hunt for sin.
speak with spirits or other entities to learn of possible Male versions exist as well, often called
futures (as if gifted with Spirit Sight). Cultists are manananggals.
unpredictable and dangerous if you oppose their Destroying a penanggalan’s head in combat only
goals. inconveniences her briefly. The only method for truly
destroying a penanggalan is to place broken glass
into her body’s neck cavity while she is away, or by
Penanggalan burning her headless body so that she has nowhere
Vigilante, nightmarish, just trying to get along in the to return to.
world
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 2
(sorcerous resilience), Health 15
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 2
(unbreakable hunger), Morale 12
Offense – Warfare (monstrous form): +2, Damage
Modifier +3 (fanged maw and blood-slurping
sharpened tongue)
Offense – Sway (human form): +1, Damage
Modifier +1 (convincing)
Abilities: Malus 18
Special Abilities: Fluid (cost 6), Monstrous Ability
(cost 3), Flight, Regeneration (cost 0 — regenerates
entirely at the end of a scene if her headless body has
not been destroyed)
Adversaries
Adversaries
away at the religious and architectural underpinnings Abilities: Malus 30
of Denari. They spread quiet terror as they ruin the Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Extra Action (cost
things that humans love. The church works to wipe 3), Lightning Speed (cost 3), Monstrous Ability
them out without ever letting knowledge of their (cost 3), Oracle (cost 3), Spellcasting (cost 3 — 2
existence reach the population as a whole. There uses), Venom (cost 3 — Daze)
would be terrified riots if that occurred, and no one Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +2
wants to be the person who pushes the commoners Refresh Tokens: 5
into a rebellion. Description: Serpent folk lived in Narissimanitellikul,
The rattakan dwell deep beneath Alderhall and here in the delta of the great River Serpentine, for
Ironcross in long-forgotten sunken stone palaces that thousands of years before humanity first fled down
haven’t entirely collapsed or flooded. The bloated rat the river and tried to cross the mud. The serpent
queens lair there with thousands of their squeaking, people built unnatural temples within the bog, raised
naked young. It’s said that those linked rattakan idols to their demonic gods, and — in conjunction
palaces are maintained by nothing more than pure, with the great Serpentine Empire upriver — tore the
concentrated faith in the rattakan god; should that rules of sorcery from the starlight above. Most had
faith ever falter, the lairs would flood and collapse, departed by the time that Eversink was founded, and
taking a sizable portion of Eversink’s buildings with Denari drove many of the remaining serpent folk far
them. away.
194 Swords of the Serpentine
Everyone knows that serpent folk died out long, long Faster than thought they were, and their sorcery
ago, and there’s no risk at all of ever encountering affected... affected... eh. It doesn’t matter, because
serpent folk within Eversink. Even if they still they don’t exist. This discussion is boring. Let’s talk
existed, they would not worship in the flooded and about another Adversary instead.
abandoned depths of the city, nor would they walk Snake’s Eye: as mentioned on p. 137, the ‘Sinkish
the streets pretending to be normal humans. That often mount a small mirrored charm on their door
sounds unlikely at best, don’t you think? jambs to ward off evil. Almost no one remembers
Truly, their extinction is a blessing. Stone carvings show the truth any more (2 ranks of Forgotten Lore or
them to have been long and deadly, with poison fangs Laws and Traditions needed), but legend has it that
and a coiling body atop which sat a human-like face. a properly made charm wards off serpent folk. It
catches their eye and repels them; serpent folk take 5
Morale damage if they attempt to pass a Snake’s Eye
charm on a door or window frame, and are restrained
for at least a round if they try. Sometimes, strange old
traditions happen for a reason.
Serpentine Monstrosity
Hulking, unthinkable, terrifying
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 5,
Health 20 per Hero
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 5, Grit 3,
Morale 15 per Hero
Offense – Warfare: +2; Damage Modifier +3 (curved
blade or fangs), and the Restrain Maneuver (coils)
Offense – Sway: +1; Damage Modifier +4 (terror)
Abilities: Malus 50
Special Abilities: Fearsome Blow (cost 3),
Monstrous Ability (cost 3), Spider Climb, Strength,
Adversaries
Seskie
Luminescent, driven, inhuman
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Health 1
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Morale 3
Offense – Sorcery: +1 vs Health, Fixed Damage 4
(Sphere of Ocean)
Abilities: Malus 10
Special Abilities: Fluid (cost 3), Seize Initiative (cost
3), Swimming, Telepathy
Misc: Stealth Modifier +1
Refresh Tokens: 1
Description: The seskie are ocean spirits given flesh
for a brief amount of time — usually the length of a
tide, or a single moonlit night. They have pale skin
and eyes the color of ocean waves, and in moonlight
they glimmer like phosphorescent tides. They are
animated by the ocean’s powers and can swim upriver
or walk upon land until their allotted time expires or
they are slain. In either case, their body bursts into sea
water and no sign of the seskie remains.
Seskies are usually sent for a particular purpose,
such as capturing a certain person, learning a certain
fact, or recovering a certain item. They may come in
the hundreds or thousands when they do, or just a
handful may come into Eversink seeking their goal.
They avoid temples of Denari; simply crossing a
threshold is usually enough to burst their bonds of
flesh, so they recruit human allies if what they need is
Adversaries
within a holy space.
It’s rumored that seskies far more powerful than
the rank and file — true ocean sorcerers — exist as
well but find Eversink distasteful.
196 Swords of the Serpentine
Shadow Demon
Lurking, evil, amused
Defense – Health: Health Threshold
6, Armor 2 (and often Insubstantial),
Health 15
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold
4, Grit 2 (hissing persuasion),
Morale 15
Offense – Sorcery: +1 vs Health,
Damage Modifier +3 (boiling
blood)
Offense – Sway: +2, Persuade
Maneuver
Abilities: Malus 15
Special Abilities: Spellcasting
(cost 3 — 1 use), Insubstantial
(when not in direct sunlight),
Possession (cost 3)
Misc: Stealth Modifier +4
Refresh Tokens: 5
Description: Shadow demons
are the shredded remnants of
a long-dead god. They’re made
from living shadow and bad
ideas, and they exist solely to
trigger lethally poor choices.
They appear to be toddler-
sized shreds of shadow;
Adversaries
Adversaries
Offense – Sway: +0, Fixed Damage 5 (paralyzing
fear) Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 3,
Abilities: Malus 10 Health 30
Special Abilities: Linger (can’t be defeated until both Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Grit 2 (fear
Health and Morale reach 0), Regenerate (1 Health only), Morale 10
per round until defeated) Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +4 (massive
Misc: Stealth Modifier +1 spiked club)
Refresh Tokens: 1 Offense – Sway: +1; Damage Modifier +3 (terrifying
Description: Singers in the swamp (sometimes called roar)
bog singers) are reanimated skeletons of those who Abilities: Malus 20
drown in swamps. They’re typically imbued with Special Abilities: Strength
necromantic energy and a fell purpose; they delight Misc: Alertness Modifier –1, Stealth Modifier –1
in hiding under muck and brackish water, then using Refresh Tokens: 5
the Restrain Maneuver to pull passers-by down to Description: 3 meters tall and bestial, swamp ogres
their doom. They sing as they do, their eerie voices stalk the far reaches of the bog taking whatever they
echoing across the swamp. need by dint of their strength. When they invade
To be truly destroyed, a bog singer must both be human lands, livestock vanishes just barely before the
damaged physically and have a few words of prayer commoners do.
said over it (a Sway attack) during the same turn.
198 Swords of the Serpentine
appear in groups of up to
10 individuals, with usually only one wisp
lit and acting as lure at any given time.
Will o’ the wisps are said to love music. Sing
songs of haunting beauty to them, and you
might be lured to lost treasure instead of to your
doom.
Chapter Seven: Adversaries 199
Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 3), Flight, Strength to mix with Eversink’s social elite. The vampire can
Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +2 use Monstrous Ability to recreate any appropriate
Refresh Tokens: 3 vampiric ability, including turning to mist when
Description: Winged apes may grow as large as three badly injured, and it heals by drinking blood from
meters tall. They are only found deep in jungle ruins, immobilized or willing targets.
usually guarding ancient fallen cities with savage Some vampires are also sorcerers, able to manipulate
ferocity. Rumors persist of winged apes with four or Corruption and cast horrendous spells. Such vampires
six arms instead of the normal two, and of apes who are also often Masterminds, making them unspeakably
know rudimentary sorcery and who worship fallen dangerous.
Serpentine idols.
Vampire
Thirsty, varied, amused, loathsome
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Armor 5 (0
when confronted by bane), Health 10 per Hero
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 4, Grit 3 (0 when
confronted by bane), Morale 10 per Hero
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +3 (crushing
grip or sharp fangs)
Offense – Sway: +2; Damage Modifier +3 (insinuating
voice)
Abilities: Malus 25
Special Abilities: Fearsome Blow (cost 3), Insubstantial
(cost 6), Monstrous Ability (cost 3), Magical Charm
(cost 3), Regenerate (fully by next dusk if not fully
destroyed), Strength
Misc: Blood is life. Any Health damage inflicted to a
Dazed, Charmed, Unconscious, or Paralyzed target
Adversaries
heals the vampire’s Health by 1 point for every
damage point inflicted. Sunlight, however, acts
like Fire (see p. 88) to a vampire. Vampiric
Armor and Grit are reduced to 0 by the use of
the vampire’s bane, which varies by vampire
and is typically tied to something they loved
or feared in life.
Refresh Tokens: 5
Description: There are near-endless varieties
of vampires, from classic Bram Stoker
bloodsuckers, to deathly cold creatures who
devour Corruption and radiate death, to ancient
stone plinths hosting alien vampiric spirits that
someone foolishly used for bridge construction
materials. These stats show a classic “social” vampire
that preys on humans for blood and who may wish
200 Swords of the Serpentine
Zombie
Rotting, terrifying, slow
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Health 1 +
Special (see below)
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold Nil, Morale Nil
(zombies are immune to Morale attacks)
Offense – Warfare: +0; Fixed Damage 6
Offense – Sway: +1; Fixed Damage 4 (fear)
Abilities: Malus 5
Special Abilities: Summon (more
zombies — cost 3)
Misc: Can only be destroyed by a
Critical Hit. A normal hit creates
the appearance of superficial
damage and causes the zombie to
lose its action for the next round
(only one round regardless of number
of hits).
Zombies use their Sway attack at a
distance, groaning and moaning in a
terrifying way as they slowly advance.
Unless it Summons more zombies, it typically
uses all of its Malus at once and adds it to a single
Warfare attack, briefly giving it a +5 attack and a 50%
chance to score a Critical Hit on its target. If it scores
a Critical Hit, it rips into the target’s skull in search
of brains. The target and any human observing loses
Morale Fixed Damage 4 out of horror.
Adversaries
Refresh Tokens: 3
Description: A particularly tenacious form of undead,
zombies are typically created by a disease that uses
Corruption to hollow out a living being.
Variations: Fast zombies gain the Special Ability
Lightning Speed and have Malus 12. Infectious
zombies have the Special Ability Infection and can
create more zombies if their victim survives. Stealth
zombies gain a Stealth Modifier of +3. Sea or Swamp
zombies gain the Special Ability Swimming.
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 201
Chapter Eight
GM A dvice
� The world is hard and seldom fair. All too � The sly and clever villain is not necessarily puissant
often, “justice” varies based on your wealth and in combat. That, of course, is why they hire
importance. protection.
� The world (and Heroes) are filled with moral � Villains linger, as do their plans.
shades of gray and are seldom black and white. � The unknown conceals horror and is seldom safe.
� The great Heroes carry their reputation before � The boundaries of kingdoms are fluid and are
them. seldom set in stone. They vary based on the actions
� The phrase “mighty thews” shows up way more of the strong.
often than you would probably expect. � The world is old and crumbling, and lost history
� Quests tend to be small, personal, and centered abounds.
around self-interest and small groups instead of � Whimsy lurks in unexpected places, and cleverness
saving a nation or the world. is everywhere.
� Wealth is transitory. Heroes live for today; they
may find great wealth, but they’re impoverished You can (and should) use this game’s rules in a way that
again before you know it. Money slips away or is is most fun for you and your players, but you’ll find
squandered, and Heroes must seek risks to capture that published setting and adventures cleave towards a
more. classic sword & sorcery approach.
GM Advice
204 Swords of the Serpentine
Character Construction
Advice on building Heroes can be found in Chapter flexibility, they can always redistribute their points after
Two. Here’s a look behind the scenes, with some GM- the first adventure.
specific advice. Players may want to specialize in an Allegiance
instead. Someone who puts extra Investigative points
into their Allies is telling you that they want a leadership
Analysis Paralysis role (or a lot of influence) in that faction. Reward
them, allowing them to draw on that influence to solve
A danger of character creation in any type of point- otherwise difficult problems. A Hero with 3 ranks of
buy system is analysis paralysis, where players become Mercenaries can legitimately call out her Mercenary
overwhelmed by choice and don’t understand the best troop to fight alongside her or clear out a dangerous
way to optimize their Heroes. This game avoids this in building, so long as she’s willing to take responsibility
several ways: for any injuries or political fallout. Heroes with 5 ranks
� A detailed character creation checklist, walking of Triskadane may actually be one of the thirteen
through the process step by step (see p. 11) secret leaders of Eversink, or perhaps used to be when
� A set of quick-start examples of how Heroes might they were younger, but they still know where all the
know one another (assuming they don’t want to government’s secrets are buried.
decide on their own) (see p. 8) Specialization in General abilities is limited somewhat
� Quick-start archetypes that are ready to play (see p. by the rule on p. 35, but it’s still possible for a Hero
45) to start play with 15 ranks of a single General ability.
� Permission to leave some Investigative points If they do, give them plenty of opportunities to use it
unspent before the first adventure frequently and don’t feel bad about making encounters
� Permission to freely redistribute points after the fun and challenging. A barbarian warrior with 15 ranks
first adventure of Warfare is itching to win a fight that might take down
� Permission to redistribute points after any any number of less puissant heroes, and that deserves to
subsequent adventure, with the GM’s approval and be recognized and rewarded with epic battles.
at a small cost.
The most flexible Heroes are ones that pick and Character creation rules are designed so that you can
choose Investigative abilities from more than one list start with either a Health Threshold of 4 or a Morale
of Profession abilities. The players don’t get the bonus Threshold of 4, but not both. In just two adventures,
Build point for specializing, but they have complete players who want more protection can use their
freedom to customize their Hero. The trade-off may Advancement points gained from adventuring to
well be worth it. increase both Health and Morale to rank 10.
Some players may decide to be highly specialized, Pay attention to whether Heroes focus on damaging
putting 5 ranks into Command or 4 points into City’s their enemies’ Health (with Warfare or Sorcery) or
Secrets. This is the player’s way of telling you “This Morale (with Sway or Sorcery). This will tell you what
sounds really fun, and I want to do lots of this,” so sort of opponents they’ll have the most fun fighting,
reward it. Supporting characters will acknowledge and what type of encounters they’ll most enjoy.
the Hero as an expert at their specialty, and they may If players seem frustrated that their ranks of Sway
develop a wide reputation due to their skill. Make this or Warfare aren’t useful for the sort of enemies they’re
fun, and don’t punish a player for specialization. If fighting, remind them of the Teamwork Attack rule on
they discover that they haven’t left themselves enough p. 69.
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 205
GM Advice
What’s a Reasonable Spend? What Are the Limits?
If it’s to gain information that is a clue or a lead, give You’re the ultimate arbiter of what’s possible and what
them the information they’re looking for with no spend isn’t. When the player wants an Investigative spend to
or die roll required. achieve something that’s flatly impossible, that makes
Investigative spends are used to give a Hero a the game less fun for everyone, or that runs counter to
moment in the sun. Every time a player wants to try the game’s tone, you should decline the spend.
something that seems unrealistic or improbable to You may decide to allow more lenient limits in
you, ask for an appropriate spend instead, with your exchange for success with consequence. For instance,
guideline being “Could a hero in a sword & sorcery you may allow a player’s unlikely attempt to collapse
story accomplish this?”
the ancient temple’s ceiling, because the Heroes would
Outside of combat, spending more than one pool then have to make a desperate Chase to survive the
point to achieve a goal is uncommon. Ask for a multi- collapse and because it might allow the villain to survive
point spend when the player wants to achieve something and take revenge later.
particularly difficult or improbable.
206 Swords of the Serpentine
Failure is boring and consequences are interesting. Consider making a failed roll into a moderate success
along with some sort of devil’s bargain that has the player making hard decisions.
This is particularly useful when the Heroes are trying to reach a core scene. The question stops being “Will
they succeed?” and starts becoming “How much trouble are they in?” This keeps the game moving towards
a climax, but never becomes an auto-win in a dangerous confrontation and does not protect Heroes from
Health or Morale loss. You’re encouraged to give players a difficult choice in these circumstances, and then
let the players decide for themselves what is most important.
You can’t confront your enemy because you can’t batter open or pick the lock on a locked door, and no
one has a point of City’s Secrets to spend for the special benefit of a hidden passage. You try one last Athletics
test and fail. Your GM says, “It depends on how much shoulder you put into it. Are you willing to do what
it takes?” You say yes. Your low roll becomes a success but you dislocate your shoulder, raising the Difficulty
of Warfare attacks for the next scene. The heavy door slams to the ground, echoing down the corridor. Now
he knows you’re coming.
the scene, and frees you up to respond to their world- They may learn the hard way that not doing so can be
building with your own villains. A nice side effect of dangerous in a fight.
this is that you get to react to other peoples’ creativity As such, consider deploying Mooks in waves —
instead of having to create everything from scratch instead of 20 Mooks attacking simultaneously, have 10
yourself. attack in the first round, 5 attack in the second round,
It’s important to remember that fights end when and 5 attack in the third round. You should tweak this
people are defeated (or when they flee), not when distribution and add to or subtract from the quantity of
they’re necessarily dead, and it’s up to the attacker to Mooks to give your players a fun fight at whatever level
describe what happens to a defeated foe. They could be of challenge you prefer. Just remember that if all the
left unconscious, dead, stunned, cowering, transformed Mooks go before a single player in the initiative order,
by sorcery, or something even more creative. you may accidentally defeat the Heroes before they ever
get an action. Split Mooks up into separate initiative
groups so that they don’t all necessarily act at once.
A nameless Mook is usually easily differentiated
from a named Adversary. If the Heroes ask, don’t be
reluctant to let them know which is which. It’s no fun
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 207
for anyone if your player spends 6 Warfare to eviscerate bureaucracies to their advantage, try to get a Hero’s
a lone, nameless minion with a Critical Hit (unless allies to turn against them, and threaten (and follow
that’s what they deliberately want to do). through) dire consequences if the Hero doesn’t do
Rarely, a Mook is worth promoting to a named as they wish. Whenever possible, a named foe will try
Adversary. This happens when they survive improbable to arrange a confrontation on grounds that are most
odds, are surprisingly effective in combat, or someone advantageous to their own cause.
asks you their name. One caution: if foes use high-Difficulty Morale-
based Maneuvers to try to get a Hero to do something
Monsters objectionable, remind the player that they can make
Deadliness varies tremendously from monster to an appropriate Investigative spend to reduce the
monster. Some are easy to defeat if you know their Maneuver’s Difficulty. You always want players to feel
secret; some are robust but not terribly deadly; some are like they have a choice when a foe tries to persuade
lethal and should be feared. The monster’s appearance them, trick them, or possess them.
(and the Investigative ability Know Monstrosities) will
Single Foes
give hints to which is which.
A single monster against an entire group of Heroes Whether it’s with a monster or a particularly deadly
will die relatively quickly. If you want it to put up a human, not all fights involve more than one enemy. If
longer fight, give monsters the Warding special ability designing a single foe for a momentous battle, make
or supplement monsters with additional human or it flexibly deadly, terrifying to observe, worryingly
non-human foes. Mooks are particularly useful for this robust, and clever in its tactics. Extra damage from well-
purpose. organized Heroes with lots of Investigative points to
While it’s become a cliché nowadays, many monsters spend means that a single foe, no matter how dangerous,
(particularly supernatural ones) in traditional sword & may be defeated with surprising speed. Single foes are
sorcery stories are “load-bearing monsters” whose death most interesting and challenging when they have a
triggers a collapse of the structure or area they lair in. way to attack more than one Hero per round, either
You can use this implausible but dramatic tactic in an with Extra Action, Fear, Universal Attack, or multiple
adventure as well, with the monster’s death triggering a actions; and last longer in a fight when they have ways
chase (see p. 59) to safety. to mitigate damage for a time, such as Armor, Grit,
Defense Boost, and Warded.
Named Foes
Just as in a movie, the most dangerous foes are the ones
High Grit and Armor
important enough to have names. They’re typically
cannier, harder to kill, and more deadly than nameless Some enemies are easy to hit but hard to hurt. Foes
GM Advice
enemies. like this favor Heroes with the Spot Frailty ability,
Some named foes only appear once and are no and are best defeated by using Teamwork Attacks or
more powerful than an average Mook, but are harder Investigative spends to boost damage enough to get
to defeat and possess more than 3 Health and Morale. through the protection.
These mid-difficulty combatants survive longer in Add high Grit or high Armor to existing Adversary
combat but are less likely to pull out truly unique tactics stat blocks to make encounters tactically interesting so
when fighting Heroes. that Heroes must try different strategies to take down
When a named foe should be memorable and truly a foe.
dangerous, don’t hesitate to use them to their fullest When Heroes have high Grit or Armor, foes who
potential. Spending 3 Malus can produce the same are aware of it will respond accordingly, thinking out
result as a Hero’s Investigative spend, and named of the box and trying a Maneuver or an unconventional
foes with the capability to do so will seize initiative, attack if possible. Only a foe with no other options
obscure a lie, do extra damage, try to resist a Maneuver, will attempt attacks that have no chance in damaging a
heal themselves, and any other clever tactic they can Hero. In such a situation, most foes will instead attempt
think of to win. They’ll use the law and government to escape.
208 Swords of the Serpentine
GM Advice
210 Swords of the Serpentine
� Armor, Grit and (particularly) Warding help answers so you can use them in later games. Doing so
powerful Adversaries stay alive longer by limiting will slowly weave a network of interesting Supporting
the amount of damage they take in a round of Characters around the Heroes, and will make sure your
combat. group’s adventures ripple far beyond the ruins they’re
� Use societal pressure along with combat; sure, you exploring or the treasure they’re robbing.
can cut down that captain of the guard, but isn’t
she the younger sister of someone near the top of
Using Enemy, Grudge and Low
the Triskadane’s secret police?
� Adversary Sorcerers who aren’t trying to maintain Repute Points
secrecy might use the environment to their
advantage in the flashiest manner possible, pulling Keep a handy list of each Hero’s Enemy and Grudge
down buildings and floors, or summoning up flood factions, and of how many Enemy ranks and Grudge
waters. points they have acquired, using the chart on p. 366.
Do the same with points of Low Repute.
Work to use Enemy and Grudge points against
Tactical Weakness the Heroes whenever plausible, particularly when
encountering Supporting Characters who are also
You can make an otherwise deadly foe defeatable by enemies or allies of that faction. If action gets slow
giving it a tactical weakness, just as you can make during an adventure, consider spending an Enemy pool
otherwise ineffective foes relevant in battle by giving point to complicate the Heroes’ lives in some way. In
them a tactical strength. Two such examples are a horse- Eversink, when in doubt, an old enemy shows up to
borne warrior who is far less effective off her mount, even the score.
or a silver-tongued blackguard who shyly panics when Possible uses of Enemy points to sabotage Heroes,
talking to those he’s strongly attracted to. complicate their scenes or thwart their plans include:
Similarly, a highly effective fighter might be terrified � Suborning or bribing Supporting Characters to
of social confrontation and have low Sway or a low secretly spy on or work against the Heroes
Morale. When confronted by Maneuvers targeting their � Closing off buildings, streets, canals, or other rights
Morale, they may remove themselves from the situation of way just to spite the Hero
as quickly as possible… or they might attempt a more � Planting false information or minor red herrings
violent solution. in an investigation (recommended only if the
adventure is otherwise straightforward)
� Reducing the Difficulty of a Hero’s Maneuver by 3
Allies or more, making it easier to survive
� Hiring an assassin or street gang to ambush the
GM Advice
Church of Denari -1
City Watch -1
Commoners
Guild of Architects
Mercanti
Mercenaries -2 -1
Monstrosities
Outlanders
Sorcerous Cabal
Thieves’ Guilds -1
Triskadane
GRUDGES
Ancient Nobility
Church of Denari
City Watch -1
Commoners -1
Guild of Architects
GM Advice
Mercanti
Mercenaries -1
Monstrosities
Outlanders -1
Sorcerous Cabal
Thieves’ Guilds
Triskadane -1
LOW REPUTE -2 -1 -1
212 Swords of the Serpentine
At its heart, ranks in an Enemy ability gives you a built- on how a Hero should be inconvenienced. Players
in excuse to complicate a Hero’s life, to tie them further might suggest a narrative downturn, or create a
into the web of Eversink’s political factions, and to let a particularly galling rival in the enemy organization.
particularly egregious enemy become that much more It’s our experience that players often suggest worse
dangerous. consequences for Enemy or Grudge spends than the
More than one rank in the same Enemy indicates GM will ever think of.
that the Hero has a reputation as a notorious foe of that Low Repute pool points give you a method for
faction. The Hero will usually be recognized on sight or thwarting a Hero any time money, status, or appearance
by their reputation, and their enemy will seek them out is involved. Use your pool points of Low Repute to
and stalk them to even the score. thwart the Heroes socially when they interact with
You can crowdsource the use of Enemy or Grudge people who think of themselves as rich, important, or
pool points by asking your fellow players for advice snobbish.
behind the crimes, how are they training so many about how clues lead from one scene to the next.
birds, and where are all those jewels ending up? Leads and clues can come from Heroes using their
� You suspect there are hidden secret passages in a Investigative abilities, or from using the knowledge of
long-abandoned mansion. How do you find them, their Allegiances.
and how do you get past the traps?
� A noble’s murder sets off a civil war — who killed
her, and why? Can you stop the war? And equally Core Clues
important, who will pay the most coin for the truth?
� You suspect a prestigious rival family is hiding a The core clue is a special kind of clue that points the
secret history that they’re willing to kill to protect. way to the next scene. They link the scenes of the story
What could be so bad, and can you use it to together, and they ensure that Heroes can progress
engineer their downfall? from one scene to another. Core leads always get found.
� A shapeshifting monstrosity seems to be moving Note that two Investigative abilities, Prophecy and
from home to home, feeding as it goes. How can Ridiculous Luck, can always provide core leads. If the
you find it to stop the murder spree, and who is it Heroes have no idea where to go because they haven’t
imitating right now? yet put their clues together properly, both Prophecy and
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 213
GM Advice
is happening, but it provides indications that there’s
something there to venture out and investigate after all. the law.
It will be up to you what the actual truth is, guided by
the players’ expectations and by what seems the most
Clues on the Fly fun. You can continue to make up clues on the fly that
help point the Heroes to the adventure’s excitement
When making up adventures on the fly, don’t worry deep below ground, with a lot of danger and mystery
about pre-planning clues. Instead, just picture the along the way. Ideally, the truth catches the players off
scenario and consider what logical clues might arise guard by being more complex or interesting than they
from it. Then tell them to players on the fly as their might have expected.
Heroes investigate. So long as you’re consistent, this is
the easiest method of running an adventure with little
or no preparation.
214 Swords of the Serpentine
Adventure Construction
Types of Scenes Lead-Ins and Lead-Outs
(and why they’re essential)
Adventures are constructed of several types of scenes.
� INTRO: The first scene of the adventure, this When designing an adventure, always note Lead-ins
starts the Heroes on the path to adventure. (the scenes that can lead to the current scene) and
� CORE: This scene must be played for the adventure Lead-outs (scenes that can be directly reached from
to progress. Core scenes are linked by core clues. the current scene). Along with the plot map, Lead-ins
� MONTAGE: When the Heroes are traveling from and Lead-outs will help you keep track of what happens
one location to another (over several hours or several when, and of how the Heroes can progress through the
days), run a fast montage scene to emphasize that adventure. Without them, things get confusing fast.
the journey had challenges that were surmountable.
Go around the table and have each player describe
one challenge they faced during their travels, and Plot Maps
then the same player describes how the challenge
was solved. For an example, see p. 217. Figuring out how an adventure might flow — especially
� ALTERNATE: Alternate scenes are additional one where you feel like you need to keep track of clues!
ways to get the Heroes excitement or information, — can feel intimidating until you’re used to it. One
but they’re not necessary to completing the easy way to picture the core adventure structure is to
adventure. create a dungeon map where you use scenes instead of
� SUBPLOT: If using both an A plot and a B plot, rooms. It’s basically a flowchart where rooms and door
a subplot scene focuses on advancing knowledge of placement help you quickly see how plot threads might
the secondary plot. be related. This helps you visualize how Heroes might
� DRAMATIC: Dramatic scenes focus on the get from one scene to another.
Heroes interacting with other characters, and often As an example, here’s the scene map for Corpse
play to the Heroes’ backstories. Provide dramatic Astray, the sample adventure included in this rulebook.
foils for your Heroes — a rival, an estranged child, Beware spoilers! If you’re a player who will be playing
a former lover — so that the players have someone this adventure, skip forward until after you’ve played
to play against. the adventure.
� FLASHBACK: Use flashback scenes to establish A plot map flowcharts the adventure to show what
GM Advice
how the Heroes got to where they are now, or how scenes are accessible from what other scenes. For
their Adversaries put an evil plan into action. instance, in Scene 5 of the map for Corpse Astray, it’s
� ATMOSPHERIC: Atmospheric scenes don’t quickly obvious that the Heroes can talk to Antoni,
provide any new information, but help ratchet up learn about Noble House, or enter Noble House in
tension by hinting at the horror or adventure to any order, but they can’t get to Scene 6 until they’ve
come. explored the house. Similarly, depending on what
� HAZARD: Scenes where the Heroes must bypass happens they can reach Scene 7 but bypass Scene 6.
or avoid some sort of risk to life and limb. Your adventure isn’t constrained to just these scenes,
� ANTAGONIST REACTION: The villain is and the adventure might go wildly and delightfully off
reacting to the actions of the Heroes, and they the rails as Heroes pursue an approach you had never
might take steps to stop them in their tracks. This thought of. That’s usually to be encouraged.
sort of scene may be triggered by what the Heroes
have done in the adventure.
� FINALE: The climactic encounter of the
adventure.
216 Swords of the Serpentine
Scene 1:
Aboard the
Shining
Coin
Scene 2:
Approaching Eversink
Scene 3:
Corpsetakers at
the Docks
Scene 5:
Antoni Valerio and Noble House
Learn
Enter
GM Advice
About Talk to
Noble the
Antonio Explore
House House
the House
Fight!
Scene 6:
Horrible
Rampage
GM Advice
wholly or partially pregenerated Heroes. If you create
adventures. In these cases, go around the table and ask
Heroes for your players, be sure to use Adjectives,
the first player to describe a threat or challenge. Ask the
Drives and Gear to tell the players who those Heroes
second player to then make it worse. Finally, ask a third
really are. Consider leaving one Investigative rank open
player how the group solved it, and whether there were
on every Hero, so that players can fill those in on the fly
any consequences.
during the game.
Such challenges can be interpersonal, diplomatic,
We recommend you don’t explain the game’s rules
combat, logistical, bureaucratic, or any number of other
extensively before you start. Instead, give players the
possibilities; the only rule is that they be enough fun to
basics and then rely on the player cheat-sheets in the
be worth mentioning. Two or three montage sets are
back of this book (and online at www.pelgranepress.
usually enough to capture the feel of a long journey in
com) to help fill in rules on the fly. Don’t pre-explain
just a few moments, but adjust the quantity as you like.
more obscure rules that may not come into play during
As GM, you can also contribute to the challenge
the adventure, unless those rules are immediately
montage if you wish to. If you do, establish the challenge
relevant.
(or make a challenge worse) and let the players describe
how their Heroes solve it.
218 Swords of the Serpentine
The following guidelines work best for your first few � Change the World: It’s a one-shot, so encourage
one-shots. Heroes use their influence to literally change the
� Strong Premise: Pick an exciting and adventurous world around them. Unbalance power structures,
plot hook for the adventure. seize power, and bring about societal change for
� Start with Action: Starting with a short action good or ill. Why not? In a game where influencing
sequence immediately helps new players focus, and others is a core mechanic, affecting the world
teaches them combat rules in just a few moments. around you in permanent ways is a fun way to show
� Clear Goals: Give the Heroes specific goals for off the game’s strengths.
the adventure. Whether that’s “find the idol,”
“blackmail the noble,” “uncover the Sorcerer,” or Series Construction
“rob the treasury,” starting with a clear goal gives a Like a season of television, a series involves 3 to 10
one-shot momentum. adventures that lead to a satisfying conclusion of themes
� Ignore the Lifestyle Rules: Unless there’s a or plot arcs that run through the series. Like chapters or
particularly compelling reason to include them, individual stories in a sword & sorcery novel, adventures
one-shots don’t need the Lifestyle and Repute in a series can jump forwards and backwards in time to
rules. Ignore them. uncover secrets and establish interesting foes.
� Few, if any, Red Herrings: If your one-shot One particularly effective way to link adventures
involves a traditional mystery, work to keep
in a series is through B plots (see above). While every
deliberate red herrings to a minimum. They eat up
individual adventure has a unique A plot as the focus
time with little return, and new players may have
of that adventure, include at least one reference or lead
a tendency to create their own red herrings and
to an ongoing but less urgent B plot adventure or crisis
distractions anyway as they adventure.
as well. Effectively you’re spreading leads to the B plot
� Strong Roleplaying Opportunities: A complex adventure out over three to ten individual episodes,
network of social and political connections helps
allowing the Heroes to finally put them together and
define Swords of the Serpentine. Take advantage of
solve the B plot in the final adventure or two. The
that and give Heroes interesting and challenging
slow rise in tension helps keep players’ interest, and the
Supporting Characters to interact with, both as
gradual roll-out of the plot allows your villains to learn
allies and enemies. Center adventures around social
and adapt to the Heroes’ tactics.
and political needs, as well as traditional adventure
It’s useful and fun to use the Lifestyle rules in a
hooks such as greed and vengeance.
series. This helps show how the fortunes of the Heroes
� Common Allegiances: The Heroes have a reason
vary across adventures, and it gives Heroes a reason to
to work together when they all have at least one
rank in the same Allegiance, either as Allies or quest for treasure and wealth.
Enemies. A series lets you involve recurring villains (particularly
GM Advice
� A Plot and B Plot: The best adventures have if you use organizations as Adversaries, giving you more
both an A plot — the main goal of the adventure villains even if the Heroes kill their prime Adversary)
— and a B plot, a secondary plot thread that is along with more complicated politics. Enemies have
likely unrelated. This might be about someone’s time to strike at the things that Heroes love, instead of
family, about personal growth, or about a foe or just at the Heroes themselves. They also allow you to
rival who keeps interfering. Having A and B plots create more complicated mysteries, as the players will be
allows you to shift the adventure focus from one able to slowly piece together leads from multiple game
plot to another any time play starts to slow down, sessions.
and quite often the B plot can provide leads to help
solve the A plot as well.
Campaign Construction
� Focus on Needs, not Greed: The acquisition of Campaigns are typically made up of two or more series.
treasure is usually more important in an ongoing Heroes grow, evolve, change their enemies and their
campaign. In a one-shot, emotional motivations, goals, and both establish and consolidate their power.
lurking danger, and infuriating mysteries often Old friends return, and so do old enemies. With
provide greater motivation for Heroes than does additional power comes more responsibilities and more
the promise of loot.
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 219
GM Advice
points on a roll and then failing. If that’s the case, and intricate cons, manipulation and blackmail, with
simply declare that players add General ability points Heroes as clever non-combatants who have to talk their
to a roll after the die is rolled. This approach represents way out of their many problems instead of resorting
the Heroes using their exceptional competence (spent to murder. Allegiances feature prominently because
points) to overcome any vicissitudes of bad luck (the problems often get solved with the threat of force
die roll). This also makes Heroes more capable, so you and blackmail even if the Heroes never touch a blade
may want to nudge the effectiveness of enemies up to themselves.
compensate. To run such a game, remove the Warfare General
ability but keep the number of starting Build points at
Such games have a more narrative feel to them, but
30. Sorcery can no longer inflict Health damage. To
that doesn’t make adventures any less fun or exciting.
raise pressure on the players, you may wish for some
This approach is definitely better than having a player
or all Adversaries to retain the ability to inflict Health
at the table who wouldn’t otherwise enjoy themselves.
damage.
220 Swords of the Serpentine
GM Advice
� Remove the Corruption Investigative ability from and who could blame them?
players, allowing the Thaumaturgy Investigative
ability (see p. 222) instead.
� Keep true Sorcerers and Corruption for Supporting modern fantasy. For one thing, they almost never
Characters and Adversaries only. cast spells. They instead twist magical rings, blow rare
and poisonous powders into their foes’ faces, uncork
Thaumaturgy: an Alternative flasks that contain fire or something worse, and use
intense gazes to send enemies into a hypnotized stupor
to Corruption that may last for hours or even days. In taking these
You may be a player who likes the idea of Sorcery, but actions, they’re possibly called warlocks or magicians or
who doesn’t like the trade-offs intrinsic with Corruption. sorcerers, but they aren’t necessarily using true magic
If that’s the case, this alternative rule is for you. — or as we call it in Swords of the Serpentine, they aren’t
In classic sword & sorcery novels such as Conan, or creating Corruption.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, sorcerers aren’t necessarily There are some sharp constraints to playing a
wizards the way we’ve learned to think of them in character like this, but you won’t need to worry
222 Swords of the Serpentine
wanted to be viewed as nightmarishly terrifying, you When using Thaumaturgy instead of Corruption, the
could spend a point of Intimidation and describe Sorcerous Spheres you have access to are limited to ones
the effect as coming from your Mesmerism. that can approximate magic without being definitively
� You can use Sorcery as normal using these specific supernatural. This sets them aside from standard
Thaumaturgy-based Spheres. Just as a Sorcerer may Sorcerous Spheres that are powered by Corruption.
cast a spell, your Alchemist may describe flinging Your GM may add additional Spheres for Thaumaturgy.
a glass beaker of an unnatural liquid at someone; Here are the basic Thaumaturgy Spheres.
in both cases you make a Sorcery attack and inflict
1 die +1 base damage. The difference is in the Alchemy
Sphere description, and the effect when optionally
spending Investigative pool points to strengthen Affects: Health, Morale
your attack or damage. You stink of chemicals and reagents, and delicate
flasks poke from your pouches like inquisitive cats.
You are teaching yourself the secrets of the universe,
transforming matter into fluids and fogs that affect
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 223
GM Advice
someone. Heroes would receive 12 Investigative Build points
instead of 10 if you added four new Investigative
Mesmerism abilities. Round down if adding an odd number of
abilities; new Heroes would receive 11 Build points if
Affects: Morale you added three new abilities, or the standard 10 points
You have mastered hypnotism and semi-magical mind if you only add one new ability.
control, and you can put people into trances almost For every two General abilities you add, increase by
instantly. Your eyes are deep, whirling pools that feel +4 the number of General Build points that new Heroes
almost magnetic, and by evoking your power you can receive. For instance, new Heroes would receive 34
sap will, suggest actions, program future events, and General Build points instead of 30 if you added two
send others into sudden sleep where they’ll remember new General abilities. Round down; new Heroes would
only what you specify. receive the standard 30 Build points if you only added
Spending Thaumaturgy might turn an enemy into an one new ability.
ally, if only briefly, and may allow you to hypnotize an
unwitting accomplice into aiding you by programming
their actions.
224 Swords of the Serpentine
these as normal, and this leaves 5 ranks for � Remember that defeat in combat doesn’t need to
the group to continue to claim as needed. mean death. Great heroes in fantasy literature are
defeated all the time; they then wake up, break out,
When the adventure is over, these
and teach their captors an unfortunate lesson. It’s
temporary abilities are no longer relevant
worth having a conversation with your player about
and can be erased from character sheets.
this possibility.
� Similarly, it’s worth the player remembering that
Changing Existing Abilities temporary surrender (and thus capture) is sometimes
As GM, you have carte blanche to customize, expand or an option when faced with overwhelming odds,
reduce the scope or focus of any existing ability. Just be especially when it makes the adventure you’re
sure to communicate this to players before they create playing more exciting.
their Heroes, or give them the freedom to redistribute
their points between sessions if you change an ability
after the first game.
Chapter Eight: GM Advice 225
Fledgling Heroes
Fledgling and Sovereign Heroes
A Fledgling Hero isn’t necessarily young, just
Classic sword & sorcery stories often flip back and forth inexperienced. To create a Fledgling Hero, make the
between the hero as a raw and naïve adventurer, a hero following changes.
in the prime of life, and a sovereign and established � Health and Morale share 15 Build Points, not 18,
master of their craft. If your GM wants to do this, after with a minimum of 3 in either ability.
you’ve created your Hero, she’ll ask you to create two � Subtract 5 from the number of starting General
more versions. ability Build Points, from 30 to 25.
The characters need to be recognizable as the same � Subtract 3 from the number of starting Investigative
person, but you have free rein to change aspects of ability Build Points.
your Hero substantially between versions. Perhaps
your Fledgling Hero is brash and foolish, with few Sovereign Heroes
if any social skills. Perhaps your Sovereign Hero is A Sovereign Hero isn’t necessarily old, just incredibly
GM Advice
missing a hand and an eye, is saddled with a legendary experienced. To create a Sovereign Hero, make the
Reputation, and has exchanged adventuring abilities following changes.
for others that help you rule kingdoms. Just as Robert � Health and Morale share 20 Build Points, not 18,
E. Howard’s Conan went from thief to warrior to with a minimum of 5 in either ability.
king, you can create a long-term arc in your Hero by � Add 5 to the number of starting General ability
increasing, decreasing, or trading out abilities to show Build Points, from 30 to 35.
character development. If you’re a Sorcerer, describe � Add 3 to the number of starting Investigative ability
your accumulated Corruption. Build Points. These additional points can also apply
As you adventure, you’ll reflect permanent or long- to ranks in Allies.
lasting changes to one character by updating your � Add 1 rank to an existing Enemy, and add an
Sovereign character’s sheet. If your regular Hero loses additional Enemy at rank 1.
an eye and covers it with a patch, for instance, update � If your GM tells you to, give yourself a single
your Sovereign Hero to also note the loss of an eye — Sorcerous item or piece of exceptional and unique
although it’s up to you whether it’s still covered with gear.
a patch, or replaced by a gemstone or something else
even more interesting.
226 Swords of the Serpentine
with that ability. attacker and the defender can spend Investigative
� If the ghost’s Health or Morale drop below 0 while pool points to add +3 per spent point to their
in a host body, they are forced out of the body. Results.
� The ghost may lift memories or secrets from their You want to kick your foe into a canal.
host body; if opposed by its spirit, they must use a You spend 4 Warfare and roll a 5, setting
Morale-based Maneuver to learn what they wish to the Difficulty at 9. You spend an additional
know. point of Tactics of Death to add +3 to this,
� The ghost retains the knowledge and (General
for a total Difficulty of 12. Your foe must
abilities aside) capabilities they possessed in life.
make a Difficulty 12 Health test to not get
� The host retains memories of the time when the
knocked into the water. They choose to spend
ghost possessed them.
8 Health, but only roll a 1, for a result of 9.
When a funerary statue is constructed for the ghost, it You watch the bubbles as they start to sink.
will be time for them to pass on to the afterlife, even
if this is against their wishes. Their identity must be
known for the statue to actually be meant for them.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 227
Chapter Nine
Eversink in a Nutshell
Before you understand the detail of a setting, you need The City and the
to understand the big picture. Here are the three most
Goddess are One
important things to know about Eversink.
Except when she takes on human form once a year,
the buildings and islands of Eversink are the body of
The Buildings are the goddess Denari herself. You literally live inside the
Always Sinking Goddess. As the patron of commerce and civilization,
Denari blesses the trade that occurs within her borders.
…and no one knows why. Every coin exchanged is a prayer, and every transaction a
The city was founded almost a thousand years sacrament. Worship her with soft words in the honeyed
ago, and since that time most buildings have sunk darkness of a garden at a masquerade ball, whispered to
into the soil or stone by about 8 centimeters a year a fetching stranger; worship her by outwitting a dullard
(although iconic buildings sink much more slowly and who wouldn’t know the best place in the world to live
unmemorable buildings sometimes sink more quickly). if it invited him in.
That works out to most buildings losing their bottom Denari’s Blessing is what you feel when you literally
floor underground every fifty years. Some buildings live inside of a goddess. It is the name given to the
sink slower than this, some sink faster, and rarely one Goddess’ contractual promise to keep the city safe for a
drops several stories in a single afternoon, but just about thousand years, pending negotiated renewal and review
every building eventually settles out of sight. No one within term limits. It is the firm and unshakable promise
knows why. The Church claims it is Denari’s will, but of her love and protection, along with maximum profit
theological scholars don’t necessarily believe that. Over (the holier your worship, the higher your profit!) so long
the 40+ generations that Eversink has been settled, huge as you pay your taxes and tithes. And whether it’s true or
numbers of buildings have entirely vanished. They’re not — for it sits in your brain as an unimpeachable fact
still down there somewhere, most of them. Know the that can only be challenged when you are outside of her
city well enough, and maybe you can find their ruins. Blessing — it is the knowledge that you are currently in
the best damn city in the world, and you’re lucky to be
228 Swords of the Serpentine
The City of Eversink
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 229
there. This is why people stay when they come to visit soul is guaranteed a place in Denari’s heaven. If that
Eversink: the surety and lack of doubt makes people feel statue is ever destroyed, either the soul disintegrates
like they have finally found the home they’ve looked for and ceases to exist — or it returns to the spirit world
their entire life. as a ghost.
Stepping out of Denari’s Blessing into a hole caused This means that in Eversink, statues are everywhere.
by Corruption is like plunging into icy, uncertain Hundreds of thousands of statues. They’re in canals,
water. Most people feel horribly alone, and lost, and on roofs, filling homes and staring out from niches in
afraid. Corruption burns away Denari’s Blessing, and walls. It’s illegal to destroy a funerary statue, because
She cannot hear you while you are there. Enough that could destroy a soul, so families put the statues of
Corruption, and Denari could die. There’s a reason it’s their dead anywhere they can find space. A surprising
one of the Church’s most serious crimes. number of crimes in Eversink involve funerary statues.
Designer Notes:
Statues Are Everywhere, Why Denari’s Blessing?
Because Statues Represent Souls
It isn’t traditional sword & sorcery, but a
Burial in Eversink has always been a problem; you favorite book of ours from the last decade is
can’t bury your dead below ground when floods are Max Gladstone’s Three Parts Dead, in which
commonplace, not unless you want coffins and corpses a large fantasy city’s patron god suffers a most
floating downstream. Nowadays the poor slide corpses unfortunate downturn. We wanted to give
into one of the swamps and the rich opt for air burial Eversink a similarly powerful patron goddess, one
on stone plinths upriver. But what happens to the whose blessing was also her biggest weakness,
flesh isn’t nearly as important as what happens to the just so someone playing this game could find a
soul. As long as a funerary statue is made for someone way to arrest Her eventual murderer.
deceased, whether a tiny statue out of clay or a huge
magnificent statue out of cast bronze, the departed’s
About Eversink
tides, Spring is known as the Flood. Summer is usually to crash to the ground during one of the many storms
hot and humid, making locals pray for a breeze off the that sweep in from the ocean. Similarly, there are those
Bay of Coins. Autumns are lovely except for occasional who take advantage of depth. Those with the least coin
rain; the temperature during the fall swells the number often live in moldy and leaking sub-basements below
of visitors to the city, especially for Harvest Festivals. ground, clambering up five or six stories each morning
Winter is mild with cold drizzling rain and lots of mist, just to reach street level. Collapses, floods, and fires in
and about once a decade it gets cold enough for a thin such dwellings are usually deadly.
layer of ice to form on the canals. The canals don’t Public and private gardens are a symbol of wealth
usually freeze solid except when there’s supernatural and power. Those who can afford it prefer roof gardens
influence, such as from a peeved godling of winter of rare and exotic flowers, but you’re likely to come
having an argument with Denari. across small hidden (and well-defended) vegetable
gardens grown on other people’s roofs by those who
need the food most. Hedge animals are currently
fashionable on the estates of the rich; hedge mazes are
so last generation. More than one small island is entirely
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 231
given over to public gardens, with any building within cantilevered off their sides, have two or three vertical
their borders deemed illegal. stories to allow people of varying social stature to travel
Buildings normally lose about 8 cm to the sink without seeing one another, have breathtaking frescoes
each year, but a sudden sink is not an unheard-of or sculptures commemorating events in Eversink that
phenomenon; if you’re tremendously unlucky, a most people no longer remember, or feature art that
laundry line a comfortable story up today might lie will fill you with delight. They may arc high above the
on the ground tomorrow. Sinking buildings add canal, or squat so low that gondoliers need to duck as
complications, with sidewalks of varying heights and they pass underneath. Bridges might be associated with
stairs leading up to (or down to) a building’s current gallows, or particular churches, or sporting events, or
front door. Architects work constantly to repair, modify heroes, or saints. They’re the perfect place for a fistfight
and reinforce buildings. or a duel. If you’re trying to get directions from one
All but the most recent buildings reach deeper place to another in Eversink, expect the bridges to be
underground than they do vertically above street level. given as landmarks. Honor them as you’d honor the
Descending through usually flooded basements brings Goddess, for they make the city one whole out of many
you back through the building’s history one generation pieces.
at a time. Many such levels are flooded with mud and Due to the original small and chaotic road plan,
murky water, but sometimes good drainage, watertight today most of Eversink’s districts are still a warren of
construction or ancient pumps keep most of the water tiny alleyways hooked together in an incoherent maze.
out. Anything might be forgotten down there, and it Eversink has her share of broad, grand avenues and
isn’t unusual to discover that your supposedly secure sweeping gardens in districts that have been swept by
basements are being used as an underground highway deadly and destructive fires, but you’ll most often be
by smugglers. Paranoid homeowners pay architects to confronted with a bewildering tangle of one-lane roads.
seal off their basements and then live in a state of denial, Some streets in the poor Outlander slums are only
trying to forget that those basements even exist. 1 meter wide, and it’s easiest for thieves and urchins
to leap from roof to roof as they use the tops of the
buildings as natural roads.
Roads, Canals and Bridges Canals are a major architectural feature of Eversink.
Roads are nice if they aren’t too bumpy or choked with
Many cities are planned around a central point like traffic, but canals are faster and more convenient for
a fort and a castle, resulting in clean districts, wide anyone who can afford to own or hire a boat. The canals
avenues, and logical building placement. Not Eversink. are so important to the economic prosperity of the
Eversink simply happened as Denari haphazardly raised city that most markets must have both foot and water
one island after another from the riverbed. access to be viable, and merchants fight as much over
The City of Eversink
As a result, no one planned roads that cross logically their position near a dock or quay as they would over
from island to island. Small canals and winding water proximity to Denari’s nearest shrine. (Some astrologers
sources separate communities, and alleys spin out in and other prognosticators sell desperate merchants
chaotic directions. When they don’t have the money (or maps showing the ideal location for a stall that has
the paperwork) for a beautifully crafted stone bridge, both water accessibility and maximal blessing coverage.
the people of Eversink plop makeshift wooden bridges They’re highly coveted and usually inaccurate.)
wherever it makes sense and extend roads into hard The richest palaces and main government buildings
jags and turns. This is fine for people but terrible for have entrances with access to both their own private
horses, and it all but guarantees overturned fruit carts gondola docks and the street. This causes issues as the
and goods will go flying during a high-speed chase. You grand buildings slowly sink. The next floor up must
don’t see very many horses in the city at all. constantly be reconfigured with street and gondola
Bridges stitch the city together, and when they access, while the floor below becomes noticeably
aren’t makeshift they’re often a work of sculpted art. less useful once it disappears underground. Every
Most bridges are stone, as wooden bridges seem to generation, the staff bricks one entrance up while
keep burning down. Bridges may be wide or narrow; tearing another hole in the wall.
they may have stores and money lenders and food stalls
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 233
Overcrowding and New Building Meanwhile, merchants place market stalls everywhere
the law will allow, including sidewalks and bridges.
The city is in a constant struggle for space. Eversink’s
To keep Eversink beautiful, the Triskadane long ago
success and fame causes people to constantly migrate to
prohibited erecting a building, stall, or market within
the city, which puts pressure on already scant housing.
designated public spaces. This deters no one. Every
Land prices in the most desirable areas like Alderhall or
dawn when the markets open, unlicensed portable tents
Ironcross are completely unaffordable.
and wandering market stalls open on the public spaces.
Commoners build vertically above and below
The City Watch chases them out, but usually not
ground, but they also build horizontally to create new
before merchants have sold all their wares for the day
space out of thin air. Typically, shops are on the first
and camped a new spot. Nothing — not fines, beatings,
floor while subsequent floors are living space. To make
imprisonment, or even threats of exile — deters illegal
more room for more families, second and third floors
markets. Impromptu markets on boats often open on
are cantilevered out to extend over the tiny alley-like
public waterways, and when dispersed by the Watch
streets, creating a sort of arched roof. Walking through
simply return to their spot after the officials have moved
these boroughs can be a claustrophobic experience.
on.
Designer Notes:
Extended Buildings Death, Burial,
and Funerary Statues
Eversink has limited land, so the only way to
make more space is to build up and out. Many of With an ocean to the west and swamps to the north and
the alleyways and winding roads see little sun on south, compounded by a thousand years of inhabitants,
the ground as residents have pushed the floors of Eversink lacks the room for cemeteries. That’s for the
their second and third stories outward to create best; a traditional cemetery would send caskets floating
more square footage literally out of thin air. down the canals the first time it was badly flooded. While
Between the laundry lines, the balconies, and the some mausoleums remain from previous generations,
extended upper stories of most buildings, some Eversink disposes of corpses in a fairly direct manner.
stretches of road and canal are always in dusk. The current tradition is an air burial for those who can
afford it (see p. 279), with corpses opened up on stone
plinths upriver to be consumed by carrion birds. For
The most recent architectural trend for buildings too those of lesser means, bodies are just slipped into one
beautiful or expensive to let sink is to use powerful jacks of the swamps.
to immobilize a building, demolish the sinking first To remember the dead, Eversink’s people use
A popular team sport is eelball, a game played in understand Coinish unless they choose otherwise, and
canals with every player in their own small boat. The may choose whether or not they are literate. The GM
floating head-sized ball (made from waxed, inflated may allow fluency in other languages on a case by case
pigskin) can be touched only with paddles, and teams basis according to a Hero’s background. For instance,
work against each other as they flip it towards bridge a barbarian from the far north would also be fluent
arches used as goals. Championships are played every in Caymic, but might speak Coinish only haltingly.
year during the Eel Run (see below), when fatalities just A Hero with ranks of Forgotten Lore is fluent in two
add excitement to the game. additional languages per rank.
A popular competition in Eversink is competitive Other languages are native to Eversink, although
profit-taking, where both combatants start with a single used less often. For instance, the Church of Denari has
coin and a useless item (such as a worn shoe or a chicken a unique and fairly secret language named “Cygnini”
bone, the more useless the better), and the winner is that is supposedly the divine language spoken by
the one who uses multiple trades, wiles and connections Denari herself, and which is now understood only by
to turn the greatest profit within a set amount of time. those with at least 5 ranks split between Forgotten
If you want more gruesome injury, blood-sports Lore and Allies: Church of Denari. For a period of
such as shark-dancing, pit-fighting, and sorcerous duels 700 years all official church proclamations and records
can be found if you know where to look and pay off the were written in Cygnini, although that hasn’t been the
right people. case now for several centuries. The number of people
The best-attended sporting events occur at the fluent in Cygnini has dropped precipitously over recent
Arena, a centuries-old sunken gladiatorial space (at generations, and there is a very real fear that the church
least the third in the city’s history) on the edge of the soon won’t be able to understand its own history and
Tangle that remains open to the sky due to exceptional contracts.
engineering on the part of the Guild of Architects and In fact, Eversink has used three or more distinct
Canal-Watchers. Battles occur here between human languages since its founding, and it’s rare to find
contestants, between beasts, and with human vs. beast; scholars nowadays with enough ranks of Forgotten
and the arena floor can be removed to reveal flooded Lore to know them all. The oldest language once used
basements for fights against sharks, aquatic monsters, in Eversink is the writhing, nameless tongue of the
and scale model war ships. It can seat thousands. long-fallen Serpentine Empire.
— although illicit chickens also wander the streets official or deputized explorers working for the Guild
of the Tangle and find their ways to dinner tables. of Architects and Canal-Watchers lay traps, put down
Cattle are kept on farms upriver and butchered in the poison, and hunt nests within hostile sub-basements.
slaughterhouses of Sag Harbor. Beef and mutton are It’s a dangerous job, so they’re surprisingly well paid...
both expensive: they grace middle class and rich dinner including guaranteed funeral expenses.
tables but are a once-a-year treat for the poorer end of Rat-catchers are often snake-catchers as well,
the common class. Pigs are everywhere, and salt pork is eliminating infestations of serpents that slither in from
a secondary staple to fish. the swamp and find Eversink’s many basements to their
To alleviate meal (and fish) boredom, residents are liking. The cleverest catchers sell any vipers to alchemists
clever with the many spices and herbs that flow through and poison-mongers for a little extra wealth.
Eversink’s harbor and into her Grand Marketplace; Beautiful white swans are common enough that
there’s a reason that the exclusive Guild of Spices many people secretly consider them a nuisance, even as
has made the Ridolfis one of the richest families of they consider them sacred. Legend says that Denari sees
the Mercanti. Roasted garlic squid is a popular street through the eyes of every swan, but if true, that doesn’t
food. Restaurant dishes are heavy in imported pepper, seem to make them better company. They’re protected
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 237
those who don’t belong to the church) that the rich and those laws make repeat appearances in later games.
powerful may use against you. Likewise, you may well When you or the other players create laws, don’t
be able to use these laws against your enemies. worry too much about these being unrealistic. Actual
Heroes can announce laws and traditions on the history is full of improbably ludicrous decrees. Around
spur of the moment by spending a pool point of the the world, it’s been illegal to wear stripes, wear purple,
Investigative ability Laws and Traditions. While the wear fur, wear ribbons, have shoes extending by more
player may be creating these on the spot, in Eversink than 9” (the long toes made it hard to kneel to worship!),
they’ve existed for years and just haven’t previously to have a large gravestone, to knock off someone’s hat,
been mentioned in the game. Keep track of these; while or to not wear a wool cap. Bad laws generally stay on
players inevitably create laws to get themselves out of the books but get ignored until it becomes convenient.
a fix or to bedevil their enemies, it’s always fun when
Eversink’s History
Conveniently for GMs, Eversink’s sinking buildings A Thousand Years of Adventure
mean that you don’t need to describe the architectural
remains of a millennium. At worst you have a few Almost a millennium has passed since Eversink was first
hundred years to deal with, much as if you were in any founded. A thousand years is a very, very long time. As
fairly well-established historical city. Older historical you’d imagine, what’s considered the history of the city
remnants have mostly been swallowed up by the earth is impossibly far from complete.
beneath your feet. There are three types of history in Eversink.
Whether as a player or a GM, create the history you � Commonly accepted history that everyone thinks
need to see. Describe ruined and sunken buildings, they remember accurately: scandals, demagogues,
help map the existing city, explain what your Hero murderers, fires, plague, war, notable floods,
remembers about long-forgotten floods and armed brilliant leaders, golden ages, and dark times. These
conflicts, and give your GM and fellow players plot are historical events that have made themselves into
hooks to then exploit. Swords of the Serpentine gives myth or that people use to mark time. “Knowledge”
you the authority and responsibility to help world-build of these events may be based on historical record,
(especially when spending points of Forgotten Lore or on truth that has since been embroidered, or may
Laws and Traditions), creating ideas from which the be entirely made up now that so much time has
The City of Eversink
GM can then expand. passed. People in Eversink make up history all the
To make this possible, GMs should encourage you time, and within a few generations, who is to say
to create historical events. It’s okay if you don’t know what was and wasn’t true?
exactly where in the timeline this new event or historical � True history that almost no one remembers today, but
artifact fits; that’s something that can be decided over which can be understood if you know how to look.
time. Just be aware that the history you think is true, Funerary statues, engravings on commemorative
and which is commonly believed, may not be the history monuments, spirit sight, prophecy, ancient tomes,
that actually happened. archaeological evidence in long-sunken basements:
Look for snippets of Eversink’s purported history in all of these can reveal history’s actual truth. Whether
adventures, supplements, and web essays. As with all anyone believes your revelations is then up to you.
history in the sinking city, the truth of those events is � Lost history that may well stay lost and
up to the GM. misunderstood. A huge city over many, many
centuries has an untold number of events and
influential people whose stories disappear soon after
their death, even if their actions still linger today.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 239
In the Darkest Times, before Eversink even had a history, a Calamity befell the world. The Calamity
swept through town and city. It left dead the poor, the rich and the powerful. The kind and mighty
Old Empire that cared for us, fed us, and clothed us burnt to ashes.
The world died.
Dirty, wet, cold and hungry, our ancestors traveled far and cast up in these swamps, where they
waited to die. The swamp protected them from the Calamity and the slinking things that hunted
them, but it held its own horrors. Our ancestors faced starvation, or worse, and hope fled from them.
Desperate, the refugees fell to their knees on the river’s edge and prayed to any who would listen.
Denari heard, and answered.
The great Swan appeared before them in a golden pool, under a starry sky. “With my blessing,” she
said, “you will build a new empire. This bay will protect you. It will give you fish and salt. You will
launch your ships into the ocean, and you will trade. I will make you richer than you can dream. Your
mortal realm is safe in my hands. Forever. With certain legal conditions.”
For her protection and blessing, Denari demanded eternal devotion, that their souls enter her
Heaven, and a concise list of achievements, growth metrics, and holy deliverables over a mandated
yet specific timetable.
She offered the survivors a Golden Contract for a Thousand Years, Subject to Periodic Term over
Term Renewal and Review.
The refugees — now called the Signers or the Founders — penned their names to the contract.
When Denari counter-signed, the swamp retreated and Denaria’s islands rose from the muck and
the riverbed. “Build my city on these islands I created for you,” she said. “Name it after me. On the
grandest island, Temple Market, build my church.”
The refugees constructed rafts and floated out to the new islands. On Temple Market, they laid the
church’s foundations. Within the new church’s Inner Sanctum, St. Matteo the Founder gingerly laid
the Golden Contract. Then, they sealed the Holy of Holies away from people with smart ideas about
riders and addendums.
The City of Eversink
Every winter the Church celebrates Signing Day, judge the city against all milestones and growth metrics
Eversink’s biggest holiday. They mark it with a and either deem it worthy of another thousand-year
city-consuming Festival in the Grand Marketplace term or leave Eversink to sink back into the swamp.
to remind the people of the Holy Signing and the The official histories of Eversink tell the nobility’s
Coming Renewal. On that day, when Denari’s blessing children that the Golden Contract renewal requires
is strongest, Eversink’s citizens exhibit massive and their blood for the Great Resigning. It’s in the fine
ostentatious financial largesse, settle legal cases, and print. When the last Golden Contract family dies, the
frantically close thousands of contracts in the Church’s contract unravels, renewals do not roll to a new term,
Golden Cathedral of Haven. and Eversink’s islands disappear beneath the waves. The
On the Holiest of days to come — not too long, buildings will fall. All will perish in the new cataclysm.
now! — the Holy Renewal Day, when the Thousand So their families must persist, the matriarchs claim, or
Year term is up, the contract will be up for renewal and Eversink will cease and the ancient calamity will return.
renegotiations between all parties. Then, Denari will With it comes chaos, poverty and death. So eat your
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 241
� If you want your campaign to stress the busy lifeblood of the city, with people filling the streets and
adventure lurking on every corner, set it in Temple Market. This section of Eversink seldom sleeps, and
there’s always someone needy from any social stratum who’s willing to hire some Heroes to help — even
when the cause isn’t necessarily noble.
� When foreigners picture Eversink, it’s Temple Market they’re thinking of. When foreigners visit Eversink,
it’s Temple Market they get hopelessly lost in. Lend a hand and find yourself embroiled in foreign plots,
mischief, and adventure.
across the city and ensure profit and success for any
Haven and Founders’ Square —
who make deals in Her name. As thanks, the interior
Home of the Church of Haven is filled with treasures beyond imagining
Haven (often nicknamed “The Nest”) is the name of from across the world, all but the most beautiful and
the cathedral and its religious complex. Standing in the tasteful hidden deep in the vaults below. There are also
center of Temple Market, Haven is a grand structure thousands of ancient funerary statues in Haven, some
of soaring swan imagery, shining domes, impossibly displayed prominently, and it’s whispered that in times
perfect spires, and painstakingly detailed crenellation. of need Denari could open the gates of Heaven and
Its foundation stone marks the oldest solid structure in flood the cathedral with the vengeful ghosts of every
Eversink. single faithful whose statue lies within.
Haven’s exterior is stone, crystal, and stained glass. An ancient tradition allows criminals who reach
The interiors are stone, imported marble, lacquered Haven and pay a fee to seek sanctuary from the law for
wood, and gold. A holy fountain within is said to rise a period of three months. During this time they may
from the original waters that Denari stood upon when not leave church property and are expected to worship
she first accepted the worship of the city founders a daily, but are exempted from legal persecution until
millennium ago. Between the main cathedral and the their three months ends. At that point they’re usually
many side chapels, Haven can accommodate tens of frog-marched out of the cathedral and into jail, unless
thousands of worshippers at once. they’ve found someone to legally exonerate them during
It’s said that Denari hears every single prayer uttered their sanctuary. There are members of the Watch whose
within Haven, although She certainly doesn’t deign to sole job it is to try to trick such criminals into leaving
answer all of them. Holy services here carry Her blessing Haven’s grounds, so that they can be arrested.
� An accused criminal seeking sanctuary hires the Heroes to find the real criminal — or, more likely, to
manufacture and plant false evidence that gets them off the hook.
� Con artists make humble pilgrims believe they’re addressing Denari Herself. What are the pilgrims willing
to do as a result, and what might make Denari take notice?
� The treasures hidden beneath Haven are beyond imagining, a millennium’s worth of tribute. What kind
of brave but foolhardy individuals would actually take a job stealing some of them?
� The vast library of scrolls and tablets hidden here, including the Golden Contract itself, contain lost
truths about the founding of Eversink. Unfortunately, most are written in Cygnini (see p. 235), a holy
language that only a few scholars can now read. What happens when a translator turns out to have been
making it up all along?
246 Swords of the Serpentine
� A prominent socialite announces a party to be held in the Mausoleum, but she neglects to dedicate the
The City of Eversink
The Monastery cellar, and the dinners are five-course affairs. The Church
claims the Monastery is an educational institution and
The monastery attached to Haven brings a new meaning
a fine option for the very wealthy who wish to retire in
to “monastic life,” and not only because it welcomes
devotion to Denari. The most devoted have given their
both male and female members and has a distillery and
lives to finding and making coin; if Denari did not want
brewery attached. It’s a vast above-ground complex
to give them ultimate comfort so they can study Her
with the front entrance opening onto Founders’ Square.
complex tax laws, then why did She bless them with all
The Monastery is warm, comfortable, bright, clean, and
this wealth in the first place?
well-appointed. It has servants and an excellent wine
� An entire party of Heroes might be made up of members of the Monastery, elderly and comfortable and
set in their ways, who are then forced out of their normal habits by a terrible threat that only they know
about or can deal with. Such a set-up can be ideal for a humorous one-shot in the tone of fantasy authors
like Pratchett.
� The Monastery is an excellent source for secret societies that stretch back centuries, as generations of
members’ wealth and power may have been used to commit great crimes or hide terrible secrets.
Moving past the first tent ring and into the riotous The Parks
madness opens a magical ecosystem of rare imports
The original inhabitants designated areas of Temple
and rarer smells. One long line of tents only sells exotic
Market as green and leafy respites from the hot sun
spices found nowhere else in the city, while another
and briny lagoon, and forbade anyone from building
alley has tents filled with exceedingly strange animals.
in these parks. They erected statues to Denari and the
You’ll find maps and fine printed goods, glorious silks
Church Founders in their centers, added beautiful
and printed cottons, and alluring weapons with their
funerary statues over time, and installed little marble
steel glittering in the warm sun. The closer in, the more
benches for people to come and rest tired feet. Narrow
tax the Church charges, but it’s worth it for the status.
canals now separate most parks from the rest of the
bustling district, even if the canals are symbolic and
small enough for a good athlete to leap over.
� With no permanent buildings on the parks, that means they’re one of the few areas of the city without a
vast tangle of sunken basements beneath them. Whether this is the reason for their riotous greenery or
not, exotic plants — including poisonous varieties — seem to spontaneously sprout in moonlit parks.
� Parks at night can be a remarkable spot for romantic assignations, bitter duels, or secret deals. Privacy is
easier at such times, but is never assured.
At night the parks are calm ponds in a bustling city, Old Mansions
but during the day most are full of illegal, unlicensed
food carts. The City Watch tries valiantly to throw Before the Ancient Nobility built their homes on
the squatters out, but the squatters simply return. Alderhall, most lived in Temple Market. Many old
It’s entrenched park warfare that more than once mansions have sunk into the mud long ago and
has resulted in burning and bloodshed. Between the disappeared, but a few still stand. There’s Midblossom
vendors and the foot traffic, the parks are in poor shape. House, once home to the Devino family, now converted
With their turf destroyed, statuary defiled, and benches into a Church school for the very rich. Chaldall Manor
broken, the most popular parks today are less an oasis still stands, and the Ancient Vero family continues to
of calm and more a small sea of mud. Groundskeepers live there to this day.
do their best to keep up. The owners rent the few standing ancient mansions
to other entrepreneurs — local restaurants, some Grand
The City of Eversink
� These mansions are warrens of secrets. Forgotten rooms, sealed basements, hidden libraries, evidence
of ancient murders, historical artifacts that could rewrite the official history of Eversink if anyone could
just understand their relevance — the old mansions of Temple Market contain archaeological truths that
others would kill for if they ever even knew to look for them.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 251
� Occasionally a new Watch officer is transferred in who is determined to shake up the complacency and
� In Temple Market, thieves may steal dozens or even hundreds of gold drakes. In Ironcross, however,
thieves may steal thousands or even hundreds of thousands of such coins. Elaborate con jobs, financial
scams, and perfectly legal maneuvering can make or break fortunes that would stagger a commoner. As
you can imagine, people are willing to kill for such wealth.
� If you want your adventures to feel more like fantasy detective noir instead of classic sword & sorcery,
consider setting your Heroes up in Ironcross. People are loaded down with secret needs and desires, fair
veneers hide foul truths, and just about anyone might backstab you to get ahead in the world.
The City of Eversink
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 253
Interspersed between government buildings and meeting or engagement. The Hermitage is guarded by
blocks of quiet neighborhoods are wide squares, parks, the Church Militant and by nameless secret police.
restaurants, and grandly triumphant public monuments It’s believed that the Triskadane, the thirteen secret
from earlier eras. This district is surprisingly clean rulers of Eversink handpicked by the Goddess Herself,
despite the constant bustling of business, with little meet somewhere within the Hermitage. Either the
rubbish and almost no graffiti. The City Watch is room keeps changing locations or no one can agree on
especially busy here, and they’re willing to eject so- which room they truly use.
called troublemakers from Ironcross at the slightest The Halls of the Cabinet are sweeping, beautiful,
provocation; due to their notably stern (and effective) painted and gold-bedecked rooms where the most
Commander, they’re much less corrupt than elsewhere. powerful committees meet, where Eversink receives
The Silver Bridge connects Ironcross and Temple foreign heads of state, and where the Triskadane’s
Market. edicts are first announced. These rooms commemorate
Eversink’s greatest military and political victories, real
The Hermitage and Court Houses and imagined.
The largest building in Ironcross is the Hermitage, Finally, the Hermitage contains the private and public
home of the courts, committee business offices, and the Court Rooms. These rooms are paneled in rich wood
Triskadane. This ancient and majestic building fronts and leather and are large enough to hold a judge, the
onto Effigy Square and backs onto the canals for easy defendant, the City’s prosecutors, and the City Watch;
water access to Alderhall and the Grand Marketplace. public Court Rooms also have room for a sizable
The Triskadane’s edicts are officially read to the public audience. Eversink has no jury of peers — the judge’s
here. During the day, notaries and clerks spill through decisions are final.
the statue-filled courtyards as they rush to their next
� Rumor has it The Disaster, a soaring ceiling mural painted by the fabulous Pizzimenti, was stolen as
part of an elaborate plot to bring down the City but was later discovered in the sub-basement beneath a
Tangle tenement building. It has since been properly restored. Rumor also has it that the mural hides a
coded map to a vast and wonderful treasure. If anyone has found it yet, they’ve managed to keep quiet
about the discovery.
� The Triskadane actually meet in a dripping cellar near Harbor Approach. Or they meet in the dome of
the city’s third largest cathedral. Or they meet in a spare conference room here in the Hermitage that no
� Jails usually hold people waiting for their court date, not those who have already been convicted, since
convicts are usually executed, exiled, branded, or conscripted. When they suspect their upcoming trial
isn’t going to go well, many prisoners in the Well’s holding cells would gladly pay through the nose to
arrange their escape.
� Rumors persist that there are people deep in the Well who have been awaiting trial for more than seven
decades, political prisoners being kept out of sight until they die. If this turns out to be true, especially if
they’re one of the incredibly charismatic Commoner rebels who disappeared several generations ago, the
city’s entire balance of power could be upset.
� Historians maintain that acts of horrible cruelty and carnage occurred in the Swan’s Hall Tower that
once stood on this site, although little can be proved nowadays due to an anonymous records purge two
generations ago. For whatever reason, Church acolytes with Spirit Sight who attempt to see the ghost
of Swan’s Hall typically suffer ghostly possession and near-crippling terror and amnesia from viewing the
site in the spirit world. Doing so has been declared improper by the Church, and there is now a law that
declares this act to be a heresy.
� The architecture of Revelation Belltower never seems to be quite right. The tall, thin tower leans oddly
when seen from the ground, and angles slip in and out of sight in a way that encourages viewers to look
elsewhere. Regardless, the tone of the belltower’s bells is believed to be the most perfect and beautiful
in the entire city, perhaps in the world, and many tourists stop in amazement the first time they hear the
tower ringing out the time.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 255
The Guild Houses Hermitage, some claim the Advocates dug a tunnel
between the two so they can pop up whenever they hear
Standing next to the Hermitage are the city’s grandest
someone in the Hermitage’s hallways complaining they
Guild Houses. These stately, multi-floor buildings rival
need contractual or legal assistance.
the mansions of the Ancient Nobility and Mercanti in
The Guild House of Architects and Canal-Watchers
Alderhall. Faced with rare marble and stone, covered in
was gifted to them by the Triskadane in exchange for
arches and swans, they tower over Effigy Square.
preferential treatment on government construction.
These Guild Houses are business buildings as well
There’s said to be more secret passages and hidden
as dwellings. Each has a grand meeting room where
rooms in this building than in any other structure in
guildmasters make their strategic decisions, and where
Eversink’s history. The Guild House is an advertisement
the guild throws massive holiday banquets. Guild
for the guild’s power and reach; some claim it to be the
Houses also host each guild’s financial, contracts,
most beautiful building in the entire city, although they
legal, and logistics offices. Many have their own
don’t usually claim that anywhere a priestess of Denari
libraries, training and testing rooms, and sub-basement
can overhear them.
mausoleums full of the statues and mouldering corpses
Less prominent guilds can’t yet afford headquarters
of ancient Guild founders.
in Ironcross, but the district also hosts Guild Houses for
The two most ostentatious Guild Houses in Ironcross
several merchant shipping guilds, a few prominent and
are the Guild House of Architects and the Advocates’
well-established thieves’ guilds, and the Gray Guard, an
Guild House. Of the two, the Advocates’ Guild House
infamous Mercenary company.
is busier during the day. Located next door to the
� Trade secrets worth millions of Swans — whether trade routes, supply sources, the identity of spies, or the
only extant copy of valuable exclusive contracts — are hidden within guild houses. Such houses usually
have their own series of waterproof vaults to hold gold, papers, and other valuables. Thieves caught trying
to raid a guild house seldom make it to trial; guilds have a quiet tradition of administering their own
immediate justice.
� By tradition, each guild throws at least one massive ball each year for clients and nobility; using the
opportunity for a gratuitous and confident display of wealth and power. Getting on the guest list is a
must for anyone hoping to embarrass the guild through inside sabotage, or for anyone seeking access to
the city’s elite social class.
� Recently, a shadow counting house has sprung up along the Row — only open from midnight to 4am
and managed by heavily hooded men and women of unknown provenance, the shadow bank provides
financing to incredibly illegal deals. The interest rates are punishing and the default terms are lethal, but
if you need capital for a smuggling mission or to pay an assassin you can borrow the money here with few
questions asked. It’s believed that a sorcerous cabal finances the operation, and pays officials to stay away.
� The bankers on Counting House Row are always in need of dependable agents who aren’t afraid to get
their hands dirty. Important deals require constant investigation and enforcement. If the Heroes require
a dependable patron to provide a constant stream of difficult challenges, they’ll be able to find such an
employer right here.
The university has widened its degree offerings military defenses — have so far countered any such
from military science to include theology, contract law, pressure.
astronomy, divination, alchemy, philosophy, medicine The University is open to anyone who applies,
and rhetoric. It’s known for brilliant tacticians, academic pays the hefty admission fees, and passes its rigorous
freedom, and intellectual daring. Conservatives across admission examinations. It is rumored that there’s a
the city consider the university heretical and want it secret curriculum exploring the causes and consequences
gone, but the university’s tithes to the Church and of Corruption and Sorcery, but that’s never been
government — and its contributions to the city’s proved.
� You could easily set an entire campaign at Imperator University, mirroring fiction by authors such as
Pratchett and Rothfuss, playing either students or professors at the university in times of hardship.
� Given its origin, Imperator University arguably holds the greatest store of military history in Eversink.
In times of armed conflict, a bidding war may occur for the University’s expertise — and that military
knowledge may well be declared a state secret. What are rivals willing to offer to gain the University’s
tactical expertise?
� The University’s Forbidden Book room contains librams and grimoires that are literally chained to the
shelves to keep librarians safe. What lost secrets are hidden therein?
� Rebellious students may well delve into forbidden topics. When student projects inadvertently threaten
the city, how can Heroes navigate the bureaucracy and tradition to prevent catastrophe?
� There’s old and terrible Corruption in the lower levels that the sages have been covering up for centuries.
There’s a book shelved near it that they need, however, and no one is willing to risk their own life to
approach. Will the Heroes handle it, and why don’t the sages just ask the Church, anyway?
� A sage discovers a terrible secret in one of her books, comes to the Heroes for help, but is killed or cursed
before she can tell them — the classic murder mystery set-up. What’s the secret, and who cares enough
to keep it quiet? Is she really dead, or faking it to manipulate the Heroes?
� Cartographers make a tidy sum selling copies of ancient maps to those who want to navigate the undercity.
They slowly realize that several sections of the undercity are so dangerous that no one who ventures near
them ever returns. The Church is willing to pay well — including funeral expenses — to anyone willing
to investigate why.
� A shelf of library books has become sentient due to ancient Corruption in the floors below, and starts
running a crime ring out of the Sages’ Guild by possessing librarians and then wiping their memory of
any illegal activity.
� Reputation and social standing are important for almost anyone living and working in Ironcross; the
locals definitely feel that they have a certain standard to maintain. Any adventure involving blackmail,
financial betrayal, and social embarrassment can easily be set here.
� For years, an unknown sorcerer embezzled fortunes by cursing bureaucrats and only removing the curse
once they funneled coin to her. She’s been inactive for decades, but that’s bound to change once her ill-
gotten funds run out.
� A plethora of demons and small gods dedicated to wealth, coin, and self-importance seem to spring into
life in Ironcross every year. Most are exorcized by Inquisitors or absorbed by Denari, but a few inevitably
escape when they’re protected by people who crave wealth. The godlings’ plans and dreams almost
always involve get-rich-quick schemes and plots to subvert or weaken the Church’s influence, and they
like using Heroes as catspaws to do so.
Alderhall the last in the city to flood during vicious storms — and
well-staffed gates keep out undesirables.
Alderhall is the district of prestige. The wide, perfumed The Mercanti try frantically to buy their way into this
lanes wind along gardens, parks, theaters, museums, status and wealth, but it isn’t easy. Land in Alderhall
and past the Ancient Nobility’s towering and gated is scarce and has been built up since the early days of
estates. The main street known as the Promenade of Eversink. The stately mansions and towers are old; the
Swans wends its way past hedge animals, wandering only real way in is to mortgage an existing building’s
musicians, peacocks, jeweled towers, lovely exotic roof or to buy out a failing Ancient Noble family, and
flowers, gurgling streams and elegant bridges. The air these aren’t sold to just anybody. The locals join forces
is lyrical with soft music, and the smell of the swamp is to keep out the wrong sort of people, which they define
far away. Thanks to Alderhall’s low hills, this district is as everyone who doesn’t have as much social prestige
as they do.
The graceful mansions constantly sink despite the advantage of controlling access to the neighborhood.
district’s hill and firmer soil, a fact that confirms sages’ The City Watch patrols Alderhall’s streets
belief that Eversink’s slow descent isn’t natural. The aggressively. Anyone looking the slightest bit suspicious
Ancient Nobles with the most money can best keep is stopped, questioned, patted down, harassed, and
their towers built up. It’s a tell on which families are escorted toward the nearest bridge leading them out of
succeeding and which are failing. Cunning Mercanti the District. Visitors, tourists, Outlanders, and under-
can choose a victim simply by counting the remaining dressed Eversink citizens are not welcome. Alderhall’s
stories. The Vesco mansion has a full twelve luxurious City Watch House is the largest in Eversink, not
stories, while the poor Garibaldis are down to a mere counting the City Watch presence in the Hermitage, and
five. Maybe a quick infusion of neo-riche cash will get has the largest staff. It also has the justified reputation
them to a sixth, in exchange for future favors… for raw corruption; Watch Officers who serve here gain
Meanwhile, a warren of back alleys and canals the majority of their income from nobles demanding
behind the mansions lead to the servants’ quarters and special favors.
the mercenary garrisons. Deliveries from the Grand On the rare occasion that you need a Watchman
Marketplace never saunter up the Promenade. They’re and there are none around, almost all noble families
carried by gondola along the many canals winding maintain their own small private army of mercenaries.
through Alderhall to the mansions’ private docks. A family is considered weak if they don’t, and social
Goods are unloaded discreetly and brought up back status is sometimes derived from the size of a house’s
stairs. Many Alderhall bridges rise and lower so they can militia — even if those soldiers do little more than act as
hang picturesquely over the water in the day and rise bodyguards and stand up impressively straight in public.
for frantic commerce at night. This has the additional
� When you want an adventure to focus on the Ancient Nobility, chances are the Heroes will be making
a visit to Alderhall — assuming they can bribe or talk their way past the gate guards, who may want
something unusual. A meal from the best food cart in the Tangle is much more popular than simple coin.
� Nobility tend to forget about their servants, merchants, and guards. For anyone with ranks of Servility,
the “secret population” who service Alderhall families have a robust gossip network and relatively private
canals or lanes to move on. Whether you’re saving a servant’s career or a noble’s reputation, the people
who actually do the work in Alderhall may have an important role to play.
� Alderhall towers may often be neglected, but you’d never be able to tell from the outside, even if the
The City of Eversink
upkeep is bankrupting the noble family who owns it. That means carpenters and stonemasons are
common in the district. They sometimes find inexplicable or remarkable things when working on noble
towers: rooms or items they’d rather ask the Heroes about than show to the family who owns them.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 261
The Opera House Balconies and back stairs make for a bewildering but
beautifully decorated navigation experience. The
A gem of the gilded age of architecture, the Opera
Triskadane have a box that is always left empty, as does
House was built on pilings so that it would withstand
the Goddess herself — just in case. Nobility’s boxes are
the ravages of time and swamp. A few more generations
passed down through families, paid for in perpetuity
and it will finally sink into the ground, but its coiled
when the Opera was built. The wait for the Mercanti to
and polished marble steps lead up from a grand plaza
buy a box is decades, and bidding is ridiculously high.
to an acoustically perfect performance space. Hundreds
Opera companies vie and compete for the best
of statues grace the Opera Hall — and legend says that
stages. The graft to be accepted as a featured company
they move about and change places to hear the best
is astonishing. The church decries companies that use
performances.
sorcerers for illusory effects, and have Inquisitors on-
Many marriages happen in the plaza and on the
site to check for Corruption, but few sorcerers are ever
steps, and the view of the bay from the highest towers
that stupid.
is unmatched. Inside, the main performance hall (and
there are smaller theaters) seats more than a thousand.
� It’s said that a statue somewhere in the Opera House has the Sultana’s Ruby hidden inside it, a stolen
gem the size of a seagull’s egg with a supposed curse and a long and storied past. If it’s there, legions of
thieves have so far failed to find it — and it’s possible that the City Watch spreads that rumor just to set
up a successful thief-trap.
� When commoners and artisans wish to humiliate members of the nobility or members of government,
they typically do so by producing seditious or humiliating plays that are full of allegory, performances
that stay just this side of plausible deniability. Mechanically, this is represented by spending pool points
of Scurrilous Rumors. The flurry of duels that erupt from such performances seldom stop reputations
from rising or falling. It’s an excellent method of undercutting nobles too powerful to attack otherwise.
You won’t usually find the Church attacked in such a manner, though; heresy isn’t something the Opera
House tolerates as “artistic expression”.
� Despite the best efforts of the Church’s Inquisitors, the Opera House remains haunted. There’s a sizable
reward for anyone who can fix this problem.
� If you want a cinematic location for a dramatic encounter, you can hardly ask for a better location than
reagents and highly addictive substances. It’s up to the door. The Alderhall Botanical and Adventurers’ Society
buyer to grow their own supply from the stolen seeds, refuses to acknowledge this as a problem, as bad press
but most buyers seem to be successful; the City Watch would ruin its reputation and the carefully planned
traced breakouts of new virulent drug addictions in annual gala.
the Tangle and Sag Harbor to the Glass Garden’s back
� A generation ago, one of the exotic plants turned out to be remarkably effective for mind control when
dried and powdered. All of the Garden’s samples were seized and burned, but if any seeds survived, they
should be flowering any time now.
� There’s little doubt that some members of the Society will buy any rare plant presented to them. This
opens them up to charges of receiving illegal and smuggled goods, making them vulnerable to blackmail.
Heroes might need to defend them — assuming they’re not the ones perpetrating the blackmail
themselves.
� In recent decades members of a guild of Eversink’s assassins have challenged one another to complete
their assignments at the annual High Society Gala, without getting caught. Security at the Gala is now
ridiculously high — as you’d expect at a party where every year guests seem to keel over unexpectedly —
which makes the challenge that much more interesting.
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Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 263
man in a bad town. His mission is to treat the hopeless The inhuman rattakan have routes to the surface in
addicts and homeless criminals who end up on his Sag Harbor. So do other things too horrible to mention,
stoop, one painful victim at a time. Frustratingly, his and even the many thieves’ guilds headquartered here
faith forbids him charity: he cannot treat the desperate use caution. People disappear at night and no one is
without extracting a blood price. the wiser.
� There’s a secret war going on between a band of local orphans and a nest of rattakan. It’s just a matter of
time before the monstrosities catch and devour the children, but the ones who still survive have become
remarkable at keeping themselves safe while trying to get adults to believe them about the rat-folks’
existence.
� Some people believe that this District is riddled with underground spots of buried Corruption, open
sores that attract ghosts and lead to nightmares or insanity. Only the bravest of Inquisitors go looking,
and they usually hire local help to do so.
� There’s a movement on to dredge Sag Harbor, knock down the sinking tenements, and have Mercanti
guild-families claim the islands as their own once they rebuild the streets for their own use. No one has
thought about where all the poor would go, but it’s a serious threat that some would kill to stop… or kill
to have it happen.
� Someone has taken great care to excise the history of the House from any official documents and
government records. It was used for something before Valentina arrived, but no one seems to remember
what.
� Occasionally someone kidnaps broken people from the House. When this happens, it’s usually because
the kidnapper needs a host for a possessing ghost — a crime the Inquisitors take seriously and punish
harshly, even if they seem to care far more for catching the criminals than helping the victims.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 265
Rospo’s Fight Club the sunken ruin of the old colosseum. Mercenaries,
local thugs, fantastic beasts, and coinless Outlanders
Four hundred years ago, Eversink built an elaborate
compete in mortal combat for the delight of spectators
colosseum. It sank.
and, more importantly, gamblers.
Nunzio Carbone is a mid-level boss in one of the
There are two unbreakable rules for attendees of
city’s criminal fraternities. He is universally known as Il
these gladiatorial events: 1. Cash only, no credit; and
Rospo, “The Toad”, because of his gross corpulence and
2. Everyone wears a domino mask issued at the door.
amazing collection of warts. He has been investigated
While Il Rospo is scrupulous about tithing for any
by Inquisitors on suspicion of sorcery on no fewer than
profits he garners from his enterprise, he leaves it to the
five occasions, and they have concluded that either he
discretion of his patrons as to whether they report their
is a practitioner of surpassing subtlety, or else he really
winnings to the Church. The rules permit him to claim
is that ugly.
ignorance with at least a veneer of plausibility should
Il Rospo has something of a reputation as an
anyone ever make official enquiries as to the identities
information broker, but his primary income is from
of his customers.
the Underground (literally) Fight Club he runs in
� Death and spilled blood attract unsavory attention from the spirit world, and Il Rospo has no idea that
his simple fights are weakening the veil for something to push through.
� It’s become fashionable for slumming nobility to attend and — Goddess forbid! — actually fight in the
gladiatorial combat. Il Rospo doesn’t forbid it, but he hates the idea. If an important noble gets snuffed,
he’s going to have to call in a lot of favors to have the whole thing shushed up.
� Someone claims to have an honest-to-Goddess Triskadane coin to sell, one that when owned allows you
to co-rule the city. Everyone who is anyone is descending on the Night Market to buy, steal, or claim the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the confrontation is bound to be messy. But who’s selling the coin,
how did they get it, and is it even real?
The City of Eversink
� A new poison vendor has come to the Night Market, one who sells concoctions of such unthinkable
lethality that even the antidotes are usually poisonous. Unfortunately, she’s the only link to an assassination
that needs to be solved. Is there any way to convince her to help?
� Alchemists get short shrift in the city, but their power can be astonishing — unique and beautiful plants,
astonishing new flavors and colors in exotic dishes, and the possibility of new addictive drugs to impress
one’s friends. A decadent Mercanti has demanded an alchemist work exclusively for them, and isn’t going
to take no for an answer. You’ve been sent to the Night Market, either to protect the alchemist or to
convince them to hire on before things get really ugly.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 267
� There are numerous small gods who battle over the stockyards, begging butchers to offer prayers and
growing infinitesimally stronger with each animal sacrificed to them. Denari sends Inquisitors and the
Church Militant in every few months to exorcise whatever foreign cults are starting to take hold.
� Trying to chase an enemy through the Downwind Warehouses is an adventure in itself. Just hope they
don’t set off a stampede of released livestock, sending thousands of cattle, hogs or goats flooding across
bridges into neighboring districts while they try to run fast enough to give you the slip.
These blocks are also healthy power centers of foreign them to implant into new soil. They carry centuries of
gangs and organized crime. The Outlanders brought historical wrongs and sworn vengeance. When news
their cultures, and they also brought their rivalries and of two distant countries declaring war on each other
political loyalties. Criminals escaping foreign justice reaches the Foreign District, local gangs play out
often set up in their neighborhood’s warehouses and miniature versions of the same war in the streets “for
tenement buildings, happy for the chance to start anew. honor.” It consumes blocks and innocent bystanders.
It makes for a complex and exciting mix of local politics Usually the City Watch just throws up its hands, erects
and adventuring opportunities for anyone brave enough barricades around the affected blocks, and warns locals
to challenge the local power structure. away until the street fighting burns itself out. Once
When Outlanders settle into their designated everyone involved is dead, new immigrants move into
district, they also might bring their old grievances with newly emptied buildings.
� Archeological evidence you need (whether it’s a forgotten funerary statue, a Corruption-filled site of
ancient mass slaughter, or a long-dead criminal’s bank vault) is in the same building as a foreign god’s
local shrine, and it’s a religious week of festival and feasting for the locals. Can you get what you need
and get out without getting caught, and without angering the local spirits for being disrespectful?
� In a riff on Romeo and Juliet, a same-sex couple from two prestigious families in feuding nationalities
have fallen in love. Their families don’t know, or don’t care in their determination to take each other
down, and it’s up to the Heroes to make sure they survive without their families’ rivalry burning down
the Foreign District around them.
� The Heroes’ favorite restaurant in the Foreign District has had its chef kidnapped, possibly by the
Mercanti family who had already tried to hire them away. Is it really that simple, or is there more at
stake… and judging from the remnants of poison you found in their home, are they actually involved in
murder?
Harbor Approach barrels and rolled into storage and examination by tax
officials, before stamp and transfer via gondola or flat-
Harbor Approach is often referred to as the Upper bottomed canal boat to the Grand Marketplaces. Pigs
The City of Eversink
Docks. This swamp-adjacent District is the home of are sometimes offloaded here from bountiful cargo holds
Eversink’s military capabilities and works as a general before being ferried to the Sag Harbor slaughterhouses
goods storage bay. It is a long, rough, and somewhat and tanneries. The fish arrives before the sun comes
undifferentiated stretch of harbor island, boat launches, up and is whisked to Eversink’s fish markets. Even
boat repair, boat storage, bars, run-down inns, mercenary companies unload here in Harbor Approach
smuggler refuges and the occasional pleasure-house. and pass through harbor inspection before entrance to
This working-class district is where many laborers toil more populous districts.
during the day before returning to their home district The second biggest feature of Harbor Approach
in the evening. is the ship builders. While most shipbuilding happens
The main feature of Harbor Approach is the in the Arsenal under the city’s watchful eyes, private
warehouses. Almost all warehouses have a harbor jetty companies prefer Harbor Approach. The local non-
out front and a canal in the back for quicker routing military shipbuilders sell everything from rich pleasure
and logistics. Goods are unloaded from ships in huge craft to huge ocean-going shipping vessels. They also
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 269
produce the gondolas and flat-bottomed boats so bar putting together jobs and looking for easy marks.
essential to the city’s economy. Smugglers sit in tavern back corners and game out
Outside of the trendy new community Stormhall, their next move right under the watchful eye of the
few people live in Harbor Approach. It’s a passthrough, taxman. The comfort men and women start walking the
a government installation, and a taxation office. Most boardwalk looking for lonely sailors with a bit of coin
who work in Harbor Approach live in the Tangle or Sag at twilight, and disappear when the City Watch shoos
Harbor across town, and overladen ferries carry workers them away in the morning. More than one optimistic
back and forth all day. Lower-class tenement buildings coup has been hatched in a shadowy corner of a Harbor
are tucked in and around the oceans of warehouses, and Approach bar.
those who do live in this district like it quiet and lonely. Harbor Approach has a few famous taverns in and
Harbor Approach is all business during the day and around the jumble, like Bertha’s Mussels, the best
all pleasure at night. Stretches of sailor bars hang out tavern in Eversink. And then there’s the Horse You
their lights and open their doors once the sun goes Came In On Tavern, all the more ironic because no
down. They fill quickly with sailors in for the day and one in Harbor Approach comes in on a horse.
out the next morning. Thieves wander from bar to
� When someone is angry at the Mercanti, it’s their warehouses in Harbor Approach that get burned first.
The island is full of charred remains that have sunk beneath street level, and not all those ruined and
buried warehouses are necessarily empty. There are unlooted valuables and smuggled rarities, sure; but
somewhere down there is also a collapsed warehouse trapping the sorcerously reanimated corpses of
thousands of angry hogs. At the time the Triskadane found it most expeditious to solve the problem by
burying it. That might not have been a good idea in the long run.
� If you’ve stolen something large, like a huge cargo shipment or thousands of Wealth worth of spices from
a very angry guild, Harbor Approach is usually the easiest place to hide it. Local freelance investigators
tend to see which law enforcement officials get bribed, then work backwards from there by finding the
stolen shipments and selling them back to the original owner for a price. They’ll often hire on additional
muscle for these recovery ventures.
� It’s rumored that vaults beneath the Arsenal contain enough weapons to arm a citizen army, and they’re
waiting there for the day when Eversink needs to defend herself in actual hand-to-hand combat. That
makes subverting the Arsenal a priority for any foreign power hoping to conquer Eversink. It’s also
possible that the Triskadane spreads this rumor precisely so hostile entities will make conquering the
Arsenal a foolish priority they waste time on.
� Someone anonymous in Harbor Approach is letting it be known that they have important secrets to sell
about the Armory to one buyer only, and they aren’t too fussy about who that is as long as they’re willing
to pay. That’s treason, pure and simple (unless this is the Triskadane’s secret police trying to trap foreign
agents), and potential customers are killing each other for the privilege of buying the information.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 271
The Old and New Foundry Eversink still needs metal goods. The New Foundry
is an upgrade on the Old Foundry in every way. It
Eversink isn’t a big iron town because iron rusts in salt
has dedicated docks for metal imports. An Architect-
air. It must import 100% of all its metals from abroad.
designed waterwheel feeds constant intake from the
But Eversink does have a need for high-quality iron and
lagoon and drives the bellows. New furnace technology
steel weapons, armor, fittings, tableware, pots, pans,
heats metal up to highly tempered steel temperatures.
and horseshoes. It is far cheaper to import raw material,
Water-powered automatic hammers beat hot metal
craft it onsite, and sell in the Grand Marketplace than it
into shape much faster than a human ever could.
is to import finished items.
Metallurgists and Alchemists aren’t experts in metals
Eversink’s settlers built the Old Foundry soon after
but in creative thinking; they’ve been at the forefront
the city’s founding. It still squats at the edge of the
of metal-based experimentation right there in the New
harbor for easy metal and water intake. This large, ugly,
Foundry’s offices.
rectangular building is heavily scarred inside and out by
Work in the New Foundry is hot, dirty, and
dozens of fires. It’s been rebuilt both from sinking and
dangerous. People trip, fall, and disappear into the vats
fire dozens of times. It doused its furnaces when the
of steel all the time (something to be discouraged, as it
new Foundry opened a century ago.
can ruin the steel). Guild bosses run the floors in here
Today, the rat-infested Old Foundry is the home of
— the work pays too well for just anyone wandering
the Government’s Harbor Committee. The building is
off the street to pick up a hammer. You’re not working
now a warren of cubicles, offices, paper, pens, notaries
here unless you’re a member. As you’d imagine, the
and government functionaries all handing out berths
slowly sinking foundation makes keeping the building
and collecting import taxes. They say that while the
stable and in good repair the highest priority, lest the
Triskadane decides on Eversink’s economic direction,
furnaces explode and burn down half the city.
the Harbor Committee out of the Old Foundry
executes the Triskadane’s whims through a bureaucracy
of papers and arcane stamps.
�The alchemists and metalworkers in the New Foundry are occasionally willing to take on hand-crafted
side projects for a patron, such as meteorite-iron swords or glorious suits of armor. There is a fortune of
trade secrets locked in the foundry’s offices and vaults, and rumors persist that evil sorcerous items that
just can’t be destroyed get trapped in cubes of solid iron before being locked in the Foundry’s basement,
where they can’t do any harm. Presumably.
The Old Summer Palace The richest and least dangerous prisoners live in
relatively posh cells on the upper levels. They receive
The Old Summer Palace was originally the home
two meals a day, occasionally cleaned chamberpots,
of the Morello family, an Ancient Noble line tracing
and sunlight. Illegal sorcerers (usually with tongue and
their blood heritage back to Eversink’s founding. The
hands removed), city traitors, and scammers are left to
building was the belle of the City long before the rich
rot in underground cells.
concentrated in Alderhall and before Eversink land sold
The building has fallen on hard times. The City
for a premium. The Morellos entertained and awed the
doesn’t invest in repairs beyond basic maintenance to
people with their massive displays of wealth. Debts and
keep the old building from sinking entirely. They don’t
the palace’s upkeep eventually bankrupted them; the
see the point in making a prison comfortable and safe.
Morellos sold the Old Summer Palace to the Zunino
Inside, the Old Summer Palace is a ghost of its ancient
family, and they sold it to the Modicas, and then the
finery with rotting hangings on the walls, broken
Modicas simply vacated the huge, rambling building
furniture, and rusted fittings.
when it became too much. Instead of allowing the land
A small crew of City Watch employees run the
to consume the old, noble structure, the City claimed
prison. The warden is Commandant Fazio Ugolini of
eminent domain over the Old Summer Palace and
the Ugolini family of Alderhall. Some say his position
converted it to a prison.
is punishment for some dark family crime, but none
Today, the Old Summer Palace holds Eversink’s
know what it is. All anyone knows is Warden of the Old
most notorious criminals — the ones too dangerous to
Summer Palace comes with a nice fat paycheck. The rest
exile and too politically well-connected to execute — in
of the guards are working stiff City Watch out of Sag
its deep, sinking, dripping bowels. They say those who
Harbor and the Tangle, probably corrupt to the bone
go in don’t come out. At least, not sane.
but still trying to make a difference.
The City of Eversink
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 273
� Secrets riddle the old building. Old tunnels let people sneak in and out — if they’re willing to crawl
through Harbor Approach’s fetid sewers and wander through unlit underground passages filled with
horrors. Some lucky prisoners use their cells as a place of safety, continuing to run criminal enterprises,
and leave when they please.
� Thieves hide their take in forgotten Old Summer Palace treasure vaults, long sunken under the city and
accessible only through convoluted passages. They take a particular delight in using a supposedly secure
building full of prisoners for their own illegal purposes. No one wants to break out a prisoner, though;
rumor is that curses are involved for anyone who frees an inmate.
� Some say the Inquisition runs dark operations out of the prison’s basement. But no one has proved this.
Yet.
� When the commoners rise up in rebellion, Sarti expects that she’s going to be one of the first against the
wall. As a result, she pays a sizable force of mercenaries to keep Stormhall — and herself — safe, almost
to the point of paranoia. Clever con artists might try to use that fear to acquire some of her vast fortune.
� You can level blocks and build on top of them, but ancient sunken buildings still exist deep down
beneath. Mercanti living their dream life in Stormhall do so with their basements regularly inspected or
bricked up, and with a constant nagging fear of what may lie below them.
274 Swords of the Serpentine
� Denari help the drunken rich noble who decides to wander into the Tangle while slumming it… because
no locals are going to help him, that’s for sure. There’s an undercurrent of bitterness and anger in the
Tangle that usually stays buried, but the entitled would be fools to taunt commoners in their own turf.
� It’s hard to get people to trust you in the Tangle, especially if you come from money. This is one area
of town where High Repute works against you, and Low Repute works in your favor. People here try to
look out for their own.
� Never underestimate people in the Tangle: great warriors, folk heroes, and near-legendary adventurers
have come from here, even if you haven’t heard of them. Genius might be hidden right around you; the
teenaged girl trying to barter a cart of day-old fish she stole somewhere may be one of Eversink’s greatest
artists in centuries, if only she’d have time to sit and sculpt. The most valuable people in the Tangle are
those who can recognize that hidden potential and make it possible to fulfill it. Just remember that other
more established artists might push back in very illegal or unorthodox ways.
Boats flow through the Tangle at all hours of the day an abandoned storefront, a small parish shrine, a back
— commerce, legal or otherwise, never stops. table at Amone Barra’s Bar and All-You-Can-Eat Fish
The best helmsmen and gondoliers in Eversink come Fry. These are fly-by-night organizations with similar
from the Tangle, and the Pilots’ Guild knows it. Not locations.
only can locals navigate at night, they can memorize The Tangle is also home to more established, richer
complex maps and directions through switchbacks of guilds. Ones with traction and not a little political power.
confusing watery passageways. It hasn’t escaped the notice of the locals that there’s no
difference between the Bakers’ Guild wanting “tax” on
Lesser Guild Houses and grain shipments and the local Mob running protection
rackets. These guilds have infested the last of the older,
Chapterhouses larger buildings in the Tangle that have not yet sunk.
In the Tangle, everyone comes together in communities They have money extracted from dues to pay for pylons
— communities of trade, or crime, or craft. Most thieves’ and new floors on their sinking buildings. As they gain
guilds, trade guilds, and mercenary brotherhoods keep prestige and money, these organizations grip harder on
their special meeting places down in the Tangle. People the Tangle while renovating their plush meeting rooms.
need a place to be, an organization to belong to, a team Most guild houses and chapterhouses are somewhere
to root for, and a color to wear. The guilds fill this need, in between. They possess small, established buildings.
and sponsor some of the most exciting (and vicious) Inside is a meeting room, a few rooms for members
athletic events in the city. down on their luck, and a shrine to the Goddess. When
For small thieves’ and trade guilds, the meeting they sink, the Guild abandons the building instead of
places are catch-as-you-can: someone’s living room, fixing it and finds a new place to rent.
� Guild wars can be legendary in their no-holds-barred sabotage and subterfuge. If two rival guilds run up
against each other, expect skulduggery and economic backstabbing that rises to an art form until one of
the guilds submits and is either disbanded or absorbed.
� Knowing a craft means belonging to a guild, and belonging to a guild means prestige and better wages.
Guild houses in the Tangle often act as impromptu community leaders and judges, navigating tricky
neighborhood issues and adjudicating problems that no one trusts to the Watch or the Triskadane. Guild
houses often hire independent investigators or adventurers to scout problems, strongarm someone who
The City of Eversink
needs a gentle reminder of their loyalty, or to solve problems when the guilds can’t be seen as impartial.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 277
The Hospital and the Orphanage The Orphanage is not much better than the
Hospital, and it sits several doors down on Bell Avenue.
The rich of Alderhall can afford to have doctors attend
This building was a mansion in an earlier life when
to them in the comfort of their homes. For serious
the Tangle was still a harbor, but now is a dilapidated,
illnesses that local folk remedies can’t help with, the
rotting, sinking wreck. Most orphaned in the Tangle
poor of the Tangle have no choice but the Hospital.
at an early age find themselves adopted by thieves’
The Tangle’s hospital is less a place of healing than a
guilds, the Church, older siblings, other relatives, even
gateway to death. Overcrowded wards fill this low and
neighbors. Anyone who can pitch in and help. Only
squat building sitting on the corner of Bell Avenue and
those children unfortunate enough to find themselves
Copper Street. Leechers trained by the university in
without anyone end up in the Orphanage.
Ironcross perform surgery without anesthesia here —
The Orphanage provides food, shelter, clothing, and
and not for free. Everything in Eversink costs coin, and
some minimal education to its unfortunate boarders.
the leechers expect contracts signed upon admittance
The scant education provided prepares the orphans for
to the Hospital and later payment in full, regardless of
lives as dockworkers, tanners, servants or childminders.
treatment. Harried nurses move between patients and
Children at the Orphanage are subject to malnutrition
keep them from screaming too loud.
and neglect, even as they run up a bill that they must
Most die of infection in the Hospital. But, given the
start paying off the moment they matriculate and leave
choice of people rotting in the Tangle’s streets or dying
for the streets at age 17. Many who leave the Orphanage
screaming in the Hospital, the Tangle’s poor drop the
carry this financial burden the rest of their lives as they
injured, the bleeding, the sick, and the dying off at the
pay off their childhood in installments.
Hospital’s door. The poor simply cannot afford people
Both the Orphanage and the Hospital are nominally
dying in the streets, not if they’d risk entire blocks
run by the Church. Marketpriests fill the administrative
dying from disease. Unlike most hospitals, the Tangle’s
posts. While the Church does not believe in charity, it
Hospital is not a charitable institution, and the staff will
does believe that commerce in the eyes of the Goddess
turn away the truly destitute at the door.
is best executed by healthy bodies who can carry out
work for their betters.
� If there are any monstrosities or spiritual entities out there that feed on pain, sadness and hopelessness,
they’d find great strength at both the Hospital and the Orphanage. The question is: if they exist, why
hasn’t the Church taken steps to exorcise or destroy them?
Famous Pubs, Inns, and Food Carts filled with crab meat? That delicious-smelling greyish
The City of Eversink
There’s a small parish church here, with a single Most of the fiercely territorial Chuggut tribes (see
Marketpriest. She pretends not to know about the p. 185) live in the Golden Swamp to the south,
strange shrine out near the salt pools, or the serpents it a particularly primal and unchanging bog full of
seems to venerate. surprisingly ancient plants that have never died out like
they have elsewhere. Naming it the Golden Swamp
The Swamps hasn’t changed it from the dismal, miserable morass of
Denari pushed back the swamps to the north and south mud and water and quaking bogs that it is. There are
when she first raised Eversink’s islands from the bed of ancient Serpentine ruins in the Golden Swamp, almost
the River Serpentine. Ever since they have bordered all hidden by tall marsh grass or still pools of black
the river but not extended into it, leaving a surprisingly water. Tiny gold coins washed down the Serpentine
clear delineation between river and fens. Those swamps from an unknown source tend to find their way to the
don’t contractually belong to the city, and the swamps Golden Swamp, tempting brave children to go diving
act like they know it; they seem surprisingly hostile to for treasure. Not all return.
‘Sinkish residents who venture into their depths for Calcia’s Reach to the north is named after a famous
smuggling, hunting, or exploration. mercenary company who all died there defending the
The City of Eversink
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 281
city several centuries ago, but prior to that was called Swan’s Vault
the Grasping Bogs. It’s full of quicksand, giant toads,
Swan’s Vault is a misnomer; there’s no vault, and
surprisingly pernicious insects and some of the best
indeed no buildings at all. The string of small islands
fishing you can ask for (assuming you survive the trip).
near Harbor Approach have been used as a final resting
Demon stones squat here, unthinkably ancient altars to
place for funerary statues that people no longer want.
dead gods who only require a prayer or two to spring
Perhaps it’s a statue you found, or uncovered, or
back to life. Not everyone who enters Calcia’s Reach
hate, or simply don’t have space for; since it’s illegal
comes back the same.
and a mortal sin to destroy it, instead take it to Swan’s
In Eversink, most people don’t even think of the
Vault and leave it with the thousands of other funerary
swamps as a survivable location. That means people
statues big and small that have been left there over the
fleeing the law may be able to use them as an easy refuge,
centuries. They’re packed together in a mish-mash of
assuming they can find safety before they succumb to
styles and ages, occasionally rearranged by secret artists
environmental dangers and local fauna.
to tell stories or create wonder. More than one stolen
statue has been hidden here, under the theory that the
best place to hide a stolen book is in a library.
When someone smashes a funerary statue and ghosts return to the world, they have to go somewhere. But
where? Similarly, people with Spirit Sight — if they’re powerful enough — can walk out of our world into
a spirit world where the ghosts of ancient buildings rise and fall around them as they walk through history.
What’s going on here?
Scholars don’t agree. Official orthodoxy claims it’s another plane of existence that overlays our own, where
ghosts abide and where Eversink is reflected as if in a cloudy mirror. Current thinking (considered heretical)
is that dead souls don’t return, and what does return is Denari’s memory of the departed person. Similarly,
there’s no actual “spirit world”, but some humans can literally see or walk into Denari’s memories of the city
itself. When they see ancient buildings rising and sinking as they walk through time, they’re actually walking
through the Goddess’ memories of the city across different eras.
No one is sure. Many people hate the “memory” theory because it means that their loved ones are gone
forever other than a barely remembered wisp recalled by the Goddess, but some religious scholars (usually on
the run from Inquisitors) claim to have proof.
Eversink’s Government
Eversink is an anonymous oligarchy. The city-state is Most government business is handled by bureaucrats,
ruled by the Triskadane, thirteen anonymous citizens commissions, and far too many pages of rules and
of any age or social class who rule through summary rulings. The Triskadane assembles when Eversink
judgments, decrees, the Church, intelligence services, faces a major crisis such as a war, financial calamity,
The City of Eversink
and a dense, committee-laden bureaucracy. All thirteen sorcerous intrusion, or government-shaking judicial
anonymous rulers are usually handpicked by the decision. They supposedly assemble at the Triskadane
Goddess Herself on Signing Day, the one festival a year Hermitage, located in Ironcross’ heart, but that hasn’t
when she’s known to walk the city in human form, and been confirmed in several generations.
members serve the city for 13 years unless the Goddess The Triskadane’s decisions are both secular and religious.
chooses to replace them sooner. The disguised Goddess They issue judgments that range from appointing a
hands them a heavy gold coin embossed with Denari’s new Church Leader or declaring a Mercanti’s actions
swan on one side and a crown on the other, and treason, to invading a coastal neighbor or setting
grasping the coin imparts knowledge of the role, the elaborate import border taxes on ship-quality wood.
government, and any state secrets Denari wishes them They decide on major criminal matters facing the state.
to understand. Thirteen coins are always in circulation, They take the country to war and back out again. Their
no more, no less, and membership in the Triskadane decisions are final, absolute, and canon law. When their
travels with ownership of the coin and not the person; decisions are made public, the Great Swan Bells in the
stealing a coin or (more rarely) inheriting one can give Sanctuary’s belfry ring out over the city and criers are
someone membership for as long as they own the coin. sent forth to announce their edicts.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 283
With your GM’s approval, there’s no reason you A powerful city-state cannot be run by only 13 people.
can’t be one of the secret 13 members of the Eversink must collect harbor taxes, execute wars, write
Triskadane. In fact, because even the Triskadane laws, toss a few sorcerers into crow cages, hang a pirate
doesn’t know each others’ identities (at least or two as an example, and pay the City Watch. Individual
ostensibly), multiple heroes in the same group power consolidates in the hands of the various factions,
could be members. Perhaps you stole someone but the state must run. Under the Triskadane is built
else’s coin, or the Goddess picked you herself, a complex and undocumented warren of ministers,
but the city’s future is in your hands. cabinet posts, councils, committees and bureaucracies.
You’d model Triskadane membership by The Committees are where the day-to-day temporal
having ranks in Allies: Triskadane, with more power of Eversink’s government lies. The Committees
ranks indicating more influence amongst the were originally established to carry out the Triskadane’s
other members and within the city itself. One wishes after an issued decree; over many years the
rank means that few people will go out of their Committees grew, multiplied, and became ministerial
way to help you; three ranks means that you have power bases with their own private mercenaries and
sway on the council and can easily influence city secret police.
events; five ranks makes you a master influencer Some Committees — like the Taxation Committee,
within the city and the council. the Harbor Committee, and the Intelligence
This sort of game can be incredibly exciting, Committee — are old and powerful, and function like
dodging assassins while influencing policy within the Triskadane’s Cabinet. They write and pass mundane
the city itself, but make sure the GM is entirely on laws, stamp decrees with the Triskadane’s seal, have the
board before you go this route. They may have power to tax and spend in their respective areas, and
another style of game in mind than one focused hold judicial powers with the ability to imprison, exile,
on kingdom-building. or execute at will. Mercenaries on official business who
If you do become a member, remember that hold loyalty to different committees regularly battle
the Goddess might (and probably will) take away over jurisdictional disagreements; more than one short-
your coin at any time if your GM thinks it would lived “civil war” was just mercenaries loyal to different
make for a good story and adventure — and that committees settling their differences very, very publicly.
you’ll probably make a lot of fun enemies during The government maintains no formal approved
your tenure as secret ruler. list of committees. Large committees create working
The Triskadane issues decrees on whatever matters interest it. It does not publish any sort of agenda or
telegraph what matter it is considering. It can consider matters of any size, from war to an issue affecting a
single person. The Triskadane simply does.
It’s up to the committees and the bureaucracy of Eversink to enact these edicts however these committees
see fit. As powerful citizens of Eversink sit on these committees and they also have their own interests, the
absolute nature of the Triskadane’s rulings often become more subjective. The Triskadane’s edicts are always
enacted within a matter of interpretation. Rarely, official decrees are bitingly specific in order to ensure that
there is very little room for improvisation when enforcing the law.
284 Swords of the Serpentine
2
“And about damned time, too!” - Lorenzia Crimson-Bonnet
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 285
cut, and type of fabric) is very different in Alderhall than bad” and “people shouldn’t steal” they can enforce the
it is in the Tangle. law they know.
This is complicated even more by the fact that Most of Eversink’s law practices are not concerned
Heroes with one or more pool points of Laws and with criminal law. Instead, they expend most of their
Traditions can literally make up new laws on the spot, time with civil and contractual law. In the bright daylight
regulations that (at least at that moment) are currently of Ironcross’ iron and stone bridges, Eversink’s richest
in effect and enforced by local constabulary. There are go to war with one another, not with ships or guns but
probably exceptions and loopholes that will eventually with advocates, words, documents, and agreements.
be found, but players get to build the world along with Ironcross hosts a thriving scribe-and-notary-and-legal
the GM, and that means helping establish the laws by industry to keep pace with the constant change in
which everyone must live. This is actually more realistic law and lawfare that no one outside the very wealthy
than you might think; throughout history sumptuary completely pays attention to. It’s not unusual for
laws and ridiculous legal rulings have annoyed people Eversink’s most blessed and silver-tongued advocates
all over our world, lasting until they’re forgotten, or to find themselves wealthy and appointed as a Judge
mutually ignored, or until another lawmaker thinks to to Eversink’s bench by the Committee for the Courts,
annul them. where the corruption merrily trickles down.
GMs are encouraged to tell players what’s reasonable
and what isn’t, and then let them violate those laws and
face (or manipulate) the consequences. How strictly Designer Notes: How the Rich War
laws are enforced depends a lot on the social class and
allegiances of the Heroes in comparison to the social While the rich will occasionally sic their
class and allegiances of the law enforcers. mercenaries and goons on an opposing party,
that’s a route of last resort. Bodies lead to
Law and Advocates questions and inconveniences. The rich prefer
Eversink is an incredibly litigious city. With a goddess to bleed their enemies dry, tangle them up in
who defines her religious obligations by contract, knots, ruin their reputation, and wrap them up
the law is as much the blood of Eversink as fish, salt, in blackmail, bribery, and extortion complaints
trade, and backstabbing. Because the law is not strictly through the legitimate law. No reason to get
codified, no one entirely knows the fine details of what is blood on anyone’s hands when penury works
legal and what isn’t — except one guild, the Advocates’ equally well. Ask them, and they will say that
Guild, whose remarkably ornate Guild House stands going the legal route is the Eversink way of doing
proudly in Ironcross next door to the Hermitage. business.
Eversink is the city-state of opportunity, trade,
The City of Eversink
and in other contracts and charters from this era. The Long-Con Scam Artists
number of forgers and con artists who attempt to
Long-con scams aren’t welcome in Eversink. At their
use this to their advantage has risen steadily over the
core, those scams make promises and contracts with
centuries.
unwitting innocents in deliberate bad faith. Fake
See p. 235 for more detail on languages.
contracts are equally as bad as counterfeit scams. Long-
con scam artists make deals knowing full well they
The Most Heinous Crimes of don’t intend to honor the deal at the end. Denari and
Eversink the Authority preach that salesmen can write tricky
Even with the loose (although large) definition of law contracts, contracts with confusing small print or
in Eversink, the city still has a clear set of the worst random escape clauses, but they cannot directly scam
criminal crimes and misdemeanors. These are crimes people.
so terrible in Eversink that they not only involve the Typically, con artists first annoy the local thieves’
government but also the Church’s Inquisition. guilds because they’re not tithing to the local
brotherhood. Then, they’d infuriate the nobility
Sorcerous Corruption because no one likes to wake up and discover they’re
a mark. Finally, the Inquisition comes calling because
Sorcery is not technically the worst crime anyone can
fraudulent contracts are intrinsically a heresy. A clever
commit in Eversink, but spreading Corruption (p.
con artist pays their tithe to the Church, though, so at
117) without any thought to the consequences is.
least their soul is more secure.
Sorcerers found guilty gain a punishment in direct
relation to the seriousness of their crimes, and how
well-connected they are. While one truly guilty sorcerer
Everything Else
might have her hands and tongue removed before being Serial killers are heinous, as is sexual assault. Perpetrators
put in the crow cages overhanging the harbor, another are not welcome in Eversink. Casual murder isn’t
better-connected (and less offensive) sorcerer might be acceptable either. But the law deals with offenses as
quietly exiled or extensively fined. offenses come, based on the commonly held order of
Note that sorcery and casting spells is not technically severity and punishment, and many law enforcement
illegal (at least usually), but externalizing Corruption officials have a soft spot for vigilantes and heroes who
is. Known sorcerers are treated with suspicion by the actually make their jobs easier by defeating criminals.
Inquisition and the City Watch, but a sorcerer usually Theft is serious but is considered a crime instead
faces no legal consequences until they actively cause of a heresy if the thief pays their tithe to the Church.
external harm. How important the theft is largely depends on who the
victim knows, and how much trouble they’re willing to
socially influential family, or you’re known among Golden Families of Venice who claimed descent
the nobility as “the right kind of person” who can be from the city’s original founders.
depended upon. Denari’s power flows from the heartbeat of
If you have 1 or more ranks of Enemies: Ancient commerce, so we decided the city’s founding
Nobility, you’re considered an untrustworthy enemy moment was the signing of a literal contract
of the upper class because of something that you, your between Herself and a small band of bedraggled
allies, or your family (including long-dead ancestors) refugees in a stinking swamp long ago. The
have done. Any noble who gives you the polite time of Ancient Nobility built this singular event up to
day is probably doing so expecting to be betrayed, and one of epic proportions because their ancestors
has already taken that into account. were in position to take economic advantage and
Use your Ancient Nobility ranks to gain leads about were first to capitalize on the new city. Therefore,
social status, ancient history, and high society events. these ancient noble families feel entitled to
the citizenry’s enduring obsequiousness. But
Eversink doesn’t work that way. Ever.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 289
Most noble families built their family’s ancestral or identified. Mind you, they may be rivals or ancient
tower or estate in the district of Alderhall, where most family enemies, but at least you’re being noticed. You
families spend what little money they have on upkeep can use this status to insinuate yourself into the most
and appearances. The nobility tends to have the best important and prestigious events in the city. With
ancient libraries in the city, even if no one has bothered that benefit is the knowledge that public mayhem or
looking at them for several generations, and children (goddess forbid) visible signs of poverty will start rumors
learn to read by memorizing the family tree and family and possibly lower your family’s social status. Members
history (along with the family’s long list of rivals and of the nobility are saddled with the knowledge that they
old grudges). It’s exceptionally rare for members of are always representing their family’s honor and lineage
the Ancient Nobility to not have ranks in the Nobility with everything they do, even when that’s the last thing
Investigative ability; after all, good manners matter. you may want.
Being a member of the Ancient Nobility carries Take this faction as an Ally if you want old, deep ties
privileges and burdens. Anonymity becomes more to the city of Eversink and its social structure of secret
challenging; if you have 2 ranks or more of Allies: influencers. You should take it as an Enemy if you think
Ancient Nobility, and you’ve decided that you’re a that those stuck-up, rude fops deserve to be put in their
member of the nobility yourself, your family is socially place — or if you’ve accidentally crossed some people
prominent enough that you’ll regularly be recognized who are very important socially.
about Guild business and know how to pull strings to In the past there have been rumors that some
direct the Guild’s business. That means you’re either members of this guild practice sorcery, but Denari must
a trusted member of the Guild (likely specializing in not approve of such rumors, because those who believe
either construction or waterways), or you’re someone them seem to find an early accidental death. They
the Guild turns to regularly when it faces challenges. aren’t the only ones. Architects and canal-watchers have
The Guild has an extensive bureaucracy, and you know remarkably dangerous jobs, and their life expectancy is
how to use it to your advantage. low.
If you have 1 or more ranks of Enemies: Guild of Take this faction as an Ally if you want direct ties to
Architects and Canal-Watchers, the Guild considers people who know Eversink’s architectural secrets. Take
you a risk to either their Guild business or to Eversink’s them as an Enemy if you’ve learned a terrible secret
architecture. You may have knocked down a building, about the Guild that they want silenced, or if they have
threatened an architect, or stolen secrets. If you need wronged you (or you’ve wronged them) in some way.
something built, don’t expect quality, and certainly all
those canal closures when you needed to be somewhere
five minutes ago are just coincidence, right? Say what Designer Notes: A Sleeping Power
you want about the Guild, they know how to raise
passive aggressiveness to an art form; their revenge is Want to feel important? Be the person in charge of
usually in the form of long and grinding inconvenience unilaterally deciding whether a historic building
instead of bloodshed. stays upright or whether goods can freely travel
Use your ranks with the Guild to gain leads about to market through the city’s canals. The Guild’s
accurate maps, neighborhood politics, city locations, current leadership is conservative and responsible,
building and demolition plans, road and canal closures, but change is in the air, and a corrupt Architects’
and in-depth details about what’s been found in Guild would have an economic stranglehold on
otherwise sunken and forgotten basements. the city that puts all other organized crime to
shame. Greed is going to push a guildmaster over
the edge sooner or later, and it isn’t going to be
Description
pretty when it happens.
The most powerful mercantile guild in the city, this
guild keeps its secrets hidden behind a close-knit
organization that resembles a secret society to outsiders.
The guild engineers keep canals clean and safe, plan and The Mercanti
organize construction, handle demolition, and keep
existing buildings from collapsing. Their mechanical or
Ranks
(rarely) sorcerous pumps help keep a structure’s sunken
you down and making your life miserable if you so much Arranged in guilds and with each guild typically
as hint at confronting them, and your involvement may led by a family, the Mercanti spread Denari’s worship
ruin otherwise successful business deals until you are as much as they betray, connive, and double-deal to
removed. Chances are they’re angry because you’ve earn more money and power. Their largest frustration
cost them profit or success in the past. is Eversink’s problem with smuggling, and they often
Use your Mercanti ranks to gain leads about feel beset by enemies on every side. The Mercanti are
trade, the guilds, the richest people in Eversink, and seizing political power, but often lack the social clout
international dealings or diplomacy. and social graces that should come with it.
As a result, there are huge opportunities for ambitious
Description Heroes in the Mercanti. High rewards usually require
These are the up-and-comers, the guild-leaders and the high risks, and adventurers love risks, right? So hitch
master architects of commerce who are carrying Eversink yourself to whichever Merchant Prince seems like your
into its next gilded age. Their money and influence rising star, keep your eyes open for opportunities, and
might be relatively new (in Eversink terms, that’s within make audacious adventures pay off in the best possible
the last few hundred years), but they’re systematically way.
stealing political power and even respectability away Take this faction as an Ally if you want to immerse
from the Ancient Nobility as they forge Eversink’s yourself in the political and economic skulduggery that
future. If you ask a Mercanti, there’s nothing this city money and trade guilds bring. Take them as an Enemy
needs more. As Eversink changes and transforms, the if you’re actively working against them, if you’re of the
Mercanti will be leading the way... assuming the rest of Ancient Nobility, or if you’ve crossed each other in the
the city can’t stop them. past.
The City of Eversink
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 295
with your GM), rumors have gotten around, and there interests. Other members of Sorcerous Cabals are likely
are plenty of people ready to even the score for what to have heard of you, by reputation if not by appearance.
they think you did. If you have 1 or more ranks of Enemies: Sorcerous
Use your Outlander ranks to gain leads about trade, Cabals, you have a much higher chance than normal
war, foreign politics, cultures, and international travel. of coming down with a nasty curse when it’s least
convenient. You have crossed a sorcerer somehow,
Description and their cabal is just biding its time. It’s good that
They come from outside Eversink, foreign freelancers most revenge schemes are convoluted, interesting, and
unbeholden to any traditional faction within the city, diabolical, instead of simply an ambush and a fast death.
and the city doesn’t always know what to do with them. Most cabals prefer to make examples of their enemies,
They can ally with or work for anyone; they can be instead of just having them disappear mysteriously in
assassinated to prove a point, and probably only the the night.
Watch will notice or care. Charge them more money, Use your ranks in Sorcerous Cabals to gain
point them towards the Foreign District, and treat leads about sorcery, unnatural power, conspiracies,
them with caution. Corruption, spirits, and ancient artifacts of power.
An Outlander may be a tourist, a new immigrant, a
visiting merchant, or a wandering adventurer. They lack Description
most local knowledge and contacts, and may have fewer It isn’t illegal per se to be a sorcerer in Eversink, but
rights than citizens (depending on who they speak to sorcerers create Corruption, and that’s very illegal.
and how much they bribe). Sometimes chained-in-a-cage-with-your-hands-and-
Take this faction as an Ally if you’re new to Eversink, tongue-cut-off-overhanging-the-harbor-until-you-die
if you have a reputation as a friend to people new to the illegal. So powerful Sorcerers often have their minions
city, or if you have many friends who are Outlanders. in Eversink run errands for them, and they flex their
Take them as an Enemy if you’re hated outside of political muscles behind the scenes. The Sorcerous
the city or if you make a habit of taking advantage of Cabals cleave together for mutual protection and
Outlanders you meet. power, and their representatives guard their interests
without (usually) having much sorcery themselves.
Cabals tend to inspire paranoia. No one knows who
The Sorcerous Cabals could be a sorcerer and who isn’t. Neighbors turn each
other in, and the Church Inquisitors come a-calling.
Are the Inquisitors sorcerers themselves? Are church
Ranks
officials? How can one tell? And if you have crossed
If you have 1 rank of Allies: Sorcerous Cabals, you them, how could you possibly hope to survive?
The City of Eversink
have the means to contact one or more cabals and Cabals are tightly organized but keep their secrets
petition them for wisdom or favors. It’s wise to do so from other, rival cabals; memories might even be erased
respectfully, mind you, and not when the Inquisitors to ensure that sorcerers can’t remember more than one
are watching. You may even be a low-ranking member or two contacts in their own organization, just to keep
of a Sorcerous Cabal yourself. the cabal safe. That said, when someone shows up on
If you have 2 or more ranks of Allies: Sorcerous the Sorcerous Cabal’s list of enemies, word is somehow
Cabals, it’s extremely likely that you’re a sorcerer passed from member to member and the enemies don’t
yourself or that you somehow serve one. The cabal survive particularly long.
has likely initiated you into at least some of their Sometimes confident (or politically well-connected)
inner mysteries, and you have met other known and sorcerers act as figureheads and guild spokespeople,
hidden sorcerers. You know your cabal’s secret signs attracting the attention and ire of the inquisitors, hoping
of recognition, which bureaucrats in Eversink can be to shine so brightly that their fellow practitioners can
trusted to be sympathetic, and how (or where) to best sneak past in the shadow. It’s all about misdirection and
channel Corruption so that it serves your cabal’s secret power.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 299
Two primary traditions exist in Sorcerous Cabals: If you have 2 or more ranks of Allies: Thieves’
those who learned their sorcery from the teaching of Guilds you have power and influence with at least
forgotten demons or small gods, and those who learned one thieves’ guild. You may be a trusted ally of truly
it from the ancient and forgotten lore of the Serpentine powerful guild leaders, a notable thief yourself, a feared
snake-folk. They differ considerably; in particular, enforcer, or a respected former thief who maintains
cabals centered around small gods and demons tend to their friendship even in retirement. It’s even possible
take on the characteristics of those entities. A cabal who you’re a local legend due to jobs you’ve pulled in the
learned their sorcery from a small god of deception, for past, so that new thieves look up at you in awe before
instance, will have different traditions than those who they’re stupid enough to try to steal your purse.
learned their sorcery from a small god of rot and decay. If you have 1 or more ranks of Enemies: Thieves’
ships of the line. The great Mercanti families and trading Trade guilds work with whoever gives them a contract,
houses have no problems crewing their ships. Eversink’s and they become homicidally irritable when contracts
locals have always traded by water. disappear. To the Ancient Nobility and Mercanti,
Eversink is a bonanza of trade. Everything is here if they’re “paid labor.” The trade guilds supply the
it’s for sale anywhere in the known world. In the Grand manpower to support the city’s economy. Without
Marketplace, here are things an enterprising buyer can them, the Ancient Nobility and Mercanti would
find, on any given day. be forced to hire Mercenary or Outlander labor —
� Staples: Salted seafood, salt pork, wine, beer, exotic expensive and unreliable. With them, the trade guilds
spices, gold, silver, jewelry, uncut gemstones. keep the other two power centers of trade vulnerable.
� Raw Materials: stone, granite, marble, and wood No labor, no goods. No goods, no sale. No sale, no
cut and delivered from the mainland. money. They’re in the position to negotiate and extract
� Fashion: Peacock feathers, furs, silks, printed concessions from their masters.
cotton, pearls, heavy brocades, and perfumes. This is also true for the Guild of Architects and
� War: Leather goods, exquisitely crafted metal Canal-Watchers, which is important and skilled enough
weaponry, personal armor, contracts for siege to be a power unto itself. That’s because this guild
engines, and steel ingots. effectively controls architectural investment and the
� Medicine: Salt, drugs, dyes, and alchemical most efficient routes through the city. Without its
reagents. approval, travel to Eversink’s markets becomes slow and
� Navigation: Paper, maps, navigation supplies and undependable. The trade guilds and the Mercanti both
books printed in a dozen languages. court the Architects, hoping for their favor.
� Craftwork: Clockwork and delicate porcelain The Ancient Nobility want the world to stay
plates. static. They’re willing to put all their political and
� Services: For the body, the mind, and the soul. financial muscle behind making it so. They’ll bribe
harbor officials, finagle tariffs passed, orchestrate
This is a small sampling. If it can get through Harbor Mercanti goods seizures, sue, and harass their younger
Approach (or be smuggled through the swamps competition while greasing the skids for themselves
or down the River Serpentine) and into the Grand and their like. They’re a constant drumbeat of subtle
Marketplace, it’s for sale. Here, gold is the great universal corrupt pressure on the entire city. It’s good for Trade
communicator. Merchants speak any language. They Guilds who rely on the Ancient Nobles never changing,
cross any class boundary if the cash is good, the item is but not good for new and unusual circumstances. The
for sale and the transaction completes with a handshake. Nobles are slowly losing their battle and drifting toward
extinction.
The Mercanti are forces of chaos in an otherwise
The Balance of Trade Guilds,
This is Eversink’s pumping economic heart, always Eversink’s merchants, especially the ones who trade
driven forward by the Goddess’ inspiration. A fading in large goods like ships, are inured to the randomness
stability, a growing chaos, and scrabbling trade guilds of Eversink’s free market. They keep enormous books
left picking up the pieces. of banker rates and banknotes behind their counters.
During the day, runners dash from the Grand
Marketplace to Ironcross and back with the newest
Banks and Coinage exchange rates. Merchants update their logs. Whenever
a customer makes a purchase with script, merchants haul
As Outlanders from across the known world come to out their books and make a gold-to-script conversion to
buy, trade, and sell in the Grand Marketplace, Eversink work out pricing.
needs a universal monetary language. Merchants cannot The merchants would insist everyone goes back
simply accept any random coinage — who knows what to using ‘Sinkish coinage, except they’d lose out on
it’s worth unless it’s made of gold? And gold is the kickbacks.
thing. Eversink’s cunning bankers of Ironcross have
worked out their answer. Bank script! Of course!
Eversink does have an overly complex system of Foreign Trading Partners
coinage only Denari could love (see p. 126). It
involves convoluted random coin denominations, a The political stance Eversink projects to its trading
religious ceremony, the Church’s mint monopoly and, partners is a blend of political neutrality and ‘Sinkish
sometimes, a fish. (A 3 and a half? A 3 and a half what?) selfishness. In foreign politics with trading partners,
But that system is for the pious and the poor, not for Eversink is out for Eversink and her goddess. Eversink
the up and coming elite businessperson with overseas wants the entire world to sell in her marketplace,
trade agreements. change money with her bankers, and take loans from
Eversink’s bankers exchange gold for their own her Church.
paper script for a small exchange fee. The bankers will These political pressures keep the city out of most
hold onto the gold in their vaults (until they invest it wars. Direct conflict with equal powers makes a dent
in some small company scheme and lose it all). They in trade. Unless the City sees a clear, positive profit-
will then give the investor a piece of paper good for motivated outcome from fighting a war, Eversink
the equivalent gold. The investor then uses that script avoids foreign entanglements. War jeopardizes trade
to buy goods and services throughout Eversink. The relationships, contracts, and balanced treaties. This
merchant later returns to the banker for the equivalent doesn’t keep Eversink from playing her enemies off each
gold, and the entire process is ostensibly protected other. If Eversink’s enemies are busy fighting each other,
against fraud and theft. Eversink owns all the trade routes. Strategic diplomacy
The City of Eversink
This is great for Outlanders wandering around is an essential trade, and there’s a solid living to be had
with a pocket of foreign currency no one accepts. The in encouraging overseas war without being caught and
banker will weigh the foreign currency right there as hanged for it.
the Outlander watches — no highway robbery here! — Eversink has gotten tangled up in wars in her
and hand out script for equivalent gold weight. And past when it served her purposes. If she sees profit in
this system is terrific for merchants who don’t want to colonial expansion or if a trading partner purposefully
cart around wheelbarrows of gold through Eversink’s undermines the flow of money into the city, Eversink
streets. will enter a hot conflict to protect its rights. And as
What it’s really great for are the bankers who always, when the Triskadane declares war it’s because
make a mint on exchange fees. But Eversink lacks a the mercenaries are getting their cut (along with a little
central bank. Instead, Eversink has a dozen bankers in side looting).
Ironcross whose script is worth subtly more or less than
the others depending on the time of day and flow of
business. More than one con artist has been paid by
business rivals to ruin a bank’s reputation at exactly the
right time to destroy an important deal.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 305
You may be reading this economics and trade section and be thinking, “Oh my gosh. Am I out of my
depth? I thought this was a game about barbarians raiding decadent nobles and thieves hiding in sunken
ruins, stabbing people in the back to steal their purse!” And it can be! Sword & sorcery novels have some
astonishing cities in them to act as the focus of adventure. You can use Eversink as an anonymous background
for your northern barbarian to stalk through; you can embroil Heroes in local politics; or you can have
Heroes literally change the way the world works by manipulating wars, markets, and governments. Take what
you love, ignore the rest.
their deadliness and sophistication may vary between Corruption in key locations, and the Church pays
tribes. handsomely for Heroes who are willing to seal such rifts
The Chuggut are usually hostile to outsiders — before they grow out of control.
not surprising considering how many times Eversink
has tried (and badly failed) to wipe them out over the
centuries. While they’ve never directly attacked the city, Disease and Plague
they are known to help smugglers, imprison captives,
and work actively against Eversink’s wealth, safety and If you want to panic an entire district, show signs of
success. Few ‘Sinkish residents trust them. a communicable disease. The Triskadane takes plague
seriously and would rather seal off an entire district,
possibly burning whole neighborhoods, than let the
Class Warfare plague spread. The Guild of Architects and Canal-
Watchers seals entrances and exits, bricking them
Class warfare (whether subtle sabotage or all-out civil up if necessary, and the City Watch has strict orders
war) threatens to break out constantly, particularly in to shoot to kill anyone trying to escape from a sealed
bad weather or in times of scarcity. The Ancient Nobility neighborhood.
Chapter Nine: The City of Eversink 307
solve the problem before it ever actually occurs. The it never goes to war directly. It will purchase the loyalty
Goddess never benefits from plague and starvation. of mercenaries, use negotiation and trade to make sure
The of
Chapter Ten
The W orld
The World
312 Swords of the Serpentine
turn into hostilities and war. rare reagents for alchemists willing to pay chests of
The Caprians want to retake the Destroyed Plateaus coin. There’s fear that the Fire God’s missionaries
on their northern border. They send a stream of heavily fill Hohenach’s streets and soon the city will declare
armored platoons into the wastes to recover destroyed independence from Capria or, worse, declare for the
cities. Only a few ever return. Theocracy.
314 Swords of the Serpentine
Republic of Caym
Cold, hard lands of terrifying warriors, with a surprising cooled before drinking. The three resources Caym has in
amount of steampunk technology abundance are coal, iron and caribou. Cold desperation
The Republic of Caym inhabits the cold and hard lands has led to the use of steam for heat and even primitive
in the north. Caym’s original founders were various pneumatics, but only in Cachain. Northern towns
criminal elements exiled from the Serpentine Empire cleave to the old ways.
to freeze, starve and die in snow and ice. Instead of
dying, the people of the northern reaches built a fiercely GM Advice:
independent state. The Caym are never good at doing
what they’re supposed to do but quite good at doing
Steampunk Swords of the Serpentine
what they want to do.
The default technology level in Swords of the
While modern Cachain in the south has a cold
Serpentine doesn’t assume machinery much
elegance, the true north is still wild. Neat, tidy and
more complex than siege engines and clockwork.
empty paved roads connect coastal fishing villages like
If you want to use these rules in a steampunk
a string of lights. The Caym interior is empty except
setting, however, you could easily set your game
for the hunters, the reindeer herders, and the monsters
in a world where the Alchemists and sorcerers
(such as giants) they’re trying to avoid. The northern
Chapter Five: Wealth and Lifestyle
warring, herding and trading society that lives out of All who live within the clans, regardless of where they
large round tents. They don’t believe in material wealth. came from at birth, are Vontavni. They care not from
Their armed horsemen are terrifying. They use flocking where one came, but where one is going. As such the
tactics and they’ve been known to overrun a city in a Vontavni have a poor memory of history, an unusual
matter of hours. sense of time, and their prophets are particularly skilled
in seeing the future.
Chapter Ten: The World 317
The Great Khathor delivers their words to the Okat, Men and women are more equal here than in other
the clan-leaders, and the Okat deliver the words to the societies, even enlightened societies like Eversink and
Clans. The Clans deliver the words to the people. The Caym. Constant travel, hunting, herding and war leaves
people then live as one, the Vontavni. no breathing room for one to be greater or lesser than
When the Great Khathor passes into moonlight, the other. The Great Khathor is traditionally a woman,
the Okat fight with bow, knife and fist at the center but men have also achieved that honor, and no one
of the Tent City of Surharnil. All are invited to come thinks twice because the selection process ensures that
and watch — it’s a great spectacle! Whoever survives their leader is not weak.
is the one the gods blessed. They become the new Families live together in small tent cities where
Great Khathor, and the newly appointed Okat swear the hunting is good. When the herds move with the
allegiance to them. seasons, the Vontavni pull up stakes and follow the
herds across the steppes. Few Vontavni are interested in
settling down and pursuing agriculture. They’d prefer
People and Society to trade or take from neighbors if they have a need.
Immediate family, the Clan, is the most important
They say the Vontavni are born astride horses and are organizing influence. Clans fight each other for hunting
deadly shots with a bow. These long, tall, fierce people grounds, and grudges are carried for centuries. When
live their lives on the move taking only what their horses it’s time for war, clans put their historical feuds and
can carry in a complex net of saddlebags and containers. animosity aside. One clan at war is terrifying; a thousand
They’re known for their harmony with the land and clans together is an unstoppable war machine.
their ability to create a home wherever they are on the
steppes.
The World
318 Swords of the Serpentine
A council of three ancient kings, immortal and undying, the seasons to follow the hunt. When it re-establishes
rules the haunted Sorcerer City of Yrans. They trace itself, Surharnil transforms into a giant, multi-year long
their rule to before recorded time, and do not consider open-air marketplace and fair. The Vontavni Horse
themselves part of the Vontavni. Yrans remembers the Lords cart back goods from their conquests across the
Serpentine Empire well but speaks nothing about it world and deposit them for sale next to roasted goat
except that which was once lost can be found again. and yak-hair coats. Mercanti agents from Eversink make
Situated on a long, thin mountainous outcropping their way to Surharnil to acquire unearthed gems found
over the Moonlit Sea, Yrans is a city of great sorcery and discarded in heaps.
Pirates of Min
We’d call these backbiting, suspicious, lawless pirates theft when they find nations who are resistant to the
rabble if they didn’t effectively control the seas idea of open trading with bloodthirsty pirates.
The Min are pirates, mobsters, smugglers and fishers
living in a loose confederation of pirate settlements,
Government
The World
storm sorceresses on board the ship Rose Lust. The but quiet peasant fisherman in a coastal village. People
Witch-Queen claims to originally hail from Mieng in try hard for the quiet life because living as a pirate is
Senggon and wield the kind of terrible sorcery not seen a notoriously brutish and short existence. But Pirate
on the Moonlit Sea since the Serpentine Empire. It’s Lords need crew, and quiet peasants know how to sail,
not clear if that’s true, but the Pirates do fear her and so it’s not uncommon for pirates to go raiding their
the sea seems to obey her. Don’t call her “ancient” if own coasts — along with everyone else’s coasts — for
you’re unfortunate enough to meet her; she maintains crew to press into service.
the illusion of glorious youth by draining vitality from For those who achieve status among the pirates, life
those who displease her. It’s rare that she looks older is good. Unlike Capria’s strict hierarchy or Eversink’s
than twenty. Ancient Nobles, anyone can become a pirate king if
Under the Witch-Queen’s withering gaze, exiled they’re ruthless and murderous enough. Until they
kings, infighting petty lords, pirate captains, rogue draw the Witch-Queen’s gaze, that is, and then it’s all
sorcerers fleeing ‘Sinkish justice, and anyone with a over.
criminal gang gobbles up power at a local level. They
tussle among themselves for fishing village and pirate
fleet control. They plot and scheme while trying not to Friends and Enemies
draw the Witch-Queen’s gaze, since she runs a network
of sorcery, spies, murder and fear. Those who grow too The Min pirates have no international friends. They’ve
powerful often disappear, and someone more palatable been a thorn in Eversink’s side for hundreds of years, if
to the current regime replaces them. not longer. The Caprian city of Torith sends a stream
of patrols to hunt Min pirates and sink their ships. The
Min once shot down a Caym airship over the Serpent’s
People and Society Neck and have yet to hear the end of that incident.
The World
them... but not to the point of actually defeating them, Min is thousands of anchored and sunken ships
because that would take away their usefulness. The Min lashed together with chain and rope, almost a mile
continue to survive in a world of much stronger, more wide. It’s a chaotic maze of decks, broken ship interiors,
aggressive enemies. dinghies, rafts, hidden treasure rooms, forgotten secrets
and nighttime floating markets. The locals build homes
from driftwood, broken ship slats, abandoned sails and
Min whale bone. Enormous docks shoot out into the bay at
crazy angles. At night, whale oil lamps burn bright and
The “city” of Min wasn’t so much founded as it accreted float in the darkness like fireflies.
over time, like barnacles on a ship’s hull. A trick of The city is currently in the hands of Pirate King
rocky coastal geography and a run of notorious storms Calhoun “Shifty” Xander and the bloodthirsty mobster
rammed pirate ship after ship against the deceptively crew of the Cruel Howl. He walks a careful edge
hidden shoals in an otherwise protected cove. The cove between a merciless grip on Min and not irritating the
gained notoriety as a dangerous place to sail and a good Witch-Queen and her sorceresses. Meanwhile, Shifty
place to hide from pursuers, especially from Eversink Xander is scheming both to destroy the Witch-Queen
and Torith. After a while, pirates started deliberately of Min and to date her. He’s not sure which he would
anchoring their prizes in the cove over the shallows. prefer.
Eventually, Min was born.
Theocracy of Erebos
Chapter Five: Wealth and Lifestyle
A distant land of astonishing learning and culture, so Erebos is also a land of contradictions. To the west
long as you’re willing to worship their god are the dusty and deadly Salt Mountains of Lut which
Erebos is a far-off desert country on the far eastern side cough up endless metals and gems from the mines.
of the Salt Mountains of Lut, where they speak liquid Meanwhile, the southeastern coast is a vast rainforest
tongues rarely heard in Eversink. Erebos is a land of full of exotic animals, mythical beasts, rare reagents,
plenty known for its gold, grapes, gems, red wine, and and small gods desperately trying to find followers to
unusual weapons. Here, the nameless God of Fire and believe in them.
Flame holds absolute power.
The World
Chapter Ten: The World 321
The World
324 Swords of the Serpentine
The World
326 Swords of the Serpentine
on the population. The kind of people who live in the Border Lands are the
kind of people who will not and cannot live anywhere
else. These people are attracted by lawlessness. They’re
Government outcasts and exiles. They think Min is too controlling
and too lawful, and that should tell you something.
The Border Lands has no organized government. Out There aren’t any laws. People live by their wits. The
here, it’s everyone for themselves. The strongest rule. few cities are lawless hellholes. People do what they
It’s a land of people who live by strength, wits, bribes, want out here.
and open naked graft.
Chapter Ten: The World 327
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
Corps e stray
A
An Introductory Adventure
Corpse Astray is an introductory adventure that has fairly GM Advice: It’s Okay to Go Big
uncomplicated investigation, interesting negotiation,
and a very memorable fight. It’s designed to show you Not every adventure should shake the city, but
how to read and run scenes, how investigating leads in it’s great fun to thrust the Heroes into situations
the game works, and how fights are designed. It can be where they’re bound to offend or draw the
played in 3–4 hours. attention of at least one faction. It’s also fun
to have adventures that in some way destroy or
change the physical infrastructure of the city:
Adventure Premise houses sink, neighborhoods catch on fire, or (in
this case) a massive undead monstrosity crawls
An embittered (and ensorcelled) Commoner named across the city destroying everything in its path
Antoni Valori seeks vengeance for how the nobility unless the Heroes and others stop it.
mistreated his late mother, but he’s being manipulated If you don’t want to go big in this adventure,
and encouraged by his confederates to strike back in a make the fleshtangle more difficult for Antoni
way that’s far out of proportion to the offense. Will the to successfully animate. The Heroes can have a
Heroes pull him back from the brink before he does chance of stopping him before things get really
something unthinkable? Will his conspirators put his bad. Then they’ll just have to decide what to do
plan into effect, even if he recants? with 60 or so hideously merged corpses.
One thing is for sure: if Antoni’s plan goes through
and no one stops it, hundreds of people will die in a
sorcerous assault that then invites retribution upon the
commoners, probably killing thousands more and even Setting
triggering a civil war. If the Heroes step in to stop it,
they may be able to make their mark on Eversink in a This adventure takes place in Eversink, although it starts
way that people remember. on a ship headed for Eversink’s harbor. The primary
confrontation will likely occur in the Tangle, Eversink’s
primary working-class neighborhood full of close-knit,
tight-lipped commoners.
330 Swords of the Serpentine
Plot Summary
At the start of the adventure, the following
things are true.
Antoni Valori is a Commoner with an
unusual Noble lineage: his late mother
was from a prestigious family but had
been disowned when she eloped with a
Commoner. Antoni was recently spurned
by his grandparents when he attempted
to have his mother buried in the family
crypt, and it hasn’t been good for him.
His plan for justice (as he sees it, anyway)
is well underway.
Antoni has turned from diplomacy
to sorcery to accomplish his misguided
goal. He invited a weak small god
named Uxorioth into him, planning to
use that sorcerous power to change his
grandparents’ minds — but he’s also
found a fabled sorcerous libram (Zelgrieb’s
Notebook of Dissection — see page 142)
that has leached away his good judgment
and filled him with obsession. Antoni’s
new plan is to construct a fleshtangle, a
monstrosity made of corpses, and use it to
kill every other member of his bloodline.
Corpse Astray
Look, we didn’t say it was a good plan. to make any investigator or rabble-rouser forget entirely
Antoni’s obsession has taken over his common sense, about the odor.
much to Uxorioth’s frustration and annoyance. The If the Heroes do nothing, within a week Uxorioth’s
small god is using every trick at its disposal to distract stall tactics will fail and Antoni will sacrifice someone to
or stall Antoni from animating the fleshtangle, but its power the fleshtangle. He will shatter the three funerary
effectiveness is failing. statues he’s stolen, and the scent of those spirits will
Antoni hired a dangerous and unprincipled woman guide the monstrosity through sewers and canals and
named Donastra to obtain corpses for him. Donastra streets towards Alderhall, killing everyone it meets
and her minions have also stolen three Valori family along the way. If not stopped, it will rip apart the Valori
funerary statues from the church niches where they’ve tower and kill Antoni’s blood relatives. Then it will
been for decades — statues that will be used to set the disappear into the undercity and become free-willed.
fleshtangle on a hunt for members of the Valori family. Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection will disappear soon
Donastra and her minions have also been stealing or after the fleshtangle is animated, eventually showing up
purchasing corpses from everywhere they can find elsewhere in the city in some future time and place.
them. Donastra has hired pirates to prey on incoming Over time (likely many adventures), the horror and
vessels, she has her gang steal corpses from legitimate slaughter caused by a successful revenge scheme will
morticians, and she and her gang even manufacture a cause the commoners to be persecuted by almost every
few corpses themselves. Antoni doesn’t know about other faction in the city. That in turn will raise political
these murders and would be appalled if he did. tensions enough that civil war might erupt. Any Heroes
Donastra’s gang pretend to be official corpse- or factions associated with publicly defeating the
collectors (much to the frustration of the local fleshtangle will receive acclaim and recognition as city
morticians), and they gather bodies in tarp-covered heroes, whether that’s deserved or not.
carts, load them into canal boats, and sneak them into If successful, Antoni will eventually inherit the Valori
Antoni’s home in the Tangle once it gets dark. They fortune and (shattered) estate if no one identifies him
then toss the corpses over a balcony railing down onto as the perpetrator (unlikely at best; he’s bad at hiding
the lower floor, where the corpses slowly merge into the evidence). Once he inherits, Donastra will murder
fleshtangle. Locals in this block of the Tangle notice a him, steal his newly acquired wealth (less than she’d
foul smell, but Antoni is using sorcerous persuasiveness expected), and flee.
Primary Adversaries
Antoni Valori from her birthright. He’s popular in his neighborhood,
and the locals remember both of his parents fondly.
Antoni Valori is the son of a woman named Lady Salia Antoni is now 24. His father died a decade ago and
Valori, a member of Eversink’s Ancient Nobility until his mother just passed away a few months ago. He
25 years ago when she defied all proper protocol to fall wanted only one thing from his grandparents: for his
in love with (gasp!) and marry a Commoner stonecarver mother to be interred in the family crypt on their estate
named Bellari. Her family disinherited her, of course, in Alderhall. His grandmother, Lady Ansala Valori,
but Salia didn’t mind. She was drawn to art, and her refused and had her guards throw Antoni off the family
marriage to Bellari brought her tremendous joy. Antoni property. No commoner (and here her words dripped
Corpse Astray
was their only child and he grew up in loving but meager with spite as Antoni was dragged away) was part of her
surroundings in their beautifully carved home in the family.
Tangle. His whole life he has not-so-secretly resented
his grandmother’s cruelty in cutting his mother off
332 Swords of the Serpentine
Okay, thought Antoni, after he recovered from the But from Antoni’s twisted perspective, the memory
misery and depression of his broken morale. We’ll do of his mother Salia has suffered a mortal insult and the
this the hard way. remnants of their ancestral family are going to pay.
He could have gotten his friends to break into the Technically, they’re all going to die. And then Antoni
Valori crypt and smuggle in his mother’s corpse; who will inherit the estate, and he can reward his friends
would have noticed? But that was no longer good and inter his mother wherever he wants. He thinks of
enough. The Valoris needed to be punished for their himself as a dutiful son doing what is right and proper,
pride and haughtiness1. not as a villain with a huge mound of twitching corpses
So Antoni sought power anywhere he could find it. in his basement.
He bargained with an immortal entity that now shares Antoni works out of his childhood home in the
his soul, a coldly smiling small god named Uxorioth Tangle, a gorgeously carved building nicknamed
who Antoni incorrectly thinks of as a demon. He fell “Noble House” by others on the block of stone-carvers
in with Donastra, who is bad company and is riding his and sculptors. It’s one of the most beautiful buildings
coattails to power. And he unexpectedly came across in the neighborhood and is a landmark that will be
Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection, an ancient book — immediately recognizable by anyone familiar with this
oh, such a book! — that promises to give him exactly part of the Tangle. For more on Noble House, see p.
the sort of revenge for his mother that he now craves. 345.
With all of his new allies’ help, he will soon create an
unnatural and horrific undead monstrosity that will seek
out and destroy every other member of his family. Donastra
This is, unquestionably, an awful idea that will inflame
hostility towards the commoners and the nobility both, This wild-haired thief is as morality-free as they come.
and possibly start a civil war if it occurs. The worst part She’s a commoner who hates the Ancient Nobility (and
is that the small god giving Antoni sorcerous powers the Mercanti, and the City Watch, and the mercenaries,
knows it. It had settled into Antoni’s soul expecting and the Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers… okay,
a lifetime of growing power and manipulation, and she likes dogs, but she hates pretty much everybody
now it’s stuck inside someone who won’t listen to it else) with every bone in her body. This is the latest
and who wants to do something that is going to get and most interesting scheme she’s come across and she
them both very, very destroyed by Denari’s Inquisitors. loves its temerity.
The small god Uxorioth is thus actively working against Donastra is canny and cruel, and gladly directs her
Antoni and delaying his plan for revenge by turning team of 20 minions that is scouring the streets for
Antoni into a perfectionist, so that he can’t move corpses. She figures the faster they get corpses, the
forward until the fleshtangle is “just right”. This sudden sooner Antoni can put his plan into action and she can
tendency towards being a perfectionist is driving his steal his newly acquired money. She has no loyalty to
unstable confederate Donastra into fits, and she’s at the him, and Antoni’s reluctance to animate the fleshtangle
point where she is considering killing Antoni and just and put his plan into action is stretching her very short
animating the damn fleshtangle herself. patience to the limit. Donastra is highly interested in
If Uxorioth gets destroyed or cast out while Antoni keeping herself alive; if someone crosses her and she
lives, possibly by the Heroes themselves, Antoni’s can’t immediately kill them, she’s most likely to retreat
tendency towards perfectionism will disappear and he and catch them off guard later.
can move forward with his plan again. The results might
be very bad indeed.
Uxorioth
Corpse Astray
1
Don’t be shy about finding inspiration in your favorite
cultural sources, even when they’re seemingly unrelated to
Originally a small god of unctuousness and persuasion
classic fantasy. Corpse Astray’s starting premise (up to this who has nearly been forgotten in Eversink, Uxorioth
footnote, at least) is deliberately drawn from the wonderful grants its host sorcerous abilities that attack an enemy’s
movie Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), starring Dennis Morale. It can chat silently with Antoni and make
Price and Alec Guinness.
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 333
Corpse Astray
334 Swords of the Serpentine
Thanks to the influence of Zelgrieb’s Notebook of To fully animate and launch the fleshtangle, Antoni
Dissection, Antoni treats the fleshtangle like a close will have to follow the instructions in the notebook.
friend or a member of his family and sees nothing odd He’ll need to spend all points of Corruption at once and
in this (his revolted confederates more or less humor externalize that Corruption so it can be channeled into
him). He plans to train the fleshtangle to sorcerously the twitching heap of merged corpses through a human
seek and destroy other members of the Valori family sacrifice. If he can do so, the fleshtangle will animate.
by attuning it to the smell of their souls. His minions It’s worth noting that what a “sacrifice” consists of isn’t
have stolen several funerary statues from the Valoris, especially specific; if the Heroes kill Antoni or anyone
and Antoni will shatter them and use the scent of the else after he externalizes the Corruption, that’s enough
souls they’re associated with to guide the fleshtangle’s to awaken the fleshtangle.
hunger.
Plot Map
Scene 1:
Aboard the
Shining
Coin
Scene 2:
Approaching Eversink
Scene 3:
Corpsetakers at
the Docks
Scene 5:
Antonio Valerio and Noble House
Learn
About Enter
Talk to
Noble the
Antoni Explore
House House
the House
Fight!
Scene 6:
Horrible
Rampage
Scene 7:
fleshtangle!
Aftermath and
Conclusion
336 Swords of the Serpentine
being overwhelmed.
(Wealth 5), dead or alive. She’s infamous for always
�
The World
� Every Mook defeated immediately gives the table Misc: Precia loves to use her Malus to score Critical
one Refresh token that can be claimed and used to Hits and to raise the Difficulty of particularly stylish
refresh a General ability by 1 point. Every named Maneuvers.
enemy defeated provides 3 tokens, except for the Refresh Tokens: 5
Captain who provides 5 tokens when defeated.
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 339
2
Alternatively, your Heroes may want to partner with Precia hired by a ‘Sinkish woman named Donastra who
or seize the Squandered Hope themselves and embark on a life wants a lot of corpses, fast, and doesn’t want to do
of piracy. Yarrr! Have fun, read about the Pirates of Min on p. the dirty work herself. Precia was happy to oblige,
318, and save the rest of this adventure for another group although it bothers her not to sink the corpses
of Heroes. instead. As far as she knows, Donastra has some
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 341
way of collecting the corpses herself. � Servility: Someone servile can get close to any
� Command (core lead): Useless on the Captain, captive pirates without being noticed and will
but any other pirate commanded to confess will overhear that they expect someone named Donastra
admit that they’ve been hired to kill as many people to orchestrate their rescue and escape once they’re
as possible on in-bound ships to Eversink so long as back in Eversink.
the ships can still make it back to port. Rumor says � Taunt or Trustworthy (core lead): The same
that they were hired by a thief named Donastra. information found through Charm or Intimidation
� Intimidation (core lead): If threatened by can be discovered by making a pirate furious
someone who knows their actual mission, and enough to talk, or by being someone they feel they
who has power over her, the Captain or her pirates can trust to help them escape.
will reveal that she was hired by a notorious street
enforcer named Donastra to produce corpses…
fast. She doesn’t know why, but she’s having fun 1.4 Closing the Scene
with the assignment.
� Prophecy: In a sudden vision they hear the squeak The scene ends once the Heroes have survived the
of cart wheels and smell both the docks and the pirate raid and questioned any survivors. If no one is
strong stink of death. Remind them of this prophecy alive for them to question, don’t worry; leads in future
when they see the corpse cart in Scene 3. scenes will point towards Antoni Valori’s plans.
when appropriate.
These challenges might involve bad weather, sea
monsters, a supernatural effect, piratical vengeance,
a traitor, mutineers, illness, a sorcerous curse, or
something different. Once players have established and
342 Swords of the Serpentine
fortune many centuries ago by mining and farming with no possible value, and they know that this isn’t the
salt. For a long time the Valoris maintained a near- only group. If the Heroes are at all friendly to them,
monopoly, but their star has faded in the past two they’ll offer to pay the Heroes Wealth 1 each — not
centuries, and now the Ancient Nobility family has much, but as much as they can afford — to track down
far more social prestige than it does wealth. and stop the thefts.
344 Swords of the Serpentine
surreptitiously follows the false corpsetakers into the If this is your first game of Swords of the Serpentine, this
Tangle to see where the boat full of corpses ends up. becomes much more difficult because players don’t
To do so without getting caught, one or more Heroes know the setting yet! You’ll benefit from tossing out
must have 1 or more ranks of Skulduggery or make a some examples. These challenges might involve:
successful Stealth test using the Piggybacking rules on
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 345
those nobles, and apparently they threw him out on odd to anyone that they carry this belief. Antoni’s
his ear. The nobility are awful people, aren’t they? supernatural persuasion has convinced anyone who
� Charm: Everyone likes Antoni. He used to be has complained to him.)
a stonecutter and sculptor like his father, but he
doesn’t seem to be doing that much anymore. Other leads can be learned through observation.
Nowadays he mostly sits in his front garden, drinks, � City’s Secrets: It looks from the outside like the
and talks to people walking by. He did have a few ground floor has mostly sunk below ground level,
funerary statues brought in recently, though. but there are two more stories left before the house
� Scurrilous Rumors: No one likes that Donastra sinks below canal level completely. The house is
woman who’s staying with him, and they have well constructed; even if no one builds onto the
workmen in and out of the house at all hours with roof, it’ll probably be above-ground and upright
all sorts of loads and burdens to deliver. for several score of years to come.
� Trustworthy: Antoni used to be really shy, but � City’s Secrets or Vigilance: There don’t appear
he’s definitely blossomed over the past few months. to be many ways into Noble House. Currently,
He’s had a falling out with his best friend Pietro, the only clear ways to enter the building are by a
though. They used to be inseparable and they 2nd story canal-side door with an outdoor balcony
haven’t talked in a month. that’s reachable from the dock by improvised
� Vigilance: There’s definitely been the smell of stairs (Burglary 6 to unlock); and probably by
something rotting in the area, but it’s not coming a locked trapdoor on the roof (Burglary 4 to
from Noble House. (No one knows why they believe unlock). There used to be a ground level door
this, but they’re convinced of it, and it doesn’t seem opening into the street, but this has sunk below
Corpse Astray
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 347
Antoni may seem distracted to talk to; that’s because � Trustworthy: Antoni will discuss his childhood
he is. The obsession caused by Zelgrieb’s Notebook of and his late parents, including how his grandparents
Dissection keeps him focused on acquiring corpses, and were so cruel to his mother’s memory.
he’s always half-watching the canal landing to see if � Spending Charm or Trustworthy: A 2-point
more have arrived. spend in either or both abilities (these can come
� Felonious Intent or Vigilance: Antoni seems from multiple Heroes) along with a friendly
distracted and keeps glancing back at the canal demeanor will make Antoni more pliable to their
landing by his front door. This seems like an suggestions, including explaining that he needs to
ingrained nervous habit that he isn’t aware of. get vengeance for his mother, and even inviting
� Leechcraft: Antoni has a cut on his forehead, as if them inside (only if he thinks they might be
from broken glass. If asked about it, he’ll brush it interested in his pet project).
away and claim to be clumsy. (He’s lying; Donastra � Certain topics will cause Antoni to become
lost her temper at him last night and told him to particularly (and sorcerously) persuasive if asked by
finish his plan for revenge now. She emphasized this someone he doesn’t consider trustworthy.
with thrown crockery, which was probably better � Asking about why the house smells will cause
than stabbing him out of impatience, which is what Antoni to respond, “No, that’s something else.
she wanted to do.) It doesn’t smell at all.” He spends 6 Malus. All
� Spirit Sight (core lead): When Antoni speaks, within earshot must either take 3 points of Morale
there’s a strange echo, as if two people were actually damage (reduced by Grit) or stop smelling the
speaking at the same time. One of those voices stink of decay. Heroes with Spirit Sight will hear
is Antoni’s, and the other is deep, charming, and both Antoni’s voice and a deeper, richer, more
particularly persuasive. No one else can hear it other persuasive voice saying the same thing at the same
than the Hero with Spirit Sight. If the Hero opens time. Other Heroes detect nothing odd whether
up their sight to the spirit realm (see p. 24), they they succeed or fail. Antoni doesn’t seem to think
will take 4 points of Morale damage and will see he’s done anything wrong, odd, or supernatural.
Uxorioth superimposed on Antoni’s body, a small � If asked about corpses or anything he has done that’s
god of yellow luminescence whose only facial feature illegal, Antoni and Uxorioth will both say “No, I’m
is a wide and smiling mouth. The Hero can now talk sorry. This has nothing to do with me.” He spends
directly to Uxorioth. Everyone will hear the Hero 6 Malus. All within earshot must either take 3 points
speak, and Uxorioth will reply through Antoni’s of Morale damage (reduced by Grit) or realize that
mouth. Antoni won’t remember these exchanges. they’re mistaken, their choice. Antoni will begin
Apart from Uxorioth, there is a squirming coil of oily to fade in their memory as if he wasn’t important.
vapor connecting Antoni’s soul to something inside Heroes without Spirit Sight detect nothing odd
Noble House. This is the spiritual manifestation of whether they succeed or fail. Heroes with Spirit
Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection. Sight hear Uxorioth and Antoni speaking together,
� Corruption or Forgotten Lore: This clue is and will remember this even if they fail their Morale
available if Spirit Sight has been used by a Hero. test. If a Hero looks into the spirit realm, follow the
The luminescent creature sharing Antoni’s soul is guidelines on p. 24.
likely a demon, a small god, or some other sort of � Liar’s Tell: Antoni is genuinely surprised to hear
spirit. It means that Antoni is a sorcerer. The coil of about pirates and knows nothing about this. He
squirming vapor suggests that his soul is connected thinks all the corpses are being acquired from
to something else as well. already-dead people, and doesn’t realize that
Donastra has arranged to mass-produce corpses she
If the Heroes are kind or polite, Antoni will gladly chat
couldn’t otherwise obtain. Learning otherwise will
Corpse Astray
can be opened with a Difficulty 4 Burglary test, or pennies. He’s not particularly loyal to Antoni, but
automatically with Skulduggery, but a large funereal he’s grumpily enthusiastic about any plan that injures
statue is propped directly underneath the trap door to the Valoris.
impede access. Heroes must make a Difficulty 4 Stealth
test to enter before the statue has been moved; failure The Enforcers
means they knock the statue over and alert the house Donastra has a crew of Mooks who collect corpses, haul
to intruders. The statue can be moved without risk by things, and fight for her (and for Antoni, more or less).
two Heroes working together and a 4-point Athletics The number varies; there are about 20 men and women
General Spend. total, usually moving about in five groups of four when
sent out to gather corpses. Most commonly two or
The Sub-Basement three groups (8–12 Mooks) are at Noble House at any
A Hero with City’s Secrets, or a Sorcerer with Corruption one time to act as guards. If Heroes raid Noble House,
and the Stone sphere, can find a route through the these Mooks attack in waves as they rush to the combat
sewers into Noble House’s sub-basement. This route from wherever in the house they were. Donastra keeps
is unguarded, but it’s disgusting, and requires some these minions ignorant: they know there’s a big pile
quiet chiseling to tunnel through a retaining wall into of corpses in the basement, but they don’t know why.
the sub-basement. This approach avoids both Lugo They’re paid well enough not to ask.
and Antoni, as well as any Mooks on the upper stories.
Still, when they arrive the Heroes won’t be the worst- Donastra’s Minions (20 total)
smelling thing in the basement…
Servile, tough
The Lookout Defense – Health: Health Threshold 3, Health 1
Lugo is an elderly man who acts as lookout and guard.
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 1
He’s not the brightest person you’ll ever meet, but he’s
Offense – Warfare: +0; Fixed Damage 3 (long
unobtrusive. He sits out on the balcony all hours of
dagger), or Fixed Damage 4 (crossbow)
the day and night, sipping from a bottle and greeting
Abilities: Malus 5 (usually used to boost attacks)
the boats poling by, looking like nothing more than a
Refresh Tokens: 1
nosy neighbor. He knows almost everyone on the block
without anyone really knowing him.
5.4.2 Getting Invited In
In a pinch, Lugo is a capable combatant — good
with a crossbow and able to hold his own with a club — If the Heroes are able to forge enough of a friendship
and if trouble arises, he knows enough to warn anyone with Antoni (possibly with the aid of Uxorioth,
inside before drawing attention to himself. assuming the small god thinks that the Heroes can
prevent the fleshtangle and defeat Donastra without
harming Antoni), Antoni will simply invite them in.
Lugo He doesn’t comprehend how disgusting the smell and
Bitter, greedy, loyal appearance of the merged corpses truly are, so he’s less
hesitant than one would assume. He treats the mass of
Defense – Health: Health Threshold 4, Health 14
merged corpses as if it were an old family friend.
Defense – Morale: Morale Threshold 3, Morale 6
Lugo and the minions treat the Heroes suspiciously,
Offense – Warfare: +1; Damage Modifier +1 (club)
expecting them to turn and attack at any moment.
or Damage Modifier +2 (crossbow)
Antoni isn’t as suspicious — if he trusts the Heroes
Abilities: Malus 5
enough to invite them inside and introduce them to his
Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
fleshtangle, he must be certain that they’re safe.
Refresh Tokens: 3
Once inside, Antoni will give them a tour with
Corpse Astray
5.4.3 Fighting Your Way In only as limited as the players’ imaginations and the
number of Allegiance points. As always, default to
When stealth and friendship fail, force of arms might
saying “Yes, and…” If the player suggests a tactic
prevail.
that you think is unrealistic or overpowered, charge
If Lugo sees attackers, he’ll shout back inside to
a spend of more than 1 pool point for it.
alert the 8–12 confederates in the house, and he’ll try
to hold the attackers off with his crossbow. When that Also remember that any ranks of Enemies: Commoners
fails, he’ll retreat inside and lock the door. They’ll send should be used against the Heroes at every opportunity.
four guards up to the attic to watch, and the rest will The Adversaries and locals will spend these points to
cluster around the main doorway, waiting to shoot the inconvenience, harass, or hurt the Heroes who have
first person who appears. these ranks. If you need an unfavorable coincidence
If Antoni is caught outside when this happens, he’ll for the Heroes during the adventure (such as someone
summon his friends and neighbors to help defend his appearing at the worst possible time), this is a perfect
home; this will give him a force of about 20 Mooks, reason to spend a Hero’s Enemy pool point.
although they’ll take 1–2 minutes to all gather. Antoni
will trust to his persuasiveness and other magic to get
back into his home safely. Once home, he’ll sneak
5.5 Explore the House
downstairs to try to animate the fleshtangle. With luck,
Noble House is laid out as follows, from top to bottom.
Donastra won’t have seized control of the Notebook and
Attic: This unfinished space is used for storage
have done it first. If she has, the monstrosity will kill
and is covered with dust. In a few decades when the
Antoni first before it goes after his family in Alderhall.
building has sunk too far, it will probably be converted
5.4.4 Other Ways to Get Inside to living space and another few stories will be built on
top of it. Hundreds of large, black, slow-moving cluster
Your players are endlessly inventive and might consider
flies buzz about the space and the floor is scattered
options like the following. If they are struggling with
with dead flies. A large funerary statue of Bellari’s
tactics, discussing these strategies with them will help
great-great-grandfather blocks easy access to the roof
them understand what their Heroes are capable of.
trapdoor. There’s an old brass church bell up here,
� Using Flashback and spending an Investigative
lying forgotten in the corner.
point to make one of the people inside Noble
Third Story: This is the sleeping space for Antoni,
House (perhaps Lugo, perhaps one or more of the
Donastra, Lugo, and whatever minions are in the house.
minions, perhaps even Donastra) a friend, a spy, or
A toilet feeds down into the sewers through a vertical
a hired associate. They might even establish Antoni
pipe. There used to be Lady Salia’s art studio here (the
or his parents as old family friends.
room gets beautiful light in the early morning), but it
� Spending a point of City’s Secrets to announce that
has been converted to a large rough bunkroom. At least
there’s a secret door no one else knew about.
8–12 of Antoni’s minions will be biding their time here,
� Spending Corruption to literally rip the building
technically on guard duty but actually sleeping, eating,
open (or perhaps something more subtle), assuming
playing cards, complaining about the smell, or lying to
they have appropriate Spheres.
each other. Heroes might need a Difficulty 4 Stealth
� Pretending to be inspectors from a city agency, such
test to sneak past them without being discovered;
as the Guild of Architects and Canal-Watchers.
piggy-backing is allowed. Locking the minions into this
� Spending Allegiance points to literally have their
room requires a Difficulty 5 Burglary test, and will delay
Allies help them or open the way for them; this
them by two minutes (the length of time it will take
might mean summoning a squad of mercenaries for
them to batter down the door) once they realize they’re
backup, having the Triskadane order everyone out
locked in.
of the building on some bureaucratic technicality
� Leechcraft: Food and alcohol supplies are easily
Corpse Astray
Third Floor
KEY
1. Antoni
bedroom
2. Sleeping
room
3. Old art
studio
4. Toilet
Attic
KEY
1. Bell
2. Rooftop
trapdoor
3. Big statue
Corpse Astray
354 Swords of the Serpentine
Second Floor
KEY
1. Outside
balcony
2. Common
room
3. Library
4. Toilet
5. Parlor
6. Kitchen
7. Dining hall
8. Balcony
9. Dock
Corpse Astray
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 355
their temper enough to throw many ceramic vases, � Laws and Traditions: A giant pile of rotting, stolen
plates, or cups at the other person, shattering them corpses? Yeah, that’s not legal. That’s definitely not
on the floor or in the hearth. Based on their pattern legal.
and the height of the assailant, Antoni was the � Corruption or Forgotten Lore: The corpses
target. appear to be deliberately interwoven in some sort
� Wilderness Mastery (core lead): This many flies of unspeakable pattern that sanity shies away from.
and the stink of putrescence means that nothing � Corruption: There’s terrible power down there,
is eating those corpses that must be downstairs. but no externalized Corruption yet.
They’re just rotting. � Felonious Intent: If Antoni is with the Heroes,
this doesn’t seem odd or disgusting to him at all,
Second Story: This floor, with its high ceilings, is now nor to anyone he has sorcerously persuaded.
the main living space. A kitchen, a dining hall, a common � Leechcraft: Weirdly, in this light it looks like there
room, a parlor, and a mostly empty library are arrayed aren’t distinct bodies down there, but instead all the
around a central octagonal balcony overlooking the first corpses have somehow merged into one connected
floor. A toilet feeds down into the sewers through a form. That can’t possibly be true.
vertical pipe. If Lugo and Antoni aren’t outside, they’ll
be on this floor. If the alarm is given, eight minions or The stairs down to the first floor are blocked by a locked
more will spill down the stairs from the third floor. door, Difficulty 4 Burglary test to open.
� Nobility or Allegiance: Ancient Nobility: A First Story: Once an entrance hall and workspace
beautiful portrait of Antoni’s mother Salia Valori, with smaller rooms off it, now the sunken ground floor
costumed as if a Queen, hangs over the fireplace. is covered with at least 60 corpses of humans and pigs
� Forgotten Knowledge: There is a small shrine (adjust as needed to total approximately 15 Health per
where odd sacrifices — a lady’s handkerchief, a few Hero). The corpses have merged into one another,
coins — have been made to some spirit or small creating one huge mass connected by skin and sinew
god. The shrine is not holy to Denari. and bone. It is crawling with flies and occasionally
� City’s Secrets (core lead): A rough and almost twitches and shifts, sending all the insects on it swarming
unintelligible map drawn on parchment in the upwards into a buzzing mass before settling back down.
library turns out to be a route between this block It is not yet sentient or dangerous. However, any
of the Tangle and the Valori estate in Alderhall, Heroes who did not lose 4 Morale while seeing it
with a detour through some highly inhabited upstairs will do so now, unless offset by Grit.
areas such as Temple Market. Oddly, it appears to � Corruption: You can feel it trying to greedily drink
vary between streets and canals and underground Corruption from you; any externalized Corruption
passages, and ignores bridges entirely. (This is the in the area will probably feed it and bring it to life.
route the fleshtangle will take, with detours to pick � Forgotten Lore (2+ ranks): There’s a legendary
up as many new corpses as possible.) grimoire from a long-dead sorcerer that is rumored
The canal-side door to the outside opens onto the to be able to create monstrosities like this. You’ve
balcony on this level. It is locked. Lugo and Antoni never seen it, nor has anyone you know.
both have a key, as does Donastra. The minions don’t. � Know Monstrosities: This is called a fleshtangle,
When corpses are delivered, Antoni has his minions and they were first created as weapons of war by
a Sorcerer-King named Zelgrieb. They’re most
simply toss them over the balcony railing, down into
dangerous in large crowds because they heal
the darkness of the sunken ground floor, where they
by absorbing dead bodies. That’s unfortunate,
land in a heap and are later dragged into a rough circle
because they’re incredibly hard for a small group to
around Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection.
destroy. It’s likely to be resistant to Morale attacks
Everyone who looks over the edge of the balcony
that aren’t prayers.
loses 4 Morale (minus their Grit) the first time they see
Corpse Astray
listed above at the end of Scene 5.5. the incantation — directs the creature and clutches
Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection. That individual
corpse remains invulnerable until all other individuals
in the fleshtangle are destroyed.
358 Swords of the Serpentine
Corpse Astray
Chapter Eleven: Corpse Astray 359
use Bind Wounds and Sway to keep their Health and then draws that group’s attention to the Hero.
Morale above 0.
360 Swords of the Serpentine
If it sets off after Antoni’s family, and he is still alive, asking your players to describe them instead). It’s
the obsessive daze placed on him by Zelgrieb’s Notebook worth remembering that the scars of this combat will
will vanish. He will suffer massive Morale loss and likely mar the city for adventures to come, so go all-out when
become Broken unless Heroes try to help him using describing the massive destruction the huge fleshtangle
Sway. Donastra, however, will either escape or try to kill inflicts. Crumbled buildings, ripped-up streets,
the Heroes, whichever makes the most sense. screaming and broken inhabitants, the works. Describe
its anguished keening and the nightmarish sound of its
6.4.1 The Fleshtangle’s Strategy many fingers and toes skittering its bulk along the side
It mostly ignores Sway attacks (thanks, Grit 6!) unless of buildings. If the Heroes are going to get credit for
Heroes narratively describe those attacks as prayers; leading the attack against the fleshtangle, they should
doing so bypasses the monstrosity’s Grit entirely. The be accomplishing something memorable.
fleshtangle will always try to defeat people using prayers By the time it’s down to a Health or Morale pool of
as quickly as possible. Once it reaches the streets it 0 or below, the ground will be covered with portions
will use the environment to its advantage, scuttling up of twitching and crawling corpses, and only the one
buildings and into canals to move most effectively. It remaining sacrificial victim holding Zelgrieb’s Notebook
rears up, uses Lightning Speed to charge into people of Dissection will be fully standing. Destroying them will
who thought they were a safe distance away, and shatter the binding and release all of the dead corpses
remains genuinely terrifying. from their enchantment. The scattered flesh will harden
When injured, the creature changes its focus to kill into something approaching iron and fix itself to the
as many nearby Mooks as possible as quickly as possible. spot where it lies. For years to come, this area in the city
It absorbs each dead Mook into its mass, healing Health will be marked by the petrified remains of the defeated
and Morale by 1 point per dead victim. This can help it fleshtangle, and locals will eventually name this square
stay alive even after being battered, even as it makes the or street after the heroes who defeated it.
Heroes feel a little guilty that they weren’t able to save If the Heroes can’t or won’t stop it, the fleshtangle
those people. gets to Alderhall and levels the Valori estate. After
It’s worth noting that anyone who is injured but devouring and absorbing everyone on the property,
survives (and this likely includes the Heroes) is infected it will burrow into the undercity, hide, and gradually
with a slow rotting disease. You can use this as the basis become fully sentient. It will appear in future adventures
for a future adventure where the Heroes seek a cure, as a prime mover in Eversink’s Monstrosities faction.
use it as background color where scarred survivors turn If you think it would be fun and interesting for a
to crime to survive, decide that this triggers a plague Hero to possess the Notebook for up to three adventures
that wipes out half the city because you really want (after which it disappears), the Heroes may recover and
societal change, or simply ignore it because disease isn’t deal with its Corruption themselves. If not, the most
necessarily fun or heroic (especially when it comes to interesting resolution may be for the Church or the City
the Heroes being infected). There’s no wrong way to Watch to seize the book, as this lets you corrupt the
handle it. new owner in a future adventure. Otherwise Zelgrieb’s
Notebook simply disappears, to reappear somewhere else
in the city when or if you choose.
6.5 The Final Confrontation
As guided by you, the players can decide where the 6.6 Closing the Scene
final confrontation against the fleshtangle occurs. If
it has had time to find and kill innocents en route, it This scene ends when the fleshtangle has either been
will have healed from all or most Health and Morale destroyed or it achieves its goal and escapes.
Corpse Astray
� Help Captain Barani bring the Squandered Hope 7.2 Closing the Scene
back to Eversink (unlikely but possible): Wealth 3
per Hero.
� Claim the reward on Precia Cointongue: Wealth 4 The adventure ends when you’ve awarded treasure,
(total). discussed what’s changed in the city due to this
� Help the actual corpsetakers and their Mortuary adventure, and settled any loose ends. Congratulations
stop the fake corpsetakers: Wealth 2 (total). — and welcome to Swords of the Serpentine.
Corpse Astray
362 Swords of the Serpentine
Appen dices
Creating a Character
Quick Reference
Follow these steps for making a character in Swords of the Serpentine.
2. Note a few Adjectives to describe your Hero and write down your Drives, which are your three favorite
things in life (p. 17).
3. Assign Investigative Build Points according to the number of players and choose Investigative Abilities (p.
19).
4. Decide your Allegiances (p. 288) – assign 2 Build Points to Allies (both to the same Ally, or one each to
two Allies) and 1 Build Point to an Enemy. Your Ally and Enemy can be the same faction!
1. 6. Assign Health and Morale (p. 77), splitting 18 Build Points between the two, with a minimum of 3 in
each.
7. Give yourself Health and Morale Thresholds of 3; if your Health or Morale is 10 or higher, that threshold
will be a 4.
8. If you have any ranks of Corruption, decide whether your Sorcery targets your enemies’ Health or Morale.
Pick one Sorcerous Sphere (the theme and appearance of your spells) for every rank of Corruption you
possess. See p. 103.
9. Write down 5 or more pieces of minor, iconic gear that help define who you are (p. 42).
10. Give yourself 1 point of Grit (p. 75). Grit helps reduce Morale damage.
11. You start with no Wealth (p. 125) and you’ll start with No Repute (see p. 128) for the first adventure.
12. Name yourself. Most people in Eversink have fantasy names based on medieval Italian names (there
are plenty of lists online), but there’s nothing magical about that naming scheme, so name your Hero
something you love.
True Name?
Check if True Name is known
Adjectives
INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
Bind Wounds
Plenty of Leeches
Burglary
Fast Hands
Preparedness
Flashback
Stealth
Where’d She Go?
Sorcery
Blast Wealth
Sway
Play to the Crowd
Lifestyle
Warfare Cleave
Threshold Armor
Ancient Nobility
Church of Denari
City Watch
Commoners
Guild of Architects
Mercanti
Mercenaries
Monstrosities
Outlanders
Sorcerous Cabal
Thieves’ Guilds
Triskadane
GRUDGES
Ancient Nobility
Church of Denari
City Watch
Commoners
Guild of Architects
Mercanti
Mercenaries
Monstrosities
Outlanders
Sorcerous Cabal
Thieves’ Guilds
Triskadane
LOW REPUTE
Appendices 367
Covers physical activities such as You have the opportunity to dodge or parry
Athletics 37
running, jumping, and climbing. Warfare attacks.
Roll to have what you need, Set up Flashbacks where, on the fly, you
Preparedness 38
when you need it. establish your schemes and plans.
Use fear or persuasion to attack You may injure more than one target on a
Sway 41
someone’s Morale. high attack roll.
Use a weapon to attack You may injure more than one target on a
Warfare 42
someone’s Health. high attack roll.
Appendices 369
1
Throughout actual history, geese turn out to make superb guards, and that’s true in Eversink as well. No, seriously! Go Google
it, and see p. 173.
In d e x
Contests 58–62
Cook, Glen D tidal plague 86–87
wetlung 87–88
heroes of 10
damage Disease (Sorcerous Sphere) 106
Cooperation (character action) 58
area damage 115 disguise
core clues. See core leads
boosting with Corruption Adversary special ability 161
core leads 51
table 114 theatrical disguise (gear) 135
core (scene type) 215
boosting with Investigative spends Divine Partnership. See Church of
corruption
examples 71 Denari
affecting an Adversary 116–117
damage calculation table 70 Dodge (Athletics talent) 37
affecting the environment 116
exceptional damage 113 Dogbane (gear) 135
area damage 115
extra damage - Adversary special Do-Gooders (game frame) 9
as a crime 287
ability 161 dramatic (scene type) 215
as a threat 306
fixed 79 drives 17
basics 49, 362
from Malus 158 The Drowned (monstrosity)
bloodlines and 118
Melee and Ranged Weapons Table 187–188
curing corrupted locations 120
133 drowning (hazard) 88
exceptional damage 113–114
quick rules 50, 362 drugs. See poisons (hazard)
externalized corruption 118–120
weapons 132–134 from The Glass Garden 262
how it works 113
death 80–81 duelist (character template) 47
internalized corruption 117–118
scarring a location with 118–120 burial and funerary statues
Thaumaturgy as an 233–234
alternative 221–223 death curse E
unique spells 115–116 Adversary special ability 160
Corruption (Profession/ Heroes special ability 124 Earring of Truth (sorcerous gear) 143
Sorcerer ability) Death (Sorcerous Sphere) 106 Earth (Sorcerous Sphere) 107
description 26 Decay (Sorcerous Sphere) 106 eelball (sport) 235
sample spend 26 Defeated (Health -10 or lower) 79 Eel Blade (sorcerous saber) 148
counterfeiting 287, 308 defense boost (Adversary special abili- eel (currency) 126
Counting House Row 255–256 ty) 161 Eel Run (event) 235, 237
cover 74–76 Defense Committee 284 Effigy Square 254–255
against Sorcery and Warfare Demogogue (sorcerous staff) 150 encumbrance 131
attacks 74 Demonic Counsel (monstrosity) 185 Endless Prayer (sorcerous protective
against Sway attacks 74–75 Demonology (Sorcerous Sphere) 106 gear) 146
armor 75 Shadow Demon (monstrosity) 196 Enemies (character) 33, 54–55
grit 75 Denari 227–229 ranks in Ancient Nobility 288
last-minute protective wards 76 Cygnini 235 ranks in Church of Denari 290
protective wards 75–76 Denari’s Blessing 227–229 ranks in City Watch 291
shields 75 The Goddess’ Isle 279 ranks in Commoners 291
crime in Eversink 287 working against 9 ranks in Guild of Architects 293
critical hits 68 working for 10 ranks in Mercanti 293–294
currency in Eversink 126 Denaria. See Eversink ranks in Mercenaries 295
banks and coinage 304 Denari’s Blessing 227–229 ranks in Monstrosities 295–297
curses 122–124 Denari’s Book of Truths and Tax ranks in Outlanders 297–298
Adversary death curse 160 Code (gear) 135 ranks in Sorcerous Cabals 298
death curses 124 Denari’s Singer (monstrosity) 186 ranks in Thieves’ Guilds 299–300
escape clause 123 Destroyed Plateau 326–327 ranks in Triskadane 301
mechanics 122 Dezhakos (city in Erebos) 321 using as a GM 210–212
power of 123 dice 2 Entropy (Sorcerous Sphere) 106
Curses (Sorcerous Sphere) 106 using different colours 66 Theocracy of Erebos 320–321
customizing Swords of the Difficulty (usually 4) 56–58 escape clause (for curses) 123
Serpentine 219–226 Difficulty number table 57 Eversink 227–229
steampunk Swords of the quick rules 49, 362 animals 236–237
Serpentine 314 diseases 84–88, 306 architecture 230–232
cygnet (currency) 126 scabral 85–86 climate 230, 307
Cygnini (divine language) 235, swamp rot 86 committees in 283–285
286–287 throat leeches 86 crimes 287
374 Swords of the Serpentine
L
echoing in play 10 monstrosities 154, 183–200, 295–297
loss (health) 77 using effectively 207
loud (weapon modifier) 132 monstrous ability (Adversary special
Lackey, Mercedes Love (Sorcerous Sphere) 108 ability) 163
playing heroes of 8 low Repute 127 montage (scene type) 215
Lament (sorcerous sword) 148 using as a GM 210–212 challenge montages 217
Languages 235 Luck (Sorcerous Sphere) 108 mooks
laws in Eversink 285–287 Luz Rech (city in Irilev) 323 attacking with Cleave 42
Laws & Traditions (Profession/Senti- Lycanthrope (monstrosity) 191 making mooks matter 154
nel ability) Lynch, Scott nomenclature 154
description 24 inspiration for Repute 128 using effectively 206–207
sample spend 24 playing heroes of 10 Moonlit Sea 312, 313, 318, 319
Lead-Ins 215–216 Morale 38, 81–84
Lead-Outs 215–216 bolstering with Sway 83
leads 50–53
active leads 51
M Broken (Morale 10 or lower) 83
Panicked (Morale -6 to -10) 82
finding hidden 52 regaining 84
passive leads 51 Mages of Senggon (Senggon court- Resilient (Morale 0+) 82
using as a GM 212–214 iers) 324 tests 81–83
leather armor (protective gear) 136 magic. See Sorcery Treasonous (Morale 10 or lower)
Leechcraft (Profession/Sorcerer magical charm (Adversary special 83
ability) ability) 163 Unstable (Morale -1 to -5) 82
antidotes 90 The Great Malik (ruler of Erebos) Mulgai (temple complex in Salt Moun-
description 27 321 tains) 328
poisons and venoms 89–91 Malus (Adversary wild card ability) Music (Sorcerous Sphere) 109
sample spend 27 158–159
leecher (character template) 47 Maneuvers 72–74
Leech (sorcerous short sword) 148
Leiber, Fritz map
alternate Maneuver rule 226
N
playing heroes of 8 of Eversink 242–243
Liar’s Tell (Social ability) of the world 310–311 Narissimanitellikul 239
and fallow weed 138 The Grand Marketplace 247–250 Necromancy (Sorcerous Sphere) 109
description 22 marketpriests 290 The Nest. See Haven (Cathedral)
sample spend 22 character template 47 niche protection 28
The Library (Sages’ Guild) 257 mastermind (Adversary special ability) Night Markets 265–266
Lich (monstrosity) 191 163 nightstones (gear) 135
The Lies of Locke Lamora The Mausoleum 246 Nobility (Social ability)
as Repute inspiration 128 Memory (Sorcerous Sphere) 108 description 22–23
echoing in play 10 Mercanti 293–294 sample spend 23
Lifedrinker (sorcerous mace) 149 sample characters 175 Nolio’s Coin (sorcerous gear) 144
lifestyle 127–130 Mercenaries 295 Non-Player Character. See
lighthouses 279 sample characters 176–177 Supporting Characters;
Lightning (Sorcerous Sphere) 108 mercenary (character template) 48 See Companions; See
Adversaries
Index 377
refreshes 97–98 Salt Mountains of Lut 328 Singer in the Swamp (monstrosity)
Allies 54 scabral (disease) 85–86 197
Enemies 54 Scampering Blade (sorcerous Skeletal Giant (monstrosity) 197
Favors 54 token) 152 Skulduggery (Profession/Thief ability)
General abilities 97–98 scenarios. See adventures description 30
Grudges 55 scenes sample spend 30
Health 79 scene types 215 Stealth Modifiers 58
Investigative abilities 97 alternate 215 Slaughterer’s Sword (sorcerous great-
Morale 84 antagonist reaction (scene type) sword) 149
refresh tokens 97–98 215 slinks (investigators) 9
refugees 307 atmospheric 215 small gods 307
regenerate (Adversary special core 215 in Erebos 321
ability) 164 dramatic 215 snake, giant (monstrosity) 189
reload (weapon modifier) 132 finale 215 Snake’s Eye (protective gear) 137
Reputation Charm (sorcerous gear) flashback 215 snapback (poison gear) 140
144–145 hazard 215 sneak thief (character template) 48
Repute intro 215 Social Investigative abilities 21–23
eliminating 127 montage 215 sorcerer (character profession) 14
Resilient (Morale 0+) 82 subplot 215 character template 48
restaurants scorpion, giant (monstrosity) 189 Investigative abilities 26–28
in Ironcross 258 scorpion shield (protective gear) 137 Sorcerous Cabals 298–299
in Temple Market 251 Scouring Day 234 sample character 48
in The Tangle 278 Scurrilous Rumors (Profession/Thief Sorcerous Spheres 103–111
The Revelation Belltower 254 ability) Aging 104
Ridiculous Luck (Profession/Thief description 30 Air 104
ability) sample spend 30 Alchemy 222
description 29 Sea King’s Blessing (poison gear) 140 Animal 104
sample spend 29 secret police. See Black Swans Blades 105
rituals 120–121 Secrets (Sorcerous Sphere) 110 Blood 105
Rospo, Il (crime boss) 265 seize initiative (Adversary special abil- Chaos 106
rules ity) 164 Curses 106
attacking a foe 65 The Empire of Senggon 324–325 Death 106
basics 49, 362 sentinel (character profession) 13 Decay/Entropy 106
chases 59–62 Investigative abilities 24–26 Demonology 106
contests 58–59 series Disease 106
cooperation 58 constructing as GM 218 Earth 107
piggybacking 58 Seriously Wounded (Health -6 Fear 107
racing to a location 59–62 to -10) 78 Fire 107
retrying a failed test 58 Serpent Folk (monstrosity) 193–194 Flesh 107
simple tests 56–57 Serpentine empire for Supporting Characters 178
runes 145–146 sorcery 102 Ghosts and Spirits 107
running away. See fleeing Serpentine Monstrosity 194 Ice 107
Serpents (Sorcerous Sphere) 110 Illusion 108
Servility (Social ability) in Thaumaturgy 222–223
S description 23
sample spend 23
Lightning 108
Love 108
Seskie (monstrosity) 195 Luck 108
safety tools 201 Shadow (Sorcerous Sphere) 110 Memory 108
Racism, Sexism, and Class Struc- The Shambling Staff (sorcerous staff) Mesmerism 223
ture 230 150 Music 109
The Sages’ Guild 257 shape-shift (Adversary special ability) Necromancy 109
Sag Harbor 263–268 164 Plants 109
Saint Velendo’s Reliquary (sorcerous shield (protective gear) 137 Poisons 223
protective gear) 146–147 shields Possession 110
salt 235–236 and cover 75 Secrets 110
salters 279–280 Signing Day (holiday) 240, 282 Serpents 110
The Salt Lick 279–280 simple tests 56–58 Shadow 110
Index 379
V
tidal plague (disease) 86–87 See drives
tokens (sorcerous gear) 151–152 Where’d She Go? (Stealth ability) 41
Tolkien, J.R.R. Wilderness Mastery (Profession/War-
echoing in play 31, 41 vampire (monstrosity) 199 rior ability)
Torith (city in Capria) 313 variant rules 219–226 description 32
toxins. See poisons (hazard) venom (Adversary special ability) 165 sample spend 32
Transformation (Sorcerous Sphere) venom (hazard). See poisons (hazard) winged ape (monstrosity) 198–199
110 Very Long range 64 Shadow Wisp (monstrosity) 197
Transmutation (Sorcerous Vigilance (Profession/Sentinel ability) Will o’ the Wisp (monstrosity) 198
Sphere) 111 Alertness Modifiers 57–58 Witch-Queen (Pirate of Min) 318–
Transportation (Sorcerous description 25 320
Sphere) 111 sample spend 25 world-building
traps 91–97 Vontavni Horse Lords 316–318 with Forgotten Lore 27
as chases 62 Worship (Sorcerous Sphere) 111
deactivating with Burglary 38
examples 96
W
and General Abilities 96
notation 96 X
sorcerous 124 warded (Adversary special ability) 165
trap design 93 Warding Charm (sorcerous Xander, Calhoun ‘Shifty’ (pirate king)
Treasonous (Morale 10 or protective gear) 147 320
lower) 83 wards X-Card (safety tool) 201
treasure. See also wealth; See also cur- last-minute protective wards 76 XP See advancement
rency in Eversink protective as cover 75–76
assigning 130 warded (Adversary special
trembleroot (poison gear) 140
Trickery (Sorcerous Sphere) 111
ability) 165
warding charm (sorcerous
Y
tripenny (currency) 126 protective gear) 147
Triskadane 282–283, 301 warehouses Yrans (city in Great Flatlands) 318
messengers for 264 in Harbor Approach 268–269
true names in Sag Harbor 267
and funerary statues 234 Warfare (General ability) 42
attacking with Warfare 66–68
Z
as weapons 122
benefits 121 Talent: Cleave 42
Zelgrieb’s Notebook of Dissection
learning another’s 122 warrior (character profession) 16
(grimoire) 142
learning your own 121 Investigative abilities 31–33
Zhurov, Prince Stepan I (ruler of
Trustworthy (Social ability) watch house 291
Irilev) 322
description 23 in Alderhall 260
Zolotoy Palace (palace in Irilev) 323
sample spend 23 in Sag Harbor 263
zombie (monstrosity) 200
in Temple Market 251
in the Tangle 275