Players' Guide

Concepts
Play begins in early spring, ~5012 AS. The world has been largely in a state of constant conflict for last 100 years since the major fighting during the War of Success died down. While massive wars and battles are almost unheard of, border skirmishes are an almost every day occurance. Several thousand years ago, a great sundering occured which resulted in a massive upheaval of the earth, mountains became valleys, lakes dried up and became deserts, and what was once a single continent split into two. Magic is a myth - a tale told around campfires. Mages are used like boogeymen to scare kids into behaving. "Go to bed, or a mage will steal you away to his great citadel!"

The further away you move from the borders and towards the great capital cities, the more calm things become. Trade still largely continues unimpeded, and culture still flourishes, but the threat of war lingers. Behind the great walls of castles secret discussions are carried on by diplomats and viziers. Secret pacts are formed and treaties are fleshed out. Attack one country and another will come to its aid. Thus is the peace kept intact.

Magic is extremely limited in form and function. This was different at one time, but humans and mages were in a massive war several millenia ago, the result of which left the world dereft of most of its magic. All the mages either dead, gone, or vanished. There is evidence that mankind was once more technologically advanced than what they are now, but most of that technology is lost save ancient monuments or relics.

Magical items are now crafted using magical essences harvested from beasts. The knowledge of this technique is an extremely guarded technique, and only the kingdom of Rasara produces them. That's not to say they are rare, in fact Rasara exports primarily nothing but magical items. Just don't expect to be able to walk into a corner shop and find the tools you need to go make some yourself.

Alchemy is used primarily now to replace what technology or magic once could do. Technology has now advanced to a level similar to that of pre-industrial revolution America (think late 18th to early 19th century). Gun use is becoming more and more widespread, but melee weapons still have their place in the right situation.

Your characters are a group of a small band of mercenaries or adventurers-for-hire. You had taken up a job from the small country of K'Tir. A small coastal kingdom kept largely away from the fights by the ocean on one side and a desert on the other. Promised a rich payment in gold for helping to put down a rival prince, you returned only to find the prince who hired you assaassinated and the killing blamed on you.

Fleeing with what supplies you could quickly gather you began the perilous trip through the desert. With your supplies dwindling, you fortunately come across a desert caravan - with goods from K'Tir for trade - and quickly joined in as hired guards.

Roles and Backgrounds
Your group has been through many adventures together, both mundane and fantastical. You're equally comfortable delving into a dungeon as you are slipping through the back alleys of capital cities.

Races
There have only ever been humans alive - to your knowledge. There may exist other, more interesting races, hidden in the caves and mountains of the world that have never been explored.

Kingdoms
As Human is the only race selectable, think of your kingdom as a race more than anything. Each kingdom will have specifics strengths and weaknesses based on their history and culture. You many select any of the following kingdoms ((subject to change))
 * K'Tir
 * Silva
 * Jaa
 * Eld
 * Rasara

Names
Names should fit with the chosen country of background. See each kingdom under the specific Nations section for potential ideas

Language
With rare exception, all kingdoms speak a form of common language that can be understood by everyone. This has to do with the intermingling of the countries and bloodlines over the past several thousand years. With some exception there are additional languages that are spoken (for example K'Tir still has their own language and alphabet), but this is the exception rather than the rule and stems more from the fact that they are more isolated from the main kingdoms on the continent.

There also exists an unknown language that has been found on ancient ruins. This can only be understood by someone, however, with a trait or skill that would allow them knowledge of ancient history as it is studied by archeologists and historians and largely understood in academic circles.

Magic
Magic, as far as the players know, is very limited. Most of magic is in relationship to healing or body fortification. It is common knowledge that magic was once greater than it is now, but it has been millenia since anybody capable of wielding it as such. To your knowledge the last mage perished at the end of the Second Mage War.

Technology
Technologically speaking, things are of a similar level to pre-industrial revolution America. Rifles and other projectile weapons exists as do simple bombs or hand grenades. Handguns also exist, but are mostly single shot weapons. Technology is largely alchemically based, so things like lamps are created by chemical reactions rather than by fire alone.

Swords and knives still exist, as do bows and arrows and crossbows, but battles on the field are becoming more and more about firing weapons back and forth at each other, either in formation (rapidly falling out of style) or from fire.

In the city however, being able to wield a knife is still a very important skill to possess as guns are still large and unwieldy.

Technology has developed in a largely different direction than what you would think because of the influence of magic and alchemy. For example, within the past ~250 years, airships became a reality due to the discovery of transmuting special metals to allow them to repulse gravity. Also, with alchemical reactions being the main way of healing, medial advancements such as surgery are unheard of due to being able to simply quaff a potion to fix many ailments.

Alchemy
Alchemy is used as substitute for technology and magic. For example, alchemy provides explosives and gunpowder, as well as thermal stone and light. Light is produced alchemically and burns cool. Thermal stones are used for heating rather than open fire, just add water to the stone and they heat to extremely hot temperatures and can burn so long as water remains in the resevoir. Explosives are extremely stable and require no fuse to light. They are carried in breakable containers and explode when the materials inside are exposed to air.

Weapons
Rifles and single shot pistols are becoming more and more widespread. Many weapons are being phased out as they are simply too large and unwieldy. Two-handed weapons are largely out of use - there are rare exceptions, but most people find a sword or dagger more useful.

Reference one-handed melee weapons in the players guide for weapon selection should you choose to go with one of them.

If you select to use a ranged weapon - rifle or pistol - treat them as either a bow or a crossbow (respectively). Weight is doubled of what is located in the players guide due to the heavier materials used. To determine damage treat them as if they were "huge" (so 1d10 weapon would do 2d6 damage instead for example).

Due to their imprecise construction, lack of rifling and general weight of the weapon, the distance of a pistol is half that of a crossbow (treat as 8/15 instead of 15/30 for distance or 5/10 instead of 10/20), while a rifle is 3/4 that of a bow (so 15/30 instead of 20/40 for example). Also, depending on construction there is a chance the weapon can misfire. Roll 1d10 every shot to see if it misfires. A 1 means it backfires and you take minor damage, roll 1d4 to determine damage; a 2 means it misfires; and anything else it fires as normal.

Range restrictions can be removed if the weapon is stablized during firing. This can be accomplished by laying down (with prone restrictions applying) or by using the environment. Stablized, and fired from cover, a 19 or a 20 counts as a critical attack when fired with a rifle.

Ammunition is purchased in bundles following the same restrictions as applies to crossbow bolts and arrows. Consider ammunition to be ready made, so it would include the associated materials to fire. They are in premade "bullets" so standard loading rules would apply.

**Note, rules are subject to change**

Explosives
Explosives are treated like grenades. Grenades should be treated like fire spells to determine damage. Same benefits and restrictions for determining damage and area of effect apply.

Range will be determined by strength - as you are throwing the weapon. For simplicity's sake, we will assume that you can throw the grenade a distance equivalent to your strength score.

There are potential LOS issues, involved as you are throwing the weapon, but if the grenade could conceivably be thrown over the object blocking your intended target, it will be assumed that you threw the grenade over the object. Depending on anything that could be impeding the target there may be penalties (e.g. throwing up to a platform several leves up) **Note, rules are subject to change**

Armor
With guns being used more and more, armor is becoming decreasingly lighter and smaller. Primary armor is currently things like chain mail and boiled leather designed more to turning a blade rather than stopping a bullet. Agility and speed are valued more than having a full suit of plate armor.

As knowledge of the great metals produced before The Sundering has been lost, armorsmiths have instead turned to producing alchemically enhanced armor. Some success has been made in creating light weight armor capable of defending against bullets. But it is not yet extremely common.