H.M.S.

APOLLYON
Player Manual Part I
COMBAT AND
EXPLORATION
I never set out to write a retro-clone, only my own esoteric setting material, but
HMS Apollyon has turned into a retro-clone of sorts specifically a sort of homage
to the earliest editions of Dungeons and Dragons. I have a copy of the Whitebox,
the later collectors edition that I bought long ago in my youth, but I never really
read it with a critical eye until playing in Brendan S.s Pahvelorn game on Google+.
Most of the basic rules and mechanics here are pulled or interpreted from the
Whitebox and the Little Brown Books it contains, but they are more the
product of others work and games Nick W., Ramanan S. and most of all Brendan
S., as well as the players who have stuck with the setting as it has contorted and
evolved, especially Chris H. and Eric B.
I have tried to keep my rules concise, but rather than just offer another set of
retro-clone rules I want to provide my reasoning for why I have adopted them. You
may notice small text boxes below some of the rules, and in these I have tried to
justify why I am using a rule and what I hope to accomplish with it. Its my belief
that while setting is largely formed by evocative description, NPC interaction and
collaborative storytelling, that rules are still important as they can destroy or
support a settings tone. I shy away from too many player-facing mechanics and try
to emphasize player skill over character skill but mechanics do help make a
setting, especially combat mechanics which largely set the game pace, character
turnover (lethality) and how important central is to the game.

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The intent of the HMS Apollyon setting is to provide players an exploration game in
a setting where life is cheap, the world cruel, and combat against the denizens of the
haunted hull a desperate, not altogether wise gamble. These combat rules are
written with this goal in mind.

The rules were slowly developed and modified

through play and thus are esoteric as opposed to systematized. While systematized
rules have an intuitive appeal, I have found that the effort to fit everything into a
structured rule set rather than a collection of smaller subsystems or individual
rules tends to stifle the sort of rulings not rules mindset that early Dungeons and

Dragons fosters as well as discouraging the individualized house rules that are
necessary to fill gaps in any rule system in a comprehensible manner that doesnt
rely on metagaming or build science more appropriate to war games.

EXPLORATION
The Exploration Turn
Time spent Exploring the Hull of the Apollyon is
measured in turns and each turn being roughly ten
minutes of time, though they are not exact.
Perhaps this is because time in the Hull of the
Apollyon doesnt flow normally, rather it skips:
starting, stumbling along, rushing forward towards
conflict and drawing out decline, decay or pain.
Happy moments burn quick and fierce while
danger and despair stretch endlessly in the
darkness. A turn is best viewed not as a discreet
length of time but as the duration of an action.
Each player action (group or individual) requires a
turn: checking a door for traps, exploring the
jumbled debris of a forgotten cabin, or chalking
out a protective circle all take a turn.
Besides actions, movement and exploration are
also measured in turns. A hallway, vault or

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chamber will take a turn to cross, regardless of size

except for extremely large areas which may take
a couple of turns to move through and many to
fully explore. This exploration movement assumes
that the scavengers are moving carefully, keeping
noise to a minimum, checking the corners for
ambushes or even conferring with a scout placed
ahead (see Party Order and Positioning below)
and generally behaving as competent explorers of
a ramshackle and visually complex space. The
true significance of the turn is not to mark the
passage of time, but to provide a metric for
checking for complications, resource exhaustion
and danger, as the GM should roll the Exploration
Die each turn to see what occurs.

The Exploration Die

Random encounters, usually on a D6, are a fixture
of much table top play. The random encounter
usually implies meeting a hostile denizen of the
dungeon creating a risk for prolonged exploration.
The exploration die is overloaded however, and

1D6

includes other common dungeon exploration

events related to resource depletion as well as
random encounters. General die results are as
follows:

Exploration Die Result

1
Random Encounter
2
Environmental Encounter (Clues, Strange Occurrences, Wildlife) or Random Encounter
3
Torches/Candles are Depleted
4
Lanterns use flask of oil
5
Magic Dissipates
6
Fatigue Point Accumulates
NOTE: results 3 and 4 can be combined into a single Light Exhaustion result in some conditions, and one
replaced with an additional random encounter chance in more dangerous areas.

The Exploration Die (or Overloaded Encounter Die) is a wonderful mechanic

as it compresses a great deal of GM side accounting into a single already
existing mechanism (the Random Encounter Die). As the principle noncombat mechanic for the depletion of character resources the Exploration
Die is much easier to remember to roll then the old Random Encounter Die,
and knowing that something will happen in the game world every turn tends
to both make player choice meaningful and keep players involved in the
game. Personally I try to have my players roll the die, and keep the results
constant as this increases tension over time.
The Exploration Die has one major flaw. It is almost entirely useless if the
items it tracks (light sources, food and spell Duration) are infinite or nearly
so due to a forgiving or non-existent encumbrance system. HMS Appolyon is
a resource management and exploration setting and uses a strict
encumbrance system, with considerable penalties for being encumbered, that
coupled with the exploration die are an effective means of slowly depleting
mundane resources and creating the sense the environment itself is as much
an enemy as the creatures encountered there.

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Light
One of the main effects of the exploration die is to
deplete light sources. Light aboard the Apollyon
is a precious resource as most of the more
dangerous denizens of the hull operate far better in
darkness than humanity and its allies. Light is
relatively common even in unexplored, lost areas
of the ship as some of the ancient light fixtures are
incredibly durable and the arcane furnaces that
power the Apollyons bulk still burn deep within
its hull, however most of the ship is still dark and
scavengers without light will quickly become lost
or fall prey to the hulls many predators. There are
three categories of light used during play and all
effect combat and exploration.

avoid wandering off, collapsing into a useless pile

of anxiety or becoming lost (unless the party has
intentionally doused their lights and is remaining
in one location).

Darkness: Without light sources, no matter how

skilled or resilient a scavenger is he is lost, and is he
was not an explorer, inured to the terrors of the
unexplored regions of the hulk, madness would
follow close behind the absolute darkness. The
darkness found aboard the Apollyon is not like
normal darkness, it is a nightmarish almost sentient
presence that clings and tugs before closing in
completely.

Targets in darkness (and beyond a light source such as the 40' radius of a lantern) are impossible
to aim missile attacks at. Even hull dwellers
cannot target unilluminated explorers in the dark,
except from close range, and explorers cannot use
missile weapons in the dark beyond
reaction/reach or melee range (if the weapon can
be used in melee).

In the darkness even the most skilled scavenger is

at a grave disadvantage, capable of moving only
by touch. Total darkness prevents the use of all
skills (such as searching or disarming traps). Only
the skills listen and stealth function in the
darkness, and when a character has been in total
darkness for two turns the other senses try to take
over for the eyes, providing a +1 (using an X in 6
skill system) to the blinded PCs listening skill.
Worse then the inability to use exploration skills,
being lost in the darkness is both psychically and
physically taxing and a scavenger in the dark is
helpless against traps or obstacles until upon them,
suffering a -4 to all saving throws or statistic based
hazard checks.
Another difficulty with darkness is that every turn
it persists henchman must make a loyalty check to
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Darkness does allow explorers to surprise monsters

( hull dwellers can still surprise explorers as well)
with a 2 in 6 chance.
Combat in total darkness is near impossible for
scavengers, all combat rolls and abilities receive a
4 point penalty in the dark, including a penalty to
armor class. Only damage and grappling tests
remain unaffected,.

Dim: Even the tiniest amounts of light provide a

profound change from the total gloom of darkness.
Dim light is discouraging and not optimal for most
scavengers, but it does not create complete
physical helplessness and rarely induces the total
mental breakdown that true darkness
inflicts. Some sorts of explorers are at home in dim
light, having practiced and honed their skills
skulking in the shadowed alcoves of the canneries,
slinking along darkened alleys or scavenging
amongst the rafters of the Rust Gates. Dim light is
provided when there are too few light sources for
the number of explorers and by certain smaller
light sources (such as candles).
:Most from civilization suffer debilitating effects
when operating in dim conditions. Without
sufficient light it is still possible to perform
complex tasks, but it becomes far more

difficult. All skill rolls are at -4 in dim light and

all saves or statistic checks are at -2. Characters
with a Stealth skill of 3 or better are skilled in dim
conditions, having skulked among the gloomy
streets or hunted craydogs in the rusted littered
galleries of the hull. The stealthy suffer no
penalties in dim conditions, and gain some benefits
to concealment if they are able to function without
any bright nearby light sources.
Henchman are rarely as brave as true explorers
and suffer from a -2 to all loyalty or morale checks
when in dim light (unless they are skilled in
Stealth [3 or better] and used to operating in such
conditions).
Dim light is sufficiently common in the hull, and
sufficiently poor to allow explorers to surprise hull
denizens on a 1-2 on a D6 if all members of the
party are in dim light (monsters may also surprise
explorers). A stealthy character working alone (or
with other infiltration specialists) and operating in
dim light gains a +1 to their stealth skill, but only if
they are at least 20' beyond the light radius of any
illumination. This skill bonus is best used for
scouting or setting up a flank attack against
anything encountered.
It is difficult for most scavengers to fight properly
in minimal light, attacks go array, finding an allies
instead of a foe, and it's hard to see the enemy
sneaking around the flank. All combat rolls
except damage and grappling tests are at a two
point penalty, including armor class in dim light.
Stealthy characters who are skilled at functioning
in dim light do not suffer these penalties (making
them rather effective at killing other scavengers).

Dim light also provides sufficient concealment to

hide those in it from missile attacks beyond close
range (from either explorers or hull denizens).
Illumination: Most lower deck crew of the
Apollyon are comfortable enough in the flickering
lights of a torch or lantern to function normally,
having only rarely seen the grey skies above the
vessel or experienced daylight. However, full
illumination in the hull is not without drawbacks,
as light is mostly alien to the ruined decks, and
their residents are adept at spotting bright light
from a good distance away.
While this light provided by flickering torches or
oil lamps is not great, delvers into the eldritch gulfs
of the hull are brave and skilled at functioning in
these conditions or at least desperate enough to
push through. There are no penalties associated
with acting while illuminated, though groups with
large numbers of blazing lights tend to stand out in
the darkness.
While Illuminated (or in a group that is at least
partially illuminated) explorers cannot surprise
enemies, unless they are opening a door and
entering a room with the enemies inside - or their
enemies are entering a room that contains the
adventurers through a closed door. Characters or
monsters who are illuminated can be hit by missile
weapons at any range that their light is visible
(generally twice the light radius it provides).
Full light grants no modifiers to scavengers
combat abilities, and while some monsters may
dislike or avoid full sunlight, the light of torch and
lantern is not enough to penalize them.

Effects of Lighting on civilized persons and entities

Light Condition Skill Penalties
Combat Penalties

Surprise Chance

Darkness

-4 to all rolls/AC

2 in 6

-2 to all rolls/AC

2 in 6

Dim*

No Skill use except:

+1 to Listen
-4 to all skills except :
Listen & +1 to Stealth

None
None
None**
* Any creature with a stealth skill of 3 or greater may act freely in dim light.
** Illuminated creatures may still be surprised, but may only surprise others when opening a door

Illuminated

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Light Sources
Various types of light are used by Sterntowner to
fend of the dark, from crude oily dried fish fitted
with wicks to chemic arc lamps. For mechanical
purposes these light sources can be roughly
classified by the number of scavengers they
provide full illumination, and the radius of the
light they shed, revealing underworld features and
foes.
Torch : The bright light of an open torch flame
illuminates up to three characters and provides
dim lighting for up to three more. While bright,
the flicker firelight is random and distracting,
obscuring as much as it conceals beyond 30.
Torches may be used to set fires, or light oil bombs.
In combat they are an improvised weapon doing
1D6/3 fire damage, but if wielded in the off-hand
their awkward nature means they provide no
additional bonus for dual wielding. Torches can
easily be bundled together with four filling a
encumbrance slot.
Lantern: Lanterns come in a wide variety of styles,
but all normal lanterns are assumed to use a
reservoir of flammable liquid to create a steady
and widely spread light, but are not as bright as
torches. Two explorers can be illuminated per
lantern, and two more provided with dim light.
The lantern spreads light out in a soft pool 40 in
every direction, though many lamps are made with
shutters to quickly dose them, filters or screens to
dim them or a directional lens to focus them in one
direction (a bulls-eye lantern). For purposes of
game play all lanterns are deemed the same.
Lanterns are generally contained and so cannot be
used to start fires (unless thrown), they do have the
advantage that they can be attached to belts,
backpacks, helmet or other locations leaving the
hands free for climbing (though this is not advised
in combat as any strike rolling a 15 or above [even
if it misses] will shatter the lantern dousing its
carrier with flaming oil) unlike torches. Lanterns
may also be set down before combat and will
continue to provide light and it is assumed that all
scavengers do this, as they are professionals, well
versed in the dangers of the hull.
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Scavengers often fill their lanterns with the same

volatile oil that is used for military purposes and a
lantern makes a decent ad hoc fire bomb when
throw. Lanterns will inflict 1D6/2 damage for the
first round and the normal 1D6 the second, though
unlike oil flasks they can only be targeted at a
single enemy (burst value 1).
A lantern takes up one encumbrance slot, as does
each refill/firebomb. They are longer burning
then torches however and each flask of oil will
burn for two light exhaustion pips on the
exploration die.
Candle: Candles are any small, easily concealed
light better suited to finding ones way to the privy
without disturbing fellow sleepers rather than
lighting a room. Candles provide dim light for a
single explorer and may be tucked in a hat brim,
set in a miners helmet or wedged into the top of a
backpack. They are primarily used to scout while
remaining inconspicuous.
Candles can light oil bombs and start fires.
Candles may be carried six to an encumbrance
slot.
Glow Kelp: Bio luminescent seaweed is common
aboard the Apollyon and frequently used to light
the homes and businesses of wealthier
Sterntowners. The bulbous floatation sacs of the
leathery pickled kelp can be fiercely agitated to
let off a steady dim light in a variety of colors
(green, purple, blue or reddish). Glow kelp lasts
longer than lanterns or torches, requiring four
results of lamp exhaustion before dimming to
uselessness. It can provide dim light for one
explorer.
Glow kelp is especially useful as it doesnt depend
on flame for light and while it cannot start fires it
can be used underwater or in areas where
combustible gasses might make normal lamps
deadly. One large ropey frond of glow kelp (often
worn over the shoulders like a feather boa) will
take up an encumbrance slot.

Fire Bomb: Hurling firebombs is a time tested

tactic in the confines of the hull, fire and light are
both terrifying and dangerous, and both
scavengers and intelligent hull dwellers are often
equipped with a variety of firebombs form crude
Molotov cocktails to sophisticated binary rock
milk and phostogene bombs or white phosphorous
projectors. These weapons all produce a blast of
light when they strike (even on a miss) providing
illumination for all within 40 for two rounds
before guttering out. See Explosions (pg. 46) for
details.
Crude or Improvised firebombs do 1D6 damage
the first round and 1D6 damage the second,
effecting up to two targets each (burst value two),
with each target saving vs. wands to end the attack
(i.e. if the first target saves the bomb misses).
Specially designed, purpose built firebombs,
especially those containing phostogene or
elemental essences spread much farther, burn
longer and do more damage.

Magic: Magical light comes in two basic varieties

and numerous flavors from floating flames to rays
of divine grace that can penetrate deep into the
hull. Light spells (and other temporary magical
light) are slightly more effective than a lantern,
lighting a 50 in diameter circle and providing
illumination for up to 4 explorers (and dim lighting
for up to 4 more).
Permanent magic light (or Continual Light spells)
must be tied to a location, and no spell can be
memorized over it until it has been extinguished.
This continual, immobile light is very strong
however and will fill a chamber (or a 100diameter
circle whichever is smaller) providing full
illumination for all within its radius. Generally
magical light will not start fires.

Light strikes me as a very important element when exploring dark, dangerous

labyrinths filled with skulking terrors. I know when caving that the idea of
being trapped in the darkness without light is one of the most horrifying fears.
The exhaustion of light sources is intended to risk a Total Party Kill and light
is one of the items that should fill up characters encumbrance or spell slots.
Light sources also provide an interesting way of balancing surprise, reaction
rolls and initiative. The good chance of monsters gaining surprise on a well-lit
party, dispensing with a reactions roll, and the usefulness of a stealthy
character to mitigate this through scouting (at considerable risk to themselves)
are all intended consequences of this system, some of which go back to the
earliest editions of Dungeons and Dragons.

Magic Exhaustion
Like light, magical spells with persistent effects
wear off at an unpredictable rate in the doomed
cabins of the HMS Apollyon, the gods are far away
or fickle and wizardry is never quite the science its
practitioners make it out to be. When the Magical
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Exhaustion effect occurs on the Exploration Die

(usually a 5) long-term spells and spell effects
fizzle or fade. Some spells with longer durations
will last through multiple spell exhaustion results.

Fatigue
The Hull is a strange place, filled with the physical
challenges of climbing, fighting and forcing doors
as well as the stress of intruding into a terrible,
magically charged nightmare. A lot of people
deal with stress and strain by eating, and there is
nothing like a quick bite to restore a person
physically and mentally.
Fatigue is modeled as a random effect on the
Exploration Die and when a 6 results the party
takes gains a fatigue point, which the GM should
track. When three points accrue the characters

have become exhausted. Exhaustion is a state of

being overwhelmed physically and mentally by
the rigors and horrors of the Apollyon, the stink of
old death and rotten metal, the creaking of the
tired hull, and hissing whispers of the damned all
take their toll, just as much as climbing slime
encrusted chains or swinging a crowbar into the
skull of another zombie. While exhausted
characters receive a -4 to all rolls, cumulative to
any other negative effects for darkness, injury or
encumbrance.

Food and Exhaustion

The GM should clearly describe each fatigue
point, as there is nothing hidden about the
characters growing tired and frightened, but after
the third is rolled the negative effects of
exhaustion a culmination of hunger, thirst,
paranoia, minor injury and overwork are evident
and penalties apply. Fatigue can be overcome with
rest and food. The comforting feeling of a full
stomach and a brief rest is the only way to mitigate
the penalty of exhaustion, either fending it off
through the occasional snack or with a full meal
and a longer rest.
Sharing a single ration of food amongst the party
as a snack will remove one fatigue point, allowing

the scavengers to catch their breath and wolf down

some seaweed crackers, a handful of dried shrimp
or a few strips of dog jerky. This act of generosity
and camaraderie takes an exploration turn (and
results in a die roll).
When complete exhaustion has set in (after three
fatigue points accumulate) the party is spent and
penalties immediately accrue.
Each party
member must eat an entire ration and rest for a full
turn or continue to suffer -4 to all rolls. If a random
encounter is indicated during this rest period the
party will have not completed their rest and must
engage the encounter while suffering the
exhaustion penalty.

Rations Aboard the Apollyon

There is no distinction between preserved and
regular rations on the Apollyon, preserved food is
largely unnecessary as most expeditions into the
hull are of a fairly short duration, and much of the
normal food eating in Sterntown is already dried,
salted or canned. Food may be had for 10GP a
ration, or 15GP for an all meat ration (popular
amongst Merrowmen and better for distracting
carnivores) or 100GP for a luxurious ration. Most
rations consist of dried or tinned fish, including
shellfish or squid and several flat dried leathery
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mushroom caps or similar chunks of bread made

from starchy seaweed. Luxury rations include
dainties imported from the hells or crafted aboard
form Uptowns minimal stocks fresh fruits,
candies, delicate cuts of spiced meat and goat
cheese are common in these rations which provide
excellent eating and make fine trade goods, but
are only available to characters who can trade
outside the Rust Gates.

The purpose of the fatigue rules is purely to present players with another risk
and reward system. With the strict encumbrance system used in the game the
decision to bring rations, and how many, is a meaningful one. Players may opt to
make more frequent stops, risking dangerous encounters or push on and with less
risk but more danger if the risk manifests itself in a combat encounter for an
exhausted party. More importantly the fatigue system provides another way
(beyond the traditional HP) for characters to have their abilities and resources
tested. There is nothing unreasonable about spell effects that target fatigue or
the addition of fatigue points for undertaking difficult feats of dungeon
navigation or strenuous exercise (long climbs, intense combat, flight from enemies
or moving heavy objects.)

Equipment and Encumbrance

HMS Apollyon is a setting that is first meant to
encourage exploration, and these rules are meant
to emphasize that exploration decisions as
important as combat decisions. Resources and
scarcity are the main method of providing this
focus, and everything the characters bring with
them from Sterntown should be a considered
choice on the players part.
Encumbrance is not simply a matter of weight, but
also accessibility, bulk and overall balance. To
represent this, and to make sure that encumbrance
can be easily tracked the number of items carried
by individual characters makes equipment choice
meaningful. Characters, henchmen and NPCs are
limited to carrying a number of Significant Items
equal to their Strength.

Not all items are considered significant, jewelry,

coins up to 1,000 in number, worn clothing (not
armor), are Insignificant and dont count towards
the encumbrance total. Multiples of other items
(see below) may be carried before they count as
significant, and some large items (generally
treasure) count as multiple significant items or will
instantly encumber one or more characters (a large
piece of statuary for example).
Carrying items over ones STR stat results in
becoming encumbered, a waddling target for any
predator one encounters. Encumbered characters
are at a flat -4 to all rolls and stats (including AC).
It may be possible to quickly shed items while
encumbered and remove the penalty (dropping a
rolled up carpet for example), but even this will
take a combat round to accomplish.

Item

Special Encumbrance Rules

Jewelry
Coins
Specialists Tools
Torches
Candles
Thrown Weapons
Ammunition

Insignificant Item
Insignificant up to 1,000 Coins, significant item per 1,000 coins.
1 Significant Item contains many small items needed for skills
Up to 4 per slot
UP to 5 per slot
Up to 2 per significant Item (Javelins, tomahawks, daggers)
10 30 shots per significant item depending on type

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EXAMPLE: Dondo the Filtcher alone has managed to survive an encounter with a pack of revenants of
greed. His companions lay dead around him among mounds of valuables collected by the living corpses
over the years. Between the equipment of his dead companions and the undead hoard Dondos fortune is
made. Unfortunately Dondo is not a strong man, his STR of 8 means he can only carry eight significant
items before becoming Encumbered and 12 maximum. Searching through the piles of fine wood furniture
and rotten rugs Dondo finds several items he believes will be the most valuable:
An emerald tiara (an insignificant item)
In a large gilt frame (1 significant item)
A decorative silver tea kettle (1 significant item)
A bundle of steel drill bits (1 significant item)
A pearl covered wedding gown. (1 significant item)

A painting of a garden scene (1 significant item)

A case of ancient whiskey (12 significant items)
Two fine china vases (1 significant item each)
Seven hundred gold pieces (add to total coins)
A fine wooden dining chair. (3 significant items)

Dondo immediately discounts bringing the whiskey and chair, but even so the treasure includes 7
significant items (assuming he doesnt have 300 coins on him already) and Dondo will need at least a
lantern or some candles to have any chance of returning to town.
Dondo is no fool however, and knows that a single man laden with treasure, even if hes a stealthy survivor,
shouldnt venture into the hull without arms and armor. Dondo retains his blue velvet brigantine (1
significant item), his cutlass (1 significant item) and five candles (1 significant item), he discards his food
ration (1 significant item), his rope (1 significant item), his crossbow (1 significant item), 30 bolts (1 significant
item) and even his lock picks, tiny saws and listening cup (specialists tools - 1 significant item). With most
of his equipment discarded, Dondo has space for five significant items. Dondo cant resist grabbing up the
fine silver engraved revolver slung around the hip of one of his dead comrades, making sure its loaded (1
significant item) and adding it to his equipment.
When Dondo slinks back into town, hes recovered only the following items of treasure:
The painting (cut from its frame and rolled up)
The wedding gown
The emerald tiara

The drill bits

The tea kettle
700 gold coin

Everything else was left behind, perhaps warranting a follow up expedition, with a pack dog or porters,
but without any guarantee that the treasure will remain.

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Skills
There is a debate to be had regarding the use of skills in tabletop games, including all
the classic Thieves Skills because its often opined that rolling dice to solve a
problem rather than allowing the players to use their creativity to figure out the
puzzle involved diminishes one of the best aspects of tabletop gaming. However, some
undertakings in a fantasy setting are unknowable, and reasonably either too tedious
or unfair to ask players and GMs to adjudicate on an ad hoc basis. A mechanical
component is necessary for certain character activities that cant be part of player
skill, but are obvious elements of character knowledge. Specifically things that
specialists (or other subclasses) know that cannot be readily known by players but
that are important to in game challenges. The clearest example of this sort of skill
is something like Arcana or Tinker as no game Ive been in has available locks to
pick or secret languages to focus hermeneutic knowledge on.
Moreover, focusing on these tasks for too long detracts from the play of other
players who arent figuring out the lock puzzle or deciphering the secret inscription.
It also demands that players only play characters whose skills reflect or mirror
their own, an idea antithetical to the fun of tabletop roleplay. On the other end is
something like the Search which really should be easy to model with player
knowledge (I pull on the candle holder, I dig through the refuse pile etc.) but
demands a great deal of knowledge by the GM regarding things like secret door
mechanisms and what sort of dungeon dressing is scattered about (both to conceal
valuables and to provide pointless things to search).
While a good GM and a good room description should include important detail, this
isnt always possible, and sometimes describing the wide variety of detritus on the
floor of an abandoned stateroom that a party might root through is not a good use of
game time. In these cases a skill system is helpful. Skills also have an advantage of
being clear about time and risk, with each skill roll taking One Turn, and
occasioning a roll on the Exploration Die.
Specialists, and many other characters, have a
selection of Skills that provide a large chunk of
their utility, allowing them to extract knowledge
and valuables from ancient machines, to save the
lives of the gravely wounded, and to move quickly
or stealthily past obstacles. Skills are noted by a
number from 1 to 5, representing the characters
chance of success on a six-sided die. Thus a
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character is a 3 stealth skill will be able to

concealed herself by rolling 3 or under on a D6.
While all characters have the skills force,
acrobatics, stealth and search at the level of 1
point, characters trained in specific skills will have
them at higher levels generally adding 2 points
of skill to class or subclass based skills at levels 1,
and an additional point at levels 4, 7 and 10.

Even a single point in a skill, such as the one point

of stealth all characters have indicate a familiarity
with it and an understanding of failure conditions
or likelihood of success.
Because of this
knowledge, the penalty for most skill roll failures is
simply wasted time (which can be dangerous and
resource intensive when using the exploration die
system). Only in certain circumstances, such as an
acrobatics attempt in combat, trying to disarm a
time sensitive trap, emergency surgery on a dying
comrade, or sneaking past alert enemies, do skill
failures result in catastrophic events such as falls,,

triggering a trap, or detection. These extremely

negative consequences should usually be very
apparent or the GM should provide a warning such
as the bomb looks like its wired to blow up if a
disarming attempt goes wrong.
The point of the variety of skills is to allow greater
utlity for non-combatant characters, more variety
to exploration and a wider set of scavenger types.
Specialists need not simply be magsmen, sneak
thief or an assassin, but can be tinkers, scholars,
charlatans and doctors.

Engineering
Machines, gears, hydraulics, pumps, steam and
cogs are a lot like magic to most people, but
somehow with knowledge of these strange
apparatuses normal men can do the work of
magicians both in war a peace. The art of
engineering fascinates many as it seems a path to
power, but really its the same sort of knowledge
that builders, mill keepers, alchemists and siege
masters have always had, an understanding of
tools, basic forces and the mechanics of the natural
world. A successful Engineering test can provide
information about the purpose of almost any
machine and mechanism, as the same principles
apply to even the most fantastical ancient or
ruined devices. A skilled engineer will also have

an advantage (+1 per skill level) to any roll

required to use strange mechanical or
technological artifacts and machines. This bonus
does not only apply to artifacts from more
advanced cultures, but to the simple machines
common in an Engineers own society. From laying
explosives, to operating cannon and torsion
engines engineers are more skilled then normal
soldiers or artisans. A successful Engineering roll
will reduce the time and cost of any siege project
by 50%. Likewise the Engineers bonus to use
devices applies to siege weapons, giving an
engineer a bonus equal to skill level in any hit or
damage rolls required for use and reducing enemy
saving throws by the same amount.

Survival
All worlds have their wilderness, even the
artificial floating hell of the HMS Apollyon, and
all have those who learn to survive and thrive in
this wilderness. Survival is not just knowledge of
what specific fungus is edible, or the habits of a few
creatures which may be common knowledge of
most that scavenge in the hull. Survival is an ethos
and way of understanding that allows its
practitioners to live and thrive in almost any
environment with the knowledge of how to
determine which unknown plants and animals are
dangerous, which are food and how to best track
and hunt them, using whatever materials are
available. Survival provides several bonuses, most
obviously allowing some understanding of natural
creatures that have been observed for a few
12 | P a g e

moments. With a survival check a character may

be able to spot the claw marks of the craydog
marking its territory, or recognize a poisonous
fungus compared to a benign one. Examining the
corpses of dead monsters, one skilled in survival
will see more than a carcass, and be better able to
spot and extract valuable components, such as fur,
teeth and horns, without damaging them. Survival
also covers tracking and other field craft, such as
spotting ambushes, setting and detecting snares
and pits in the hull or finding the best spot to cross
weakened flooring. A successful survival check
also allows a character to push beyond the limits of
exhaustion, ignoring the final pip of Exhaustion.

Piloting or Sailing
Not all machines are stationary, and those that
move require a different set of skills to direct and
control than those that dont. A pilot can get the
most out of any means of transport, from a simple
raft to an ancient steam engine or suit of ancient
powered armor. Piloting skill is most useful when
operating boilermail or other powered armor, as it
adds directly to the suits reliability, but the skill
has a wide application elsewhere. Most commonly
a pilot may control and navigate a sailing vessel of
any size (assuming there is sufficient crew) and use

the piloting check to avoid the dangers of weather

and rough seas as well as to arrive at a specific
destination. A successful piloting check may be
used to avoid any difficulty or safely navigate a
danger (such as maintaining a safe speed in a
steam engine, or stopping a speeding rail cart) this
check should be made in addition to any intrinsic
mechanic related to the vessel or machine.

Medicine
Not all healing is magical, and there are many
things that a knowledgeable chirurgeon can do to
brush aside the boney talons of death. As a general
matter this skill provides knowledge of anatomy,
health, disease and injury and can be useful from
an investigative standpoint when inquiries about
the time and nature of death are required. For
scavengers the most practical application of this
skill however is first aid and battlefield
medicine. A successful medicine check can
provide aid to the wounded in two ways. First by
the application of proper medical procedure in the
immediate aftermath of battle a chirurgeon can
heal up to 1D6/2 points of damage to an
individual from wounds received in that

battle. Second, the medicine skill can sometimes

prevent death. If the medicine skill is used on a
character (or NPC) suffering a mortal wound (at 0
HP or less) in the next round after the wound is
received the dying individual is allowed an
additional death save. Keeping the mortally
wounded alive and stabilizing them is difficult
however and the medico doing so must spend the
rest of the combat caring for any mortally
wounded rather than taking any other action
(though the chirurgeon can move the injured
patient at a rate of 10 or 1 rank per round). The
death save is allowed at the end of combat, when
the medicine check is made as well.

Acumen
An understanding of value and business, this skill
includes both the knowledge of business practices
and procedures: trade routes, contracts,
commercial paper and deeds as well as the ability
to evaluate and appraise items for value. With a
successful skill check the nature, history and value
of non-magical treasure and artifacts can quickly
be determined and fakes revealed. Likewise, a
successful use of this ability will allow the
character to understand the terms of complex
documents, bureaucratic processes and the
etiquette of commercial society.

13 | P a g e

On a mechanical level, besides the ability to

appraise objects for value, this skill allows the
character to move in higher levels of society and to
impress the wealthy with their knowledge and
class. Any Charisma check or reaction roll
resulting from negotiations dependent on trust,
trade or protocol gain a +1 from a successful
Acumen check. Unlike the skill Legerdemain, this
is real knowledge, the sort useful for setting up a
legitimate business deal or hiring mercenaries,
rather than getting investors for a shady scheme or
seducing a debutante.

Chemics
The Alchemist and the Assassin both depend on
their knowledge of chemicals, solvents, acids,
poisons and potions to practice their trade and the
Chemics skill represents this. It may be used to
identify poisons, drugs, potions, medicines and
other substances as well as to manufacture such
items. A chemic check is required in almost all
aspects of poison-craft as well to assure the users
safety and to successfully use poisons. Chemics
allows the collection and proper storage of poisons
and other dangerous substances (such as slimes and

molds), and without this skill even safely obtained

monster poison tends to become inert quickly.
Additionally a chemic check is required to
properly apply poison to weapons. Chemics is also
a useful skill in medicine as successful uses of the
skill will sometimes (it may be less effective
against stronger monster poison) allow the
Chemist to create compounds that slow or even
cure disease, poison and similar toxic effects.

Scholarship
Scholarship is a skill that represents a characters
general and specific knowledge of history, dead
languages and other esoteric fields of study useful
in exploration of forgotten areas of the vessel.
With a successful check, a scholar can decipher
the meaning of an ancient inscription or even
understand ancient technology well enough to
explain its purpose and perhaps means of
operation (though without the detailed
knowledge of an engineer). This skill can be used
to gain information about the likely source and

purpose of treasure, magical items, constructions or

dungeon dressing.
Between sessions scholarship may be used in lieu
of an identify spell as a downtime action to
determine the operation, powers and origin of such
technological artifacts. Some such artifacts may
also provide damage or other bonus for each point
of scholarship skill.

Legerdemain
The skills of the grafter, the actor, entertainer, spy
and courtier. Flattery, disguise, oratory and sleight
of hand to pass a bribe, lift a pocket watch or
dispose of the incriminating evidence as the secret
police kick down the door. Legerdemain consists
of all the soft skills of deception and its successful
use will give a character a +1 to any reaction roll
resulting from parlay, or a charisma check based
on deception. Additionally this skill includes the
disguise and impersonation so that with a
successful check, sufficient materials, and
knowledge of the habits or class of the disguises

14 | P a g e

subject, the skill user can trick others into

believing them to be someone else.
As mentioned above this skill also includes the sort
of sleight of hand associated with the classic thief
skill pick pockets. This has always been an
underutilized skill, but a large part of that may be
the descriptive name, Legerdemain can be used for
anything requiring nimble fingers and deception,
from card tricks to swapping documents during a
negotiation. It also covers forgery and the
production of fake items

Animal Handling
Beyond the basic care and feeding of animals,
there is a great deal of skill in properly motivating
training and maintaining control of both war and
pack beasts. While it causes little difficulty to
handle a single attack dog in combat, a pack of
such dogs or more monstrous creatures demand
special skill to control. Animal Handlers may
control up to their own level +1 HD of war beast
(more if they are specialists who have elected to
take the Animal Handler subclass). An animal
handling skill check is required to retain or regain

control of a frightened beast, and also to compel

animals to act against their natural impulses (such
as encouraging most hounds to attack the undead
or other otherworldly creatures).
Animal Handlers also know how to properly care
for their pets, and their animals will have +1 HP for
every point of Animal Handling skill.

Arcana
A rare skill, limited to those who have actual
rigorous training in the magical arts: church
inquisitors, academically trained wizards and a
few esoteric scholars. Arcana is a powerful skill
however, similar to scholarship, but much more
focused on specific kinds of magical knowledge.
With a successful application of the Arcana skill a
practitioner may emulate the effect of the 1st level
Magic-User Spells Detect Magic Read Magic
and Identify as well as generally gaining
knowledge about magical effects or objects.
Characters skilled in Arcana may also add or
subtract their skill to any rolls involving the use of
wards, sigils and similar objects (such as Devil
Shells or Ghost Salt). For example on a successful
Arcana Skill check the character could determine

that the effect of a polymorph spell was temporary,

or investigate a destroyed skeleton to discover it
had been animated recently by arcane ritual.
Using this spell to read magical writings means
that it can be used by non-casters to cast magicuser spells from scrolls. This use of the spell has a
downside however, as failure will result in the
destruction of the scroll (while failure to read a
magical inscription or conduct an investigation
just wastes time). Likewise the Identify function of
the Arcana skill represents a long study of a
magical object and requires the downtime
between session to perform, with failure meaning
that the item remains unidentified, but another
attempt may be made after the next session of
play.

Stealth
Stealth is the skill associated with assassins and
thieves, but useful to any character who wishes to
avoid being spotted. Hiding in shadows, moving
silently through piles of trash, and slipping past
guards are all part of the stealth skill. Failure of
the skill doesnt automatically mean that the
character gives away their presence (if previously
hidden), and certainly if given ample time and in
an environment with concealment options, the skill
is unnecessary to hide. However, where true skill
(sneaking past an alert beast, hiding in the
shadows of a pillar, moving across a creaking
wooden floor to loot a sleeping merchants
nightstand or slipping behind a guard to
15 | P a g e

assassinate him) is required this skill is necessary.

One of the more popular uses of the Stealth skill is
to try to set up a target for a backstab attack in
melee combat. A successful first round using
stealth at the beginning of a combat will allow the
specialist to make a backstab attack in the second
round if their target is engaged in melee combat
with another. It cannot be reused in the same
combat to set up another backstab unless extreme
circumstances make such a thing reasonable.

Tinker
This is the skill of fixing, understanding and
manipulating small devices and tools. Most often
tinkering is used by scavengers to disarm small
mechanical traps or their triggers, but is also
valuable for picking locks and to repair jammed
firearms or other broken weapons. Its a fairly
similar skill to Engineering, but implies
mechanical ingenuity and inventiveness rather
than a grander understanding of machines and
construction.

As with most skills this failure on a tinker roll

rarely results in catastrophe, especially with traps,
only in delay (and another random encounter
check), rather than triggering a trap or
permanently jamming a lock. After all, most
locked doors in an exploration game are meant to
be a minor obstacle rather then something the
party has only a small chance of overcoming and
most small traps, susceptible to the tinker are
nuisances designed to make the player chose if
they are more afraid of random monsters or
springing traps.

Acrobatics
Any character can climb a rope, scaffolding or
rough wall with time and effort, but the acrobat
can do it quickly, silently and with a fair bit of
style. This skill not only replaces the traditional
Climb skill, but allows the acrobat to engage in
other athletic feats, such as leaping over chasms or
across rooftops.

Acrobatics can also functions as a combat skill,

allowing the acrobat to disengage from melee,
rush past enemies and make flying attacks from
the rear rank, sometimes without wasting a round
in movement,. In combat an Acrobatics check may
generally be substituted for a Dexterity check.

Force
Force is a simple skill of properly applying
strength to break things in an efficient manner. It
is a universal skill, most commonly used by
scavengers to smash open locked or stuck doors.
Tools (crowbars, hammers, or wrenches) give a+1 to
skill bonus in appropriate situations. Failure
indicates a noisy and failed opening attempt
requiring an encounter check or breakage. This

skill is generally applicable to other tests of

strength that are beyond a normal ability check
such as bending metal bars, shifting sarcophagus
lids and holding gates shut against a battering
ram. In some situations an ability check may be
used to model feats of strength, and in this case the
force skill allows the player to add or subtract 1
point from their roll.

Search And Awareness

While passive Listening is often modeled with a
Wisdom check or as the result of a random
encounter roll, active searching and listening at
doors is a general skill, which like Force is
available to all. Certain varieties of specialists
(thieves, rangers and explorers) may also increase
their ability with this skill. Search is used to search
through a general area for either items of interest

16 | P a g e

or secret doors, specifically examine objects or

small areas for a trap of some kind, eavesdrop on
others conversations from a safe distance or to
listen at doors for evidence of whats beyond. It
encompasses the traditional listen, find traps and
search checks, making it a generally valuable skill.

The
ENCOUNTER
Surprise
Surprise is difficult for most scavengers to achieve
due to light conditions, as an illuminated group
cannot gain surprise except when passing through
a closed door. Only with wise use of scouting,
stealth and concealment do scavenger bands have
much chance to surprise hull dwellers, but it is far
more common for a group of scavengers to be

surprised. If the proper light conditions exist for

surprise, it occurs on a 2 in 6 chance (though the
chance is higher for specialized ambush hunters)
and when it happens the group with surprise gains
a free round of action. Most hull denizens will use a
surprise round to attack, trying to kill their enemy
without risk to themselves, rather than to parley.

Reaction Roll
Upon encountering another group or creature, the GM
will make a reaction roll to determine how the creature
or creatures are generally disposed towards the
Scavenger party. The 2D6 roll provides a general

2
or
less

violent angry

10

threat

warning

guarded

Neutral

neutral

positive

helpful

These reactions define the general feelings of the

NPC encountered. A pack of Crayhounds that has
an amicable reaction may give the adventures
sporting warning with a display of clattering
claws, allowing them a chance to run before the
hounds tear the scavengers to pieces, while a
violent reaction from a shopkeeper will be to
refuse service and possibly call the Stewards or
local enforcers.

17 | P a g e

sense, but doesnt necessarily dictate the creatures

actions.

11

12
or
more

amicable friendly

Other factors can modify the reaction of creatures

and NPCs. These include both situational effects
such as the scent of blood in the air and long-term
effects like reputation. Reputation with the
interlocutors faction (-5 to +5) is applied to all
reaction rolls, even before parley. Once parley has
begun a party spokespersons Charisma or even
subclass may also effect reaction rolls made in
response to individual proposals by the party.
(Officers, Scoundrels, Preachers and Illusionists all
have abilities that effect NPC reactions).

Surprise and reaction are often a terribly underutilized aspect of tabletop

games. Reaction rolls have fallen out of favor in some modern systems either
because they can turn a planned fight into a peaceful encounter and vice versa,
or because they dont feel helpful in combat oriented games. HMS Apollyon is
an exploration game with encounters that are often unbalanced and no reward
for combat. as such reaction rolls (and the player ability to manipulate them
favorably) are both useful and exciting. The danger of depending on reaction
rolls however is that savvy or lucky players will avoid every combat, which
would be equally boring as continuous fighting. Surprise counteracts reaction
rolls, as most denizens of the hull will attack if they gain surprise, even if
they would normally be inclined to parley. Likewise when the scavengers gain
the advantage of surprise they may be reluctant to give it up in favor of talk.

18 | P a g e

Party Order and Positioning

Party order is important to success in combat, and
many tactics depend on having the right mix of
weapons the right distance from the enemy. This is
especially true in the cramped conditions of the
vessels gangways, machine spaces and cabins
where there is often little room to maneuver or
adjust party order.
Scouting: Scouts, generally lightly armored,
stealthy and using only dim light to help conceal
their presence are very useful for mitigating the
dangers of ambush. Scouts are placed 60 to 100 in
front of the party and will encounter enemies or
trigger traps before the main body does. A
scouting character with a stealth skill has the
opportunity to make a stealth check when
encountering an enemy (even if surprised) to
retreat back to the party and avoid combat,
though the enemy will have spotted the scout if
they are fully illuminated. In dim light (generally
best when the scout has a stealth skill of 3 or
higher) the scout can avoid the encounter entirely
on a successful stealth check and even silently
signal his comrades, retreat or conceal himself,
generally to ambush or flank an approaching
enemy.
Despite the advantages of scouting it is slower
than simply marching in a compact, well lit body,
and to scout an area requires an additional
exploration turn (and Exploration Die).
The Vanguard: The party vanguard is shorthand
for the first two characters in the party order.

19 | P a g e

These two scavengers completely fill a 10x10

square in combat, and so in many smaller areas
they will be the only party members that can
engage, or be engaged directly in melee combat.
Generally the vanguard is the best location for
heavily armored and resilient characters as they
will suffer the brunt of combat. If attacked from
the rear, the last two members of a party of
scavengers will fulfill this roll.
The 2nd Rank: The 2nd rank consists of the third and
fourth characters in party order, who can attack
over the backs of the vanguard with reach
weapons on the first turn of any combat, or fan out
and engage in melee without penalty assuming
there is sufficient space (generally a room or wider
[20 plus] corridor.
The Body: Somewhat constrained, fifth and
subsequent members of the party order form the
general body of the party. They cannot usually
engage directly in melee, but can fire missiles (note
the dangers of firing into melee), cast spells or offer
encouragement. Scavengers in the body are
assumed to be in ranks of two in order from 5th
party member onward, and to move forward to
displace a character in the rank in front of them
requires a successful dexterity check, and a
combat round. Even when there is sufficient space
for the party to fan out (10 of space for each two
characters) it takes a combat round for characters
to do so.

Henchmen and Combat

The stumblebums, urchins and drug addicts
vagabonds commonly hired by scavengers as
linkboys, torchbearers or porters are not
combatants, and while often armed with a cudgel
or dagger they will not attack monsters on their
own, instead cowering outside of combat if
possible. Most enemies, especially intelligent foes,
will recognize that these henchmen are not threats
and ignore them.
Vagabonds, this is to say normal 0-level retainers
without faction affiliation, will not fight under the
majority of circumstances. If forced to fight (either
by an order or to defend themselves from attack)
vagabonds must make a morale check (vagabond

starting morale is 6) and even if they succeed and

manage to survive the combat they will suffer a
permanent loss of one morale point. Inspiring
Leaders such as officers (fighter-subclass) and
preachers (clerical subclass) have special abilities
that will allow them to make even the worst of
henchmen more effective fighters.
Regular Henchmen, those with levels in any class,
hired from a faction, or obtained by carousing or
adventure are effectively secondary characters,
acting on the same initiative round as their
controlling character and never checking morale
for normal combat where their leader is also
fighting.

Henchmen exist for two purposes in a high lethality game, the first of these is
to provide ready back-up characters in case of a primary characters death. The
second is to soak up attacks and damage preventing characters from dying. As a
Game Master I want to encourage the first sort of use, and while I am not
opposed to the second, I dont want to make it inexpensive and without
consequences. Thus I try to make hench-people available to my players early in
the game and cheaply (Vagabonds are available from level 1 with only a
successful Charisma Check and a five GP per session upkeep cost) but I want to
limit their numbers (one per PC) and utility. Henchman that players have
invested XP (from their own total), or obtained using faction reputation are
different, and have both level and abilities from player investment. The player
is far less likely to see a longtime henchman as disposable cannon fodder and so I
have little problem treating them as a species of almost pure back up character.

Initiative
Monsters and Characters both act individually in
order of initiative, with players winning any ties.
Initiative determines the order characters and
NPCs act in combat. Each character and each
group of enemies (or each enemy depending on
20 | P a g e

their number) rolls initiative at the beginning of

each combat round with a single D6. Various
modifiers effect initiative, especially heavy armor
(which provides a -1 to initiative unless the
character has mastered its use or it is an especially
fine suit), wielding heavy weapons without

sufficient training (a -1 to initiative for nonfighters). Initiative is also effected by a characters

Intelligence, and an exceptional (15 or above) or
abnormal (5 or below) will grant a +1 bonus or -1
penalty to initiative. Creatures often have
modified initiative, especially monstrous animals
and beasts, whose reflexes are often far faster than
mans and who utterly lack the sorts of mental
barriers that most intelligent creatures have to
engaging in combat.

melee attacks, but a ranged attack may be braced

in the same way, though if it is against a melee
attacker it will suffer any appropriate penalties.
Bracing with a reactive weapon (which would
already allow an attack against any enemy
seeking to engage in melee) has the additional
advantage of allowing the braced character to
attack against an enemy that is seeking to engage
any ally in melee, not just the character with the
reactive weapon.

Holding Actions: Sometimes characters may wish

to wait to act later in the round, and while this is
generally impossible there are two special cases.
First a character may brace for attack with their
weapon, which will allow them to make a reactive
attack against a foe that seeks to engage them
prior to the enemys action. This is primarily for

The second condition when holding initiative

action is possible is when a character wishes to
hold a melee attack (a charge most likely) until
after allies have fired their missile weapons. The
character holding their action will act on the
initiative number one below that of the last missile
attacker.

Movement and Actions in Combat

As Mentioned above in the Party Order section,
movement from the rear ranks of a group to the
front ranks during combat requires space and
Dexterity check (Roll Under DEX on a D20).
Other types of movement, such as stepping back
into the rear ranks, also require a Dexterity check
and take a round to complete.
When a combatant is fully engaged or pressed in
melee combat (that is in combat with a
numerically equivalent or superior force) they
may not make movement actions except a fighting
retreat, unless they wish to risk Breaking Contact

(see below in Flight and Pursuit). When not fully

engaged in melee combat reasonable movement
and other actions are possible without making a
Dexterity check (flanking enemies, intervening to
allow an ally to disengage, interacting with other
parts of the room, grabbing items from the floor or a
pack, or passing an item to another character). If
the character wishes to take an action and also
attack in the same round they must usually make a
Dexterity check against a D20 to succeed. More
complex actions will likely be impossible without
foregoing a characters attack.

Flight and Pursuit

There will come a time in any game where the
players or their enemies wish to run from a fight.
Doing so is dangerous, especially for anyone
currently in melee combat, and running through
the hull without a clear path for escape is also a

21 | P a g e

potential risk. Because the hull is such a cramped

environment, teaming with aggressive life, running
is almost always a last option for the creatures that
live there as the potential for blundering into
another enemy or hungry predator is very high.

Breaking Contact
When in melee combat a creature or character
must first break contact before fleeing. Breaking
contact is accomplished with a Dexterity check
like any other combat maneuver, however the
opponent that the fleeing party most recently
attacked in melee gets a free melee attack. Other
enemies in melee may attack the fleeing character
or monster, but only if they have not acted in that
round and doing so will use up their action in the
round. With a successful Dexterity check, and

having survived any attacks a fleeing character,

NPC or monster has broken contact with a 10 (or 1
point lead) and may be Pursued. Enemies not in
melee may flee without a Dexterity check and
may be pursued by anyone not in melee. Breaking
out of melee where there are still active enemies is
itself considered Breaking Contact and pursuing
creature will be subject to the same Dexterity
check and attack/attacks they would be if they
were attempting flight.

Pursuit
When a enemy breaks contact Pursuit is
adjudicated with a simple d6 test, with each pip on
the die indicating approximately 10 or one point.
Each creature has a movement statistic rated from
-6 to 6 that is added to or subtracted to their die.
The fleeing creature rolls a D6 and adds or
subtracts their modifier as well as any distance
from their pursuers that they have retained from
the prior round. Results of less than zero indicate
that the fleeing creature has made less than 10 of
progress, or is slowed by some obstacle. Pursuers
now roll to catch up to the fleeing creature with a
d6 and any additions based on their movement. If
the a pursuers movement points are greater than
the fleeing creatures movement points then the

Movement
-2
0
1
2
4
5
6

22 | P a g e

pursuer has caught up and may either

immediately tackle the fleeing opponent (as a
grapple) or attack with a weapon at the beginning
of the next round. If the fleeing creatures
movement points are higher they manage to
remain out of their pursuers grasp and may add
the extra movement points remaining from that
round to the next roll.
Generally a pursuit will end when a creature is out
its pursuers visual range, usually the range of
their light sources. A fleeing humanoid may drop
any items held in their hands (shields and
weapons) for an additional 1 point of movement at
any time.

Example types of Combatant

Human in Boilermail. Undead Shark on land.
Trained Human in Heavy Armor. Earth Elemental. Most Crawling Death Forms.
Trained Human in Medium Armor. Wight or Gunwight
Trained Human in Light Armor.
Unarmored/Unarmed Human. Craydog or similar beast
Ghula Hunter. Unarmored Flying Monkey
Spectral Undead

The purpose of these initiative rules is to make standard combat (without surprise or
ambush) more dangerous and less onesided. Careful planning to ambush an enemy
should be rewarded, but I want to make the luck of initiative a little less
overwhelming. Staggered initiative within the party also prevents some kinds of
tactical gamesmanship, while making initiative another mechanic that provides
character and monster differentiation and choice. The main reason for individual
initiative is however to streamline play and speed up combat resolution by giving
players a clear order to follow, which I have found useful and even necessary when
running larger parties of up to ten players and fifteen or so adventurers and
henchmen.

DEFENSE
hit Points
Like damage, all Hit Points aboard the HMS
Apollyon are generated using six sided dice. Since
hit points represent largely intangible things - the
luck to narrowly dodge a bullet with only a hole in
ones hat, or the sudden rush of adrenaline that
allows the character to fend off a wights claws
with their arm, they should be re-rolled each
session that begins in a town or haven, representing
the fact that some days are better than others.
Likewise hit points recover quickly, regenerating
between sessions, or with a few days of inactivity.
As in all D20 based games Hit Points are
generated based on level. However, since all
varieties of adventurer share the same D6 hit dice,
the number of dice each class rolls varies
considerable. Like Attack Bonuses below, there

23 | P a g e

are three types of Hit Point generation: High,

Intermediate and Low. Generally Fighters will
have High Hit Point generation, magicians Low
and all others Intermediate.

hit Point Progression

Level High
Intermediate

Low

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

1D6
1D6
1D6+1
2D6
2D6
2D6+1
3D6
3D6+1
4D6
5D6

1D6+1
2D6+1
3D6+1
4D6+1
5D6+1
6D6+2
7D6+2
8D6+2
9D6+3
10D6+3

1D6
1D6+1
2D6
3D6
3D6+1
4D6
5D6
5D6+1
6D6
7D6

Armor Class
Armor class determines the difficulty of injuring a
target, and may reflect many factors from
nimbleness, immunity to pain or difficult to
penetrate armor. Armor class is an ascending
number, that an attack roll on a D20 (adding any
applicable bonuses) must match or exceed to hit.
The base armor class of a normal, unarmored
human is 10, while the best armor class (available
only through the use of powered boilermail armor
or to extremely powerful outsider entities) is 20.
The best armor available to humans in simple body
armor is 18. No amount of bonuses or skill will raise
a character in body armors armor class aboven 18.

For example, a fine suit of custom made plate

armor will give a Fighter or Cleric trained in
heavy armor an armor class of 18, but if that
character choses to wear a shield her armor class
will remain 18, wasting the 1 point of armor class
normally granted by the shield.
In general this is will be simple to keep track of, as
mechanically there are only three types of body
armor aboard the Apollyon: Light Armor, Medium
Armor and Heavy Armor. Within these broad
types of armor there is great variation, but no
armor class difference.

Armor & Fighting Styles

Armor aboard the HMS Apollyon is incredibly
varied, from soft and supple wrappings of walrus
leather and boiled sharkskin scales to fluted
bronze plate armor. However, despite this visual
variety, mechanically armor comes in only the
three basic categories of: Light, Medium and
Heavy (which includes Plate Armor) , and the
more complex category of powered Boiler Mail
armor. All armor comes in two varieties normal
and fine armor. Normal armor uses the base
Armor class of its type, while fine armor gains a +1
or greater to AC when worn by skilled user.
Armor use is not limited by class as in many
systems, but only certain classes are trained in
certain armor types and the use of armor without
training penalizes both Armor Class and initiative.
Armor training varies, especially by subclass (for
example high level battle-mages are trained in
heavy armor), but as a general rule Fighters and
Clerics are trained in heavy armor use, while
Specialists and Froglings receive light armor
training. Flying Monkeys, Draugr and Passengers
begin with Medium armor training.

colors and devices of its wearers faction, both to

advertise loyalty and as a means of gaining
revenge on anyone who steals it or removes it from
the original owners body. Dealing in second-hand
armor is thus rare, and like all skilled craftsmen
armorers quickly find themselves working for one
faction or another. This means that characters
should be careful to retain their original armor and
not expect to upgrade it quickly.

Armor aboard the Apollyon is very valuable, and

as such it is commonly marked with the symbols,

Common forms of light armor include The olive

green or grey dyed leathers of union scavengers,

24 | P a g e

Light Armor Base AC 13, Base Movment 2:

Armor designed for movement and comfort or even
as under-protection for heavier types of armor
(especially boilermail). Light armor is a favorite
amongst scavengers as this is the only armor which
allows free movement, including swimming. Some
forms of light armor (fine mesh, or specially made
brigandine) can even be concealed under normal
clothes. The base Armor Class of Light armor is 13
and higher quality light armor will have an Armor
class of 14 or even 15 for ancient and advanced
forms such as ebonite or antediluvian reactive
fiber work suits.

the stiff furred hides often worn by hull dwelling

savages, Frogling cord armor, decorative shell
studded shark or walrus leather wraps favored by
the fishers, waxed canvas, padded armor, light
chain or scale (usually brass), boiled leather and
bone or shell armor.
Medium Armor Base AC 15, Base Movement 1:
Combat armor, sacrificing mobility and ease for
greater protection. Medium armor is a fine
balance between protection and movement.
Medium armor interferes with swimming,
movement related dexterity checks, including
breaking contact and flight as well as limiting the
use of Climb and Stealth skills (a -1 any roll or
check). Medium armor is commonly at AC 15 with
advanced and magical suits, such as Frogling
carved totem armor or ancient Steward riot gear
providing protection as high as Armor Class 17.
Medium armor is very popular amongst all the
factions of the Apollyon, with faction soldiers
wearing a wide variety of protection including
chain mail and scale armor. The two most popular
types of medium armor consist of the brigandines
(or coats of plates) worn under or as part of most
Flying Monkey guardsmens braided and frogged
great coats, or the breastplates, with or without
elaborate etching and gilding, that Sterntowners
seeking to display a familiarity with violence often
wear.
Heavy Armor Base AC 16, Base Movement 0:
Armor designed first to protect the wearer from a
wide variety of threats. Heavy armor is slow,
cumbersome and almost essential for the kind of
dense melee of any mass-combat fought in the
narrow gangways and cabins of the Apollyon.
Many warriors find that having the greatest
amount of available protection from every angle is
a fair exchange for somewhat limited movement

25 | P a g e

and vision. Heavy armor gives a -1 penalty to

initiative, even for the trained user, and a -1 to all
movement, dexterity, Climb and stealth skill
checks.
Heavy armor suits are almost always metal and
the best suits use bronze or steel plated with silver
or chrome to protect against rust. Painstakingly
crafted full-body suits of thick bronze scales,
overlapping in as a dense, high collared jazeriant
are uncommon, but available, and the workshops
of the Stewards stamp out both their signature
lorica of larger overlapping plates and garrison
plate - clumsy and easily adjusted plate armor
reinforced with thick leather.
Plate Armor Base AC 18, Base Movement 1: The
finest of Heavy armor, crafted and fitted to each
wearer, plate armor is the ideal of protection and
ease of use that heavy armor aspires to. The armor
class for plate armor varies between 16 and 18, with
a 16 armor class for a half suit, with only light mesh
or leather protection on the limbs and 18 for a full
suit of custom fitted steel plate armor. Plate armor
is rare and expensive, more akin to a magical item
then a scavengers supply item, but it has no
initiative penalties and the same -1 movement,
dexterity and skill penalties as medium armor.
Fine plate armor is usually only available for
warriors with access to fine armorers and almost
never seen amongst scavengers. Since a new suit
will cost upwards of 10,000 gold pieces its a rare
and successful scavenger that can afford plate
armor but still wishes to delve into the hull.
Recovered plate armor is valuable, but an
expensive refitting is required for a new wearer to
use it. Armorers willing to do so, or to remove the
symbols and marks undoubtedly added by its
previous owners, are also few and very careful
about who they work with.

Untrained Armor use

There is no class limitation on what kind of armor a
character may wear, but the penalties for using
armor without proper training are significant, if not
crippling. Characters untrained (training is
determined by class and specialization) in the use
of a type of armor may still wear it, but will often
find that it provides them limited protection
benefits that are outweighed by its disadvantages
in speed and movement. First the protection
offered to an untrained user by even the finest suit

Armor Type
Light
Medium
Heavy

of armor is below the standard amount of

protection for its armor type, simulating the
wearers inability to move properly in the armor
and likelihood that it is not being cared for or worn
in an effective manner. Second, those unused to
armors weight and limitations will attack slower
and move haltingly compared to a well-trained
user. The penalties below are listed as an
alternative to any already existing penalties of the
armor, not as an additional penalty.

Penalties for Untrained Armor Use

Maximum Untrained Movement & Dexterity Initiative Penalty
Armor class
check Penalty
12

-2

-1

14

-4

-3

15

-5

-5

Armor Class is one of the key, and easiest to ruin, aspects of the combat
system. The limitation of AC to a maximum of eighteen prevents armor class
from keeping pace with or outpacing attack bonuses. Indeed more powerful
creatures and fighters will rarely miss while armor class can be maxed out at
relatively low level. A higher level characters higher hit points will thus
decrease rather quickly against same level foes, and even a low level enemy
(or a character with poor attack bonuses) has a chance of striking a well
armored foe. The armor limitations also encourage the creation of magical
armors that arent simply a matter of increased AC and magical weapons that
dont simply ad a plus to attack and damage. In general combat on the
Apollyon is supposed to feel risky and scavengers should be encouraged to out
think, trick, and suborn the monsters they encounter rather than simply
cutting them down. The other benefit that this armor limitation gives is that
it allows the GM to grant armor increases more readily, evening out of armor
class over time as defensive bonuses are accrued through spells, magic and
skills without ever worrying that a character will become effectively
invulnerable.

26 | P a g e

Shields
Shields are an effective means of defense,
providing a one point bonus to Armor Class. Even
the Armor Class bonus of shield cannot transcend
the hard limit of 18 for Armor Class, meaning that
heavily armored characters should consider

wielding a two-handed weapon, as a shield will

offer no advantage. Some sub-classes, such as
Soldiers and Wardens specialize in shield use
and may gain additional benefits from shields.

Dual Wielding
Despite its flashy appearance, wielding two
weapons at once provides only minimal benefit to
the untrained, and only in certain circumstances.
Wielding two weapons allows a player to choose
which weapon his character will attack with in a
given round and to obtain the defensive benefit of
a reactive or close weapon. Thus a character
wielding a sword and boarding axe might choose
to overpower a weak opponent one round with the
axe gaining a strike at another foe should the axe
attack kill while using the defensive finesse of the
sword the next round.
Popular weapon pairings include an offensive
weapon such as an axe or sword and dagger or an

offensive weapon with a reactive weapon such as a

throwing axe or pistol. The classic sword and
dagger combination is a boon to the careful
combatant who fears being grappled, as with the
daggers close attribute she will be able to
immediately do damage to a grappling foe.
Carrying a reactive weapon in the off-hand allows
the combatant to fend off enemies that seek to
close without giving up the ability to fight
effectively in melee.
A few subclasses, such as Duelists and Gladiators
gain additional benefits, including multiple
attacks at higher levels as they specialize in the
use of two weapons.

Two Handed Weapons

Two handed weapons are purely offensive in
nature and provide no defensive benefit beyond
killing enemies faster. Two handed weapons
universally have the ability of Heavy making
them both provide an initiative penalty to nonfighters and increasing their damage. This applies
to polearms as well as two-handed melee weapons
like executioners swords and great axes. In

27 | P a g e

combat two handed weapons are ideal for warriors

who are already in plate armor, and cannot benefit
from a shield.
As noted below in the Weapon Attributes section
Two Handed weapons inflict damage by rolling
two D6s and taking the higher result.

BoilerMail
The heaviest armor aboard the HMS Apollyon is
not the ornate, custom fitted steel plate armor of
accomplished Passenger Class rakes, but rather
rare suits of powered armor - boilermail. The best
known of these machines are the handful of
elegant Boarding Suits in possession of the
Marines, rarely seen ancient armors, with
elongated limbs and twisting rounded surfaces
now much marred by increasingly crude repairs.
However, even in these fallen times, powered
armor suits are still being manufactured in
Sterntown, and are held up as feeble proof of
humanitys great power and rightful dominance.
Using the limited mechanical and magical
resources of Sterntown, contemporary boilermail is
a shadow of the nimble ancient suits remaining in
the Marine armory or even the smooth gears and
hydraulics of the armor from before the last war.
The current state of the art in boilermail clanks,
smokes and possesses no beauty beyond brutal
mass. Modern suits are labeled Boilermail,
Steamplate, or Boiler & Plate as they are most
often powered by magically augmented steam
turbines, though some are powered by captured
devils (diabolic batteries), horolomantic regression
engines, enslaved fire and water elementals
(elemental boilers) or ancient engines roughly
adapted to operating on refined alchemical
oils. Each suit is custom made by an entire shop of
artisans and can take 10,000 - 500,000 GP to
manufacture - employing armorers, blacksmiths,
engineers, enchanters and a wide variety of
specialized craftsmen. More advanced suits can
take as long as a year to make and require tens of
thousands of pounds of high quality steel and or
bronze.
Boilermail ranges from light exoskeletal suits that
offer protection little better than plate mail, but
provide a dramatic increase to the wearer's

28 | P a g e

strength (allowing the mounting of heavier

weapon and increasing melee damage) to fully
enclosed heavy suits that can mount cannons and
wield swords and axes weighing hundreds of
pounds, and augmented with hydraulic
penetration aids or voltaic generators that release
a deadly charge on impact.
Sterntown is not the only force within the hull to
possess Boilermail armors. The Fishmen apparently
make similar armor formed from the shed skins of
their demonic gods, controlled by the souls of
sacrificed thralls rather than clockworks and
difference engines. The Plague Dead have
captured many of humanitys treasures over the
centuries and armors of all generations have been
reported among their hosts, crudely repaired and
powered by necromantic energies as either
possessed ghost armor or home to an undead
plague seneschal. The most powerful and
technologically inclined wild devils sometimes
wear hell armor, though it's a rare devil that can
long justify to its masters the binding of a greater
devil to a suit of armor, even if it is a devil of
another nomenclatura.
The masters of boilerplate technology,
acknowledged only in whispers, are the Black
Gang, the denizens of Sterntowns other human
city. Deep in the hull, in their fortress of brass and
unnatural black iron, lit only by the damned light
of radiation forges, these spawn of the Apollyons
engineers, stokers and engine wipers press out
endless suits of advanced armor, lighter, stronger
and better armed than anything that Sterntown
has produced in a thousand years.
Boilermail is classified by generation, with newer
generations being the most crude, most prone to
malfunction and least effective.

Generation Description/and Examples

1
2
3
4
5

(Ancient Artifact Armor): Marine Boarding Suits, Steward Venerable Riot Suits,
Fishman Archon Armor.
(After the Great Marooning): New Army Steward Armor, Converted Service Suits,
Advanced Black Gang Armor, Ghost Armor.
(Post Catastrophe) Steward Post Flood Suits, Marine Vengeance Armor, Internal
Combustion Suits, Hell Armor, Black Gang Runic Boiler Plate, Plague Armor.
(Trade Years) Steward Peacekeeper Exoskeletons, Marine Utility Armor, PreRetreat Private Boiler Plate, Fishman Exalted Thrall Battle Symbiote, Possessed
Armor, Black Gang Heavy Armor.
(Sterntown) Great House Vanity Armor, Modern Steward Artillery Exoskeletons,
Civilian Bronze Boiler suits, Merrowman Bone Juggernauts, Frogling Living Totems.

Wearing BoilerMail
Boilermail is a complex apparatus and while
untrained individuals can wear it, only a skilled
pilot can wring the best advantage from a suit and
only a skilled engineer can repair power armor
from battle damage or the near constant
breakdowns that contemporary suits of armor
suffer from.
The Piloting skill is added directly to a suits
Reliability, and is also used in lieu of a dexterity or
other physical stat check. (Strength checks in
boiler mail are generally only needed if
attempting to do something outside the normal
human strength range forcing doors or breaking
the grapple of something with a strength of 18 or
under is automatic). Engineering skill is used to
repair boilermail.
Boilermails functionality is measured for game
purposes by a single simple metric, Reliability,
which accounts for an armors current state of
repair, fuel levels, the exhaustion of its pilot, and
any damage it has suffered from use. While

29 | P a g e

Boilermail is theoretically designed for long-term

operation, it is temperamental technology and best
employed in pitched battle with a team of
mechanics nearby.
In addition to the dangers of breakdown, including
catastrophic explosions, boiler mail is not
generally ideal for scavenging in the hull. While
the more advanced suits have almost the same
mobility as an unencumbered human, modern suits
are cumbersome, suffering penalties to movement
and initiative. Even advanced armor is still
unwieldy, too big to squeeze into smaller hatches
or gangways, too heavy for some structural
elements, and impossible to swim in. While
climbing is possible in some boilermail with its
much augmented strength, ropes and light chains
that would support a normally armored scavenger
will snap instantly under the weight of a half-ton
iron suit. Finally Boilermail is noisy, and a party
accompanying such a suit can never hope to
surprise enemies.

Reliability & Malfunction

Every suit of Boilermail has a "Reliability"
indicator. This indicator is used for two
purposes. First it determines how likely the finicky
armor is to break down in combat, and second it is
use to reflect damage to the armor. Every time a
wearer of steam plate rolls a one in combat or
movement (really anytime) and any time the suit
receives a critical hit from an enemy the pilot must
then roll a D6. If the roll is greater than the suits
current reliability the armor suffers a malfunction
and rolls on the malfunction table with a bonus or
penalty equal to their current reliability score.
Most often this is a temporary hiccup, such as
running out of fuel, but it can include things like
catastrophic boiler explosion and joint damage.
The reliability number is the suits basic score, plus
the pilots skill modified by -1 each time a
reliability roll must be made. Reliability is
restored by 1 point (to the suits maximum + the

wearers piloting skill) for each successful

engineering roll made by a repair crew. Each
attempt takes one turn, though multiple engineers
may work on a suit at a time (allowing multiple
repair attempts should the first fail), and requires
at least one set of specialists tools.
Escape Normally when a pilot wishes to remove
or put on a suit of boilermail the process takes a
full turn, including time to activate or deactivate
the suits power supply and properly shut down or
start its systems. When boilermail becomes
damaged, or otherwise itself becomes a life
threatening hazard a pilot may abandon the suit
with 1d6 rounds of effort and successful Strength
check to toggle the emergency releases. This sort
of crash deactivation will damage the boilermail
by one reliability point, but does not alone require
another malfunction check, only repair.

Boilermail is purely a setting item, the idea of clunky powered armor is something
that might not have a place in most fantasy world, but its a background setting
element and has been since the Apollyons inception. Its debatable if characters
should ever become equipped with boilermail, but Ive tried to write these rules so
that it is something that is both powerful and a bit limiting. A suit of boilermail
(piloted by an Engineer fighter, Scholar specialist or Alchemist magic-user) offers
a great degree of combat potency, but also has serious limitations for exploration
and dungeoneering. The idea of the armor is to create a template for powerful
NPCs and monsters, while also providing a potential artifact like piece of
equipment for higher level play.

EXAMPLE: The most successful and well known of Scavenger crew leaders in his generation, Rangvar
the Crowbar owes much of his fame and success to his ownership and canny use of his suit of Boilermail,
The Bronze Crab. A large, fully enclosed 5th generation suit made especially for Rangvar as a reward for
his services to the Collwing Family, the crab is not the best Boilermail, being new and prone to breakage,
but Ragnvars excellent piloting skill (Hes a 8th level Engineer with a 5 piloting skill), the suits huge
pincers and a rack of incendiary bombardment rockets built into its shell have proved potent against the
terrors of the hull.
30 | P a g e

The Bronze Crab Heavy 5th Generation Boilermail Suit RELIABILITY: 1, AC: 19, DAM REDUCTION:
3, WARD+1 (immune to drowning/gas) DAM BONUS: +3, ATTACKS: 2 x huge pincers (2D6
crushing), (3) Incendiary Rockets (Artillery/Fire) 1D6 EV 10,
Rangvar is an experienced and intelligent scavenger, and does not simply wander into the hull wearing
the Bronze Crab, instead preferring to bring it along disassembled on his expeditions in the care of two
mechanic henchmen and supported by a large crew. The crew will often set up a base camp, scout the area
they wish to scavenge and only then will Rangvar remove the Crab from the train of pack hounds,
assemble it, and stride forward to use its might against whatever challenges have proven difficult for his
scouts to overcome.
Rangvar and his crew have recently discovered an abandoned entertainment district, seemingly
inhabited by well-armed fanatical members of the Cult of the Ravenous. The cannibal demon
worshippers have fortified themselves in an ancient opera hall, armed with several rifles and at least one
small artillery piece, in addition to the normal fel magic, cursed spears and warped hyena demons. The
opera house however is a rich prize, as regardless of what it may contain, the domed roof is plated in gold.
Rangvar and his crew resolve to smash the cult head on, using the Bronze Crab to spearhead their assault.
After a scouting mission to find a way through the crumbling tenement towers around the operahouse that
both avoids the carousel full of malicious ghost children and follows paths that are wide enough (10
minimum) and strong enough to support the two ton bulk of the Bronze Crab, Rangvar sets off with his
assault crew. Snipers and a hired Thieftaker fire elementalist infiltrate the ruins across from the Opera
well ahead of the main body, as the Bronze Crabs wheezing alchemical engine and clanking armor plate
will alert the cult sentries and guard beasts.
Deciding to gain whatever surprise he can, Rangvar and the Crab spot a hole in the crumbled masonry of
a storefront across from the operas main entrance and he plunges into the building. Negotiating the small
gap require a piloting check, which Rangvar makes easily rolling a 3 on a D6 against his 5 piloting skill.
The cultist guards have heard his approach by now and the cackling calls of a demonic hyena pack as
they are released to hunt barely cover the shouts of men pouring out onto the roof of the opera to prepare
heavy ordinance. Rangvar acts quickly smashing the crab through the storefront and readying a rocket.
To break through this masonry wall the Crab only needs to make another simple piloting test, but
Rangvar rolls poorly, a 1 on his D6, meaning that while the crab succeeds in breaking through the wall
(his skill is 5 in 6 after all) the Crab suffers a blow from the falling bricks and Rangvar must make a
reliability check.
Since Rangvar has a 5 piloting skill and the reliability of the Crab is 1 due to its age and complexity
Rangvar is in no danger as he cannot roll below the suits reliability of 6 on the D6 reliability check.
However, the falling wall does jar loose some connections and skews one of the suits complex gyroscopes
meaning that next time a reliability test is required its reliability will be only 5.
Rangvar pushes the suit forward into the mass of hyena beasts as the cultists turn their guns on the Crab
and Rangvars crew begins to fire their weapons.

31 | P a g e

D10 plus
Reliability
-5 or
Greater
-4
-3
-2
-1

2
3
4
5
6
32 | P a g e

Malfunction Table Part i

Catastrophic Explosion The entire suit suddenly explodes like a bomb, pilot is killed
instantly. Fragments of armor, weapon and pilot make a storm of shrapnel in addition to
the deadly blast. (Burst 10 Range 50 diameter, Save vs. Explosion damage: death or 4D6
[cover/save]). Suit destroyed pilot killed instantly
Fuel Tank Explosion The suits fuel reserves burst into flame and cascade outward in a
great flaming torrent. (Burst: 6, Range 30 diameter, Save vs. Explosion damage: death or
2D6 fire damage [cover/save]). Suit destroyed and pilot burned to death over the course
of one round.
Interior Explosion Explosions tear pilot compartment blasting the pilot into bloody
fragments. Suit is damaged but can be repaired in a machine shop. Pilot killed.
Interior Steam Venting The suits cooling system is ruptured and superheated steam, oil or
gases fill the pilot compartment. Pilot will take 4D6 points of damage each round until
they escape from the boiler mail. Suit can be repaired in a machine shop.
Brews Up The suit begins to burn furiously, roasting the pilot within for 2d6 per round of
damage. The spreading fire will reach the fuel tanks in 1D6/2 rounds resulting in an
explosion that will kill the pilot and do damage to any nearby. (Burst: 6, Range 30
diameter, Save vs. Explosion damage: death or 2D6 fire damage [cover/save]). Suit is
destroyed.
Major Spalling Several fragments from the inside of the carapace are knocked free by
the force of the attack or systems failure. These fragments rip through the pilot and will
inflict 3D6 points of damage. Suit stops functioning, suit can be repaired in a machine
shop.
Fire Some portion of the armor bursts into flame. This fire will spread slowly, but is
dangerous if the pilot cannot put it out. Each round after the first the fire does 1D6 points
of damage to the pilot, reduces Reliability by one and requires a new Reliability test. The
fire can be put out by immersing the suit in water, magical aid or a mechanics successful
Engineering test using bags of sand or buckets of water to douse the flames. Suit damage is
severe and can only be repaired in a machine shop.
Catastrophic Fusing Several key relays and joint motors or hydraulics fuse, freeze or are
destroyed. The suit is non-functional until repaired and the pilot is trapped within until
the suit is repaired at a machine shop or the pilot can escape using the emergency system.
Engine Failure Internal Systems overload and stutter, smoke pouring from the machine.
The engines that provide movement ability are damaged and require repair. Suit cannot
move until repaired, but may still fight or otherwise act.
Joint Fusing One of the joints or control relays related to a weapon is broken or fused,
making one of the suits weapons (or arms if it has no built in weapons) unusable until the
suit is repaired at a machine shop.
Minor Spalling A fragment of shrapnel is smashed free and ricochets around the cockpit
doing 1D6 points of damage to the pilot. Suit remains operational.
Hydraulic Rupture The hydraulics or servos strengthening the suit are ruptured or
overloaded and the suit loses its augmented strength. Suit loses any bonuses based on
increased strength until it is repaired.

D10 plus
Reliability
7
8
9
10
11

12
13
14
15

Malfunction Table Part ii

Fuel Exhaustion The suit has burnt through its fuel reserves and must be refueled.
Fueling will take a turn if performed by an untrained mechanic or can be accomplished in
1D6 rounds by an engineer on a successful skill check.
Seizure Suit stutters and stops in place, becoming immobile and incapable of action for
1D6 rounds. Suit remains operational.
Gyroscope Damage The internal systems that stabilize the suit and help make its
movements more harmonious are damaged resulting in a -1 to all future rolls and piloting
checks. Suit remains operational.
Armor Damage A large plate of armor springs loose, cracks or is otherwise rendered
ineffective. Suit loses two points of Armor Class until repaired. Suit remains operational.
Noxious Venting Suit vents thick smoke and nauseating gasses, while the pilot is likely
to be protected by the armors filters (If suit is an enclosed model), all creatures within 10
must make a save v. poison or suffer temporary blindness from the smoke that lasts until
victims can wash eyes with water. The smoke cloud dissipates in one round. Suit remains
operational.
System Reboot The control systems and difference engines of the armor experience a
temporary shut down and require 1D6 rounds to reboot. In less advanced suits consider the
pilot stunned and disoriented for 1D6 rounds. During this time backup controls can be
used at a -2 to all rolls.
System Stress Minor failures in several suit systems as the machine is pushed near its
breaking point. While there is no immediate effect beyond grinding sounds and the odd
spark or two, if unaddressed this damage will tear the suit apart. Each subsequent point of
reliability damage counts as 2 points.
Noisome Venting Suit vents gases and pressure in a noisy manner, requiring an
immediate exploration die check (on a 1-3 monster encounter, ignoring all other results).
Minor Seizure Suit seizes and cannot function for one round. Suit remains operational.

Boiler Mail Abilities

Strength - Boilermail greatly augments its
wearers strength far above the normal human
range. The lightest most recent suits of exoskeletal
scout armor, while little more than a suit of heavy
armor with hydraulics and a volatile chemic
engine riveted to it, still have mechanical strength
greater than any human. Though the primary
benefit of this strength is in melee combat, all
boiler mail effectively has a Force Skill of 6 in 6,
meaning that locks and bars meant to hold back
creatures of normal strength can be slammed
through by a suit of power armor without any need
for a force check. In combat boilermail is
considered in to have a +2 to +10 bonus to melee
33 | P a g e

damage and attack with only the largest, heaviest

and most advanced of suits having a Strength
bonus of +5 or better.
Heavy Weapons Boilermail alone can
effectively carry artillery weapons and wield
giant sized melee weapons. Giant melee weapons
tend to do damage as two-handed weapons or
even 2D6 damage. Some of these heavy melee
weapons are further augmented with pneumatic
punches, voltaic charges, or magical potency,
making them even more capable of slaughter.
Likewise the heavy ranged weapons of Boilermail
make a good suit capable of victory over a great

numbers of lesser foes. Even todays slow loading

millatreuses, bomb throwers and muzzle loading
cannon strike with force far greater than any hand
held firearms.
Armor The armor of boilermail is far more
effective then that worn by individuals. A suits
greater strength and special construction allow it
to carry much thicker plates of armor or even to
create a fully enclosed shell that will deflect most
attacks. Boilermail universally has an Armor
Class of 18, and heavier armors can transcend the
normal scale of protection with Armor Class that
reaches 20.
Damage Reduction More important than the
ability of boilermail to completely deflect attacks
is the way that it reduces the damage of those
strikes that do penetrate. Generally suits will
provide a flat damage reduction of -1 to -10 to any
incoming attack. This becomes especially
important when combined with the Cover rules,
as most enemies will seek to focus artillery and

other burst weapons (which usually bypass Armor

Class) against armored suits.
Cover The maelstrom of shrapnel, over-pressure
and heat that characterize most Artillery, grenade
or burst attacks are far less effective against power
armor then against normal foes. For the purpose of
determining saves vs. explosions, shotguns, artillery
and automatic weapon fire a suit of boilermail is
always considered to be in cover, meaning that a
save vs. device or explosion will entirely negate
the damage inflicted by artillery and burst
weapons. On a failed save the boilermail armored
character will take usually take damage,
mitigated by the armors damage reduction.
Environmental Protections/Wards Heavier and
older boilermail suits tend to be fully enclosed and
sealed, granting immunity to gasses and other
environmental effects (like drowning). Even
newer, less advanced suits will often grant a
Ward bonus to saves against poison and spells.

Saving Throws
Saving Throws represent a creature or characters
abilities to resist and avoid dangers that arent
properly modeled by Hit Points. All saving throws
are made against a static number that increases
slowly based on level and class. There are few
modifiers for saving throws, exceptionally high or
low Wisdom grants a bonus or penalty to all saves,
while the various non-human races have flat
modifiers to their saving throws. Magical items
will also sometimes grant bonuses to certain saving
throws. All saving throws are made the same way,
by trying to beat a target number with a single
D20 roll. For the specific setting of the HMS
Apollyon the classic five saving throws have been
retained but their names changed to be somewhat
less cryptic and to reflect the unique dangers of
the setting. Additionally a Death Save has been
added to somewhat increase player character
survivability and as a potential mechanism for
introducing and justifying permanent injuries.
34 | P a g e

Saving Throw Categories Are:

Poison(Endure) The Save vs. Poison reflects a
characters ability to physically endure toxins,
disease and intoxicants from the paralytic saliva of
a Ghula to the effects of overindulgence in mad
kelp. Additionally the poison save is used to
determine the success of carousing checks and
other situations where physical endurance or
resistance is appropriate.
Device (Dodge) Representing a characters
reflexes and ability to evade or anticipate being
targeted by dread devices including: wands, some
guns, small bombs and many traps. This is the
ability to physically escape physical dangers.
Possession(Resist) Similar to the Poison save, a
Save vs. Possession measures the characters ability
to resist mental intrusion or control. It applies to

mind effecting spells, such as sleep, curse and

charm, possession attempts by undead or outsider
entities and mundane mental failures such as fear
or insanity.
Spell(Overcome) Save vs. Spells represents the
luck, magical skill or mental fortitude to avoid
magical spells that inflict primarily physical
damage, and indicates the ability to disbelieve,
resist or quickly make a counter sign or
incantation to mitigate magical damage.

Explosion(Luck) Some attacks are so large, so

deadly or so puissant that only luck or some kind of
intimate understanding of danger can save their
victims. The Save v. Explosion is primarily used for
these sorts of perils and most commonly to mitigate
death and damage from heavy weapons or
artillery explosions. It also of course applies to the
breath weapons of larger monsters.

The Death Save

A key Saving Throw, not found in the system that
this document is derived from, is the player
character Death Save, a special save to avoid
death from normal injury. When a character is
reduced to below zero Hit Points, the player may
elect to make a final saving throw against death
and if successful the character will return after the
combat or other damaging incident is concluded
with a single hit point and the understanding that
they are gravely injured. In this state a character
cannot act in combat or engage in dungeoneering
tasks unless healed. Additionally should a
character that is gravely injured take any damage,
it is a killing blow, without further recourse to the
death save.
Likewise the death save does not apply if the
character is killed by an attack or danger that

itself allows for a saving throw, such as an artillery

blast or lethal poison. The Death Save ability can
be lost through certain magical effects such as
dooms, curses and most commonly pacts with
outsider entities that exchange the characters soul
for a boon or gift.
Death saves are static, but increase (making
survival less likely) each time the character makes
one. All characters begin with a Death Save of 10,
but this increases by one point each time they roll
against it (even if they die and are somehow
brought back..) Some special subclasses and the
Draugr race use mechanics that reduce, limit or
even ignore the Death Save.

Saving Throw Tables

Fighter Saving Throws

Level
1-3
4-6
7-9
10

35 | P a g e

Poison

Device

Possession Spell

Explosion

12
10
8
6

13
11
9
7

14
12
10
8

15
13
10
8

16
14
12
10

Specialist Saving Throws

Level
1-3
4-6
7-9
10

Poison

Device

Possession Spell

Explosion

11
9
6
4

12
10
8
6

15
13
10
8

15
13
10
8

16
14
12
10

Magic-User Saving Throws

Level
1-3
4-6
7-9
10

Poison

Device

Possession Spell

Explosion

13
10
8
6

14
12
10
8

13
11
8
6

16
14
12
10

15
13
10
8

Cleric Saving Throws

Level
1-3
4-6
7-9
10

Poison

Device

Possession Spell

Explosion

12
10
8
6

14
12
10
8

13
10
8
6

16
14
12
8

16
14
12
10

Non-Human Saving Throws

Rather than use their own saving throw matrices,
non-human characters (and some monsters, which
use the same sets of saving throws) use one of the
above categories of saving throws, but receive
bonuses and penalties to certain types.

their wills can be bent and twisted with a minimal

expenditure of magic. When saving against
magical effects (regardless of the Saving Throw
used) Flying Monkeys may only ever save as a 1st
level fighter.

Froglings Froglings save as Magic-users, but are

hypersensitive to potential dangers and their
strong legs are capable of twitching into action
and catapulting them to safety even without a
conscious knowledge of a threat. All froglings
gain a +2 to Saves vs. Device.

Passengers A strange and mixed lot, Passengers

generally save as fighters, but Passengers outsider
blood gives them a +1 to Saves vs. Spell and
Possession.

Flying Monkeys Flying monkeys save as fighters,

however they have serious penalties when saving
against spells. As a species created to serve
sorcerers, flying monkeys were designed so that
36 | P a g e

Merrowmen Magical creatures with powers of

vivamancy and transformation, Merrowmen save
as Specialists, but gain a +2 to Saves vs. Poison and
+1 to Saves vs. Magic.

Draugr The Draugr are dead, or at least living

spirits bound to corpses, caught in a strange halflife. Like all undead they are rather resistant to
poison, though not immune unless they fully

embrace their undead aspect by adopting the

Horror subclass, Draugr receive a +3 bonus to all
Saves vs. Poison but otherwise save as magic-users.

OFFENSE
Attack Bonus
Attack Bonus is a simple bonus to a character or
monsters ability to hit on a one for one basis. There
are two separate attack bonuses for ranged and
melee combat, as some creatures and classes are
better at one type of combat or another. Base
attack bonuses determined by class, but are
modified by certain aptitudes and by non-human
racial traits.
Warrior: This is the greatest level of martial skill,
representing a creature or individual that has not
only learned or been trained in combat, but
relishes in it or has a natural affinity for violence.
Among adventurers it is limited to the Fighter
class but many monsters, including almost all
predatory animals have a similar attack bonus.
Trained: The attack bonus for individuals who
have been trained in or become accustomed to the
risks and experience of combat, but who are not
narrowly focused on warfare. This group consists of
Clerics and Specialists.

Untrained: Characters or NPCs without any

combat training or experience use this attack
bonus, including magic users and zero-level
henchmen or NPCs.

Attack Bonus by Level

Experience Warrior Trained Untrained
Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
+9
+10
+11

+0
+0
+1
+1
+2
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4

+0
+0
+0
+0
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1

Damage
All Damage aboard the Apollyon is calculated
using the same D6 as hit points. The vast majority
of attacks inflict one Hit Dice (HD) of damage,
easily capable of killing a trained warrior. Some
stronger attacks inflict a higher average damage
through two major mechanisms. The first is an
advantage mechanism, used by two handed

37 | P a g e

weapons that inflicts damage by rolling 2D6 and

taking the highest result. The second mechanism is
the exploding damage mechanism unique to
firearms which inflicts an additional dice of
damage every time a 6 is rolled on the damage
die.

Some may find these Hit Dice and Damage rules confusing, or feel they are
intuitively wrong. The idea that a maximum level fighter will have a
maximum of seventy three hit points (and realistically will have far fewer)
might seem shocking to players used to other systems derived from later games.
It is not that the fighters and monsters aboard the Apollyon are less durable
than those in other games, this is simply a more granular way of approaching
Hit Points and damage. Every Hit Point counts, and both damage and Hit
Point reserves are lower than in many systems. I believe this is easier to track
and provides a flatter power level then later edition games. The goal of these
rules is to make damage more serious, while mid-level characters and monsters
may be able to survive several hits with normal weapons, damage quickly
overwhelms Hit Points, especially combined with the Armor Class rules above.
Fights should be quick, potentially dangerous regardless of character level,
and even weak opposition will remain dangerous throughout a campoaign.

Combat Maneuvers
The variety of combat maneuvers listed below is
not meant to be exclusive or to encompass ever
possible event in combat. This does not mean that
most player suggestions for combat maneuvers
need an ad-hoc ruling. It is sufficient to simply call
most offensive actions an attack. The rules below

are meant to deal with special situations, and most

common player efforts to narratively benefit in
combat can be fit into the categories below. For
example attempts to trip up or disarm armed
combatants should generally be considered
grappling attempts.

Melee Attacks
Melee attacks are made in the standard manner,
and it is assumed that characters have ready
access to whichever of their weapons they choose
to wield at the start of melee. Dropping or placing
torches on the ground is assumed to take place
prior to melee without any penalty as the
characters are trained and experienced
scavengers, well-practiced at fighting in the
cramped and gloomy gangways of the hull.
Charging - Characters and enemies may both
attempt to charge into battle against foes that are
not yet in melee. In an open area such charges may
target any enemy, but when constrained by narrow
areas or otherwise blocked by a defensive line that
cant be flanked charging enemies may only
38 | P a g e

attack the front rank of the enemy vanguard,

unless they break through the line. Charging is
risky if the enemy has braced for attack or is armed
with reactive or reach weapons, but it does provide
a +4 bonus to hit.
Breaking Lines Breaking through defensive
lines is difficult, some monstrous enemies (the
immaterial undead for example) and especially
aggressive fighters like Berserkers may do it
automatically or with a simple Dexterity check.
Most combatants must first succeed in a Dexterity
check and then succeed in an attack against the
front rank of the enemy to break through to the
rear rank, which they can attack the next round. If
either of these rolls fails the attacker has been

pushed back and achieved nothing. If both are

successful the attacker damages their target and
has succeeded in pushing past into the body of the
enemy force. This maneuver may be combined
with a charge if there is sufficient room to do so.
Bracing Characters and monsters may Set for
Attack, allowing them to counter attack the first
enemy that seeks to bring them into melee combat.
If they are not attacked in the round they have
Braced they have simply wasted their action.
Bracing is far more effective for combatants armed
with reach weapons as they can attack the first
enemy charging them or an ally and if successful
their reactive attack will do double damage
against a charging foe.
Outflanking Usually two combatants may block
a 10 area and two more behind them may use
reach weapons to attack over their shoulders. In a
constricted corridor this will mean that the most
normal attacks a vanguard character may face is
four - two from the combatants opposite them, and
two from foes in the enemy second rank. In a wide
open area, such as a room, unless there are two
defenders for every ten feet of space from wall to
wall both characters and monsters will likely try to
outflank the frontline, and either attack other
targets in the rear or launch flank attacks on
enemies who are engaged in melee with another
enemy.
When there is room to outflank an enemy position
(the enemy has accessible space to the side or rear)
combatants whose force outnumbers the enemy by
more than two to one may take a round to move
into position with a successful dexterity check and
launch an attack the next round with a bonus of +4
to hit that will do double damage. Outflanking
will not work on some monstrous creatures, flying
creatures (including flying monkeys) or on
Boilermail armored foes.
Unarmed Combat Without special skills, natural
weapons or equipment (such as brass knuckles or a
cestus) even a trained fighter will be unable to do
serious damage, inflicting only 1D6/3 points of
damage per attack.
39 | P a g e

Grappling Rather than attempting to directly

injure an opponent through blows, a combatant
may seek to grapple their enemy, trying to pin
them and then restrain them, savage them with
natural weapons like claws and teeth, stab them
with a close weapon or slowly choke them. The
grappling process is somewhat complex, with a
reaction attack, the grapplers attack and then a
strength check in the first round. In subsequent
rounds damage is automatic, and then the
grappler must roll to maintain the grapple.
A Grappler is subject to a reactive attack from his
target, unless the grappler is attacking a flanked
opponent or from stealth. After the targets
reactive attack is resolved, the grappler attacks.
On a successful attack the grappler then checks
their Strength on a D20. On a failure by the
grappler, the victim is able to worm free of the
grapple. On a success by the grappler, the
grappled must also make a Strength check on a
D20 adding the success margin of the grappler to
his roll. If the grappled makes their strength
check, they can either reverse the hold, controlling
the grapple, or break free in the next round.
In subsequent rounds a grapple may be continued
and prior to any tests both the grappler and
grappled inflict any damage they can. In a
grapple close weapons and natural weapons
(daggers, claws and teeth) automatically hit and
damage the opponent, regardless of who is
winning the grapple. This makes carrying a
dagger a useful addition to any scavengers kit,
and makes wrestling beasts such as craydogs very
dangerous. While in a grapple an unarmed
combatant cannot do damage unless they are
controlling the grapple. A grappler who controls
the grapple (having won the STR check contest the
round before) can do 1D6/2 points of damage in
addition to any damage they do with a close
weapon and can choose to break free from the
grapple at any time. Grapple damage that doesnt
use a weapon can be non-lethal if desired.
After damage is calculated the combatant
currently controlling the grapple makes another
Strength check. Succeed or fail, the grappled

combatant then makes a Strength check, adding a

penalty of however many points the controlling
grappler succeeded their Strength check by. If the
controlled grappler wins a Strength check they
can either reverse control of the grapple or break
free.
When grappled by multiple opponents only one
set of damage calculations and one set of checks is
made, but the grappled victim has a +2 penalty to
their Strength check per additional attacker.
Fighting Style Not every approach to melee
combat is identical, and a combatant may fight
defensively or offensively favoring selfpreservation over the ability to damage the enemy
or vice-versa; however, for most, even trained
fighters, these fighting styles do not represent the
optimal use of their skills. Fighting defensively
will grant a +2 to Armor Class (to the maximum of
18) in exchange for a -4 to attack, while fighting
aggressively will grant a +2 to attack and a -4 to
Armor Class. Special sub-class abilities or the use
of a finesse weapon will make these exchanges
more even, and even allow greater bonus and

penalties, but under no circumstances will

aggression or caution produce more than a four
point benefit.
Fumbles - When a character, NPC or monsters
rolls a natural one on a melee attack roll this is a
fumble, and results in an automatic miss.
Additionally the target of their attack may make
a normal attack in response.
Critical Hits On a natural 20 a combatant has
scored a critical and especially effective hit. There
are two options on a critical hit, either to inflict
double damage (simply doubling the damage roll
after any modifiers) or to inflict normal damage
and narrate an additional beneficial aspect of the
attack. The possibilities of this benefit are limited
only by the players imagination, though common
results are to disarm the enemy, knock them over
(preventing their attack the next round), pin then
against something, push them off or ledge or into
another enemy (though in the last case a Dexterity
check is appropriate to see if both enemies lose
their next action).

Missile Combat
Ranged Attacks are generally conducted the same
as melee attacks, and with the confined spaces of
the Apollyon range is less of a consideration then it
would be in many games. Because of the narrow
spaces, short sight lines, low ceilings, and many
obstruction in the hull, bows and rifles are
relatively rare, and even the infamous Steward
Standard Rifle (SSR) is more often found in a
carbine form. As such range calculations that
would be used in other games are largely absent
from the Apollyon. There are really only three
significant ranges for the use of ranged weapons
aboard the Apollyon, Melee, Reach and Long.
Melee When a combatant is in hand to hand
combat they are in melee, and may not use missile
weapons (except for reactive weapons, and then
only in a reactive manner).
Reach At reach range, missile weapons can be
used, though if fired into melee the normal
40 | P a g e

consequences apply. Long-arms also suffer a loss

of accuracy when used at this range.
Long- All other distances are considered long
range, and while some missile weapons might not
be able to hit more distant targets this is generally
not an issue on the Apollyon.
Aiming Taking a round to aim a missile weapon
at long range will grant a +4 bonus to hit.
However the shooter is disrupted if an attack is
directed at them during their aiming round,
making this maneuver best from concealment or
surprise.

Firing into Melee Firing into the constantly

swirling scrum of melee in narrow gangways lit
only by the flickering, pungent light of a whale oil
lamp is a chancy proposition. Not only is there a
chance to strike ones allies, but the danger of an
unexpected projectile attack from the rear is
unnerving and can result in a fatal distraction. On
a natural roll of 5 or less the attack will strike a
random ally in melee doing full damage
regardless of the victims AC.

Missile Fumbles Unlike melee fumbles, missile

fumbles are rarely immediately dangerous to the
fumbler. Missile fumbles result in the jamming or
breakage of the weapon. Usually this is simply a
broken crossbow string or a broken flint and can be
repaired in one turn of action. Fumbles with more
shoddily made firearms can result in explosions,
though this should be noted in the weapon
description.

Weapon abilities
While damage is nearly identical amongst
weapons aboard the Apollyon, weapons choice is
important as weapons types provide special
benefits and bonuses based on the following
general classes of weapon.
Heavy - Heavy weapons suffer a one point
initiative penalty and require two hands or
monstrous strength to use. These weapons inflict
2xD6 taking the highest damage due to their size
and power. This category includes two-handed
weapons, pole weapons and most rifles.
Light or Improvised - Light weapons are generally
less injurious than normal weapons doing D6/2
damage. This includes improvised weapons such as
clubs, furniture and torches, but also includes most
throwing weapons like javelins, throwing knives
and tomahawks when used in melee.
Reach - Reach weapons can be used from the
second rank of combat and may be 'set' to receive a
charge, giving up an attack but allowing a
reactive attack that does 2x Damage to the first
charging attacker to enter the weapon's range (i.e.
the attack need not be directed at the character
with the reach weapon). Pole weapons and spears
are reach weapons.

41 | P a g e

Close -Close weapons may seem weak at first but

when in the hands of a certain style of fighter they
are exceptionally dangerous. Close weapons
allow the wielder to do significant damage while
grappling. This category includes daggers, claw
weapons like bagh naka, and the natural weapons
of some non-human species and most monsters.
Reactive - Weapons that can be used to interrupt
an attack. When attacked while wielding a
reactive weapon the defender will receive an
automatic attack before the attacker can
complete their own. If a defender is capable of
multiple reactive attacks (with a pistol or if they
are carrying thrown weapons in both hands for
example) they may only react once to any
attacker, and each attack against subsequent
attackers is at a cumulative -1. Reactive weapons
are often held in the off hand and include
throwing knives, tomahawks and pistols. Indeed, a
reactive attack is the only way a pistol can be used
in melee combat, though the ability of a multiple
shot pistol to engage multiple attackers makes
them very dangerous
.
Finesse - Finesse weapons are handier then most
arms and well suited to attack and defense. These
weapons allow the near effortless switch between
styles of combat and allow a point for point trade
of attack bonus and AC - making a offensive
combat a +2 to hit/-2 AC and Defensive combat

a +2 AC/-2 Hit rather than the normal +2 hit/-4

AC or +2 AC/-4 to hit. The ability to adjust these
attack and defense values by greater amounts is
increased by the "Duelist" sub-class available to
Fighters and Specialists. Stabbing and other light
or medium swords, such as arming swords and
sabers, are the most common finesse weapon
(cleaver
like
weapons
are
generally
"Overpowering" weapons).
Overpowering - Cleaving and cutting weapons
allow a flurry of dangerous blows that will carry
from one opponent to the next. When a combatant
lands a killing blow with an overpowering weapon
they can immediately make an additional attack
against a nearby opponent. Boarding axes,
cutlasses and falchions are the most common
weapons in this class aboard the Apollyon.

Crushing - Crushing and penetrating weapons can

mitigate the protection provided by heavy
armor. When attacking foes in heavy armor these
weapons reduce the enemy to a maximum AC of
15. The effect of a crushing weapon will only work
on opponents that depend on armor or armor like
protection (shells, plating or chitin) for defense,
and will have no effect on many otherworldly
opponents such as devils and demons despite their
lower armor class. Crushing Weapons are also no
more effective then any other against Boilermail
armored enemies (unless they weapon itself is
Boilermail sized). Maces and the ubiquitous 'warcrow' of the Scavenger's Union (a cross between a
crowbar and a military pick) are both crushing
weapons.
Entangling - Entangling weapons are
unpredictable and difficult to defend against as
they slide around parries and allow unpredictable
angles of attack. Entangling weapons grant the
wielder a +1 bonus to initiative to model their
range and the difficulty of defending against
them. Flails, chain whips and barbed nets are
common entangling weapons - though monsters
attacking with tentacles may also have this
advantage.

Special Weapons
Silver Weapons Silver weapons have not simply
been silvered, but also marked with the proper
sigils and have undergone rituals of purification.
These weapons (including bullets) cost five times
the normal cost of a weapon, but have the
advantage of being able to harm many creatures
that are immune to normal weapons, especially
material undead, lyncanthropes and demons.
Missile weapons may not be effectively silvered,
but ammunition can be.
Hexed Similar to silver weapons, hexed weapons
can be obtained from Frogtown and some other
factions. The weapons have been marked with
powerful fetishes and spells capable of damaging

42 | P a g e

many creatures immune to normal weapons,

especially devils. Hexed weapons are costly, up to
ten times the cost of a similar non-magical weapon.
Missile weapons may not be effectively hexed, but
ammunition can be.
Blessed Blessed weapons have been imbued
with holy power from one of the Apollyons
churches. They are effective against weapon
immune undead of all kinds and sometimes will
harm devils and demons. Blessed weapons require
a good relationship with a church to obtain, and
will still cost five to ten times the price of normal
weapons.

Magic
Spell Casting
Spell casting occurs much like any other combat
action, on the casters initiative. Spell casting is not
considered instantaneous, but this is a mechanical
compromise rather than a decision about the
nature of magic in the setting. Spells may still be
interrupted, countered and otherwise interfered
with despite their treatment as a normal, initiative
based combat action.
Interruption A spell casters concentration and
ability to cast is interrupted when the caster is
struck in the same round as they are casting. The
caster may still cast if he makes a successful 4D6
Intelligence check, but if the check fails the spell
will be lost. A caster who decides not to cast on a
turn where they are hit does not risk spell loss.

Counterspells Almost all arcane spell casters

may seek to counterspell arcane spells. When a
caster elects to counterspell for their action they
may attempt to counterspell any spell cast nearby
after they have declared their intent to
counterspell, until their next combat action.
Academic magicians, who specialize in
understanding the theory and workings of raw
magic may also elect to counterspell spells cast
before their initiative, by giving up a future action
that round.
Once a counterspell is active, spellcasters that the
counter spell is directed at (and it must be directed
at a specific caster) make a Save vs. Spells to
successfully cast their spell.

Firearms and
explosives
The HMS Apollyon contains guns of varying
technological quality, from ancient self-targeting
weapons that fire caseless, explosive ammunition
to crude black powder gonnes. Bombs, artillery
and rockets are also available, though they are less
common and no longer manufactured in any

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significant numbers, except for the simplest of

fused hand-bombs. Small arms are generally
treated similarly to bows and crossbows, but
provide several advantages. The most universal of
these advantages is exploding damage.

Firearms
Unlike traditional weapons, firearms are
relatively easy to use effectively, and may by
fielded by any class without restriction which
provides an advantage to less martial classes.
Secondly, guns are capable of doing large
amounts of damage on a lucky shot, and all
firearms, including automatic weapons, have the
ability to do exploding damage, causing an
additional die of damage when they hit for their

maximum damage. This exploding effect even

continues to accrue with every roll of maximum
damage.
Generally firearms do 1D6 per bullet, though rare
weapons do either multiple die of damage or
have weapon modifiers (Such as Heavy) that will
increase their damage potential.

Exploding Damage
When the damage die for a successful firearm
attack rolls a 6 it will inflict a second die of
damage and if this second die also rolls a 6 a
third or even additional dice are added until the
damage die rolls something other than a six. The
raw, natural, die roll determines if the damage
explodes, even if the weapon itself does less or
more damage, and in the case of heavy firearms a
six on either die will explode, though the benefits
of weapon modifiers only apply to the first

damage die rolled, not subsequent explosive

dice.
Example - A rifle attacker hit and rolls a nature
6 on their D6 damage. The player rolls again
for damage and adds it to the 6. If by rare
chance the shooter rolls a second 6 an further
die of damage is rolled and added. This
accumulation of damage continues until a
number less than maximum damage is rolled.

Burst
Burst damage is another concept that separates
firearms from other weapons. Some firearms can
shoot multiple bullets quickly. While fully
automatic weapons and shotguns are treated
differently (see Cover below), even revolvers can
be fired as a burst. Burst weapons can strike
multiple times up to the burst value in a single
attack but use a larger number of bullets to do
so. A weapon fired as a burst rolls attack
normally, but for every '2' pips above the number
needed to hit strikes with an additional bullet.
Bursts expend large amounts of ammunition
however, using 2x burst value -1 rounds of

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ammunition. Thus a revolver with 'burst 2' uses 3

rounds per shot. Most burst weapons may be fired
as a single shot as well.
Example - A gunman firing an automatic pistol
with a burst value of 3 and rolls a 18 against and
target which requires a 12 to hit, all three shots in
the burst hit (12-18 = 6, so first shot hits on 12,
second on 14 and third on 16) each doing damage.
Firing this way will quickly empty the pistols
magazine however as each burst attack fires 5
rounds of ammunition.

Cover
Automatic weapons, such as assault rifles and
submachine guns, are weapons with a magazine of
over 12 and the ability to exhaust that magazine
in a single round of fire. Automatic fire is very
effective, but empties the weapon, and targets are
often hit with multiple bullets, ricochets and
fragments. Shotguns are also treated as automatic
weapons for mechanical purposes, as the spread of
fire they throw is better at hitting enemies than a
single shot. No attack roll is made for automatic
fire; instead the target makes a Saving Throw vs.
Device. On a failed save the target takes normal
(if a shotgun) or double (if an automatic weapon)
damage for the gun, and on a success 1/2
damage.
The only protection against automatic weapon
attacks is cover, not full cover (which is presumed
to prevent attack with ranged weapons) but any
cover, even easily shredded items such as
furniture or partial protection like a corner to
peer and fire around. Even diving to the ground
and remaining prone will provide sufficient cover
to alleviate automatic weapon damage. Such
cover normally gives the attacker a -2 to -4 to hit,
but against automatic and shotgun fire it reduces

damage. A target of an automatic weapon attack

who elects to take cover (and they may do so at
the time of the attack, unless surprised, in lieu of a
future action) will take 1/2 damage if they fail
the save, and no damage on a success.
Example - Spotting a pack of five skulking
Merrowmen, Steward Sargent Clotho picks one
and blasts away with his double barreled
shotgun. The little eel man is not surprised, some
feral sense of danger warning it and throws itself
to the ground, taking cover. Despite taking cover
the Merrowman fails it's save against wands,
taking 1D6/2 points of damage from the
blast. The rest of the Merrowmen eschew cover
charge Clotho, and he has a chance to blast
another before the creatures are upon him. The
second shot hits the lead Merrowman cleanly,
doing 1D6 damage. Unfortunately for Clotho
there are now three Merrowmen in melee with
him, and he is armed with an improvised
club. Worse, the wounded Merrowman has
gotten off the floor and is preparing to join its
companions the next round.

Specific firearm Types

Pistols
Pistols are relatively inaccurate at anything but
close range and receive a -2 to hit from any range
beyond reach. They have the advantage of
being useful in melee combat however, as all
pistols have the reactive modifier.

Wielding pistols in company with a melee

weapon is quite somewhat effective however, and
paired with a sword or other weapon (not a shield)
the character may attack with the sword and
reactively attack with the pistol.

On the first round of melee combat pistols may

also be fired as normal without any loss of
effectiveness. However, on subsequent rounds
however, the pistol is not as effective a weapon
and may only be used reactively. Pistols cannot
be used to parry and attack effectively as melee
weapons.

Dual wielding pistols can be effective in

providing additional attacks during an initial
round of combat and in reaction to attacks, but
increases the difficulty of aiming. A -2 to hit with
the first shot and a -4 to hit with the second shot
when both pistols are used. With automatic

45 | P a g e

weapons this penalty increases by an additional 1 for every value of "burst" the weapon has.

'6') but they can be concealed quite easily and

often have multiple barrels.

Black Powder Pistols - Single shot weapons,

useful because they allow a dangerous initial
attack in the first round of melee combat. Like all
muzzle loaded weapons they require three rounds
to reload. Blackpowder pistols tend to be of a
heavier construction than more advanced
weapons and some can be equipped with blades
or even built into melee weapons allowing them
to be used as either and Improvised or Close
weapon in melee after firing.

Revolvers - Most often a cartridge based weapon,

revolvers can fire multiple shots and have a burst
value of '2' or even 3. Most revolvers have six
round cylinders, but like all cartridge based
weapons they require 2 rounds to reload, even
with a prepared 'quick-loader'.

Derringers - Either black powder or cartridge

based these small pistols are only effective in
melee combat, and generally do less damage
(1D6-2 - with damage still exploding on a roll of

Automatics - Automatic pistols, including

submachine guns, are clip loaded, and can have
high burst values and large magazine capacities.
Some may even be fired on full automatic,
emptying their magazine in a single round and
requiring a save to avoid or reduce damage. As
with other clip loaded weapons, automatic pistols
take 1 round to reload.

LongarmS
Longarms of various kinds, including muskets and
rifled muskets, are weapons that are meant to be
used at range. Longarms cannot be used in melee
to fire, only as an ungainly club (doing 1D6/2).
Longarms have the major advantage over pistols
that most are considered heavy weapons, doing
higher average damage.
Bayonets - Bayonets make a longarm far more
useful in melee combat, effectively turning the
rifle into a spear (Normal damage and adds the
reach modifier). Unfortunately, fixed bayonets
make aiming the rifle more difficult, causing a -2
to all ranged attacks. Fixing a bayonet takes 1
round.
Muskets - Harquebuses, Fusils, Jezzails, or any
other muzzle loading longarm are effective either
in a massed volley or if in the hands of an expert
carefully aimed from a distance. These weapons
arent much more effective than heavy crossbows,
and share a heavy arbalests long loading time. It
takes three rounds to reload a muzzle loading
firearm.
Cartridge Rifles - Most commonly bolt action
rifles using block, tube or strip magazines, though
46 | P a g e

some must be reloaded between shots. Cartridge

rifles (even the bolt action ones) can be fired fairly
quickly, and have a burst value of 2, though their
smaller magazines mean this is not always
desirable (the Steward standard issue rifle has
only a five round block magazine, meaning it
cannot be fire a burst more than once without
reloading). All cartridge rifles tend to be
accurate at longer ranges. Block, tube, and strip
rifles require two rounds to reload. Rare
Semiautomatic rifles exist that fire from slightly
larger clip magazines, and require only a single
round to load.
Scoped Rifles - Either specially designed as
sniper weapons or simple military rifles
augmented by optics, scoped rifles have great
advantages when striking from concealment.
Using a scope is an exacting process and most
effective with preparation. Scopes add a bonus of
+1 to hit per round (in addition to the initial
rounds +4 to hit, up to +10 for a 5 rounds or a
turn of aiming). These aimed shorts have the
unique advantage as using the bonus toward
determining a critical hit. That is, any roll that
when added to the aiming bonus is greater than
20 will strike as a critical hit. Additionally, a

scoped rifle shot against a target that is not in

combat (unexpected and from concealment) will
do double damage and take full advantage of
any backstab ability possessed by the shooter.
Sniper rifles are a subset of scoped weapons, with
very long barrels and fine optics, generally
capable of even greater damage doing 2D6
exploding damage rather than the 1D6 with
advantage typical to regular rifles. These
weapons are near useless at any range closer than
long however, as they are unwieldy, hard to aim
without use of the scope, and strike at -4 to hit if
the shooter doesnt take a round to aim them.

Automatic Rifles - Automatic rifles are longarms

that are fully automatic, and generally have
large magazine capacities over 12 rounds. They
are usually loaded by clip (1 round loading time),
though some have tube or block magazines (2
round loading times). If fired in a burst they act as
semi-automatic weapons (with a burst value of
two to four, consuming three to seven rounds). If
fired on full automatic these weapons exhaust
their entire magazine in a single round, but act as
a light machine gun, targeting a single creature
and automatically hitting for double (usually
2D6) normal damage. A save is allowed vs.
wands for any target, and if the target succeeds
the target takes damage. Targets in cover take
no damage on a successful save, and damage on
a failed save.

Shotguns
Shotguns never require a to hit roll, even though
they fire a single round per turn. Shotguns act like
automatic weapons, targeting a single opponent
and necessitating a save vs. wands. Failure means
that the target takes full damage from the weapon
(not the double damage from an automatic
weapon) and success means 1/2 damage. Cover
provides full protection on a save, and 1/2 damage
on a failed save. Shotguns have limited range and
can only be used effectively from reach range or
melee range (if not actively in melee combat)
Solid slugs may be fired from shotguns, making
them effectively long arms and removing their
special automatic modifier.
Blunderbuss A blunderbuss or coach gun is a
very short range shotgun used to fire balls or any
random bits of jagged metal that can be crammed
down the distinctive bell shaped barrel. Like all
black powder weapons blunderbusses take three
rounds to reload. Many blunderbusses, like the
more advanced pepperbox, are reactive weapons
that cannot be used except in the first round of
melee or reactively.

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Pepperboxes An extremely close range weapon

resembling a pistol that fires multiple bullets
(either from separate barrels or a single barrel
stuffed with bullets). These weapons cannot be
used effectively outside of melee range, but can be
devastating in close quarters as they are Reactive
weapons that require a single target to Save vs.
Device or take full damage. Sawn-off shotguns, as
well as the traditional gambler's pepper box pistol
fall into this category.
Cartridge Shotguns - One of the more common
types of advanced firearms aboard the Apollyon
are cartridge firing shotguns, these weapons are
most often single or double barreled break open
weapons that require reloading after every shot (or
two). Reloading these weapons takes two rounds.
Automatic Shotguns - Pump or drum fed shotguns
are rare, and have magazines of up 5 to 20
rounds. They are identical to shotguns, except that
they need not be reloaded as often, and drum
loaded shotguns take only 1 round to reload.

Explosions
There are these devastating attacks that even
powerful characters cannot shrug off. Surviving a
direct hit by a 12 lb cannon ball is a function of
absurd luck rather than the abstraction of Hit
Points. Heavy weapons: cannons, catapults, antitank rockets or a falling girder, dont attack Hit
Points, these are save or die attacks with a Save vs.
Explosion as the only way to prevent annihilation.
I call these attacks Artillery Attacks after the
most common source of Save or Die attacks aboard
the Apollyon. Even if the target saves against an
Artillery Attack they will take its listed weapon
damage.
Besides a saving throw, the only other protection
against Artillery Attacks is Cover; a character or
NPC that has some idea of an impending artillery
attack may take cover and if they save will take no
damage. Taking cover may simply mean dropping
to the floor, or hunkering behind a shield,, but it
will allow a miraculous zero damage in the event
of a save, and the artillerys listed damage in event
of a failure. The key element of taking cover is that
it eliminates all movement and must be broken to
act (with the exception of firing certain missile
weapons mainly guns and crossbows). This
peculiar mechanic also explain why something
like a 2 inch cannonade has a damage listed as
only 2D6. Outside cover (charging or firing at the
mouth of a cannon loaded with grape shot) a failed
save is lethal to any normal creature or humanoid

and a successful save results in damage as listed for

the artillery weapon. Cover is also discussed above
in regard to automatic firearms and shotguns.
Certain creatures, namely large outsider entities
and powerful undead, or almost anything wearing
powered armor, are always considered to be in
cover, as are creatures protected by the shield
spell.
Explosions - Both Artillery Attacks and smaller
splash weapons, like grenades, attack Saving
Throws directly (either Save vs. Explosion for the
larger weapons or Save vs. Device for smaller more
localized attacks) but can effect multiple targets.
Rather than using a blast area or other location
based mechanic for determining the effectiveness
of these weapons, each type of explosive or
artillery has a splash or Explosion Value (EV) that
indicates the maximum number of targets it can
effect. A small oil bomb might have a value of two,
while a shell from a large cannon might goes as
high as ten or twelve.
The weapon doesnt automatically damage a
number of targets up to its Explosion Value, but
instead each target (starting at random or by
designation of the weapons user) rolls the
appropriate saving throw, until a target makes the
save, When an explosion target makes its saving
throw the chain stops, even if there are still
potential targets available.

Grenades
Grenades, oil bombs and other tossed explosives
have largely the same mechanics as Artillery
attacks they attack Saving Throws directly, and
can effect targets up to an Explosion Value until a
target makes their save. Unlike Artillery, hand
thrown and other small bombs arent nearly as
dangerous and only do damage (or damage to a
target in cover) if the target fails their saving
throw. Additionally small explosives do not
48 | P a g e

always use the Explosions Saving Throw, but often

use the easier Device Saving Throw.
Oil Bombs: - Explosive fire bombs, either specially
made or improvised from lantern oil (the refined
whale and fish oil used in Sterntowns Lamps is
highly flammable) are often employed by
scavengers. The gout of flame they create is easier
to avoid then a specially designed weapon, and so

these firebombs usually have a burst value of two

(2). Oil Bombs do 1D6 damage the first round and
1D6/2 damage the following round to a target
that fails its save.
Bombs and Grenades: fragmentation or explosive
weapons are more effective then fire in some ways,
but do not have the versatility and ease of
manufacture. A thrown grenade (often a small
black iron sphere with a fuse, known as a grenado)
has an explosion value of 3 to 6 (depending on the
bomb type). Normal thrown bombs or grenados do

damage as a heavy weapon, but more advanced

or larger explosives may be more effective.
Grenade Fumbles: Thrown explosives can be very
dangerous to the user and if the first target of a
thrown bomb makes their save with a natural
twenty, the bomb or oil flask has been fumbled and
generally explodes at the users feet. The GM
should treat a fumble with Explosive weapons as
an attack on the user and their allies, with the
bomb thrower making the first save attempt.

Artillery Weapons
Artillery Weapons aboard the Apollyon,
generally crew served weapons that would be
called siege weapons in other games, sometimes
do instantly lethal damage to normal targets.
These weapons make use of the Cover mechanic
to prevent them from being entirely devastating.
The same mechanic applies to some more
traditional fantasy attacks such as monster breath
weapons. Details on the Cover and artillery
mechanics are above, but the key distinction

49 | P a g e

between artillery weapons and other attacks that

use the cover mechanism, and one that should be
repeated, is that artillery attacks, from the effects
of a 20 mortar, a heavy Gatling gun or even the
searing blast furnace breath of a large feral engine,
are absolutely deadly on a failed Save vs. Breath
to a victim that fails to take cover. The other
distinction between artillery weapons and mere
automatic weapons is that artillery weapons have
an Explosion Value and are capable of harming
multiple targets up to this Explosion Value (EV).