Poisoned Shadows - Rules & Setting

Advantage: Friend of the People (2 Points)

Select a geographical area, such as a rancho in Castille, a province in Montaigne, or even one of the Norvik Isles. You have a reputation there as someone who helps those in danger or need, and are beloved by the common people of that area. You receive a free Raise on all social uses of Knacks among the common people. In addition, the people of the area will do their best to provide food and board for you while you are there. Enemies of those people view you as a threat, however, and all social rolls against them have their TN’s raised by 5.

Advantage: Membership—Los Vagos (5 Points)

There should not be (and never should have been) different levels of “membership” in Los Vagos. Disregard the Unaffiliated Member, El Corazón, Patrón, and Compañero options, except for the Patron Background below. Membership in Los Vagos costs 5 Points, and grants the following benefits:

Regular contact with a senior member of the organization, equivalent to a 2-Point Connection Advantage,

Members who purchase the Athlete School automatically receive a Rank of 1 in the Leaping Knack,

One extra Reputation Die when acting as (and wearing the mask of) El Vago, and

If traveling through Castille (or any other area in which Los Vagos have an established presence), the hero’s room, board, and other incidental expenses are paid for. He may request the use of a fast horse or carriage for one Adventure, but is expected to return it at the end of the Adventure. He may also request up to two pieces of equipment per Adventure, limited to regular weapons (excluding cannons or other heavy ordinance), mundane equipment, and—at the Game Master’s option—specialized equipment such as lockpicks or a grappling gun.

Background: Patron

You are affiliated in some way with Los Vagos (or some other secret society). You are not a full member, but you are occasionally called on to perform some service for them. You might need to deliver a package, treat an injured agent’s wounds, provide food and lodging for someone on the run, or even masquerade as a member in order to provide someone else with an alibi. The number of points invested in this Background indicates how often you are asked to perform one of these tasks, and how much jeopardy that task might place you in.

Swordsman School: Calderón

Swordsman School: El Puñal Occulto

Curriculum: Fencing, Knife

Knacks: Bind (Fencing), Corps-á-Corps, Exploit Weakness (El Puñal Occulto), Pommel Strike (Fencing)

Apprentice: Unchanged

Journeyman: Journeymen of El Puñal Occulto have become incredibly adept at choosing the exact moment when they reveal the presence of their hidden knife. Once per combat, after the Journeyman has successfully initiated a Bind (or been placed in a Bind himself), he may make a free attack with his puñal. Once he has pulled of this maneuver, opponents will know to watch out for the off-hand weapon, which is why it cannot be attempted a second time.

Master: Masters have perfected the skill of attacking with their knives while fighting close. If he succeeds with a Corps-á-Corps attack, he may immediately make an attack with his puñal against his now-prone opponent (with all attendant benefits).

Notes: The combination of this school’s techniques and the special weapon it requires are, as originally written, physically impossible to utilize without causing yourself injury. The puñal, or hidden dagger, still fits into the hilt of the rapier, but it does not emerge blade-first, and therefore cannot be used with the Pommel Strike Knack. Furthermore, the statistics of the puñal more accurately reflect the statistics of a Vodacce throwing knife (1k1 DR, free Raise to attack roll when thrown, TN to Actively Defend increases by 5 when thrown.)

Swordsman School: Gallegos

Curriculum: Athlete, Knife

Knacks: Exploit Weakness (Gallegos), Feint (Fencing), Riposte (Fencing), Tagging (Fencing)

Apprentice: Unchanged

Journeyman: Unchanged

Master: Unchanged

Swordsman School: La Cruz

Swordsman School: Lavanha

Swordsman School: Soldano

Curriculum: Athlete, Knife

Knacks: Double Parry (Fencing/Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Soldano), Tagging (Fencing), Whirl (Fencing/Fencing)

Apprentice: Unchanged

Journeyman: Journeymen of the Soldano School have learned to thoroughly enrage and outwit their most dangerous opponents. Once per Round, if he is engaged in combat with a Villain, he may attempt a special Intimidate action against that Villain. He may add 1 to the roll for each Brute he has personally taken down in this fight, and 5 for each Henchman. If the Journeyman is successful, instead of the normal Intimidation effects, he steals one Drama Die from the GM, plus one for every Raise he made on the roll.

Master: Masters of the Soldano School have learned to marshal their strength for a single, devastating attack. After he has inflicted damage on an opponent, but before that opponent makes a Wound Check, the Master may spend a Drama Die (including those generated by the techniques or Swordsman Knacks of this School) to lower by 5 the number required for them to take an extra Dramatic Wound. He may do this multiple times, reducing the Wound Threshold as low as 5. For example, by using this ability and spending 2 Drama Dice, he could lower that number from 20 (the usual value) to 10 (5 times 2 Drama Dice).

Notes: While Soldano is intended for use with two rapiers, it may be used with a single rapier, though the Swordsman loses the use of his Double Parry and Whirl Knacks.

Swordsman School: Zepeda

Curriculum: Athlete, Whip

Knacks: Bind (Whip), Disarm (Whip), Exploit Weakness (Zepeda), Tagging (Whip)

Apprentice: Unchanged

Journeyman: Unchanged

Master: Unchanged