The Wards

WORK IN PROGRESS!! Balancing/Changes may occur frequently.

The Wards, is a custom system designed by our own Ryu based off of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle Pentalogy.

Unlike traditional Systems, the classes simply signify the characters Job, they only have minor bonuses.

• These brave souls travel between the distant free cities, and stop at the villages and hamlets in between, carrying messages, news, and supplies to those that need it.
• Bonuses: +5 vs Fear, +1 Warding, +1 Heal, and starts with the knowledge of an additional 5 wards
• Starts with a Mount, 3 Spears (Long, Medium, Short), a Warded Shield, and basic armor, additionally a single 6' Ring of Wards.

• These healers, practice with herbs, and old Science to treat wounds and create chemics to aid in battle.
• Additionally, the Herb Gatherers protect the knowledge of the world that came before the rise of the Corelings.
• Bonuses: +5 to Heal, +2 Ward, Knows 2 additional Wards, +2 Knowledge (Old-World)
• Starts with: Basic Herbs, Herb Pouch, Grimoire of Herb Knowledge, Grimoire of the Old World.

• These bards of sorts, travel with Messengers to provide entertainment, and keep the Messengers from being flogged by the villagers when they bring bad news.
• Bonuses: +5 Inspiration, +1 Heal, Knows 1 additional wards, +5 Knowledge (History, Local)
• Starts with: Jonguler Motley, Juggling Balls, Fiddle, and Bag of Tricks.

• These Elite Warders, create and document the knowledge of Wards. Although the old Combat Wards have been lost. They carry the fight on with their defensive ward knowledge.
• Bonuses: +5 Ward Checks, Knows 8 additional Wards, +6 to Ward Experimentation.
• Starts with a Ward Grimoire, and a Warding Kit.

• These are your everyday people, they can be any non-trade apart from those listed above.
• Bonuses: None apart from whatever their chosen trade would provide. (DM Option: Can give bonuses based on Trade)
• Starts with: Whatever their chosen trade would provide.

• These are born into riches, and live in large Manses, usually have the ear of whichever Duke/Duchess for whatever Free City they reside.
• Additional 15 Precious Gems starting money.
• Manse Size: Huge

• These are the merchants of the Cities, they live in luxury, and help the city thrive.
• Some of these are Tradesman with products/abilities that are in high demand such as Warders.
• Additional 5 Precious Gems starting money, with an additional 15% off on transactions.
• +4 Bonus on Haggling checks.
• Manse Size: Medium

• Born into luxury, and to those with names, they are well respected within the cities.
• Additional 6 Precious Gems, +9 on Gather Information Checks (in their Free City)
• Manse Size: Large

• Your everyday Folk and Tradesman for the most part.
• Additional 1 Precious Gem, +2 on Streetwise.
• Manse Size: Tiny/Hovel

• Free Cities: Equivalent of three precious gems, if a non-peasant class roll a 1d10 with the DM to determine your starting “Society Class.”
• Hamlets: Equivalent of one precious gem, but all initial equipment is free, with an additional 1d6+3 trade items.

This is another deviation from your traditional RPG Style, the only stat a person has is HP, which is 20 across the board, With variation of +/- 1-5 per player choice and justification to the DM for the decition to help with some variance. Note: HP and other stats CAN come into play, but not initially.

Initial Parties ideally consist of a Messenger, Jonguler, Herb Gatherer, and Peasants. A Warder would be an excellent addition but not always available as they are in high demand in the cities themselves. For the most part Herb Gatherers are as well, but some do freely travel from Hamlets/Villages to continue their learning. The initial party setup with be decided by the DM, and the players will decide upon their roles from the list of available classes provided by the DM.

While only the known wards consist of the Defense type, there are rumors of the Combat Wards of old. They have been lost for the last few millennia, should the turn up in Ruins of old, or maybe an overlooked book, only time can tell.

The Following Images are used for example purposes, and are the property of Lauren K. Cannon and Peter V. Brett

The players themselves start with some ward knowledge, they can learn more from exploring ruins, buying, trading, or experimentation.

Each player starts with 1D6 ward knowledge, plus their class Bonus, with the exception of hailing from a Free City, then they start with a maximum of 3, excluding class bonuses.
A Ward is assigned at start by rolling for them from the ward table, if rolled ward is not available for start, already known, or not listed, re-roll until another is suitable.

1. Clay Demon
2. Flame Demon
3. Mimic Demon
4. Mind Demon
5. Rock Demon
6. Sand Demon
7. Snow Demon
8. Swamp Demon
9. Water Demon
10. Wind Demon
11. Wood Demon
12. Bludgeoning/Impact (N)
13. Cutting (N)
14. Pressure (N)
15. Forbidance
16. Flame/Heat Resistance
17. Hardening
18. Plus several unknown/undiscovered/forgotten.

Within the hamlets trade is done via bartering for the most part, occasionally some of them will have their own currency or use that of a nearby Free city.

• 1 Precious Gem is equal to the medium currency of the region. Essentially a Gold in D&D Standards.
• 10 Gem Shards is equal to 1 precious Gem.
• 100 Precious Gems is equal to one “Specialty Revenue”

These are extremely rare and usually difficult/near to impossible to harvest items, such as Demon Bones. They are high in demand, and may or not be worth the risk. Depending on the Part they typically range in value of 100 - 1000 Precious Gems.
Note: As the campaigns progress it is the DMs discretion to change the overall value of these.