Poisoned Shadows - Rules & Setting

Note: The Juggling Knack should be used in place of the Balancing Knack described in the Cathay book.

Civil Skill: Bureaucrat (“Gwai Liao”)

This Skill does not exist in the game, and should be disregarded. A character who is “part courtier, part politician, part scholar” can be created using the Courtier, Politician, and Scholar Skills.

Civil Skill: Fireworks

Basic Knacks: Arrange Display, Safety and Use

Advanced Knacks: Fuses, Natural Philosophy, Rocketry

Note: The Natural Philosophy Knack should be used in place of the Make Fireworks Knack listed in the Cathay book.

Civil Skill: Fortune Teller

Basic Knacks: Oratory

Advanced Knacks: Bones, Card Reading, Cold Read, I Ching (Cathay only), Omens, Palm Reading, Sincerity

Note: Other Advanced Knacks may exist for specific types of fortune telling (tea leaves, phrenology, etc.)

Civil Skill: Geomancer (“Feng Shui Shi”)

Basic Knacks: Chanting, Gardener, Oratory, Philosophy

Advanced Knacks: Architecture, Astronomy, Cartography, Feng Shui (“Geomancy”), Meditation, Occult, Theology

Civil Skill: Healer (“Cao Yao”)

Basic Knacks: Diagnosis, First Aid, Massage

Advanced Knacks: Acupuncture, Compounds

Martial Skill: Blowgun

Basic Knacks: Attack (Blowgun), Fletcher

Advanced Knacks: Poison

Martial Skill: Chain

There is no need for the Chain Skill; anyone using a chain (or a related weapon, such as an agricultural flail) should rely on the Improvised Weapon Skill.

Martial Skill: Exotic Weapon

Basic Knacks: Attack (Exotic Weapon), Parry (Exotic Weapon)

Advanced Knacks: Throw (Exotic Weapon)

Note: This Skill should be used in lieu of the Exotic Paired Weapon and Exotic Thrown Weapon Skills described in the Cathay book.

Martial Skill: Hard Martial Arts

Basic Knacks: Attack (Martial Arts), Block (Martial Arts)

Advanced Knacks: Claw Hand, Jab, Kick, Nerve Strike

Notes: Block may be used under the same circumstances as Parry, but only against unarmed (i.e., Dirty Fighting, Pugilism, Wrestling, and Hard or Soft Martial Arts) attacks. Claw Hand is mechanically identical to Eye Gouge, and Nerve Strike is mechanically identical to Throat Strike. However, these Knacks represent a variety of attacks to deep tissues and vital areas, respectively.

Martial Skill: Soft Martial Arts

Basic Knacks: Escape, Footwork, Grapple

Advanced Knacks: Break Fall, Joint Lock, Meditation, Sidestep, Throw

Swordsman School: Chin Te

Curriculum: Athlete, Improvised Weapon

Knacks: Bind (Improvised Weapon), Disarm (Improvised Weapon), Exploit Weakness (Chin Te), Whirl (Improvised Weapon)

Apprentice: Apprentices learn to be equally comfortable wielding an agricultural flail in either hand, and never suffer an off hand penalty, whether using a single weapon in either hand or two weapons at once. In addition, they receive a Free Raise to all Attack (Chain) rolls made while wielding such a flail. Apprentices receive one free Rank in an exclusive Knack in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild: Entangle (Improvised Weapon). This is an Advanced Knack of the Improvised Weapon Skill, available only to students of Chin Te.

Journeyman: Unchanged.

Master: Unchanged.

Note: Chin Te is only usable with an agricultural flail (or two). These flails are small, blunt weapons with a Damage Rating of 1k1.

Swordsman School: Gongjian Shou

Curriculum: Archer, Rider

Knacks: Arc, Charge (Bow), Exploit Weakness (Gongjian Shou), Snapshot

Apprentice: Archers of this style learn to make every arrow they fire count. They may add their Mastery Level in Chima Gongjian Shou to all Damage Rolls they make after hitting a target with an arrow. Apprentices receive a free Rank in the Horse Archery Knack in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Journeymen archers of this style are like dervishes in combat, darting about on their mounts and striking quickly. While on horseback, they may lower a single Action Die by their Rank in the Charge Knack before Phase 1 of each Round of combat, not just before the first Round.

Master: Masters have perfected the ability to draw and fire an arrow in the blink of an eye, even while mounted. They may use their Snapshot Knack on horseback. In addition, they do not need to make two Raises when using their Snapshot Knack, whether on foot or mounted.

Note: This was called “Chima Gongjian Shou” in the Cathay book, but that’s a silly name.

Swordsman School: Jasni

Curriculum: Captain, Fencing

Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Disarm (Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Jasni), Leadership

Apprentice: Apprentices of Jasni quickly learn to compensate for the rolling motion of the sea and the weight of their signature blades while fighting. They may use their Balance Knack in place of their Parry (Fencing) Knack while using a kastane, and they may disregard the Action Die penalty associated with the kastane’s blade-heavy manufacture. In addition, if they participate in a Boarding, they always add their Mastery Level in Jasni to rolls on the Boarding Action Table, and any opposing Crew lost as a result of a Boarding Action are considered captured as slaves, rather than killed. Apprentices receive Membership in the Tiakhar Volunteer Navy for free, rather than membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Journeymen of the Jasni style almost never lose their balance. They add an extra Kept Die (+1k1) to all rolls involving the Balance Knack, including Active Defenses. Furthermore, whenever they fight alongside Brute Squads, all the Brutes’ rolls are increased by their leader’s Mastery Level in Jasni.

Master: The Master’s fearsome reputation as a member of the Volunteer Navy increases his Fear Rating by 1, or gives him a Fear Rating of 1 if he did not have one before. If a Master takes part in a boarding, the die he rolls when using the Boarding Action table explodes if it rolls a ten. Finally, when fighting alongside a Brute Squad, the Master’s leadership increases the Threat Rating of the Squad by one (e.g., a TR 2 Brute Squad becomes a TR 3 Brute Squad). This increase applies to rolls the Squad makes, as well as bonuses to the Master’s own rolls, courtesy of fighting alongside the Brutes.

Notes: Obviously, the revised Jasni school focuses heavily on the swordsman’s ability to lead small groups of sailors in boarding actions. It is reserved for officers aboard Tiakhar vessels. The Leadership Knack is found under the Captain Skill, but it is considered a Basic Knack for Jasni swordsmen. The statistics for the kastane presented in the Cathay book should be disregarded. Instead, treat a kastane as a fencing weapon made with the Blade Heavy and Quality Weapon modifications, as described in the Swordsman’s Guild book. The cost for a kastane remains unchanged, due to the extensive ornamentation common to the weapons.

Swordsman School: Ki Kwanji

Curriculum: Hard Martial Arts, Pugilism

Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Exploit Weakness (Ki Kwanji), Kick, Snap Kick

Apprentice: The Apprentice’s hands move like lightning. His Attack (Pugilism) and Attack (Martial Arts) are considered to be a single Knack: Attack (Ki Kwanji). The automatic Rank in each Knack provided by the Skills in the Basic Curriculum gives the Apprentice a starting Rank of 2 in this Knack, and it can be raised as any other Basic Knack. Furthermore, Jab is considered a Basic Knack for a Ki Kwanji fighter; he receives a Rank in this Knack from each Skill in his Basic Curriculum, giving him a Rank of 2 in Jab, as well. The Apprentice receives a free Rank in one of his Swordsman Knacks in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Unchanged, aside from changes in the Snap Kick Knack described below.

Master: Unchanged.

Notes: Kick is considered a Basic Knack for students of the Ki Kwanji School. The Snap Kick Knack functions as described in the Cathay book, however, the kick has a Damage Rating of 0k2, rolling a number dice equal to the fighter’s Mastery Level in Ki Kwanji (Brawn is not added to this damage roll). Raises may be made on the Snap Kick to add Unkept dice to the Damage Roll, as usual.

Swordsman School: Shaktishaalee

Curriculum: Fencing, Rider

Knack: Cavalry Attack (Fencing), Charge (Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Shaktishaalee), Whirl (Fencing)

Apprentice: Unchanged, except that the Apprentice may choose a free Rank in any of his Swordsman Knacks, rather than only taking a Rank of Cavalry Attack.

Journeyman: Unchanged.

Master: Unchanged.

Note: This style also has a silly name, but what can you do? Cavalry Attack is considered a Basic Knack for students of Shaktishaalee.

Swordsman School: Shan Dao

Curriculum: Athlete, Heavy Weapon

Knacks: Beat (Heavy Weapon), Corps-á-Corps, Exploit Weakness (Shan Dao), Lunge (Heavy Weapon)

Apprentice: Apprentices of the Shan Dao school learn to put incredible power behind their two-handed strikes. They may add their Rank in Brawn to any rolls using the Attack (Heavy Weapon) Knack (e.g., an Apprentice with a Brawn of 3 may receives a +3 bonus to his attack rolls, as well as contested rolls to resist a Disarm attempt). The Apprentice receives the Combat Reflexes Advantage at no cost in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Unchanged.

Master: The Masters of Shan Dao move and strike so quickly, even they have occasional trouble keeping up with themselves. Their opponents, naturally, suffer a much worse fate. Masters may roll as many extra Kept Action Dice as they wish, and may do so in conjunction with the Journeyman ability. However, for each extra Action Die they roll, all their attacks for that Round (including the use of their Swordsman Knacks) roll one less Kept die (-1k1).

Note: This style was called “Shan Dian Dao Te” in the Cathay book, which is—you guessed it—a silly name.

Swordsman School: Shao Ren

Curriculum: Fencing, Soft Martial Arts

Knacks: Disarm (Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Shao Ren), Feint (Fencing), Lunge (Fencing)

Apprentice: The Apprentice learns a series of thirteen different stances, all designed to flow effortlessly into one another and protect him from harm. He receives a Free Raise to Active Defense rolls when using Footwork as his Defense Knack. In addition, he learns the Bu Shu or Catching the Mouse technique, where he slips inside an opponent’s guard and relies on grappling techniques and leverage to strip his weapon. He may make use of his Disarm Knack even if his own weapon is sheathed or lost.

Journeyman: A Journeyman has perfected a new technique: the Mi Jian or Secret Sword Hand, in which he extends his free hand to hide the point of his blade. When attempting a Feint, you receive a number of Free Raises equal to your Mastery Level in this fighting style.

Master: Unchanged, except for renaming the technique Chieh, which means “Intercept and Attack.”

Notes: This was called “Hua Shao Ren Te” in the Cathay book, which is an even sillier name than “Chima Gongjian Shou,” particularly since the school seems to be based on the inoffensively-named art of Tai Chi. The jian used by practitioners of this schools is a double-edged weapon, not a double-bladed one as erroneously stated in the school’s description.

Swordsman School: Tie Xiong

Curriculum: Athlete, Hard Martial Arts

Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Exploit Weakness (Tie Xiong), Knife Hand, Power Block

Apprentice: Apprentices of Tie Xiong are taught to strike as hard as they can with every attack they make. You may add the bonus from your Knife Hand Knack to Damage Rolls for kicks as well as standard Martial Arts Attacks. Apprentices receive a free Rank in one of their Swordsman Knacks in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Unchanged, except that the technique relies on the use of Finesse + Attack (Martial Arts). The Knife Hand Knack adds to the Damage Roll normally.

Master: Unchanged.

Notes: The corrected Knife Hand Knack is similar to the Hook Knack: the swordsman adds his Rank in Knife Hand to all Damage Rolls arising from the Attack (Martial Arts) Knack. This School appeared in the Cathay book as “Tie Xiong Kung.” Tie Xiong fighters do not need to make a Raise to inflict 1k1 damage with a Power Block: it inflicts this damage automatically (though it is not adjusted for Brawn or the Knife Hand Knack), and Raises may be taken to add Unkept dice to the Damage Roll as usual.

Swordsman School: Wu Tsain

Curriculum: Geomancer, Soft Martial Arts

Knacks: Disarm (Unarmed), Exploit Weakness (Wu Tsain), Tagging (Unarmed), Yield

Apprentice: Apprentices of Wu Tsain learn how to make false attacks that disrupt their enemies’ offensive rhythm. When they make a Tagging attack, they may forego the usual options of discarding one of the opponent’s Drama Dice or gaining a Drama Die of their own. If they do, they may increase the opponent’s next Action Die by 1, plus the number of Raises made on the Tagging roll. If this increases the Action Die past 10, it is discarded. Apprentices receive a free Rank in one of their Swordsman Knacks in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: Unchanged, except that you gain a bonus to Active Defenses using the Yield Knack equal to your Rank in that Knack, rather than Keeping an extra die.

Master: Unchanged.

Notes: As a Swordsman Knack, Yield functions just like the Double Parry Knack, except that it may only be used if Footwork was used to determine the fighter’s Passive Defense. Yield is no longer part of the Soft Martial Arts Skill, thus it remains an Advanced Knack, and is available only to students of Wu Tsain.

Swordsman School: Yi Quan

Curriculum: Hard Martial Arts, Soft Martial Arts

Knacks: Corps-á-Corps, Disarm (Unarmed), Exploit Weakness (Yi Quan), Kick

Apprentice: The Apprentice learns that mobility is the key to Yi Quan, and that the art should be used for defense, rather than offense. When using Footwork as his Defense Knack the Apprentice may increase his TN to be hit by his Rank in the Leaping Knack. Apprentices receive a free Rank in the Leaping Knack in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild. If the Apprentice does not have access to Leaping in any of his Skills, he receives the free Rank as a Specialty Knack, and it does not count against his limit of three Specialty Knacks.

Journeyman: Already capable of defending himself in hand to hand combat, a Journeyman of Yi Quan learns to focus his energies to defend himself from the arrow strikes of the bandits and highwaymen that plague the roads of Han Hua. He may use Block (Martial Arts) as his Defense Knack against arrows, thrown weapons, stones from slings, or crossbow bolts. A missile weapon which misses due to a target’s Passive Defense simply fails to hit the target. If the Journeyman makes a successful Active Defense against a missile attack using Block (Martial Arts), he has actually snatched the missile out of the air rather than simply batting it aside, and earns a Drama Die which disappears at the end of the current Round if it is not used. This Drama Die never converts to an Experience Point under any circumstances.

Master: As a Master, a student of Yi Quan recognizes that sometimes a fight cannot be avoided. Thus, he learns to use his skills for offense in an attempt to intimidate his enemies into submission; in essence, learning how to fight so that he will not have to fight. The Journeyman may add his Rank in the Leaping Knack to both Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls when using Kick as his attack Knack. Furthermore, he receives a free Rank in his Leaping Knack. This may increase his Rank in Leaping from a 5 to a 6. If it does not, he may increase it from a 5 to a 6 later by spending 25 XP.

Notes: This style is called “Zheng Yi Quan” in the Cathay book, but…well, you know. Kick is considered a Basic Knack for students of this style.

Swordsman School: Ying Sun

Curriculum: Dirty Fighting, Hunter

Knacks: Exploit Weakness (Ying Sun), Eye Gouge, Head Butt, Throat Strike

Apprentice: Apprentices have learned that while a striking falcon has little opportunity for defense, an enemy cannot strike what it cannot see. They receive one Free Raise per Mastery Level on all attacks made using the Eye Gouge Knack. Apprentices of Ying Sun spend a great deal of time in the forests of Tashil and Tiakhar, observing predators in their natural surroundings. As a result, instead of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild, they receive two extra Ranks in the Basic Knacks of their choice under the Hunter Skill.

Journeyman: Journeymen of the style have witnessed territorial disputes between two proud males of one antlered species or another, and have incorporated elements of the beasts’ attacks into their fighting techniques. When using the Head Butt Knack, Journeymen may choose to inflict a 4k2 attack on their opponent, at the cost of suffering 2k1 Flesh Wounds themselves. Neither of these Damage Rolls is increased by Brawn. The TN to hit both you and your opponent drops to 5 until the end of the next Phase, or the end of the Round (whichever comes first).

Master: Masters of Ying Sun have learned to deal with their opponents the way the falcon deals with a serpent: a crippling strike to the serpent’s neck. They have learned the “Snake Defeating Hand” technique, a grasping Throat Strike which leaves the opponent virtually helpless against the Master’s relentless assault. To make this attack, he spends an Action Die and rolls Finesse + Throat Strike, calling as many extra Raises as he likes. If successful, the attack inflicts an automatic Dramatic Wound, plus additional damage as a regular barehanded attack (triggering a Wound Check as usual). For each extra Raise taken on the Throat Strike attack (unless it is used to increase damage), the Master may immediately spend an Action Die from later in the Round to make an Eye Gouge, Head Butt, Kick, or regular Dirty Fighting Attack.

Notes: Eye Gouge, Head Butt, and Throat Strike are considered Basic Knacks for students of the Ying Sun style. This style was called “Ying Sun Wo” in the Cathay book.

Sorcery: Baofong Xue Wudao

Umm…yeah. Look, I’m as big a fan of ice magic as the next guy—probably a bigger fan than the next guy, actually. But this is just too out there, and is totally inconsistent with everything we know about Sorcery in 7th Sea. Leave weather manipulation to the Skjæren and the Sha’ir, and disregard this altogether.

Sorcery: Fu

Knacks: Chen, Ch’ien, K’un, Kan, Ken, Li, Sun, Tui

A fixed version will be coming soon. Promise.

Sorcery: Huan Shu

Knacks: Agility, Perception, Speed, Stamina, Strength

Apprentice: You are a perfect physical specimen. You have never been sick a day in your life, and you heal amazingly quickly. You are considered to be half your age when determining the effects of Age upon you, and you are immune to disease. At the end of every Scene, you may make a Brawn roll against a TN of 30 to heal one Dramatic Wound.

Adept: Your physique has developed even further. You can withstand even greater punishment, and when you take damage, your wounds heal in a much shorter time than anyone else’s. Your toughened skin gives you a +5 bonus to your TN to be hit, making your TN 10 + 5 x Defensive Knack. At any time, you may spend a Drama Die to heal a Dramatic Wound immediately.

Master: You have learned to focus your inner strength to resist taking damage. You may spend a Drama Die to automatically succeed at a Wound Check, regardless of its TN. You gain another +5 bonus to your base TN to be hit, making your TN 15 + 5 x Defensive Knack.

Agility: You are incredibly graceful. All Finesse rolls you make, including attack rolls, receive a bonus equal to your Rank in this Knack.

Perception: You are alert and perceptive. All of your Wits rolls, including Perception Checks and Active Defenses, receive a bonus equal to your Rank in this Knack.

Speed: Your hands move more quickly than the eye can follow. You receive a bonus to all your Panache rolls equal to your Rank in this Knack. This bonus also applies to your Initiative total, but not to individual Action Dice.

Stamina: You can endure things that would make even the mightiest men fall. Whenever you make a Resolve roll, you receive a bonus equal to your Rank in this Knack.

Strength: You can lift far more than a person of your size, frame, and physique ought to be able to lift. All of your Brawn rolls, including Wound Checks and damage rolls for weapons that add your Brawn to their Damage Rating, receive a bonus equal to your Rank in this Knack.

Note: This is technically a Shamanism, rather than a Sorcery; it represents a Cathayan athlete’s ability to channel his inner strength and transcend the limits of ordinary human behavior. It is a product of extensive training and meditation, and has no effect (positive or negative) on the Barrier. Obviously, this is virtually identical to the Male Scrying Sorcery described in the Sophia’s Daughters sourcebook; however, that sorcery does not exist outside of Cathay in the Poisoned Shadows campaign.

Sorcery: Mayawi Shakti

Sorcery: Nha Nong

Another cute idea, but until it can be fleshed out into a correct, five-Knack Sorcery, it should be disregarded.

Sorcery: Song Hwang Tung

Yet another poorly advised decision. While this might be useful as some sort of Sidhe power, or possibly combined with Nha Nong to make a green thumb Sorcery (Hmm…), just ignore this one, too.

Sorcery: Tashila

This Sorcery does not exist in the game, and should be disregarded. To play a character with abilities of this nature, give him the Mystic Skill and the Man of Will Advantage.

Sorcery: Youya Chima Ren

This Sorcery does not exist in the game, and should be disregarded. However, Cathayan horsemen may purchase the Bounded Mount Advantage described in the Crescent Empire book for 10 HP.