Elizabethulhu

Being in the Main

A Roleplaying Supplement of
Darkness and Deviltrie
in an
Age of Reafon.

printed in Pennsylvania by
Cameron Banks on thi% daie
2 August in the Year of our Lorde
2001.
PROLOGUE: IN GLORIANA’% SHADOW
It's 1603, England. It's a time when the glorious
reign of Good Queen Bess, friend to faerie, nears
its end and the future is uncertain for the realm. In
this world, over a thousand years ago, Arthur
really did fight his bastard son on the field, blood
against blood, and the faerie hosts were
accomplice to it all. Merlin was the greatest of the
druids and the architect of Arthur's reign but he
had passed on, and across all of Europe the fey
were cast out and back into their own hidden
lands as mortals learned they were not gods, and
the Church branded them demons. Except for the
dwarves, the trolls, and the goblins, who had given
up their faerie powers due to greed, ignorance and
desperation respectively, the sidhe and their darker
reflections retreated. Magic, codified and
structured into ritual and ceremony, was almost
lost as civilization and learning were crushed
underfoot by barbarian invasions, the pettiness of
popes, and the fear of kings. It would be a long
time before the light would return.
Elizabeth, herself touched by the fey from her birth
due to the witchery of her mother Anne Boleyn,
welcomed the faeries back into Britain upon her
coronation. In Wales the elves who had once sided
with Camelot and Arthur had long taken mortal
wives and husbands, and their fey blood was
thinner. The gnomes, vassals and servants and
commoners of Faerie, also surfaced from hundreds
of years of secrecy and hiding. All claimed fealty to
the mortal Church, of course - to do otherwise was
to risk extermination, and after all, how were the
mortals to ever know that Merlin's Grail
Christianity owed more to ancient powers than the
Christ? Despite suspicion and concern, and word
across Europe of the arousal in the ancient woods
and forests and mountains of even older forces, the
Renaissance saw a renewal at least in some small
part of magic.
But there were wars in Ireland, conflict with Spain,
unrest and revolution in the United Provinces of
the Netherlands - and who knew how much of this
was mortal work and how much supernatural?
True, astrologers and courtly alchemists claimed
only white magic and natural law, but were not
the Earl of Bothwell and his covens responsible for
the attempts on James VI's life? Another darkness
approaches, storms are gathering, and above it all
there is the hidden fear that even greater than dark
elves and necromancers, even worse than an
Inquisition of flame or a pogrom of fire and
brimstone, there might exist dark and unnameable
puppetmasters directing humanity towards
extinction...
INTRODUCTION: AN ELIZABETHAN
DARK FANTASY
Elizabethulhu is a D20 Setting for adventures set in
an alternate history of the Elizabethan and
Jacobean era. Most of the common features of D20
fantasy games are present, though many take very
different forms. The only other rulebooks needed
to run adventures in the Elizabethulhu campaign
setting are the core D20 System rulebooks.
The action takes place primarily in Europe,
specifically England. Adventures range from
courtly intrigue and grand plots of state, to seedy
underworld brawls and chases through the muddy
streets of London. The thematic elements of the
setting are hinted at in the title – Elizabethulhu
borrows strongly from the world of Lovecraft, but
is also influenced by the works of Shakespeare,
Marlowe, and modern writers such as Martha
Wells, Patricia Finney, Melissa Scott and Lisa A
Barnett. It takes enormous license with history,
though at its heart it explores the very fantasies
and occult intrigues that contemporary writers
suspected of taking place.
Elizabethulhu is not, therefore, the definitive
treatment of playing D20 games in the Elizabethan
era. It certainly isn’t Lovecraftian D20, either. In
fact, it is a fantasy setting rooted in our own
history. Campaigns may take place near the
beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, or near its end;
some Dungeon Masters may like to attempt a
grand dynastic campaign that begins very early in
the life of Elizabeth and continues all the way to
the succession of King James VI of Scotland.
However, history is mutable and nothing is certain.
The purpose of these rules is to encourage the
Dungeon Master and players to experience a
setting rife with scandals and scoundrels, sea dogs
and sorcerers, fey queens and necromancer earls.
Although these pages are light on content and
represent only a small portion of a larger
sourcebook, it is the author’s hope that what lies
within inspires swashbuckling, Great Old One-
fighting, troll-shouting high adventure in a very
dark world indeed.
Cameron Banks
State College, Pennsylvania
2nd August 2001
waistcoat@evilhat.com

THE FAIR FOLK
Elizabethulhu presents a world where the
faerie races of legend and folklore are as real as
any man or woman. Many of them are members of
society, albeit with no small prejudice from
humanity. Some, such as the dwarves, are trusted
and well-liked for their contributions. Others, such
as the elves of the Welsh forests, are welcome only
in England by virtue of Queen Elizabeth’s blessing
and hated or feared throughout the rest of the
world. The following material describes these fair
folk, both those who foreswore their supernatural
powers in the early years of Christianity, and those
who never surrendered to the mundane.
ELVES
The elves are the noblest of the fey races,
descendants of the faeries who in centuries past
were worshipped in many parts of the world as
gods or demons. They are still inherently tied to the
supernatural, which has colored their relationship
with Christendom, especially the Puritans and
certain factions within the Church of Rome.
Significant populations of elves reside both in
Wales and in Ireland, but it is known that the Irish
elves are closer to the otherworldly home of the
faeries than their Welsh kindred. Certainly, while
the Welsh fey owe their allegiance to Queen
Elizabeth, the Irish elves hold their own mysterious
and influential Court.
Elves are often ambassadors, courtiers,
gentleman adventurers, or consultants on matters
arcane and supernatural. It is very unlikely that an
elf will be found in the role of a priest or in the
more vulgar professions, such as common soldier,
cutpurse, or labourer.
R a c i a l A b i l i t i e s : Elves in Elizabethulhu have
all the elven racial traits listed on page 16 of the
Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• Immunity to aging effects and disease, but not
magical or supernatural diseases (such as
mummy rot.)
• Elves with Charisma scores of 10 or higher
may cast the 0-level spells (cantrips) detect
magic, flare, and prestidigitation each once per
day. These are arcane spells. Treat the elf as a
1st-level sorcerer for all spell effects dependent
on level (range for all three spells and duration
for detect magic).
• Automatic Languages: English, Fey, and either
Welsh or Irish. Bonus Languages: Irish, Welsh,
Cornish, Spanish, Latin and Greek.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer.
• Elves are vulnerable to iron and ferrous alloys.
As well as disrupting spells (q.v. sorcerer), any
attacks from piercing or slashing iron or steel
weapons against elves have their critical threat
ratings increased by 1 (20 becomes 19-20, 19-
20 becomes 18-20, etc). Iron or steel weapons
that have been enchanted lose this effect on
elves, thus this effect does not stack with the
Keen enchantment. Elves who wear non-
magical armor forged from iron or steel for
more than half an hour per day will not
recover lost hit points or ability damage for
that day.
IRONPACT DWARVES
The so-called ironpact dwarves are a broad,
sturdy race characterized by their skill at crafts
and invention, and for being solid, reliable,
practical and trustworthy. Folklore says they were
once fey, but chose to surrender their faerie
powers in order to work metal and stone and live
among mankind as mortals. The truth of this
legend is unknown, but it is true that dwarves have
experienced little of the demonization and fear
that mankind has directed towards the fey, and
dwarves of Europe are often highly respected as
craftsmen, artisans, merchants, bankers and
inventors.
 The Catholic Church had merely tolerated
dwarves for many hundreds of years, but both
Lutherans and Calvanists openly embraced their
dwarven supporters, who were attracted to the
Reformation ethics of austerity and hard work. In
light of obvious religious differences it is
commonly held that dwarves and fey do not get
along.
R a c i a l A b i l i t i e s : Ironpact dwarves have the
dwarven racial traits listed on page 15 of the
Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against fire
and heat, including magical and supernatural
fire. This stacks with their bonus to saves
against spells.
• +2 racial bonus on Disable Device checks,
Open Locks checks, and Craft checks that are
related to gadgets, clockwork, or other devices.
Disable Device and Open Lock may be used
untrained in this fashion. A dwarf who merely
comes within 10 feet of a mechanical trap can
make a check as if he were actively searching,
and a dwarf can use the Search skill to find
mechanical traps and devices as a rogue can.
Dwarves are natural inventors and engineers.
(This replaces the Stonecunning ability of
standard dwarves.)
• Ironpact dwarves do not gain the standard
dwarven bonus to attack rolls against orcs and
goblinoids.
• Automatic Languages: English. Bonus
Languages: Dutch, German, Norse, Latin, and
Greek.
• Favored Class: Fighter.
GNOMES
The gnomes are the common population of the
unsworn fey, who often serve as vassals and
servants to the more noble elves. They are known
for their strong connection to the natural world.
Gnomes are much shorter than their sidhe cousins,
shorter even than dwarves, though they are not as
quick and spry as goblins. Due to their association
with the fey courts, and their own lusty and
chaotic natures, gnomes are lumped in with the
elves in the suspicious eyes of the Church both
historically and theologically.
Gnomes are very suited to more rustic and
earthy professions, such as farmers, gardeners,
shepherds and fishermen. They are renowned as
cooks, brewers and vintners, and exceptional
herbalists and apothecaries. Consequently, gnome
surgeons and physicians are not unheard of.
R a c i a l A b i l i t i e s : Gnomes have all the gnome
racial traits listed on page 17 of the Player’s
Handbook except for the following:
• Immunity to natural (non-magical) diseases,
and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against
poison. (This replaces the standard gnome
resistance to illusions).
• +2 racial bonus on Craft and Profession checks
relating to herbalism, cooking, and brewing.
(This replaces the standard gnome bonus to
Alchemy skill checks).
• +2 racial bonus to Heal checks when treating
poison or disease.
• Handle Animal and Animal Empathy skills can
be used untrained.
• Gnomes with Intelligence scores of 10 or
higher may cast the 0-level spells (cantrips)
cure minor wounds, detect poison, and purify
food & drink, each once per day. These are
arcane spells, but all require some herbal
component. Treat the gnome as a 1st-level
caster for all spell effects dependent on level.
(These cantrips replace the cantrips available
to standard gnomes).
• Automatic Languages: English and Fey. Bonus
Languages: Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Latin
and Greek.
• Favored Class: Druid.
• Gnomes are vulnerable to iron. As well as
disrupting spells (q.v. sorcerer), any attacks
from piercing or slashing iron weapons against
gnomes have their critical threat ratings
increased by 1 (20 becomes 19-20, 19-20
becomes 18-20, etc). Iron weapons that have
been enchanted lose this effect on gnomes, thus
this effect does not stack with the Keen
enchantment. Gnomes who wear non-magical
armor forged from iron or steel for more than
half an hour per day will not recover lost hit
points or ability damage for that day.
TROLLS
The trolls as a race are characteristically tall,
muscular, and brutish, with pronounced brows
and lower jaws. They have earned a reputation as
thugs, gravitating easily to professions such as
mercenary, laborer, bodyguard or bandit. In spite
of this, trolls do not draw nearly as much rancor
from the Church as one might expect, due to their
willingness to adhere to Holy Writ and their
aversion to magic and the supernatural. Even trolls
who make a living waylaying travelers or mugging
folk in London's filth-ridden streets fear the wrath
of God.
Trolls are most numerous either in northern
climates, such as Scotland and Scandinavia, where
they work the land, or in crowded urban
environments where they can find gainful
employment. Many trolls join expeditions or
foreign wars. There are no trolls in the upper
classes, though nobles may employ them as
servants.
R a c i a l A b i l i t i e s : Trolls have all the half-orc
racial traits listed on page 19 of the Player’s
Handbook except for the following:
• +2 racial bonus to Intimidate checks.
• Recuperative Powers: A troll recovers from
damage twice as fast as a human, i.e. 2
hp/level for every day of rest, and 3 hp/level
for every day of complete bed rest. In addition,
all percentage chances for stabilization and
recovery when wounded or dying are doubled,
and all recovery rates of damaged physical
characteristics (Strength, Constitution and
Dexterity) are doubled.
• Automatic Languages: English. Bonus
Languages: Scots, Gaelic, Norse or Latin.
• Favored Class: Barbarian.
GOBLINS
The goblins are a small, quick and cunning
race known for their ability to acquire information
and thrive in mankind's shadow. Young goblins
resemble children, but the older they are the more
wizened and gnarled they become. Like the
dwarves, they are thought to have once been fey,
connecting them to legends of hobs and house
elves. However, they are no longer connected to
the fey world as elves and gnomes are, and they
rely on civilization and the mortal world for their
existence. Goblins either dwell in the poor sections
of cities, acting as rumormongers, smugglers and
couriers, or on the road with gypsy caravans and
other nomadic folk.
Despite their dubious reputation, most goblins
work as legitimate employees or craftsmen. Nobles
and wealthy merchants often employ goblins as
agents or spies. Even the Church has been known
to use them for these purposes. They also find
success in military careers as scouts or sailors, but
they must work to rise above their race’s
reputation as thieves and vermin.
R a c i a l A b i l i t i e s : Goblins have all the halfling
racial traits listed on page 20 of the Player’s
Handbook except for the following:
• +2 racial bonus on Bluff, Gather Information,
Listen and Move Silently checks (these replace
the standard halfling skill check bonuses).
• Bonus Feat: Dodge.
• Goblins do not gain the standard halfling
bonus to attack rolls with thrown weapons.
• Automatic Languages: English. Bonus
Languages: French, German, Romany, Welsh
• Favored Class: Rogue
CLASSES
Elizabethulhu assumes that most if not all of
the standard character classes in the Player’s
Handbook are being used in the campaign. Due to
the unique nature of the setting, however, some
minor differences exist between how the standard
classes are represented in a typical fantasy world,
and the 16th and 17th century alternate historical
Europe of Elizabethulhu. The material that follows
outlines these differences, and gives examples of
characters that possess these classes.
BARBARIANS
Barbarians come from the wilder, untamed
areas of Europe, or represent individuals who still
live in primitive or unenlightened regions.
Specifically, members of the barbarian class are
warriors with a closer tie to the more bestial side of
humanity, individuals with great passion and
fierce in battle.
Use the barbarian class for player characters
who hail from the Highlands of Scotland, or the
plains of Africa, or the frigid regions of northern
Europe. They offer a distinctly different outlook on
the late Tudor and early Stuart society, which can
make for very interesting roleplaying.
BARDS
Bards are members of a society known as the
Bardic College. NPC Bards may have abandoned
the College or never really paid it much attention,
but it provides player character Bards with a
ready-made resource for arcane knowledge,
contacts, support, and training. Shakespeare is a
bard, if a somewhat errant member of the College.
Bards are usually discovered at a young age and
their talents honed by another bard, though
joining the Bardic College late in life is certainly
not unheard of.
Bards employ a great deal of magical
knowledge that draws on the tradition of natural
philosophy – the underlying arcane properties of
music, lyric, and voice. Much of it is simple
psychology. As an offshoot of the Druidic
Tradition, and sharing similar rites and beliefs, the
Bardic College in Britain embodies both Christian
and pagan thought and practice and shies away
from evil. A bard who uses his talents for
wickedness is a terrible creature indeed, both
baseless and a traitor to his community.
Christopher Marlowe is one such individual,
whose dabbling with the diabolical forces resulted
ultimately in his death.
CLERICS
The Cleric class represents those men and
women of faith whose beliefs are strong enough to
tap into the ambient divine energy of the spheres
and work miracles. Many clerics don’t even
consider their divinely-wrought powers to be their
own, and instead consider themselves merely
vessels. Priests of all religions have their own ideas
about the nature of Cosmology, the rightness or
wrongness of other religions, and the power of
prayer or rite. In truth, there are no actual divine
entities, gods, or supreme beings in the
Elizabethulhu campaign – but humanity’s fierce
belief in them makes them instruments of divine
power nonetheless.
A character does not have to be a member of
the cleric class to be a religious authority, nor do
they require ordination or membership in an
established religion to be devotees and workers of
divine magic. If the idea of individuals walking the
face of the Earth healing the sick and raising the
dead seems odd to you, remember that in most
cases divine magic works in tune with natural law,
not in spite of it. Players are encouraged to think of
cleric spells as miracles, not routine displays of
spellcasting. Indeed, while the ability to remove
disease sounds like the perfect answer to the Black
Death, Elizabethulhu never assumes such
phenomena as disease or illness are entirely
natural in the first place. The drawback to this
method of divine spellcasting is that if the cleric’s
religious convictions do not allow the use of a
certain kind of spell, they are unable to use it.
Discuss spell availability and the low-magic
guidelines of Elisabethulhu with the Dungeon
Master before playing a cleric.
Clerics in the Elizabethulhu campaign are able
to affect the fey and fey magic (glamour or
sorcery) much as standard clerics may affect
undead. Faith and glamour have long been at odds
with each other, though this is a primarily Judeo-
Christian concept. Details are provided in the
magic section, though essentially a cleric can use
one of their daily turning attempts as a
counterspell for sorcerer magic, or rebuke fey
(note: not elves or gnomes) as a cleric turns or
rebukes undead.
Player character clerics should select 2
domains for their characters, based on the
denomination or religion they adhere to. Typically,
any domain could apply, as there are as many
aspects of God, even within the Church of Rome or
England, as there are domains, but those best
avoided are Evil, Chaos, Destruction, Magic,
Trickery, and Death. Common choices would be
Healing, Protection, Knowledge, and Law.
It should also be noted that corrupt religious
figures are possible under the cosmology of
Elizabethulhu, as clerics may be of any alignment.
Of course, they must truly believe that God or their
deity will grant them divine power, so very often
they are individuals with more diabolical
patronage. These characters make excellent
villains!
DRUIDS
Druids in Elizabethulhu are the heirs of
Merlin. Their religious tradition and mystical
tradition shares many commonalities with early
pagan religion in Europe, although time and ritual
have codified and organized much of it. Merlin
and Arthur’s Grail Christianity, which combined
the earth religions of the British with the Catholic
Church, is the foundation of Elizabethan Druidical
practice. As such, the Druidic Order differs from
the standard Player’s Handbook druid in the sense
that they are more a secret society of enchanters,
arcanists and visionaries, than nature priests.
All the standard rules apply for druids in
Elizabethulhu. Strict observance of spell
components, rituals, and the like is required – a
druid relies heavily on props, just like a wizard
does. Multiclassing the druid class with wizard is a
logical choice. Fantastic abilities such as the power
to assume a wild shape or pass without trace may
stretch the realms of reality a little, but druidical
magic works in concert with the Natural Law to a
greater extent than, say, faerie glamour and
sorcery.
Restrictions on weapons for druids are
somewhat lessened in Elizabethulhu, though it is
still suggested that druids not bear firearms or
other mechanical weapons. The list in the Player’s
Handbook outlines the basic weapon proficiencies
of the druid, but druids who acquire other weapon
proficiencies will not lose their druidical powers.
The armor restriction still applies, however.
FIGHTERS
The fighter class is, for the most part, the same
in any genre or setting, and in Elizabethulhu there
are few differences beyond the obvious. Weapons
and armor are setting-specific, but martial
profession is still commonplace. Fighters can be sea
dogs, cavalry captains, city constables, gentleman
adventurers, or tough underworld thugs. Any
fighting role is suitable for play. Military heroes
are always an asset when intrigue and scandal
become violent.
 gives the ranger character an archery-focused
MONKS aspect, which more closely corresponds to
England’s greatest member of this class, Robin of
The monk is a very rare individual in the world Locksley, known as Robin Hood.
of Elizabethulhu, suited mainly for wandering
explorers from the Orient or for those few ROGUES
Europeans who have returned from jouneys to the
Far East and have returned with hidden secrets of Much like fighters, rogues transcend many
the mind and body. One excellent example of a setting conventions and are easily adapated to the
monk player character comes from the original fantastorical world of Elizabethulhu. There are no
Elizabethulhu playtest campaign. He was a young changes to the rogue class as presented in the
Welsh noble who shipped out with a merchant’s Player’s Handbook and it is suggested that the class
vessel en route to Asia, was shipwrecked and be used for anyone from the streetwise goblin
found by Taoist monks. A student of Neoplatonic guttersnipe to the loquacious courtier, and all in
philosophy, he married the Taoist teachings with between.
his own Classical training and arrived at the
secrets of ascending the Ladder of Being towards
godhood.
Dungeon Masters should feel free to restrict
players from taking the monk as a character class,
but be open to original and unique character
concepts such as the one mentioned above.
PALADINS
The paladin is a suitable class for pious
followers of religion or a crusading order, though
such orders are rare by this time. The Grail Temple
Knights, an order that has survived since the time
of Arthur, is an excellent background for paladin
characters. Elves, humans, and even extraordinary
members of other races could be Grail Knights.
Their abilities are grounded in their faith, their
adherence to their codes and disciplines, and their
continued commitment to their order. Dungeon
Masters whose player character paladins are
ignoring these facets of play should consider
removing the special divine abilities of paladins
until atonement is made.
Paladins have a similar effect on sorcery and
fey glamour as clerics. They are able to rebuke the
fey and use turning attempts as counterspells
against sorcery.
RANGERS SORCERERS
Player character rangers commonly have lived Sorcerers are spellcasters with the blood of the
among or were associates of the elves and gnomes fey, or the taint of far worse, running through
in Wales or other regions close to the Otherworld. their veins. Functionally, the two are identical –
A ranger’s spellcasting ability is related to that of the character is able to work arcane effects
druids, and operates on similar principles, though without the use of most ritual trappings in a
the chief role of the ranger in Elizabethulhu is the manner that defies and invades Natural Law. The
rural tracker, scout, and hunter. Their divine fey are not creatures of the mundane, and neither
talents are secondary. are sorcerers, though the blood is often much
As a suggestion to allow ranger characters weaker in human and other non-elven races.
more flexibility in the setting, the Ambidexterity Sorcerers, if they are clever enough, will
and Two-Weapon Fighting “virtual feats” may be masquerade as practitioners of White Magic or
replaced by Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot. This perhaps hope to dismiss their talents as “faerie
gifts” which, while suspicious, at least are tolerated wizards are multiclassed characters, who represent
in Britain. Characters whose supernatural powers those idle rich who dabble in wizardry, either for
derive mainly from an ancestor who had traffick power or for the company it attracts. Sir Walter
with “demons” and who learn nothing of ritual Raleigh and Sir Francis Bacon are both wizards,
magic are in much hotter water. although each to different degrees. The greatest
Sorcerers in Elizabethulhu do not gain a wizard in England in the time period covered by
familiar, though they do not need to make use of Elizabethulhu is Dr. John Dee, who would have
material spell components. They are still required been Merlin to Elizabeth’s Arthur had he not been
to use somatic and verbal components, however, so sidetracked by his associates.
and are thus just as prone to arcane spell failure Wizards have familiars as descibed in the
when wearing armor. Sorcerer magic differs Player’s Handbook, but the familiar is no ordinary
slightly from wizard magic in that it can be animal. The wizard’s familiar is a manifest spirit
affected and counterspelled by clerical power, that assists the wizard in conducting magical
though there is much less requirement on the part works, and without it he or she suffers from a 25%
of the sorcerer player to explain away their spells arcane spell failure penalty. Other familiar spirits
as coincidences, science, or the like. It is advisable of a more esoteric nature are available to player
to do so, however, merely for the sake of avoiding character wizards. They are listed below:
claims of witchcraft and pacts with Satan.
WIZARDS
In Elizabethulhu, wizards are proto-scientists,
strict ritualists with knowledge of many magical
systems, arcane lore, principles of astrology and
mathematics, and the hermetic arts. All wizards in
the setting are specialist wizards – no general
wizards exist. Common choices are Abjurers
(exorcists), Diviners (seers or astrologers), and
Transmuters (alchemists). Conjurers are also
common among wizards, but these individuals
tread a very fine line between so-called Natural
Law (White Magic, or the kind of mystical science
tolerated by the Church of England) and diabolism
or Black Magic. Necromancers, of course, walk no
line at all and are firmly in the camp of the darker
arts.
Wizardry is different from sorcery in that it is
the application of (albeit fantastic) scientific or
hidden laws upon the universe in a way that does
not generally transgress the way the universe
works. Even the summoning of outsiders, demons
and minions of the Outer Gods is permitted by the
Cosmos, though typically the after-effects of such Familiar Special
summonings are exactly the opposite. Wizardry, Chaos spirit Master gains +2 deflection
therefore, is not affected by the special divine bonus to AC vs lawful
channels of clerics, at least in the way that sorcery attacks and opponents
is, and wizards are not themselves magical or Law spirit Master gains +2 deflection
mystical. They are merely mortals who have bonus to AC vs chaotic
learned the greater secrets of the universe, for attacks and opponents
good or ill. Elemental spirit Master gains +2 resistance
Player character wizards must strictly follow bonus to saving throws vs
the rules for spell components and ritual tools. attacks of the specific
Wizards cannot usually pull magic out of the air; element.
they have to work from their spellbooks, tomes,
and writings. They are always studying and
experimenting, casting starcharts and preparing
tinctures and solutions. Playing a wizard can be a
challenge, but can also be rewarding. Many
ARMS AND ARMOR
The Elizabethan era was one of pike and shot,
where armor took the form of a breastplate and a
helmet or sometimes nothing but a quilted bernie
and a prayer to God. The black powder weapons of
the age were noisy, inaccurate and prone to
misfire, but they were nonetheless the weapons of
choice. It was a very different period in the
development of warfare than the standard in D20
fantasy, but there are enough parallels that few
changes are necessary.
What follows are some notes on muskets,
pistols, and other weapons of the era in D20 terms,
and some notes on suitable period armor.
M a t c h l o c k s : These firearms were muzzle-
loading weapons which employed lengths of
smoldering cord (the match) in the firing
mechanism, which ignited the powder in the
priming pan and then the powder in the barrel.
Calivers were smaller, cut-down versions of the
musket which could be fired without a rest. The
musket was often over four feet long and needed a
rest or some sort of support when fired. Matchlock
muskets and calivers are martial weapons in the
Elizabethan era, and all classes except wizards,
sorcerers, clerics, druids and barbarians are
proficient in their use. Matchlocks take 3 standard
actions to reload.
Matchlock Caliver large, damage 1d8, critical 19-
20/x2, range increment 40 ft, type P.
Matchlock Musket large, damage1d12, critical 18-
20/x2, range increment 60 ft, type P.
W h e e l l o c k s : These were more advanced
weapons than matchlocks, and much more
expensive to make. They have a spinning firing
mchanism on a wound spring that replaces the
match. They are more reliable than matchlocks but
their cost is prohibitive. Belt pistols are small
enough to tuck into a belt or under a coat; horse
pistols are up to 18 inches long and worn
hoslstered on a horse’s saddle by cavalry officers.
Only fighters, paladins and rangers are proficient
with both pistols, although rogues are proficient in
the belt pistol. Wheellocks require 2 standard
actions to reload.
Wheellock Belt Pistol small, damage1d8, critical
19-20/x2, range increment 15 ft , type P.
Wheellock Horse Pistol medium, damage 1d10,
critical 18-20/x2, range increment 20 ft, type P.
M i s f i r e s a n d M i s h a p s ( o p t i o n a l ) : On any roll
of a 1 when using a firearm, the weapon has
misfired and the player must make another attack
roll. A success means it is merely clogged with
powder and requires 1d6 round to clear it. On
another failure, the gun misfires and is useless, and
the character must make a successful Reflex save
(DC 12) or take 1d6 damage from the discharge.
Elizabethulhu does not adhere to the notion
that firearms are killer weapons or that they
eliminate the protective value of armor. If
alternative rules are required, several are available
online or in other sourcebooks of more modern
time periods. This design decision was made to
reduce the emphasis on muskets and pistols to
swordfights and chases in the vein of
swashbuckling adventure movies. However,
despite their fire-and-discard nature, black
powder weapons are some of the best weapons
available in the time period, and are still very
useful and fearsome.
A r m o r : The primary form of armor available to
the middle classes or those beneath them was a
quilted, padded vest and helmet, or a leather coat
(called a buff coat) that was oftern worn under a
breastplate by officers and gentlemen adventurers.
Consider allowing the following: padded armor,
leather armor (or buff coat), studded leather
armor, breastplate, half-plate, and full plate (the
last two being very rare and more likely as
showpieces or ceremonial armor).
Bucklers were the most common form of
shield. In the interests of making it easier on those
characters without access to heavier armor,
consider allowing a helmet to add +1 AC, with the
same statistics as a small shield, or thigh-boots and
helmet as +2 AC with the same statistics as a large
shield.
COIN OF THE REALM
Elizabethan coinage was a thing of change
owing to the ups and downs of prosperity, but for
the purposes of Elizabethulhu we have
standardized the currency somewhat. All coins are
silver or gold; there are no copper coins. The basic
units of currency are the pound (£), the shilling (s)
and the penny (d).
12 pence make a shilling.
20 shillings make a pound.
This may seem simple, but the coins and
denominations don’t always match. The most
common coin of trade is the crown, which is 5
shillings, or a quarter of a pound. You can assume
that most prices in the Player’s Handbook that
refer to amounts in GP can be considered in
crowns. SP would then equal sixpence.
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All material in this document including the name Elizabethulhu and the tagline Darkness and Deviltrie in an
Age of Reason is copyright © 2001 Cameron Banks. All original game mechanics and rules taken
independently of setting background are considered Open Game Content material. You may contact Cam
Banks at waistcoat@evilhat.com for questions, queries and information regarding Elizabethulhu D20 Fantasy
Setting.
Extra Special Thanks goes out to the following individuals who helped this project take shape through
playtesting or advice: Jessica Banks (who also edited this mess), Jim Butcher, Shannon Butcher, J.J. Butcher,
Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine, Jon David, Todd Knealing, Genevieve Cogman, Fred Hicks, and of course
Robert Donoghue who is easily the best sounding board for this sort of thing in my experience. Thanks also
go out to Ken Hood, Doug Anderson, Ken Hite, Gareth-Michael Skarka, and everyone else in the D20 brain
trust who inspired, assisted, praised or critiqued my ideas, or simply said “Elizabethulhu? Cool name!”