Gamemaster's

Aid &Screen
CONTENTS
1. CREATING YOUR OWN WORLD• PAGE 2
Paul Sudlow
2. MODIFYING THE 06 SYSTEM • PAGE 25
George Strayton and Nikola Vrtis

3. 06 GENRE CONVERSION • PAGE 31

N ikola Vrtis

This set presents a perfect combination of tools CREDITS

for D6 System gamemasters: The 32-page, black-
and-white book contains tips on making worlds, SCREEN EXTERIOR GRAPHIC DESIGN
customizing skills and damage in the D6 System, Eric Gibson
and converting between the threeD6 System genre SCREEN INTERIOR AND BOOK
attribute and skill sets. Plus, a three-fold screen of· GRAPHIC DESIGN
fers the beautiful panoramic scene ofthe three genre N ikola Vrtis
rulebook covers on one side and handy charts com-
mon to all of the genre rulebooks on the other. SCREEN EXTERIOR ART
For use with the D6 Adventure Rulebook, D6 Fan- Chris Dien
tasy R ulebook, or D6 Space Rulebook.
BOOK INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS
Thomas M. Baxa (p. 28), Elizabeth T. Danforth (p. 13),
Tim Eldred (p. 22), Jaime Lombardo & Ron H ill (p. 6),
Fil Kerney (p. 24), John Paul Lona (p. 7),
Aaron McClellan (p. 1), Allen N unis (pp. 12, 14),
Karl Waller (p. 5)
PUBLISHER
Eric Gibson
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Rachel Gibson; Shane Hensley: Steven Marsh; screen
playtesters Ron Fricke, Max Hat tuer, & Rodney Leary
PDF CONVERSION
Whill

WEST ENO GAMES

For free support, information about books for this.
game system and other WEG systems, links to fan sites,
$0.00 U.S. • WEG 51019 • ISBN 1-932867-08- 2 details on licensing this system, and much more,
Version 1.0 • First Printing August 2004 visit our Web site at www.westendgames.com!

WEST END GAMES • www.westendgames.com

© 2004 Purgatory Pub lishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. West End Games, WEG, and 06 System are trademarks and properties of Purgatory Pub lishing Inc.
 hen you think about it, the whole process ofgen- with a past, present, and future. Who has time and pa-

W erating a campaign world is aimed at one single

goal: to give the players enough bang for their
buck in the very first session to bring them back for more.
tience for all of this?
Obviously, a compromise is in order. The followingworld-
creation method shows you bow to rough out the outlines of
That's it. If they don't like what they see, the campaign your campaign world enough to define it in broad strokes,
dies, if not by the end of the first adventure, then sooner leavingyou time to nru.Tow your development to an immediate
or later. It's a harsh world, but that's how it is. area. With luck, you'll be th.rough the world-creation process
With this point in mind, some world-creation methods before the thrill and excitement ofthe creative process turns
advocate expending initial creative efforts in establishing to the plodding methodical wot k ofnipping and tucking and
the immediate locale of adventuring, be it a small moun- making everything fit together just so. That sort of thing
tain village or a backwater planet out somewhere in a can wait until the campaign really is underway.
distant star system. The chief benefit in using this creation
method is that you waste no time in work that will not be Right-Brained World Creation
immediately utilized - almost all that you do will pay off The Human brain is separated into two lobes, a right
in the first few adventures. lobe and a left Jobe. The left side of the brain is the side
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

1 . Creating Your Own World

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

This is an important consideration for those who have tha t discerns patterns, processes mathematical equations,
limited time for developing a campaign world, and it ac- and makes rational arguments. The right side of the brain
counts for the popularity of commercial game settings. is where you combine and juxtapose unrelated ideas and
Many gamemasters would rather get right to adventur- past experience to synthesize new vai·iants and analyze
ing than spend time fleshing out continents and language new situations (this generates what we call creativity). If
histories. you want it boiled down to one sentence, think of the left
However, if you leave world development for later, your side of your brain as the computer, and the right side the
world quickly begins to take on a patchwork appearance as poet.
later innovations and ideas are cobbled in and retrofitted There have been dozens ofarticles and essays published
to mesh with previously established canon. Questions of over the years that present excellent guidelines for devel-
why, say, a fanatical pantheistic kingdom peacefully coex- oping game worlds, most of which present some sort of
ists with the characters'home state, a martial monotheistic orderly checklist-oriented model: first, develop flora and
republic, are better answered in the design stages than in fauna, then graduate to epic histories and socio-econom-
the midst of a campaign, when the gamemaster decides ics, then go on to develop languages, aliens, and what-not.
to pop the kingdom in over the next mountain ridge or in This is a left-brained approach to world creation. That's
the next solar system. a perfectly valid approach to t he task at hand, especially
Timespentnowinplanningaheadcanpaybigdividends if you are used to spending a lot of time in the left side
later on in the campaign. It is therefore equally important of your head. But the right side of the brain has a lot to
to flesh out the greater world in detail, so you can deal with offer as well.
potential contradictions and credibility gaps ahead of time. Some prefer a more chaotic and freewheeling style of
Extensive work done in the creation stage can also provide creation - t he right-brained. With nary a plan in sight,
a richer gaming environment. With campaign background they crash haphazardly from here to there, yanking an
worked out in advance, for example, you can s prinkle into idea from one source, fitting it in with another, seeing how
play, not generic goodies from bygone days, but customized t hat impacts a third, and gradually assembling a complex
artifacts ofenchantment or technology, each with a history mode] that sort of works the way they thought it might.
and secrets to unearth. It's sort of like the sculptor who "sees" the elephant statue
So, on the one h and, the still hidden in the block of marble - he doesn't have a
initial campaign setting and particular plan or strategy when he picks up his chisel,
attending adventures need he simply chips away everyt hing that doesn't look like an
to be scathingly clever, elephant.
astoundingly exciting, Those who favor a more predictable and orderly cre-
and marvelously mind- ation methodology may feel a little uncomfortable with
expanding. On the other, the right-brained technique at first, while others will
the macro campaign take to it immediately. Wherever you fall in the scheme of
world must be developed things, give t he system a try. Think of it as an opportunity
to present the illusion to stretch your mental muscles and use the right side of
of a consistent universe your brain a bit.
Starting at the Beginning
First, you need to decide, in a very general
sense, what sort of campaign you want to run,
and what genre you intend to set it in. Will it
be a fantasy world of barbarian kingdoms, or a
Flash Gordon-style science fantasy world filled
with war rncket navies, man-eating plants, and
raygun-wielding heroes?
Every gamemaster has a little m ental list of
campaigns he or she would someday like t o run
(given the time and a group ofsimilarly interested
players). Dust one ofthose off, and walk it through
the following exercises.

The Brainstorm List

You probably have some very specific ideas
about what you want to go into yow· campaign.
In fact, there are likely about a hundred ideas
darting around in yom head all at once, vying
for your attention. The brainstorm list is a way
of tapping into all of these great ideas burbling
around in your head, and getting them down on
paper where you can deal with them. These ideas
- features, characters, scenes, genre elements, themes, world will benefit greatly if you spend your energy in ex-
and so on - serve as t he building blocks of your campaign. ploring the ideas that interest you (and how they might
Once you have them where you can see them, you can work together) than ideas and campaign elements that
organize them and settle on those that you might like to don't mu ch appeal to you but you feel obligated to include
incorporate into your campaign at your leisure. because of genre conventions.
The brainstorm list is the heart of the right-brained Leave the well-trodden path and strike out into new tei'Ti-
creative method. It works just the way it sounds it should. tory. Not every fantasy world requires Dwarvish strongholds
You take a deep breath, clear your mind a bit, and then or fallen empires, and it is even possible to have as pace opera
begin jotting down everything you might even remotely be setting that doesn't feature mechanical spaceships and laser
interested in seeing in yom campaign. guns. Ifthe idea ofa nation state of Minotaurs intrigues you
Don't analyze what you are writing, don't stop and try more than a nation of Ogre tribes, toss the Ogres. Bored by
to develop the ideas too much at this stage; just get it all the idea of a galactic empire ruled by aliens or a neo-Rome?
down, one point after the other. Begin with the ideas you You'd rather have a galactic empire ruled by evil genies
definitely want to include in your campaign, and then move freed from the bottles of King Solomon? Do it! Your players
on to less crucial but interesting ideas. Get wild. Get crazy. will certainly lose that jaded attitude fairly quickly. (And
Don't hold back. nothing warms the heart of a devious gamemaster more
The items on your list need not link together in a coher- than the thought of shaken players, right?)
ent fashion to begin with - indeed, t he unusual juxtaposi- A bit of cross-pollination is one of the best things you
tions of unrelated ideas can spark a great idea you haven't can do to break yourself out of some of the cliches and
thought of. (If this soun ds like you're in right-brain ter- stereotypes of your chosen genre (assuming you find that
ritory, it's because you a re). One of the most entertaining desirable). Say you're plotting out a fairly standard fantasy
aspects of this method is establishing the links between campaign, but you like the gritty, cut-throat megacorporate
the various ideas. world of cyberpunk. So, right alongside Elvish forests and
You may be smprised at some of the ideas that pop out. crystal mountains on your list, you
This method, like the word-association parlor game, tends write "cyberpunk." Later on, you
to engage your subconscious, and can produce some very might decide that your world is
interesting ideas and concepts that you haven't consciously dominated not by kingdoms,
been thinking about. It makes sense, really, since you are, but by powerful guilds con-
just a little, stepping into a part of your brain that usually trolled by sorcerers. As you
waits until you are asleep to manifest itself in the form can see, even the introduc-
of dreams. It doesn't happen all the time, but when you tion ofjust one such concept
really get into it, some fairly weird but fascinating ideas lifted from another genre
can bubble up to the surface. can juice up the setting
Speaking of convention, don't feel obligated to include and send it off into new and
anything in your world that does not interest you. Your interesting directions.
l'"'""'"''""~'"')'\'~""~'~~~''"~''"'"''~"'"''"'"''"''''"''"''~""'''~'"'''''""'''''"''''~"''"~'''''"'''''''''"'''''~
~ Bobks on Writing ~World-Building Resources .· ~
~, ~~~~Jere1~,,c,r books on,,~ting h general are excellent r'e.sources fore.the .s~rious worl(l b:u.iJder. The brainsto,~ ~
~ list'1deit'Presented herein grf),W out of an essay from Zen m the Mt of Writing by Ray Bradbury, and otner gte~t ~
~ ideas and helpful suggestions await the intrepid explorer. Especially useful to the world designer are the gewe- ~
~ specific hooks that address-vtr:ious areas of concern. For a general manual that delves into worla creation mdi'e ~
~ than, this chapter, try Stephen L. Gillett's World-Building. When you're ready for more specifics, you'll find tha"t .~
~ there are books containing the major cultural details you might need to ecreate America from 1850 to rnqo Q1' ~
~ other places (such as the Writer~'> Guid.e to Everyday Life series from Writer's Digest Books). Others explain now ~
~ the modern pol~ce and judicial systems work tsuch as .the Howdunit Ser'ies andfJehind ~ Scem:s Series, ~oil:i:: ~
~ from Writer's Digest Books). Still other hooks address 1sst'l.eS'of\inte;test to the sc1ene.e :fktion and fantasy wp'fl, ~
~ such as How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott 0ard. ~
~ Keep an eye on the monthly writing magazines. Every few months, they offer an article by a prominent genre ~
~ writer on world building and design, often v<.Titten by best-selling authors. ~
~ ~
~"'''"""'""'"""'""""'""'''""""'"~'"""""'~'"'""""''"''"""""'"'"""'"'""""""""'"""'""'"""""""'"'"'"'..I
It is helpfulin developing your brainstorm list to jot down the idea, what really interests them is the possibility of
a phrase or two that evokes one or more of the five senses, participating in a globe-trotting pulp campaign. Now you
usually linked to a specific locale. Using sensually stimu- have a chance to adapt your ideas to appeal to your players
lating key words can help you really visualize your world, before the campaign starts - and provide something to
which is essential in bringing it alive for your players. make everyone happy. In this case, perhaps you may start
Your list will very likely change a bit as the world- the action in Chicago like you had planned, but introduce
creation process continues. Some ideas will be folded into an international shadow syndicate that is attempting to
others, some altered to fit the new scheme of things, and take over the gangs in Chicago. This give you an opportu-
some ultimately rejected because they do not belong in the nity to shift the action to places like London, China, and
world that is emerging. Japan later in the campaign, to please the would-be Doc
But you have to start somewhere, so don't reject ideas Savages in the group.
now you think might not fit. If they even remotely interest Another benefit in harnessing the creative powers ofyour
you, go ahead and jot them down. The worst that can hap- players is that your players may come up with interest-
pen is that you toss them out later. Ideally, their presence ing ideas and spins on your ideas that you might not have
will create a synergy of new ideas. thought of. Let the players do some of your creative work
for you. You have enough to do as gamemaster as it is.
Involving the Players in Try not to reject ideas or suggestions during the brain-
storming process. Go ahead and jot them down whether you
World Creation likethemornot (youcan discard the stinkers later). Shooting
Since you won't be the only Human being using the game down your players' ideas during the brainstorming process
envi.ronmentyouarecreating(hopefully), itmightbeagood because they don't jive with your vision of the game world
idea to get the players in on the brainstorm-list phase of will only frustrate your players and discourage them from
the world generation process. The players will be far more making anymore suggestions. The bold suggestion that takes
interested in adventuring in and exploring a world they your campaign into an entirely new and exciting direction
had a hand in creating, especially if you incorporate major may be just around the corner, and you don't want to risk
elements they suggest into the campaign world. never hearing it by being too rigid and inflexible.
Involving the players also gives you a chance to see sort Obviously, players are capable of coming up with bad
of plots and adventures they'd like to see. Keep your ears ideas, or ideas calculated to give them undue advantages
open when your players are offering suggestions- they will in the game. If you catch your players doing either, guide
likely express their true hopes and them back into more constructive territory and move on.
expectations for the campaign at But be flexible. Al.low yourself to be persuaded to change
some point (though you might your ideas a bit if the players seem very enthusiastic about
have to read between the an alternative plan, if you yourself see some interesting
lines sometimes). potential in it.
For example, you may Don't fear that by allowing the players to participate in
be planning a 1930s the creation of the brainstorm list, you are losing control
Chicago gangland cam- of your world. You are free to discard ideas that don't work
paign, and discover in for whatever reason, whether you came up with them or
the brainstorming pro- not. You are the final arbiter on what will and will not oc-
cess that while your cur in your game world. Keep in mind, though, that you
players are excited about are dependent on your players to make a campaign work
at all. Once you invite their input, make a good faith ef- • Fight ing-sail stories: elements from the worlds
fort to use it. of Jack Aubr ey and Horatio Hornblower, with a bit
Likewise, don't fear that by accepting outside input, you of Harry Fla sh.man mixed in for good measure.
have lost the element of surprise and mystery. Even if a The works of Patrick O'Brian, C.F. Forester, and George
player-provided element contains information the char- MacDonald Fraser also would be useful in creating a fantasy
acters wouldn't know of initially (om 1930s international take on this kind of world. Instead ofcannon and grapeshot,
criminal organization, for example), you can still tweak how about sorcerers schooled in the arts of naval warfare?
and twist things enough to keep the players in the dark All officers, of course.
when they should be in the dark. • Ogre king of Siam.
In fact, you can use the players' familiarity with the A civilized Ogre king attempts to bring his backward
concept against them. In our example, suppose the shadow barbaric nation into t he "modern" world as projected by the
organization was conceived by a player during the brain- Western colonizers. This could be a non-Human version of
storming session as a Moriarty-type organization run from King Mongkut (the nineteenth-century king of Siam im-
England. The other players like the idea, and you decide to mortalized in Rogers and Hammerstein's The King and I),
use it. However, you decide secretly that instead of a Euro- or the various Tokugawa and Meiji-era daimyo of Japan.
pean organization, it is really run by a Chinese mastermind
This fellow is cultured, urba ne,
working out of the London Chinatown well-educated, and desperate to
(shades of Fu Manchu). If your play-
modernize his nation fast enough
ers allow their preconceptions of the to keep Westerners from invading
organization to color the actions oftheir and colonizing his kingdom. Our
characters, you can easily manipulate Ogre king will be an important
them by introducing red herrings that figure in the local balan ce of
fit their preconceptions (gamemasters power.
have to be devious creatUl"es). His warriors and farmers are
Getting the players involved in the probably not as urbane, though
creative process can pay big dividends. Ogres in the tropics are likely not
It's simple to do when you use the as fierce as their northern cousins
right-brained process. (the hospitable environment and
plentiful food sources have soft-
Sample Brainstorm List ened their culture). This could lead
Now that you've had a crash course to some interesting cultW"e clashes
in brainstorming, it's time you sawone. with the colonizing northerners,
Solet'smakeasamplelistandseewhat who are more used to the violent
we have. We'll include both the initial Ogres of the northern plains of
idea with a bullet and in bold, followed their home continent.
by an explanation to help you see • Turn an Earth convention
where each idea came from. Normally, on its head - literally.
each element of the list is a personal For a change of pace, turn the
shorthand notation which represents a globe upside down, and put the
host ofideas, images, concepts - and pseudo-European powers in the
even smells and sounds - which, for far south rather than the far north.
now, exist only in your mind. When making your own list, Let the backward colonies lie to the north for a change. If
you can jot down just enough to capture a certain thought, this little departure from the Emopean model serves to
theme, or idea in your mind. remind the players not to make assumptions about the
In this list, we'll take the first bullet and use it to es- campaign environment, it serves the purposes of making
tablish the dominant genre of the world. the campaign more intriguing.
• A fantasy world in a Sout h Seas colonial •Azt ecs.
s et t ing. Let's give the colonists a bit ofan
The stereotypical European fantasy nations may exist Aztec flavorjust for fun. Let's not
in this world, but they are far away. H ere, the seaside forts be too conventional here!
of the Westerners are surrounded by troubled seas, deep
jungles, wild port towns, and restless natives (few of them •Giant swans.
Human). The main business of the day is keeping the trade Talk about avoiding
routes from the tropical spice fields and diamond mines to convention! On the face of
it, giant swans sound silly.
the western nations clear of pir ates and the privateer craft
of enemy nations. Magic will definitely put the locals on Hopefully the players will
a more equal footing with the colonizers than were their think so, too - until the
historical counterparts in southeast Asia. massacre begins.
 In a book on children's book to go ahead and flesh an idea out
il1ustrators, Kay Neilson had a a bit at this stage, by all means do
fanciful painting featuring several so, but don't get distracted from
fierce roe-sized swans swooping the task at hand, which is to get
down to devour a party of panicked as much of your world down on
Persians. Despite their common paper as possible. When you are
image as peaceful tranquil animals more interested in fleshing out the
gliding along on glassy lakes, swans ideas already on your list than in
can be fierce birds. Normal swans adding more, regard this as a sign
eat tiny fish, but what might huge that you are ready to move on to
swans eat? People, maybe? Pelicans the next step in the world-creation
might work better than swans in process.
a sea setting. Deciding where to stop the
•Mermaids. brainstorm list is occasionally
Mermaids definitely have their difficult. Usually, you'll know to
appeal, and they certain1y fit the stop when you run out of ideas,
genre. There ought to be some- or again, when you fee] ready to
thing a little different about them, develop ideas already on the list.
though. We'll figure it out later. It is definitely time to stop when
one ridiculous idea after another
•Pirates. finds its way onto paper (a few
Of course. They may have their ridiculous ideas can liven up a
own war mages. campaign; too many are just, well,
• Elements from southeast ridiculous).
Asian cultures and myth, and Note that there are no restric-
maybe a bit lifted from Persian tions on how long or short a brain-
culture. storm list should be. Don't stopjust
Things like giant turtles, bird --·
. ..
because you think 10 pages ofideas
gods, and so on. Then again, the is too much. Ifthe great ideas keep
colonists might have a bit of this coming, keep writing them down. If
themselves, depending on how you get too much for one campaign,
closely I decide to stick ·with the you can al ways reserve some ideas
Aztec idea. for future installments in the game world.
• Bamboo glades, blight green and misty.
Picture a verdant and peaceful forest of bright green World Development
bamboo stalks, gently tanking and clacking against one Once you have your brainstorm list finished (more or
another in the breeze. This is a little atmospheric element less), the world-creation process begins to settle into the
rd like to work in somewhere (not all of your elements traditional checklist method. It's time to get more left-
need to be major). brained and procedural, in other words, and start making
• The presence of an equally distant pseudo· sense of what you just wrote down and seeing bow it might
Chinese empire. fit together. From there, you'll move on to create cities,
It has a complex culture and Byzantine political struc- societies, strange beings and gamemaster's characters,
ture, with endless ranks ofskilled bureaucrats, diplomats, continents and planets, and a host of other people, places,
and governors. The assignment to the campaign area is and things that can serve a purpose in your campaign.
seen by the government officials and merchants of this
nation as an exile. Perhaps they are out of favor at Court. Focusing the Campaign
Cou]d lead to political intrigue. Look over the brainstorm 1ist again. By now, the broad
As you can see, this list is more outlines of your campaign should be emerging. Decide
developed than most initial what the general focus of the campaign will be. Will it be
brainstorming lists will be. on the grand events you have plotted out, or on a smaller
As long as you write the stage, with the grand events occurring in the background?
phrase or sentence in Which element of your brainstorm list will serve as the
such a way that seeing centerpiece of your campaign?
it again will bring to You also need to decide what role the players' characters
mind all of the associ- will play in this new world. Will the players be major play-
ated details you want ers, or small-timers just trying to make a living?
to include, you've put Let's use the South Seas playing environment we cooked
enough down. Ifyou want up in our sample brainstorm list to highlight key points in
the world-creation process. To make referencing it easier, Episodic Campaigns
we'll give our worJd the name of J ava1·ta.
First, we need to decide on the general focus of the cam- These are loosely-linked, if they are linked at all. Like
paign. Look over the list again. Where would you focus the the typical television series, the only common elements
campaign? On the swashbuckling elements of the fighting running from adventure to a dventure are the characters
sail yarn -pira tes, sh ips laden with the riches of the "ori- and their game setting and, occasionally, a few major vil-
ent," vibrant islands filled with tropical splendor, ancient lains and allies.
lost kingdoms ruled by killer apes, volcanoes, and so on? The episodic format suits a group that meets irregularly,
On the intricate diplomatic maneuvering between the Ogre desires only a casual gaming experience, or has several
king, t he great Eastern Empire, and the tepresentatives gamemasters who want to t ag-team from adventure to
of the Southern colonizers? You may as easily settle on adventure. This style ofcampaign also suits certain genres,
another focus altogether. especially those involving some sort of pseudo-military
As we mull this over, we also need to consider what we organization that sends the characters out on commando-
want the characters to be doing, both to begin with and like missions, few of which tend to be related.
further down the line. I kind of like the idea of starting Series Campaigns
them off at the low end of things; it has a traditional feel
to it. I do intend to move the characters up in the world Series campaigns feature story arcs that stretch over a
eventually. I'd like them to take on diplomatic missions, number of sessions. They include many recurring game-
fight off the invading armada of a foreign sea power, and master's characters and situations. Story arcs overlap, and
perhaps even wind up running things. new arcs are introduced as old ones conclude or fade into
That's some time in the fut ure, however. For now, let's the background. Soap operas are the perfect model for the
start the characters offon a lowly tramp freighter, running series campaign, as are comic books.
goods from the single open port of the Eastern Empire to Major story arcs are those that involve all the char ac-
Javarta, the main port of the Colonies. This means the ters, such as a war ravishing the play area, a plot to take
focus is relatively tight on the characters, the crown, or a quest . They may or may
and other minor players. Major events in the not affect the game world itself, but
Colonies will occur in the background. they definitely have major affects on the
Notice how the campaign world is already futures of our heroes.
taking shape ... Minor story arcs (or subplots) run in
By the way, we could have as easily started tandem with the major story arcs, and
the characters off as second sons or daugh- usually they focus on specific chai·acters
ters of noble houses sent to the Colonies to or small groups of characters. It is not
supervise their families' investments. They unusual to have many minor story arcs
could have even started off as minor Ogre or going at once. Examples of minor story
merfolk diplomats. Go with whatever strikes arcs include a romance between char-
your and your players' fancy. acters, a character's i nduction into an
exclusive secret society, a character's
quest to a venge her parents or simply to
The Campaign Format discover who they are, and a character's
Before really getting into the gritty details attempts to avoid an assassin or bounty
of world construction, you need to make a hunter trniling him.
basic decision on the sort of campaign you Minor story arcs are, often as not, initi-
feel will best complement the campaign set- ated by t he players. Ifyour players enjoy
ting and your group of players. There are three general developing their characters, and investing in them desires
campaign formats we need to talk about: episodic series and goals that transcend the immediate adventure the
and epic. ' ' series campaign may be the right choice for your gro~p.
These are not hard and fast divisions, and a campaign The series campaign is probably the most common
might shift from one format to another at just about any format of campaign play out there. Tt allows characters
time, or lie somewhere between. For example, a casual to develop, permits the gamemaster
campaign begun as an episodic campaign might shift into to weave a grand t apestry for the . "11!1~i~111\l1qimy1!llp1v1&1,,,,.
a series or epic campaign as interest in it increases, the players to enjoy, and is flexible ,!Jc<&:~J,.;.~=:f:=l.-d.:.i
player s have more time to game, and so on. You do need to enoughtoadapttothechang- #~'"
settle on one 01· another to start things off, however. inginterestsofbothplayers ~".'·
Which sort of campaign you pick largely depends on the and gamemaster. ~
sort of campaign you want t o run, the sort of players you
have, and time. Time is the biggest constraint on a campaign, Epic Campaigns . Wor/d ;,~
~nd .if you cannot devote a great deal of time to developing Epic campaigns center .,
0 esign ,
mtncate story arcs and settings, the episodic route is the around the Grand Quest. 7
way to go. The episodic campaign is also a good place to start This is familiar teni tory to
if you don't have a lot of experience at gamemastering. 1'eaders of fantasy fiction,
but it is equally present in space opera as well. l '''''''''~'''~''''''~~,~~''~'''~'~'''''~~~'~'~'~'~~''''~~'~'~~
The Grand Quest may feature a search for a highly I . Id ~
sought-after artifact, a need to defeat a mighty ~ World Details and the Real Wor . . ,_ "'.. .~
I - f¥i ··· ~~ ·~
enemy, or even the quest for self-identity. If the foil ~ If you are setting your campaign ~n Earth with lfi.ftei ~
of the Grand Quest is personified by some sort of ~ deviation from cunent history, technology, and so on;'.Oll;>St' ~
arch-villain, this figure is often extremely powerful ~ of your world building is already done for you. About the ~
(not to mention hubristic to the max), possibly with ~ only thing you need concern yourself with, aside from the ~
one unseen but extremely exploitable weakness. ~ research you have to get done, is determining if and where ~
Each adventure builds upon prior adventUl·es and ~ your reality deviates from that of the real world. ~
brings the characters closer to their goal (though ~ This isn't even a consideration in some cases. If you ~
there will likely be numerous setbacks, digressions, ~ are recreating a certain hjstorical er.a or mood - say, the ~
and red-herrings along the way). The characters ~ swashbuckling swordplay ofDumas'French court, or espio- ~
may begin the campaign as humble nobodies, only ~ nage adventures of World War II - you are playing history ~
to rise to greatness as the campaign nears its end. ~ relatively straight. The only considerations you need take ~
The climax of an epic campaign should be truly ~ into account is how realistic your version of the real world ~
memorable.
The epic campaign is much like a series campaign, ~
z
I is . - or h ow cmema
-. t·ic. zI
However, there are plenty of great subgenres and cam- ~
except that it only has one major story arc, which ~ paign i~as out there that tweak Earth's laws and history ~
is the Grand Quest. Once the quest is resolved, ~ jqst a b~- Earth-with-a-twist gem·e are modern-day tales ~
the campaign is over. Like the series campaign, it ~ featuring some unusual or strange aspects, such as vampire ~
features many recuning gamemaster's characters. ~ inspectors, immortal swordsmen, UFO-hunting FBI agents, ~
These characters, however, are designed to serve ~ and> time-leaping scientists. In these cases, you might find ~
specific purposes in the campaign. They may rise to ~ the sections on supreme beings and special effects thought ~
do famous or infamous deeds, or die along the way II '"})rovo ~ ·kmg.
· II
in a suitably glorious or horrible or random way, ~ In cases like these, you need to explain, at least to your- ~
whichever serves to advance the plot. ~ self, how these things came to be, and why they have not ~
The construction of an epic campaign requires a ~ readi~ impacted history as we know it - yet. (Of course, if ~
great deal of advance work by the gamemaster. You ~ you are developing an alternate history campaign, they may ~
don't need to write every single adventure ahead ~ have already changed things.) For example, say you decide ~
of time, but you must plot the main events of your ~ to develop a world set in modern America featuring Elves ~
campaign out in advance, develop the gamemaster's ~ who abduct people and dissect them in underground labo- ~
characters you need to bring about these events, ~ ratories. You need to explain where these Elves come from, ~
and figure out enough of your world background so ~ why they are doing what they are doing, what allies they ~
you can anticipate how things will go. You may also ~ might have in the upper world (maybe they are helping Irish ~
wish to design backgrounds for each of the players' ~ revolutionaries, the Russian government), or the like. "'t. ~
characters (instead ofletting them create their own). I . . . ~ ~
You must definitely have a good idea of how you
want to wrap up the campaign before you start it. ~'~''''''""'~~~'"~""'"'~''''"''''''~~"'~"~~"'"'"~~'"~'"'-J
The epic campaign is very literary, and it can be made to Unfortunately, it also means that, as the gamemaster,
evoke the grand stories offiction and legend. It isn't easy to I will have only so much time between sessions to develop
pull off, however, and requires dedication from both players future adventures. We'll settle on a series campaign for now.
and gamemaster. Once begun, there can be no significant This means I only have to stay one or two weeks ahead of
deviation from the plot line (though short "breather'' ad- the players. It also means the group can easily temporarily
ventures are certainly appropriate from time to time). The stop the campaign between major story arcs if, say, vaca-
campaign wilJ either go on to its climax, or die on the way. tions, school breaks, or holidays are coming up.
Our Example World
Narrowing the Focus
Let'sassumethatthegaminggroup
To this point, we've played kind of fast and loose with
meets once a week. This means
things, but now it's time to start getting a bit more selec-
that the group wi11 get together
tive and detailed. It's time to start making sense of the
often enough so that details
brainstorm list.
from the last session will
It's als o time to start thinking about what stays and
not be forgotten in the
what goes. Unfortunately, this isn't a single step that can
interim. The campaign
be taken now, or at any specific time during the world-
can therefore be fairly
creation process (of course, you now can toss the elements
intricate, andnumerous
that obviously don't fit with everything else). The decision
subplots and story arc
to develop or reject ideas will come up again and again as
can be carried over from
you proceed. Sometimes, it won't become apparent that an
session to session.
idea is not working out until relatively late in the process.
These decisions will come to you as you continue creating the sea, and travelers of all stripes, while another might
your world. be the patron goddess of t he harvest, fertility, and cats.
Polytheism exists as a popular option for many fantasy
The World as We Know It worlds, because it presents a familiar model with many
colorful options .
We are now at the point where other folks usually be-
gin their world building. As before, there is no one way to Pantheism. In primitive forms of pantheism, everyday
proceed, because there are as many ways oforganizing and objects, locations, and activities are imbued with minor
building on the information you are generating as there deities who must be placated, paid homage to, and wor-
are gamemasters out there doing it. shipped. A bridge or forge might be possessed by a spirit
Some game masters start with a map, where they can lay its users would be wise to acknowledge and respect. Often,
out their ideas of nations, adventure locations, and so on. the demands of such gods are minor - a few annual ob-
From there, they might extrapolate histories, t rade routes, servances and ceremonies, a short ritual before use, and
alien or monster locales, and so on. Other gamemasters an occasional minor sacrifice are all that are necessary in
prefer to begin with the raw materials of the game world most cases. Those living in a pantheistic world do well to
- cities, strange sites and beasties, conflicts, landmarks, observe these modest demands, since ignoring them risks
and so on - and build up a wodd out of that, only coming angering the gods, which is seldom healthy (a farmer
back to a map at a later point. Still others start with the neglecting to pay homage to the spirit in his well might
world's history, or the beginning adventure locale, or pan- discover that it has run dry).
theons and religions and cults, or... The bottom line is that Totemism and animism are related aspects of panthe-
there are plenty oflogical places to digin and start working. ism. Communities each h ave their own gods and spirits
The brainstorm list gives you a foundation to build on, but that are bound to them and protect them. These gods are
where you start the actual construction is up to you. given anthropomorphic features and (in animism) animal
From here we will tackle a number of issues which need identities and worshipped. When a community goes to
to be addressed at one point or another. Read them all war or sets out on a long journey, the totem, or a fetish of
through, and start in wherever you want the totem, is taken
to. Of course, since we have to build on
~'~"''""'""'"''"'''""'"''''""~"'''''''""''"'~''"'~ The spirit of
along.
our sample world in some sort oflogical
manner, we'll have to favor one order
~ ~,Greating Your Own Religions ~ the totem can be
over the others, but keep in mind that ~ · For suggestions on detailing your own reli- ~ counted on to grant
everything is flexible. ~ gions, including a worksheet and a method of ~ favors, fend off at-
~ generating miracles, see the ~fuacles" chapter ~ tacks by evil spirits,
Supreme Beings ~ of the D6 Fantasy Rulebook ~ and otherwise aid its
I " · z
~~"'""'''""""'""""""'"""~'"""""'"''"'~''~
Gods as a force are most commonin fan- community. The de-
tasy worlds, and the following discussion mands of the totem
is weighed toward that genre. However, other genres feature spirit usually reflect the character ofthe community (or vice
gods and their equivalent - super-advanced alien species versa): Totem spirits of tranquil and peaceful communities
and extradimensional beings - and we'll touch on those require only s acrifices of animals and grain, while those
as well in a bit. If you don't intend to include supernatural from more violent and savage communities might demand
aspects in yom· campaign, you can skip this section. Reli- a great deal more, from castration to Human sacrifice.
gious organizations as political and economic (i.e., secular)
Monotheism. A monotheistic campaign is one featur-
forces can be developed at a later point in the world-creation
ing only one supreme deity, perhaps served or opposed by
process, along with other political bodies. We are focusing
lesser supernatural beings of His, Her, or Its creation. The
on the actual supernatural aspects ofreligion here.
monotheistic option is a good one if you are interested in
Gods play a large role in the shaping of most fantasy
creating a world with significant elements found in our
worlds, and you'll likely want to spend quite a bit of time
historical past, such as a strong central church, or crusades
developing a pantheon and a thumbnail history of the gods
between factions who worship differing aspects of the same
if you intend to make a fairly typical fantasy environment.
supreme deity. You may desire to pat-
Did they create the worlds and races of your cam paign? Do
tern your religion after the Jewish,
they meddle in t he affairs of men and women?
Christian, or Muslim faiths, or
The gods may or may not play a direct role in the day-to-
you may want to design your
day lives of mortals at the time of the campaign, but they
own flavor.
usually make their presence known to some extent or another
- by blessing temples and champions, granting miracles Atheism. There may
and powers to thefr priests and shaman, and so on. be no gods at all in your
universe, of course. The
Polytheism. The religions of the ancient world featured
universe is a colossal but
a plethora of gods and goddesses, each with his or her
random accident. Reli-
own territories, specialties, and interests. In the polythe-
gious organizations may
istic model, one god might concern himself with storms,
be led by sincere believers
or charlatans, but all of them are in reality nothing more Northern and Southern cousins, the gods of the two poles
than secular Human-driven organizations with their own are weaker here, so things are rather evenly matched. There
agendas and goals. are minor spirits everywhere - in the forests, in the lakes
There may or may not be powers greater than Humans and springs, in bridges, on roads, in fields - everywhere.
in the universe, but if they exist, they aren't gods. This Traveling into the wilds ignorant ofthe methods of placating
idea dovetails into the next area of our discussion, great er these spirits can be perilous (just try to cross a rope bridge
beings. without paying homage to its spirit), and knowledgeable
guides are crucial to any expedition setting out into the
wilds. In the colonial cities, things are more orderly and
predictable (from a Southerner's point of view), since the
number of Southern worshippers boosts the power of some
of the Southern gods.
The Laws of God and Nature
While you're settling on the ro[e of the gods of your
world (if any). you need to give some thought about its
form and natur al laws as well - some of which may vary
from those of our own Earth. How much time you spend
on this sort of thing really depends on what sort of genre
you are setting your campaign in. In general, it is safe to
assume that your world
or worlds obey the real
world's laws of physics
until and unless you say
otherwise. Thatis, water
runs downhill, planets
orbitsuns,andpiisnever
a round number.
Just how far you
deviate from the Earth
model depends on what
sort of genre you are
developing.
Historical/Contemporary. This world is, for all set-
Our Example World ting purposes, the real world as we know it (though you
The J avarta campaign lends itself well to emphasizing a can, ofcourse, invent new organizations, historical figures,
clash of cultures - between the Colonists, the Ogre king- and so on).
doms, and the Eastern Empire. I am going to mix categories What you need to do is decide how cinematic or realis-
a bit, and suppose that long ago, when the gods were devel- tic your campaign will be. What are realistic campaigns?
oping the world, they split it into distinct zones and regions. People die easily from gunshots. Heroes can't jump from
The south is dominated by gods who cleave close to the a bridge onto the back of a Harrier jet and expect to make
polytheistic model: There are storm gods, gods of childbirth it. A game set in a historical medieval Europe resembling
and harvest, and gods of the hearth and weaponry. Umberto Eco's The Name ofthe Rose. What are cinematic
The same holds true in the Northern hemisphere, where campaigns? Bigger than life - taking multiple gunshots,
the Eastern Empire is based. There, the gods are organized jumping from a bridge onto the back of a Harrier jet, and
in a complex bureaucratic order that is reflected in the Hu- jetskiing down Niagara Falls are all in a day's work. The
man civilization of the Eastern Empire. Education and cul- cinematic historical medieval Europe more resembles
ture are revered by these gods more Hollywood's Robin Hood pictures.
than brute strength and prowess Science Fiction. In most science-fiction universes,
with weapons (the education, the physical laws operate more or less as they do in ours.
of course, allows t he I mpe- However, t here are many convention s of science fiction we
rial armies access to more know or suspect to be impossible, among them faster-than-
powerful and technologi- light-travel, matter transmission, and time travel. (Special
cally advanced weapons mental powers, such as ESP, PSI, and so on, are also a staple
and magical forces). ofscience fiction, which we'll tackle in the next section.) Isaac
In the tropical climes, Asimov used to maintain that he allowed himself one physi-
pantheism holds sway. cal impossibility per story (he usually opted for hyperspace
Though the local gods are travel), but there isn't any reason you can't expand the list.
not as powerful as their Certain deep-space franchises certainly do.
~'''''''"''''''''''''"''"'~"'''"'''"~'''''"''"'''''~~ ~~"'''''''''''''""'"''"''"'''"'"'''''''''''''"~ Special Effects
[ Religion in Contemporary or; Futuristic Campaigns ~ If you intend to introduce
~ Contemp01·ary dr science-fiction campa'igns may follow one of these models ~ into your world special effects
~ (especially monotheism, since contemporary: and future histories are derived from ~ - magic, psionics, super-sci-
~ our own lai·gely monotheistic culture). However, most cont¢mpora:ry ot science-fie- ~ ence, superpowers-you need
~ tfon campaigris lend to treat i·ehgious organizations as nothing more than secular ~ to spend some time actually
~ organizations, more political than religious. Few concern themselves with actual ~ determining how they will
~ religious aspects ofreligion (i.e., miracles, answered prayers, and so on). It might ~ work. You have two t asks be-
~ be interesting to tackle a modem or futuristic campaign where higher spiritual ~ fore you: to determine how the
~ powers exists (in some form) and prayers are answered. C.S. Lewis had an inter- ~ special effects work in terms
~ esting take on Christian science fiction worth looking at as an example. ~ of game mechanics, and how
z ~
~ ~ they work in terms of world
r"'-"'""""'"""'"""""'""""""""'""'''''""'""""~'"'""'""""""'""""'"~"""""~ logic. The difference is this:
game mechanics explains the
Not all science fiction is the same. The emphasis on rules of the system (est ablishing, say, the rule that a mage
physical laws is more pronounced in a nuts-and-bolts hard must use a special ingredient to cast a spell). World logic
science-fiction environment than in a true space opera. explainsthereasonsforthe ruleinthecontextofthe game
Fantasy. Fantasy worlds tend to, by definition, be a little, (i.e., that using the special ingredient to cast the spell is
well, fanciful. Fantasy tales and myths before Tolkien were necessary because the mage is using sympathetic magic,
largely centered on Earth itself- an Earth somewhat like which in your world requires an ingredient with a link to
our own, but one ruled by capricious gods, unpredictable the target, like a lock of hair or personal effect).
fey folk, fairy tale witches, and the like. Tolkien's genera- Determining the rules of the special effects system is
tion introduced a new concept, a world that is patently not your job - you, perhaps along with your players, must
Earth, but behaves, for the most part, as if it were. develop magic spells, PSI powers, and other aspects of the
Patterning your world after Earth makes yourjob easier supernatural to suit your campaign. You can use the rules
if you want t o follow in a similar vein, but doesn't get you for va rious special effects presented in the rulebooks, or you
entirely off the hook. You still need to define how the laws can make up your own. You can find a magic system in the
of your world differ from those of Earth. Do the planets D6 Adventure and D6 Fantasy rulebooks, psionics in D6
travel through space through the force of gravity, or are Adventure, and reality manipulation (metaphysics) in D6
they carried about on the backs of mighty gods? Did the Space. All of the books contain Special Abilities suited for
flora and fauna of youx world evolve, or spring into being low-level super-powers and super-science games, and you
at the command ofthe gods? One big can use them to create your high-level versions.
decision facing you in developing a
fantasy world is the role of magic. ~
'""""~"""""""""~"""'""'''""'""""'"'"'""~
::;- • • Before you are ready to
~ goshoppingforspecialef-
We'll move on to that topic in the ~ M1x1ng Genres ~ rects system mechanics,
next section. ~ Don;t for$et the trick of mixing genres for - ~ though, you nee~ to ask
You don't necessarily h ave to use ~ stiri#hg up some old themes a bit. Remembe1~ ~ y_o urselfsomebas1cques-
Earth as your model , of course. You ~ our example about King Solomon'.sgerries ruling ~ tions about how and why
might as easily make your "world" ~ a galactic empire? You can play \Vith things a. ~ that system will wor~ in
a hollow planet, an ocean world of ~ bit, if you like. ~ your world. That brmgs
many small islands or no land at all, ~ ~ us back to the question of
a string ofasteroids suspended in an
ether ofbreathable air, or a fl.at disk
~""""""~'""'"""'''"""""'"'"""'~"'""'"'""~'~ how
in special
terms of effects work
world logic.
spinning through space on the back of an immense tw'tle. We'll break the discussion into three common applications
All ofthese possibilities raise some thought-provoking ques- of special effects: magic, miracles, and psionics.
tions about economics, military history, and so on, which The Science of Sorcery
can add many interesting elements when answered.
You've decided to include magic
Our Example World in your wor ld. Where does the
Let's keep at least one aspect of Javarta simple! The magical energy come from?
world the island J avarta is located on is very Earth-like. It Another plane ofexistence?
has a similar mass, a similar climate, and one moon. Just A finite pool ofmana? The
to make things a little different, let's pop in something new: gods? Is it drained from
a red comet that orbits the planet at a distance roughly other living beings? Or
twice that of the moon. It was captured by the planet's is magical energy an in-
gravity ages ago, and caused a great deal of upheaval at tegral component of the
the time. This event could work in nicely when we get to universe that is readily
nailing down some of the planet's history. available?
 How does magic work? Is it an inborn talent passed from ways of handling problems, but there aren't nearly enough
parent to child through the bloodlines, or is it a trade any- of them to have a real effect on the way things are done
one can learn? Does use of magic require years of careful, elsewhere.
specialized training, or can anyone pick it up after a few Maybe magic is just plain weak, and most practitioners
tries? How dangerous is it to use? Can things go drasti- are simple hedge wizards. Alternatively, mages might be
cally wrong for the unwary, clumsy, or distracted, or is a naturalists who seldom leave their groves and mountain
fizzled spell harmless? (In other words, what happens on retreats to traffic with mortal beings, except to seek ap-
a failure or Critical Failw·e result?) prentices and offer their services just often enough to
How do roages use and channel magic energy? Do they provide for themselves.
use artifacts and totems? Do they cast spells they have The general populace, unaccustomed to magic, probably
memorized, or can they cast any spell at any time, as long regards mages with considerable distrust and fear, even if
as they have the requisite knowledge and power? Do they the mages serve a useful and appreciated function in soci-
use props to work their magic, like rings, idols, scrolls, or ety. Rulers tend to appreciate mages if they control them,
crystal balls? Does the use of magic come withhidden costs? and fear those outside their spheres of control. Wizards
Does the use ofpowerful sorceries warp nearby plant life, or are likely secretive and have developed a variety of ways
corrupt the body and hasten aging? Answering these ques- to communicate amongst themselves without revealing
tions helps you determine what sort of aspects (particular ly their powers to others. Some might use carrier birds, while
gestures, incantations, components, and feedback), if any, others em ploy crystal balls.
are required when designing spells, as well as determining High Entropy. In a high-entropy world, magic is ev-
an appropriate starting Spell Total. erywhere. Every maid knows a cantrip or two to brush
How common is magic in your world? The more common her hair or lace her bodice, and every warrior has a spell
it is, the more your world will differ memorized that cleans and sharpens his
fromourown.Yes, that's a fairly obvi- sword after combat . Poor traders may
ous point, bu t it does have far-reach- strn travel by horse-drawn cart, but the
ing ramifications you need to think wealthy merch ants travel from town to
through. For example, if you really town in flying houses and ships. Mighty
want to include traditional castles in engines of war fl.oat above the earth,
your world, but you also want to fill ready to rain fireballs, siege stones, and
the skies with flying magical contrap- magical blights upon enemies below.
tions, you'll need tofigureoutwhythe This is a rather extreme example of
open-air castle design has developed a high entropy world, but the point is
when it now has numerous weakness clear. The more magic is present, the
and vulnerabilities it never had be- less the culture will resemble our own
fore from aerial assaults. historical past.
Low-entropy worlds are t hose
where magical power is rare and Entropy need not be static. Larry
seldom seen, and a magical ring or Niven's The Magic Goes Away presents
enchanted sword is a mighty treasure a world where magic is fueled by a finite
worth fighting wars over. High- supply of mana. Once, mana was plenti-
entropy worlds, on the other hand, ful, and mighty sorceries possible. Now,
feature floating cities, teleportation however, thanks to generations ofselfish
rings on every finger, and unicorns for horses. Obviously, and short-sighted vvizards drawing on huge amounts of
these are the two extremes. You need to decide where on mana to work their miracles, mana is nearly gone. Even
the scale you plan on coming down. Here are a few more simple spells are now fail ing, and the creatures oflegend
details on the two extremes. such as the centaw·s and unicoms, which depend onmagic-
rich environments for survival, are dying.
Low Entropy. In a low-entropy world, magic is quite In your world, too, the presence of magic may be less than
rare, probably only accessible to a few trained specialists. it once was, though you need not use mana as a source of
Society is very similar to our own magic to make it work. Maybe a comet - a great lodestone
feudal period, since there isn't - is approaching the planet, dampening the powers of
enough magic to present viable magic as it draws near. Alternatively, the presence of magic
alternatives to the regular, may be growing. Maybe the comet disrupts a protective
mundane ways of trans- dampening field the gods placed around the planet to keep
porting goods, healing the Humans from destroying one another with sorcery. Imagine
sick, fighting wars, pro- a campa~gn in which magic bas been on the rise for two
t ecting castles and towns, generations as a strange comet approaches. However, as it
and so on. A handful of nears, the elation of the scholars and mages fades as they
communities supporting realize that the comet is on a collision course with their
an accomplished wizard world. The characters must travel from state to state in
might have a couple new an attempt to stop the many magic wars that broke out
~
as governments flexed their new muscle, in an attempt to never be quite sure what a foreign mage is capable of. This
get enough wizards enlisted in the effort to repel the comet uncertainty is difficult to capture in systems featuring j ust
from its fixed course. If they fail, the comet will smash into one magic system, since the players soon learn all of the
their continent and wipe out all life on their planet! That's capabilit ies of that system.
drama for you.
Whether magic is toler- Religious Wonder-
ated or not depends on more Working
tbanjust entropy- the his- Religious wonder-work-
tory of magic is also impor- ing is power granted to
tant to consider. Is the use of worshippers by their gods.
magic associated with some Whereas mages obtain their
great cataclysmic event in powe1· from the univers e
the past? Ifso, modem users itself (in most models, any-
will be viewed with suspi- way), worshippers obtain it
cion at best, and violence at directly from their deities,
worst; common people fear or the supernatural agents
that if the use of magic is of those deities.
tolerated, the disasters of In terms ofthe rules, there
the past may be repeated. is little difference between
On the other hand, if magic magic and miracles. The dif-
was used to save the world ference is in the flavoring and
as its inhabitants know it trappings, as it were. What
(say, in a great Goblin war do t he faithful have to do
that threatened to destroy to obtain special fav01· from
all Human civilization), con- their gods? Pray? Protect a
temporary citizens may have sacred site or object? Slay
a tolerant view of the magi- or convert infidels? Make
cal arts, even if it is rarely sacrifices or offerings? Do
practiced in their time. deeds pleasing to the god in
question? Go on holy quests and crusades? Many gods will
Our Example World demand most of these acts from worshippers at one point
Magic in Javarta is quite rare. This is important to es- or another, but what specific procedures must a worshipper
tablish, since too much power would begin to undermine go through to obtain power in the form of miracles, spells,
the rationale for sea clippers, island forts guarding harbors, boons, and so on?
and other trappings of the South Seas environment that Who can obtain such favor? All members of the clergy? A
this setting is trying to capture. specialized segment ofthe clergy? Devout laymen?Anybody
The Colonists use a very mathematical, cabalistic ap- professing a faith? Does it depend on the situation? Does
proach to magic. Southern magic is methodical, formulaic, religious doctrine restrict access to this power, even if the
and relies heavily on maintaining a calm, emotionless state. unordained fai thful can obtain it?
Southern mages tend to become extremely specialized as What form does the power take? Outstanding good luck
they advance. and good fortune? (This would be better reflected by requir-
The Eastern Empire mages use a similar approach (both ing devoted characters to take Good and Great Luck rather
schools ofmagic spring from common ancient roots), though than the Miracles Extranormal attribute.) Consistent and
astrology figures more in their calculations. The Easterners repeatable invocations? Rare but powerful miracles? Some
have mastered the art of capturing their magical incanta- sort of blanket protection or immunity against certain
tions on parchment, something the Southerners have not dangers and harm?
yet discovered how to do. Addressing such questions, as you weigh the decisions
Developing a comprehensive magical systemfor the world you made in establishing your pan-
of J avarta is beyond the scope ofour exercise, so we'll leave theons, and as you develop the
our comments at that. Developing three magical systems political aspects of organized
(the shaman "magic," or wonder-working, is developed in religion below, will help you
the next section) will certainly be a bit of work, but can go give shape and substance
a long way toward establishing the different moods and to your religious wonder-
traditions of the three cultures. working system. Note
A benefit of developing more than one system is that that ifyou have different
you can keep the specifics offoreign magic t raditions secret answers for different
from the players. This can introduce an authentic aura of faiths, the powers each
uncertainty when players'mages (from the South) encounter has access to may vary
their counterparts from the East or Ogre tribes - they can a bit.
Our Example World Does using the talent fatigue the ESPer in any way, or
This setting won't emphasize the religions of the Southern task his resources?
world much (and here we depart from the historical model Is there some outside element that the ESPer must rely
of the Catholic missionaries in Asia), so the pantheon of on to use his talent? Drugs, crystals, machines, and other
Southern gods will be painted with broad strokes. Besides, ESPers all exist as examples ofsuch outside elements that
the churches of the South have not estab1ished a significant novels and films have required. In some stories, the ESPer
foothold in the Colonies, because the local gods have the might not need such props to harness his talent, but they
advantage in their own lands, and have weakened and un- might serve to boost his powers immensely.
dermined the powers of the encroaching Southern gods (and How tolerated are ESPers? Does the public know they ex-
to be fair, the Northern gods as well). So, there isn't as great ist? Ifso, are they feared, or tolerated and accepted? Is there
a need to develop all that now at the beginning. Perhaps any regulation ofESPer activity? Are there special programs
later, if I think adding a significant religious element to or organizations which recruit and train ESPers?
the campaign will take the group in interesting directions, And, the big question: What role will psionics play in
I can work some of that in. The accompanying system will your campaign? Do you want it to serve as a background
resemble the magic system of the South in terms of casting element, or will you bring it into the fore of play, by aUow-
spells and praying for more (though actions will affect how ing players to run ESPer characters?
much power a character may be entrusted with). Our Example World
On the other hand, I consider it important to develop a
system for the local Ogre shaman. Shaman wonder-work- Two magic systems and one miracle system are enough
ing, as practiced by the Ogre tribes of Javarta, is a raw, to keep track of, and they fit the setting well. We won't add
emotion-based talent. Its priests learn at the feet of tribal psionics to the mix.
elders, and many die in training. Shaman miracles, which
tap into the power of the totem, are extremely versatile, The Lay of the Land
but less predictable than Southern magic. It can be very Having established some of the broad themes of your
powerful on one occasion, and very weak in another. The world - in terms of genre, campaign format, how the
power of the shaman is less a factor of experience than universe operates, and so on - it's time to devote some
strength of will and emotion- attention to the traditional
al state, perhaps requiring a foundations of the cam-
willpower skill roll before at- paign, such as histories,
tempting to invoke a miracle. politics, ecology, nations
This sort of unpredictability states, maps, and so on.
keeps Southern and North- Whereas before we pulled
ern mages alert and wary way out to get an extl'eme
when encountering an Ogre macroview of our creation,
shaman prepiued to protect now we want to zoom in
his village or shrine. again, and start building up
that brainstorm list.
Psionics As you tackle these
Many genres, especially various foundation topics,
science fiction and science keep in mind that you don't
fantasy, feature "magic" in necessarily need to provide
the form of mental powers a great amount of detail.
- psionics, ESPer powers, The basic point of all this is
metaphysics. Like magic to think the majo1· aspects
in its many forms, the rationale of psionics must be ex- through before game play begins. You can add more later,
plained convincingly, and its manifestations quantified if you need to.
and explained, again both in terms of world logic and
game logic. Cartography
How will psionics work in your
campaign? Will you have a Many campaigns depend on a map for definition. When
list of psi skills characters you create a world out of whole cloth, it exists only in your
can master, or are they mind and in your notes. However adroitly and elegantly
limited to using certain you employ the bardic skills to bring your world to life, it
innate talents they are is still important to give the players a tangible aspect of
born with? Do characters the world they can interact with and analyze visually. The
have to be in a certain most basic of these is the world map.
state of mind to use their A good place to start with is the overall campaign world
talents, or are thefr gifts map. The map serves as a way to organize information as
accessible at all times? you go through the remaining areas of world creation, and

'\
Ii''''''''''''''~'~'~~~'''~'~~'~'''''''''''~''~~'''~'''~''~''''''~'~~~ obviously derivative of Earth ones (many com-
can do this with out making your landmasses

~ Computers and Cartography ~ mercial products do this to good effect). The trick
~· . I
~ Many gamers have computers these days, and there are ~ is to capture the character but not the exact look
~ plenty of programs available that can be used :t o make some ~ of real landmasses. If you do it right, the m ap
~ fairly spiffy maps. Drawing programs can be used to render ~ will feel "right" for the players when they see it
~ some decent maps (many game companies use such programs ~ (because they have subconscious expect.ations as
~ as freehand, Photoshop, Painter, and illustrator to make ~ to how certain world areas should look), and the
~ their maps. You'll have to hand craft your own symbols and ~ whole thing will resonate with more authority
~ terrain features, but the ability to select, duplicate, and ~ with your players.
~ move items such as forest patterns, city icons, and so on is ~ Later on, you may wind up drawing several
~ a great help. ~ maps ofthe same area, to convey physical, political,
~ You can also incorporate fonts into your design. There are ~ and ecological details of your world. But your first
~ many font;\ available online in a variety of styles, from Elv- ~ map is a sort of rough draft, so go ahead and put
~ ish run~and Egyptian icons to gothic script and futuristic ~ all of your information on it. Give some thought
~ computer-like designs. Most of the fonts available online ~ as to how things evolved the way they did: why
~ . are sha~~eware, so be sure to pay t he shareware fee for the ~ names of cities and rivers changed over t ime, how
~ fon~ you use in your game (the price for sharewal·e fonts ~ territorial borde1·s evolved, why this group hates
~ sel~om exceeds the $10 to $15 range). ~ that group, and so on. Go into as much or as little
~ Another alternative is to use one of the few CAD pack- ~ detail as you like, but the more you put into the
~ ·--1-J~s ~d map-making software programs that are designed ~ back history of th e setting, the richer it will be.
~ es{!ec1ally for the roleplayer. (RPGNow, www.rpgnow.com, ~ When you've completed your campaign creation,
~ has a number available in their "Software" section, as well ~ redrawthemapt.oclearthingsup.Again,youmight
~ as preconstructedmaps in their"Accessories" section.)These ~ want to spread the information on your map over
~ aren't that simple to use either, but they come with everything ~ several maps to keep things clear. It is also nice t.o
~ you need to generate some dandy-looking maps. ~ make a map for the players, with all the informa-
~ Finally, there are programs people have placed on the ~ tion their characters would know. Ifyou are really
~ Inte1·net that can generate country and city m aps based on ~ feeling ambitious (and if it is appropriate for t he
~ parameters you select. You can find some online by search- ~ genre), draw the player map on parchment (with
~ ing for "roleplaying map generator," among other key wor d ~ waterproof ink), soak it in a pan of weak tea to
~ combinati-Ons. ~ "age" it, allow it to dry, then burn t he edges with
~ ~ a match (being careful not to burn yomself in the
~~""~'~"~''~"'''"'"'~'~~~"""""'~~"~"'""~"~"~"""~""~''<:- process). Players love that stuff.
Many game universes have little or no n eed of
you refer back to it and tinker with it as you go through map development, ofcourse. For example, I seldom develop
the other steps. much more than a vague doodle of star systems, political
Knowing a bit about geology when making your maps is boundaries, a nd hyperspace routes when laying out t he
a bonus, but not necessary. Just keep in mind that water bones of a science fiction campaign. Other campaigns,
runs downhill, and that swamps and deserts seldom mix, namely those set in the r eal world, don't need maps either.
and you'll probably be fine. I may have to do a little research to unearth an appropri-
You don't have to do all the work yourself. One ingenious ate period map if the campaign is a historical one, but
shortcut suggested at a con seminar is to obtain a U .S. Geo- otherwise, this step is unnecessary in terms of defining
logical Survey (www.usgs.gov) map for your own state and the game world itself.
county - which features lines that mark different levels
above sea water - and raise the water level a few or tens Our Example
of meters. This transforms your coastline, rivers, and lakes Here is the initial map of the Javarta campaign region.
to an extent that the map will be umecognizable to your It isn't all that pretty, but it does show the way you can use
players, while allowing you to adhere to rea1-Hfe geologi- the initial map to sort det ails out.
cal data (it also makes it easier to describe seasons, flora, I have patterned the layout of
fauna, and so on to your players, since you can simply look the landmasses in a rough ap-
out the window). Of cour se, you won't have as much control proximation of the islands of
over the actual shape of your landmasses, but you get a lot southeast Asia around the
of work done for you in exchange for this relatively minor South China Seas. Mos t
inconvenience. It's a nifty idea worth looking into, especially people do not know exactly
if you don't have a lot of time or interest in developing where the Philippines are
your own maps and physical details, but are reluctant to in relation to Java and
purchase a ready-made campaign environment. Sumatra, and so on, but
A related idea is to lay out your landmasses in such a they have a vague notion
way that they roughly correspond to Earth locales. You of how island archipelagos
THE WORLD OF JAVARTA
Merkingdom
2::>
Selie<o:/
EASTERN EMPIRE

0 ..•
Extensive canal
sy;tem

XINTAJ il
SEA

SOUTH
XINTAI
SEA

Ogre Kingdom

KEY
.12 City of the Eastern Em pire
~ Pirate town
o Colonial town
* Ogre settlement
and other South Seas landmasses should look. I want the is based loosely on Malaysia or Java. Looking up some data
look to be right. on those locations, I discover thatJavarta would be subject
to monsoons in the summer and winter months that the
Climate, Terrain, Flora, and Fauna te1Tain ranges from coastal plains to hills and ~ountains
in the interior, and that natural resources include coffee
sugar, tobacco, tin, timber, exotic spices, and rubber (~
Once you begin nailing down the approximate location
and size of your landmasses, you can begin to flesh out the
rare and much sought-after product in the South). Most
makeup and features of these landmasses. What is the
of the island is given over to the jungle, but the rich soil
climate? Are there mountains there? Swamps? Deserts?
generated by volcanic ash results in highly populated re-
What sorts of plants and trees grow there? What kind of
gions where numerous crops are grown. There are many
animals root about in the undergrowth and gallop across
extinct volcanoes on the island, and a few that are active
the plains?
but currently dormant. Other islands and landmasses in
Using a U.S. Geological survey map is one way to geta lot
the area get the same treatment.
this work done without a lot of effort, and ifyou have based
Because this isn't Earth, the region needs a few new
Y?ur landmasses on actual locations, you get a similarly
pla~ts and animals, such as a species oflarge mobile plants
big boost. Once you have a specific location tied to a real
(which the locals herd like cattle), a species of butterflies
locale, you can use an encyclopedia or other reference to
equipped with poisonous stingers, a spice that helps preserve
look up pertinent facts on this area. For the basic details
~e8:ts (it only gr.ows in the tropics and is understandably
on teiTain features, natural resources, and so on, the CIA
m high demand m the Southern kingdoms), and a certain
World Factbook can prove useful, which is available online
tuber the Ogre shamans use to boost their power.
(www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/) or on a number
ofCD-ROMs. Other reference books can provide details on
wildlife, the sorts of crops people raise, and what animals Civilizations
populate the region . It's time to define the peoples and nations and other
You might opt to adhere primarily to creature and veO'- civilizations that inhabit your world. You could attend to
etation found on Earth, even if your setting is not Earth this before settling the geographic issues, but it is some-
as we know it. This sameness may be just what you are what easier to define a civilization and its people once you
looking for. It is easy to justify and maintain, and it evokes know something of the local climate, natural resources,
a feeling of familiarity that can comfort players. Players and physical barriers that might protect the state from
must absorb a great deal of information at the onset of a invasion. After all, these factors are what permit a people
campaign, and it is much easier for them to get their beaT- to become what they are, for better or for worse.
ings if their characters are riding their horses to the fair
than if their characters are riding their shagolyths to the Impact of the Physical World
tan'ramok Rite of the Seventh Sun.
Climate affects development of the culture in profound
On the other hand, a world just like Earth lacks a cer-
ways. For example, settlements developing in harsh en-
tain sense of excitement, of exploring the unk:no¥.'ll. A few
vironments, such as the northern climes, tend to advance
variances might serve to remind your players that they
more quickly technologically out of necessity. They must
can't take your environment for granted. Make up a few
devise complex farming techniques to coax grains and veg-
useful or common plants and animals that are unique to
etables from the soil, learn how to p1·eserve them through
your world. Perhaps there is an herb that is used in brew-
the long winters, develop textile production to clothe them-
ing many magic potions, or a small rodent that burrows
selves, mine metals, and trade with other communities to
in stone. Maybe there is a vine that seizes and strangles
make up for local deficiencies. Complex hierarchies grow
its prey, or a species of boar with poison tusks.
up around such communities, as the people band around
If your world is distinctly different from Earth in some
leaders who can assure them survival against the climate
way, reflect this in the decisions you make regarding the
and other communities.
physical world. For example, if the gravity of your world
People living in the balmy tropics, on the other hand,
is quite light, similar to that of the moon, perhaps, some
have fewer incentives to trouble themselves with such
plants may be very delicate in appearance (since they require
things. Food is plentiful and grows in
less strength to hold themselves aloft) and exceptionally
the wild for the taking year round.
tall (they can grow higher ¥tithout collapsing). If the world
There are fewer reasons to de-
has several small continents separated by immense oceans,
velop clothing, trade, and other
plant and animal life on them might be quite divergent
aspects of a more advanced
(think of the unique path life took on Australia as opposed
civilization.
to Afiica and Europe, or even North and South America
Desert cultures tend to
which are more closely linked). '
be nomadic and hospitable
Our Example to travelers {no one knows
when he himself might
As this setting is going for a South Seas theme, it makes
need the aid of a stranger
sense to have the physical att1ibutes of the region pat-
for sw·vival, and so grants
terned after those ofsoutheast Asia. Javarta, for example,
j"''''~~'~'''~'''''''~'~'''''~'~'~~~,~~,~~~'~''~''''~'~'~'~'~'''~'''~~,,~~~'''~~~'~'''''''''''~'''~'~'''''''~'~'~~~
~
~ Superst1t•on
.. .
~
~
~ Superstition,.w.hich aPises ou.~ ofu:acertainli,y, is an aspect of culture that can be usefuLin detailing a tultu~. ~
~ Communities tend to takeJor granted activities which have a high certa:infy of success. Dangerous task~ how- ~
~ ever, or those that have a muq}l lower er raqgom c:laance of succe~s are.1often surrcouncied by ri,tuaI. EJ,onsider ~
~ a small fishing community. Fishing in the small bay is perfectly safe and yields crabs and small fish aplenty. ~
~ As a result, there are no superstitions or rituals associated with fishing in the bay. However, when fishermen ~
~ ve:Qturn QJ.lt into the wild open sea for bigger catches, they face an environment fraught with dange'P and vn~i ~
~ certainty. A hundred things may go wrong. The boat might leak or sink. The nets might break. A storm may ~
~ sweep them out to sea. They might not find a ny fish. Those who fish in the open sea steep them!3elves in.ritual ~
~ and superstition, which may include wearing special clothing, making sacrifices to sea gods, and so on. No one ~
~ is more superstitious than a sailor. ~
~ Superstition does not confine itself to primitive societies, or people facing danger, howevei\ Con~ropo1·ar¥. · ~
~ baseball players parallel exactly the fishermen we just looked at: They are extremely superstitious when it ~
~ comes to batting, which is an activity with a high degree of uncertainty. A batter on a good streak may do any ~
~ number of activities he (eels are responsible for his good fortune, from hitting the plate with his.bat a ·certain ~
~ way before each swing, to wearing the same underwear every game. ~
~ How can you use superstition to define your cultures? Look for areas of risk and uncertainty. If a sector of ~
~ space contains dangers that result in the destruction or disappearance of numerous space ships, piJots who ~
~ travel into that sector may observe certain rituals born of superstitions, such as not taking certain passengers ~
~ or cargoes, or refusing yo go without a lucky hat or belt. A guide to a network of ancient dwaif mines might ~
~ insist that those he leads all wear a certain color of clothing, or remove all items made from animal skin. ~
~ Superstitions (as opppsed to major religious tenets, which come out of doctrine rather than uncertainty) ~
~ will seld9m impact a 1-ul~ure on a macroscale. They can, however, add fiavor to a society and serve to spark ~
~ adventure ideas~ complications. (What if the space pilot who is to take the characters out of an area where ~
~ they are being sougll,t by the authorities can't find his lucky hat, and refuses to leave without it?) ~
~ . ~ \ ~
~~"'~'''~""~~~~"'~'''~"'"'"'"'"~'~"''~"'~'~'''~~'"~'~'"""""""''~'~"''~'~""'"~'~''~~"'''"~~"''"'~"~''"~''~
that aid freely to others). By the same token, their justice these resow·ces were harnessed (for better or worse). Some
is swift and brutal - faced with the terrible enemy of the civilizations, such as Japan and Ethiopia, had enough time
desert, there is no time for vagaries in the law, as there to get up to speed technologically before being annexed,
might be in stable urban environments. but most didn't.
Natw·al resources also play a major role in the devel- Do not, by the way, underestimate the impact of ag-
opment of the state. We have already talked about what riculture on the development of a society. For example,
might be present in a particular area. What effect will raising wheat and rice place entirely different demands on
these resources have on a society? A society vvith no metal a culture. Sowing, caring for, and hru·vesting wheat (and
ores in its territory will have a tough time fielding an similar grains) requires only a few people per acre, and
effective army once technology leaves the stone age and perhaps a beast of burden or two. Growing rice, however,
t heir enemies trade in their stone axes for bronze swords. is an intense effort which requires a great many people
Nations with arid climates and poor soil have difficulty in working in a small area. What impact will these two agri-
raising crops. cultural traditions have on culture?
Of course, plentiful and abundant natural resources Well, those living in a wheat culture might tend to be
are no guarantee that a society will be successful. Many rather independent, because grain can be grown by small
African and Latin American civilizations 200 years ago groups, even by one extended family (extended families
were overflowing with the wealth of include aunts, uncles, grandfathers, cousins, and so on,
nature, from valuable metals to while nuclear families are limited to immediate relatives
splendid natural harbors and - father, mother, and children). Even in cultures where
fertile soil. The reason they feudalism or slavery is practiced, there is a significant value
did not thrive by taking ad- placed on caring for oneself and one's own, at every level
vantage of these resources of society. Individual rights might he valued more highly
has already been noted than the rights of the group, since survival depends more
- they didn't have the on the efforts of individuals than the group.
incentive. It was not un- Those living in a rice culture, on the other hand, value
til the northern powers, the group over the individual, since the cohesiveness of the
driven by a culture that group is necessary for survival - the nail that sticks out
depended on innovation will be pounded dmvn, because individuality endangers the
and invention, arrived that unity of the group. Rice cultures tend to place less value on
privacy, at least as members ofa wheatculturemight seeit, cultures may require more land devoted to agriculture, or
because they must live in close qu arters with one another. even less (perhaps none at all, if the society in question
They will either not value privacy at all, or channel it into raises its food in ocean kelp and fish farms).
new avenues, such as pointedly ignoring what everyone Then move on to the other species you want to feature.
can see but would be embarrassing to acknowledge (you Keep in mind that to include hostile species as well as be-
can see where the idea of saving face comes from). nign ones. That is, not only elves, but goblins as well; not
Weather can have an impact on culture. Societies that only friendly aliens, but hostile ones as well. Other species
face frequent disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, may place different demands on the physical resources
and hurricanes place less value on tangible assets (which than Humans, and may even impact the locale environ-
can be lost), and more on intangible ones such as learning ment differently.
and education (which ·will survive if the person possess- Rivers and other waterways are important in laying
ing them does). Literacy and books might be more valued out your population. If a civilization has grown up from
by a society plagued by typhoons than one which enjoys primitive beginnings, its major settlements will be located
relatively stable weather. on the banks of major iivers, in the mouths of sheltered
Consider, too, the impact physical assets will have on harbors, and so on. This is because waterways served as
the development of a society. A nation-state surrounded by an important transportation network in the days before
tall mountains or txackless swamp will not need to worry motorized transportation. Even if your campaign is set in a
about invasion by enemy armies as much as a state located more advanced setting, ifthe local towns and cities predate
on plains might, for example. Spain is a real-life example of that advanced status, they will tend to fall into these pat-
such a state - though it was invaded from the east by the terns. Of course, if your settlements were established as
Moors, it was protected from invasion from the northern colonies by an already-advanced civilization, this pattern
European powers by a range of mountains. Deep natural may not apply.
harbors, extensive networks of rivers, and so on are other Take some care in populating your world. A region can
physical assets that give a society a boost over neighbors only support so many divergent sentient species andremain
who lack them. stable - there is only so much arable land, so many good
Island states and nations likewise tend to be left to develop watering holes or animals to hunt. If you put five species
their civilizations in relative peace, since they face no danger in the same area, it is unlikely that they will not soon go to
until and unless another nation develops a significant navy. war over these limited resources, expelling the losers until
InteTestingly, anthropological studies suggest that isolated the resources can support everyone. In areas where more
island nations tend to develop the notion that they are ex- than one species live, it is best to keep it to two, at most
ceptional specimens of Humanity (they cite the example of three, species. This doesn't mean that you are limited to
Britain and Japan as their primaTy exhibits). two or three species for the entire campaign setting - you
Obviously, the statements and observations made here can have nine or 10, if you like. Just try to spread them
ar e not absolute, and do not apply across the board (there out a bit, perhaps separated by various physical barriers
are many exceptions to the "rule"). Hopefully, however, the such as mountains, mighty rivers, and seas.
discussion has sparked some ideas and has helped show Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule. We are
how various aspects ofa society can affect the development operating on the assumption that the various species are
of its culture and character, as well as dictate its place in living off the land and competing for the same physical
the world order. resources - things will obviously be different if we are
We'll touch on other factors that can influence the develop- speaking of a cosmopolitan area populated by a variety of
ment of a society and its culture, including population, his- aliens. High-entropy worlds, too, will tend to have more
tory, and religion. We'll then move on to actually developing mixing between Humans and other species, such as Cyclo-
political entities such as nations, churches, and guilds. pes, Centaurs, and unicorns.Also, ifthe species in question
enjoy a close and symbiotic relationship, they may be ab]e
Populations to exceed this limit.
Wbileitisentirelypossibleyouhavedesignedyourworld
Our Example
around intelligent rabbits or talking hedgP.rows, it is likely
that humanoids are the main focus of your campaign, ifnot Humans are not the most common
the primary power of the immediate game environment. species in J avarta. Ogres are much
You need to spend some time deciding where both Human more common and populate all
and non-Humans live, and why. Now is also a good time to of the islands of the region.
decide what languages are spoken in your world. Most of these societies are
Start with the Human settlements, since these are likely small and based on clan or
to be the primary focus of your campaign, at least in its tribe. They are swidden
early days. Decide roughly how many Humans there are in (slash-and-burn) cultures,
each area, and how much land is devoted to support them. which means that t hey
In a primitive wheat culture, a lot of land is required to cut down segments of
support a population, while a rice culture can support the the rainforest, burn the
same number of people using less land. More advanced timber into ashes, and
use the ashes as fertilizer for growing their crops (they dangerous, because it can ignite passions which can bring
have to move on after a year or two, since the soil is soon together a society, or tear it apart. This is kind of a wonk-
leeched of nutrients). Deforestation is a big problem, but ish point to make, but interesting gaming can grow out
it is lessening as the Humans introduce them to alterna- of a change in historical ideology, or when unpopular but
tive agricultural methods. Some of the tribes capture and morally correct ideas, represented by the characters, go
pen wild pigs and other livestock, but most hunt for their up against established and commonly held values. (Joel
meat on a day-to-day basis. Rosenberg's Guardians ofthe Flame series features a group
Jazantiland is a large and relatively civilized Ogre king- of heroes who struggle to overturn the pervasive slave
dom located on the mainland. King Mundikan has built his trade in their society.)
kingdom into an advanced nation ofsmall cities, a developed You may not want to spend a lot of time on history, and
agricultural base, and a network of trade routes. that's fine - you don't need to, really. It is often enough to
There is a mermaid kingdom in the oceans south of describe events and people who will impact the campaign
Timora (these are Asian Mermaids). The Mermaids (there in some way, either by providing background color or by
are only Mermaids, no Mermen) believe themselves to be providing excuses for adventure. Any devoted adventurer
above land dwellers. They trade with Humans and Ogres will know what to do when an old coot tells the tales of bold
alike at cert ain isolated islands (and even have a diplomatic Captain Gar don, who single-handedly saw to the defeat of
corps), but are aggressive at protecting their own waters. the city state of Harbonyia and then disappeared, along
The Ogres respect their desire for privacy, but Humans with his entire regiment, in the western swamps as he
(especially merchants and pirates) have largely ignored brought back the spoils of war to the Crown.
requests to stay away, and have a history of attempting Focusing only on certain events and people in developing
to t respass in their domain. Such intrusions have slacked your histories is a big help, since you can ignore a host of
off in recent decades, since Humans entering in Mermaid events that will have little or no bearing on your contem-
waters uninvited began to disappear without a trace, their porary world. There is no need to detail a series of councils
ships found months later, empty and deserted, some distance or moots that occurred several centuries ago, unless they
away. The Mermaids themselves offer no explanation for had some significant impact on history which continues
what befalls the crews, but they firmly remind the inquirer today (such as when the current lAws concerning public
of their isolationist policy. use of magic were established), or unless some significant
but unrelated event happened there (such as the king and
Histories his family being poisoned, allowing the current dynasty
So far, we have examined the underpinnings of nations came into power).
- the factors that serve to make it what it is today, such It is useful to sketch out a few previous wars, dynasties,
as climate and weather, natural resources, physical attri- and crusades, if only to put current events in a context.
butes, and population mixes. Now we focus on using these This is also a good time to draw your thoughts about the
factors (and others) to fashion a history for the nations and development of the culture together, in light of the various
entities of your world. topics discussed herein.
History is not simply a mound of dry records concerning
Our Example
events that occun ·ed in the past. History is the story of how
a nation came to be what it is. Favorable emphasis is placed Javarta doesn't have much of a track record when it
on events and figures who represent steps taken toward the comes to history. The indigenous Ogres and Humans kept
values and culture held dear in the contemporary age. (and keep) oral traditions, which mix myth and actual
Usually, the victors write the history, but this doesn't events. Most are j umbled and feature figures of interest
always last forever. Ideas can fa}] out of favor, and when only to small population groups. EvenMundikan's kingdom,
they do, history is often rewritten or rein terpreted to reflect advanced as it is, is less than 100 years old. Naturally,
the new paradigm - and inconvenient events and figures the Eastern Empire and the Southern powers have a rich
are de-emphasized or ignored. For example, Colonel Custer historical tradition, but these histories will have little or
and General Cromwell are not quite the heroes they were in no immediate bearing on the campaign, which is focused
bygone days. The actual birthdays of Washington and Lin- on the Colonies of Javarta.
coln are no longer observed holidays, It might be a good idea to develop a few notes on the
while other figures representing histories of the Empire and the Southern kingdoms anyway,
ideologies currently in vogue to add flavor. Perhaps there are two rival dynasties in the
are so honored. Eastern Empire, one of which (the Tang dynasty) has long
If such assertions strike been out of power. The Chaong dynasty, which calls the
an emotional chord in you, shots, assigns lords ofthe Tang dynasty to outlying precincts
or seem controversial, or and diplomatic posts to preven t them from scheming in the
even outrageous and in capital and their regional power bases. Most of the Impe-
bad taste, then the point rial diplomats in J avarta are of the Tang dynasty, which
has been successfully can lead to some interesting political skullduggery later in
made: History is contro- the campaign, when the characters start mixing with the
versial, and occasionally more important figur es in the Javarta region.
 ..;.->''~~'~''''''''''"~~'''''~'"''''~'""""'~
~ ~~''\"""= ~'~""~~~
~ Nations and Governments
~ ·Two State Templates ~ You have already done the difficult work in giving form
~ HerearetwosamplegenericstliU:i rnp1ate.syou ~ to the nations, kingdoms, city states, and empires you mean
z might find useful in de:velopingyour own. 'Pliese two ~ to establish in your world. What remains is mostly a matter
~ templates are.pyno means.all-inclusive, but.they do J of filling in some details, establishing a few personalities
~ ··'embrace a l'\'ide variety ofv~u-iant possibtlities. ~ and leaders, and giving the nations drive and an identity.
~ Notice that in each of these variants, there ~ Let's focus on the latter point.
~ is an underlying philosophy or belief that leads ~ With what you have already, you can probably get away
~ a nation to do what it does. Countries don't do ~ with simply drawing political borders on your map and es-
~z ·.. things without a reason, and they don't operate in ~
z tablishing a republic here, a theocratic dictatorship there,
~ . a vacuum. Atways establisli reasons why nations ~ and so on. This method has its merits, the first of which is
~ are like they are. Not only does it make the place ~ simplicity - no muss, no fuss, just instant nations. Since
~ more believable, but it makes it much easier to ~ most campaigns only feature governments and states as
~ establish the character of its citizens. ~ window dressing (at least in the early stages), this method
~ ~ serves many gamemasters nicely. If you want to take this
~ ~
~ Expansionist St.ate ~ route, you need only decide what sort of political bodies are
~ Expansionist states focus on influencing and ~ governing your populations. Are they empires or kingdoms?
~ subjugating other nations. They may do this with ~ Democracies or socialist states? Utopias or dystopias? How
~ good intentions (although the recipient of the at- ~ do the Human governments differ from those of other spe-
~ tentionmaynotagree).Forexample,one advanced ~ cies? Sort this out, and you're good to go.
~ nation might feel obliged to t ake over and civilize ~ However, a more complex system can serve you well
~ less advanced nations. They may also do so for ~ in the long run, especially if you anticipate politics, wars,
~ selfish reasons (a nation conquers others just ~ trade,orespionageplayingamajorroleinyourcampaignat
~ because it wants the land). A common variant of ~ some point. By more fully fleshing out your nations, you can
~ the expansionist state.is the religious nation that ~ create a more dynamic environment where governmental
~ sees its people as the Chosen of some deity, and z policies change with changing conditions in t he campaign
~ the world's nations as theirs to conque_r and rule ~ world. It doesn't take all that much work, either. In fact, if
~ by virtue of th eir superior statuS in the cosmos. ~ you use the above method ofcreating states, you're halfway
~ Theexpansionist$tateonlyfeelsitisperforming ~ there. All you'll really be doing is creating a thumbnail
~ its right and proper au.g~rfit is expanding. Ifit ~ of a state, which tells you all you need to know about its
~ stops expanding for sorrr_f reason (war, changing ~ character, capabilities, and intentions. Think of it as a gi-
~ seasons, a powerful ene~y, natural ban-iers, and ~ ant gamemaster's character.
~ so on), it becomes unst~le and either changes or ~ When creating a gamemaster's character, you come up
~ becomes increasingly ftactured. ~ with hooks that quickly establish her personality and help
~
~ ~
z you decide how she will react in a variety of situations.
~ Status Quo State
~
{i ~
~z
These hooks might be a few words that quickly sketch out
her personality and preferences: brave, headstrong, shy
~ Thi~ state ha few if any overtly aggressive
with strangers, fond of wine, and so on. Alternat ively, the
~ tendencies: anict"it is content to let things run ~ hook may be that you are basing the character on an actual
~ along in pre-estab1 ished channels in military ~
person (someone you know, maybe, or someone from history
~ and foreign policy, philosophy, culture, and so on. ~
~ The status quo state might be set in its ways for ~
or perhaps a media personality), or a fictional character
from a novel or movie. The hook may be a combination of
~ a number of reasons: It believes its civilization ~
the two or something else altogether.
~ cannot be improved upon; it has become stagnant ~ You can give your state the same treatment . Decide with
~ and inward-looking; or it simply has no interested ~
a few key words what sort of place your state is: how it
~ in those lying beyond its borders. Perhaps it fears ~ behaves in the international (or intergalactic) arena, what
~ angering other states. One variant of the status 1&
~
~ quo state is the empire in decline, more absorbed ~ ~
it values in allies, what its goals are,
and so on. Be sure to incor porate
~ : in its own internal diversions than in maintaining ~
the factors and histories you
~ its strength and sprawling territories. Another is ~
have already established.
~ the state that maintains a huge military, not to ~
(Of course, you can also go
~ annex adjacent states, but simply to protect its ~
in the opposite direction,
~ borders and 1!ontinue an isolationist policy. The ~
and write histories to suit
~ ·· status quo st;a:te need not be a military po:i.ve1-, of ~
your states.)
~ · course. Like Switzerland, it may survive simply ~
Let's tackle an e x-
~ because it is more useful to neighboring states ~
ample: Assume our state
~ as an independent country than as an annex of ~ is a small pocket empire
~ another nation. ~ bordering a much larger
l I . I
j~
~~'~'~'""'"'~'"'"""'"'"~"~"~'''"~''''~'~'"~~~
galactic republic. So, a few words to capture its personal- sciences, civil engineering, and well-maintained govern-
ity: it is not easily intimidated by aggressive gestures by mental systems and organization. Easterners believe
other states (even those much more powerful); it is rather themselves to be superior to the other civilizations they
impulsive and reactionary in its foreign policy (it tends to have yet encountered, though they aren't sure about the
react to the actions of other states rather than set its own magic-wielding Southerners yet.
agenda), its people are somewhat distrustful ofand uncom- The Eastern Empire is closed to foreigners, and only the
fortable around foreigners large port city ofXintau is
and they are ardent pa- open to traders and other
trons of the arts. Already outsiders. Southerners and
we can see the character Ogres found within the
of the state emerging. As Eastern Empire are slain
importantly, wecanantici- unless accorded special
pate how typical citizens diplomatic status. The
may react to the players' Empire maintains a huge
characters. Notice that the army of mounted troopers,
descriptions parallel those who can be found in great
of the gamemaster's char- numbers garrisoned in ev-
acter (more or less). See ery port settlement along
how easy it is to use what the Xintai coast. Its goals
you already know about are to prevent alien (i.e.,
generating garoemaster's inferior) cultures and ideas
characters in generating from taking root on its soil,
states? and to extend its influ ence
You can as easily base throughout the region.
your state on an existing You could stop there if
state, one from history, or you like. Most states you
onefromliterature,justas are developing won't play
youmightbase acharacter •. an immediate role in the
on a person. Perhaps your campaign, since they are
state is patterned on the on the periphery of the
Russia of 300 years past: action. Maybe the state
a large but backward king- the players' characters are
dom ruled by a nobility desperate to ape the fashions and starting in itself isn't going to do much more than serve as
cultureofmore"civilized"kingdomsinpursuitoflegitimacy, background color. In cases like these, you probably have
with a very aggressive policy ofinstigating border wars and enough to go on with just the mission statement.
external conflict s to channel the natural aggressiveness of If you want to take things a bit further, you can. Assign
its people and leaders outward rather than inward toward actual characteristics and factors that describe the st ate in
the crown and civil war. You might as easily pattern your detail, including population breakdowns, political alliances,
state after modern Bolivia or Narnia's Calormen. imports and exports, and so on. Develop the regional bal-
Summarize your findings ina mission statement. Every ance of power, and determine what influences and power
business has a mission statement, which establishes what certain states have over others.
the business is supposed to accomplish and how.A national You can get as focused as you like. Remember, though ,
mission statement establishes a nation's character and that the idea is to present the suggestion of a complex
encapsulates what it sees itself accomplishing in order to and fully realized state, not to actually construct a model
consider itselfsuccessful. Having everything in a small nea t that realizes this state down to the finest detail.
paragraph will be helpful whenever you are called upon to
decide how a nation or its body politic may react to your Organizations, Guilds,
characters or world events.
Churches, and Societies
Our Example Once you have established your states, or as you are
The Eastern Empire is a establishing them, develop the key economic, political,
large state, which has been religious, and social organizations that are active in your
built up over centuries. campaign world.Again, there is no need to go into exhaustive
Obviously, it is patterned detail; it is enough to get the major ideas down on paper.
after China. It is a very This will give you something to build on later, when more
civilized and orderly detail is required.
country t hat reveres Political Organizations. Political organizations are
teachers and education, those, obviously, that exist to influence the government
the physical and magical to a greater or lesser extent. They take many for ms. In
pre-industrial societies, many organizations are centered pervaded urban fantasy since Fritz Leiber first came on
around noble families. In more advanced societies, po- the scene over half a century ago), are two well-known
litical parties are more common examples of the political examples of secret organizations from literature.
organization, and various think-tanks and lobbyist groups
may also qualify. Our Example
Obviously, there are many organizations that focus on The most important organization operating inJavarta is
economic, religious, or social issues that also seek political the Lambodian North Seas Company, which has a charter
power, but to keep things clearly defined, we will assume from the Crown of Lambodia (the kingdom that first sent
that they do so to advance their own agendas, not to rule explorers into the J avarta region). The charter empowers
themselves; for political organizations, on the other hand, it to conduct trade, enforce the laws of the company and
political influence is the reason for existing of the Crown , and represent the Crown in the region. The
Some of these other types oforganizations (or, m ore com- Tepresentatives of the North Seas Company are imperious
monly, suborganizations and splinter groups) may become sorts, and their employees are sent for a number of years to
so wrapped up in pursuit of power that they cross the line the colonies and then shifted back home. Law is enfor ced
and actually become political organizations. This occurs by the powerful Lambodian Navy.
when they cease focusing on their original goals and begin Frandeaux, a competi ng Southern Kingdom, has a
dict ating public policy for the sake of exercising power. similar company operating in the islands further to the
Economic Organizations. Economic organizations north. There are frequent clashes between the navies of
include unions, guilds, and professional (e.g., medical, legal, the two powers.
and magical) organizations. Membership is often regulated
by certain prerequisite skills or educational achievements. Setting the Stage
Economic organizations exist to represent its members As we near the end of th e world-creation process, we
before the government and to ensure that they are free to focus less on the background and spend more time on the
go about their businesses with a minimum ofgovernmental immediate environs ofthe campaign, where the characters
regulation and interference. will begin t heir adventures in your world. Depending on
Religious Organizations. We've already gone through the scope of the campaign, this might be a small village,
t he actual pantheon of the game world, but what about the a city, a planet, a star system, or even a sector of space or
actual structure of organized religion? Religious bodies entire dimension.
must develop organizations to serve its worshippers, both Some of the work you do at this level will be background
directly, and by representing them before the government development, but it will be more detailed and developed
(assuming that they aren't themselves the government). than most of the stuff you've done so fro-, because, unlike
These organizations can take many forms, from a state- the macroscale stuff like nations and gods, the immedia te
mandatedreligionrun from a centralized church or temple, environment must be ready for game play from the very
to a decentralized system oflocal village priestesses. Don't start. Now is the time to detail the local landscape. What
forget cults. Though too small to be thought of as an or- settlements are nearby? Who are the local rulers and big
ganized religion, a cult may wield power incommensurate shots? Where do people go to buy food, supplies, and trans-
with it s size if it counts among its members influential portation? What kind of trade passes through the area?
membeTs of society. What professional resources the character s might want t o
take advantage of are in the area?
Social Organizations. Social organizations ai·e sort of
a catch-all for organizations that don't fall neatly into one
of the above categories. They seldom exist to wield political The Initial Story Arcs
power directly, though a club made up of elite community While you are answering these sorts of questions, set
leaders may exercise a certain influence simply because up some of the story arcs you want to get the characters
its members bring with them their own power bases and into in the first few adventures. These aren't complete
networks. adventures but events going on around the characters
Social organizations include goodwill societies that raise that are designed to take place between or during other
money and perf01·m acts that benefit some group in severe adventures. They can be fairly minor at
n eed, like orphans or the homeless. They also include clubs first if you like: For example, the
organized around common interests like hobbies. However, characters see a young waif be-
social organizations that attempt to alter public policy ing beaten by a big bruiser of
(Greenpeace, for example) should be considered political a man, and rescue her from
organizations, because they mor e closely fit the definition his clutches. Depending on
of that category. who the waif and the man
There is no hard and fast rule that all of the political, are, this might set into
economic, religious, and social organizations need be legal. motion a whole series
Secret societies, cabals, and cults may exist that would be of events that may pop
destroyed if outsiders knew they existed. The Bavarian into play from time to
Illuminati and the ubiquitous Thieves Guild (which has time. The man might be
 the son of a wealthy merchant, or an influential member Itis always a good idea to start each character with one or
of the local crime syndicate. Either way, he might serve as two minor contacts that might prove to be a useful resource
a regular foil for the characters from them on, or at least during the campaign. In many campaigns, the character's
when they are in the neighborhood. The girl might become mentor, parent, or former master might be one appropriate
a source of infor mation for the characters, or she may contact. Other good starting contacts are professional: a
develop other talents useful to them. She may even be a fence, a former brother in arms who now smuggles weap-
princess of a distant land, sold into slavery by her jealous ons, a former lover, a classmate at the Academy who now
siblings, or in hiding and on works in the military cabinet,
the run. Your call. and so on.
You can also get some major Ifyou don't opt to meet with
story arcs rolling that you the players ahead oft ime, you
don't plan to really use for can instead generate a few ge -
some time. For example, you neric character backgrounds,
might decide a war is going to complete with some custom
take place in your world in a information other characters
game year or two. Now is the might not know. The players
perfect time to begin develop- can use this background in de-
ing hints and events you can signing their own characters.
drop into the campaign that This background shouldn't
will suggest to the characters dictate the background of the
that events are becoming less character as much as reveal
stable over time. information that character
Generate some major might know by growing up in
gamemaster's characters and the region or because of past
groups to go along with the activities.Agood way to make
arcs. In our waif example, the these up is to anticipate what
br uiser and the waif should sort of characters the players
definitely be developed. In the are likely to run, or regions
war example, at least develop where they are likely to h ail
the p1;mary players of the from, and generate back-
soon-to-be waning parties, ground with these in mind.
as well as the source of their By starting each character
dispute. off with a slightly different
background, you can start
Using Your World the group off with a good bit
of background information without overwhelming any
By now, you should have enough notes together to start
one player.
adventui·ing in your world- and enough players who want
If the players participated in the brainstorm list, t hey
to visit there.
might already have an idea of what the world is like. Ifnot,
I deally, try meeting with each player separately a week
you can use this time to brief the players on their world,
or two before the campaign is scheduled to get underway.
and even provide each player and character information the
Use this one-on-<me time to generate the character and
others might not have (not everyone will bring into adult-
develop a customized background for him or her. You can
hood the same knowledge about events and surroundings,
even take each character thr ough a short adventure that
even if they grew up in the same small village).
establishes part of his or her background, and may set in
Whether or not you meet with the players before the
place a gamemaster's cha1·acter or two. This very short ad-
campaign begins, you might want to generate a short gazet-
venture might take place immediately before the campaign
teer of the game world (two or thr ee pages is plenty), which
begins, or may even take place 10 years before, when the
includes a t humbnail map of the area, and a few brief notes
character is only eight years old. It
on local culture, nations, religions, and so on, for the players
,,. ~~ 11. \U\~llll l!ll/ iii 11111"'' can explain why one character is
'\~~\1~ tt1P~?11 read before they arrive to generate characters.
~f<' I j· on the run (she was falsely ac-
As you begin to use your world, keep notes on various
, (.' cusedofmurderbackhome),
events that you make up during adventures, along with
~ or why another fears Cen-
the results of what the players do. This can help you keep
taurs (he saw his entire
the world consistent-which is why you went through the
family die at the hands
world-creation process before beginning your campaign.
of a marauding band of
centaur outlaws when
he was young).

'\
 s you can see by the three core genre rulebooks cur- Example: You want to use the driving skill, which could

A rently available for the D6 System, this set of game

mechanics is quite flexible. You can add or subtract
many elements without changing the underlying rules.
fall under the Mechanical attribute, but you already have
seven attributes and you don't want to have to add another.
So, you decide that driving now falls under Coordination
The damage chapter in each rulebook provides reasons for (an attribute you've already recorded on my Modifications
choosing one system over another and options for increas- Worksheet).
ing or decreasing the among of injury characters can take. A list at the end of this chapter offers a number of
The Extranormal attributes, Advantages, Disadvantages, popular skills and the attributes under which they could
Special Abilities, and cybernetics mechanics have been fall . (Which attribute you choose depends on the attributes
designed to be easily included in any genre or dropped you're including in your version and the most important
entirely. For some gamemasters, that amount of fussing applications of the skills you want to have.) The rulebooks
with the system might not be enough and they want to provide more extensive lists, and the conversion informa-
tweak the available set of attributes and skills to better tion in this book can likewise help you select skills and
reflect their game setting ideas. This chapter offers offers their associated attt·ibutes.
a guide to doing just that.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

2. Modifying the 06 System

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Attributes Suggested Attributes

All skills in D6 System games rely upon base attributes. When customizing the D6 System character aptitudes,
A character can perform any skill that falls under a par- you must determine which aptitudes most affect play. If
ticular skill by using the die code of the attribute itself. It your game world has magic, you may want to include the
just means that he doesn't have any particular expertise Magic attribute in character creation. If you want the
above and beyond his basic aptitu de. players to rely on their own knowledge-if, for example,
Example: Even though my aristocrat doesn't have any you've set your game in the real world where the players
skill dice in dodge, be can still attempt to leap out of the take on the roles of characters similar to themselves-you
way(using hisRefl,exes dice, since that's the attribute dodge won't include the Knowledge attribute.
falls beneath in my game). Choose those aptitudes that you would like to have re-
Attributes can represent any ability from physical flected by die codes, that is, abilities that require a die roll to
strength to mental prowess to magical control. You deter- determine their success or failure. If,for example, characters
mine which of these attributes applies to your world, and in your game world can use psionic powers consistently with
how complex you would like your characters to be. For no potential for failure, then don't include the Psionics attri-
example, you may design a science fiction universe where bute. Instead, inform the players that they have the ability
magic doesn't exist, and therefore, you don't include Magic (or specific skills under the ability) and may use it ·without
as a character attribute. Or, you could create a fantasy fail, subject to whatever other restraints you have imposed
world in which the characters will spend all of their time (once per day, only during a full moon, and so forth).
crawling through dungeons and battling monsters. In this Example: You've created a game world that combines
case, you don't really need any attributes other thanRefl,exes fantasy with science fiction: magic-powered technology
and Strength - the purely physical aptitudes - since the exists in small quantities; characters carry mostly ancient-
players won't care about their characters' ability to charm style weapons (swords, knives, and other blades); and most
people or remember the average airspeed of an African people have some affinity for magical bindings.
swallow (or was that European?). You begin creating a character creation template by se-
Characters normally begin play with a number of at- lecting these attributes: Coordination,
tribute dice equal to the number of attiibutes times 3. For Endurance, Refl,exes, Strength,
example, if you choose seven attributes for the characters Knowledge, Magic, Perception,
in this particular game world, they would each begin with and Technical. (You record
a total of 21 attribute dice (7 x 3 = 21). These can by split these names in the spaces
among a character's attributes as detailed in the "Character provided on the Modifica-
Basics" chapter in any D6 System genre rulebook. tions Worksheet.) The
If you want to incorporate the game mechanic of a par- rest of the attributes
ticular ability, but don't want to add another attribute to don't apply to the game
your game, you can always decree that the skills falling world or you've decided
under that ability are covered by one or more of the at- to fold them into othet
tributes you've already selected. attributes.
 Now you determine the starting attribute dice.
You have eight attributes, which you multiply by l~ ""'""''''"~'"''"''~'~'"
. ''''"''''''"''\~,,~~'''''"''"'"'''"''""~
~ I
3 to get a total of 24 in starting attribute dice. ~ The "No Atlnbutes" Option ~
~ ~
The following list of attributes includes an "al- ~ You can forego the use of attributes and instead create ~
ternate names" entry(a thesaurus can provide you ~ characters with skill die codes only.'! Treat all skills as if ~
with more options).You can opt to use one of these ~ t hey had a base attribute equa1 to: the species avera~e: f ~
names ifyou think it more closely matches the tone ~ a particular character (for Humans, use 2D). Play~ps t'he'n "1 ~
and feel of the particular game world fo1· which ~ select the skills tliey wish to increase (following the:normal _ ~
you are creating this game system. For example, ~ rules for distribution of sta1ting skill dice). ~
rather than using the name Knowledge in your ~ The recommended starting skill dice with the "No A:t- . ~
fantasy game, you may instead call it Lore. ~ tribute~" option is _15D. Increase or decrease this die~o<;t~ - ~
You might also \vish to combine certain at- ~ depending on the tone of your game world. Also, you tngy . , ~
tributes, to limit the number of base aptitudes ~ increase the spending limit to 5D per skill. .. . "' ·,. ~
everyone needs to keep track of(see the sidebar for ~ ~
~ Example: Your Human barbarian character has 15D in · ~
.

some suggestions). The minimum recommended ~ starting skill dice. You decide to apply 5D of that to lifting, ~
number of attributes is two, which could be Re- ~ giving him a total of 7D in lifting (the base of2D plus the 5D ~
flexes and Strength (if your world focuses solely on ~ you spent), 4D to brawling, giving a total of6D in brawling ~
combat) or Mind and Spirit (if your world focuses ~ (the base of 2D plus the 4D you spent), and another 5D to ~
only on non-physical character interaction) or ~ melee combat, giving a total melee combat skill of 7D (2D + ~
Body and Mind (if you want to cover the widest ~ 5D). You have lD left to spend on another skill. ~
range of character interactions with the fewest ~
~ As certain attril:iutes serve special purposes in the D6 ~
z
attributes). You equally decide to do away with
attributes altogether - see the sidebar for details ~
~
System, you'll either need to include skills to represent z
on the "no attribute" option. ~ these appl~ations or have some other skill cover th at area. ~ ~
~ For example{ ~
~ ~
Charisma ~ • Percepttp_n or Reflexes for initiative: new - initiative; ~
Alternate Names: Charm, Charisma, Fellowship, ~ e)cisting - search or dodge ~
Influence, Presence ~ • Endurance to resist damage: new - resist damage; ~
This attribute represents a character's personal ~ existin~}_ stamina or willpower ~
effect on others. It covers such skills as oration, ~ This:.Option works extremely well for dimension-hopping, ~
acting, and grooming. It can also encompass the ~ time-fari'tlg, or genre-crossing games. If a character arrives ~
ability to read the emotions or logical reasoning of ~ at a place (or time or whatever) where a skills is known, he ~
others (taking this aptitude from Perception). ~ can learn it and the player can add it to his skill list. Ad- ~
~ ditionally, you can pick up any game and just use the skill ~
Confidence ~
~ names without having to spend time determining the at- ~ ~
Alternate Names: Cool, Ego, Mental Fortitude, ~ tributes that govern each - in fact, you don't have to worry ~
Spirit, Willpower ~ about the attributes used in the game at all. To translate ~
A character's Confidence represents his ability ~ characters from a D6 System game, just use the skill value ~
to withstand mental attacks, whether they come ~ listed (such as omen interpretation 4D+ 1) and treat all othe:r ~
from situational pressures, like stress, or direct ~ skills (skills that would normally rely on an attribute di~ ~
assault, like mental or psychic phenomena. ~ code) as having_the averag~ species dice. ; .~

7~""'"""""""'~~"~~"""'~"""""'"""'"'"'""'"'~"~'~~
Coordination
Alternate Names: Aim, Dexterity
Coordination represents a character's ability to perform up to attack, whether from direct injury or more insidious
feats that require manual dexterity or hand-eye cooperation, sources like poison, disease, or magical sickness. Endur-
that is, fine motor skills. Such tasks include firing a bow ance is often combined with Strength.
or gun, picking a lock, and throwing
a grenade. Knowledge
Alternate Names: Intellect, Lore, Mind, Science,
Endurance Wisdom
Alternate Names: Con- The Knowledge attribute represents a character's
stitution, Health, Stam- strength of memory and ability to learn. Skills under t his
ina, Toughness att1ibute generally measure the level ofeducationin various
Endurance is a mea- fields, from scientific pursuits like physics to philosophical
sure of a character's concepts, from history and languages to magical lore and
bodily resistance, thatis, planetary systems.Any information a character could know
how well his body stands in the game world could fall underneath this attribute.
Magic chapter in the D6 Adventure rulebook for details on this
attribute. For slightly different take on psionics, check
Alternate Names: Dweomercraft, Mysticism, Witch-
out the "Metaphysics" chapter of the D6 Space rulebook,
craft which crosses psionics with magic to get a type ofreality-
The Magic attribute gauges a character's affinity for manipulation ability
the use of mystical forces. Most skills based on this attri-
bute are spells, though others do exist, for example, the Reasoning
ability to determine what incantation another character
Alternate Names: Intellect, Smarts, Reasoning
is attempting to perform. See the "Magic" chapter in the This attribute measures the mathematical, conceptual,
D6 Adventure or D6 Fantasy rulebook for details on using and deductive capabilities ofa character. Typical skills that
this attribute. it could govern include estimation (mentally figuring out
Mechanical values), deciphering languages, or code-b1·eaking.
Alternate Names: Mechanics, Sensory Extension Reflexes
Mechanical can also measure ability in skills that re- Alternate Names: Agility, Balance
quire a combination of Reflexes and Knowledge, like shield Reflexes gauges a character's gross motor coordination ,
operation, riding, and driving (you must first learn how to that is, the ability of his mind and his muscles to react to a
operate the device, but then you must rely on quickness to potential threat or a sudden occurrence. Examples ofskills
use the device to its potential). that rely on Reff.exes include dodging an attack, fighting
Perception with a melee weapon (a sword, a knife, whip, etc.), and
balancing on a tight rope.
Alternate Names: Acumen, Awareness, Cognition, Ob-
servation, Reasoning Sense, Smarts Strength
Sometimes a character may have the opportunity to
Alternate Names: Athletics, Body, Physique
notice something in her surroundings that might provide Strength represents a character's physical power - her
an important piece ofinformation. For example, a character ability to lift heavy objects and to inflict damage with a
®ght spot a bulging pocket on an adversary, which may close-combat weapon (like a fist or a knife).
indicate the presence ofa concealed weapon. The Perception
attribute covers such instances. In games with few mental Technical
attributes, it can also include those skills that require the Alternate Names: Tech, Tech-
ability to read the emotions or logical reasoning of another, nics, Technology
like bargaining, commanding, or persuading. The Technical attribute
measures a character's
aptitude for technological
equipment, from comput-
ers to electronic listening
devices to electronic secu-
rity, as well as those skills
that require a combina-
tion of Knowledge
and Coordination,
like first aid and
demolitions. It also
represents a charac-
ter's ability to repair
machinery, vehicles,
weapons, armor, an-
droids, and so on.

Skills
Ch aracters who
are slightly above
the average Human
beginplaywith 7Dto
distribute among the
list ofskills available
to them. Gamemas-
ters may allow more
experienced char-
acters to start with
additional skill dice
(possibly for the price
of having a greater
number of flaws).
This chapter con-
tains a short list of
skills and the attributes upon which they could be based. kinds of skills, a player needs to select a focus for the skill
As with everything else in the D6 System, this catalog and before she can give it to her character.
the lists in the rulebooks give you starting points; create You may wish to mark the macroskills on your Character
new skills as the need arises, and alter existing skills to Creation Template and record some of the more obvious
suit your game world. possible foci for these skill types. For example, in a twen-
Record the skills you wish to use for a particular game tieth-century spy game, you might languages and missile
world beneath their appropriate attributes on the Modifica- weapons to be included on your macroskill list. You would
tions Worksheet (if you don't have enough room, you may then write "language <any currently spoken language>"
want to write them on a separate piece of paper). and "missile weapon <pistol, rifle, machine gun, grenade>"
Note that some skills can fall under different attributes. on the template sheet.
Since the D6 System allows you to select which attl'ibutes
work with your game world, some entries contain several Free Skills
choices. Just use the one that makes the most sense. Ifyou You may decide to give beginning characters some "free"
find a skill that would fit better beneath an attribute not skills, that is, skills they get without buying them ·with
listed in its entry, then by all means put it where you think their starting skill dice.A standard example is a character's
it belongs. Don't feel obligated to blindly accept what you native language. You can either give the character auto-
find here. No inflexible game system can fit every conceiv- matic success when speaking his language or give him a
able game world, so at one point or another you're going l OD or 12D die code in an appropriate specialization of
to have to adjust the information provided. his language skill. You could just as well decide that all
characters can cast a certain simple magic spell because all
Macroskills chilch·en in your game world learn this incantation during
Any of the skills presented elementary school, even though all characters must pur-
in the skill list can be mac- chase the Magic ~ttribute and, if they want to use other
roskills. Macroskills are spells, the related skills.
groupingsofmanyrelated
skills under one category Damage Systems
name. You might decide The D6 System has two standard ways to represent the
that for added realism amo\.mt of damage a character can suffer (whether from
in your game that some physical assault, magical spells, poison, etc.) before dying.
or all of the skills should Choose t he system that most coincides with the nature of
be macroskills. For these your uni.verse (though this particular choice relies more on
personal preference than anything else). And don't forget to penalty to nearly all of his skill and attribute rolls until
record on the Modifications Worksheet which system you he heals.
choose. See the "Damage" chapter of any genre rulebook
for more details on the different systems. Adding Wound Levels
Both systems can have damage resistance totals. If you The "Damage" chapter in each rulebook discusses how to
don't want your players to roll extra dice, derive a static remove levels, but it offers few details on how to add levels.
value based on what their characters' damage resistance This section provides a couple of ways to do this.
total would normally be, generally 3 or 4 times the die One method is to duplicate levels (such as Stun 1 and
code (plus pips), depending on how easily you want the Stun 2). Like Wounded and Severely Wounded, they share
characters to sustain injury. the same range that the damage total needs to reach, but
getting a second instance of the level increases the modifier
Wounds by one pip to one die (depending on how many levels there
are and how debilitating you want each level to be).
With this damage system, characters can take up to
A second method is to add levels between existing lev-
five wounds before dying. You can increase or decrease
els. First, you need to split one or more current ranges to
that number to make your game world more or less lethal.
accommodate the new levels. Then you need to determine
Whenever a character suffers a wound, he also receives a
each level's effect. This could be none (i.e., no additional ef-
..:?
~
"'"''"'''''''''"''''"'''''"'""'"'"'""''''""''''"''''''''''~
• • ~~ ~"~ ~'""'~~~~~ feet
has),other than what
an increased that level
modifier already
to actions,
~ Sample Skill List ~ oramodifiertodifficulties.Reviewthe
~ Skill (Alternate Names) Attribufa>J ~ official Wound levels for ideas.
~ "?.:"' ~
~ brawling (fighting, unarmed con;rqat) Reflexes, Strength ~
~ climbing Reflexes, Strength ~
Adjusting Wound level
~ disguise Charisma, Pe1·ception ~ Deadliness
~ dodge Reflexes ~ In addition to changing the effect of
~ flying Reflexes, Strength ~ each Wound level, gamemasters can
~ hide Perception ~ make Wounds less deadly by requiring
~ intimidation Confidence, Perception ~ that the difference between the dam-
~ investigation , Perception, R~asoning ~ age and the damage resistance total
~ jumping Reflexes, Strength ~ must equal the character's current
~ languages (speaking, reading) Knowledge, Reasoning ~ level before the character character can
~ lifting Strength ~ get bumped to the next level. (If the
~ lockpicking Coordination, Technical ~ damage indicates a higher level, the
~ marksmanship (firearms, fire combat) Coordination ~ character simply goes to that level).
~ medicine (first aid, healing? Knowledge, Technical ~
~ melee combat ..,,../ ~ - Reflexes, Strength ~ Body Points
~ missile weapoi;r J. Coordination ~ Characters begin play with a num-
~ navigation -"i Knowledge, Mechanical ~ berofbodypoints equal to 20 plus a roll
~ persuasion (c~, charm) Charisma, Perception ~ ofEndurance (or Strength or Physique,
~ pilotiX?-g (driVI g, vehicle operation) Coordination, Mechanical ~ depending on which attribute you've
~ repair (craffi g) Reasoning, Technical ~ included in your game). Increase or
~ riding; ( Coordination, Mechanical ~ decrease the base value of 20 to alter
~ 1running Reflexes, Strength ~ the lethality of your game world.
~-1ifea,rch Perception ~ Additionally, by default characters
~ _sleigh o ~and Coordination ~ do not get a damage resistance roll
~ sneak t Reflexes, Perception ~ when affected by the Body Points sys-
~ stamina .., Endurance ~ tem. Allowing this roll
~ streetwise'"-:.. Charisma, Knowledge, ~ makes the game
~ 'f Perception ~
~ ~ less deadly.
~ survival Knowledge, Perception ~
~ . swimming Reflexes, Strength ~
~ throwing Coordination ~
~ scholar Knowledge ~
~ security Knowledge, Technical ~
~ tech (devices, computer ops) Knowledge, Technical ~
~ tracking Perception ~
~ willpower Confidence, Knowledge, ~
~ · Perception ~
~ ~ . z
~""""'''"'""'"'"""'"''"""'~'"'""'""'""""'"'"""'"""""''"''"""'"'"'"~
~

'l1f5system Modification Worksheet

Game World: - - - -- - -- - - - -- - - Game Designer: _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Character Information Allowed Disadvantages, Advantages,

If the following information is different for each species, and Special Abilities or Other Notes
list the details on sep arate sheets.
Starting Attribute Dice: - - - - - - - -- - -
Starting Skill Dice: _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ __
Starting Creation Points Pool: _ _ __ _ _ __ _
Base Funds Value:------------~
Starting Money: - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

Damage System
Ifthe following is different for p layers' and game master's
characters, list the details on separate sheets..
D Wounds - Number of Levels: - - - -----
Damage Resistance Roll/Number: _ _ _ _ _ __
D Body Points - Formula: _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __
Damage Resistance Roll? D No D Yes (if yes, specify)
Damage Resistance Roll/Number: _ _ __ _ __

Attributes and Skills

 ecause the skill resolution and damage mechanics are Vvhen you have to move a skill from one attribute to

B th e same in all of the geme rulebooks, the only parts

you need to convert to use supplements or characters
for one genre in another are skills and attributes.
another or split the skill among multiple abilities, you need
to know the number of skill ad ds. You can figure out this
by subtracting the old skill from its governing attribut e.
As with all conversions, this one gives you a starting This is the value of the skill adds for t hat skill. (Remember
point. Once you've made the conversion, you may want to that three pips equal one die.)
move some pips around, so that they better reflect your Example: Disguise is under Presence in D6 Adventure
idea of that character's abilities. and under Acumen in D6 Fantasy. If your D6 Adventure
character has 4D+ 1 in disguise and 2D +2 in Presence, she
Base Attributes has 1D+2 skill adds in disguise.
The attributes used in D6 Space do not con-esponding If two or more skills translate to a single skill in the new
directly to the attributes specified in D6 Adventure or D6 genre, there are two methods of handling this:
Fantasy. The accompanying tables offer the best and quickest
equivalents for each attribute. The top one is for characters, 1. The new genre's single skill receives the skill adds
and the bottomone is for animals and monsters.Animals and from the high est skill in the old genre. Ifthls is a player's
monsters with OD in Technical receive lD in Knowledge. character, reserve the other dice for skills that equate to
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/ //////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////

3. 06 Genre Conversion
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//// ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Base Skills two or more skills in the new genre. Extra dice that cannot
Some skills convert smoothly from one genre to another, be used to purchase skills may be converted to Character
though you might need to move them from one attribute to Points on a "one pip for one point" basis. For gamemaster's
another. With others, one genre rules set represents them characters, ignore the extra dice.
with one skill while another uses two or more. (For example, 2. Thenewgenre'ssingleskillreceivestbeskilladdsfrom
marksmanship inD6 Fantasy translates to firearms, gun- the lowest skill in the old genre. Other skills equivalent t o
nery, and missile weapons inD6 Space.) Skills that translate the new skill become specializations of the new skill with
to only one skill in another system are marked by stars. For specialization bonuses equal to t he difference between the
all other skills, be sure to look over the entire list to make single skill's die code and the old skill's die code (minimum
certain that you know your conversion options. The lists are of +1). This is best for gamemaster's characters where you
sorted alphabetically by the name of the D6 Space skill, for aren't concer ned about the total number of dice used to
space reasons. You can download from our Web site (ww;v. make the character.
westendgames.com) lists sorted by the other genres. If the old skill equates to multiple different skills in
the new genre, either put all dice into the skill tha t
~''"'"'''"'"'"'~''''''~"''""'"'''''""'"''""''''''''"'""'"''''~~~ the
z
best fits t he character concept or divide the dice from
old skill among the various skills. If you have dice
~ Attribute Conversion fo[ Characters ~ leftover from converting multiple skills to a single
~
~ D6 Space D6 Adventure D6 Fantasy ~
~ slcill, you may divide the extra dice among the multiple
~ . Agility' Reflexes A'gjJit ~ new skills.
~ Khowl~dge Knowl13d!te Intellect· ~ You can, of course, add any skill from any genre t o
~ Mechanical Coordination Coor9.!nation ~ any other genre, if you think that it will get sufficient
~ Pe1·ception Presence Charisma ~ use in your adventures to warrant including its abil-
~ Strength Physique Physique ~ ity category.
~ Technical Perception Acumen ~
~ ~
Extranormal
~ Attribute Conversion for Creatures ~ Attributes and
~z D6 Space D6 Adventure D6 Fantasy ~z
~ Agi.~tJ Reflexes Agility .,~ ~ Skills
z KhoMedge Presence Charisma z Extranormal at tri-
~ Mechanical Coordination Coordination ~ butes and skills can
~
~ Perception p erception Acumen ~
~ be ported as-is to the
~
~
Strength Physique Physique z~ new genre set.
~ Technical Knowledge Intellect ~
~ ~
~ (OD = lD) ~
~ 1
~"""'"'"'"'''""""'"''''"""""'"'"'"'"'"'""""""'"""'""~
 Combat Summary Range Modifiers
See the "Combat" and "Combat Options" chaptm for
adtHtiorml information and modifiers.
Determining the Difficulty
Base combat difficul ty= defense rotal
• Defense rowJ = (pMsive detense value or active
defense value) plus com bat difficuh y modifiers
• Passive defense value = 10
• Active deFen$e va lue = fu ll defonse value or
parcial defense value
• Full = any defense skill roll + l 0
• Partial = any d efense skill roll
Determining Success Point Blank Range Short Range
Ifrhe macker's com ba r skill rota! plus any modifiers D istance co Target: 0-1 meter Distance w Target: l merer to first value•
equa ls o r exceeds che rarger's d efense roll, the artack Com bat Difficulty Modifier: -5 Combat Difficulty Modifier: 0
succeeds and may <lo damage. A tar-get is within a few steps ofthe attacke1: An attacker fires a rifle or long bow at a targei
D etermining Damage across a large chamber.
• Damn.gr total
• For arrncks char do damage nor modified by
s trens'th: damage w eal = roll of weapon damage d ie
code plus damage modifiers
• For atracks rhac do da mage modified by
screngch: damage roral = roll of weapon damage d ie
code plus charac ter's Strength D:um1ge die code plus
d amage modifiers
• Damage resistm·1ce total
•Body Points: roll o f Armo rdiecode p lusddense
mod ifiers
•Wounds: rol l of Physique p lus Armor die code.
Medium Range Long Range
plus defonse modifiers
Distance to Targec: Firsr to second value" Dis ta nce to Target: Second to third valuex
• If [he damage rocal is greacer rhan the d amage
Combat D ifficulty Modifier: +5 Combar Oifficulcy Mod ifier: +10
resistance rota!, th e ta rget was injured. If chc d amage
An attacker thmws a kn{fe or fires tt handgun 111 a Most projectile combat 1t1kingplace outdooJ!.
t0 ral is less than or equa.1 to the damage resistance total,
target 1tcross n large chamber.
the rnrget was not inju red.
• lf the c;u·get was injured, subtract the d amage resis- 'Ra nge Note: "D istance to 1arger" values refer to values g.iven in rhe weapon's ra nge lisring.
tance torn I from rhc da magc.toral. 'Then cirhcr subrracr
this from rhe rargec's currem Body Total o r compare
rhe value 0 11 the " \Xlo und Levels" chaJt.
Scale Option Hit Location Option
Participant Size Value Modifiers
Breaking Things Option Small moon 96
Difficulty Damage
Aircraft carrier 50
Compare theamoun tof da111age done or dle demoli- Option Modifier Modifier
J umbo jet, space yacht 46
tions torn I with the object's damage resistance to tal (its Head + lD (+3) +12
Eigh t-story building 24
Tough ness modified by size, thickness, flaws, supports, Heart +40c~ 12) +12
War galley 21
e tc.). h ems chat rnke at leasr two to chrcc rimes their Chest, abdomen 0 0
four-srory building 20
damage resisrance total are severely da maged , iF nm Left or righ t arm +ID (+3) -2
Two-story house 14
destroyed . Ite ms ra ki ng less rhan that are weakened, Left or right leg +lD (+3) -l
Longship 12
and another actempt against it may be made (with th e Cicy bus, rank
Left or righr hand +40(+1 2) -2
10
object having a reduced d amage resistan ce total and
possib ly orher prob lems).
Elephanr 8 Effects
Average car, carriage 6
Suffic.ient damage to a particular bit location can affect the
Object Construction Toughness M ocorcyde, horse 3
rargec's ability ro use rhar parr. Excepr for b lows co rhe chest,
Fli msy Average H Lm1an 0
rhe mod ifie r lasts until the character heals that p<mion. Hit
(plywood door) lD Human ch ild , guard dog 3
locatio n rnodifiers are in addition to \Vou nd level mod ifiers. Tf
lo ugh Small keg, house cat,
yo u are using diem instead of rhe Wound level modifiers, then
(h:ud wooden d oor, most guns} 2D b riefcase 6
all - l modifiers increase to - l 0 modifiers.
Swrdy Fashion doll, rat,
(bolted steel door, personal safe) 30 small laser pistol 9 Chest: The characrer can do no more than passively defend
Very srurdy Action figure, mouse 12 in the next round.
(a fow layers o f stee l) 40 Plastic a rmy figure, coin, Foot or leg: -1 to all acrobatics, sneak, movement, and
Reinforced cred-key 15 initiative totals.
(numerous layers of srecl) 60 Ant, computer chip 21 Hand or arm: - 1 to al.l tlcrobatics, brawling, climbing, nuke
t:ombat, missile weapon'~ sleight of l11md, throwing, lifting, and
any other rolls i nvolving rhe hand or arm.
WEST END GAMES• www.westendgames.com
Head: -1 co all Knowledge, Percepthm, and initiative rorals.
06 Screen Credits Exterior Art: Chri:; Dien. Exterior Design: Eric Gibson. Interior Design: Nikola Vrtis. Range scenes designed with A dobe Illustrator Creative Suite Premium.
Inc.
 Cover Option Die Code Comparisons Die Code
Situation Modifier lD: Below Humm average for an accdbuce Simplification
ghr smoke/fog; poor lighr: rwilighr +JD (+3) 2D: Average Human amibure
See page 142for details and chart.
11-.ick smoke/fog; .rnoonlir night +20 (+6) 30: Average adventurer attribute
~ thick smokeifog; wmplere darkness +4D (+12) 20+ l to 30+2: Average skill Jevel Die Code SD Wild Die
:Tbjccc hi<.ks 25% of ca'get +ID (+3) 40 to 50+2: Compe•em skill level ID 0 0
\... bjecr hides 50% of-target +2D (+6) 6D ro 70+2: Professional skill level 2D 0 +4
lbiecr hides 75% of nu:ger +4D (+12) 8D to 90+2: Highly skilled 3D 0 +7
Objecr hides 100% of target I OD tQ 110+2: Exceptionally skilled 40 0 + II
·Ifcouer provides protection, the attacker cannot hit the tmget directly, l 2D or more: Legendary skill level 50 0 +14
11t darttuge Jone to th1' c/Jfler might exceed th<' Armor Value itgives thrTnrget, 60 +4 +18
uui, indirectly, the tm-get n•ceiues damage. .A1ost qfthe time, the a.l:facker must 7D +7 +2 1
t '.iminate rht' cover before halli11g a chance tQ hit the rarget. Task Resolution 80 + 11 +25
Roll a numbe1· of six-sided dice 9D +14 +28
Called Shot Option 100 +18 +32
equal to the character's skill or
Target is ... llD +2 1 +35
~ co 50 cenrimecers lo ng +lD (+3) attribute score. If the total plus
I2D +25 +39
l ro 10 cencimerers long +4D (+ 12) modifiers equals or exceeds the dif- 13D +28 +42
.u:ss r:han a cenriineter long +80 (+24.) ficulty number, then the character 140 +32 +46
·See "Combat Options" chapter for options. succeeds. ! SD +35 +49

Wound Levels
.5« the "Combat" and "Damage" chapters for additional damage Generic Standard Difficulties
rzfomzation and modifiers. Automatic (0 ): Ahnost anyone can perform chis acrion; no need w mU.
WOundr * Body Pointsf Vecy Easy (l- 5): Nearly cveryom: can accomplish this task.
Damage Total <: Easy (6- I 0): An untrained diameter may find it challenging.
Effect Resistance Total By: Body Points Left Moderate (11- 15): Tasks of chis rypc requ ire skill, efforc, and concenmnion.
Bruised 0 o r less 81% - 99% Difficult (16- 20): -Those wi th little experience: in the task m ust have a lot ofluck
Srwrned 1- 3 60% - 80% to accomplish this type of action.
Wounded 4-8 40% - 59% Very Difficult (21- 25): The average ch;1<acter o nly rarely succeeds ar rhese ki nds of
~verely Wounded 4- SH 20%-39% rask. Only the most calemed regularly succeed.
Incapacitated 9- 12 10% - 19% Heroic (26- 30), Legendary (31 or more): Nearly impossible, bm t:here's a sli m
~forrally Wounded 13- 15 1%- 9% chance chat lucky average or highly experienced characrers can accomp lish chem.
Dead 16 or more 0
, Note: Al1J' additumal ddmage less than or equal to the chnmcter's CUl7mt Generic Modifiers
=·el moves the characrer up by one level. Situation Helps/Hinders Character ... Modifier
·'"A characm· moves to rhe Severe61 Wounded level if the difference is Slightly +/-1- 5
r.ween 4 and 8 and she ab·eady has the Wounded level. Signif1cancly +/-6-10
f.Vore: This is an qptional chartforuse with Body Points. The "Body Points Decisively +/- 11-15
:.efi "column is based on the chnmctrrs maximum Body Points. Round up Qr Overwhelmi ngly +/-16 or more
"'1W11 so that no overlap ex.frts between le1Je!s.

Penalties imposed /~y r:ach level are not cumulative; do not include them Success Levels
r:.bm determining rhe sttm or ddmage resistance total or ally total not involv- Minimal (O): 'Jl)e c haracter hardly succeeded ac al l, and only the most minimal
.g a skill or rtttribute. effects apply. lf"minimal effects" are not an option, then maybe che action took longer
Bntlsed: C haracrcr's roughness absorbed mosc or all of the attack. than no rmal ro succeed.
'fowever, th e gamemascer may decide rhat a result thac m isses by a fow Solid (1-4): The action was performed completely bur without friUs.
po~cs agai nst a defender with no p rocection {nacural other otherwise) Good (5- 8): 111e results were better than rn:cessary; there may be added benefits.
-'lStead infl icts a Smnned level. Superior (9- 12) : TI1ere are almosrcerrainly addi[iona.l benefo:s m doing an actio n rhis
Scunned: C haracter either gees - l D for all remaining actions this round wel l. 111e character performed che ac[ion berrer, faster, or more adepdy than expecred.
.:wd next round or may only d efend or recreat in rhe next round. Spe<:tacular (13-16): The character performed che accion deftly and experdy. Observers
Wounded: CharaC[el' is at -I D ro all actio ns uncil healed. would notice the ease or grace with which che action \"lllS performed (i f applicable).
Severely WoiJnded: Char~cter is at -2D on all actions uncil healed. Incredible (17 or mo re): The characcer perfo rmed the skill wir.h such dazzl ing
Incapacitated: As a free action before losing consciousness, rhe char- quality char, iFappropriate ro the task, it could becom e rhe subjecc of conversacion for
a..-rer may uy ro scay up with a Moderate (15) sMmind or metde roU. lf some rime- it's ar leasr worch wriring home abour. Gamemasrersshould dole ouc some
·e succeeds, he may con tinue to ace, buc all actions have a -30 penalty. signi ficant bo nuses for getting this large of a roll.
.;.- he fails, he is knocked out for 1OD minures.
Mortally Wounded! C haracter is near deach and knocked unconscious Result Points Option
ith no chance ro keep up. Roll the char:icccr's Physique each rou nd, rhe Resulc poincs = skill/amibme toral - difficuhy
character finally dies if the roll is less than rhe number of min utes he's Skill bonus = res ult poinrs/2 Damage bon us = rnsult poinrs/5
been at rhls level.
Dead: l11e character has perished. See the "Ga:me Basics" cha.pterfor more game mechanics on task 1-esolum:m. See
the ''F:xampk Skill Difficidties" chaptn·fo1· more dijficulties.

e 2004 Purgatory Poblishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. West End Games, WEG, and 06 System are trademarks and properties of Purgatoty Publishing
 lnteradion Difficulty Modifiers Abbreviated Healing Chart
Base DijfimllJr: I0 or target's Cl!ltnsmtt or mntle roU Ser tl>r ..Healing clhlpter far rtdditic>1111' healing infornuuion and modifiers.
Situation Modifier Healing Body Poincs Current
Target U. friend ly or rrusting -5 Total Recovered Wound Level
Targcr is ncurral toward characccr I 5 2
or of equal >randing 0 (,..J() JO Srwrned. unconscious
Target is hoscile or hai. ~uperior standing +5 11 ~1 S 20 Wounded. 5..:vercly Wounded
Targer is an enemy +10 .m lnc:ipacicared
Targec is in weakened po~ition - 10 21-25 ·iD ~ forcally Wounded
Request is something target would do anyway 26-30 'j[)
or carget fed, i~ of minor importance 0
Requesc is ill~'g~I or highl~ <Lingerom +10 Abridged Lifting TabJe
Targer is on guard or :icrively re:.isting" +10
Weight Oifficulcy
'Do not include this mod~fier ifyou ar( ming the active mmtal I kg l
defame described in the 'Mental Defam(> ··sc:cti(Jn. 10 kg 3
50 kg 7
Information Difficulties 100 kg 12
Amount of Information Difficulty 120 kg 13
Basic or common informa rion; unconfirmed rumors 5 200 kg 17
Theories; gcncralirics 10 250 kg 18
Complex concepts; moderately <lct:iilc<l informacion 15 500 kg 23
Professional bel; extensive (t hough not complete) 750 kg 28
informa1ion 20 1000 kg ( 1 ton) 33
Cutti ng-edge ropio.; c:" tcn~ivc informacion, 1 l 00- 2000 kg .?4-43
including peripheral <let.iii' and cxrrapolation~ 30 (+I 10 ba.-;e of .H per I 00 kg over IOOO kg)
Condition Modifier 2500-10.000 kg 44-59
Age of information (per cenrury in rhe past) +5 (+l to ba~c of 43 per ')00 kg over 2000 kg)
Closely guarded ~ccrc1 +15 15.000-100.000 kg 60-77
( + 1 ro base of 59 per 5000 kg over 10,000 kg)

Observation Difficulties
See page 73 for ttdditio111t! i11.for1111ttio11 and modifien . Quick Index
Siru2tion Difficulty
A = D6 Adventure, F " D6 improving characters, A43-45;
Noticing obvious, generic fou~ ; c-.uual glance 5
Noticing ohviou~ det.1ils Fantas;1 S = D6 Space F44-46;S52-54
(ex. number of people) 10 Advantages, A 16, A27- 33; fZ 16, lifting fatigue, A78; F79; 591
Nocicing a few less obvious detail~ F27- 32;$16,S27-31 miscellaneous damage, A6 l ; F63;
(ex. gist of conversation} 15 aiming/preparing, AS l, A59; F52, 575
Spordng a few specific dcrJils F6l;SGO,S73 movemenc
(ex. idcmiti cs of indivi dua ls) 20 at tribute list, A I0- 11; F I0- 11; character, A54-S5; 1'55- 56;
Spouing a few obscu re dcrnils S lO 563- 65
(ex. specifi cs of convcmnion} 25 Character Poi nt use, A46- 47 ; ve hicle, A5 5-57; F 56- 59 ;
Noticing many obscun: dc:Lails 30 or more F47- 48;SSS- 56 565-67, 568- 7 1
characters, sample generic, Al 26- multiple actions, A49; F5 l ; $58-
Movement Difficulty Modifiers 127; F42- 43 (non-H uman) , 59
See the "Mo11e111e11t "chapterfi1r 11dditirJ1utl infor11111tio11 and modifiers. F125- J 26; 542-44 (aliens), p rice d ifficu lt ies, A l 12; Fl 13;
Base Dif/ic11l1y for Ch1mrrun: 0 (ru1111ing); 5 (other movemem) $ 127 5 103
Situation Modifier combat, A58- 60; F60-62; 572- related skills, A5 l ; F52; 559-60
Easy terrain (A:ir ~urfuce, smooch water,
74 result points, A53; F54; S62
using a ladder, light brccr.e, ligh t rain or fog) 0
combatopcions, A66-70; FGS-7 1; rewards, Al 26; F1 25; $126
Moderare terrain (uneYen surface, small obstacles,
choppy water, climbing a lrcc, strong winds, SS0-83 rushing, A5 l; F52; 560
heavy rain or fog) +5 Crirical failure, A46; F47; S55 scale. A70: F7l; S83
Rough terrain (large buc negoriabl~ obscacb, ~crong Critical Success, A46; F47: 555 skill list, Al2- 13; Fl 2- 13; S l 2-
undercurrenr. climbing a rough wall, Aying near damage bonus, A60; r62; S74 13
unyielding obstacles such as pillars or trees) +10 difficulties for basicskills,A? 1- 82; Special Abiliries, Al?, A.3~2 ;
Very rough terrain (dense and l:irge obscacles, F73- 82;S84-94 Fl7,F32-4l; Sl7,S3 1-40
stormy weacher, a few airborne hazards, h:iil) +15 Oisadvanragcs,Al6,A18-27; Fl6, Spell Measures chart, A87; F87
Hazardous terra in (minefield, narrow wail.>vay, F l7- 27;S l 6,S 18- 27 Strengrb Damage, A60; F62; 574
many airborne h,tzards, l:irgc waves, climbing a
Face Poinr use, A46-47, A47; stun damage, A62; F63, F64;
smooth surface, com plete darkness} +20
F47-48. F48; S55- 56,S56- 57 575,576
Very hazardous terrain (co rridor filled wirh falling
ini ciative, A48- 49 ; F4 9- 50 ; unskilled (untrained) actions, A48;
debris and explosions, ~wi m m i n g or Hying in +25 or
a ht1rrica nc) more 557- 58 F49;S57
> OGL
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.

1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means
copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition,
extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute"
means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic
and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the
prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including
translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names,
logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language,
artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names
and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures,
equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as
Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark,
sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the
Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open
Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in
terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except
as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive
license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your
original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of
any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the
COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another,
independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark
or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the
owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of
that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License
to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written
permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due
to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming
aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it
enforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
D6 Gamemaster’s Aid & Screen (WEG 51019), Copyright 2004, Purgatory Publishing Inc.
West End Games, WEG, and D6 System are trademarks and properties of Purgatory Publishing Inc.

PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION:
Product Identity: The D6 System; the D6 trademark, the D6 and related logos; OpenD6 and any derivative trademarks; and all cover and interior art and trade
dress are designated as Product Identity (PI) and are properties of Purgatory Publishing Inc. Use of this PI will be subject to the terms set forth in the D6
System/OpenD6 System Trademark License (D6STL).
Open Game Content: All game mechanics and materials not covered under Product Identity (PI) above.