Mechanics

Palladium Fantasy AGE: Gnomes & Wolfen

I've been tinkering with some ideas for Fantasy AGE from Green Ronin. Overall, I'm a fan of the play mechanics, though the organization of the core rulebook leaves much to be desired. It's not secret that I not a fan of the Palladium mechanics. I am, however, a big fan of their settings. Say what you want about the man's game design, Kevin Siembieda is a great wordsmith and has always come up with great settings. I'm a big fan of Rifts as a setting, but Savage Rifts for actually being able to play, Nightbane (which I think can be handled with Savage Worlds Super Powers Companion or M&M equally well), and Palladium Fantasy. The Fantasy setting is what I'm going to be dealing with in some upcoming articles here. It's pretty vanilla fantasy, when it comes to the high-adventure, magic, monsters, and mayhem we're all accustomed to, but it still suffers under Palladium's mechanics. So, I started tinkering with the races to use the setting with Fantasy AGE. The first two I present here (their gnomes are vastly different from the typical D&D gnome you find in the current AGE core rules, which is why I've included them here). Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

The races of Palladium Fantasy include the following races from the Fantasy AGE Basic Rules: Elf, Dwarf, Orc. Gnomes are available as a player race, but they are quite different from those presented in the Basic Rules and are included here as a new race.

Gnome

Once subterranean, gnomes were nearly wiped out during the Elf-Dwarf War. Though many are peace-loving and friendly and forgave both, some resent both races over the devastating conflict. Gnomes are clever and resourceful, easily adapting to life among Humans, typically living in surface homes built into low hills. Those that remain segregated from humans are rarely seen, and never near large populations.

Members diminutive race are most often encountered in the Old Kingdom Mountains, Eastern Territories, and Northern Wilderness, avoiding the Western Empire entirely as a place of evil reminiscent of the old Elven Empire. After the gnomes were nearly wiped out, they have become easy prey for the monster races, but especially by kobolds and goblins who feel betrayed by the gnomes’ kinship to dwarves, elves, and humans. Gnome meat is a delicacy among some monster races, particularly kobols and trolls, and has sent many tribes fleeing to the safety of human cities and secluded forests.

Full of life and adventure, gnomes are a mere two to two and a half feet tall and are often mistaken for faerie folk. Adventurers make excellent woodsmen, thieves, and assassins, but are also attracted to the study of magic.

Gnome Names

Female Names: Alda, Luus, Minh, Onora, Veer

Male Names: Baer, Jang, Klos, Neer, Remo, Wum

Clan Names: Anton, Mitriou, Kinos, Poulos, Spiro, Xantho

Playing a Gnome

If you choose to play a gnome, modify your character as follows:

  • Add 1 to your Dexterity Ability
  • Pick one of the following ability focuses: Dexterity (Crafting) or Dexterity (Stealth).
  • You have Dark Sight, which allows you to see up to 20 yards in darkness without a light source.
  • Your Speed is equal to 8 + Dexterity (minus armor penalty if applicable).
  • You can speak and read Elven and Dwarven.
  • Roll twice on the Gnome Benefits table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Gnome Benefits

2d6 RollResult
2+1 Dexterity
3-4Focus: Dexterity (Traps)
5Focus: Intelligence (Cartography)
6Focus: Constitution (Stamina)
7-8+1 Intelligence
9Focus: Intelligence (Natural Lore)
10-11Focus: Intelligence (Arcane Lore)
12+1 Accuracy

Wolfen

Sworn enemies and viewed by humans as barbaric, wolfen are nothing like the monster races who live nomadic lives in wandering tribal societies. These large humanoids are easily mistaken for werewolves, a large wolfish head atop a broad torso and towering between seven and nine feet in height. Wolfen have laid claim to the entire Northern Wilderness and the northern half of the Eastern Territories, often bringing this sprawling empire into conflict with human settlers who claim the same region.

Honorable and intelligent,  these creatures are powerful and resourceful warriors and their empire occupies a large portion of the known world. Wolfen adventurers traveling with a mixed racial group will find acceptance throughout the Northern Wilderness. In other domains, they are regarded as barbaric, baby-eating monsters, treated poorly (at best), cheated, abused, or enslaved.

Wolfen Names

Female Names: Arn, Gjarlaug, Katla, Ragna

Male Names: Arl, Hhaarrgaa, Kchalkch, Maarkhus, Rerkhan, Telliimi, Thrnhrrd, Unius

Family Names: Kiberk, Syzzn, Xyzzn

Playing a Wolfen

If you choose to play a wolfen, modify your character as follows:

  • Add 1 to your Perception Ability
  • Pick one of the following ability focuses: Perception (Tracking) or Intelligence (Military Lore).
  • You have Dark Sight, which allows you to see up to 20 yards in darkness without a light source.
  • Your Speed is equal to 12 + Dexterity (minus armor penalty if applicable).
  • You can speak and read Elven and Wolfen.
  • Roll twice on the Wolfen Benefits table for additional benefits. Roll 2d6 and add the dice together. If you get the same result twice, re-roll until you get something different.

Wolfen Benefits

2d6 RollResult
2+1 Strength
3-4Focus: Perception (Smelling)
5Focus: Willpower (Courage)
6Weapon Group: Swords*
7-8+1 Fighting
9Focus: Communication (Persuasion)
10-11Focus: Strength (Intimidation)
12+1 Willpower

* If the class you choose provides this already, you can take the focus Fighting (Swords) instead.