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HALBERD

FANTASY ROLEPLAYING BY SCOTT MALTHOUSE

Robert Best (order #5257201)

Halberd Fantasy Roleplaying


Written by Scott Malthouse
Based on Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying by Scott Malthouse Cover art by David Revoy released under the Creative Commons licence nterior art by DoubleCompile and David Revoy released under the Creative Commons licence !rollish Delver logo design by Simon "ee !ranter With than#s to Stuart "loyd$

!his publication is copyright % &'1( by !rollish Delver )ames$ *ll rights reserved$ +o part o, this -or# aside ,rom the creative commons images may be reproduced in any ,ashion -ithout the e.press -ritten consent o, !rollish Delver )ames$ !rollish Delver )ames and the !rollish Delver logo are trademar#s o, !rollish Delver )ames$ Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying /USR0 is copyright o, !rollish Delver )ames and Scott Malthouse$

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

HALBERD
FANTASY ROLEPLAYING
Thanks so much for picking up Halberd Fantasy Roleplaying - youve made a wise decision (I hope). Ive been working on Halberd for the last year through its various iterations of which its gone through at least !" #$% and no doubt this wont be the last one. Halberds system is built using the rules for my free roleplaying game USR (Unbelievably Simple Role-playing) which is a super-streamlined ruleset for any kind of genre from sci-fi to murder mysteries set in &uaint 'nglish villages (or as I like to call it( )arple-core). *ince Halberd is using USR as its +engine you can probably deduce that this is an easy game to learn. That said Halberd does contain a heap more rules than the ,-page USR book making it a pretty robust fantasy system (at least I hope it does - Ill let you be the -udge of that) and theres more than enough for the veteran roleplayer to sink their polyhedron-loving teeth into as well as it being simple for beginners to pick up and play. Halberd is pretty light-hearted in tone as its very much inspired by two ama.ing chaps one of which Im lucky to know and the other I hope I one day get to know. /irst off the guy I know and admire greatly( 0en *t 1ndre whose roleplaying work really got me into writing 234s for real. *econdly *ir Terry 3ratchett whose books I adore and fingerprint you will likely see running through the heart of Halberd. 5oring introduction over now we can get to the good stuff6 I hope you thoroughly en-oy playing Halberd and if you want to get in touch with me with &uestions about the game or you -ust fancy a chat then email me at scott7trollishdelver.com or hit me up on twitter 7scottmalt. 8ou can also -oin in the conversation on twitter using the 9halberd234 hashtag. *cott )althouse :une ;<!$

Robert Best (order #5257201)

WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME?


Imagine a world where knights still e=ist where malicious goblins lay siege to towns and deep within the caverns of the earth there are untold treasures awaiting any intrepid adventurer brave enough to delve into the dangerous shadows. /antasy roleplaying allows you and your friends to act out stories in these magical realms with the players becoming armoured warriors spellcasting sorcerers nature-loving druids and much more. Together they will travel across the land fulfilling &uests and earning great riches along the way. >ne player takes on the role of the 4ames )aster (4)) who will create adventures for the players often in the form of &uests taking them to strange locations such as towering emerald cities country-spanning forests and even into the heart of roaring volcanoes. The 4) acts as the referee in the game enforcing the rules and also controlling monsters and non-playing characters (?3@s). In essence roleplaying games are shared stores like you used to play at school. Its one part acting one part board game and another part storytelling. 8ou donAt need much to get started playing a game of Halberd. :ust grab one to si= friends some paper pencils and some special dice( si=-sided (d%) eight-sided (dB) and ten-sided (d!<). 8ou can purchase these dice from your local hobby store or over the internet. *ome people like to use a gridded map such as a wet-erase mat and painted miniatures to help visualise and keep track of the action. 5y all means do this if you like but itAs not necessary to en-oy the game. *o grab your shortsword throw on your leather armour and march out into a world of magic and monsters with your friends. 1lso grab some snacks while youAre at it.

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THE WORLD OF HALBERD


THE CITY OF HIGHBRIDGE
Highbridge was voted number three in +cities most likely to kill you when youre visiting by Humans )onthly and it is often referred to as the +grim city by snooty southlanders. 5ut what do they knowC Delcome to Highbridge the largest city in northern Te&uendria E a melting pot of races creeds and varying levels of IF. Its also &uite literally a magical city created after a duel between two sorcerers both of which didnt really know what they were doing. )agick oo.es through its streets not unlike the actual &uestionable oo.e that oo.es through the streets creating a magically charged and somewhat unstable environment. In Highbridge you will find all kinds of characters E rogues vagabonds mercenaries magical beings beggars warriors and nobles E the list is endless. 'lves rub shoulders with dwarves and halflings rub their heads against human thighs. Highbridge is truly the most multicultural city in all of Te&uendria. The city is home to 0ing )arkus IG an old man who is shall we say &uite barmy. In fact it is his daughter 3rincess Hilly that oversees courtly duties. Hilly is a savvy woman with a passion for Highbridge. *he loves her city deeply and wishes that

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she could go and fight in the army E but alas she is not allowed despite being an ama.ing warrior.

A Visitors Guid to Hi!"#rid!


There is plenty to see and do in Highbridge but this is -ust a list of some of the famous people organisations and facts about the great city. The Ancient Forest >n the outskirts of Highbridge lies the 1ncient /orest so-called because it was discovered by Henry 1ncient a well-known e=plorer. The forest is ruled by The 4reen )an a cynical but fair nature spirit who holds immense power but is generally too la.y to use it. The forest is the natural home to creatures like pi=ies and brownies but also the 'lves. Twilight Swamp 1 mere mile away from The 1ncient /orest you will find the Twilight *wamp. This grim and dark locale is home to ghosts demon dogs and will-o-wisps. 1lso the famous hermit 4eoffrey makes a fantastic mushroom soup if you should ever visit him in his hollowed out tree mansion. The Home for Reformed Werewolves Highbridge is home to many a creature of the night including werewolves. The Home for 2eformed Derewolves is a charity set up to take care of lycanthropes who want to stop brutally murdering people. Insurprisingly the charity has a high staff turnover rate so there are always plenty of positions available.
The Red Court

This is the name given to the Highbridge vampire aristocracy whose motto is +bleed them dry. >nly the wealthiest vampires are accepted into The 2ed @ourt and they can often be found in Glad the Immortals palacial house drinking blood and chatting about current affairs. The Not-Quite-Dead oet!s Societ" 3oets are an eccentric bunch and fortunately for them poetry goes for a lot of money in Highbridge. This society consists of a group of poets who pay adventurers to take them out on dangerous adventures so they can gain inspiration for their ne=t poem.

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The Tunnels of Trolls 5eneath Highbridge there is a vast underground troll kingdom overseen by Fueen 2ockrockwallwall. It is a prosperous place that has little to do with the +topland however occasionally a troll will get lost and surface causing all kinds of hassle in Highbridge. The Dragonfl"ers 'very little boy and girl wants to be in the Jragonflyers. They are the rock stars of Highbridge taking to the skies on the backs of screeching dragons during wartime. )any of them tend to be rather arrogant and rude. The most famous Jragonrider is *hining 2ogers who single-handedly took down the ice giant *hiverfoot. The ig Swill This is by far the grottiest pub in the land but a fantastic place to find sellwords for hire. The bouncer turnover rate is high. The #eague of Assassins If youre rich and of high status then you may want to -oin the Heague of 1ssassins an e=clusive club located in Highbridges esteemed northern &uarter. )embers must wear masks to maintain anonymity and many put on funny voices. They meet to play games drink wine and look for murderous opportunities. The -oining fee is ;<<<gdr with an annual fee of !<<<gdr. High$ridge %it" &uard Hiterally the worst police officers you will ever encounter. They often turn a blind eye to crime when bribed and many of the guard are too senile to realise whats actually going on. *till !<gdr a day isnt bad. The @ity 4uard is led by Halfling *ergeant 5urrow who is much more savvy than the others but as corrupt as they come. 'imm" the (nife!s Rat &ang The 2at 4ang is a group of humanoid rats that terrorise the streets with muggings vandalism and general nastiness. :immy their leader is a mean customer E dont you dare bring his mother into this6 Their calling card is leaving a bit of cheese at the crime.

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High$ridge )niversit" 1h the hopes and dreams of a generation. The university is full of scholars sorcerers and the occasional student. It provides second-rate education at first rate prices for courses such as smell analysis and ham gla.ing.

Robert Best (order #5257201)

CREATING YOUR CHARACTER


This section is presented $" *rudite +rown, the )niversit" of High$ridge -aster #i$rarian. 1h you must be the new scallywag theyve roped in for adventure and frolicks ehC Dhat youre voluntarily becoming an adventurerC 'ach to hisKherKits own I suppose wot wot6 1s the )aster Hibrarian I am the keeper of most of the worlds knowledge and I daresay thats &uite the undertaking but it does put me in the best position to tell you about all the different types of character in the game. I have been asked to tell you all about creating your very own character( will you be a sneaky thiefC 1 bra.en warriorC 1 worldly druidC Halberd gives you a great amount of choice when it comes to selecting what kind of character you want to play as. 5ut enough of my yammering6 Hets get on with it.

Assigning Attri$utes
The first thing you want to do is think about what kind of character you would like to play. 8our character will have a series of attributes that will reflect their strengths and weaknesses which you can write down on a sheet of paper or a $=# cue card. Attri$utes Action E This attribute determines how well-versed in combat the character is as well as how &uick and de=terous they are. Wits E This attribute determines how intelligent and perceptive the character is.

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Ego E This attribute determines how the character acts socially. 1 high 'go means the character is a good leader and able to charm the pants off most people. Hits E This determines how much punishment a character can take before she dies or is knocked unconscious. Hits are reduced when a character is hurt and can return to its initial score when the character heals. 1fter youAve -otted each of these attributes down youAre going to need to assign dice to them. 'ach attribute apart from Hits can have one (and -ust one) type of die assigned to it from the following selection( d% dB and d!<. 8our Hits score is derived by rolling your 1ction and Dits dice E the total being the final Hits attribute score. ?e=t you will assign dice to your attributes E Dits 'go and 1ction. 8ou have a primary attribute which is determined by your archetype or the role your character takes. This primary attribute must contain the highest value die E d!<. The other dice can be assigned to any of your two remaining attributes.

%haracter Archet"pes
Histed below are a number of Acharacter archetypesA pre-made templates on which to base a character. ThereAs no reason why a player canAt make up their own character archetype from scratch either with the 4)As permission. 'ach archetype has a list of suggested 1rchetype *pecialisms to choose from when creating your character. 1rchetype *pecialisms represent aspects that the character is proficient in whether thatAs horse riding or knowledge of underground cultures. *tarting characters will select two 1rchetype *pecialisms from the list provided for each archetype. 'ach 1rchetype *pecialism provides a L; bonus to the relevant attribute when using that *pecialism. A Note on Specialisms Aside from t e ones fo!nd in t e arc etypes and races" t ere are infinite specialisms to c oose from # all yo! ave to do is !se a little imagination$ An e% a!stive list of specialisms as p!rposef!lly been left o!t of t ese r!les" as it&s !p to t e players and '( to determine o) to interpret t e !se of specialisms in sit!ations$

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Warrior
Darriors are born to fight. They have likely been part of a militia or even a ma-or army before taking up adventuring. Darriors are usually adept with multiple weapons and are used to wearing heavy armour and using shields so they are a vital part of any combat wading into the front lines to hack and hew the enemy. rimar" attri$ute( 1ction Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( At letics" *ombat Roll" En anced Strengt " +)o-Handed Heavy (elee Weapon ,roficiency Dits( (ilitary Strategy" *ity -ore" .rienteering" /attlefield (edic$ 'go( -eaders ip" 0ntimidation" 0nterrogation" /artering$

Archer

'agle-eyed and steady of hand archers are masters of long range killing. They often wait in the trees camouflaged and rain down arrows at their enemies. 1rchers are also great hunters able to track down and kill their prey swiftly. >n the battlefield they stay at the back firing off shots with deadly accuracy. rimar" attri$ute/ 1ction or Dits Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( (ove Silently" *limb" H!nting" +)o-Handed -ig t Ranged Weapon ,roficiency Dits( *reate +rap" Wilderness -ore" *reate ,oison" Heig tened Hearing" -ong Sig t 'go( -eaders ip" Friend of 1at!re

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

Sorcerer
*tudents of ancient knowledge sorcerers are masters of the magic arts. They dedicate their lives to honing their magickal prowess. Dhile anyone is able to wield magick the *orcerer makes it her lifelong mission to uncover all the secrets magick holds. rimar" attri$ute/ Dits Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( Wood *rafting" 2!ic3 refle%es Dits( *reate ,otion"+ransform (agic3" History" (agic3 -ore" 2!ic3 -earner" 4ecip er +e%t 'go( 0ntimidate" * arming

Druid

Jruids live outside of the hustle and bustle of towns and cities preferring to be at one with nature. They reside in groves where they study all things natural and speak with mother nature herself. Jruids are e=cellent potion-makers and healers making them a critical part of any adventuring party. rimar" attri$ute/ Dits Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( (ove silently" *limb" S)im" Wood *rafting Dits( *reate potion" 1at!ral Healing 5no)ledge" Wilderness -ore" (a3e S elter" Restore (agic3 'go( *omm!ne )it 1at!re" *alming 6ibe" Friend of 1at!re

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

Thief
)aster of stealth and picker of pockets the thief is silent and deadly. >ften armed with daggers the thief slips into buildings unnoticed and relieves them of their precious belongings. They are great at spotting and disarming traps as well as picking locks. Thieves are essential if you want to gain the element of surprise. rimar" attri$ute/ 'go or Dits Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( (ove silently" *limb" Escape Artist" 4agger ,roficiency Dits( 4isarm +rap" Spot +rap" ,ic3 -oc3" 4isg!ise" 'ambling Ego7 /artering" * arming" (isdirection" Acting

Nin0a

5efore you manage to lay eyes on a nin-a you will most likely be dead. ?in-a are to overcome their foes. If you want to slip in and out of places unnoticed and kill in stealthy assassins using immensely sharp blades poisons and their martial arts prowess the shadows the nin-a is for you. rimar" attri$ute/ 1ction or Dits Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( (ove Silently" *limb" 2!ic3 Refle%es" (artial Arts" Hide" .ne-Handed -ig t (elee Weapon ,roficiency Dits( *reate ,oison" Spot +rap" 4isg!ise" *reate R!dimentary Weapon" A)areness 'go( 0ntimidation

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

Stor"teller
The storyteller is a staple around the warm hearthfire of a local tavern spinning yarns and playing music for money. The very best storytellers are the ones who have lived the very tales they tell making them valuable adventurers. rimar" attri$ute/ 'go Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( Sprinter" *limbing Dits( Wilderness S!rvival" Historical 5no)ledge" Wilderness -ore" *ity -ore 'go( (!sician" Storyteller" * arming" ,ers!asion" -eaders ip" 0nspirational" Acting

-erchant
Travelling far and wide selling their wares merchants are the lifeblood of the worldAs commerce providing services and goods to those that need them. )erchants are naturally charismatic and will prove especially useful when the party needs to sell anything they find on their -ourneys. rimar" attri$ute/ 'go Suggested specialisms/ 1ction( Horse Riding" /lac3smit Dits( *ity -ore" (erc ant -a)" 0tem Appraisal 'go( /arter" * arming" Selling 'oods" Well-*onnected 1ther Archet"pe Suggestions Dith the right combination of class specialisms you can create any kind of archetype you desire. If youAre looking for some inspiration check out the list below( /lac3smit H!nter 1oble /arbarian Ama8onian ,reac er Witc H!nter ,irate *ity '!ard Astrologer Sc olar
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%haracter Races
5eing a game of fantasy not everyone is going to be human. There are all manner of different races that populate Halberd from tree-dwelling elves to mountaininhabiting dwarves and itAs up to the player to choose one that suits the character that they want to play. 1s with character archetypes each race comes with a selection of suggested *pecialisms to select from called 2acial *pecialisms of which you will choose one. @ombined with your two 1rchetype *pecialisms from your archetype you will have the final three specialisms and your character will be almost complete. 1t the 4)As discretion there is no reason why players canAt create their own races. /or instance I might want to create a 3anda 3erson in which case I provide the 4) with a bit of background about panda people and the 4) can then provide some suggested specialisms for that race.

Human
Humans are industrious but wrathful often declaring war on a whim. However many are also compassionate caring for others when they fall into the darkest of times. Human adventurers are cunning clever and resourceful. Suggested specialisms 1ction( /lac3smit ing" H!nting Dits( 0nventor" 'eograp y" *ity -ore 'go( ,ers!ade" -eaders ip" *ompassionate

*lf
'lves live in great forest cities and are known for their peaceful nature. However those who disturb or harm their sacred woodlands will &uickly come to realise that elves are also masters of the bow. Suggested specialisms 1ction( Wood *rafting" *limb" (ove Silently Dits( Wilderness -ore" 1at!ral Healing 5no)ledge" (ana -ore 'go( 0ntimidate" *alm Animal" * arismatic" Friend of 1at!re

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Dwarf
Jwelling in the great mountains of the realm dwarves are a hardy people who make their coin mining ore and precious stones. They are no strangers to war their bulky frame and resilience making them e=cellent warriors. Suggested specialisms 1ction( (ining" Resilient" ,oison 0mm!nity Dits( (o!ntain -ore" Undergro!nd -ore" History 'go( 0ntimidate" -eaders ip

Halfling

Halflings are as their name suggests short folk. They live in the rolling green plains and lead a happy e=istence of wine drinking cake eating and pipe smoking. However some halflings want more than this and head out on thrilling adventures. They are silent movers and make handy burglars to those who would hire them. Suggested specialisms 1ction( (ove Silently" 2!ic3 Footed" Hide Dits( History" Heig tened Hearing 'go( /arter" * arm

*2ample Finished %haracter


Haura wants to play a stealthy character who can pick off her enemies from the shadows so decides to use the ?in-a archetype. *he wants to be particularly deadly so she assigns the d!< to 1ction dB to Dits and d% to 'go. *he rolls her 1ction and Dits scores resulting in an B which she assigns to her Hits. ?ow Haura needs to select her class specialisms. *he would prefer a sneakingfocused nin-a so opts for )ove *ilently and also selects Hide as she wants to kill from the shadows. Haura then must decide what race she wants her nin-a to be. Halflings have the Fuick /ooted specialism which could help her nin-a a lot so she decided to choose that race. *he then gives her a name and a short background.

-one"
The currency used in Halberd is split up into denominations -ust like real money. The main denomination is the dringot which is used throughout the land of 4all. )oney is split into the following denominations(
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!<< staves (st) M ! dringot (dr) !<< dringots (dr) M ! gold dringot (gdr) !<< gold dringots (gdr) M ! platinum dringot (pdr) A character $egins with 3d4 gold dringots 5dr6

Weapons 7 Armour
There are no specific weapon or armour types in Halberd. Instead there are general weapons and armour that are the e&uivalent of a specific weapon. /or e=ample a Hight Two-Handed )elee Deapon could be a longsword while a Heavy >ne-Handed 2anged Deapon could be a crossbow. Its up to the player to decide what weapon they are using.
Weapon "ight 7ne8Handed Melee Weapon "ight !-o8Handed Melee Weapon Heavy 7ne8Handed Melee Weapon Heavy !-o8Handed Melee Weapon Weapon "ight 7ne8Handed Ranged Weapon "ight !-o8Handed Ranged Weapon Heavy 7ne8 Handed Ranged Weapon Heavy !-o8 Handed Ranged Weapon Example Dagger9 Small Club Sta,,9 Spear ;atana9 Shorts-ord )reata.e9 Halberd Die Bonus :1 :& :( :1 Price 1'gdr ('gdr 3'gdr &''gdr

Example Sling9 Shuri#en Shortbo!hro-ing Spear9 CrossboMus#et

Die Bonus :1 :& :( :1

Range &',t (',t 1',t 2',t

Price 1'gdr ('gdr 3'gdr &''gdr

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Armour Type "ight *rmour Medium *rmour Heavy *rmour Ultimate *rmour

Die Modifier 81 8& 8( 81

Price ('gdr 3'gdr 1&'gdr 2''gdr

)agical Deapons and 1rmour


Deapons and armour are not limited -ust to these modifiers above. There are magical weapons and armour in e=istence that are more powerful than any on the normal e&uipment lists. *uffice to say that you cant buy these on the market or when you can they are ridiculously e=pensive. The 4) should feel free to create her own magical weapons and armour to put in her game. 1 good rule of thumb to stop things from getting too overpowered is to have the ma=imum modifier of any weapon on armour be LN or -,. However donAt be afraid to give them other interesting properties too such as summoning a demon or causing the enemy to turn to ice. 1lso remember that these magical items are very rare so itAs likely that they will only own a few in their adventuring careers.

Special Rules for Weapons 7 Armour


Two-handed E The weapon is wielded with both hands. 1 character may not wield any other weapon if they are already holding a ;-handed weapon. Heav"8)ltimate E 1 character may not run in heavy or ultimate armour.

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PLAYING THE GAME


This section deals with rules on playing the game such as combat and attribute tests. The rules are straightforward to enable the players to go out and have fun without being bogged down.

%ontested Attri$ute Tests


There will come a time in every game when a player is put in direct conflict with someone or something. This could be a foot chase arm wrestle or a baking contest whatever it is thereAs a really simple way of working out who comes out on top. Dhen someone is actively competing against someone else the player makes an attribute test. 5oth the player and the 4) (or another player if it involves another character) rolls a die corresponding to the relevant attribute. If the player was locked in an arm wrestle with a street tough both would roll their 1ction attributes and add any relevant modifiers. /or e=ample the street tough has a magical bracelet on his arm so gains a L!. The highest roll wins the contest. >n a tie the test is re-rolled until there is a clear winner.

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Non-%ontested Attri$ute Tests


*ometimes the player wonAt be in direct competition with anyone else. 3erhaps theyAre trying to climb up a gorge or silently move towards their target. Here they must roll their relevant attribute plus any modifiers on a difficulty table to see whether they succeed. For e%ample" -iss t e Halfling dr!id is tied !p in t e bac3 of a cart$ S e m!st first brea3 er bonds and t en escape t e car safely$ Her player tells t e '( t at -iss )ill try and escape from er bonds$ + e '( as3s for a medi!m Action roll (t e bonds aren&t partic!larly tig t)$ + e player rolls a 9" ) ic is a s!ccess$ -iss escapes from er bonds and no) m!st get o!t of t e car$ S e opens t e door and flings erself onto t e pavement$ + is is a dangero!s move" so t e '( as3s for a medi!m Wit roll" on t e co!nt of aving to angle erself rig t for t e fall$ S e rolls a : # s e is !ns!ccessf!l; -iss bo!nces ard off t e pavement and in<!res erself$ + e '( r!les t at -iss ded!cts : from er Hits score for er )o!nd$

Difficult" Ta$le
Target Num$er Difficult" ; " N !< !" 'asy )edium Hard Gery Hard *2ample :umping a fence 2iding a horse at speed 5reaking into a magically sealed vault Hitting a coin with an arrow ;<ft away

Impossible >pening a fissure in reality

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%om$at
Theres no doubt that players will get themselves in a tussle more than once whether thats a bar brawl or something more serious and with lots of crossbows. This section will e=plain combat. /ighting is handled in the same way as contested attribute tests but with a little e=tra added on. 1ll contested rolls use the 1ction attribute during combat but in this instance one participant is the attacker and the other is the defender. If the attacker rolls higher than the defender then the attacker has scored a hit and the defenderAs Hits score is reduced by the difference between the winning and losing rolls. Dhen Hits reach < the character is dead. 1lternatively the 4) may rule that the character is merely unconscious. Hits may be regained through healing but may never go above the initial score. Deapons can give bonuses in combat giving one side the edge over the other. Deapons gives a bonus to the 1ction roll when attacking. Deapon 3roficiencies can offer combat bonuses. 1 character only gets a weapon bonus from weapons and proficiencies when attacking not defending. 3aralysed players or opponents cannot attack however they do get a defence roll. *imilarly armour can be used to negate the effects of being hurt. 'ach armour type reduces the number of Hits taken in combat noted by a -O on the armour table. -iss is facing do)n a goblin ) o as <!st ca!sed a scene at + e ,ig S)ill$ S e is attac3ing )it er s orts)ord" ) ic is =>$ S e rolls er Action die and gets a ?$ S e adds t e > from er )eapon to get @" b!t s e also as Heavy .ne-Handed (elee Weapon ,roficiency =A" so er total attack is B$ + e goblin rolls its defence roll and gets a 9$ + is )o!ld mean t at -iss does C damage" b!t t e goblin is )earing lig t armo!r ) ic gives a -A to damage inflicted against it" so instead ta3es : damage$ @ombat can also be modified by the environment. If the character were in cover such as half hidden behind a wall or a barrel the 4) may ad-udicate that the character gets an armour bonus of -; depending on how well-covered they are.

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How %om$at Flows


ItAs up to you how you want combat to play out. 8ou could play it fast and loose going round the table clockwise to determine the order players act in or you could assign each player an initiative score based on their Dits roll L their 1ction roll the acting order going from highest to lowest. Juring combat a player may take two different actions( including but not limited to moving and attacking. Halberd keeps movement fairly abstract so itAs up to the 4) to determine how far a character can move. ;<ft per action is generally a good guideline when on foot.

Actions in %om$at
Halberd plays things fast and loose. There are two actions that a player can take per round during combat but they can be a number of things to constitute those action such as(

)ove 1ttack Try to distract an opponent 3ick an ob-ect up Ise a *pecialism to your advantage Jo something cool6

There isnt a strict list of combat actions and its up to the 4) as to whether she will allow a player to carry out an action in the time that they have. @ombat is carried out in rounds that last around % seconds so anything that a character could fit into this % second timeframe is feasible.

Weapon roficiencies
1 weapon proficiency can be chosen as a *pecialism during character creation and when advancing your character. Inlike a normal specialism a weapon proficiency gives you a L! bonus when attacking with the preferred weapon. /or e=ample if you choose the >ne-Handed Hight Deapon 3roficiency you will L! to any attack including a one-handed light weapon.

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Death and D"ing


Dhen you reach < Hits you are usually considered dead. However this is not always the end for an intrepid adventurer. >nce a character is reduced to < Hits roll !d%. >n a roll of !-$ the character is alive but unconscious at < Hits. They must get medical attention within % hours or have to roll again >n a "-% the character is dead. 1 character heals ! Hit per hour when resting.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

ADVENTURING
Juring sessions of Halberd characters will be undertaking adventures for gold glory or simply to help someone out. There are lots of ways to find yourself at the pointy end of a dagger in Highbridge and beyond. The usual fantasy trope is to have some breathless noble seek out adventurers in a tavern to give them a &uest. Isually there are dungeons involved and dragons to slay. This is a solid start but dont be afraid to shake things up a bit. Dhile you can certainly go dungeon delving in Halberd you may find that the more unusual adventures set in Highbridge can be the most fun. Here are some ideas to get the players on the road to adventure( 1 poet pays them to e=perience an adventure There is a murder in The 2ed @ourt and the players are entangled in it Pombies are petitioning for e&ual rights by eating brains The 3ig *will needs some new bouncers on +@hug ?ight 1 lawyer needs guarding while on a particularly notorious court case involving an assassin The Juke of /arstonia arrives and begins snacking on the gentry 1 sorcerer accidentally kills everyone in Highbridge with only ghosts left *ome halflings introduce coffee shops where they use magical hypnosis beans

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

>f course it doesnt always have to be about solving andKor committing bloody murder. Here are some ideas for how characters can earn money on the side. 4et a book deal (spend $< days minimum writing roll a medium Dits test for writers block. 'very point over the target adds a star to the review) *ell your story to the press 4et a -ob in the military or @ity 4uard (! week) *et up a professional adventuring business *et up a shop 2ent out property 5ecome a university lecturer

Dungeon Flipping
>ne other way for characters to make money is through +dungeon flipping which is when they entirely clear a dungeon temple cave labyrinth or whatever and opt to notify the Highbridge authorities to have it +flipped. The authorities will then renovate the dungeon as a tourist attraction and the characters will gain ;<Q of the revenue (usually between #< and !<<gdr per month). However any magick or rare item found must be handed over to the authorities.

+ad &u"s
Its inevitable that the players are going to come across people or things who they are at odds with whether thats a band of brigands a stealthy assassin or a group of goblins. There is no complete list of adversaries in this book. The Inbelievably *imple 2oleplaying system makes it super easy to create enemies on the fly. 8ou can make them as simple or comple= as your heart desires. Hike characters enemies also have levels. Their level determines how capable they are at fighting having an attack bonus for each level they have. >n the table below you can see what ma=imum 1ction attribute *pecialism bonus Hits and attack bonus you can e=pect a certain level enemy to possess.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

#evel

Action Attri$ute Die

Attac9 +onus

Defence -od

No. of Specialisms

-a2imum Specialism +onus

Average Hits

*2ample *nemies

! ; $ " # % N B , !<

J% J% J% JB JB JB J!< J!< J!< J!<

< L! L; L$ L" L# L% LN LB L,

< -! -! -; -; -$ -" -# -% -N

< ! ! ; ; $ $ " " #

L; L; L$ L$ L" L" L# L# L#

# !< !# ;< ;# $< $# "< "# #<

>rc 4oblin Hi.ardman Dolf 'lf 2oc Half-Troll 4uard )edusa 4riffin Jire 5ear Jrake 1ssassin Hydra @himera 8oung Jragon ?in-a Derewolf 1dult Jragon )aster Gampire

4enerally you will want to pit enemies of the same level as the players against the group but feel free to throw in some a couple of levels higher to keep things interesting in combat. Dits and 'go dice are not included in the table but feel free to mi= these up depending on what enemy you have created. 8ou can also see that enemies also have *pecialisms -ust like characters. 1gain its up to the 4) to think up suitable specialisms for her enemies using the ma=imum bonus listed in the table. *o you can see that using this chart its really easy to make up enemies on the fly whether you want a s&uad of bandits or a hulking hydra. However dont feel like you have to stick with the numbers in the chart. This is onl" a guide E there is no reason a ;nd level wolf cant have a JB 1ction attribute or only a L! attack bonus. 1s long as it presents a challenge to the players thats all that counts.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

E$AMPLE OF PLAY
HereAs an e=ample of how a typical game of Halberd might play out. De -oin 4) :oan along with *teve as 5urrow the halfling thief 3ete as Hucan the elven druid :ames as 0ronk the dwarf warrior and Jave as Denlock the human archer. The players have been sent on a &uest to find a cure for the plague that has hit Highbridge. They have delved deep into a network of caves beneath a mountain where it is said the cure can be found... 4)( 8ou enter a rocky man-made tunnel. There is moss growing on the walls and you can see tiny insects scuttling around the floor. There is a foul stench coming from the north straight ahead of you but as youAre using a torch you can only see so far. *teve( 5urrowAs feeling pretty cautious. He tells the others that he has a bad feeling about this and is going to check the area for any traps. He carefully inspects the walls floor and ceiling ahead of him for any out of place crack or hole. 4)( @ool roll your Dits and add any *pecialism that could help you. RThere is a dart trap so the 4) decides itAs going to be a hard difficulty of N on the attribute testS. *teve( I have *pot Traps6 >k so I roll !d!< and add ; for my *pecialism. R2ollsS I rolled a total of B. 4)( Dell done you spot three suspect holes in the wall that you immediately recognise as a dart trap. These are triggered by stepping on a pressure pad a couple of feet ahead of you. However you can hear someone coming6 :ames( 0ronk draws his a=e and waits to see whatAs coming. Jave( Denlock will knock and arrow and point it down the tunnel.
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Robert Best (order #5257201)

4)( 1head of you appears three ugly orcs their crude black swords drawn. They roar and charge at you. Dhat are you going to do. 3ete( HetAs retreat back a little and hopefully theyAll be stupid enough to trip the dart trap. *teve( 4ood plan6 RThe group retreats a few metres and watches the frontmost orcs step on the pressure pad much to the en-oyment of the groupS. 4)( The leading orc is peppered with darts and takes !d% damage Rshe rolls a #S. The orcs receives one straight in the eye and collapses in a heap on the ground. The other two are running at you. @an everyone roll to see what order they fight inC R'ach player rolls the Dits die L their 1ction die the highest going first and continuing to the ne=t highest and so onS Jave( 2ight Denlock looses an arrow at the closest orc Rhe rolls his 1ction die which is a dB and gets a % and then adds ; for his short bow giving him a total of BS. 4)( R2olls the orcAs 1ction die d% for his defence resulting in a "S. 8our arrow flies true and lands with a thunk in the creatureAs chest for " damage. HeAs not looking peachy. The other orc however is within stabbing distance of you. He slashes at your abdomen. RThe 4) rolls the orcAs 1ction die of d% getting a $ and then adds ! for his short sword resulting in "S. Jave( Denlock defends with all his might6 RHe rolls a ; on a dB meaning he takes ; damage from the attackS. 1rrgh6 :ames( 0ronk runs up to the orc attacking Denlock and attempts to hew him in two with his a=e. RHe rolls a total of !< with his 1ction dieS. >h yes6 4)( R2olls a ; for the orcAs defence meaning he takes B damage6S The orcAs torso is separated from his legs in a red ha.e. The final orc drops his blade and pleads for his life. *teve( 4o on orc beg for mercy6 Hahahaha6 3ete( Hucan raises an eyebrow at 5urrow. HowAs about you tell us where the eli=ir of 1varice is orc6 4)( The orcAs not going to give the information up that easily but IAm sure thereAs some way to get it out of him.
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Robert Best (order #5257201)

3ete( 'lves are naturally charismatic so I could use my specialism to persuade him to show us the way. :ames( >r 0ronk could -ust intimidate him until he soils himself. *teve( HetAs try HucanAs way first. If it comes to it we threaten the bugger. 3ete( De wonAt hurt you orc. In fact you probably donAt like it down here what with all the death and having to poo in the corner of a cave. If you shows us the way to the eli=ir then we can make sure you get out of here and live a new life in a nice place. 4)( @unning. >k this is going to be a hard attribute test re&uiring a N on an 'go roll. 3ete( R2olls his 'go of dB plus his @harismatic *pecialism which is another ; resulting in #S. Jammit6 4)( The orc laughs and tells you he actually likes it down here and heAs not going to tell you where the eli=ir is. *teve( 1lright 0ronk youAre up. :ames( 0ronk marches over to the orc and pins it against the wall thatAs covered in his kinAs blood. He hold the blade at its throat and growls TTell us where it is or IAll turn yer gi..ard into a nice fountain.U 4)( >k roll 'go plus any *pecialism. :ames( R2olls d% plus his Intimidate *pecialism of ; resulting in NS. >nly -ust6 4)( The orc whimpers and tells you to let him go and heAll give you the description of the room the eli=ir is in. The story continues as the party make their way further into the mountain fight new hideous creatures overcome traps and find some e=cellent loot.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

MAGIC% RULES
The land of Te&uendia is an inherently magical place where all creatures and races were created by the great sorcerer Oin at the beginning of the universe. Inlike many games any character in Halberd is able to wield magick although some are better at it than others. )agick can allow characters to throw fireballs free.e water put people to sleep and teleport to new locations. In fact with the right amount of training character can do almost anything with magick E including cheating death. However there is a price to pay for casting spells. )agick drains a characters life force harming them every time they cast a spell. This means that the caster must choose wisely when to cast a spell. )agick uses the characters Dits attribute to cast a spell. *pells are created by the player taking effects number of targets and other factors and incorporating them into a single spell. 'ach of these building blocks are called 1spects and they are used to form scale spells depending on ability level. 5elow you will find three tables. These tables are used to create your spell. There are si= basic magick effects that you can use and interpret in your own way. *ee the e=amples below.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

Reveal( '=amples - uncover information give the player some direction create a light in the darkness or find someone who is invisible. aral"se( '=amples E free.ing putting to sleep putting into suspended animation Damage( '=amples E fireball magic arrows telekinetic attack Restore( '=amples E healing fi=ing an item restoring eyesight Transform( '=amples E turn into another person change an item turn day to night. Travel( '=amples E summon a magick steed teleport send a message.

Its up to the 4) and the players to interpret how a spell works. 8ou can be looser with your definition of these for e=amples if a meteor was hurtling down towards you you could cast 3aralyse to stop it in mid-air. However the 4) should use common sense when allowing certain spells and be able to raise their difficulty level if appropriate. /or e=ample if a player wanted to transform themselves into a dragon that would probably add an e=tra !< points to the difficulty because it would be a more difficult task that transforming themselves into a humanoid creature.

How to %reate a Spell


To create your spell follow these steps( Jecide which effect you want to use Hooking on the first table decide which difficulty level you want your spell to be. The higher the difficulty the more effective the spell. Hooking at the second table see how many Hits you need to spend in order to cast the spell of a specific difficulty.

How to %ast a Spell


@asting a spell takes one action in combat or % seconds. >nce you have created your spell you must roll on your Dits attribute to try and match or beat the difficulty you have been set. If you succeed your Hits reduce by the Hits cost of the spell before the spell has the desired effect. ?ote that a spell can still have an effect even if you fall unconscious or die as a result of it. If you fail the spell has no effect and you do not reduce your Hits.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

:. D;FF;%)#T< 1F S *%;F;% *FF*%TS Difficult" Amount aral"sis Damage Roll Revealed 5rounds6 Done 5Hits6 'asy Tiny ! ; )edium *mall $ # Hard )edium # B Gery Hard Harge !< !% Impossible Huge ;< $; =. D;FF;%)#T< %1STS Difficult" Roll 'asy (;) )edium (") Hard (N) Gery Hard (!<) Impossible (!"L)

Restored 5Hits6 ; # B !% $;

Transform Distance 5minutes6 Travelled ! !< ;< %< ! day $ft !<ft $<ft !<<ft ! mile

Hits %ost ; # B !% $;

For e%ample" -iss )ants to eal one of er fallen comrades" ) o as ta3en a considerable amo!nt of damage$ S e decides t at s e )ill !se a Restore effect and t at s e )ants to eal eac 9 Hits$ S e loo3s on t e table and finds t at to Restore 9 Hits )ill be a medi!m diffic!lty roll$ S e loo3s on t e diffic!lty costs table and finds t at t is )ill cost 9 Hits$ 0f s e isnt s!ccessf!l t en s e doesnt lose t e Hits$

%asting on -ultiple Targets


*ometimes you will want to cast a spell that affects multiple targets whether itAs a group of marauding bandits or a group of ob-ects. 8ou can do this by paying the Hit cost for every e=tra target. However for every e=tra target the difficulty roll increases by $. *o in the above e=ample Hiss could cast the 2estore spell on another character for an e=tra # Hits E a total of !< Hits. This still only counts as a single spell and only re&uires one Dits roll to cast however she would need to roll a N rather than a ".

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

-agic9 Specialisms
Juring character creation players have the option to give their character a magickbased 1rchetype *pecialism. These specialisms relate to the si= basic magick effects giving starting characters a L! in any that they choose to select. /or instance you could begin with 2estore )agick L! which would give you a L! bonus when you are casting a spell using the 2estore effect.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
1s characters undertake more adventures they gain e=perience and eventually advance in their knowledge and ability. 1t the end of each session of playing the 4) will deal out e=perience points (O3) to each player for anything good that they did during the session. 4enerally they will receive ! or even ; points per session. This could be for any of the following reasons( '=cellent roleplay Ising cunning to get out of a sticky situation 4oing out of their way to help a fellow character >nce they have racked up a certain amount of O3 they can advance a level giving the character a new archetype specialism or giving them an e=tra L! to a current racial or archetype specialism. 1 single specialism can have a ma=imum of L#. /or e=ample Hiss has enough e=perience points to progress to ;nd level. *he can either choose to give one of her current $ specialisms a L! bonus making it L$ or learning a new specialism like AHorse 2idingA.

Dhen choosing a new specialism you can either select from any on your archetype or race listV the 4) could give you several options for your characterV or you can gain a
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Robert Best (order #5257201)

specialism depending on something that you did in the sessions leading up to your advancement. /or e=ample Hiss the Halfling Jruid used a staff &uite a lot in the previous sessions so she could gain the Two-Handed Hight )elee Deapon proficiency specialism if she wanted. Its a good idea to keep track of anything that your character does especially well so that you can create a specialism out of it when you advance. 1s well as gaining a specialism the character also adds # to her total Hits score. This becomes the characterAs new initial Hits total. *2perience oints < # !< !# ;< ;# $< $# "< "# #evel ! ; $ " # % N B , !<

1t !<th level the character is considered to be a master of their discipline and a formidable opponent to anyone who might stand in their way.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

HALBERD
FANTASY ROLEPLAYING
)agick is rife within Te&uendria flowing through all living things E human elves trees naked molerats. The most infamous city in Te&uendria Highbridge is also its most magical so theres never a dull moment if youre an adventurer. Halberd /antasy 2oleplaying uses the Inbelievably *imple 2oleplaying rules to create a simple yet dynamic roleplaying game for beginners or veterans. 5ecome anything you can imagine E a worldly druid a brave warrior a stealthy nin-a or one of an infinite number of characters. Dield incredible magick with a fle=ible system that allows players to create their own spells on the fly no matter what the situation is. *o step into the city of Highbridge meet the 2ed @ourt -oin the Heague of 1ssassins or help out the ?ot-Fuite-Jead 3oetAs *ociety. Halberd /antasy 2oleplaying is a tabletop roleplaying game for ; or more players.

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Robert Best (order #5257201)

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