Ancient World Players Guide

ANCIENT WORLD
PLAYER’S GUIDE
James Millar (order #4688372) 8

Ancient World
By: Aaron T. Huss

Editing: Vickey A. Beaver, Creighton Broadhurst
Layout: Aaron T. Huss
Cover Art: shutterstock/Slava Gerj
Interior Art: William McAusland, Marc Radle, shutterstock/Slava Gerj
Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with permission.
Cartography: Aaron T. Huss
Special Thanks to: Anthony Preece
This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from
Pinnacle Entertainment Group at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and
all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle
Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no
representation or warranty as to the quality, viability, or suitability for
purpose of this product.
ANCIENT WORLD is a work of fiction. Any resemblence to real life is purely
coincidental. The content is designed for a dark fantasy-themed role-
playing game and is thus presented as such. No parts of ANCIENT WORLD
may be reproduced other than for review or scholarly criticism.
© 2012 Mystical Throne Entertainment. All rights reserved.
Ancient World Player's Guide 1st Edition November 2012
MTEAW002
Permission is granted to print this eBook. Multiple copies are granted.

Inquisitor............................26
Contents Mercenary..........................27
Shaman..............................27
Dhuran...............................................5 Sword Mage.......................27
A Perilous Beginning..........................7 Warlord..............................28
Ancient Drak’tau..............................10 Hindrances.......................................28
Spirit Realm......................................11 Easily Frightened (Minor)...28
Runes of the Gods............................11 False Faith (Minor).............28
Forgotten Religion............................12 Weak Willed (Minor)..........28
Divine Warding.................................12 Races................................................29
Chaos Realm.....................................14 Drow.................................................29
Crusaders and Inquisitors.................14 Underground Cities...................29
Plagued............................................15 Old Religion...............................30
Continued Exploration.....................15 Caste.........................................30
Player Characters.............................16 Relations...................................31
Known Lands....................................16 The Drow Past...........................31
Character Creation...........................20 Racial Template.........................32
Race..................................................20 Dwarf................................................32
Traits................................................20 Cliff Face Kingdoms...................33
Attributes..................................21 Old Religion...............................33
Skills..........................................21 Caste.........................................33
Derived Statistics.......................21 Relations...................................35
Characteristics..................................21 The Dwarven Past.....................36
Equipment........................................22 Racial Template.........................37
Skills.................................................22 Half-drow.........................................37
Unused Skills.............................22 Growing Up...............................38
New Skills..................................22 History.......................................38
Guts (Spirit)........................22 Caste.........................................38
Knowledge (Smarts)...........22 Relations...................................39
Coins.................................................23 Racial Template.........................39
Archetypes.......................................23 Halfling.............................................40
Alchemist...........................23 Villages......................................40
Apothecary.........................24 Old Religion...............................41
Assassin..............................24 Caste.........................................41
Beast Master......................24 Relations...................................42
Berserker............................24 Halfling Past..............................42
Black Knight.......................25 Racial Template.........................43
Cataphract.........................25 Human..............................................43
Charlatan............................26 Cities on the Bay.......................44
Crusader.............................26 Old Religions.............................44
Gladiator............................26 Caste.........................................45
Gypsy.................................26 Relations...................................46

The Human Past........................46 Touch Powers............................56
Racial Template.........................47 Self Powers................................56
Language..........................................47 Runic Scribing...................................56
Edges................................................48 Invoking the Spirits...........................57
Unused Edges...................................48 Corruption.................................57
Background Edges............................48 Fright Table........................59
Fleet-Footed.......................48 New Arcane Backgrounds................60
Hunter................................48 Arcane Background
Noble..................................49 (Alchemy)...........................60
Resilient.............................49 Arcane Background
Rich....................................49 (Herbalism)........................60
Filthy Rich...........................49 Arcane Background (Runic) 61
Combat Edges..................................49 Arcane Background (Spirits)
Improvisational Fighter......49 ...........................................62
Professional Edges...........................49 Equipment.......................................63
Alchemist...........................49 Relic Weapons...........................63
Apothecary.........................49 Melee Weapons........................64
Crusader.............................50 Ranged Weapons......................65
Inquisitor............................50 Armor........................................65
Marshal..............................50 Sample Relic Weapons..............66
Rune Mage.........................50 Relic Armor...............................66
Shaman..............................51
Racial Edges......................................51
Drow Elemental Past..........51
Drow Warriors...................51
Dwarven Merchant............51
Dwarven Tradesmith..........51
Half-Drow Education..........52
Half-Drow Scholar..............52
Halfling Ambush.................52
Human Diplomacy..............52
Human Perseverance.........53
Two-Handed Halfling.........53
Legendary Edges..............................53
Followers............................53
Arcane Backgrounds........................54
Power Points....................................54
Acquiring New Powers.....................55
Failure..............................................55
Alchemical and Herbal Mixtures......55
Preparing Mixtures...................55
Ranged Powers.........................56

D��
DHURAN
Dhuran: a foreboding planet abandoned by the gods. But not all was dark
and dangerous in the beginning, for the recorded history of Dhuran began
2,000 years ago.
When the gods arrived on Dhuran, they found a luscious planet, ripe
for population. The land was ideal for farming; the seas were filled with
fish and animals of all sorts wandered the islands and continents, many
ready to be domesticated. After millennia of searching, the gods found
the planet where they would create new races and teach new followers.
It was a grand site and all within the pantheon agreed Dhuran would be
perfect.
The races of this new world were forged from the very elements of
the planet. Dwarves were forged from the earth in which they reside,
formed with stoic behavior in mind. Halflings were forged from the air,
given a deep appreciation of the nature that surrounds them. Drow were
forged from fire, short in temperament but strong in willpower to protect
the planet. Humans were forged from water, the balanced race that would
produce important technology to improve everyone’s lifestyle.
The gods brought forth their goddesses and the pantheon was
complete. The new residents of Dhuran embraced their deities. The gods
and goddesses became the ultimate teachers of their creations. But times
such as these can only last for so long.
For 1,000 years, the races lived in a time of peace and plenty.
Populations grew and families migrated across the land in search of new
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homes and challenges. Sea and river travel allowed the population to
further expand; trade routes brought prosperity to all. But with further
expansion comes new kingdoms with different views and attitudes.
Friendships and alliance became strained and the people of Dhuran did
not treat each other as they once did.
While the people worshipped their deities without question, conflicts
arose between the four races. The halflings did not like the land being
cleared by the humans to make way for their ever-expanding cities. The
dwarves did not like the drows’ encroachment on their land, claiming their
underground passages destroy the rock used to forge the dwarven
kingdoms. The humans did not like the dwarven kingdoms as they were
not willing to open their gates to regular human trade. And the drow –
they did not like anyone, given their flame-influenced temperament. After
1,400 years, war dominated the planet.
The four races of Dhuran descended into a bitter, bloody war. After
100 years of death and torture, the gods had enough. Vowing to end the
rage and destruction consuming their beloved planet, the gods threatened
to abandon their students, leaving them alone to fend for themselves. But
their creations scoffed and turned a deaf ear. The whole of divinity
erupted in a cacophony of anger.
Driven by the ignorance of the very races they had forged, the gods
unleashed an apocalypse onto the people of Dhuran. Explosions of fires
raged within the underground cities of the drow. Inside the dwarven
kingdoms, inhabitants were crushed by falling rock or suffocated by an
inrush of sand. Pestilence spread quickly across the human civilizations.
Showers of burning rock rained upon the halflings. The races were
decimated, their bodies burning and their ashes being spread by the wind.
Only 1,000 children survived.
The gods were furious, and though they unleashed an apocalypse onto
their own people, their wrath was not quenched. Those who escaped the
gods’ rage were left to fend for themselves in a burnt, bleak world. Their
blood ancestors, turned to ash by the fire and brimstone, were damned
to an eternity of imprisonment.
The spirits of those whose bloodlines were destroyed by the
apocalypse were left to wander the spirit realm. Tethered to where their
corporeal forms lie in ashes and divinely warded against leaving, the
remaining spirits would not be released until their bloodlines ran dry. Only
then would the divine intervention allow their spirits to find eternal rest
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in the spirit realm. The gods barred them all from reaching the afterlife
and spirits on Dhuran are forever confined to the planet’s spirit realm.
Having destroyed their creation, the gods and goddesses left, leaving
Dhuran an empty shell.
Years went by and the survivors struggled to live. The bodies of the
dead were whisked away by the winds with their souls remaining quietly
out of sight. The youth could not find their families. They could not find
the clergy. They could not find anyone. They were forced to use their wits
to survive on a planet that obviously no longer wanted them there.
The thousand youth were strong and resilient. They fought the odds
stacked against them and learned how to build their own civilizations. A
new world grew out of the ashes of Dhuran. But this world was no longer
lush and beautiful; it was dark and foreboding and vicious creatures – no
longer reined in by divine powers – lurked everywhere.
After 400 years, the people of Dhuran had forgotten their past. They
had forgotten their gods and their goddesses. They knew nothing of their
history before the apocalypse nor did they know if their bloodline went
any further than that. They had built new kingdoms and found new
leaders, and all of this was done with the help of each other. The four
races became five as humans and drow interbred. These races fought for
survival together and are now a harmonious group. Too bad the rest of
the world does not feel that way.
A PERILOUS BEGINNING
For 400 years the new citizens of Dhuran learned to live with the natural
resources available on the planet. They were forced to redesign previous
conveniences, recreate their educational system and build new homes to
protect them from the elements. While their long-forgotten ancestors
had the aid of divine intervention and arcane lore, the survivors had only
their own wits and skills.
Cities arose from the ruin, clustered around the lands in the few
remaining areas not utterly devastated. Previous societies were lost to
the landscape, buried under years of ashes, dirt and wind-blown debris.
Beneath the ground laid centuries-old cities hidden from view until one
sunny day when everything changed.
A group of five explorers were surveying the land when they came
upon a large sunken patch of earth. Cautiously they inspected the ground
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knowing not what waited beneath. After the entire group stood in the
center of the convex land, the ground gave way, dropping the group into
a huge cave.
The explorers landed hard. The cavern held little more than a
passageway from the opposite direction they originally came. The
explorers followed the passage, seeing an ominous light glowing in the
distance. The light revealed an underground opening of obvious intelligent
design.
It was astonishing, almost too much to behold, for the explorers had
come upon a lost and completely forgotten drow city. The cavity in the
ground cut for this city was awe-inspiring. Bridges allowed travel from the
passageway to the great underground city. Lanterns hung from the ceiling
strapped to a lattice-work of walkways leading to what looked like smaller
passageways. Lanterns were unlit, yet light remained.
The explorers continued their journey to the underground city,
crossing an underground river and aqueduct. The closer the explorers got,
the more they realized where the light was coming from. This was not a
natural light, nor was it a created light; it was the light from a thousand
damned souls tracing chaotic patterns around the underground city.
The explorers stopped in their tracks, hesitating to get closer. But the
spirits were tricky, eventually luring the explorers into the city. The five
crossed the threshold of the underground river and were quickly set upon
by thousands of malevolent spirits. Wishing to free themselves of their
eternal captivity, the spirits attacked the explorers, hoping to find their
ancient bloodline. But none were to be found. Even the one drow in the
group did not have the same bloodline of these spirits, driving them to a
cacophony of screams and laughter.
The five explorers were able to escape the attack, physically
unscathed, but mentally changed forever. They followed their path back
to their home and spoke of the underground city they found. The villagers
stated all drow cities were underground, but none of this size. No, this
city was much bigger than any drow city known to human or drow.
While the five explorers were fleeing the underground city, the spirits
began to give chase. Thinking the divine warding would prevent their
pursuit, the spirits stopped short, just after crossing the river threshold.
Later, with nothing to lose, they ventured forward. The warding was gone;
the spirits were no longer tethered to their eternal damnation. But they
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were not leaving the world; they were not entering the spirit realms. Their
eternal damnation persisted.
That day, the spirits learned a valuable lesson about the divine trap:
if anyone from outside the city crosses the threshold of divine warding,
the warding breaks, freeing those inside. There was only one way to free
them of the curse: they must destroy their living ancestors.
The damned spirits fled the underground city, following the
passageway to the surface. There they were met by beast and humanoid
alike, and their rage drove them on. Seeking to free themselves of their
bond to Dhuran, the spirits attacked anything that got in their way. Their
efforts were fruitless. The spirits could not physically harm the living; they
could only affect them mentally. The spirits lashed out and discovered
they could invade and possess the bodies of the living. They took over
whatever creatures and humanoids they could find.
The newly possessed army turned its focus on a nearby city, Borado,
unleashing its rage against those inside. The spirits found that in their new
corporeal bodies, they could attack the humanoids while seeking out their
descendant bloodlines.
The City of Borado was assaulted for days by the raging possessed
victims. The citizens of Borado were not easily defeated. They sent out a
group of scouts and rangers to summon reinforcements from their allies;
for the races of this generation held strong ties and were always there to
aid their brethren. An army of dwarves and a tribe of halflings answered
the call, beating down the raging beings everywhere they turned. In the
end, the possessed lay dead at the feet of those who came to Borado’s
aid, but only after killing over half of its population.
No one knew what happened or where these creatures came from.
No one knew why these wild animals were being herded by humans and
drow with red, ferocious eyes. No one knew what was inside of these
beings. The spirits were gone, released from their captivity. Not because
they killed their bloodline, but because their bloodline killed them. The
only thing the survivors of Borado knew was that after the last attacker
was killed, the land was quiet again.
The five explorers told the elders and scholars about their encounter
with the spirits in the underground city. They described specters with
blood-red eyes and rage-filled voices. The elders speculated the spirits
must have infected the beings that attacked Borado, calling it a plague.
They did not know that the creatures and humanoids that attacked were
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possessed, not simply infected, but the elders claimed this infection
caused these creatures to go mad.
The scholars wanted to learn more about this underground city and
organized an expedition. Upon arrival, they found the passageway to be
completely dark with no spiritual light to guide the way. With lit lanterns,
the scholars and explorers returned to the underground city, only to find
that it now lay silent. The spirits were gone, but the city remained.
ANCIENT DRAK’TAU
A band of scholars returned to the underground city two days after the
attacks ceased. Here they found a vast city complete with all the basic
drow amenities. Of particular interest to the scholars was the city’s library.
It was small, but filled with many scrolls. The language was that of the
drow, although the grammar and structure was unfamiliar. They brought
the scrolls back to Borado for inspection by the city’s finest drow linguists.
The scrolls referred to the city as Drak’tau, and spoke of an empress
during the year 1250. The scholars were perplexed, for the year was only
415. The scholars examined the many scrolls and found numerous
references to dates earlier and later than their own. The scrolls also made
mention to a greater being, known as Ch’kth’walah. But the drow knew
of no greater being than their empress. The scrolls continued to discuss
matters of powers coming from the stars and those coming from the spirit
world. The scholars did not understand for these things did not exist.
Ancient Drak’tau held many secrets the scholars did not understand.
They spent many years going back, collecting as much information from
the entire city as they could. The more they collected, the more the
citizens of Dhuran questioned their history. They knew nothing of gods
and goddesses. They knew nothing of spirits. They knew nothing of powers
other than those of the natural world. They knew nothing of that ancient
world spoken of in those lost scrolls. The people of Dhuran felt more lost
than ever before.
During the following 85 years, the drow, dwarves, halflings, half-drow
and humans would learn much from the ancient city and the knowledge
it held.
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SPIRIT REALM
The spirit realm resides parallel to the living realm, but is invisible to all
but those trained to use it. The ancestors of Dhuran’s current citizens
knew about the spirit realm and how to exploit it. They could walk into
the spirit realm, locate a friendly spirit, bind it to a fetish and use it to do
their bidding.
The scrolls in Drak’tau speak of this ability to walk the spirit realm,
although the realm is no longer filled with friendly spirits. Those that
remain in the spirit realm are malevolent, although not as rage-filled as
those tethered due to their bloodline still living. The spirit realm is instead
filled with hate-brewing spirits who would rather be left alone than
trapped in a fetish for periodic use. As such, spirit magic is much more
difficult now than it was 500 years ago.
RUNES OF THE GODS

Before the people were forsaken by their gods, they could tap into their
power by invoking the correct divine rune. These runes produced a
number of effects depending upon the rune combination and the origin
of the rune. Different gods and goddesses had different runes producing
different effects.
After the gods abandoned Dhuran, they took their powers with them.
However, some of their divine (and chaotic) signatures remain, sprinkled
throughout the elements they forged into their followers. Although not
as prevalent and safe as before, some of the runes still invoke powers.
These powers can be extremely dangerous and in the wrong combination,
they lash out and attack the runic scribe.
The scrolls from Drak’tau spoke of runic magic, as the drow and the
dwarves were the most accustomed to its use, in limited detail. Many
scholars have spent time researching these runes, rediscovering more
with each passing year as they attempt to tap into what power remains
on Dhuran.
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FORGOTTEN RELIGION
The scrolls of Drak’tau and the chapel in the city show signs of a religion,
dedicated to the pantheonic worship of the deities that abandoned the
planet. Although this religion no longer exists, many are convinced that a
greater being is possible and if they dedicate themselves, the gods will
return. This is most prevalent in crusaders.
Crusaders are warriors dedicated to bringing the gods back to Dhuran.
They believe that if they fight the horrors that threaten Dhuran in the
name of these deities of old, the gods and goddesses will return and bring
divine intervention back to the planet. For, the scrolls revealed, this divine
intervention kept the worshipers of the pantheon protected from the
most vicious creatures roaming Dhuran. Without divine intervention,
these creatures enter humanoid territory and wreak havoc.
Crusaders do not understand the spirits or their eternal damnation.
They believe in a better place, either far away from the horrors on Dhuran
or somewhere divine after one dies. They form many speculations from
the scrolls found in Drak’tau.
Most living on Dhuran do not believe in religion. They know nothing
of gods or goddesses or that their long lost ancestors worshipped the
pantheon. They frown upon the ramblings of the crusaders and propose
that technology and this newly found spirit realm are the keys to survival.
Greater beings simply don’t exist and those who believe in them should
be persecuted.
DIVINE WARDING
The divine warding tethering the bloodline spirits to the place of eternal
damnation prevents them from interacting with the rest of the world.
These spirits cannot enter the spirit realm nor can they cause any harm
to the world around them. This is until the warding is broken.
The divine warding is designed to hold the bloodline spirits inside, it
is not meant to prevent those outside from entering the warded area.
Because the gods were cruel in their punishment of the bloodline spirits,
they sentenced them to an eternity of spiritual life in the mortal realm
that can only be broken by the death of their descendant bloodline. The
warding prevents the spirits from seeking their bloodline, thus extending
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the length of their damnation. But to fulfill their own punishment, the
descendant bloodline would have to have an outlet to reach their
ancestors spirits.
The warding allows those outside to enter the protected area, thus
allowing the bloodline spirits to somehow vanquish their descendants.
While the spirits cannot physically harm those who enter, they can cause
mental and psychical damage, causing the mind to essentially rot. If the
spirit has overcome the last of their bloodline, they are freed. If not, they
continue to seek out the rest of their bloodline. If someone from outside
the divine warding enters the warded area, the divine warding breaks,
allowing the spirits to exit. If the spirits exploit this break in the warding,
they tear it open, completely bringing it down and tearing a fabric into
the chaos realm. (You cannot have divinity without chaos.) If the spirits
fail to exploit this break in the divine warding, it eventually heals itself and
the spirits are once again trapped.
Unfortunately, for the people of Dhuran, when a spirit rots a person’s
mind, it may enter that person’s body. This possession, referred to as
“plagued” by the people of Dhuran, provides the spirit with a corporeal
body (animal or humanoid) they can use to hunt down their bloodline.
However, the spirit then binds with the corporeal body, preventing it from
ever escaping and severing its ties to its own bloodline. Should the
corporeal body die, the spirit is released into the realm of chaos. As such,
the bloodline spirits are determined to destroy their own bloodline to
avoid their damnation and an eternity in the chaos realm.
The divine warding is kept in place due to its ties to the chaos realm.
When the pantheon arrived on Dhuran, they brought with them the chaos
realm as a place of eternal unrest for those deemed unworthy of the gods.
Although the gods abandoned Dhuran, the chaos realm remains. It is part
of what tethers the bloodline spirits to their location of damnation and
the source of power for all chaos runes.
When divine warding is completely brought down and the connection
to the chaos realm is partially torn open, the fabric between mortal and
chaos realms allows the denizens of chaos to enter Dhuran. Without divine
intervention, these malevolent creatures are able to roam freely,
destroying whatever they wish in their path.
With the breaking of a divine ward, the people of Dhuran now have
to deal with rage-filled bloodline spirits possessing natural creatures and
fellow humanoids along with dealing with the chaos creatures the travel
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through the tear between the chaos and mortal realms. Should the gods
return, the people of Dhuran may be saved.
CHAOS REALM
The chaos realm is the polar opposite of the divine pantheon. While the
pantheon encompasses gods, goddesses, demi-gods, angels and other
divine creatures, the chaos realm encompasses devils, demons, enslavers,
the diseased and other chaotic creatures. Many beings within the chaos
realm have dark powers they use to control the dead. When the gods
rained fire and brimstone down upon the people of Dhuran, their bodies
turned to ash and entered the chaos realm. Their spirits were damned to
an eternal life on Dhuran, but the enslavers and demons of the chaos
realm gained command of these new armies of the dead (or rather
undead) as their ashen bodies were reconstructed by chaos into a putrid
form.
While encountering a denizen of the chaos realm is rare, encountering
their undead minions is fairly common for Dhuran’s warriors. Additionally,
riding alongside or commanding these undead minions are some of the
diseased and chaotic beings normally found within the chaos realm. These
creatures care about nothing but chaos and would rather kill everyone
that gets in their way.
CRUSADERS AND INQUISITORS

Crusaders fear the world may succumb to the powers of chaos. They
pledge themselves to defeat the hordes of undead and their handlers that
spew from the chaos realm. They believe that proving their worth to the
gods will result in some type of divine intervention that will save them.
Crusaders believe that if they bring the gods back to Dhuran, the chaos
realm will close and these creatures will no longer be a threat.
Inquisitors are hunters of the plagued. They pledge themselves to
hunting down the infected creatures and humanoids that hunt the
inquisitor’s kin. Inquisitors rarely care about religions or gods and feel the
plagued beings are the most perilous threats affecting Dhuran. Inquisitors
believe that if all the plagued beings are killed, the world will become a
safer place and no one will need intervention from any greater being.
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PLAGUED
Because the citizens of Dhuran do not understand what it means when a
spirit possesses a creature or humanoid, they consider those beings to be
plagued. Their view is that these malevolent spirits cause some type of
maddening infection in the creatures, driving them to perform horrible
acts upon the people of Dhuran. While this is untrue, because the spirits
themselves possess the creatures and humanoids and not some type of
infection, this is how the people understand it.
Luckily for the people of Dhuran, bloodline spirits can only possess
humanoids and natural creatures. They cannot possess anything that
comes from the chaos realm nor can they possess anything with a mind
powerful enough to resist (such as powerful, ancient creatures that still
roam the land). However, a possessed humanoid or creature is much more
powerful than its natural form, making them extremely dangerous.
Signs of a plagued humanoid or creature include red eyes, skin that
appears to be decaying (humanoids only) and a high resistance to pain.
CONTINUED EXPLORATION
The population of Dhuran has grown over the last 500 years to number
over one million. The cities and villages cannot handle populations of this
size and thus new ones need to be settled. This wouldn’t be possible
without continued exploration of the known continent.
As Dhuran’s population continues to grow, exploration continues with
many surveys exploring the territories of lost settlements. These lost
settlements are home to hordes of bloodline spirits. When an expedition
comes across the ruins of a lost city, it is only natural for participants to
become curious of what’s inside. Whether this is for purposes of surveying
or just general curiosity, the explorers cross the divine warding threshold,
freeing those inside.
These explorers continue to locate ancient settlements with possible
secrets to tell, but many do not survive their explorations. Whenever a
set of ruins are discovered, the spirits may ultimately spew forth,
unleashing a new set of plagued and chaos onto the land.
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Why would anyone dare cross that threshold? Because they don’t
know where the threshold is or understand that the spirits are becoming
freed.
Not all ruins contain bloodline spirits. Some simply contain ancient
lore scribed on their walls or contained within aging texts. The possibility
of learning more about their ancient past drives explorers to take chances
they probably shouldn’t. It also drives scholars and political figures to pay
for expeditions into unknown lands. Many of these expeditions are
accompanied by warriors ready to slay whatever they find. If they only
knew the chaos that remains from breaking a divine warding, maybe they
wouldn’t be so quick to run into long-forgotten cities.
So what’s the value of exploration? Ancient knowledge, religious texts,
possible treasures, the acquisition of new territory and the glory that
comes from finding ancient ruins for scholarly research.
PLAYER CHARACTERS
In A�� W��, player characters assume the role of warriors,
adventurers, explorers or saviors crossing the land and ridding it of
everything that threatens their way of life. Additionally, they can assume
the role of diplomat between cities and societies, preventing conflicts
from arising such as they did with their ancestors. Often times the biggest
threats faced by the people of Dhuran are their own motivations and
political ambitions. Even though they grew out of the ashes of their
ancestors, tensions between races begin to grow. To avoid losing the
planet to the chaos realm and the bloodline spirits, the people of Dhuran
must find a way to overcome their differences.
KNOWN LANDS
Dhuran is a planet the size of Earth. For the purposes of this core setting
guide, the player characters know only of the Known Lands. The Known
Lands center on the Inner Sea and stretch to the Outer Sea; a small area
compared to the whole of the planet. It is rumored that some of the
surviving bloodlines fled the Known Lands centuries ago.
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Inner Sea
Outer Sea

Ancient Political Lines of the Known Lands
James Millar (order #4688372)

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CHARACTER CREATION
Player characters can vary greatly with everything from an epic hero to a
simple peasant and everything in-between possible. Players follow the
standard character creation rules found within the Savage Worlds core
rulebook in conjunction with the following notes, explanations and
changes.
RACE
A�� W�� has five player character races; each has their own
strengths and weaknesses. The five races are drow, dwarf, half-drow,
halfling and human. Choose from one of the five races and apply the racial
template.
TRAITS
Every player character is created using traits that fall into two categories:
Attributes describe who a character is through Agility, Smarts, etc. while
Skills define what a character is capable of doing through Fighting,
Knowledge, Notice and more. Players are encouraged to create any type
of character imaginable from those with high strength to those with a high
level of knowledge.
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ATTRIBUTES
Your character begins with a d4 in each of the standard attributes: Agility,
Smarts, Spirit, Strength and Vigor. Divide 5 points among these attributes
using 1 point to raise a single attribute one die type. No single attribute
may be raised above d12.
EXAMPLE: Raising Smarts d4 to d6 costs 1 point while raising Smarts to
d8 costs 2 points.
SKILLS
Each player character has 15 points to divide among its skills. Note that
not all skills from the Savage Worlds core rulebook are available and
several new skills have been added. Purchasing a skill costs 1 point and
begins at a d4. Raising a skill costs 1 point per die type as long as it doesn’t
exceed the die type of the associated attribute. Raising a skill’s die type
above the associated attribute’s die type costs 2 points per step.
EXAMPLE: Purchasing Fighting costs 1 point. Raising it to d6 costs 1 more
point. Raising Fighting to d8 while the associated attribute, Agility, is a
d6 costs 2 points for a total of 4 points.
DERIVED STATISTICS
· Pace is 6” plus an additional 1d6” when running, unless stated
otherwise in the racial template.
· Parry is equal to 2 plus half Fighting skill plus applicable bonuses
from shields or weapons.
· Every character begins with a Charisma of +0 unless they have a
relevant Hindrance or Edge.
· Toughness is equal to 2 plus half Vigor plus applicable bonuses
from armor.
CHARACTERISTICS
One way of setting your player character apart from others is through
Edges and Hindrances. Each player character is allowed one Major
Hindrance and two Minor Hindrances. Each Major Hindrance is worth 2
points and each Minor Hindrance is worth 1 point.
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For 2 points you can raise an attribute one die type, before or after
choosing skills, or you can choose an Edge. For 1 point you can gain
another skill point or gain an additional 500 sp to your starting funds.
EQUIPMENT
After choosing Edges and Hindrances, equip your character armor,
weapons and gear. Each player character may spend up to their starting
fund of 500 sp and keeps all unspent money for later use.
SKILLS
Fear Rolls
Most of the skills from the Savage Because A�� W��
Worlds core rulebook are available is a dark fantasy setting
with a few additions. and the Guts skill is
used, all Fear rolls are
UNUSED SKILLS made against Guts
The Driving and Piloting skills are not instead of Spirit.
used within A�� W��.
NEW SKILLS
GUTS (SPIRIT)
Guts reflects a character’s bravery. Characters are often called on to make
Guts checks when they witness gristly scenes or encounter particularly
horrific monsters. The Game Master should see Fear and the Fright Table
in the Savage Worlds core rulebook to determine the effects of failing a
check.
KNOWLEDGE (SMARTS)
There are some new Knowledge specialties which pertain to specific
Professional Edges within A�� W��. These are also reflected within
the requirements for the applicable Edge and described below.
· Chemistry: Chemistry is used by alchemists to study the effects
of different chemicals when mixed together to create power-like
effects.
· Ethereal: Ethereal is the knowledge of spirits and how to
maneuver through the spirit realm.
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· Medicine: Medicine is used by apothecaries for studying the

effects of different herbs when mixed together to create
medicinal effects.
· Runes: Runes are an ancient language used to invoke the only
remaining arcane signatures remaining on Dhuran.
COINS
A�� W�� uses three different types of coins as money: copper
(cp), silver (sp) and gold (gp). All costs listed in the Savage Worlds core
rulebook are in silver. Anytime a cost is given without a suffix, it defaults
to silver (sp). The exchange rate is as follows:
· 10 copper = 1 silver
· 10 silver = 1 gold
· 1 gold = 100 copper
ARCHETYPES
While Savage Worlds is a system with lots of flexibility, it lacks standard
archetypes. However, some players may wish to skip parts of character
creation and jump right into a game. To facilitate this, here is a list of
archetypes for quick play or creative reference.
Apply the applicable racial template to each archetype during
character creation.
ALCHEMIST
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Charisma: -; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge (Chemistry), d8, Mixing d6, Throwing d8,
+4 additional skill points
Hindrances: One Major, two Minor
Edges: Alchemist, Arcane Background (Alchemy)
Power Points: 30
Powers: bolt, stun
Gear: Alchemists lab, dagger, leather armor
Coins: 275
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APOTHECARY
Skills: Crafting d6, Fighting d6, Healing d6, Knowledge (Medicine) d8,
Throwing d8, +2 additional skill points
Edges: Apothecary, Arcane Background (Herbalism)
Power Points: 30
Powers: darksight, healing, succor
Gear: Herbalists lab, dagger, leather armor
Coins: 275
ASSASSIN
Skills: Fighting d8, Throwing d8, Stealth d8, Tracking d6, +4 additional skill
points
Edges: Ambidextrous, Two-Fisted
Gear: Dagger, dagger, scale armor
Coins: 150
BEAST MASTER
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, Tracking d6, +4
additional skill points
Edges: Beast Master (Wolf), Danger Sense
Gear: Spear, leather armor
Coins: 100
BERSERKER
Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Throwing d8, +6 additional skill points
Edges: Berserk, Brawny
Gear: Battle axe, leather armor
Coins: 100
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BLACK KNIGHT
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Taunt d6, +6 additional skill points
Hindrances: Bloodthirsty (Major), two Minor
Edges: Block, Counterattack
Gear: Long sword, leather armor, medium shield
Coins: 50
CATAPHRACT
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4,
Strength d8, Vigor d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6;
Toughness: 5
Skills: Fighting d8, Riding d8,
Knowledge (Battle) d6, +5
Hindrances: One Major, two
Minor
Edges: Command, Noble, Rich
Gear: Morning star, throwing
spear, hide armor
Coins: 100
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CHARLATAN
Skills: Fighting d6, Gambling d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6,
Taunt d8
Hindrances: Greedy (Minor), one Major, one Minor
Edges: Luck, Martial Artist
Gear: Dagger, leather armor
Coins: 375
CRUSADER
Charisma: -1; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Shooting d6, +6 additional skill points
Hindrances: False Faith (Minor), one Major, one Minor
Edges: Crusader, Hard to Kill
Gear: Bow, dagger, leather armor
Coins: 125
GLADIATOR
Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Stealth d8, +7 additional skill points
Edges: Florentine, Martial Artist
Gear: Flail, leather armor, gladiator helmet
Coins: 0
GYPSY
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, +5 additional skill
points
Hindrances: Outsider (Minor), one Major, one Minor
Edges: Alertness, Thief
Gear: Dagger, leather armor
Coins: 375
INQUISITOR
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Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Shooting d6, +6 additional skill points
Edges: Brave, Inquisitor
Gear: Dagger, bow, leather armor
Coins: 125
MERCENARY
Skills: Boating d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Throwing d6, +5
Edges: Fleet-Footed, Linguist
Gear: Short sword, dagger, sling, leather armor
Coins: 150
SHAMAN
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Invocation d8, Knowledge (Ethereal) d8, +4
Edges: Arcane Background (Spirits), Shaman
Power Points: 30
Powers: burst, fear
Gear: Mace, leather armor
Coins: 300
SWORD MAGE
Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge (Runes) d8, Scribing d8, +7 additional skill
points
Edges: Arcane Background (Runic), Rune Mage
Power Points: 30
Powers: armor, burst, smite
Gear: Short sword, leather armor
Coins: 200
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WARLORD
Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
Skills: Fighting d6, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, +5
Edges: Attractive, Noble, Rich
Gear: Long Sword, Long Bow, Scale Armor
Coins: 600
HINDRANCES
Hindrances work the same as they do in the Savage Worlds core rulebook
with a few additions.
EASILY FRIGHTENED (MINOR)
Some characters are easily scared and cower in the face of anything
fearful. Such characters suffer a (-1) penalty to all Guts rolls.
FALSE FAITH (MINOR)
Some characters believe in ancient religions
that worship the deities that abandoned the
world centuries ago. When dealing
with those who know of these
religions and don’t follow one of
them, the character suffers a (-1)
penalty to Charisma.
WEAK WILLED (MINOR)
Some characters
cannot hold themselves
together mentally when
fear strikes. All rolls
against the Fright Table
receive +1 penalty, the
same as if the creature
had an additional (-1) to
their Fear rating.
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RACES
DROW
Drow were crafted from the element of fire. They are a dark-skinned race
who dwells in cities located in large, underground caverns. The drow have
a matriarchal society in which an empress assumes the throne. In a typical
drow society, the males are the workers and warriors while the females
are the scholars and high priestesses.
Being forged from fire does not bode well for the drow’s
temperament. They are easily agitated and often make hasty decisions.
However, they have proven themselves time and again to be fierce
warriors and reliable allies – as long as one does not get on their bad side.
Although they are reliable allies, many drow warriors lean toward the
more chaotic side of things, causing many of their allies to frown upon
their acts.
UNDERGROUND CITIES
The city of Drak’tau is a perfect model of what drow underground cities
are like. When the drow find an ideal location, typically a cavern or series
of caves, they enlarge the underground space to make way for a city able
to hold 10,000 drow or more. These newly created caverns stretch 100
ft. high and 2,000 ft. in diameter to hold the new settlement.
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The center of the cavern holds the most important buildings: a large
palace for the empress, military barracks, main market place, and housing
for all the middle to upper class citizens. Those who cannot afford to live
in the center carve small caves into the cavern walls. A multitude of
bridges illuminated by hanging lanterns connect the collection of cavern-
wall abodes to the city proper.
OLD RELIGION
In the beginning, the drow worshiped deities associated with fire,
darkness, chaos, the moon and often mischief. The drow religion had its
own written language based on runes provided by the gods and
goddesses. After the gods abandoned them, the drow continued to learn
more about the runes they still find in their lost underground cities.
Without knowledge of their origins, the runes are typically associated with
chaos.
CASTE
The drow use a fairly simple caste system. There are no nobles and only
the empress can be considered a higher being. There are many warlords,
but they are simply considered upper class such as a wealthy human
merchant would be. Even though warlords have power over people and
land, they are still not considered nobles.
Female drow become high priestesses and act as liaisons between the
empress and the rest of drow society. Instead of worshiping a deity, high
priestesses lead the people to worship the empress. Like the warlords,
high priestesses have control over all aspects of daily life except military
matters. They control all societal aspects of the drow including one’s
day-to-day deeds and non-militant relations with other races.
The drow middle class comprises warriors, merchants, scholars and
priestesses. Such folk report to the warlords and high priestesses and are
permitted to deal with the other races. Anyone lower than middle class
is forbidden from having dealings with anyone outside of the drow race.
Those caught doing so are sacrificed unless they flee. When drows flee
their empress due to forbidden dealings with other races, they spend the
rest of the lives dodging the hunters looking to return the guilty parties
for immediate execution.
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RELATIONS
Drows’ attitudes often make them difficult to deal with. Relations with
halflings and dwarves are strained at best. Humans have a much easier
time handling the drow as they are more flexible in their beliefs and find
it easier to look past a drow’s behavior to find a valuable friend or ally.
One major factor for the alliance between the drow and the humans
is the survival they went through in their youth. The original 1,000
survivors were made up of all races and the humans and drow set aside
their differences to work together. This has allowed a tenuous alliance
between the two races, although they are not completely without conflict.
Currently, the drow do regular trade with humans and find ways to
tolerate the presence of dwarves and halflings. Most drow are accepting
of their half-drow brethren, especially those who deal regularly with or
within human society. Some stick to old beliefs and view the half-drow as
a blasphemous union between their precious race and lesser beings.
THE DROW PAST

Before the gods decimated and abandoned the people of Dhuran, the
drow were a powerful race, feeding on the chaos brewing across the land.
They had become power hungry and began abusing the abilities given to
them by their gods through the use of their runes. The drow were the
main antagonists in the war.
Before the war broke out, the drow were involved in several feuds
with various dwarven kingdoms as their cities drew ever closer. The
underground drow cities would sometimes expand into dwarven territory,
wresting ownership from the dwarves with not even a single thought as
to how much it angered the dwarven kings. At the same time, the drow
were becoming increasingly hostile to humans through the constant
struggle of drow chaos versus human law and order. Although their
children were none the wiser, tensions were so strained that the humans
often setup embargoes against the drow.
After the war started, the drow were unable to gain any ground
against the dwarves or the humans. The dwarves were simply too fortified
and the humans were simply too well-organized. However, the drow did
not relent and repeatedly struck back. When the gods became angry, they
sent a message to the drow warriors to regroup and await orders that
would crush the dwarves and the humans.
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These orders never came, and the drow legions were caught
completely off-guard as the gods set off explosions of fire within the walls
of the cities, killing off nearly the entire population. Only a few youths
spending time in one of the many passages leading to the city were spared.
Everyone else in every populated drow city was killed.
RACIAL TEMPLATE
When choosing drow as a player character race, apply the following racial
template:
· Age: The average drow lives for 350-400 years. The typical drow
becomes a warrior at 80 years old. A young drow is around 40-60
years old. An elderly drow is around 250-300 years old.
· Drow Temperament: Drow are naturally easily agitated and have
difficulty interacting with those from other races. Due to their
temperament, they receive a -2 to Charisma.
· Knowledge: All drow characters have Common Knowledge in the
following areas: dungeons, caves, underground navigation and all
creatures that live underground or in caves.
· Low Light Vision: Drow live in underground city and are
accustomed to dark environments. They ignore attack penalties
for Dim and Dark lighting.
· Quick Feet: Drow are naturally quick and excellent runners. They
gain the Fleet-Footed Edge for free.
DWARF
Dwarves were crafted from the element of earth. They are a stark
reflection of this element: unwavering, stoic, firmly planted in their beliefs,
resilient and extremely proud. They build grand kingdoms to demonstrate
their devotion toward their kings and queens. Their entire society revolves
around the single element that gave them life.
Being forged from the earth has its benefits in their resolute
demeanor. They are extremely brave and known to stand strong against
the worst of terrors. To have a dwarven ally in a fight means to have
someone who will always offer their aid and protection. However, they
are the most stubborn of all the races.
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CLIFF FACE KINGDOMS

Dwarves live within the earth they were forged from. Sculpted directly
into the face of the land’s largest cliffs, dwarven kingdoms build immense
cities that start on a cliff face and end in a spider-web of cavities miles
into the mountain. Unlike the drow, these cities are meant to be seen as
vast strongholds of power and awe. Staring into a valley, these cliff face
kingdoms are a sight to see.
Many dwarven kingdoms reach great heights with each level serving
a different purpose. The king and queen reside on the highest level with
members of the gentry and warrior castes in the levels directly
underneath. Dwarves have an extremely strict caste-system and each level
within the kingdom is designed to house and segregate the different
castes. This gives a semblance of rising the higher in caste-level one goes;
the king and queen can look down upon their entire kingdom from dizzying
heights.
From the outside, the only visible portions of the cliff face kingdom
are military, nobility and, of course, royalty. The lower levels of the
kingdom along the actual cliff face contain open markets and walkways
for those above to travel to lower levels. Guards are placed throughout
to prevent the riff-raff from traveling to a level where they do not belong.
Visitors to a valley facing one of these kingdoms see many vigilant guards
and warriors staring down on the valley, watching carefully as visitors
draw near.
OLD RELIGION
Prior to the apocalypse, the dwarves were followers of many deities
associated with strength, justice, crafting, earth, wisdom and victory. Their
religion utilized the same standard dwarven language and all dwarves
were required to worship regularly. Many temples existed dedicated to
their various deities. Upon locating these lost cities, scholars are confused.
There are so many temples, seemingly dedicated to numerous deities and
containing myriad religious symbols.
CASTE
Dwarves adhere to a very strict caste system. Dwarves can only rise in
caste after proving their worth or under extenuating circumstances; rising
to royalty is nearly impossible. Dropping to a lower caste is a cause for
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shame and is a punishment for non-serious crimes. The different castes,

from highest to lowest both physically and socially, are as follows: royalty,
gentry, warrior, tradesmith, merchant, scholar, worker and servant.
The royalty caste is reserved for the king, queen and their immediate
family. This includes all children and all siblings serving in ambassador
positions. The highest level of the cliff face kingdom houses all members
of the royalty caste. Meetings with members of other castes are strictly
performed in the lower levels as only royalty are allowed on this level.
The gentry caste includes all nobles, warlords, generals and leaders
of the various guilds. If the king and queen do not have family members
serving ambassador positions, they would be found in the gentry caste.
Members of the gentry only hold meetings with those above them and
those that report directly to them. As such, all
gatherings with the gentry are held in
special rooms within the gentry
member’s estate.
The warrior caste is a truly
honored group as they are the
dedicated dwarven warriors
handpicked by the
warlords and generals
to serve the kingdom.
These are no mere
foot soldiers, nor
would they ever be
used as demon
fodder. These
warriors are elite,
required to pass
a test of skills
before being
admitted to the
warrior caste.
Dwarven
kingdoms pay
much respect
to their various
tradesmiths as the
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R��
different crafting arts – such as armor and weapon crafting – are extremely
important to them. Due to this respect, the tradesmith caste falls directly
underneath the warrior caste. These are highly talented dwarves who
have proven their skills to the guild leaders, gaining a spot within the
tradesmith caste.
The merchant caste is the only one given blanket permission to travel
the land, trading with all other races and kingdoms on Dhuran. They are
skilled negotiators and spread high-quality dwarven wares across the land.
Scholarly knowledge is not important to dwarven kingdoms and thus
the scholar caste falls directly underneath the merchant caste. The
scholars are the only ones able to join expeditions alongside the kingdom’s
greatest warriors to seek knowledge of an apparently forgotten past and
to learn more about nearby kingdoms and cities.
The worker caste is the largest of them all, consuming three levels
within the kingdom. These are the dwarves performing all the mundane
tasks for those in charge including farming, hunting, foraging and mining.
They are also the dwarves called upon in times of war to serve in the army.
Male workers are trained in the art of combat twice per year.
The servant caste is the lowest of the entire dwarven kingdom. No
one chooses to be a servant. The position is often either punishment for
non-serious crimes or is one belonging to an unskilled person. In their
youth, many dwarves perform duties as a servant to learn the skills of a
worker.
RELATIONS
When one makes friends with a dwarf, they have found an ally for life.
Dwarves are extremely loyal, almost to a fault, but also extremely cautious
over whom they befriend. Because of this, dwarves are rarely found in
the company of other races. They are hesitant toward others and believe
only true bonds should be formed through friendship.
Due to their desire for dwarven-made goods, humans have the best
relations with the dwarven kingdoms. While the dwarven warlords may
not run out to support human causes, they are more than willing to listen
to their pleas for help and assess the situation. Should the need arise, the
kingdom will assemble a grand army led by elite warriors and generals to
assist its allies. Should they find the humans’ needs do not benefit them,
the dwarves will give their warriors and warlords the decision to provide
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aid or not, without the help of the dwarven army. This produces a working
relationship with each side showing respect toward the other.
Most dwarven kingdoms despise the drow that encroach upon the
borderlands. They also frown upon the drow tendencies toward chaos
believing that strength will prevail over anger. Few dwarven kingdoms
purposely ally with the drow, considering them an annoyance. These
dwarven kingdoms tolerate the presence of the drow, but avoid seeking
any trade with them.
Dwarves and halflings are completely neutral toward each other.
Halflings have little or no need for dwarven goods and have little to
nothing to offer in return. The two races rarely come to conflict but they
also rarely become allies. Should the drow cities expand into dwarven
territory, a war may ensue.
THE DWARVEN PAST

The dwarven kingdoms of today are much more open than the dwarven
kingdoms of the past. Before the apocalypse, the dwarves were creating
conflict between themselves and the other races by disallowing regular
trade. The dwarves possessed superior artisans that crafted armor and
weapons above and beyond the quality of every other race. However, the
humans were locked in battles with the drow and needed a boost to their
military. They looked toward the dwarves for improved armor and
weapons and received nothing. This was quite a shock being that the
humans had supplied the dwarves with food for centuries. To have the
dwarven kingdoms turn their back was a dire insult.
The dwarves of the past were in constant conflict with the drow and
often times with the halflings. Both had claims over land the dwarves
wanted to expand into or takeover as part of their kingdoms. Dwarven
royalty was convinced that kings and queens should always be shown the
respect they deserve even from other races. They took extreme offense
to the lack of negotiations and closed their doors to the outside world.
They became extremely reclusive and plotted the downfall of the drow
and halflings near their kingdoms. By turning their backs on the humans
in their call for aid, they earned another enemy in a war that would end
them all.
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RACIAL TEMPLATE
When choosing dwarf as a player character race, apply the following racial
template:
· Age: The average dwarf lives for 280-320 years. The typical dwarf
becomes a warrior at 60 years old. A young dwarf is around 30-45
years old. An elderly dwarf is around 200-240 years old.
· Hardy: Dwarves gain a +1 bonus to Toughness.
· Knowledge: All dwarf characters have Common Knowledge in the
following areas: crafting, rock, metals and can identify all types
of weapons and armor.
· Loyal: Dwarves are extremely loyal to their kingdom and their
allies. Gain the Loyal (Minor) Hindrance.
· Low Light Vision: Dwarves live in kingdoms built into mountains
and are accustomed to dark environments. They ignore attack
penalties for Dim and Dark lighting.
· Resilient: Dwarves gain a +2 bonus to resist all negative
environmental effects.
· Slow: Dwarves have short legs with a pace of 5”.
HALF-DROW
Half-drow are the product of a union between a human and a drow. During
the first ten years of their now desolate lives, the struggling 1,000
survivors needed to repopulate and rebuild. Many spent those years in
small pockets of 10-20 individuals before uniting with the remaining
survivors. As such, there were few choices for partners. But youth rarely
carry the segregated visions of their parents, seeing other races as equal.
The result was a union between humans and drow that during the next
100 years helped grow the population.
During the past 400 years, the popularity of this union has dwindled
significantly and most half-drow are born to parents of the same lineage.
In addition, many humans and drow see half-drow as a blasphemous union
between races. Without a city of their own, the half-drow are excluded
from many public facilities and educational institutions that pure humans
or drow are able to use.
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A�� W��
GROWING UP
The life of a half-drow youth is a difficult one. They are not allowed to
attend human schools, nor are they allowed in drow schools. Although
they may have friends of both races, they are only allowed to see them
during non-school days. The half-drow youth are forced to either learn on
their own or be home-schooled by their parents or a half-drow scholar.
The result of this in-home education has created youth that shine
above and beyond in learning compared to their drow or human friends.
The half-drow youth are known for their ability to learn and figure things
out quickly. Other scholars believe this is a product of being forced to
survive educationally within a society that does not accept who you are.
HISTORY
Half-drow do not have a long history, nor do they
have a past religion. They originated after the
apocalyptic event and know next to nothing
about the lives their ancestors
lived. Many of them do not even
know the origin and structure of
their family tree. However, it is
not unknown for male drow to
fraternize with female humans
even today. While it is rare for a
female drow to be in a relation with
a male human, some female warriors,
especially those who adventure alone or in
small groups with other races, have been
known to bed male humans and end up
pregnant. The more common occurrence is
when a male drow living in a human city is
seen as exotic by female humans and
preyed upon for his seed.
CASTE
Half-drow do not have a societal caste.
Most of them are not allowed to
incorporate themselves into drow or
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human castes and thus spend much of their time as warriors, scholars,
advisors, professors, merchants or people of ill-repute.
Half-drow are only able to insinuate themselves into society if they
have valuable skills. A group of half-drow scholars, professors and
merchants are currently in discussions to settle their own city, giving them
a place to call their own. The city, unnamed as of yet, is planned to be
spearheaded by a great half-drow university dedicated to the research of
their own past and the findings from Drak’tau and the education of all
half-drow.
RELATIONS
Half-drow are neutral to all other races. While many from those races may
look down upon them and treat them as outsiders, there are no hostilities
between them. This accepted neutrality is due to how well half-drow
scholars are at collecting information, the quality of their merchants, the
schooling of their professors and their innate ability to treat everyone
fairly. One may see this as weak, yet humans and drow still treat the
half-drow as a neutral party. In fact, in many debates between races,
half-drow are used as advisors and referees.
The most valuable relation half-drow have with the rest of the races
stems from their extreme curiosity. They are always looking for better
ways to do common things or searching for clues to unlock the ancient
past. However, this extreme curiosity comes at a small price: half-drow
are easily preoccupied. It is not uncommon for a half-drow to get
side-tracked during important times or lose focus on important matters
as they investigate something rather mundane. This sometimes creates
tension between the half-drow and those around them.
RACIAL TEMPLATE
When choosing half-drow as a player character race, apply the following
racial template:
· Age: The average half-drow lives for 210-240 years. The typical
half-drow becomes a warrior (or scholar) at 45 years old. A young
half-drow is around 25-35 years old. An elderly half-drow is
around 150-180 years old.
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· Knowledge: Due to their varied upbringings, half-drow characters

can choose five common knowledge areas from the drow and
human racial templates.
· Low Light Vision: Thanks to their drow heritage, half-drow are
able to see in the dark. They ignore attack penalties for Dim and
Dark lighting.
· Racial Segregation: Half-drow are rarely fully accepted wherever
they go due to their mixed heritage. Gain the Outsider (Minor)
Hindrance.
· Scholarly: Due to their isolation from many skilled jobs, half-drow
have become accustomed to educating themselves. They start
with a d6 in Smarts instead of a d4.
HALFLING
Halflings are from the element of wind. They are a tribal race with villages
located in the woods and the plains. Halflings are considered to be the
race most in-tune with nature. They live simple lives in simple
surroundings and eschew most types of technology. Halfling villages are
always busy as everyone works together to better the village and aid in
its survival.
Halflings are the only race that lives in small huts within small villages.
They never build a settlement that houses more than a dozen families and
only perform tasks that benefit the entire village. They are primarily
self-sufficient and rely upon other races only during times of famine or
extreme weather changes. Their ability to survive is due to their strong
connection with the natural world instead of relying upon the latest
mechanical invention.
VILLAGES
Halfling villages are small, family-driven communities in which everyone
has a role that benefits the rest of the community. These villages remain
small, out of choice, with new villages being formed every twenty years
or so. This small size allows the village to be completely self-sufficient by
only needing to feed a limited number. There is never a job left undone
and there is never a halfling without a job to do.
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Each village is led by a group of elders. This group can be as small as

two or as large as ten, depending upon the age of the elders. Each elder
provides guidance without being seen as a greater person (such as a
noble). These elders are simply the ones who know and have experienced
the most, thus they are sought for advice and guidance in day-to-day
activities.
Where there are major decisions to be made, the village brings
together an assembly of the most able-bodied halflings, to discuss the
event. Decisions require a majority vote, although most lead to days of
discussion leading to a unanimous vote. Halfling villages tend to be very
democratic and at the same time very stubborn. However, everyone’s
opinion matters and should a decision affect at least one person in an
important way, it needs to be discussed before all. Giving everyone a voice
helps to maintain harmony within the village.
OLD RELIGION
In the beginning, halflings worshipped deities associated with nature,
natural creatures, prosperity, famine, life, death, fertility and hunting. The
halfling religion had a deep respect for the circle of life, understanding
that life and death must reside together for the circle to be complete.
While they did not wish famine upon themselves, they believed it was
sometimes necessary. During times of famine, the halflings would seek
out alliances with other races, find new fertile grounds or switch from
farming to other means of sustaining life.
The halflings now know nothing of the deities their ancestors
worshiped. They still respect nature and have a deep connection with
natural creatures, but their spiritual appreciation of the world has become
their new belief. Halflings have learned to listen to the world around them
and connect with the spirit realm. They believe a deep-rooted
appreciation of nature is responsible. The truth is that their race has
always been in-tune with all aspects of the world, much more than other
races, providing them a boon when communicating with the spirit realm.
In ancient times, the spirit realm was understood as a part of life and
death.
CASTE
There are only two types of halflings in every village: elder and worker.
The elders are the most experienced halflings in terms of survival,
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experience and knowledge. They do not need to be the oldest, but they
do need to be the strongest mentally. The elders are the ultimate advisors
and guides of the village.
Everyone else within a halfling village is considered a worker. Every
worker has an important job and everyone is always provided for. These
workers perform all types of tasks including hunting, foraging, farming,
animal handling, guarding, teaching and everything else required to keep
the village running. Halflings do not need merchants; they use what they
make and make what they use. Should they need to look elsewhere
because of difficult times, they typically offer their own people as servants,
guards or warriors in return for what they need. Because halfling villages
consume everything they produce, they only have their weakest workers
to offer as an exchange.
RELATIONS
Halflings are extremely fickle. They make efforts to remain as neutral as
they can toward other races while often warring with their own people
over tribal rights and village politics. Their constant stance of remaining
isolated until dire events occur is often seen as threatening to other races
that attempt diplomatic measures. Halflings do not mean to insult other
races, or even each other, but they often do, resulting in conflicts that can
drag on for years.
In addition to this strange behavior, halflings are very protective of
their land and Dhuran’s natural flora and fauna. If they feel someone is
threatening nature, they lash out violently. Due to their tribal living, these
violent outbreaks are swift and seemingly come from nowhere. Halflings
are extremely good at hiding and ambushing as they know a frontal assault
will most likely lead to disaster.
HALFLING PAST
Before the apocalypse, halflings had a good relationship with dwarves and
little to no dealings with the drow. Their interaction with humans,
however, was extremely strained and riddled with conflict. Humans always
had a tendency to build large, grand-scale cities, buildings and ports that
required the clearing of a lot of land. Halflings always viewed this as hostile
toward the natural flora and fauna of Dhuran, leading to many conflicts
between the two races. In fact, this is why the halflings joined the war.
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The halfling villages are fairly remote and quite a lengthy travel from
human society. As such, they have few dealings with humans. What
dealings the two races do have typically involves the halflings looking for
aid and the humans looking for servants within their cities. They do not
see the halflings as inferior and, in fact, rather appreciate their dedication
to hard work. As such, halflings and humans have a neutral, but working
relationship.
Interaction with dwarves and drow is similar to that of humans, except
neither really cares for halfling servants. Instead, halflings given to
dwarves or drow in exchange for supplies become farmhands or outcasts.
Neither the dwarves nor the drow care to keep halflings around for very
long.
RACIAL TEMPLATE
When choosing halfling as a player character race, apply the following
racial template:
· Age: The average halfling lives for 140-160 years. The typical
halfling becomes a warrior at 30 years old. A young halfling is
around 15-25 years old. An elderly halfling is around 100-120
years old.
· Hard to Hit: Due to their smaller size and quick feet, halflings gain
a +1 bonus to Parry.
· Knowledge: All halfling characters have Common Knowledge in
the following areas: nature, hunting, terrain and navigating by the
stars.
· Short: Halflings are only 3-4 ft. tall. They are considered Size -1,
subtracting 1 from their Toughness.
· Spiritual Upbringing: Halflings have always been raised to better
understand the natural world around them. They start with a d6
in Spirit instead of a d4.
HUMAN
Humans were forged from the element of water. Just like water itself,
they were meant to be a neutralizing party between the races. They were
meant to be fair and open to all those around them with a keen sense of
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equality. While the gods had many good intentions in mind, none of them
panned out the way they had planned.
Instead of a neutral race that balances the rest, humans ended up
being focused more on the grandeur of themselves and their cities, trying
repeatedly to outdo each other. Additionally, humans strive for
improvement at all times, seeking a better way even if the current one
works perfectly. Instead of a properly balanced race, the gods ended up
with a constantly changing race.
CITIES ON THE BAY

Human cities are large, sprawling, urban areas while their villages are
small, remote farming communities. This stark contrast is made more
prevalent by the egotistical humans that live near or along a bay. Along
the coastline, large sprawling estates can be found that could house an
entire halfling village.
Human cities are a thing of awe for those who rarely get the chance
to see them. While their villages are simple, their cities are filled with the
hustle and bustle of busy life: packed markets, stores that sell everything
you’ll ever need, busy shipping ports, rowdy taverns, luxurious inns and
fine stonework.
Unlike dwarven kingdoms and drow cities which make use of vertical
space, humans do not like to share their space with others and thus build
outward instead of upward. Standard homes in the cities are two to three
stories high (wealthy humans may have castles or strongholds with many
floors) while standard homes in villages are one to two floors high.
Regardless of which style is found, all human settlements consume a lot
of land as they build outward from the city or village center.
In addition to sprawling cities, humans tend to overpopulate. Human
villages rarely see overpopulation, but their cities are often filled with the
homeless and downtrodden. Crime is worst in the largest urban areas,
especially around the busy marketplaces. Due to this need for population
growth, human cities (and most villages) are built on or near the water
for easier import and export of goods and people (such as halfling servants).
OLD RELIGIONS
Humans have a tendency to believe what they wish, when they want to
believe it. Before the apocalypse, a number of religions existed including
ones many considered heretical. While many had their own system of
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beliefs, the main deities worshiped were associated with lightning,

thunder, storms, justice, avarice, lust, sunlight, life, death, mischief, sea,
wisdom, war, victory, strength and protection.
While many forms of human religions existed, they all used traditional
human languages or dialects. This resulted in a lot of cross-worshiping as
one was able to understand the teachings of another.
CASTE
Humans have a class system where someone in one class can potentially
change to a higher or lower class simply due to the actions they take in
life. In addition, some members of higher classes are viewed poorly by
others due to political relations or unfavorable deeds they performed
(such as a lord angering all his vassals who in turn revolt against him,
casting him out of the city).
Humans do not recognize anyone of royalty, only nobility. Members
of the upper class are either part of the nobility, powerful political figures,
wealthy merchants, military generals, prosperous sea-captains, guild
leaders or lucky explorers. Each city is managed by an elected governor
who in turn chooses city officials. Those of noble descent have political
and physical power over the city, and sometimes the governor, due to
land ownership. All other figures who gave gained their upper class
position due to wealth or prestige have social, political and economic
influence over the city and the governor.
The majority of humans fall into the middle class. This is the largest
collection and comprises all tradesmiths, scholars, professors, warriors,
guards, merchants, guild members and countless other professions of
repute. Most humans in the middle class are treated fairly by those in the
upper class partially for political purposes and partially for monetary
purposes. Without the workers, the upper class would have to do all the
work themselves.
Those humans who do not offer value to the city or who act in
unlawful ways are considered part of the lower class. Farmers within the
city are often treated like lower class while their village kin are treated
much better. This is why few farmers remain in the city. Even though many
humans snub the lower class, if one is a particularly good warrior, they
can rise from the lower class to become upper class.
Class systems are not practiced within small villages. Everyone in the
village is important in some way, as long as they aren’t causing problems.
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Most villages are led by a noble, obviating the need for an elected
governor. Villages are only able to thrive if the noble or political figure
managing the village does so in a fair manner. Otherwise the village is
quickly abandoned as the people seek out new land.
RELATIONS
Humans strive to be everyone’s ally. As such, their relations with other
races are in constant fluctuation, often relying upon the views of the other
race instead of their own. Humans typically treat everyone as equal in the
hopes that they will benefit the humans’ city through trade or servitude.
However, many humans snub the half-drow in disgust of their roots.
Humans living in villages are less boisterous than their city kinfolk and
while they typically treat all everyone as equal, opinions form quickly and
easily. Since villages are so small, it doesn’t take much for a group of
humans with animosity toward dwarves to turn everyone in the village
into dwarf haters.
THE HUMAN PAST

The humans’ past is one filled with turmoil. Due to their constant need to
outdo each other, many political, social and even military conflicts arose.
Humans may be extremely adaptive, but they are also extremely stubborn.
They all have their own views and often feel that other people’s views
and opinions are flawed.
This type of behavior led to many skirmishes between human cultures
and between humans and other races. While none of them are directly
tied to the outbreak of the war, as a collective whole, they did not sit well
with the other races. Many leaders in the other three races felt all ties
with the humans should be cut. Others felt the humans should be taught
the difference between right and wrong. Others felt the humans should
just be ignored. This constant change of opinion only led to more conflicts.
Humans became the main aggressor in the years leading up to and
including the war. Their constant need to keep open relations was met
with closed doors and a lack of diplomatic relations. The less the other
races wanted to have dealings with the humans, the angrier the humans
became, lashing out at their supposed allies for not coming to their aid or
not providing the goods they so desperately needed (or rather thought
they desperately needed). Human greed overcame much of the
population, driving them to attack any kingdom, city or village they came
46
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upon. They even initiated wars among themselves between rival

governors or political figures.
As tempers flared between humans and everyone else, especially the
dwarves, anger began to rise across the land among the other races. The
domino-like effect spiraled out of control as humans attacked dwarven
kingdoms, the drow refused to help, and the halflings attempted to ignore
the whole situation. The more people refused to fight, the more anger
brewed among the dwarves, pulling the other races into a worldwide war.
In the end, all races were fed up with issues they had between each other
and the complete lack of companionship shown by the humans. These
issues were once seemingly minor but became important enough to
declare war. The more power-hungry the humans became, the more it
affected the non-humans around them.
After seeing their people raging out of control, the gods declared their
own war on the people of Dhuran; all of it was sparked by human greed.
Unaware of the damage it once caused, humans struggle to hold back
their greed 500 years after the gods decimated the people of Dhuran.
RACIAL TEMPLATE
When choosing human as a player character race, apply the following
racial template:
· Adaptive: Humans gain 1 extra Edge.
· Age: The average human lives for 70-80 years. The typical human
becomes a warrior at 16 years old. A young human is around 8-12
years old. An elderly human is around 50-60 years old.
· Knowledge: All human characters have Common Knowledge in
the following areas: trading, negotiating, performing and farming.
LANGUAGE
Before the apocalypse, the only common language between all races was
Trade Speak. After the apocalypse, the remaining 1,000 youth needed a
common language to interact with each other and aid in their survival.
Thus, all races now speak Trade Speak with only scholars studying the
languages of the past.
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EDGES
Some Edges from the Savage Worlds core rulebook work differently within
A�� W��. Such Edges are detailed here alongside new ones.
UNUSED EDGES
The following Edges are not allowed for player characters:
rock and roll!, adept, champion, gadgeteer, holy/unholy warrior,
mentalist, mr. fix it, power points, rapid recharge, improved rapid
recharge, soul drain, wizard, arcane background (magic), arcane
background (miracles), arcane background (psionics), arcane
background (super powers) and arcane background (weird science)
BACKGROUND EDGES
FLEET-FOOTED
Halfings that take this Edge roll a d6 when running. Due to their Racial
Template, drow characters cannot take this Edge.
HUNTER
Requirements: Novice, Survival d8+, Tracking d6+
The youth of Dhuran are often taught to hunt at an early age to
improve their odds of survival.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Survival rolls.
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E��
NOBLE
The noble Edge can only be taken by dwarves and humans.
RESILIENT
Requirements: Novice, Vigor d8+
Life in Dhuran is difficult and many have evolved with a natural
resilience to the world around them.
Receive a +2 bonus to Vigor rolls to resist all poisons and diseases.
RICH
The rich Edge can only be taken by humans and dwarves.
FILTHY RICH
The filthy rich Edge can only be taken by humans.
COMBAT EDGES
IMPROVISATIONAL FIGHTER
Halflings taking this Edge can only wield small or medium weapons.
PROFESSIONAL EDGES
ALCHEMIST
Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Alchemy), Smarts d8+,
Knowledge (Chemistry) d8+, Mixing d6+
Alchemists use their knowledge of chemicals to create missiles and
grenades to launch at their opponents.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Mixing rolls when creating Alchemical
mixtures according to the Arcane Background (Alchemy) Power List. In
addition, each raise on a Mixing roll reduces the Power Points required
by 1 to a minimum of 1.
APOTHECARY
Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Herbalism), Smarts d8+,
Knowledge (Medicine) d8+, Crafting d6+
Apothecaries use their knowledge of herbs to create medicines that
aid and heal their allies.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Crafting rolls when creating Herbal mixtures
appearing on the Arcane Background (Herbalism) Power List. In addition,
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each raise on a Crafting roll reduces the Power Points required by 1 to a

minimum of 1.
CRUSADER
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d8+, Agility d6+, Fighting d8+, Guts d6+
Crusaders scour the land, looking for undead creatures to slay. They
are convinced the gods will return if the people of Dhuran rid the land of
evil.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Fighting rolls against creatures with the
Undead trait. In addition, receive a +1 bonus to all Guts rolls to Fear checks
against creatures with the Undead trait.
INQUISITOR
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d8+, Agility d6+, Fighting d8+, Guts d8+
Inquisitors have devoted their lives to ridding the land of those they
consider to be plagued. They view plagued as the ultimate threat to the
fledgling cities and the prosperity of Dhuran.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Fighting rolls against creatures with the
Plagued trait. In addition, receive a +1 bonus to all Guts rolls to Fear checks
against creatures with the Plagued trait.
MARSHAL
Requirements: Novice, Command, Smarts d8+, Charisma 0+
Marshals lead bands of warriors against the malevolent denizens of
Dhuran.
May share Bennies with Wild Card companions within command
radius.
RUNE MAGE
Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Runic), Smarts d8+,
Knowledge (Runes) d8+, Scribing d6+
Rune mages are trained to harness what little power remains of the
gods and goddesses along with the power that emanates from the chaos
realm. The runes they scribe are the only source of arcane magic.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Scribing rolls when casting a spell on the
Arcane Background (Runic) Power List. In addition, a raise doubles the
Duration of the power. During combat, the power ends at the end of the
encounter.
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SHAMAN
Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Spirits), Spirit d8+,
Knowledge (Ethereal) d8+, Guts d8+, Invocation d6+
Shamans tap into the spirits trapped within the spirit realm to unleash
havoc upon those threatening Dhuran.
Receive a +2 bonus to all Guts rolls made to resist the effects of an
Invocation Critical Failure roll.
RACIAL EDGES
DROW ELEMENTAL PAST
Requirements: Novice, Drow
Being forged from fire sometimes causes weird side effects within the
drow. As a consequence, some drow have a natural resistance to fire.
Gain a +4 bonus to resist all negative effects related to heat and fire.
In addition, fire attacks do not cause additional damage and Vigor rolls
are not required until the temperature exceeds 120° Fahrenheit.
DROW WARRIORS
Requirements: Novice, Drow, Agility d8+
Drow warriors are known to be some of the most aggressive fighters
in Dhuran. They rarely wait for their opponent to strike, acting quickly
when combat begins.
Whenever dealt a card of 8 or lower in combat, you may discard it
and draw again until getting a card higher than 8. (This Edge replaces the
Quick Edge, but only for drow characters.)
DWARVEN MERCHANT
Requirements: Novice, Dwarf, Charisma 0+, Persuasion d6+
Dwarven merchants travel great distances to sell the works of their
beloved tradesmiths. They are skilled at getting the right price and rarely
return home with unsold items.
When in an urban center, receive a +1 bonus to all Persuasion rolls
during all types of negotiation, including the buying and selling of goods.
DWARVEN TRADESMITH
Requirements: Novice, Dwarf
Dwarves are known to have the greatest tradesmiths around. They
are artisans in their field, with a strong focus on the dwarven armory.
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Choose weapons, armor, or mundane items. The dwarf is a practiced

tradesmith in that field, able to create trade items. With access to tools
and supplies, the Dwarven Tradesmith can create an item from the chosen
field for 75% of the cost. Each item takes 1d4 days to make.
This Edge may be taken multiple times, but the character must choose
a different field each time.
HALF-DROW EDUCATION
Requirements: Novice, Half-drow, Smarts d8+
Half-drow professors are known to provide better education than all
other races. In addition, half-drow receive in-home education from some
of these professors, gaining knowledge that many others could never
acquire.
When gaining a new Knowledge skill, it starts at d6 instead of d4.
HALF-DROW SCHOLAR
Requirements: Seasoned, Half-drow, Smarts d8+
Many half-drow pursue lives as scholars due to their easy access to
educational materials and superior professors.
Gain Common Knowledge in three areas known by another race.
Additionally, gain a +1 to all Common Knowledge rolls.
This Edge may be taken multiple times with three different areas of
Common Knowledge chosen each time. However, the +1 bonus to
Common Knowledge rolls does not increase with each subsequent Edge.
Characters get a maximum of +1 to Common Knowledge rolls by taking
this Edge, regardless of how many times it is chosen.
HALFLING AMBUSH
Requirements: Novice, Halfling, Agility d6+, Stealth d6+
Halflings are known for their ability to surprise their targets.
When testing for Surprise or The Drop, receive a +1 bonus to Stealth
when opposed by the target’s Notice. Additionally, receive a +1 bonus to
Stealth when moving through terrain that is at least as tall as the halfling.
HUMAN DIPLOMACY
Requirements: Novice, Human, Charisma 0+, Persuasion d6+
Humans, with their natural charm and friendly personality, have a way
of befriending others.
Receive a +1 bonus to all Persuasion rolls when dealing with members
of another race.
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HUMAN PERSEVERANCE
Requirements: Novice, Human, Spirit d6+
Humans are relentless when attempting to get something they need
or want.
Once per day, re-roll any failed, non-combat dice roll.
TWO-HANDED HALFLING
Requirements: Novice, Halfling, Strength d6+, Fighting d8+
Some halflings do not struggle when wielding larger weapons.
Ignore all Minimum Strength penalties by wielding a single-handed
melee weapon with two hands that is one die higher than your Strength
die. Penalties still apply for weapons that regularly require two hands to
wield.
EXAMPLE: A character with Strength d6 may wield a one-handed
Str+d8 weapon using two hands, ignoring all Minimum
Strength penalties. The same character
wielding a Str+d10 weapon is subject
to regular Minimum Strength
penalties.
LEGENDARY
EDGES
FOLLOWERS
Half-drow may not take
the followers Edge.
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ARCANE BACKGROUNDS
POWER POINTS
Characters do not recover Power Points naturally. Each one is unique to
the Arcane Background as follows:
· Alchemy: Power Points are purchased at a rate of 10 SP per 1
Power Point up to the character’s maximum number of Power
Points. This represents the character purchasing chemicals and
other ingredients to create her alchemical concoction.
· Herbalism: Power Points are purchased at a rate of 5 SP per 1
Power Point up to the character’s maximum number of Power
Points. This represents the character purchasing herbs and various
ingredients to create her herbal remedies.
· Runic: Power Points are purchased at a rate of 8 SP per 1 Power
Point up to the character’s maximum number of Power Points.
This represents the character purchasing a new container of ink
to use for scribing runes.
· Spirits: Power Points are regained by capturing a spirit from the
Spirit Realm and binding it to a fetish. On a successful Knowledge
(Ethereal) roll, the Shaman binds a spirit to her fetish, fully
replenishing her Power Points. Each roll requires 1d4 days to find,
defeat and bind the spirit and only one spirit can be bound into a
fetish. On a raise, the time becomes 1d4 hours.
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ACQUIRING NEW POWERS

New powers do not simply manifest themselves once they are taken with
the New Power Edge. Each one must be learned from a book, scroll or
teacher or practiced to justify the gaining of that new power.
Examples of this are an alchemist purchasing the recipe to a new
alchemical mixture that produces a chemical grenade or a rune mage
finding an ancient tome detailing the use of a new chaos rune that allows
him to banish an undead creature.
FAILURE Optional Rule

As an optional rule,
There are three levels of failure for Game Masters may
creating mixtures or casting powers declare that Bennies
within A�� W��. Each one cannot be spent to
carries a different set of side effects reroll a Critical Failure.
according to the relevant Arcane
Background. (Side effects of failure are
detailed within the Arcane Background listings.) Each level of failure is
defined as follows:
· Failure: Failing to meet or exceed the target number.
· Serious Failure: Rolling a 1 on either the arcane skill or Wild die.
· Critical Failure: Rolling a 1 on both the arcane skill and Wild die.
ALCHEMICAL AND HERBAL

MIXTURES
Alchemy and herbalism are products of technology, medical research and
chemical research. Instead of learning their trades from ancient texts, the
people of Dhuran have developed these concoctions through trial and
error.
PREPARING MIXTURES
Alchemical and herbal mixtures are prepared ahead of time and stored
as inventory for later use. Power Points are spent when creating the
mixture at a rate determined by the stats of the power. If the power has
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A�� W��
variable stats, the mixture needs to be prepared ahead of time (which

sets any variable effects) and the appropriate number of Power Points
needed spent.
EXAMPLE: When preparing a bolt mixture, the number of Power Points
spent reflects the number of equivalent bolts and damage. If creating a
mixture equivalent to three bolts, three Power Points must be spent.
To affect additional targets, multiple instances of the mixture must be
used.
RANGED POWERS
Alchemical and herbal mixtures that carry a range other than Self or Touch
are treated as thrown weapons with a range of 3/6/12. The character
must make a successful Throwing roll to hit the target. If the Throwing roll
fails, there is a 50% chance that the mixture can be retrieved at the end
of the encounter. If the Throwing roll critically fails (a 1 is rolled on both
Throwing and Wild dice), the mixture breaks and cannot be recovered.
Optionally, the mixture could instead hit the character or an ally.
TOUCH POWERS
Alchemical and herbal mixtures that carry a range of Touch are treated
as regular Fighting attacks. Characters must make successful Fighting rolls
or their mixtures fail. . If the Fighting roll fails, there is a 75% chance that
the mixture can be retrieved at the end of the encounter.
SELF POWERS
Alchemical and herbal mixtures that carry a range of Self automatically
succeed; no additional rolls are needed.
RUNIC SCRIBING
Runes are the only source of arcane power left on Dhuran. To invoke their
powers, one must scribe the proper runes onto the surface of an object
or person. Runes cannot be scribed at a distance; thus all powers have a
range of Touch or Self. Power Points work as normal.
Runes scribed on someone or something other than the scribe have
their range changed to Touch. Runes scribed onto the scribe have their
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range changed to Self. Powers using a blast or cone template originate at

the scribe herself, but still use the applicable template.
EXAMPLE: The burst power is achieved by scribing a rune onto the hand
and pointing it in the direction of the targets.
Those scribing runes always use the Scribing skill to write the rune
appropriately.
INVOKING THE SPIRITS

Invoking the spirits is done mechanically in the same fashion as all Arcane
Backgrounds in the Savage Worlds core rulebook. The mechanics for range
and using Power Points do not change. Successful Invocation rolls
symbolize controlling the captured spirit and commanding it to perform
a specific task.
Spirits can only be invoked for so long before their power diminishes,
they are released from the fetish, or they simply disappear. The reduction
of Power Points symbolizes this event as the spirit can only perform so
many tasks before becoming useless.
CORRUPTION
Unlike alchemy, herbalism and runic magic, spiritual magic causes
corruption. Invoking the spirits requires a certain level of enslavement of
the spirits which can drive anyone insane over an extended period of time.
In addition, spirits don’t like being manipulated and sometimes lash out
at their masters.
Over time, harnessing the power of the spirits taints the soul and
quietly turns the invoker into a beacon of evil to any residing in the spirit
realm. The longer one enslaves the spirits, the more enraged the spirit
realm becomes, making the harnessing of those powers more and more
dangerous.
Those using powers from the Arcane Background (Spirits) Power List
gain a number of corruption points according to the rank of the spell as
follows:
· Novice: Novice powers do not add corruption points.
· Seasoned: When casting a Seasoned-ranked power, receive +1
corruption point.
57
A�� W��
· Veteran: When casting a Veteran-ranked power, receive +2

corruption points.
· Heroic: When casting a Heroic-ranked power, receive +3
corruption points.
· Legendary: When casting a Legendary-ranked power, receive +4
corruption points.
58
A�� B��
Corruption points are cumulative and act as modifiers to rolls on the Fright
Table. When rolling on the Fright Table due to a failed Fear roll, add the
number of corruption points to the resulting roll in addition to the Fear
penalty of the creature. This symbolizes the spirit realm corrupting the
invoker’s mind and impacting their sanity and willpower.
FRIGHT TABLE
With the increase to results on the Fright Table roll, the table gains
additional levels of effects when used against those who harness spiritual
magic. Those who do not harness spiritual magic use the standard Fright
Table. The new levels of effect are as follows:
1d20 Effect
22-23 Swift Death: The character’s mind is overwhelmed by the spirit
realm and can’t handle the pressure. She immediately
becomes incapacitated and dies in 1d6+1 rounds.
24-25 Undeath: The character becomes a beacon to the spirit realm
and her soul is carried away, leaving an empty shell used as a
puppet by the spirits she enslaved. She immediately becomes
a zombie, considered as an Extra, under the control of the spirit
realm and attacks her allies.
26-27 Reanimation: The character’s mind shatters under the
pressure of the spirit realm as her soul is replaced by an
enslaved spirit. She immediately becomes an undead Extra
version of herself, retaining all abilities and equipment, and
attacks her allies.
28-29 Possession: The character’s body cracks open and light from
the spirit realm comes pouring out as her soul is enslaved by
the spirit realm. She immediately becomes an undead Wild
Card version of herself, retaining all abilities and equipment,
and attacks her allies.
30+ Demonic Possession: The character’s soul glows fire red within
the spirit realm and grabs the attention of a demon from the
Chaos Realm. Her body serves as a vessel into the realm of the
living as the demon breaks through the spirit realm. She
immediately becomes a Darkspawn, gaining new abilities (use
the Special Abilities of a Darkspawn from the Bestiary) but
retaining all equipment, and attacks her allies.
59
A�� W��
NEW ARCANE BACKGROUNDS

ARCANE BACKGROUND (ALCHEMY)
Arcane Skill: Mixing (Smarts)
Starting Power Points: 30
Starting Powers: 2
Power List: barrier, blast, blind, bolt, burst, damage field, entangle,
slow, slumber, stun
Alchemy is the process of mixing different chemical substances to achieve
a mixture to produce various affects. Alchemists must prepare their
mixtures ahead of time and use them by hurling them at or applying them
to their enemies. Alchemy is primarily an offensive arcane style; most
mixtures cause damage.
When creating new alchemical mixtures, the alchemist must succeed
on a Mixing roll. Success means the mixture is added to the alchemist’s
inventory for later use. Power Points are spent at the time of creating the
alchemical mixture and failure occurs as noted below.
Failure: Failure on a Mixing roll means the process failed, but the
components are not wasted. A second Mixing roll may be made, and a
second failure results in the components becoming no longer usable and
the Power Points spent are lost.
Serious Failure: A serious failure on a Mixing roll means the process
was a total failure and the components are no longer usable. All Power
Points spent are lost.
Critical Failure: A critical failure on a Mixing roll means the recipe was
incorrect and causes a small explosion. Using the small blast template
centered over the character creating the mixture, everyone within the
area suffers 2d6 damage. Those in the area can make an Agility roll to
avoid the damage. All Power Points spent are lost.
ARCANE BACKGROUND (HERBALISM)
Arcane Skill: Crafting (Smarts)
Starting Powers: 3
Power List: boost/lower trait, darksight, farsight, greater healing,
healing, quickness, speed, succor
60
A�� B��
Herbalism is the process of mixing different natural substances to create

a compound that can produce various affects. Apothecaries must prepare
their mixtures ahead of time and use them as a thrown items or salves
when the need arises. Herbalism is primarily a defensive arcane style with
most mixtures providing aid.
When creating new herbal compounds, the apothecary must succeed
on a Crafting roll. Success means the compound is added to the
apothecary’s inventory. Power Points are spent at the time of creating
the herbal compound and failure occurs as noted below.
Failure: Failure on a Crafting roll means the process failed, but the
components are not wasted. A second Crafting roll may be made, and a
second failure results in the components becoming no longer usable and
the Power Points spent are lost.
Serious Failure: A serious failure on a Crafting roll means the process
was a total failure and the components are no longer usable. All Power
Points spent are lost.
Critical Failure: A critical failure on a Crafting roll means the mixture
was incorrect and instead creates a mild poison. The character gains +1
level of Fatigue. All Power Points spent are lost.
ARCANE BACKGROUND (RUNIC)
Arcane Skill: Scribing (Smarts)
Runic magic is achieved
by writing a symbol
Starting Powers: 3
from the ancient runic
Power List: armor, banish, barrier,
language onto a solid
burst, damage field, environmental
object. This can look
protection, smite, warrior’s gift
however the player
Rune Mages have learned to harness desires.
the arcane signatures of their long
dead ancestors through the power of
their runic language. These runes are tied to the chaos realm, allowing
their ancient arcane signatures to remain. However, few of these runes
are known and can be dangerous if scribed incorrectly.
Scribing runes is done by succeeding on a Scribing roll. The scrivener
must be within Touch range of the recipient of the rune. Failure occurs as
noted below with Power Points being lost and the noted effects occur.
Failure: Failure on a Scribing roll means the character did not properly
scribe the rune.
61
A�� W��
Serious Failure: A serious failure on a Scribing roll means the character

scribed the wrong rune and becomes the victim of a backlash. She
immediately becomes Shaken, which can cause a Wound.
Critical Failure: A critical failure on a Scribing roll means the character
scribed a chaos rune which immediately explodes. Using the small blast
template centered over the character scribing the rune, everyone in the
area of affect suffers 2d6 damage. Affected targets can make an Agility
roll to avoid the damage.
ARCANE BACKGROUND (SPIRITS)
Arcane Skill: Invocation (Spirit)
Starting Powers: 2
Power List: bolt, burst, confusion, deflection, disguise, dispel,
divination, fear, fly, growth/shrink, havoc, intangibility, mind reading,
pummel, puppet, shape change, speak language, zombie
Shamans tap into the power of the spirit realm. The spirit realm is filled
with powerful spirits that provide the Shaman with amazing abilities.
However, tapping into the spirit realm is extremely dangerous and
corrupts the shaman over time.
Spirit magic is achieved by invoking the spirit within one’s fetish by
succeeding on an Invocation roll. The shaman must be able to see or touch
the fetish for the invocation to work. Invoking the spirits can be done by
reciting the correct incantation or moving one’s hands in the correct
motion. Failure occurs as noted below.
Failure: Failure on an Invocation roll means the character failed to
properly control the spirit. The Power Points spent are lost but no other
effects occur.
Serious Failure: A serious failure on an Invocation roll means the spirit
became angered and probed the character’s mind. She immediately
becomes Shaken, which can cause a Wound. The Power Points spent are
lost but no other effects occur.
Critical Failure: A critical failure on an Invocation roll means the spirit
is freed of its enslavement and attacked the character’s mind. She
immediately becomes Shaken, which can cause a Wound, and she must
make a Fear roll. Additionally, the fetish becomes an empty shell and the
shaman loses whatever Power Points remained. A new spirit must be
bound to the fetish.
62
E��
EQUIPMENT
There are very few changes to the equipment available in A�� W��
compared to the Savage Worlds core rulebook. All mundane items
appropriate to a fantasy setting exist; however, magic weapons are
nonexistent. Instead, because the setting can be quite dangerous, relic
weapons (which provide a bonus to damage or carry a special attribute)
are available.
RELIC WEAPONS
Relic weapons are forged by or for great warriors. The most powerful are
those forged during the war – used by great heroes to crush their enemies
– and those forged to exploit weaknesses of the various beasts of Dhuran.
All relic weapons have a unique characteristic that gives the weapon
its inherent bonus. For instance, weapons forged to puncture the scales
of a hullghast could have AP 2 while a dagger honed with a finer edge
could be Str+d4+1 or a spear with barbs could become Str+d8. Regardless
of the bonus, relic weapons are rare and should only be given on rare
occasions. Additionally, their unique characteristics are physical, not
magical, regardless of the weapon’s name.
Relic weapons cannot be purchased and are either rewards for
incredible displays of bravery or acquired while delving through the ruins
of an ancient city. The creatures of Dhuran do not carry such weapons,
nor should a standard NPC be wielding one. Particularly powerful NPCs
may be in the possession of such a weapon, but how they acquired it
63
A�� W��
should be part of their back-stories. These types of weapons are not made
by typical blacksmiths. They are crafted by Dhuran’s greatest artisans.
When creating a relic weapon, bonuses should be limited to only one
or two increases to the weapon’s characteristics like in the earlier
examples. Any weapon type can become a relic weapon.
MELEE WEAPONS
Type Damage Weight Cost Notes
Axe Str+d6 6 200
AP 1, Reach 1, Parry -1, 2
Bardiche Str+d8 12 300
hands
Battle Axe Str+d8 10 300
Dagger Str+d4 1 25
Ignores Shield Parry and
Flail Str+d6 8 250
Cover bonuses
Glaive Str+d6 12 300 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Great Axe Str+d10 15 500 AP 1, Parry -1, 2 hands
AP 2 vs. rigid armor, Parry
Great Hammer Str+d10 16 550
-1, 2 hands
Great Sword Str+d10 12 400 Parry -1, 2 hands
Halberd Str+d8 15 300 Reach 1, 2 hands
Long Sword Str+d8 8 300
Mace Str+d4 4 100 AP 1 vs. rigid armor
AP 2 vs. rigid armor, Parry
Maul Str+d8 20 250
-1, 2 hands
Morning Star Str+d6 6 300 AP 1
Pike Str+d8 25 400 Reach 2, 2 hands
Poleaxe Str+d8 12 400 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Short Sword Str+d6 4 200
Spear Str+d6 5 300 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Spear,
Str+d6 5 200
Throwing
Staff Str+d4 8 10 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Trident Str+d8 7 400 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
War Hammer Str+d6 8 250 AP 1 vs. rigid armor
64
E��
RANGED WEAPONS
Min.
Type Range Dmg Cost Wt Notes
Str.
Axe,
3/6/12 Str+d6 200 2
Throwing
Bow 12/24/48 2d6 250 3 d6
AP 2, 1 action to
Crossbow 15/30/60 2d6 500 10 d6
reload
Long Bow 15/30/60 2d6 300 5 d8
Dagger 3/6/12 Str+d4 25 1
Sling 4/8/16 Str+d4 25 1
Spear,
3/6/12 Str+d6 5 200 d6
Throwing
ARMOR
Type Armor Weight Cost Notes
Leather +1 15 100 Covers torso, arms, legs
Scale +2 20 300 Covers torso, arms, legs
Hide 3 25 900 Covers torso, arms, legs
Plate +4 30 2700 Covers torso, arms, legs
Gladiator
+3 6 150 Covers head
Helmet
Plate Helm +4 8 300 Covers head
Pot Helm +3 4 75 50% vs. head shot
Shields
Small Shield - 8 25 +1 Parry
+1 Parry, +2 Armor to
Medium Shield - 12 50
ranged shots that hit
+2 Parry, +2 Armor to
Large Shield - 20 200
ranged shots that hit
65
A�� W��
SAMPLE RELIC WEAPONS

Type Damage Weight Notes
Ancient Long
Str+d8+2 8
Sword
Barbed Spear Str+d8 5 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
+2 damage versus skeletons
Bone Crusher Str+d4 4
(Club)
Chaos Sword Str+d8 8 AP 2 (Long Sword)
Demon’s Star Str+d6 6 AP 2 (Morning Star)
Hand Crossbow 2d6 6 AP 2 (free action to reload)
Honed Dagger Str+d4+1 1
Hullghast Battle
Str+d8 10 AP2
Axe
AP 1, Parry +1, Reach 1, 2
Piercing Glaive Str+d6 12
hands
Plagued Ripper Str+d4 1 AP 2 (Dagger)
Rosewood Bow 2d6 4 Range 18/36/72, Min Str. d6
Runic Staff Str+d4+1 7 Parry +1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Spiked Mace Str+d4+2 4 AP 1 vs. rigid armor
Tipped Halberd Str+d8 15 AP 1, Reach 1, 2 hands
Toothed Sword Str+d6+2 4 (Short Sword)
Tyr’s Hammer Str+d6+1 8 AP 2 vs. rigid armor
RELIC ARMOR
Relic armor can also be found; however its bonuses should not be a simple
+1 to Armor. Relic armor is forged to resist certain environments or attack
types. For example, Mountain Leather armor provides +1 Armor and +1
to Vigor rolls against cold environments while Flexible Plate armor negates
1 AP from weapons with AP bonuses against rigid armor, such as a hammer
and Nimble Scale armor provides a +1 to Vigor rolls due to Fatigue from
travelling.
Relic armor is very rare and useful in very specific situations. It is
designed to provide specific benefits, limited to +1, only when the right
conditions are met. Relic armor should not be used to provide general
bonuses to characters for all combat situations. As with relic weapons,
relic armor does not possess magical properties, rather their abilities come
from their physical construction.
66
Dhuran; a foreboding planet abandoned by the gods. 500 years after the gods
rained fire and brimstone upon the land, leaving the few survivors to fend for
themselves, secrets are being uncovered. The new civilization of the now
godless Dhuran find the malevolent spirits of their long-dead ancestors hunting
their descendant bloodline. As if being accosted by the spirits of their ancestors
isn’t enough, tears are opening between the mortal and chaos realms, pouring
demons, enslavers, and the undead into the world. Though the people have
managed to live and grow since that apocalyptic event, they now fight against
the denizens of a planet that wants them dead.
Become a warrior and scour the land, protecting your kin and their allies. Fight
back against the evil that spills across the land. Raise your sword in defiance;
harness the corrupting power of the spirit realm and strike down the chaos;
scribe the chaos runes and use the realm’s power against itself; use alchemical
knowledge to launch grenades in the face of your foe; take on the role of a
hunter seeking out the plagued beings that cross the land; or fight in the name
of the gods that left you behind as a crusader determined to bring the gods
back to Dhuran. In A�� W��, you fight for the survival of those around
you: drow, dwarf, half-drow, halfling, and human; you either find victory or
become a victim of the chaos your ancestors created, because everything you
don’t understand, can and will kill you.
Inside the A�� W�� P��’� G�� you will find:
● An introduction to the history of Dhuran and the current state of the
Known Lands.
● Five character races.
● New Edges and Hindrances.
● A change to Arcane Backgrounds with four new options.
This P��’� G�� is designed for those who only want to create characters
for the A�� W�� setting and is suitable for virtually any dark fantasy
setting.
MTE

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ANCIENT WORLD

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

By: Aaron T. Huss

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

RUNES OF THE GODS

CRUSADERS AND INQUISITORS

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

James Millar (order #4688372) 8

James Millar (order #4688372)

· Medicine: Medicine is used by apothecaries for studying the

Charisma: -; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4

THE DROW PAST

CLIFF FACE KINGDOMS

shame and is a punishment for non-serious crimes. The different castes,

THE DWARVEN PAST

· Knowledge: Due to their varied upbringings, half-drow characters

Each village is led by a group of elders. This group can be as small as

CITIES ON THE BAY

beliefs, the main deities worshiped were associated with lightning,

THE HUMAN PAST

upon. They even initiated wars among themselves between rival

each raise on a Crafting roll reduces the Power Points required by 1 to a

Choose weapons, armor, or mundane items. The dwarf is a practiced

ACQUIRING NEW POWERS

FAILURE Optional Rule

ALCHEMICAL AND HERBAL

variable stats, the mixture needs to be prepared ahead of time (which

range changed to Self. Powers using a blast or cone template originate at

INVOKING THE SPIRITS

· Veteran: When casting a Veteran-ranked power, receive +2

NEW ARCANE BACKGROUNDS

Herbalism is the process of mixing different natural substances to create

Serious Failure: A serious failure on a Scribing roll means the character

SAMPLE RELIC WEAPONS

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