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Follow Your Heart

They say that a person's heart is made from their dreams and desires.
The core begins to form in our youth, growing along with our aspirations, hardening into a
full solid heart as we come into our own. When we die, and our dreams are forever lost... our
heart fades away as well.
Each person creates their own heart, their life determines its color and shape. The number of
shapes and colors as varied as the number of people in the Five Lands.
In our world there are teams of Crystal Hunters, agents of the mysterious and powerful
organization Syn. They seek to collect the ancient Crystals, relics from a bygone age. The holder
of such a Crystal gains incredible, inexplicable powers!
But in order to harness these powers, the person must sacrifice something dear indeed: their
own heart. The Crystal Hunters over-go a delicate surgery in which their hearts are taken out,
replaced with the harness, into which they can insert the Crystal that they find so dear...

© 2018 Eran Aviram and Aviv Or, Up to Four Players
Art by Aviv. Background graphics and style design
by Ruben Smith-Zempel. You can print this for your
own use.
Read the full Crystal Heart comic and Ready to
Roll, two-page explanations of popular roleplaying
games, at uptofourplayers.com
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.
What is Crystal Heart?
C rystal Heart is an imaginary world, a setting
designed for the roleplaying game Savage Worlds. It’s
played by Nadav, Rotem, Guy and Lily of the webcomic
Up to Four Players, and you can play it as well!
This free starter set provides the rules you need to
be an Agent of Syn and use the Crystals. Along with
the Savage Worlds Test Drive rules - a free abridged
version of the full game that teaches you how to play
Savage Worlds – you can have your own adventures in
the world of Crystal Heart.
Four pregenerated characters are also provided, as
well as an adventure to get you going!

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 The Original Webcomic
Before Crystal Heart was a roleplaying game it
was a webcomic, in which some people play it as a
roleplaying game. Confusing, we know, which is why
we made sure that the webcomic, which is available
for free on uptofourplayers.com, is as approachable
as we could make it. You’ll even learn the rules for
Savage Worlds as you read it!
You can use the shenanigans of Muna, Mac and
Rafaella from the comics as an inspiration when
creating your own Crystal Heart adventures. Their
adventures are pretty standard for a group of Syn
Agents, so use them to help you establish tropes and
guidelines for your own style. The Crystals
C rystals are power, and until relatively recently, it
Playing Savage Worlds was uncontrolled power. Created sometime during
the Bygone Age, using methods no one understands
Would you like to sit around a table with some friends, today, they are fist-sized and rock-like, shining slightly
and go through pretty insane adventures without with an inner light in their own unique shade of color.
getting off your seat? Each Crystal changes the world around itself, in ways
The rules of Savage Worlds allow you to roleplay an specific to that Crystal’s theme. The exact manifestation
intense, high-adventure story that you tell together, may depend on environmental conditions: An orange
simply by using your characters and the adventure Crystal of flame eruption might cause surfaces around
provided here. All except one of you will be playing it to ignite, but the same Crystal in an underwater
Crystal Hunters who travel the world of the Five setting might instead create small volcanoes around.
Lands; that last person gets to be the Game Master, Anything seemingly supernatural in origin is
who takes care of the world. always the result of a Crystal in action. Your mentor
in Syn was always reminding you that Crystals are not
Getting Ready to Play “magical” - they are simply utilizing natural forces in
ways not yet fully understood. But we’re working on it.
Read through the Savage Worlds Test Drive rules (or Around 30 years ago, the people that eventually
buy the full Savage Worlds rules) before trying to play created the Syn organization invented a method to
your first adventure. Everything in this Starter Set is control Crystals. It requires removing one’s heart and
based on those basic rules! implanting a special harness, but any Crystal inserted
into the harness can then function as an artificial
heart, and more importantly, grants the person access
to the Crystal’s theme and powers.
Get the Full Game! Crystals have always been around, at least since the
end of the Bygone Age, around 800 years ago. They
This Starter Set is only the beginning. can be found in ancient structures, deep within caves,
Check out the Crystal Heart Setting Book or even in a well in the middle of a village. Many have
Kickstarter, coming mid-November! become an integral part of their own small and strange
Follow Up to Four Players on Facebook, ecosystems. In their “feral” state they are uncontrolled.
Twitter and Google+ for news, or sign Syn Agents, being the only people able to subdue and
up for updates about the kickstarter on tame a Crystal, are scouring the world in search of
uptofourplayers.com/crystalheart. these dangerous objects.

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The World
The continent is divided into five Lands, both
geographically and ethnically. The denizens of
each Land consider themselves part of the same
“people”, despite not having an actual nation (except
for Zingama, which has a well-established unified
government and a national identity).
The Five Lands
Bogovia is the land of dark forests and bleak
swamps, of wolves howling in the night against a
gloomy scenery. Bogovian folk tales are all about
grim endings, bitter sacrifices and Pyrrhic victories,
with a stubborn hero who refuses to surrender, at any
cost. Bogovians dress in thick, well-worn fabrics and
huddle in small villages, each with its own strange
local customs and superstitions.
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The Crystal Heart Setting Book includes
a multi-page description of each Land,
including major landmarks, types of
societies and peoples, and adventure seeds.
Fjordstad is the land of ice and storms, where the
Eleven City-States fight each other over innovation
and honor. Fjordstadians will act either behind your
back, with highly trained spies engaging in industrial
espionage, or in your face, with mad engineers who’ll
blow up their latest death ray. Fjordstadian nobles
tend to dress in elaborate multi-layered suits with
various hidden compartments, whereas commoners
are more likely to be seen in overalls. All of them,
regardless of social status, are known for being elitist
and condescending, especially towards each other.
The Islands are varied and weird, both culturally
and geographically. Some are large trading hubs that
are among the most cosmopolitan places in the world,
while others are inhabited by hostile cannibals. The
islands vary in climate, but loose clothing and simple
jewelery are common almost everywhere. Islanders
are quick to adapt, focusing on the here and now.
Some of them, of course, are pirates.
 Present Day
Maseia is the land of open plains, countless lakes
and naturally-occurring flying mountains. Dozens of The people of the Lands still don’t know a lot about
Maseian tribes travel the plains and valleys, talking their world. After spending hundreds of years in
highly of self-discovery, enlightenment, and living internal strife, rebuilding society on the skeletons of
by yourself off the land, while in actuality keeping a the past, they have only recently began to coalesce
tightly structural society with stiff traditions and strict into what might be called proto-nations.
social mores. Maseians dress in ways that reflect their The thirst for knowledge and progress is there, even
role in their tribe. if the means for maintaining large governments or
Zingama is the land of jungles and poisonous things. production lines are still out of reach. One Fjordstadian
A massive, corrupt government rules over more than city might have cars, most of them have electric street
a million people, who mostly live in urban settlements lights, but these are seen as trade secrets, to be kept
along the main river. Zingamaians talk politics all hidden from rivals. There’s even a train between some
day and party all night, proud of being a world- of the Fjordstadian cities and Maseia - but it’s the only
class cultural and industrial power. Dress, hairstyle, train line in the entire world. Zingamaian scholars are
slang, and even pets, all change on a seasonal basis, making their first steps into the field of archeology,
according to the latest fads. Further from the river, the trying to uncover their own past. Deep within the
jungles are thick and dangerous. Bogovian forests, high on Maseian mountains, in the
jungles of Zingama, beneath Fjordstadian ice, and all
across the Islands, countless secrets remain hidden.
The Bygone Age One power in the world, however, seems to be ahead
About 800 years ago human civilization ended. Even of everyone else by a generation at least: Syn.
the best experts barely know anything about the
people who came before, and they have no idea why The Rise of Syn
their powerful society was annihilated. The person on
the street only knows that about 800 years ago history About 20 years ago, an organization named Syn began
began from scratch. Well, almost from scratch. recruiting and training special Agents, replacing their
The Bygone Age left various remnants throughout hearts with harnesses, a never-seen-before technology.
the world. Most are ancient, strange machines or Syn has in fact been in existence for some time before,
structures, half-buried in the ground. One island but it was the arrival of the Agents which brought the
might have a Bygone Age forcefield that keeps organization to the public’s eye.
everyone inside healthy. A village in Bogovia might be Most Agents are trained as Crystal Hunters. Syn’s
built on a metallic platform that doesn’t sink into the intelligence team provides them with a designated
swamp. The most important remnants are, of course, route, which usually takes them across one or two
the Crystals. Lands over the course of several months. During a
hunt the Agents are expected to follow the rumors Syn
has gathered beforehand, as well as to explore on their
own and recover any Crystal found. At the end of a
route the group returns to Syn’s headquarters: A huge,
high-tech flying castle.
Syn scholars discovered the secret to utilizing the
Crystals safely and predictably, by way of the harness,
but they are far from being the only ones who try.
Other organizations and individuals have active
interest in gaining control over Crystals, using and
misusing them for their own ends. This usually ends
tragically... but not always.

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 Study of a Harness

Agents of Syn Perks

• A show of respect, such as by being invited to
S yn is a unique organization, somewhere between a important events as guests of honor.
government, a commercial corporation, and a private
army. It is one of very few names that are known • Free lodging for three days and nights, including
throughout the world, in all the Lands and in almost meals, once per month.
every village. It is the most respected, feared, and • The right to use force against those who break
admired organization in remembered history. You are local laws. Syn Agents are occasionally called in to
its Agents in the field. help with local policing efforts.
The Five Lands are ruled by various governments • The right to use force against those who interfere
or similar powers, such as a lord, a village council, or in direct Syn operations (subject to many
ancient customs accepted by the local residents. Syn restrictions, depending on local agreement).
is powerful and far-reaching, more so than any other
While not technically a perk, Syn Agents also enjoy
political power in the world, and so everyone would
an unspoken diplomatic immunity. While Syn Agents
like to know on what grounds they stand with the
are required to abide by local laws just like anyone
organization.
else, most power groups would like to avoid getting
Most local governing bodies have signed agreements into trouble with Syn, and so, might allow Agents to
with Syn, allowing for a co-operation of a sort. The get away with some surprisingly uncouth behavior.
precise wording vary from settlement to settlement,
It is important to remember that while Agents can
but generally they allow the following perks to traveling
indeed escape justice in many Lands, they can’t escape
Syn Agents, upon them identifying themselves as such
Syn, which takes very unkindly to Agents who soil its
by showing their harnesses.
reputation unnecessarily.

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 Responsibilities
s.
stal Hu nte rs ope rate und er a sing le mandate: Find and retrieve Crystal
Cry
owing clues and
nned by Syn intelligence officers, foll
Hunters are tasked with a route, pla account
rou te is usu ally a 5-6 mo nth s jou rney between 8-10 stops, taking into
rumors. A . Different teams
wea the r pat tern s and assu min g about a week spent at every major stop
loc al verge
n mu tua lly exc lusi ve rou tes, although occasionally routes might con
are usually give for a certain
pla ces , esp ecia lly if Syn suspec ts more firepower might be needed
in cer tain
mission.
all Syn
ng is kno wn as The Age nt’s Co de, and it’s taken as a Vow Hindrance by
The followi
Agents during their training.
s
ed by loc al aut hor itie s. Loc al agreements almost always allow authoritie
ӼӼ Help when ask pared than
the Age nts - wh o are usu ally mo re capable, better trained and more pre
to ask
g force.
local law enforcers - to act as a policin
in commercial
need. You are not allowed to invest
ӼӼ Syn supplies most everything you
will provide it.
ventures. If you require something, Syn
and all of your
, the harness, the Crystal you carry,
ӼӼ Avoid unnecessary violence. You hout a
, rep rese nt hun dre ds of hou rs of investment. Don’t endanger it all wit
equipment
good cause.
information used
iative. The route is only as good as the
ӼӼ Go where directed, but show init rference
it, and mo st of it is bas ed on rum ors . Be aware of any possible Crystal inte
to plan
and follow the leads.
:
ets. Rep rese nt Syn and its age nda fairly and diplomatically. Remember
ӼӼ Protect Syn ass red Syn
s disc ove red in terr itor ies wit h wh ich we have an agreement are conside
Crystal
assets even before recovered.

By fulfilling the responsibilities and retrieving Crystals,

Agents can gain Requisition, with which they can acquire
special services and items from Syn. The Crystal Heart
Setting book includes the rules for using Requisition.

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 What is a Crystal?
The Bygone Age left many wonders throughout
the world, old pieces of genius engineering and
unparalleled science. The most prominent legacy of
the Bygone Age, though, is the Crystals.
A Crystal is a fist-sized object resembling a huge
gemstone. Because of their likeness to human
hearts (see page 12), and because they’re most
commonly found in old tombs and other
remnants of the Bygone Age, the common
theory is that they’re artificial hearts that were
created to grant superpowers.
Crystals come in a variety of colors and shapes,
though always about fist sized.
Each Crystal has a theme, a specific way in which
it affects reality in ways currently not understood by
science. If left unattended for more than a few minutes,
a Crystal starts manifesting its theme in uncontrolled
ways. When a Crystal goes “feral” like this, it is usually
highly dangerous. A tamed Crystal that becomes feral
again tends to manifest its feral state in the same way
as before, as long as the environment remains similar.
Common knowledge is that the only way to control
Crystals is by the use of a harness, installed by Syn.
Rumors are always circulating about people who
manage to control, destroy or even create Crystals.
Syn is quick to investigate them, unfortunately not
sharing their findings with junior Agents.
Crystal Classifications
Syn recognizes five ranks of Crystal, categorized by
power. This classification is rarely known by the
ignorant masses.
Novice Crystals give you awesome powers,
but they are only “kinda okay”, compared to
what’s coming next. A feral Novice Crystal
might make a room very warm, or make
everyone in the room think annoying,
repetitive thoughts.
Seasoned Crystals provide you with one or two
powerful abilities, usually a bit unusual compared to
the Novice ones; A Novice Crystal might allow you to
create light or darkness, but a Seasoned one will allow
you to control the shape and strength of your shadow.
A feral Seasoned Crystal might turn a building jungle-
like, filled with poisonous plants, or make the water in
a river purple and hallucinogenic.
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Veteran Crystals have a wide range of powers, or
otherwise provide their bearer with several always-on
powers, thus making the bearer effective and powerful
at all times. A feral Veteran Crystal might turn the
walls of an entire cave complex rubber-like, or keep a
raised army of walking dead around it.
Heroic Crystals are amazingly powerful, giving
you a wide range of abilities, basically turning the
Agent into a one-person army. Even the most
high-ranked Agents use Veteran Crystals;
Heroic ones are highly regulated and usually
kept in the vaults.
Only five Legendary Crystals were ever
discovered, and only the five members of the
Council of Syn are allowed to carry them. Rumors
claim these Crystals are too powerful.
Anatomy of a Crystal
A Crystal has a theme, which determines its powers
and disposition. It also has a Rank, which corresponds
to the amount and variety of powers it has. Finally, it
has a Disposition, the way it influences the moods and
demeanor of the person socketing it.
Theme
A Crystal’s theme is its main concept, what it’s about.
The theme is manifested in the Crystal’s powers and
their trappings. The more an Agent understands a
Crystal’s theme, the more new powers they can create
out of it. Syn has a good understanding of the themes
of most of the Crystals in their Repository, but some
of the rest are only half understood, and some are in
fact misunderstood.
A theme also helps the Game Master decide
how the effects created with a Crystal interact
with the world and the effects of other
Crystals. As a rule of thumb, if something
matches a Crystal’s theme, it should interact
with its powers. In some cases this is obvious:
If you have a Crystal that’s all about controlling
fire, and there’s a fire, you can control it; you can’t
control water. It becomes especially important when
comparing Crystals with each other.
Rank
Each Crystal has a Rank, denoting how powerful it
is, based on its theme and the number and types of
powers it gives access to. You’ll begin with Novice
Crystals, but might later gain more powerful ones.

Powers
A Crystal gives its user access to several powers that
share a common theme and trappings.
The “casual use” entry for a Crystal provides an
example for a simple use of its theme, one that doesn’t
require a Crystal Channeling roll.
Each Crystal has a Basic ability, which is always on.
Simply having a Crystal inside of you is enough to give
you some sort of an advantage, usually an Edge, but
occasionally an ongoing die upgrade to one or more of
your Traits. All other powers must be activated, with a
Crystal Channeling check.
Disposition
Each Crystal has a Disposition, usually a personality
trait but occasionally a physical disability, which is
related in some way to its theme. The Disposition is
usually expressed in the form of a Hindrance. An Agent
socketing the Crystal suffers from its Disposition at all powers as long as desired, but each power maintained
times.
Some Agents find their personality completely
overturned in a moment, while others are merely
somewhat troubled by thought patterns they’re not
used to. The higher the Rank of the Crystal, the
stronger its Disposition.
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Crystal Channeling
C rystal Heart does not use Power Points. Agents
simply choose the power they want to activate and
make a Crystal Channeling roll. This skill is based on
Spirit, and all Agents begin play with a d4 in it.
The Crystal Channeling check is made with a penalty
equal to half the Power Points cost of the power
(rounded down). In addition, the roll is modified by
the difference between the Crystal’s and the character’s
Ranks: as a penalty if the Crystal’s Rank is higher, or
as a bonus if the character's Rank is higher. Together,
these two elements are called the inherent difficulty of
the power.
Example: Noelani, a Novice Agent, socketed
the Crystal Bubble (Seasond Rank). If she tries to
activate any of its powers which require a roll, she
must roll with a -1 (the difference between Ranks).
Once a power is activated, check the results below:
• Success: The power activates as usual.
• Tiring Success: If you would fail ONLY because
of the inherent difficulty for the power (including
the difference in Ranks, if any, but not any penalty
from maintaining powers), you instead succeed —
but you suffer a level of Fatigue that can only be
reduced by a few minutes of meditation with no
active powers.
• Raise: A raise on the roll grants any additional
bonuses to the power stated in its description.
• Failure: All currently maintained powers are
canceled.
Maintaining Powers: Characters can maintain
inflicts a –1 to activate any new powers.
Interrupting Powers: If a character with an activated
power is Shaken or suffers a wound, they must make
a Spirit roll to maintain all of their powers. If the roll
fails, all powers are instantly canceled. Powers shut
down automatically if the caster sleeps or is rendered
unconscious.
Losing Sync: If you roll a 1 on both your Crystal
Channeling die and your Wild Die (“snake eyes”),
your Crystal desyncs and stops working as a heart
until re-synced with a Healing roll, made with -2 if
there are no suitable tools (such as a Healing kit),
and an additional -2 if you’re treating yourself. You’re
essentially suffocating, and must pass a Vigor roll
every round or gain a level of Fatigue, removed 1
round after you are socketed with a Crystal.
 Power Tricks
When an Agent tries to use a power to affect a target,
either as an attack or a resisted effect, they may use any
of the Power Tricks below by describing the action and
taking a –2 penalty to the Crystal Channeling check.
If successful, the power works as usual and the Trick
chosen from the list below is triggered as well. This
penalty is considered an inherent penalty.
Any effect may be used at any time with a good
rationale and the Game Master’s permission. Exactly If needed, discuss the theme among yourselves
how it works is a matter of description, but it must and decide how to interpret it from now on, adding
always be relevant to the Crystal’s theme. a few notes to the Crystal’s description so that you’ll
• Lower Defenses: The target’s Parry is lowered by remember it in the future.
2 until their next action. This is simply a different
way to successfully perform the Trick maneuver,
so it does not stack with a regular Trick.
• Lower Trait: One of the target’s attributes and
all linked skills suffer a –2 penalty on their next
action.
• Setup: The next ally to make a check against the
target before the target’s next turn gets a +2 bonus
against them.
• Slow: The target’s Pace is halved on their next
action.
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What Power Tricks to allow?
A note to the GM: Reward creativity, but remember
that Power Tricks aren’t supposed to be a way for
an Agent to gain access to every conceivable power.
Some thought should go into justifying each trick,
by referring to the theme. A Crystal with a theme of
protection shouldn’t be used to slow people down,
unless you can figure out how it fits with the theme.
Trappings matter!
The powers within a Crystal represent only
some of the uses of its theme, those that come
reflexively to its user. Agents who put their
mind to it can activate their Crystal’s theme in
completely new ways. The Crystal Heart Setting
book provides the rules for accessing new powers
this way.
Socketing a Crystal
Setting a Crystal, or “socketing”, requires you to
remove the previous Crystal and insert the new one.
In many cases the socketing is done under controlled
conditions, by another Agent or qualified Syn
personnel. There’s usually no need for a check.
In an intense situation, however, such as a combat
scene, make a Healing check and consult the results.
• Success: The character manage to insert a Crystal
into the harness and close the cover. The Agent
immediately gains the Crystal’s Basic ability and
Disposition. If Shaken or unconscious, they also
get an immediate Vigor check to become un-
Shaken or return to consciousness. After 1 round
the Agent also recovers any Fatigue gained from
suffocating for being without a Crystal, if any.
• Raise: The Agent has a burst of energy, allowing
them to ignore all Fatigue and wound penalties on
their next Action Card.
• Failure: The character can’t safely remove the
Crystal, and must try again with another action.
• Snake Eyes: If you roll a 1 on both your Crystal
Channeling die and your Wild Die, the Agent is left
mid-process, with no Crystal inside the harness.
They begin suffocating, like with a desync.
Self-socketing is possible, but with a -4 on the check.
 Harness Complications
The harness is not completely foolproof, and Syn has
Feral Crystals
recorded several conditions in which it might function W hen a Crystal is “in the wild”, not tamed inside
in a less than optimal way. Syn agents are advised to an Agent’s harness or a Syn Crystal container, it’s
be on their guard in the following situations. It should considered feral. Such Crystals manifest their theme
also be noted that other, yet unknown factors, might in uncontrolled ways. Approach with extreme caution!
also influence the power harmonization process. A feral Crystal’s manifestation is only somewhat
Strong magnetic fields cause a drain on Crystal related to its Rank and theme. Although rare, Syn
powers, inflicting a -2 on all Crystal Channeling has recorded cases of a Heroic Ranked Crystal with
checks. They also increase the penalty for maintaining a lightning theme manifesting as little pricks of
powers from -1 to -2. static electricity, and of a Novice Ranked Crystal
with a softness theme manifesting as building-
Intense cold slows Crystal powers, while swallowing quicksand. The environmental conditions
empowering them. A Crystal Channeling check can surrounding the feral Crystal seem to have a large
only be made after taking a turn to focus, but that effect on the form and intensity of its manifestation.
preparation grants a +2 bonus on the check.
Feral Crystals become tamed after being held for
Radiation causes severe interferences in the harness’ several seconds in a container, a harness, or someone’s
workings. Every round in which the Agent takes hands. They return to their feral state if left unattended
multiple actions, or anytime they suffers a wound, they for more than a few minutes.
must make a Vigor roll to prevent a sudden “hiccup”.
On a failure, they are Shaken.
Life abundance is a strange environmental effect. It
Containment procedures
can be detected from a distance by noticing the higher Each Agent is provided with
than usual plant growth and animal presence. All Syn two Crystal containers: one
agents are forbidden from entering life abundance areas that holds the Crystal in their
without proper authorization. own harness, and an extra one
to contain feral Crystals. The
container has a sliding lid, and
it’s filled with soft gel. The Tank
(the most-terrain-vehicle issued to
each group of Agents) has six slots
for such containers.
Syn Agents are advised to first subdue any
manifestation, such as walking trees, choking water
snakes or zombified corpses. This allows for a short
period of calm, usually around twenty minutes, before
the Crystal re-manifests its theme. During this time
the Agents should contain the Crystal using gloves
and bring it to the Tank, where it can be secured.
Agents are advised not to touch a feral Crystal
with their hands. For whatever reason — something
about the way the two Crystals’ energies are clashing
probably, although no one’s sure — when an Agent
touches a feral Crystal barehanded, they must roll
Vigor or suffer a desync.
Basically, Crystals not directly inside your body
should be considered akin to live grenades. Handle
with care, and always place inside safe containers.

11
 Shards Using shards
S ome Crystals have shattered into pieces. Since Regular people just roll Spirit to recognize what the
Crystals are diamond-hard, it’s unclear how such a shard does, and to use it.
thing can happen, and yet, it evidently does. Agents need to roll Crystal Channeling, and any
These shards are at the same time less and more failure results in a desync.
powerful than a whole Crystal. On the one hand,
each is only capable of creating a single, usually quite
specific, supernatural effect. On the other hand, they
are easily usable by humans: anyone who touches a
Human Hearts
shard can use its power. In the world of Crystal Heart, all humans have small
stones instead of flesh-and-blood hearts.
Most non-Syn people can’t distinguish between
a Crystal and a shard. A Syn Agent will roll their Human hearts are a hard, gemlike objects, around
eyes and point at the obvious differences in size and an inch or two (3-5cm) long and an inch (3cm) in
power scale, but to the common people, it’s all the diameter, changing slightly in shapes and greatly in
same thing. Syn Agents are required to gather shards color from individual to individual. At birth, the heart
whenever possible, and not only for the protection is only a small, colorless pebble. As the person grows
of the Lands; when bringing all the shards of a single and develops a personality and a world view, the heart
Crystal together (usually 3-4) they reforge themselves solidifies into a unique shape and hue.
into the original Crystal. Agents are advised to take These hearts do not function like real-world hearts.
note of unusual occurrences that are surprisingly They’re not connected to any blood vessels or any
specific in their weirdness, since they might result other organ. They don’t receive any nourishment from
from the presence of a shard. the body. However, the presence of a heart is essential
In game terms, each shard holds a single, non- to a person’s health.
customizable power. It’s as if the power is “stuck” in The heart beats slowly by shaking lightly, enabling
a single expression: A Bolt that deals only maximum blood circulation in a way theorized by modern
damage; a Slumber that either works with a raise or medical science to be similar to a magnet creating
doesn’t work at all; etc. a magnetic field. It is also theorized that the power
Occasionally, a shard might contain two powers, that fuels this beating is the person’s soul; this idea is
which are activated in a joint fashion, and usually in strengthened by the fact that a person’s mind shapes
an inconvenient way, such as Boost Agility with Lower his or her heart in a very physical way. If the soul leaves
Smarts, or Light that also always creates Havoc. the body, such as at the moment of death, the heart
stops functioning immediately. If a heart is taken out,
the person starts suffocating, unable to breathe.
A heart outside of a body does not function,
although occasionally it might beat in the presence
of large amounts of blood. Over a period of several
years, it slowly sublimes, turning into vapors. It’s
important to note that animals have flesh-and-blood
hearts.

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Read more on www.uptofourplayers.com

13
 A Weapon to Kill For
This adventure takes place around the remote Syn In the meantime, Shi-ha also developed a crude
outpost of Bircht Verzonin, to the far north-east of Crystal-replacement breathing apparatus, to allow her
snowy Fjordstad. It includes-- well, first, we need to to keep breathing even after Bam-Bam was taken out.
make sure: It was meant to be used only briefly, during the tests.
If you aren’t the Game Master, stop reading now! Bam-Bam didn’t work, at all. It was too energetic,
The adventure takes the four Novice Agents on their and Albrecht and Shi-ha decided they needed
first mission: To discover and recover the missing Free something smoother, softer. After a little research,
Agent, Oli Danford. Albrecht concluded the best Crystal for the job is
Cozy Warmth, a pretty weak Crystal that helps you
keep warm, and not much else. It was being carried
Background by Oli Danford, another Free Agent, who luckily was
currently investigating an ancient, albeit boring, ice
A lbrecht Davidheimer, who is a Free Agent (A city from the Bygone Age, not far from the outpost.
high-ranking Agent given free reign to advance Syn’s (Perhaps a different Crystal would have worked even
interests) recently and secretly developed a weapon better, but Albrecht was starting to become worried
powered by Crystals. This innovation is both unique he’d be discovered.)
and dangerous – especially in his hands, as Albrecht is About ten days ago, Albrecht and Shi-ha went after
a ruthless opportunist. He was working with a fellow Oli Danford. They confronted him in the cave of the ice
(non-Free) Agent, Shi-ha, but later betrayed her. city, and Albrecht demanded the Crystal. Oli refused,
The two used an abandoned workshop inside the opposed to the idea of weaponised Crystals, leading
Icicle Mines, a few hours ride from the outpost Bircht Albrecht to murder him on the spot and taking his
Verzonin. For months, they were able to keep their Crystal, installing it in the weapon.
operation a secret, coming and going on occasion, Shi-ha stood there, aghast – she didn’t realize how
until eventually the weapon was finished and needed far Albrecht was willing to go. The two argued, and
to be tested. For this, Shi-ha was sent to requisition the Albrecht, masterfully lying, “agreed” that he “went
Crystal Bam-Bam, a highly energetic and powerful too far” and suggested they return to the workshop.
Crystal. The two figured it would be a perfect fit for He then shot her with the weapon, de-syncing her,
the weapon.
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 Timeline of events
A Syn auto-plane arrives to resupply
the outpost every 7 days.
10 days ago: Albrecht and Shi-ha
confront Oli; Albrecht kills him, shoots
She-Ha and leaves her to die
8 days ago: Oli misses a check-
in visit to the outpost; Helga gets
worried. Shi-ha makes her way to the
workshop, waits for Albrecht to leave,
and sneaks in. She stays there, trying
to maintain her failing breathing
apparatus.
7 days ago: The auto-plane arrives,
taking Helga’s request for help.
Albrecht takes the plane back to the
castle.
Albrecht Davidheimer,
Today: The plane lands with the PCs,
mentored by Albrecht. The mission Veteran Free Agent (Wild Card)
should be simple and quick – the plane Land: Fjordstad
waits for them, scheduled to leave Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8,
with them after nightfall. Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Crystal Channeling d10, Fighting d10,
leaving her incapacitated. That wasn’t enough, so he Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Science) d8, Notice
also took Bam-Bam out of her harness and threw it d6, Persuasion d8, Pilot d6, Repair d8, Shooting
away, leaving Shi-ha to suffocate. Bam-Bam quickly d10, Stealth d6
became feral, and Shi-ha barely managed to equip Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 (2)
herself with the breathing apparatus that she had Hindrances: Arrogant, Hard of Hearing (Crystal)
brought along (thinking it’d help with the peaceful
transfer of Crystals), and ran away, escaping to the Edges: Combat Reflexes, Extraction; Quick, Fleet
workshop in the mines. Footed, Dodge (Crystal)

Albrecht, holding the completed weapon, had one
last thing he had to do: cover his tracks. He went
back to the Syn castle, and called in some favors to
make sure he’ll be overseeing the next team of trainee
Novice Agents going into the field. He knew that since
Oli won’t be reporting back, Bircht Verzonin will send
a request for a check up on him; a simple mission for
trainee Novice Agents.
His plan was to come along with them, let them
discover the crime scene, and “help” them show that
Shi-ha and Oli killed each other, leaving himself free
from any implication.
Gear: Crystal-powered Weapon (Range
30/60/120, damage 3d6, AP2; target must make a
Vigor roll or lose sync), enhanced Syn suit.
Faster (Veteran Crystal)
Description: Green, cube-shaped, surprisingly
bulky.
Theme: Quickens everything.
Disposition: Causes constant background
buzzing. Hard of Hearing Hindrance.
Casual use: Sleight of hand tricks.
Powers
• Basic: Quick, Fleet Footed, and Dodge Edges.
• Speed (-1): Self only. Your Pace is doubled.
• Quickness (-2): Self only. You gain another
turn (dealt another action card) each round.

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During the adventure, Albrecht will behave in the colors” and becoming “heroic” after hearing of Oli’s
following way. death), and warn them not to take Shi-ha, “a famously
First, he’ll keep a perfect demeanor as an annoyed, dangerous Agent”, lightly.
bored senior Agent, “burdened” with having to keep At some point, Albrecht might even join the PCs
track of the group. He’ll establish himself as a lazy, (probably when going after Shi-ha), just to make sure
useless mentor, who spends his time in the plane, things go his way. “After you showed me Oli was dead,
having locked himself inside just to keep away from I was thinking of taking command of this mission, but
the inexperienced junior Agents. He’ll be only half you know what, this is still your first field test, and I’m
interested in anything the junior Agents have to say, still your mentor; so it’s your decision how to handle
expecting this mission to be “so simple even you guys it, and I’ll be accompanying you.” Optionally, he’ll
can’t screw it up”. track the Agents stealthily, from afar.
When the group shows him that Oli is dead, he’ll Albrecht will probably eventually find himself
become serious and efficient. An Agent was murdered; having to face the PCs in combat. He’s completely sure
and by another Agent, you say? This is unheard of. he can take them on, he simply prefers not to, since
He’ll demand to close this investigation and fly them they’re a lot more useful in corroborating his story.
all back to the castle, to send “real agents” to investigate
He prefers to face them inside the plane or in the
this, secretly expecting the party to refuse, wishing workshop; he has a home advantage in both, being
to try and prove themselves in some way. The more able to control the plane’s flight and the workshop’s
havoc they cause, the easier it’ll be for him to blameturrets. He is not above suggesting “they join him”,
everything on someone else. trying to make them betray each other, then simply
Upon discovering Shi-ha might not be dead, betraying whomever is left.
he’ll try to contact her using the radio tower in the
outpost, secretly accessing it through a door in the
roof. He’ll use whatever lie he needs to place her in
whatever disadvantageous position he can, while
sending the PCs to take care of her, emphasizing how
dangerous she is. He will demonize her in their eyes,
making use of any trust he might have built with
the PCs (especially after suddenly showing “his true

16
 Bircht Verzonin
O nce upon a time, this outpost was used as a base
for Agents venturing into the surrounding ruins, but
everything worth discovering was already discovered
by the time this adventure begins, and no one really
comes here anymore.
The outpost is resting on the top of a snow-covered
hill, in a barren, rocky tundra, not far from a tall
mountain range. There are about 6 buildings here,
including a barracks, a vehicle bay, a mess hall, etc; the
main building is the Syn offices, the only one which is
two stories tall.
The offices are occupied by Helga Flaffenchen, a
50-something secretary who keeps the room at almost
sauna-like levels of heat, with mountains of papers
on every surface. She is very fond of Oli, worried
sick about him, and has no special appreciation for
junior Agents - she’s seen many of them come and go.
Helga knows Oli was assigned Cozy Warmth, and also
knows a bit about it (it’s boring but practical).
Helga never visits the 2nd floor, since it only holds
the old radio room; Syn doesn’t use radio all that
much (there are no portable comm devices; the only
other radio station is in the workshop in the mines),
and the room is locked and unused. Helga is aware of
Shi-ha having spent some time around, but she barely,
if ever, saw Albrecht.
After the PCs find Bam-Bam, they can make
an Investigation check with the many, up-to-date
documents in the offices to follow the logistic trail and
find out who was assigned it.
The documents also show Shi-ha having signed in
several times in the past few months (as she came and
went from the workshop); strangely, she’s assigned to
the abandoned, and depleted, Icicle Mines. (Albrecht
gave her this assignment; she isn’t a Free Agent, so the
rules state she must be assigned somewhere.)
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The rest of the outpost is manned by maintenance
workers, all of whom are Fjordstadian mountain
people – large, grim people, very distrustful of
strangers. There are about a dozen of them. City
Fjordstadians, like Albrecht, tend to be very bigoted
toward the “uncultured barbarians”. These people are
working for Syn but they’re not Agents (They don’t
have Crystals).
Hina and Noya are two teen sisters, the only kids in
the outpost. The two have a secret hideout on the roof
of the building opposite the offices, built from various
Syn tent pieces, Syn blankets, and the like. The two
“work” for Albrecht, who they trust completely, since
he’s very nice and provides them with all sorts of Syn
tools and equipment – and he only asks them to write
down who enters and leaves the offices (so he can
keep track, and make sure no one’s on to him).
The Auto-plane
The auto-plane that brought the PCs is computer
controlled, with no pilot. Albrecht is able to pilot it, if
needed (and he’ll make it do loop-the-loops if it helps
him confuse and toss the PCs around the cabin). Any
PC trying a Piloting roll must make it with a -2, the
controls aren’t intuitive at all.
At the start of the adventure the plane lands a few
hundred meters away from the outpost, on a snow-
covered air-strip, and there it probably stays until the
end.
Should the final confrontation with Albrecht
happen inside the plane, after he convinced the PCs to
return to the castle, he will try to utilize the tight space
and his control of the plane as he shoots
everyone and probably create holes in
the chassis.
 Ruined Ice City
check can reveal its name, and with a raise, its
A mong the many valleys down from the mountains, properties. There’s no reason for a PC to know who
there’s an entrance to a large cave. Cracks in its ceiling was assigned this Crystal; they can do some research
allow some light inside, showing the strange remains in the offices, however, since Syn keeps tight records.
of tall buildings, apparently made of ice, and infused
A feral Crystal can be tamed when placed into a
into the north wall of the cave.
container (all Agents carry one); however, unless the
Eight man-sized energized icicles hover aimlessly energized icicles are all destroyed, it’s “active”, which
and randomly across the floor - Bam-Bam’s feral means any Agent who touches it must make a Vigor
manifestations, ice given animated, explosive power. check or get desynced, as the Crystal in their harness
Oli Danford lies dead, his body generally well resonates in disruptive ways.
preserved thanks to the cold climate. A Healing or Not far from Oli there’s a table with lots of notes
Notice check can reveal he was stabbed in the back; a and journals, most of them amazingly boring. Some
raise shows the stab was a complete surprise, he wasn’t useful information might still be gleaned, with an
fighting for his life. The metal cage of his harness is Investigation check: Oli talks about his Crystal, Cozy
slightly bent, as if someone pulled the Crystal from Warmth, and describes it as calm, gentle, and orange.
inside, with force. It’s clear that during his work here he didn’t find
A yellow, brightly-lit Crystal is resting not far anything worthy of interest, except for someone who’s
from Oli. Any Agent can recognize it as feral (that is, really into archeology (that is, him). The journals
uncontrolled and dangerous); a Knowledge (Crystals) show he never had any visitors, nor did he expect any.

18
Energized Icicles (8)
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4
Charisma: 0; Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
Special Abilities
• Bump: d6 damage.
• Explosive: When an energized ice crystal is defeated, it explodes in a Small Burst Template, dealing 2d6
damage to anyone failing an Agility check.
• Fearless: Immune to Fear and Intimidation.
• Wide and Bumpy: An ice crystal provides a +2 Gang Up bonus to other ice crystals attacking the same
target (instead of +1).

Bam-Bam (Seasoned Crystal)

Description: Yellow-orange and spiky, this Crystal almost seems to shake with
excitement.
Theme: Bam-Bam energies inorganic matter with frantic energy, but it requires
direct contact between you and the target.
Disposition: Big Mouth Hindrance and Habit (Minor) (overly excited and jumpy)
Hindrance.
Casual use: Make a small fire explode, make a window rattle.
Powers
• Basic: Berserk Edge, as you become overly energized.
• Smite (-1): The object you touch radiates yellow-orange energy which explodes on contact.
• Blast (-1 or more): You touch the ground and a surge of energy erupts all around you. The area of effect
is a Medium Burst Template centered on you (you are unaffected). Targets within the blast suffer 2d6
damage. For a -2 penalty, the blast does 3d6 damage, or the size is increased to a Large Burst Template.
For a -3, it does both.

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 Icicle Mines
This place is left deliberately vague, since several Workshop: This place has just enough large
different scenes might happen here. machinery and platforms to be a cool, cold and
The first time the PCs arrive they see Shi-ha emerge metallic fighting arena. Two floor-mounted turrets
from the entrance, the contraption that keeps her will start attacking the PCs the moment combat is
alive clinging to her back and chest in a weird way. initiated.
The players probably don’t know what it is - and she
doesn’t know who they are, but she assumes they were Turret (2)
sent here to take her, or kill her. She immediately turns Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4,
around and runs into the mines. Strength d4, Vigor d6
If using the full Savage Worlds rules, run this as a Skills: Shooting d8, Notice d8
short Chase scene, with various obstacles fitting the Charisma: 0; Pace: 0; Parry: 2; Toughness: 8 (3)
location (stalagmites, old mining equipment).
Special Abilities
When the PCs chase down Shi-ha, she is breathing
heavily, barely alive. She is terrified, especially of • Gatling Guns: Range 15/30/60, 2d6 damage,
Albrecht, and will reveal everything immediately - RoF 2, no recoil
should the PCs manage to calm her. She is absolutely • Hardy: Does not suffer a wound from being
sure the PCs are working with Albrecht, and will need Shaken twice.
to be convinced otherwise. • Machine: A turret can be shut down with a
Wherever they find Shi-ha, it’s just around the Repair check, used on any of the primitive
corner from the workshop. Probably in range of the computer consoles around the room.
workshop’s turrets.

20
 How It All Ends
Shi-ha, Seasoned Agent I t’s likely that the characters either capture or kill
Albrecht, and in any case, they’ll probably report him
(Wild Card) to Syn. This is when the Agents discover something
Land: Zingama
strange about their own organization: Syn doesn’t
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, really know what to do with Albrecht. Novice Agents,
Strength d6, Vigor d8 particularly Crystal Hunters on a route, are required
Skills: Crystal Channeling d6, Climbing d4, to adhere to dozens of guidelines, but high-ranking
Fighting d6, Notice d6, Repair d6, Stealth d6, Agents, and especially Free Agents, seem to lack
Throwing d8 almost any oversight.
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (1) Perhaps Syn’s too young as an organization, to have
Hindrances: Anemic, Vow (Minor) (Agent’s rules regarding its highest tiers. But perhaps it’s not
Code) an oversight at all, but an intentional decision of the
mysterious Syn Council, to increase the confusion
Edges: Alertness and disarray within Syn’s ranks... In any case, Albrecht
Gear: Syn suit, wrench (Str+d4 damage, -1 and any co-conspirators disappear for a while, only to
Fighting). reappear, demoted but free, in a few months’ time.
The Agents are congratulated for having stopped a
murderer. The prototype weapon is taken, never to be
seen again, and the Agents are given a Tank (a many-
terrain-vehicle) and placed on a route, sent into the
world to retrive new, unknown Crystals.

Continue Your Adventures!

If you enjoyed your first sojourn into the world of Crystal Heart, check out the full Setting Book,
coming to Kickstarter mid-November!
Register to recieve updates on uptofourplayers.com/crystalheart, or follow Up to Four Players on
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This Starter Set comes with four character sheets for the adventure, as well as a summary sheet
with all the necessary Crystal rules and a short explanation of Savage Worlds in a comics form. If you
didn’t get them with this PDF, download the full set from uptofourplayers.com/crystalheart.

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