A Gunslinger’s Guide to the Seven and

Beyond
World Information M= Military, D= Diplomacy, E= Economy /5
The Seven
 Bharata. Traditionalists, powerful privileged cabal, gracious hosts, they uphold their borders
but don’t focus much on expansion. Capital – Fedah. M 3 D 3 E 3
 Shenzhou. Highly religious, their king is considered to be a living god and the descendant of
the Uniter. Their main Casus Belli is religion, whether claiming new lands to spread the word
or taking back holy sites from rivals. They’re extremely industrious. Capital- Meishu. M 3 D 2
E2
 Ghala. They just deposed their king and have declared themselves a republic, most of their
cabal was killed or fled during the coup. They’re now looking to prove themselves to the rest
of the world. Capital – Vinteaux. M 4 D 1 E 2
 Alba. They have the most modern tech, as well as lots of spies and merchants. They claim
that they are not expansionist but have a finger in every pie. They have the smallest amount
of land but have amassed a sizeable merchant fleet. Capital – Wolford. M 3 D 2 E 4
 Kaabu. The most prosperous region of the Old Empire, they are incredibly wealthy. They buy
mercenaries to supplement a small but elite army. They’re more interested in setting up
merchant colonies in the wildlands and new world rather than taking the lands of their
neighbours. Capital – Owobasi. M 3 D 3 E 5
 Ruthenia. The Frozen north, a tough cold people, they have a huge amount of land but it’s
not useable for half the year. They have the largest population and the biggest army (mostly
levies and conscripts). They are very aggressive towards their neighbours, often making land
grabs during the summer and then retreating as winter sets in. Capital – Kyzniki. M 4 D 1 E 2
 Etrus. The heart of the Old Empire, used to be considered the centre of the world. Now it’s
mostly just a city-state that tries to stay neutral. They have lots of old magic and their Cabal
is elite but small. Capital – Etrus. M 2 D 3 E 2

The Untamed Lands

 The New world. A mysterious land across the seas. Only now being colonised and explored,
supposedly filled with gold, bloodshed and unageing savages with strange magics.
 Beyond the Borders. The lands beyond the Old Empire. Once thought to be simple wildlands
filled with barbarians and little else, now it is found that there is much in the way of
resources and arable land to be claimed by those willing to fight for it.
 The Northern Wasteland. Across the Northern sea, past Ruthenia, lies a mass of tundra,
mineral rich hills, towering unknown mountains, and frozen woodlands. Only the most
desperate of adventurers attempt to make a living in such an inhospitable land, especially
with the presence of the fearsome Ogre Mawtribes that make the land home.
Geography
 The Old Empire. The old empire is the lands encompassing The Seven. It is varied from the
grasslands and steppes of Kaabu to the icefields of Ruthenia and the deep forests of Ghala.
The largest portions of the Old Empire are Kaabu and Ruthenia, whilst the smallest regions
are Etrus, which is mostly a city-state, and the island of Alba off the coast of the Empire. The
western region of The Seven is bordered by an enormous and steep mountain range, beyond
which is the Borderlands.
 Beyond the Borders. During the age in which the Empire was formed, the lands beyond the
western mountains were considered to be of little worth. The lands are difficult to reach and
inhabited by the fearsome orc tribes that call the Badlands home. Modern times have
allowed for more thorough navigation of the region and while much is Badlands the
geography itself is as varied as The Seven, the region as a whole is thought to be at least as
big as the Seven combined and studies have revealed far more resources available than
previously thought.
 The New World. Little is known of the actual geography of the New World, we know of
much of its coastline but the whole continent seems to be covered in deep jungle and the
native peoples, flora and fauna make any forays into the world difficult and deadly. From the
look of coastlines it is believed that the New World is estimated to be as big as the Seven
and the Borderlands combined.

The Four Major Towns Beyond the Borders

 Mud. A clay mining town on the borders of a sweeping swamp, the town is owned by
Bharata and the people are known for being rowdy but cheerful. The muck of the town is
ever present, and most give up on being clean for more than a few days at a time.
 Blood. The furthest town into the frontier, it is generally miserable constantly being raided
by bandits and the orc tribes of the forests and mountains nearby. It is owned by Ruthenia
and has been set up as pastures and farmland, unsurprisingly butchery is the prime
occupation
 Powder. A saltpetre mining town owned by Alba. A bunch of gunsmiths that want to
experiment with new weapons often set up shop here. It is heavily defended, and most
people consider the denizens a bit too quirky.
 Whiskey. A coastal town owned by Kaabu, main produce is seafood and some cane farms. It
has to deal with pirates as well as wildland barbarians but is the most well off with good
mercenary guards provided by Kaabu and even a few Privileged that look over the city.

Gods and Religion

 The Church of the Uniter. The Uniter founded the Old Empire, he is an ancient human man
now ascended to godhood. He set up the Magisterial Cabals to assist with managing the
provincial governments of the Empire.
 The Prosperists. A religion founded on the concept of self-betterment. No actual gods but a
Buddhist-like belief in enlightenment. Many of this faith believe that the Uniter did not
ascend but reached this enlightenment.
 The Old Faith. A tight knit pantheon of gods from the time before the Old Empire, it is
considered quirky to follow the old faith but not a crime. People would see them the way we
might see Wiccans, strange but not a problem.
Conflict shapes the World
 Through war was the empire formed. Since its’ fall the Seven Kingdoms have gone to war
many times over land and any other reason imaginable. Feuds run deep.
 Even now, in the race to claim the untamed lands, rival countries, businesses, families, faiths
and other organisations war with each other over rights of ownership.

Magic
 Full casters, otherwise known as Privileged, form mighty Cabals and are a caste all of their
own. These Privileged require rune inscribed gloves as their focus. There’s no difference
between natural, divine and arcane casters, these are simply Privileged that have a specific
specialisation.
o When the Old Empire collapsed, kingdoms rose in place of the old provincial
governments and the Magisterial Cabals were reformed into Royal Cabals.
o Privileged often dislike being close to gunpowder, some are even allergic to it, but
this is not a universal rule.
 Half and Third casters are called mages and supplement their magics with martial abilities.
They don’t require gloves.

Household Names:
People whose names are known across the Seven for their acumen and skill. Split by Stat for
simplicities sake (does not mean representative has 30 in that stat for eg.)

 Str. Colonel Sam Delvin of the Siege Breakers, an Alban man of huge stature and
stubbornness. Most popularised for his tale of breaking a troll’s skull with his fist.
 Dex. Miss Janet “Hailstorm” Thompson, the fastest gun on the frontier.
 Con. Zithulele (Name meaning, He Is Quiet), currently a prisoner of Kaabu. Considered
“immortal by current magical and medical definitions.” Famously was decapitated and
walked away from his “execution”.
 Wis. Zhuge Sima “the Great Grandfather” eldest elven privileged and a known to be unto a
force of nature in the New World. The Elven people worship him as a god.
 Int. Tactician Amartri Sen, “The Woman of 10,000 Plans” considered the greatest current
military and political tactical mind on the planet. An advisor to the king of Bharata.
 Cha. Geoffrey “Jeff” Halpsin, First Minister of Ghala. Elected by popular support, head of the
Ghalan workers union.

Player Information
Races: core only
 Dwarf. One of the United Peoples, denizens of the Seven. Most commonly found in Ruthenia
and Alba.
  Halfling. One of the United Peoples, denizens of the Seven. Most commonly found in Ghala
and Bharata.
 Human. The majority of the world, they can be found almost anywhere. Even across the seas
in the New World isolated tribes can be found, likewise in the Wildlands beyond the borders.
 Dragonborn. One of the United Peoples, denizens of the Seven. Most commonly found in
Shenzhou and Kaabu.
 Tiefling. Extremely rare and feared, they bear the blood of the dark creatures that enslaved
the world before the Uniter founded the Old Empire and drove them back to their dark
world.
 Half-Orc. Orcs live in tribes beyond the Borders. There is some mingling between humans
and orc, a few of these half-orcs live out in the wildland towns but they get a rough
treatment from those in the Seven.
 Elf. Elves are new to the Seven, they are the inhabitants of the New World. Strange unageing
peoples with their own strange magics. Most often they are seen as savages by most of the
Seven. Those that have made it to the Seven struggle to find work or are brought to the
Seven in chains.
 Gnome. Same as Elves, these are a new people found first in the Deep Jungles of the New
World. They’ve found some kinship with the Halflings of Ghala and Bharata in the Seven
though most prefer to travel the Seven and avoid settling down.
 Half-Elf. Most are the bastard children of adventurers who returned home from the New
World taken in by the beauty of its’ native peoples with an elvish partner on their arm (or in
some cases slave). They have a better chance than half-orcs in the Seven but still find it hard
to be thought of as more than a savage.

Classes
 Firearms are split into sidearms and long arms and noted below. (Sidearms are pistols and
the like, long arms are rifles and more complicated weapons).
 Artificer. Mages with a knack for invention and being at the cutting edge of technology.
Proficient with Firearms.
 Barbarian. A fierce warrior of primitive background, these warriors can be anything from a
hulking half-orcish from the wildlands to an elvish scalp-taker from the deep jungles.
  Bard. Privileged who find their magics in the use of music, they often serve as spies and
diplomats for the Cabals. Proficient with sidearms.
 Cleric. Privileged who often specialise in healing arts, many are followers of one of the three
major religions but not all are, some are closer to doctors than priests. Firearms are available
depending on domain.
 Druid. Privileged who specialise in manipulating nature and shape-changing, similar to
Clerics some follow the faiths, and some prefer the healing arts. Druids have a special
disdain for firearms.
 Fighter. Warriors found across the whole Seven and the rest of the world, everyone from
rifle wielding musketeer to a mage-knight slinging sorcery and wielding blade. Proficient
with all Firearms.
 Monk. Martial artists most often found in Bharata and Shenzhou, some are mages and many
follow the path of the Prosperists. Similar to druids these people seldom use firearms,
though some learn to incorporate them into their arts. Proficient with sidearms.
 Paladin. Mages-Warriors that live by their oaths, usually part of Knightly orders, in the time
of the Old Empire they often acted as bodyguards for the Cabal. Proficient with all Firearms.
 Ranger. Mage-Warriors who find themselves on the outskirts of civilisation, often their
magics allow them to lean towards survival and tracking. Proficient with all Firearms.
 Rogue. Scoundrels, Criminals and Pirates. They specialise in stealth and exploiting enemy
weaknesses. Proficient with Sidearms, some train with long arms to make themselves
dangerous snipers.
 Sorcerer. Privileged born with innate abilities tied to their bloodlines, many believe these
were the first Privileged before the Cabals were formed. Their magics are unique and often
dangerous, some have even spoken of Sorcerers who don’t need gloves to cast their spells.
 Warlock. Mages, rather than Privileged, these people formed bargains with things from
beyond our world and received powerful magics in return. They are untrusted and most
pretend to be another kind of mage or even Privileged. Proficient with Sidearms, long arms
available through enhanced blade pact (like the bow).
 Wizard. The Most Common form of Privileged, and often what many assume a Privileged to
be, these casters seclude themselves in their Cabals and research the arcane to perfect their
abilities.

Magic Items
Black Powder (common consumable, usable by any non-full caster able to cast spells, not including
racial abilities) – selling price 2gp for 10 shots

- Powder can be taken and consumed as an action, the consumer feels a rush as their physical
abilities and senses are enhanced, for the next 10 minutes they are considered to be in a
‘Powder trance’ gaining the following abilities:
o +1 to all physical saving throws, attack rolls, damage rolls, and physical skill check
o +1 to perceptions checks, if the consumer has darkvision, it is extended by 30ft if
they do not, they gain darkvision 60ft.
 o Movement speed, jump distance and jump height are increased by 5ft.
- After the trance ends, the consumer cannot benefit from these effects again for the next
hour unless they take a double dose of powder. At the end of a lengthened powder trance
the consumer must make a constitution saving throw (without the powder benefit) equal to
a DC of 13 + the number of additional doses taken (base 15 for a total 20 min powder
trance), on a fail the consumer immediately gains exhaustion levels equal to the number of
additional does taken.
- Alternatively, one can take multiple doses of powder to enhance their magic to dangerous
levels, entering a “Heightened Powder Trance”. By taking more than one shot of powder you
can gain an additional +# to powder trance effects equal to the number of additional shots
you take.
o Note that at the end of such a trance you immediately must make the save of and
extended trance.
o Additionally, if one extends a “Heightened Powder Trance” by more than the 10
minutes the trance allows they must make the same save as normal lengthening
with the following addition. Starting DC is increase to 15 + number of shots taken.
 On a fail, in addition to the normal exhaustion levels, the mage loses access
to their magic for 1 day

‘Janet snorted the black powder off her wrist, it was triple her usual strength, she reeled for a couple
seconds as they closed in. “Hailstorm” the leader said, “looks like this is the end for ya, we’ve got
you surrounded.” Janet felt her hand twitch and her senses enhance, she could hear the leader’s
heartbeat with excitement and fear.

“All I am surrounded by is fear” Janet snarled at him, “fear and dead men”’

- Excerpt from “The Massacre at 5 Furrows”

Privileged Gloves (uncommon magic focus, required and usable only by full casters)

- A privileged requires these gloves to act as a focus when they use their magics, while they
wear these gloves they may ignore the vocal, or somatic components of spells. Material
components that have an associated gold cost are still required.
- Privileged gloves are still fabric and have a chance to be consumed when a Privileged casts a
spell of 5th level or higher.
- Gloves can be enhanced to give +1 (rare), +2 (very rare), or +3 (legendary) to spell attack
rolls and spell saving throws. These gloves also increase the level that might consume them
by this bonus as well.

Currency
The currency used in the Seven and the surrounding lands is known as a Crown. Crowns are printed
money in the main though the majority of people still use the copper and silver coins to pay for daily
goods and services.

1cp equals 1 Petty-Crown, 1sp equals 1 Crowns, 1 gp is a 10 Crown note, 1pp is a 100 Crown note.

There are other notes between 10 and 100. Usually in increments of 100. Currently rising to use is
the 5 Crown note (ep)

Weapons
Explosives
 Dynamite (Stick) 10 3d6 1 5 foot radius (range 20/60), DC 12
gp bludgeoning lb. Dexterity save for half damage

Gunpowder, 250 7d6 fire 20 10 foot radius, DC 12 Dexterity save

Keg gp lb. for half damage

Gunpowder, 15 3d6 fire 2 10 foot radius, DC 12 Dexterity save

Satchel gp lb. for half damage

Firearms (Pistols)

Revolver 100 1d8 piercing 3 Ammunition (range 40/120), reload (6

gp lb. shots). Firearm

Pistol 50 1d8 piercing 3 Ammunition (range 40/100), reload (1

gp lb. shot). Firearm

Derringer 50 1d6 piercing 1 Ammunition (range 15/60), reload (2

gp lb. shots). Concealable. Firearm

Firearms (Rifles)

Rifle, Bolt-Action 125 1d10 piercing 8 Ammunition (range 80/240), loading,

gp lb. two-handed. Firearm

Rifle, Repeating 300 1d10 piercing 8 Ammunition (range 80/240), reload (12
gp lb. shots), two-handed. Firearm

Shotgun 150 1d8 piercing 7 Ammunition (range 30/90), reload (2

gp lb. shots), two-handed. Firearm

Ammunition

Bullets (10) 2 gp — 2 lb. —

Firearm. A firearm weapon ignores the AC bonuses of non-magical armour, the target is
treated as having an AC of 10+ its dex modifier

Campaign Options
Sandbox: Life on the Frontier
“That was the trouble with explaining with words. If you explained with gunpowder, people listened.”

The PCs start in one of the four frontier towns, they all have their reasons for getting away from
society. Maybe you want to make a name for yourself, maybe you’re escaping a string of vengeful
lovers, maybe you were sent there as a punishment.

This will be an open campaign, you could take part in the development of the town, involve
yourselves in local politics, or just hunt bounties and explore.

I envision this style of campaign also having chances to go back to the Seven and do large scale
politicking / city based urban adventures.
  Role Playing. As much as you want
 Combat. As much as you want
 Exploration. As much as you want
 NOTE. There’s no way to gauge how involved with the above this campaign would be,
however for the sake of my sanity, characters NEED to have their own motivations for this to
work, don’t rely on me for story hooks / items for you. I’ll incorporate backstories but they
won’t be the focus. This isn’t a story necessarily about you, it’s a blank page for you to make
a mark on, you can’t just be along for the ride.

Mission Adventure: The Powder-Jacks

“Even if you are a pompous ass with no respect for authority, you're worth fifty men, and I mean to see
you in my army."

The PCs are initiates into a new elite unit for the Ghalan military, they are given tasks and special
assignments to carry out to ensure the success of Ghala’s war against invading Ruthenia. This new
elite unit will be sent on missions to hold key locations, assassinate enemy operatives, uncover plots,
raid supply lines, or storm a beachfront. The Powder-Jacks are elite for a reason and are given
dangerous assignments as a result. Your motivations might be glory and fame, nationalistic pride, or
even bloodthirst against the invaders.

This campaign won’t have as much wiggle room, you won’t choose what missions you go on. You will
be able to choose how you go about completing those missions.

I see this campaign as being sort of episodic. We open on where the Powder-Jacks are and what
they’re doing. When a mission finishes, we either jump straight into the next mission, or there might
be downtime.

 Role Playing. Low to Medium, will depend on the mission. If you’re trying to find a Spy
there’ll be lots, if you’re holding a fort with a handful soldiers, there’ll be less.
 Combat. High, sort of the focus of the campaign. You’re soldiers, odds are good you’ll solve
problems with guns, blades and sorceries.
 Exploration. Low, you’ll have a job to do. Again, this will depend on the mission, but for the
most you’ll have a goal and a location to focus on.

Story Adventure: Blood and Powder, Gods and Men

“Yet who listened to soothsayers these days?”

More typical story adventure. The party will start in one of the four Frontier towns, there’ll be a
couple adventures that build the PCs up as characters of repute. They’ll be come the local equivalent
of the Magnificent Seven, that’s when things will get funky. There’ll be some greater threat that the
group will either discover or will be called into one of the big cities to deal with.

I envision this campaign having more traditional elements. Fair bit of early days adventure and
fighting against outlaws. Then moving into diplomacy, spying, and investigating in the big cities. And
finally exploring ancient ruins and fighting more traditional monsters.

I see this campaign also as having the greatest chance for travel (outside of sandbox), you’ll probably
go all over the Seven looking for tidbits, you’ll explore old ruins Beyond the Borders and maybe even
venture to the New World in hopes of Discovering some lost artefact or power.
 Role Playing. Medium to high, you’ll talk to and meet lots of people. From tavern owners
and Tribal Chiefs in the frontier, to Cabal Leaders, Kings, and Union heads.
 Combat. Medium. More early on, then typical big fights as the plot thickens.
 Exploration. Medium to High, lots of searching for this ancient macguffin or that place of
power, or even just this gang’s hideout or that nobleman’s manor.