PenDragon Pass Rules

GLORY AND AMBITIONS

Glory is replaced by Status. It takes more than just glorious deeds to survive; the farmer who raises enough to feed his neighbors in a drought, and the healer who tides her village through an epidemic, are better regarded than the warrior who slays trolls and brings down the retaliation of their kin.

For game purposes, Status is identical to Glory. High Status individuals are more likely to be recognized, and every 1000 Status points allows the character to add 1 point to any trait, passion, statistic, or skill, even if disallowed by other rules.

10% more Status is awarded for taking an enemy's head after a challenge.

50% more Status is awarded for enemies defeated while balancing on a chariot yoke.

Use of bows, crossbows, or slings reduces Status by 50%. Personal honor requires warriors to confront each other body to body.

Human Foes
armored and mounted warrior = 35
notable mounted warrior (1000-1999 Status) = 50
Rune Master or shaman (2000-3999 Status) = 100
Notable Rune Master (4000-7999 Status) = 250
Famous Rune Master (8000+ Status) = 500
Hero = 750

Animals, Monsters, and Magical Beings
trollkin=10
ordinary dwarf, elf, or troll = 20
notable dwarf, elf, or troll = 50

One-time Honors, Titles, and Ceremonies
Initiate = 50
Acolyte = 200
Priest = 500
High Priest = 500
Rune Lord = 600
Shaman = 250
Thane=200

Traits and Passions
Any trait or passion of 16+ gains Status equal to the value each winter.

Religious behavior (all 5 virtues at 16 or better) gains 100 Status each winter, in addition to points gained from the required traits.

Leadership Responsibility
each 100 people = 1, to a maximum of 100 Status (applies to religious as well as civic leaders)

Other
owning a flashy magic item = 1-10
maintaining a geas = 5
breaking a geas = 10 (but -10 if a clan geas), lose d6 Honor.
Fulfilling an oath

Oaths
Fulfilling an oath can earn Status. For example, if you swear never to cross the Doskior before obtaining vengeance against the Fabeli clan, and you in fact pass up a chance to raid across the Doskior, you might gain 10 Status. The exact amount depends on how important and inconvenient the oath is -- swearing never to eat broccoli gains no Status.

Failing to make good on an oath can lose Honor, usually one point, but sometimes d6 as for a geas.

FEATS

You can attempt a Feat with any combat skill or physical statistic, except Riding, by rolling under half the skill or statistic's value. Success = critical hit; double damage or game effect and possible added Status. Failure = fumble, with automatic Knockdown in addition to other fumble effects. Always name and describe the Feat you are about to enact.

ACTIONS PERMITTED IN MELEE

Casting a spell is a Standard Action. It can be combined with an attack at a reflexive 5/+5 modifier.

SPECIAL COMBAT TACTICS

Break Shield/Weapon
Resolve the attack normally, but apply a -5 penalty for attempting to strike a small target. If you win the resolution, roll damage normally, but oppose the damage against the shield's parry armor (6). If this resolution is successful, the shield is shattered. This option may not be used with small weapons such as daggers.

Disarm
Resolve the attack normally, but apply a -5 penalty for attempting to strike a small target. If you win the resolution, roll damage normally, but oppose the damage against the opponent's STR. If this resolution is successful, the target weapon is knocked d6-1 metres from its wielder (0 indicates it fell at his feet).

Dodge
To do nothing but dodge an incoming blow, make an unopposed DEX roll (subject to the normal modifiers). A critical or successful result means you avoided the blow. A failed or fumbled roll means you fell as a result of your violent movement, and will be hit by your enemy if he makes his unopposed combat roll.

To dodge and fight, split your weapon skill into defense and attack. Oppose your enemy with the amount allocated to defense. If you fumble your roll, you fall down. After this resolution, if you're still standing, you may make an unopposed roll with the attack portion.

Fighting in Formation
Trained troops can fight in close formation with shield and spear. The first rank uses the Defense tactic and the Battle skill, the second rank attacks with spear (but without the modifier below). To fight against such a formation, oppose your attack roll against the spear roll. If you're successful, oppose the number rolled against the shield roll to see if you inflict damage. [Option: fighting in formation may not be used until learned (instead of a one-point skill increase).]

Example: Suboti's stead is raided by mercenaries from Drom, who group into a close formation when she leads a counterattack. Suboti rolls a 10, a success with her Sword, which beats the spearman's roll of 2. Now Suboti's 10 is opposed against the shield man's Battle skill of 10, with a +10 modifier for his use of Defense. He rolls a 9, a partial success, so he gets to parry Suboti's damage roll.

Flurry
A critical does normal damage, but allows a second, unopposed attack against the same opponent.

Great Blow
Resolve the attack normally, but with a -5 penalty for trading accuracy for force. If you win the resolution, roll one extra d6 of damage.

Multiple Attacks
Attacking multiple opponents incurs a -5 penalty per extra attack -- if you attack three opponents, each attack is at -10.

Pole Weapons
Spears and two-handed pole weapons may be used to hold off attackers. A character facing someone using a spear has a -3 modifier to any opposed combat rolls until he wins an opposed resolution roll. At this point the spear is no longer holding back the attacker, and the fight is at close quarters from then on.

Spear vs. spear combats are resolved by normal opposed resolution.

Shields
The shield normally used in Pendragon is a small or medium-sized shield. A large shield gives 3 extra points of armor on a partial success, but is -3 to the skill.

Against missile fire, shields act as cover, providing a -5 modifier to the attacker's skill.

SKILLS

When a fumble is rolled for a nonsword with spells cast on it, roll d20. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the number of points in the spell (each point of rune magic or enchantment counts as two points), the weapon is dropped rather than broken.

When a sword ties a nonsword, and the other weapon has magic on it, roll d20. If the number rolled is less than or equal to the number of points in the spell (each point of rune magic or enchantment counts as two points), the weapon is not broken.

Iron swords break bronze swords on tied resolutions.

A main gauche may either be used to attack (with the Dagger skill), or used as a parrying weapon with a rapier. When used to parry, it stops 4 points of damage on a partial success, and will be broken (rather than the rapier) on tied successes against a sword.

The quarterstaff parries 4 points of damage on a partial success.

INJURY AND HEALTH

A wound may be treated once with First Aid, and healed once with a magical healing spell. First Aid may be applied to wounds up to a day old, but most spells will only heal wounds received during the last hour.

An unconscious character who regains consciousness through magical healing no longer needs Chirurgery. Magical healing will not eliminate a Major Wound's need for Chirurgery, unless it is specifically described as being capable of regrowing limbs, or heals all damage.

THE WINTER PHASE

Economics Solo
One player or the GM should roll for the land.

1 Terrible. Blight, drought, etc. -5 to skill.
2 Bad. -2 to skill.
3-4 Normal.
5 Good. +2 to skill.
6 Excellent. +5 to skill.

Characters who are supporting themselves and their family should choose a productivity skill to roll for over the winter (typically Animal Lore, Bargaining, Devise, Hunting, Industry, Mineral Lore, Plant Lore, Stewardship). Apply modifiers based on the state of the land, and relevant spells (e.g. Bless Crops). Success gives a check, 10 Status, and a surplus of 60 pennies worth of goods (e.g. obsidian for Mineral Lore). A critical gives 25 Status, and a surplus of 120 pennies worth of goods (e.g. beef jerky for Animal Lore). A failed roll indicates a hard winter; treat as Poor for Stable and Family rolls. A fumble indicates a disastrous winter, treat as Impoverished for Stable and Family rolls. Negative effects may be lessened by a support group such as family or clan, or by a spouse's Stewardship roll, at the GM's option.

A character may choose to create a magic item. This normally requires a Ritual roll (except for women with the gift of potion brewing -- this is automatic but requires an Aging roll).

Worship
A character who is an initiate of a religion, and attended the High Holy Day ceremonies during the year, should attempt a Religion roll (as modified by the presiding priest's Religion roll). Success gains a POW check.

Characters from shamanic cultures who participate in their clan's annual rituals should attempt a Custom (Own) roll (as modified by the presiding shaman's Custom roll). Success gains a POW check.

Experience Check Rolls
POW is the only statistic that can be increased by experience. Roll for a POW check as for skill checks -- a d20 roll must exceed the current value (a roll of 20 always increases POW). Success means POW increases by one.

POW checks are awarded for participation in annual rituals, and rarely for other significant magical activities.

Aging
Magic cannot restore statistics lost through aging.

Family Rolls
At the GM's option, magic may be used to prevent the death of a mother or child.

Training and Practice
[Option: POW may not be trained unless the character is a shaman or assistant shaman.]

Learn a Spell: an adventurer may learn a spirit magic or sorcery spell instead of a increasing a skill by one point.

Learn a Tactic: [Option: a character may learn the use of a special tactic such as fighting in formation instead of increasing a skill by one point.]

EXPERIENCE

At the GM's option, experience rolls may be made a month after an adventure.

TRAINING

Characters may try to learn new skills or spells, or improve existing ones. Each attempt takes one month, and costs 120 silvers (this abstracts living costs while not engaged in productive labor). The GM must determine whether a teacher is available or required, and if he will charge extra. After one month of training or practice, the character makes an experience roll for the skill.

Most physical skills can't be trained past 15. No skill can be trained past 20.

Learning a spirit magic or sorcery spell is automatic, but still takes the same time and expense.

Characters may train each other if the GM rules they have sufficient skills, but both must spend 120 silvers.

[Option: special tactics can be learned by spending a month and 120 silvers.]

Last updated 13 Jan 96 drd

Info Plaza David Dunham Page