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Optional Rules

It had become obvious to the Highbulp that he was dealing with thieves and liars, not the heroes he had expected.... He needed some heroes, and if he had to create some out of whatever scum came along, then he would do so. If they died, it was no great loss. If they succeeded in killing the dragon, so much the better. The gully dwarves would get what was - to them - more precious than all the pretty rocks in Krynn: a return to the sweet, halcyon days of freedom! And so, enough of this nonsense about sneaking around.

- In Xak Tsaroth,
Dragons of Autumn Twilight

Not only can Narrators weave the magic of intrigue into FIFTH AGE adventures, players can create heroes shrouded in mystery. Deceit and lies are acceptable tools to achieve a Good end, as long as the heroes never sacrifice their principles. More often than not, however, they carefully conceal these principles behind a veil of falsehoods.

Chapter One introduced the concept of false roles. This chapter offers some new twists on the normal SAGA rules to enhance campaigns of defiance. These rules are optional, of course, but they can provide extra challenges for players and Narrators as they explore new facets of the DRAGONLANCE Saga.

Gully Dwarves as a Hero Race

The FIFTH AGE boxed set described a variety of hero races, from gnomes to kender and elves to centaurs. Nevertheless, these races only scratch the surface of the many races that inhabit Ansalon.

Gully dwarves make an interesting additional hero race for intrigue-laced campaigns. As the passage at left illustrates, this race of little thieves has a remarkable gift for plotting and duplicity. Despite their less-than-sterling intellect, gully dwarves can always be counted on to do the unexpected. Beneath their groveling appearance lies a surprisingly strong backbone that has allowed this beleaguered race to thrive for thousands of years.

A Note of Caution

The description of dwarves in Chapter One of the Book of the Fifth Age recommends that readers not select the race of gully dwarf for their heroes, with good reason: Playing a gully dwarf can be a thankless experience. While other heroes receive lauds after a successful quest, gully dwarf heroes find themselves ignored and shunted aside. In fact, players of gully dwarves should count on such heroes getting more abuse than respect from characters in Ansalon. Of course, Narrators should not go out of their way to make the game a miserable experience for players who choose gully dwarf heroes - after all, the Narrator's job is to help players have fun. However, playing this race does carry with it the burden of being an outcast.

Therefore, Narrators need to consider both the campaign and the players before permitting this optional hero race. Only experienced role-players should embrace gully dwarves as a hero race. Further, Narrators should reserve this race for campaigns that focus on stealth and guile rather than brawn - flashy heroics just isn't in the gully dwarf nature. In the wrong campaign, these heroes will either seem out of place or find themselves reduced to mere comic relief.

A Bit of History

The history of the gully dwarves - or the Aghar, as they call themselves - is one of suffering. Arising from the unwanted offspring of humans and dwarves, these pathetic creatures live in the refuse pits and abandoned ruins of the civilized races, despised, mistreated, and looked down upon by even the lowly goblins.

The Cataclysm that doomed other civilizations more than four hundred years ago saved the gully dwarves. Destruction ofAnsalon's high civilizations created dozens of ruined settlements where gully dwarves could dwell unmolested. Once-mighty cities like Xak Tsaroth in Abanasinia and Fav in Northern Ergoth became havens for the Aghar. Undisturbed by their tormentors, they settled down to establish their own culture, such as it is.

Description

A gully dwarf does not exactly cut an imposing figure. Members of this race average four feet in height and have narrow fingers with overly large knuckles. Both sexes carry pot-bellies and develop wrinkles soon after the age of twenty-five. More often than not, these creatures are knock-kneed. Poor living conditions mar their skin with scars, boils, and sores. The fact that they hardly ever bathe leads to an assortment of interesting odors always hanging in the air around them.

Both genders have unkempt hair of dirty blond, brown, rust, gray, or dull black. The men wear long scruffy beards, while the women may have some cheek down at most. Their eyes are watery blue or hazel. Aghar lucky enough to possess jewelry wear it conspicuously and garishly. Most are smeared with enough grime and soil to plant a small garden, and their be-draggled clothes are home to a variety of parasites. All told, all the filth, rags and mismatched jewelry can cast the gender of a gully dwarf in doubt.

The Aghar have crude and primitive societies "led" by the individual who can best bully the rest of the clan. Their subjects address these leaders by the clan name, preceded by the honorific "High," such as the "Highbulp" of the Bulp clan. The clan leader usually enjoys adopting a grand title as well, like "Master of All You Survey," "Emperor of Everything," and even "King."

The thought processes of gully dwarves differ from those of all other races in Ansalon. They have no sense of numbers - two is as high as most of them can count - and they speak in a language made up of an ever-changing patchwork of words borrowed and mutilated from other tongues. The combination of these traits leave gully dwarves with no sense of history and no sense of tomorrow. They never plan for the future, yet they always find themselves running from the past.

Role-Playing

Aghar are proud, long-suffering survivors. Beneath the cheerful and hapless exterior of a gully dwarf beats a tenacious heart. This race has survived, even thrived, under conditions that would destroy most peoples.

Gully dwarves have a very simple outlook on the world: We live, we win, We die, we lose. In keeping with this philosophy, they generally flee from even the faintest hint of physical violence. Failing that, they will plead, beg, grovel, and even hide in ostrichlike fashion. They only fight when the foe turns his back. Other races may brand this behavior shameless cowardice and treachery, but gully dwarves see no shame, cowardice, or treachery in survival.

Despite their glaring faults, gully dwarves take themselves very seriously. Their continued escape from disaster has imbued them with a sense of rugged pride in themselves. Others may view an Aghar as foolish and stupid, but he feels secure in his own cunning and brilliance. He is more than happy to let the "intelligent" folk underestimate him - giving him the opportunity to get the drop on them (or run away, if that course seems more prudent).

Never will a gully dwarf sell out a friend or family member. If a non-Aghar treats a gully dwarf well, he has made a loyal friend for life, a friend willing to make great sacrifices for him. It is in trying to preserve himself and his friends that an Aghar's true cunning comes out.

Requirements

Living in filth has given gully dwarves a strong constitution. Therefore, a hero of this race must have a score of 7 or better in Endurance.

Gully dwarves are good climbers, and learn from childhood how to dodge cruel blows. This talent requires of these heroes a high Agility - a score of 6 or better.

Finally, the Aghar seem incapable of the focused mental energy required to wield sorcery. They may never have a Reason score higher than 4 or a Reason code better than "C." However, their strong faith in themselves gives them the potential to be excellent mystics.

A gully dwarf's life is one of abject poverty. Even when they manage to secure some wealth, they either lose it through sloppiness and forgetfulness or they spend it on baubles and delicacies. These heroes may never have wealth scores higher than 2.

Advantages

Gully dwarves are harder to kill than cockroaches. They always enjoy a trump bonus when attempting to fight off the effects of poison and disease. In addition, they are hardy to the point of surviving death itself.

When the player of a gully dwarf hero has lost the last card from his Hand of Fate, he turns over a card from the Fate Deck. If the card's face value equals or exceeds the hero's Endurance score, or if it belongs to the Suit of Helms (the trump suit for Endurance), the hero has managed to cling to life. The player may draw a card in this way after each combat exchange until either he draws one that doesn't meet the above criteria (in which case, the hero dies) or until someone performs a challenging first aid action to restore the player's hand to one card.

The tendency of characters to underestimate gully dwarves also comes across as an advantage for an Aghar hero. After a successful easy Presence (Perception) action, a gully dwarf hero can become essentially invisible to the characters in a scene - as long as the hero doesn't get close enough for them to smell him. They will speak freely about even the most dastardly deeds, considering the hero too dumb to comprehend their discussion.

Disadvantages

Gully dwarves are innumerate and have no sense of time. To recall dates, report the size of an enemy force, or remember the time of a scheduled rendezvous with any accuracy, the hero must attempt a daunting Reason action.

A highly superstitious people, the Aghar are easily frightened by magic. Whenever a sorcerer or mystic casts a spell that has a dramatic effect upon a gully dwarf's immediate environment, the hero must succeed at a Reason action or flee in terror. The Narrator can make the action's difficulty match the point cost of the spell.

Finally, gully dwarves are everyone's whipping post. They never get a trump bonus for Presence actions, except those that involve other gully dwarves. Also, their reputation for stupidity means that few characters will believe a word they say. An eavesdropping gully dwarf who learns of a plot to kill the Solamnic Grand Master will get no response but laughter when he tells someone what he heard. Only with a successful average Presence (Reason) action can the hero convince his listeners of the truth of his story.

False Demeanors

The DRAGONLANCE Saga has introduced memorable heroes and villains who hide their true intentions for reasons known only to them. These characters all shaped their behavior to fit the false fronts they had created (see "False Roles" in Chapter One). For instance:

- In order to protect the Irda who raised her, the orphaned Usha pretended to be Raistlin's daughter when she arrived in Ansalon.
- The traitor Eben Shatterstone from Dragons of Autumn Twilight claimed to be an innocent escapee from imprisonment in the fortress of Pax Tharkas, when he actually worked with Dragon Highlord Verminaard to conquer Abanasinia.
- In the classic DRAGONLANCE adventure Dragons of Faith, a character calling himself Sevil claimed to be a member of the underground and pretended to assist the heroes in their quest. Sevil was, in fact, a disgraced Dragon Highlord who had survived an encounter with the heroes earlier in the storyline and now sought to regain the good favor of the Dark Queen.
- Who can forget the surprising revelations during the War of the Lance of the one-time hero Kitiara as a Dragon Highlord, or of the Kagonesti elf Silvara as a mighty silver dragon?

Creating and playing this type of hero - or featuring such a character as a protagonist or antagonist in a ongoing game's storyline - becomes somewhat more involved than creating most FIFTH AGE figures. Others have to penetrate layers of falsity before these heroes and characters reveal their true faces. This section describes the idea of such false demeanors, how to arrive at them, and how to use the concept in play.

Creating a False Demeanor

The cornerstone of any phony identity is a false demeanor. A hero with a mission to infiltrate the Knights of Takhisis will have little luck in his charade if he broadcasts his open-minded nature and thoughtful demeanor. Such a hero would have to hide his true personality behind a veil of cruelty and dogmatic attitudes. In fact, the hero must keep up his ruse to the point where even the Dark Knights who "get to know him" think that they know his true nature. Of course, it's just another false demeanor.

There are a couple different ways to give a hero a false demeanor. For new heroes, the player can simply start the hero creation process (described in Chapter One of the Book of the Fifth Age) with thirteen cards from the Fate Deck instead of twelve. After he has selected a card for the hero's (true) demeanor, he should also assign one to his false demeanor, thus adding a layer of deceit to the emerging hero. The player then proceeds normally with the rest of hero creation. Players who want their heroes to have two different false demeanors (for different situations in the game) should start out with fourteen cards and allot two of them to false demeanors.

The second, and perhaps preferred, manner of creating a false demeanor is to intentionally assume one that matches a false role. Rather than simply applying a false nature to the hero at random, the player makes a conscious choice as to how his hero will try to appear. As with the Knights of Takhisis example above, the hero can embrace a false demeanor of "cruel," knowing it will convince that Order of brutal oppressors that he is one of them.

A hero may in this fashion select any false demeanor that appears as an inscription on a Fate Card. He may even choose an extra false demeanor to pass off as his "nature" to those he seeks to befriend. Of course, a hero can have only one true nature.

Playing a False Demeanor

Taking on a hero with a false demeanor can prove quite a role-playing challenge. The player must always keep in mind his hero's true nature, since that is what ultimately motivates his actions.

Yet keeping a hero's true personality and goals under wraps gets taxing - especially when he has to, in order to exist among enemies for extended periods and earn their friendship and trust. Remembering the following points can help the hero act convincing even under the greatest pressure:

- Make the false demeanor straightforward, not overly complex. The hero's friends and enemies both ought to think there is little mystery to the hero. Trying to play a multi-layered false demeanor likely will trip up a hero at a crucial moment.
- Always keep the ultimate goal in mind. A hero who appears to be a steadfast Knight of Takhisis, yet hates everything they stand for, can bear up under the burden of the false role more easily if he reminds himself every day how his duplicity will help bring down the dark Order.
- Make it count. Heroes with false demeanors have to be people of action. An elf who seems a simpering lackey of Qualinesti's Green Dragon might actually be the leader of a group of daring heroes smuggling elf children out of the forest and weapons in. That's a goal worth the price of fawning to the overlord.

Of course, the danger to living this kind of life is that friends may turn into enemies, should they ever discover the hero's false demeanor and mistakenly interpret it as the real one. Likewise, the hero will find himself in grave danger if his enemies find out his true motivations. Clandestine Solamnic Knights, Legion of Steel members, smugglers, and pirates are types of potential heroes who lead double lives almost by definition. Yet sorcerers, mystics, or even humble serving wenches may be playing similar dangerous games - either for the sake of morals, financial gain, or survival.

Often, heroes with false demeanors also make use of another optional addition to the SAGA hero creation rules: hidden agendas.

Hidden Agendas

Secrets form a unifying theme among all the hero types described in this book. Few such heroes actually are what they seem on the surface, and hand-in-hand with such hidden identities come hidden agendas.

The character Sevil from Dragons of Faith, mentioned earlier, offers an example of a character with a hidden agenda. He had dragonarmy agents and heroes alike believing him a reliable source of information and aid. In truth, however, Sevil geared his every action toward advancing a secret goal: regaining the favor of Takhisis and returning to the ranks of the Highlords.

Of course, players should make sure not to pursue their heroes' hidden agendas to the detriment of the group as a whole. Role-playing games are a cooperative activity, so the heroes should have the same general goal when adventuring - whether to make some fast money or to permanently quell the Storm Over Krynn. Heroes ignoring the needs of the group to act in their own interests almost always causes bad blood among players, and the campaign dies with the players' friendship.

One might argue that the rogues and spies ofAnsalon exist in a shadowy world of trickery and betrayal where alliances last only long enough for an individual hero to achieve his personal goal. Indeed, many shortsighted or Evil individuals have no compulsion about burning their bridges behind them once they have what they want. However, a hero with foresight will maintain an alliance long enough for his companions to reach their desired ends also - as long as these goals do not conflict with his reason for joining them in the first place. In a dangerous world, it's important to have friends.

When to Pursue a Hidden Agenda

Not every hero needs a hidden agenda. For some, a false demeanor or role will suffice - and some heroes may be played straightforward, for contrast.

The idea of certain heroes having secret goals is more appropriate for some game groups than others. Before implementing these optional rules in a campaign, the Narrator should carefully consider the temperament of his players. Will they enjoy the intrigue and plot twists, or will they find the mystery annoying and frustrating? Narrators should ask themselves the following questions before deciding whether hidden agendas will suit any or all of their players:

Can the player keep a secret?

A hidden agenda is a part of a hero's background that he does not want exposed. Therefore, the player must keep the hidden agenda hidden! In an ongoing campaign, it may take weeks or months of game sessions before a hero's hidden agenda becomes important. The player will have to wait patiently for that moment without giving his hero's secrets away.

Can the Narrator keep a secret?

The need for secrecy works both ways. The Narrator might feel the urge to drop hints about a hero's dirty secret - characters "mistaking him for someone else," other heroes getting a chance to notice their duplicitous comrade sneaking off to secret meetings, and the like. After all, cool secrets are one of the hardest things to keep to oneself. However, the Narrator must resist the temptation of revealing the hidden agenda before it's dramatically appropriate. Carelessness might lead him to blow dramatic opportunities by saying too much at or away from the gaming table.

Does the group enjoy intrigue?

Different playing groups like different kinds of games. Some groups like campaigns that clearly define Good and Evil. Others enjoy more complex approaches that make it hard for the heroes to tell friends and enemies apart - a character might even be their ally in some respects and their enemy in others.

Most hidden agendas blur the line between friend and foe. If the players will get annoyed at shifting alliances within their adventures, then the Narrator should think twice about incorporating hidden agendas.

Does the group like role-playing?

This might seem like a silly question - if the group members didn't like roleplaying, they would never have joined a DRAGONLANCE: FIFTH AGE game, right?

The point is, there are different styles of play. Using hidden agendas in campaigns often results in extensive conversation between the heroes, or between the heroes and the characters. Narrators should expect short bursts of combat followed by long periods of hero-to-hero or hero-to-character interaction. After all, sometimes a hero has to justify an apparent or outright betrayal to his longtime friends and companions. They might feel hurt or offended if he didn't confide in them.

In addition, certain types of hidden agendas lead the heroes to face moral dilemmas. Do I strike at the villain who betrayed my father, or do I save my companions? Such angst can be a useful story element in small doses.

Bottom line: If the impulses of the group members lean toward swinging swords first and asking questions later, hidden agendas may not be for them.

Can the group roll with the punches?

Hidden agendas can sometimes lead to unexpected results (see "Defining Hidden Agendas," below). Narrators and players alike will have to think quickly if the revelation of a hero's hidden agenda changes the face of a campaign. Sometimes revealing a secret can have far-reaching effects.

Narrators who answered the above questions with at least a conditional "Yes" might want to urge certain players to adopt hidden agendas for their heroes. But above all, these agendas should always exist to serve the adventure's plot and help a player more clearly define his not-quite-who-he-seems hero. They provide the potential for an additional layer of tension that might not exist in a campaign where all the cards (so to speak) are face up on the table.

Defining Hidden Agendas

The SAGA game rules are designed to allow players to create any kind of heroes they can imagine. Still, the Narrator needs to control heroes' hidden agendas to some extent. If too many of members of an adventuring group have conflicting agendas, they could spend more time outmaneuvering each other than the enemy. Hidden agendas, though they can lead to power plays and backstabbing among the heroes, should never invite players to create random mayhem in a game.

The Narrator should work with the player to define the nature of a hero's hidden agenda. (Establishing the hero's personality and motivations remains up to the player, of course.) Before anyone decides whether to give his hero a false demeanor or role, the Narrator should spend time with each individual player to complete the hidden agenda sheet on the back cover of this book. Putting these details in writing gives both the player and Narrator a clear picture of a hero's hidden motivations, preventing the need for clarification at the game table that might give secrets away.

The Hidden Agenda Sheet

A hidden agenda can be something as simple as secretly supplying food to the local orphans or as grand as plotting the downfall of a Great Dragon. It might even emerge naturally out of the player's discussion with the Narrator while he fills out the hidden agenda sheet.

What follows is a step-by-step rundown of that sheet. (Players might want to photocopy the form right onto the back of their hero sheets so that, over time, they won't lose track of their hero's various deceptions.) By filling out this sheet together, the Narrator and player can build aspects into the hero's personality that not only support the hidden agenda but also serve as a source of adventure motivators and plot ideas.

The Narrator should retain a copy of his players' completed sheets for his own reference.

True Name and Aliases

The player writes the hero's real name, as well as any aliases, at the top of the hidden agenda sheet. He should list next to each alias the place or context in which the hero goes by that name, as well as the supposed wealth score of that persona and any other pertinent facts. (The player may choose fictitious wealth scores for the fictitious names, but none may exceed the hero's actual wealth score.)

Nature

In the next spot, the player can record his hero's nature, as determined during hero creation. A hero can have only one true nature.

True Demeanor and True Role

The next lines are for the hero's demeanor and role, as determined during hero creation, as well as notes on the role's advantages and disadvantages.

General Outlook

How does the hero view the world and the people in it? The "General Outlook" entry makes the player consider what his hero's nature and demeanor mean, and how they interact to form his personality. Is the hero optimistic about the future? Does he like the people he lives among? Is he fond of his own people and homeland? How does he feel about the other heroes? What are his loves and hates?

Allies and Enemies

What friends and foes does the hero believe he has? The "Allies and Enemies" listing can include anything from very specific individuals to large groups or entire races. Against whom does the hero carry a grudge, and who might carry one against him? Who might he turn to in a desperate circumstance? Do the other heroes fall into either of these categories?

Note that those listed may or may not actually be the hero's friends or foes - it's all from his point of view.

Special Relationships

Does the hero have a past with one of the other heroes, or with a character who might pop up later? Possible relationships include blood relatives, a spouse, former lovers, former partners or competitors, and all sorts of other personal acquaintances.

As this section might involve another hero, the Narrator should make sure that the past relationship fits with each player's idea of his own hero's personality. A relationship between two heroes may be known only to them; in that case, the Narrator should allow the players involved to decide when to reveal the connection - or whether to do so at all. If the hero has a tie to a character, however, the Narrator can choose to reveal the relationship through the character at a dramatically appropriate moment. However, it's a good idea to rely on the player to reveal the connection.

Narrators should carefully evaluate players' ideas for their heroes' special relationships. Some might contradict each other in ways that may affect the storyline negatively. Others might give the hero an unfair advantage. While the nature of a "good" special relationship varies from group to group. Narrators should try to limit the benefits derived from these ties to plot hooks, sources of dramatic moments, and role-playing opportunities.

False Demeanor(s) and False Role(s)

As explained earlier in this chapter, a hero's false demeanor often stems from the identity of his friends and enemies. It might even change depending on the hero's current quest or location. A particularly deceptive or widely traveled hero, for example, might have three or four false demeanors. (People in Tarsis know him as a tight-lipped and surly mercenary, but in Palanthas he becomes an outspoken, hedonistic bard.) Legionnaires and other heroes who dwell hidden among their mortal enemies have false demeanors. If the hero uses one of the false demeanors as his "false nature," the player should note it on his sheet.

False demeanors often derive from false roles, as described in Chapter One. Players should make sure to write down the advantages and disadvantages of each false role, and whether or not the hero acquires them while in his disguise.

Hidden Agenda

From all the above springs the hidden agenda - the hero's ultimate ulterior motive and possibly the prime motivation for everything he does.

The Narrator and the player should define a hidden agenda for a hero together. As the player conceives of each new idea or aspect, the Narrator should watch for ideas that run contrary to his overall plan for the campaign. In addition, the agenda should not diametrically oppose the objectives of the party, either. No agenda should threaten to disrupt the overall campaign. Of course, some groups may thrive on unraveling a conspiracy that involves one of their own number, but most will not look kindly upon the player whose hero's hidden agenda has caused the death of all the other heroes.

The following examples of hidden agendas might spark ideas in players as they complete their hero's sheet:

- Seek the downfall of a powerful character.
- Reclaim lost family honor.
- Gain vengeance upon a character who has wronged the hero.
- Uncover the lost history of a mysterious object (perhaps an item of magic) and learn its secrets.
- Win a lost or unrequited love.
- Find release from a secret curse.
- Achieve a longtime goal of personal ambition - perhaps even rulership.

Other Secrets and Personal Goals

In two catch-all categories near the bottom of the agenda sheet, the player can make notes regarding ideas for future goals and hidden agendas, or odd quirks of a hero's background or personality. Once again, the Narrator and player can collaborate on these goals and secrets. The Narrator might even choose to reserve the "Other Secrets" entry for aspects of the hero's background that not even the player knows. The hero might be the heir to a throne, for example, or perhaps the agent of prophecy.

See the guidelines starting on the next page for information on creating and using a variety of hero secrets.

The Narrator's Duty

Occasionally, the Narrator should refer to his copy of a hero's hidden agenda sheet, to make sure he doesn't forget important facts over time.

For instance, say that one hero secretly hates the Solamnic Knights for not being there to save his family during the Dragon Purge. In order to crush them, the hero has infiltrated one of their clandestine circles. If the Narrator, forgetting that the hero is not a genuine Knight, eventually creates a scenario that exposes the circle's Senior Knight to assassination, the hero may shock him by helping the assassins - and in doing so, ruins the Narrator's carefully conceived storyline.

If the Narrator had remembered the hero's hidden agenda, he could have injected elements into the scenario to give the hero serious moral qualms about aiding in the Senior Knight's death. Instead, the Narrator's shock and indignation might force the player to reveal something about the hero that would have come out better through play.

Hero Secrets

Like all the other elements recorded on the hidden agenda sheet, a hero's secrets should serve to feed the Narrator's plot and storyline. However, a player might instead prefer to draw a card from the Fate Deck and consult the chart below to randomly generate a secret for his hero. Regardless of how the secret is designed into the hero's background or chosen randomly, though, it generally remains out of the hero's control. The Narrator decides how and when the secret manifests itself.

Descriptions of the secrets follow the chart.

Card Value    Hero Secret
1    Haunted
2    Second sight
3    Shared body
4-5    Illegitimate child
6-7    Traitor
8    Enemy
9    Shapechanger
10    Predestines

Haunted

The spirit of a deceased relative, friend, or enemy is an important part of the haunted hero's life. The spirit can be recently deceased or a ghost that has followed members of the hero's family for generations. The Narrator should determine the nature of the spirit, though the suit, portrait, or inscription of the card drawn might provide hints to the spirit's nature or identity.

Depending on its motivation, the spirit either aids or hinders the hero and his companions during tense moments. It may visit the hero in his dreams, providing hints or filling his nights with terror. Should the adventurers choose to rid themselves of the spirit, they can do so only through a dramatic quest.

Berem Everman, the Gemstone Man from the DRAGONLANCE Chronicles series of novels, can be considered a haunted character.

Second Sight

A hero with second sight has limited precognitive abilities. He receives visions, prophetic dreams, and sometimes even sees omens and portents in seemingly everyday events.

Second sight differs substantially from both the sorcerous school of divination and the mystic sphere of sensitivity. It is not something the hero can control. In fact, his visions and dreams often make sense only as the event they describe has begun to unfold. A hero may dream about a specific sword but he has no idea whether that sword spells his doom or will prove his means of achieving a glorious victory.

The Narrator should create occasional prophecies for a hero gifted with second sight to experience. A dream might feature shadow-draped figures who implore the hero to seek out certain individuals or objects. During a quest, a hero may suddenly and inexplicably know that the three ravens he sees perched on a tombstone signify that a trio of necromancers will seek, are seeking, or have sought to harness the Evil in Nightlund. Perhaps a vision appears to the hero as he looks at himself in the mirror in the morning. The glimpses afforded of the past, present, or future - for the hero never really knows which - always seem confusing and disturbing.

Prophetic visions and dreams are excellent tools to get the heroes involved in an adventure. Using second sight in a campaign may require additional planning on the Narrator's part, but in the end it is often worth it.

Larken, an ancestor of Goldmoon from the novel The Dark Queen, possessed second sight. One also finds it frequently among barbarian shamans and soothsayers. (They do not keep the ability secret, however.)

Shared Body

Though he may appear insane to those who know him, a hero might harbor two distinct spirits in his body. Control of this shared body switches back and forth between the two. In most cases, however, the spirits share the knowledge they gain, so the hero rarely finds himself at a disadvantage when the change comes over him.

Still, the two spirits have distinct personalities, likes, and dislikes. This means that players of a hero with this secret need to generate a second hero to represent the second spirit. The two heroes have different demeanors, natures, roles, and other background details. Their Physical ability scores remain the same but the codes may change - one spirit may belong to a weapons master, while the other may barely know how to wield a dagger without doing itself harm. All Mental ability scores and codes must be drawn anew for the second spirit. The player should use his original hero's wealth score and number of quests.

The player and Narrator together should determine the relationship between the two spirits inhabiting the shared body. They may resent each other or consider each other friends - they may not even have the same goals, forcing them into a constant struggle for dominance of the body.

Some event - determined by the Narrator - triggers the switch in control of the hero's body. Possible triggers include stressful situations, the full moon, certain odors, or the player's use of a Dragons card to attempt an action. A successful challenging Spirit or Reason action from the hero may allow the current dominant spirit to retain control of the body. To keep the circumstances surrounding the switch from becoming obvious to the players, the Narrator may wish to define multiple triggers or ensure that the switch does not take place every time the trigger event occurs.

Waylorn Wyvernsbane, as seen in the classic DRAGONLANCE adventure Dragons of Dreams, may have shared his body with the spirit of the legendary Solamnic Knight Huma Dragonbane. On the other hand, he may just have been suffering from a mental disorder.

Illegitimate Child

A hero might be the illegitimate child of a royal character or someone else that holds power and influence. Then again, perhaps the hero himself has parented a child out of wedlock, either unknowingly or purposely.

In either case, the hero may remain unaware of his status until certain events in the game take place. (The player should probably stay kept in the dark, as well.) Perhaps the royal parent dies, leaving the unknowing hero heir to a throne - unknowing, anyway, until assassins suddenly come after him for no apparent reason. Or maybe a young woman shows up one day and proclaims herself the offspring of a fling the hero had in his youth.

On the other hand, the hero may know his status and seek out his lost parent or child. (The search then becomes an aspect of the hero's hidden agenda.)

The Dark Knight Steel Brightblade, from the novel Dragons of Summer Flame, was the illegitimate son of Dragon Highlord Kitiara uth Matar and Solamnic Knight Sturm Brightblade.

Traitor

At some point in his past, a traitor hero betrayed a cause. Perhaps the scandal arose from something as simple as not following the family tradition and becoming a carpenter, or perhaps the hero perpetrated a double-cross that led to the deaths of hundreds. If other heroes or important characters learn this secret, the hero may face severe difficulties.

Whatever the betrayal (decided by the Narrator and player) there is a certain place or group of characters the hero feels compelled to avoid.

Dhamon Grimwulf from The Dawning of a New Age considers himself a traitor to the Knights of Takhisis.

Enemy

An unfortunate hero might discover himself the subject of great hatred from a powerful enemy. The Narrator and player can decide upon the details, but the enemy should constitute a group of people - a family or clan that has reason to hate or distrust the hero simply because of his family, perhaps as the result of a generational blood feud. Members of this group should show up at inopportune moments, either seeking to even the ancient score or as powerful 6gures who can make life difficult for the entire adventuring group.

The secret of the enemy's dogged pursuit of the hero might involve the origin of the hatred between the two families. Uncovering the history behind the feud, then finding a way to resolve it seems a quest worthy of any group.

Heroes who gain an enemy as a result of their role (such as the displaced noble) should choose a different secret, for better variety.

Shapechanger

Some rare heroes in Krynn can shapechange into the form of an animal. This ability is no curse or disease (lycanthropy does not exist on Krynn), but rather an inborn power that runs in certain lineages. Members of such families can change only into the form of a specific type of animal, determined by the suit of the card drawn to generate this secret (or a random draw).

Suit    Animal
Shields    Crocodile
Arrows    Panther
Helms    Grizzly bear
Swords    Leopard
Moons    Giant owl
Orbs    Dolphin
Hearts    Wolf
Crowns    Kingfisher
Dragons    Giant lizard

The hero gains all the attributes and combat abilities of the animal form, as listed under "Animals of Ansalon" in Chapter Six of the Book of the Fifth Age. Unlike the "shared body" secret, the hero can will the change to happen but, upon returning to his normal form, he retains no memories of his prior activities.

The mercenary El-Nahvar from the novel Dark Heart is a shapechanger.

Predestined

The powers of Fate (or the will of the gods before they withdrew from Krynn), have decreed a special task for a predestined hero. Perhaps someone has recently uncovered prophecies referring to a savior (or destroyer) who bears an uncanny resemblance to the hero. Those with second sight may even have strange dreams about the hero battling some titanic force. This individual is meant to fulfill his special destiny, and until he has, his life will not be his own. No matter what he does, he cannot escape his destiny.

The secret of predestination is one the Narrator must keep to himself. Although the hero may have heard about vague prophecies made at his birth or have come across one during play (as mentioned above), he should never find any evidence of the omen's truth.

The hero's destiny should become clear only at the threshold of whatever great event he is fated to influence. For example, say a former Wizard of the Black Robes tries to contact the god Nuitari to regain his lost magical power. He fails, but manages instead to open a dimensional rift to the Abyss - in specific, to the infernal realm where, prior to the War of the Lance, Takhisis harvested spirits to infuse into the new draconian race. Now more Evil spirits threaten to come through the rift and invade Krynn. Having long ago foreseen this calamity, Nuitari orchestrated the events that led to the birth of the hero, the one person who can seal the rift.

If the above example took place as part of a campaign, the villain trying to reach Nuitari would surface every two or three quests to confront the predestined hero. He manages to escape every time - or at the very least, dies an obscure death (falls into a river, gets buried under a collapsing wall, etc.). Gradually, the heroes see that the wizard lives and seeks to attempt a powerful ritual that will destroy the world. Only they know enough about his plans to stop him... Thus the predestined hero meets his fate.

The Narrator should avoid gearing every quest in a campaign around the prefated figure - every hero ought to get a chance to be the "star" for a while. However, the campaign's climax should center around the predestined hero, with each of the others having his own important role to play. After all, if the gods established that one hero would perform a great deed, might they not also have hand-picked those who would come together with him in a band?

The Herald, mentioned in Chapter One of Dusk or Dawn, is a predestined character. When he was a child, Paladine himself proclaimed that he would one day perform an important task. (An event from the Herald's childhood appears in "The Missing Master Lor," from the classic DRAGONLANCE adventure anthology The World of Krynn.)

One might also argue that the Hero of the Lance Goldmoon was predestined to be the center of the power of the heart. Not only was she the first priestess of Mishakal during the gods' brief return to Ansalon toward the end of the Fourth Age, it was she who first mastered the new powers of mysticism. In fact, Goldmoon's birth is prophesied in the novel The Dark Queen.

Putting It All Together

Narrators who incorporate any of the optional rules described in this chapter should keep in mind that they are intended as tools to heighten the players' enjoyment of the game. The new hero race and the concepts of false demeanors and hidden agendas also are meant to inspire players to create interesting hero backgrounds and personalities and Narrators to build story ideas that revolve around one or more of the heroes.

When using these new rules, however, Narrators need to remain flexible. Not every element will suit every hero and as the campaign progresses, both heroes and the storyline will evolve naturally. Conflicts will get resolved, and secrets will be revealed. Narrators should just allow this development to happen, and watch as other agendas and secrets grow from the changes.

All characters in good stories grow and change, and so will the heroes. One might go from a river pirate to a beloved liberator; perhaps a noble woman finds herself forced to assume the role of a serving wench to hide from assassins. Narrators should embrace such transformations, for rogues thrive on changing circumstances - it is not in their nature to feel satisfied by a stagnant status quo. Evolution is at the heart of every quest undertaken by these heroes of defiance.

The description of Linsha Majere on the next pages combines false demeanors and hidden agendas with the concept of false roles introduced in Chapter One to create a multifaceted character harboring a number of secrets.

Linsha Majere

Description    Human female (civilized), thug role
Knight of the Rose
Demeanor Immoral (9 )*
Aggressive (7 )*
Confident (3 )
Nature Vigilant (5 )
Reputation Adventurer (Quests 6, Hand 4)
Social Status Commoner (Wealth 3)
 
Agility    8A
Dexterity    7C
Endurance    3A
Strength    4A
Reason    6D
Pperception    6C
Spirit    7A (49)
Presence    6B
 
Melee weapon Short sword (+3)
Broad sword (+6)
Missile weapon Sling (+2)
Crossbow (+5)
Armor Leather (-2)
Plate (-5)
Shield Target (-3)

* Linsha Majere has adopted a false role and several false demeanors. Her true personality and profession appear in italics, as do the armor and weapons she bears when standing openly side-by-side with other Knights.

"Most of the people I meet think I'm a cutpurse and an alleybasher - not suitable jobs for a woman. I don't do anything to discourage that impression, because living that lie is how I attend to matters of honor.

"As a girl I went, at my parents' behest, to study with Goldmoon at the Citadel of Light. There, I discovered within me the power to speak with animals and plants, to read the auras of men and women, and to communicate with the spirits of the dead. These mystic powers aid me in my efforts to gather information for the Knighthood.

"A few years ago, I caused quite a stir by becoming the first woman to ever join the Order of the Rose. The fact that my family isn't Solamnian made an even bigger splash. My parents, Usha and Palin Majere, and my grandfather, Caramon, were so proud of me. I wish I could serve my Order today in a fashion that would continue to make them proud. But duty requires a different kind of service from me.

"I belong to a clandestine circle of Knights established in Sanction to keep watch over that city's mysterious lord, Hogan Bight. We remain ready to act should he ever reveal an allegiance with the Dark Knights and the Great Dragons. The people in Sanction know me as Lynn, a greedy and violent woman of loose morals. However, despite the charade, my heart and soul still belong to the Order of the Rose, and I always repay honor with honor.

"Although I know that my work aids the cause of Good, I often feel as though the pretense I engage in does neither my brave parents and grandparents nor the Knighthood the honor they deserve. When last I visited Solace, Grandfather told me how proud he was of me. The Grand Master himself has impressed upon me the necessity of my task and the honor inherent in my goal. Still, when I am alone with my thoughts, I wish I could live a more honorable life - like that led by others in my family, or by famous Knights like Huma Dragonbane and Riva Silvercrown.

"However, as long as I maintain my personal honor and perform my duty to my utmost, I live up to the Measure. For now, that will have to do.

"But someday, Linsha Majere will honor her family name with valor."

Game Information

Linsha (3 ) has assumed the false role of a thug. Reputedly she often seduces victims, then kills them (she actually has killed only rarely). She enjoys a trump bonus to use improvised weapons - a legacy of helping her mother, grandmother, and aunts around the Inn of the Last Home as a girl. It becomes a handy skill when subduing a would-be paramour as part of her cover identity.

This Knight of the Rose can cast mystic spells from the spheres of animism, sensitivity, and spiritualism. "Lynn" demonstrates her "aggressive" demeanor as a false nature to those she becomes acquainted with in her work.

When necessary, Linsha will reveal her true identity to another Knight of Solamnia. When recognized as a member of the Order, she gains the benefits and drawbacks of a Rose Knight (described fully in Heroes of Steel):

- Enjoys a trump bonus to close with the enemy, for combat with Legionnaires or Dark Knights, and for melee attacks while mounted.
- Can petition for an increase in Presence after increasing in reputation.
- Can draw from Solamnic treasury using her Presence score instead of her wealth score.
- Receives no trump bonus to achieve surprise before combat.
- Presence score drops 1 point if she fails in a petition for advancement.
- Bound by the Solamnic Measure.
- Can abandon or refuse a fair fight only after a daunting Reason (Presence) action.
- Gives sixty days' service to the Order.
- Personal wealth falls 1 point with each increase in reputation (due to donations to the Order).

While she does not currently possess any of the trappings of a Knight of the Rose, Linsha's custom-made plate armor and the broad sword given to her by her grandfather, Caramon, upon her induction to the Order of the Rose wait for her back home in Solace.

Appearance

Linsha seems the spitting image of her grandmother, Tika, when she was young: stunning green eyes, rich auburn hair, high cheekbones, and a supple, lithe body. Slightly smaller in stature than her grandmother, she has short-cropped hair and plentiful freckles, which help her to appear younger than she actually is. At age twenty-seven, Linsha still can pass for a teen, which makes her even more valuable as a covert Solamnic operative.

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