3–4 Aspirant.

You studied to become a priest of the some malady, such as leprosy, have fallen on
Old Faith or a particular god of the pantheon.
You have the uniform of your faith.
5–6 Cultist. You belonged to a small religion that
operated on the fringes of your community.
Your cult might have had good intentions or
could honored some monstrous power. You
have a symbol or badge of your faith.
7–8 Evangelist. You traveled the land, attempting
to make converts to your faith. You have a
book containing uncommon knowledge about
your faith.
9–10 Fundamentalist. You subscribe to an extremely
orthodox interpretation of your religion. You
have a book containing uncommon knowledge
of your religion.
11–12 Heretic. You held unorthodox beliefs about an
extant religion and were an outsider among
the faithful who shared your devotion. You
have a quarterstaff.
13–14 Missionary. You traveled into unexplored
lands, hoping to bring the message of your
faith to the people you met. You have a symbol
of your faith.
15–16 Minister. You led a congregation of the faithful
and taught them to lead spiritual lives. You
have a book containing uncommon knowledge
about your religion.
17–18 Prophet. You believe the gods spoke to you or
through you to pronounce future happenings.
hard times, or just want to live the hobo life.
You have quarterstaff.
5–6 Forester. You worked as a game warden for a
noble’s preserve. You have a bow and arrows.
7–8 Gatherer. You lived by gathering what you
could forage from the land. You have two
poultices.
9–10 Hunter. You stalked game through the wild
places, hunting them for meat and materials.
You have a bow and arrows.
11–12 Nomad. You belonged to a traveling people.
You might have followed your herds, been
performers who traveled from town to town,
or a people displaced from your homeland. You
have a quarterstaff.
13–14 Pilgrim. You traveled to sites deemed holy by
your faith. You might have visited the places
where saints performed miracles, sites where
the gods have walked among mortals, and
shrines and temples believed to hold relics of
your faith. You have a quarterstaff.
15–16 Prospector. You traveled into the wilderness
searching for signs of precious metals. You
have a tool kit.
17–18 Spelunker. You explore caves and caverns. You
have rope, a lantern, oil, and a tinderbox.
19–20 Woodcutter. You cut timber from forests. You
have an axe.

19–20
You have a quarterstaff.
Scribe. You made copies of sacred texts and
illuminated the manuscripts. You have a writing
Starting
kit.
Equipment
Wilderness The equipment you have at the start of the game
Plenty of wilderness remains even in the highly- can reveal certain facts about your character, such
traveled Old Country and plenty more awaits as your level of preparedness and your current
exploration and discovery in the borderlands and financial circumstances. You determine your
beyond. Wilderness backgrounds reveal the starting equipment by rolling dice to determine
various roles people adopt when they live outside what you've got. For details on equipment, see
the cities and dwell among nature. Many peoples chapter 6: Equipment.
indigenous to the borderlands have wilderness Some items indicated by a roll might not be
backgrounds. useful for members of certain ancestries.
Clockworks have no need of provisions or
Survivalist When you fail a Strength roll, you can use this containers to hold food or water, for example. You
talent to discard the result and roll again. can skip over those tables if you like or give the
You can use this talent once. You regain the use of it after
a full night’s rest. results of your rolls to your companions.
Also, your profession might provide you with a
WILDERNESS PROFESSIONS piece of equipment. If a roll on one of the tables
d20 Profession below produces a duplicate result, you can either
1–2 Anchorite. You retreated from the world to accept the duplicate or roll again to get something
contemplate the nature of divinity in isolation.
different.
You know how to forage for provisions and
In addition to starting equipment, you can have
clean water. You have a quarterstaff.
3–4 Beggar. You travel from place to place, living
additional minor possessions that lack meaningful
off the charity of others. You might suffer value. You could carry around a pair of gloves, a

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comb, or an extra pair of underclothes, for PERSONAL EFFECTS
instance. Such Items rarely have an effect during d20 Item
play, but might be an aspect of how you want to 1 A lock of hair, a love letter, or some other
roleplay your character. remembrance
2 A piece of costume jewelry
CLOTHING 3 A pet mouse, cat, rabbit, bird, or dog
d6 Clothing 4 A small bell
1 Inferior clothing 5 Half of an old map
2–5 Normal clothing 6 An old key
6 Superior clothing 7 An iron horseshoe or a rabbit’s foot
8 A letter of introduction
ARMOR 9 A bottle of spirits
d6 Armor
10 A single playing card
1–3 None
11 A collection of spoons, forks, or cooking
4–5 Leather
implements
6 Mail
12 A masquerade mask, a scarf, or a fancy hat
WEAPONS 13 A toy or a stuffed animal
d6 Weapon 14 A pair of sensible shoes
1 A knife 15 A box of chalks, paints, or dyes in all the colors
2 A knife and a sling with stones of the spectrum
3 A knife and a quarterstaff 16 A fragment from a painting, a sheet of music,
4 A knife and a club or a sculpture
5 A knife and a spear 17 Pots and pans
6 A knife and a bow with arrows 18 A pair of manacles
19 A ten-pound bag of flour, a bag of marbles, a
CONTAINERS AND PROVISIONS collapsible pole, 50 feet of rope, or a small
d6 Containers and Provisions metal mirror
1 Nothing 20 A box of dead insects, a glass jar filled with
2 Provisions, sack or canteen sinister liquid, a lump of coal, a glass eye, a
3–4 Provisions, sack, and canteen moldy cake, a small book filled with
5–6 Provisions, backpack, and canteen indecipherable writing, a stoppered vial
holding an unknown substance, a monstrous
PROVISIONS statuette, or something else others might
d6 Provisions
consider strange
1 One day

Identity
2 Two days
3 Three days
4 Four days
5 Five days The character you play represents a person in the
6 Six days world of the game, an individual who has hopes
and dreams, fears, ambitions, a past, and a future.
ILLUMINATION
d6 Items
Your character's identity encompasses all these
1–2 Nothing aspects and helps to inform you when you decide
3 One candle and a tinderbox what your character does in the game and how
4 One candle, one torch, and a tinderbox you respond to situations that come up in your
5 Three candles, three torches, and a tinderbox quests. You can use the tables in the following
6 Three candles, a lantern, a flask of oil, and a sections to help you determine aspects of your
tinderbox character’s basic nature.
Not every detail about your character needs to
POCKET MONEY be determined by these tables, and any choices
d6 Wealth
you make at this time are not set in stone; some
1 —
2 1d6 cp facts about your character's personality and
3 2d6 cp priorities might emerge, or evolve, as you play
4 3d6 cp through quests.
5 1d6 sp
6 1d6 gp

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Distinctive Features
3 You have boils, piles, a goiter, or a nasty skin
condition that never heals.
4 Your joints pop when you stand up.
Your character starts as an adult with a height and
5 You have a brand somewhere on your body.
weight falling in the typical range explained in the
6 One of your eyes looks in a different direction.
entry for your ancestry. You choose your 7 You eat with your mouth open.
character’s height, weight, along with other basic 8 You have a facial tic.
details such as your age, hair, eye and skin color, 9 You have broken veins in your nose.
apparent gender or lack thereof, and any other 10 You smell of soup.
cosmetic trait you want to include. (Your ancestry 11 You have no pigment in your hair or skin.
might have information on some of these 12 You are hirsute.
particulars.) 13 You have a pleasant smile.
The Distinctive Features tables below provide a 14 You are somewhat short for your ancestry.
host of possibilities for physical and behavioral 15 You look a lot like a member of a different
features that set your character apart from all ancestry.
others. You can use dice to randomly determine 16 You are gaunt to the point of appearing
your character's distinctive features, or choose any skeletal.
of them that appeal to you. Note, though, that not 17 You have a musty smell.
18 You have an extra finger or toe.
all the entries on the tables are appropriate for all
19 You are a person of exceptional beauty.
ancestries. For instance, clockworks have no body
20 You have wide and expressive mouth.
hair, and all archons have the same height and
weight and general appearance. If the dice DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 3
produce a contradictory or repetitious result, d20 Feature
simply roll again or choose a different feature you 1 Your ears have an unusual shape or size.
like. 2 You have an uncommon number of body
For random generation, roll a d6 to determine piercings.
how many distinctive features you have. For each 3 You have a wart on your nose or chin.
one, roll a d6 to determine the table number and a 4 You wear an unusual hair style.
5 You have a peg leg.
d20 to produce the result.
6 Nothing about you stands out. Lose all
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 1 distinguishing features.
d20 Feature 7 You breathe through your mouth.
1 Your nose has an unusual shape or size. 8 You slouch all the time.
2 You have unusual eye color. 9 Your pupils have a strange shape.
3 You have halitosis. 10 You have long fingernails.
4 You walk with a limp. 11 You snort when you laugh.
5 You keep your head shaved. 12 You pick at your scabs.
6 You fidget all the time. 13 You have an infectious laugh.
7 One of your legs or arms is shorter than the 14 You have a slender body.
other. 15 You have an attractive body.
8 You are far smaller than average. 16 You have long legs.
9 You have a high-pitched voice. 17 You are gap-toothed.
10 You have abundant ear and nose hair. 18 You have polychromatic eyes.
11 You suffer from uncontrollable sweating. 19 You have a thick, blocky body.
12 You sometimes spit to punctuate what you say. 20 You have a pot belly.
13 You have thick, lustrous hair.
14 You appear younger than your actual age. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 4
15 You scratch at yourself all the time. d20 Feature
16 You are quite rotund. 1 You have a beauty mark on your face.
17 You have hairy feet. 2 You have all the freckles.
18 You have a long, pointed nose. 3 You have a beetling brow or your eyebrows
meet.
19 You are rather plain or homely.
4 You are double jointed.
20 You have a melodious voice.
5 You have tattoos over most or all of your body.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 2 6 You stomp when you walk.
d20 Feature 7 You have a rattling cough.
1 You are quite attractive. 8 You have sleepy eyes.
2 A few of your teeth have gone missing. 9 You are prematurely gray.

30
10 You can’t seem to stay clean. 15 You move with grace and poise.
11 You have a shrill laugh. 16 You have short arms.
12 You have an extensive scarring on your body. 17 You have scaly patches on your skin.
13 You smell of jasmine, flowers, or something 18 You frown all the time.
else. 19 You have a heavy jaw.
14 You are rather portly. 20 You have a strange birthmark.
15 You have dark circles under your eyes.

Personality
16 You have a stooped, hunched posture.
17 You have different colored eyes.
18 You are extremely large for a member of your An individual’s personality is a combination of
ancestry. several attitudes that are developed through life
19 You have an odd bulge somewhere on your
experiences, connections to others or lack thereof,
body.
20 You have a shapely physique.
the satisfaction of certain needs and the absence
of others. Your character can have any personality
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 5 you like, ranging from someone who acts and
d20 Feature thinks much like you do or someone vastly
1 You have one or more patches of different different from you. If you like, you can use the
colored skin. tables in this section to randomly generate the
2 You lost an eye, ear, or part of your nose. facets of your character's personality that, when
3 You have incredible facial hair. taken together, defines an identity you can portray
4 You crack your knuckles when idle.
during the game.
5 You walk on the balls of your feet.
6 When standing, you shift your weight from one
foot to the other.
Dependability
7 You have a raspy voice. Your degree of dependability speaks to how
8 You have small hands or feet. reliable you are, whether you follow through on
9 You have a lined and careworn face. your promises, and if you can make decisions that
10 One eye squints all the time. recognize the needs of others.
11 You smile all the time.
12 You wear dentures.
DEPENDABILITY
3d6 Dependability
13 You have a kind face.
3 You can’t depend on me for much of anything.
14 You are tall for members of your ancestry.
I almost never see things through, and I’m
15 You have pock marks all over your face.
given to impulsive behavior.
16 You are shapely, voluptuous, chiseled, or
4–5 I have a hard time staying organized and
muscular.
putting what’s important ahead of what’s not.
17 You have bad acne.
6–8 Sometimes I get so distracted I forget what I
18 You have webbed toes.
am supposed to be doing.
19 You have prominent teeth.
9–12 I try to be conscientious, but I sometimes fall
20 You appear awkward and gangly.
short.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES TABLE 6 13–15 For the most part, I do what I say I will do. I try
d20 Feature to stay organized and to keep my priorities
1 You have a nasty scar on your face. straight.
2 You have multiple piercings in your ears or 16–17 I lead an orderly, disciplined life. I almost
wear gauges in your lobes. always do what I say I will do, and people can
3 You lost one or more fingertips or fingers on rely on me.
one or both hands. 18 I become so focused on a task that I ignore
4 You have no hair anywhere on your body. almost everything else until I finish it. You can
5 You rock back and forth when sitting. depend on me to do one thing at a time.
6 You are pigeon toed or duck-footed.
7 You often rub your hands together with glee. Sociability
8 You have a deep, sonorous voice. Your sociability describes how well you get along
9 You have exotic skin color. with others, as well as how you regard strangers
10 You have a few extra pounds. and acquaintances.
11 You have smooth, babyish features.
12 You have a haggard appearance.
13 You have smooth and supple skin.
14 You are an older adult.

31
 SOCIABILITY 6–8 New ideas and activities make me
3d6 Sociability uncomfortable.
3 People are the worst. I have few friends and 9–12 I’m up for trying new things, just not all the
almost no close friends. time.
4–5 I avoid interacting with strangers, and it takes a 13–15 I often think about new ways to do things and
lot to get me to open up. new activities to pursue. I might not succeed at
6–8 Some people think me aloof and reserved, but I all of them, but I’m willing to try.
simply prefer to keep to myself. 16–17 I’m willing to do something different. I am
9–12 People can be good or bad. I don’t make a eager for new experiences.
judgment about someone until I get to know 18 I crave new experiences. I’m eager to see the
them. world, to try new foods and drinks, and gain a
13–15 Sure, some people are bad, but most aren’t, better understanding of all there is to learn,
and I try to give other folks the benefit of the feel, and sense.
doubt.
16–17 I like people and almost never think poorly of Affability
others who make my acquaintance. How you behave in interpersonal situations is
18 I try to help everyone I meet, sometimes even expressed by your affability. You might be a
to my detriment. solitary soul, or someone who thrives on
interaction with others.
Outlook
Your outlook reflects your most prevalent state of AFFABILITY
mind—at one extreme, calm and confident; at the 3d6 Affability
3 I am quiet around other people, preferring my
other, nervous and pessimistic.
own company to that of others.
OUTLOOK 4–5 I find it hard to pay attention to what other
3d6 Outlook people say and often lose track of
3 Doom, doom, everywhere is doom. Nothing conversations.
good will ever happen to me, and the whole 6–8 I prefer to let others do the talking. I think
world is against me. about what people say and consider every
4–5 I have terribly sensitive nerves and tend to be viewpoint before offering my opinion.
anxious most of the time. 9–12 I can fend for myself in social situations, but I’m
6–8 I am something of a pessimist. I expect the also fine when I am alone.
worst in almost any situation, so that I’ll never 13–15 I enjoy social situations and the good
risk being disappointed. conversation they provide.
9–12 Life is what it is. Anyone can be calm and 16–17 I am outgoing and friendly, and I enjoy having
collected, or nervous to the point of fearful. It fun with others whenever I can.
all depends on your situation. 18 I am loud and boisterous in the company of
13–15 I strive to be a positive, upbeat person. I look others. I love being the center of attention.
for the good in all things and hope for the best

16–17
of outcomes.
I am calm, serene, and easygoing. Little Religious Beliefs
bothers me. A great many gods and powers have followers in
18 Give me enough time, and I can figure out the borderlands and some of the major religions
anything. No task is so difficult, so complicated, trace their origins back to the time of the Old
or so dangerous that I’m not at least willing to
Country and even to the Devastation. Few people
try it.
today discount the existence of the gods, but the
extent to which any person fears and honors them
Receptiveness is an individual decision. The following table
Your receptiveness describes your willingness to
describes your degree of piety in regard to the
try new things and your ability to adapt to
religion to which you subscribe, if you happen to
changing circumstances.
do so.
RECEPTIVENESS PIETY
3d6 Receptiveness
3d6 Piety
3 I’m not at all interested in breaking my routine.
3 I either don’t believe the gods exist or think
I need order in my life.
they have no influence over me or the world.
4–5 If it’s not broken, why fix it? Be practical.
4–5 I have strong doubts about religion and
worship no gods.

32
6–8 I suspect the gods do exist, but I am not a Harold, Harven, Haven, Hayden, Heather, Henley,
religious person. Henry, Hubert
9–12 I believe in the gods and I might follow a
particular religion. Imogen, Isabell, Isen, Isolde, Isyck, Iva, Ivy, Iris
13–15 I am follower of a particular religion. James, Jay, Jeffrey, Jenna, Jennifer, Jenson, Jewel,
16–17 I am a devout follower of my religion and my
Johnston, Joline, John, Jon, Jordan, Josephine
religious views affect my outlook and behavior.
18 I am a fanatical follower of my religion. My Kaiden, Kaisley, Kaizer, Kara, Kavi, Keaton, Kim, Kip,
faith dominates my life and I have few interests Knox, Koraline, Kristin, Kristoff, Ky, Kyler
outside my faith.
Lake, Lakelyn, Landon, Lariella, Lauriann, Leeah,
RELIGIONS Leo, Leslie, Liam, Lori
3d6 Religion
3 Small cult, likely strange, possibly sinister Maddox, Mahala, Marc, Marcus, Margaux, Marina,
4–5 Minor, regional deity Marla, Massimo, Max, Meadow, Meldon, Melvin,
6–8 One of the Old Gods Merry, Michael, Millicent, Milly, Milo, Mindy, Monte
9–12 The Old Gods
Nadine, Nala, Nali, Nathaniel, Neville, Nan, Nicole
13–15 The Church of the High One
16–17 Belief in all gods, but follow none. Oakley, Odessa, Olaf, Olivia, Olga
18 No religion at all
Paisley, Palmer, Pamela, Paula, Petal, Prentiss

Name Your Quinn, Qon, Queren

Ragnar, Reed, Remington, River, Robert, Rodney,
Character Rosemary, Rowan, Rufus, Ruprecht, Ryker
You can give your character any name you choose. Sailor, Samyra, Sander, Shadow, Shaina, Shanna,
It might be a name drawn from the real world, one Skylar, Slator, Sloane, Stacee, Stanton, Stephen,
of your own invention, or a nickname that reflects Storm, Sydney, Sylvester
an aspect of your character’s identity.
Tara, Taren, Tatum, Tawney, Tayden, Taylor, Tegan,
Thor, Titus, Thomas, Trenton, Troy
Common Borderlands Names Umber, Urf, Ulysses
A great many people now living in the Borderlands
come from the Great Kingdom of the Old Country Vera, Vex, Victor, Vivianna
and have names common to that land. The
Wayne, Willam, Willow, Winifred, Winston
following list of names reflect ones had by peoples
living here and work well for humans, dhampir, X, Xander, Xil, Xyllan
cambions, and other folks.
Yolanda, Yael, Yasmeen, Yuri, Yvette

Abigail, Adym, Adilene, Aiden, Alexander, Amelia, Zaina, Zala, Zamora, Zeke, Zoella Zypher
Ami, Angelica, Angelo, Annora, Archibald, Arthur,
Asher, Ashlyn, Athena, Autumn, Axton
Baine, Bartholomew, Baylor, Bernard, Bethany, Bill,
Play the Game
Binx, Blake, Blair, Bonnie, Bradford, Braxton, By now, you should have a finished character and
Bronson, Bruce you’re now ready to play the game. You and your
friends go on quests in which you explore this new
Cannon, Carl, Camilla, Carina, Chandler, Charles, and strange continent, unearth fabulous treasures,
Christopher, Cleo, Cole, Colt, Corrine and fight terrible monsters, all to secure a place
Daisy, Dani, Danita, Daphney, Daria, Darryn, Derrie, for civilization to flourish once more. Each time
Devan, Devin, Dexter, Dorris, Dory you complete a quest, you character grows a bit
more powerful, which results from gaining levels.
Easton, Edgar, Edna, Eleanor, Elisabetta, Elliot,
Emerson, Ensley, Eugene, Evelyn, Evie
Fallon, Finley, Fiona, Florence, Franklin
Gemma, Gianetta, Geoffrey, Gracelyn, Gregory,
Guinevere

33