C&K Rules

(excerpts -- due to formatting difficulties I have been unable as yet to reconstruct any of the tables)

 

First, the player must choose a Profession, race and age, using table I as a reference. Further information about the specifics of the races and professions may be found in the appropriate section found elsewhere in the rules. Make note of the attribute and HP totals. Make note also of your Combat Statistics (from Table II) --these will be the same as your dexterity total unless your chosen profession is Scout or Warrior. Fill in all this data on your sheet--along with a name for your character, and its gender (in box 1). You should now have box 1 and 3 filled in, and the left half of box 2. (Player name you can figure out, and if you're just starting, your level will be one. Era's up to the referee.)

Next, you must choose skills. Check Table IV to find out how many and what kinds of skills your character is allowed, and choose skills from the skills list. See the sections on combat skills, profession skills, and other skills to find out more about skills.

Then, you must find out your spiritual gifts from the SG table. The gifts and their use is explained in the appropriate section.

Lastly, you must buy your possessions. Since the format of the game assumes the character, whomever he or she may be, to be a sort of heroic wanderer, the referee will probably limit the amount of money with which the player may buy possessions. If the referee specifies no amount for your campaign, use 100 universal coin (¥, the units we use in C&K: in medieval campaigns, the ¥ represents gold pieces, in modern eras, the dollar, in future campaigns, the credit.). Use this money to buy weapons, armor, and other supplies for your adventure. You will have to choose carefully, though you will not have enough to buy everything a good Boy Scout would want. One must carefully prioritize one's purchases to be sure that the important things (food, clothing, protection) are bought. The referee may make exceptions or allow the characters to have certain items without buying them (inheriting your father's swords, for example).

Lastly, fill in the character notes. Height and weight are determined mostly by race (size range in the race descriptions), and Languages should be chosen from the languages list (# of languages determined as per table III C). The History you can make up, or leave blank, or get from the referee. This is also where you keep track of the things you learn about your character in the course of the game (for example, falling off a large cliff in the course of the adventure might induce a bad case of acrophobia in your character).

That's it: character is made! Now learn how to play.

See Sample Character Sheet

 

In C&K, We consider "Magic" to be any apparently supernatural occurrence. Using this definition, we can distinguish four distinct types of magic: First--Magic that is the direct gift of God. This includes spiritual gifts (see below), miracles, and special items or relics that have special properties because of some association with the works of God; Second-- Magic that is inherent in a race or creature. Ultimately this, too, has God as its source. This includes the elves' special abilities and the fire-breathing of dragons. Third-- Magic that is of demonic origin. This includes sorcery, witchcraft, and the "miracles" of pagan priests; and, Fourth-- Magic that is only apparently supernatural. This includes sleight-of-hand, false magic of charlatans and some pagan priests, and Dwarfish weaponry, which is so well-made that it appears enchanted, and, indeed, will hold its own against most enchanted arms.

Whereas the Bible teaches that sorcery (that is, magic in the traditional sense) is the work of demonic forces and those who consort with them, and it is the intent of this game that its players faithfully portray the followers of God, no player-character shall have sorcerous powers. However, the Bible also describes certain spiritual Gifts given to pre-messianic anointed ones and post-messianic believers, and it would be untrue to the Spirit to deprive Godly characters of these gifts. Therefore, C&K now presents spiritual gifts:

A new character gains spiritual gift(s) according to the following chart--roll percentile dice to determine choice.

The Faith slot on your character sheet represents your personal faith level at that moment. see chart IX B, below for some examples of how the faith score can change. Each character starts with a faith of zero, and by his or her actions, moves the score up or down., High scores have their benefits, and low scores their handicaps. See chart IX A.

 

In various places in the rules, you will see numbers like: 1D, 2D, 3D+1, 1/2D, 1D(1-4), and %D. D stands for Dice. Unless otherwise specified, in C&K we only use the standard cubic 6-sided die. 1D then represents the results of the roll of one die, whereas 2D represents the sum of two rolls, and so on. 2D+1 is the sum of one plus the roll of one die. 1/2D is 1/2 the roll of one die (rounded UP). 1D(1-4) means a 4-sided die, or a six-sided die, re-rolled whenever a 5 or a 6 comes up, until an answer comes up from 1-4.

Adding dice: Occasionally (most notably in the Character generation chart) Its necessary to add dice. For example, a hobbitish farmer who is middle-aged must add 3D+2, +1, and -1 to find his Dexterity. The total is 3D+2. (first add the D number, and then the pluses or minuses.) If the +/- number (or pip) equals three, then the D number raises by one whole, and the pip is discarded. After adding the die numbers, if the pip is greater than 3, then divide it by three to find the number of whole D's it is equivalent to, and leave the remainder as a pip. 3D+7=5D+1.

Critical rolls: Sometimes, when a roll is the maximum (all sixes) or minimum (all ones) it can be, the effect expected is modified. This is up to the referee, but typically, for example, a critical success on a melee roll doubles damage, or on a damage roll, stunningly defeats the opponent (decapitation, perhaps). A critical failure, on the other hand, often results in broken weapons, backfires, and the like.

While one of the objectives of C&K as opposed to other role-playing games is to avoid unnecessary and graphic violence, there will certainly be times when it will be necessary for the character to defend himself and/or what he stands for. So, for those times when it becomes necessary to do a little righteous head-bashing, here is how combat works in C&K:

There are three categories of attack, and three of defense. We will first take up the offense. The first offense type is aim. The aim attribute measures one's skill with missile weapons: arrows, bolts, rocks, bullets, laser beams, machine guns, etc. The Melee attribute controls the character's ability to use melee weapons like swords, clubs, knives, and other close-range weapons. The Hand-to-Hand attribute measures the character's ability in such things as boxing, grappling, and martial arts.

To attack, the offensive party should take aim by rolling his aim, Melee, or Hand-to-Hand attribute, whichever is appropriate to the situation. Add to the number rolled the proficiency bonus, if any, that the character has with that weapon or fighting style. The attack number thus achieved must be greater than the defense number of the intended target. The defense number is achieved similarly:

There are three types of defense, two forms of passive defense, and one form of active defense, which is the combination of one of these passive defenses and the appropriate offense. The three active defenses: Dodge, Parry, and Run/flee. All these must be consciously activated, so they are no good against surprise attacks. If a character is ready and unsurprised at the attack, he may choose to Dodge the attack, rolling his Dodge attribute. If he is actually EXPECTING an attack, and it is a melee or Hand-to-Hand attack, he may choose to Parry, which is a combination Dodge and counter-attack (a successful parry results in a counter-attack rolled in the usual way against the attacker at one less D). Run/Flee not only avoids the immediate attack but breaks off melee, and increases defense against missiles by 1D for the next turn. Of course, when you flee, that also means you can't fight back, and are liable to be caught by fast opponents. Regardless, the roll of the active defense method chosen must be added to the Passive defense, which is the AC, or Armor Class, which measures the benefits of armor, shields, and such. So the defense number, then, is the AC+the Active Defense Roll (if any).

If the attack roll is greater, the attack succeeds, and the attacker then must roll for the damage caused to the victim. This roll is arranged according to the Damage column of the Weapons table (Table V). If the attack roll is not greater, the attack fails, and the victim then gets a chance to retaliate (If he hasn't fled.) or complete his defense with a parry.

Two more aspects of combat: the charge and the multiple attack.

The charge, which is running at the target as part of the attack (Only melee and Hand-to-Hand attacks, of course), is handled thusly: when a charge is deemed appropriate, the attack number has one D subtracted from it, and if a hit is struck, the Damage roll is added to the Run/Flee roll to gain the total damage from that attack.

Multiple attack may be taken in one turn, at -1D per extra attack, until a roll fails. Damage as usual.

Combat: to attack a creature, roll melee/aim/h-h (+proficiency bonus) to exceed dodge/parry of intended victim( + his AC for dodge). A hit receives damage according to weapon (+bonus for proficiency).

To begin combat, the two characters (or monster) or representatives of the two parties must roll for initiative (who goes first.). They both roll the same kind of die at the same time. Higher roll gets first turn.

ALL ERAS--Human

FANTASY--

Elf: The tall kind, not the two-inch kind. Height:6-7';Weight:150-190 lbs. Lifespan:800+ yrs.

Racial skills: Silent movement, night vision, ltd illusion: 1 square foot/day/lvl, utilizing 1 sense/lvl. (A conscious attempt to discover the illusion will be successful 10%/D of PER. AIM +2D, +1D if Elven bow is used.) Resistance to illusion, charm (1 extra D per level in the counter-rolls).

Limitations: Take an extra D from steel or iron weapons

Half-Elf: The other half's human. Height: 5'5"-6'5"; Weight 140-170 lbs. Lifespan: 200 yrs.

Racial Skills: Silent movement, night vision. Resistance to illusion.

Limitations: Take and extra point of damage from Steel and Iron.

Hobbit: Height: 3'5"-5'; Weight: 100-170 lbs. Lifespan: 150 yrs.

Racial skills: Silent moving, cooking

Limitations: Really sedate by nature. Not terribly brave.

Dwarf: Height 3'5"-4'5"; Weight: 130-160 lbs. Lifespan: 400 yrs.

Racial skills: Tunneling, direction, mineral recognition, mining, metalsmithing, resistant to magic, mind effects (1 extra D per level in the counter-rolls). Dwarven weapons +2 damage; armor +2 AC.

Limitations: Hate dragons, magic. Uncomfortable in bright sun.

Centaur: As many types as there are types of horse and types of people (ie-Negroid Palomino is a breed of Centaur). Height and weight vary accordingly. Lifespan: 100 yrs.

Racial Skills: Centaurs add 1D to their aim per level. May eat people food or horse food.

Limitations: Small places are a bother. Tend to think humans are silly in their concepts of where to drop scat. Must eat enough to keep a man and a horse running. Low tolerance to alcohol.

Giant: 3 basic size categories: 7-10 feet/ 10-20 feet/ 20+ feet; Weight varies accordingly; Lifespan-75/100/150

SCI-FI--

Triops: see notes

 

 

 

Back to Crusaders & Kings

Back to Haven Home