More SenZar
Continuing the SenZar Player's Guide I'm working on. Here's part 2; it took a long time, probably longer than the future lessons will take (lord, I hope so).
Lesson 2: Races & Classes
SenZar is a planet that was originally settled as a labor colony by the Death Horde. As a result, almost none of the sentient races currently present on SenZar are native, having been brought to SenZar as slave races by the Horde. The Death Horde was driven off by the elemental being called The Dragon, but they still want their labor colony back and their agents still operate in the world.
Some races and classes listed in the core rulebook are not suitable for this campaign for various reasons. A bit of information is given here under "NPC Races" and "NPC Classes", but since you don't need full descriptions you're not getting them.
Don't worry too much about what the powers and skills listed in the GenPackage do specifically. Most of them have pretty descriptive names. AP is Armor Protection; it reduces the damage you take if you've got it. CMR is your movement speed. Other specific effects will be listed in the upcoming Powers & Skills lesson.
Races
Akir are a race of half-giants from the frigid Northlands that look like eight-foot-tall Vikings. They have a tribal social structure, and some tribes take slaves; this reflects poorly on the reputation of the race as a whole. They are immune to regular cold, although ice magic harms them normally. They're a race well-suited to physical combat.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Immunity to Normal Cold, Survival (Arctic), Language: Jotun
Azaar are seven feet tall with four arms and the ability to change their skin color at will. They inhabit "The Great Rift", a huge forest full of dinosaurs. They are often skilled in music and handicrafts. They are also skilled hunters, with four-handed bows and the famous four-handed "mojo-mazumba" sword. Bizarrely enough, despite living in completely different environments and regions, they have a fierce cultural rivalry with Akir; apparently Akir slavers are fond of Azaar slaves.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: 4 Arms, Pigmentary Shapeshift, Brachiate (2x CMR), Stalking, Art or Music (pick one), Survival (Jungle), Language: Azaar
Drakkan are not actually related to dragons, but do resemble them. They're draconic-looking humanoids with leathery skin, functional wings, sharp claws, and a bone-barbed tail. They tend to live away from civilization, but can become successful within it thanks to their strong physical and mental ability. Many of them feel a connection to real dragons, and in turn many people associate them with these dangerous predators. This can strain race relations.
GenMax: STR 17, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 17, WILL 15, INT 14, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 13
GenPackage: Fly (4x CMR), Eagle Eyes (+1), Gloom Sight, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs, Wings, Tail), Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Natural AP 8, Language: Dracul
Goblins are the whipping boys of SenZar. They're human-sized, but dumpy, green, and usually have bad posture. They have filthy claws and crooked fangs. They smell bad, they're crude, and they're not too bright, or so it's said. For the most part, Goblins have stopped caring what other races think. They live in the sewers of many cities, and nomadically outside cities - if you lived in the sewer, wouldn't you smell bad and have a bad attitude? They're great at surviving, and if you need a dirty deed done (like adventuring), Goblins will probably get it done.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 12, PRE 14, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs), Bloodhound (+1), Natural AP 2, Language: Gash
G'rru are wolflike humanoids. Originally bred as manhunters, they now live a mostly peaceful tribal existence. Unfortunately, they have recently been targeted by the Rellian Crusade (see "Dragonslayer" under Classes for more) and many tribes have been wiped out. Those who remain have become wary and distrustful as a result.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs), Gloom Sight, Stalking, Stealth, Bloodhound (+1), Survival (choose 1 environment), +1 CMR, Language: G'rr
Humans are pretty much like the ones you know. Although they are culturally the dominant race in many areas (including the city of Zengara, where the campaign will probably begin), they have no special talents or powers. Statswise, there are few reasons to play a human; they have no particular strengths or weaknesses. Humans are the only race that can become Dragonslayers (or Inquisitors, but that's pretty much NPC-only). The human cultures of SenZar are descended over a very long time from those of Terra, so if you want Pseudo-Japan or Pseudo-Egypt or something to be in your backstory, knock yourself out.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 15, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Language (choose 1)
Khazak are basically dwarves. Beards, living underground, etc. Things that make them distinct from Standard Fantasy Dwarves are a strongly ingrained cultural dislike of spellcasting, and.. uh.. that's basically it. Ironically, a spellcaster who wants to get serious about advanced artificing will almost have to cultivate a Khazak master-smith as an ally, since the Khazak Vulcan Forge is one of the few methods of forging the exotic materials necessary to make advanced artificing feasible.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Directional Sense, Language: Khaz; pick two of Deep Engineer, Smithing, or Son of the Mountain
Khobolds are related to Khazak. Where Khazak are masters of smithing and engineering, Khobolds are obsessed with magic. Culturally, hoarding magical power is considered a virtue among Khobolds. They have a bad reputation, partly because many of them are more than willing to strike unsavory deals for magical power or devices. They get along very poorly with their Khazak cousins, in particular.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 17
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Magic Sense, Appraise Loot, Trading, Languages: Khaz and DarkSpeak
K'ryl are asexual plant-descended humanoid. Physically they most resemble stereotypical "Grey" aliens, although they are actually green. They sustain themselves by photosynthesis, and communicate telepathically. Culturally, they have developed the mental art of Mysticism quite strongly, and are excellently-suited to its practice. K'ryl adventurers are usually out to look for Understandingg or Enlightenment or something like that.
GenMax: STR 13, SPD 13, DEX 13, CON 16, WILL 19, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 18, POW 15
GenPackage: Horticulture, Magic Sense, Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Telepathy, CMR -1
Nazar Ethan resemble copper-skinned humans, about a foot taller than average. They were created by a rogue divinity known as Gabriel as living icons to his glory. They live on a utopian island called Nazar Eth which exists out of phase with the rest of SenZar and can only be visited or escaped through the tunnels of the underworld or by means of divine power. They are idealized noble savages who practice martial games but do not actually kill each other, and live forever barring accident or violence. Some of them are driven by curiousity to leave Nazar Eth by the dangerous passages, while others are plucked from it as part of divine games. In the outside world, their patron Gabriel is known as "The Lord Of The Pit" and feared for his cruelty, which is uaully a bit of a shock.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 16, INT 16, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 15
GenPackage: CMR +1, Magic Sense, Immunity to Aging, Telepathy
Saurans are a desert-dwelling race of reptilian herdsmen, seven or eight feet tall with snakelike features and scaly hides. Their culture is peaceful, sedate, and a bit boring as far as most races are concerned. Some Saurans also find themselves bored; when they leave the desert, they find that their great strength, thick hides, and regenerative ability make them extraordinarily capable fighters. Few Saurans have any real love of violence, but it is an interesting life and one which they are naturally good at.
GenMax: STR 18, SPD 12, DEX 14, CON 19, WILL 14, INT 13, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: CMR -1, Natural AP 10, Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Body Weaponry DC 1 (claws, fangs, tail), Infravision, Survival (wasteland), Language: Sslurr
Sidhe are one of the few remaining native races of SenZar. They are elemental beings of the same general class (although much lower order) as the Dragon itself. Their language is understood by all animal and plant life of SenZar, at least insofar as the creature's intelligence permits. Most Sidhe live in wild places, but many are also inexplicably fascinated by other species, particularly Humans. Sidhe have no natural physical body; they instead create a body with which to interact with the world. While this could take any form, PC Sidhe should have roughtly humanoid bodies ranging from one inch to seven feet tall. (A one-inch-tall Sidhe can still have a Strength up to GenMax, although he might not have the leverage to make best use of it.) They may take any appearance when creating this body, and usually choose something which the race that interests them will find beautiful and exotic. Since they are the spirits venerated by the Good Earth code, most Sidhe will subscribe to this code to some degree.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 17, INT 17, PRE 17, PER 17, POW 20
GenPackage: CMR +1, Gloom Sight, The Sight, Magic Sense, Empathy, Woodcraft, Survival (choose 1), Language: Sidhe
Silestions are a race resembling golden-skinned humans with single-color (pupilless and irisless) eyes. They have a fierce warrior code of honor. They venerate The Phoenix, an aspect of the Dragon (or vice versa) which they associate with the sun. They have a longstanding military alliance with the human city-state of Zengara, and many of SenZar's most powerful martial artists are either Silestions or Silestion-trained.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Immunity to Fatigue (while in sunlight), Immunity to Disease, Language: Silesion; pick one of Boxing or Wrestling
Solarr are a genetically-modified splinter race of the Silestions. They look like slender Silestions with great eagle wings. Unlike Silestions, they prefer a peaceful and isolated existence, although they are fierce if provoked. They have a close relationship with the Silestions, but tend to look down on other nonflying races. Solarr have a special hatred of snakes.
GenMax: STR 14, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Flight (5x CMR), Eagle Eyes (+1), Language: High Silesian
Starin are pretty much elves: long-lived pointy-eared forest dwellers. There are a few significant differences, though. Starin put high merit on repression of their emotions, and are possessed of perfect memory. The Rellian Crusade (see "Dragonslayer" in Classes) has a particular enmity for Starin due to doctrinal misunderstandings. The Starin, for reasons known only to themselves, have shown no particular grudge towards the Crusaders in turn. Culturally, Starin subscribe to the Good Earth code and may have been its original codifiers. There are, of course, exceptions.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 15, WILL 17, INT 17, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 15
GenPackage: Total Recall, Gloom Sight, Eagle Eyes (+1), Languages: High Starin/Starin/Sidhe; pick one of Art or Music
Tauran are your classic minotaurs. They do not have their own fully-developed culture; they are fully assimilated into human cultures. A main reason for this is that Tauran do not breed true with their own kind; instead, they mate with a Human and produce Tauran children. Some Taurans take harems of Human mates, although this is not nearly as common as some people would like to believe. The Rellian Crusade is extremely disapproving of this, to say the least, and Taurans do not reside in places where the Crusade is strong.
GenMax: STR 19, SPD 14, DEX 12, CON 17, WILL 16, INT 12, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, hooves, horns), Natural AP 2, Gloom Sight, Bloodhound (+1), Directional Sense, Language: as humans of region
T'leel are an amphibian splinter race of the Starin. They resemble Starin, although their faces are "flattened" and they have rows of gills on their necks. They have regular commerce with some coastal regions, and often rescue shipwreck victims, but do not have a close cultural relationship with land-dwellers for the most part. Part of the reason for this is that T'leel tend to become unhealthy when they are underhydrated, and so they rarely spend lengthy periods out of the water. They can do so, however, if they are careful to bring a lot of water with them.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 13
GenPackage: Swim (3x CMR), Keen Hearing (+1), Gloom Sight, Aquatic Dependency, Music (voice), Language: T'leel
Tygor are felinoids with features resembling any of a number of great cats, varying by tribe. Culturally, they are hunter-gatherers, although a fair number of them travel to civilization and are, for the most part, accepted. Their claws are non-retractable and quite sharp, but a careful Tygor can handle things without damaging them.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: CMR +1, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, fangs), Gloom Sight, Bloodhound (+1), Stalking, Survival (choose 1), Language: Myyrrn
NPC Races
Mokarr are a deep-dwelling race devoted to the Dark Earth. They have access to high technology, and disturbingly enough they are all physically identical. Demonians are reputedly night-dark, with fangs, horns, cruel genius and black charisma, and unswervingly loyal to the Death Horde. There are still a few left on SenZar, forming cults and schemes to weaken the Dragon and permit their masters to reconquer. Golgothans are hunters from another world: fierce, physically powerful, and relentless. Some seem driven by their own sense of honor and the joy of the hunt, while others are apparently mercenaries serving the Death Horde. Either kind should be considered extremely dangerous.
Classes
A feature of classes that needs to be described is combat and magic progression. Every class is either "professional" or "semiprofessional" (usually shortened "pro"/"semipro") in these two features.
Pro Combat practitioners get +1 Combat Value every level and an extra Action Phase every five levels. Semipro Combat practitioners get +1 Combat Value every other level and an extra Action Phase every ten levels.
Pro Magic practitioners get +4 POW every level and start with seven free spells from within their discipline. Semipro Magic practitioners get +3 POW every level and start with only 4 free spells from within their discipline, if any.
All classes start with one Action Phase per round, and receive hit points equal to their level multiplied by their CON. Now, on to the classes!
Alchemists are, unsurprisingly, practitioners of Alchemy. They produce potions and other magical substances; at highly advanced levels, they can even learn to create life. Alchemists do not cast spells per se; instead, they work in a (pretty expensive) lab to produce their substances ahead of time. Of course, unlike other spellcasters, Alchemists can pretty easily defray the costs of their labs by selling their products.
GenMin: WILL 13, INT 13, POW 10
GenPackage: Alchemy (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Cryptology, Scribe, Natural Lore, Horticulture, Astrology, Jeweler, Locksmith, Smithing, Languages (any 2), Weapon Training: Grenades, Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Alchemist: You can make money during downtime pretty easily. Every adventurer loves the man with the healing potions. Advanced techniques let you make containers to deliver multiple doses at once for potential massive damage output.
Why Not Play An Alchemist: You're as powerful as your prep time makes you. Although I'm not rigidly enforcing carrying capacity, you may want to acquire a magical storage device as soon as feasible. The first-order effects aren't all that hot, so you'll want 20 Power and someone to learn from as soon as possible. There's also a very rare substance called Ultima which completely blocks alchemy effects.
Astromancers are mages who channel the power of the heavens and the signs of the zodiac. This makes them skilled at divination and valuable advisors, but there are also a number of miscellaneous effects based on the symbolism of zodiac signs, including a mix of healing, buffs, debuffs, and utility spells, and some surprisingly nasty direct attacks. An Astromancer is most powerful during the month when his zodiac sign is ascendant.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 13, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Astromancy (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Astrology, Divine Lore, Theology, Scribe, Cryptology, Exotics, Languages (any 2), Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Astromancer: A variety of useful spells. For one month out of the year, your attack spells blast the everloving crap out of stuff. Advanced Astromancers can cast Meteo.
Why Not Play An Astromancer: That power sign bonus is one month out of thirteen. The rest of the time, you're decent at a wide variety of stuff but your only outstanding strength is divination.
Battlemages are pretty much what they sound like. They're specially trained at a small number of military academies as military-support units. They can dominate a battlefield with powerful spells focusing on elemental power and mobility, along with a smattering of other battlefield-support spells, and are equally able to close to melee combat with front-line soldiers. Unfortunately, they undergo military conditioning during their training; they think in terms of chain of command, and most notably feel an overwhelming compulsion to engage other Battlemages before engaging other enemies.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12, WILL 12, INT 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Battlemagic (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Natural Lore, Weapon Training (any 4), Ambush, Riding, Exotics, Siege Weapons, Scribe, Tactics, Command, Languages (any 1)
Why Play A Battlemage: Strong melee combat, mobility buffs, heavy-duty elemental assault magic. If you need to ask why you would play a battlemage, you will never understand.
Why Not Play A Battlemage: That psychological compulsion can be a pain. Most of their early defensive spells protect you specifically against elemental attacks rather than giving general defense. They're not very good at noncombat situations.
Dragonslayers are an order of holy knights in the service of the human deity Rel. Rel was the first human to ascend to divinity on SenZar, and remains the only specifically-human patron. Dragonslayers take their name from their willingness and ability to face even the fiercest monsters to defend their fellow humans. Traditionally, they are fierce devotees of The Cause. Unfortunately, over the centuries, the leadership of their order of the Church of Rel has come to believe that the biggest threat to humanity comes from oppression by nonhuman races. The Rellian Crusade, of which the Dragonslayers are the strong right arm, believes that humans must be supreme on SenZar, with the Church of Rel as the sole religion, and make war on nonhuman kingdoms and the code of the Good Earth.
There are now two kinds of Dragonslayers. The vast majority follow as their code the Crusade, the warped and violently xenophobic version of the Cause described above. A few, though, still follow the Cause in its original form, protecting and serving humanity without taking the world as their enemies. Unfortunately, these heroic few will still probably have to deal with the Crusade's bad reputation while being considered heretics by their faith. Rel, for reasons known only to himself, grants divine magic to both types. Dragonslayer PCs will be expected to be followers of the true Cause rather than the Crusade. For obvious reasons, only humans can be Dragonslayers.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Divine Magic (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Riding (warhorse), Mounted Combat (warhorse), Theology, Divine Lore, pit Lore, Command, Weapon Training (any 4)
Why Play A Dragonslayer: Martial prowess combined with the powerful defensive and healing power of divine magic. Lots of heroic angst.
Why Not Play A Dragonslayer: Most people will assume you're a dangerously violent xenophobe. The dangerously violent xenophobes will consider you a heretic. You may eventually face an Inquisition.
Enchanters are mages who specialize in illusion and mind-influencing magic. Since being known publicly as a mindwarper can undermine people's willingness to trust you, enchanters are also trained in the performing and creative arts, and often use these skills to create and reinforce a cover identity. Some of them pretend to be Spellsingers, who also have mind-influencing magic and who generate real effects instead of illusions. Sure, it pisses off the Spellsingers, but who cares what those hippies think? Other than the part where their spells generate real effects and yours mostly don't.
GenMin: DEX 12, WILL 12, INT 12, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Enchantment (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Art (any 1), Music (any 1), Acrobatics, Acting, Oratory, Exotics, Legerdemain, Languages (any 2), Scribe, Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Enchanter: Charms, illusions, influence, and the ability to make stupid people think they're on fire and die.
Why Not Play An Enchanter: Enemies with high INT and PER can see through your deceptions and influences. In cases like that, your options are limited. Also, nobody likes being tricked, and lots of people will assume that Enchanters are trying to trick them.
Martial Artists are specialists in martial arts. They are not necessarily monks or members of a secret order, but it takes a great deal of dedication to something - personal strength, if nothing else - to reach their level of achievement. Anyone can learn the "common" martial arts techniques, but only a few classes can learn the advanced Shy'R and Black Wyrm arts. The Martial Artist class takes it a step further and is able to learn both styles, assuming his codes are not overtly incompatible with them and he can find someone to initiate him into a second art. Martial Artists, no matter their codes, are expected to accept challenges from other Martial Artists or lose face. If you turn down too many challenges, you'll have trouble getting more training.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 12, CON 12, WILL 11
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 5 Martial Arts Disciplines from the selected style, Language (any 1), Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Martial Artist: Powerful martial arts, eventually surpassing any other martial-arts class.
Why Not Play A Martial Artist: Getting that cross-style training can be tricky, and until you do your bag of tricks is smaller than some dedicated classes.
Mystics are practitioners of the inner power of Ki. Partly psychic, partly spiritual, with a liberal dash of armchair-Zen, Mysticism offers both mental attacks, divinations, and a pile of mind-over-body tricks. Other mages don't like Mystics very much, partly because nobody is clear about where the power of Mysticism originates and Mystics are annoyingly vague about answering it. At one point a miscommunication led to several rival disciplines banding up to try to destroy Mystics; things aren't that bad anymore, but it never stops being tense after that kind of thing. Mysticism is also the only non-divine magical discipline completely accepted by the Rellian Crusade and a form of it is used by their Inquisitors. Not all Mystics are happy about this, and it doesn't really help their relationship with other disciplines. The rumors of "Mystic Assassins" don't help, either.
GenMin: WILL 14, INT 12, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Mysticism (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Meditation, Healing Arts, Theology, Divine Lore, Lore (any 2 additional), Exotics, Language (any 2), Scribe, Weapons Training (any 2)
Why Play A Mystic: If you like psionics and you like armchair Zen, it'll do great. Mysticism is pretty versatile, with a variety of useful and some unique effects.
Why Not Play A Mystic: If you face a mindless enemy, it could be trouble. Also, some people are even more suspicious of mind-readers than of illusionists. Some mystic orders earn the suspicion, and Mystics are the kind of people where you can't be sure if your mentor is one of those.
Mystic Warriors combine the discipline of Mysticism with the martial arts. They belong to an ascetic order, going out into the world with nothing but a walking stick and a begging bowl, and until level 10 they can own no more wealth than they can carry. They are not permitted to return to their home monasteries, and must seek out new experiences and new masters. Mystic Warriors adhere firmly to the Way Of The Phoenix, a version of the Good Earth code; failure to uphold it results in the loss of their Mystical powers.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 12, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Mysticism (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Theology, Healing Arts, Lore (any 2), Scribe, Languages (any 2), Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 2 Shy'R Martial Arts disciplines, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Mystic Warrior: Mysticism's mind-over-body tricks and Shy'R kung fu power form a beautifully violent synergy.
Why Not Play A Mystic Warrior: Their oaths and obligations can pretty seriously limit their life options, particularly for players who really like hoarding loot.
Priests are the servants of various divine powers. The Good Earth is a popular patron, as are many racial and regional deities (often interchangeable; Zengara, with its military ties to the Silestrions, has many non-Silestrion priests of the Silesian pantheon.) The human deity Rel has many priests; some are affiliated with the Rellian Crusade, while others simply minister to the common folk. The black gods of the Death Horde and the cthonic force known as the Dark Earth also give power to humans who serve them. What all Priests have in common is a strong dedication to the deity or force they serve. A Priest who can convert his opponents rather than simply defeating them earns extra experience points. If you want to play a Priest of a racial or regional deity, talk to me and we'll figure out a good patron and code.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 12, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Divine Magic (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Theology, Divine Lore, Administration, Healing Arts, Exotics, Languages (select 2), Scribe, Oratory, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Priest: Strong healing and defensive magic and the certain knowledge that Someone out there is looking out for you.
Why Not Play A Priest: The certain knowledge that Someone Else out there probably hates you and wants you destroyed, and your religious obligations strongly limit the classic adventurer loot-and-plunder lifestyle.
Rangers are the guardians of the wild places. Highly trained combatants and survivalists, they tend to ignore politics and law except insofar as it impacts their outdoor home. For the most part, they're organized in loose groups bound together by personal debts and obligations, although some are more or less organized. Most rangers follow the code of the Good Earth, although there is no magical requirement that they do so. Occasionally Rangers will join civilization as elite guards or military scouts.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Ambush, Stalking, Stealth, Natural Lore, healing Arts, Riding (horse), Mounted Combat (horse), Animal Training, Survival (any 2), Silent Speech, Woodcraft, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Ranger: Tame and train animals, survive in the wilderness, and generally feel l33t. C'mon, man. Rangers are l33t.
Why Not Play A Ranger: No magic or other "superpowers", if that kind of thing bugs you.
Rogues are not just thieves. They are geniuses of the criminal arts, serving a long course of study under a master's tutelage. Their heists tend towards the daring and audacious, and they often consider themselves "above" any local thieves' guilds. This wins them few friends in the underworld of organized crime, but a Rogue is usually sure he can deal with it.. after all, he's tough, quick, and smart, right?
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 11
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Weapons Training (any 4), Acrobatics, Stealth, BS, Appraise, Climbing, Forgery, Gambling, Legerdemain, Locksmith, Party On!, Pickpockets, Silent Speech, Streetspeak, Streetwise, Trading, Traps
Why Play A Rogue: Strong combat combined with skills for a wide variety of situations. Also, plenty of style.
Why Not Play A Rogue: Neither the law nor the criminals like you very much. Although you're great in cities and good in dungeons, the wilderness has you out of your element, and there's a lot of wilderness out there.
Shy'R Warriors are super-elite warriors trained by the Silestions. They combine martial arts with survival and warfare training and a deep dedication to the Shy'R code of martial honor. Each Shy'R Warrior is tattooed with a black Honor Crest on his chest, unique to that Warrior, and no Shy'R Warrior will obscure it with armor unless so ordered by a superior officer. Shy'R Warriors consider one-on-one duels to be vastly important matters of honor, and if there is interference on either side the Warrior must do his best to achieve a rematch. Shy'R Warriors are forbidden to boast, brag, or demand monetary compensation for services. They are bound to their order, although they have considerable latitude in selecting assignments. At level 10, they are expected to start spending a certain amount of time training the next generation of Shy'R Warriors. Although all Shy'R Warriors are Silestion-trained, non-Silestions may become Shy'R Warriors through the Silestions' close military relationship with the city of Zengara.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PER 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 2 Shy'R Disciplines, The Silent Strike, Climbing, Survival (any 2), Language (any 1), Ambush, Tactics, Weapons Training (any 4), Swimming, Venoms/Poisons/Radiation, Traps, Silent Speech, First Aid
Why Play A Shy'R Warrior: Shy'R Warriors are super combat badasses, like the horrifying love-children of samurai and Green Berets.
Why Not Play A Shy'R Warrior: Those oaths and obligations are pretty serious stuff. Their personal freedom is fairly strictly limited in a lot of ways.
Sorcerors combine the earthshaking powers of magic and technobabble. They harness scientific forces in entirely unscientific ways, and somehow it all makes sense to them. There are only a few schools that teach Sorcery, each cleaving to its own philosophical viewpoint, but all of them hold that they are engaging in scientific operations wherein nothing is inexplicable. Few non-Sorcerors have the scientific grounding to dispute this viewpoint.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Sorcery (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Cryptology, Scribe, Lore (Ancient), Lore (any 2), Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Sorceror: Monkey with gravity and blast people with plasma or hard radiation. At high levels, you get the Prismatic spells, which not only kill people, but (since this is SenZar) kill them nine different ways. Because the SenZar spectrum's dial goes to 9. Oh, and if for some reason you need to know about technology, Sorcerors are probably the best-equipped to do it.
Why Not Play A Sorceror Your magitechnobabble is faintly ridiculous, and there's always the suspicion that the other magical disciplines are laughing at you behind your back.
Spellsingers combine the power of mysticism and the force of magic through the lens of music to form an energy from a truly unique source. While they receive training from other Spellsingers, most know right from the beginning how it must be. The six-string in their hands turns out to be their destiny, and they grow to live by the "Rules Of The Road". If challenged to a musical duel, they are honorbound to accept; some of these duels can end up incorporating magical or martial elements. "Serious" mages take issue with their wild, hybridized style, but there's a power in there that earns Spellsingers some kind of respect.
GenMin: DEX 12, WILL 13, INT 12, PRE 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Spellsinging (Pro Magic), Artificer, Magic Sense, Semipro Combat, Weapons Training (any 2), Perfect Pitch, Music (any 4 instruments), Oratory OR Acting (pick one), Lore (any 3), Diplomacy, exotics, Streetspeak, Streetwise, Languages (any 3), Scribe
Why Play A Spellsinger: Once you get past the sometimes-goofy spell names, Spellsinging has a pretty broad range of useful effects. A lot of the spells are resisted with PRE, giving a possible "opening" against enemies prepared against other magic.
Why Not Play A Spellsinger: Enemies who are cooler than you are will give you some problems, although not insurmountable ones. Some of those spell names are really goofy. Other mages probably won't take you seriously, but who cares what they think? You need an instrument you can play to cast spells. Voice counts, so I highly recommend you use one of your four instrument picks for that.
Stalkers are elite bounty hunters. They track down their "prey" and bring it in dead or alive, as the employer demands. Although they are essentially mercenaries, a Stalker always abides by the terms of his contract. A Stalker who reneges on a contract becomes a target for other Stalkers, since a blot on the profession hurts everyone's bottom line. Beyond this understanding, there's no real organization or central academy for Stalkers; they learn their skills however they can. As such, their personalities and methods can vary widely.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 11, PER 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Stalking, Stealth, Ambush, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Basic Martial Arts Package (select 1), any 2 Disciplines from selected style, The Silent Strike, Woodcraft, Survival (any 1), Streetwise, Streetspeak, Silent Speech, Traps, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Stalker: You're a dangerous guy with an easy plot hook.
Why Not Play A Stalker: The mercenary life isn't for everyone, and your reputation is less than heroic.
Warriors are exactly what they sound like: specialists in the trade of fighting. They can fill all kinds of violent social roles, and have fairly flexible options for branching out. They don't have much in the way of fancy tricks and no "super powers", but they don't let that stop them from laying a serious beatdown.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Weapons Training (any 6), Boxing OR Wrestling OR Common Martial Arts Package (pick 1), Riding (warhorse), Mounted Combat (warhorse)
Why Play A Warrior: Don't let the lack of fancy tricks fool you; they can beat the crap out of enemies as well as any Super-Elite Warrior Commando, and have pretty much no restrictions except what you choose to give them.
Why Not Play A Warrior: They are pretty much inarguably the least shiny class on the planet of SenZar.
Witches channel the power of the Good Earth or the Dark Earth directly. They speak with natural spirits and bind nature to their will. They are not especially organized, and usually receive their training from the spirits they communicate with rather than a mortal teacher. As far as most spirits are concerned, the Good Earth and the Dark Earth are identical; they consider them to be two figureheads for the same force and will serve Witches of either code with equal aplomb. Nonetheless, Witches (even Sidhe Witches) tend to take the mortal view of such matters and assign nature morality by the actions they take with it.
GenMin: WILL 11, PRE 14, PER 13, POW 10
GenPackage: Witchcraft (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, The Sight, Healing Arts, Natural Lore, Horticulture, Scribe, Astrology, Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Language: Sidhe, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Witch: Lots of druid-type magic and spirit summoning. Very few direct attack spells, but the ones you have can't be resisted with saves. Witches can learn their spells from summoned spirits instead of looking for tutors.
Why Not Play A Witch: I don't have the sourcebook with spirit stats in them, so don't expect to get much combat mileage out of those dudes. Your attack spell may be unresistable, but since it's low level it's hard to get much bang out of it later.
Witch Hunters do not, surprisingly, hunt Witches.. at least, not anymore. They formed as an offshoot sect of Mystics at a time when Mysticism was considered dangerous to the existence of the world, developing skills and techniques for hunting down those who wished to hunt them down in turn. That war is long over, however, and the arts of the Witch Hunter are now handed down from master to student and used in an unrelenting life mission of "punishing the guilty". Each Witch Hunter has a particular obsession of some crime that must be punished: murder, hypocrisy, or something else entirely. They hunt down the guilty and unswervingly mete out punishment. Generally, this means that a Witch Hunter will have his personal Code at well above 10.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 14, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Mysticism (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package (pick 1), any 1 Discipline from selected style, The Silent Strike, Stalking, Stealth, Ambush, Traps, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Woodcraft, Theology, Scribe, Languages (any 2), Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Witch Hunter: Mysticism, martial arts prowess, stalking skills and an obsessed hunter make for a pretty scary combination. Lots of Batmantastic obsessoriffic fun to be had.
Why Not Play A Witch hunter: These guys are kind of crazy.
Wizards are highly-disciplined and highly respected magic experts. When it comes to understanding the nature and function of magic, nobody is as skilled as a Wizard. Like Sorcerors, they are trained at only a few academies, but unlike Sorcerors they do not try to bind magic to the terms of science. Due to their understanding of magic's functioning, they have a focused and efficient style of spellcasting, and many of their spells can be cast with a single word or gesture where other disciplines require a lengthy incantation. Wizards are sometimes seen as a little snobbish by practitioners of other disciplines; even though Wizards respect other disciplines' power and find them interesting as an academic subject, they still consider their own expertise the "purest". It was a misunderstanding on a Wizarding academy's part that led to Mysticism's persecution by other disciplines, and the subject remains tense between the two disciplines.
GenMin: WILL 13, INT 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Wizardry (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Lore (any 2), Scribe, Cryptology, Exotics, Languages (any 2), Astrology, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Wizard: The fast-casting of many Wizard spells doesn't matter much at low levels, but with higher-order spells it can get significant. No other class can cast two sixth-order spells in a round. You also have the only spell in the book that sets an enemy's character sheet on fire.
Why Not Play A Wizard: The disadvantage of those fast-cast spells is that they are tightly focused. They're single-target by default and expanding their AoE can get pretty expensive.
NPC Classes
Assassins are something of an open secret; everyone's heard of the Assassin's Guild, but nobody knows much about it. Supposedly they have an elite (and crazy) branch called Harlequins, too. Mystic Assassins are a subject that Mystics and Witch Hunters refuse to discuss. Rellian Inquisitors are all too well-known; there are only 49 of them, but using the techniques of Mysticism to read minds and psychically torture suspected heretics earns you a reputation real fast. Necromancers and the dark Sentinels that serve them are also rare, but every so often they'll announce their continued existence with a new outbreak of atrocity. Supposedly they're looking to achieve immortality by becoming demons; whether that's true or not, they certainly act like it.
As always, feel free to ask me for any clarifications. Look forward to the next lesson!
Lesson 2: Races & Classes
SenZar is a planet that was originally settled as a labor colony by the Death Horde. As a result, almost none of the sentient races currently present on SenZar are native, having been brought to SenZar as slave races by the Horde. The Death Horde was driven off by the elemental being called The Dragon, but they still want their labor colony back and their agents still operate in the world.
Some races and classes listed in the core rulebook are not suitable for this campaign for various reasons. A bit of information is given here under "NPC Races" and "NPC Classes", but since you don't need full descriptions you're not getting them.
Don't worry too much about what the powers and skills listed in the GenPackage do specifically. Most of them have pretty descriptive names. AP is Armor Protection; it reduces the damage you take if you've got it. CMR is your movement speed. Other specific effects will be listed in the upcoming Powers & Skills lesson.
Races
Akir are a race of half-giants from the frigid Northlands that look like eight-foot-tall Vikings. They have a tribal social structure, and some tribes take slaves; this reflects poorly on the reputation of the race as a whole. They are immune to regular cold, although ice magic harms them normally. They're a race well-suited to physical combat.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Immunity to Normal Cold, Survival (Arctic), Language: Jotun
Azaar are seven feet tall with four arms and the ability to change their skin color at will. They inhabit "The Great Rift", a huge forest full of dinosaurs. They are often skilled in music and handicrafts. They are also skilled hunters, with four-handed bows and the famous four-handed "mojo-mazumba" sword. Bizarrely enough, despite living in completely different environments and regions, they have a fierce cultural rivalry with Akir; apparently Akir slavers are fond of Azaar slaves.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: 4 Arms, Pigmentary Shapeshift, Brachiate (2x CMR), Stalking, Art or Music (pick one), Survival (Jungle), Language: Azaar
Drakkan are not actually related to dragons, but do resemble them. They're draconic-looking humanoids with leathery skin, functional wings, sharp claws, and a bone-barbed tail. They tend to live away from civilization, but can become successful within it thanks to their strong physical and mental ability. Many of them feel a connection to real dragons, and in turn many people associate them with these dangerous predators. This can strain race relations.
GenMax: STR 17, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 17, WILL 15, INT 14, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 13
GenPackage: Fly (4x CMR), Eagle Eyes (+1), Gloom Sight, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs, Wings, Tail), Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Natural AP 8, Language: Dracul
Goblins are the whipping boys of SenZar. They're human-sized, but dumpy, green, and usually have bad posture. They have filthy claws and crooked fangs. They smell bad, they're crude, and they're not too bright, or so it's said. For the most part, Goblins have stopped caring what other races think. They live in the sewers of many cities, and nomadically outside cities - if you lived in the sewer, wouldn't you smell bad and have a bad attitude? They're great at surviving, and if you need a dirty deed done (like adventuring), Goblins will probably get it done.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 12, PRE 14, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs), Bloodhound (+1), Natural AP 2, Language: Gash
G'rru are wolflike humanoids. Originally bred as manhunters, they now live a mostly peaceful tribal existence. Unfortunately, they have recently been targeted by the Rellian Crusade (see "Dragonslayer" under Classes for more) and many tribes have been wiped out. Those who remain have become wary and distrustful as a result.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 14, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, Fangs), Gloom Sight, Stalking, Stealth, Bloodhound (+1), Survival (choose 1 environment), +1 CMR, Language: G'rr
Humans are pretty much like the ones you know. Although they are culturally the dominant race in many areas (including the city of Zengara, where the campaign will probably begin), they have no special talents or powers. Statswise, there are few reasons to play a human; they have no particular strengths or weaknesses. Humans are the only race that can become Dragonslayers (or Inquisitors, but that's pretty much NPC-only). The human cultures of SenZar are descended over a very long time from those of Terra, so if you want Pseudo-Japan or Pseudo-Egypt or something to be in your backstory, knock yourself out.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 15, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Language (choose 1)
Khazak are basically dwarves. Beards, living underground, etc. Things that make them distinct from Standard Fantasy Dwarves are a strongly ingrained cultural dislike of spellcasting, and.. uh.. that's basically it. Ironically, a spellcaster who wants to get serious about advanced artificing will almost have to cultivate a Khazak master-smith as an ally, since the Khazak Vulcan Forge is one of the few methods of forging the exotic materials necessary to make advanced artificing feasible.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 14, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Directional Sense, Language: Khaz; pick two of Deep Engineer, Smithing, or Son of the Mountain
Khobolds are related to Khazak. Where Khazak are masters of smithing and engineering, Khobolds are obsessed with magic. Culturally, hoarding magical power is considered a virtue among Khobolds. They have a bad reputation, partly because many of them are more than willing to strike unsavory deals for magical power or devices. They get along very poorly with their Khazak cousins, in particular.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 14, DEX 14, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 16, POW 17
GenPackage: Gloom Sight, Magic Sense, Appraise Loot, Trading, Languages: Khaz and DarkSpeak
K'ryl are asexual plant-descended humanoid. Physically they most resemble stereotypical "Grey" aliens, although they are actually green. They sustain themselves by photosynthesis, and communicate telepathically. Culturally, they have developed the mental art of Mysticism quite strongly, and are excellently-suited to its practice. K'ryl adventurers are usually out to look for Understandingg or Enlightenment or something like that.
GenMax: STR 13, SPD 13, DEX 13, CON 16, WILL 19, INT 16, PRE 15, PER 18, POW 15
GenPackage: Horticulture, Magic Sense, Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Telepathy, CMR -1
Nazar Ethan resemble copper-skinned humans, about a foot taller than average. They were created by a rogue divinity known as Gabriel as living icons to his glory. They live on a utopian island called Nazar Eth which exists out of phase with the rest of SenZar and can only be visited or escaped through the tunnels of the underworld or by means of divine power. They are idealized noble savages who practice martial games but do not actually kill each other, and live forever barring accident or violence. Some of them are driven by curiousity to leave Nazar Eth by the dangerous passages, while others are plucked from it as part of divine games. In the outside world, their patron Gabriel is known as "The Lord Of The Pit" and feared for his cruelty, which is uaully a bit of a shock.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 16, INT 16, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 15
GenPackage: CMR +1, Magic Sense, Immunity to Aging, Telepathy
Saurans are a desert-dwelling race of reptilian herdsmen, seven or eight feet tall with snakelike features and scaly hides. Their culture is peaceful, sedate, and a bit boring as far as most races are concerned. Some Saurans also find themselves bored; when they leave the desert, they find that their great strength, thick hides, and regenerative ability make them extraordinarily capable fighters. Few Saurans have any real love of violence, but it is an interesting life and one which they are naturally good at.
GenMax: STR 18, SPD 12, DEX 14, CON 19, WILL 14, INT 13, PRE 15, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: CMR -1, Natural AP 10, Basal Regeneration (1 HP/day), Body Weaponry DC 1 (claws, fangs, tail), Infravision, Survival (wasteland), Language: Sslurr
Sidhe are one of the few remaining native races of SenZar. They are elemental beings of the same general class (although much lower order) as the Dragon itself. Their language is understood by all animal and plant life of SenZar, at least insofar as the creature's intelligence permits. Most Sidhe live in wild places, but many are also inexplicably fascinated by other species, particularly Humans. Sidhe have no natural physical body; they instead create a body with which to interact with the world. While this could take any form, PC Sidhe should have roughtly humanoid bodies ranging from one inch to seven feet tall. (A one-inch-tall Sidhe can still have a Strength up to GenMax, although he might not have the leverage to make best use of it.) They may take any appearance when creating this body, and usually choose something which the race that interests them will find beautiful and exotic. Since they are the spirits venerated by the Good Earth code, most Sidhe will subscribe to this code to some degree.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 17, INT 17, PRE 17, PER 17, POW 20
GenPackage: CMR +1, Gloom Sight, The Sight, Magic Sense, Empathy, Woodcraft, Survival (choose 1), Language: Sidhe
Silestions are a race resembling golden-skinned humans with single-color (pupilless and irisless) eyes. They have a fierce warrior code of honor. They venerate The Phoenix, an aspect of the Dragon (or vice versa) which they associate with the sun. They have a longstanding military alliance with the human city-state of Zengara, and many of SenZar's most powerful martial artists are either Silestions or Silestion-trained.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 15, POW 10
GenPackage: Immunity to Fatigue (while in sunlight), Immunity to Disease, Language: Silesion; pick one of Boxing or Wrestling
Solarr are a genetically-modified splinter race of the Silestions. They look like slender Silestions with great eagle wings. Unlike Silestions, they prefer a peaceful and isolated existence, although they are fierce if provoked. They have a close relationship with the Silestions, but tend to look down on other nonflying races. Solarr have a special hatred of snakes.
GenMax: STR 14, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Flight (5x CMR), Eagle Eyes (+1), Language: High Silesian
Starin are pretty much elves: long-lived pointy-eared forest dwellers. There are a few significant differences, though. Starin put high merit on repression of their emotions, and are possessed of perfect memory. The Rellian Crusade (see "Dragonslayer" in Classes) has a particular enmity for Starin due to doctrinal misunderstandings. The Starin, for reasons known only to themselves, have shown no particular grudge towards the Crusaders in turn. Culturally, Starin subscribe to the Good Earth code and may have been its original codifiers. There are, of course, exceptions.
GenMax: STR 15, SPD 15, DEX 15, CON 15, WILL 17, INT 17, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 15
GenPackage: Total Recall, Gloom Sight, Eagle Eyes (+1), Languages: High Starin/Starin/Sidhe; pick one of Art or Music
Tauran are your classic minotaurs. They do not have their own fully-developed culture; they are fully assimilated into human cultures. A main reason for this is that Tauran do not breed true with their own kind; instead, they mate with a Human and produce Tauran children. Some Taurans take harems of Human mates, although this is not nearly as common as some people would like to believe. The Rellian Crusade is extremely disapproving of this, to say the least, and Taurans do not reside in places where the Crusade is strong.
GenMax: STR 19, SPD 14, DEX 12, CON 17, WILL 16, INT 12, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, hooves, horns), Natural AP 2, Gloom Sight, Bloodhound (+1), Directional Sense, Language: as humans of region
T'leel are an amphibian splinter race of the Starin. They resemble Starin, although their faces are "flattened" and they have rows of gills on their necks. They have regular commerce with some coastal regions, and often rescue shipwreck victims, but do not have a close cultural relationship with land-dwellers for the most part. Part of the reason for this is that T'leel tend to become unhealthy when they are underhydrated, and so they rarely spend lengthy periods out of the water. They can do so, however, if they are careful to bring a lot of water with them.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 15, INT 15, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 13
GenPackage: Swim (3x CMR), Keen Hearing (+1), Gloom Sight, Aquatic Dependency, Music (voice), Language: T'leel
Tygor are felinoids with features resembling any of a number of great cats, varying by tribe. Culturally, they are hunter-gatherers, although a fair number of them travel to civilization and are, for the most part, accepted. Their claws are non-retractable and quite sharp, but a careful Tygor can handle things without damaging them.
GenMax: STR 16, SPD 16, DEX 16, CON 16, WILL 14, INT 14, PRE 16, PER 16, POW 10
GenPackage: CMR +1, Body Weaponry DC 1 (Claws, fangs), Gloom Sight, Bloodhound (+1), Stalking, Survival (choose 1), Language: Myyrrn
NPC Races
Mokarr are a deep-dwelling race devoted to the Dark Earth. They have access to high technology, and disturbingly enough they are all physically identical. Demonians are reputedly night-dark, with fangs, horns, cruel genius and black charisma, and unswervingly loyal to the Death Horde. There are still a few left on SenZar, forming cults and schemes to weaken the Dragon and permit their masters to reconquer. Golgothans are hunters from another world: fierce, physically powerful, and relentless. Some seem driven by their own sense of honor and the joy of the hunt, while others are apparently mercenaries serving the Death Horde. Either kind should be considered extremely dangerous.
Classes
A feature of classes that needs to be described is combat and magic progression. Every class is either "professional" or "semiprofessional" (usually shortened "pro"/"semipro") in these two features.
Pro Combat practitioners get +1 Combat Value every level and an extra Action Phase every five levels. Semipro Combat practitioners get +1 Combat Value every other level and an extra Action Phase every ten levels.
Pro Magic practitioners get +4 POW every level and start with seven free spells from within their discipline. Semipro Magic practitioners get +3 POW every level and start with only 4 free spells from within their discipline, if any.
All classes start with one Action Phase per round, and receive hit points equal to their level multiplied by their CON. Now, on to the classes!
Alchemists are, unsurprisingly, practitioners of Alchemy. They produce potions and other magical substances; at highly advanced levels, they can even learn to create life. Alchemists do not cast spells per se; instead, they work in a (pretty expensive) lab to produce their substances ahead of time. Of course, unlike other spellcasters, Alchemists can pretty easily defray the costs of their labs by selling their products.
GenMin: WILL 13, INT 13, POW 10
GenPackage: Alchemy (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Cryptology, Scribe, Natural Lore, Horticulture, Astrology, Jeweler, Locksmith, Smithing, Languages (any 2), Weapon Training: Grenades, Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Alchemist: You can make money during downtime pretty easily. Every adventurer loves the man with the healing potions. Advanced techniques let you make containers to deliver multiple doses at once for potential massive damage output.
Why Not Play An Alchemist: You're as powerful as your prep time makes you. Although I'm not rigidly enforcing carrying capacity, you may want to acquire a magical storage device as soon as feasible. The first-order effects aren't all that hot, so you'll want 20 Power and someone to learn from as soon as possible. There's also a very rare substance called Ultima which completely blocks alchemy effects.
Astromancers are mages who channel the power of the heavens and the signs of the zodiac. This makes them skilled at divination and valuable advisors, but there are also a number of miscellaneous effects based on the symbolism of zodiac signs, including a mix of healing, buffs, debuffs, and utility spells, and some surprisingly nasty direct attacks. An Astromancer is most powerful during the month when his zodiac sign is ascendant.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 13, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Astromancy (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Astrology, Divine Lore, Theology, Scribe, Cryptology, Exotics, Languages (any 2), Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Astromancer: A variety of useful spells. For one month out of the year, your attack spells blast the everloving crap out of stuff. Advanced Astromancers can cast Meteo.
Why Not Play An Astromancer: That power sign bonus is one month out of thirteen. The rest of the time, you're decent at a wide variety of stuff but your only outstanding strength is divination.
Battlemages are pretty much what they sound like. They're specially trained at a small number of military academies as military-support units. They can dominate a battlefield with powerful spells focusing on elemental power and mobility, along with a smattering of other battlefield-support spells, and are equally able to close to melee combat with front-line soldiers. Unfortunately, they undergo military conditioning during their training; they think in terms of chain of command, and most notably feel an overwhelming compulsion to engage other Battlemages before engaging other enemies.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12, WILL 12, INT 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Battlemagic (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Natural Lore, Weapon Training (any 4), Ambush, Riding, Exotics, Siege Weapons, Scribe, Tactics, Command, Languages (any 1)
Why Play A Battlemage: Strong melee combat, mobility buffs, heavy-duty elemental assault magic. If you need to ask why you would play a battlemage, you will never understand.
Why Not Play A Battlemage: That psychological compulsion can be a pain. Most of their early defensive spells protect you specifically against elemental attacks rather than giving general defense. They're not very good at noncombat situations.
Dragonslayers are an order of holy knights in the service of the human deity Rel. Rel was the first human to ascend to divinity on SenZar, and remains the only specifically-human patron. Dragonslayers take their name from their willingness and ability to face even the fiercest monsters to defend their fellow humans. Traditionally, they are fierce devotees of The Cause. Unfortunately, over the centuries, the leadership of their order of the Church of Rel has come to believe that the biggest threat to humanity comes from oppression by nonhuman races. The Rellian Crusade, of which the Dragonslayers are the strong right arm, believes that humans must be supreme on SenZar, with the Church of Rel as the sole religion, and make war on nonhuman kingdoms and the code of the Good Earth.
There are now two kinds of Dragonslayers. The vast majority follow as their code the Crusade, the warped and violently xenophobic version of the Cause described above. A few, though, still follow the Cause in its original form, protecting and serving humanity without taking the world as their enemies. Unfortunately, these heroic few will still probably have to deal with the Crusade's bad reputation while being considered heretics by their faith. Rel, for reasons known only to himself, grants divine magic to both types. Dragonslayer PCs will be expected to be followers of the true Cause rather than the Crusade. For obvious reasons, only humans can be Dragonslayers.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Divine Magic (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Riding (warhorse), Mounted Combat (warhorse), Theology, Divine Lore, pit Lore, Command, Weapon Training (any 4)
Why Play A Dragonslayer: Martial prowess combined with the powerful defensive and healing power of divine magic. Lots of heroic angst.
Why Not Play A Dragonslayer: Most people will assume you're a dangerously violent xenophobe. The dangerously violent xenophobes will consider you a heretic. You may eventually face an Inquisition.
Enchanters are mages who specialize in illusion and mind-influencing magic. Since being known publicly as a mindwarper can undermine people's willingness to trust you, enchanters are also trained in the performing and creative arts, and often use these skills to create and reinforce a cover identity. Some of them pretend to be Spellsingers, who also have mind-influencing magic and who generate real effects instead of illusions. Sure, it pisses off the Spellsingers, but who cares what those hippies think? Other than the part where their spells generate real effects and yours mostly don't.
GenMin: DEX 12, WILL 12, INT 12, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Enchantment (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Magic Sense, Artificer, Art (any 1), Music (any 1), Acrobatics, Acting, Oratory, Exotics, Legerdemain, Languages (any 2), Scribe, Weapon Training (any 1)
Why Play An Enchanter: Charms, illusions, influence, and the ability to make stupid people think they're on fire and die.
Why Not Play An Enchanter: Enemies with high INT and PER can see through your deceptions and influences. In cases like that, your options are limited. Also, nobody likes being tricked, and lots of people will assume that Enchanters are trying to trick them.
Martial Artists are specialists in martial arts. They are not necessarily monks or members of a secret order, but it takes a great deal of dedication to something - personal strength, if nothing else - to reach their level of achievement. Anyone can learn the "common" martial arts techniques, but only a few classes can learn the advanced Shy'R and Black Wyrm arts. The Martial Artist class takes it a step further and is able to learn both styles, assuming his codes are not overtly incompatible with them and he can find someone to initiate him into a second art. Martial Artists, no matter their codes, are expected to accept challenges from other Martial Artists or lose face. If you turn down too many challenges, you'll have trouble getting more training.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 12, CON 12, WILL 11
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 5 Martial Arts Disciplines from the selected style, Language (any 1), Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Martial Artist: Powerful martial arts, eventually surpassing any other martial-arts class.
Why Not Play A Martial Artist: Getting that cross-style training can be tricky, and until you do your bag of tricks is smaller than some dedicated classes.
Mystics are practitioners of the inner power of Ki. Partly psychic, partly spiritual, with a liberal dash of armchair-Zen, Mysticism offers both mental attacks, divinations, and a pile of mind-over-body tricks. Other mages don't like Mystics very much, partly because nobody is clear about where the power of Mysticism originates and Mystics are annoyingly vague about answering it. At one point a miscommunication led to several rival disciplines banding up to try to destroy Mystics; things aren't that bad anymore, but it never stops being tense after that kind of thing. Mysticism is also the only non-divine magical discipline completely accepted by the Rellian Crusade and a form of it is used by their Inquisitors. Not all Mystics are happy about this, and it doesn't really help their relationship with other disciplines. The rumors of "Mystic Assassins" don't help, either.
GenMin: WILL 14, INT 12, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Mysticism (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Meditation, Healing Arts, Theology, Divine Lore, Lore (any 2 additional), Exotics, Language (any 2), Scribe, Weapons Training (any 2)
Why Play A Mystic: If you like psionics and you like armchair Zen, it'll do great. Mysticism is pretty versatile, with a variety of useful and some unique effects.
Why Not Play A Mystic: If you face a mindless enemy, it could be trouble. Also, some people are even more suspicious of mind-readers than of illusionists. Some mystic orders earn the suspicion, and Mystics are the kind of people where you can't be sure if your mentor is one of those.
Mystic Warriors combine the discipline of Mysticism with the martial arts. They belong to an ascetic order, going out into the world with nothing but a walking stick and a begging bowl, and until level 10 they can own no more wealth than they can carry. They are not permitted to return to their home monasteries, and must seek out new experiences and new masters. Mystic Warriors adhere firmly to the Way Of The Phoenix, a version of the Good Earth code; failure to uphold it results in the loss of their Mystical powers.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 12, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Mysticism (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Theology, Healing Arts, Lore (any 2), Scribe, Languages (any 2), Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 2 Shy'R Martial Arts disciplines, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Mystic Warrior: Mysticism's mind-over-body tricks and Shy'R kung fu power form a beautifully violent synergy.
Why Not Play A Mystic Warrior: Their oaths and obligations can pretty seriously limit their life options, particularly for players who really like hoarding loot.
Priests are the servants of various divine powers. The Good Earth is a popular patron, as are many racial and regional deities (often interchangeable; Zengara, with its military ties to the Silestrions, has many non-Silestrion priests of the Silesian pantheon.) The human deity Rel has many priests; some are affiliated with the Rellian Crusade, while others simply minister to the common folk. The black gods of the Death Horde and the cthonic force known as the Dark Earth also give power to humans who serve them. What all Priests have in common is a strong dedication to the deity or force they serve. A Priest who can convert his opponents rather than simply defeating them earns extra experience points. If you want to play a Priest of a racial or regional deity, talk to me and we'll figure out a good patron and code.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 12, PRE 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Divine Magic (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Theology, Divine Lore, Administration, Healing Arts, Exotics, Languages (select 2), Scribe, Oratory, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Priest: Strong healing and defensive magic and the certain knowledge that Someone out there is looking out for you.
Why Not Play A Priest: The certain knowledge that Someone Else out there probably hates you and wants you destroyed, and your religious obligations strongly limit the classic adventurer loot-and-plunder lifestyle.
Rangers are the guardians of the wild places. Highly trained combatants and survivalists, they tend to ignore politics and law except insofar as it impacts their outdoor home. For the most part, they're organized in loose groups bound together by personal debts and obligations, although some are more or less organized. Most rangers follow the code of the Good Earth, although there is no magical requirement that they do so. Occasionally Rangers will join civilization as elite guards or military scouts.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Ambush, Stalking, Stealth, Natural Lore, healing Arts, Riding (horse), Mounted Combat (horse), Animal Training, Survival (any 2), Silent Speech, Woodcraft, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Ranger: Tame and train animals, survive in the wilderness, and generally feel l33t. C'mon, man. Rangers are l33t.
Why Not Play A Ranger: No magic or other "superpowers", if that kind of thing bugs you.
Rogues are not just thieves. They are geniuses of the criminal arts, serving a long course of study under a master's tutelage. Their heists tend towards the daring and audacious, and they often consider themselves "above" any local thieves' guilds. This wins them few friends in the underworld of organized crime, but a Rogue is usually sure he can deal with it.. after all, he's tough, quick, and smart, right?
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 11
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Weapons Training (any 4), Acrobatics, Stealth, BS, Appraise, Climbing, Forgery, Gambling, Legerdemain, Locksmith, Party On!, Pickpockets, Silent Speech, Streetspeak, Streetwise, Trading, Traps
Why Play A Rogue: Strong combat combined with skills for a wide variety of situations. Also, plenty of style.
Why Not Play A Rogue: Neither the law nor the criminals like you very much. Although you're great in cities and good in dungeons, the wilderness has you out of your element, and there's a lot of wilderness out there.
Shy'R Warriors are super-elite warriors trained by the Silestions. They combine martial arts with survival and warfare training and a deep dedication to the Shy'R code of martial honor. Each Shy'R Warrior is tattooed with a black Honor Crest on his chest, unique to that Warrior, and no Shy'R Warrior will obscure it with armor unless so ordered by a superior officer. Shy'R Warriors consider one-on-one duels to be vastly important matters of honor, and if there is interference on either side the Warrior must do his best to achieve a rematch. Shy'R Warriors are forbidden to boast, brag, or demand monetary compensation for services. They are bound to their order, although they have considerable latitude in selecting assignments. At level 10, they are expected to start spending a certain amount of time training the next generation of Shy'R Warriors. Although all Shy'R Warriors are Silestion-trained, non-Silestions may become Shy'R Warriors through the Silestions' close military relationship with the city of Zengara.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 11, INT 11, PER 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package, any 2 Shy'R Disciplines, The Silent Strike, Climbing, Survival (any 2), Language (any 1), Ambush, Tactics, Weapons Training (any 4), Swimming, Venoms/Poisons/Radiation, Traps, Silent Speech, First Aid
Why Play A Shy'R Warrior: Shy'R Warriors are super combat badasses, like the horrifying love-children of samurai and Green Berets.
Why Not Play A Shy'R Warrior: Those oaths and obligations are pretty serious stuff. Their personal freedom is fairly strictly limited in a lot of ways.
Sorcerors combine the earthshaking powers of magic and technobabble. They harness scientific forces in entirely unscientific ways, and somehow it all makes sense to them. There are only a few schools that teach Sorcery, each cleaving to its own philosophical viewpoint, but all of them hold that they are engaging in scientific operations wherein nothing is inexplicable. Few non-Sorcerors have the scientific grounding to dispute this viewpoint.
GenMin: WILL 12, INT 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Sorcery (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Cryptology, Scribe, Lore (Ancient), Lore (any 2), Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Sorceror: Monkey with gravity and blast people with plasma or hard radiation. At high levels, you get the Prismatic spells, which not only kill people, but (since this is SenZar) kill them nine different ways. Because the SenZar spectrum's dial goes to 9. Oh, and if for some reason you need to know about technology, Sorcerors are probably the best-equipped to do it.
Why Not Play A Sorceror Your magitechnobabble is faintly ridiculous, and there's always the suspicion that the other magical disciplines are laughing at you behind your back.
Spellsingers combine the power of mysticism and the force of magic through the lens of music to form an energy from a truly unique source. While they receive training from other Spellsingers, most know right from the beginning how it must be. The six-string in their hands turns out to be their destiny, and they grow to live by the "Rules Of The Road". If challenged to a musical duel, they are honorbound to accept; some of these duels can end up incorporating magical or martial elements. "Serious" mages take issue with their wild, hybridized style, but there's a power in there that earns Spellsingers some kind of respect.
GenMin: DEX 12, WILL 13, INT 12, PRE 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Spellsinging (Pro Magic), Artificer, Magic Sense, Semipro Combat, Weapons Training (any 2), Perfect Pitch, Music (any 4 instruments), Oratory OR Acting (pick one), Lore (any 3), Diplomacy, exotics, Streetspeak, Streetwise, Languages (any 3), Scribe
Why Play A Spellsinger: Once you get past the sometimes-goofy spell names, Spellsinging has a pretty broad range of useful effects. A lot of the spells are resisted with PRE, giving a possible "opening" against enemies prepared against other magic.
Why Not Play A Spellsinger: Enemies who are cooler than you are will give you some problems, although not insurmountable ones. Some of those spell names are really goofy. Other mages probably won't take you seriously, but who cares what they think? You need an instrument you can play to cast spells. Voice counts, so I highly recommend you use one of your four instrument picks for that.
Stalkers are elite bounty hunters. They track down their "prey" and bring it in dead or alive, as the employer demands. Although they are essentially mercenaries, a Stalker always abides by the terms of his contract. A Stalker who reneges on a contract becomes a target for other Stalkers, since a blot on the profession hurts everyone's bottom line. Beyond this understanding, there's no real organization or central academy for Stalkers; they learn their skills however they can. As such, their personalities and methods can vary widely.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 11, PER 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Stalking, Stealth, Ambush, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Basic Martial Arts Package (select 1), any 2 Disciplines from selected style, The Silent Strike, Woodcraft, Survival (any 1), Streetwise, Streetspeak, Silent Speech, Traps, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Stalker: You're a dangerous guy with an easy plot hook.
Why Not Play A Stalker: The mercenary life isn't for everyone, and your reputation is less than heroic.
Warriors are exactly what they sound like: specialists in the trade of fighting. They can fill all kinds of violent social roles, and have fairly flexible options for branching out. They don't have much in the way of fancy tricks and no "super powers", but they don't let that stop them from laying a serious beatdown.
GenMin: STR 12, CON 12
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Semipro Magic, Weapons Training (any 6), Boxing OR Wrestling OR Common Martial Arts Package (pick 1), Riding (warhorse), Mounted Combat (warhorse)
Why Play A Warrior: Don't let the lack of fancy tricks fool you; they can beat the crap out of enemies as well as any Super-Elite Warrior Commando, and have pretty much no restrictions except what you choose to give them.
Why Not Play A Warrior: They are pretty much inarguably the least shiny class on the planet of SenZar.
Witches channel the power of the Good Earth or the Dark Earth directly. They speak with natural spirits and bind nature to their will. They are not especially organized, and usually receive their training from the spirits they communicate with rather than a mortal teacher. As far as most spirits are concerned, the Good Earth and the Dark Earth are identical; they consider them to be two figureheads for the same force and will serve Witches of either code with equal aplomb. Nonetheless, Witches (even Sidhe Witches) tend to take the mortal view of such matters and assign nature morality by the actions they take with it.
GenMin: WILL 11, PRE 14, PER 13, POW 10
GenPackage: Witchcraft (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, The Sight, Healing Arts, Natural Lore, Horticulture, Scribe, Astrology, Exotics, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Language: Sidhe, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Witch: Lots of druid-type magic and spirit summoning. Very few direct attack spells, but the ones you have can't be resisted with saves. Witches can learn their spells from summoned spirits instead of looking for tutors.
Why Not Play A Witch: I don't have the sourcebook with spirit stats in them, so don't expect to get much combat mileage out of those dudes. Your attack spell may be unresistable, but since it's low level it's hard to get much bang out of it later.
Witch Hunters do not, surprisingly, hunt Witches.. at least, not anymore. They formed as an offshoot sect of Mystics at a time when Mysticism was considered dangerous to the existence of the world, developing skills and techniques for hunting down those who wished to hunt them down in turn. That war is long over, however, and the arts of the Witch Hunter are now handed down from master to student and used in an unrelenting life mission of "punishing the guilty". Each Witch Hunter has a particular obsession of some crime that must be punished: murder, hypocrisy, or something else entirely. They hunt down the guilty and unswervingly mete out punishment. Generally, this means that a Witch Hunter will have his personal Code at well above 10.
GenMin: STR 12, DEX 11, CON 12, WILL 14, INT 11, PER 12, POW 10
GenPackage: Pro Combat, Mysticism (Semipro Magic), Magic Sense, Black Wyrm OR Shy'R Martial Arts Basic Package (pick 1), any 1 Discipline from selected style, The Silent Strike, Stalking, Stealth, Ambush, Traps, Venoms/Poisons/Radiations, Woodcraft, Theology, Scribe, Languages (any 2), Weapons Training (any 4)
Why Play A Witch Hunter: Mysticism, martial arts prowess, stalking skills and an obsessed hunter make for a pretty scary combination. Lots of Batmantastic obsessoriffic fun to be had.
Why Not Play A Witch hunter: These guys are kind of crazy.
Wizards are highly-disciplined and highly respected magic experts. When it comes to understanding the nature and function of magic, nobody is as skilled as a Wizard. Like Sorcerors, they are trained at only a few academies, but unlike Sorcerors they do not try to bind magic to the terms of science. Due to their understanding of magic's functioning, they have a focused and efficient style of spellcasting, and many of their spells can be cast with a single word or gesture where other disciplines require a lengthy incantation. Wizards are sometimes seen as a little snobbish by practitioners of other disciplines; even though Wizards respect other disciplines' power and find them interesting as an academic subject, they still consider their own expertise the "purest". It was a misunderstanding on a Wizarding academy's part that led to Mysticism's persecution by other disciplines, and the subject remains tense between the two disciplines.
GenMin: WILL 13, INT 14, POW 10
GenPackage: Wizardry (Pro Magic), Semipro Combat, Artificer, Magic Sense, Lore (any 2), Scribe, Cryptology, Exotics, Languages (any 2), Astrology, Weapons Training (any 1)
Why Play A Wizard: The fast-casting of many Wizard spells doesn't matter much at low levels, but with higher-order spells it can get significant. No other class can cast two sixth-order spells in a round. You also have the only spell in the book that sets an enemy's character sheet on fire.
Why Not Play A Wizard: The disadvantage of those fast-cast spells is that they are tightly focused. They're single-target by default and expanding their AoE can get pretty expensive.
NPC Classes
Assassins are something of an open secret; everyone's heard of the Assassin's Guild, but nobody knows much about it. Supposedly they have an elite (and crazy) branch called Harlequins, too. Mystic Assassins are a subject that Mystics and Witch Hunters refuse to discuss. Rellian Inquisitors are all too well-known; there are only 49 of them, but using the techniques of Mysticism to read minds and psychically torture suspected heretics earns you a reputation real fast. Necromancers and the dark Sentinels that serve them are also rare, but every so often they'll announce their continued existence with a new outbreak of atrocity. Supposedly they're looking to achieve immortality by becoming demons; whether that's true or not, they certainly act like it.
As always, feel free to ask me for any clarifications. Look forward to the next lesson!