March 4, 2012

1 Covenant LARP [email protected] http://www.covenantlarp.com

This game has developed much more quickly and into a much better form than I would ever have expected when I rst began to play with ideas. While I have been the primary writer for it up to this point, I would be remiss if I did not thank the people who have contributed most to its success along the way. I would like to thank Scott Macmillan, for providing encouragement and a sounding board during the early parts of the creation process; Kevin Hamor, whose generous donations of free time, perspective, and system ideas have made these rules far better than they would otherwise have been; Missy Leask, for pointing out the obvious skills that I forgot to write; the writers of the rulebooks for the Lexicon 2, Prophecy 3, and Atropos larps, along with the past MASI games from which those rules evolved I have taken inspiration, ideas, and shamelessly large blocks of text from them; the various fellow gamers who I have spoken to, argued with, and sent early versions of this manual to for review; and, nally, the folks of Winged Throne Productions, whose oer to sponsor this game set the stage for all that came after. Finally, I would like to thank Bob Dunham, who has been a tireless (and occasionally tiresome) proponent of this game since it was only a few ideas bouncing around in my head. Without him, this manual would not exist. Dave Van Vessem

Contents

1 An Introduction to Covenant 2 The World of the Covenant 3 General Rules of the Game 3.1 Safety Rules . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Game Policies . . . . . . . . . 3.3 Concepts and Entities . . . . 3.4 Signs and Flags . . . . . . . 3.5 Food, Items, and Components 3.6 What to Expect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 6 9 9 10 12 12 13 15 17 17 21 23 23 25 26 26 27 29

4 The Eect System 4.1 The Eects List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Combat and Death 5.1 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Weapon Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 The States of Death and Dying . . . . . 5.5 Returning from Death: The Spirit Fords 6 Character Creation 7 Races of the Covenant 7.1 Beastkin . . . . . . . 7.2 Human . . . . . . . . 7.3 Spiritkin . . . . . . . 7.4 Varia . . . . . . . . . 7.5 Vinewoven . . . . . . 8 Tribes of the Covenant 9 Skills 9.1 Lifepaths . . . . . 9.2 Flaws . . . . . . . 9.3 Gifts . . . . . . . 9.4 Craft Skills . . . 9.5 Cunning Skills . . 9.6 Free Skills . . . . 9.7 Hunter Skills . . 9.8 Lore Skills . . . . 9.9 Shaman Skills . . 9.10 Storytelling Skills 9.11 Strength Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32 32 33 33 34 35 36 39 40 40 41 43 44 45 46 48 49 52 53 54 54 54 55 56

10 Crafting 10.1 Components . . . . . . . . 10.1.1 Physical Components 10.1.2 Ritual Components 10.2 Craft Template Skills . . . .

CONTENTS 11 Spirit Powers 11.1 General Rules of Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 The Five Basic Natures of Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.3 Oaths, Pacts, and Vows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Advancement and Between Game Activities A Feats B Glossary

3 58 58 59 59 61 64 65

Chapter 1

An Introduction to Covenant
The Hunt Beyond the Mountains
Shamans and storytellers travel throughout the land, and this is the news they carry: Let it be known to all who hear that the council of the Covenant has thought long and deeply upon the problems plaguing these lands between the Mountains and the Sea. The council has heard your tales, heard of the ghts between friendly tribes over land, of the hunting grounds that produce fewer animals every month and every year, of the raids which grow increasingly violent and take more and more goods that have not been agreed upon. The council has asked questions of the Torch, and the Torch has asked questions of the spirits. The spirits have all told the same tale: we are too prosperous, and these lands cannot sustain us all for much longer. So too has the council thought long and deeply upon the problem of land, and they have made the following proclamation: The Covenant shall begin a great hunt for new lands, and this hunt shall range beyond the Mountains into the lands that our longparents left behind. We do not know what will be found there, but we do know that only by doing this can we continue the way of living bequeathed to us by our longparents. We call now for volunteers from every tribe and clan to venture beyond the Mountains, learn of the world that our people left behind, and nd the people of the Covenant new lands in which to live.

An Expedition Into the Unknown

The tribes of the Covenant have lived in self-imposed isolation for many generations, but now their very prosperity is driving them out into a world that they no longer understand. Brave folk of all kinds will be needed to explore the old lands and carve out a new place in this forgotten world. The Covenant game will be comprised mostly of weekend events at a rural wooded site, several times each year, for 3 years. The events will be part of an overall Campaign, with a main Plotline that has a denite ending point. Depending on the actions of the Players, that ending point may be reached earlier or later. Covenant is intended to be a player cooperation game; this means that the major opposition for the players is intended to be the Cast, and player-versus-player conict is strongly discouraged. While there are rivalries among people and tribes, at the end of the day all of the players are on the same side and facing the same challenges. The players at Covenant represent a small enclave in a large and unknown world, and if they cannot work together to achieve their goals they may well be overrun. If you are new to live-action roleplaying, the Sta recommends that you read the following section. The Sta also recommends that all players read this manual all the way through at least once there are likely to be dierences and surprises, even for long-time larpers.

What is Live Action Roleplaying?

Live Action Roleplaying, or LARP as it is often called, is a form of art, recreation, and social gathering all rolled into one. LARP events are often referred to as Games, may take place at an outdoor or indoor location, and may last a few hours or an entire weekend. The chosen physical location will represent a Setting, and a number of people known as Cast populate the setting with characters ranging from shamans to spirits to wild beasts. Cast members will usually play a number of dierent Characters during an event. The actions of the Cast are guided by a number of inter-connected Plots, which are written and directed by the Covenant Sta. A Player will create a single Character, with personality, desires, goals, motives, skills, etc., using this rulebook. The Player will then portray that Character, and interact within the world of the Setting. So while Cast Characters sometimes called Non-Player Characters or NPCs must for the most part follow a pre-written Plot, as directed by the Sta, the Player Characters or PCs are free to do what they will within the connes of the Rules. A good way to

CHAPTER 1. AN INTRODUCTION TO COVENANT

think about it is that the Game is like a sweeping epic novel, in which the Players are the main characters, while the Cast and Sta provide the opposing forces, setting, and side characters. The Game revolves around real actions. What this means is that when you choose to do something you must actually do it. You can never say you are doing something and have it happen for you. You must actually do it. If you say, I climb up this wall, all it means is that your character has just said that, which will get you some odd looks, but wont save you from your enemies. There should be no need for you to ask other players out-of-game questions, such as Do I recognize you? or What do I see? These questions should be avoided. There may be a few cases where you will need to ask another player to clarify a situation, but these should be rare. You can do anything that you are capable of accomplishing without breaking the rules, endangering another player or yourself, disrupting the ow of game, calling a Hold, or damaging other peoples property. There are some things you just cant do, even if realistically your character could do them. The reasons for this are to avoid situations like the following: Player A: Okay, I set the hut on re. You guys must be roasting in there by now, come on out! Player B: Actually, I broke down the back wall and climbed up that tree. This sort of thing confuses the continuity of the game. Examples of things you cannot say you are doing include: cutting o limbs or heads, breaking down doors, violation of anothers person, and burning items. There are also some real life actions we would ask you to refrain from for your own safety, and the safety of others. This information can be found in the General Rules chapter of the Rule Book.

Chapter 2

The World of the Covenant

Legends of the Past
The oldest remaining tales from before the Running Years tell only that people and the world were already ancient when the Running began. Countless generations of people had already lived and died; countless tribes had risen and fallen. All of those years are lost to us even in story, save for the simple knowledge that every one of those lost people was human. Our rst dim knowledge begins with the rise of a great tribe in a fertile river valley. Their name is lost to us as well, but we know them as the One People. The One People were a strong tribe, and they were not content within their own lands. They reached out, and through raids and agreements they gathered the other tribes to themselves. Their lands became a center for knowledge and trade, and their word and hand were felt in the far corners of the world. The tales tell that the One People knew not the spirits that the spirits had not yet come among people yet they are said to have wielded great powers both to heal and to harm. Stories survive of warriors who wielded re and thunder, of healers who could call back the dying without the aid of the spirits, of builders who forged endless paths and cut through mountains like a knife through hot fat. All of these wonders and far more were, it is told, possible to the One People. Into the power and wonder and breadth of the world of the One People came, one day, a great plague. It spread among the people like wildre, leaving few untouched, and it carried throughout all of the lands. It even aected many beasts. Though it is said that plagues were many in the time before the spirits, this was unlike any seen before. The great plague sank talons into the bodies and minds of the aicted, and it twisted. Many perhaps most died, their bodies and minds no longer able to sustain their own lives. Many others were mangled in body but retained their minds from some of these, the tales tell, came the other races. Some, though, were horribly changed but did not break, did not die. These last became monsters, horrors. The aicted throughout the lands called out to the healers of the One People, and the healers came but their mighty arts were useless against this plague. Upon learning this, many among the people went mad in their grief and terror. Joined by the plague-born monsters, they tore apart their villages and their fellows, believing that the world was ending. Those who kept hope and clear minds ed deeper and deeper into the wilderness, seeking always to stay a step ahead of this wave of madness. These were the Running Years, and in them was born the Covenant to come.

Tales of the Covenant

A number of groups among the multitudes who ed during the Running Years found themselves washed up against the base of the Mountains, a barrier impassible save for two high, narrow paths. The land beyond was somewhat known to the people who would become our longparents: a place bounded by the Mountains and by a treacherous Sea, and populated by only a few scattered people due to the diculty of travel there during the winter. Such a place, our longparents decided, could provide a safe haven against the madness of the Running Years. They sent scouts over the Mountains to look over these lands, but most of them waited at the base of one path. They hoped to gather as many as they could before departing, for it was their intention to bar the paths behind them once they entered. After a time, when the reports of arriving groups told that the wave of madness approached, the people made the journey across the Mountains. Last were those who had a few remaining fragments of the powers of the One People, and these they used to block the paths behind the people with stone so that the madness could not ever follow. The people found the lands beyond the Mountains good, and they scattered into them in such groups as they chose to make a new life. Spirits arose from the lands to aid them. Thus ended the Running Years for our longparents, and generations would pass before any great new story would arise. The next great story would be that of the Covenant, and none lived who remembered the Running Years when that new story began. The groups who had scattered long years before had become tribes and clans, and those tribes and clans split, and combined, and sometimes raided one another. There came a time when the elders of several of the largest tribes met to discuss matters of raiding and resources. This meeting went well, and led to further discussion: of a council, formed from an elder of every tribe, that could meet to discuss matters between tribes or those that involved all tribes alike. The larger tribes brought word of this council to the smaller, for such a council would need to include all if it was

CHAPTER 2. THE WORLD OF THE COVENANT

to work. There was dissension and conict involved in the creation but it succeeded, and the nal agreement gave its name also to the council and the culture that it created: the Covenant. Four generations have passed since the formation of the Covenant, and none still live who remember its creation. The council has served the tribes well in that time, and the Covenant peoples have ourished. For the past several years, however, there have been concerns among both people and council about land disputes between tribes, the depletion of hunting grounds, and more aggressive raiding. The council sought knowledge and understanding; now, through the aid of the Torch and the spirits, they have found it. The Covenant has become too prosperous, and even with the aid of the spirits the land will not be able to support many more people. Their choices limited either to reducing the people in the lands between the Mountains and the Sea or seeking new lands beyond, the council has chosen hesitantly to seek new lands rst. With the aid of Primal spirits one of the old paths will be cleared, and volunteers will engage in a great Hunt for new places that the Covenant peoples can live.

Leadership
Each tribe or clan is led by three Elders, a system laid out in the Covenant. Elders are chosen by acclamation of the tribe, and are usually selected on the basis of age, wisdom, and other traits important to the specic tribe in question. A chosen Elder will serve the tribe until death, voluntary retirement, or forced retirement by the will of the tribe. Elders set tribal policy and mediate disputes within the tribe, but they cannot command their tribe-members in matters of conscience. The most that they can do in the case of a serious dispute between the tribe as a whole and one member is to exile that member from the tribe. One Elder from each tribe also serves on the Covenant council when it meets. This is sometimes the same Elder each time, and sometimes a dierent one at every meeting. Each Elder on the council has an equal voice, and all council decisions must be unanimous.

Raiding
Raiding is a fairly common and accepted behavior among many tribes of the Covenant. It began in the early post-Running Years times as a method for the more violent tribes to acquire resources from others. Later particularly after the creation of the Covenant it assumed its current form as a sort of barter-by-brawl. The Elders of raiding tribes meet regularly to discuss the nature of the raids. Goods and sometimes people on each side are listed as fair game. When the raids happen, both sides are pledged only to take the agreed goods or people and not to inict mortal wounds upon their opponents. For the most part the system works well as a means of both barter and entertainment, but sometimes especially among very aggressive tribes such as the Ramsheart things can get out of control. In those cases it may be necessary to call in the Pack for an object lesson, or to declare crimes.

Crime and Punishment

In Covenant lands, a crime is an interaction between two or more people that resulted in injury of any kind to some of them at the hands of others. No crime exists until one is declared, either by an injured party or on behalf of a dead party. All crimes are handled by restitution of some sort, and the initial negotiations for such restitution are carried out between the involved parties. The Elders oversee these negotiations and may impose short-term Oaths upon the involved parties to insure that the truth is told. Crimes within a tribe are handled by the tribal Elders; those involving multiple tribes are handled by representative Elders of the Covenant council. If the involved parties cannot come to an agreement, the Elders can step in and impose one. Imposed decisions can be appealed to the Covenant council as a whole, where they will be either upheld or overturned. Council decisions are nal. Restitution can range from return of goods, to indentured service, to the death of the oender at the hands of the victim or their kin. There are no signicant rules to the restitution, save that it be considered equal to the crime. Falsehoods or broken promises are not considered as part of crimes in the Covenant. In the eyes of most Covenant people any truth or promise important enough to result in injury should have been protected by an Oath and Oathbreaking is considered its own punishment. Oversight of crimes among and between volunteers on the great Hunt would normally fall under the jurisdiction of council representatives, but there has been discussion among the council about creating special representatives from among those volunteers to handle that oversight.

Spirits and Powers

The tales tell that the rst spirits known to the Covenant people arose from the land at the end of the Running Years to help our longparents create a new life. It is at least certain that no tales older than those speak of the spirits at all. From what the shamans have learned over the long years, many of the spirits came from among the living. Plant, animal, and person spirits have all been encountered, and they can all communicate with us though plant and animal spirits sometimes appear dimwitted or strange. All spirits seem driven to bargain with us, as though what we grant them is at least as important as what they grant us. The spirits do not lie, though they may choose not to speak at all or attempt to mislead with the truth. All spirits respect Oaths. All Pacts made with a spirit are Oaths, and few if any

CHAPTER 2. THE WORLD OF THE COVENANT

spirits will deal with an Oathbreaker. Most shamans believe that the spirits can grant their miraculous powers because they can exist in the Verge, the realm between the spirit and mortal where dreams, visions, and the Web of Paths exist. Spirits rarely speak about their own realm. Anyone can see a spirit that has created or possessed a body. Though it can sometimes be dicult to distinguish possessed creatures from normal ones, the Covenant peoples have developed an almost instinctive ability to do so over the years. With rare exceptions, no mortal can see a disembodied spirit. However, disembodied spirits also cannot much aect the mortal realm. The shamans have grouped spirits into ve natures based upon the forms they most often create or possess. Spirits seem best at providing powers of their own nature. Every spirit has a name, but these names are not necessarily unique to that spirit. Many spirits can have the same name, though more powerful spirits tend to chase away any others that share their names. The Great Spirits of the Covenant There are ve great spirits, one of each nature, that have helped the Covenant peoples since their arrival and are the best known of their kind. Most major Pacts are made with these ve, who are described here. Sylvan is a greater spirit of Life. Its appearance and moods shift with the seasons, though it usually appears as an amalgam of plant and animal. It is largely benevolent towards mortals as bets its nature, but can be quite wild. Deant is a greater spirit of Death. Its appearance is that of an undead person, though its apparent race and style of dress have been known to change occasionally. It is ercely intelligent, with a lively but very black sense of humor. It embraces the use of its power both to bring about death and decay and to stave them o. Loam is a greater Primal spirit. The bodies it creates are always Primal in nature, but can vary among the Primal elements. Loam has a reputation for overly literal interpretations and does not seem to understand social interactions very well. Flicker is a greater spirit of Change. Its appearance changes regularly, but often includes an element of re. It is tied with Deant as the most apparently intelligent among the Great Spirits, but it is also known as an incorrigible trickster. Echo is a greater spirit of Essence, though in reality it is not so much a single spirit as it is a collection of them that shares an identity and perhaps a mind. Its appearance is insubstantial at best, though it often appears in more than one body. Its manner and attitude can dier depending on which sub-spirit is speaking. Other Powers The powers of Blood and Soul unlocked by Vows are known to the Covenant peoples, but are not well understood. They appear to tap in to some innate power of mortals and can provide abilities similar to those provided by some spirits, though they seem to be limited to mortals in their eects. Dross is the term given to the loose spirit power that gathers in objects not occupied by spirits. It is an unpredictable source and cannot be depended upon for signicant power. The Covenant peoples have learned to draw upon it for basic healing, however, and dedicated shamans can channel it into a damaging force.

On Oaths
Oaths are an element of Covenant life taken entirely from the spirits. An Oath is simply a promise which is imbued with a sliver of spirit power so that if it is broken, the one who broke it is indelibly marked. All Pacts with spirits are Oaths, as are the Vows one makes to gain Blood or Soul power. The shamans of the Covenant have learned the trick of binding Oaths as well, and many Covenant people have learned to detect the telltale feel of an Oathbreaker. Oaths are used in many parts of Covenant life, from long-term Oaths sworn in some marriage ceremonies to short-term ones to enforce truth and fairness in business dealings. In fact, though, the very prevalence of Oaths in the Covenant over the years has led to somewhat fewer of them being sworn these days there is now a strong assumption among many people that their fellows are usually telling the truth, Oath or no. A persons given word is often enough.

Chapter 3

General Rules of the Game

3.1 Safety Rules

These are the most important rules in this book. Follow them above all others, and at all times. Blocking Doors Blocking or holding a door with your body or furniture is not allowed. Do not try to physically force doors open. Carrying Other People There will be many instances during the course of the Covenant Campaign when your character will want to lift or carry another character. To represent this, hold a hand near the other person and state I pick you up. At this point the person you are carrying should get up and move with you, slowly, as if you are carrying them. You can then move with them, and may put them down by stating I put you down or I drop you or the like. You should drop a carried person if you are attacked. You may only physically grasp a carried person if both of you are comfortable with that contact, and should never actually pick anyone up. Combat Force When ghting with padded weapons, you must always pull your blows so as not to strike too hard. No blow should cause real pain. If you are struck by a blow that you think is too forceful, say Excessive Force. The hit DOES NOT COUNT. Everyone is dierent, so you will have to adjust to your opponents level of comfort. Blows that some players would hardly notice are quite unpleasant for others. No one should feel uncomfortable about calling Excessive Force. Please try to make this call as calmly as you can; while it is easy to become upset when you are hit too hard in the heat of battle, it is likely that your opponent did not do so on purpose. It doesnt mean you are a wimp. You are actually helping the game by keeping things under control. If you feel a player is abusing this rule, smile, make nice, and inform the Sta. Combat Targets Do not strike the head or groin. Hits to the hands do not count, though the hands should not be used to defend. Drugs, Alcohol, Real Weapons These are NEVER allowed. You will be instantly disinvited if you are found with these. This includes coming to an event under the inuence. You may bring a pocketknife or similar tool for utility purposes. Fire Candles, torches, or other re-based light sources are not allowed. Fires are only allowed in the re rings, and must be supervised at all times. No unattended ames are allowed at any time. No combat may occur within 10 feet of an open ame. Please do not yell Fire unless there really is an out-of-game emergency. Light You are allowed and encouraged to carry an in-game light source. This source should mimic the kind of light that would be available to the Covenant people: representations of candles, lanterns, or torches work well, as do eerie foxre glows or unearthly spirit-conjured light. The intensity of the light should also be in line with such sources; they can be bright enough to read by, but should not be so bright that they illuminate the entire area perfectly and blind those nearby. Overly bright lights and those with directed beams may NOT be used. You can modify ashlights and lanterns so that they 9

CHAPTER 3. GENERAL RULES OF THE GAME

10

are dimmer and arent aimed by adding a diuser or lm. Glowsticks are also safe and useful, especially for foxre or spirit-conjured lights. White lights are usually too harsh or bright. Red lights work quite well and preserve night vision, but may not be as easy to use for reading. Blue lights identify non-combatants and certain especially spirit-touched locales, and should not be used. You may also carry a regular ashlight in case of out of game problems or item loss in the dark. Physical Contact No physical contact is allowed in game without the other players permission. No direct physical contact is allowed in combat AT ALL, and you should avoid getting closer than weapons range. Restraints No player may ever actually physically restrain another player. No player may ever actually be tied up, no matter how loose the bond. To simulate being restrained at the wrist, hold a piece of rope between both hands, looped around both wrists. To simulate being tied to an item, you may wrap a piece of rope around the item and yourself, and hold it in one or both hands. That way if need be you could drop the rope and be freed. Running at Night The single greatest safety risk you face in live roleplaying is NOT combat. It is running at night over rough terrain, risking falling and bashing your brains out on a rock. Avoid running at night whenever possible, try to avoid pursuing other players at night, and ALWAYS use extreme caution when running. Unsafe Stunts or Climbing Please do not climb trees or buildings, or jump out of windows. Weapon Safety All weapons must be inspected by the Sta before every event. If you need instructions on weapon construction or are seeking someone to make weapons for you, please contact the Sta. CAUTION! When you see a safety problem, call Caution. This is used for things such as someone about to back over a rock or into a tree, and can be especially helpful during battles if there are people lying on the ground. Nobody wants to get hurt, and we keep an eye out for each other even when things get intense.The caution creates a sort of mini-Hold (see below) during which you should be ignored by others, as should the person at risk. CLARIFY! When you did not hear or do not understand a spell or in-game eect, call Clarify. The person should explain what has happened or answer your question. This also creates a mini-Hold (see below) during which others should ignore both you and the person answering you. HOLD! HOLD! HOLD! In the case of MAJOR safety problems, injuries, or the like, call Hold Hold Hold. The repeat is important in order to separate the safety call from occasional in-game uses of the word hold. ALL action and movement stops within line of sight, and should start again only when the problem is resolved and a Play On has been called. Repeating someone elses Hold in order to make sure that those at the outskirts of the action heard it is often a good idea. Do NOT call Holds for in-game reasons like someone not noticing your attack. DO call Holds when you think they might be needed, such as for real life injuries. We would rather be safe than sorry.

3.2

Game Policies

Cheating Do not cheat. This should go without saying. The game is nothing if the players are not honorable - no matter how despicable their characters may be.

CHAPTER 3. GENERAL RULES OF THE GAME Disinvitation

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The Covenant game is run by its Sta for their own enjoyment and that of the players. Everyone who attends a Covenant event, be they Sta or player, does so by invitation. The invitation is an open one - anyone is welcome. However, if you are not fun to play with because you are abusive, cheat, are discourteous, etc., then you will be issued a disinvitation. This will usually but not always be preceded by a warning. Covenant is about fun, and we are not interested in wasting time with people who cause problems. Food You may have food and drink in your cabins, but you cannot use any electric or gas powered cooking appliances. Cooking res may be created in designated areas if you wish, but please follow all guidelines as per the Fire entry in the Safety Rules section on page 9. Ye Olde Commons provides an optional food plan: breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Saturday night. There is also an honor bar for the purchase of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. To sign up for the meal plan, visit the Ye Olde Commons website. Littering Dont do it. Everything you bring to the camp should either leave with you or be placed in a suitable trash receptacle. Maintain Atmosphere It is hard to enjoy the game atmosphere when modern things are strewn about. When outside your cabin stay in costume and keep the modern necessities out of sight. In your cabin you may do as you like, but the Cast will react to mundane possessions as though they were the foulest excrement, out-of-costume people as though they were dressed in horrid rags, and out of character remarks as though they were the vilest of insults. Obscenities Swearing is poor roleplaying, and upsetting to some people. If you feel the need for colorful language, create and practice suitable in-game phrases. Out-of-Game Insults In-game insults are ne, of course, but we should all respect one another out-of-game. Unpleasant, out-of-game personal remarks, slurs on sex, race, religion, or sexual orientation are not acceptable. Treat everyone with courtesy and respect. No one should be made uncomfortable out-of-game by what other people are saying at a Covenant event. If you feel another player is violating this policy, please contact a member of the Covenant Sta as soon as possible. Roleplay Covenant is about roleplaying. Not everyone likes to roleplay every minute of a game, but NO ONE likes to be trying to roleplay while someone else is blatantly out-of-character nearby. Being out-of-character while others are roleplaying is rude, and will not be tolerated. If a Voice comes upon anyone who is disrupting the roleplay of others in this way, there will be consequences. We simply ask that you be considerate of others. Smoking The Covenant Sta understands that you may wish to smoke during the course of the event. However, there are many other players who do not want to smoke with you. Please be courteous to them and smoke only in the designated areas. Take your cigarette butts with you and deposit them in the trash. Do not throw cigarette butts on the ground. If we nd that this is happening, smoking may be permanently banned from the game. Spectators Live Action Roleplaying is NOT a spectator sport. Spectators, be they friends, signicant others, etc. are NOT WELCOME. They make people uncomfortable and disrupt play. Everyone is welcome to play Covenant, and the Sta will nd Cast roles suitable for those who are only interested in watching or roleplaying. But every person on the game site must be in-game and in-character. Stay In Control Blatantly losing control of your actions or emotions, whether during combat or because you are unhappy with the outcome of an encounter, leads to dangerous situations and out-of-game oensiveness. If you feel like this is happening, just step back from the situation for a moment to settle down and remember it is just a game. You may certainly roleplay that your character has lost control, but even in that situation you must always keep safety rst.

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3.3

Concepts and Entities

Game Reality
Everything happening in the game is real. Things which cannot be mimicked or modeled safely simply cannot be done. An example is climbing a tree. This cant be done safely in game, so in the game it doesnt happen. Burning houses down wont work. Out of game objects should be either disguised or hidden. Avoid referring to out of game terms. For example, instead of discussing your Health statistic you would talk about how many wounds you had taken.

The Refresh System

All characters can Refresh themselves given 15 minutes of rest. Completing a Refresh will restore your Will to full, as well as replenishing any skills that operate on a per-Refresh basis. You may converse or walk about while Refreshing but cannot physically exert yourself, and there must be nothing stressful such as combat occurring within earshot. Refreshing may usually only be done in safe surroundings such as the village, but there may sometimes be exceptions. A Voice or other NPC will inform you if this is the case.

The Voices
Hooded and cloaked in somber gray, these gures have existed for as long as the spirits have been interacting with us. They act as intermediaries between spirits and mortals, observe the deeds of mortals, and often act as guides. They frequently congregate where great joy or great suering occurs, and where heroic or evil deeds take place. The appearance of a Voice bearing a lantern at night is said to be a sure sign of trouble, as they do so to illuminate battle that warriors might die meaningfully by the spear rather than by stump or tree root. The Voices are fully in-game, but they serve an Out-of-Game purpose as the referees of Covenant. They bestow spirit powers, oversee battles, serve as guides on modules, possess mortals, and generally keep the game on track. Major infractions of the rules may be punishable by one of the Voices, and they often react violently to being struck. If a Voice is required for an action and one is not present, you may not perform the action. Any player can attempt to summon a Voice by going to Ops and informing the Sta as to the time and place where the Voice is needed. It is best to summon at least an hour in advance, and the Sta cannot guarantee the availability of a Voice at a particular time. Though the Voices are referees and guides, you cannot ask them questions like What do I see? or What happens if I..? All information you need to resolve the Covenant challenge is before you, though it may not be obvious.

Spirit Gates
It is common to nd these ethereal structures scattered about the land. They lead to interesting places, but there is a price Some of those passing through will be possessed and forced to play the roles of the entities beyond the gate. Essentially, a Spirit Gate is an adventure with no NPCs. Upon arriving, the adventurers read the yellow card provided at the Spirit Gate and divide into two parties according to its instructions. One party will remain themselves, and the other will take on the roles necessary for the Gate adventure. Those chosen to be possessed then pass through and locate the tote of props and items needed for the adventure. They read the instructions, don the costuming provided, and act as NPCs for the duration of the adventure. The parts they are called upon to play are quite simple, usually basic combat parts. Sometimes a spirit gate has nothing but combat and danger behind it, but often there are useful items, components, or information to be gained. In game terms those who are possessed are able to watch the entire adventure, and thus know what happened on it, but their minds are trapped in the Verge and they cannot leave the Gate until the other party leaves or is all dead. Some Spirit Gates can be entered as often as desired, some only once per event or per day. This will be specied on the yellow card. If you become Fallen, Critical, or Dead beyond a Spirit Gate and are not tended to or dragged out by fellow players, your body will materialize outside the gate after 10 minutes in the Critical state. You may not enter a spirit gate that is in use the only way in is to be part of the original party and take your chances with being possessed.

3.4

Signs and Flags

Yellow Cards
Yellow Cards pieces of yellow paper with writing upon them are used to convey information that cannot be portrayed well in game, or to administer eects to the reader in the absence of an NPC. Unless the Yellow Card has a limiter on it (a name, or a skill, or the like) then all players both CAN and MUST read the Card. If limiters exist, all players who fall within those limits CAN and MUST read the Card. When reading a Yellow Card you should be as discreet as possible to avoid breaking the ow of the game.

CHAPTER 3. GENERAL RULES OF THE GAME Common Uses of Yellow Cards To let you know something cannot be moved without a Feat of Strength (as per the skill). To let you know what happens if you touch something. To represent things that we cannot actually create such as smells or feelings that are part of an adventure.

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Yellow Hands
If you see a door or an area marked with a yellow hand, you cannot go there and should ignore anything you see in the area beyond the hand.

Yellow Rope
Similar to yellow hands, yellow rope strung at waist height means you cannot cross it and should ignore anything beyond the rope.

Information Flags
Yellow cards present information that everyone should have. Sometimes, however, there may be information available only to those with special skills. These are represented by small pieces of paper called Information Flags. The ags are white pieces of paper labeled with text and symbols. Unless you have a skill that lets you read ags of a certain type, you should ignore all ags. When reading a ag, you should be as discreet as possible, to avoid breaking the ow of the game. Sometimes ags may instruct you to remove them after reading. This helps keep the site clean and represents the fact that the information can only be gained once. If you DO remove a ag for this reason, you may copy its information or describe it to others, but you may not simply show the ag to another player. Some Flags may have a second ag folded inside or beneath them marked Deeper. This indicates that there is another layer of information to be gained. Reading a Deeper ag takes 30 seconds of concentration. Be aware, though, that Deeper ags can provide both useful information and peril to those who investigate them. If you cannot see a particular type of ag, you CANNOT specically point it out to those who can. However, if you feel that valuable information might be missed, you can say things to the eect of theres something odd about that wall or I get a strange feeling near this tree in an attempt to attract the attention of other ag-readers. What the Flags Represent Spiritspeech Flags represent information oered to you by a spirit that is currently residing in the creature or object on which the ag is placed. The information provided by a spirit in this way is always truthful, but may or may not be particularly helpful. Reading Deeper Spiritspeech ags requires 1 Will in addition to the extra time mentioned above, as it represents an impromptu Pact between you and the helpful spirit to gain more information. Deeper Spiritspeech will always be helpful. Scent Flags represent smells in the vicinity, and may provide information on anything from local animal behaviors to the location of useful components. Wildlore Flags represent your knowledge of tracks, foliage, animal behavior, wilderness travel, and the like. Lifelore Flags represent a knowledge of the inner workings of living creatures. They can reveal anything from unusual changes in a tree to how a person died. Shamanlore Flags represent the honed extra-normal senses of a shaman and usually deal with the innate spirit power in a location. Deeplore Flags represent a knowledge of the deep nature of creatures, objects, or places. Deeplore is mostly limited to those who have trained as seers, and can reveal unexpected truths.

3.5

Food, Items, and Components

Unlike most fantasy games, Covenant does not have a currency-based economy. The Covenant peoples have no coin, and all trade is conducted solely through barter.

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Stickers and Tags

All items that have meaning or value in the game will carry an item tag, a round sticker, or both. Items that bear neither an item tag nor a round sticker are decorative props and should be left where you nd them. Item Tags These tags are attached to items that may be used in some way, either in their own right or as crafting components. Anyone who can read an item tag can use the item as the tag describes. If you expend the last or only use of an item you should remove and tear up the item tag. See the types of items below for more information. Immovable Stickers A round sticker with Imm written on it indicates that the item cannot be moved from its present location. If you notice such a sticker, please leave the item where you found it. If an object with this sticker also has an item tag you may use it, but only in its present location. Registered Stickers A round sticker with Reg written on it indicates a registered item. These are typically more fragile or valuable props that the Sta wishes to better track. Registered items may be taken, but must be turned in to the Sta at Check-Out. They will be returned to you at the next Check-In. The sticker may also contain a symbol of some sort these symbols are indicative of the objects type or value and may be of use to those with the Barter skill. Useful Stickers A round sticker with no letters written on it indicates that the item has some use or value, and that you may keep it if you wish. These items should be returned to the Sta at the end of the Campaign or when you no longer have a use for them, but may be kept until that time. The sticker may contain a symbol of some sort these symbols are indicative of the objects type or value and may be of use to those with the Barter skill. Food Stickers A round sticker with F written on it indicates that the object so marked is food. Any object marked with such a sticker is considered a common food physical component (see page 54). The sticker may also include a number which indicates the number of units or rations that the object represents. Some food items of this kind will also include a separate sticker or tag that bears an expiration date; after this date, the food item becomes spoiled and useless.

Item Types
Food Food is the most common form of treasure at Covenant. Food consists of a physrep (fake food), with either a physical component tag (see Crafting, Chapter 10) or a round food sticker as detailed above. Food items sometimes bear a number indicating the number of units of food, and sometimes carry an expiration date. Food items that are past their expiration date are spoiled and useless. Components Components are items that can be used for crafting. Each component will have an item tag identifying it as a component and listing its name and component type. For more information about components, see page 54. Brewed Items These are items created using the Brewing skill. Brewed items are commonly drinks, oils, powders, salves, and so on. In general, anyone can use a brewed item by simply opening its container and following the instructions on the item tag within. Invested Items, Totems, and Spirit Artifacts These three categories of items each contain either spirits or spirit power of some sort. They each will bear tags describing their abilities and use, though attunement is sometimes necessary before using them. If you nd an item with an open, readable invested item, totem, or spirit artifact tag then you can attune to the item instantly and use it immediately. This also applies to any invested item or totem that you create. Other Items There may occasionally be tagged items that fall outside the categories listed above. However, the rule that you can use an item if you can read its tag still applies in such cases. Unusual items are more likely to bear attunement or limitation tags as described below.

Attunement and Limitations

If you nd an item with a closed, sealed tag that says Attunement you will need to nd a way to attune yourself to the item before using it. The most common ways of doing this are through time spent examining the item in a BGA (see Chapter 12) or through the aid of a seer (see page 50). Either of these methods will allow you to remove the Attunement part of the tag and use the item as above. Anyone who is attuned to an item may pass that item to any other person with a short roleplayed explanation of its powers. The attunement will shift with the item in this case. Some items may also be limited as to who can recognize or use them. Such items will have a folded or sealed tag with an identier on the outside. This identier could be a name or list of names, a race, or a particular skill. If you match the identier, you can open the tag and use the item.

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The Rule of Tags

Because we try to maintain the reality of the game world, an item tag isnt quite real without a physical object (often called a physrep) attached to it. If you are creating item tags through gathering components or crafting, for example you should have physreps with you to which the tags can be axed.

3.6

What to Expect

Registration All players must register for Covenant Events in advance. Since there are only a certain number of player spots available, the Sta must know ahead of time who is coming. Arrival Arrival times for game will be announced prior to the event, and will vary depending on whether you plan to help with game setup. When you arrive at the Camp, you will receive information on where to park, what cabin you will be staying in, and where to unload your stu. Please try to unpack your car and return it to the parking area as quickly as possible so that the in-game areas will be cleared of vehicles in time to start the game. Late Arrivals & Early Departures If you arrive late (after 9PM), please go to Ops and a Sta person will take care of your Check-In. Be advised that there may be some delay, depending on what else is going on at the time. If you know that you will be arriving late or leaving early, please let the Sta know in advance so that they can make arrangements and take it into account when scheduling plots. If you arrive after the start of game on Friday night, you will NOT be able to drive your car up to your cabin to unload. Likewise, if you are leaving early, you will have to carry your things from your cabin to your car on foot. NO CARS will be allowed in the game area during the event, except in emergency situations. Check-In Once you have unloaded your car and parked it in the lot, you can check in. At Check-In you will receive your Character Sheet, any Registered Items turned in previously, and information and items acquired or created between events. Please bring your weapons to Check-In for safety inspection at every event, and any armor for evaluation. It is not required that you wear your costume for check-in. Opening Meeting There will be an opening, out-of-game meeting prior to the start of the event. The time and location for this meeting may vary, but will be announced at Check-In. Game will begin directly or soon after the opening meeting, so you should come prepared and in costume. Hours of Play Covenant hours of play are approximately 10PM Friday to 2AM Saturday, 9AM Saturday to 2AM Sunday, and 9AM Sunday to 12 Noon Sunday. Plots may, on occasion, run past 2 AM if they are going slower than expected. The NPCs will announce the All Clear at the end of the night. This indicates that the paths are safe and all is well, and folk may retire in peace. Players can be condent that they will not miss out on major plot after the All Clear has been announced. Certain roleplaying encounters may be scheduled for after the All Clear on occasion, but advance warning will be given to the players involved in this case. Between the All Clear and 10 AM, players are requested to engage only in roleplaying activities and not to enter the woods. Closing Meeting The end of game will be announced on Sunday afternoon, and will be followed by an out-of-game closing meeting. Check-Out will begin shortly after this meeting concludes. Check-Out Check-out is required for the following: Turning in Registered Items (those with Reg stickers). Cleanup There will be a sign-up sheet for Cleanup at Check-Out, if you wish to help out and receive 3 additional Character Points.

CHAPTER 3. GENERAL RULES OF THE GAME Between Events Please see Chapter 12.

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Chapter 4

The Eect System

What Are Eects and Traits? The Eect system is used to explain what happens to your character as a result of the various skills and spells in the Covenant world. After casting a spell or using any other kind of special power, the player using the power must speak the eect and any traits it has. Most of these are fairly self-explanatory. If a shaman had shouted 3 Damage by Fire before hitting you with a packet, you would know that you had taken 3 points of Damage (the eect) from some sort of re spell (the trait). You would then roleplay the eect of being burned and subtract three points from your current Health total. Calling Eects Eects can be delivered in a variety of ways, but they must always be called BEFORE the weapon, packet, or whatever strikes the target. You cannot swing a weapon, strike someone, and THEN call Maim, for example. Called eects do only their stated eect, and do no other damage. For instance: being hit with a weapon normally does 1 point of damage, but if someone calls Maim before they swing you DO NOT take a point. You only suer the Maim eect (see the list below). Duration If an eect has a duration mentioned with it when it is called, the called duration applies. Otherwise, all eects will last for 5 minutes or for the duration specied in the eect. Some eects are instantaneous and/or permanent.

4.1

The Eects List

This list describes the Eects you will encounter in the Covenant world. Eects noted as rare are likely to be dicult or even impossible to obtain as player spells or abilities, though you may see them as limited-use items. If you are seeking a spell or ability that provides a rare eect, be aware that attaining it will likely be a campaign-long eort. Agony You are in such pain that you collapse to the ground or stand helpless for 10 seconds, writhing, screaming, or otherwise roleplaying pain as you see t. During this time you cannot attack, defend, or use any game abilities. Battlethirst This eect functions as Heal Full, Enhance, and Bloodlust to the one who calls the eect. When next you would enter the Fallen or Critical state or at the end of the combat, whichever comes rst, you will enter the Critical state. Bind Your arms are bound to your sides and you cannot use them. Bloodlust You enter a state of complete focus upon combat, in which your own safety ceases to matter. This state may be due to rage, a preternatural calm, or any other roleplaying method that works for you. You will ght with utter disregard for your own life, though this is not an excuse for unsafe ghting. You may possibly attack your friends and compatriots, but only if they appear to be opposing you. Loud noises will draw your attention. You will not accept oers of surrender, and indeed you will ignore most conversation or speech. Its unlikely that your friends will be able to stop you long enough to heal you, and you should consider any unsuccessful attempt to stop your Bloodlust as an attack and deal with it appropriately. You may cast combat/attack related spells while in Bloodlust, but no healing, protective, or other spells. Shaman Path characters may use the Shamanic Channeling or Hunter Aspirations skills while in Bloodlust. # Brutal Indicates a strike that is either powerful or well-aimed enough to carry through any attempt to block it. If a Brutal attack strikes your weapon, shield or body, you must take the indicated damage. A Brutal strike cannot be blocked by a weapon or shield, nor can it be Parried. Brutal damage CAN be Dodged or Grazed.

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CHAPTER 4. THE EFFECT SYSTEM

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Calm You become completely peaceful. You will stop attacking and will remain placid for the duration of the eect or until you receive damage or a harmful eect. Additionally, if you are under the eects of a Frenzy or Bloodlust eect when Calm is used on you, it will act as a Purge Frenzy or Purge Bloodlust. Charm You become favorably inclined toward the person who called the eect. You will not attack that person unless attacked rst by them, and will tend to go along with any reasonable suggestion they make. You are NOT a mindless slave and will not give away important possessions, attack friends, betray a trust, etc. The eect is broken if/when the person who called it or their allies do something unfriendly towards you otherwise it lasts for the standard duration. Once the eect has worn o the target might suspect that something unusual happened. Compel you to <instruction> You are compelled to follow the instruction to the best of your ability. The instruction must be a short, uncomplicated action. If there is no duration given as part of the instruction, the compulsion ends after you have followed the instruction or after the standard duration, whichever comes rst. You are fully aware that you have just been compelled unless told otherwise. Consume Your soul is wholly consumed. If you are struck by this eect you immediately enter the Dead state. No benecial eects including Life or the Fordkeeper ability to question the dead will work on you, though you may still respond to Diagnose, Detect, or similar informational calls. You are an empty shell, bereft of spirit. When you depart, you should go to Ops rather than to the Spirit Fords as usual. This eect is usually a permanent death for the being it strikes, though there may be ways of recovering a soul from that which consumed it. Rare. Critical You enter the Critical state. # Damage or Damage # You take the indicated damage. A normal weapon swing does not need to be called as 1 Damage. Detect <Trait or Item> If you have the trait or possess the item being detected, you must indicate this to the caster. A statement of here usually sucient. Detect is always considered to be an area eect, and any character who hears the Detect and the responses is aware of that information including any who were Detected. Detects in this game are intended to be a source for fairly close-range information, and should not be called at a volume that would carry more than 20 or 30 feet. Responding to a Detect does not interrupt incantations. Diagnose Diagnose allows someone to ask you various questions regarding your characters health and well-being. These questions are detailed in the skills which allow them to be asked. You must reply quietly; ideally, no one but the asking character should hear your response. You must answer, regardless of whether your character is currently capable of speech. Disarm Your weapon or hand-held item falls from your hand. You must drop it, and cannot pick it up for at least 3 seconds. If you are holding more than one item and the person using the Disarm eect did not either strike or specify one of them, you may choose which one to drop. Disengage You must fall back from the person calling this eect, until a distance of about 10 feet separates you. If you cant get that far away for whatever reason, retreat as far as you can safely. The spirit of this eect is that the person calling it drives their enemies back to get some breathing room. You should always honor this. Disengage cant force you into a damaging area, and doesnt work through doorways or narrow gaps; you cant use it to push defenders out of a fortication. You can use it once you get inside such a fortication to make room for others to follow, but this is its ONLY oensive use. Do NOT simply jump into the middle of a group of enemies and call Disengage this is a violation of the spirit of the eect. Dodge A weapon or packet attack misses as if you had moved out of the way. You should roleplay evading the attack. While this particular blow or spell was ineective, it was an eort to ward o, and another one might succeed. Doom You will enter the Critical state after one minute, much like a delayed Critical eect. If you receive a Purge for Doom or for the trait of the attack for example, a Purge Poison for a Doom by Poison within that one minute, you will suer no ill eects. You must roleplay the eect of the Doom during the minute, but can still ght and use skills normally. Drain # (Will or Health) The character calling this eect gains the called amount of Will or Health to current total, while the target loses the called amount from their current total. The character calling the Drain cannot gain more than their maximum Will or Health Drained amounts beyond that are simply lost. If the target has less than the called number of Will or Health, the target should call Forsooth and the number they had remaining, as only this lesser number is lost and gained. For example, if an enemy hit you with Drain 3 Will and you only had 1 Will remaining, you would respond with Forsooth: 1 Will left. You would then lose that 1 Will, and the attacker would only gain 1 Will. If you are Drained to zero Health you enter the Critical state rather than the Fallen state.

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Enhance You will do +1 damage with every melee or ranged weapon attack for one combat. This eect also applies to damage done by the Shamanic Channeling skill. You must call the increased damage. Multiple Enhances do not stack. Enslave You are a mindless automaton. You are bound to serve the caster without question. You will even slay your friends or yourself if so ordered. You will have no knowledge of your own memories, but will ght to the best of your ability, and may use your game skills if you wish. You remember everything that occurred during the Enslavement. Forsooth This eect is used when no other eect in the list covers the situation. Assume that whatever comes after Forsooth is literally true in game. For example: Forsooth: you feel an aching sense of despair. Frenzy You are overcome with rage. Frenzy is not an excuse for unsafe ghting. You will attack whoever is currently in front of you, friend or foe. Loud noises will draw your attention. You will not accept oers of surrender, and indeed you will ignore most conversation or speech. You should consider any unsuccessful attempt to stop your rage as an attack and deal with it appropriately. You may cast combat/attack related spells while Frenzied, but no healing, protective, or other spells. Shaman Path characters may use the Shamanic Channeling or Hunter Aspirations skills while in Frenzy. Graze A weapon or packet attack has a lesser impact as if you had almost moved out of the way. You should roleplay nearly evading the attack. Graze is similar to Dodge, but costs 1 Health to represent a lesser injury taken to avoid the original eect. Heal (# or Full) Heal restores the given amount of Health, including physical armor or racial armor skills if applicable. Heal Full restores you to full Health. This eect will not work on a character in the Critical, Dead, or Shade states. Heal Full is Rare. Knockout You fall unconscious. An appropriate Purge eect will awaken you. Moving, shaking, or damaging you will not. Life Will bring a character in any state other than Shade or Dead and Consumed (see the Consume eect) back to life with full Health. Rare. Maim You lose the use of the target arm or leg. If no target is specied, you may choose which limb suers the eect. If delivered by weapon, this will not have any eect if it strikes your torso. With one Maimed leg, assume you can drag it around behind you slowly. With two Maims to the legs (the same leg or dierent, it doesnt matter), you will have to prop yourself up, sit down, or go down on one knee. In any case, you cant move without help. YOU MAY NOT HOP. Hopping is silly and potentially dangerous. A normal Maim eect can be Purged by spending 3 minutes outside of combat tending to the limb, and is also automatically Purged at the end of a Refresh. If your character receives a Permanent Maim it will not be healed by self-tending or Refreshing, only by a Purge Maim explicitly as per the Permanent trait. No Eect The particular blow or spell did nothing and it never will. However, a blow that is stronger or that uses a dierent trait or eect might still be eective. If you are not an undead creature, and you were hit with a Slay Undead eect, you would reply with No Eect because it will never work but a Slay Living certainly might. Once someone has called No Eect to something you may not continue with that specic attack against them. This is so that the person can accurately keep track of what is happening to them without being confused by extraneous hits. Not Taken The eect was not taken because it did not hit or was not delivered properly. This may be used if needed, but the Sta prefers that such things be roleplayed instead: you can reply to missed or mis-delivered attacks with responses such as That was far too close! or Ha! You completely missed me!, for example. Paralyze You cannot move any part of your body or speak, but you are fully aware of what is going on around you. Damage and eects will still aect you. Paralyzed people may be moved as though they are wounded bodies. Parry A weapon attack does not aect you as if you had blocked it with a weapon or a shield. This eect only works against attacks that may normally be blocked by a weapon or shield, and you must be wielding a weapon or shield in order to call a Parry. Brutal and Soulstrike attacks cannot be Parried. Purge <Trait or Eect> This eect removes ONE eect, or ONE eect with the stated trait. A Purge Poison would remove one eect done by Poison. A Purge Maim would remove a Maim eect, no matter how it was caused. You do not have any choice about having eects removed; a Purge Life thrown at you would remove one eect caused by Life on you, including a defensive spell caused by Life if that was the only by Life eect on you. If there are several eects that a Purge could remove, the recipient chooses which one is canceled. A Purge will NOT counter an eect that happens instantly. So if you are hit by a Slay Living by Death eect, you cant use Purge Death against it. You also cant Purge damage eects such as Damage, Brutal, and Drain.

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Renew (Full / # / Skills) Restores some combination of refreshable skills and Will. Renew Full restores all Refreshable skills, all Will, and the usability of the Revenant eect. Renew followed by a number restores only that amount of Will and not skills, while Renew Skills restores only skills and not Will. Renew Full is Rare. Repel You must stay at least 10 feet away from the caster. This eect cannot be used to drive back targets; if the caster advances upon the target, the target may hold their ground. Reset The Reset eect immediately resets your count for the Fallen or Critical state (see page 27) to the beginning. The count begins again as usual. Resist The blow or eect hit you, but you were able to disregard it. While the particular blow or spell was ineective, it was an eort to ward o, and another one might succeed. Return <eect> Inicts a called eect in response to a weapon or spell hit. THE ORIGINAL HIT IS STILL EFFECTIVE. For example, if someone hit you with a weapon you might be able to call Return Agony by Darkness. The attacker would take the Agony by Darkness eect, but you would still be injured by the original weapon blow. Revenant This only aects a target who is in the Critical state, and usually only aects a target who has not received this eect since they last Refreshed. However, Revenant No Defense will bypass the once per Refresh limitation. You receive the Revive and Heal Full eect immediately. At the end of the current battle, at the end of ten minutes, or when you would next enter the Fallen or Critical state whichever happens rst you return to the Critical state. If you have already received this eect once since your last Refresh or if you are not in the Critical state, you should call No Eect. Revive This only aects someone who is in the Critical state. Your state changes to Fallen. If you are not immediately Healed after a Revive you WILL begin your count toward the Critical state again. Root Your feet are stuck to the ground and may not be moved. Shift <eect> : The stated eect is moved, either from one person or object to another or from one area on yourself to another. For example,: Shift Maim Right Arm to Self would heal a maimed limb in another by taking it onto yourself. A packet thrown with the call Shift Weakness to Target would if it hit remove the Weakness from you and grant it to the target struck. Shift Maim could be used to move a maim from one of your limbs to another. Silence You are unable to speak or make any vocal noise. You may still make out of game eect calls. Slay You immediately enter the Dead state. Rare. Slow When the Slow eect is called, all aected characters must perform all actions very slowly. You should move at no more than one step per second, and weapon swings or packet throws should take at least a couple of seconds each to complete. Slow speech is not required, but may be hard to resist. Rare. Soulturn <eect> Called when an attack hits you. The attacker suers the designated eect, and you are unaected by their attack. A Soulturned eect cannot be Soulturned again. Rare. Spiritbless Your souls ties to the mortal realm are strengthened. This grants you one additional free death (see page 28) which will carry over from game to game until used. It may also have other eects. If you receive this eect, please note it in your Post Event Worksheet. Rare. Spirit Curse You have been aected by a Spirit Curse, a rare aiction of body and soul. Any Spirit Curse eect will be accompanied by a card which will describe the Curse, its symptoms, and its cure, along with information on how it should be roleplayed. If you receive this eect, please note it in your Post Event Worksheet. Rare. Spiritwrack Your souls ties to the mortal realm are weakened. This will reduce the number of free deaths you have available during the current event by one, to a minimum of zero (see page 28). If you have no free deaths remaining for the current event, this has no obvious eect on you. It may, however, have other eects. If you receive this eect, please note it in your Post Event Worksheet. Stun You cannot do anything besides reel helplessly for 5 seconds. Torment You must scream or cry out once, and briey roleplay mental anguish and horror. No physical damage is associated with this eect, though the screaming requirement will interrupt incantations. This eect is always considered an area eect. Trance You must stand unmoving. You are mesmerized, and are not aware of what is going on around you. Taking any damaging eect will release you, but moving you or shaking you will not. Weakness You will do one less point of damage with all weapons and spells this may render you unable to do any damage at all. You will be unable to run, and abilities which cost Will cost 1 more per use. You should roleplay feebleness and lassitude.

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4.2

Traits

Traits are added before or after an eect to indicate who it aects, how it was delivered, and what sort of power created it.

Target Traits
This sort of trait is always placed directly after the eect and limits that eect to a particular category of targets or a particular location. For example: Slay Undead, Heal 3 to Self, or Maim Right Arm. If you have the target trait in question, you would be aected by that eect. If you do not, you would call No Eect. Most target traits are fairly obvious in their meaning. All players in the Covenant world have the traits Living, Covenant, and their race (Beastkin, for example). You also have the Ally trait if you consider the person using the eect an ally, and the Foe trait if you consider them an enemy. You gain the Wounded trait when you are at less than full Health, and the Fallen, Critical, Dead, and Shade traits when you are in those states. You will also gain the Oathbreaker trait should you break a bound Oath (see page 59).

Delivery Traits
Delivery traits are used to indicate by what means the eect was delivered. Some are generally placed before the eect and some after. Area Eect Means the eect aects everyone in the area. If a character does not hear the call though those around them do they should be notied by someone else or a Clarify called to point it out to them. Used before the eect: Area Eect Knockout. By Discourse In order for an eect by Discourse to work on you, the person calling it must have spoken to you for at least a brief time. You do not need to have replied, but they must have your attention while they speak. Used after the eect: Charm by Discourse. By Gesture Eects called by Gesture only require that the person point at you and get your attention to call the eect. For example, if you are wearing a green robe, and your character name is Clovis, then you in the green! or Clovis are both acceptable. This type of eect will not work on enemies who you cant see, and you MUST have their attention. The best way to get it is to use their game name you may not use real life names. Used after the eect: Paralyze by Gesture. By Packet This is one of the most common delivery methods: a simple birdseed packet thrown at the target. You do not have to call by Packet; it is implied. Packets that hit a shield or weapon DO count as hits against your target unless otherwise specied. By Weapon Eects by weapon represent a physical attack or force: a dart, a sword, a knife, a st, a push, and so on. They must strike you in order to take eect, and they CAN be blocked by weapons, shields, or the Parry eect. If you swing a weapon and call an eect, it is assumed to be by Weapon; you do not have to say it every time. If someone throws a packet and calls the eect by Weapon you CAN block it with a weapon or shield or Parry it. Used after the eect: 3 Damage by Weapon. Soulstrike Soulstrikes are swung with or red by a weapon, but count as though a packet had struck you on the location hit. They cannot be blocked by a weapon or shield or Parried. Used before the eect: Soulstrike Doom. Permanent Eects that are called as Permanent ignore the usual duration rules; they stay in eect until you receive a Purge of the appropriate type for that eect or one of its traits. Permanent eects are also usually cured when you enter the Dead state. For example, Permanent Weakness by Decay would last until you receive a Purge Decay or Purge Weakness or, unless otherwise specied, until you next enter the Dead state. Used before the eect. By Physical This usually represents physical entanglements or strikes: ropes, webs, grasping vegetation, quick blows to the head, and so on. The most commonly delivered eects with this trait are Root by Physical, Bind by Physical, and Knockout by Physical. You may Purge Physical on any ongoing but non-Permanent Physical eect that aects you by roleplaying your struggle with the eect appropriately for 30 seconds. You may also Purge Physical on another in a similar way in the case of Roots or Binds, but not Knockouts. Generally used after the eect as shown above, but you may occasionally hear it used before as in Physical Knockout. No Defense This indicates an attack that is strong enough to penetrate all defenses. Nothing but No Eect will stop a No Defense attack. It cannot be Dodged, Parried, Resisted, Grazed, or Soulturned. You can still use real life quickness to avoid a No Defense attack where applicable. Used after the eect: Slay No Defense.

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Flavor Traits
Flavor traits indicate by what means the eect was created. These traits are the parts of an eect that can be most often Resisted or Purged, and also provide some clues as to how you might roleplay the eect. For example: a Paralyze by Primal might turn you to stone, whereas a Paralyze by Poison might cause you to collapse, twitching but unable to move. There are many avor traits in the Covenant world, but some of the most common ones are listed here: Trait By Blood By Change By Darkness By Death By Decay By Dross By Essence By Fire By Gas By Life By Pain By Poison By Primal By Soul By Stench Represents the power of mortal blood Change spirit power Primal darkness Death spirit power entropy, a Death spirit power the latent spirit power in the surrounding world Essence spirit power; pure spirit ame, either actual or Change power airborne vapors Life spirit power physical pain poisonous compounds, natural or otherwise Primal spirit power the power of mortal souls overpowering smells

Chapter 5

Combat and Death

5.1 Combat

All combat is conducted using padded weapons and beanbag packets. The weapons may be hand-held (such as knives, clubs, or bows) or thrown weapons (such as rocks or javelins). All blows do 1 Damage UNLESS your opponent calls a dierent eect when striking you (such as Maim or 3 Damage). Thus, if you are struck with a Maim, it will not cause any actual damage, only the Maim eect itself.

Preparation
Weapon Construction Covenant allows boer weapons made using either the traditional PVC/CPVC core method or the ultralight kite pole core method. If you need weapons made for you or wish to learn how to construct your own, the Sta recommends that you ask around on the Covenant mailing list or forum. Many larpers have become very good at weapon construction, and they are often willing to build weapons to order. Latex weapons may be allowed on a case-by-case basis, but they must have a look suitable to the game and you will not be allowed to make thrusting attacks with them. Weapon tethers are not allowed. Weapon Safety All weapons must be inspected by the Sta before every event. Packet Construction Packets used for spells, arrows, and such should be constructed by placing birdseed in the center of a 45 inch square of stretchable fabric, then securing the fabric with string or twine. A nished spell packet should t in a lm canister. The nished packet should have some give and not be so tightly packed that it would be painful when thrown at an opponent. Do not ll your packets with anything other than birdseed. The birdseed should not contain any large or sharp seeds, such as sunower seeds.

The Fight
Combat Force Repeated from Safety Rules for emphasis. You must always pull your blows so as not to strike too hard. No blow should cause real pain. If you are struck by a blow that you think is too forceful, call Excessive Force. The hit DOES NOT COUNT. Everyone is dierent, so you will have to adjust to your opponents level of comfort. Blows that some players would hardly notice are quite unpleasant for others. No one should feel uncomfortable about calling Excessive Force. Please try to make this call as calmly as you can; while it is easy to become upset when you are hit too hard in the heat of battle, it is likely that your opponent did not do so on purpose. It doesnt mean you are a wimp. You are actually helping the game by keeping things under control. If you feel a player is abusing this rule, smile, make nice, and inform the Sta. Targets Repeated from Safety Rules for emphasis. Do not strike the head or groin. Hits to the hands do not count, though the hands should not be used to defend.

23

CHAPTER 5. COMBAT AND DEATH What Counts?

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Judging when you have been hit by a foe is solely your responsibility, but you must at all times do so in as fair and scrupulous a manner as possible. Do Not Count Any weapon blow that lands on the same body part as the immediately previous strike in quick succession. This is called machine gunning. Before legally scoring another blow on the same part of the body a foe must rst strike at another body part, pull back for a moment, or parry a blow. A weapon blow that strikes only cloth or a dangling pouch, and passes through without contacting your body. A weapon blow that is too hard. A weapon blow that overcomes your physical parry by force. A weapon blow that strikes the head, groin, or hands. Do Count Weapon blows that strike capes, backpacks, sheathed weapons and the like, IF they would have hit you had the item not been there. Weapon blows that are very light. Weapon blows that glance o your weapon and then hit you. Spirit Powers in Combat Spirit powers in combat are simulated using the Eects of Chapter 4. Generally, a shaman calls an eect, such as 3 Damage by Fire and throws a packet. If you are hit, you take the eect called. Its very simple. If you dont understand or hear the eect, you can call Clarify and the caster will repeat or explain the call. Further information about spellcasting is found in Chapter 11. Non-Combatants There may be people at an event who cannot (or do not wish to) take part in combat with boer weapons. These people are considered Non-Combatants, and will wear a prominent yellow or orange armband. At night they will wear a blue light those who do not ght are thought to be somewhat more spirit-touched than other mortals. Do not attack these players with weapons. If you wish to strike down a non-combatant, simply walk up to within 5 feet of them, point your weapon at them, and state, I strike you down. The non-combatant will enter the Fallen state. Non-combatants cannot wield weapons themselves, although they may cast spells and use other game skills.

The Aftermath
Respecting the Fallen Once someone has fallen in battle it is considered bad luck to remain near their body, unless of course you have plans for it such as healing, searching, or moving it. This etiquette is in place so that the Shade of the deceased may be free to depart, and so people dont have to lie around on the ground for very long. This rule is most important when dealing with NPCs. Searching and Being Searched Once you have defeated an enemy, you may wish to go through their clothing and belongings looking for loot. If you wish to search someone, you should state, I search you. The person being searched has three options at this point. They can: Reply describe your search. In this case, the searcher describes where they are searching on a location by location basis. If the searched has any game items in the location described, they should slowly bring out and hand over those items. Describe all of the game items they are carrying, and slowly hand over any of them that the searcher requests. Slowly present all of their game items to the searcher. The searcher may take any or all game items they nd in a search. The process should take at least 30 seconds to complete, and may take considerably longer. Physical searching is NOT ALLOWED.

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5.2

Weapon Types

The weapons available to the Covenant peoples are largely those implements used for survival, hunting, herding, and small-scale farming or at least those that can be converted from such implements. The Covenant tribes have not experienced an armed conict much above the level of brawling raids since their inception, and have thus not developed or re-developed true combat weaponry or armor. Ohand Weapons and Shields The Covenant peoples are generally not procient with ohand weapons. You may only wield a second weapon if you have the beastkin Claws racial skill (see page 32) or the Hunter skills Style: Buckler Fighting or Style: Defensive Weapon (see page 48). These skills allow dual claw weapons, a shield, or a short ohand weapon respectively. Weapon Type Bow Claws Javelin One-Handed Weapon Shield Sling Sta/Spear Thrown Weapon Two-Handed Weapon Length 3060 2430 3036 2442 Max 18 round or 20 by 12 oval N/A 4872 Max 10 in any dimension 4260 Examples longbow, shortbow, recurve bow N/A N/A longknife, sickle, axe, hammer, club, mace N/A N/A N/A knife, hatchet, rock maul, axe, shovel, pruning hook

Bows Due to safety considerations, archery is simulated using a padded weapon like any other but curved to look like a bow though generally without a string and with a center grip. Arrows are simulated with packets. Bows may be used to block but not to make melee attacks. Claws Claw weapons are only available to you if you are a beastkin with the appropriate racial skill (see page 32). They represent retractable natural weapons attached to your hands or arms. You may wield one or two claws, and each can be of any length within the size guidelines. Your claws are immune to Disarm call No Eect and cannot be taken from you. However, a Maim which strikes one of your claws does 1 Damage to you. Claws should be colored and decorated to match your beastkin makeup and costuming. They should look as much as possible like extensions of your body. Javelins A javelin is a core-less length of pipe insulation with a slight beanbag weight at the padded thrusting end, crafted to look like a throwing spear. Javelins may only be thrown. They may not be used for melee combat. One-Handed Weapons This category covers any weapon designed to be gripped at one end and wielded using one hand. The people of the Covenant do not have swords, and longknives should be no longer than 26. Clubs are common, and simple maces consisting of a stone or knot of wood axed to the end of a handle also exist, as do axes and various other simple implements. Flails or any other weapon designed around exing or whipping actions are NOT allowed. If you have any questions about allowable weapon types, please contact the Sta. Shields You may only use a shield if you have the Hunter skill Style: Buckler Fighting. A shield may be used to block any attack delivered by Weapon. Shields may be either round or oval. All shields must have a padded rim and no sharp or otherwise dangerous projections. You MAY NOT shield bash or push another player with your shield. Slings There are no slingshots in the game; all slings are of the ancient whirl around your head type, consisting of two strips of leather or cord and a pocket for the stone. To use, you must pretend to t the stone (a packet) into the sling, whirl the sling with one hand, and throw the packet with the other. Expect to have to practice this a bit. Staves and Spears This category covers long weapons that are designed to be wielded using multiple grips and consists mostly of staves and spears. If either of your arms is unusable you may not wield a sta or spear. Any attacks made with a sta/spear weapon when gripping it ONLY at the end MUST be careful thrusting attacks. Attacks made when the weapon is gripped in the middle or using a wider grip such as the quarter-stang grip may be swings or thrusts. Pool cue style sliding thrust attacks may not be used. If you have questions about grip types or allowable weapons in this category please contact the Sta. Thrown Weapons A thrown weapon is any object that is safely made from open cell foam and duct tape and is designed to be thrown. This might include knives, axes, rocks, or even sh heads or pieces of old cheese. Edges on such items should be rounded, and care taken with narrow points that might be eye-socket-able. You may carry any number of thrown weapons, subject to reasonable roleplay guidelines. If, for example, you choose to carry around a huge sack of foam rocks, it should be roleplayed as a serious burden.

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Two-Handed Weapons This category covers any weapon designed to be gripped at one end and wielded using both hands for either swinging or thrusting attacks. Large axes, mauls, and pruning hooks are typical weapons in this category. If either of your arms is unusable you may not wield a two-handed weapon. If you have any questions about allowable weapon types, please contact the Sta.

5.3

Armor

It is possible to wear armor for increased protection. Only armor that looks realistic may be used; sports equipment and plastic Halloween armor are not allowed. Armor adds to your Health total. For simplicitys sake, it doesnt matter if your foe strikes you in an armored area or not; you still have the extra Health. To obtain your armor rating, simply total your armor locations, and multiply those locations by the value. Health Gained Locations Head (H) Chest/Abdomen (T) Back (B) Each Arm (LA/RA) Each Leg (LL/RL) Total Armor 1 2 1 1 1 8 Armor Type Light (L) Heavy (H) Value per Location 0.5 0.75

Light Light armor in the Covenant lands is generally made either of leather or of woven brush or reeds (wicker). Metal can, of course, be used for things like buckles or rivets. Heavy Heavy armor includes: hardened leather plate; scale, splint, lamellar, or brigandine using leather or heavy cloth backing as needed and hardened leather, wood, bone, horn, or shell for the splints, scales, or plates. Metal can, of course, be used for things like buckles or rivets. For example, wearing a horn scale shirt (Heavy Chest/Abdomen and Back) and wicker greaves (Light Right Leg and Left Leg) would result in 3 x 0.75 (2.25) plus 2 x 0.5 (1) = 3.25 Armor. Health gained is rounded up or down to the nearest whole (.5 rounds down), so that armor setup would grant 3 Health worth of armor. Roughly 50% of an area must be covered by armor of the appropriate type to get the bonus. Thus, tall boots or bracers often suce to armor a given arm or leg. In addition to the Health gained by wearing armor, there may be other benets or eects which may be added to armor through crafts or spells. These are the only armor types available to the Covenant peoples. Though it is possible that other types may exist elsewhere in the world, you would have to acquire both the new armor and training in how it is worn in order to make use of it. Example Armor Setups Example Hardened leather breast and back, leather helm Full bone splint armor, hardened leather helm Leather bracers and tall leather boots Wood brigandine shirt, leather boots Head Armor Any kind of head armor makes you immune to waylay attacks. Call No Eect to any attacks by Waylay. You must be wearing it, obviously. Coverage HT, HB, LH HTotal, the maximum LLA, LRA, LLL, LRL HT, HB, LLL, LRL Armor 3 6 2 3 Math (3 x 0.75) + (1 x 0.5) = 2.75 (8 x 0.75) = 6 (4 x 0.5) = 2 (3 x 0.75) + (2 x 0.5) = 3.25

5.4

The States of Death and Dying

Why Have Death? Death is a necessary part of the game. Without the possibility of character death combat loses its excitement, many of your decisions have less weight and impact, and the game becomes less real. The chance of your character dying is very real, and it will behoove you to pick ghts carefully. That being said, every player character is a major force in the world and can survive far more punishment than most people you will meet.

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Detailed here are the various states of unconsciousness, injury, and death, and the most common ways to reach them. Some Cast characters may use dierent counts or rules for the Fallen, Critical, Dead, and Shade states. Knocked Out If you are struck with the Knockout eect, you are knocked out. You will fall to the ground and be unable to take any action or perceive anything that occurs. It is acceptable and encouraged for you to take a few steps to stumble out of the way of battle, if necessary, to avoid being stepped upon. You may also consider keeping your eyes at least partially open while you are not being actively tended or searched so that you are aware of any safety concerns in your vicinity. Once the Knockout eect ends (typically 5 minutes) you will wake up. Fallen Your total Health consists of your Health Points plus any Armor Points. Each point of damage subtracts from your total Health. If you are struck by a blow that reduces your Health to zero or less, you enter the Fallen state. You will fall to the ground and be unable to take any action or perceive anything that occurs. It is acceptable and encouraged for you to take a few steps to stumble out of the way of battle, if necessary, to avoid being stepped upon. You may also consider keeping your eyes at least partially open while you are not being actively tended or searched so that you are aware of any safety concerns in your vicinity. You will remain Fallen for 5 minutes. At the end of that time you will enter the Critical state. Any Heal eect will instantly restore you to consciousness, and you should take any healing done to you while Fallen as though you have exactly zero Health. That is, no matter how badly damaged you were when you became Fallen, a Heal One eect would return you to 1 Health. Critical If you remain Fallen for 5 minutes, are aected by the Critical or Doom eect, or are reduced to zero Health by the Drain eect, you enter the Critical state. You will fall to the ground and be unable to take any action or perceive anything that occurs. It is acceptable and encouraged for you to take a few steps to stumble out of the way of battle, if necessary, to avoid being stepped upon. You may also consider keeping your eyes at least partially open while you are not being actively tended or searched so that you are aware of any safety concerns in your vicinity. You will remain Critical for up to 10 minutes, at the end of which you will enter the Dead state, unless you are given the Revive or Life eect within that time. You may choose not to wait the full 10 minutes, and may enter the Dead state at any time after 5 minutes of being Critical. The Heal eect WILL NOT work on a character in the Critical state. Dead If you remain Critical for 10 minutes or you are struck by the Slay eect, you enter the Dead state. You will fall to the ground and be unable to take any action or perceive anything that occurs. It is acceptable and encouraged for you to take a few steps to stumble out of the way of battle, if necessary, to avoid being stepped upon. You may also consider keeping your eyes at least partially open while you are not being actively tended or searched so that you are aware of any safety concerns in your vicinity. You may gasp out a few dramatic last words, if you wish, but try not to overdo it. Five minutes after the battle ends or moves out of sight you will become a Shade, unless you are given the Life eect. Shade Once you have been Dead for ve minutes (see the Dead state above for details) you will rise up as a Shade. A Shade is distinguishable by its hanging head and vacant eyes. Shades walk the Verge between the mortal and spirit realms, and are incapable of interaction with either one beyond a meaningless groan or two. A Shade must travel directly to the Spirit Fords to determine its fate. Everything that is physically in your possession at the moment you become a Shade remains with you and accompanies you to the Fords. If you choose not to travel to the Fords, you can only remain a Shade for a short time before dying permanently.

Memory
You will remember nothing that occurs while you are Knocked Out, Fallen, Critical, Dead, or a Shade, except what transpires at the Spirit Fords. However, you do remember everything that occurred while you were conscious, beforehand. Thus it is dicult to murder someone without them knowing who did it.

5.5

Returning from Death: The Spirit Fords

The Spirit Fords will be represented by a particular location in game which will generally only be accessible by Shades. At the Fords, you will be faced with the decision of whether and how to return to your mortal life. There will be a book at the Fords in which to record details of your death and what you choose to do about it, as well as Death Pact cards, a list of which Death Pacts characters have previously made, and a Negotiation Flag. Instructions will also be present.

CHAPTER 5. COMBAT AND DEATH Free Deaths

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Every character is strong enough in spirit to return from the Fords once per game without having to make any Pacts. If you are using this free death, you should note that in the book and return to game with full Health, Will, and skills as though you had just Refreshed and been fully healed. If you are far from the Fords when you die and plan to use a free death, you may simply travel out of sight of other players for 5 minutes, then return as if you have visited the Fords. You must actually visit them to record your death upon returning from your mission, however. Death Pacts If you have no free deaths remaining, you must make a Death Pact with the spirits in order to return to your mortal form. No character may ever make more than ve Death Pacts in their lifetime one with each nature of spirit. You may make such a Pact in one of two ways. You must choose one of these ways before proceeding, and are then committed to that choice. You may not, for example, choose a random Pact and then decide to negotiate instead if you draw a Pact that you do not like. First, you may choose a nature of spirit with which to Pact consulting the list to see which Pacts you have already made if necessary and randomly select one of the Death Pact cards for that nature. The card will inform you of any tasks and consequences attached to the Death Pact. Once you have made note of these and written your death details in the book, you may return to game with full Health, Will, and skills as though you had just Refreshed and been fully healed. Second, you may choose a nature of spirit as above but decide that you want to personally negotiate a Death Pact. You should write that down in the book, place the Negotiation Flag outside the Fords, and return to game with full Health, Will, and skills as though you had just Refreshed and been fully healed. A Voice will come to you eventually and will negotiate the terms of a Death Pact on behalf of the spirits. Please be aware that whatever terms are arrived at during any such negotiation are nal and binding; you might manage a much better deal than a standard Death Pact, or you might not, but there will always be a price for whatever you manage to achieve. Permanent Death If you have neither free deaths nor Death Pacts remaining to you when you arrive at the Fords, your character has taken their Permanent Death. You should note your death in the book and then go to Ops. Funeral arrangements will be made for your character, and you will most likely be granted a grace period. That is, you will be allowed to play the remainder of the game by the grace of the spirits before nally dying.

Chapter 6

Character Creation
Determine starting Character Points
All starting characters in Covenant begin with 80 CP. Creating and submitting a character history at least three weeks before the characters rst event will grant you 20 additional CP. You may also select up to 20 points of Flaws (found in section 9.2 on page 40) for your character, which will add the total Flaw value to your starting CP. Thus, the potential maximum CP for a starting character is 120 CP.

Determine starting Health and Will

Health is the amount of damage a character can absorb before entering the Fallen state. Will represents the characters ability to impose their will on the world around them. Many skills and most spells cost Will to use. Starting Health and Will must total 6, but otherwise you are free to choose the starting values. Health must be at least 1, but Will may be 0. Thus, you could have Health 1 and Will 5, or Health 6 and Will 0, or any combination in between. Both Health and Will may also be increased by purchasing skills.

Choose a Race
Choose a character race, as found in Chapter 7 on page 32. The choices include beastkin, human, spiritkin, varia, and vinewoven. Beastkin and spiritkin also require the choice of a specic sub-race. Each race gains the ability to read one type of Information Flag (see page 13) and may purchase race-specic skills. The racial skills follow the skill rules from Chapter 9 on page 39.

Choose a Tribe
Each character must belong to one of the tribes of the Covenant. The major tribes are detailed in Chapter 8 on page 36, as are the rules for creating a new minor tribe or clan.

Determine the characters Lifepath

Each character must choose one of the four Lifepaths listed in section 9.1 on page 40. The choice of Lifepath will determine your access to weapons, innate oensive magic, and such skills as are limited to hunters or shamans. The Lifepath of your character cannot normally be changed after character creation except via the free character change mentioned below.

Purchase Gifts and Skills

Skills are the things that your character knows how to do. In order to disable a limb with a weapon or channel the power of the spirits, you must select the proper skills. Gifts are a particular type of skill that represent innate rather than learned abilities, and so they may only be purchased at character creation. Skills and Gifts are listed in Chapter 9 on page 39.

Create a Character History (optional)

Character histories are used by the Sta to incorporate your character into the storyline of the game. If you choose to submit a character history you will gain 20 additional CP for your character. When writing a character history you should consider including a description of the characters early life, something important to the character, something the character desires more than anything else, and some people who might appear in the characters life. You might also mention specic types of story interaction that you denitely do or do not want to see; for example, I would not like my family members to be used as villains. The Sta may need to work with you to make your character history more consistent with the game world. If you require assistance, please contact the Sta.

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CHAPTER 6. CHARACTER CREATION

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Select a name for the character

The people of the Covenant represent a melting pot of previous cultures as well as newly developing ones. As such, names from the 1st8th century AD in Europe or the Near East are common. Also common are names that draw from the natural world or that describe some feature of the character. Many people of the Covenant have only a rst name and use tribe or descriptive identiers to dierentiate themselves from others (Clovis of the Ramsheart or Clovis Fire-Hair). More specic or inherited last names usually derive from great deeds of the character or an ancestor (Clovis, Son of Farhunter or Clovis Flicker-Friend). If you have questions about the suitability of a name, please ask the Sta.

Submit your character to the Sta

You MUST submit your character at least 3 weeks prior to the rst game at which that character will be played. Characters should be submitted to [email protected]. Characters may not be created at the game.

Character Changes and Secondary Characters

You may modify or completely rewrite your character ONCE, prior to the third event you attend with that character, without losing any earned Character Points. After the third event you may not alter your characters existing traits. You may only have one active character at a time. If you wish to create a new character, you must retire your current character. Retired characters may no longer be played. Please keep character retirement to a minimum; it causes extra logistical work for the Sta and may disrupt ongoing plotlines that include your character.

Weapons, Armor, and Costuming

The player culture for Covenant is intended to evoke Dark Ages Europe, with a signicantly tribal feel to it as well. This places some limits on weapons and costuming that are not present in more medieval larp settings. The weapons available to the Covenant peoples are largely those implements used for survival, hunting, herding, and small-scale farming or at least those that can be converted from such implements. The Covenant tribes have not experienced an armed conict much above the level of brawling raids since their inception, and have thus not developed or re-developed true combat weaponry or armor. A sampling of likely weapons appears in the table and descriptions starting on page 25, and the armor types are listed in section 5.3 on page 26. If you have other thoughts or questions about weapons or armor, please consult the Sta. For costuming, good places to start looking for examples and inspiration are Celtic, Germanic, Viking/Scandinavian, and Frankish costume of roughly the 1st to 8th centuries AD. The Sta has included some basic links below as starting points, but theres a lot more out there on the net. It is worth noting that the basic T-tunic so common in larp will work ne for the Covenant period. If you choose to take elements from the dress of a people or tribe that still exists, please mix them with other elements to create something new we are trying to create a new culture, not to annoy existing ones. Covenant culture would have several kinds of cloth available for garb, plus leather, hide, and the fur of various animals. Other materials used for adornment might include iron, copper, brass, bronze, horn, bone, wood, and shell. The culture is somewhat metals-poor, and especially has little in the way of precious metals such as silver or gold. Small amounts of metal such as buckles, rivets, or the like are perfectly ne. There is some access to uncut or rough-cut gems and stones, mostly of the semi-precious variety. Additionally, once-living materials hold special signicance for spirits and are frequently chosen over metals or gems for adornment purposes. If you have further questions concerning costuming, please consult the Sta. Links Celtic More Celtic Germanic Scandinavian/Viking Frankish Inspirations While the majority of the Covenant world was created without much reference to media, the Sta has been asked to list some media sources that in our opinion evoke the right kind of feel. The 13th Warrior (movie) This is probably the single best example. Much of the clothing ts (though not the swords or metal armor), as does the feeling of being all alone on the edge of the world and facing unknown enemies.

CHAPTER 6. CHARACTER CREATION

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The Malazan Book of the Fallen series (books) The series spends a fair amount of time dealing with tribes, from the Wickans to the Tiste Edur. A lot of their ways would t the Covenant. Roar (tv series) While the series is fairly cheesy, theres some decent clothing and personal adornment among the Celts.

Chapter 7

Races of the Covenant

The racial skills follow the skill rules detailed at the beginning of Chapter 9. Note about the races: All of the races of the Covenant can interbreed with one another. There are, however, no half-races. The child of such a union is almost always of the race of one of their parents, with two possible exceptions. Occasionally, the child of a human or Varia parent may be born as any of the other races.

7.1

Beastkin

During the Running Years those who bore the plague were sometimes twisted into the appearance of beasts of the land. Though these changes often resulted in death, the survivors learned to use their beast-aspects to help them survive. Most beastkin in the Covenant lands have the aspects of mammals, though bird and reptile forms appear occasionally. Insect and arachnid beastkin exist, but are vanishingly rare and are often treated with distrust among the tribes. Makeup Requirement: Full face makeup or a mask to resemble the chosen beast. Prosthetics, ears, tails, and additional such details are optional but encouraged. Racial Flag-Reading Ability: Beastkin can read Scent ags.

Beastkin Racial Skills

Claws : 15 CP You have developed dangerous natural weapons that are a part of your hands or arms. These might be mammalian claws, bird talons, or even chitinous spikes on the arms of an insect. You may wield two claw weapons as described in section 5.2 on page 25. Your claws are immune to Disarm call No Eect and cannot be taken from you. However, a Maim which strikes one of your claws does 1 Damage to you. Consume the Fallen : 10 CP + 5 progressive Some beastkin lean more toward their animalistic sides than others. You can roleplay devouring part of a fallen enemy or corpse for 15 seconds and call Heal 3 to Self by Race. You may do this once per Refresh per time this skill is taken. A beastkin may use this skill on a given body more than once, and multiple beastkin can use the skill on one body. Feign Death : 13 CP Some beastkin are able to create the illusion of their own dead body in order to protect themselves from further harm. Once per Refresh while still conscious, you may choose to fall to the ground and remain motionless as though you are dead. While in this state you may not move or speak, but you will take no further eects from attacks to yourself though you will still take Area Eect damage or eects. For example, the Critical delivered to a helpless foe by the Mercy Strike free skill will not aect you at all. You need not call No Eect. If any ability is used to check your state, you should respond Dead. You may also choose not to respond to Detect Living. You may remain in this state for up to 5 minutes, but may leave it at will any time before then. Illusory Visage: Beastkin : free In times of need you may choose to look almost entirely human. The disguise is not perfect a red mark symbolic of your true form appears on your face while this skill is active. The focus required to maintain this disguise prevents you from using any racial skills (except Claws, if taken) while it is active, though you may still use your racial ag-reading ability. This skill is present to allow you to forgo your full racial makeup when necessary or desired.

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CHAPTER 7. RACES OF THE COVENANT Scent Marking : 5 CP

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You have the ability to leave messages in the form of scents by the use of a gland, generally located in your head or arms. (Beastkin are not dogs. Please do not mimic a dogs scent marking methods.) You may create and carry blank Scent ags. At any time you may choose to ll out one of these Scent ags and leave it at your current location. The ag must include your character name and the approximate time Saturday afternoon, for example. It can also include a terse message such as wait here, follow, enemies ahead, danger, or something similar. The message should be simple and no longer than three words. These messages need not be truthful you can lie using scent if you wish, bearing in mind that each lie is marked with your identity. You must space out the Scent ags that you leave; you could, for example, leave a trail of scents with each new ag just visible from the location of the last, but that is as closely as they should be placed.

7.2

Human

The tales of our longparents teach us that all people were once human, and that the other races only came about during the plague and the Running Years. Humans are still among the most common of the Covenant peoples. Makeup Requirements: none. Racial Flag-Reading Ability: At character creation humans may choose the ability to read either Spiritspeech, Wildlore, or Lifelore ags.

Human Racial Skills

Essence-Touched Strike : 12 CP + 3 progressive Some humans have the curious ability to strike through defenses much as spirit powers do. Once per Refresh per time you purchase this skill you may make any one of your melee or ranged attacks a Soulstrike. This can be combined with other abilities as well. For example, if you also had the Aggressive Fighting hunter skill you could spend 2 Will and one use of this skill to attack for Soulstrike Stun and 3 Damage. Evasion : 13 CP + 5 progressive Some humans are quite adept at rolling with incoming blows in order to reduce their impact. You gain 1 point of Health as armor per time this skill is purchased. This armor only applies when wearing 2 points or less of physical armor, and is also lost if you are aected by the Knockout, Paralyze, or Root eects.

Immutable : 13 CP + 5 progressive You may Resist one eect delivered by packet (that is NOT also by Weapon) per Refresh per time this skill is purchased. Spirit Guardian : 12 CP + 5 progressive You have an unseen minor spirit watching over you. Once per Refresh per time you purchase this skill you may, when struck by a weapon blow or packet attack, call Return Agony by Essence.

7.3

Spiritkin

The Running Years were also when the spirits rst began to seek us out, and some of these spirits sought to conquer or merge with the people rather than to bargain. Some of these people were possessed, and others died ghting the invading spirits. A few, though, reached a kind of internal Pact with the invading spirit and became the longparents of the spiritkin. Spiritkin exist in most of the same varieties as the spirits: Death, Primal, Change, and Essence. There are no Life spiritkin. Makeup Requirements: All spiritkin require full face makeup or masks, with additional prosthetics and costuming optional but encouraged. Death spiritkin should resemble corpses or undead. Primal spiritkin should embody stone, soil, darkness, air, water, or some combination of those. Change spiritkin usually have aspects of re, storms, or sunlight, and they may also change somewhat in their makeup from event to event. Essence spiritkin have a blue cast to their skin and often appear to shimmer in the light. Spiritkin have by far the most open-ended and diverse makeup, and the Sta wishes to encourage an original look for each spiritkin character. Please feel free to discuss your ideas with the Sta beforehand.

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Racial Flag-Reading Ability: Death spiritkin can read Lifelore ags. Primal spiritkin can read Wildlore ags. Change spiritkin can read Spiritspeech ags. Essence spiritkin can read Shamanlore ags.

Spiritkin Racial Skills

Channel Power : 14 CP Requires: Sympathetic Absorption Some spiritkin have learned to make use of absorbed power instead of dissipating it. Whenever you call a Graze using your Sympathetic Absorption racial skill, you may immediately spend 1 Will to call Enhance to Self by Race. Illusory Visage: Spiritkin : free In times of need you may choose to look almost entirely human. The disguise is not perfect a blue mark symbolic of your true form appears on your face while this skill is active. The focus required to maintain this disguise prevents you from using any racial skill while it is active, though you may still use your racial ag-reading ability. This skill is present to allow you to forgo your full racial makeup when necessary or desired. Spirit Anity : 15 CP Some spiritkin can tap into their own nature for additional power when calling upon related spirit abilities. If you are casting a spell or using an ability that carries a trait of your spirit type and that costs Will to use, you may spend 30 seconds with your eyes closed before using the ability to draw power from yourself and reduce the Will cost of the ability by 1. No ability can have its cost reduced below 1 Will by this skill. This skill aects the following traits per spiritkin type: Death spiritkin (by Death, by Decay); Primal spiritkin (by Primal, by Darkness); Change spiritkin (by Change, by Fire); Essence spiritkin (by Essence, by the Current). Spirit Warding : 11 CP Once per Refresh you may spend 1 Health and 1 Will to extend one arm toward a spirit and call Repel Spirit by Race by Gesture. So long as you remain in the same spot you can rotate and keep your arm extended toward the spirit, you may continue to make that call as necessary for as long as you wish, though you may not use any other game abilities as long as you continue. If the spirit is still nearby when you choose to end the ability you should call Purge Repel. Sympathetic Absorption : 15 CP Spiritkin often develop the ability to absorb and dissipate damaging forces of their spiritual type. All Damage eects with one of your spiritual traits that strike you are reduced to 1 Damage. You should call Graze by Race when this occurs. So, for example, if a Change spiritkin with this skill was in range of an Area Eect 5 Damage by Fire, they would call Graze by Race and take only 1 Damage. This skill aects the following traits per spiritkin type: Death spiritkin (by Death, by Decay); Primal spiritkin (by Primal, by Darkness); Change spiritkin (by Change, by Fire); Essence spiritkin (by Essence, by the Current).

7.4

Varia

The plague aicted most during the Running Years, forcing changes that were usually permanent if not deadly. Some, though, never quite stopped changing. The worst of these went mad and ran o into the wilds. The less aected, though, were the longparents of those we call the Varia. Makeup Requirements: Varia should have at least three obvious, asymmetrical features. These might include, for example: a single elf ear-tip, one eye which is very sunken-looking or wears a colored or patterned contact lens, a scar-like pattern on one cheek, or a small piece of the makeup requirement for any other race. These features MUST change at each event attended, and may change on a day-to-day basis if desired. They might change location, or they might be replaced by completely dierent features. Racial Flag-Reading Ability: Varia gain a random ag-reading ability at the beginning of every event.

Varia Racial Skills

Aggressive Change : 15 CP At the beginning of each event you will gain three random harmful or oensive powers which you will be able to use at will for the duration of the event. These powers will often (but not always) have a price in Will to use.

CHAPTER 7. RACES OF THE COVENANT Benecial Shift : 12 CP

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Occasionally you may experience a sudden internal change that prevents or remedies a problem. Once per day you may either Resist by Race one eect that hits you, Purge by Race one eect that is already on you, or Revive and Heal One to Self by Race to bring yourself back from the brink of death. Protective Change : 13 CP At the beginning of each event you will gain three random helpful or defensive powers which you will be able to use at will for the duration of the event. These powers will often (but not always) have a price in Will to use. Varia Skin : 16 CP Your skin varies in thickness and elasticity along with your other physical changes, granting you a shifting amount of protection. You gain between 1 and 4 points of Health as armor, so long as you are wearing no more than 2 points of physical armor. This amount is determined randomly at check-in and remains the same for the rest of the event.

7.5

Vinewoven

As their own legacy from the plague, the longparents of the vinewoven became hosts to various kinds of plant life. Some of them are limited to bits of vine and ower embedded in their skin, while others are at least as much plant as person. All of them gained a stronger rapport with the life around them. Makeup Requirement: Vine-like makeup up one side of the face or a plantlike mask, and owers or vines worn around the head or in the hair. Additional makeup, prosthetics, or costuming to appear more plant- or tree-like are optional but encouraged. Racial Flag-Reading Ability: Vinewoven can read Lifelore ags.

Vinewoven Racial Skills

Cleansing Life : 7 CP + 3 progressive Once per Refresh per time the skill is purchased you may deliver one Purge Death by Life or Purge Decay by Life either by packet or by touch. NOTE: this ability aects the by Death trait, not the Dead state. Command the Vines : 16 CP You can extend your will to exert some limited control over local plant life. By spending 1 Will you may throw a packet for either Root by Physical or Bind by Physical. You may do this at will. Protective Growth : 16 CP + 5 progressive Enough tough, woody plant life has taken root along your body that you have gained extra protection. You gain 1 point of Health as armor per time this skill is purchased. This armor only applies when wearing 2 points or less of physical armor. Soothing Words : 11 CP + 3 progressive Once per Refresh per time you purchase this skill you may call upon your rapport with life to soothe rage. After speaking calming words to your target for at least 5 seconds, you may call Calm Beast by Discourse or Calm Plant by Discourse.

Chapter 8

Tribes of the Covenant

The Covenant is an inter-tribal council, binding together the many tribes and clans that occupy the lands between the Mountains and the Sea. Every player character belongs to one of these tribes or clans. This chapter describes the most inuential tribes. You may choose to create a new small tribe or clan for your character, but such a new group will always be associated with one of the major tribes and will gain that tribes benet.

Anatomy of a Tribe
Each tribe description consists of a series of parts which are explained below. With the exception of the tribal benet, all of these descriptions are intended to help with the writing of character backgrounds. They do not have any other direct impact upon the creation of your character.

The name of the tribe

History: A short history of the tribe from their creation to the present. Membership: This can be open, closed, or invitation. Open tribes allow most anyone who wishes to change tribes to join them. Closed tribes never accept outside members except through raiding. Invitation tribes gain members by invitation from other tribes, and will often send away children of their own who do not measure up. Stance: The attitude of the tribe as a whole about the Hunt Beyond the Mountains. Options are for, against, and neutral. This may also include a short reason for their stance. The stance of the tribe represents the ocial position of the tribal leaders and the average position of the tribe member on the street. Not all members of any given tribe feel this way, and the Covenant supports freedom of conscience and action in matters such as these. Supplier Of: Though each tribe is largely self-sucient, each of them also tends to have one or a few things that they provide to the rest of the Covenant. This might include products, services, or a combination of both. Benet: This is the game benet provided to a player character who is a member of this tribe.

The Major Tribes

Fordkeepers
History: When the scattered people who were to become the Covenant tribes arrived in these lands, many of them still bore the great plague. Most of these were removed from the rest of the population and isolated along with such skilled healers as were willing to attend them. These patients almost all died one by one, and their keepers became quite adept at the various funeral rites requested by each patient. The place of isolation also attracted many Death spirits, and those who survived bargained with those and learned much. By the time of the Covenants formation, this tribe was a collection of families who were skilled in funerary rites, the powers of Death, and the use of the undead. These skills they contribute to all tribes that request them. Membership: Open. Stance: Neutral. Supplier Of: Funerary rites to any tribe that requests them, labor forces in the form of undead. Benet: Fordkeepers are attuned to the dead and dying and can sometimes learn their secrets. Once per day you may pose a question to a Dead or Critical person. The information gained is limited to what the questioned character knows, and the answer may be delivered at once or later. The call is: Forsooth: the spirits of Death compel you to answer this question truthfully: <question>.

The Garden
History: Those who arrived in these lands during the Running Years had been able to bring little with them. Hunting and foraging for food began immediately, as did the collection of wild beasts for domestication. There were fewer, however,

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CHAPTER 8. TRIBES OF THE COVENANT

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who had the knowledge to nd, breed, and cultivate new strains of plants for gardens and small-scale agriculture. Those few who possessed this knowledge pursued the new cultivation patiently, and others used these few as the core of a new tribe. Over time a number of intermarried families developed from the early experts, and while they provide useful services to the Covenant as a whole they are strongly focused on preserving both their plant-lore and their bloodlines. Membership: Closed. The Garden tends its bloodlines as carefully as it tends its crops, and does not welcome outsiders. Stance: Neutral. The Garden is not much interested in goings-on beyond its own borders. Supplier Of: Starter seeds, grown food. Benet: The people of the Garden excel at fostering regrowth. Once per day you may bestow the Heal 4 by Life eect by touch or packet. This can be used on yourself or others.

Firstwalkers
History: While most of the ancestors of the Covenant peoples arrived in this land weary and ready to settle in one place, a certain minority of them remained restless. Many of these banded together to explore the length and breadth of the new lands, supporting themselves by carrying trade items between the various newly-formed tribes. Now, long after the need for exploration has passed, their descendants remain the pre-eminent traveling traders in the Covenant lands. Membership: Open. Stance: For. The Firstwalkers are excited about new lands to explore and new trade routes to be opened. Supplier Of: Trade, geographical knowledge. Benet: The Firstwalkers long ago learned ways to leave unfriendly pursuers behind. Once per day you may call Return Slow by Change when hit with a weapon or packet attack.

The Pack
History: The Pack is a tribe created shortly after the formation of the Covenant. The original council saw the need for a group independent of all the old tribal bonds that could be called upon to enforce the decisions of the council when needed. The original Pack was carefully selected from among the best and youngest hunters of the tribes, then trained for loyalty, implacability, and excellence in battle. That training has remained true so far, but as a control on the Pack their numbers are kept low enough that a majority of the other tribes could defeat them if united. Pack members are sent, singly or in groups of varying sizes, to convey or enforce the will of the Covenant. When they are assigned such missions they will paint vertical black lines down their faces to symbolize their authority. Membership: Invitation. Pack members are carefully selected from the hunters of other tribes. Children born among the Pack are tested, and are sent away if they do not measure up or if the tribe is too large at the time. Stance: Against. Positive results from the Hunt are likely to change the very balance of power that The Pack exists to maintain. Supplier Of: Balance of power. Benet: Pack members can be dicult to stop. Once per day, after you have been Critical for at least 1 minute, you may call Revenant No Defense to Self. This special Pack Revenant can be called even if you have already been a Revenant during this Refresh, and it lasts 10 minutes or until you enter the Fallen or Critical state again the end of combat will not dismiss it.

Ramsheart
History: While the Covenant lands were generally peaceful from their inception, many of the people who settled them enjoyed a good ght. They spent decades brawling and raiding back and forth, splitting apart and absorbing one another. The Ramsheart were the largest and most aggressive group to emerge from these early conicts. They received their name from a rival clan, which claimed that they were as fond of violence as a ram in rut. The Ramsheart are avid hunters and they conduct regular raids on any tribe within reach. While the raiding is generally of the accepted brawl and take things and people previously agreed upon type, the Ramsheart are constantly pushing those boundaries. The Covenant has called the Pack in to quell them more than ten times in the last ve years. Membership: Closed. The Ramsheart only acquire new blood through raiding. Stance: Against. These are a xenophobic people, and would prefer constant ghts and culling over attempts to expand. Supplier Of: Game, strife. Benet: Once a day you may attempt to taunt an enemy into a helpless fury. If you keep the enemys attention for 1 minute by arguing with, insulting, or otherwise enraging them, at the end of that minute you may aect them with Frenzy for 1 minute by Discourse.

The Torch
History: Also a creation of the rst Covenant council, this tribe was initially composed of selected shamans from various tribes. Its purpose is to provide information to aid the council in making its decisions. Any Torch who is to present information must rst take an Oath to speak only truth to council members.

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Membership: Invitation. New members are carefully selected from among the shamans of other tribes, and children of the tribe must pass stringent tests or be cast out. Stance: For. They are well aware of the problems in Covenant lands, and some spirits have been encouraging the Hunt for unknown reasons of their own. Supplier Of: Ritual items, shamanic knowledge. Benet: Once per day you may, by spending 1 minute calling upon the spirits for insight, activate the ability to read all information ags for 30 minutes.

Creating a Minor Tribe or Clan

There are many tribes in the Covenant beyond those described above, but most of them have blood ties or associations with one of these major tribes. If you wish to create a minor tribe or clan, you should submit a description much like the ones above. Instead of a benet, however, you should describe with which major tribe your new tribe is associated, and in what way. Your new tribe will gain the benet of the tribe with which it is associated. The Sta reserves the right to edit your tribe to better t the game world, and will work with you on this.

Chapter 9

Skills
Purchasing Skills Gifts, Skills, and Racial Skills (detailed in Chapter 7 on page 32) are purchased using Character Points, also called CP. The number of CP available to a starting character can be calculated using the method at the beginning of Chapter 6. Flaws grant you CP to spend on Gifts and Skills. Multiple Purchase of Skills Many skills can only be purchased once per character. If a skill can be purchased multiple times, it will either have a cost that ends in an asterisk such as 10 CP* or will have a progressive cost listed after its normal cost. A cost that ends in an asterisk indicates a skill that may be purchased multiple times at the same price. There may be other restrictions on the skill that are mentioned in the skill description. Progressive skills work dierently, and are detailed below. Progressive Skills A progressive skill increases in price with every additional time that it is purchased. Thus a skill that costs 10 CP + 5 progressive would cost 10 CP the rst time you purchased it and 15 CP (10 CP + 5 CP for progression) the second time you purchased it. If you were to purchase it a third time it would cost 20 CP (10 CP + 5 CP for progression + 5 CP for progression), and the fourth purchase would cost 25 CP. Progressive skills become quite expensive if you continue to purchase them. Costs are totaled independently for each progressive skill purchased. Requirements Some skills will have an additional line in their description block that begins with Requires. Such skills require you to have something other than Character Points in order to purchase them. These requirements are either Lifepaths, other skills, Ability Pacts or Vows (see page 60) Will Costs Some skills have a cost in Will or occasionally in Health to use. These costs will be mentioned in the skill description, and should be kept in mind when creating your character. Expending Will for a skill or ability reduces your current (but not maximum) Will in the same way that being damaged reduces your current Health. If you do not have the Will available to spend on an ability, you cannot use that ability. Will is replenished through Refreshing (see below) or the Renew eect. The Rule of Spending Will If you cast a spell or use an ability but your target does not acknowledge it, your Will cost is refunded. This is intended to cover situations when through confusion or other mitigating factors a target either does not hear an eect or does not recognize that they were the intended target. If the target reacts to the eect in any way or has otherwise obviously recognized and taken it, this rule does not apply. Hidden Skills The skills and abilities listed in this book by no means represent everything there is to know in the world. Many other skills and abilities will be available during game, both through training with other people and through Pacts with willing spirits.

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CHAPTER 9. SKILLS Refresh

40

All characters can Refresh themselves given 15 minutes of rest. Completing a Refresh will restore your Will to full, as well as replenishing any skills that operate on a per-Refresh basis. You may converse or walk about while Refreshing but cannot physically exert yourself, and there must be nothing stressful such as combat occurring within earshot. Refreshing may usually only be done in safe surroundings such as the village, but there may sometimes be exceptions. A Voice or other NPC will inform you if this is the case.

9.1

Lifepaths

Each character must choose one Lifepath at character creation. Lifepaths cost no Character Points, but are crucial for determining the combat abilities and types of skills to which the character has access. There are four Lifepaths to choose among:

Path of the Hunter

Characters who choose the hunters path are procient with all weapons listed in section 5.2 on page 25 (except those that are limited by skill purchases), can purchase skills from the Hunter Skills section on page 46, and may take the Free skill Hunters Focus. They have no access to Shaman skills.

Path of the Shaman

Characters who choose the shamans path may purchase skills from the Shaman Skills section on page 49 and may take the Free skills Shamans Focus and Shamanic Channeling. They are not procient in any weapons though if Beastkin, they may take the Claws racial skill and have no access to Hunter skills.

Path of Balance
Characters who follow the path of balance are procient with all weapons as per the hunters path and can purchase skills from both the Hunter Skills and Shaman Skills sections. They cannot, however, take the Hunters Focus, Shamans Focus, or Shamanic Channeling skills.

Path of Peace
Characters who follow the path of peace may purchase skills from the Shaman Skills section but not the Hunter Skills section. They can take the Free skill Shamans Focus. They are not procient in any weapons, nor can they take the Hunters Focus or Shamanic Channeling Free skills or the Beastkin Claws racial skill. Characters on this path have chosen either for personal reasons or because of a Pact or Vow to refrain completely from violence against other beings. As a result of this decision, these characters are immune to the Frenzy and Bloodlust eects and to any command via Compel, Charm, Enslave, or so on that would cause the peaceful character to harm another. They should call No Eect to any such eect or use. Other than Frenzy and Bloodlust this immunity only applies to commands using the eects in question that would provoke violence. Peace Path characters do NOT have general immunity to Enslave and the like.

9.2

Flaws

Flaws are anti-skills that you may take only at character creation in order to gain more character points. It is possible that some aws may be overcome eventually, but this will have to be worked out during the course of the game. A character cannot gain more than 20 CP from Flaws. You may take a combination of Flaws that exceeds this number by up to 5 CP, but you will not get the additional CP if you do so. For example, if you had chosen the Spirit Foe Flaw for +15 CP you could then choose the Lame Flaw for +10 CP, though you would only gain +20 CP from them. Anathema : +20 CP There is some type of power to which you are particularly susceptible. If you are aected by an eect with your anathema trait, you will take the Slay eect instead. Be aware that the Slay eect will bring you immediately to the Dead state. The avor traits which may be taken as anathema are: by Life, by Death, by Decay, by Change, by Fire, by Primal, by Darkness, by Essence, by Poison. There are some racial limits to these, however. Humans may not take an anathema to by Essence. Spiritkin may not take an anathema in one of their racially linked traits see the spiritkin racial skill Spirit Anity on page 34 for a list of these. Varia may not take an anathema to by Change. Vinewoven may not take an anathema to by Life. You may also not take an Anathema to any trait for which you have taken the Resistant Gift. Please be aware that the by Life and by Death traits are found in common healing abilities.

CHAPTER 9. SKILLS Aversion : +515 CP

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You tend to avoid some fairly common category of creature or thing, whether due to fear, disgust, or some other reason. You are at minimum under a Permanent Repel eect from the object of your Aversion, and should roleplay the appropriate reaction toward it. You may overcome the Repel eect for 5 minutes at a time by spending 1 Will and roleplaying the struggle between your willpower and the Aversion. Common Aversions include undead, re, and darkness. In the case of a darkness Aversion, the Repel would mean that you cannot move more than 10 feet from a light source in dark areas. Other Aversions are certainly possible. The Sta will determine the value of the Aversion based on its commonality in the game. Frail : +20 CP for Hunter and Balance paths +10 CP for Shaman and Peace paths You are frail and weak of constitution. You may not spend more than two of your six starting Health/Will points (see Character Creation page 29) on Health. Each purchase of the Increased Fortitude skill and all Hunter Skills cost an extra 5 CP. Finally, you may not wear physical armor. You may not take the Frail aw if you have the Toughness Gift. Honesty : +5 CP You do not lie and may not deliberately deceive anyone. You do not have to tell everyone everything immediately you may choose to simply keep silent but when you do speak you must tell the truth. Impulsive : +5 CP You hate talk and love action. If given two choices, you will take the quicker, more reckless one every time. You should always act on your rst impulse, especially if it seems to you (the player) that it is a bad idea. Lame : +10 CP You have a permanent injury or aiction that makes you unable to run or jump. Large Appetite : +10 CP You require more food than usual to function. You must turn in 5 units of food at every check-in or be aected by the Permanent Weakness eect until you have made up the lack. You may not take this Flaw if you have the Short Rations Gift. Spirit Foe : +515 CP You have angered a spirit or a group of lesser spirits. You are likely to be ignored or attacked by the angered spirits or anything connected to them, and should deal carefully with spirits or spirit powers of the same nature. You may suggest a Spirit Foe or allow the Sta to create one based upon your character background. Examples for Spirit Foes might be one of the major Covenant spirits (Sylvan, Flicker, etc.), the Tribe of Vision, or a group of lesser Death spirits that you oended by destroying the undead hosts that they had been granted. If you choose to create your own Spirit Foe, the Sta will work with you to ensure that it ts the game world. Spirit Medium : +5 CP Your soul is less able than most to fend o temporary possession by spirits. You may from time to time be possessed by spirits who will speak or act through you. This will usually be done by a Voice, who will whisper to you what you will need to say or do. Such possessions generally do not last more than a few minutes. Weaker Constitution : +15 CP Your ability to fend o death is weaker than that of other folk. You take only 1 minute in the Fallen state to become Critical and 5 minutes in the Critical state to become Dead, rather than the usual 5 and 10 minutes respectively.

9.3

Gifts

Gifts are a special type of skill, representing innate rather than learned abilities, which can only be taken at character creation.

CHAPTER 9. SKILLS Cling to Life : 13 CP

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Your will to live is quite tenacious. You take 10 minutes in the Fallen state to become Critical and 15 minutes in the Critical state to become Dead, rather than the usual 5 and 10 minutes respectively. Danger Sense : 7 CP You have a link to the spirits, sometimes controlled and sometimes not, which gives you an instinctive feel for the danger of upcoming situations. You may sometimes receive messages from a Voice or other NPC foretelling approaching dangers. You may also spend 1 Will to ask a Voice or other NPC for a sense of the danger level of an upcoming battle or module. Guarded Mind : 16 CP You guard the integrity of your own mind ercely, and assaults upon it send you into a berserk state. Whenever the Compel or Enslave eect is used on you, you instead take the Bloodlust eect. Your Bloodlust is focused on whatever used the eect on you and will last for 5 minutes or until the oender is destroyed, whichever comes rst. Knowledge of Crafting : 10 CP* Requires: Brewing, Investiture, or Totemcraft You have a broader knowledge of craft than most. You will receive three additional templates for the Brewing, Investiture, or Totemcraft skills in the Craft Skills section on page 43. If you have more than one crafting template skill you should specify which skills should receive the extra templates. This gift may be taken multiple times, and the templates gained may be split among multiple skills. Knowledge of Spirit Power : 10 CP* Requires: Standard Pact, Vow of Blood, or Vow of the Soul You have a broader knowledge of spirit powers than most. You will receive three additional templates for spells from the Standard Pact, Vow of Blood, or Vow of the Soul skills in the Shaman Skills section on page 49. If you have more than one Shaman template skill you should specify which skills should receive the extra templates. This gift may be taken multiple times, and the templates gained may be split among multiple skills. Quick Recovery : 7 CP + 5 progressive You possess a very strong constitution, and can recover from all but the most severe wounds in time. Once per event per time you purchase this gift, when you nish your 5 minute count in the Fallen state and are about to enter the Critical state, you can choose instead to wake up at 1 Health. Rapid Healing : 10 CP You are prone to occasional bursts of quick healing. You may call either Heal 10 to Self, Purge Decay to Self, Purge Poison to Self, or Purge Maim to Self once per day. Resistant : 13 CP You may choose between one and three common avor traits from the table on page 22. If you choose one trait, you may Resist it ve times per Refresh. Two traits may be Resisted three times each per Refresh. Three traits may each be Resisted once per Refresh. Beastkin may not be resistant to by Stench their sense of smell is too sensitive. You may also not be Resistant to any trait for which you have the Anathema Flaw. Short Rations : 11 CP You eat less than most, and are able to stretch your food supplies. You gain 5 units of common food at every check-in. You may not take this Gift if you have the Large Appetite Flaw. Toughness : 17 CP You may spend 1 Will to call Resist to any of the following eects: Maim, Knockout, Critical. You may not take the Toughness Gift if you have the Frail aw. You may not use Toughness to Resist the negative eects of a skill or aw,

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such as the Forced Mobility or Last Stand skills. However, you MAY use your Toughness while in the Knocked Out or Fallen states, assuming that you have the Will to spend. So, for example, you could Resist a Critical strike made to your Fallen body. Well-Anchored Soul : 15 CP The ties between your body and soul are stronger than most. You may return from death without making a Death Pact twice per event instead of the usual once (see page 28).

9.4

Craft Skills

Though those few among the tribes who have acquired skill in the more complex and mechanical crafts have stayed behind with their cumbersome tools and workshops, those who practice the lighter and more spiritual arts were free to join the Hunt. For information on the operation of the crafting system please see Chapter 10 on page 54. Brewing : 17 CP Brewing is the art of combining various ingredients into useful drinks, oils, salves, powders, and other such concoctions. Brewed items are usually consumed in one or a few uses, and range in application from poisons to healing salves, from sticky tar for weapon hafts to foods that grant protection. As a brewer you will receive three crafting templates and may learn more from other brewers, through experimentation, or even from spirits. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 56. Brewers make use of physical components and will receive 3 blank physical component tags at check-in. These can be used to gather components as described in the Crafting chapter on page 54. If you wish to pursue brewing you should bring empty containers of some sort to hold the results of your craft. Gather Materials : 7 CP + 3 progressive You are quite skilled at nding physical components. You will receive 3 blank physical component tags at check-in per time this skill is purchased. These can be used to gather components as described in the Crafting chapter on page 54. Harvest Ritual Components : 7 CP + 3 progressive You are quite skilled at extracting ritual components. You will receive 3 blank ritual component tags at check-in per time this skill is purchased. These can be used to gather components as described in the Crafting chapter on page 54. Investiture : 17 CP A summoner as the practitioners of investiture are usually called is skilled at making limited bargains with spirits in order to coax those spirits to reside in items. Investiture does not create items itself, it merely improves already existing items by imbuing them with spirit powers. Item investitures are usually of limited duration, though those made to weapons are frequently restorable for a lesser cost and some such are even permanent. Investiture may be used upon any item of at least palm-size or equivalent, but some of its stronger uses require a weapon as a target. As a summoner you will receive three crafting templates and may learn more from other summoners, through experimentation, or even from spirits. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 56. Summoners make use of ritual components and will receive 3 blank ritual component tags at check-in. These can be used to gather components as described in the Crafting chapter on page 54. Summoners may wish to bring small decorative props to act as targets for their investiture. Totemcraft : 18 CP Totems are objects specically crafted to contain spirits, spirit powers, or specic energies. The power bound in totems is generally either permanent or easily restorable very few totems are intended to be cast aside once used. Some of the best-known totems are the Talisman of Life and Talisman of Death, restorable totems that contain energies pleasing to Life or Death spirits respectively and that aid those who seek to revive the dying. As a totemcrafter you will receive three crafting templates and may learn more from other totemcrafters, through experimentation, or even from spirits. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 56. Totemcrafters make use of both physical and ritual components and will receive 3 blank component tags split between the two kinds at check-in. These can be used to gather components as described in the Crafting chapter on page 54. Totemcrafters may wish to bring small decorative props to act as representations of their craft. The totems should be no smaller than palm-sized or equivalent.

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9.5

Cunning Skills

Many of the skills known to the Covenant peoples rely on speed and deftness, whether of mind, or of body, or both. Anticipation : 10 CP Once per Refresh you are capable of working yourself up into a heightened state of readiness for battle or a hunt. You must spend at least 5 minutes in some sort of preparation. This might be meditation, ghting exercises, calling out to the spirits, or the like. You may continue this preparation for as long as you like. You may not begin or continue your preparation while traveling. Once so prepared, you will gain the Enhance eect for the next combat you enter within 20 minutes of the end of the preparation. Refreshing after your preparation will cancel it. Barter : 10 CP You may seek trade deals between games. You should list the items you are willing to trade and create a list of items you seek. You may also specify a particular merchant, tribe, or culture with which you prefer to make the deals. Your list of wanted items will be acquired, in order, to such degree as it can be given the trade goods you oer. You will be given your acquired goods at check-in, and will need to turn in traded goods there as well. You will also gain some knowledge of item types and values as reckoned by the Covenant peoples. Blood Binding : 5 CP* Requires: a Vow You have bound the power of your blood to another of your abilities. This skill is applied to one Gift or skill that you already possess. The target Gift or skill must have a Will cost associated with at least one of its abilities and must NOT require an Ability Pact or a Vow. When this skill is purchased you must make a Vow appropriate to the Gift or skill to which you are applying it (see page 60). Any abilities of that target Gift or skill that cost Will can now be paid for with either Will or Health. This skill may be taken multiple times and will apply to a new target skill each time. Bondcunning : 15 CP Your body and mind are adept at slipping free from bindings. You may spend 15 seconds of roleplay appropriate to the nature of the binding to Purge Bind or Purge Root against eects of those kinds from any source or trait, even Permanent ones. Bypass Wards : 13 CP Physical locks are practically unheard of in the Covenant lands; those who need to secure something usually have a summoner create a spirit ward. Such wards consist of a sequence of three to ve barriers composed of spirit natures and bound to their creators name. The owner is given a talisman to open and close the ward and the creator may do so at will, but tribal raiders long ago discovered ways to bypass such wards temporarily. This skill grants you that ability. In order to do so you will require a Talisman of Passage for each spirit nature used in the ward. After 2 minutes spent roleplaying the careful alignment of the talismans with the spirit barriers in the ward, you may open the warded object. You will start with two Talismans of Passage; more can be created by totemcrafters. Talismans can be passed freely from person to person, and multiple people with this skill can work on the same ward. Concealment : 11 CP You are skilled at hiding items on your person so that they cannot be found. You may carry a brightly colored 6 by 6 pouch, often yellow. Anything held completely within this pouch may not be found if you are searched. The pouch should be kept hidden from view. Flee : 14 CP You have a preternatural ability to evade your foes once you have decided to escape them. Once per Refresh you may state Flee and begin to move away from all foes as fast as you can, as limited by by character ability, your ability, and safety concerns. So long as you continue to move and use no other abilities, you may call Dodge by Flee to any weapon or packet attacks that hit you. The ability ends when you stop moving or use a skill or ability. Use of the Strength of Will free skill does not count for this purpose. Please be extremely careful about running at night when using this skill. That would be one of the safety concerns previously mentioned.

CHAPTER 9. SKILLS Pathnding : 10 CP

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Pathnders are attuned to the Web of Paths, a constantly shifting series of interconnected pathways leading through the edge of the Verge from one place in the mortal realm to another. These paths are commonly used to travel long distances, though they have dangers and drawbacks. This skill allows you to chart out parts of the Web between games (see Chapter 12) in order to predict when and where a path from your location to a desired destination might appear. Pathnding is not an exact science, and you may not end up exactly where you hope to be. Strong opposing spiritual power is known to make some paths or destinations inaccessible. You will be informed of the time in game at which the path will appear. This information might be revealed well in advance, or it might be revealed with only moments to spare. At times the capacity of the found path may be limited to a certain number of people, and large groups traveling the paths may encounter dangers. Because the paths interconnect, there is a chance of meeting other groups of travelers; because they pass through the Verge, there is a chance of attracting spirits while traveling. Smaller groups can usually go unnoticed, however. You also may need to return through the paths within a limited time in order to be able to nd the way back a Voice or other NPC will inform you of this. There may also be opportunities to use this skill without preparation, but these will be revealed in game. Ritual of Renewal : 10 CP You have developed a ritual be it meditation, the practice of weapon forms, or some other method that helps you to relax and renew yourself. You may Refresh in 10 minutes instead of the usual 15 minutes if you spend that time performing your ritual. You may converse if the nature of your ritual permits it, but may not engage in any other activities. You may still Refresh in 15 minutes as per the normal Refresh rules should you choose not to perform your ritual. Unmoved : 10 CP + 3 progressive Your mind is steeled against the power in the words of others. Once per Refresh per time you purchase this skill you may Resist one by Discourse eect used against you. Will Leech : 10 CP + 3 progressive Once per Refresh per time that you purchase this skill, you may spend 30 seconds over a fallen foe roleplaying your absorption of their power and quietly call Detect the amount of Will that you currently have. You may then quietly call the Drain Will by Soul eect for the amount of Will the fallen foe tells you, or for 2 if the foe has less than that or is not certain. For example, if the target responds 3 you may call Drain 3 Will by Soul. Contrary to the usual operation of the Drain eect, you will receive at least the minimum 2 Will from this Drain even if the target has less than that remaining. This ability weakens the spirits of the dying, and as such is frowned upon by many folk of the Covenant.

9.6

Free Skills

These are skills that most people of the Covenant lands possess by default, assuming that they meet any requirements. You may choose not to take them if you wish. Channeled Healing : free Simple healing by channeling local spirit power is something taught to most Covenant children. After 30 seconds spent roleplaying binding wounds, invoking the spirits, or whatever other method you choose, you may call Heal One by Dross by touch to yourself or another. If you are in reasonably safe surroundings with no combat going on anywhere nearby, you may spend 3 minutes of similar roleplay to call Heal 10 by Dross by touch to yourself or another. You may also make the following calls: Diagnose: What state are you in? Diagnose: How much are you injured? All of these abilities may be used at will within their other constraints. Hunters Focus : free Requires: Path of the Hunter Having dedicated yourself to the ways of the hunter, you are completely at home in the wilds and have trained extensively in the skills of the hunt. You may read Wildlore ags and will gain 1 additional Will per Refresh that can only be used for Hunter Skills. Identify Spirits : free After such a long time interacting with them, the Covenant peoples have become quite adept at recognizing an embodied

CHAPTER 9. SKILLS spirit or possessed creature. You may call Detect Spirit at will. Please do not abuse this ability. Mercy Strike : free Requires: A Lifepath other than Peace

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The people of the Covenant are almost all trained in ways to end the suering of a wounded beast. You have the ability to deliver the Critical eect to any Knocked Out, Paralyzed, Fallen, or otherwise helpless individual using any weapon or damaging ability that you have. Those aected by the Agony, Stun, or Trance eects do not count as helpless for this purpose. As long as your method is capable of inicting at least 1 Damage it will work. If you choose to use a spell or ability with a Will or Health cost to perform this Critical, that cost still applies despite the fact that this skill itself is free. You should add a trait appropriate to the method you use. For example, if you deliver the Critical by a weapon blow then it would be Critical by Weapon, but if you strike with a Fire damage spell it would be Critical by Fire. IMPORTANT NOTE: if someone strikes you with a Critical while you are pretending to be unconscious and you do not attempt to defend yourself, you ARE aected by it, even if you were not actually injured. A spear through the heart is still lethal even if you had no previous injuries. Defending yourself in this case can be as simple as batting at the enemys weapon or rolling aside when the Critical hits you, but it does require abandoning your feigned unconsciousness. Shamanic Channeling : free Requires: Path of the Shaman Allows a character to chant in order to channel the local dross into a damaging force. Upon purchasing this skill you must choose what spiritual nature you wish to manifest. The available natures are: Life, Death, Decay, Primal, Darkness, Fire, Change, Essence. To use this skill, you must speak a 12-word chant while holding a spell packet. The chant should be spoken at a steady pace which leaves it comprehensible. Upon completion of the chant the packet may be thrown for 1 Damage by <nature>. The Enhance eect also aects this ability. You may throw the packet immediately, or hold it until ready. If you are damaged or you use any other game ability while holding a charged packet, the charge is lost. Using this skill requires that both hands be free. Shamans Focus : free Requires: Path of the Shaman or Path of Peace Having dedicated yourself to the ways of the shaman, you possess their nely honed senses and their concentration on the shamanic arts. You may read Shamanlore ags and will gain 1 additional Will per Refresh that can only be used for Shaman Skills. Strength of Will : free Spiritual attacks by direct contest of will are somewhat easier to ward o, though they require some eort on your part. You may spend 1 Will to Resist any eect by Gesture that is used against you. You may do this at will.

9.7

Hunter Skills

The skills of a hunter encompass ghting with weapons, self defense in battle, and limited healing gained through engaging in combat. You may only purchase skills from this category if you have chosen the Hunter or Balance lifepaths. Aggressive Fighting : 18 CP You are skilled at landing damaging blows in combat. You may spend 1 Will to call a Maim on your next swing or ranged attack. The swing or ranged attack must hit one of your opponents limbs to be eective. You may spend 1 Will to call 3 Damage on your next swing or ranged attack. You may spend 2 Will to call Stun and 3 Damage on your next swing or ranged attack. Berserker : 14 CP You are adept at ghting in a state of bloodlust and can work yourself into one almost instantly. You may spend 1 Will at any time to call Bloodlust to Self, and may do so for free once per Refresh. While aected by the Bloodlust eect, whether from this skill or from another source, you may call one free Resist per opponent against any eect delivered by Weapon. You may not use the Cautious Fighting skill while in a Bloodlust. Cautious Fighting : 18 CP You are skilled at defending yourself in combat. You may at will spend 1 Will to call a Parry, 2 Will to call a Dodge, or

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1 Will plus the usual 1 Health (as per the eect on page 19) to call a Graze. You may not use this skill while aected by the Bloodlust or Frenzy eects. Clever Fighting : 17 CP You are skilled at clever strikes and maneuvering while in combat. You may at will spend 1 Will to call a Disarm on your next swing or ranged attack. The swing or ranged attack must hit an item held in the opponents hand to be eective. You may spend 1 Will to call Return 2 Damage when you are struck by a weapon. You may also call one free Disengage per combat, and may spend 1 Will each to call additional Disengages. Deection : 14 CP You have learned how to turn aside even the hardest and best aimed attacks. If you intercept a Brutal eect with a weapon, a shield, or a Parry eect, you may Resist it. Last Stand : 11 CP Once per combat, when you are about to enter the Fallen or Critical state, you may choose to call the Battlethirst eect instead. This skill must be used while you are still conscious. Life From Death : 11 CP Requires: Vigor of Battle After engaging in combat, whether with foes or prey, a hunter may ask for a single greater boon of the spirits of Death. During any combat in which you contributed to the fall of at least one foe who was brought to the Critical or Dead state, or within 5 minutes of the end of such a combat, you may call upon the local spirits of Death to attempt to Revive a person who is in the Critical state. This is not an automatic success, and will require 1 minute of roleplay and a marble draw. The roleplay should involve arguing or pleading with the spirits for the life of the target in exchange for the life of the foe. Marbles will be provided by the Sta when you purchase the skill, but you should provide your own pouch to contain them. There will be 10 marbles, each slightly more than half an inch in diameter. They should be drawn by the person being tended. If a black marble is drawn, the target enters the Dead state. If a green marble is drawn, you may call Revive and Heal 2 by Death. This ability may be used once per combat. Marksmanship : 16 CP When ghting with a bow, a sling, or thrown weapons, you may roleplay taking careful aim for 15 seconds to cause your next attack to do 1 Brutal. You may do this at will. Momentum Strike : 16 CP While wielding any melee weapon that requires two hands, after every second attack that connects whether to a blocking item or to a body you may call 3 Damage for your next attack. For example: you attack and are blocked by your foes shield; you attack again and hit his leg. You then call 3 Damage on your next attack. Parried, Resisted, or Grazed attacks count as having connected for the purposes of this skill; Dodged attacks do not. Recall the Fallen : 10 CP + 5 progressive Requires: Vigor of Battle In the midst of combat, a hunter can often intercede with the spirits to temporarily return the fallen. During any ongoing combat in which you have contributed to the fall of at least one foe, you may call upon the local spirits of Death to return a dying person to the ght for a time. The call is Revenant by Death by Gesture. An invocation for this ability might be, for example: Spirits of Death, heed my sacrice! You may also call Diagnose: can you become a Revenant now?. This call may be useful, given the per-Refresh limits of the Revenant eect. This ability may be used once per combat per time purchased; the Diagnose sub-ability may be used at will. Style: Boar Hunter : 18 CP When ghting with a boar spear a two-handed spear with a crossbar below the head you have the ability to impale and immobilize your opponents. You may spend 2 Will to call 3 Damage and Permanent Root on your next strike. The strike must hit the opponents torso to be eective. The Root will last only as long as you do not move your feet and do

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nothing else with the spear except keep it pointed at the target. When you cease to do so you should call Purge Root. You may use this attack at will. Style: Buckler Fighting : 17 CP You may wield a standard one-handed weapon in one hand and a shield in the other. See page 25 for shield size information. Style: Defensive Weapon : 18 CP You may wield a standard one-handed weapon of any length in one hand and a second 24 long one-handed weapon in the other. While using this weapon combination, you may use one free Parry per opponent. Trailblazing : 5 CP Requires: The ability to read Wildlore ags You have the ability to leave trail markers that can be read by others who are familiar with the wilds. These usually take the form of small piles of stone, knife slashes on trees, or similar things. You may create and carry blank Wildlore ags. At any time you may choose to ll out one of these Wildlore ags and leave it at your current location. The ag must be labeled TRAIL MARKER. It can also include your character name and one other word that represents a simple concept or warning, such as danger or something similar. You must space out the Wildlore ags that you leave; each new ag should be just visible from the location of the last, no closer. Vigor of Battle : 7 CP + 3 progressive After engaging in combat, whether with foes or prey, a hunter may ask a boon of the spirits of Death. During any combat in which you are doing a signicant amount of ghting, or within 5 minutes of the end of such a combat, you may call upon the local spirits of Death to call Heal 2 by Death by Gesture to another. An example invocation might be: Spirits of Death, grant the blood I have spilled to my ally! You may not use this ability to heal yourself. This ability may be used once per combat per time purchased.

9.8

Lore Skills

These skills represent the ability to gather important information and to see clues that others may not. Information Gathering : 10 CP This skill represents your ability to track down people or spirits who might know something about a particular subject. To use this skill, you must spend time between games (see Chapter 12) seeking information on your specied topic. You may provide additional details about where you are looking or if you are seeking a particular contact, though there is no guarantee those eorts will be successful. At the next event, you will be contacted in-game by a person or entity in response to your inquiry. This person or entity may not be benevolent, and may demand some service or payment for the information. You may be told at check-in who to expect and when, or they may simply seek you out. It will be up to you to roleplay with them and learn what you can. Please be aware that the more specic the topic, the more likely you will nd what you are looking for. If you wish to proactively gather information between games, then this skill or the Lorespeaking skill are the best ways to do so. Lifesense : 5 CP You may read Lifelore ags. Lore of the Land : 5 CP You may read Wildlore ags. Lorespeaking : 15 CP You are a lorespeaker, one of those who pass the stories of the past to the next generation. It is your task to learn about the past and the present for the sake of the future. To this end, you have learned how to listen to the spirits and to convince them to tell you what they know.

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You will begin game with one of the traditional historical tales of the Covenant. You may read Spiritspeech ags, and may spend 2 Will to ask a Voice a yes-or-no informational question about past events. You may receive an answer immediately, or an answer later, or a boon of some kind if the spirits cannot or will not answer the question. Additionally you may spend time between games (see Chapter 12) to query the spirits about a topic relating to the past. The more specic the topic you choose or question you ask, the more specic and useful the information from the spirits is likely to be. You may receive an answer at check-in, or a spirit may seek you out during the next game. Oathsense : 5 CP You have the ability to sense disrupted Oaths (see page 59) much as a spirit can. You may spend 1 Will to call Detect Oathbreaker. Spiritspeech : 5 CP You may read Spiritspeech ags.

9.9

Shaman Skills

The skills of a shaman encompass oense, defense, information and healing achieved both through skills and through spells. While shamans do not have the straightforward battle-fueled healing of a hunter, they can acquire more exible healing abilities through, for example, a Standard Pact with Sylvan or a Vow of Blood. You may not purchase skills from this category if you have chosen the Hunter lifepath. Hex : 14 CP Requires: an Ability Pact You are a hexer, a shaman who has made an Ability Pact (see page 60) with a spirit of Change such that you can transfer your misfortunes to others. If you are currently aected by any of the appropriate eects, you may spend 1 Will to call By Change I hex you! Shift <eect> to target by Change and throw a packet. If the packet hits, the eect shifts from you to the target. If the packet misses, is Dodged, or is Grazed, the eect is still on you. If the packet is Resisted or if No Eect is called, you may choose whether or not to retain the eect. The eects that can be used with this skill are: Doom, Maim (the limb aected on you must be called as well), Root, and Weakness. If the eect is Permanent on you, that Shifts as well. For example, Shift Permanent Maim Left Arm to target by Change. Hunter Aspirations : 10 CP Requires: Path of the Shaman Despite your strict shamanic training you have managed to sneak the occasional practice session with weapons. You may spend 1 Will to wield any one melee weapon for the duration of a combat. You may not use any skills in combination with this weapon. Life-Bargaining : 15 CP A common ability of many shamans is that of calling upon local spirits of Life to bargain for the continued life of another. You may call upon these spirits to attempt to Revive a person who is in the Critical state. This is not an automatic success, and will require 1 minute of roleplay and a marble draw. The roleplay should involve arguing or pleading with the spirits for the life of the target. Marbles will be provided by the Sta when you purchase the skill, but you should provide your own pouch to contain them. There will be 10 marbles, each slightly more than half an inch in diameter. They should be drawn by the person being tended. If a black marble is drawn, the target enters the Dead state. If a green marble is drawn, you may call Revive and Heal 4 by Life. This ability may be used at will, but may not be used any closer than 30 feet (1520 long paces) from any combat. Life Bargainers are also adept at the time consuming but much easier task of convincing the spirits to restore a badly damaged limb. You may spend 1 Will and 3 minutes calling upon the spirits of Life to call Purge Maim by Life. This ability may also be used at will and has no combat distance restrictions. Oathbinding : 7 CP You have the ability to call upon the spirits to witness oaths and make them binding upon the ones who swear them. Should an Oath so bound be broken, the one who breaks it gains the Oathbreaker trait (see Oaths on page 59). You must briey roleplay your invocation of the spirits, then the ones who are swearing the Oath should do so. Once the Oath has

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been sworn, you should call: Forsooth, your Oath is bound. If you break it, you will be marked as an Oathbreaker. This ability costs 1 Will to use. You may bind many people swearing the same Oath or a small group swearing interconnected Oaths to one another; both of these situations are considered one Oath for purposes of this skill. Pact of Vision : 10 CP + 5 progressive Requires: an Ability Pact You have made an Ability Pact (see page 60) with a collection of spirits that sometimes refers to itself as the Tribe of Vision. These spirits are generally either well-versed in lore or willing and able to undertake journeys to view distant places or question other spirits. Shamans who have made this pact are referred to as seers, can read Deeplore ags, and can call upon the Tribe of Vision to seek information of the following kinds: Knowledge or vision of the present of a person, place, or thing. Knowledge of the past of a person, place, or thing. Knowledge of the deeper nature of a person, place, or thing. NOTE: this can be a method of attuning to an Invested item, Totem, or Spirit Artifact (see page 14). For each purchase of this skill you may use any one of these abilities up to 3 times per event. After at least a minute roleplaying your communion with the spirits, your name and the information you seek should be written down and submitted to the Vision bin at Ops. The more details or physical connections that the seer can provide for the target, the clearer the knowledge will be. Also, the more specic the information sought the clearer the knowledge. For example: I seek knowledge of the past of Clovis may get some assorted or vague information, while I seek knowledge of the past of Clovis, who was Pacted to Loam and whose amulet I hold in my hand; I wish to know more about his past dealings with a woman named Liana is likely to get much more solid and specic information. This skill may only be used during games. Responses will come as quickly as the Sta can manage; any responses that are not complete at the end of an event will be presented at check-in of the following event. Revenance : 10 CP + 5 progressive Shamans can often intercede with the spirits to temporarily return one of the fallen. You may call upon the local spirits of Life to return a dying person to the ght for a time. The call is Revenant by Life, and is delivered by touch. An invocation for this ability might be, for example: Spirits of Life, grant this warrior more time! You may also call Diagnose: can you become a Revenant now?. This call may be useful, given the per-Refresh limits of the Revenant eect. This ability may be used once per combat per time purchased; the Diagnose sub-ability may be used at will. Shamans Senses : 5 CP Requires: Path of Balance Those who were not raised exclusively in the shamanic tradition may still, through eort, acquire their extra senses. You may read Shamanlore ags. Spirit Binding : 1st Circle 10 CP / 2nd Circle 12 CP Second circle requires rst circle Some shamans, given time and concentration, can attempt to constrain spirits. This involves a contest of wills between shaman and spirit, however, and as such can be dangerous. You may purchase up to two circles of this skill, and your circle rank is stated when using the skill powers. If your circle is greater than or equal to that of the spirit, your power will succeed. Spirits may also choose to allow your powers to work regardless of the outcome of the contest of circles. There may be unfortunate consequences if you fail a test of circles against an unfriendly spirit, and many greater spirits are beyond the strength of Covenant Binders. You may, after walking a full circle around a spirit while concentrating or chanting, do any of the following: Attempt to learn the spirits name. Forsooth: Spirit, I seek your name, <First/Second> Circle. The name of the spirit is required for other Binding abilities. This ability has no cost. Attempt to bind a spirit in place by spending 1 Will. <Spirit Name>, Root by Soul by Gesture, <First/Second> Circle. Attempt to banish a spirit by spending 2 Will. <Spirit Name>, I Compel you to leave peacefully by Soul by Gesture, <First/Second> Circle.

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You may also remove any eect you place upon a spirit at will. For example: I lift my power from you. Purge Root. Finally, Spirit Binders are sometimes called upon to deal with the Spirit Curses that aict folk on rare occasions. You may call Diagnose: What symptoms of Spirit Curse do you have? at will and may work with Voices and other Spirit Binders to create exorcism rituals to dispel such Curses. Standard Pact : 18 CP* Requires: an Ability Pact You have undertaken the standard Pact oered to the Covenant peoples by one of the major spirits of the area: Sylvan, Deant, Loam, Flicker, or Echo (see page 8). In exchange for your Ability Pact (see page 60), the chosen spirit will undertake to provide you with power of their nature in the form of spells. You will begin with three spell templates and can learn more from others with the same Pact or from the spirit itself. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 59. Nearly all spells provided by this Pact will require variable amounts of Will to use. This skill may be taken multiple times, choosing a dierent spirit each time. Sympathetic Healing : 15 CP Requires: a Vow You have made a Vow (see page 60) that allows you to take the hurts of another onto yourself through the power of your blood. This allows you to do any of the following at will after 30 seconds of roleplay: Heal another for any amount of damage, taking the corresponding damage yourself. This is called, for example, as: Heal 3 by Blood, 3 Damage to Self by Blood. If you damage yourself to zero Health using this power, you enter the Fallen state. If you damage yourself to less than zero Health, you enter the Critical state. Absorb a Maim, Paralyze, or Weakness eect. This is called, for example, as: Shift Maim Right Arm to Self by Blood, or Shift Weakness to Self by Blood. Maims will aect the same limb on you that they aected on the person you are healing. All absorbed eects are reset to their full duration, and if the eect was Permanent on the person healed it will remain Permanent on you. Shift a Maim on yourself to a dierent location. This is called as Shift Maim by Blood and can move any Maim currently aecting you to a dierent limb. The rules for Maim apply. Bring someone back from the brink of death. This is called as: Revive and Heal One by Blood, Critical to Self by Blood. NOTE: if you do not take any of the eects to yourself for any reason, the healing WILL NOT WORK. Your sacrice is what powers your ability to heal. Totemic Deection : 14 CP You may carry a boer-safe totem item no longer than a one-handed weapon (see page 25 for weapon length information). If you physically intercept an incoming packet with this item you may spend 1 Will to call Resist and negate that packet. Once the packet has been Resisted in this way it has no remaining power, even if it hits others on its way to the ground. The totemic item may not be used to block melee attacks assume that any such attack that hits it has hit you. Summoners and totemcrafters have been known to invest the totemic items used for this skill with other abilities. Vergewalking : 10 CP Requires: Standard Pact (Echo) or Vow of the Soul The Verge is said to be a realm of strange currents, where the mortal and spirit worlds intertwine. Some shamans have the ability to traverse this realm in search of knowledge. Vergewalking is a means for the souls of mortals to walk in the Verge with a modicum of protection from its vagaries. To perform a Vergewalk, you must spend time between games in preparation, meditating upon a Person or Place that will be the target of the Vergewalk (see Chapter 12). The chance of success will be increased by the following: knowing the name of the target, having an item of signicance associated with the target, knowledge of other information related to the target. If you attempt to Vergewalk with a target based on a passing reference or incorrect name, you are unlikely to get the response you are hoping for. However, you will always go somewhere, even if it is not where you were hoping to go. At the next event you will receive a response indicating that the Vergewalk has been prepared. You may or may not receive some indication of when it will take place in game. At some point during the event, you will be approached by a Voice when it is time for the Vergewalk. You may bring three other people with you on the Vergewalk at no cost, and

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additional people at a cost of 1 Will per person. Other Vergewalkers who join your walk may pay their own Will cost, though not that of others. You and your companions must then roleplay entering into a meditative trance. The Voice will describe what happens next, but it will generally involve transcending to the Verge and departing for a Module in an area outside the village. If you become Critical during the Vergewalk, you should travel as a Shade back to the location where you entered the Vergewalk and emerge back into the mortal realm in a Critical state. Players should be advised that while there may be combat within a Vergewalk, skills in magic, quickness of mind, and intellect are of primary importance. Vergewalks also tend to become more dangerous and unstable if many people are brought along, though there are exceptions to this. You may expose yourself to unknown dangers unlike those you face in the mortal realm. Undertake a Vergewalk at your own risk. Vow of Blood : 17 CP Requires: a Vow You have made a Vow (see page 60) that has unlocked the power of your blood. This power mostly concerns itself with living bodies, and is manifested in the form of spells. You will begin with three spell templates and can learn more from others who have also taken this Vow or from meditation and self-discovery. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 59. Nearly all spells provided by this Vow will require variable amounts of Health to use. Vow of the Soul : 17 CP Requires: a Vow You have made a Vow (see page 60) that has unlocked the power of your soul. This power mostly concerns itself with the minds and souls of the living, and is manifested in the form of spells. You will begin with three spell templates and can learn more from others who have also taken this Vow or from meditation and self-discovery. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section on page 59. Nearly all spells provided by this Vow will require variable amounts of Will to use.

9.10

Storytelling Skills

As a culture steeped in oral tradition, the Covenant has produced many great storytellers. The most talented (or luckiest) among them can imbue their stories with considerable power. Occasionally Covenant storytellers will chant their stories, accompany them with music, or even make them into songs. The same time restrictions apply in these cases. Tale of Bemusement : 14 CP You can tell stories that cause your audience to become lost in their own minds for a time. The telling must last for at least 1 minute. The story itself can be one you have heard in game, one that you make up, or even a recounting of something that happened in game, but it must be deliberately confusing in some way. Whether it was confusing originally or whether you modify the original story to add confusion doesnt matter. Once you have told the story you may call at the same volume as you told the story, which should not be a shout Area Eect Trance by Discourse. The Trance does not aect you. You may do this once per day. Tale of Last Chances : 16 CP You can tell stories that grant renewed hope to the dying. The telling must last for at least 1 minute. The story itself can be one you have heard in game, one that you make up, or even a recounting of something that happened in game, but it must have a strong element of last minute change of fortune or reprieve. Whether it did originally or whether you modify the original story to add it doesnt matter. Once you have told the story you may call at the same volume as you told the story, which should not be a shout Area Eect Reset by Discourse. You may do this once per Refresh. Tale of Renewal : 15 CP You can tell stories that invigorate a few of your listeners. The telling must last for at least 1 minute. The story itself can be one you have heard in game, one that you make up, or even a recounting of something that happened in game, but it must have a strong element of hope or renewal. Whether it did originally or whether you modify the original story to add it doesnt matter. Once you have told the story you may call Renew 5 by Discourse to each of up to three people who listened. You may do this once per Refresh.

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9.11

Strength Skills

These skills represent the strength of the Covenant peoples, both in body and in will. Bolstered Will : 15 CP + 5 progressive You gain 1 maximum Will each time this skill is purchased. Dazing Blow : 12 CP + 5 progressive Once per Refresh per time this skill is purchased you may throw a packet from within melee weapon range and call Knockout by Physical. This is a Physical eect, so the target will probably be able to struggle back to consciousness within 30 seconds. Feat of Strength : 12 CP Once per Refresh you may perform a feat of strength. These include the following: Carrying up to two characters at a normal walking pace for any distance, instead of the usual slower walk with one person (see carrying rules on page 9). Holding a door shut when others want to get in as long as you are touching the door. Forcing open a door held by another Feat of Strength. An action described on a Yellow Card for example This boulder requires a Feat of Strength to move. Swinging a mighty blow with a melee weapon which deals 1 Brutal. Anything secured by a lock or spirit ward CANNOT be broken with a Feat of Strength. This skill may NEVER be used to do anything that would require a stoppage of play or out-of-game intervention (e.g. I rip up this tree or I throw you). This skill must be used responsibly, and with safety as the prime consideration. Please exercise caution. Forced Mobility : 5 CP + 5 progressive You have the ability to continue using a disabled limb during a combat. However, doing so will further damage it. Once per combat per time you purchase this skill you can with appropriate roleplay Purge Maim to Self by Pain. Once the current combat ends or the same limb is Maimed again, you must call Permanent Maim to Self by Pain to the same limb you Purged. This skill cannot be used to Purge a Permanent Maim that it creates. Increased Fortitude : 16 CP + 5 progressive You gain 1 maximum Health each time this skill is purchased. Stubbornly Conscious : 10 CP + 5 progressive Once per Refresh per time this skill is purchased you may Resist a Knockout eect. Waylay : 12 CP + 5 progressive Once per Refresh per time this skill is purchased you may strike an opponent on the upper back with a melee weapon and call Knockout by Waylay. Head armor will protect from this attack.

Chapter 10

Crafting
The Covenant crafting system allows those with the necessary skills to gather valuable components and use those components to create various temporary and permanent item eects. This chapter discusses the parts of the system and how they work in game. There are a number of references in this chapter to physreps. These are physical representations, props that mimic the component or crafted item. The Sta will provide physreps with components or items that they send into game, but players should provide their own props for components that they gather or items that they craft.

10.1

Components

Components are the raw materials that are used to create crafted items. Components also have value in their own right, and can be bartered as well as used for crafting. Covenant components come in two varieties: physical components and ritual components.

10.1.1

Physical Components

Physical components are objects that are used in crafting largely for their physical properties, whether obvious or innate. A physical component tag includes the following parts: Name This is the specic name of the component. Components are only occasionally useful specically because of their names the name is mostly a matter of avor. Rarity This is either common or rare, and indicates how easy the component is to nd. Rare components are dicult to nd or to harvest, and so are usually not gather-able by the average person. Type This is the type of the physical component. The types of physical component are: food, herbs, hide, bone, wood, metal, and stone. Expiration Sometimes a component will deteriorate over time. If so, it will have an expiration date listed. A physical component tag would therefore look something like this: Covenant Physical Component Name: Salt Rarity: Rare Type: Food

Expiration: none

Physical components may be found as treasure when searching foes or in various locations on your travels. They are also common items to barter either during game or using the Barter skill between games. Some foes mostly animals may also have food, hide, or bone components that can be gained by butchering them once they have fallen. If this is possible, it will be indicated by Wildlore or Lifelore ags on the foe. Gathering Physical Components While physical components can be found or bartered for, many are gathered by those with crafting skills. The gathering process in Covenant is entirely roleplayed. In order to gather components, you should go to a location where the item you are seeking could be gathered the woods are good for most physical components. You should then spend at least 3 minutes per component roleplaying seeking and gathering the component you want. Finally, write the component details on one of your blank physical component tags and ax the tag to a physrep. The specic physical components you may gather using the physical component tags provided by Brewing, Gather Materials, or Totemcraft are listed here. The rarity and type are listed rst, followed by either a specic Name or several names that you can choose between and en explanation of where the component is commonly found.

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Common Food Wild Edibles. These are various edible plants and fungi found throughout the woods. Wild edibles should be given an expiration date of one month from the date they were gathered. Rare Food Salt. This is gathered from salt licks, usually found on boulders or in clay deposits. Common Herbs Mixed Herbs. These are various useful or medicinal herbs found throughout the forest. Common Wood Maple, Beech, Birch, Oak. Wood fallen or cut from trees. Common Metal Iron, Copper, Tin. Ore exposed in rock formations by weathering or found on the ground in places where rain has washed away surface layers. Note that ore deposits are somewhat rare you may not collect more than 1 common metal out of each 3 physical components you gather. Common Stone Granite, Flint, Gravel, Limestone. Pieces of rock from outcroppings or the ground. In the case of most rare physical components, you will either have to barter for them, nd them in game, or learn a means to gather them.

10.1.2

Ritual Components

Ritual components are objects that are used in crafting largely for their source and their state rather than their physical attributes. Ritual components are always harvested from living or recently dead things. A ritual component tag includes the following parts: Name This is the specic name of the component. Components are only occasionally useful specically because of their names the name is mostly a matter of avor. State This indicates certain deliberate alterations in the nature of the component that modify its properties. The possible states are Normal, Changed, and Preserved. Depth Depth indicates from what level of the plant or creature the component was taken. Deeper levels usually hold more power as well as having slightly dierent properties. The possible depths are surface, blood, and deep. Source The source of a ritual component is the type of living creature from which it was taken. Possible sources are plant, beast, and person. A ritual component tag would therefore look something like this: Covenant Ritual Component Name: Rose Petals State: Normal Depth: Surface

Source: Plant

Ritual components may be found as treasure when searching foes or in various locations on your travels. They are also common items to barter either during game or using the Barter skill between games. Harvesting Ritual Components While ritual components can be found or bartered for, many are harvested by those with crafting skills. The gathering process in Covenant is entirely roleplayed. In order to harvest components, you should go to a location where the item you are seeking could be harvested the locations or situations in which you can harvest ritual components are listed with them below. You should then spend 3 minutes roleplaying seeking, then extracting the component you want. Finally, write the component details on one of your blank ritual component tags and ax the tag to a physrep. The specic types of ritual components you may harvest using the ritual component tags provided by Harvest Ritual Components, Investiture, or Totemcraft are listed here. The depth and source are listed rst, followed by details on where to nd the component and what sorts of things it represents. Surface-Plant The owers, leaves, or other surface parts of a plant. This component is best harvested in the woods. Blood-Plant The sap of a plant. This component is best harvested in the woods. Surface-Beast The hair, hide, horns, claws, etc of a beast. This must be harvested from a willing, fallen, or dead beast. It can be harvested either via roleplay in the woods (you found a dead beast or some shed body part) or via roleplay with a beast NPC. If harvested from a living beast, the process causes the Agony by Physical eect. Blood-Beast The blood of a beast. This must be harvested from a willing, fallen, or recently dead beast. It can be harvested either via roleplay in the woods (you found a dead beast or bled a living one) or via roleplay with a beast NPC. If harvested from a living beast, the process causes the 1 Damage by Physical eect.

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Surface-Person The hair, skin, nails, claws, etc of a person. This must be harvested from a willing, fallen, or dead person. It can only be harvested via roleplay with a person, PC or NPC. If harvested from a living person, the process causes the Agony by Physical eect. You CAN harvest from yourself if you wish. Blood-Person The blood of a person. This must be harvested from a willing, fallen, or recently dead person. It can only be harvested via roleplay with a person, PC or NPC. If harvested from a living person, the process causes the 1 Damage by Physical eect. You CAN harvest from yourself if you wish. Deep components are fairly rare, and there are few in the Covenant who know the ways of extracting them. Most people capable of extracting deep plant or beast components are part of the Torch. Deep person components, usually consisting of vital organs, are only extracted from the dead and with permission. The Fordkeepers handle that task. If you wish to be able to extract deep ritual components, you must learn how to do so in game. States and Transformations You will notice that the harvesting types did not address States. These are actually transformations that anyone capable of harvesting ritual components can perform at will. They are usually performed on a component just before it is needed, but they can be done at any time. To grant a component the Changed state, you must spend at least 30 seconds roleplaying a careful charring of the component over a ame. To grant a component the Preserved nature, you must spend at least 1 minute roleplaying the combining of the component with one unit of either Salt (a gather-able rare food) or Alcohol (craft-able via Brewing). After the mixing, you must let the Preserved component sit for at least 1 hour before using it.

10.2

Craft Template Skills

The Brewing, Investiture, and Totemcraft skills allow you to combine components into items. All three of these skills use templates to describe the requirements and the nished item. Each template will give the name of the item, the number and type of components required to craft it, and a description of what the nal product does.

Craft Templates
All crafters are required to maintain their own Template Book containing a written description of the craft Templates that they know how to use. This Template Book is in-game but may not be stolen. You will begin with the knowledge of three Templates for each crafting skill that you purchase. You should copy the full Template description into your Template Book to represent your knowledge of the Template. You may learn more Templates in the following dierent ways: You may learn or discover a new template through time spent between games (see Chapter on page 61 ). Such templates are generated using the Discovering Templates rules below, and will be given to you at check-in. You may be taught a new Template in game by an NPC, or by another Player who knows the Template. Templates may only be taught between people with the same craft skill. This requires 10 minutes of roleplaying, and you must copy the full Template description into your Template Book before you may successfully use the Template. You may learn ONE Template and teach ONE Template for each Template skill you have each game. Any number of people can be taught the same Template at the same time. You may discover in-game documents or items that grant Templates. A note or tag on the item will make clear that you may learn such a Template if you have the appropriate prerequisites and spend 10 minutes of roleplaying studying the text or item. You must copy the full Template description into your Template Book before you may successfully use the Template.

Discovering Templates
When you gain templates through buying a template skill such as Totemcraft or using the Discover a Template task between games, you are discovering those templates. This usually means that you are experimenting in your craft in an attempt to create something new, or at least new to you. For each template that you are discovering in this way you must submit a template request to the Sta. This can be as simple as Im looking for a way to add extra damage to a weapon or Id like to learn a healing potion, or as complex as I am looking for the ability to Reset every injured person nearby. The request should also include in what template skill you are trying to learn this template Totemcraft, for example and if possible a list of the other templates that you have for that skill. The template learning system prevents the Sta from knowing exactly which templates you might possess, and providing a list will avoid the possibility of duplicates, The Sta will evaluate your request based on the craft involved and will either select an appropriate template or create a new one for you. The Sta will attempt to provide you with a template as close to your request as possible, but system balance and the limitations of your craft will sometimes make an exact match impossible or impractical.

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Creating Craft Items from Templates

To create a crafted item you will require the components listed on the Template, some time, and access to the in-game area that has been set up as the crafting workshop. The workshop area should have some tool props, blank item tags, and a bin for turning in expended components. First, you must spend time in roleplaying the crafting of the item. This time should be at least 2 minutes plus an additional minute per component. So, for example, a Brewing item that uses two components would take four minutes to make. Then, after completing the roleplay, you should copy the item name and eect onto a blank item tag and place all expended components into the bin. Finally, the new item tag should be attached to or placed inside an appropriate physrep. This might be, for example, a small vial for a Brewing potion, a carved bone prop for a Totem, or someones weapon for an Investiture. Some crafted items may not be ready immediately any such item will detail this on the Template. For example, once crafted, this item must gather power for 1 hour before being used.

Chapter 11

Spirit Powers
Spirit powers are those abilities granted to mortals by spirits, as well as the innate mortal powers of blood and soul. These powers often manifest in the form of spells.

11.1

General Rules of Spells

Incantations
Most spells and some abilities require a short incantation. If you cannot speak for any reason, you cannot cast the spell. Spells and abilities will be provided with a sample incantation, but you may choose a dierent one. Personal incantations should be at least as long as the original, and should not change again after you have chosen them.

Movement
Spells CAN be cast while moving at no faster than a walk. They cannot be cast while running.

Damage
If you take damage while incanting a spell, the spell is ruined and the Will spent. If you have already nished the incantation and begun speaking the eect, the spell cannot be ruined and will be cast as normal.

Spell Delivery Types

Area The spell is an area of eect and must be called as such, for example, Area Eect 1 Damage by Fire. Caster The spell aects only the caster. Gesture The spell is targeted directly to someone, such as: You in the red cloak! Bind by Darkness by Gesture. Gesture spells may be Resisted using Will see the Free skill Strength of Will on page 46. Packet The spell is delivered via a thrown packet. This is normally a single packet. Any spell or ability which uses more than a single packet will describe that dierence. Shield Shield spells are a type of granted Resist bestowed by Touch. You may only have one shield on you at a time. Touch The caster must touch the target with a spell packet, or at least hold a hand near them. Weapon The spell aects a weapon. It need not be your own.

Spell Template Rules

All spellcasters are required to maintain their own Template Book containing a written description of the spell Templates that they know how to use. This Template Book is in-game but may not be stolen. You will begin with the knowledge of three Templates for each spellcasting skill that you purchase. You should copy the full Template description into your Template Book to represent your knowledge of the Template. You may learn more Templates in the following dierent ways: You may learn or discover a new template through time spent between games (see Chapter 12). Such templates are generated using the Discovering Templates rules below, and will be given to you at check-in.

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You may be taught a new Template in game by an NPC, or by another Player who knows the Template. Templates may only be taught between people with the same Pact or Vow skill. This requires 10 minutes of roleplaying, and you must copy the full Template description into your Template Book before you may successfully use the Template. You may learn ONE Template and teach ONE Template for each Template skill you have each game. Any number of people can be taught the same Template at the same time. You may discover in-game documents or items that grant Templates. A note or tag on the item will make clear that you may learn such a Template if you have the appropriate prerequisites and spend 10 minutes of roleplaying studying the text or item. You must copy the full Template description into your Template Book before you may successfully use the Template.

Discovering Templates
When you gain templates through buying a template skill such as Standard Pact or using the Discover a Template task between games, you are discovering those templates. This usually means that you are either negotiating with the spirit that grants you powers to gain a new one, or are exploring your own power in search of new applications. For each template that you are discovering in this way you must submit a template request to the Sta. This can be as simple as Im looking for a healing spell or Id like a damaging ability, or as complex as I am looking for the ability to x Maimed limbs, but the spell would need to be 2 Will or less to cast. The request should also include in what template skill you are trying to learn this template Standard Pact (Sylvan), for example and if possible a list of the other templates that you have for that skill. The template learning system prevents the Sta from knowing exactly which templates you might possess, and providing a list will avoid the possibility of duplicates, The Sta will evaluate your request based on the spirit or power involved and will either select an appropriate template or create a new one for you. The Sta will attempt to provide you with a template as close to your request as possible, but system balance and the limitations of your power source will sometimes make an exact match impossible or impractical. Short descriptions of the common types of power available from dierent spirit natures are available in the next section.

11.2

The Five Basic Natures of Spirits

The shamans of the Covenant have categorized the spirits of the world into ve basic natures. These natures describe both the form that the spirit generally inhabits and the type of power that the spirit can provide to those who Pact with it. These two parts of their nature seem to be interconnected. Life Life spirits are found inhabiting the living bodies of plants or beasts. Spirit habitation attempts on a living person usually result in either failure, permanent possession, or death. Life spirits are quite adept at managing and maintaining their hosts, and as such tend to provide powers such as healing, physical manipulation of bodies, and resistance to death and decay. Death Death spirits are found inhabiting the bodies or body parts of dead plants, animals, or people, though most spirit-inhabited dead people (often referred to as undead) are the result of specic Pacts. Death spirits are procient in those abilities that create or sustain their hosts, and so provide powers such as injury to the living, decay and preservation, and resistance to the forces of life. Primal Primal spirits inhabit primal materials, those things such as darkness, rock, soil, air, or water that have either never been alive or that have decayed past any resemblance to a previously living form. When a physical form is needed, primal spirits create a body for themselves out of such materials. They grant powers related to these primal materials, such as protection, manipulation of primal elements, and resistance to change. Change Change spirits reside mostly in processes rather than objects. Fire, storms, earthquakes, and wind are all in the province of Change. When in need of a body, Change spirits will usually form a temporary one out of other materials, though adding re or some other Change element to such bodies is common. The power they provide tends to be brief but violent, such as damage, major physical changes, and disruption of primal powers. Essence Essence spirits are pure spirits. They spend very little time embodied, and when they do require a body they usually assemble just enough of one to become visible and tangible. The power of Essence spirits is pure spirit power unchanneled by any other considerations, and as such can provide abilities such as protection from other spirit powers, changes to the mind and soul, and eects upon spirits.

11.3

Oaths, Pacts, and Vows

Promises, assurances, and sword words are given to one another by mortals every day. Oaths, however, are something dierent. An Oath is a promise imbued with a fragment of spirit power, either by a spirit, a shaman, or through some natural process that is not well understood in the case of Vows. Oaths are binding upon those who swear them, and breaking an Oath has consequences. If you swear an Oath whether it be a shaman-witnessed one or a Pact or Vow as

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described below and subsequently break it, you gain the Oathbreaker trait. This is a target trait as described on page 21. The Oathbreaker trait will remain with you until you nd a way to remove it, which must be done in-game. All spirits and some mortals can detect the power of broken Oaths, and spirits who detect such are very unlikely to make any Pacts with the Oathbreaker, though existing Pacts will usually continue.

Pacts
A Pact is the most common type of Oath: a promise made to a spirit in exchange for some service. Some Pacts are simple and short-term, such as the exchange of Will for information. Others, such as those made when gaining a lasting power or ability from the spirits, are more complicated. In general, any agreement made with a spirit is a Pact and will be treated as such by the spirits. Ability Pacts When a spirit grants a long-term ability to a mortal, they require an Ability Pact as part of the price. Ability Pacts are promises to regularly perform some extra action that is pleasing to the nature of the spirit. For example, an Ability Pact with a spirit of Change might involve incinerating one crafting component every game, whereas one with the Tribe of Vision might require that you investigate one new person every game. A new Ability Pact is proposed by the player upon purchasing a skill that requires one, and it is nalized through discussion between that player and the Sta. Ability Pacts should always be able to be stated as I will always ___ at least once per game and should require at least some eort, time, or expense to complete each game. If you fail to complete an Ability Pact during a game, you should put that information in your Post Event Worksheet. Multiple Ability Pacts can sometimes be combined, but the result should always be more complex than any component part and should please every applicable spirit. Attempts to combine Ability Pacts should be discussed with the Sta.

Vows
Vows are a type of Oath made to yourself. They are the key requirement for activating certain innate abilities of your body or mind. The shamans of the Covenant are not entirely certain why Vows work the way they do, but it has been conrmed that breaking a Vow has similar consequences to breaking any other Oath. Vows are always restrictions on your actions, things that you promise never to do. For example, a Vow for the Sympathetic Healing skill might be never to heal someone without their consent, whereas one for the Vow of the Soul skill might be never to aect the mind of another member of your tribe. A new Vow is proposed by the player upon purchasing a skill that requires one, and it is nalized through discussion between that player and the Sta. Vows should always be able to be stated as I will never ___ and should require at least some eort, time, or care to complete each game. If you fail to complete a Vow during a game, you should put that information in your Post Event Worksheet. Multiple Vows can sometimes be combined, but the result should always be more complex than any component part. Attempts to combine Vows should be discussed with the Sta.

Chapter 12

Advancement and Between Game Activities

Character Advancement
Each time you attend an event, your character will gain experience. This experience is represented by additional Character Points that you can use to purchase more skills either those in the rulebook or hidden skills taught by beings in the game world. After each game you attend you will gain 7 Character Points automatically. If you stay to help with cleanup after the game, you will earn another 3 Character Points. You may purchase up to an additional 5 Character Points using Game Bucks at the rate of 3 GB to each 1 CP. You may not gain more than 15 Character Points per game.

Between Game Activities

There are many things that your character can do between events. After an event you have attended, you may choose to write a Post Event Worksheet. In this worksheet you should detail what tasks your character will be undertaking between games, whether they require any BGAs, and if so how you will pay for those BGAs. You should also include any lasting eects of aictions that your character gained or lost at the game, and any eects or events that require you to list them in your Worksheet. Post Event Worksheets are usually due two weeks from the end of the event.

Tasks and BGAs

Some tasks require Between Game Actions (BGAs) to perform, and some do not. A BGA represents time and eort spent above and beyond the usual for your character. BGAs must be purchased. You may purchase your rst BGA for 5 food, and a second BGA for 10 food. The food requirements may be partially or completely replaced by Game Bucks at the rate of 2 GB to 1 food. You may never have more than two BGAs per game. Task Attune to an Item Craft Items Discover a Template Engage in Trade Gather Components Learn a Skill Other Activity Prepare a Vergewalk Question the Spirits Read a Document Seek a Path Seek Informant BGAs 1 1 or 0 1 0 1 or or 1 or or Requirement An item with an Attunement tag A Craft template skill A template skill Barter skill Any Craft skill A teacher, if not a rulebook skill An NPC who is helping with the activity Vergewalking skill Lorespeaking skill Any required by the document Pathnding skill Information Gathering skill

0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1

Attune to an Item If you have an item with an Attunement tag, you may use 1 BGA to attune to that item between games. Craft Items While most crafting is handled during games, you may choose to use 1 BGA to do additional crafting between games. You may craft as many items as you have the components to make, and should list the items being created. You will get tags for the created items at check-in, and should turn in the used components then as well. Discover a Template You may spend time experimenting, meditating, or negotiating with a spirit depending on the nature of the template skill involved to discover new templates. You may do this once per Worksheet at no cost; additional templates require 1 BGA each. You should submit a request for each template as described in the Discovering Templates section either on page 56 (crafts) or on page 59 (spells).

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Engage in Trade You may submit a list of items that you are willing to trade, a list of items that you are seeking (in order of preference), and optionally a particular trader or tribe with which you want to trade, as per the Barter skill. You will receive your new items and must turn in your traded items at the next check-in. Gather Components While most component gathering happens in game and through trade, you may choose to spend 1 BGA to gather as many components as you could gather during a game. Please specify the types and quantities of components you are gathering. Tags for those components will be given at check-in. Learn a Skill You may learn as many skills as you wish between games, provided that you have the available Character Points and teachers for all of the skills. Teachers are always available for skills in the rulebook. Hidden skills require that you name the NPC with whom you spoke about learning the skill. In the case of hidden skills, you should also indicate whether you want to buy the skill automatically or make the decision at check-in. Other Activity There may sometimes be other activities you would like to perform that are not covered by this list of tasks. In order to perform a unique activity, you must have set it up with an NPC during game. All unusual activities of this kind require 1 BGA. Prepare a Vergewalk Vergewalkers may spend time between games to set up a Walk. The rst use of this ability per Worksheet is free; additional uses require 1 BGA each. Question the Spirits Lorespeakers may spend time between games to question the spirits about particular historical topics. The rst use of this ability per Worksheet is free; additional uses require 1 BGA each. Read a Document You may occasionally discover large or complex documents that cannot be read during the course of a game. Such documents will have a tag specifying that they must be read between games, and many but not all of them will require a special skill in order to read them.If you have such a document and any skills required to read it, you may spend 1 BGA to do so. Seek a Path Pathnders may spend time between games to nd a Path to a particular location. The rst use of this ability per Worksheet is free; additional uses require 1 BGA each. Seek Informant Characters with Information Gathering may spend time between games to locate a contact who knows about a particular topic or hidden skill. The rst use of this ability per Worksheet is free; additional uses require 1 BGA each.

Post Event Letters

A Post Event Letter (or PEL) is a report of your adventures at the event, plus any any other relevant information you wish to include. It can be written in character, out of character, or in a combination of the two styles. Many of the best PELs include both an in-character section that speaks about your characters experiences, point of view, and future goals, and an out of character section that details things that you as a player liked, disliked, had concerns about, or would like to encourage. After long thought the Covenant Sta has decided not to make between game activities contingent on writing a PEL. However, the Sta still encourages you to write a PEL for three reasons. First, a well-written PEL provides you as the player with a permanent record of what occurred at the event. Given that Covenant can be a complex game and that substantial amounts of time often pass between events, such a record can be very useful. Second, a PEL is your means of providing feedback to the Sta about the game. If there are things that concern you, or if there were experiences that you particularly liked or disliked, or if your character has some new goal that you would like to see woven into the game, a PEL is the way to communicate that information. The Sta cannot guarantee that every concern can be addressed or every desire woven into the game, but they also cannot act on anything unless they hear about it rst. Third, if you choose to write a PEL of reasonable length (at least a page) and submit it to the Sta you will receive 5 Game Bucks. The Sta thus leaves whether to write a PEL or not as a personal decision for each player after each game. If you do choose to write one, it will be due at the same time as your Worksheet. The standard deadline is two weeks from the end of the event.

Communication Between Games

You may communicate freely with other players between games. The Covenant Sta and Cast are not allowed to communicate with individual players in an in game fashion as any of their character roles between events. On occasion messages from cast characters may appear in newsletters or on message boards, if the Sta approves it. Any in-game letters must actually be sent during game.

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Game Bucks
Game Bucks (GB) are a thank you currency that is given out for various services to the game. In Covenant, Game Bucks can be used for: Character Point purchase at 3 GB per 1 CP to a maximum of 5 CP per game. BGA purchase at 2 GB per unit of food. Feat purchase (see Appendix A). If you are spending GB you should note it in your Worksheet. The spent GB will be due at the next check-in. Feats may be handled this way, but can also be bought at check-in.

Appendix A

Feats
A listing of Feats will be here as soon as it is written. Feats may not be available for the playtest.

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Appendix B

Glossary
Cast, the: All of the people who play supporting characters and help to create the world of Covenant. The Sta is a subset of the Cast. Combat: For the purposes of per combat and until the end of combat ability restrictions, a combat begins when the group you are with comes under attack and ends when enemy reinforcements stop arriving. Covenant, the: A great pact between all of the tribes between the Mountains and the Sea. It created an inter-tribal council composed of elders from all tribes. The name now also applies to the council itself and to all of the people of these tribes. Critical: Critical has two meanings in the Covenant rules. The rst meaning is the state of dying between Fallen and Dead, normally lasting for 10 minutes before the transition to the Dead state and requiring a Revive or Life eect to x. The second meaning is the eect which causes someone to immediately enter the Critical state. Day: For the purposes of per day abilities, a day begins at 10AM and ends at All Clear or Game Over. Dead: The state of dying between Critical and Shade, which can only be xed by a Life eect. The Dead state lasts a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes after all combat has moved away from you, after which you become a Shade and travel to the Spirit Fords. Deant: A spirit of Death, one of the major spirits of the Covenant lands. Echo: A spirit of Essence, one of the major spirits of the Covenant lands. Fallen: The rst state of dying, it normally lasts for 5 minutes before transitioning to the Critical state and can be xed by the Heal or Life eects. Feat: A single-use special ability purchased with Game Bucks. See Appendix A. Firstwalkers: A major tribe of the Covenant, known for trade. Flicker: A spirit of Change, one of the major spirits of the Covenant lands. Fordkeepers: A major tribe of the Covenant, known for funeral services and their use of undead. Garden, the: A major tribe of the Covenant, known for horticulture. Heal: The Heal eect is used to restore Health that has been lost due to Damage, Drain, or Brutal eects. This eect is only usable on conscious, Knocked Out, or Fallen characters Critical, Dead, or Shade characters cannot be Healed. Hunt Beyond the Mountains, the: Also known as the Great Hunt. This is the name commonly given to the expedition sent by the Covenant to explore the lands beyond their borders. Knocked Out: A Knocked Out character has been struck with the Knockout eect. They will awaken once the eect has worn o, unless they are further damaged while Knocked Out. Loam: A Primal spirit, one of the major spirits of the Covenant lands. Mountains, the: The tall, nigh-impassable mountain range that forms one border of the Covenant lands. NPC: A non-player character. These are the roles played by the Sta and Cast during an event rather than by the players. 65

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One People, the: A strong tribe that grew to include or inuence most of the world in the time before the Running Years. Ops: Operations, sometimes known by other names as well. The location used as a headquarters by the Cast and Sta during the game. Pack, the: A major tribe of the Covenant, known for maintaining the Covenants balance of power. Plague, the: A great disease that swept the world many years ago, leading to the Running Years and the beginnings of the non-human races. Physrep: Physical Representation, a prop that is attached to an item tag in order to represent that item. Post Event Worksheet: Also known as a PEW, this is the document in which a player details everything they are doing between games. Some eects or events require you to list them on your Worksheet as well. Ramsheart: A major tribe of the Covenant, known for aggressive hunting and raiding. Refresh: Any character can Refresh by spending 15 minutes resting. A Refresh returns your Will to maximum and resets all of your per Refresh skills. Renew: The Renew eect is used to restore Will that has been lost or expended. It can also when used as Renew Full or Renew Skills replenish per-Refresh skill uses. Running Years, the: A period of plague, death, riots, terror, and ight. For the Covenant peoples, the Running Years ended when they arrived in the lands between the Mountains and the Sea. Sea, the: The large body of salt water that forms one border of the Covenant lands. No one in the Covenant knows how large it might be, as no one has taken a boat further than the oshore shing beds and returned. Old tales tell that the waters beyond the shing beds are treacherous and lled with reefs. Shade: The nal stage of dying you become a Shade after spending at least 5 minutes in the Dead state. Shades cannot usually interact with anyone or anything, and simply proceed to the Spirit Fords. Sta, the: The Covenant Sta is comprised of those members of the Cast who have a more signicant role in the creation and management of events. State: The states represent the stages of injury between conscious and well and dead and seeking rebirth. Knocked Out is the state that is created by the Knockout eect and does not lead to death in and of itself. The actual death states are Fallen, Critical, Dead, and Shade. Sylvan: A spirit of Life, one of the major spirits of the Covenant lands. Web of Paths: An intertwining, constantly shifting network of paths within the Verge that can be studied and traveled by those with the Pathnding skill.