Table of Contents
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Chapter 11. Powers
Chapter 12: Situational Rules
Mass Combat
Permanent Injury
Locations and Area Knowledge
Aiding Another
Breaking Things
Fatigue
Fear
Corruption
Environmental Hazards
Darkness
Overland Travel
Minor Characters and Extras
Drinking and Drugs
Healing
Spiritwalking
Sea Voyages
Chapter 13. Lost World Peoples
Heritage Groups
Groups and Organizations
Chapter 14. Lost World Geography
Eastern North America
Central North America
Northern Mexico
Central Mexico
Oaxaca and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Yucatan Lowlands
Guatemalan Highlands and Southern Coast
Central America
Caribbean
South America
The Underworld
The Spiritworld
Chapter 15. Game Directing
Game Director Advice
Campaign Models
What Makes a Good Campaign and
Adventure?
Sample Magic Items
Adventure Hooks
Chapter 16. Sample NPCs
Chapter 17. Animals and Creatures
Animals
Beasts
Spirits
The Corrupted
Ghosts/Zombi Astral
Fear-Cursed
Zombi
Chapter 18. Sample Adventure
Appendix A. Xicalango
Appendix B. Bibliography
Character Sheet
Index
Reference Sheets
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Chapter 1. Introduction
A Setting Overview
A Rules Overview
Example of Play
Chapter 2. Introduction to the Lost World
Historical Background
Other Considerations
Lost World Timeline
Chapter 3. Sample Heroes
Chapter 4. Game Concepts
Turns, Actions, & Character Basics
Movement
More Information About Actions
Destiny Points
Stunts
Minor Characters
Example Turns
Chapter 5. Characters
Hero Creation
Assets
Complications and Motivations
Character Advancement
Asset Summary Sheet
Sample Names
Chapter 6. Paths
Alchemist
Animal Companion
Blood Mage
Brawler
Capoeria
Duelist
Eagle Knight
Jaguar Knight
Lightning Warrior
Pistoleer
Pochteca
Sailor
Shaman
Sun Priest
Swashbuckler
Thief
Voodoo Priest
Woodsman
Chapter 7. Using Skills
Chapter 8. Combat
Additional Combat Rules
Chapter 9. Wealth and Gear
Wealth and Making Purchases
Melee Weapons
Ranged Weapons
Armor and Shields
Other Equipment
Chapter 10. Magic
Learning Powers
Casting Spells
Bad Medicine and Corruption
Mystical Locations and Rituals
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Chapter 1
Introduction
What is Role-Playing?
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For those of you who may be new to the genre, a role-playing
game (or RPG) is a combination of impromptu theater,
strategy game, and interactive storytelling. It is not really a
competitive game, and the only goals are to have fun and tell a
good story. For the most part, these rules are written assuming
you, the reader, are at least familiar with the concept of an
RPG. If you are new to RPGs, you may want to find an
experienced player to help you with the rules.
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The year is 1665 and the Americas are a land of mystery and
adventure. Using their ancient powers of sorcery, the Aztecs
have been fighting off Spanish conquistadors for almost 150
years. Although getting incredibly wealthy from their New
World mines and the plunder from conquering smaller
indigenous groups, the frustrated Spanish nonetheless continue
their righteous crusade against these native warriors and their
heathen spellcasters. Pirates and privateers from other
European nations like the English, French, and Dutch prowl
the Caribbean preying on fat Spanish galleons laden with
treasure. American Indian tribes struggle against their
traditional rivals as well as invaders from the East.
Combining African magic with secret knowledge gained from
both the Europeans and the New World cultures, escaped
slaves form hidden colonies and wreak havoc on their former
masters. Explorers delve into Tierra Incognita in search of El
Dorado, the Fountain of Youth, and the Seven Cities of
Cibola. In the midst of all of this a comet streaks through the
sky allowing a dissident cult to open a gate to the Realm of
Fear.
WARNING: Heirs to the Lost World is a work of fiction set
in an alternate history in the late 1600s. While inspired by
actual history and geography, it should be stressed that this is
not a history book. In creating the setting, I have taken many
liberties in distorting or completely altering actual historical
events in an attempt to provide a setting with the most game
play potential. All characters and events are used fictitiously.
Although some characters and events are based on historical
record, the game as a whole is a product of my imagination.
You and your friends are members of a mysterious secret
society called the Order of the New Dawn. Founded as an
offshoot of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, the New Dawn has
diverse members including American Indians and Africans as
well as Europeans. These dissimilar members are united in
purpose to oppose the corruption and oppression that seems to
be spreading through the Americas and to build a place in
which everyone, Old and New Worlders, can live peacefully
free of tyranny.
You have in your hand the rulebook to Heirs to the Lost
World, a role-playing game of swashbuckling and mystery set
in Middle America during the Age of Exploration. Heirs to
the Lost World is a game of action and adventure, of secret
societies racing to discover lost relics, of devout religious
orders attempting to crush heretics and sorcerers, of American
Indian cultures resisting the military advances of invading
Europeans, and much more. In short, it is a truly unique
game, offering a diversity of settings, scenarios and
opportunities for adventure.
4
Chapter 1 - Introduction
In developing the setting and rules I had to consider historical
accuracy and realism, feasibility in this alternate history,
logistical issues to keep this book reasonably sized, and, most
importantly, the "cool factor" to make the game cinematic and
fun. This means gross generalizations and distortions were
made; beliefs were blended, and in some cases changed. Broad
simplifications were made in an attempt to describe the
people, groups, and religions. Be aware that the people of the
Americas are much more varied than described here. Names
of real religions and spiritual beliefs are used to add elements
of mystical fantasy. This is not meant to be accurate or
insulting. No offense is intended.
Some of the difficult choices I had to make were the names to
use for various groups and locations. Often groups became
known by a term coined by their enemies and/or names
changed many times through history. I tried to use more
common names.
For example, "New World" or the
"Americas" both refer to all of North and South America and
the Caribbean and "American Indians" refers to the indigenous
inhabitants of the Americas.
Remember this is your game. If you want to play a more
realistic and historically accurate game, feel free to change
anything you want. See Appendix B for many resources for
reading or viewing.
What is the Lost World?
A Setting Overview
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Without the suppression of the Church to impede it, magic in
the Americas is more common and is considered more natural.
With knowledge passed down from their own mysterious past,
New World groups like the Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas possess
potent magical skills. These hierarchical and highly organized
societies train their spellcasters in a systematic way, and have
many powerful shamans and priests in their empires. Other
American Indian groups have shamans and medicine men and
women of their own, but they are trained in a less formal
manner.
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The year is 1665. Magic is real. Thousands of years ago,
mystics learned how to gain power through contact with the
Spiritworld. In the Americas, this knowledge became infused
with religious and cultural beliefs, and magic just became a
part of life, with priests and shamans holding important
positions in society. On the other hand in the Old World, this
knowledge of magic became secret and was passed down in
"mystery schools". For a millennium, the Church has been
trying to crush the use of magic, claiming magical powers
come from the devil and labeling all practitioners of magic as
heretics.
For this reason, the mystery schools went
underground and eventually became secret societies. These
insular societies, fiercely protective of the secrets kept by the
members of their order, taught their magic only to those
admitted to their ranks. Today, these groups furtively exert
their influence, with thousands of members hidden all over
Europe.
Since Columbus' voyage of exploration in 1492, the Spanish
have been sweeping through the Caribbean, conquering the
natives in a search for riches and glory. Starting in the year
1519, stories began to filter back to Europe about Cortes and
other conquistadors' dramatic defeats at the hands of the
indigenous Aztecs (and later Incas) wielding powerful magic.
In addition, these magical powers allowed the New World
groups to prevent the spread of Old World disease like
smallpox and influenza.
In the last two centuries the Church, especially in Spain, has
stepped up its efforts to destroy witches and wizards through
the Inquisition. Assuming that all magical powers must come
from the devil, spies working for the Inquisition are trying to
root out members of these secret groups, frequently burning
them at the stake.
In the Americas, the Inquisition is attempting to crush those
foolish enough (in their view) to use devilish powers and seek
to save the souls of the rest. This has developed into a 150year war that is still being waged on many fronts. The Spanish
conquistadors have managed to conquer small, loosely
organized indigenous groups, stealing their ancient relics, and
shipping them back to Spain, but the Inca and Aztec remained
beyond their grasp. These powerful magic-wielding Aztec
and Incan empires have retreated but are holding strong
against increasing Spanish attacks, and they remain the
conquistador's primary targets. Though fragmented and
without as much magic, the Mayan states have also repelled
the Spanish from the Yucatan and Guatemalan highlands.
Transported to the New World as slaves, many African
sorcerers have been blending their own magics with the
Chapter 1 - Introduction
5
mysteries of the American Indians and Europeans
to form a powerful new tradition of magic called
voodoo. Escaped slaves, labeled maroons, are
forming their own communities to attempt to
carve out a place for themselves in the Americas.
European exploration in the New World has been
significantly slowed by the native resistance and
therefore, in 1665, the Age of Exploration is still
at its peak. Many of the smaller indigenous
groups in Middle America have fallen to the
Spaniards, but much of the terrain, including most
of inland North, Central, and South America,
remain a mystery to Europeans.
The Standard Campaign Model and
the Order of the New Dawn
These rules assume that your character is (or quickly becomes)
a member of the Order of the New Dawn, a fictitious secret
society made up of people of almost any background just like
those listed above. This allows you to portray any type of
character you want, and gives all characters many reasons to
work together in heroic adventures. An in-depth description
of the Order of the New Dawn, including its goals and history,
is found within Heirs to the Lost World.
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In the midst of all of this and unknown to most, a secret Aztec
political group has partnered with an ancient Mayan cult to
reopen a gate to Xibalba, the Realm of Fear. For about three
quarters of a millennium, the corrupted inhabitants of the
Underworld have been separated and sealed away from the
surface, but now a gate has fallen open allowing them to
renew their war against humanity.
! a powerful Mayan warrior caught between invading
Europeans and your resurgent Xibalban foe.
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Rather than waging a holy war against the
American Indians, other European, mostly
English, Dutch, and French, have made various attempts at
establishing their own colonies. In North America, the
English and French have been gathering native allies. In some
cases, they are attempting to use long-standing feuds to turn
the American Indians against each other. In the Caribbean,
these three nations have established a few outposts in
opposition to Spanish dominance.
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You can portray a wide variety of characters in Heirs to the
Lost World. Here are just a few examples:
! a swaggering pirate sailing the high seas preying on fat
merchantmen,
! a mysterious alchemist from a secret society searching for
ancient artifacts and new magic,
! a wise American Indian shaman trying to lead your tribe in
the face of European aggression,
! a desperate French buccaneer seeking wealth and revenge
against the Spanish,
! a gruff Spanish conquistador working for the Inquisition to
crush heretics,
! a cunning voodoo mambo, protecting your remote village
from ruthless slavers,
! a proud English privateer with nationalist sentiments getting
rich while disrupting foreign trade,
! an Aztec blood mage exploring ruined temples in search of
magical artifacts to help in the battle against the Spanish,
! a reckless explorer searching the Tierra Incognita of the
New World,
! a wily Dutch smuggler or blockade-runner transporting
mysterious relics for your secret employers,
! a defiant New World native struggling to resist European
conquest,
! a vengeful escaped slave fighting for the freedom of your
people,
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The Standard Campaign Model is the default meta-plot of
Heirs to the Lost World. This is the story of the resurgence of
the evil Xibalban Empire from their Underworld Realm of
Fear. The Aztec Ti-Matumah separatists and the Mayan
Ajwal Shoch worked together to use the mystical power of a
comet in late 1664 to open an Underworld gate, sealed since
the Time of the Trouble and the Mayan civil war. As the
vengeful Xibalbans find their way back to the surface world,
the New Dawn and its allies must find a way to stop the spread
of wickedness and corruption.
While these rules and setting materials focus on the fringe of
contact between the Old and New Worlds in Middle America,
there are many other settings or campaign models that can be
used. For example, you may want to portray members of the
Aztec separatists or a group of escaped slaves. Descriptions of
some of these alternate campaign models are found in Chapter
15: Game Directing.
Cinematic Rather Than Realistic
The real world of 1665 was a grim place. Disease was
common, life expectancies were short, and there was much
suffering. On the other hand, the setting of Heirs to the Lost
World is more similar to that seen in action-adventure movies
rather than reality. The heroes should be more concerned with
stopping an evil witch's malevolent plans rather than dealing
with malaria (unless her plans involve malaria).
Chapter 1 - Introduction
How does the game work?
A Rules Overview
In creating the rules to Heirs to the Lost World, I had several
goals. First and foremost, I wanted the game to be cinematic
in which the player characters are the heroes performing
daring deeds. Secondly, I wanted the game to be tactically
interesting in which the players make important strategic
decisions during play. Finally I wanted a game that is fast and
that needs no tables or charts to be consulted during play.
Rolling dice in a skill check is a little more complicated than
just adding up the numbers rolled. Each individual die that
rolls a 4 or higher is considered a success. The roll's result is
the total number of dice that are successes. In other words, the
result is the total number of dice that roll a 4 or higher. If the
result is equal to or greater than the difficulty, the action
succeeds.
Example: Foster is trying to climb a wall. The Game
Director decides it is an Athletics skill check, and the
wall has a difficulty of 3. Foster has an Athletics of 2d
and a BODY of 4e. Foster puts 2 skill dice plus 4 Effort
dice into his dice pool. He rolls them and gets a 2, 2,
3, 4, 4, and 5. Three of the dice rolled a 4 or higher.
This gives him a result of 3. This means he gets up the
wall.
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Being a cinematic game, Heirs to the Lost World uses film
terminology. Players control the most important participants
in the story and are therefore called Heroes. Heroes are one
type of Major Character; other types include major villains
and other important figures in the story. Being secondary to
the story, most other characters are simplified versions called
Minor Characters. For example, the contacts you meet in a
portside tavern or a rival in the Aztec pochteca merchant guild
may be Minor Characters.
Less important, unnamed
characters are called Extras. These could be the sailors on a
Spanish man-o-war or the Mayan warriors defending an
ancient ruin. The participant who writes the story, controls the
non-player characters, and referees the game is called the
Game Director (GD). The group of all the participants is
called the Cast. All encounters take place in scenes.
your trait level determines the maximum number of Effort
dice you can put in this dice pool.
Note that skill ranks are listed with a "d" after the number, and
Steps to Play
The abilities and talents of characters are represented with a
collection of statistics recorded on a character sheet. Each
character has scores in nine traits, further divided into skills.
In addition, players need a handful of regular dice, five Effort
dice, and a single Mojo die. Effort dice represent a character's
health and vitality and using them represents the character's
focus and energy on a task. One or more Effort dice is "spent"
every time the character takes an action. The Mojo die is a
bonus die used in certain situations.
What do you need to play?
Players need:
! A copy of the character sheet
! Lots of 6-sided dice (regular). Each player needs five
Effort dice, one Mojo die, and about 6-8 other dice.
! A miniature, counter, or small marker to represent their
character
! Pencils and paper
When your character takes an action that has a chance of
failure, the GD determines the appropriate trait and skill, and
sets the difficulty of the action. You, the player, then make a
skill check by rolling a number of dice called your dice pool.
Your dice pool starts with a number of dice equal to your skill
rank plus a number of Effort dice equal to your trait. In some
cases you may choose (or be forced) to roll fewer Effort dice
in order to save some energy for a later action. In skill checks,
The Game Director needs
! Lots more 6-sided dice in several colors
! An erasable map with hexes
! Miniatures, counters, or other markers to represent the
other characters in the game
! A handful of gaming stones, glass beads, coins or other
markers (in a few different types or colors)
! The adventure she has written
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At some points in the game, the exact position of the
characters can become tactically important. In these cases, the
rules assume the Game Director will use a map with hexes.
This map could be a pre-printed map or an erasable map.
Character positions should be marked with a miniature or
counter. Each hex on the map represents 2 yards (6 feet). If a
hex map is not available, you can use a grid map (with every
square equal to 2 yards) or even just the table surface (with
every inch equal to 2 yards). The game can also be played
without a map, keeping all the action in your imagination.
1. Find two or more participants and appoint a Game
Director (the game is best with 4 - 6 people).
2. The Game Director obtains or creates an adventure
including all non-player characters (NPCs). See the
sample adventure as an example.
3. The players create their Player Characters. (Note: some
groups prefer to make characters before the GD makes the
adventure. This helps the GD tailor the adventure to the
particular characters, and is recommended if time
permits.)
4. Begin play.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
7
trait levels are listed with an "e" after the number. This is to
help you remember that the skill rank sets the number of skill
dice in your dice pool while your trait sets the maximum
number of Effort dice in your dice pool.
There is one additional rule when you roll dice. If you roll at
least one 6 in a skill check, you trigger your Mojo. Your Mojo
is that little something extra that sets you apart. This means
you may roll your Mojo die as a bonus die and add its value
(from 1 to 6) to the result.
Example: Simon wants to pick a lock. The Game
Director decides this is a DEXTERITY - Thievery skill
check against a difficulty of 5. Simon has a Thievery
skill of 2d and a DEXTERITY of 3e. This means he can
put up to five dice into his dice pool (a base umber of
two dice plus up to three Effort dice). Assume he
rolled a 1, 3, 4, 6, and 6. This roll's result is 3. In
addition, Simon rolled at least one 6, so he gets to roll
his Mojo die. Assume he rolled a 4 on the Mojo die so
his total result is 7. This is higher than the difficulty
so Simon succeeds in picking the lock.
This may seem a little complicated right now, but is actually
quite easy. These steps are explained in much more detail in
Chapter 4 Game Concepts.
Example of Play
Nab-te does not have Stealth, so Norm only rolls 3
Effort dice and gets 2, 2, and 4. This results in 1
success.
Norm [Nab-te]: I got a 1. I guess I was not too stealthy.
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Georgia [GD]: Remember last week, you tracked the Aztec
renegades to the base of the temple and started to climb the
crumbling stairs. From the top of the ruin, you can see two
other temples poking up above the tree line to the north. To
the east are the stairs you just climbed. To the south stretches
the jungle, and far off, you see your camp from the night
before. Next to you at the top of the ruin sits a crumbling
structure with an open passageway leading into darkness.
Everyone make a NOTICE reaction check.
Simon has a Stealth of 2d and an AGILITY of 3e, so
Scott rolls 2 dice plus 3 Effort dice and gets 1, 2, 3, 5,
and 6. He triggers his Mojo and gets a 4. This results
in 6 successes.
Scott [Simon]: I got a 6.
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To help you get an idea of how Heirs to the Lost World works,
here is a short example of role-playing involving three
participants, Georgia, Scott, and Norm. Georgia is the Game
Director, Scott is playing Simon Foster, a wily rogue, and
Norm is playing Nab-te, a Mayan shaman. After reading
Game Mechanics and Combat, you may want to come back to
re-read this example to fully understand the action.
Scott (playing Simon Foster) rolls 3 dice and gets 2, 5,
and 5. This results in 2 successes.
Scott [Simon]: I got a 2.
Norm (playing Nab-te) rolls 2 dice and gets 4, 6. He
triggers his Mojo and gets a 3. This results in 5
successes.
Norm [Nab-te]: I got a 5. Did I see something?
Georgia [GD]: You don't see anything, but you do hear
footsteps from inside the structure.
Norm [Nab-te]: I motion to Simon, point at my ear and then
point at the opening (he demonstrates with his hand), and then
sneak up to the side of the opening, trying to be as quiet and
quick as possible.
Scott [Simon]: I sneak to the other side of the passageway
and pull out my cutlass.
Norm [Nab-te]: Remember, I already have my spear out and
ready for action.
Georgia [GD]: Nab-te, you accidentally kick some of the
rubble, which bangs against the stone wall of the structure.
The footsteps from inside stop, and you hear a voice call out,
"Cocoza, why are you so late?" The voice sounds male and is
speaking Nahuatl. Nab-te speaks Nahuatl so you understand,
but Simon, you do not.
Norm [Nab-te]: (Norm thinks for a second) I answer, "The
road was really muddy."
Georgia [GD]: Okay, you need to make a Persuade check for
that.
Nab-te has a Persuade of 2d and a PRESENCE of 2e.
Norm puts 2 dice plus 2 Effort dice into his dice pool.
He rolls them and gets 2, 2, 6, and 6. He triggers his
Mojo and gets a 1. This results in 3 successes.
Norm [Nab-te]: I got a 3. Hope that was good enough.
Georgia applies a penalty (due to the unlikely lie) and
consults the Aztec's statistics.
Georgia [GD]: You both hear some commotion and see two
armed figures running toward you from inside the structure.
They look like the Aztec renegades you encountered earlier
and carry macuahuitls. Okay, we are going to have to start
acting in Initiative order. Let me draw the temple's top.
Simon and Nab-te are here, and the figures are here (Georgia
places some miniatures on the map). Simon, you have an
Initiative of 6.2 so you are first.
Georgia [GD]: Okay, you both need to make Stealth checks.
8
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Scott [Simon]: I guess they did not go for your bluff, Norm.
My Speed is 3, so I spend an Effort die to move these three
hexes (he moves one Effort aside), and attack that renegade.
Does he spend any Effort dice on defense? (Georgia shakes
her head) Okay, I'll roll 2 Effort dice in my attack, cautiously
trying to feel him out.
Simon has a Blades of 3d so he rolls 3 dice plus 2
Effort dice and gets 2, 4, 4, 5, 5. This roll's result is 4.
I got 4 successes on my attack roll.
the ground and wedge it between floor
and ceiling. I then swing myself
around on it and kick the Aztec in the
chest, trying to knock him down the
stairs.
Georgia [GD]: That sounds like a
Stunt to me. You are using your spear
in the attack, but kicking the Aztec, so that is a dual action
Stunt, Unarmed and Heavy Weapons. Remember to spend an
Effort die for the Stunt (Norm moves another Effort die aside).
Georgia [GD]: You swing down your cutlass just as the
Aztec skids to a halt and throws up his macuahuitl to parry,
but your blade slips by and hits him in the torso. Make a
damage roll.
Nab-te has an Unarmed of 2d and a MELEE of 2e. His
Heavy Weapons of 2d means he does not modify his
dice pool for the dual action so Norm rolls 2 dice plus
2 Effort dice and gets 1, 1, 5, 6. He triggers his Mojo
and gets a 5. This results in 7 successes.
Norm [Nab-te]: I got a 7.
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Georgia [GD]: Your blow cuts into his quilted ichcahuipilli
armor, but you don't see any blood. He doesn't seem to be
slowed down at all. The Aztecs have Initiative of 5.2, so they
are next. The Aztec that you hit screams a battle cry, and then
swings his macuahuitl wildly at your head.
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Scott [Simon]: I swing my cutlass up to block. I'm going to
spend my last Effort die on defense. This gives me a Parry of
5.
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The Aztec renegade (Minor Character) has a MELEE
of 3e and a Blades of 1d, so Georgia rolls 4 dice and
gets 1, 3, 4, 6. The Aztec triggers his Mojo and gets a
2. This results in a 4.
Georgia [GD]: Simon, you just get your cutlass up in time to
deflect his blade over your head. Seeing that you look worn
out, the second Aztec advances here (Georgia moves the
figure two hexes). If you had any Effort dice remaining, you
could make an Intercept attack. The Aztec charges with his
macuahuitl held in both hands and swings it down in a vicious
attack.
The Aztec renegade has a MELEE of 3e and a Blades of
1d, so Georgia rolls 4 dice and gets 1, 2, 4, 6. The
Aztec triggers his Mojo and gets a 2. This results in a
4.
With your Parry of 4, his blow slips by your feeble attempt to
block and hits you in the shoulder.
The Aztec renegade has a STRENGTH of 3e and a
weapon with a DD of STRENGTH + 2d so Georgia rolls
5 dice and gets 1, 1, 5, 5, 6. The Aztec triggers his
Mojo and gets a 3. This results in a 6.
He gets a 6, which beats your Toughness of 3. His blade cuts
into you, giving you a wound. (Scott takes one of his Effort
dice and places it in his dice bag). Nab-te, you are up.
Norm [Nab-te]: I have a Speed of 3. I want to move five
hexes so I spend 2 Effort dice to move twice (he moves two
Effort dice aside). Then I plant the back end of my spear in
Chapter 2 - Intro to the Lost World
Georgia [GD]: You hit him square in the chest, sending him
tumbling down the stairs. Since you triggered your Mojo in
the Stunt, you earn a Destiny point. Okay, the round is over,
so Effort dice refresh.
Simon has a Fitness of 4 so he refreshes all his
remaining Effort dice. Nab-te has a Fitness of 3 so he
refreshes 3 Effort dice. The other 2 remain spent. The
Aztecs are Minor Characters so they do not have
Effort dice.
It's Simon's turn.
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Simon has a STRENGTH of 2e and the cutlass has a
Damage Dice (DD) of STRENGTH +2d, so Scott rolls 4
dice and decides to roll 1 Effort die. He gets 1, 3, 3, 3,
and 6. He triggers his Mojo and gets a 2. This results
in 3 successes.
Scott [Simon]: I want to save something for defense, so I
only roll one Effort die in the damage roll for my tentative
swing. I got a 3.
Scott [Simon]: I don't want to take any more damage, so I'm
going to be fairly defensive and strike with a half-hearted
attack, spending only 1 Effort die.
Simon has a Blades of 3d so he rolls 3 dice plus 1
Effort dice and gets 1, 2, 2, 3. This roll's result is 0.
I got a zero!
Georgia [GD]: You fumble. With only a single 1, the fumble
is fairly minor. So, what happens?
Scott [Simon]: As I swing my cutlass, it slips from my
sweaty grip and slides across the floor, hitting the wall here,
just at the top of the stairs.
Norm [Nab-te]: I spend an Effort die on Initiative, putting it
at 5.4
Georgia [GD]: That puts you ahead of the Aztec, so you go
next. What do you do?
Norm [Nab-te]: I only have 2 Effort dice left, and I spend
them both in an attack on the Aztec. I jab my spear at his
torso, just making sure I get contact.
Nab-te has a Heavy Weapons of 2d so Norm rolls 2
dice plus the 2 Effort dice and gets 4, 4, 5, and 5. This
results in 4 successes.
I got 4.
Georgia [GD]: That is just enough. You nick him in the
shoulder with the tip of your spear. Make a damage roll.
9
Game Terms
Game Director (GD) - The Game Director creates the
adventures, describes the scenes, controls the Non-Player
Characters, and referees the game.
Trait check - A trait check is similar to a skill check when
there is no applicable skill. Major Characters roll between one
and their trait level in Effort dice.
Dice - Heirs to the Lost World uses regular, six-sided dice,
often abbreviated d6 in other games. Each player will need
five dice of one color (to be Effort dice), one die of another
color (to be a Mojo die), and a handful of other dice of a third
color.
Success - In a skill check (or trait/reaction check), each die
that rolls a 4 or higher is a success. The total number of
successes is called the result of the roll. If the result is equal to
or greater than the difficulty, the action is successful.
Player Character (PC) - Player Characters are the characters
in the game controlled by the players (other than the Game
Director). All PCs are Major Characters and players should
use a character sheet to record information such as traits and
skills. PCs are often called Heroes because they should be the
heroes of the story.
Non-Player Character (NPC) - Non-Player Characters are all
the characters controlled by the Game Director. NPCs can be
Major Characters or Minor Characters.
Trait - Each character has nine traits, measured in levels from
1e to 5e. In a skill or trait check, characters can roll between 1
and their trait level in Effort dice. Traits are listed with an "e"
to remind you of the association with Effort dice.
Difficulty - In a skill check (and trait or reaction checks), the
Game Director sets the difficulty of the action. If the result is
equal to or exceeds the difficulty, then the skill check is
successful.
Mojo Die - If at least one 6 is rolled in any skill check (or trait
or reaction check), then the player may roll his Mojo die. This
die's value is added to the result (thus adding anywhere from 1
to 6 additional successes).
Scene - Scenes are the building blocks of an adventure just as
they are for movies. All encounters occur in scenes. There is
no specific amount of time for a scene - the beginning and end
should be fairly clear. In action scenes, time is broken down
into rounds and turns.
Round - In action scenes (combat and other tactical
situations), time is measured in rounds. Each round represents
about 3-5 seconds. Effort dice "refresh" at the beginning of
each round.
ple
Skill - Each trait is subdivided into skills. Skills are the
character's particular areas of training or talent. A character's
skill rank sets the base number of dice he rolls in related skill
checks. Skill ranks are listed with a "d" to remind you of the
association with regular dice.
Result - The result of a skill, trait, or reaction check is the total
number of successes. In other words it is the number of
individual dice that rolled a 4 or higher. In addition, if at least
one 6 was rolled, characters roll their Mojo die and adds its
value (from 1 to 6) to the result.
file
Cast - The Cast is the group of all the participants in a game
including the Game Director and the players.
Sa
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Effort Dice - Effort dice represent the focus the character puts
toward an action. Starting Player Characters have 5 Effort
dice. Effort dice are sometimes rolled in skill checks and are
sometimes used (unrolled) for other purposes. Characters must
roll at least one Effort die in skill and trait checks. The
maximum number of Effort dice a character may roll is set by
his trait.
Turn - In every round, each character takes a turn in order of
Initiative. Characters can move and/or take other actions in
their turn.
Major Characters - Major Characters are the main actors in
the story. They include all the Player Characters, the major
villain(s), and other important characters.
Skill check - A skill check is a roll made to determine if an
action is successful. Major Characters roll a base number of
dice equal to their skill rank plus between 1 and their trait level
of Effort dice. Rather than adding up all the dice rolled (as
happens in most games), the roll's result is found by counting
up the successes, instead.
Minor Character - Minor Characters includes all of the
supporting characters and Extras in the story. This may
include a war band leader, a ship’s officers and crew, contacts,
allies, and other less important individuals. Sometimes a
player may control a Minor Character, but more often they are
NPCs controlled by the Game Director.
Reaction check - A reaction check is a roll asked for by the
GD to see how a character reacts to something. In a reaction
check, the character rolls a number of dice equal to the
corresponding trait. Effort dice are not rolled in reaction
checks.
Extra - Extras are all the nameless Minor Characters in an
adventure. Extras always have a FORTITUDE equal to 1. This
means they can only take a single wound, so they are either up
or down.
Nab-te has a STRENGTH of 2e and the spear has a DD
of STRENGTH +2d so he rolls 4 dice and gets 2, 3, 3,
and 5. This results in 1 success.
Norm [Nab-te]: I got 1 success, but I'm going to spend a
Destiny point. (In exchange for a Destiny point, he rolls his
Mojo die and gets a 5). I got a 5 so my final result is a 6. As
my spear goes into his shoulder, I give it a little twist.
10
Georgia [GD]: That beats his Toughness. He crumples to the
stone floor.
Scott [Simon]: Thanks, Nab-te. I wasn't doing so well. I go
over and pick up my cutlass. Now, what do we see in this
room?
Chapter 2 - Quick Start