<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Shattered Haven</span><br/><br/>Shattered Haven is a dark and grim world, a place where frightened people huddle in the darkness to escape the harsh searchlights of the ruling government, amongst them informants who sell out friends and relatives for a good meal and some scant protection.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><strong>Arcane magic</strong> has been all but wiped out, with those who are suspected of using it being taken from their beds in the middle of the night.</li><li><strong>Divine magic</strong> is almost gone, with fewer and fewer people having hope and believing in the gods who are distant and almost completely silent, imbuing only a few with their power.</li><li><strong>Psions </strong>rule the city, the whole urban landscape bent to the will of those who would wield the power of the mind to subdue and torture all those who would resist their rule.</li><li>An <strong>underground resistance</strong> fights a losing battle in attempts to overthrow the evil government, their desperation pushing them to vile acts of depravity, corruption, and heresy.</li><li>Streets are filled with <strong>pushers </strong>looking to make a few silver and the <strong>junkies </strong>who have lost all hope, willing to do anything for their next fix.</li><li><strong>Gangs </strong>fill the seedier parts of the city at night, looking for marks to brutalize and mug, leaving bodies broken in dark alleys and gutters.</li><li><strong>Slavery and prostitution</strong> flourish behind locked doors as the wealthy scum rise to the surface, corruption lurking within most echelons of society and the government.</li><li>The <strong>secret police</strong> terrorizes the populace, attempting to root out any and all rebellion--even where it doesn't exist.</li><li>Outside the cities are landscapes <strong>warped </strong>and <strong>twisted </strong>by magical energy gone awry, deforming any creatures who wander through apart from the few who know the ways to navigate the dread wastes, where great and terrible magics of past ages can still be found--as well as their guardians, perverted by the energies flowing through the place.</li><li><strong>Demons </strong>banished aeons ago by arcane magic begin to feel their bonds loosen, and prepare to rise to take their rightful place.</li><li><strong>Abominations </strong>from the Far Realms work to rupture the fabric of reality and flood into the world.</li><li>A terrible and abominable <strong>new technology</strong> born of chaos has begun surfacing in places--though what its purpose or true origin is, no one knows. But it might be the only change left to overthrow the current rulers.</li></ul>This is<strong>Shattered Haven</strong>. Welcome to the<strong>darkness</strong>.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 16pt;">Game Rules and Lore</span><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">History of Shattered Haven</div><div class="spoiler_body">It was a few hundred years ago when they first came. I was a youngling then, barely into my prime when I first saw them. Before they came, it was a peaceful time. A time of wonder and happiness, where the races were one, a whole. Sure there were fights back then, but they were petty things, squabbles of babes that did no more than tweak another's nose or leave a bruise that faded in a decade. It was a golden age, a time of peace. Prosperity. People laughed back then, out and openly, and we thought that the age would last forever.<br/><br/>But then they came. How long ago was it, you ask? Well, I don't right remember. Time seems to flow and ebb when you get my age. I barely remember a time when my legs didn't hurt just from standing, just from trying to move around this old body. And even I am old as us elves get. There was a time when we didn't have to hide underground, away from the baleful eye of the--yes, yes. I understand. On with what happened. It's important to remember history, y'know. Else we make the mistakes of the past time and again.<br/><br/>And so they came. Great portals tore through the air, and spewed out their endless numbers. They came in droves, clad in strange pieces of metal adorned with crystals that blotted out the sun wherever they walked. They crushed all in their path, tearing straight through magical defenses and physical armor as though they were naught but butter before hot knives. The humans were hit first, and they fought. Oh, how they fought--tooth and nail, clawing and biting and screaming to the last man. But it wasn't enough. Before they fell, they came to us, and to the others as well. But we didn't listen.<br/><br/>The first human nation fell, then the next. We told ourselves we were safe within our verdant strongholds, safe within the grasp of our Mother and Father who watch over us, that the gods would protect us from any disaster that befell us. I'm sure the other races felt the same, the dwarves within their hearths of stone and steel, the halflings hidden just below the surface in their burrows or plying trade along the rivers or in caravans, the orcish tribes warring upon the open plains.<br/><br/>Finally though, it became apparent to all that nothing would sate the invaders but the complete subjugation of the world, and so we banded together. Too late, though, too late. We were too late to stop them. I don't know if it was our unwillingness to fight from the beginning, or the hope lost from the fighting, but fewer and fewer heard the call of the gods. They slowly drifted away, as less people were born who could stave off the darkness. The connection began to fade, and less paladins existed to stand for their beliefs, fewer who could rally the hearts and minds of the people who continued to struggle. They say that as less people believe in them, the gods have less strength, and thus can affect fewer people--a vicious cycle that is nearing its endpoint with those who call to them grow fewer and they are all but forgotten.<br/><br/>As you know, my brethren--the cowards--left their homes. I don't know why or how the Great Council decided to bow before the invaders, but they did. Perhaps to save the young. Perhaps to wait and plan for something to come. Perhaps simply to save their own hides. I and a few others fled, and continued to fight--what's now known as the Resistance. And there were others who would not lay down their arms. The dwarves continued to fight within their strongholds, and the invaders lost many and shed much blood, but even the dwarves were defeated in the end.<br/><br/>Others fought in different ways. Mighty mages of all kinds gathered in one of the last remaining human cities to fight, to struggle against their fate. There they hatched a plan--I do not know what. I was still a mere youngling at the time, and was far away fighting against them myself. But what I do know is that the sky cracked soon afterwards. Was it their plan to deprive the invaders of the sun, or the retaliation of those who had invaded us against the audacity of the mages? Regardless, the sky was broken, and great clouds of grey and yellow filtered in, and the sun was gone. And then the corruption set in. Slowly at first, starting with the plains where the orcs hunted and gathered for their ancient rituals. Having been hit first, the orcs learned to survive the corruption, and now are most prominent of the raiders who take what they need from this city.<br/><br/>But they were just the first. Soon more and more died. And the mages began to disappear. Did they undertake a mass exodus to save their kind, ripping great portals in the air and escaping just as the invaders had come? Were they killed by those who had entered our world? Or did the corruption take them? Whatever the cause, whatever the meaning, the mages became few in numbers, and those that remained were unilaterally slaughtered. Few remain around who know of their ancient magics, and who knows how they learn to conjure beings from nothing or create great gouts of flame from thin air? Not I.<br/><br/>The city then rose. A great cry entered the minds of all the world, a disjointed scream, almost as though someone had come in a hurry to ransack your house and leave a note by the door as to why and what to do. It was... jarring to say the least. But that's how the city got started. They--the Exalted, as they were now calling themselves--declared a new city that would be safe from the corruption. As the rivers blackened and all that was green turned to dust, they promised a safe haven for all those who would come as long as they threw away their arms and obeyed the Exalted.<br/><br/>It is now centuries from then--more than half a millennium, I'm sure. People came to the city. They live here. Work here. Try to etch a living from the dirt, safe from the corruption that covers the land. But for how long? What will be our destiny? Is this our path, to live under their lash and whip until the end of time, or are there some who may make a difference? Who knows, perhaps you young'uns will be the ones who forge a new path into the wilderness, who will find a way to save this city under siege from within. But leave me now. I'm tired, and the days feel longer. Perhaps another day I'll tell another tale. But for now leave me.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Rules of Shattered Haven</div><div class="spoiler_body"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Character Aspects</span><br/><br/>There are relationships primary aspects of your character that should be described at character creation, though they need not be connected to each other.<br/><br/><strong>Strife:</strong> Your character's strife is something that's been happening either recently or for a long time now that troubles your character and causes them stress. Here are some examples:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Abusive family</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Short fuse</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Drinking problem</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">The government wants me</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Kleptomaniac</span></span></li></ul>Note that these should be explained further--how has the Strife aspect been troubling you recently? How has it been causing stress? Why is it beginning to bubble to the surface now?<br/><br/><strong>Goal:</strong> Your character's goal should be a long-term thing they try to achieve. While this aspect is generally not described as fully as the Strife aspect of a character, it should impact the character in a meaningful way and be one of their primary motivators. Remember that this should be something long-term, and not something that can be done at the drop of a hat. Here are some examples:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Find a cure for daughter's sickness</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Make amends guilt over causing a death</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Pay back debt to one of the Houses</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Find out why a certain organization wants you so desperately</span></span></li></ul><strong>Relationships: </strong>This aspect describes your relationship with the various organizations within the city of Tilroth. Pick at least two organizations, one of which is friendly towards you for some reason (perhaps they owe you a debt, or you helped them in some way), and one of which is unfriendly towards you (you've drawn their ire in some way).<br/><br/>This is another aspect where you should be as descriptive as possible--why precisely are you friendly or unfriendly with the organizations? What do they want of you? Is there something special about you, something that you might be trying to hide or are unaware of that makes you so attract their attention so?<br/><br/><strong>Dynamic Entry:</strong> From the womb of development your character explodes dramatically onto the harsh reality of the world. As a cooperative storytelling game, you are just as important as the DM, and this lets allows you, as a player, to affect the very start of the story. This should describe the start of the first scene for your character, and should be full of action or drama that truly defines some aspect of the character. While this might include other characters, usually it is a solo scene that you RP with the DM. Here are some examples:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">You hear a knock on the door--the Watchmen have come for you. Were you framed, or did you do it?</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">A vicious argument peaks between you and your ex. Will it lead to just verbal abuse, or something more?</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Desperately needing the money you exit a bank, your pockets stuffed with coins and cash. Will you escape pursuit?</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">You stand trial for a crime. Passionately arguing your case, will the verdict make you innocent or guilty?</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Abilities</span><br/><br/>Characters in Shattered Haven have 4 abilities:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Dangerous - How well your character fights, be it with ranged weapons, fists, or swords.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Watchfulness - How well your character perceives their surroundings, notices things, and picks up clues.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Persuasive - How adept your character is at talking to others and convincing them of things.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Shadowy - How well your character escapes from unwanted situations, is unnoticed, and flees.</span></span></li></ul>Characters gain +3, +2, +1, and +0 to ability scores, placing each in a single ability.<br/><br/>For example, a given character might have Watchfulness +3, Dangerous +2, Shadowy +1, and Persuasiveness 0.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">DCs</span><br/><br/>When faced with a challenge, characters roll 3d6 and add their ability score to the total. Most challenges have a target number (DC) of 12, though depending on the difficulty of the challenge this may be higher or lower.<br/><br/>Chance of success - To find a character's chance of success, take the DC, reduce the DC by the bonus, and look at the following table:<br/><br/><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Modified DC</strong></td><td><strong>Chance of Success</strong></td><td><strong>Rolling Twice (Better)</strong></td><td><strong>Rolling Twice (Worse)</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>16</strong></td><td>4.63%</td><td>9.05%</td><td>0.21%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>15</strong></td><td>9.26%</td><td>17.66%</td><td>0.92%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>14</strong></td><td>16.2%</td><td>29.78%</td><td>2.6%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>13</strong></td><td>25.23%</td><td>44.09%</td><td>6.36%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>12</strong></td><td>37.5%</td><td>60.94%</td><td>14.06%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>11</strong></td><td>50%</td><td>75%</td><td>25%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>10</strong></td><td>62.5%</td><td>85.94%</td><td>39.06%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>9</strong></td><td>74.07%</td><td>93.28%</td><td>54.86%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>8</strong></td><td>83.79%</td><td>97.37%</td><td>70.21%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>7</strong></td><td>90.74%</td><td>99.14%</td><td>85.75%</td></tr><tr><td><strong>6</strong></td><td>95.37%</td><td>99.79%</td><td>90.95%</td></tr></tbody></table><br/>Remember that a single challenge can have different target numbers for different abilities--for example, a bouncer might be quite tough to beat up (requiring a 14 to be rolled for Dangerous) but have a routine that forces him to leave his post every 5 minutes (requiring a 9 to be rolled for Watchfulness). Furthermore, if players use their environment or are descriptive and roleplay well, the DM should feel free to add or subtract more to their roll as they see fit. (For example, when using Persuasiveness to shout over the roar of a jet plane when trying to convince a crowd of something.)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Specialties</span><br/><br/>Characters can choose two different specialties upon character creation tied to specific ability scores (these should be fairly general). Upon doing a challenging activity that uses a specialty, the character may roll twice and take the better roll.<br/><br/>Examples of Specialties:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Dangerous - Fighting underground.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Dangerous - Fighting on rooftops.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Watchfulness - Picking up clues.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Watchfulness - Reading people.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Persuasive - Handling those connected to a specific organization.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Persuasive - Bribing people.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Shadowy - Fleeing on rooftops.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Shadowy - Picking locks.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Gaining Specialties</span><br/><br/>As they go through various trials and tribulations, characters learn to deal with things they've experienced before. At the end of each arc, each player should mention something that affected their character strongly; characters gain a specialty related to what happened, and add it to their list of specialties, though in general this should be even more specific than the starting specialties.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Peril</span><br/><br/>When characters get hurt, are wounded, or suffer they may gain different perils. Each peril is generally tied to an ability (that rises when failed), but this is not always necessarily the case.<br/><br/><strong>Wounds </strong>- A character is bruised, wounded, or generally hurt physically.<br/><strong>Scandal </strong>- The common-folk are repulsed by your actions and you have an unnatural reputation.<br/><strong>Suspicion </strong>- Some organization, the police, or the government is interested in you.<br/><strong>Nightmares </strong>- Madness rises in your mind. Nightmares plague your dreams, and sometimes your waking hours.<br/><br/>Each peril track has 7 levels, and once you have reached level 7 you take a -3 penalty to the related ability score until you reduce the track to the minimum possible for your character (usually 0). This penalty replaces all other consequences of the peril track until it is reset.<br/><br/>Should you fail your peril check, you (or someone else in your party) must continue making checks until someone succeeds, though they need not necessarily be the same sort. For example, you might open with Dangerous, then your friend could try Persuasive, and then you could try Shadowy. Every failure grants a chance of gaining peril.<br/><br/>If you are the one who initiated a situation that requires an ability check, you may try to escape the situation instead of attempting to succeed at it, and doing so gives you a +2 bonus to your check, though it does not bring you any closer to your goal.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Wounds Track</span><br/><ul class="bbc_list" style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Lightly scratched.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Minor bruises.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Major bruises.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Cuts and lacerations. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Dangerous check once per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Bandaged up. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Dangerous check an additional time per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Impeded functioning. Fight like a cornered animal: +1 to Dangerous checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Barely walking.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Scandal Track</span><br/><ul class="bbc_list" style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Strange looks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Whispers behind closed doors.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Wary expressions.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Concealed revulsion. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Persuasive check once per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Open distaste. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Persuasive check an additional time per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Awed horror. Stories abound: +1 to Persuasive checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Talk of the town.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Suspicion Track</span><br/><ul class="bbc_list" style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Taken notice of.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Watched from dark corners.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Spied upon.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Scrutinized suspiciously. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Shadowy check once per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Followed by shadows. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Shadowy check an additional time per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Thoroughly investigated. Expectations rise: +1 to Shadowy checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Constantly observed.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Nightmares Track</span><br/><ul class="bbc_list" style="list-style-type: decimal;"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Strange dreams.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Colors at the corner of vision.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Strange feelings cloud your senses.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Waking dreams. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Watchfulness check once per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Walking nightmares. The DM may force this character to reroll a successful Watchfulness check an additional time per session.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Impossible to tell reality from madness. Maddened insight: +1 to Watchfulness checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Thoroughly insane.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Gaining Perils</span><br/><br/>Whenever a activity is failed, there may be a chance to gain a peril. When this occurs, roll a d6 and compare it to the current level of peril that is in danger of rising. If you roll under the current level nothing occurs, but if you roll equal to or above, your peril increases by one. A 1 on the d6 never causes the peril to increase, while a 6 on the d6 always causes the peril to increase at least by one.<br/><br/>Certain especially perilous actions can raise a peril by more than one at a time at discretion of the DM, or the DM may levy a modifier on the d6 roll to check for a rising peril.<br/><br/>If a character ever has over 7 in a specific peril, they immediately become an NPC, either for a time or permanently (at the DM's discretion).<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Losing Perils</span><br/><br/>You can lose perils through two means:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Spending two grace points. Each two grace points spent reduces one peril by one rank.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Taking activities that are uplifting, inspirational, restful, or calming (reduce perils by one for every day one does so).</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Grace Points</span><br/><br/>Grace points are a way to track a player's fate, allowing them to bend reality to suit their whim.<br/><br/>Ways to gain grace points:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Roll a natural 16 or higher on an ability check.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Roleplay well (DM should award one to two grace points to each player at the end of each scene depending on how well they roleplayed).</span></span></li></ul>Grace points may be spent to:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">1 grace point may be spent to reduce one peril by one level. (Requires one hour of rest in a safe and secure area.)</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">1 grace point may be spent to reroll a check just rolled before the DM declares success or failure.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">2 grace points may be spent to reroll a check just rolled after the DM declares success or failure.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">3 grace points may be spent to automatically succeed at a specific action before rolling.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">5 grace points may be spent to automatically succeed at a specific action after rolling.</span></span></li></ul>Grace points may also be spent in other ways at the DM's whim. For example, if a character wants to sneak into a house, the player may ask the DM to spend a specific number of grace points in order to have the guard turned the other way (gaining a bonus to the check, for example) or not be there at all. This may be used at the DM's discretion to allow the players to gain contacts, be lucky in their findings, or have some other exceptional turn of luck in-story.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Heroic Sacrifice - Permanently Losing a Character</span><br/><br/>Grace points negotiation - when a character voluntarily sacrifices themselves for something or someone they believe in, or if they have a dramatic death in an attempt to meet story goals, they may discuss this decision before going through with it. In this case, the DM may either let them keep some or all of the grace points they had, or give them conditions they can fulfill when sacrificing themselves in order to keep more grace points.<br/><br/>Upon the loss of a character due to heroic sacrifice, all of the players at the table (including the DM) vote secretly on how heroic the sacrifice was on a scale of 0-10. (Each writes down a number on a piece of paper which goes into a bag.) The average (rounded up) is how many grace points the player gets on top of any he would have kept upon creating a new character.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Magic</span><br/><br/>Certain characters in Shattered Haven have the ability to wield uncanny forces that few others have access to. Each type of magic has a different ability score and peril associated with it.<br/><br/>Characters are either trained or untrained in a specific type of magic (and can be trained in more than one), but are considered to always have at least 1 in the peril associated with the magic (which can never be reduced lower than 1) and are considered to have that peril one lower when making peril checks to see if a peril is raised.<br/><br/>Magic can be used in three ways:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Minor - Roll your upcoming roll twice and take the higher roll. Make a peril check.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Moderate - Reroll a failed check in the appropriate ability. Increase a peril by one.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Major - Automatically succeed on a check after having failed. Increase a peril by one, and make a peril check.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Arcane</span><br/><br/>Arcane magic stems from secrets whispered by devils in the sleep of specific people. The devils make Faustian pacts that lead to more and more control over a person's life. However, arcane magic is banned by the government and any who practice it are hunted.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Can assist on Persuasion checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Raises Suspicion peril.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Divine</span><br/><br/>People who can tap into the whispers of forgotten gods are rare. While the voices are usually quite, sometimes they can crescendo into whispers or even shouts that only the individual can hear. But a price is paid for the knowledge, as great rents form in the flesh of those who don't block out the voices completely.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Can assist on Watchfulness checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Raises Wounds peril.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Nature</span><br/><br/>Nature is a strange and terrible beast that has been corrupted beyond all recognition. There are those who have developed a way to connect to nature in a parasitic way, drawing off some of its horrendous nature to become great beasts with enormous strength and the ability to tear through walls. Yet the appearance is something that shocks and repulses despite appearing similar to their original form, which can cause whispers behind closed doors.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Can assist on Dangerous checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Raises Scandal peril.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Psionic</span><br/><br/>Meditation and a use of the inner eye has allowed some individuals to step outside of their own bodies, if only for a few seconds, and enter a different plane where they can spy on creatures and even enter others to change their perceptions. The use this though, slowly changes their own mind causing the users of this almost-lost art to slowly grow less in touch with the reality around them.<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Can assist on Shadowy checks.</span></span></li><li><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1em;">Raises Nightmares peril.</span></span></li></ul><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 2em;">Player vs. Player</span><br/><br/>PvP doesn't happen often, but when it does it can be deadly. This works in the same way as other challenges, with a small twist. First, the aggressor chooses an ability with which he will attack, and then the defender chooses an ability with which he will defend. After that, both the attacker and defender roll, adding the relevant modifier below to the defender's roll as well as any miscellaneous modifiers added by the DM due to the description or use of the environment as normal. The attacker's total sets the defender's target number, and on a failure the defender has a chance of gaining a peril, while on a success the attacker has a chance of gaining a peril.<br/><br/>Remember that the aggressor can choose to retreat if he wishes, gaining the +2 bonus when doing so. Furthermore, should he decide to do so and the defender tries to attack rather than retreating himself, then the defender becomes the attacker from then on (and chooses which attack method to use first). If both players decide to retreat they may do so to end the combat. Repeat the rolls until the combat is resolved, either through both characters choosing to retreat, or until one person has over 7 in a peril.<br/><br/>Columns are what the aggressor chose for their ability when attacking, check by the defender's row, defender gains modifier.<br/><br/>Modifier to defender based on abilities:<br/><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td></td><td><strong>Dangerous</strong></td><td><strong>Watchfulness</strong></td><td><strong>Persuasive</strong></td><td><strong>Shadowy</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Dangerous</strong></td><td>+0</td><td>+0</td><td>+2</td><td>-2</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Watchfulness</strong></td><td>+0</td><td>+0</td><td>-2</td><td>+2</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Persuasiveness</strong></td><td>-2</td><td>+2</td><td>+0</td><td>+0</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Shadowy</strong></td><td>+2</td><td>-2</td><td>+0</td><td>+0</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Character Sheet</div><div class="spoiler_body">Copy the following when making your character:<br/><br/><div class="codeheader">Code: <a class="codeoperation" href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="return smfSelectText(this);">[Select]</a></div><pre style="margin: 0; padding: 0;"><code class="bbc_code">[size=5]Character Sheet:[/size]<br/><br/>[floatright][img height=300]http://&lt;YOURPICTUREURLHERE.JPG&gt;[/img][/floatright][b]Name:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Race:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Appearance:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Background:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Strife:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Goal:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Relationships:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Dynamic Entry:[/b]<br/><br/>[b]Abilities:[/b]<br/>Dangerous: (0-3)<br/>Watchfulness: (0-3)<br/>Persuasive: (0-3)<br/>Shadowy: (0-3)<br/><br/>[b]Specialties:[/b]<br/>(Pick two specialties, assigning them each to an ability.)<br/><br/>[b]Perils:[/b]<br/>Wounds: (0-7)<br/>Nightmares: (0-7)<br/>Scandal: (0-7)<br/>Suspicion: (0-7)<br/><br/>[b]Grace Points:[/b]<br/>(0+)<br/><br/>[b]Magic:[/b]<br/>(If any, choose one or more.)</code></pre></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Races of Shattered Haven</div><div class="spoiler_body"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Humans</span><br/><br/>With how quickly they breed and their will to never give up, Humans are the dominant race of Tilroth. They serve as the main source of labor, each generation often saying that they will never make the mistakes of their forebears only to fall once more into the steady track that has been set for them. Sometimes living hard and fast, and other times at a slow and steady pace, humans fill both some of the highest offices in government and the lowest slums as both pushers and junkies. Diverse and versatile, humans come from a variety of different walks of life, each one different from all the others while still appearing to meld into the press of flesh that makes up their race.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Resilient<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Corruptable<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Dwarves</span><br/><br/>Strong as the earth from which they often emerge, dwarves dwell within their dark mines unceasing in their labor. Generations past they were amongst the last still standing in their fight to stop the invasion of the Exalted. Bunkering down within their defenses of stone and rock they were the last to fall, their stubborness refusing to allow thems to bow their heads to the new self-appointed psionic overlords. Thus, to this day they continue to be untrusted, forced to dig and burrow deeper into the earth to find gems and other minerals, tearing into the world's heart and soul. Ever-watched, ever-monitored, sometimes a lone dwarf will find some way to break free of the surveillance placed on him and flee to join the resistance, one of the gangs above, or somewhere else relatively safe above the surface, prolonging his existance a little longer--or not.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Tough<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Stubborn<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">High Elves</span><br/><br/>The elves of Tilroth are amongst the most trusted by the government. They were the first to surrender to the forces of the Exalted Ones, and quickly integrated into their enviornment. Many of other races say that elves are naturally evil, their fey-like nature being the most easily molded by the power of the Exalted Ones, but behind some doors it is whispered that the elves simply surrendered so that they might fight against the government from within--or because they saw some long-term plan that needed to be carried out that the more short-lived races were unable to fathom. Either way, elves are often looked upon with a strange mixture of suspician and adoration by many in the populace, on one hand having willingly been enslaved, while on the other being graceful and beautiful, so beyond the reach of the common man. With their long-term views, elves rarely become emotional or allow themselves to become embroiled in something personally dangerous, having far more years than others of different races. Thus, they often stay aloof and distant, except for the exceptionally passionate elf who is often disdained by his own kind.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Graceful<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Aloof<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Wild Elves</span><br/><br/>The races with the strongest connection to the natural world are the wood and wild elves--and some also say that they are the most corrupt. They are the only ones who survive within the wastelands of arcane turmoil and twisted eldritch corruption that the land has undergone, and are a secretive lot. Covered from head to toe with clothes of uniform colors with only their eyes showing, elves are very xenophobic and tend to kill anyone who enters their "territory" without any questions asked. They're nomadic, travelling from place to place, and often raid towns for their needs. However, every elf journies into the cities, where they are often met with disdain and hate for their way of life and the way that their tribes take whatever they want. Their prejudices confirmed, most return home within a year. Those who do not are known as the "Lost", and are considered dead to the tribe. Even if they return after a year has passed, they are considered ghosts to their tribe, ones to be met with arrow and sword and killed just as any other outsider would be lest they bring the taint of the cities into the tribe's tents. The elves practice cannibalism, eating both their own dead and their enemies, believing that they will gain the wisdom of their ancestors or the strength of their enemies. Minor mutations are common amongst these elves, and many have an extra finger or toe, the magical taint of the land changing their very bodies in ways that most people see as unnatural.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Aggressive<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Xenophobic<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Gnomes</span><br/><br/>Unlike their dwarvish cousins, the gnomes of Tilroth were unable to put up an organized resistance when the Exalted Ones took over and were quickly crushed within their halls of earth and stone. Rather than let their stores of knowledge and technological wonders be destroyed, the gnomes allowed the invaders in with minimal resistance after they had entered the city proper--though the battle to there had been savage and full of violence. Now the government has gnomes doing what they do best--inventing. The gnomish thirst for knowledge continues to drive them on in their endeavor, though no longer do their own morals dictate what they are and aren't willing to invent. However, gnomish equipment often breaks down or even explodes for no reason--perhaps with their heart no longer in their work, their inventions have lost their durability, or perhaps the gnomes are purposefully sabotaging their own creations to limit the extent of the damage caused by the government...<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Inquisitiveness<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Inattentiveness<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Half-Elves</span><br/><br/>Outcasts and pariahs, half-elves are often seen as mistakes that should have been aborted by their elvish ancestors, or as the progeny of monsters and fey by their human family. Often growing up bitter and angry at the world, half-elves can often be found leading gangs, their natural grace granting them a position of leadership while their rage at those who turned them away keeping those beneath them in line. One characteristic of many half-elves is their hedonistic tendencies, wanting to experience as much pleasure as possible where the world denied them it, and a number can be found prostituting themselves or others or dealing and taking drugs for a brief sense of ephemeral pleasure. Rarely they become diplomats, dealing between the elves and the rest of the world as an untrusted ambassador who might turn on one like a feral animal.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Guileful<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Hedonistic<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Half-Orcs</span><br/><br/>Power. In society, power is what is respected, and many half-orcs have this in plenty in the form of their strength. When careful negotiations don't get you what you want, a fist through someone's sternum is a good alternative in the mind of most half-orcs. It is a sign of some note amongst many politicians and nobles to have half-orc bodyguards, and these often stay true to their employers since they get the opportunity to look threatening and are able to look forward to steady pay. Still, others find a place within the gangs that wander the seedier streets, roughing up or even mugging a passerby for whatever they might have in their pocket. Sometimes when a group of half-orcs has done something so heinous that they must leave the city completely they might band together and become raiders, living in the Wasteland and preying upon the fringes of the city.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Intimidating<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Violent<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Halflings</span><br/><br/>Universally hated and despised for their skill, halflings are second-class citizens and sometimes even slaves of some of the more despicable fetishes that politicians indulge at times. Their skills at burglary and sneaking about undetected allow many halflings to live in the only way that society allows them--through crime, which creates a vicious cycle, perpetuating the stereotype that all halflings are to be despised for their treachery. Many of the largest crime syndicates are run or operated by halflings, and there is even talk of an underground system that offers safe haven for halflings on the run.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Cunning<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Iniquitous<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Centaurs</span><br/><br/>Most horses died out when the arcane corruption spread through the land, unable to defend themselves against the taint. While some still survive and are used by the rich and wealthy to drag around in carriages, much of the menial work that they once fulfilled is done by centaurs. Their stability and ability to carry more than other races shoehorns most of the centaurs to the farms on the edge of the city, where they often suffer from raids from which they can do little to defend themselves. However, the centaur knows that his lot in life is to work and suffer, and so they continue to do their jobs without complaint, knowing that they could be in a much worse situation if they were forced out of the city completely. Stolid, most centaurs are born and die on the farms, accepting their duty, though a few are adventurous enough to forge deeper into the city to find work, and most of those are often conned into even worse jobs where they become simple beasts of burden once more, though for nobles who are less wealthy. Due to their gentle nature, most of the inhabitants of the city assume that centaurs are as stupid as horses are, and the biggest difference between the two is that horses can't speak; from there came the oft-used phrase, "As stupid as a centaur."<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Placid<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Acquiescent<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Drow</span><br/><br/>When their God-Queen was struck from their minds, as all the gods were from the minds of morals, the drow knew that they must keep faithful and turned their fury and fright at her disappearance upon their own society. Implementing strict restrictions and regulations, they turned to their children, beginning a society-wide indoctrination that many opposed. Those who fought against the changes were killed, by poison and shadow or out in the open. Slowly becoming unopposed, drow society warped into what it is today; a militant theocracy ruled by the former priestesses of the god. All newborns are taken from their mothers and led through a gauntlet of traditions that have lost much of their meaning over the centuries. They are told that females are superior to males, that everyone who is not drow is an enemy, and that they must die for their race and will be rewarded by joining their Goddess, though no one knows the truth. At night beneath the cover of darkness and their own abilities they sabotage key areas and lay traps, and at times during the day they go into crowded areas and sacrifice themselves by igniting massive black-powder explosives kept beneath billowing cloaks. Leading a constant guerrilla war against most factions, the drow are usually reviled and hated wherever they go, if not attacked on sight, though some whisper of a tenuous alliance between the Resistance and the drow--after all, the enemy of one's enemy can be used...<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Ambitious<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Vengeful<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Shifters</span><br/><br/>There aren't many shifters out there, but they usually live in their own small communities; yet most of the shifters don't come from shifter parents, but instead are born to one of the other races. Some say that it's a throwback to a more primal time, while others say it's a punishment levied upon families by the world for the corruption that fills it. Either way, it's a fact that shifters are born to every race. For the most part they appear as normal children until they hit puberty when the... change begins. Some time during puberty, they undergo the Change, one which makes them more feral. The Change doesn't usually last long, but its effects are irreversible, turning the person into a fully-fledged shifter, able to call upon his powers at any time. The Change is a horrifying process that appears different for each person, yet each carries the corruption of the world in their Changed appearance. Soon after the Change, most parents disown their children if they cannot hide the Change from the world, and the shifter goes to live with his own kind, much of the time an outcast from the rest of society. Shifters often participate in crime, and while they aren't as despised as halflings are (people fear them more than they despise them), they often fight with them for territory and access to criminal goods, the Change helping them commit criminal acts where a halfling's small size and quickness would help them. Shifters themselves are often sterile, meaning that their numbers are often replenished by the children of other races, and each shifter has something that marks them in some small way as one who has been tainted by the corruption of the land, though this can be anything from a vestigial tail to protruding teeth to a need to shave heavily on a daily basis.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Aggressive<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Feral<br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">Tieflings</span><br/><br/>No one is sure if the Tieflings were warped by the corruption of the wastes, if they made pacts with things unimaginable in order to help them fight the otherworldly invaders, or if the gods decided to punish them for some long-forgotten sin as they departed the world. The thing that is for sure, however, is that Tieflings are twisted beings, their bodies appearing demonic and evil without a doubt. They are often ignored, but sometimes attacked should a scapegoat be needed for some reason, and thus often move from area to area in a nomad fashion. Their skill with fire and flames allows them to become great blacksmiths, and often they sell their services when they come to a new area. They are known for their great artisans, but also are believed to steal everything that isn't nailed down, though this is often untrue. Generally easy-going, they often open up shops and booths to cater to townsfolk, moving on when they wish to--or run out by angered townfolk who use them as scapegoats.<br/><br/>Roleplaying Merit: Easygoing<br/>Roleplaying Flaw: Unassuming</div></div>