Xenopocalypse

The Second Supplement for The Cursed RPG

Cursed RPG Supplement 2, Public version 1 The Cursed RPG written and game designed by Michael vans 2!!"#2!1! $%%icial Site& http&''thecursedrpg(angel%ire(com' The Cursed RPG )ogo created by dwin *omes#)auder 2!!+ ,enopocalypse supplement written and devised by Samuel Metson 2!1This .ocument may be copied and printed in part or whole %or non#commercial use(

Chapter 1 Introduction
/t all began on T0, three years ago( 1n ugly, reptilian thing appeared on all the channels, demanding that the arth submit to his rule( Claimed to have an 23nstoppable 1rmy, 3nbeatable Space 4orce2 with which to e5terminate any resistance( Most people thought that it was a practical 6o7e o% some 7ind, or an advert %or some new %ilm( Then the invasion started( Monstrous reptiles descended on the land, calling themselves 21lpha#.raconians2( / heard that they were seen all over the world, and massive ships ta7ing up station in orbit as well, but / saw plenty enough %or mysel%( The military responded, o% course( Can2t abide invaders, even i% they are aliens( / gather that they where no match %or the alien technology that their %oes brought to bear, but that they managed to e5act a heavy toll none#the#less( $rganised military resistance bro7e down within a month8 but their commanders had been smarter than that( They still outnumbered the aliens so they went underground, harassing the aliens, who tried to ta7e it out on the civilians( There were not enough 1lpha#.raconians to truly control the population, none o% whom were particularly accommodating( The aliens did not seem to be e5pecting such resistance, so con%ident where they in their own superiority, and they began to attac7 ma6or population centre2s as well( 2Course, we weren2t going to stand %or that8 and than7s to the resistances, guns were becoming a lot more common( Seems every house had a loaded weapon on hand, and every time an alien burst in someone tried to shoot it( They2re huge, tough beasts8 mar7 my words, but bullets still hurt them( Resistance seemed, as the aliens had promised, hopeless( Many ran away %rom home, %earing to give the aliens such an obvious target, but others chose to de%end their lands against passing hostilities, %leeing only %rom the concentrated assaults the 1lpha#.raconians were %orced to employ against larger cities( 9o one yielded, and the more brutal the aliens got, the less pliant the human population became( Rumours began to spread o% other aliens inter%ering with the invasion, o% remar7able weapons and healing, but these aliens seemed %ew and %ar between( There were these things that loo7ed li7e 1ngels and .evils who seemed to be engaged in a massive war o% their own, and occasionally someone else got caught in the cross%ire( There where tales o% humans who turned out to be aliens a%ter they le%t, o% s:uat grey things that could give the reptilian things a literal headache as well as a %igurative one, and weird orange things that couldn2t out%ight a damp paper bag( 1t least, they where the most common stories, but the invaders were plenty enough aliens to be worrying about, than7 you very much( Then, about seven wee7s a%ter the invasion o% the 1lpha# .raconians, things got really weird( 1nother %orce announced itsel% on the scene as a staunch opponent o% the 1lpha#.raconians& The /lluminati( They spread the world across the globe with ama;ing speed, claiming that magic was real <and since aliens are, why not magic too=> and o%%ering both magical and mundane support, training, and items to all but the invaders themselves( ?ith their magical gi%ts, they soon established a secure open mar7et where such things could be %ound8 they o%%ered their aid :uite %reely to any who would use them to resist the invasion, and other things began to step out o% the shadows( ?erewolves, witches, vampires, psychics and stranger things made themselves 7nown( /nstead o% hiding among us and :uietly resisting destruction, they %ought openly alongside us( 4riendlier aliens also made more o% a public appearance, o%%ering assurances that all was not lost( Some people chose to accept evacuation to Mars, though %ew stayed there %or long( 1 pleasant enough place, apparently, but it was rather boring, and certainly no arth( ?ith magic so %reely available, it was only a matter o% time be%ore the rest o% us began to pic7 up a %ew supernatural symptoms(

The $ld ?orld is dead( The 1lpha#.raconians have seen to that( @ut their invasion has stalled and, despite the loss o% the o%%icial governing bodies, a new world is rising %rom the ashes o% the old( /t is still our planet(

They can't have it.

### ?elcome to ,enopocalypse, a supplement and world boo7 %or The Cursed RPG( This boo7 has been inspired by all those 2alien invasion2 scenarios that have %illed our literature since *( G( ?ells wrote the War of the Worlds, and see7s to encourage the deathless tenacity that invariably sustains the heroes o% such sagas( So %ar this supplement has yet to be play tested( / hope to change that, but i% anyone out there gets a chance to try it out, please, please, please, PLEASE send some %eed bac7 to thecursedrpgAgmail(com( The basic premise o% ,enopocalypse is %airly simple B three years ago, and army o% 1lpha# .raconians descended upon the planet arth( They tried to intimidate the human inhabitants into handing it over, and then tried to ta7e it by %orce( .espite the destruction o% much o% the in%rastructure upon which modern civilisation depends, the ma6ority o% the human population re%used to bend8 and, together with the Cursed, they even conspired to stri7e bac7( 9either brute %orce nor prolonged attrition on the part o% the 1lpha#.raconians su%%iced to overcome the human resistance( Players o% ,enopocalypse can choose to ta7e an active part in that resistance, ta7ing the %ight to the invaders and disrupting their evil plots( 1lternatively, you can play the part o% common <and not so common> civilians stubbornly attempting to live out their lives with some semblance o% normality( The possibilities are limited only by the e5tent o% your imagination and, i% your characters can endure the horrors o% the ,enopocalypse, who 7nows where they could end up(

Suggested Reading
The War of the Worlds: $bviously( This is the :uintessential alien invasion scenario( Though i% the 1lpha#.raconians really could be 7illed by colds, they would all be dead by now( The %ilm, though, is rubbish( The Aubrey Stalking Portal& Though not a wor7 o% Science 4iction, this tale does tell o% the struggle o% a seemingly wea7 %orce, de%ending their island home against invasion with the aid o% supernatural talents( 0ery much in the spirit, i% not the world, o% ,enopocalypse( Dr. Who: This Time )ord spends much o% his time besting the %orces o% %ar 2superior2 <or at least numerous> aliens with simple and bi;arre devices, o%ten improvised out o% the highly mundane items he %inds around him( Mutant Future: ?hilst mutants are not e5actly Cursed, this RPG is about individuals with strange powers, who are attempting to survive in a post#apocalyptic wasteland littered with the potent remnants o% high technology( /t even has strange and hostile creatures( Alien and Predator: ?hilst not boo7s that you could read, the 1liens in these %ilms do highlight one o% the more gruesome means that the 1lpha#.raconians could potentially use to gain control <or at least brea7 the humans2 spirit>( Predator, on the other hand, clearly has the heart o% a 1lpha# .raconian, even though he lac7s the si;e(

!out this "oo#

This boo7 is bro7en into three chapters( They are& Chapter 1& The /ntroduction This is where / introduce the boo7( This section is very basic, and you have almost %inished it( Chapter 2& The PlayerCs Section This is where all o% the in%ormation the players need to 7now goes( Remember, GMs, that you are players as wellD Chapter -& The GMCs Section This is where all the in%ormation that only the GM should 7now goes( This section is for GM eyes only!!! ### Water dripped from the stalactites as set the finishing touches to my trap. A series of e!plosions "ould #ent a #eritable "all of shrapnel to"ards "hoe#er set it off$ firing the #ictim from the mouth of the ca#e like grapeshot from a cannon. The "ires "ould ensure that the lethal sho"er "ould persist for a fe" seconds$ and centred the e!plosi#e spell most carefully. t "ould not do for an intruder to set it off early$ only to find himself merely clipped by the blast. Finally content "ith my preparations$ right do"n to the escape route at the back of the ca#e$ set of to hook an alien to catch in my trap. settled on my broomstick$ pointed the head out of the ca#e$ and fle" off to find a likely looking s%uad of reptilian horrors to snare in my delicate little trap. Forget playing about "ith enough e!plosi#es to le#el a skyscraper. This "as the dangerous part of my little game. patrolled the region for a full hour before found them. Fi#e t"enty&foot tall monsters$ probably scouting the region for an attack. got their attention "ith a bla'ing arro"$ and then led them on a merry dance. As dangerous as it is$ actually %uite en(oy flying rings around the arrogant in#aders. )aser blasts lanced to"ards me$ though none struck me. *one that noticed$ any"ay. They probably thought that they had me on the run. They probably though that they had managed to chase me all the "ay back to my hideout$ "hen fle" in through the mouth of that ca#e. They probably though they could "in the glory of destroying a +uman stronghold and returning "ith the spoils. As fle" through the portal into my real residence$ heard the aliens landing at the mouth of the ca#e. did not see the e!plosion$ though it must ha#e been a sight to behold. ###

Chapter $ The Player%s Information

/n this chapter is the in%ormation that the players should 7now when they start playing ,enopocalypse, this second supplement %or the Cursed RPG( This chapter will contain the basic bac7ground in%ormation %or the setting, changes to classes, changes to any other rules the player needs to 7now( 1ll players <including the GM> should at least browse through this chapter(

A Simple Timeline
15th November 2015: The Alpha-Draconians arrive. Their leader makes his demands in a televised broadcast. Most people treat it as a oke. 1!th November 2015: The aliens invade all ma or land masses sim"ltaneo"sl#. The de$endin% armies take horri$ic cas"alties over the $ollo&in% month' b"t are able to respond in kind &hilst b"#in% s"$$icient time $or "nder%ro"nd resistance to develop. 15th December 2015: The Torkep establish a re$"%ee colon# on Mars' tho"%h it takes them man# months to establish lines o$ h"manitarian aid to (arth. The Alpha-Draconians i%nore them as the Torkep are )No Threat). 20th December 2015: The Alpha-Draconian leader declares himsel$ "ndisp"ted r"ler o$ (arth. The people o$ (arth i%nore him. 22nd December 2015: *r"strated b# the re$"sal o$ his opponents to #ield to his mi%ht' the AlphaDraconian leader directs terror attacks a%ainst the civilian pop"lace. The aliens) cas"alties e+ceed e+pectations. 25th December 2015: ,n de$iance o$ an Alpha-Draconian proclamation' -hristmas is &idel# celebrated aro"nd the &orld. (ven re%ions that had previo"sl# i%nored the holida# oin in. 2!th December 2015: ."tra%ed' the Alpha-Draconian /eader orders his &arriors to la# &aste to the lar%est cit# on each continent. The pop"lations' ho&ever' have alread# $led0 leavin% their cities de$ended b# in%enio"s boob# traps. 21th December 2015: 2ith ins"$$icient $orces to mass over&helmin% po&er at more than a $e& locations' and smaller $orces v"lnerable to h"man attacks' the AlphaDraconians) pro%ress is slo&ed to a cra&l. 3rd 4an"ar# 201!: The ,ll"minati anno"nce their presence to the &orld' transmittin% a variet# o$ messa%es over a &ide ran%e o$ media and doin% all the# can to $acilitate contact &ith the people. 13th 4an"ar# 201!: The ,ll"minati ina"%"rate their )/"mino"s Market). /ittle is $ree' b"t plent# is cheap and the ,ll"minati b"# as &ell as sell. No competitor to the 5oblin

Market' the# o$$er $ree %"idance to $indin% the latter establishment. The Torkep also "se the /"mino"s market to provide a variet# h"manitarian aid &itho"t %ettin% ca"%ht in the cross$ire. The# also o$$er emi%ration to Mars. *e& take them "p on this o$$er. 15th 4an"ar# 201!: The -"rsed are no& open members o$ most comm"nities aro"nd the %lobe' %"idin% the inte%ration o$ 6ampires' 2here-creat"res and stran%er m#steries &ith the resistance. 17th 4an"ar# 201!: /esser alchemical secrets' divorced $rom the Alchemists -ode' be%in to spread thro"%h the /"mino"s Market like &ild$ire. 20th 4an"ar# 201!: .ther aliens are seen openl# aro"nd the %lobe' assistin% the h"mans b"t not $acin% the Alpha Draconians openl#. )Nordic) aliens are the most $riendl#' and The 5re# intervene in several minor skirmishes' b"t never %reatl#. Almost as i$ the# are onl# interested in st"d#in% the combatants 8tho"%h the# are never seen to let the Alpha-Draconians &in9. 15th *ebr"ar# 201!: The &idespread s"ccess o$ the /"mino"s Market leads to a s"r%e in the n"mbers o$ ,tem Sorcerers aro"nd the &orld. 25th *ebr"ar# 201!: :nable to break ;"man morale' and havin% di$$ic"lt# establishin% sec"re s"ppl# lines' the Alpha-Draconians di% in $or a prolon%ed con$lict' establishin% a sec"re base in Antarctica. /ate 2017: The settin% o$ this s"pplement.

&hy Invade 'o()

There are many theories as to why the 1lpha#.raconian invasion has %inally %allen upon the world( 1%ter three years o% 1lpha#.raconian 2rule2 everyone is thoroughly aware that these aliens claim that the arth is their home planet, and that they have a long and distinguished record o% planetary con:uests to their name, but why have they ta7en this long to reclaim their own planet= It's not their planet Some people believe that the 1lpha#.raconians claim any planet by de%ault, but don2t really care about arth more than any other planet( This con%licts with the 1lpha#.raconian2s version o% events, which most adherents o% this belie% attribute to sel%#important bluster( Government Treachery /t was inevitable that someone would see7 to blame those <%ormerly> in power( These people claim that the governments o% the world had arrangements with the 1lpha#.raconians that precluded an invasion B until the humans reneged on their side o% the bargain( $thers claim that this or that person in power actually invited the aliens in, see7ing to derive greater personal power %rom the invasion, and was 6ustly destroyed %or betraying his species( They (ere scared The 1lpha#.raconians claim to be the most superior race in the universe, as proved by their e5tensive populations o% success%ully con:uered beings, but some theorise that some 1lpha# .raconians recognised that the population o% arth was capable o% giving them a run %or their

money( Such a struggle would dent their racial pride, and cripple the sel%#esteem o% those involved, a dire %ate %or any 1lpha#.raconian( lien Interference Some people believe the rumours o% the 1lpha#.raconians su%%ering %rom the inter%erence o% other alien races which, %or their own inscrutable purposes, either wish us well or the 1lpha#.raconians ill( The presence and support o% such aliens during the present crisis lends some support to this theory( *ivine Intervention /% aliens can do it, then why not gods= Some people hold to the belie% that their deity <or pantheon, as applicable> has withdrawn his divine protection as punishment %or our sins( $nce we become pure once more, there%ore, he will re#e5tend his benevolent protection, driving the alien scourge screaming %rom our planet( +,tra-dimensional .orrors Some assert that the 1lpha#.raconians actually come %rom another 3niverse, where they evolved on a parallel version o% arth, and are disconcerted by this arth which, whilst clearly their home planet, is also noticeably not( /gnoring the parado5 was easier than dealing with it, until enough time had passed %or the 1lpha#.raconian race <or merely a rebellious subset thereo%> to %orget what their own arth loo7ed li7e( 3ltimately no#one 7nows why the 1lpha#.raconians have chosen this moment to invade, or why they have %ailed to cement their grip o% the arth( The surviving natives are agreed, however, that the invaders can have the planet E$ver our dead bodiesDF or not at all( ### The readouts looked calm$ peaceful e#en$ but outside the heated base a sno"storm blustered across the continent. ,isual scans re#ealed nothing - a "hite&out. .ther scans cut strait through the sno" to re#eal - nothing. The lookout post co#ered the entire continent$ yet there "as nothing to re#eal but sno" and ice. Apart from the penguins$ but that "as the concern of the catering core. / "ant some action$0 grumbled one of the li'ards. Military discipline kept his eyes focused on the screen$ but he sa" nothing. /1e careful "hat you "ish for$ trooper$0 replied the post2s commander$ /3ommand is al"ays in need of spare fodder$0 /Sir$ see something$0 interrupted another trooper$ /Small metallic ob(ect approaching at Mach 4$0 /Sho" me$0 the commander replied$ and the main screen lit up in blank "hite. /We cannot see it through the sno"$0 the trooper added$ unnecessarily. /5et me a "ireframe scan$0 the commander snapped$ and his troopers rushed to obey. The screen changed to display the outlines of a long thin shaft$ tipped "ith "ickedly barbed point. / t2s a spear$0 the commander commented$ /an archaic human "eapon$0 /*o threat there then$0 grumbled the first trooper$ staring at his "hite&out. /+a#e it tagged for destruction$ trooper$0 the commander ordered$ / "ant that thing shot do"n *.W6 And display it2s position on the screen$0 The screen changed to display a map of the Antarctic continent$ "ith a rapidly mo#ing red dot that denoted the spear. The base2s lasers tracked the target$ firing intermittent bursts through the sno"$ but there "as little hope of the hitting such a tiny target at that range. The dot on the screen got closer and closer$ approaching the base far faster than could be considered reasonable for such a primiti#e implement. The troopers manning the lookout post focused much of their attention on it$ but the commander reminded them of their duty and they returned to scanning the continent for intruders.

/Sir$0 one of the troopers broke the silence "hen the ob(ect "as almost upon them$ /the sno" is thinning$ and think ha#e a #isual.0 /Sho" me$0 the commander replied$ and the screen changed back to the "hite&out again. This time$ ho"e#er$ it looked more like static - the "hite flickered - and the #ie"ers could (ust about make out shapes in the "hite$ /+ighlight target$0 ordered the commander$ and a glo"ing red shape appeared on the screen. t (inked through the failing bli''ard$ gracefully dodging the laser blasts as it made it2s final approach. The spear soared to"ards the Alpha&Draconian base at tremendous speed$ before abruptly di#ing upon a comple! of to"ers. The red glo" faded as the spear erupted in a cascade of glo"ing acid$ all but obliterating three laser turrets. As the Alpha&Draconians "atched$ the acid continued to eat a"ay at the "reckage. Alarms began blaring throughout the base as command attempted to contain the damage$ and the lookout post2s commander turned to face his troopers. / s that enough action for you70 ###

Changes in Classes
1 lot has changed since the 1lpha#.raconians landed( Magic has become much more widely accepted, and broadly used( Creatures that once stal7ed the nightmares o% humanity have stood up to become heroes o% humanity( ven some o% the spells that the Cursed have used since time immemorial react di%%erently in the changing environment( /t should come as no surprise that the Cursed themselves have changed( This section details the changes or additions to the rules de%ining various classes o% Cursed, including two new classes(

.uman .ero
Some where strong to begin with( $thers learned to be strong( ither way, no#one survives three years o% alien invasion, without the bene%it o% supernatural power, unless they2re good( ?hile humans may not be capable o% reaching the same physical and mental limits as The Cursed, nor have the powers over reality that The Cursed utilise, they tend to be more capable with s7ills and more rounded( To determine the base stats %or a normal *uman *ero roll 1.GH1 %or each stat( 1lternatively, roll I.G H I and distribute the points between the %ive base stats( Secondary stats are derived the normal way( *uman *eroes get s7ill points e:ual to the sum o% the his base stats divided by 2 then add -I( *umans can get the Jombie spell and Summon spell li7e s7ills, but they must have at least 1 ran7 in the Magic s7ill to do this( *umans get 2! %reebie points and can have up to I points in penalties( *uman *eroes can get any bonus or penalty available to all Cursed characters <not the ones that can only be gotten by speci%ic classes>, whether that bonus or penalty are supernatural or not( ?ith your GM2s permission, they can also become %ull 1lchemists and bear the 1lchemist Mar7(

Shaman
Shamans have not been greatly a%%ected by the recent upheaval( ?ith the many deaths in%licted by the 1lpha#.raconians, they have become a little more common8 as many spirits see7 to redress the balance by granting the aliens2 victims the power to stri7e bac7( The role o% the shaman has also ta7en on greater import& with the physical representations o% many spirits being destroyed by the invaders, such spirits have greater need than ever to communicate with the material world( ?ith members o% the Cursed community gaining open acceptance around the world, however, the Shamans2 %ormer role as a spiritual guide has regained it2s %ormer prominence( To re%lect this, Shaman characters may ignore the #1 to their Social stat that their permanent @an gives them, but only when interacting with members o% a community where they are 7nown and respected as a Shamanic practitioner( Such individuals are e5pected to be eccentric, though they never %ully

welcomed into the most intimate social circles( ?ith the widespread success o% the )uminous Mar7et, and the guidance o% desperate spirits, there are also certain rituals that have become %ar more common across the world over the last three years(

/ystic
Mystics live in tune with nature( ?hen nature calls out, the Mystic hears, and when nature screams in agony, that scream resonates in the Mystic2s mind( The sensations that a Mystic receives %rom the 2A Friendly 3hat2 class %eature have been less than pleasant o% late, ma7ing your average mystic a most dire enemy o% the invaders( Most have learnt some power%ul curses and battle spells, though some %ew have instead chosen to %ocus on aiding those who %ight( Mystics have learned to channel the pain o% 9ature into spells against those who cause it( /% a Mystic casts an o%%ensive spell within one hour o% receiving an unpleasant message %rom nature, he counts the environmental bonus as being one higher( Should he attempt to cast a benign spell in this time %rame, however, he counts the environmental bonus as being one less( The GM may rule that some spells, being neither particularly benign or malign, are una%%ected, and that some spells change aspect based on circumstance <i(e( blessing a ri%le so that it will hit that bKKKKKKK hard, as opposed to blessing your buddy so that he pulls through>( 1t the GM2s option, other Cursed with the 2When *ature 3alls2 @onus can learn to do this as well(

Psychic
?ith so many psychic aliens running around, not to mention the pervasive in%luence o% the )uminous Mar7et, %inding Psychic tutors has actually gotten a little easier( Psychics have also become a little more common, as the technology to create one, however unpleasantly, is also available through these channels, i% a little costly( 1part %rom access to the new %eats, powers and items listed later, however, Psychics have been little a%%ected by the /nvasion(

Sorcerer
Sorcerers lo#e the )uminous Mar7et( /t allows them easy access to the secrets o% the world( Spells that would once have had to have been e5tracted %rom ancient tomes via laborious research can now be purchased %or a pittance, and that pittance can be earned by selling to the mar7etD $% course, most Sorcerers do not approve o% sharing their hard#earned power, but most are more than willing to donate a %ew cantrips( 1lso, sorcerous orders tend to have more magical items than they 7now what to do with, as many Sorcerers spend much time enchanting such items( ?hile trading such items on the )uminous Mar7et can bring the Sorcerers more power, it also allows those Sorcerers to 2do their bit2 in de%ending the planet <increasing the li7elihood o% their surviving the invasion> without directly e5posing themselves to the aliens2 aggression <reducing the chance o% them dyeing in the invasion>( *owever, than7s to the )uminous Mar7et, magical secrets are now more %reely available to everyone8 ma7ing it easier than ever to become a Sorcerer( Those Sorcerous organisations controlled by the /lluminati have been instructed to ma7e their secrets more %reely available B i% someone wishes to learn the power to %ight the invaders, less than e5emplary intellect is no e5cuse %or denying them( There%ore, the re:uirement that a prospective Sorcerer have an unmodi%ied Mind stat o% L be%ore undergoing the initiation ritual <and thus gaining Sorcerous power> has been waived( The deepest secrets are still reserved %or the most worthy, however, so Sorcerers without an unmodi%ied Mind stat o% at least L will not gain the bene%it that all other Sorcerers get when learning new spells, that o% the test being 1 di%%iculty level easier( The $rders o% Sorcery bloat their lowest ran7s with disposable 2assets2, which serve the order with their new#%ound power in return(

The biggest change, however, is the rise in the numbers o% /tem Sorcerers <variant class, detailed below> around the globe( ?ith magical items and instruction so %reely available, a surge in the numbers o% /tem Sorcerers was inevitable&

Item Sorcerers
9ot all Sorcerers have spent their lives studying ancient te5ts and loc7ed away in hidden libraries( 9ot all Sorcerers gained their powers %rom centuries old ceremonies( Some have stumbled upon their power through luc7, or mis%ortune, depending on how one loo7s at it( /tem Sorcerers are ordinary people who have stumbles on magical items and somehow %igured out how to use it( The %irst item is rare, but than the would be /tem Sorcerer must %ind more magical items( ?ith enough magical items, the /tem Sorcerer becomes one o% the Cursed( /t tends to be treasure hunters, archeologists, museum curators, and thieves that become /tem Sorcerers( They are not the only people who become /tem Sorcerers however& a person who wal7s into a pawn shop and pic7s up a guitar that had absorbed someone2s soul could become one, as could someone who was digging around his cra;y uncle2s attic, sorting out the uncle2s things a%ter the %uneral( Sometimes an /tem Sorcerer is made on purpose, with someone giving the individual magical items and e5plaining how to use them( The ran7s o% the /tem Sorcerer tend to be e5tremely varied(

"ecoming an Item Sorcerer

1n /tem Sorcerer was an ordinary person who stumbled apon a magical item( Seeing how common magical items are, that is not unusual& nearly everyone owns at least one or two magical items( The unusual part is that the would#be /tem Sorcerer must learn how to activate the item, though these re:uirements have gotten a rather easier to meet since the inception o% the )uminous Mar7et( 1s rare as that is, however, there is more to becoming an /tem Sorcerer( *e must get a hold o% at least fi#e magic items and use each o% them at least a do'en times over the course o% a single month( The energies o% activating and using so many items %ills the individual with mystical powers( 1%ter the person becomes an /tem Sorcerer, he must have at least one magic item in his possession to use his powers, including the powers o% simply being one o% the Cursed( /% the /tem Sorcerer has no magic items and %alls prey to a trans%ormation into one o% the undead, e5cept %or one o% the rare %ew undead that the Cursed can normally become, he loses his Cursed abilities completely and permanently, even i% he subse:uently gains a magic item( Conversely, i% he is devoid o% magic items, he can undergo the trans%ormation into another type o% Cursed <one o% those types that mundane humans can be made into>8 at which point he immediately and permanently looses all bene%its gained %rom being an /tem Sorcerer, though he may 7eep any abilities that may be ac:uired by his new class, including generic Cursed abilities such as stats above M( Some /tem Sorcerers, upon becoming one o% the Cursed and having their eyes opened to that world, see7 to become the type o% Cursed that they are best disposed towards8 though most %ind themselves :uite content with their lot(

Item Sorcerer Penalties

?hile it is not as demanding to become an /tem Sorcerer as it is to become a regular Sorcerer <the Mind stat o% I is not re:uired> it is still a rather unusual set o% circumstances that leads to the creation o% a new /tem Sorcerer( To become an /tem Sorcerer the person needs to gain and learn to use at least %ive di%%erent magic items, and he must use each o% them at least a do;en times within

the space o% a single month( *e also loses his powers i% he has no magic items on him( /% he gets another magic item he gains bac7 his powers, unless he was somehow trans%ormed while not carrying a magic item( /tem Sorcerers tend to become obsessed with magic items( 1lso the /tem Sorcerer does not get points %or spells since he cannot cast any spells on his own(

Item Sorcerer "onuses

1> n +ye for the 0iner Things 1n /tem Sorcerer has a strong bond with magical items& it is these items that give him his power( 1n /tem Sorcerer can recogni;e a magic item on sight, unless it was made to hide its aura, in which case he gets a chance to recogni;e it %or what it is( The GM ma7es a Riddles chec7 %or him with a di%%iculty level o% 1verage( /% he gets it than he 7nows that the ob6ect is magical( 2> &al#ing /anuel 1n /tem Sorcerer 7nows much about magical items( *e develop a bond with them( ?ith a success%ul Riddles chec7 at a di%%iculty level o% 1verage the /tem Sorcerer can determine what a magical item does( /% there is a trigger the roll tells the /tem Sorcerer what that trigger is( The /tem Sorcerer also gets HI on concentration chec7s when trying to activate an item( -> /a#ing it on /y 1(n 1n /tem Sorcerer can open ob6ects up to the potential o% holding magic( This power wor7s much li7e nchant $b6ect spell, e5cept it cannot be used on an ob6ect twice to create a magic eater( $therwise it is e5actly the same( *e starts with I ran7s in this power and can buy more later with starting points or ,P( *e can also purchase 2varients2 %or this power, 6ust li7e the normal varients %or the nchant $b6ect spell, e5cept that he can also learn the varients %rom magical items using the ducational Toys @onus below( L> Saving That for 2ater ?hen the /tem Sorcerer has an item that is ready to contain a spell and is near <seven metres <about 21 %eet>> a spell being cast than the /tem Sorcerer can %orce the spell into the item( This re:uires a Magic s7ill chec7 with the target number being the roll to cast the spell( I> +ducational Toys 1n /tem Sorcerer can learn powers %rom magical items( 1ny power in a magical item can be learned by the /tem Sorcerer with a month o% studying the item and a success%ul Magic s7ill chec7( The /tem Sorcerer cannot use the power himsel% but can put it into other items( )earning the power costs as much as learning a spell, but the item serves as the trainer( /n order to use this @onus, the /tem Sorcerer must have at least 1! ran7s in magic( G> "uilding a "etter 3ou Since /tem Sorcerers don2t get spells, they do get 1! e5tra %ree points at character creation(

Item Sorcerer's 1pinion of the 1ther Cursed

Shamans # They deal with things more ancient than earth( They 7now old secrets( That is not what concerns me8 what does, however, are the items they create( Their %etishes are %ascinating( / can learn so much %rom them( /ystics # They are wise in the ways o% magic and 7now more than they should( The problem with the mystics is that they trust to much in what they can do and dismiss what they can create all to o%ten(

Psychics # 1 %ew neat tric7s, but ultimately useless to me( / want to understand the nature o% magic by studying the arti%acts we can create, but Psychics do not create any arti%acts( /t is li7e they are a burst o% %lame with nothing to consume( @rilliant, power%ul, but leave no trace behind( Sorcerers # *ooded %igures that meet in dar7 places( They are shrouded in mystery and people say we are connected somehow, though / don2t see it( They do, however, usually have great store houses o% ancient and 2lost2 magical arti%acts( Ma7e %riends with them and perhaps they will let you into their vaults( Summoners # They say Summoners are pure evil( / don2t 7now about that8 sure there is something creepy about them, but they ma7e the most interesting items( *onestly, / couldn2t care less i% they have high tea with )uci%er himsel% every Sunday, /2ll be a %riend o% a Summoner i% he will let me study some o% those items he can ma7e( The "lessed # 9ot only are they useless in my research, they try to loc7 away some o% the most power%ul arti%acts( They are a menace( Changelings # These guys are weird( ?e may be di%%erent %rom he average person, but at least we are still human which may be more than / can say about these guys( Nou can see it in their eyes(

Summoner
The )uminous Mar7et has created :uite a demand %or magical items, and Summoners are :uite adept at %ul%illing that demand( True, Summoner Talismans may carry unpleasant side e%%ects, but a good Summoner will warn you i% that is the case, so the side#e%%ects can be wor7ed around( 3nli7e older arte%acts, with powers and penalties un7nown( This has led to greater degree o% acceptance %or the Summoners, though most still %eel distinctly uneasy around them( They are welcome in the group, though it remains rare %or them to truly become part o% the group( 4or their part, most Summoners are already used to e5isting on the %ringes o% social gatherings, and so do not resent the minor ostracism( ?ith the success o% the )uminous Mar7et, and Summoners being such important part o% that success, Summoners have also commonly gained access to some o% the new spells and %eats listed later( They are also a %ew more o% them now, li7e every other class o% 2trained2 Cursed, as they o%%er mundane humans a greater %ighting chance( Most seem to pre%er to see7 training in a more palatable class, however( 1s a side note, due to the desperation o% the world2s natural spirits, Summoners have %ound it much easier to negotiate with such entities( ?hilst the spirits would rather deal with Shamans, under the circumstances they will accept whoever they can get( ven Summoners who do not attempt to negotiate with such beings have noted a distinct drop in the number o% cursed Talismans that they have produced when %orcing power %rom such entities(

"lessed
The @lessed have %inally %ound a crusade they can all agree on( ?hilst opinions di%%er among the @lessed, even among @lessed o% the same %aith, almost every @lessed on the planet opposes the 1lpha#.raconian invasion and can give several sound reasons why( The %ew e5ceptions are those that worship dar7 gods who appreciate wanton destruction( They are e!tremely rare, as most dar7 gods at least want something le%t %or them to rule( Most @lessed these days can temper their %anaticism with reality B they cannot save the souls o%

their comrades in arms i% the 1lpha#.raconians 7ill everyone %irst( They tend to view any human as having a shot at redemption, according to their personal mythos, and while they do act as spiritual leaders they do not attempt to prevent their people %rom ta7ing up Cursed power( 1%ter all, i% it was the devil2s gi%t, surely God would have warned them by now= 1s a result, their inherent pre6udices have mellowed slightly, or at least been tempered with a slightly more accommodating pre6udice( ither that, or the @lessed have been blinded by a %ar more pressing pre6udice( Regardless, they are no longer :uite so anti#Cursed as they once were( 4inally, unless your @lessed worships the 1lpha#.raconians, the alien invaders automatically count as unbelievers who actively blaspheme against the @lessedCs religion( There%ore, the @lessed %ind it hard to bless them and easy to draw down God2s wrath upon them(

Changeling
Changelings have been largely una%%ected by the /nvasion o% the 1lpha#.raconians( /n%ants are no more li7ely to wander through to the Spirit ?orld than be%ore, and the 4ey and .emons steal people away without regard %or the aliens in%ecting the world( Their presence has been made public 7nowledge, they have the power to de%end themselves better than the average mortal, and the )uminous Mar7et has given most access to new spells8 but their essential nature remains unchanged( Spirit Stolen Changelings, li7e the spirits themselves, are :uite opposed to the invaders( Most had been shoc7ed to discover how disconnected the human world was %rom the spirit world8 the /nvasion showed them how much worse it could be( 4ey Stolen Changelings also tend to be angered by the 1lpha#.raconians inter%ering with their games( True, they are a little more resilient than human toys8 but they don2t want to play, which thoroughly ruins the appeal( 1s %or the .emon Stolen, they en6oy ma7ing the 1lpha#.raconians su%%er as much as they en6oy ma7ing anyone su%%er8 and as %ar as they are concerned, this world is already claimed( )i7e most Cursed, Changelings tend to resist the /nvasion( ### The 5ilded Artificer lay in the rubble. n the street belo" #icious reptiles pro"led$ "arily scanning the shado"s for traps. Most humans had left the city months before$ lea#ing an assortment of "ell impro#ised booby&traps behind to guard the ruins. A fe"$ like the 5ilded Artificer$ still lurked in the rubble8 by choice$ habit$ or lack of an alternati#e$ and they too left traps in their "ake for the reptiles. t "as fast becoming the cities primary art form. /5ot something$0 the leading li'ard uttered$ /Metal sheet o#er a hole.0 /Se"ers$0 one replied. /Wrong si'e$ too thin.0 ans"ered the first. /Pitfall70 asked another. /Thought they2d gi#en up.0 said another. /Take the lid off$ see "hat it is$0 commanded the second #oice. Must belong to the s%uad leader$ the Artificer realised. There "as a clumping of boots on tarmac$ a groaning of protesting metal$ and he e#en thought 9because he "as listening for it: that he could make out the faint click of his mechanism. The sound "as dro"ned out by the dull roar of an e!plosion. ;isking a glimpse o#er the rubble he could see that the e!plosions had scattered the shrapnel and ignited the petroleum$ (ust as he had intended. The Alpha&Draconian s%uad$ though in(ured and spotted "ith flames$ had sur#i#ed the trap - they "ere e!tremely tough$ something to do "ith being <= foot tall pseudo&dragons. They "ere roaring in pain$ ho"e#er$ "hich ga#e the 5ilded Artificer time to do something about them. Selecting a certain "and from a pocket in his greatcoat$ he focused his soul upon it2s po"er. The orb sailed gently through the air to shatter in the centre of the s%uad$ releasing a tidal "a#e of

"ater. The reptilian creatures "here dri#en back by the deluge$ "hich erupted in e!plosi#e gouts "here it touched the flames. .ne of the s%uad "ent do"n$ gurgling as the brine flooded his lungs$ "hilst the others "here dashed to the ground. Ducking back behind his rubble$ the 5ilded Artificer heard an un"elcome assertion: / t came from up there60 *o sooner said than laser beams sliced through the rubble shielding his refuge$ punching through fallen brick"ork and floor supports alike. +e thre" himself flat as the lasers made short "ork of his temporary refuge$ and hurled another soaking orb o#er his shoulders. During the brief lull$ the 5ilded Artificer pocketed the "and and dre" his sidearm - an old flintlock that he had rescued from the ruins of a museum shortly after the aliens arri#ed. t "as crude but effecti#e$ and only fools had the ner#e to tra#el unarmed these days. +e had barely readied his "eapon "hen the shado" fell on him - a dripping$ sodden alien appeared outside the "all$ reaching for the ragged gash rent into the bricks and panting "ith the effort of flying four stories strait up. The 5ilded Artificer discharged his pistol$ knocking the beast out of the sky$ and began to reload in a panic. +e could ne#er hold off the "hole s%uad by himself. What "ould happen "hen the rest fle" up here7 Seeking an escape$ he paused in the act of ramming his charge "hen he heard a strange sound: the unmistakeable$ sickly s"eet si''le of flying +ellfire. +elp had arri#ed. ###

Changes to /agic
The art o% magic has changed since the 1lpha#.raconians landed( Magic has become more accessible and %ar more accepted, and this has precipitated a change in the way some magic wor7s( Most importantly, humans no longer count as mundane witnesses, as speci%ied in some spells( ?here a spell is a%%ected by mundane witnesses, mundane humans now %it into the same category as mundane animals( 1s an e5ample, a human who sees a homunculus does not cause the spell to %ail, and teleporting Mystics are per%ectly able to appear out o% thin air in %ront o% human witnesses( 9obody 7nows why this is the case, though some theorise that the increased levels o% magic in use across the globe are beginning to rub o%% on the 2mundane2 population, and others thin7 that all humans have some magical power <as proven by their ability to create spontaneous magical items>( ?hen that mystical power has no other outlet, the human2s subconscious %ocuses it against the supernatural power behind e%%ects he believes cannot happen B and now that humans are much more accepting, they don2t( $% course, these are merely theories8 most don2t care "hy humans don2t mess up their spells any more, only that it ma7es them less o% a liability( /t is also more di%%icult to learn new spells, rituals and psychic powers in the middle o% a war ;one( Regular practice is hard to come by, and most o% the survivors are at least semi#nomadic, always ready to move on( 1s a result, your character must pass a Concentration chec7, with a di%%iculty determined by your GM <based on how disrupted your li%e has been over the past month>, be%ore attempting to learn a new power( 4ailure indicates that you have absorbed enough in%ormation to try again later <i% learning %rom a trainer, %or e5ample, you have learned the theory and may put it to practice as soon as you pass your Concentration chec7& there is no need to %ind a new trainer>, success indicates that you may attempt to learn the power normally( The normal rules, and conse:uences, apply to learning the power( .eveloping new spells has also gotten a little more di%%icult, as it is harder to %ind su%%icient stretches o% uninterrupted time to do so, however this is more o% a role#playing consideration(

ncient /agics
The single biggest change wrought on Cursed society in decades is the resurgence o% many old, and nearly %orgotten, magics( This is mostly due to the )uminous Mar7et ma7ing e5tensive training available to all, though some suspect that the )uminous Mar7et is a symptom, rather than a cause(

ither way, the %ollowing rituals, spells, psychic powers and variants thereo% are now considered 2common2( $thers spells may also be more or less available at your GM2s discretion(

&ard Spell 4ariant

1n old version o% the ?ard spell allows one to con6ure a ward against speci%ic creatures <such as undead, %ey, The Cursed, human>( This is not a spell, though the caster must learn to ward against each type o% creature individually( /n order %or a mage to learn these versions o% the ?ard spell he must %irst have at least 1! ran7s in the ?ard spell( ach type o% speci%ic ?ard cost 1 ,P to learn( Nou can learn animals, which covers all mundane animals and mystical beasts <li7e unicorns, 6ac7alope, gri%%ins, and other such legendary yet ordinary creatures> as one creature( $ther species must be learned individually( This version o% the spell uses the ran7s the mage has in the ?ard spell <minus I as he is casting a ward against a speci%ic race>( The spell basically ma7es a member o% the race overloo7 the area being warded( ven i% a member o% the race the area has a compelling reason to be in the area he will %ind reasons more compelling to him not to go there( This type version o% the ?ard spell lasts %or one day plus one day per degree o% success, or until the mystic writ is damaged( This spell has been used with some success against the 1lpha#.raconians, though it does not prevent them %rom shooting the mystic writ(

+nchant 1!5ect 4ariations

The variations given in the main ruleboo7 were merely those most commonly used in the :uiet world( 3nder the demands o% war, the %ollowing variations o% the nchant $b6ect spell have begun circulating more widely& @ound # The magic in an item is bound to a speci%ic person( The magic will wor7 %or no one but that person( /% lost or stolen, the item will %ind its way bac7 to the person it is bound to( The item can be willed to someone else so that it will be bound to the new owner a%ter the currant owner is dead( To do this while the current owner is alive, both must allow themselves to bleed on the item <must do at least one hurt point to get blood>( This must be done willingly by both parties( /% this is done and the current owner changes his mind and wants to will the item to another, he must do a day long ritual to reverse the spilling o% the blood( 1 roll o% Challenging is needed %or the ritual( The ritual is 7nown to all who 7now this variation( /% the current owner dies be%ore willing the item to someone then it will belong to the ne5t person to willingly bleed on the item <doing at least 1 hurt point to draw the blood>( <H2 degrees o% success> Magical Tattoos # ?ith this variation the mage can create a magical in7 and can enchant tattoos made with the in7 to be magical items( The in7 costs about O1!! to ma7e one application( /n order to activate the tattoo, the person with the tattoo must touch the tattoo while doing the Concentration chec7 or do the Concentration chec7 at - degrees o% di%%iculty higher to activate the tattoo( /% a spell re:uires mystic writ, the writ must be included in the tattoo( <9o change, separate nchant $b6ect chec7 o% Challenging to ma7e the in7> Security # This is similar to the Trigger $nly variation e5cept that i% someone tries to activate the item anyway other than with the trigger the Trap spell goes o%%( The trap does 1 point o% damage %or a success%ul casting o% nchant $b6ect spell <with all the variations added in> plus 1 point o% damage per degree o% success( The e5plosion happens in a ten %oot area %rom the device plus two %eet per degree o% success( The trap does not harm the item itsel%( The trap reloads instantly and will continue to go o%% as soon as another %ailed attempt is made to activate the item( 9either the Trigger $nly variation or Trap spell is needed to 7now this variation( <H2 degrees o% success> @etter Puality Merchandise B 9ormally magical items get an e5tra I hit points( ?ith this variation

the item gains an e5tra I hit point on top o% the I e5tra hit points it gets %or becoming a magical item( This variation can be added multiple times, each time adding an e5tra I hit points( <H2 degrees o% success> ### A sniper stands in the shado"s. +e stands tall and proud$ "ell concealed in the dark$ peering through the scope of his rifle. A mar#ellous scope$ this$ it re#eals the figures of three Alpha&Draconian "arriors marching through the terrain. .ne carries a bulky bo!$ "ith "hich he scanned their surroundings$ and the sniper2s finger tightens on his trigger. The Aliens start at the sound$ finding themsel#es unharmed as the bullet #ents bla'ing phosphorus into the bo!. They turn to the source of the shot and ad#ance$ murder in their eyes and the bo!$ forgotten. The sniper smiles as he touches the cape tattooed on his hand. Then$ he #anishes. ###

Shaman Rituals
The %ollowing rituals are now in common usage across the world, gi%ted by spirits to Shamans as part o% their contribution to the planet2s %ight %or survival8 other rituals have been 7nown and practised %or millennia by small groups who have only recently been %orced into contact with the wider world( Prayer of .ealing <Challenging> ?ith this ritual the Shaman can ta7e damage %rom a target, while su%%ering some o% it himsel%( This ritual heals one point o% damage plus one point o% damage %or every degree o% success( The Shaman receives 1'- the damage healed to the target <round up, the shaman always ta7es at least one point o% damage>( Tongues of the &orld <Challenging> Shamans are meant to be a means o% communication between the spirit world and the physical world( This means that the Shaman must be able to communicate with the people around him, and this ritual allows the Shaman to communicate with anyone( ?hen the ritual is %inished the Shaman can understand all languages he hears and everyone who hears him understands the language he is spea7ing( This ritual does not e%%ect the Shaman2s ability <or more precisely, inability> to read languages( /eeting at the Crossroads <1verage> This ritual was originally developed by vodoun priests( This spell is similar to the Summoning spell e5cept rather than %orcing a supernatural creature to go to the caster, it simply o%%ers a polite invitation( This ritual is cast throughout the day or evening be%ore the meeting( The target 7nows that he is being called and can decide whether or not to go, the caster will 7now i% the creature accepts( /% the target accepts the invitation the two will meet at a speci%ic crossroads, chosen by the Shaman( The spell will bring the target, but the shaman must %ind his own way there( The meeting starts at true midnight <the time e5actly between dus7 and dawn>( .uring the meeting the Shaman and the target can not harm each other, but anyone else who comes to the meeting is %air game %or either side( $nce the meeting is over the target goes bac7 to where he came %rom be%orehand( Shape Shift <Challenging> This ritual allows the Shaman to ta7e on the %orm, or certain aspects, o% animals( The Shaman needs

bones, %ur or %eathers %rom the desired animal <a hand%ul is enough>( The ritual as7s the spirit o% the animal to bestow some o% his power to the Shaman( The Shaman can either ta7e the %ull %orm o% the animal in :uestion or change parts o% his body to get some bonuses( /n the %ull %orm o% the animal the Shaman has all the abilities o% the animal( ?ith parts o% him trans%ormed, the Shaman gets bonuses related to that part o% the animal <hands to dog paws hurt supernatural, dog2s mouth instead o% human to bar7 and %righten o%% supernatural, cat2s %eet %or stealth and grace, e(t(c(>( 1 Shaman can only shape shi%t into one animal at a time but could have multiple aspects o% the same animal( /% he wants multiple aspects o% the same animal it re:uires multiple casting o% this ritual, one aspect per casting(

Spells for 1ther /agical Cursed

The %ollowing spells are now in common usage across the world, mostly due to the e%%orts o% the )uminous Mar7et( 4inding a teacher %or these spells is a simple matter in the de%ault setting, Mystics can learn them %rom magic, and you may select them during character creation( "urn (ay the Taint <Challenging> This is a spell created by the @eauti%ul People which will get rid o% a targetCs points in Taint the hard way( /t burns the Taint away, allowing the victims to trade the spiritual scars o% Taint %or the transitory scars o% pain( The caster o% the spell must touch the target( /% the spell is success%ul and the target has points o% Taint then the spell burns one point o% Taint away %or %ive points o% damage to the target plus it will burn away one point o% Taint %or %ive point o% damage to the target %or every degree o% success, up to the total amount o% Taint a target has( /% the target has two points o% Taint and the caster got %our degrees o% success then the target only ta7es ten points o% damage since he has only two points( /% a summoner is the target o% the spell he can get the 3ntainted merit, or the %ire leaves a scar and he still has a point o% Taint to burn o%%( "attle /agic <Challenging> This is magic created speci%ically %or %ighting( There are %ive types o% battle magic, each must be learned separately( ach type loo7s slightly di%%erent and have di%%erent side e%%ects, but all wor7 basically the same way( The mage calls up the primal essence o% an element dependant on the type o% battle magic he is using( 1 ball o% said element then %orms, %loating above the mage2s hand( The mage then throws this tiny, hard ball si;ed sphere at the target <Pro6ectile, Thrown is always used %or this>( The damage is then calculated normally& the %orces that %orm the element into a ball create a seal that deals damage when the target is struc7, and then releases the elemental power within( /% the ball misses the target it hits something close by, determined by the GM, which becomes the target %or the purpose o% the battle magic description( .amage is calculated normally, each di%%erent type o% battle magic having a di%%erent damage rating, 6ust li7e a weapon( ach type o% battle magic also has a di%%erent side#e%%ect( The %ive types are acid, electricity, %ire, water, wind( The acid battle magic ta7es the %orm o% an orb o% yellow or green li:uid, to be thrown at the target doing a base damage o% 2 points( ?hen the acid stri7es the target, it will splash on any surrounding ob6ects or creatures <creatures and ob6ects able to dodge get a dodge roll against the roll the attac7er made to hit the target>, within appro5imately two metres <about si5 %eet eight inches> plus an additional two metres per degree o% success on the attac7 roll( The acid will continue to do 2 points o% damage, plus 1 point o% damage per degree o% success on the battle magic roll, per turn %or the ensuing - turns plus 1 %urther turn per degree o% success o% the initial battle magic spell, unless washed o%%(

The electrical battle magic loo7s li7e one o% those electric orbs that will ma7e a person2s hair stand on end when it is touched( /n %act, when summoning this battle magic the casterCs hair will stand on end( /t does a base o% - points o% damage( ?hen the electricity stri7es the target, the target must ma7e a *ealth chec7 <i% the target is susceptible to electrical damage> o% Q *ealth stat plus .2! roll plus any applicably bonus versus being stunned at a di%%iculty level o% 1verage( The target gets a #2 to this roll %or every degree o% success made on the battle magic roll( /% the target passes, nothing happens, i% the target %ails, he is incapacitated %or 2 rounds plus one 1 round %or every degree o% %ailure the *ealth chec7 was %ailed by( ?hile incapacitated, the target %alls to the ground and can not do anything, e5cept breath <unless this is hindered in some other way>( This electricity is magical and can not be grounded in any mundane %ashion, though it can be dispelled( The %ire battle magic creates an orb o% red %lame which does a base o% - points o% damage when thrown at the target( ?hen the %ire stri7es the target, it will also ignite any %lammable material and heat up any metal( The damage in%licted by heated metal is 1 point per turn, and this e%%ect lasts %or L turns plus one turn per degree o% success o% the battle magic, though the damage can be averted by casting the metal aside earlier( The damage in%licted by %lammable materials catching %ire is the same as a torch, 2 points o% damage per turn o% e5posure, and the materials su%%er a similar degree o% damage( The water battle magic loo7s li7e a sphere o% swirling water( /t does a base o% 2 points o% damage( ?hen the water stri7es the target, everything within a metre <about three %eet %our inches> plus one %urther metre per degree o% success, is soa7ed( /% the target is struc7 %rom the %ront, he must ma7e a *ealth chec7, hal% *ealth stat plus .2! roll, with a #2 penalty %or every degree o% success on the battle magic spell( /% the roll was passed then nothing happened, i% the roll %ailed, then the character su%%ers 2 points o% damage as the water %loods his lungs( /% the character %ailed the %irst roll, on his ne5t turn he gets to try again( /% he passes, he stops drowning( /% he %ails, he su%%ers another 2 points o% damage and can do nothing else %or that turn( The rolls continue until either the roll is passed or the character dies( The wind battle magic loo7s li7e a cloud trapped in a soap bubble( /t does a base o% 2 points o% damage when the wind stri7es the target, and it will possibly 7noc7 everything over within about a metre and a hal% <about %ive %eet> plus another metre and a hal% per degree o% success in the battle magic spell( verything within this range gets to attempt a @ody chec7, which is Q @ody stat plus .2! roll and any applicable bonuses, with a di%%iculty level o% 1verage( There is a #2 to the roll %or every degree o% success in the battle magic( /% the roll is passed then nothing really happens <other than that which made the roll had to brace itsel% against the wind>, but i% it %ails then whatever %ailed the roll is 7noc7ed prone and must spend his ne5t turn pic7ing itsel% up <i% he can>( Create *imensional Poc#et <1verage> KnoteK Summoners can cast this spell( ?hen used with the nchant $b6ect Spell, each enchanted ob6ect is attuned to a speci%ic poc7et .imension <si;e determined at initial casting> and can only lin7 to <or manipulate> that realm( The ob6ect will never lin7 to the caster2s <or bearer2s> dimensional poc7et( This spell creates a relatively sa%e area out o% the void o% the .ar7ness( The poc7et dimension is usually in the non#sentient part o% the .ar7ness, and most do not 7now where the poc7et dimension e5ists( Those that do, and can communicate with the .ar7ness, can choose to set up their poc7et dimension so that it is where the .ar7ness is sentient( The %irst time a mage success%ully casts the spell it creates a poc7et dimension, ten %eet by ten %eet by ten %eet <one thousand cubic %eet> in si;e on a success and an additional ten %eet by ten %eet by ten %eet %or each degree o% success( The dimension contains only a standard, earth#li7e atmosphere

<hospitable to the caster> which is maintained by the 2walls2 o% the realm( The dimension can be made larger by the original caster i% he casts this spell again inside the poc7et dimension( /n order to do this the spell chec7 o% the second or subse:uent Create .imensional Poc7et spell must have enough successes to create a poc7et dimension bigger than the e5isting one( /ncrease the si;e o% the dimension to match the si;e indicated by the new casting attempt( /% the caster attempts to increase the si;e o% the dimensional poc7et and the spell %ails or gets too %ew degrees o% success to increase the realm2s si;e, nothing happens& the dimension only increases in si;e or stays the same, it will not get smaller( The creator o% a poc7et dimension can also manipulate the dimension by means o% this spell( /% he casts the spell inside his poc7et dimension he can choose to manipulate the interior o% the realm by changing it2s shape( *e can only manipulate the inner sur%ace o% the realm, and only within the volume de%ined by the spell chec7( The caster may attempt to change the shape, though not the si;e, o% the realm in this %ashion8 he can also create simple ob6ects <such as chairs and tables, or dividing walls> by e5truding the substance o% the dimension2s 2walls2 into the space a%%ected( The GM may re:uire an appropriate s7ill chec7 to create the ob6ect accurately, and such creations are limited in that they are physically %used to the outer sur%ace o% the realm and cannot be removed( 1%ter casting the spell in this %ashion, the caster has one minute, plus one additional minute per degree o% success, to direct the changes within the speci%ied volume( 1lternatively, the caster can bind another spell to the poc7et dimension in this %ashion, with the 2Create .imensional Poc7et2 spell opening the dimension2s %abric <within the designated area> to the potential o% holding magic <li7e an nchant $b6ect spell>( This %eature is most commonly used with an /llusion to provide light( This spell not only creates a poc7et dimension, but also loc7s it to the physical universe by creating a door( 1 door must be loc7ed to a physical portal <a door %rame, a window %rame, two crossing trees, a cave entrance, a hole in the wall large enough to crawl through, e(t(c(> in our world( 1 certain condition must be met to activate the door( The condition could be anything %rom a simple, almost unnoticeable action to a huge spectacle, to a speci%ic thought in mind( /% the condition is met as a person wal7s through the door they go to the poc7et dimension( 1%ter the %irst time a mage casts this spell, every time he casts it again outside the poc7et dimension he only connects another door to his dimension( To stop a door %rom being a door to a poc7et dimension the mage who created it must ma7e a success%ul Concentration chec7 o% 1verage <the dimension will remain> at the door, or physically destroy that door( /% the mage that created the poc7et dimension is still in the poc7et dimension when the last door to it is physically destroyed then he e5its the dimension at the site o% the last door, anyone else is trapped until the mage ma7es a new door( Regro(th <*ard> This spell wor7s li7e the *ealing spell, e5cept that it can reattach limbs and it has a higher chance o% giving cancer( This spell will heal one hit point plus one hit point per degree o% success( /t will also cause %reshly <within three hours> severed appendages to reattach i% the appendage is held wound to wound( /% the appendage is held the wrong way to the wound, nothing will happen, but the wound will heal and have to be re#wounded in order to reattach the appendage( There is a 1!R chance plus 1!R per degree o% success that this spell will cause cancer in the target( The chance does not carry over %rom casting to casting, so each casting is a %resh 1!R chance plus 1!R per degree o% success( Shado( &eapon<1verage> KnoteK Summoners can cast this spell This spell enables the caster to con6ure a weapon o% pure .ar7ness( 1s the mage casts the spell he

can shape it into whatever weapon he wishes <in game terms, he may describe it as he wishes and select the combat s7ill to be used with it>( This weapon must be a melee weapon, however, and cannot be shot or thrown <as it disappears the moment it leaves the caster2s hand>( The weapon %lows %orth %rom the caster, so cannot be accidentally dropped or 7noc7ed %rom the caster2s hand( $pponents must overpower the caster in a grapple be%ore attempting a disarm chec7, whereas the caster can drop the weapon at any time by succeeding on his Concentration chec7 to dismiss the spell( ?hatever the shape o% the weapon, it is magical and has a base damage o% 2( Spring Cleaning <1verage> ?hen a lot o% magic is cast in a relatively small area <li7e a lab> mystical power has a tendency o% building up, and strange things start to happen( This spell helps to prevent that %rom occurring( This spell ta7es the magical residue and solidi%ies it in the %orm o% crystals( This spell only wor7s on the magic that builds up %rom other spells, not naturally lingering magical power( This spell will ta7e a plus one %rom the area, and another plus one %or every two degrees o% success up to the ma5imum amount o% e5tra magic in an area( This spell will not ta7e %rom e5isting spell, or any odd occurrences caused by having so much built up magic in an area( 1ll the pluses are stored in the crystal to be used later( The pluses in the crystal have to be used all at once& they can not be used a little at a time( The mage casting this spell can not lose control o% the spell %or having too many successes or %ailures( This spell can drain the e5cess magic this spell may cause i% it has enough degrees o% success( Trap <Challenging> This spell causes an e5plosion o% magical energy that will harm any one who does an action that meets a certain condition( The spell does one point o% damage plus one point o% damage per degree o% success( The trap can be set to go o%% i% someone sits in a speci%ic seat, opens a speci%ic boo7, opens a speci%ic door, any condition li7e that will wor7 %or a condition o% the spell( The trap lasts until the mage cancels the spell with a success%ul Concentration chec7, the trap is triggered, or the trap is undone with the 3ndo spell( /% the trap is set to go o%% i% someone tries to cast 3ndo on it then the Trap spell goes o%% %irst( The mage must also set a condition to get around the trap( Getting around the trap in this way does not nulli%y the trap(

Psychic Po(ers
The %ollowing psychic powers have become more widely 7nown, over the last three years, partly because there are a number o% aliens with potent mental abilities who would love to see the 1lpha# .raconians loose <or have, at least, calculated that as a pre%erential outcome>( +mpathy <1verage'Challenging> 1n empathic psychic %eels the emotions o% those around him( This happens all the time( The psychic can %ocus on one target and this is when the Concentration chec7 and power chec7 comes into play( The di%%iculty %or tuning into 6ust one targetCs emotions is 1verage and will last %or thirty seconds plus thirty seconds per degree o% success( /n order to bloc7 out the emotions o% others the psychic must ma7e a Concentration chec7 and power chec7 at the di%%iculty level o% Challenging( /t will bloc7 out the emotions o% others %or one minute plus thirty seconds per degree o% success( 1n aluminium hat will also bloc7 out the emotions o% others( The hat must cover as much o% the head that would be covered by hair on an ordinary person with a %ull head o% hair(

Intuition <.i%%icult> This power will give the psychic one piece o% in%ormation he should not have about the problem he is thin7ing o%( /t could be a name o% a person connected to the problem, the location o% something important, or 6ust a new direction to loo7 in an investigation( This power can be a double edge sword, i% used to much <i% it is the only thing relied on in a game> it could turn on the psychic and start %illing his head with thousands o% %acts, relevant or not, which could drive the psychic mad( /ind 1ver /atter <1verage> This power lets the psychic satis%y his base needs %or water, %ood, and sleep with the power o% his mind( This power will only wor7 on one need per use o% power, but all three can be done over the same period o% time( $n a success%ul use o% this power the psychic will :uenched his need %or water, %ood or sleep %or %ive hours plus one hour per degree o% success( This is not tric7ing the body, it is li7e the psychic had enough to drin7, eat or had enough sleep to get by %or that long( This will not negate the e%%ects o% %atigue or insanity, the psychic will still have to rest %or an hour %or that( Psychic Shield <1verage> This power puts up a protective wall around the mind o% the psychic( /t gives the psychic a HI to ?ill chec7s vs any controlling or mind scanning e%%ect plus H 2 per degree o% success that is used against the psychic( /t lasts %or one minute plus one minute per degree o% success( This power will also bloc7 out other peopleCs emotions %or an empathic psychic( Psychic Surgery <Challenging> This power allows the psychic to per%orm surgery with his bare hands, not even a blade is needed to ma7e an incision( This will also allow internal organs and crippled limbs to repair themselves( The psychic must have either o% the two Medical s7ills at ran7 1! to use this power( 1 Medical s7ill chec7 is needed %ollowing a success%ul use o% this power, with the same results as given %or surgery in the Medicine, Modern s7ill( ### A body lay on the slab$ comatose$ at the centre of the room. The "alls themsel#es held charts detailing numerous mystical interpretations of the human body$ and a fe" scattered sigils that kept the surgery secure. The doctor stood o#er the patient as her nurse confirmed that the sedati#e had taken effect. The patient "as a mess. Multiple scars marred his body$ "here laser beams had cauterised their "ounds$ but the real damage "as deeper. Physical trauma had inflicted internal bleeding on the patient. nitially little more than a mild scratch$ the patient had ignored it as the strain forced the in(ury "ider and "ider. *o"$ fe" could help him. The doctor only hoped that she "as one of those fe". The doctor placed her hands upon the patient2s chest "hilst the nurse intoned his charms. Focusing her mind$ she sa" beyond the outer scarring$ sa" the bleeding gashes "ithin his torso. ;eaching in "ith her hands$ she began to suture them shut. 1ehind her$ the nurse began to pray. ###

/agical Items on the 2uminous /ar#et

The )uminous Mar7et has spread %ar more than magical 7nowledge8 it has also distributed a wealth o% mundane and magical items( The Mar7et rarely overcharges %or these items B only the basic cost o% the item itsel%, and occasionally a small handling %ee i% the arte%act was particularly di%%icult to ac:uire and'or transport to the pic7#up location( *owever, it is important to bear in mind that, while the )uminous Mar7et is technically an open mar7et, it operates in a %ashion more reminiscent o% a blac7 mar7et( Though the /lluminati created the )uminous Mar7et to %reely distribute goods to

those who resist the invaders, the 1lpha#.raconians don2t li7e that idea, and so have %orced the mar7et underground( Thus, 2%inding2 the )uminous Mar7et is less about 7nowing where to go than who to as7( 1 group o% people who call themselves the 2)uminous Mar7eteers2 spend most o% their time maintaining the underground lin7s that ma7e the )uminous Mar7et e%%ective( They also occasionally set up 2sales2 where anyone <apart %rom the 1lpha#.raconians> are welcome, so as to reach a wider audience( To %ind a speci%ic magical item on the )uminous Mar7et re:uires a Socialise s7ill chec7 o% 1verage( 1 basic success means that they do not have it now, but there is one in storage, come bac7 ne5t time( $r they put you in touch with someone who wants to sell the item, but you have to to meet them and ma7e the arrangements yoursel%( ?ith even one degree o% success, you have %ound someone with the item in hand( 1dditional degrees o% success mean that the person may be willing to o%%er a discount B but will li7ely want something speci%ic in return <the GM decides what>( )uminous Mar7eteers are li7ely to as7 %or relatively small tas7s that will inconvenience the invaders, or see7 to %ill the wish#list o% another customer by o%%ering the item as trade %or another, less valuable, item( They may even o%%er the item as payment i% your character agrees to train someone <possibly the )uminous Mar7eteer> in anything %rom a ran7 in a s7ill to trainable class <i% your character2s class can be taught>( $n the other hand, i% the seller is merely using the )uminous Mar7et as a convenient place to o%%load his goods the price he demands %or a discount could be virtually anything, %rom a bed %or the night to an unspeci%ied %avour to be returned later( /% you decline the o%%er you can still purchase the item at the normal price( Selling on the )uminous Mar7et is accomplished in a similar %ashion( 4ailure on the Socialise roll means that you have %ailed to %ind a buyer with a reasonable trade available, but can try again later( )uminous Mar7eteers almost ne#er re%use an o%%er, unless it is genuinely worthless or they cannot a%%ord %air payment( Success means that you %ind a %air e5change, whilst degrees o% success mean that you %ind someone willing to pay more than the base worth o% the item8 %or a price( 1gain, the cost could be almost anything <or it could simply mean that they really want that item> and you are %ree to re%use and sell the item at it2s base cost( These systems can be combined to wor7 out a system o% barter B in %act, the )uminous Mar7et is particularly accommodating o% barter, and most who %re:uent it would rather trade li7e %or li7e <or /#?ant %or Nou#?ant> than involve cash( The )uminous Mar7eteers will still accept <and e5change> currency at it2s pre#invasion values, but %or most people currency is 6ust a use%ul abstraction B they remember how much things used to be worth, and can use that 7nowledge to determine whether an o%%ered trade is %air( ?hen bartering, use one Socialise chec7 o% Challenging to %ind someone willing to trade what you want %or what you have, with e5tra degrees o% success indicating a particularly %avourable deal that will li7ely have additional conditions attached( 1s an alternative to the systems presented above, however, the players should always be permitted role play the e5change in %ull should they so desire( This may bring many other s7ills into play, %rom .ouble Tal7 <to persuade a vendor that your o%%er is more valuable than it really is> to )ore <)uminous Mar7et> <to wor7 out who to sell to>( 1lso, browsing is a common strategy( /% you %ind an item in this %ashion, you may attempt a Socialise roll o% Challenging to ac:uire a better deal B but %ailure does not ma7e the item vanish( ### /+ot spuds$ >ackets for sale60 The stall&tender2s cries cut through the smoky atmosphere of the abandoned basement$ though he "as clearly doing a roaring trade. +ot food "as$ as al"ays$ in high demand8 people cro"ded round his tiny stall as he distributed the potatoes$ roast$ baked and e#en mashed. The people returned their gratitude "ith a multitude of items$ though ra" potatoes 9or so said the sign: "ere

particularly "elcome. /Pint of "ater7 2ll gi#e yer a scoop of mash fer that. Fresh carp7 )ittle small$ you mind taking this one7 Dollars7 Drat. 4 for each roasted$ ? for baked. .i6 Watch that$ lad$ it2s cursed hot6 don2t bake me spuds in a fridge$ yer kno".0 The young boy "ho had been poking at the stall ducked his head$ embarrassed$ and faded into the cro"d that filled the room. Much "as on offer here$ but connections "ere most important. They could be called in later. The drifting scent of cooking food$ ho"e#er$ "as enough to dra" e#eryone$ sooner or later$ to the little stall "here a man sold potatoes. /5et yer spuds here60 Sitting ne!t to the potato seller sat a "oman "ho "as also doing %uite "ell. As the satisfied customers left$ hot potatoes in hand$ she let her "hisper emerge from the shado"s. /And ho" is your "ater supply today$ sir70 ###

/agic Items
These enchanted items have become :uite popular over the last three years, and are always in high demand on the )uminous Mar7et( /% your character is see7ing one o% these popular %avourites, a base success on the Socialise chec7 means that they have already sold the last o% them, but will try to reserve the ne5t one %or you <though the waiting list can :uic7ly grow very long>( Conse:uently, anyone who learns to ma7e these items could :uic7ly ma7e himsel% very popular on the )uminous Mar7et( Spell Rifle <O2I! H ?eapon Cost> This weapon shoots spells B to be speci%ic, each is enchanted with a particular %orm o% the @attle Magic spell( 1 concentration chec7 2charges2 the weapon <activating the @attle Magic spell> and pulling the trigger shoots the small sphere %rom the weapon <use Pro6ectile, 4ired rather than Pro6ectile, Thrown %or this> at the target( More e5pensive items may %eature more power%ul versions o% the spell <the above price assumes a basic success> or even multiple types o% @attle Magic spells %or the %irer to choose %rom <one per barrel is a popular choice>( The item may ta7e the %orm o% any pro6ectile weapon, and can be %ired as a normal e5ample o% it2s type i% the @attle Magic spell is uncharged( Pulling the trigger whilst the weapon is loaded and charged <mundane cartridge and charged spell> results in the spell e5ploding in the barrel( ?or7 it out as i% the weapon had ta7en a direct hit %rom the @attle Magic Spell( Pitcher of Plentiful &ater <O1I!> This item can ta7e the %orm o% any watertight container, and has a single power B it is always %ull o% clean, cool water( /% the item is open topped, the water level will typically only come to within an inch o% the top( ?hilst this might not be much o% an advantage when surrounded by the bene%its o% civilisation, when your water supply is imperilled <such as by an alien invasion> so are you( This item is actually a talisman created by Summoners, re:uiring the summoning o% a particular type o% creature( .etails o% the elemental spirits that can be used to create these talismans are also available on the )uminous Mar7et( .ellfire Rifle <O1I! H ?eapon Cost> This item is another Summoner Talisman that re:uires the summoning o% a daemon %rom hell and the Distort Talisman @onus listed later( Most Summoners are wise enough to choose a wea7 daemon, but the resultant weapons are potent all the same( 1ny pro6ectile weapon can be enchanted in this %ashion( The Talisman channels the %ree;ing %ires o% hell through the pro6ectile when it is %ired, adding three points to the weapon2s damage rating( 3n%ortunately, the pro6ectile su%%ers two points o% damage as a result, almost certainly destroying the pro6ectile and reducing it2s damage rating by one, to a minimum o% ;ero( This gives a total net increase o% 2 damage points, unless the target is immune to either mundane pro6ectiles or *ell%ire( 9on#lethal weapons with light

ammunition, such as air ri%les and paint#ball guns, are the most commonly enchanted in this %ashion& such weapons loose the non#lethal rule and their own damage rating, resulting in a blast o%, nearly, pure *ell%ire with a base damage rating o% three( "oo# of Shared Intelligence <O1I!! per boo7> These items come in sets( 1nyone can record observations and other details in one o% these, and the record will instantly be available to all o% the boo7s in the set( /t re:uires a Concentration chec7 o% average to %ind a speci%ic report in the boo7( These items allow spies and scouts to share and %ile their observations without returning to base, and are also employed by the )uminous Mar7et to trac7 it2s stoc7s o% items( Sometimes these boo7s are enchanted with the /mproved 3se variation, which causes the reports to be presented in e5cellent handwriting8 otherwise the original handwriting is presented(

/undane rmoury
The desperate survivors will use anything they can, not merely magic, to survive and bloody the metaphorical nose o% the invaders( The %ollowing items are given as an e5ample, a small selection o% the many items used to inconvenience the 1lpha#.raconian 2masters2 o% the planet( ir Rifle <OI!> This weapon shoots tiny pellets that in%lict little physical damage but are e5cellent %or target practice( 1s it is possible to carry several hundred pellets in a tin a scant %ew inches wide, these weapons <and their pellets> are popular targets %or a number o% enhancing enchantments which can combine to ma7e this humble technology superior to any military ri%le( 1 typical air ri%le has a .amage rating o% I <a typical air pistol has a .amage rating o% L> and the *on&)ethal special rule& 'on-2ethal6 1 weapon with the non#lethal rule does not in%lict as much damage as a normal weapon o% it2s type( Calculate damage normally, but then apply that damage as hurt points rather than hit points( 2ight rmour<varies> 1gainst the might o% the 1lpha#.raconian weapons there are %ew, entirely e%%ective, %orms o% protection( 1s a result, the past three years have led many to adopt light armours, which blunt rather than absorb incoming attac7s( )ight armour has a rating, li7e conventional armour, which is the number o% hit points it can blunt %rom any single attac7( Reduce the number o% hit points o% damage done by an attac7 by this number <to a minimum o% ;ero>, i% light armour is interposed <obviously, i% the light armour only covers your torso, it won2t do you any good when you get shot in the head>, and then apply that number o% hurt points to the protected individual( 1gainst 9on#lethal attac7s B those which in%lict hurt points anyway B light armour wor7s in the same %ashion as normal armour, allowing the wearer to ignore a number o% hurt points e:ual to it2s rating( )ight armour is readily improvised, which partly accounts %or it2s popularity, but high :uality e5amples will generally sell %or O1! per point o% rating( ### Tim settled the padded chest plate o#er his shoulders$ resting it comfortably before he began his "ork. +e held an enchanted staff in hand$ and though he did not use it$ it2s magic flo"ed through his frame$ empo"ering him. Tim took a deep breath$ and began to sing. Po"er flo"ed through his #eins. Po"er flo"ed through

his ner#es. Po"er flo"ed through his breath$ echoed in his lungs and trembled in his song. Po"er settled in the padded chest plate$ resting comfortably upon it2s frame and opening it2s substance to the flo"s of magic. The timbre of Tim2s song changed$ then$ after the minutes had seen his success. +e sang of protection$ of defence. +e sang of bullets deflected$ of threats defused. +e sang of foes in #ain$ of safety granted$ and of the armour "rapped around a shielded form. Po"erful "ords$ they rang "ith magic$ magic that slid do"n the paths pro#ided by his po"er to infuse the #ery substance of the padding. As Tim2s #oice rose into a beautiful crescendo$ the magic "arped and settled$ "rapping Tim in the translucent shield of a bulletproof spell. Satisfied "ith his result$ Tim dismissed the shield 9"hich collapsed back into the padding: before remo#ing the padded chest plate and sto"ing it in a cardboard crate. The top bore a singular legend: /Tim the @nchanter: Fiery Magic ndeed60 1elo" that Tim added a further note: /Padded armour "ith supplementary shielding. 3omplete protection *.T guaranteed. t al"ays pays to be careful.0 t al"ays pays to be profitable$ too. ###

rmoury of Super Science

/t is not 6ust mundane tools and magical wonders that the human de%enders o% arth have deployed in their struggle to inconvenience the 1lpha#.raconians( The /lluminati also have access to storehouses o% technological treasures, as did several pre#invasion organisations whose ruins have since been plundered( These are the product o% cutting edge super#science( Most o% it had been developed by a number o% corporations prior to the /nvasion, who were competing with each other to ma7e the technology practical %or mass#production( $% course, the practicalities o% the post# invasion world are rather di%%erent( ?ith that in mind, the %ollowing devices are available to the de%enders o% arth( Psychic +nhancer <O2!!! # OM!!! without power source> Psychic enhancers raise psychic abilities( They give either H2, HL, HG, or HM <1.L times two> to all psychic power chec7s <not Concentration chec7s, also does not help with %atigue or madness rolls> and will cost about O1!!! times the bonus it gives <without a source o% power>( These enhancers usually loo7 li7e a blue tooth headset %or a cell phone <older versions loo7ed li7e head phones>, they need to be worn on the head, pre%erably near the ear( ?hile these enhancers are relatively ine5pensive they tend to be hard to come by since they were usually only available through high tech powers <military, a hand%ul o% secret societies, and large organi;ed crime syndicates>, but then again, almost anything can be %ound on the )uminous Mar7et( They are also hard to power, re:uiring magically enhanced batteries or micro cold %usion batteries to handle the energy needed to run the enhancers( Shot of 'ano!ots <OI!!,!!!> These microscopic robots will repair the body into which they are in6ected, and will wor7 to restore that body to the state it should have been in be%ore any ma6or poisoning, drugging or in6ury( 1%ter healing the sub6ect2s body, however, they burn themselves out, ma7ing this technology a one#shot( 2aser Rifle <OI!,!!!> This weapon has a base damage rating o% -, but does not re:uire ammunition( /t contains an cold %usion generator that e5ploits advanced <to human understanding> physics to generate the power that the weapon re:uires( Theoretically it could run down, but that would ta7e centuries, and it is simple to replace( *owever, the generator ta7es a %ull minute to produce enough energy %or a shot, and the internal

power cell can only store a ma5imum o% G! shots o% power( This limitation has been deliberately built in, as %iring the weapon any more %re:uently would almost certainly result in the weapon overheating and burning out( 1 pistol based on the same technology is also available, with a damage rating o% 2 and a power cell capable o% holding only -! shots( These weapons generally also incorporate targeting technology that improves the user2s Pro6ectile, 4ired s7ill by 1( Cy!ernetics These are basic cybernetic enhancements that are reasonably easy to %ind on the )uminous Mar7et( These are also the version most player characters will be able to get in the bac7 streets and goblin mar7et <unless you want goblin magitech, which could have worse penalties>( 1t %our times the cost it is possible to get, though di%%icult to %ind, cybernetics that lac7 the penalties( Replacement lim!s <O1!!,!!!> @onus Replaces a lost limb( These cybernetic components are designed to replace missing limbs as closely as possible to the limb missing( The new limb loo7s and %eels completely natural and even gives the recipient a sense o% %eeling, though it is dulled( /% the limb is damaged it ta7es 2 or - points o% damage %or the bearer to actually notice the pain( Penalty Since these limbs are meant to be replacements they seem to have very limited penalties as well( The only common %law is that the sense o% %eeling is dulled, li7e touching things through a oven mitt( +nhanced .earing <OI!,!!!> @onus This enhancement allows the recipient to hear up to three times better than a human normally could( Can be turned to normal hearing( Penalty Sudden loud noises will cause pain to the recipient( They will be da;ed and unable to react %or 1.L turns( See in 1ther Spectrums of 2ight <O1!!,!!!> @onus This enhancement allows the recipient to change the spectrum o% light he is loo7ing in <near in%ra# red, heat sight, e(t(c(>( Penalty /t ta7es a turn to switch %rom one spectrum to another, and this leaves the recipient blind %or a turn as he changes spectrums( S#ill Slots7 S#ill Chips <OL!!,!!!> @onus This implant allows the recipient to insert s7ill chips which contain s7ills at certain ran7s <1.2! divided by 2, round up, is a good rule o% thumb> which the recipient can now use as i% he 7new it all along( Penalty The implanting o% the S7ill Slot is dangerous( There is a I!R chance o% causing brain damage and

memory loss( /% this happens, divide the characters Mind stat in hal% and ta7e away 1! points o% s7ill ran7s he had, as well as %orgetting most o% his past( S7ill chips will still wor7 when inserted( 1lso, S7ill Chips will give you a prede%ined ran7 in it2s s7ill( /% you already possess a higher ran7 in that s7ill, there%ore, your e%%ective ran7 will be lowered( ### t "as ne". t "as shiny. t "as M *@6 The laser rifle lay on my bed$ gleaming in the dull light as gloated o#er my ne" ac%uisition. t had taken me a year of hard bargaining to ac%uire$ but at last$ it "as mine6 Slo"ly ran my hands o#er the "eapon$ re#elling in the feel of the smooth metal finish$ mar#elling at the "ay the sights automatically aligned themsel#es$ and smiling to think ho" "onderful it "ould be "ith a fe" "ell&chosen spells. t "as a perfect moment. So$ of course$ they had to ruin it. The sirens "ere my first "arning$ old air&raid "hines rising into the night2s sky amidst horn calls and the shouts of the lookouts. Anfortunately "as on guard duty that night$ so pulled my padding out of the cupboard and armed myself$ snatching the laser and checking my guards2 bracelet. slung a backpack$ pre&packed "ith essentials$ onto my back and buckled on my s"ord as a last resort. My old sidearm had gifted to my nephe"$ and sorely felt it2s absence no"$ but there "as no time for last regrets. departed for my post$ s"iftly passing my family 9"ho ordered me to return ali#e: and crossing the #illage in little time. took up station manning a machine gun nest "ith an old friend$ "ho greeted me "ith a nod as he scanned the bleak hori'on "ith binoculars. The aliens probably thought they2d get the ad#antage if they attacked at night$ our 2primiti#e technology2 not being up to the task of night fighting. t "as true that their night&#ision gadgets "ere better$ but could see "ell enough$ and "e had a fe" other tricks up our slee#es. /Four hundred yards out$0 my companion "hispered as he pointed$ /on the ground$0 /Four hundred yards$0 replied$ letting loose "ith a trail of bullets. kne" the ground "ell enough that did not need to see my targets. could picture the scene "ell enough - they2d let themsel#es be caught in a narro" dip$ "here the confluence of three hills constrained tra#el. t "as like shooting fish in a barrel at the best of times$ and couldn2t help but "onder ho" they "ere taking it. /.ne do"n$ the rest are airborne$0 my colleague "hispered$ and raised the barrel accordingly. /Another one dropping$ looks like you killed it2s "ing$0 he added as an e!plosion sounded on the other side of the #illage. Alpha&Draconians had reached the "all there$ and "ere trying to get the upper hand. /*ot long no"$0 muttered$ and my companion shook his head as the machine gun (ammed. Again. /"e should get that thing blessed$0 he commented as s"ore$ reaching for my ne" laser. Turning it on the encroaching aliens got a nasty shock. The scope re#ealed ten of them$ flying in formation strait to"ards me. The strain in their faces did nothing to make me feel more comfortable about taking them on$ so pulled the trigger. +iss$ 3;A3B6 The laser struck my target a po"erful blo"$ cutting into it2s "ing and forcing it out of the air. The remaining in#aders closed formation as selected a ne" target andC +iss$ 3;A3B6 The laser gouged into the shoulder of the leader "ho fle" on regardless$ snarling. t "as then that realised they "ere close. My ne" scope "asn2t magnifying them. My comrade2s shotgun barked as looked up$ blasting another li'ard out of the air as they tried to gain the "all. fired myself$ car#ing cauterised "ounds into my enemies$ but only had so many shots. The snarling leader knocked me o#er the edge$ breaking a couple of bones$ but as lay there realised that the alarms had faded$ and a moment later recei#ed silent confirmation through my bracelet. They were out( The scarred leader launched himself from the "all$ gliding to"ards me "ith the slo" malice of a

merciless #ictor. smiled at him$ and focused my thought upon the guards2 bracelet. Whereupon$ the thing "orking$ #anished entirely. ###

Changes to "onuses and Penalties

The 1lpha#.raconian /nvasion shattered human society, and in the a%termath some @onuses and Penalties no longer mean the same as they once did( /n particular, no#one wor7s a regular, +#I 6ob and pulls in a steady wage any more8 though most must still devote a portion o% each day to the basic tas7 o% ensuring they survive to die another day( Rules that grant the character a boost or reduction to their regular income no longer apply <as they have no regular income>, though your GM may allow you to ta7e these bonuses to represent particularly strong connections on the )uminous Mar7et <useless i% you have nothing to sell, otherwise gain a bonus to all Socialise rolls on the )uminous Mar7et e:ual to the cost o% the bonus>8 Penalties may li7ewise represent reasons your character is shunned in the mar7etplace <perhaps you got caught o%%ering a dodgy deal, or are 6ust plain unsociable>, ma7ing it di%%icult to %ind buyers <or sellers>( $ther changes are listed below&

ltered "onuses6 .appy .ome 1(ner<1 point> 0ery %ew people are still paying o%% old debts %rom be%ore the /nvasion to %inancial institutions that were destroyed by the /nvasion8 so having a place to call your own does little to boost your income( /nstead, this bonus represents the %act that you possess a relatively secure living space <perhaps in a poc7et dimension>, to which you can retreat when it all becomes to much( Nou reduce the di%%iculty o% the Concentration chec7 to learn a new power by one degree B i% the chec7 would otherwise be asy <li7ely i% you remain isolated in your 2secure2 haven> you pass it automatically(
2i!rary<- points> Nou need somewhere to store this bonus, such as an enchanted item that acts as a library, an e# reader with space %or hundreds o% boo7s or the 2+appy +ome ."ner2 @onus( /% you do not possess one o% the above three prere:uisites, but do have a )ibrary bonus, you are considered to have a library waiting somewhere( Nou cannot use it, there%ore, until you meet one o% the prere:uisites8 at which point the bonus %unctions normally( Parents 8no(<2 points> 9o longer applies( veryone 7nows( /ore /oney<various> 9o longer applies( See above(

'e( "onuses6
*istort Talisman<2 points, Summoners only> This @onus allows Summoners to a%%ect mild changes to the Talismans they can create( 1t this level, they can alter basic, unspeci%ied details <such as whether the power they put into the Talisman a%%ects the Talisman or it2s bearer> as determined by the GM( *e cannot alter the base power, only it2s e5pression( *e can also buy variations, as %or the nchant $b6ect spell, %or a number o% ,P e:ual to the increase in di%%iculty level H 1 <minimum 1>8 and then apply these variations to the Talismans he creates( /% he chooses to apply a variation to a Talisman it wor7s 6ust li7e a variant nchanted $b6ect, and the increases to di%%iculty levels applies as a penalty to all rolls to create the Talisman <such as the will roll to put power in the item, and the battle o% wills to prevent the creature cursing it>(

2esser lchemy<- points, re:uires the s7ills o% Magic and )ore<1lchemy>, both at I ran7s> 1nyone can concoct a basic alchemical %ormula B it is simply a matter o% %ollowing the recipe( The Jombie spell is an e5ample o% alchemy that has become common outside the %ield, but most alchemical %ormulas need to be altered according to the circumstance( This bonus indicates that the bearer has some understanding o% the processes o% alchemy, which allows him to utilise these more advanced %ormulas( *is understanding is su%%icient to allow him to utilise non#speci%ic %ormulas, some o% which are mentioned below, and to manipulate alchemical events to some degree( *e must still learn and cast each alchemical %ormula as a separate 2spell2, li7e the Jombie 2spell2, but can attempt more advanced %ormulae which re:uire a degree o% tuning or control( The greatest results o% 1lchemy are still ;ealously guarded by the %ew 24ull2 alchemists on the planet, but one with )esser 1lchemy can still change the world with his arts( Garden<2 points, re:uires +appy +ome ."ner> Nou have a sa%e place where you grow a %ew plants( These can be herbs, providing ingredients %or uses o% the Medicine, *olistic s7ill, alchemy, spells and similar cra%ts8 vegetables which ma7e %eeding onesel% easier, perhaps a poultry coop supplying eggs <and a little grain to %eed them> or a host o% other options( Get creative( ?hatever you choose, there should be enough space %or several things <depending on si;e>, and you won2t have to hunt'%orage'search %or the things you grow( ?hich gives you more %ree time %or other stu%%( Cosmetic Improvisation<2 points, spell casters only> The 1lpha#.raconians are attempting to catalogue, and prepare counters to, all o% humanities varied supernatural abilities8 and with this bonus, you can ma7e it that much harder %or them( @e%ore casting a spell you can ta7e a Magic s7ill chec7, with a di%%iculty e:ual to the spell being attempted, to alter it2s appearance( /% you %ail the Magic chec7, you may choose whether to attempt the spell <but it mani%ests unaltered i% you do>( Nou may alter the cosmetic, but not the mechanical, e%%ects o% the spell( 4or instance, you could choose to mani%est a @attle Magic spell as a spray o% spectral bullets <%orged %rom the elemental energy, but still using Pro6ectile, Thrown> or call down the bolt %rom the s7ies above( Similarly, using the teleport spell, you could choose to vanish in a cloud o% smo7e or a spray o% spar7s rather than simply disappearing( 1ny number o% cosmetic %eatures can be added or removed, but the spell2s actual e%%ects remain unaltered(

'e( Penalties6
Genetically Tamed<- points %or Psychics, 2 points %or everyone else> The 1lpha#.raconians use their 7nowledge o% genetics to 7eep con:uered populations docile, by engineering their genetic structure to eliminate strong wills( This has not wor7ed :uite as well on arth as on previous planets, mostly because the 1lpha#.raconians have yet to reach the stage o% con:uest at which they can actually %orcibly apply the procedure to a cowed populace, and partly because the procedure needs to be tailored to the genetic template o% a given species to have %ull e%%ect( ?ith this penalty, however, your character has been an early 2prototype2& the 1lpha#.raconians captured you and engineered docility into your .91, and either let you go or %ailed to prevent your escape( Though the result has not been proved :uite as complete as the invaders2 had hoped, your %orce o% will has been substantially wea7ened B every time you ma7e a roll based on will, you must roll twice and accept the lower roll( ### We sat in our garden$ upon a bench under the trellis$ and breathed in the clear$ cool air. An enchanted portal o#erhead let the sunlight stream in$ illuminating my belo#ed Moyra casting her

blessing upon our crop. Sparks trailed from her hands as she in#oked blessings upon their fruitful gro"th$ forming images of abundant plant&life as they danced$ and spluttered out on the ground. Tinkling laughter echoed as the sparks faded$ shaking the plants as the spell took effect. She smiled$ and it "as a beauty to behold. 1ut then$ thought$ Moyra had al"ays been beautiful. /We "ill eat$ then$ My lo#e.0 asserted as her e!ertions ended$ and she laughed. +er laughter echoed "ithin the confines of our safe ha#en$ and felt uplifted by our good fortune. +ere in our safe ha#en$ all manner of "onders seemed possible. At our feet$ a glorious garden bloomed$ safe from the horrors of the "orld. At it2s core a fountain bubbled a"ay - my o"n contribution$ it ne#er ran dry - a gentle background music that ne#er faded. 1ehind us "ooden "alls formed a fe" small rooms - store$ "orkshop and bedroom - cloistered a"ay from the "oes of the "orld. /We "ill not star#e$ My dear$ for as long as am able to tend our little garden here.0 she replied as her laughter faded into echoes$ / thank merciful Mother *ature for the one "ho de#ised that little "orking.0 She snuggled into my side$ stretching an arm around my back. .f all the people kne"$ she "as the only one "ho "as not put off by my presence. She had ne#er %uailed at the feel of my chilling aura 9indeed$ she claimed that it felt %uite comforting: or flinched at the sight of the scars left by my first little dalliance "ith hellfire. .f course$ Moyra had been there before the scars$ before the chilling aura$ but so had many others. As she guided me through the steps of grasping some little fragment of the strength that came so easily to her$ she had stayed "ith me. We both kne" that there "ere things that she could do$ skills that "ould ne#er master despite her patience. Det "hen de#eloped skills fore#er denied to her$ her praise "as "arm and genuine. n a "orld of horrors$ man had fe" friends. All had$ "as Moyra. ###

'e( lchemical 0ormulae

The %ollowing 1lchemical %ormulae can be learnt by anyone, even mundane humans, as spells8 provided they have at least 1 ran7 in the Magic s7ill( Some have the )esser Alchemy @onus as a prere:uisite B these %ormulae contain ingredients or processes that must be varied according to the circumstance, so a signi%icant degree o% alchemical understanding is re:uired <%ull 1lchemists may ignore this prere:uisite>( lchemist In# <1verage> This %ormula produces an iridescent li:uid that shimmers with colours that change %rom moment to moment, but are commonly metallic( The precise colour o% the li:uid at any one moment depends upon a %ew environmental %actors, such as the time, but mostly upon who made it and who is loo7ing at it( This li:uid can be used as an in7, to write upon paper or s7in with a suitable implement, in which case the person who writes adds a third dimension to the %inal appearance o% the in7( 1 single success creates enough in7 to %ill a single sheet o% 1L paper with writing, and each degree o% success creates enough in7 %or one %urther page( /% in7ed upon living s7in, the mar7 is permanent until the one so mar7ed wills it away with a Concentration chec7 o% 1verage( /n addition, a character with the )esser Alchemy @onus may learn speci%ic tattoos that grant power upon the mar7ed individuals( These cannot simply be copied& the must be drawn in the correct order and re:uire an appropriate 1rts chec7 with the di%%iculty indicated below( 4ailure creates a simple tattoo as detailed above, success creates a tattoo with the powers indicated( Nou may attempt to create one empowered tattoo with the in7 re:uired to cover an 1L page with writing( )esser Alchemist2s Mark <Challenging> The bearer o% this tattoo may swear a promise 2on his mar72, which causes a distinctive ripple in the

mar7 <identi%iable with a success%ul Push the 1oundaries test o% asy8 or a )ore <1lchemy> test o% 1verage, i% the observer 7nows what to loo7 %or> and binds the bearer to his promise, as i% he had cast a @ind to Nour ?ord spell( The conse:uence o% deliberately brea7ing a promise thus sworn is always the same B the Mar7 releases a magically tailored poison into the oath brea7er2s bloodstream, 7illing him within a wee7( $ther parties to the promise will be aware i% the bearer brea7s his promise <as in the @ind to Nour ?ord spell> but cannot be bound by the Mar7 in return( The bearer cannot will away his Mar7 while it still binds him to any promise, and an attempt to remove it by any other means will count as brea7ing the promise <releasing the poison>( There is no cure or inoculation 7nown that will save the bearer %rom the poison, it is mystically calibrated to 7ill the bearer <only> in a wee7, regardless o% any other concerns( nsight <Challenging> This tattoo gives a one#time bonus to the use o% any s7ill with Mind as the applicable stat( The inscribed creature wills away the tattoo and he gains a bonus to the ne5t use o% an applicable s7ill, provided that use begins within 1 minute( The bonus gained is e:ual to one plus one per degree o% success in the creation o% the tattoo( $nly one tattoo can be used at a time <one per s7ill use>, though a person can have as many insight tattoos as can %it on his body( 2ove Potion <1verage> This potion ma7es the imbiber %all in love with the %irst member o% the gender that the imbiber is attracted to( /t lasts %or a wee7 per degree o% success( The power o% the love is determined by the amount o% successes made while ma7ing the potion( Sust a success is a mild attraction, two degrees o% success ma7es the imbiber %eel it must be true love, %ive degrees o% success creates a dangerous obsession( /% the creator o% this potion possess the )esser Alchemy @onus and wishes to limit the power o% the potion <set a ma5imum on the number o% degrees o% success>, he can do so i% he ma7es a Concentration chec7 o% Challenging be%ore beginning the process( Salve of Good .ealth <Challenging> This potion wor7s only on e5ternal in6uries and is useless on internal in6uries( This salve must be applied to the wound and heals one point o% damage plus one point per degree o% success to the wound it is applied to( There is no ris7 o% cancer %or the salve(

2esser lchemical 0ormulae

The %ollowing %ormulae can only be made by one with the )esser Alchemy @onus, and %ull alchemists( Cure-all Potion <Challenging> This potion cures ailments such as colds, %evers, up to pneumonia( /t can also alleviate chronic ailments such as arthritis %or a wee7 plus one wee7 per degree o% success( This potion must be made %or a speci%ic person and re:uires a drop o% his blood to ma7e( 0ire-&ater <Challenging> This potion grants the imbiber the ability to spout %ire li7e a dragon( 1t any point in the ne5t hour, the imbiber can choose to spout %lame with a simple e5halation( The %ire bursts into e5istence about an inch %rom the user2s lips, and pro6ects a sheet o% %lame about I %eet <1(I metres> long that does %our points o% damage to those caught in it( 4lammable ob6ects then catch %ire, ta7ing - points o% damage per turn <anything in contact with them li7ewise ta7es three points o% damage a turn> until manually e5tinguished( The user can spout %ire once, plus an additional number o% times e:ual to the degrees o% success the alchemist got when ma7ing the potion( /%, a%ter one hour has passed, the imbiber still has uses le%t, the %ire e5plodes %rom within8 in%licting a number o% hit points o% damage <protection short o% complete immunity to %ire does not apply> e:ual to the number o% unused %ire blasts remaining(

### A ma'e of glass"are bubbled and burbled$ interesting colours sliding along tubes and glo"ing "ith fluorescent #ibrance. n front of the ma'e$ ho"e#er$ stood a chalkboard that blocked most of the #ie". The pungent aroma that drifted past the board to"ards the class did not originate from the tutor standing ne!t to the board$ as some students had suggested$ but stemmed instead from the fact that alchemy is a pungent profession. That is to say$ you cannot do it "ithout raising a stink. A ro" of plain "ooden desks sat in front of the blackboard$ and se#en prospecti#e apprentices sat in them. There had been ten$ but three of them could not be bothered to complete the training and had left "ithout e#en a basic recipe to sho" for it. The remaining se#en could claim more than that$ at least. /Well done$ my students$0 the teacher spoke to them %uietly$ so they had to pay attention to hear anything from him$ /Dour samples of balm pass the test$ they are alchemically acti#e$ and they heal as re%uired. *ot the most potent healing in the "orld today$ but more than ade%uate for ne" apprentices. f you "ould turn to the board$ ho"e#er$ ha#e prepared the recipe for another potion you may find useful.0 Most of the students opened their books$ preparing to copy the formula as the tutor e!plained it in plain @nglish. Though he "as a master of alchemy$ the #ery secrets he had learned pre#ented him from passing them on in their preferred format. .r at all$ in some cases. .ne student spoke up instead. /Why$ sir7 thought you "ere to be teaching us alchemy$ not formulas for lining your pockets.0 Silence descended$ punctuated by the burbling of the master2s apparatus$ as that master turned to the speaker. / t is true that$ contrary to popular belief$ Alchemists2 pockets are al"ays in need of lining.0 he said$ /1ut it is not my pockets that am thinking of. Dou "ill need some ser#ice that allo"s for basic subsistence before you can practice anything else. Dou must also possess kno"ledge of multiple formulas before can sho" you the underlying principles that are common to alchemical processes$ the links that form a recipe. t is far faster to "ork from your o"n kno"ledge in this fashion$ than to attempt to impose alchemical theory first$ and then turn it into a "orking potion. Dou do not ha#e the time to "aste$ young one$ so suggest you focus on the formula before you$ and lea#e the theory to later. .nce you are ready to understand the lesser alchemical secrets$ shall not hold them back from you. shall not restrain you from pro#ing your "orth of the mark$ and shall not hesitate to induct you into the deepest depths of alchemy once you pro#e ready.0 3hastised$ the class turned to the board once more$ and their tutor began to teach them to the accompaniment of his gurgling glass"are. ###

.uman Strongholds
Some o% you may be wondering by this point where all the humans are hiding( ?hat does a typical human base loo7 li7e, and how can it hold o%% the aliens= There is no one single answer to this :uestion B your characters can settle anywhere they might wish( 1mongst the survivors, however, there are three popular choices( Some choose to become nomadic, always on the move, o%ten using some %orm o% portable shelter <anything %rom a covered hummoc7 to an enchanted caravan>( $thers pre%er a semi#nomadic li%estyle, moving %re:uently between more permanent accommodations to stay one step ahead o% the 1lpha#.raconians( Such accommodations are usually based on pre# invasion structures, %orti%ied to resist the aggression o% a casual interloper and slow down an invader, and possessing several secure escape routes( Semi#nomadic survivors usually 7eep portable shelters %or use when moving between locations, and o%ten team up with others to maintain such shelters( There are also those who <possessing the +appy +ome ."ner @onus> manage to maintain a permanent home( These are usually hidden B in parallel dimensions, behind spells o% various types

or simply underground B so that the invaders cannot easily %ind them, though some may simply be so well de%ended that the 1lpha#.raconians do not dare attac7( Net( The large human cities have all been largely abandoned, due to 1lpha#.raconian attac7s, but some semi#nomadic communities have %orti%ied their cities and move regularly "ithin those cities <large cities covering hundreds o% s:uare miles>( $ther, smaller communities have survived better, though the inhabitants must be ready to %lee at any time( Some villages and hamlets <some pre#dating the invasion, some newer> have %ormed into groups B when one is attac7ed, the population scatters amongst the others <with the de%ences o% each building, and the village as a whole, slowing the attac7ers long enough %or the humans to get away>( That way there is usually one empty at any one time, though the inhabitants move regularly between them( $ver the past - years, however, poc7et dimensions have become e5tremely popular, and by using Gate spells <or enchanting the poc7et dimensions with the Create .imensional Poc7et spell> it is possible to lin7 several such dimensional poc7ets together B creating a city o% separate poc7ets( 9ot everyone can cast the spell, however, so magic items enchanted with the Create .imensional Poc7et spell have become very popular( Poc7et realms are not arth, however, and i% everyone retreated into them, that would mean giving the planet up to the invaders, which %ew approve o%( There are not, there%ore, many human strongholds B which is why the 1lpha#.raconians have had such trouble destroying the centres o% resistance( The resistance is greatly, and deliberately, decentralised( ### The To"ers "ere burning. The "alls "ere ragged and ripped. The tunnels had been blocked$ all 4< of them$ and death fle" to"ards the bedraggled sur#i#ors on reptilian "ings. /We must surrender$0 begged one of the sur#i#ors. n a former age$ his robes "ould probably ha#e suggested "ealth and po"er$ though no" they "ere as ragged as the rubble surrounding him. / f "e gi#e oursel#es up$ they may be merciful$0 /*o$0 From the shado"s of a ruined ally a stranger emerged. All of the sur#i#ors felt the cruel emanations from the man$ "rapped in a black leather greatcoat. +is eyes$ under the brim of his pointed hat$ glimmered "ith unseen flames$ much like the putrid green that t"isted from the top of his ebony staff. The o#erall effect "as some"hat nauseating. /They do not accept surrender as readily as they might. Dou "ill find it difficult to communicate your desire to do so before they kill you. @#en then$ they are most likely to destroy you any"ay$ and that "ill be the greatest mercy you can e!pect. They need sla#es to maintain "hat passes for an economy amongst their kind$ to do the tasks that they "ould not stoop to attempt themsel#es$ and they dri#e those sla#es mercilessly. .nce they ha#e stolen your "ill to resist$ they "ill "ork you to death by the most e!pedient means possible. There can be no understanding that "ay$ only torment and death.0 Silence co#ered the group as the stranger glared$ and the enemy glided e#er closer. +e stabbed an accusing finger at the timid man. /Seek that fate if you "ish$ but do not drag the rest of us do"n "ith you. am here to fight$ and if my fate is sealed$ then at least might claim a death of my o"n choice$ not the callous "him of some alien o#erseer.0 The sur#i#or dressed in the ragged remnants of po"er and "ealth looked for support amongst his fello"s and$ finding none$ staggered off to beg the attackers for mercy. As they toyed "ith him$ the dark stranger turned to the remainder. /Prepare yoursel#es$ those that can. f you2#e any spells$ any "eapons$ anything at all$ prepare them. May this be your finest hour$ a glorious last stand "orthy of the greatest of songs$ "hether any sur#i#e to sing them or not. The prospects are bleak: these foul beings ha#e spread darkness across the gala!y - they2re practised at it - but they cannot pollute your hearts unless you freely hand them o#er.0

The ragged band had formed up by no"$ "eapons pointed in e#ery direction and the #aluable 9but #ulnerable: casters protected in the centre. As the first shots "ere e!changed$ the dark stranger "as heard to #oice his cry: /For Death or 5lory60 ###

Chapter 9 The G/%s Section

This chapter will contain the e5tra in%ormation that GMCs will need to 7now( /t will include the details on what really caused the /lluminati intervention, what the 1lpha#.raconians are up to and additional <all be it very basic> in%ormation the players should not be aware o%( The bac7ground in%ormation is 7ept basic so that the GM can %iddle with the setting as much as they wish( /% any o% the bac7ground details %rom the earlier chapters do not %it with the game you wish to run, then change it but T@)) D.A; P)AD@;S6 /%, on the other hand, you wish to meddle with the bac7ground presented in this chapter, %eel %ree to 7eep it to yoursel% and, i% your players have read this bit and go on to ma7e decisions based on %alse in%ormation, more %ool them %or %orgetting the most important thing about this chapter& that This is for the GMs eyes only!!! ### An orb of blue and green$ shrouded in "hite$ hung in space. A copy hung o#er the pro(ector$ around "hich se#eral grey beings "orked. They tra"led the depths of their kno"ledge and databases$ they ran pro(ections and calculated #ariables. .ne of their number "atched the planet belo"$ but it mattered little. The creatures "orked "ith one mind$ and if one of them sa" the planet$ all of them sa" it. The final data "as entered$ and they stepped back. The pro(ection flickered as the computer collated the inputs and e!trapolated the possibilities. The grey creatures "atched "ith mute patience$ "hilst their communal mind held it2s metaphorical breath. Finally though$ the pro(ection stabilised$ and the computer pro(ected a telepathic monotone: /+uman Defeat ne#itable. Ma!imum @ndurance: *ine Months.0 The mind did not need to turn to the fragment "atching the planet to kno" that the computer "as mistaken. *ine months had been and gone long ago$ yet still the human resistance thri#ed. The %uestion that ta!ed the mental capacity of this communal mind "as: "hy7 There must be some other factor that "e ha#e missed$ it thought to itself$ some #ariable absent from our calculations$ but "hat7 What could account for such a large difference7 A multiplier might$ if it "ere properly focused$ or perhaps there is more than one factor to find7 +o" could "e ha#e missed it7 We must ha#e done$ but ho"7 s there a #ariable that "e should not ha#e dismissed$ are our calculations accurate7 We must kno" ho" they ha#e endured the Alpha&Draconian n#asion thus far. We Must Bno"6 ###

&hat .as Really "een Going 1n)

The 1lpha#.raconians do not really 7now where they come %rom, not any more( They claim to be %rom arth, %or reasons lost in history, but do not 7now the truth o% that myth any more than the rest o% us( Many 1lpha#.raconians %ear to discover that they are not actually %rom arth <though they would never admit it, even to themselves>, and so pre%er to stay away %rom the planet( The one 7nown as the 21lpha#.raconian leader2 is actually only a minor general( *e managed to wor7 his way up to command o% a relatively small army <that race dividing all it2s members into armies as a combined political and military structure> :uite swi%tly( .irect attac7s on arth have to deal with interception %rom a number o% alien races that, %or their own <highly varied> reasons, do not wish such an attac7 to ta7e place( 1%ter assembling his army aboard their transports, this minor general managed to wheedle several other generals into brie%ly distracting and pinning down various military elements o% those races that would otherwise bloc7 his route to arth( *e planned to roc7et to the top by claiming the greatest victory o% the 1lpha#.raconian race B the con:uest o% their

beloved homeland, and the %oul apes that too7 it %rom them( ?ith the other aliens out o% the way, it should have been easy( 1%ter all, these 2%oul apes2 are rather %eeble creatures in the grand scheme o% things((( 3n%ortunately %or this general, he had underestimated the tenacity o% the human race( They did not immediately capitulate when they saw the superior might o% the 1lpha#.raconian army( The military %orce possessed o% his single, minor 1lpha#.raconian army is insu%%icient to directly control an entire planet8 there simply are not enough soldiers to e5ert such control without getting the cooperation o% others, although they could probably manage to e5terminate every living thing on a planet i% they wished to( Since the 1lpha#.raconians2 general wishes to 7eep arth, however, he needs minions to attend to the necessary tas7s that no 1lpha#.raconian would demean himsel% by doing <such as disposing o% sewage and growing %ood>( Since he lac7s the in%luence to import labourers <which is one o% the reasons he wants the glory o% con:uering arth> he has to subdue the locals( The 1lpha#.raconians brought a number o% means to bear to brea7 the spirit o% the arth2s people, including terror attac7s on ma6or <and minor> population centres and the public e5ecution o% civic and spiritual leaders( .espite these acts, the humans stubbornly re%used to bend, and so the 1lpha# .raconian general authorised his warriors to carry out ever more e5treme acts( 3n%ortunately %or him, the humans correctly identi%ied this as a sign o% desperation and not a cause %or surrender( ven more un%ortunately, one o% the terror attac7s he authorised on a 2minor civilian target2 was to have dramatic and un%oreseen conse:uences( The target turned out to be an /lluminati mansion, where the 2leaders2 o% that organisation were gathering to discuss how to deal with the invasion and correct those plots it had disrupted( Though they are the highest ran7ed members o% the /lluminati, they have very little control over the organisation B the /lluminati are saturated in a :uagmire o% numerous plots, plans and deceptions, o%ten millennia old <and sometimes nested many times over>8 so much so that no#one can truly hope to e5ercise any appreciable degree o% control over it2s activities( @y virtue o% their superior ran7 within the /lluminati, these people understood e5actly how little control they could hope to e5ert and how little power they actually had8 but they also possessed a considerable stoc7 o% personal power and potent trin7ets, and so proved more than a match %or the 1lpha#.raconian raiding party that had sought to ra;e the building to the ground( /n the a%termath they agreed to resist the invaders to the greatest degree possible, regardless o% the cost( .isrupted plots could be repaired, given time, and the damage to their secrecy could be gradually reversed <or wor7ed in %avour o% the /lluminati>8 but i% the aliens won, the /lluminati lost( The most immediate e%%ect o% this decision was the creation o% the )uminous Mar7et, o%%ering training and e:uipment to anyone who would care to use it, but the various %actions disagreed on how else to proceed( 1s a result( though the /lluminati are the single most signi%icant contributor to the war e%%ort, they e5ert the least control over the con%lict( Some %actions have spent the past three years wor7ing to establish secure strongholds and supply lines, whilst others attempt to ma7e li%e inconvenient %or the 1lpha#.raconians or divert their raids( 1t least one %action changes their agenda on a wee7ly basis( /n general, however, anything goes provided it either wea7ens the invader2s cause, or strengthens the de%enders( The open arrival o% Cursed de%enders on the scene was an unwelcome surprise %or the general leading the invasion( Though the 1lpha#.raconians had %aced other species that employed psychic or magical powers, the initial intelligence reports <s7etchy though they where> had indicated that *umans lac7ed any such abilities( .iscovering that they possessed both was a setbac7 he was ill# prepared to deal with& he had already spent his meagre political capital in diverting the %orces o% other aliens long enough to reach arth, and those same aliens where bac7, harassing his supply

lines <which were, as a result, as good as cut>( ?ith no hope o% rein%orcement <unless he as7ed a superior general to ta7e over the invasion> and little hope o% resupply, he resorted to more and more desperate measures( *is %ew spacecra%t were transport vessels, not combat cra%t, and o% little help in battle( 1s a result, he held little hope o% even orchestrating a success%ul escape( 1%ter increasingly desperate measures lead to increasing casualties %or no apparent gain, he gave in to his advisors2 insistence that he settle in %or the long battle( *e established a polar base, where the climate would provide a signi%icant de%ence, and began attempting to wear the humans down with the resources remaining to him( Three years later, the de%ault setting o% this supplement, he has not had much luc78 though he has managed to ma7e his base sel%#su%%icient in basic necessities( ### /3hange is coming$0 The seer looked up from the scattering of runes$ her eyes boring into the %uestioner2s soul. .r so it seemed to him. /What do you mean70 he asked her. / mean "hat say$0 she ans"ered$ /*o more$ no less. There are too many futures$ all of them murky$ for foresight to e#er be clear.0 / s there any more7 Murky or other"ise$ 2ll take it.0 The seer took a deep breath$ and scattered a handful of herbs on the fire. Thick smoke billo"ed through the small tent$ causing the %uestioner to cough. +is eyes smarted$ and he closed the unseeing orbs$ but through the smoke he could still hear the seer. +er #oice took on an unearthly timbre as she related the riddle unfolding "ithin her inner sight. /The li'ard2s fire sports cooling embers$ *e" fuels proffered by sla#ish #endors8 All may burn$ All may choke$ Some might dro"n him in their smoke.0 The %uestioner opened his stinging eyes$ seeing the glo" of the fire through the s"irling smoke. The seer2s #oice still echoed through the tent$ ringing "ith po"er. /+e cannot lea#e the failing fire$ That fact alone may rouse his ire8 3hoices made$ +e cannot sa#our$ A lonely sla#e might pro#e his sa#iour.0 The %uestioner shi#ered as he committed the seer2s "ords to memory$ fearing the images they e#oked. /The fire is fading and cannot endure$ Without the fuel he cannot con(ure8 @#en if proffered$ @#en if gi#en$ A future fraught "ith rain is ri#en.0 The seer abruptly coughed$ and the smoke began to flo" a"ay. She looked up$ pinning the %uestioner "ith a glance that caused the %uestion to die in his throat. /Those "ords "ere spoken for you alone$0 she added in her normal tone$ / f you cannot unra#el them$ no one can understand them for you.0 With that$ she shooed him from the tent. ###

&hat is going on throughout the (orld)

The ma6or institutions o% the pre#invasion world have been destroyed, and the only group any person could loo7 to <other than their immediate neighbours> are the /lluminati <a group so %ractious they cannot even control themselves>( 1lso, with the ma6ority o% the population becoming at least semi#nomadic, the boundaries between %ormer territories have disappeared( The 1lpha#.raconian

attac7s have truly united humanity B there is no part o% the world le%t untouched, no ma6or settlement that is not in ruins( 9orth 1merica, urope, and ast 1sia, with their large, relatively power%ul military %orces were among the earlier targets <along with anywhere else that had nuclear weapons B no point in letting the humans destroy the pri;e, a%ter all>( ?ithin a month, however, the situation was practically identical across the world( 9o country is handling things better or worse, is hit harder o% so%ter, than any other <unless you, the GM, decides otherwise>( Such is the power o% the 1lpha#.raconian army

&hat a!out the /artin Colony)

The colony on Mars is a re%ugee colony run by the Tor7ep( 1s such, there is only one rule B that o% non#violence( $ccupants are permitted to underta7e any activity they see %it, providing it does not include in%licting deliberate unpleasantness on anyone else( The accommodations are %airly basic B it is a modular colony designed to sustain li%e in inhospitable landscapes, not a lu5ury hotel( The design was originally intended to serve as a possible centre %or terra%orming or studying inhospitable environments <the human inhabitants do not 7now that yet, or they would have as7ed to begin>( The rooms assigned to the re%ugees are small but com%ortable, with room %or a bed, and a des7 with drawers <provided>, though the Tor7ep modi%ied the power soc7et so that it can con%orm to a number o% arth standards( The dTcor is rather drab B a typical 2space age2 grey#on#grey B the %ood is bland, and the entertainments e5tremely limited( Most o% those who come here end up returning to arth <escorting a Tor7ep supply run> out o% sheer boredom, whilst others ma7e wor7 creating and enchanting items to be supplied to arth( Recently, upon learning o% the modular nature o% the habitat, some o% the re%ugees have as7ed <and been granted> permission to build e5tensions <mostly to pass the time, but also to provide greater storage %or the humanitarian supplies the Tor7ep are %unnelling to arth>( The Tor7ep are not unpleasant rulers, 6ust in%uriatingly paci%istic( ### "as bored. t "as my default state of being$ no". There "as little to do$ and lacked the "ill to defy the orange masters of this little colony. cursed the alien li'ards for taking e#en that a"ay from me$ but the curse had no force. lacked the "ill for that$ too. "as safe$ here$ amongst the drab "alls of this emergency shelter. t "as a prefabricated structure$ or so had been told$ built and shipped in pieces. had (oined the teams that trekked out into the barren red landscape to slot some of those pieces together. t helped pass the time$ if nothing else. The fe" fragments of my former life$ those that had been able to sal#age$ glared accusingly at me from the "alls. had decorated my cubicle "ith those paltry remnants$ and could not muster the effort to remo#e them. en#ied those "ho found the strength to return home$ for kne" that ne#er "ould. .ne of the ne" arri#als had lent me a book$ one had not read before. had been putting it off$ hoping to stretch out the relief from tedium$ but could not force myself to "ait any longer. picked up The +appy Dello" 1oat and opened the first page. t said /;ecommended ;eading Age: E&?0 "as FE$ but it "as still the most e!citing thing that had happened to me all "eek. ###

"ehind the Scenes

Many things have happened over the past three years o% the setting, and much o% it is not recorded here( 4or one thing, it would ta7e more than three years to write, and the resulting te5t would be e5tremely long and tediously dull( The %ollowing summaries present an overview o% the main pre# and post# war %actions 1ll in all, three years is 6ust enough time %or things to have gotten interesting(

@oth sides have had the opportunity to learn more than the basics o% the other8 and have even had time to e5amine those details, and attempt to come up ways o% e5ploiting that 7nowledge(

The lpha-*raconians
This supplement is set at an interesting time %or the participants B the campaign hangs in the balance, and it is the 1lpha#.raconians who get the ne5t move( The humans have endured everything the alien invaders have thrown at them and struc7 bac7, so to do nothing is %ail, and to persist in their present blunt tactics is to invite a slow and lingering %ailure( 1s a result, the 1lpha# .raconians are preparing to attempt some more subtle strategies, though they came ill#prepared to implement them( The initial plan called %or the application o% overwhelming %orce, cowing the %eeble humans into submission, %ollowed by the application o% genetic procedures to ensure the population2s continued submission( They 6ust don2t 7now how to deal with a populace that re%uses to %old( The 1lpha#.raconian leader2s more competent advisors have spent a si;eable portion o% the last three years devising less overt means o% gaining control and winning the war( The 1lpha# .raconian leader must pic7 which one to go with, which means that the choice is in your hands, GM( @ear in mind that the 1lpha#.raconians have not come prepared %or this8 they will need to improvise much o% the necessary e:uipment %or most plans, and that not something they seem to be particularly adept at( Some o% the advisors2 suggestions are outlined below, though %eel %ree to suggest an alternative( Several o% these ideas are based on the use human in%iltrators and spies, though detractors have as7ed what end such in%iltrators might serve( /% you go with this path, then perhaps a Player captured and released <with the 5enetically Tamed Penalty> was meant to be an in%iltrator( Perhaps he was not :uite so cowed as the 1lpha#.raconians thought, or perhaps he has implants that transmit vital intelligence bac7 to base( ?ith the humans constantly moving, however, and leaving no de%ined centre to stri7e, there is a limit to how use%ul such in%ormation could be( $ther advisors may advocate a more active roll %or their in%iltrators, such as sabotage and betrayal, though genetically engineering docility into the in%iltrator2s .91 ma7e them poor agents %or this 7ind o% thing( The 1lpha#.raconians would there%ore have to %ind subtler means o% retaining control, or else accept sub#standard saboteurs( 1s a side note, those who have been 2tamed2 in this %ashion are %ar less li7ely to resist the invaders <which was the point> and so are more li7ely to accept evacuation to Mars( ?hich could result in an entire room%ul o% reports in the 1lpha#.raconian base about how boring Mars is( 1t least one advisor has suggested summoning rein%orcements, however the 1lpha#.raconian leader has spent all his political capital 6ust getting to arth( 1s a result, he cannot call in any more rein%orcements himsel% without surrendering the war <which would pretty much destroy his credibility>( Persecuting a long term con%lict is not necessarily a bad thing to the 1lpha#.raconians B it tends to indicate a stronger enemy, so there is more glory to be won( The )eader2s political rivals are per%ectly happy %or him to embarrass himsel%, and he has no true allies to spea7 o% <one o% the downsides to being a young, new general>( The other generals do not really care, yet, about the con%lict on arth( The only 1lpha#.raconians to travel to arth are those manning the Supply Convoys <which may include those born into the army, so some rein%orcements>, most o% which are repelled or destroyed by the various alien %actions that either oppose the 1lpha#.raconians or support the *umans( Things would have to get much worse %or that to change B mounting a campaign to save the war on arth <and relieve the present general o% his command> would be a ma6or underta7ing, re:uiring collaboration between several 1lpha#.raconian armies( @ear in mind that the only reason the initial stri7es managed to pin down enemy %orces long enough %or this particular army to get to arth was that they had the bene%it o% surprise( 1ny subse:uent campaign would %ace the bloc7ing %orces o% several potent galactic powers, %ully alert and e5pecting trouble(

1n outside presence could o%%er aid to the 1lpha#.raconian leader, or even to one o% the advisors, perhaps one that had manipulated the events o% the war to %orce the 1lpha#.raconians2 hands( The 1lpha#.raconians are not the sort to accept the aid o% 2lesser species2 <which covers 6ust about everyone>, when they could simply enslave that species instead( They are also openly antagonistic towards almost every species they have ever encountered, and there are no re%erences o% approval %or their acts, so it is unli7ely that anyone would propose such an alliance( Those entities o% su%%icient power and callousness to contemplate such an alliance would probably beat the invaders at their own game <enslaving the 1lpha#.raconian army be%ore turning on the humans> which would dramatically change the nature o% events( $% course, such entities have enemies o% their own which would li7ely ob6ect to, and resist, any plan by that entity simply as a matter o% course( This could turn the war into a chess game between ancient and potent %orces, with the 1lpha#.raconians and *umans caught in the middle as helpless pawns( 9ot the sort o% atmosphere ,enopocalypse is aimed at, but i% you wish to evo7e the %eel o% Cthulhu then by all means, go %or itD The 1lpha .raconians <at least, those a%%iliated with this invasion> did not attempt to cultivate alliances with any *uman organisation, or the war might have gone very di%%erently( There are li7ely some who attempted to %orm such alliances with the 1lpha#.raconians <and were slain or enslaved %or their pains>, but there have been no success%ul attempts to date( The invaders are now desperate enough to accept such an o%%er <provided they thin7 they can control the human> though they have managed to destroy all those who might be willing to ally with them( Remember, however, that there are only three paths that the 1lpha#.raconian %orces can ta7e now( To perpetuate the present stalemate means a drawn#out death( To implement a success%ul comebac7 means a glorious victory( To attempt to e5ecute the wrong plan, however, means over e5tending themselves and inviting a violent demise at the hands o% the 2%eeble2 humans(

The Illuminati
The /lluminati have been wor7ing on various means to get, and 7eep, any advantage over the invaders, or at least to blunt the invaders2 advantages, %or the past three years( 1dvanced technology is an important part o% that <as evidenced by the high#tech gadgets on the )uminous Mar7et>, as well as Cursed powers, accurate intelligence and the 2home#%ield2 advantage( 1s mentioned above, however, the /lluminati are e5tremely %ractious, and not even their highest leaders can hope to e5ert any real control over the /lluminati as a whole( ven a%ter they decided to oppose the invaders with everything they had <and to include the rest o% the population in the de%ence> innumerable %actions remain divided as to how best to proceed( .espite this, they do try not to obstruct each other too much, as that would constitute helping the 1lpha#.raconians( Thus, while some %actions have %ocused on training and supplying the survivors, or on maintaining the )uminous Mar7et, others have attac7ed the invaders or tried to establish hidden strongholds where the survivors could catch their breath be%ore returning to the %ight( 1mongst this morass o% con%licting opinions, there were also those who thought o% capturing and e5ploiting 1lpha#.raconian technology, and developing means to counter or destroy that technology <though even an unarmed 1lpha#.raconian is a deadly opponent>( Such %actions have had limited success thus %ar <though some o% the technology available to the de%enders actually originates %rom the invaders> though it is certainly possible that a %action has managed to build an e5tra#dimensional %actory that produces a weapon based on an 1lpha#.raconian design, but has yet to ma7e enough to truly in%luence the course o% the war8 whilst another has developed an e%%ective spell with a regrettable drawbac7( Some o% the 5tra :uipment, Spells and @onuses presented below show the %ruit o% /lluminati research and development, though they have yet to be produced or distributed in signi%icant numbers( )et your players guide you to 6ust how great an impact the /lluminati2s e%%orts have on your game(

&hat happened to everyone else)

The stated purpose o% the /nhuman M/@ is to cover up evidence o% the supernatural <including aliens> and 7eep the bul7 o% the population happily in the dar7( They do not seem overly concerned with dissuading those who genuinely want to 7now what is out there, or practise magic, providing that the people in :uestion can 7eep it to themselves( To this end, they do not need great numbers, and were probably only present in small numbers on arth( Such a small group cannot hope to truly repel an invasion, though they may have contributed to some o% the 1lpha#.raconians2 early di%%iculties and certainly alerted the gala5y as a whole to the invasion( 1%ter the initial invasion, and the development o% the subse:uent resistance, the M/@ most li7ely withdrew %rom the planet <once everyone 7nows, there is no ignorance to protect>, leaving only a little aid behind <advice mainly, though some items on the )uminous Mar7et have alien origins>( ither way, their in%luence on events is subtle, and remains di%%icult to detect( The 1gency, li7e the /nhuman M/@, was too small to deal e%%ectively with a large#scale invasion( 1s a result, they where among the %irst to go underground when the invasion struc7( The early success o% the various resistance attempts can be partly attributed to the e%%orts o% 1gency 1gents, though they were soon supplanted in importance by the /lluminati( The 1lpha#.raconians managed <:uite accidentally> to sever most o% the 1gency2s lines o% supply and communication, e%%ectively destroying it as an entity, though the ma6ority o% the 1gents survived, and their e5perience within the 1gency gave them a head start when opposing the 1lpha#.raconian invasion( The 1gency wor7ed well within the pre#invasion societies, leeching resources %rom more open organisations and using them as cover %or their more :uestionable activities( 1%ter the brea7down o% human civilisations brought on by the invasion, the 1gency %ound itsel% lac7ing vital resources and operational space8 though it never 2o%%icially2 shut down <it never 2o%%icially2 e5isted anyway> it has ceased to be an e%%ective organisation( Some o% the measures it put into place, particularly 1gent groupings, are still e%%ective however B 6ust how much the world owes to the 1gency, it will never 7now( $% the other aliens in the gala5y, it is the Tor7ep that have provided the greatest intervention( The Tor7ep, as already mentioned, created the re%ugee colony on Mars, and use it as a base to %erry humanitarian supplies <%ood, water, medicine and the li7e> to arth( They have also supplied some more esoteric items, such as %orce %ield generators, to help the humans protect themselves until they come to their senses, but it should be noted that these items are %or passive de%ence( They cannot be used to attac7 with <as an e5ample, see the spacesuit listed below> or be modi%ied %or that purpose <though study o% them might reveal underlying principles which can be trans%erred>( The Grey are no ally o% the 1lpha#.raconians, who ma7e poor e5perimental sub6ects, but are very interested in studying how humans manage themselves in this situation( Their intervention is mostly limited to intercepting 1lpha#.raconian convoys, thereby preserving the situation under study, though they also attempt to set up interesting s7irmishes between the 1lpha#.raconians and *umans to study( The 9ordic aliens see humans as a possible and valuable ally, but also seem to believe that this is a personal challenge we must overcome ourselves( They operate in the bac7ground, providing a little advice and tuition <perhaps even high#technology> when as7ed8 but mostly preventing the other 1lpha#.raconians %rom inter%ering( 1s %or the )ight ?ings and .ar7 ?ings, they are embroiled in a con%lict o% their own, and can see that now we are too( They are willing to trade a little aid %or a little aid <perhaps a use%ul spell %or a bushel o% apples>, but remain largely %ocused on their own war <much as be%ore the 1lpha#.raconians invaded>( /t is perhaps worth noting, however, that neither the )ight ?ings, nor the .ar7 ?ings, attach any real stigma to those who deal with the other( /% someone has bought a spell %rom a .ar7 ?ing %or a bushel o% apples, then the )ight ?ings will still be :uite happy to trade with him B though they won2t do so whilst the .ar7 ?ing is still present( 4inally, with the Cursed community coming out into the open, the legends and other terrible things hiding in the shadows have %ound it much harder to maintain their secrecy( Those o% them which are

there, such as the 0ampires and ?erewolves, have largely stepped %orth to %ight alongside humanity against their common %oe( Those which do not actually e5ist on arth, such as the 4ae and 1ngels, really don2t care much either way( They are largely content to watch and wait( The e5ception to this is the spirits, as they are a%%ected by the destruction wrought upon their real#world counterparts( 1s mentioned in the Players Section, they have responded by encouraging the creation o% more Shamans, and helping those they can more %reely <even Summoners, much to the Summoners2 surprise>( ?hilst there could be more ancient and terrible things awa7ening, ,enopocalypse is meant to be about the humans2 struggle against impossible odds <something we have been doing since our species %irst arose in 1%rica some 1+I millennia ago>( There is certainly room %or such things, however, especially i% the Players deliberately wa7e something up B to deal with the invasion B and then have to live with the conse:uencesD ### The big li'ard slumbered on a mound of treasure$ (ust as had foreseen. The ca#ern "as illuminated by a golden glo"$ and found it harder than e!pected to restrain myself. kne" the predictions$ the horrors and doom that "ould befall "hoe#er succumbed$ but that alone "as not enough. Fortunately$ that "as not "hat had come for. @%ually fortuitously$ "as able to focus on my task. Stepping forth$ hailed the slumbering li'ard. /5reetings$ Mighty Wyrm. Might be granted audience70 The li'ard stirred$ shedding the pretence of slumber as it turned it2s baleful glare on me. /Dou "ish for my treasure70 it gro"led$ malice echoing in it2s #oice. /*o$0 replied$ simply$ / "ish to con#erse$0 /Then speak$ little one.0 /A great horror has befallen our planet.0 began$ /An army of reptilian aliens has descended from space to con%uer the "orld. They "ould smash the uni#erse if they could$ but are briefly content to settle for dominion.0 /They cannot fulfil their destructi#e urges70 /They do not yet possess that capacity$0 /Then "hat is it to me70 /They ha#e come here to e!tend their rule$0 ans"ered$ /And "ill not stop at dominating mere humans. They claim to be your cousins$ yet they "ould crush or ensla#e you all the same. f you "ait$ "e might "in your battle for you. f "e don2t$ you "ill be facing them alone. Together$ our chances are better - "ill you at least consider it70 The mighty li'ard raised a cla"$ gesturing for silence$ and assumed it "ished to think on my "ords. Antil the encroaching aliens betrayed themsel#es. They spoke aloud$ the harsh grating of their #oices echoing up the tunnel. The strange feel of their thoughts "as not something "ould e#er get used to. /They come$0 told my host$ /The "ar is upon you$ to my regret. Would you ha#e my aid70 / "ould not ser#e any "ho "ould lead his enemies to my hold60 the great li'ard fumed. / rrele#ant though it is$ "ould not ask it.0 ans"ered$ /follo" your o"n path$ as you "ish.0 /5.60 faded into the shado"s as the alien reptiles burst into the ca#ern$ "eapons ready and bello"ing demands for surrender. A blast of flame ans"ered them$ and the impressi#e "eaponry of the aliens began to pummel the greater li'ard. gnoring the attacks$ as one might ignore the shots of a "ater pistol$ it laid into the flaming reptiles "ith a #engeful fury. Fi#e had entered the room. T"o fell to the first strike$ "hilst a third "as backhanded across the room. felt his mind flicker and die as tried to "ork out ho" to lea#e ali#e$ but then the great li'ard fell back$ screaming in pain$ a smoking crater marring it2s chest. The in#ading reptiles grinned eagerly$ le#elling their longarms at the "ound. stepped from the shado"s$ my mind focused on the e#il beings before me. The force of my "ill hurled one into his companion$ dashing them against the stone. Again bore do"n "ith my "ill$

ignoring the strain that lurked at the corner of my thoughts. ce&sharp$ my thoughts thrust out$ boring into the minds of the interlopers. crushed their "ills$ shattered their minds$ and dashed them against the stones again for good measure. When at last their minds ga#e out$ fading from my perceptions$ turned to go. The path "as no" clear$ but the strain of my e!ertions caught up "ith me$ and passed out instead. a"oke in a soft bed$ as a cool cloth soothed my bro". A beautiful "oman held it$ concern in her eyes as she tended to me. smiled "eakly$ and she flushed$ but something in her manner told me that she "as the Mighty Wyrm had come to greet. /;est no"$ young one. Dou are safe here.0 she "hispered$ but reached for my belt pouch instead. remo#ed a handful of crystalline magic and pressed it into her hands. Aseless as they "ere to me$ kne" that she "ould #alue the strange shards. /Thank you$0 managed to "hisper as the smog of sleep "rapped it2s gentle tendrils once more round my aching brain. ###

+,tra +:uipment
The items listed in the previous chapter are %reely available on the )uminous Mar7et, and are %re:uently o%%ered to those who visit )uminous Mar7eteers( 1s a result, nearly everyone on arth has heard o% them( The items presented below, however, are less common( %%orts are being made by some parties to provide more o% them, but because they are not as widely 7nown they remain much less common( 1s a result, you may choose whether to allow your players access to the items listed below, as well as additional items %rom the main GM boo7((

+nchanted Items
Most o% these enchanted items re:uire the use o% obscure spells or variants, and are produced in small numbers because very %ew people 7now how to ma7e them( $thers are more li7e local variants, only popular in a small regions <%or any number o% reasons> or had simply %ailed to occur to anyone until recently( Magic being the vast and comple5 vista that it is, this can hardly be considered surprising( "attle-suit "reastplate<O-I!> This item usually consists o% the chest mounted 2target2 o% a Puasar or similar 2laser tag2 system, enchanted with an 1rmour spell to provide the wearer with three armour points all over( This protection possess 1I hit points( The attached toy laser is usually enchanted with the %ire or electrical @attle Magic spell, li7e a spell ri%le, using the trigger only variant so that pulling the trigger charges and %ires the spell( This %ull system costs at least OI!!( Planter of +ndless 0ruiting <O-!!> This item uses an obscure spell, one that is still percolating through the )uminous Mar7et, to accelerate the growth o% whatever is planted within( The planter can ta7e the %orm o% any plant pot, %rom one improvised %rom a bro7en cup to a multi#level 2mini#garden2, however, the spell will only a%%ect one plant( 1s the spell is always active, it targets the %irst plant <or seed> to be planted( The growth o% the a%%ected plant will be accelerated by a %actor o% 1GM( /t will there%ore complete a wee72s growth in an hour, a month2s growth in little over L hours, and a year2s growth in 2 days and L hours( This is obviously very use%ul %or %ood crops, whether you are attempting to get a %ew harvests each wee7, or simply %ast#%orward through the early years o% growth until the plant reaches a viable si;e( More upmar7et variations include a spell to maintain the :uality o% the soil, and some can accelerate multiple plants <but are correspondingly much more e5pensive>( /ulti-Tool <O1I! H O1!! per additional tool> This item uses an obscure variant o% the Poc7et .imension spell to contain many tools in a 2single2

ob6ect( The base ob6ect is the item originally enchanted( To this item, a number o% other items can be added, with each additional item being contained in it2s own tiny dimensional poc7et <which may or may not be in the .ar7ness>( ?hen the bearer activates the item with a Concentration chec7, he can cause the item to morph into any o% the other tools that he chooses( This will not wor7 in %ront o% mundane human witnesses <not much o% a consideration in the de%ault setting, but it might be i% you trans%er the item> and the user must be aware that the tool he desires is attached to the item( *e cannot 6ust try to ma7e it morph into random items to discover which are there, and the item o%%ers no insight into which other items are available( ?hen the item morphs, the current item goes into it2s own dimensional poc7et, and the new item emerges %rom it2s poc7et8 thus, the result is not a magical e%%ect and cannot be dispelled( The same magic can be used to add other items subse:uently, and items with other enchantments can be used(

.igh-Tech Items
These items are rare %or any number o% reasons( More than anything, however, the /nvasion has destroyed the industries o% civilisation B arth no longer possess the in%rastructure to produce and maintain advanced technology( Some technological wonders come as gi%ts %rom %riendly aliens, whilst others have resulted %rom more magical sources( The %actories o% arth may have %allen, but mages have ways o% circumventing such minor impediments( 2aser Gauntlet<OI!,!!!> This is weapon based upon similar technology to the )aser Ri%le, but miniaturised and %itted into an armoured glove <armour rating 2#L, with 1! hit points>( Some designs %it a single laser emitter into the palm, some attach a slim pistol to the wrist <%iring over the bac7 o% the hand>, whilst others %it a small emitter into each 7nuc7le <%iring in harmony>( .espite these variations in design and use, they %unction identically in game terms( These weapons have a base damage rating o% 2, hold a ma5imum charge o% 2! shots, and rarely incorporate targeting technology( The generator installed in these weapons is radically di%%erent %rom that installed in the )aser Ri%le, however( /nstead o% using an advanced understanding o% physics to generate a shot o% energy every minute, the Gauntlets e5ploit an advanced understanding o% biology to generate a shot o% power every other minute( The coils tap the electricity generated by the wearer to produce the power re:uired( This will not wor7 i% the wearer is dead, or lac7s an electrical %ield %or some obscure reason, but portable chargers are also available, at about O1!,!!! each( Most o% the available models have been optimised %or use by humans( $ther species may %ind the gauntlets charging more slowly( /t ta7es a *ard Science <biology> chec7 o% Challenging to determine the correct calibration %or a given species, and a Challenging Tech roll to implement it( These weapons can be optimised %or a speci%ic user, allowing that user <only> to generate a shot every minute and a hal%( /t ta7es a *ard Science <biology> chec7 o% *ard to determine this calibration <after optimising the device %or the bearer2s species> though the Tech roll to implement the calibration remains Challenging( 0orce 0ield Generator<OI,!!!> These devices are readily portable, usually designed as a bul7y belt, though they re:uire micro cold %usion or a magically enhanced battery %or power( They generate an energy %ield around the bearer that di%%uses incoming energy, reducing the power o% incoming %ire %rom energy weapons <such as lasers>, though not more physical weapons( This is, in e%%ect, an armour rating o% I, though it cannot be directly attac7ed <destroying the generator, however, destroys the %ield> The %ield does not di%%use outgoing energy, so the bearer2s shots remain una%%ected(

?hen active, however, the bearer su%%ers a #I penalty to Perception rolls, as the %orce %ield2s di%%using e%%ect means that he views the world as i% through a light %og( The bearer is also surrounded by what appears similar to a heat ha;e B although anything contained "ithin the %ield appears clear, anything viewed through the %ield is distorted( )enses are available in a variety o% %orms on the )uminous Mar7et that can correct this problem, %rom contact lenses to helmet visors, typically priced at around OI!! each( $% course, incoming weapons %ire that targets the lenses is also 2corrected2 <ignoring the protection o%%ered by the %ield, but su%%ering the appropriate penalty %or a tiny target>( nchanted variants which lac7 this disadvantage <merely pro6ecting an /llusion o% the world undistorted> are also available( Tor#ep Spacesuit<O1,!!!,!!! # O1!,!!!,!!!> These suits are similar to the armoured battle suits o% other races, though designed to combat harsh environments rather than enemy %orces, possess an armour rating between 1 and I points and a number o% hit points e:ual to %ive times that rating( The suit appears as a slender metal bodysuit, and contains micro#circuitry that not only allows the suit to move with the de5terity o% it2s wearer, but also boosts the wearer2s e%%ective @ody score by a number e:ual to the suit2s armour rating( This is a temporary boost, and so can allow the wearer to e5ceed his ma5imum @ody score( 1 number o% helmet designs are available, with the bubble dome being the most popular and a number o% collars %or those who pre%er to go bare#headed <though not into space>( ?hen the suit is sealed up it thic7ens the air immediately surrounding the suit, %orming a de%ensive barrier that e%%ectively doubles the protection provided by the armour <and provides ade:uate de%ence against the perils o% deep#space radiation>( .espite it2s many advantages, the suit does have one great drawbac7 B it is Tor7ep technology, and cannot be used o%%ensively( 1s such, i% the wearer ever enters melee combat, the suit will sei;e up and impede the wearer2s movements( This will not entirely paralyse the wearer, but will change the bonus to @ody score to a penalty <also e:ual to the suit2s rating>( /% the wearer2s @ody score is ever reduced to ! <or less> in this %ashion he is almost helpless, and can only hobble or crawl 1!2 per combat round( 9ote that these penalties do not apply to ranged combat, where having your arm sti%%en is actually an advantageD To calculate the cost o% a suit, multiply the suit2s armour rating by O1,!!!,!!!( /% you wish to incorporate more advanced nano#technology to ma7e the suit sel%#repairing and sel%#maintaining <a popular upgrade>, double that %igure(

/undane Items
These items are almost as rare as the high#tech devices listed above, though %or di%%erent reasons( @uilding and maintaining advanced technology is di%%icult in an apocalyptic war#;one, but these items employ %ar simpler technology( 9ot all o% them seemed particularly use%ul when the 1lpha# .raconian2s invaded, and were abandoned, whilst others were seen as the detritus o% a dead world( ?ith the open intervention o% the Cursed, however, these items can be enchanted into highly valuable tools( Paint-!all Gun <O1I> This weapon shoots plastic globes o% paint that are essentially harmless, but e5cellent %or target practice( @eing somewhat innocuous, these 2weapons2 are popular targets %or a number o% enhancing enchantments which can combine to ma7e this humble technology superior to any military ri%le( 1 similar technology, pepper#ball guns, were used by police %orces to deploy tear gas( ?hilst it is not the most obviously lethal o% weapons, e5periments involving transmuted poisons are ongoing( 1 typical paint#ball gun has a .amage rating o% 2, as well as the *on&)ethal and Purely Paint special rules( 1 pepper#ball gun <cost O"I> has a .amage rating o% 1, as well as the *on&)ethal and rritating Poison special rules(

'on-2ethal6 1 weapon with the non#lethal rule does not in%lict as much damage as a normal weapon o% it2s type( Calculate damage normally, but then apply that damage as hurt points rather than hit points( Purely Paint6 This 2weapon2 %ires paint, not bullets( Though the impact hurts, and may bruise, it never does much damage( .o not add damage %or degrees o% success( Irritating Poison6 This weapons e%%ect stems %rom it2s poisonous payload, not it2s physical impact( .o not add degrees o% success to the damage in%licted( /nstead, apply them as a penalty to the victim2s save vs Medium poison <inhaled>( Shields <O2IH> Shields are not truly weapons, though they can mean the di%%erence between li%e and death %or any %ighter( .i%%erent shields are made %rom di%%erent materials and in di%%erent si;es, which can ma7e them more or less e%%ective, though they all use the same rules( 1 shield must be at least as long and wide as the user2s %orearm to be e%%ective B any smaller, and it is only good %or parrying melee stri7es( )arger shields grant greater bonuses( Carrying a shield converts your .odge s7ill into a @loc7 s7ill, re%lecting your ability to interpose the shield between yoursel% and danger( Nou gain a bonus on all your uses o% the @loc7 s7ill, e:ual to the 1rmour rating o% the material in :uestion, H 1 i% the shield can completely cover your torso, or H 2 i% it is at least as wide and nearly as tall as you( Success%ully bloc7ing an attac7 does not damage the shield, though direct attac7s on the shield do( 9ote that most shields available in the pre#invasion world were small plastic children2s toys, o%%ering no bonus at all( *ence their relative lac7 o% popularity at present( /n addition, the GM is always entitled to declare that a particular danger cannot be bloc7ed, and %orce you to roll your unmodi%ied .odge instead( 1lthough technically you could bloc7 an avalanche with your shield, i% you do not get out o% the way it will s:uash you %lat regardless( 1 good shield should set you bac7 appro5imately O2I multiplied by the bonus it grants( Poor shields are almost %ree, but useless unless enchanted( "lo(pipe <O-I> This weapon shoots poisoned darts at the target and can come in a variety o% %orms, %rom hollow reeds to laboriously carved wooden tubes as long as a man is tall( Some may grant an accuracy bonus, whilst larger darts may in%lict more damage, but many blowpipes appro5imate the pro%ile presented below( 9ote that the poisons typically utilised are rarely immediately %atal, re:uiring the hunters to stri7e their victims several times( Stronger poisons can be used, but are %ar more dangerous to wor7 with <and generally di%%icult to ac:uire>( 1 typical blowpipe has a .amage rating o% 2, as well as the rritating Poison special rule( Irritating Poison6 This weapons e%%ect stems %rom it2s poisonous payload, not it2s physical impact( .o not add degrees o% success to the damage in%licted( /nstead, apply them as a penalty to the victim2s save vs Medium poison <in6ected>( ### /T"el#e "ooden planters$ standing in a ro"8 ho" many apples$

can gro"70 The changeling danced round the "ooden bo!es$ laughing at the apples that "ere #isibly ripening on the branches of the trees as she did so. A trestle table stood behind her$ holding se#eral bushel baskets of the lo#ely ripe apples. )aughing gaily$ she snatched up another and began to stack it high "ith the fresh fruit she plucked from the branches. Fresh fruit "as al"ays in demand$ especially in "inter$ and "ith these planters she had no need of a large$ boring orchard to supply that demand. /.ne Apple$ And cackle8 T"o Apples$ That snaffles8 Three more$ Funds the door$ Four$ Fi#e$ feel Ali#e60 She giggled incessantly as she filled her basket$ and fro"ned at the trees once she disco#ered that she had picked the last. /+alf a 1ushel Short60 she screamed at them$ /For +alf a 1ushel2s Sake60 Abruptly she smiled$ once more$ dancing back to the table. /+alf a bushel for me then$ The rest to market go8 To feed the hungry people$ That sadly do kno".0 3hattering a"ay to the trees$ she began to pack the baskets for tra#el. ###

+,tra Training
1s with the items listed above, the training re:uired to master some abilities is not yet in common circulation( 1s with the items, however, there are some who have dedicated much o% their lives to changing that( Their success can be measured in degrees B through their e%%orts, the abilities persist( /n time they may even become common but, %or now, their distribution remains under the control o% you, GM( Share these secrets wisely(

'e( "onuses
The %ollowing bonuses represent abilities that may prove use%ul in the post#apocalyptic world, but were hard to come by in the pre#invasion world( Some o% those who 7now them have spent their time attempting to teach others but, %ran7ly, surviving long enough to learn anything is a challenge8 and there are many other things to learn( 0orager Supreme <2 points> Nou are an e5pert %orager in wild or urban environments( 1s long as there is %ood <and water> to be %ound, you may collect enough to sustain yoursel% in nothing %lat <or casually whilst doing something else>( /% you try to %orage %or a group, however, it may ta7e longer( ssentially, your character need never worry about starving, unless his surroundings are completely barren( /ental "uild-up <2 points, Psychic only> Nour character has received some training %rom an 1lien species that boasts power%ul Psychics <or %rom someone that has>, and learned to mitigate the di%%iculties human Psychics %ace by building up the re:uired energies more slowly( Nou can choose to ma7e the psychic power chec7 in the turn %ollowing the success%ul concentration chec7, rather than in the same turn( /% you do, you only have a 1!R chance o% su%%ering %atigue as a result and only have a 1!R chance to su%%er %rom a temporary insanity i% you do su%%er %rom %atigue(

*esensitised <varies> ?ith this bonus, you gain a point o% Corruption, but in return gain immunity to Corruption and Taint %rom a speci%ic source( /% you purchase this bonus at character creation, as opposed to earning it %or %ree during game play, you are assumed to have overcome the associated compulsion to commit worse acts, and the @onus costs 1 point %or a minor act <Random Mugging>, 2 points %or a signi%icant act <1ccidental Murder>, - points %or a ma6or act <Torture> and L points %or anything worse <Cold#blooded Murder and up>( This bonus can only be purchased at character creation, though it2s e%%ects can be %reely ac:uired during play( This bonus is intended to allow the players to participate actively in the counter#invasion scenario, without devolving swi%tly into unplayable psychopaths( GMs, be e5tremely wary o% letting it be abused, particularly in more peaceable settings(

'e( Spells
?ith rising numbers o% Cursed, and a number o% previously unusual situations becoming common, spellcasters around the globe have %ound <or made> the time to devise a number o% new spells( Spells that were %ormerly thought o% as useless oddities have also gained more widespread acceptance, as shown by the spells in the Players Section, whilst the spells below have not had time to spread( ;ohn's Gro(th Charm <1verage> ?hen an invasion cuts o%% the normal supply lines, the ability to grow enough to %eed onesel% is vital, and anything that aids that endeavour is advantageous( 1s a result this spell, originally developed by a mystic to %uel his rituals, has begun to spread through the )uminous Mar7et( This spell can a%%ect a single plant, plus a number o% additional plants of the same species e:ual to the degrees o% success( The a%%ected plants complete the e:uivalent o% 1 wee7 <1GM hours> growth, plus an additional wee7 <1GM hours> o% growth per degree o% success, during each hour the spell lasts( This accelerated growth lasts %or 1 hour, plus an additional hour per degree o% success( +/P Surge <Challenging> The 1lpha#.raconian2s advanced technology provides them with a signi%icant edge over the human survivors, and this spell arose out o% the e%%orts o% an /lluminati %action to de%use that advantage( .espite being spread throughout the )uminous Mar7et, it is unli7ely to achieve much popularity as it lac7s any %riend'%oe distinction( ven the caster2s technology is at ris7D The spell disables any electrical device within I %eet <1(I metres> plus an additional I %eet <1(I metres> per degree o% success( $% course, military e:uipment is o%ten protected against such e%%ects( The caster must succeed on a Concentration chec7 against every protected device in order to disable it, with a di%%iculty ranging %rom asy <%or consumer#grade insulation> to 9igh /mpossible <%or military grade shielding over hardened circuitry>( The caster cannot choose not to ma7e these chec7s B it is a measure o% the %orce he has put into the casting( Shado( Shield <1verage> KnoteK Summoners can cast this spell( This spell can con6ure a shield out o% pure .ar7ness( The shield is metaphysically %used to the caster2s arm, and so cannot be dropped or ta7en <without removing the arm in :uestion, that is>( The shield is highly resilient, and can be used to provide shelter %rom enemy attac7s( The user gains a bonus to his use o% the .odge s7ill <which becomes a 2@loc72 s7ill %or this purpose> e:ual to 2 plus the degrees o% success on the casting roll( This bonus lasts until the caster2s arm is amputated, or he dismisses the spell(

### >ack Sableson had a family to feed. .f course e#eryone had a family to feed$ e#en if it "as a family of one$ and he "ould not begrudge them that. Feeding had gotten a little harder since those blasted reptilian horrors had laid claim to the "orld$ but no&one had lasted this long unless they could cope "ith that. >ack Sableson had a head start$ a little #aluable e!perience that had stood him in good stead$ but li#ing off of that small e!perience had been hard. Turning o#er a promising stone$ >ack found a handful of grubs "hich he scooped up and bagged at once. The forest floor "as littered "ith acorns and pine cones. True$ they needed a little processing$ but they "ould fill an empty belly at the day2s end. Armouring himself "ith a "hispered incantation$ >ack sei'ed se#eral handfuls of nettles$ to "hich he had gro"n %uite accustomed$ and collected the fresh "ater from a spring he kne" to be clean. .ut here$ in the "ild forest$ he could almost belie#e that the n#asion had been nothing but a bad dream. Almost. ###

/1*I03I'G SP+22S
)oo7ing at the 3osmetic mpro#isation @onus in the Players Section, some players may want to develop the modi%ications as a permanent spell( Rather than having to succeed on a Magic chec7 every time they decide to throw a hand%ul o% glowing bullets <rather than a hard ball si;ed sphere> at their enemies, they may wish to have a spell that ta7es that %orm naturally( $r perhaps they lac7 that @onus, but want the spell anyway( /t is possible to produce a spell that would do so using the rules %or research in the main Cursed RPG Ruleboo7, but re#creating a spell %rom scratch seems to be a wic7ed waste o% a good spell( ?ith that in mind, GM, you may choose to allow your players to use the %ollowing rules %or creating a spell as a modi%ication o% an e5isting spell( .o note, however, that these rules re:uire that the one creating the new spell already has at least I ran7s in the spell he is modi%ying B you cannot tin7er with a spell you have not mastered B as well as 1! ran7s in the Magic s7ill( /% a character wishes to create a modi%ied version o% a spell he has not mastered, he must re#create it %rom scratch( 4or the purposes o% these rules, modi%ications are split into L categories& Minor, Substantial, Ma6or and Radical( Minor modi%ications are those that could be made with the 3osmetic mpro#isation @onus& changing the appearance, but not the game e%%ect, o% the spell( /% you wished to ma7e your acid @attle Magic appear as an orb o% %lame, scattering searing %ires over your enemies, or ma7e your 1rmour spell visible as an illusory suit o% golden plate, it is a Minor modi%ication o% the original spell( Substantial modi%ications are those which involve distorting the present interpretation o% the spell to a new end, or editing a single discreet element o% the spell( The Shadow Shield spell listed above is an e5ample o% the %ormer B it is based upon the Shadow ?eapon spell, distorted to produce a protective shield rather than an o%%ensive weapon, whilst the %ive @attle Magic spells are e5amples o% the latter B they each %ollow the same basic premise <summon an orb o% a primal elemental essence to throw at a %oe> but di%%er in one core %actor <the primal essence summoned>( Creating a @attle magic spell that utilises a di%%erent element <such as arth, or )ight>, or editing the 4ire @attle Magic to scatter searing %lames over multiple %oes, would there%ore be a Substantial modi%ication( Ma6or modi%ications are more thorough( They edit the structure o% the spell, distorting the cosmetic and mechanical e%%ects to slightly di%%erent ends( 1ny modi%ication involving a change in di%%iculty level is almost certainly a Ma6or modi%ication( /%, %or e5ample, your Spirit 4ound Changeling wished to edit the Create .imensional Poc7et spell to create a poc7et dimension in the Spirit world, that would be a Ma6or modi%ication( Radical Modi%ications, on the other hand, are those which

maintain only a tenuous lin7 to the original spell8 there%ore the creator gains no bene%it over creating the spell %rom scratch( /% you wished to modi%y a Teleport spell to transmit a thought to your target, %or e5ample, it would be a Radical Modi%ication and would have to be e%%ectively created %rom scratch( The GM will have to 6udge modi%ications on a case by case basis, and assign each one a category %or rules purposes( The GM2s word is %inal, and he is always entitled to re6ect a modi%ication entirely or attach the most ridiculous penalty he can thin7 o% <%orcing the caster to succeed on a 9igh /mpossible spell chec7 %or each turn spent casting is always an e%%ective deterrent against e5cessively power%ul spells>( /% a player re%uses to accept the category assigned, his character2s bungling automatically bumps the modi%ication up one category <%rom Minor to Substantial, Substantial to Ma6or, Ma6or to Radical, Radical to ?aste o% %%ort> and may cause him to %ail the attempt entirely( Modi%ying a spell is :uic7er than creating one %rom scratch( Ma7ing a Minor Modi%ication only ta7es 1! hours o% wor7 each wee7 %or one month( 1 Substantial modi%ication ta7es 2! hours o% wor7 each wee7 %or 1.L months( 1 Ma6or modi%ication ta7es -! hours o% wor7 each wee7 %or 1.LH1 wee7s( 1 Radical modi%ication ta7es L! hours o% wor7 each wee7 %or a total o% 1.LH2 months, 6ust as i% the character was creating the spell %rom scratch( /% the spell is a ?aste o% %%ort, it ta7es L! hours o% wor7 each wee7 %or G months( $therwise, modi%ying a spell %ollows all the rules presented in the main ruleboo7 %or creating a new spell, though to bene%it %rom multiple participants, all o% them must meet the re:uirements to complete the modi%ication themselves( /t is possible to modi%y a spell, and then modi%y the result, and then modi%y that result <and so on> until an entirely di%%erent spell emerges( This might seem a rather laborious means o% developing a new spell <and it is>, but with the 1lpha#.raconians disrupting everyone2s lives, it can prove easier to achieve( Remember, the GM2s call is %inal on what modi%ications are allowed, and what advantage it imposes( Modi%ying spells can e5pand a character2s repertoire, and e5tend his use%ulness in a variety o% situations( 1bove all else, modi%ication o% spells helps to 7eep the game varied( 1s GM, you may choose to provide already#modi%ied spells to your players during play( 1%ter all, no#one said that every Teleport spell had to loo7 the same( $n a %inal note, however, never assume that purely cosmetic changes are entirely useless( Changing the Shadow ?eapons spell to con6ure a sword cast o% pure light is a cosmetic alteration B all that is di%%erent <%rom a games#mechanics point o% view> is the appearance o% the spell( That appearance, however, allows the weapon to illuminate the area, sparing the caster the need to carry a torch( Clever players can %ind many ways to e5ploit purely 2cosmetic2 changes B changes that have no real rules e%%ect, but must be role#played( 1s GM, however, you should be able to %ind 6ust as many ways to ma7e the changes wor7 against the character( Sure, a glowing sword lights the bearer2s way, but it also reveals his presence to hidden %oes and ma7es him an obvious target( @e canny( ### Diamond had a mission. @#eryone had told her$ "hen her magic had first re#ealed itself$ to be "ary of the dark ones. She had been told that they "ere t"isted casters "ith tainted souls$ "ho ensla#ed and degraded noble entities - and that "as the best ones6 .#er the years$ though$ she had learnt a different lesson. They al"ays felt "rong someho"$ but usually as if they had dealt "ith things that had rubbed off on them8 more like soldiers enduring shell shock than #illains "ith a mission. True$ they "ere ne#er the most sociable of people8 but gi#en ho" "elcome they are$ they doubtless get little practice. They e#en struggled "ith spells that came naturally to Diamond$ and some remain fore#er out of their reach. With the in#asion of the Alpha Draconians$ ho"e#er$ that left them more #ulnerable than Diamond liked. +er cramped study "as filled "ith books$ essays on the Dark and spell creation. She laboured to produce magics that "ould gi#e the less pri#ileged a fighting chance against the horrors of the "orld. @arlier casters had left her some clues - her e!periments "ith Teleport spells had led her to an e!isting #ariation - but e#en no"$ she laboured.

There had to be a "ay to con(ure dark armour. There had to be. ###

2P. -*R C1'I ' ST TS

4or a basic 1lpha#.raconian warrior, use the stats presented in the main GM boo7 <page "G o% the second rough dra%t>, but remember that, a%ter three years o% %ighting, they are at least passingly %amiliar with the planet and it2s inhabitants( 4or higher#level 1lpha#.raconians, see the %ollowing(

lpha-*raconian S:uad 2eader

@ody& 1! *ealth& 1! Mind& M Social& - Soul& - *P& 2! ?ill& G @onuses 0light 1lpha#.raconians have large scaly wings which allow them to %ly at the same speed they can wal7( They can not manoeuvre well with their wings, but in a pinch they are help%ul( &ay of the &arrior 1lpha#.raconians are trained to be warriors %rom the time they can crawl( The are resistant to pain and su%%er no negatives to s7ill because o% damage to their body( They are still unconscious i% their hit points go between ;ero and negative whatever their hit points are( 1lpha#.raconians have also advanced their bodies to the point they regenerate with incredible speed( 1s a result, they heal one %ourth their *ealth stat a turn( Thic# S#inned The s7in o% an 1lpha#.raconian is so thic7 that it %orms a natural armour( The s7in o% an 1lpha# .raconian gives him 2 armour with 1! hit points( Penalties 1lpha#.raconians are cold blooded( They re:uire less %ood, but their bodies can not regulate their temperature( They have technology that can do this, but once that technology %ails they are at the whim o% their environment( S7ills Computers ran7 12, 4ly ran7 ", Medicine Modern <advanced to our understanding> ran7 1!, Perception ran7 1!, Riddles ran7 I, .odge ran7 1!, Pro6ectile, 4ired ran7 1! .escription 1lpha#.raconians are large, winged, humanoid, reptilian creatures( The young are around %ourteen %eet tall though a s:uad leader will have grown to at least twenty %eet ( They have long clawed %ingers and toes, as well as thic7 green scales( S:uad leaders have some social acumen, but it tends to depend on e5ploiting a very rigid hierarchy and so is o% little use outside their own s:uad( The e:uipment o% a typical s:uad leader rarely di%%ers much %rom that o% his s:uad& armoured bodysuit designed to regulate temperature <armour rating o% -#L, with 1I hit points, is typical>, 2 energy weapons <1 longarm, one pistol as bac7up>, and spare energy cells8 though he probably carries a more power%ul comm( )in7 than his troopers, to connect with higher command( 1dditional e:uipment is supplied as re:uired( *istory 1lpha#.raconians seem to have come %rom 1lpha#.raconis system, though they claim that they originated on arth( There are theories that they came %rom an alternate reality, or are simply natural

liars, but no#one actually 7nows the truth o% their origins( )east o% all, the 1lpha#.raconians themselves( They arrange their entire society in military units, so s:uad leader is the %irst aspiration o% any up#and#coming young reptile( /t is the %irst stage on the political, social and military ladders <those terms being essentially synonymous>(

lpha-*raconian Raid 2eader

@ody& 11 *ealth& 11 Mind& 1! Social& L Soul& - *P& 22 ?ill& " @onuses 0light 1lpha#.raconians have large scaly wings which they can use to %ly at wal7ing speed( They cannot manoeuvre very well with these wings, but they are help%ul in a pinch( &ay of the &arrior 1lpha#.raconians are trained to be warriors %rom the time they can crawl( The are resistant to pain and su%%er no negatives to s7ill because o% damage to their body( They are still unconscious i% their hit points go between ;ero and negative whatever their hit points are( 1lpha#.raconians have advanced their bodies to the point they regenerate with incredible speed( They heal one %ourth their *ealth stat a turn( Thic# S#inned The s7in o% an 1lpha#.raconian is so thic7 it %orms a natural armour( The s7in o% the 1lpha# .raconian gives him 2 armour with 1! hit points( Penalties 1lpha#.raconians are cold blooded( They re:uire less %ood, but their bodies can not regulate their temperature( They have technology that can do this, but i% that technology %ails they are at the whim o% their environment( S7ills Computers ran7 1I, 4ly ran7 1!, Medicine Modern <advanced to our understanding> ran7 1!, Perception ran7 1!, Riddles ran7 1!, .odge ran7 1I, Pro6ectile, 4ired ran7 1I, )ore < arth> ran7 I .escription 1lpha#draconian are large, winged, humanoid, reptilian creatures, growing to about twenty two %eet tall( They have long clawed %ingers and toes, and thic7 green scales( Raid leaders will carry standard military e:uipment, as well as additional tactical and strategic gear such as maps, data# pads, and advanced communication e:uipment better suited to coordinating large groups( *istory Raid )eader is traditionally a temporary role, assigned to veteran s:uad leaders as a chance to prove themselves or a higher ran7ed warrior ideally suited to the raid in :uestion( ither the Raid )eader proves himsel% and gets promoted, dies and is honoured, or disgraces himsel% and is returned to the ran7s( $n arth, however, with it2s protracted con%lict, certain warriors have shown a particular %lair %or handling the type o% short, sharp engagements re:uired and as a result gained o%%icial sanction to arrange and handle such matters( ?ith such limited numbers o% warriors, and a de%inite command structure to maintain, this does not :uite constitute a promotion to the ne5t ran7, though it is de%initely a promotion above S:uad )eader( Raid )eader remains a intermediate ran7, though it has received more prominence on arth than is typical( ###

The ;aid )eader gathered the leaders of his three s%uads around the pro(ector$ and pressed the button. Darkness fell as the counter&detection unit po"ered up$ only to be illuminated by a glo"ing representation of the target. t hung o#er the pro(ector before the eyes of the assembled li'ards$ a holographic illusion of a human #illage. The "alls "ere reinforced "ood$ %uick to assemble and moderately effecti#e$ "hilst the gate had clearly been sal#aged from a sturdier structure. The buildings "ithin had been barricaded as "ell. This "as a settlement that could hold out against considerable odds. /We attack under co#er of stealth.0 the ;aid )eader informed the others$ /Do not re#eal your approach. .nce "e ha#e gained the "alls$ employ sleep gas grenades. With the humans unconscious$ they can be safely bound and returned to base.0 /Why capture them70 asked the dimmest of the reptiles$ / f they don2t surrender$ "e should kill them.0 /.ur illustrious 5eneral re%uires more sla#es$0 replied the ;aid )eader$ /Anless you are offering to clean out the se"age yourself$ you should honour that re%uest$0 the ob(ect of his stare shuddered at the thought$ /use the sla#e&prods if you ha#e to. 5o "ith s"ift stealth.0 The others recognised the dismissal$ and left through the obscuring field generated by the counter& detection unit$ but the ;aid )eader held back his most trusted S%uad )eader for a final "ord. /When attacked pre#iously$ the humans fled through the tunnel here$0 he pointed at the pro(ection$ indicating an entrance pre#iously hidden /3ut them off "hen "e attack$ and gas the tunnel thoroughly for good measure.0 /Des$ Sir.0 he replied$ and left as the counter&detection unit po"ered do"n. The ;aid )eader "atched his underlings return to gi#e their s%uads his orders. +e "ondered ho" many of them "ould li#e through the night. ###

2P. -*R C1'I ' STR<CT<R+S

There is only one permanent 1lpha#.raconian Stronghold in the world, and it is in the middle o% 1ntarctica( 1ntarctica was chosen because it is completely cut o%% %rom all other land masses, uninhabited <apart %rom a %ew scienti%ic e5peditions which had already evacuated> and protected by an e5tremely hostile climate( Thus it was as well de%ended a location as the arth has to o%%er, and the 1lpha#.raconian leader can gain some measure o% credit by claiming to have entirely 2con:uered2 the continent( $ne down, si5 to go( Creating additional strongholds would re:uire signi%icant e5penditure o% e%%ort on the part o% the 1lpha#.raconians <and the humans are sure to attac7 the builders, re:uiring e!tremely power%ul guards>, and would then have to be manned by a signi%icant %orce to drive o%% subse:uent attac7s( This would greatly reduce the 1lpha#.raconians limited man#power, and maintaining enough strongholds to a%%ect any signi%icant degree o% control over as much as a single continent would consume the 1lpha#.raconian2s entire remaining %orce( There%ore, the 1lpha#.raconians rely on their one secure base and temporary camps( The camps are relatively secure bases %or a short mission, but leaving a camp in place %or more than a %ew days almost guarantees it2s destruction <remembering that there are more than a %ew seers out there>( Technically, they could also use their orbiting transport ships as well, but they are not much use %or ground#based %orces(

Typical lpha-*raconian Camp

These camps are very temporary, usually intended to allow a raiding party to get a good rest be%ore a raid( They also o%%er a position %rom which the raid2s leader can assess any available intelligence, and perhaps send %or <or conduct> more up#to#date reconnaissance( Similar camps are also set up to provide emergency recuperative aid to in6ured troopers be%ore they are transported bac7 to the main base( The 1lpha#.raconian %orces no longer use the same camp be%ore and a%ter a raid( @e%ore the raid begins, the camp will be ta7en down( /% one is needed a%terwards, it will be set up somewhere

else( Too many camps were %ound and attac7ed by the humans in the early days o% the invasion, simply because they remained predictably static( 1 typical camp is centred around the pro6ection unit( This device can create a secure environment where the 1lpha#.raconians may conduct planning sessions and relate instructions without being overheard( /t also incorporates a holographic pro6ector to assist such meetings, and a sensor unit to detect approaching %oes( The sensor unit wor7s :uite well on barren landscapes, but on arth it 7eeps pic7ing up local wildli%e <anything %rom %lies to elephants> and tagging it 2hostile contact2( 1dded to which, intelligent %oes can sometimes tric7 the sensors <or the attached computer> into missing them and unliving hostiles rarely register at all( ach camp there%ore depends primarily on patrols and loo7outs %or security B appro5imately a :uarter o% the camp2s population will on loo7out duty at any given time( Surrounding the central pro6ector will be a ring o% personal pro6ection units B the 1lpha#.raconian e:uivalent o% a tent( ?hen activated, a personal pro6ection unit will create a %irm, warm crater, appro5imately three yards wide and centred on the unit( /t also pro6ects an energy %ield that 7eeps the area within that space at a temperature com%ortable %or the cold#blooded 1lpha#.raconians, and is capable o% bloc7ing minor pro6ectiles( This latter capability is not military#grade& it will protect the occupant %rom most %orms o% earthly precipitation, and winds less than gale %orce, but not larger or %aster pro6ectiles( ven a hand#hurled pebble would penetrate the shield( The shield can, however, be tuned to bloc7 or dim incoming and'or outgoing light, allowing the occupant a degree o% privacy, and can also be made to glow %rom the inside and'or outside, providing illumination( /t is common to bloc7 all light %rom leaving <granting the occupant privacy>, but none %rom entering <allowing the occupant to see what is happening outside>( 3nli7e the larger, central pro6ection unit, this device does not bloc7 sound( 1 particularly large encampment would have multiple rings, but such a concentration o% %orce has proven unwise on arth( The time ta7en to gather such an army would invite a devastating attac7 and give the potential victims plenty o% time to evacuate8 besides which there are %ew, i% any, remaining targets that would warrant such a %orce( ?hen deploying such a camp, positions in the innermost ring are reserved %or the highest#ran7ing 1lpha#.raconians present, whilst positions in the outermost ring are assigned to the lowest ran7ing members <usually the slaves re:uired to support such a %orce>( 9ote that the ran7ing system o% any ma6or military %orce is %ar more comple5 than it might initially appear( ?ithin a given level o% ran7 <say, S:uad )eader> there are uno%%icial ran7ings as well( /% si5 s:uads are present, and there is only enough room %or I S:uad leaders in the inner ring, the S:uad )eader most recently promoted to that role, or the one with the poorest win# loss ratio, will be relegated to the second ring( The 1lpha#.raconian2s military structure serves triple duty as a military, political, and social structure, so it is naturally comple5 enough to handle all the needed positions, even i% they are not always spelt out %or outsiders( ### The 5eneral stood on his podium. +is chief ad#isors stood in a ring around the podium$ and beyond them stood a further ring of functionaries. Alpha&Draconian$ of course$ but each attended to by a small flock of lesser sla#es. /We ha#e met the humans "ith o#er"helming force on the field of battle$0 intoned the 5eneral$ his deep #oice echoing through the ca#ernous chamber$ / n battle$ "e "ere #ictorious. n con%uest$ "e "ere failures.0 The accusation stung all of those present$ e#en if he had not directed it at any of them. To be associated "ith any failure "as a deep shame. The chamber "as "arm and insulated$ but the ad#isors and functionaries felt the chilling "eight of an encroaching dread as if it "ere still the bare Antarctic ice from "hich it had originally been car#ed. /We met the humans2 determination "ith like resol#e$ and faced them "ith grim attrition.0 some of

the ad#isors %uailed more #isibly no"$ for attrition had not been the 5eneral2s idea$ /Attrition has pro#en to be the humans2 ally$ not ours.0 The silence lay thick in the chamber$ as the Alpha&Draconians "aited "ith baited breath. The sla#es$ lacking the "ill to do other"ise$ co"ered before their masters. /To continue as "e ha#e is to fail$ slo"ly and horribly. To return to our old failure is to perish at the hands of the humans.0 the 5eneral s"ept the room "ith his glare as the silence deepened$ before adding$ /We must change or fail$ again$ and change "e shall. ha#e summoned you here to tell you ho" "e shall conduct this "ar from here on in. Follo" my instructions and "e shall snatch #ictory yet. Fail me in this$ and the foe shall be the least of your fears.0 With his audience thus %uaking$ the 5eneral began to relate his plan. ###